Encore By Eden — Finley

He had spent years building a career on the foundation of a lie—not a malicious one, but the kind that slowly erodes your soul. He was the heartthrob, the bachelor, the untouchable rock god. He wasn't the man who wanted to trade the screaming fans for a quiet kitchen and a hand to hold that didn't belong to a publicist. Then there was Maddox.

On the final night of the tour, the air in the arena was electric, thick with the scent of pyrotechnics and anticipation. Zach stood behind the curtain, the roar of the crowd vibrating in his chest. He looked at Maddox, standing post near the stage entrance, his expression unreadable but his eyes focused entirely on Zach. Encore by Eden Finley

Maddox didn't pull away. He squeezed back, a silent promise that the world could wait. The crowd began to chant Zach's name, a rhythmic thunder that demanded his presence. But for the first time in his life, Zach didn't care about the applause. He had finally found a melody that was just for him, a quiet, private song that didn't need a stadium to feel massive. He had spent years building a career on

The tension between them had been a slow burn, a steady hum of "what ifs" that grew louder than any guitar riff. It was in the way Maddox lingered a second too long when checking Zach's earpiece, and the way Zach stayed up late just to talk to the man who was paid to watch his back, but ended up guarding his heart instead. Then there was Maddox

Maddox was the silence between the notes. He was the bodyguard who stood in the shadows, the man who saw the panic attacks Zach hid from the cameras and the way his hands shook after a three-hour set. Maddox didn't care about the platinum records or the Grammy nods. To Maddox, Zach wasn't a product; he was a person.