The final note landed, stretched, and then snapped cleanly, like a thread cut on purpose.
For half a second, there was that stunned pocket of silence that only existed because the hall didn't know what to do with the idea of 'over.' Then the sound came back in a wave, first voices - people still singing the hook as if the song had simply moved from the speakers into their throats and refused to leave.
Adam grinned so hard his cheeks hurt.
He tossed his head once, and his hair went everywhere, blond strands plastered to his forehead, his temples, and his neck. His shirt was soaked through, clinging to him like he'd been poured into it, and the stage lights made the sweat on his skin flash bright, almost glittering. His chest rose fast, greedy breaths pulled in with that giddy edge of adrenaline that made his hands shake and his mind feel sharp and light at the same time.
He lifted the mic like he might say something.
