tone. “I’m sorry for that.” He hoped Reese was watching. “I get lost in that song.” He hesitated, almost unaware of the cameras. “I sang it because it helps me remember what really matters.”
“You heard him. Zack Dylan . . . finding his way back.” He pointed at the camera. “The judges’ vote coming up . . . after the break.”
During the commercial someone took Zack’s guitar, and he was directed to the spot beside Kip. Once he was set, he looked at each of the contestants on the sofa. When he reached Zoey, their eyes held a few seconds longer. He could see in her now what he’d felt earlier in the hallway before the show. What he still felt. They would always share the journey they took together on
But the charade was over.
In the final seconds before cameras rolled again, Zack studied the judges. They were deep in what seemed to be a quietly heated conversation. As the production assistant counted them back to live action, the conversation stopped abruptly. The tension could be felt to the top level of Carnegie Hall.
“The judges have voted,” Kip told the camera. “It’s time for the moment of truth. Will Zack Dylan stay? Will Romeo and Juliet go on together? Or is this the end for our boy from Kentucky?” He turned to the judges’ table. “Cullen, have you reached a decision?”
“We have.” Cullen scowled. “I have to say, our choice was not unanimous.” He looked from Kelly to Chandra and back at Kip. “My fellow judges did not see what the rest of us saw in that unforgettable performance.”
Zack’s heart began to soar. He stood a little straighter and tried to look concerned. He could feel the jet engines beneath his feet.
Cullen shook his head. “Unfortunately, we’ve decided to send Zack home tonight.”
The audience sent up a collective and drawn-out “Boo!” Several of them shouted, “Nooo! Don’t do it!”
“Wow.” Clearly Kip was shocked. “Let’s hear some feedback. Kelly? You didn’t like Zack’s song choice with ‘Her Blue Eyes’?”
Kelly looked at Zack. “The song was beautiful.” She cleared her throat, as if she were struggling to find the critical voice she had become known for. “A lot goes into a vote like this.” She shifted her look to Kip. “I had to think about Zack’s past performances along with this one. I also had to consider whether Zack had a chance at being the next
“You didn’t think so?” Kip still sounded stunned.
“No.” She looked at Zack. “He . . . doesn’t have that star quality we’re looking for.” She smiled, and something in her eyes told him she was talking in code. Like there was much more involved in her decision. “You might have a songwriting career ahead, though. That last number was truly beautiful.”
“I don’t think anyone at home could’ve seen this coming.” Kip shook his head and frowned into the camera. Then he turned to the judges again. “Chandra? Your vote?”
She stared at Zack, straight through him. The look was for him alone, a look that recalled their intense conversation just yesterday. Chandra cared enough to share her own heart, her own misery at being forever famous. Now her look told him she was silently celebrating. Instead of smiling, she shook her head and gave a sad shrug in Kip’s direction. “I have to agree with Kelly. Zack’s a good guy, a decent singer. But he’s not cut out to win the whole thing.” She looked back at Zack. “My vote came down to that.”
“Well.” Kip turned dazed eyes to the camera. “You heard it. The decision is made. Zack Dylan will leave us tonight.” He paused, milking the drama. “Let’s take a look at Zack’s journey on
The segment cut Zack to the heart. His eyes and attitude at the beginning—humble and looking to bring glory to God, hope to his family’s horse farm. The change from that to his performance yesterday. The shots of him and Zoey played again, including the kiss. The piece ended with Zack’s interview and his words, “All good things end eventually. I don’t want to go home, but if I do, this will always be the highlight of my life.”
He felt sick. Had he actually said that? Kip gave him one more chance to say something before the show ended. This time the words came from his heart. The heart that remembered who he was before the show, who he wanted to be long after it was over. “I want to thank everyone at
The audience cheered as the music played and the show wrapped. Zack went straight to the judges’ table. He shook Cullen’s hand. “Thanks for believing in me.”
Cullen’s disappointment darkened his expression. He shook his head and glanced at his fellow judges. “This is rubbish. You’re the most talented bloke we’ve had. I’ll never understand what happened tonight.” He grabbed his things and headed up the stairs and off the stage.
Zack turned to Kelly next. “Good-bye.”
“You understand, right?” She looked nervous. “I voted for you as a person. Not you as a singer.” Her smile softened her face. “As a singer, you should’ve won the whole thing. Just know that.”
“Thanks. That means a lot.”
She nodded and followed Cullen. Next, Chandra stood and came to him. Zack faced her. “You . . .” He took her in his arms and hugged her. She had become a friend in the last two days. As he stepped back he looked deep into her eyes. This was their moment. Never mind the mass of fans being kept at bay by the bodyguards. “You were praying.”
“I was.” Tears sparkled in her eyelashes. “You were my reason.” She put her hands on his shoulders and grinned at him. “You gave me meaning, Zack.”
They hugged again, and one last time Zack looked at her, into her very private heart. He didn’t have time to say everything he felt, but he sensed she understood. With that he waved to the crowd, and two bodyguards walked him offstage. Before he reached the door, he stopped and looked back.
The crowd was no longer trying to get to him.
Zoey and the other three contestants had come to the edge of the stage, smiling for pictures and hamming it up for the audience, their arms around one another’s necks. The packed house screamed and waved at them.
Zack smiled at the bodyguards. “Looks like
The guys nodded and patted him on the arm. “Take care, Zack.”
“You, too.” He shook their hands. Then he watched them hurry to the front of the stage to help the winners.
In a rush, Zack felt a mountain move off his shoulders. He was free. Ready to go home. He walked backstage, found William Gaines and asked the only question that remained. The one burning in his mind.
“How soon can you get me to the airport?”
chapter
29
The kickoff show played on every television in the airport.
Reese couldn’t get away from it, so she settled in at Gate C21 and watched. Zack and the other remaining contestants performed three group numbers, and Kip Barker showed clips from each of yesterday’s performances. She didn’t look away when they showed Zack’s highlights. She needed to see again who he’d become. She needed that as often as possible.
London beckoned to her, and she had made her commitment. But her life, her future . . . everything she had hoped for was here in Kentucky. Seeing Zack now reminded her she had made the right decision. She could hardly wait to board the plane. Only ten minutes of the show remained. The part where two contestants would be sent home.
Reese had figured Zack would be golden with the audience. At Carnegie Hall that night, girls had practically fainted at the sight of him in a cutoff shirt, and they went crazy for his duet with Zoey. But Reese had spent a few minutes on Twitter earlier and now she wasn’t sure. Overall, his fans seemed disappointed. Apparently she wasn’t
