Page 65 of Fire

Me

Why East?

Pres

Because the West Coast is better. Obviously.

Cash

You know this is the mother of my child you’re talking about.

Pres

And…

Cash

And…no comment. I’ve got to go.

Merc

He hates her just as much as we do. He’s just more diplomatic about it.

Myles

I’ve got to go too. I’m prepping for a big audition—for my career that does NOT suck.

Me

Good luck, man. Love you.

Myles

Love you too.

Somehow, I managed to get changed during all that and pack up to head back to the hotel. Just as I’m sending a goodbye text to Pres and Mercury, I nearly plow into Zara halfway between my dressing room and the clinic.

Lucky, I guess, since I was on my way to find her, because tonight, I’ve decided we are going out.

We’ve barely seen each other since Sunday. After we got off the phone that afternoon with her mom, I barely had enough time to run back to my room to grab a shower and change. We then managed to squeeze in a late lunch at the hotel restaurant before we were whisked away to the arena for sound check.

Ever since, we’ve been like two ships passing in the night.

We got a bit of time on the plane, but aside from that, it’s been extra practice sessions and a photoshoot for a magazine spread. Meanwhile, she’s been dealing with heat exhaustion and a summer cold outbreak.

Given how much she does, I honestly don’t know how the band has made it this long without a doctor on staff. This woman works her ass off.

My arms grip her shoulders, steadying her as she looks up at me wide-eyed. “Sorry!” she says, startled. “I didn’t see you.”

“No.” I shake my head and lamely wave my phone. “It was my fault. I was texting my siblings and clearly wasn’t paying attention.”

“Siblings? As in all of them? At the same time?”

“Yeah, we have a group chat. It’s currently called the Creed Council of Chaos.”

“Currently?”

I grin. “It’s had many names. It’s sort of a competition to see who can come up with the best one.”