Page 83 of Taste of Surrender

“All right. You have a point.”

The ringingof my phone woke me from a dead sleep. Opening my eyes, I realized I was passed out on my couch with Jasper in my arms as we watched—or tried to watch—a movie to relax after coming home.

Jasper rose from our spooning, grabbed my phone, and handed it to me.

I sat up and swiped the answer button, even though I didn’t recognize the number. “Hello?”

“Hey, Mal. It’s Silas.”

“Hey, bro. How’s it going?” I mouthed to Jasper that it was Silas and he nodded.

“It’s going good, but I heard Jesse’s leaving the band?”

I closed my eyes, leaning back into the couch. “No, man, Jesse’s not going anywhere. I promise you that. It’s just some moron spreading rumors.”

“Damn. One of the patients here had her daughter visit. Huge fan of ours and was sad we were breaking up. I had to pay a nurse to let me use her phone to call you and not the monitored line they want us to use.”

I chuckled slightly as I envisioned him doing just that. “A lot of rumors are flying around, but trust me, everything’s under control. We’ve got a plan in motion. You don’t need to stress about the band right now. Focus on you and getting better.”

“Yeah, easier said than done,” he muttered. “It’s hard not to worry about it since I’m the reason we’re not touring right now.”

“Don’t sweat it,” I replied. “We need you back healthy, man. That’s the most important thing.”

There was a long pause, and I could almost hear Silas wrestling with his thoughts on the other end. “Malachi,” he started, his voice breaking slightly, “I can’t stop thinking about that night and thinking about if you hadn’t found me.”

My grip tightened on the phone. “Silas?—”

“You probably saved my life.”

I swallowed hard, forcing the memories back into the box I kept them in. “You scared the hell out of me, Silas. Finding you like that ... it’s something I’ll never forget. But you didn’t die. You’re still here, and you’re fighting. That’s what matters.”

“I know,” he whispered. “I’m trying. I really am.”

“I know you are.” My voice cracked despite my efforts to keep it steady. “And I’m proud of you. We all are. You’ve got so much more life to live, so much more music to make. Don’t let this beat you.”

Silas was silent for a moment, and when he spoke again, his voice was softer, more vulnerable. “Thank you, Malachi. For everything. I don’t know what I’d do without you guys.”

“You’re not alone in this. We’re a family. We take care of our own.” Jasper reached out to rest a hand on my thigh. I continued speaking into the phone, “You just focus on getting better, okay? We’ll handle the rest. Don’t worry about the bullshit gossip. Surrender isn’t breaking up.”

“Okay,” Silas replied, his voice steadier now. “I’ll try.”

“Good. And remember, we’re all here for you. Anytime you need to talk, you call me, all right?”

“Yeah, but getting a phone wasn’t that cheap.”

I chuckled. “We can afford it.”

“I know. Thanks again. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Take care, buddy.” I ended the call and let out a long breath, leaning forward to rest my elbows on my knees.

“How’s he holding up?” Jasper asked softly.

“He’s struggling,” I admitted, running a hand through my hair. “But he’s trying. That’s all we can ask for right now.”

He nodded and gave my thigh a comforting pat. “He’ll make it through.”

“I hope so.”