Spending time with her was easy, even when we dipped into heavier topics. Nothing too deep, which I appreciated, but enough to remind me how lonely it gets sometimes.

I’ve always avoided the deeper connections. The ones where you share the bad and dark places. My last close-close friend was Sage, and I still kept a lot from her.

Foster’s the only person who has it all.

Maybe telling him what happened back then is the next step forward I needed in reclaiming my life. Maybe it leads to pushing through the lingering fears. Maybe I’ll tell someone else. Right now the idea of either has my skin crawling, a ball of anxiety lodging in my chest.

But I’ve conquered a lot the last two years. So, I’ll take maybe one day as a win.

After wine, we caked. Several other people showed up to help Chase celebrate. I can’t help but wonder if Foster left earlier to avoid a group. If he thought he needed to because of who he is to most of them.

When I met Chase and Colton’s parents, they beamed over Adams. But the name didn’t sound nearly as familiar from them as it should, given the subject lived with them as a teenager, which makes sense. They probably see Foster in private far more often than in public and don’t use the stage name much.

Knowing him, he didn’t want them to stress over it with other people around. Or draw attention from Chase. I just wish I could shake the feeling of his unease before he left having to do with me.

As I lean back against the elevator wall, Colton scans his card and presses the button for the private lounge floor.

“You’re coming down, right?”

“I guess I am now.” I hesitate. “Are Dev and Felix still mad at me? You said Adams cleared it up.”

He rolls his head toward me. “We’re all on the same page. We were assholes, but I hope you can see it from the band’s point of view. Out of nowhere, they were told you felt sexually harassed. The label even made it sound like you were scared to be on the bus with us alone.”

“I hate they did that. And I do understand. I wish you guys would have trusted me more, but I understand why you wouldn’t. You thought I was a threat, so you circled the wagons to protect what the band has built.”

Colton sighs and faces forward. “We circled the wagons, and I’m sorry it meant locking you on the outside. The entire thing hit a tender spot—especially for Felix.”

Our gazes connect, the conversation we had about the drummer lingering between us. “Is he okay?”