The magazine is rolled open to a page that’s taken up with one picture.

And he says, “That one, I don’t mind.”

Then he smiles at me and strolls out.

We’d made the top of the Young and Beautiful List that came out every year in Here It Is magazine.

It was a coveted spot for people who care about that sort of thing.

Preacher didn’t care about that sort of thing.

The picture they’d used of us was taken after he’d helped me out of the limo that night.

We were standing so close. I think my shoulder was in his chest. He still had a hold of my hand.

He was looking down at me, laughing.

I had my head tipped back and was looking up at him, smiling.

[Shakes head and gives a short laugh]

I have to admit, we did look good. Preacher always rocked a jacket and slacks. Then again, he rocked everything he wore.

But mostly, we looked really happy.

And totally in love.

[Off tape]

I’m sorry to have to get into this, but we’re here now and it’s urban myth that list had a curse. It would come about that nearly every couple that made the top of that list would split not long after. Starting with you and McCade. In fact, lore is that your breakup, being the huge surprise it was, was what put the curse on the list.

So, this is right before it all goes wrong.

[Stares directly]

Yes.

That was right before it all went wrong.

Jesse:

I don’t know.

[Shakes head]

It started great.

Having Lyla on tour with us.

Preach was in his element, man.

His band. His music. His fans. His woman.

He was the happiest I’d ever seen him.

I just don’t know.

I don’t know how it went so fucking wrong.

That’s a total lie.

I knew.

I knew exactly what went wrong.

All of it.

The Tour

Lyla:

I try not to judge, but when people say they have no regrets, I call bullshit.

It’s impossible to live your life without regrets.

And I can sit right here and name my top three.

The first, in all that was happening with me, being so wound up in Preacher, I did not have a mind to Dave.

Second, the same with Tim.

And last, that I didn’t walk away sooner when I came to realize Preacher was lying to me.

When I went on tour with them, a full tour where it wasn’t like a vacation I was on where my man had to work, I honestly had no idea how the guys did it. I was just tagging along, they had to lay it all out there, giving it to their fans when they performed their shows, and that pace they kept…

Well…

[Pause]

It walloped me.