She and Jen talked about whether to tell me, make me listen, but then they heard “Give Then Take” on the radio and they decided I’d hear it eventually and it would be better for them to tell me and be around when I heard it.

And they were around when I heard it.

So, I don’t know what I expected, because obviously, he’d gotten it wrong.

And he was very, very angry.

It was Jen’s idea to go up to Chicago.

Not with me.

Her and Amber, to find their way backstage and give him a piece of their mind.

I talked them down.

But then, the idea of going to Chicago for their show was in my head.

The Mustangs weren’t coming down to Indy, you see. Not on that leg. They were going east and would hit Indy on the swing back west. Which wouldn’t be for months.

I honestly didn’t think I’d get backstage.

I had no idea how I managed to get that far.

It was my first indication of just how powerful a pair of tits and a thick head of hair could be.

Especially when it came to anyone who had anything to do with rock ’n’ roll.

I should have left, when they refused to let me in their dressing room.

I also don’t know why I stuck around to watch them walk to their bus.

Maybe I just wanted to see Preacher in that place.

He’d made it, or he was making it, I knew how very much it meant to him to do that, and I was hurt.

But I was glad for him.

And then when Tommy came to me and said Preacher wanted to talk to me, I should have walked away.

And when we were in the back of that limo and I could tell we were wasting time, driving around, I should have asked them to take me to the train station or just asked them to drop me off right where we were so I could grab a taxi or find my way to the L.

There were a lot of “should ofs” in my time with Preacher McCade.

But I didn’t do any of that.

I went with Tom to the hotel.

I rode up the elevator with him.

And I walked into that room and saw Preacher with those girls.

Then I ran away.

“Lyla! Goddammit! Lyla!”

Okay, all right.

Walk fast.

There were taxis on the street in big cities.

Walk fast to the street and get a taxi.

Wait, there were probably taxis at the hotel.

Should I go back?

Did I have enough money for a taxi?

I didn’t know. I’d never paid for a taxi.

What if I didn’t?

I had money to take the L to the venue, return ticket, which meant getting back, something I’d already bought.