“Good,” I told her. “I like that we feel the same. It makes me think everything is going to be fine.”

But even as I said it, an errant thought flitted through my brain: Please, God, let it be fine.

Chapter 16

THE ROAD

Life on the road was both exhilarating and taxing. I’d never thought it was possible to be both exhausted and energized at the same time, but it really was. And it didn’t take long for the constant traveling to become disorienting; it was just a few weeks into it, and already I was completely clueless about where we were. Luckily, Matt was on top of it, and he reminded me what city we were in before every show.

And the shows…they were everything I’d been hoping they would be, and so much more. Playing with the audience, goofing around with my friends, feeling the pulse of the music in my chest, in my soul…it electrified me. As much as I couldn’t wait to be back home with Kiera, I never wanted it to end.

Being on the bus, however…that was quickly losing its appeal. It was monotonous, mind-numbing. Guys started shifting around, alternating buses just for new people to talk to. The four of us D-Bags usually stayed together though. We just…liked hanging out.

“So, I’ve got this fuck buddy back home, and she does this thing—”

Justin held up his hand, interrupting Griffin’s story. “Wait. Fuck buddy? Does she know you call her that?”

Griffin swished his hand. “Yeah, she calls me that too. Anyway, she does this thing when she’s riding me, like her leg is kind of here…”

He started moving into a position that I did not want stuck in my brain, so I stood up and left him to tell Justin his overly graphic story. Thankfully, he didn’t have long to tell it as the bus hissed to a stop, settling into its final resting place for the show. The driver opened the doors and I immediately stepped off the bus. I needed fresh air and room to stretch. I really wished I could go for a run. I missed it.

Justin came off the bus a few seconds after me. He was laughing. Spotting me stretching out my arms, he shook his head. “That chick he’s seeing sounds hot. Why is she with him again?”

I shook my head, a laugh escaping me. “No one really knows the answer to that.”

Justin just shook his head again, laughing as he made his way back to his bus.

We all fell into a comfortable rhythm after that. Talking to the people we needed to talk to, setting up the equipment we needed to help with, lounging on the bus until it was time to meet with fans pre-show. It was all easy-breezy fun. Until all of a sudden, it wasn’t.

“You fucking bitch!”