The tour manager, Scott, looking a little frazzled as always, was walking down the line of us, handing out hotel room keys and shouting out room assignments. When he got to us, I knew what he was going to say even before he said it. “Kyle, Wilder, you two are together, room 602. Hancock and Hancock, you two are together, room 604.” Yep. That was typically how we were sorted.

He handed the four of us our key cards, while Matt grunted in annoyance. “Goddamn it,” he grumbled as Scott moved down the line. “Every single fucking time…” Closing his eyes, he let out a long sigh. “I have to deal with him every single day of my life. I was kind of hoping for a day or two off on this tour.”

While I smirked at the look on his face, Griffin laughed and smacked him on the back. “Sorry, cuz. You’re stuck with me, twenty-four-seven.”

Matt dropped his head into his hands. “Why me…?” he murmured.

Griffin poked him in the shoulder, making him look up at him. “Because the universe wants you to stay up late watching porn with me,” he stated.

Matt pursed his lips. Looking over at Evan and me, he said, “I don’t care what the assignment is, I call dibs on one of you two next stop.”

Evan and I glanced at each other, then started laughing. Matt flipped us off before leaving to go get his stuff.

When Evan and I got to our room, Evan immediately tossed his bag on a chair, kicked off his shoes, and collapsed onto one of the beds. He didn’t move again, so I figured he was already passed out; it was really hard to get a good night’s sleep in those cramped cubbies, and after so many nights of that, the body rebelled.

I debated taking a nap too, but the shower was calling me. The streaming hot water was a glorious treat, one I enjoyed for far too long. And sadly, by the time I got out of it and dried off, I was refreshed and energized. I couldn’t have fallen back asleep even if I tried. Lying on the other bed, I thought over ways to kill some time. I could write out some lyrics, but honestly, I’d been doing a lot of that on the bus. I’d only brought one notebook with me, and it was already over halfway full of random poetic verses. I didn’t want to read, didn’t want to watch TV. There was really only one thing I wanted; it was what I always wanted.

Glancing at Evan’s sleeping form, I pulled out my cell phone. I could tell he was sleeping pretty soundly, and I probably wouldn’t wake him, so I called Kiera. Her voice was sleepy when she answered. “Hell…o?”