“Good,” I murmured against her lips. “Because none of that is going to happen.” I pulled back to look at her. I wanted her to absorb what I was about to say, believe it with all of her heart. “It’s just a six-month tour with a bunch of other bands, most of which are small and unsigned, just like us. And when we’re all crammed together on a smelly bus, I’ll be wishing that I was back at home with you.” This isn’t the beginning of our end. It’s just a brief intermission…not a big deal.

Feeling her warmth filling me, I pressed my head against hers. “And when the six months are up, that’s exactly where you’ll find me…in bed with you.” Never to leave again.

“I hope so,” she breathed.

Not wanting her to feel anything but wonderful and secure in my love for her, I whispered, “I know so.” But even still, my brain couldn’t help but reverberate in agreement with her statement. I hope so too, Kiera.

Chapter 8

ALMOST TIME

The guys were so excited to leave, they started a countdown on Evan’s whiteboard. Forty days until we left for a six-month tour. Then thirty-five days…then thirty…twenty. Each time they changed the number, they talked about how great it was going to be when we headed out. Each time I saw them change the number, I started to freak out a little more inside. What if this was a mistake? What if Kiera and I couldn’t handle this? What if the physical separation created an emotional one? What if she couldn’t deal with being alone? What if she found comfort from someone else?

But no. She’s not going to do that to me, I’m not going to do that to her. We were choosing to trust each other, that was our agreement. One that seemed so simple on the surface, so easy to say, but goddamn, actually doing it was really fucking hard. Every day the what ifs were slowly killing me, poisoning me with their darkness, and I hadn’t even left yet.

“I still can’t tell if you’re excited about this.”

I looked over to see Evan studying me as I drove. Pushing aside my worry, I forced a carefree smile to my face. “Going to see Poetic Bliss? To ask Rain if she and the girls will take over our spot at Pete’s while we’re gone? I don’t know. I’m not excited, but I’m not…un-excited either. More ambivalent than anything,” I said with a shrug.