Pete loved having a band play at his bar, but he hated finding talent. To ease his stress, we’d agreed to find him a temporary replacement before we left. Rain and the rest of her band—Meadow, Sunshine, Tuesday, and Blessing—was our most promising option. They were a fun group of girls. We’d hung out on occasion before, and Rain and I…well, she was very forward, and at the time, I’d been up for anything with anyone. We’d had a little fun in my car once, but that was all it had been—a bit of fun.

Returning my eyes to the road, I finished with, “I am glad that we won’t be leaving Pete in a bind, and I think Poetic Bliss will be a good fit for the bar. They’re fairly similar to our sound.” And as an added bonus, they were an all-female band, so I wouldn’t have to worry about some punk-ass rock star wannabe trying to get into Kiera’s pants. That was my job, and mine alone.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Evan cocking an eyebrow at my answer. “While I agree with that assessment, which is why I suggested them, Poetic Bliss wasn’t what I was talking about, and you know it.”

A long sigh left my lips. “You meant the tour. Yeah…of course, I’m totally pumped about it.”

“It shows,” he said with a laugh. “What with you missing almost every rehearsal lately, rarely leaving Kiera’s side, looking preoccupied whenever you’re away from her…Yeah, it’s easy to see just how pumped you are.”

I gave him an annoyed sidelong glance. “I am looking forward to it, I swear. It’s just…things with Kiera are so fragile right now. The thought of being gone for so long…it’s really freaking me out.”

“Fragile? I don’t think that’s true, Kell. You guys seem pretty solid to me,” he responded with a shrug.

“Yeah…” That’s what Denny thought too and look what happened to him. God, I wished I could stop thinking about that. Would I feel differently about this if I’d never known about her separation anxiety with him? Yeah. Probably.

Like Evan could sense my unspoken words, he gently patted my shoulder. “It will be okay, Kellan. She’ll still be here when you get back. That girl is crazy about you.”