Page 57 of Game Winner
“Awesome, boys. I’ll send it over tonight. Take some time with it, and give me a call once you’ve had your attorney look at it. We’ll fly you out to LA so we can talk about it.”
Nodding at the phone, Layne’s smile gets wider and wider. “Thanks, Luke. We’ll do that.”
“I’ll let you go. Have a great show.”
The call ends.
We all stare at each other, and I think that this must be what stunned silence feels like.
With a cheer, Layne throws himself at me. "We fucking did it!”
“Damn right.” Laughing and so freaking happy, I squeeze him. Gavin flies in, throwing his arms around us, and Everett crashes in from the other side, knocking us all off balance.
The emotional ride from how this night started to now is wild.
The stage manager knocks with our five-minute warning, and the high from our call with Luke layers on top of the pre-show anticipation. I’m so full of energy, I could power our entire performance myself. I’m sure the guys feel the same way.
We make our way to the stage, laughing and talking, just like old times. It feels good to be settled again.
Onstage, we start off with a bang, diving into “Angry Robot.” Layne dances around the stage, we’re all interacting with each other, and none of us can stop smiling. It’s playful and happy. We’re back, and stronger than ever.
The audience cheers, and we only pause for a beat before going into “Creatures.” Gavin and Layne go back-to-back, singing the chorus together and Everett comes my way, half-smiling at me, half lost in the music. Thrashing away, I’m hit with how much I missed us during that awful month of tension.
Our last song is “Lost.” Layne’s voice is as heartbreaking as ever. I wonder who Thorne was with at Winter Fest. Even if I don’t track him down, I’ll do some sleuthing. Layne deserves only the best.
I finally spot Tyler and Soren in the crowd. Ty wore his sling at our insistence. People give him more space when he wears it, and I don’t want anyone banging into him. Even with that, I’m happy Soren’s there to help watch out for him and keep people away.
The song fades into silence before the applause crashes over us. That song really is special. I hate that it was born from heartbreak, but Layne looks over his shoulder at me and smiles, as if to tell us he’s okay.
I round the drum kit to join him, Gavin, and Everett at centerstage. We join hands and bow. Then Layne leans into the mic. “Thank you, New York! You guys rock!”
As soon as we’re backstage, he hugs me. “We’re so back. Damn, that was fun.”
“Like it’s supposed to be.” I kiss his cheek, not caring about how sweaty both of us are because I’ve got my friend back, our band is getting a contract, and I get to share it all with my twoguys. “Let’s get out of here. The guys said they’d meet us in the bar next door.”
No eye roll, no snarky comment, nothing. Layne nods, slinging his arm around my shoulder. “Cool. Let’s go. Drinks on me. Ev and Gav, come on.”
It’s so different and such a relief. The weight dragging me down for more than a month releases.
We grab our stuff and head out. The bar is crowded, with dim lighting and lots of blue neon.
Soren and Tyler huddle together near the entryway, with Soren guarding Tyler’s injured side. He spies me first and waves, then bends down and whispers in Ty’s ear.
I hurry over. “What did you think of the show?”
“You were amazing.” Soren drags me in for a quick kiss.
Tyler glances over my shoulder to where my bandmates chat together. “How did it go? Are you okay?”
“We talked it out, and we’re good now.” I squeeze his biceps. “And, we got a call from Luke Thompson. Furious Records wants to sign us.”
Soren grabs me in a bear hug. “Yes! I’m so freaking proud of you. Signing with Furious. Wow.”
“Congratulations, Mr. Rockstar.” Tyler fists his good hand in my shirt and pulls me in for a kiss. “We’ll always be your number one fanboys.”
Layne comes over, biting his lip, and runs an uncertain hand through his hair. He looks Soren and Tyler in the eye. “Just want to say, I’m happy Bax found two people who care about him. Thanks for making him so happy. And I’m sorry if my drama affected your relationship in any way. I’ll do better.”
“No worries.” The tension in Tyler’s shoulders eases. It’s barely perceivable, but after spending so much time with him during his recovery, I’ve learned all the ways his body holds tension. And I know it bothered him more that he let on thatLayne may not like him. “We know how important you are to Bax. Good friends are hard to find. I hope we all can become friends too.”
