Page 38 of Resurrection
"He wasn’t onSaints & Sinners, dude." Kenny elbows his brother, looking a little appalled.
"That’s right." Tyler nods with a small smile on his face, but his eyes are telling an entirely different story. "I joined the band after. The first album we recorded together wasDepravity.
"Please," Miranda pipes up from behind the drums.
"I don’t know…" Ty rakes his hand through his hair, glancing at me helplessly. Not that I can help him. He got himself into this predicament. He should get himself out. "In that case, we gotta go with the censored version," he supplies.
"It’s no fun like that," Kenny mumbles.
"Maybe play something fromAmber," I suggest before one of the kids has a worse idea. It’s the only album that doesn’t have many profanities. And it’s the last one The Deviant recorded together before going on indefinite hiatus. Yes, as much as I hate to admit it, I’ve been secretly following Tyler’s career.
"Great choice," he says to no one in particular, but his blue eyes catch mine for a second. "What do you guys want to hear?"
Song titles pour at him from all angles. Finally, the kids settle on some obscure track I don't recognize.
He strums the opening chords, his fingers flying over the strings like they were made to do just that, and he sings in that rough, gravelly voice you sometimes hear in the backing tracks when you listen to the later material from The Deviant.
The rehearsal space goes silent except for Tyler's voice and guitar. It’s been years since I’ve seen him perform live like this, but damn if it doesn’t send goosebumps down my spine.
It’s like we’ve traveled back to the last time we were here together. The kids are mesmerized, but their eyes keep flickering between Tyler and me as if they sense the unspoken history between us.
For a moment, it's just the two of us again, the former high school sweethearts who thought they could leave Sageview Ridge far behind them. He's got that same frown of concentration crossing his forehead that he had back then. By the time he finishes the song, it's like a switch has been flipped in the room. Tyler Brady, rockstar, is gone, replaced by Tyler Brady, my nemesis.
The kids clap when the song ends, then start asking him about various guitar playing techniques. Asher is the most curious one of the four.
Tyler starts showing the guitarist how to tweak his solo, adjusting hisfingers on the frets and making it look like magic. They crowd around him, eating up every word.
"What’s it like being on stage with The Deviant?" Kenny asks, his eyes as big as vinyl records.
"Insane," Tyler says with a chuckle. "Like riding a rollercoaster without a seatbelt."
He’s so good at this. He comes alive when he talks about music. Same way he did all those years ago.
I stand back, feeling a mixture of pride and something like longing. His blue eyes meet mine for a split second, and I swear he knows exactly what's going on in my head.
I pretend to be really fascinated by my clipboard.
They pepper him with questions, more about his band and life than their music.
"Do you still talk to Justice Cross?"
"What’s the craziest party you’ve been to?"
"Is it true you guys are getting back together?"
"One at a time, one at a time!" Tyler laughs, holding his hands up like he’s under arrest. "For now, we’re just chilling. Working on our solo material. Lots of bands take breaks."
Minutes tick by unnoticed.
Finally, I glance at the clock and realize we’re running over. "Okay, rockstars, our time’s up!" I announce, making a cutting motion at my neck with my hand. "Leave some for next time. We’ll meet Thursday after school. Make sure the room is clean before you go."
The teenagers start to pack their instruments, groaning and asking if Tyler can come on Thursday too.
"If he’s available," I say, then clap my hands. "Chop, chop. Let’s wrap it up quickly."
Eventually, they’re done. Miranda’s parents—they’re the ones with the van—are already waiting by the door when the teens file out. They stare curiously at Tyler hanging back while we say our goodbyes.
And then it’s really just me and him in the cavernous rehearsal space. And I’m already regretting inviting him.
