Fire and flame eating me alive
From the inside
But that wasn’t right, and I scratched it out and let the riff sing in my head. And tried again.
Burn me alive
And leave me hollow
Only the moon can I follow
Yet I survive
Don’t know why.
It was the start of something, coming from my fear for Saxon. I hadn’t worried before, but now I was a big ball of anxiety about him going on calls. Logically, someone had to put out the fires, and he was trained. I also knew they did extra training all the time and worked meticulously to keep their equipment in top shape. But losing him to a fire wasn’t all in my head either. It was possible.
Joe looked over my shoulder. “Hmm…keep working on that. I like where it’s going.”
“Thanks. I have a melody. I think.” I started humming but then my phone beeped with an incoming text.
I hoped that meant Donny would show up. Hopefully, he was bringing Daddy with him. I showed Joe, who grinned at me and patted my shoulder. “He loves you.”
“I love him too.”
“Of course. Now come on. Let’s get out to the stage.”
The soundcheck earlier went well, and we expected this to be a great show. We hung out by the edge of the stage, waiting for our cue to go on. Pierce walked up to me. “Where’s your guys, dude? All alone now?”
Joe shoved him. “Leave him alone.”
Of course he didn’t listen. “I heard Donavan had to leave suddenly. You scare him away?” I was pretty sure he was taking his nerves out on me. I rolled my eyes in response, but he nagged a bit more, unable to let it go. “Bet he ran—”
Joe shoved him again, harder this time. “You don’t have a clue what you’re talking about. It was an emergency situation. That means someone was hurt. Don’t fucking joke about that.”
I stepped up and put my hand on Pierce’s shoulder. “You’ve got this gig. We like you. No need to be a dick. Okay?”
Pierce’s face was a grumpy scowl. “Sorry.”
“It’s cool, man.” I squeezed his arm. He only got that way when he was nervous or upset. He took it out on whoever was nearest, and I suspected he thought I could take the ribbing, but it wasn’t that. I simply understood where it came from.
Then the stage manager gave us the signal. Pierce turned and ran on stage first, which wasn’t normal, but I was ready to go with whatever.
“Crazy-ass frontman,” Dave grumped under his breath as he passed me.
“We didn’t do our damn mantra thing,” Joe huffed.
“It’s okay. I think Pierce is feeling the nerves tonight.” I grabbed my guitar from Laz, our tech.
Joe bent to grab his instrument off the stand. “I think he’s an ass.”
“No one is an ass simply to be an ass,” Laz commented. “There’s always a reason.”
I agreed with that. “It’s not easy to understand sometimes. And maybe they don’t always have agoodreason, but there’s always a reason.”
Randy and Matty passed us without comment. Then Joe moved to his spot and slid his earpiece in, checking the wireless pack on the guitar. I did the same thing, and by that time, Randy was pounding out an intro.
Donny hadn’t promised me anything, but I was going to perform like Daddy was in the audience. Maybe he was here, maybe not, but I was going to hope. It gave me a half-chub; I was so excited. Normally, that might have bugged me, but with the thought of Donny and Saxon in the audience, I kind of liked it.
