“You’re welcome. I’m just glad you guys decided to finally come back, or I was going to have to spoil the surprise. The concert is in two weeks.”
Getting out of the house required a decoy. One SUV left in front of a Town Car, and a second followed behind it. The blackened windows of the Town Car were too dark for anyone to notice that it wasn’t Angel and Tommy inside, and the procession caused the army of fans and paparazzi at the front gate to scatter and follow the car. Only a few stragglers were left when Angel finally made it out, in similar fashion. He sent Damien a text message when he hit the Meadowbrook Parkway.
ANGEL: ETA in 48 mins, barring traffic delays. What are the stats in front of your place?
DAMIEN: Quiet. I got extra security running off anyone lingering around the building.
ANGEL: Jimmy there yet?
DAMIEN: Yeah. He said cops are hanging in front of his place to keep the street clear.
Guilt at the lack of privacy inflicted upon Jimmy and Damien and the expense of added security made Angel’s stomach tighten.
ANGEL: I’m sorry.
DAMIEN: Not your fault.
He dropped his phone into his lap. Despite the normalcy of the welcome home dinner the other night, their lives were upside down. Their career barely hung together by a thread. Their future was a giant question mark. He chewed his lip and bounced his knee while he thought about viable options. There weren’t any, as far as he was concerned. For him, the only option was to wait for Tommy. But the guys were running out of patience.
By the time the Town Car pulled in front of Damien’s Brooklyn loft, Angel’s stomach was in knots and heartache squeezed his chest so tightly that he could barely breathe. He hated that he was about to walk into a band meeting without Tommy, because it meant that Tommy was no longer part of the band, and that wasn’t a concept he could grasp.
A handful of fans rushed at the car, seemingly from nowhere, and security stepped forward to form a barrier so Angel could exit the vehicle. He waved and smiled at the fans. He even offered a few words in the way of a greeting, but he ignored the questions shouted at him. Bodyguards shrouded him into the building and escorted him to the private elevator that took him to Damien and Alyssa’s penthouse. He stepped into the living room with his heart somewhere in the pit of his stomach. He never thought a day like this would come, and it both sickened and devastated him.
Damien greeted him with a bear hug. Jimmy gave him a one-shoulder hug and a few hearty slaps on the back.
Angel heaved a heavy sigh, which didn’t lighten the weight on his chest. “This is one conversation I never thought I’d be having.”
“Yeah. Me neither,” Damien agreed. “But it needs to be done. I ain’t sitting around and watching my career go down the toilet.”
“I hear ya, man,” Jimmy added. “I hate the idea of moving on without Tommy, too, but it’s either that or disband and go our separate ways, and I don’t think any of us have any intention of doing that.”
Angel’s defenses rose sky high. “Do you really think we can go on without Tommy? Do you really think he’s replaceable?”
“Look,” Damien replied. “I don’t like the idea any more than you do. I know it ain’t gonna be the same. But Immortal Angel was Immortal Angel before Tommy, and it can still be Immortal Angel without him.”
Damien’s answer kicked Angel right in the nuts. It made him nauseous, and his legs felt wobbly. “How? How do you think that’s going to happen?”
“Because Angel Garcia is still the frontman.” Damien stuck his finger in Angel’s chest. “And that’s you. I don’t care how good Tommy is. You’re still the face of the band.”
“He’s right,” Jimmy said. “You’re the voice behind the songs. You can carry the band.”
Too emotionally fragile to stand, Angel sunk into one of the living room chairs. He squeezed his eyes shut and held his head in his hands, hoping this was all a bad dream. It wasn’t. When he spoke, his voice came out low, and he couldn’t lift his head. “I’m nothing without Tommy.”
“Knock it off.” Damien slapped Angel’s knee. “Since when do you doubt yourself or your ability to sing and put on a show? You got the crowd in the palm of your hand from the moment you step on that stage and long after you step off it.”
Jimmy placed a comforting hand on Angel’s shoulder. “What other choice do we have, man? Are you ready to give it all up?”
“I ain’t,” Damien snapped, before Angel had a chance to answer. “Me and you started this band,” he told Angel. “We worked our asses off to get where we are. Yeah, I know Tommy had a big hand in it, but we can’t force him to play. He said he’s done. It’s been months. How fucking long are we gonna wait? I don’t want our contract to run out. I want to renew it with the three of us and a fill-in guitarist.”
“We’ve never taken any kind of break like this,” Jimmy said. “Falcon Records already has a tour lined up for us next year. All we gotta do is sign on the dotted line. The fans want us to play.”
“They want Tommy to play,” Angel quickly corrected. “Not a fill-in who couldn’t hold a note to Tommy’s talent.”
“They want Immortal Angel.” Jimmy looked from Angel to Damien and back again. “And that’s us.”
Angel knew Jimmy and Damien were right, but he couldn’t embrace the idea. He felt defeated, but he was unable to accept thatTommy was out and kept shaking his head. “I’m not ready. I can’t. I’m sorry. I can’t get on that stage without Tommy. I don’t know when I’ll be ready.”Or if I ever will.“But it’s not now.”
There was silence for several long minutes while Jimmy and Damien huffed and paced.
