Page 43 of The Song We Lost

His voice is deadly calm when he says,“Luke, how long did you think she was going to put up with this shit. She’s done.”

“No,” I snarl, because denial is all I have. “No, she’s not. She’s mad. She’s... she’s hurt. She’ll...”

“She served you,” Noah cuts in. “On her birthday. On your anniversary. Because you weren’t there.Again. Because you chose to be on a stage withKacey, instead of being with your wife and your family.”

My chest hurts so much it feels like it might split wide open.

“I need to find her,” I choke. “I need to talk to her. Explain...”

Noah steps closer, blocking my path.

“You don’t deserve to know where she is,” he says again. “You don’t deserve to touch her life anymore.”

Dave steps in like he can’t help himself.

“We need to get on top of this,” he says, voice quick, calculating. “We need to control the narrative. We need to make it look mutual. We need to...”

“Shut the fuck up!” I roar.

The sound shocks even me. Noah flinches and Dave goes still.

My hands shake.

My chest heaves.

“We are not over,” I snarl, eyes wild, because I can’t breathe. “Do you hear me? We are not fucking over.”

Noah’s mouth twists. “You made sure to burn your marriage to the ground, Luke. Believe me when I tell you, she is done!”

I whip toward my manager.

“Find her,” I bark. “Find out where she goes after this. I don’t care how. I don’t care what it costs. Find her.”

Dave hesitates, just a beat, then nods.

Noah steps between us again.

“Don’t,” he says.

I glare at him. “Move.”

“No.”

My voice drops, “Noah.”

Noah’s eyes shine, but he doesn’t blink.

“You go after her,” he says, voice breaking on the edge, “after everything she’s given you... after every chance, every grace, every time she swallowed her pain so you could keep pretending you were a big man...” I flinch, but he continues anyway. “You go after her and make a scene? You humiliate her again? I’m done.”

My whole body feels like a live wire.

Noah shakes his head slowly, like he can’t believe this is real.

“I’m done with the band,” he says. “Done with you dragging me through your ego and your mess. Done being the one who has to watch you ruin everything good you touch.”

“Noah...”

He lifts a hand.