Page 142 of Finding Storm

Okay.

Write the songs in Lake Havasu. Commute to LA. Why the fuck didn’t I think of that before?

I feel this excitement start to bubble in my gut.

But …

“What if Zane won’t go for it?”

“Why the fuck wouldn’t he?” Raze says. “He doesn’t give a shit where you live just as long as the album is done and you don’t waste the label’s money. Don’t ask him, man. Tell him how it’s gonna be.”

“And what about you guys?”

“What about us?” Raze says.

I shrug. “We’ve just … we’ve always been together.”

“Hate to break it to you, but I’ve been trying to cut the apron strings for years. You’ve just never fucking gotten it,” Cash says.

“Fuck off.” I laugh.

“We’ve got your back,” Levi tells me. “We’re friends first. Band members second. We’ve always said that. We want you happy, man. And you ain’t happy. You haven’t been for a while.”

Levi’s more perceptive than I gave him credit for. They all are.

“The only time I’ve heard you happy in a long time was when you were there in Arizona with your girl,” Raze tells me.

I look at the three of them. “So … I’m really doing this? I’m really moving to Arizona?”

Shit.

I am.

I’m really doing this. I’m going back to her.

I’m going back to Arizona.

To Stevie.

But …

“What if she’s already moved on? Met someone else?” I blurt.

I can’t see it, but you never know. Stevie’s beautiful and cool and hot as fuck. Some little prick could have come to stay at the B&B and swooped in and stolen her from me.

Well, whatever. I’ll kick his ass and take her back.

Cash grins wide. “Then, you’re gonna look like a massive dick when you turn up there and get blown out.”

“Fuck off.” I flip him off, and he just laughs.

“Look, man, if Stevie is half the person you’ve told us she is, then she hasn’t moved on,” Raze tells me. “I reckon she’s probably as miserable as you are without her.”

God, I hope he’s right.

Not that I want her miserable.

But I don’t want her to have moved on either.