think it would happen. That the son of a bitch would die.”
“Part of me wishes we let him back in again,” Nash said. “We could’ve made him get clean and stay clean.”
“Can’t go back now, Nash,” Jay said.
I broke the hug. “Let’s just play this show and call it. When we go out on tour again, we’ll have something to honor him. Have a guitar on stage that never gets touched.”
“That’s a good idea,” Reed said.
“I couldn’t take it out there,” I said.
“You said what you had to say,” Nash said. “The message got across. They can’t paint Mitchy as the bad guy.”
“They will,” Dex said.
“But our story is the truth,” Jay said. “Mitchy was a good guy. He got lost. He never found himself. Simple.”
“They don’t get it.” I said. I shook my head. “It doesn’t even matter.”
“Ah, this whole thing sucks,” Jay said. “I just want to play some loud music and…”
“And what?” Nash asked with a grin. “Can’t be out there fucking strippers anymore, right?”
“That’s true,” Jay said. “What the hell have I done to myself?”
We all started to laugh.
Reed grabbed my shoulder. “You’re the only one free to fuck, huh?”
“Not a chance,” Nash said. “He’s tied down.”
“You’re an asshole,” I said.
As if I needed it to happen right then… Bree called me.
When I saw her name on the screen, I turned.
“Oh, is that her now?” Jay asked.
“Wait a second,” I said. “She’s calling. She never calls.”
“Maybe she’s lonely and horny,” Dex said.
“Fuck off,” I growled.
I hurried away from the band and answered the call.
I hadn’t heard Bree’s voice in… years…
“Hey,” I said.
“Sebastian,” she said.
Now that name I hadn’t heard in years either.
I froze in place.
“Bree? Are you okay?”
I heard her break down into tears.
“No… I’m not okay…”
I walked around the corner of the hallway and stopped.
Where the hallway ended was the main entrance to the record company.
It was bustling with people.
I turned to try and hide myself as Bree cried and told me her mother had died.
I felt like someone punched me in the stomach.
“Bree… oh, babe… what happened?”
Bree sucked in a breath. “Car accident. It just… I talked to her last night. I don’t know if I said I loved her. I don’t know what I said to her. I always text her in the morning. But I was running late today…”
“Hey, listen,” I said. “Try not to do that right now. Are you alone?”
“No,” she said. “I’m hiding in the bathroom. Mia is with me. I had to answer questions. I had to… I had to go see…”
Bree cried again.
I shut my eyes.
It felt like someone had a knife in my heart and was just twisting it over and over.
“Bree…”
“I don’t know what to do, Sebastian,” she said. “I’m sorry to bother you. I just saw that you were on TV. You didn’t have to answer me.”
“Yes, I did,” I said. “I’ll always answer when you call. I’m always here, Bree. I promise, okay? Can you do me a favor? Just take like two deep breaths. Okay? I know the worst thing to say right now is to calm down… but just try two deep breaths for me.”
I listened to her breathe.
Two deep, shaky breaths.
“Thanks, babe,” I said.
“She’s gone,” Bree said. “They said she lost control of her car. What’s today… Thursday? She was going shopping. She always goes up on the main highway to do her shopping. She hates it. And now she’s… oh, I have to plan a funeral, right? What do I do now?”
I heard a knock and the sound of Mia’s voice.
“I’m fine,” Bree said.
“Bree, open the door for Mia,” I said. “Let her help you. She’ll know what to do.”
“I wish you were here with me, Sebastian,” Bree’s voice said.
I gritted my teeth.
I listened to Bree open the door.
“Who are you talking to?” Mia asked.
Then the phone was passed off.
“Hello?” Mia asked.
“Mia,” I said. “It’s Sab. Sebastian.”
“She called you?” Mia asked.
“Yeah. What the hell is going on?”
“Her mother died in a car accident,” Mia whispered. “I was standing with her when she got the call. She almost passed out. I can’t keep my head straight right now. There’s a lot happening at once here.”
“Just tell her to breathe,” I said. “I don’t know what else to say to her. I can’t believe this.”
“Neither can I,” Mia said. “Look, I better go check on her. I have to get her home… I guess to my place…”
“Can you do me a favor?” I asked.
“What?”
“When we hang up, text me all the