During the next run-through, we manage to play more than half the song before Bayleigh stops us.But after three hours, I am exhausted and my fingers are throbbing.My patience is wearing thin.
Bayleigh turns to me with an accusatory stare and yells, “It’s G, not C.Why can’t you play it right?”
Everyone falls silent.
I look at my sheet music to confirm that I was playing the correct chord.A wave of indignation surges through me as I look back at her.Enough is enough.I take my guitar off my shoulder, my hands trembling with frustration, and give her a stern look.“I told them from the start that I wasn’t the right person for this.I said I would give it a shot, and I did.Now, I quit.”With that, I spin on my heel, grab my things, and start walking down the aisle towards the exit, my steps echoing my resolve.
“Wait, Chase.”Kelly catches up to me as I reach the exit.“Please stay.She’s just in a mood.I’ll talk to her.”
I look over her shoulder to see Bayleigh talking to Andy and Luke, and doesn’t seem all that worried about my exit.Probably happy that she won’t have to deal with me anymore.
“No thanks.Nothing is worth putting up with that kind of treatment,” I say firmly before pushing through the door, down the hall, and out of the building.
I find my car and sit in the driver’s seat.I take a moment to catch my breath.Did I really just walk out of there?I always knew show business could be tough.Maybe if this had happened earlier in my career, I would have had more patience for it.But not anymore.I am done being taken for granted.
If Bayleigh wants a new guitar player, she can find someone else.It certainly won’t be me anymore.
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
Bayleigh
I amboth glad and upset at the same time, an unfamiliar mix of emotions for me.I never expected Chase to walk out on me.People don’t usually question me; they just do what I ask.But Chase doesn’t seem to understand this dynamic, and it frustrates me.This concert is a crucial moment for my career, and if it fails, there will be no comeback album, no tour, nothing.I can’t afford to fade into obscurity at this point in my life.I need this to work.Deep down, I know that Chase is good, and he was right about that note.My frustration towards him is probably due to a combination of factors: the stress of the show, being in this town, and seeing Kelly getting intimate with Frankie earlier.
The truth is, Chase is more than good—he has mastered all of my songs with such passion and precision that it is as if he has been playing them for years, feeling every note as deeply as I do.It is awe-inspiring, and I can’t deny that it stirs something within me—something I haven’t felt in a long time.While I freshen up in the bathroom, I let myself get lost in a whirlwind of emotions, imagining Chase dedicating himself to learning my songs, listening to them over and over, absorbing every nuance until he could play them with the kind of heart and soul that only he possesses.
At sixteen, he had set the bar high.He was not only my first sexual partner, but also my best one to this day.The connection we shared was electric, a blend of innocent curiosity and raw passion.I can still recall the way his touch sent shivers down my spine and his eyes bored into mine, filled with a mix of wonder and intensity.
However, I can’t help but wonder if my memories are accurate after all these years.Time has a way of altering perceptions, and perhaps I’ve romanticized those moments.But the truth remains that being with Chase was extraordinary, something that transcended the physical act itself.The way he made me feel cherished and understood is unparalleled.
Has he pleased countless women since me?Maybe he is even married with a big family, but I never bothered to ask.I don’t want to know the reality; my fantasy memory is probably better, anyway.Yet the thought of him with someone else gnaws at me, a bitter pang of jealousy mixing with the nostalgia.
I can still picture the way his fingers danced on the guitar strings, the same way they once traced patterns on my skin.His eyes, deep and soulful, seemed to hold secrets and emotions that were only shared with me during those intimate moments.The warmth of his embrace, the softness of his whispers in the dark, and the electric connection between us—I can feel them all as vividly as if they had happened just yesterday.
But reality has a cruel way of intruding on my memories.The Chase I knew then and the Chase I’ve encountered now are worlds apart.He has grown, not just in talent but in stature, carrying himself with a confidence that is both intimidating and alluring.He isn’t the man he was.And I sure as hell am not the girl I was back then.Too much has changed.
Yet I can’t ignore the lingering feelings.There is an undeniable chemistry, a magnetic pull that draws me to him despite the circumstances.The tension between us is palpable, charged with unresolved emotions and unspoken words.
I make my way back to the stage where Kelly is waiting with her iPad.
“Yeah, I know.”I raise my hands in surrender.“We can’t have a show without him.Offer him whatever it takes to get him back.”
Kelly lets out a shrill laugh.“It’s going to take more than money.Chase isn’t motivated by that.As you may have noticed, he’s already quite successful on his own.This is about pride now.”
I drop my shoulders in defeat.“What do you mean?”
“You need to fix things yourself.Did you hear him?He sounded amazing, and so did you all together.You have to find him and beg him to come back, or else we might as well pack up and go home right now.And then we’ll have a breach of contract and another lawsuit on our hands.”
“Great way to break the news gently, Kelly.”I rub my forehead, a headache coming on.“So what should I do?”
“I’ll arrange a meeting at a diner—that one with the good coffee we went to before.”Kelly quickly types something into her iPad.“You need to swallow your pride and grovel to that man.”
“Fuck.”I let out a sigh.“Fine, set it up.Today, if possible.We’re running out of time.There’s only three days till curtains up, and I need to get Chase back on the team.We can’t perform without a guitar player.”
“Already on it.”Kelly taps her screen.“Now get back to rehearsal.”
* * *
Kellyand I arrive at the diner, which is mercifully quiet since I really don’t want an audience watching or filming me groveling, if need be, to Chase.He’s not there yet, so we sit down and wait.He’s late.I glance at the antique analogue clock on the wall and see that he is five minutes behind schedule.I can’t shake off the feeling that maybe he’s not going to show up or that this is all some ploy to embarrass me.What will I do if he refuses to play at the show?Anxious thoughts race through my mind as I drum my nails on the table.
