Page 55 of Unfinished Noise

Alfie rested his elbows on the table, eyes flicking toward the stage where Nathan and Spencer played and sang in perfect sync, trading lines and grins like they’d been doing it forever.

“You know,” Alfie said quietly, leaning closer like he was sharing something he wasn’t supposed to, “Nathan used to talk about Spencer nonstop when they weren’t playing together. Not in a dramatic way—just… like he missed having his other half around.”

Jamie glanced at him. “Really?”

“Yeah.” Alfie huffed a soft laugh. “When Spencer quit, Nathan kept calling him. Not to guilt him or anything—just checking in. Asking how the ranch was. Asking if he was happy. He never said it out loud, but you could tell he wanted Spencer back.”

The crowd’s roar filled the air as Spencer crossed the stage, his voice hitting an impressive high note. The lights flashed across his face, catching the smile he aimed at Nathan.

Alfie continued, voice low. “Then Nathan invited him to Big Bear. Said he needed help to look for a little. And suddenly Spencer said yes. I swear, Nathan talked about that trip for weeks. Like it was some kind of miracle.”

Jamie’s chest warmed. “Makes sense. They look good together up there.”

“They do,” Alfie said, nodding toward the stage. “Nathan’s different when Spencer’s around. Lighter. Like he finally got the piece he was missing.”

Jamie let the thought settle, watching the way Spencer bumped Nathan’s shoulder as he moved across the stage, laughing into the mic like the entire room belonged to them.

Alfie nudged him. “Feels like we’re watching the original duo back in action.”

Jamie smiled. “Yeah. It really does.”

Spencer glided across the stage, the bright lights illuminating the intricate details of his costume, a striking replica of the one Jamie had worn.

“It’s hard for me to see my cowboy daddy turn into a rockstar daddy,” Jamie said. “I thought we were going to live on the ranch.”

Alfie tilted his head. “Do you want to go back to the ranch and have a cowboy daddy again?”

The realization hit Jamie before Alfie even opened his mouth. Of course he’d live anywhere with Spencer.

The ranch, the road, a tiny apartment, a loud city—it didn’t matter. Watching Spencer like this made the answer obvious. Jamie didn’t need a question to reach it. The truth rose in his chest, warm and steady, settling into place as if it had been waiting for him to notice.

He leaned closer to Alfie, voice low but certain. “I’d live with him anywhere,” he said, the words coming out before Alfie could ask anything at all. “Seeing him like this… there’s no other answer.”

Alfie blinked, surprised. “You figured that out fast.”

Jamie kept his eyes on Spencer, who was laughing into the mic, the crowd roaring back. “Didn’t need to think about it,” he said. “Just had to look at him.”

Alfie nodded, bumping Jamie’s shoulder. “Yeah. Same.”

They fell into a comfortable silence, sipping their drinks and watching their daddy boyfriends command the stage as if they were born for it. Spencer kept stealing glances at Jamie—quick, sharp, warm—and every time it happened, Jamie’s chest tightened in that soft, overwhelming way.

During a brief pause between songs, Alfie leaned in again. “Hey, tomorrow we’re in Visalia all day before the next gig. We should do something fun.”

Jamie perked up. “Like what?”

“Oh, Visalia has stuff,” Alfie said, counting on his fingers. “Roller Towne—a roller rink that Nathan loves. Plus, the ice cream place with the giant cow statue out front. And Mooney Grove Park—gigantic trees, little bridges, ducks everywhere.”

Jamie laughed. “You’ve got a whole itinerary.”

“Please. I’m a professional tourist when we’re on the road.”

Jamie looked toward the stage again, Spencer’s voice rolling through the club, the crowd roaring back. “Yeah,” he said softly. “Let’s do something fun tomorrow. All of us.”

Alfie grinned. “Deal.”

And Jamie settled back in his seat, fruity drink in hand, matching outfit on his body, Spencer’s eyes finding him every few minutes like a silent promise.

The last note of the final song hadn’t even faded before the room surged forward. The roar of the crowd rolled straight into a wall of bodies pressing toward the stage, heat rising with every step they took. Jamie and Alfie barely had time to stand before the fans closed in, the air tightening around them like the whole club had shrunk.