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I place my hand on his cheek and stand on my toes to kiss him before I lose all control and do something I shouldn’t do.
I love him so much, but for the second time now, I turn and leave him behind as I go off to chase my dreams.
CHAPTERTHIRTY
Hannah
The record label wasn’t lying. They have us traveling to every radio station from New York to LA to promote our new album.
I’m currently sitting around a table, live on air with KNCI in Sacramento, when my phone vibrates in my lap. I see it’s Matthew calling, and I want so badly to answer, but instead, I close my eyes and look back to the host to try to put on a happy face.
“That looks like it was an important phone call by the expression you’re wearing now,” the host says.
I sigh. “My boyfriend.”
“Bummer. You hear that, gentlemen? Hannah Murphy is taken,” he says with a chuckle. “Who is this guy? Someone in Nashville or a high school sweetheart?”
I glance at the guys, who give me a knowing grin. “Matthew’s my high school sweetheart, who I recently reconnected with.”
The host nods. “I can’t imagine still being with my high school sweetheart. I’ve moved so many times in the radio industry. It’s got to be the same in the music biz.”
I press my lips together and take in a deep breath. “Yeah, it’s hard, especially with different time zones.”
It’s been two months since I left, and I’ve been so busy that it’s hard to get time to just talk to Matthew.
“What about you guys?” the host asks.
Trent and Cole speak up first about how they broke it off with the girls they were dating not long after we got on the road.
Nate still seems to keep in touch with Ellie though, which gives me hope, though her schedule is pretty open since she works during the day and can step away anytime he calls.
Both Matthew and I following our dreams is turning out to really be both of us not having time for the other one. He’s making such a name for his coaching style that his old coach at UM has been asking him about joining their staff. It’s a great opportunity, but now, he’s busy during the day, working with them on recruiting, and at night with his team back in Mason Creek now that school is back in session. Plus, his weekends are now jam-packed with tournaments since he took on another team.
“So, you’re playing at the Ace of Spades tonight and then opening for Maren Morris tomorrow at the Golden 1 Center? Man, they’re keeping you busy for sure, aren’t they?”
I shake my head and laugh under my breath.He has no clue.
Anytime they can book us as an opening act, they have, and we’ve played in dive bars and at every festival you can imagine.
After the interview, he plays one of our songs, and we say good-bye. As soon as we’re out of the building, I call Matthew, but after it rings a few times, it goes to voice mail.
Not wanting him to hear the disappointment in my voice, I don’t leave a message and hop in the van to head to the venue for our sound check.
Once we’re done with the sound check, I pick up my phone and see I missed Matthew’s call—again.
This seems to be the story of our lives—missed calls and quick one-sentence text messages, saying,I’m busy, but I’ll call back.
* * *
I wake up to my phone ringing. Feeling like I was hit by a ton of bricks, I roll over and reach for it, noticing just how every muscle in my body hurts.
We’ve performed for the last twenty days straight, and I’m just tired. Last night, we hopped on a plane to Hawaii after our performance in Oregon, and I was so uncomfortable on the plane that I didn’t get a wink of sleep.
When I see it’s Matthew, I grin and roll on my back as I answer. “Hey there,” I say as I yawn.
“I’m sorry for calling so early. I thought you’d be up by now,” he says.
I look at the clock to see it’s five in the morning, then remember that Hawaii is four hours behind Montana, not just one, like when I was in Oregon.
