AllFreeNovel
Share Us
And not of the music…of the man.
CHAPTERNINETEEN
KYLE
Backstage is an empty tent.
It’s refreshing. My last tour was thirty-three cities. Sold-out stadiums that averaged about sixty thousand seats. Hundreds of people working to ensure everything ran smoothly.
This is just me.
Until Brayden walks in, munching on a piece of pizza. He holds a second slice out to me.
I shake my head. “No thanks. Not hungry.”
My stomach feels like it’s on the teacup ride set up next to the stage, spinning round in rapid circles. Churning with nerves and anxiety and uncertainty.
Brayden stares at me, munching away at his pizza. “So…Piper.”
The last topic I feel like discussing when I’m already on edge like this.
“Don’t make a thing about it.”
“I’m not. I’m just recalling the time that I told you the label wanted you to duet with Sutton Everett and you asked me who that was. But you said Piper Egan showed up here, like I was supposed to knowexactlywho she was.”
“The meetings at the label aren’t attended by that many people. She’s been at all of them the past few years. And I’m a solo artist. You know I don’t pay attention to all the craziness of other people’s careers, including Sutton’s.”
“Sutton knew who you were.”
I exhale. “What’s your point, Brayden?”
“My point is, you were threatening to sue Empire when you found out they were sending someone. Then, this woman shows up, and I barely hear from you. And I get here to find you riding a Ferris wheel and having your friends hang out with her. I’m trying to figure out if she’s going to change your mind.”
“Nothingis going to change my mind,” I stress. “I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that.”
“They sent over one hell of an offer, Kyle. We should talk it through, just in case—”
“Tell them no.”
“Kyle…”
“I mean it. You think Piper has changed anything? She hasn’t. I’mdone.”
Brayden shakes his head but agrees. “All right.”
I wait, but there’s no regret. No uncertainty.
But Idothink about how this might be Piper’s last day in Oak Grove. Once the label decides to accept my departure, she’ll be gone.
“Great.” I hesitate. “Make sure you mention her by name when you turn it down. Say she pitched it well, something like that. I don’t want her career to suffer just because I’m done with mine.”
I’m expecting Brayden to have something to say about that, but all he does is nod.
I open my guitar case and pull out my Gibson, taking a seat on one of the folding chairs that’s been set up and glancing over the set list taped to the table as I tune my guitar. It’s almost identical to last year’s with only a couple of songs from my latest album making the cut. Releasing an album while I was out on tour wasn’t the smartest marketing ploy, but it was the only way I could ensure the label had no claim on my contract.
“Blue Rain Boots” isn’t on the set list.
It’s never been on the set list. I’ve never performed it live and never planned to.
