Chapter Two
Keaton
M EMPHIS FLEW IN early and I picked him up from the airport a few days ago.
We spent time at my home writing songs and had dinner with my parents.
They love Memphis and enjoy spending time with him.
My parents honestly treat him like their son instead of the rockstar he is.
I know Memphis appreciates that from them because there’s really no way he can hide who he is when he’s trying to find some downtime.
That’s why he’s been here with me a few times.
We hang out at my place and hardly go into town.
I live far enough away from everything no one even knows he’s here.
It’s also a plus that I have a huge fence around my property that’s tall enough no one can see inside.
I’ve done it in case my identity accidentally got leaked and I needed a privacy barrier for when I’m home.
Even more for when I’m not home. I can’t imagine what would happen if my fans knew where I’m from.
I’ve always been very nonchalant about my hometown and never given away any information they can’t find online.
Camden did reach out once a few days after I left.
He sent me a message saying he’s sorry. Nothing more than those two words.
I didn’t bother responding to him and I blocked his number so he can’t call me while I’m home.
I’ll need to unblock him when I get to the festival because he is a member of the security team.
Memphis has assured me he’ll make it very clear Camden is not allowed to randomly text or call me for any reason other than work.
Since he’s not on my security detail, there’s no reason for him to get in touch with me.
At the festival, I’ll have my regular security team along with a few guys from Knight’s Rebellion MC.
Jagger has brought them in a few times in the past and I really like the ones I’ve met so far.
Memphis and I have been working almost nonstop on a new song.
It’s a duet and our voices mesh perfectly together for it.
This doesn’t feel as if it’s work to either one of us though.
The song is something that hit me when I got home and I wasn’t able to get it out of my mind.
I started writing the lyrics and soon had the entire song down on paper.
When it came time to work on the melody, I got stuck.
It doesn’t always happen, but there are times I simply don’t believe anything is good enough for the song.
I have it sounding one way in my mind, but can’t seem to capture what I want to hear when I play it.
Over the course of days when I was working on it, I switched from playing the guitar to piano and back again to try and break the block I was under.
Nothing worked. It wasn’t until Memphis showed up that the song really became what I heard in my head.
He’s so damn talented and completely got me out of my head.
We even sent a sample of it to Jagger and he’s excited.
He even mentioned us performing it at the festival when I’m done with my set.
And wants us to record it as soon as possible so it’s the next single I release.
Memphis is happy to help me and get the song recorded.
“Keaton, are you ready to head out?” Memphis asks, walking in my bedroom where I’m placing the last of my clothes in the suitcase I’m packing.
I decided to bring more comfy clothes with me since I won’t have to haul my suitcase back to the jet and can have it loaded directly on my tour bus when we show up.
“Almost. I have to grab the new strings we bought, the picks that Jagger had delivered for the fans, and a few more things. Do you have our passes and stuff so we can get in the venue?” I return, grabbing the last of my things and loading them in so I can close my suitcase.
“Yeah. They’re in my bag. Rex already loaded our instruments and my bags. He’s waitin’ on yours. You have a fan event tomorrow when we get there?” he asks me, laughing when I launch myself on the suitcase so I can zip it closed.
“Yeah. A meet and greet for two hours I think,” I tell him when I finally get my suitcase taken care of and stand back up.
“Damn. What a way to end your little mini break. You gonna be okay to be there for that long?” he asks me as he walks over to grab the miniature trunk from my bed and pull up the handle so he can wheel it out to Rex.
After grabbing my phone, keys, and wallet, I’m ready to go.
Memphis and I ordered a bunch of groceries yesterday to bring to the bus with us.
He doesn’t plan on leaving my side unless Wicked Angels has something to do or they’re in rehearsal.
So, we ordered all of our favorite snacks and drinks.
Memphis has been cheating on his diet the last few days and needs to get back on it.
He doesn’t always allow himself to eat junk food, but there are times he just eats what he wants instead of monitoring himself as closely as normal.
I love those days because he truly lets go and we share all kinds of food he doesn’t normally eat.
Memphis and I walk out to the SUV to find my parents waiting for us.
“Mom, Dad, what are you doing here?” I ask them, not sure what’s going on as they pull us in for hugs.
“We wanted to come say goodbye before you both left. We’ve gotta head out on a business trip so we won’t be able to make this performance.
Neela will be there, though. She’s already at the venue with Jagger,” my mom says when she finally releases me from her hold. “Did you ever get in touch with Nora?”
“No. I’ve tried calling and messaging her every single day so I can see her and Bridger while I was here.
She answered one message with some lame excuse about being busy and she’d get in touch with me when she could.
That never happened. Nora has never been too busy for me.
Something’s going on, but I don’t know what it is.
I even told her a certain member of Wicked Angels was in town and didn’t get a response.
She has a ticket at the festival, but I don’t know if she’ll show up,” I tell her, feeling a deep sadness settle in my soul.
Nora and I met when we were in elementary school.
We were at recess and bonded over a game of kickball.
Both of us were excellent and talked about playing soccer when we could.
We also both loved to play softball. Anyway, whenever we weren’t chosen to be captains of teams against one another, we always did whatever it took to be on the same team.
Our friendship only grew with every passing day.
We shared everything, all of our hopes and dreams of the future, celebrity crushes, and anything else we had going on in our lives.
There wasn’t a single thing the two of us didn't know about one another. At least that used to be true. Nora was always there when I needed her. Especially when I was on tour and needed a friendly voice to take the edge off of whatever was going on. Since I left school to start my career, Nora has been my only friend. I’ve brought her on the road with me a few times and was there the day Bridger was born. I was the first one to hold him.
Things started to change with Nora when she got with Dillon.
He’s an asshole and I’ve never liked him.
The very first day my best friend introduced us, he started hitting on me the second Nora’s back was turned.
I went off on him and assured him I’d never hurt my best friend for some random asshole who wasn’t going to last long at all.
Unfortunately, he’s lasted a lot longer than I thought he would.
It’s been three years of hell for my best friend.
I only say that because I’ve seen bruises on her a few times and I know they’re from him despite the terrible excuses she gives me about running into doors, tripping and falling, or whatever else she comes up with in the blink of an eye.
Dillon has changed her in ways I never thought possible.
My fun-loving, outgoing, best friend has become a shell of herself who rarely lets her son out of her sight and doesn’t let anyone close to him or her.
I’m the only exception to the rule and she’s pushing me away suddenly.
“She’ll come to you when she’s ready,” my dad says as he gives me a kiss on the top of my head. “Nora will never let go of your relationship completely and she knows Bridger and she can count on you for anything at all. Give her some more time.”
“I’m trying to remember that. When she’s ready to leave Dillon, I’ll be at her side to help in any way I can. Maybe that’s what’s going on and she can’t talk to me right now,” I say, hope filling me for the first time in days about my best friend and her situation.
Memphis and I get in the SUV as my parents wave us off.
I’ll miss them at the festival, but I knew they were going to have to leave.
They pushed their trip off this week because they wanted to see me and explain the situation from their side of things.
Yes, I’m still upset, but I understand everyone’s reasons.
It still doesn’t change the fact that I ended up with a broken heart.
That’s what my parents truly didn’t want to happen, but it did anyway.
Now, I’m just trying to move on. It’s why Memphis helped me get rid of all of Camden’s things and place them in a large box to be delivered to him when we arrive at the venue.
Memphis will handle it so I don’t have to see him.
He’ll also let him know I don’t want anything I might have left behind back.
He can toss it all in the garbage so I don’t have to see it ever again.