CHAPTER twenty-seven
You Saw Beauty in My Wreckage
Cody, Wyoming
The late afternoon sun casts a golden hue over the rustic wooden buildings lining the main street, their facades weathered with charm, like they’ve stood untouched for a hundred years.
The scent of smoked meat and baked bread wafts from the diner’s open door, mingling with the crisp alpine air.
A tumbleweed, an actual tumbleweed, rolls lazily across the gravel just as Cody turns to me with a smug grin.
“I mean, how could we not stop in a town named after me?” he says, arms outstretched like he owns the place. His denim jacket flutters slightly with the breeze, and I can’t help but laugh.
“You’ve been waiting your whole life for this moment, haven’t you?”
He nods dramatically.
“I was born for this.”
Then he drops into a mock cowboy stance, pretending to tip an invisible hat, drawling with his best Southern accent, “Howdy, ma’am.”
I nudge him with my elbow just as the wind picks up, stirring dust from the road. I glance toward the far end of the lot where Elias is stepping off the bus, his silhouette framed by the mountainous backdrop, eyes squinting against the sun.
The scene feels almost cinematic, like we’ve stepped into a different time. A moment suspended somewhere between the wild west and the quiet hum of something new unfolding.
“Let’s go before you challenge someone to a duel,” I say, tugging Cody toward the saloon we’ve decided on for dinner.
But he stops me with a stare. His arms are crossed, an unmistakable look of accusation painted across his face.
I freeze mid-fold. “What?”
Cody cocks his head, unimpressed.
“Seriously, Ramona? You’re gonna play dumb?”
I blink. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Cody.” And I don’t—well, not entirely.
Just then, Elias appears beside us, as his gaze flicks from Cody to me. The tension spikes.
Cody sighs, long and theatrical. He cuts his eyes to Elias, then back to me with exaggerated slowness.
“You two really think I’m that oblivious?”
Elias raises an eyebrow.
“You want the honest answer?” Elias deadpans, completely unbothered.
Cody jabs a finger between us like a detective cracking the case. “I know something’s going on between you two.”
Elias and I share a glance, one of those loaded, telepathic moments where a whole conversation passes without a single word being spoken.
Are we denying this? Playing it off? Owning up?
Cody sees the exchange and scoffs. “I might act like a damn child, but I wasn’t born yesterday, you know. I’m very intuitive,” he says, pressing his finger into his temple, eyes narrowing.
I sigh and throw in the towel.
“Fine. Yes. We’ve been… secretly romancing.”
Elias shoots me a look, amused.
“Secretly romancing?” he says, like really?
Cody explodes like a firework.
“I KNEW IT!” He shouts so loudly we both flinch.
“Can you not announce it to the whole state of Wyoming?” I hiss. “How did you know?”
“Please,” he says, rolling his eyes. “You two practically undress each other with your eyes all the time. And you are always riding up front and sitting next to each other when we go anywhere. You got him to sing karaoke for fuck’s sake!”
We turn to each other again, unable to help it, and sure enough, the corners of our mouths pull into matching guilty smirks.
“SEE?!” Cody throws both hands in the air. “That right there. Case closed.”
“We appreciate your subtlety,” Elias says dryly.
“If I’m being completely honest, I’m a little hurt that she made it in so easily. It took me literal years to break into that little emo heart.”
Elias’s grin is nothing short of a taunt.
“You sound like a jealous lover,” I joke.
“Psh…I’d be so lucky. I’m straight as shit, but I just know broody-pants over here could put it down.” Cody says with a wink and hip thrust for added emphasis. Elias scrubs his hand down his face with a long-exasperated sigh.
“Don’t worry,” Cody says. “Your secret is safe with me… and Grady… and Jasper… probably Vernon… Oh, and the dude at the gas station earlier.”
I groan. “Truly, your discretion is unmatched.”
When Sasha pops out to let us know our table is ready, we follow her through the rustic diner, the scent of grilled steaks and fresh coffee curling through the air.
The place is a perfect blend of mountain charm and roadside nostalgia—wood-paneled walls covered in old rodeo posters, antler chandeliers casting a golden glow overhead.
Sasha and I head toward the back, where the restrooms are tucked past the kitchen, brushing by a server balancing three heaping plates on her arm. The floor creaks beneath our boots, and the buzz of conversation fades as we reach the quieter hallway.
In the restroom, we line up at the sinks. The faucet squeaks as I twist it on, cool water rushing over my fingers. I glance at Sasha in the mirror as she leans forward, pumping soap into her hands.
Sasha grins widely, her eyes twinkling as she nudges my shoulder with hers.
“So you and Elias, huh?”
“You too?” I toss her a playful glare. “How did you know? You’ve barely been around lately!”
Sasha smirks, handing me a towel.
“Girl, I’ve got eyes, and Elias’s might as well be heart-shaped anytime you’re in the same room.” I blush, hiding my smile behind the towel as I dab my cheeks.
She grins wider. “Also... Cody told me.”
I groan, chucking the towel into the bin with theatrical flair. “I’m going to murder that man.”
Sasha hops up onto the counter, her legs swinging, clearly not ready to drop the subject.
“So it’s true then… come on, spill. I need details.”
I shift on my feet, feeling a warmth bloom in my chest that’s as much embarrassment as it is something else.
“It’s been... good. Honestly, really good. He’s kind in a quiet way, and I didn’t expect him to be funny, but he is. And thoughtful.” I pause, eyes flicking to the tiled floor. “But we’re just keeping it light. You know… summer fling vibes.”
She squints at me, unconvinced. “Uh-huh. Sure. Light. Meanwhile, he looks at you like you invented oxygen.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “He does not.” Does he?
“Girl, yes, he does, and with all that dark energy, your sunshine-in-a-bottle vibe is the perfect match,” she says, nudging me with her knee.
I lean back against the counter beside her, feeling my blush start to cool. “So much for keeping this under wraps, huh?”
Sasha grins, sliding off the counter. “Babe, it was never under wraps. But don’t worry, I’m rooting for you both. We all are.”
I nod, the corners of my mouth curving into a smile. As we weave back into the hum of the diner, I spot Elias already seated at the booth, his gaze finding mine instantly. There’s a subtle shift in his expression when he sees me, barely there, but enough.
We devour the kind of food that only exists in places like this—a small-town saloon tucked off some forgotten highway, where the air smells like fried heaven and everything is smothered in butter or gravy or both. It’s not just good, it’s soul-filling.
Things feel a little different now that everyone knows about Elias and me—our not-so-secret-anymore romance—but not in an awkward way. If anything, the vibe’s more relaxed, like a collective exhale. No one seems surprised. Just happy. Chill. Like we’ve become another part of the band’s rhythm.
He rests a warm hand on my thigh beneath the table, his thumb giving a slow squeeze.
Then Cody and I launch into a passionate debate over the plot twist in the last fantasy novel I got him hooked on.
“So,” Cody says through a mouthful of fries, “what are we reading next?”
I sigh, a little dramatic.
“I’m actually out of books. Blew through the stack I packed.”
Cody’s expression falls into something tragic. He’s been borrowing each one after I finish them, and it’s become our thing—our own little book club on wheels. He dives into them with the same obsessive enthusiasm I do, and it’s made sharing the stories feel even more fun.
Across from us, Elias just listens, quiet and content, eyes flicking from face to face. He’s got his phone out now, thumbing through the map app, probably figuring out tomorrow’s route. Salt Lake City is next, followed by a few days off before we head to San Diego.
Somewhere between Cody and Salt Lake City
We’re back on the road at sunrise, heading toward Salt Lake City for tonight’s show.
With the secret officially out about Elias and me, there’s no need to sneak around anymore.
I spent another night tucked into his bunk, the two of us tangled together in the cramped space.
Surprisingly, it’s easier to sleep like that, with his steady breath at my back, than it ever was sleeping alone.
He seems to rest better, too. Normally, he’s up at the ass crack of dawn, but this morning he slept in longer than usual. A small thing, but I noticed.
I’ve spent the past few hours at the table finishing up some social content: teasers for a few songs the guys have been working on in the studio.
So far, they’ve got three fully written tracks, and recordings on the horizon.
I schedule a batch of posts for the week, then sigh and shut my laptop with a satisfying snap.
Beside me, Grady hunches over his sketchbook, his pencil moving with intensity.
The graphite glides across the page in swift, confident strokes, his fingertip smudging the lead into delicate gradients of shadow.
I tilt toward him and catch a glimpse of his latest piece.
It’s a breathtaking rendering of a jagged mountain range—eerily reminiscent of the one that cradled our campsite yesterday, its peaks rising like ancient guardians.
“Grady,” I breathe, genuinely stunned. “That’s unreal.”
He glances up, startled by the praise, and sets the pencil aside. There’s a modest flush to his cheeks as he shrugs, half-smiling.
“Oh, uh… It’s just a sketch.”
“A sketch?” I blink at him. “That’s practically museum-worthy.”
He chuckles, scratching the back of his neck like he’s unsure what to do with the compliment.
“Thanks, Ro.”