Page 42 of Poison's Promise

It’s late, and the air outside Sydney’s tour bus is crisp, a slight breeze ruffling my hair.

I lean against the side of the bus, staring out at the dimly lit parking lot.

The distant hum of traffic is oddly soothing, but it does little to quiet the thoughts swirling in my head.

What happens when the tour wraps up?

It’s a question that gnaws at me every day, lingering in the back of my mind no matter how much I try to push it away.

Asher and I—we’re a complicated mess. A beautiful, tangled mess with more history than either of us cares to admit.

He has a place in Los Angeles. A life there. And what do I have? A clubhouse that feels less like home the longer I’m away from it.

I don’t like that feeling. I want to be back in Montana, back where things feel normal.

Can we really make this work? Can we bridge the gap between our worlds?

I take another sip of whiskey, letting the alcohol numb the edges of my anxiety.

We’ve come so far, Asher and I, but sometimes it feels like we’re standing on opposite sides of a canyon, shouting across the void.

How do we bridge that gap?

My phone buzzes in my pocket, pulling me out of my reverie.

For a moment, I hope it’s him, but when I glance at the screen, it’s just a notification from some app I barely use.

I sigh, slipping the phone back into my pocket.

But it’s hard to focus when every thought circles back to him. To us. To the uncertain future looming ever closer.

I stare into the amber liquid in my glass, searching for answers that aren’t there.

Leaning against the side of Sydney’s tour bus, the whiskey warming my insides as I take yet another sip.

The night air is cool but not biting, and the distant hum of the festival crowd provides a strange kind of comfort.

My head is still buzzing with thoughts of Asher, but there’s a small spark of happiness burning through the anxiety.

At least we’re giving it another shot. Somehow, after all this time, we found our way back to each other.

“Hey, Poison!” Sydney’s voice cuts through my thoughts.

I look up to see her hopping down the steps of the bus, her dark hair catching the light from the streetlamp above us.

She’s got that easy smile on her face, the one that makes you feel like everything’s going to be alright. “How’s it going?”

“Hey, Syd.” I grin, raising my glass in a half-toast. “Just trying to figure out life, you know.”

“Don’t we all,” she laughs, walking over to join me. She leans against the bus, mimicking my stance. “So, what’s up? You looked deep in thought there.”

“Just... thinking about Asher,” I admit, swirling the ice in my glass. “It’s been a ride, coming back together after all this time.”

“Yeah, I heard you guys were giving it another shot,” Sydney says, nudging me playfully. “How’s that going for you?”

“Better than I expected,” I reply, feeling the warmth spread from my chest to my cheeks. “I mean, it’s complicated, but I’m happy we’re giving it another try.”

“Complicated seems to be the theme of your life,” Sydney teases, but there’s genuine curiosity in her eyes. “What’s making it so complicated this time?”

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