Page 43 of Poison's Promise

“Well, for starters, he’s got a place in L.A., and I’ve got mine in Montana with the club,” I say, sighing. “And there’s just so much history between us. It’s like we’re trying to find where we fit in each other’s lives again.”

“That sounds tough,” Sydney says empathetically. “But if anyone can make it work, it’s you two. From what I’ve heard, you’ve always had that crazy chemistry.”

“Yeah,” I say, smiling at the memory of our past. “We definitely have that. And it’s nice to think that we were meant to come back to each other, even if it took some time.”

“Exactly,” Sydney agrees, giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Sometimes the best things are worth waiting for.”

“True,” I nod, taking another sip of my drink. “I’m just hoping we can bridge the gap between our worlds, you know?”

“I get it,” Sydney says, her expression thoughtful. “But you guys have already overcome so much. What’s a little distance compared to that? I’d love to know how you guys met, though. I haven’t heard the whole story.”

“Well,” I take a deep breath, “we met in Vegas. It was... explosive from the start. He was this cocky musician with dreams bigger than the Strip itself. And me? I was just trying to survive day by day.”

“Sounds intense,” she says, sipping her own drink.

“Yeah, it was,” I nod, thinking back to those wild nights and heated arguments. “We had this insane chemistry. Couldn’t stay away from each other even when we tried. But then things got messy. Misunderstandings, fights... typical stuff. We split up, and he moved to LA without so much as a goodbye.”

“Wow,” Sydney murmurs. “That must’ve hurt.”

“More than I care to admit,” I say, swallowing hard. “But now, here we are, years later, touring together. It’s like the universe decided our story wasn’t over yet.”

Sydney smiles softly, “I’m glad for the two of you. How have things been going since you officially started dating again?”

“Eh, they’ve been okay. He didn’t tell me about his daughter until a week ago?” I say, swirling the ice in my whiskey glass. The amber liquid catches the glint of the fading sun, casting ripples of light across the ground.

Sydney’s eyes widen as she leans against the side of the bus. “Wait, what? Asher has a daughter?”

“Yep,” I say, taking a sip of the whiskey, letting it burn its way down. “Dropped that bombshell on me like it was no big deal.”

“Wow, that’s... I mean, life is complicated, right, but damn,” Sydney says, shaking her head in disbelief.

“Tell me about it,” I say, laughing despite myself. “I mean, who knew? Here I am, thinking I know everything about him, and then bam—daughter.”

Sydney chuckles softly, but there’s a hint of sympathy in her eyes. “Well, Poison, sometimes things get messy before they can be sorted out.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” I say with a sigh. “It’s just... a lot to take in, you know? One minute we’re reconnecting, the next minute I’m finding out he’s got a whole other life I never knew about.”

“People change,” Sydney says thoughtfully. “And sometimes, they keep parts of themselves hidden until they’re ready to share.”

“True,” I admit, finishing off my drink. “I just wish he’d been upfront from the start. Would’ve saved me a lot of confusion.”

“Hang in there,” Sydney says, patting my shoulder. “It sounds like you two have something special. Don’t let this trip you up.”

“Thanks, Syd,” I say, feeling a bit lighter. “I appreciate it.”

“Anytime,” she replies with a warm smile.

“Hey, Sydney!” Gears’ voice calls from the open door of the tour bus. “We need you back inside!”

“Coming!” Sydney shouts back before turning to me. “Catch you later, okay?”

“Yeah, for sure,” I say, watching her jog back to the door of the bus.

As I stand alone, the weight of my thoughts settles over me again.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, pulling me from my reverie.

I glance down at the screen and can’t help but wonder what other surprises might be waiting just around the corner.

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