Page 128 of Verses

With a nod, Wolf let go of me. “When we start playing shows—I think that will be a good time. The guys will all have their confidence back and what you and I are doing won’t matter as much.”

“You meanKyle. Pedro’s never had a confidence problem.”

Wolf grinned. “You might be right.” Then he pointed at the light green Kia next to the chain-link fence. “That’s your car?”

“Yep.”

“What was it doing when you stopped driving it?”

“I don’t remember. I just know it wouldn’t start. I’m pretty sure it’s the battery, but I couldn’t get to Silver City. I mean, I guess I could have called an Uber, but it’s hard to get one here in Charlotte.”

“Well…there’s an easy way to find out if the battery is a problem. Go ahead and get in the car and start it.”

I unlocked the door and slid in the cold seat, realizing I’d missed being behind the wheel. Even though I didn’t mind walking, when my car had been running, it had expanded my world. I’d go to Silver City once in a while—and I’d even driven to La Junta once or twice. I slid the key in the ignition and placed my left hand on the steering wheel. Even through the gloves and my jeans, the cold seeped into my skin. I turned the key and…nothing.

Glancing up at him, I simply shook my head.

Wolf leaned over and looked inside. “Yeah, your dome light’s not on. Just for the hell of it, why don’t you turn the headlights on?”

“Okay.”

While I turned the knob that would switch the lights on, Wolf moved from the side of the car to the front. He asked, “You turned them on?”

“Yeah.”

“Yep. Nothing.” He walked back to the side of the car. “Your battery’s definitely dead—so that’s the first thing we need to do. Let’s head to Walmart and pick up a battery and then we’ll go from there. But go ahead and pop the hood real fast.”

I did as he asked and then got out of the car, joining him at the front. “I hate to waste the money on a battery if that’s not the only thing wrong with it.”

“Bird,” he said, looking at me while raising the hood, “I told you I want to do this for you for Christmas. So please let me do it and don’t worry about it.”

“Okay.” I nodded, wishing I could kiss him, but instead I watched him remove the cables from the battery before lifting it out—and, before long, we were heading to the Walmart in Silver City.

On the way there, Wolf said, “I don’t know about you, bird, but I’m eager to play again. These few days off for the holidays is giving me an itch.”

“And to think you’d never planned to be in a band again.”

Smiling, he glanced over at me. “I guess I need to thank you for that.”

“Actually,Ishould be the one thankingyou, because we might have broken up by now if not for you.”

“You give me too much credit, bird.”

I simply shook my head. We’d had this discussion before, and he knew how I felt.

After another mile of silence, he said, “I’m working on a song—what will be the chorus, actually—but I’d love to collaborate with you. Maybe you can help me write the verses.”

A lump formed in my throat.Did he mean the music?But maybe I misunderstood. “Sure. I’ve got words coming out of me all day.”

I’d understood him just fine.

“No…I mean the tune. I’m hoping when I play the chorus for you, you’ll be able to help me come up with the tune for the rest of the song.”

Suddenly, I felt like vomiting. I’d been able to fake it so long but if I sat with Wolf towritethe music, wouldn’t it be clear as day that I didn’t have a clue about any of it?

Meaning I’d have to come clean.

“Bird?”

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