Page 21 of Edge of Forever

Over and over, trying a few different intros, a handful of random guitar licks, and tweaking the lyrics on the fly.

This guy is good.

Really good.

It’s like he knows our vibe already.

Which is exciting.

This album is going to be great. The only trick will be getting people to listen to it. That’s always the issue with art, whetherit’s music, books, or movies. There’s so much to choose from these days, and almost everything is accessible online, so it can be impossible to stand out in a crowd.

That’s why we’re going on tour with Nobody’s Fool.

They have a huge fan base, and it’s looking like their latest album is about to go platinum. If we can win over their fans, it’ll be a huge step toward our overall success and the success of this first album. Getting airplay helps, of course, but it’s the live shows where people who’ve never heard you before rush home to buy the album.

It’s a lot more complicated than that, but that’s a simplified version of the process

We have the songs, now we’re going to record them, and then we’ll support the album on tour.

It should be easy, but it never is.

And we have to be prepared for disappointment.

It’s part of the business.

I put my guitar on its stand and pull my phone out of my pocket, wanting to think about something else.

Like the gorgeous girl I’m falling for.

There’s a text from Kirsten and I open the app to read it.

KIRSTEN: If you’re done in time, Sydney says you’re welcome to come to dinner. If not, just let me know. Maybe I can stop by the studio and say hi?

SAM: I think we’re about done for the day. I can have someone drop me off in about thirty minutes and then maybe you can drive me back to my hotel later?

KIRSTEN: Sure. See you when you get here.

I stuff the phone back in my pocket.

“Going to see Kirsten tonight?” Jonny asks.

“Yeah.”

“Are things getting serious?”

I hesitate. I really don’t want to talk about this with the guys until I’ve talked about it withher. But maybe a little perspective will help me figure out the next steps.

“I don’t know,” I say finally. “I mean, I’m crazy about her. I always have been. I thought we’d only be here a week or so, but now that we’re going to be here four or five weeks, she and I need to figure out what we’re doing.”

“She’s in high school, man.”

“Graduation is in two weeks,” I say. “It’s not like she’s still underage.”

“Yeah, I know. I just…” He meets my gaze. “Youknowwhat this tour is going to be like, right? I mean, none of us are hardcore partiers, but this is going to be different. Something none of us have ever experienced. At least, not on this level. How are you going to manage having a teenage girlfriend in the middle of it all?”

“I’m a grown-ass man—I think I’m capable of keeping it in my pants if I’m in a long-distance relationship.”

“It’s not about that. It’s about missing out on what’s out there—for both of you. What will she be missing out on when she goes off to college but has to stay faithful to her rockstar boyfriend who’s on tour? Do you remember what it was like for you in college?”

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