Page 141 of California Wild

“Well, hate to break it to you, but tongiht’s show’s sold out. Like, wall-to-wall packed. People are buzzing about your Aus tour.”

“Fuck.” Hayley rubbed her temple. “I thought I had another week before this.”

“Nope. And tomorrow—L.A. Label meeting. They’re throwing big numbers around, Hay. This is it. This is when you get rich. Rockstar rich.”

Hayley stared at the ceiling.

She should’ve felt elated. Excited. The kind of buzz that used to shoot straight through her spine before every show.

But all she felt was…

Heavy.

Like her body hadn’t caught up with the rest of her life yet. Like her world was sprinting ahead while she stood still, barefoot in the living room, clutching a phone with cracker crumbs on her chest.

“Are you sick or something?” Zoe asked. “You’ve been off lately.”

“Yeah, I haven’t been feeling well,” she muttered. “The tour was a lot.”

“International tours are hard. Dont’ worry We’ll figure it out. Even if I have to slow the bookings down. You being on that stage tonight? It matters.”

Hayley nodded, even though Zoe couldn’t see her.

She looked out the window, and saw Jesse coming inside.

The sun glinted off his shoulder as he wiped grease from his brow, forearms flexing, curls falling in his eyes.

He had no idea.

She hadn’t told him about the label yet. About the kind of money they were talking. About what it might mean.

She didn’t even know what it meant.

Not yet.

Jesse walked inside, quiet studying.

“I’ll be there,” she said finally to Zoe.

“Hell yes, you will. Wear something hot”

The call ended with Zoe’s usual chaos, and Hayley set the phone down slowly.

Her fingers rested over her belly.

She exhaled, long and quiet.

Tonight, she’d be the Hayley they remembered.

Tomorrow, everything might change.

Jesse stood by the kitchen counter, one hand braced on the edge, the other holding a half-full glass of water. His bare chest glinted faintly with sweat, a faint streak of grease smudged along the slope of his shoulder. He looked calm, maybe even curious—but something in his stillness made her stomach twist.

“You got a gig tonight?” he asked.

Hayley nodded, pushing up to sit straighter, pulling the throw tighter around her legs. “Yup. Eight.”

Jesse sipped his water. Didn’t say anything at first.

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