Page 77 of California Wild

They wrapped up soon after, taking a few photos, signing a guitar in the station’s hallway before piling back into the car.

By the time they got back to The Triffid, the place was already packed.

The heat inside was stifling, sweat sticking to her skin as she adjusted the strap of her guitar. The crowd was buzzing, the energy high, bodies pressed together in the intimate space, beer sloshing in plastic cups as people jostled toward the stage.

The greenroom was tucked behind the stage, a low-lit space with mismatched couches, a stocked fridge, and a table littered with beer bottles and half-eaten snacks.

Caiden flopped onto one of the couches, grabbing a beer from the table and tossing one to Kilgor. He turned to Hayley, holding another out to her. “Here, Fox.”

She hesitated.

Not because she was struggling.

But because this was the moment.

The moment they’d all notice.

She shook her head, waving him off with a smile. “Nah, I’m good.”

Caiden’s brows lifted slightly. “Really?”

She nodded. “Just… trying to keep my voice clear.”

Kilgor snorted. “Smart. Booze wrecks your vocals.”

Billy lifted his own beer. “More for us, then.”

But Caiden kept looking at her. Studying her.

Then, slowly, he nodded. “That’s good. Proud of you.”

The words landed heavier than she expected.

Proud of her.

Like he thought this was some fresh start.

And in a way, maybe it was.

Hayley swallowed, nodding once before standing. “I’m gonna go warm up.”

She stepped out before he could ask anything else, the weight of his gaze still lingering on her back.

And then it was showtime. The lights dimmed. The crowd roared.

Hayley stepped onto the stage, guitar slung across her body, her heart pounding in time with the beat Kilgor tapped out behind her.

She gripped the mic, exhaling slow.

Then—she sang.

Loud. Raw. Powerful.

For the first time in a long time, she felt completely like herself.

* * * * *

The next night came too fast—the opener of the Soundwave festival. The roar of the crowd was deafening, a wall of sound crashing into Hayley as she stepped onto the massive outdoor stage at the Brisbane Showgrounds. The heat was suffocating—humid, sticky, the kind of summer air that clung to her skin and made every breath thick. Thousands of bodies packed into the festival grounds, a sea of hands raised high, faces lit by the blinding stage lights.

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