Page 39 of One Last Verse

“I just got fired from my own band, doll.” He looked up at me. “What do you suggest I do? Celebrate?” There was a sudden shift in his tone, from indifferent to cold.

For a second, I’d forgotten about the meeting. My brain was preoccupied with Frank. I expected some sort of tantrum again, and the silence worried me more than ever.

“I want to be alone for a while,” he finally said, his gaze trained on the ocean.

I felt rejected. “I can stay…We can talk about it if you want…” I offered meekly.

“I don’t want to talk, Cassy. I want to be alone.”

And just like that, he slipped away. From the world. From his responsibilities. From me.

The news hit the internet when I was battling the gridlock on the PCH. My phone buzzed nonstop. Emails, texts, and notifications kept coming, and as much as I wanted to shut it off, I needed to call Levi to tell him I was running behind.

I’ll be a little late,” I explained. My GPS, however, indicated the delay would be more thana little.

“KBC just dropped your boyfriend!” he yelled, voice wheezy. “Did you know about this?”

My mind was blank with rage. “Do we have to discuss this right now?” I was pissed at Frank for shutting me out and pissed at the label and the people there who deemed him another throwaway, someone they could use and abuse and then toss aside. Just like Isabella.

“What the actual fuck!” Levi continued to ramble. “Firing the face of the band.”

“I really don’t know what to tell you.”

“Who the hell goes to see Hall Affinity for Johnny Z?”

Levi was right. Johnny was merely a regular guy next door in designer clothes with a bass strapped over his neck. Carter was a hired gun. He didn’t have a say. His job was to smile for the cameras and keep those drums going during the shows. But then there was Dante. A guitar god. A virtuoso with the smile of a sinner and the manners of Casanova. He didn’t have the gift of the voice, but with the addition of the right singer, his charisma and his solos could probably still sell out an arena. He was everyone’s—women, fans, tabloids—favorite.

So, yes, realistically, the band could totally pull off the tour with the proper replacement.

My head pounded and I barely saw the road. It was all just a huge blur of cars. Different sizes and shapes with a wall of red brake lights and a throng of arms stuck out into the salty air.

“You know what? My mom’s on the other line,” I lied. “See you in a bit.”

Unsettled, I killed the call and tossed my phone in my purse.

The Guitar Center was busy and the crowd made me oddly uncomfortable. I didn’t know what exactly it was—worry for Frank or worry for our relationship, but halfway through the meeting, I excused myself and rushed to the bathroom to call Janet.

My emotions got the best of me.

I needed to know he was okay.

“I believe he’s sleeping,” Janet said.

“Will you please call me if there’s an emergency?” I had no idea why I’d said that. It was my gut’s idea.

“He just needs some time to process, child. He’ll come around.”

I returned to the floor, but my head wasn’t right. Levi did most of the heavy-lifting for the remainder of the meeting, and I utilized the only tool in my arsenal that still semi-worked. My smile. My cheeks soon started to hurt from the constant flexing, but hooray! The rep seemed very interested in the project, specifically in Frankie Blade’s involvement. He even joked about Dante needing to switch to Schecter. Poor sap probably hadn’t heard about Dante and Frankie getting a divorce.

I felt like I should have mentioned this tidbit, but then again, what kind of a guitar company rep wouldn’t know something that big?

When the meeting was over, Levi walked me to my car.

“I’m going to throw something out there,” he said, tone serious. “Just don’t get all wound up, okay?”

“Sure.” I didn’t think it was possible for me to get more wound up than I already was. My body ached. It was a strange phantom pain I couldn’t explain, but I wondered if that was what Frank was feeling at this moment.

“This may be a good thing.” He lowered his voice since we were in a crowded parking lot and every other person here was probably a Hall Affinity fan. “KBC dropping your boyfriend.”

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