Page 44 of Hollow Heart

Thankfully, he does, and he smiles a bit more

“Yes, that’s correct,” he says stiffly.

Joe chuckles a bit as he says, “Man, I gotta say this is a dream come true. I was always ahugefan ofHollow Pointegrowing up. I think I actually went as Issax one year for Halloween, as a kid.”

I chuckle to myself, even though it’s not genuine, but the audience plays right along, like they always do.

“Although, I can imagine it’s got to be somewhat difficult for you, Felix, playing with someone so talented. I mean, Duncan, you are a literal legend!”

Duncan looks uncomfortable as hell with the compliment, like instead of being called a pillar of rock himself, Joe just insulted him or something, but he brushes it off.

“Oh, for sure. Duncan definitely keeps me on my toes, don’t you Duncan?” I smirk, and his eyebrows narrow at me.

“That’s right. There’s definitely a thing or two I can teach you.”

I half laugh, half gasp at his playful tone. The audience and Joe both laugh along with him. He grins, but it isn’t genuine.

In fact, it’s deadly, and it makes my heart beat a little faster.

Joe ooohs as the audience coos along with him, at Duncan’s sizzling comeback.

I shift my stance, regaling him with my own gaze.

“Yes, well, if I need to learn how to operate a VCR, I’ll be sure to give you a call,” I return with a smirk. “I hear those are starting to become all the rage nowadays. Sometimes I feel like there’s a poetry to watching those poor pixels, and the fuzziness, you know, in a world of digitization and streaming. I swear there’s something magical about the phrase, ‘please be kind rewind.’”

Joe doesn’t miss a beat, and I can hear the slight shift in his tone, like he’s not sure if Duncan and I won’t get into a damn brawl right here.

And I guess, I sort of understand. I don’t exactly have the best track record. I did get into a fight once with Jared Leto backstage.

And you were just seen publicly beefing with Sully.

Duncan shifts his stance, which pushes my right asscheek off the couch altogether.

Touche, Duncan.

“Everything comes back around, if you’re around long enough.” Duncan shrugs.

“True that,” Joe replies as he focus his gaze on me.

“There have been a ton of rumors flying about lately about the state of your band, Felix. It was reported a week ago that you and Sullivan Reign have disbanded your... partnership?”

My blood chills at his words, because even for him, it’s a low blow.

We both know what he’s asking, what can’t be said on air, or in the public at all.

I’m irritated at his question, but I know it’s what he does. All these talk show hosts are the same. They say their job is the news, but it’s not. It’s gossip.

The Joe’s, the Karen’s, the Channel 5 reporter, and the paparazzi... they are all the same. In the business ofgossip.

After all, late night news covers the dirt, and where Sullivan Reign and I are concerned, there is quite a bit of it.

That’s the thing about these damn media circuses. They don’t dispel rumors, they create them, then offer you a platform to make your public statement or apology on the mountain of lies they created.

Any celebrity worth their salt knows that.

But as usual, I need to keep to my script, keep to the narrative that works formeand the record label.

“Sully is a talented man,” I start, looking at Duncan, for what I’m not sure.

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