Page 59 of Omega Rock

Leo doesn’t look at them. “I’ve lost enough time to this disease, Aiden. It nearly took everything from me. I’ll rest, but if you’re about to suggest taking time off from the tour entirely or anything resembling stopping with Exit Fate, you can keep it to yourself. I want to be here. Iwantto do this. And I know the risks.” Only then does he glance at Mia and Noah. “Being with you all feels like finally being home, so I’m not leaving.”

Mia touches Leo’s arm. Leo welcomes her to his side and wraps his arm around her and sips water from the bottle in his free hand. “We’ll just rest between now and Friday.”

Noah nods to me. “And write, gotta make Wes happy, too.”

Wes is supposed to meet us at the next tour stop. Hewillbe happy to see how much of an album we’ve got together so far. But I’m wondering if a few solid days of rest might be the way to go.

“How about we go out for dinner tonight?” I suggest. “Tour goes late, so nothing should be flooded with concert goers for a few hours yet.”

Noah nods to me. “Sounds good to me. I’ll hop in the shower first.” He heads off before the rest of us can agree to the plan.

Leo chuckles lightly. “Rest away from the tour’s party scene will be good. I can grab my prescription while we’re out, too.”

Mia hugs him tight. “If we can help with anything, just let us know.” Then she shoots me a concerned look, too. “How areyou? Leo’s not the only one watching health issues.”

I was sure they’d forgotten. Being called out for it has me rubbing the back of my neck as if to call direct attention to the issue. “I’m good. The shorter sets have helped immensely in that regard. No neck pain.” A little stiffness here and there, but nothing like it used to be. “I can’t complain.” And so I haven’t.

Mia nods then looks up at Leo. “Then you’re the only one who gets to be nursed back to health—lucky you!” She flashes him a charming smile bright enough to cut through any dark day.

Leo kisses her forehead and smiles warmly. “Hmm, maybe I need to slow the healing down then, really take advantage of this.”

I bark a laugh and wave them on toward the parking lot. “Come on you two.”

We hurry back to the bus and wash up after a hot set in the early summer. The sun is just going down when we collect inside a taxi and make our way to a twenty-four hour diner in the next town over, with booth seating, a 24-hour breakfast menu, and even claw machines with prizes inside. It looks like it was built in the eighties and has never once been renovated.

Thankfully, it’s as empty as I was hoping it would be both for our sake in general, but especially for Leo’s.

We order food and drinks and set about just enjoying the slowed down evening in a quiet diner. Which is why it’s no surprise that Mia pulls out a pen from the inside of her black jacket and starts writing on a napkin. She really is an insanely prolific lyricist.

I let her go about it when Noah jumps in with melody suggestions. It’s hard not to let my attention wander to Leo. Prior to Wes’s fated phone call and offer we weren’t super close. But Lost Time and Designation Outsider came up around the same time. We did Knotty Tour together, partied with the same circles, all of that. The last thing I want is for the strain of this tour—whichwillhit all of us at some point—to put him back into a hospital.

At one point, Leo gets up and wanders over to one of the claw machines and within a few tries to snag a neon-blue penguin plushie.

He proudly sets it down over Mia and Noah’s work. “There we go, Exit Fate’s mascot.”

Noah laughs, but Mia’s warm smile melts my heart.

She pats the penguin’s head. “He’s perfect. Henceforth known as… Mr. Frosty.”

Noah moves him slightly to the side, off of the napkins filled with notes. “Mr. Frosty’s ass is in the way.”

Leo chuckles and sits back down. “Had to try. And hey, just proof my hand is better after some rest.”

I snort a laugh and carry on attending to the basket of fries in front of me. “And now ‘Mr. Frosty’ gets to appear at every show.”

Leo shrugs. “I can set him on the drum set.”

Mia points her pen at Leo. “You better!”

A flash outside the window startles all of us. It’s been dark out for a while, and the parking lot isn’t well-lit by any means.

“The fuck?” Noah asks.

A group of people in their late teens or early twenties floods into the quiet diner. In come the concert-goers. But it’s the flash that’s got me worried.

My body tenses as more concert-goers flood in. So much for peace.

Then someone points to me. Then the whole band.

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