Page 96 of Forever Flames: Padraig & Stevie
As for me, I’m going through a bit of a personal turmoil, so I stand near the window, arms folded, watching the skyline shift with the haze. Pretend I’m calm, when really I’m in a grown-up pickle.
Linus stops pacing. Smiles the way he does when he’s won.
“Well?” Liam leans forward. “Why the fuck are you so smug?”
Linus doesn’t drag it out. “Netflix. Ten-episode drama. Big budget. ThinkVirgin RivermeetsDerry Girls. It’s a remake ofThe Kerry Line, only this version’s set in Appalachia.”
“Jesus.” Liam blinks. “They’re using our track?”
Linus nods once. “They wantFrom the Ashesas the official theme song.”
A beat of silence, then—
“Fuck. Yeah.” Liam jumps up and slaps Linus’s shoulder, spinning toward Avonna. “We did it.”
Avonna doesn’t move, but her smile spreads slow and wide. “Of course we did.”
I lean back into the glass and let the words settle.
Three years ago, we were a band people respected. Now, we’re a band peopleknow.
Linus opens his iPad. “They want press. A stripped acoustic performance. Ideally video. We’re talking exposure in themillions, boys. This puts Fireball in living rooms across America.”
“Fuck me.” Liam whistles. “You know how long I’ve waited for something like this?”
“You earned it.” I meet his gaze. “Every night on stage for nearly fifteen years.”
He doesn’t blink. “So did you.”
Avonna’s already halfway to the mini-fridge. “This calls for sparkling cider.”
Linus cuts her a look. “We can celebrate, but you’re on vocal rest after rehearsals. We can’t cancel Saturday’s show.”
“You’re the worst kind of manager.” Liam flips him off with dramatic flair.
“Effective,” Linus replies, not looking up from his notes.
It’s easy between them. It has been ever since Linus came back. It sucked when he left the band and broke Liam’s heart, even if it wasn’t his fault. He’s come back different. Calmer. Sharper. Not merely managing us, building something with us and the artist management company he founded.
And maybe with Liam again, but my brother’s been tight-lipped, even if his actions give him away.
I glance over. Liam watches Linus now. His eyes are narrowed and his mouth twitches at the corners. Watching them is like watching a flame in the dark. Bright, volatile.
“Well, how about we celebrate a different way.” Avonna hops off the cabinet and claps her hands once. “I want sushi and one of those gold-leaf dessert things costing more than a mortgage payment.”
“Done.” Liam grins. “Linus is buying.”
“Aye, of course I am.” Linus is already buried in his phone. “Let’s be clear, I negotiated this deal. I get to expense the fish to the band account.”
I hang back as they all gather their stuff. This is the dream, isn’t it? Fame. Recognition. Hit songs synced to prestige shows. Fancy corporate dinners.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I don’t have to look to know who it is.
Mara.
Her voice glides through the late-afternoon haze when I step out to take her call from the hallway.
“Hey…are you actually coming home at a reasonable hour today?”
