The doorbell rang while Riley was still around. She was acting sulky and sullen and tossing gravel in the goldfish pond, trying to hit the fish.“Leave the fish alone,” Ryan called out as he went in the house to answer the door.“They’re fuckin’ fish, they need some excitement,” she yelled back.I followed Ryan into the house.“What’s up?” Ryan asked.“Nothing. I just don’t want to be called ‘Yoko’ anymore.”“She quit doing that.”“Yeah, except when she mouths it silently when your back is turned.”He grimaced. “Ah, Riley.”As we got closer to the door, my heart sped up. I knew it couldn’t be Derek – the flight from LA to Atlanta was probably five hours, and then there was all the time at the airport beforehand, not to mention the hour-plus drive to Athens. And he’d only been released from rehab about four hours ago, according to the text from Miles.But I was nervous just the same until Ryan opened the door.There stood a certain short, long-haired guitarist dressed all in black – an

We drove downtown and parked in front of the gyro shop.“We’re going in there?” I asked, surprised.“I was planning on it. Why?”“I don’t know – aren’t you afraid you’re going to get to mobbed by people?”“Naah, I hang out downtown all the time. I get asked for pictures and stuff, but people in Athens are used to seeing me, so it’s no big deal.”“If you say so,” I muttered dubiously.We walked into the gyro shop. The restaurant was just the way I remembered it: grease-smudged wallpaper, rickety tables, the smell of roasting meat in the air. It felt like not a moment had passed in over four years – especially when the shaggy-haired alterna-dudes behind the counter immediately shouted out welcomes.“Derek! What’s up!”“Hey man, how’s it goin’!”“D – good to see you, dude!”The guys were different from four years ago – at least I think they were – but otherwise it was complete déjà vu.Derek walked over to the counter and shook hands all around. “How’s it goin’, Bennie? Dwight, my man! Z

After that, we were joined by the producer and the sound engineer. Avi was from New York and Bob was local. They all knew each other from doing the last record together, so there were a lot of hugs with the hello’s, not to mention numerous comments about how good Derek looked after rehab. They were both polite to me, though I couldn’t shake the feeling that they knew all about the romantic drama and were walking on eggshells.Then the band went into the recording studio. Like their casual rehearsals on the road, Ryan was a stickler for recording everything, just in case a nugget of brilliance emerged.I stayed in the control room with Avi, Miles, and Bob, and tried to keep out of everyone’s way.“Well, we could do ‘When It Was Through.’ Or ‘Gold and Diamonds,’” Ryan suggested, referencing two of the songs I had heard them practice on the road. His words piped in through the speakers in the booth, making him sound like the voice of God.Avi clicked a button on the console and spoke. “W

Everybody was assembled in the studio when Ryan spoke up.“I have something to say.”I stood in the control room with Miles, Avi, and the sound engineer. Everybody looked up with a kind of bored expression.Everybody but me and Derek.Derek was watchful and wary, like a man expecting a fight, but not about to throw the first punch.I was biting my nails down to the quick.Ryan stood up and looked right at Derek.“I’m in love with Kaitlyn. She’s in love with me. You had your chance; you blew it. Now leave her alone.”Avi glanced over at me. Miles scowled like he was going to murder me. In the booth, Killian looked between his two bandmates in shock, and even stopped playing his guitar.Riley went white as a ghost.My heart was slamming triple-time in my chest.Derek was the only one who seemed utterly calm. He narrowed his eyes, and his mouth curled into a bitter smile. “Tough words coming from the guy who stabbed me in the back.”“I didn’t stab you in the back; you cheated on her. You

The weekend before the Austin City Limits concert, Ryan threw a small party on Friday night. Derek was conspicuously disinvited.“Do not show up,” Ryan warned him at the recording studio.“I’m not.”“No singing on the front lawn, none of that crap.”“Consider that my solo project.”“I’m serious. I’m hiring security to make sure you don’t gate-crash.”“Well, now, that sounds like a challenge.”“Derek – ”“Fine, I know when I’m not wanted,” Derek said mildly.“That’s the trouble, I don’t think you do.”“The trouble is, you don’t know that I am the one she wants.”Then he looked at me and winked.Ryan gritted his teeth and walked out with me on his arm.That night, lots of local musicians showed up, as well as some famous ones from out of town. It wasn’t the star power that accumulated after one of the arena shows, but that wasn’t what Ryan was going for. It was a casual, laidback evening – friends listening to music and sharing a few drinks.Except everybody kept asking where Derek was