Page 109 of Ravaged For You

I’m really going to show her not too bad.

A taste of your lips calls to me

A thing I can never forget

I wish

Oh, how I wish

I can call you mine

47

MADDIE

I don’t sleep all night, and neither does Axel. It’s Staying At Her Place’s release day. D-Day. Or A-Day as I like to call it. Axel doesn’t like that I do.

But whatever the day’s title is, it’s officially here. The new album unleashed onto the public.

And we’ve yet to see the rating results, and it’s killing us with anticipation.

It’s also the last day of the tour. We’re in Boston, hunkered down in our hotel as we wait for how Staying At Her Place is received.

Sure, the band cares about reviews and the social media reaction, but what they’re really looking at are sales. Do their fans like it? Do they like it enough to make sure it beats Tainted Lives’ new album?

That’s the question that remains unanswered.

I sneakily listen to a few tracks from the rival band’s album on my earphones. For obvious reasons, I don’t tell Axel what I’m doing. I know he wouldn’t like it. Tainted Lives are good. No wonder they’re competing with Ravaged. But I still think Axel’s band is better. I am a bit biased, though.

Axel, meanwhile, spends the night trying to sleep by listening to classic rock songs that inspired him as a kid.

It’s actually kind of sweet.

The morning arrives, and as soon as Axel and I make our coffee, the rest of the band comes storming into our suite.

“You guys all look tired,” I remark.

Drake shrugs. “Couldn’t sleep.”

“Me neither,” adds Bishop.

Caspian nods along.

“I thought you were all cool rockstars who didn’t give a shit,” I say.

“If there’s anything to give a shit about,” Drake replies. “It’s our new album. You know how much sweat and fucking tears have gone into this?”

“I imagine quite a lot,” I reply.

“That’s putting it mildly.”

“Has anyone heard from Lucas yet?” Bishop asks. “He’ll be the one who finds out any information first.”

“No news at all,” Axel confirms, shaking his head.

“Damn.”

“We’ll just have to wait until there’s any news,” Drake says.