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“I’m going to be honest with you.” Connor speaks to our drummer like a sage elder statesman. Considering the strange video scandal he just put behind him, it’s almost like he’s over all of the drama too. He’s just done. “In retrospect, you got too involved in LTZ’s media stuff, Jace, and we were all too stupid to see it. Or put an end to it.” He then points at me. “Ty had a lot of baggage. We all knew that. For the past decade, you made it your personal mission to fix things when he acted out.”
He scoffs. “Connor, if I hadn’t—“
Connor holds up a hand. “I know. Look, I buried my head in the sand, too. It’s no secret I was annoyed with him for many years. The thing is, when Ronni was fake dating him, she got to know him on a deep level. We both did. She always suspected he’d been traumatized somehow because she recognized the haunted look in his eyes. Ty is our family. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that he was triggered that day. We’re older and wiser now. It’s time for some changes that all of us need to make.” He pauses and points at both of us. “We also need to remember, above all else, the four of us are brothers.”
I’m nearly overwhelmed with gratitude. Connor articulates my feelings exactly. If we could all just get ourselves on the same page …
Jace, however, doesn’t look convinced. Not at all.
So, I’ve got to take a shot. “Jace, you always jumped in and just handled shit for us. And we let you. You never took time for yourself. Never prioritized your relationship with Alex.” I pound my heart with my fist. “Take it from me, I hate that you felt you had to hide your love for her from Ty. It’s fucked up that you put her on a backburner for so long.” He glances up at me in surprise. “Look, there’s not a doubt in my mind that’s where your resentment comes from. Especially after what Alex has just gone through—what you both have gone through.”
Jace grips the arms of the chair. He’s uncomfortable being the focus. It’s not his thing. He grits out, “Uh, isn’t this about Ty?”
“No, it’s about all of us.” Connor sums it up perfectly.
My adrenaline spikes a bit because I feel like we’re at a serious crossroads. We’re either going to give the band a try again or break up. I know what I want. It’s time to lay my cards out.
I can’t just sit here though, so I get up and look out the window. “Fee’s planning on reopening Gus when she’s mentally ready again after taking time off to regroup. Luckily, her staff is still on board and ready for a redo.” “I turn back toward my band-brothers and stretch out my arms, almost pleading. “I never wanted a break. The time I’ve had away from all of you has been tough for me. I went and jammed with friends and whatever, but for me Less Than Zero is who I am.” I have to take a deep breath in order to continue. “What happened at The Mission was nuts.Devastating. We were minutes away from making magic happen again. I miss us. I miss making music with you all. I want us to reunite.”
“I want the band back together too.” Connor joins me. Bro-hugs me.
Both of us stand across from Jace, who’s wide-eyed and not remotely convinced. Or maybe, just maybe, he’s scared too. “Well, what if Ty doesn’t? Isn’t all of our fate in his hands? Again?”
“Don’t let your past cloud your judgement.” I try to be gentle, but he doesn’t know the whole story. “Remember, Jace. You and Ty were close. For years. As far as I can tell, it’s only been the past year or so that you’ve had this attitude about him. What the fuck, man?”
“Look, I’ll try to be cool. I just want to know what we’re dealing with. I don’t have it in me to go through any shit with him again this year. Or ever, truth be told.” Jace doesn’t give in much, which is disconcerting.
So, it’s up to me to push him over to our side. I plead, desperately, “I’m all in on LTZ. Connor?” He nods. “So, yeah. I’m ninety-nine percent Ty wants to continue. Before we all see him tomorrow, what do you want? Jace, you’re just as important to LTZ as Ty is. Do you want LTZ to continue or are you done?”
“I don’t know.” He throws his hands up, not angry. Mostly exasperated. “I’ve just come through hell. I find myself wanting to be with Alex every minute of the day. I don’t think you guys realize how close I was to losing her. She’s still recovering, you know.”
“Fair enough.” Connor raises his glass. “Think about it. Hear what Ty has to say. We all have to be in, or it’s not happening.”
Clearly, Connor has more patience than me. I set my undrunk glass of whiskey on the table. “I’ve poured my heart out to you guys. I try to take the high road. I try to be supportive of all of you. Don’t forget, Fee and I have lost millions of dollars on our businesses because of this mess. Not to mention my family is in fucking shambles and we’re trying to pick up the pieces. Fiona and I have suffered through our own struggles and we have never let them affect LTZ or any of you. What I’m trying to say here is LTZ is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Most people never get to experience what we have, which is magic. You don’t fucking throw away magic.”
I make a move toward the door. I’m tired of Jace’s excuses. I’d rather have him quit than string us along.
Behind me, I hear Connor admonish Jace, “Go talk to him before he leaves.”
“Zane, wait…” I’m in the foyer when Jace grabs my arm. “Look, I’m sorry. None of this is your fault. I know you’re dealing with a lot.”
“You have no fucking idea.” I point at him.
Connor joins us. “Tell us what’s up, my brother.”
“I’ll tell you, but I need you both to be honest with me too. No more of this dancing-around bullshit. We lived in each other’s pockets for years. There were no secrets. Nothing was off-limits. Ty has his story to tell—that’s what tomorrow’s all about. Tonight, can we please be real?” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “We don’t have to be here all night, but maybe take an hour and get back to basics?”
Jace nods. “Yeah. Yeah. I can do that.”
So we do. Connor, Jace, and I hash through what we want.
What we expect.
How we can find a path forward. Under new terms. New expectations.
Now, all we need is for Ty to get on board.
Maybe we can salvage LTZ after all.
