Page 32 of Unfinished Noise

Alfie’s face brightened a little. “Dancing. We can go clubbing all night.”

Jamie laughed nervously. “I don’t know about that. But when we get home, I’ll talk to Daddy Spencer.”

He tried not to think about how Daddy Spencer would feel coming back to an empty room. He didn’t want to upset him during their performance.

Jamie found a piece of hotel stationery and sat at the desk. He used his neatest cursive, the one Spencer always said looked like “fancy wedding invitations,” and drew red hearts all over the edges. His hand shook a little, but he kept writing.

Dear Daddy Spencer,

I decided to return home with Alfie so you guys can focus on your comeback. I don’t want to take away your dream. Please don’t be angry. Alfie needs me right now. I love you so much and I’ll miss you, but I’ll be home waiting for you.

Love, Jamie

He stared at the note for a long moment, wishing Daddy Spencer could hear him say it instead of reading it. Then he left the hotel room.

Chapter Thirteen

Jamie

Alfie met him in the hallway, backpack slung over one shoulder, teddy bear tucked under his arm. Jamie carried his own bag, heart thudding as they stepped into the elevator.

“Are you sure?” Alfie whispered again.

His gut clenched hard enough to steal his focus. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

They took an Uber to the bus depot, the city lights blurring past the windows. Jamie kept glancing at his phone, fighting the urge to turn it on, to check if Spencer had called, to see if he’d already noticed the empty room. But he didn’t. He’d powered it off. Alfie had done the same.

When the bus arrived, they climbed on, found two seats near the back, and sat down. Jamie leaned his head against the window, watching the station fade behind them.

Jamie sat by the window, watching the highway smear into long streaks of silver and black under the bus’s flickering lights. The hum of the engine vibrated through the seat, steady and low, almost hypnotic. Every few minutes, Alfie sniffled beside him, wiping his face with the sleeve of his hoodie as if he was trying to erase the entire day.

Jamie kept glancing over, checking if Alfie needed another hug, another grounding touch, or another reminder that he wasn’t alone. Alfie looked fragile—like one wrong word might make him crumble completely. Jamie couldn’t leave him like this. Not in the state he was in.

But the thought of Daddy Spencer walking into an empty hotel room made a tightness climb up the back of his throat. He imagined Spencer reaching for him, finding nothing. Spencer reading the note. Spencer’s face, hurt, confused, maybe angry.

Jamie pressed his forehead to the cool glass. The cold bit into his skin, sharp enough to steady him for a moment. Every time the bus rattled over a bump, Alfie shifted closer with a shaky breath.

Jamie slid an arm around him, pulling him in until their shoulders touched. “It’s okay,” he whispered. “I’m here.”

Alfie stayed tucked against him, small and tense, while the long stretch of highway carried them farther from the band—and from Spencer.

After a few minutes, Alfie’s head dropped onto Jamie’s shoulder. “Do you think Daddy Nathan hates me?”

Jamie shook his head. “No. He was just pissed. He says things when he’s pissed.”

Alfie’s fingers twisted the hem of his hoodie. “He sounded as if he meant it.”

Jamie kept his voice soft. “He was overwhelmed. That doesn’t mean he hates you.”

Alfie didn’t answer. His breathing hitched again, the kind that came right before another wave of tears. Jamie tightened his arm around him, letting Alfie lean as much weight as he needed.

The bus hummed beneath them, steady and low. Each mile pulled Jamie farther from Spencer’s warmth, Spencer’s voice, Spencer’s steady presence. The thought of Spencer returning to an empty room pressed hard against Jamie’s ribs. He had no regrets about his decision to leave with Alfie. But the ache of it settled deep.

Alfie nudged closer, voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t want to ruin anything.”

Jamie rested his cheek lightly against Alfie’s hair. “You didn’t ruin anything.”

The bus lights flickered again, casting both of them in a brief wash of pale yellow before fading back to dim. Alfie curled tighter against him, and Jamie held him through every bump and sway of the road. He stayed like that while the night carried them home.