Cold State Line

Today, the guys and I were heading to the ranch. Now I have no idea how a ranch got anywhere near Huntington Beach, but I do know Papa Gates bought it after his divorce. He said he needed to get away from it all and feel like he wasn't in California without leaving it. He found this ranch, and it was where we decided to go after a tour.

Unfortunately for me, I did not want to be at the ranch. This was supposed to be where Val and I got married before she broke off the engagement seven months ago. We'd been together for years, and I thought I would spend the rest of my life with her. But we wound up being in two different places, and she just fell out of love with me. I could understand that.

"Dude, you love the ranch. I know it holds painful possible memories of you and Val, but you got to enjoy this. Papa Gates is gonna be here! He wants to help us jam," Brian said.

He was right. I loved the ranch. Much like Papa, I felt connected to the ranch. It was one of my favorite places to write; it was right up there with Big Bear Cabin.

"Sorry, dude. I'll get out of my head. I don't love Val like I did, but there's still that part of me that misses her. I'm also thinking about Haylee. I wish I got to see her one last time," I said to him as we piled out of the car.

Papa Gates came bounding out of the house and ran right to his son. They embraced like they hadn't seen each other in years. I loved their relationship; they had such a good one. He hugged the rest of us like we were his kids too.

"Now, I must tell you... the rodeo is in town and four people needed a place to stay and stables for the horses. I offered half the house, not the part with the studio of course. One of them is already here. Would you like to meet him?"

We followed Senior as he lead us inside. There was a broad-shouldered blond man sitting at the kitchen island. He looked vaguely familiar to me. The dude turned around and I felt my blood run fucking cold. Clay was here?

"Clay," I said and stuck out my hand. I may appear like an asshole, but I could be polite. My parents raised me right.

"Good to see you again, Mark." He pumped my hand and the others.

"It's Matt..."

"Right, sorry." I could feel the fake coming off him in waves. I wanted to barf with how fake and gross he was. "Lovely to see y'all again. How do you know Mr. Haner?"

Brian chuckled. "He's my father. How do you know him?" Brian was a lot more less polite than I was.

"He's always let me stay here during the LA rodeo and right before the Vegas one."

We nodded and then left. I was not a fan of that dude. He just gave off a weird fucking vibe, and he had truly pissed me off with how he'd treated Haylee.

"Dude's a fucking prick, Gates Senior," Johnny said.

"He pays to stay here."

That explained a lot actually. Papa Gates didn't let just anyone into his homes, and he was an excellent judge of character. So he had to be charging the asshole cowboy out the wazoo.
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I played the piano melody to the first love song I'd ever written. It went on our first album, our worst album and people seemed to love it a lot. They thought it was the greatest romantic thing they'd heard, but really it was just poorly written lyrics and a bad melody.

"No new music coming to you," ZV said, "Dude, you're regressing to Seventh Trumpet days."

I laughed. "Yeah... I just can't think right now. It's like my brain is clouded with a weird fog."

"Val?"

I shook my head. What I was feeling wasn't an old feeling; it was something new and slightly unnerving. "No. I think it's about something else."

"Any idea?" Zack made a face at me.

"You know how you felt when you divorced Gena? You felt freer, more like yourself?" I stopped playing on the keyboard.

"Yeah. It was like a new Zacky had been born."

"I feel like how you described. It's like a new chapter is starting, but I want to cling to what I know. Being with Haylee, feeling the ability to care for someone again, it makes me feel like a new person."

Zack nodded and smiled at me. "Use that feeling, Matt. It can get you some good songs." He left the studio.
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My stomach growled. I was hungry, and I knew I couldn't sleep until I ate something. It was like I never got out of high school; my body craved some real fucking weird shit.

I walked into the kitchen only to see Clay and that killed me appetite. "Couldn't sleep?" I asked as I walked into the place.

"Nope," he said it with a slur. "Needed a little night cap." He held up a near empty bottle of Black Label whiskey. I had to fight not to gag. That was the cheapest and most disgusting whiskey ever.

"You're slurring, dude."

He shot me a glare. "What are you? My mama?"

"Relax, drink if you want to, you sick fuck."

He shoved pass me. Clearly, he did not like people telling him he was a drinking or that he slurred his words. Dude had a fucking drink problem. Maybe that's why Haylee was so uncomfortable around him. I'd have to keep my eye on him while he was here.

Notes

Another short chapter. But I got to lay the ground work before they reunite. Also side note on a few things:

1. I love Matt and Val's relationship, and I try not to include the wives so that I don't paint them in a bad light. I think Val and Matt are like relationship goals and just love Val's entire style and personality. So, I feel bad that I am sorta trashing her in this.

2. "Warmness on the Soul" is a great song, but I had to bash something with a piano in it and I love "Critical Acclaim" too much to do that.

That being said, please rate and comment!!!