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what's the point in hiding? (1/2)

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Three-Year Anniversary of Trial by Fire’s Car Crash: 10 Telltale Signs That Ronan Rutgers Still Battles PTSD and Survivor’s Guilt

Ronan had barely read the title before he was tossing the newspaper into the trash.

“And what the fuck do they expect? That I celebrate?” he muttered, kicking the trash can as he walked past it, heading toward the floor-to-ceiling windows of his record label’s meeting room. From there, he could see Central Park, joggers and bikers reduced to tiny dots following the dirt path.

“They’ll talk about your trauma as long as they have nothing better to write about. Which is exactly why we’re here,” said his agent, a lovely middle-aged woman who could be sweet and caring, or an absolute beast. Ronan wasn’t sure which side of her he’d be dealing with today.

It had been three years, after all — three years of the label waiting for him to recover, to decide what to do with his brand. Because that’s what Trial by Fire had become: not a band. A brand. A product that had stopped generating active revenue, bringing in only passive income. And they didn’t want a few thousand; they wanted the millions they used to rake in.

Ronan was certain the only thing keeping the label from terminating his contract was Trial by Fire’s legacy. They didn’t believe he could make a comeback, let alone carry the band’s name alone. And he had made it clear—loud and clear—that he didn’t want ‘new bandmates.’ But he hadn’t ruled out music entirely.

Ever since Ivy was born, the thought had started creeping in again. He’d realized how deeply ingrained it was in him. His family life, no matter how fulfilling, wasn’t enough to make him feel… whole.

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