“I’m okay,” I whisper. “Just knocked the wind out of me.”
At least, I hope that’s all it is.
“I’ve got you.” He pushes a few people out of the way and scoops me up like I’m weightless. I melt into him, trying to take a breath, but it feels like there’s something sitting on my chest.
Fuck.
The band is going to kill me.
What was I thinking?
We’d discussed the stage dive, and I’d been on the fence about it.
“Jonny!” Someone is calling to him, and the next thing I know I’m on a soft surface.
“Call an ambulance!” someone yells.
“No.” I somehow hiss out the word. “I’m okay. Just out of…breath.”
“You scared the fuck out of me, Lex.” Jonny is staring at me with concern.
“I’m…sorry. I don’t know…what happened?”
“From where I was standing, it looked like everyone was trying to get to you, to be part of the group holding you up, and somehow they knocked down the two guys who were actually holding you up.”
“Christ.”
Of all the bad luck.
I’ve done it dozens of times with no issues.
Why tonight?
Why now?
“We’ve paused the show,” Sasha says, running over to us. “Lexi, what do you need?”
“Just a minute… to catch my breath,” I repeat.
Fuck.
This could have been bad.
A literal disaster.
“Lex, maybe we should call a doctor,” Sasha whispers.
I meet her gaze without hesitation.
“Look, if something is going to happen, going to the hospital isn’t going to stop it.” I sit up. “I’m okay. It knocked the wind out of me, but I don’t think I’m hurt.” I’ve been slowly testing my limbs, and everything appears to be in working order. My vision was fuzzy for a minute or two, but now that I can breathe again, it’s cleared up.
“Lexi!” My band comes running into the backstage area in a panic, and I feel a wave of guilt.
I shouldn’t have dived off the stage.
I know better, but I was having such a good time it was like my body did it before my brain could catch up. Nothing like this has ever happened before so there was no reason to think it would this time.
Except, you know, Murphy and his laws are kind of assholes.
