It’s too big of a moment for her to miss.
Reed separates from me and heads back to the stage, jumping down into the walk between the stage and audience barrier where Andi had hung out all night. Our manager runs onstage to throw him a sharpie, and while everyone is distracted, I take the opportunity to dart off.
I’ll come back.
I just want to know where she is.
Reed’s family tackles me with hugs and jumps and excitement. Tina kisses me on the cheek.
I want to enjoy it.
I want to hug them back with as much enthusiasm as they’re giving me. I want to soak in their adrenaline, but mine has taken on a monster of its own.
“What’s wrong, Maddox?” Tina says. She can tell I’m distracted.
“I’m just—I’m trying to find Andi,” I say. “Have you seen her?”
“Ah…” Tina and Randall look between each other. “No. Not since she was down in the pit,” Randall asks. “Does she have something you need?”
“She’s… Yeah,” I answer. “Something like that.”
I clap Kamden on the arm and stop into the dressing room in the hopes that she’s waiting in there. When I don’t see her, I toss the Bane mask on the table and head out to circle the stage again.
Even after another run around, I still don’t see Andi.
“Hey—” I trot up to James, who’s making sure Reed gets off without being tackled. “Hey, did you see Andi back here?” I ask him.
“Yeah.” He nods toward the back exit. “She was taking a phone call out back.”
“Oh. Okay. Did anyone go out with her?” I ask.
“It was just a couple of minutes ago,” James said. “Do you want me to go check?”
I glance out at the stage and shake my head when I see Reed is still out there signing a few autographs and chatting with fans, the houselights on now.
“No,” I tell him. “No, I’ll go get her.”
Something doesn’t feel right in the pit of my stomach. I don’t know why. I don’t know if it’s because I didn’t immediately find her or if it’s something else.
I open and close my fist as I make my way to the door, hoping that when I open it, I’ll find her on the phone and she’ll smile back at me.
My hands hit the door. I say her name as it opens—
She isn’t there.
The back steps are empty.
In the distance, I hear a few cars starting up, people leaving the venue. I start to walk down the platform, yet my foot knocks into something.
The sound of metal scrapes the concrete. I look down, and my stomach drops.
Andi’s camera is broken on the ground.
Shit.
I can’t even bring myself to pick it up. Without thinking twice, I press my phone to my ear and dial James’s number. And when I look toward the steps, I see her phone smashed.
There’s blood on the asphalt.
