“I do,” I breathe, my insides ready to collapse. “I can’t lie to her anymore.” I blow out a breath and blink at the lights as I try to keep my fervor in check, and I see Liam squeeze Kade’s arm out of the corner of my eye.
“You don’t have to sit here and watch me be a fucking sad mess,” I say, trying to make light of everything. I can feel my eyes drooping the longer I sit, and as darkness swells in on me, I push to my feet. “I need to get back to her—”
“Whoa—Gem—”
I don’t know whose arms catch me, or how I eventually feel a soft mattress under my back, but the moment I’m on my stomach, the world goes blank.
It’s fucking dark.
It’sdark.
And I don’t just mean my head. I mean, the sun has disappeared from the sky, and it is night.
Holy shit.How long did I just sleep?!My phone lights up on the bed at my side, and I swipe my face as I pick it up.
KADE
They’re all safe.
We’re grabbing food for them soon if you wake up.
Dammit.
I scoot to the edge of the bed and quickly change clothes. My entire body aches when I stand and move. I choose my cargo pant jumpsuit, thin yellow plaid jacket, and boots to tuck the joggers into. My hair is such a mess that the only thing I can do is pin it back, and when several frizzy ringlets find their way out of the poorly-constructed pony, I say “fuck it” and walk out anyway.
Stella is walking by the trailer when I hit the steps, head buried in her phone.
“Hey,” I say, grabbing her attention.
“Oh thank god,” she says as she grabs her chest. “I was trying to figure out where Liam was sending me to when he texted he would meet me at the trailer.”
“Ah… Kade said you were getting food for the band?” I ask, my head still fuzzy from everything.
“Yes. Could you come with me? They eat so fucking much. I’m going to hire someone else at RagnaRock just to be in charge of their meals. Avie thinks this is all very easy and manageable by one person—well, he’s wrong. God, he’s panicking about yesterday. Has he called you?”
“Not yet,” I reply, falling into step with her. “I’m waiting on it, though.”
“He may wait until we’re back in LA. I’m only warning you that he’s… not happy.”
“That makes two of us,” I say as I stuff my hands in my pockets. “He’ll get a full report. I’ve dealt with worse bosses than Avie.”
“Don’t tell him that,” Stella mutters.
I almost smile at the flustered manager. “Okay.”
Liam meets us at the few food trucks still remaining, each of them eager to prep food for the bands lingering behind overnight. I have to text Zeb to see what everyone wants, and most importantly what Bonnie would more than likely eat. Mystomach knots when he sends me a picture of her sitting on the couch between Andi and Wren, a smile on her face as she looks at something on Andi’s phone.
ZEB
She’s okay.
I’m just grateful there is a truck willing to fulfill Zeb’s meatball sub request.
Food in hand, we make our way back to Bonnie’s trailer where everyone seems to have gathered. I slow down as I hear the laughter and chatting. And when I step inside, I realize it isn’t just the band. It’s also her friends from New Dawn.
“Wow,” I say when a couple of them turn in Stella and I’s direction.
“Yes! Food!” Reed exclaims, hands in the air. He jumps up from the couch and scrambles to help me with the food Stella managed to wrangle for all of us.
