“—the chaos.”Reed chuckles.“Let’s get this blood flowing again.”
The screen goes dark, the stage pitch black.
The crowd erupts once again. I’ve made this climb enough times to know exactly where my seat is. I sit on my throne and wrap my hands around my sticks. A heavy breath leaves me as I settle my feet, entirely giving myself over to the animal that’s about to inhabit every inch of me.
And when I hit the bass, mimicking a heartbeat, smoke plumes onto the stage.
I see Mads’ and Zeb’s silhouettes as they join me seconds later. Slowly, they begin playing—Mads first, Zeb a few bars later. I crack my neck and close my eyes when the rhythm picks up, each cymbal strike prompting a strobe light.
The song rises along with my heart rate.
One-two.
Three-four.
Over and over.
And when Reed eventually makes his way onto my platform beside me, I grin his way.
He leans over and plants a smacking kiss on the top of my head, ruffles my hair, and launches off the platform with the beat drop.
Let’s. Fucking.Go.
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
BONNIE
Our fanscompletely lose it when we performBedlam.
It feels like the beginning of something entirely fresh, a new chapter in the Young Decay lore. When someone asks what inspired the drums on this next album, I’ll tell them it was revenge. Vengeance for my own safety and soul.
We play it into the set break. I’m reeling—standing behind my drum set and holding my arms up as if this is the top of the world we’ve always tried to reach. The last note on Zeb’s guitar continues to play as he and Mads toss a few guitar picks into the audience. Reed jumps onto the platform and gestures to me with his long arms as he moves around the side. I climb onto my stool and practically fall into his arms. We’re still laughing when he carries me to the stage, and once my feet hit the walk, he, Mads, and Zeb all bow around me just like they did the very first show we ever played.
I’m screaming and laughing all at once, tears pricking my eyes. My arms are heavy from the solo, my heart racing erratically. I don’t know how we’re supposed to top that with the three songs we have left, and yet, I know we’ll somehow pull it off. There’s no stopping us anymore, no telling us we can’t accomplish something. This is our high. Our fucking moment.
I toss my drumsticks into the crowd and blow them a kiss before the four of us make our way offstage for a quick set break. The lights cut off. The horde intensifies.
I can’t stop shouting.
“Dude, are you fuckingkidding me?!” Zeb meets me first and scoops me off the floor as I scream and laugh. “That was insane!”
“Holy SHIT!”
I’m back on the ground for barely a second before I’m jumping up to high-five Reed and Mads.
“That was wild! Did you see the pit circles?” Reed asks.
“You should have seen them from my vantage point,” I chime in. “Shit, that wasbeautiful.”
Mads and Zeb take their vapes from their pockets and draw a few times as they each begin animatedly talking about the song, the sections they think could be stronger. I’m half listening and half staring at the stunning creature approaching us from where she was perched on Mads’ side of the stage.
I’ve kept track of Gemma throughout most of the show, and each time our eyes have met, my stomach twists with anticipation. I’m heated just thinking about what she might have in store for me once we wrap up. I try to join back into the conversation happening in front of me, yet her gaze is too strong to look away from.
And it doesn’t help when she pinches my ass upon walking by.
I meet her sultry, smirking eyes as she pauses on the other side of our huddle. I’d drag her behind a corner and give her something to really pinch, except I know she takes her work entirely too seriously to risk missing something for a quick make out session.
Still, after…
