“For the record, I voted against it,” he says, his voice low but tinged with amusement.
“Of course you did,” I mutter, fighting a laugh while I roll my eyes. I turn my attention back to Marcus. “And you just went along with it?”
Marcus shrugs, handing out plates of pancakes like a breakfast magician. “Didn’t say it was a bad idea.”
This time I can’t help but laugh, shaking my head as I plop down on the mattress pile beside Enzo. “You guys are ridiculous.”
“And yet,” Enzo drawls, nudging me with his shoulder, “you’re already enjoying it.”
“Maybe,” I admit, stealing Enzo’s coffee and crossing my legs. “But only because this is so absurd, it’s kind of brilliant.”
Marcus finishes cooking breakfast and starts passing out plates. The warm scent of syrup and bacon fills the air, mingling with the rich aroma of coffee. Since the table has been moved into the bathroom, we sit in the center of the floor under a half built blanket fort to eat breakfast together. It’s chaotic and ridiculous, but there’s something absolutely perfect about it.
“So,” I say between bites of buttery pancakes, “what’s on the movie night agenda? Something groundbreaking, I assume?”
“Die Hard,” Enzo says immediately, leaning back against the pile of pillows.
“Of course,” Marcus mutters, shaking his head with a faint grin. “You and Die Hard.”
Dylan chimes in, his green eyes sparkling with excitement. “Come on, Lily, you can’t say no to Die Hard. It’s a classic.”
I pretend to mull it over, tapping my fork against my plate. “Alright, I’m in. But only if we watch something I pick afterward.”
Jax smirks from across the room. “As long as it’s not a rom-com, you’ve got a deal.”
“Fine,” I say with mock indignation. “No rom-coms. This time.”
As the conversation flows, I glance around at the guys, a quiet sense of gratitude settling over me. Somehow, amidst all the chaos of creating blanket fort movie night, it feels like we’re managing to reset. Maybe the ridiculousness is exactly what we need—a moment to let go, to laugh, and to remind ourselves of who we are together.
Jax is definitely more at ease, even laughing softly at one of Dylan’s jokes. Enzo stretches out beside me, his arm brushing mine as he sips his new cup of coffee, while Marcus leans back against the counter, looking like there is no where else he would rather be.
When breakfast is done and the plates are cleared, we all end up sprawled on the mattress pile in the center of the bus, blankets and pillows piled high. The mess feelsless overwhelming now, replaced by an easy camaraderie that wraps around us like the soft warmth of the blankets.
Enzo nudges me again, this time pulling me closer, but not fully touching. “Movie first, cuddles second,” he says with a smirk.
“Or both at the same time,” Dylan adds, throwing an arm over Marcus’s shoulder with an exaggerated grin.
Jax rolls his eyes but doesn’t move as I settle in next to him. The bus hums beneath us, the faint vibration a reminder of how much has changed over the last few weeks. But for now, in this ridiculous mattress fort surrounded by the people who are slowly starting to feel like my family, everything feels exactly as it should.
“Alright,” I say, leaning back into the pile of cushions. “Start the movie. Let’s see if this setup was worth destroying the bus for.”
As the opening credits roll, I can’t help but smile.
CHAPTER 31
A NEW RHYTHM
DYLAN
The amp buzzes to life,humming with the kind of electricity that sends a thrill straight through me. My fingertips tingle as I adjust the cymbals on my drum set, glancing around at the band. All of us together, instruments in hand—is where we belong. The sound, the energy, the anticipation of losing ourselves in the music again. It feels like home.
Harris offered us the opportunity to stop at a practice studio during our off day between shows and the band unanimously decided that we needed to try recording some of our new songs with Lily added in. We also decided to try adding the piano into some of our old tracks because it’s the only instrument she knows how to play.
Now, Lily sits at the piano, her fingers brushing lightly over the keys as she tests the feel. She hums softly, her blonde hair falling in soft waves around her face. Even during warm-ups, she looks so at ease, like she was born to be part of this.
Marcus tunes his guitar nearby, his blond hair a tousledmess that somehow works for him, a shadow of scruff lining his jaw. He’s got that calm aura about him, the one that says he can handle anything without breaking a sweat.
Enzo, leaning against the wall with his bass, smirks as usual, his dark hair falling into his eyes. He shoots Lily a playful smirk. “Ready to show us what you’ve got, princess?” He teases, his voice full of the cocky attitude that only he can pull off.
