Page 20 of Don't Think

Panic coils in my stomach as people begin shoving backward, forming a wide, open circle—and I quickly realize I’m right on the edge of it.

The floor vibrates under my feet while strobe lights flicker across the crowd, blinding me in flashes. I spin, searching for a glimpse of someone I know, but it’s no use. The sea of faces blends together under the constantly shifting lights.

And then everything stills.

Everyone around the pit goes quiet for half a second, long enough for the whining of the electric guitar to swallow any surrounding noise.

I dig my heels into the floor, locking my knees to keep my balance, and slowly turn back toward the stage.

And then I spot him.

Jax stands front and center, sweat glistening along his sculpted biceps while his eyes are pinched shut. His fingers glide effortlessly along the neck of his guitar, the solo pouring out of him like the music is taking over.

He looks completely free. Like nothing else in the world matters except the music he’s creating.

I’m so fixated on him that I forget I’m alone. It doesn’t even register anymore.

Then his eyes open, and they land directly on mine. My heart slams against my ribs as his lips curl into the faintest smile, giving me a small nod. It’s so subtle that anyone else would think it’s just part of the music. But somehow, Iknowit’s for me.

And then—

Hands slam into my back, shoving me hard.

I lurch forward with no time to catch myself when a fist collides with the side of my face. White-hot pain explodes across my head, and everything spins. The floor rushes up to meet me, and I hit it hard, the air knocking right out of my lungs.

A deafening, high-pitched ringing fills my ears. I can’t even hear the music anymore—just muffled noise and confusion. I cradle my head in my hands and lie there, frozen in pain.

“I am so sorry! I didn’t see you there,” a man says, kneeling beside me. “Are you okay?”

But I can’t respond.

I can’t even move.

My mouth won’t work, and the world around me feels like it’s underwater. I didn’t even realize that all the music has ceased, and the lights are back on.

“Hey! Someone pick her up!” Gareth’s voice booms through the mic, furious. “Don’t just fucking crowd around her like that. If you see someone fall, you pick them up! Don’t just stand there with your thumbs up your arse!”

My vision finally starts to clear. Shapes slowly come into focus, and then I see him.

Jax is at the edge of the stage, scanning the crowd with wide eyes. The second he spots me, his expression drops, and he rushes for the mic stand.

“Are you okay, Allie?” His voice echoes through the venue, the feedback stabbing into my skull like a pinball machine ricocheting off bone.

Suddenly, hands grab both my arms, and I look up to see Ana and Nora. They lift me gently to my feet, each of them holding me steady.

Ana brushes hair away from the side of my head, her eyes narrowing. “We should probably get her back to the house,” she says, her voice tight with concern.

My knees buckle the moment I try to move my legs. Ana and Nora keep me upright, practically dragging me toward the exit. I lift a shaky hand to shield my face, not just from the blinding lights, but from the humiliation crawling under my skin.

By the time we reach the doors, a security guard is already holding one open while he gives me a sympathetic nod as we pass, and it makes everything feel so much worse.

The embarrassment is already eating me alive.

Not only did I get punched—I gotknocked downin front of an entire crowd.

AndJaxsaw it. He saw me lying there like some defenseless shrew.

I was so excited to see them, to be a part of something that used to feel likemine. But right now?