AllFreeNovel
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I’m cheesing, living for the rush of her approval. Strolling into an empty dressing room, I snatch a bottle of water and a ham sandwich that was catered in hours ago. “Kansas City. We should be home next Thursday to play a show. Want to meet up for a late lunch?”
Stasi’s face scrunches up. “Shoot, Hail. I have an exam and two classes that day.“
My heart sinks. “No worries. Maybe a late night McDonald’s drive-thru then. How about one in the morning? We can roll the windows down and blast emo music while chain-smoking. Remember how we used to do that after Mom and Dad went to bed just to feel like we had some freedom?”
This gets her to laugh. “My lungs would hate me if I smoked anything at this old age.”
“Watch it, we’re the same age.”
She cocks a brow. “Says the twin that constantly reminds me he’s two minutes older.”
With a mouthful of sandwich, I reply, “Got me there.”
“I’m gonna dive back into this last chapter. Miss you, bro.”
“Miss you, too, Stasi. Thanks for the call.”
She hangs up, and I scour the venue in search of Z, desperate to have him in sight. I shouldn’t push things, but I can’t help my desire to be near him. What happened in Kentucky lives rent free in my mind, replaying too often. Enough that I find myself reaching out to touch him at the most inopportune times.
Hands to yourself, Mykhail.
I find Z assisting with equipment loading. It’s difficult to keep from jumping in to help, but Sondra and the crew chewed me up and down for getting in the way last time. They have their jobs, and I have mine. I’m nothing more than a hiccup in their well-oiled machine.
I perch on the edge of the stage and watch the organised madness around me while devouring my sandwich. My eyes trail Z as he works. He’s coated in sweat, sickly pale and frowning.Probably just tired.
But then I see him sway, barely catching himself on the wall. I’m up before I can register the action. I toss my sandwich in the trash and reach out to take Z’s arm in my hand.
“What’s wrong?” I demand.
Images of him in his house curled over the table hit me like a sucker punch to the gut. What the fuck is happening? Is this too much for him?
I am broken. His words cycle through my head, and my protective instincts kick into overtime as I step in front of him and take his chin in my other hand.
“Nothing,” Z mutters, squeezing his eyes shut to avoid my critical stare.
Cora, my guitar tech, stops next to us. Her green hair is woven into a neat braid down the center of her head, and I make a note to compliment it later. “Is he okay?” she asks, her brows furrowing. “He’s been kind of out of it all night. I was worried he might be dehydrated.”
Grimacing, Z pulls away from my hand and straightens up. “I’m fine.”
He continues shoving the amp on wheels toward the back doors. I storm after him, blasting through the boundaries I’ve been striving to uphold. If this is a matter of health, though, I won’t let him ignore his body’s warnings.
“If you’re not feeling well, you should go back to the hotel and lie down. I’ll let everyone know.”
He shakes his head. “Just drop it, Hail.”
“Not when you look like you’re about to pass out.”
He sighs and faces me, desperation etched into his features. “It’s nothing. Just let me do my job, okay?”
Then he rushes off, leaving me wondering what the hell I did wrong and if we’ll ever get off this confusing rollercoaster of emotions.
Seventeen
Z
Lastnightwasjusta fluke. A slight lapse in my brain.
I’m back on my feet after some rest. While I ended up passing out on my hotel bathroom floor last night after work, fighting through the side effects of this medication and utter denial over its failure, my brain feels stable when I wake up in the morning.
