Page 29 of Electric Wounds
Except… we all know that Marcus is making moves on Lily. He had her in his bunk last night. I squash the jealousy that is trying to rear its head.
When it’s my turn again, I spin the bottle, and this time, it lands on Lily. My heart speeds up, but I play it off, leaning in to kiss her. Her lips are warm, soft, and I find myself wanting more, ignoring our audience as I press harder. She moans lowly and Ipull back. Our eyes meet, and I can feel the heat simmering in her gaze.
Marcus interrupts the moment. "Alright, I think that’s enough for now. Don’t wanna wear out the bottle."
Lily laughs, but it sounds a little forced. "Yeah, that would be terrible."
I stand, stepping right up to her, offering my hand before someone else can. She places her palm in mine, allowing me to help her up, and I keep her hand in my grip after she’s standing, offering a light squeeze as I stare into her eyes. “Help me make some coffee?” I ask, not ready to lose this connection.
“Sure.”
The rest of the band retreats to the couch as Lily helps me fill the coffee maker. It takes all of three seconds and is more of a hassle with the two of us, but she doesn’t say anything about it. “What did you study in school?” I ask as we wait for the coffee to brew.
“Business,” she responds. “I was studying Music Composition, but I switched during my second year.”
“Why?”
“It felt more practical,” she shrugs. “I wanted to have something that would help me find a better job than something related to music.”
“Then you ended up here,” I said with a soft smile.
“Then I ended up here,” she agrees.
The coffee maker beeps, and I pour both of us a cup as I wrack my brain for something else to talk about, but nothing comes to mind. Fuck.
“Well, let’s go relax before we head to this interview,” she says, gripping her mug with both hands.
“Yeah,” I agree, reluctantly. “Let’s do that.”
EIGHTEEN
THE SPOTLIGHT
Lily
The bus slows to a stop, and the energy shifts. We’re in a secured lot, tucked away from the chaos of the fans waiting outside. Excitement buzzes in the air as we switch to a sleek black van that’s set to take us to the set of a popular show that primarily interviews musicians called “The Spotlight”. Electric Wounds is gearing up for another big interview, and the anticipation is electric.
As we pull up to the station, I catch sight of the crowd—a sea of fans holding signs, screaming, trying to get a glimpse of the band. My heart races, a mix of adrenaline and excitement shooting through my veins. The guys seem calm, but I know they’re storing their energy for the performance. This is their stage, as much as it would be at a concert.
Inside the station, the staff whisks the guys away for hair, makeup, and wardrobe. I hover at the back, suddenly feeling out of place in my simple blouse and jeans while they’re transformed into their rockstar selves. Thankfully, I won’t be on camera.
I look around, scoping out the guys as they are prepped. Marcus sits in front of the mirror, blond hair tousled to perfection, his tattoos peeking out from his sleeves. The makeupartist adds a touch of kohl to make his blue eyes pop even more. He catches my eye in the mirror, giving me a warm, confident smile.
Next to him, Dylan’s charm is cranked up as he tells an animated story to his stylist, a man with bright orange hair. His green eyes are sparkling with mischief. I wonder if what he’s saying is true or if he’s a prank on the guy working on creating an artfully disheveled look on his brown locks.
Jax, always the brooding one, sits silently as the artist smooths his dark hair and adds a subtle shadow to his eyes, making his mood even more intense. I don’t linger on him for too long, worried that he’ll notice me staring. Things between us are better now, but he looks moody, and I don’t want him to turn his attitude toward me.
My gaze falls to Enzo—cool as ever in a fitted black shirt, tattoos on display, his dark hair falling just right. His stylist has already finished, and he’s just sitting in his chair. I try to fade into the background, but of course, Enzo spots me. He walks over with that smirk of his, a glint of trouble in his eyes. "You good, Lily?" he asks, his voice low and teasing.
“Golden,” I reply, pulling on my fake it ‘til you make it attitude to sound more confident than I’m currently feeling.
He leans in, his breath warm against my ear as he murmurs, "You look great. Don’t let them intimidate you."
Obviously, my acting skills need work. Before I can respond, he grabs my hand, tugging me over to the side of the dressing room draped in shadows. And then, with no warning, he presses a kiss to the corner of my mouth. It’s soft, lingering just long enough to send a jolt through me, his lips warm and gentle, but possessive.
"Enzo…" I breathe, my heart hammering in my chest.
He remains close, eyes locking on mine, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Just remember, you belong here, with us." Leaningin again, Enzo kisses me once more, this time his lips fully connecting with mine as he licks the seams of my lips. As soon as I part them, he backs away, smirking again.
