Page 27 of Electric Wounds
Dylan shoots me an apologetic look but manages to crack a small smile. "Morning, Lily."
"Morning," I reply, keeping my voice even. I’m not as hurt as I was yesterday. My talks with Marcus have been putting things into perspective. Maybe sleeping with Dylan was stupid, but expecting him to immediately want a relationship with me was also stupid and not his fault.
Jax joins us a few minutes later, his broad frame tensing as he meets my gaze. He gives me a nod, his expression unreadable.
I decide I need to work on fixing my relationships today, with all of the band.
"Alright, breakfast?" Marcus says, stepping in to lighten the mood. He starts frying up some bacon and eggs, keeping up a stream of calm chatter that slowly spreads to the rest of the band. By the time he’s handing out plates of food, we are all sitting at the table ready to eat breakfast like a family.
After he cleans our plates from the table, Dylan clears his throat, looking a little nervous. "Lily, can we talk for a minute?"
I glance at him, offering a small smile. It looks like we are on the same page about mending things today. "Sure, Dylan."
Together, we walk towards the back of the bus, stopping near the closet for the most privacy possible in the small space. He fidgets, looking down before meeting my eyes. "I’m really sorry about how I treated you yesterday. It wasn’t fair for me not to talk to you beforehand."
I study his face, reading his sincerity. "It’s okay, Dylan. Truly. You did nothing wrong. We both should have communicated better.”
His shoulders relax, his smirk finally returning. "Can we start fresh?"
"Yeah, we can."
He smiles, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and tugging me in for a hug. He leans in to kiss my forehead. "I’m glad you’re here,” he murmurs against my skin.
I feel myself flushing, but return his hug, squeezing him tighter.
He releases me partially, leaving his arm around my shoulders to guide me back to the couch. When we reach the others, he settles in a spot near Marcus, sitting so I’m between them. I lean back against Dylan’s chest, and Marcus pulls my feet into his lap.
"Ready for round two of chess later, Lily?" Enzo teases, his grin wide and playful.
I laugh, the sound surprising even to me. "You’re on, Enzo."
He smirks, then starts flipping through the channels looking for more trash tv.
SEVENTEEN
SPIN THE BOTTLE WITH A BOTTLE
Enzo
The bus hums steadily as we roll down the highway, the engine a familiar backdrop to life on the road. Inside, everyone’s feeling a bit restless. We’ve still got a few hours before our next stop for an interview, and the air is thick with unused energy. I can practically feel it buzzing under my skin.
I glance over at Lily, who’s sitting by the window, tapping her fingers on her leg. She doesn’t quite fit into our usual chaos. But at the same time, she seems willing to meet our challenges. Matching our energy with sheer determination at every turn. I catch her eye, leaning back in my seat, a smirk already forming.
"Hey, Lily," I call out, breaking the silence. "You look like you could use a distraction."
She glances over, raising an eyebrow, clearly suspicious. "What are you up to, Enzo?"
I grin, loving the challenge. "How about a game of Spin the Bottle?"
Her eyes widen, and she quickly shakes her head. "Absolutely not. I am not playing that." She pauses. “Err, again.”
Jax raises an eyebrow, looking up from his notebook silently. He missed our last game of pretend spin the bottle. Sucker.
"Come on," I say, leaning in with a playful edge. "It’ll be fun. Just a harmless way to pass the time."
She looks around at the others. Marcus is watching us with his usual calm, a smirk tugging at his lips, and Jax leans back, arms crossed but focused on the two of us with his full attention. Dylan’s already grinning, his eyes sparkling like he’s ready for chaos.
"I don’t know..." Lily says, clearly hesitant.
