Page 61 of Electric Wounds
Lily’s eyes dart around. "Where’s Jax?"
Marcus’s face falls as he glances around, taking his eyes off of Lily for the first time since he arrived. "I haven’t seen him since the venue. He’s not with you?"
Panic flashes in Lily’s eyes. "What do you mean you haven’t seen him?"
Dylan tries to keep it light, though his attempt is weak. "Maybe he found a better afterparty?"
I glare at him. "Not the time, Dylan."
I watch Lily as her panic flares back to life. She starts doing these weird, panting breaths. She was doing them back at the venue and it took half the ride to the bus for her to stop.
I step forward, placing my hand against the small of her back as she blurts, "We have to find him."
Marcus stays calm, trying to steady her. "Let’s check the bus first. He might already be inside."
We hurry onto the bus, the air thick with worry. Some for Jax, but also a large portion for Lily. She does not seem to be doing okay as the lights flicker on, casting an uneasy glow on the familiar space. We search every corner, every bunk—but there’s no sign of Jax.
Then Lily sees it. A crumpled note on the floor beside Jax’s bed. Her hands shake as she picks it up and starts reading aloud. “I’m sorry I keep fucking everything up. You’re better off without me.” Her voice cracks on the last word, and her legs give out underneath her. She slides to the floor, tears sliding down her face silently. The sight of those tears rips through me. I kneel beside her, placing a hand on her back, but I feel helpless.
“Fuck,” Dylan mutters, running a hand through his hair. “What the hell is he thinking?”
No one responds, and Lily restarts her panicked breathing. Marcus crouches down on the opposite side of me, next to Lily, trying to remain level-headed. "We’ll find him, Lily. We just need to stay calm." He urges her to put her head between her knees, rubbing a calming hand down her back as she gets her breathing back under control.
Frustration boils over in me. "Stay calm? How the hell are we supposed to stay calm when Jax is out there doing God knows what?"
Lily makes a sound of distress, and Marcus gives me a sharp look. "This isn’t helping, Enzo."
He’s right, but I can’t stop the anger and helplessness swirling inside. We’ve been through so much already, and now this. I look around the bus, feeling like everything is slipping away. Now I sound like Jax.
Motherfucker.
"We need to call Harris," I say, my voice rough. "He’ll know what to do."
Marcus pulls out his phone. "I’ll call him. Dylan, see if you can track Jax’s phone."
Dylan nods, already typing away on his phone. "On it."
I stay by Lily, my hand on her back, feeling the tension of her muscles as she tries to pull herself back together. I take over rubbing calming circles as Marcus stands and walks a few paces away. Jax’s note plays on repeat in my head.“I’m sorry I keep fucking everything up. You’re better off without me.”
Marcus calls Harris, speaking in a low and urgent tone. "Harris, we’ve got a problem. Jax is missing. He left a note..." He glances at Lily before he continues. “He left a note. I think it’s like last time.”
The bus is so quiet I can hear Harris’s voice crackle through the phone, sharp with concern. "I’ll be there as soon as I can. Keep looking for him. I’ll make some calls."
Marcus hangs up, his face grim. "Harris is on his way. We need to keep searching."
Dylan looks up from his phone, frustration clear in his eyes. "I can’t get a signal on his phone. I think he turned it off."
"Great," I mutter. "Just fucking great." This really is like last time. As much as we wanted to believe that Jax was better and this wasn’t going to happen again… it was happening again. Only this time it was worse because Lily would be caught in the crosshairs for failing to keep track of him.
Marcus stands, his expression determined. "We’ll split up. Enzo, stay here with Lily. Dylan and I will search around the venue, see if anyone’s seen him."
I want to argue, to be the one out there looking for Jax, but when I look at Lily—barely holding it together—I know I have to stay. She needs me here. "Fine," I say through gritted teeth. "Just find him."
Marcus and Dylan nod and head out into the night. The bus feels eerily quiet after they leave. The sounds of Lily’s rough breathing are even more obvious in the silent space, without the others. I sit beside her, my mind racing with worry and anger.
"Lily," I say softly, my hand still on her back. "We’ll find him. I promise."
She looks up at me, her eyes swollen and red. "What if something happens to him, Enzo? What if we don’t find him in time?"
