“You’re going to be okay my love, we’ll be right here with you. No one is getting you tonight,” Noah says, but I can’t help but wonder if any of us believes his words. Can they really stop an enemy that we can’t recognise? Sure I keep thinking it’s Bella, but I can’t know for sure and something does feel off about it.
There isn’t anything I can say in response and I don’t even get the chance as Roxie comes sashaying into the room, with a massive smile on her face and excitement shining within her eyes.
“It’s showtime baby girl, let's go show them how amazing you are,” she blows me a kiss and leaves the room with the same grace and confidence that she always enters one with.
“Wish me luck,” I say to the room as I pick up my guitar and leave to find the girls, Sawyer following close behind.
We’ve already discussed how this will go, Elijah is going to stand close to the back exit, he’ll still be able to see and hear us but he wants to make sure that no one can sneak up on us. Noah will be at the front of the crowd and Harrison will be close to the front entrance. Sawyer will be off to th
e side of the stage so he’ll be close at all times and they seem to have everything covered. So why don’t I feel safe or even a little reassured? If anything, this ominous feeling is only growing in strength and it feels like the kiss we shared before I left the room, is the last one any of us will share again.
The lights are almost blinding as we ascend the stage and take our places, Roxie wastes no time in introducing us all and the crowd goes crazy with her energy.
“Hello Norwich, are you ready to get your minds blown,” she shouts out before bending at the hips slowly and blowing a kiss into the crowd.
“You have no idea how lucky you are about to get, we only have the one and only Henleigh on guitar and she is crazy talented,” she winks at me and the crowd continues to cheer.
“And who could miss the gorgeous Bella over on drums and we’re not even going to get started on me,” her voice takes on a husky pitch and I can’t believe how crazy these people are getting. I just want to get this show on the road.
The lights go off and we begin to play, the lights blare up the moment our tempo hits a high point and I lose myself in the music. I forgot how much I love performing, although I love it even more when it’s just Harrison. How is that possible? My eyes are scanning the club and I can’t get the smile off my face. I take in my guys and then I zone in on Amias, he isn’t even trying to pretend to look anywhere else. His eyes are only on me.
We play until we’re about to drop and I’m really starting to feel the strain but Ivy is in my mind and I cannot think about stopping or making a single mistake which is only cranking up the pressure. I just don’t know how much more I can take of this? I’m so distracted that it takes me a minute or two to realise that Roxie is talking for longer than we had planned, and I think she mentioned my name. What the fuck is she playing at?
“So girls and boys, who would love to hear our sexy guitarist sing?” she’s looking right at me and I want to scream. Why would she do this? She’s the singer not me, I can’t afford anything to go wrong and I am not a singer. I think I’m going to kill her.
“Come on baby girl, if this is the only show you’re going to do with us, why not go out with a bang,” she steps closer and looks me in the eyes.
“I really don’t like you right now,” I growl out and she positions the microphone, so it goes out across the room.
I look to my guys and they all look as confused as I feel, there is no method to her madness here. I shake my head as my eyes find Harrison and my fingers begin to strum against the strings of my guitar. A hush descends upon the crowd as Roxie drags the microphone stand closer, because of course we wouldn’t want anyone to miss this.
My tongue darts out to wet my dry lips, and a shiver is coursing its way through me, I can’t do this. Yes, you can. Do it for Ivy.
Closing my eyes, I lose myself in the melody I’m creating and start to sing Lewis Capaldi’s Lost On You.
I get caught up in the music and I barely even notice that the girls are joining in, adding more music and their own voices into the mix. We sound pretty good and it isn’t lost on me that my eyes are on Amias as I sing the chorus. I don’t know if I’m trying to tell him something or myself or maybe that’s just where my stare has fallen, but I can’t read into it just yet.
The last note falls from my lips as everything crashes to a stop as a gunshot ricochets through the room. Everyone is screaming and rushing for the exits and I can see my guys trying to get to me but I’m frozen, I can’t make myself move.
“Henleigh, come on we need to get out of here,” Roxie is screaming at me as she seizes my arm and starts dragging me through the closest doorway, only it’s on the opposite side to where Sawyer is standing. I look over my shoulder but… I can’t see him. Where the fuck is Sawyer?
“Come on Henleigh, we can’t wait. The guys will meet us,” Roxie is pleading with me and I can’t put her at risk as well, I need to start moving.
“Where’s Bella and Mikaela?” I ask frantically, my eyes darting around but everything has been swallowed up within the pandemonium that the gunshot has caused.
“They’re already outside, they didn’t wait for us,” I see tears brimming in her eyes and my heart is lurching for her. I know how it feels to be abandoned but I never thought they would turn their backs on us or at least, not her.
She keeps pulling me until we make it through the stampeding bodies and out into the car park, I still can’t see anyone, but clearly I need to trust someone and Roxie has never steered me wrong. She won’t leave my guys or the girls behind and being inside a car has to be safer than waiting out in the open like this.
Another shot ratchets through the air and we’re running for our lives before falling in the car and locking the doors behind us.
“Should we be locking them? The guys won’t be able to get in,” I say in a trembling voice, I can’t see them and I can’t shake the fear that the shots were more than just noise. What if they’ve claimed two parts of my heart already?
“It’s okay, I’ll unlock it the minute I see them,” she says softly as she stares intently out of the windscreen, her eyes locked on something.
My phone starts buzzing in my pocket and my fingers are shaking so bad that I almost drop it. I feel like crying just from seeing Noah’s face flashing up on my screen, clearly he’s looking for me and I know everything is going to be okay. He’ll confirm it and everything will be okay.
“Noah, where are you?” I’m speaking so quickly that my words blur into one.