Page 23 of Just Wait

“I’m fine.” Kinda wishing a hole would open up and swallow me or that I could magically disappear, but my luck has never been that great.

Chapter Six

Lumen

Benji—Liminal’s manager—probably hates my guts, but he doesn’t take it out on me. That might be because there are so many people around, including Leon.

That poor guy got his ass handed to him. According to Benji, Leon should have been out in the audience with me, not watching from behind the fence. I have no idea how that would have worked, because there were no open seats next to me, but I guess he could have lingered near the wall.

They make me stay in Liminal’s greenroom long enough for the tour medic to come by and check me out.

No amount of assuring them I’m fine gets me out of it, and it feels like it takes forever before they finally release me.

I’m frustrated and annoyed by the time I make it back to Tangled Desires’ greenroom.

Theo hasn’t answered any of my texts.

He’s busy with interviews and the meet and greet, but it doesn’t make me feel any less shitty. The piece of me that knew touring was a bad idea is out in full force, and the voice is loud.

I settle on the couch with my brain going a mile a minute. Not only did I cause a delay with Liminal’s show, people also got pictures of Malcolm and Kincaid pulling me over the railing.

That’s going to be a mess, and I’m sure it’ll reflect poorly on Theo and Tangled Desires in general.

“Dammit,” I groan, pulling my hands to my face.

I wait in the greenroom until I’m about to crawl out of my skin. I can’t take it anymore, and I just really want to talk to my boyfriend.

Is he going to be mad at me?

It feels like it’s a real possibility.

Every time I replay the look on Malcolm’s face as he ran his fingers over my cheek, asking if someone hit me…

Oh, God.

Those pictures are going to look so bad.

All I can do is explain the situation and apologize.

I sit up, intending to go searching for Theo, but my fear gets the better of me. I do an internet search for Liminal, and it only takes a few clicks to find that pictures have already been uploaded.

Not one or two.

So many images of me, Malcolm, and Kincaid.

And it doesn’t stop there.

The internet is buzzing as everyone tries to find out who the woman is that Liminal stopped a show to save.

Holy shit.

I have to find my boyfriend right now.

Shoving off the couch, I exit the greenroom.

Leon is nowhere to be seen, but I’m not shocked. In fact, the entire backstage area is sparse. There are normally a shit ton of fans waiting for Liminal to get offstage, and there were when Benji first brought me back here.

Maybe they’re already offstage and in their interviews?