Chapter 46
FORTY-SIX
“Last show. Let’s make it count,” I say, stretching out my arms overhead. The anxiety in my chest over the show and what we plan on doing for Melody is eating at me.
I’m so fucking exhausted, I haven’t really been sleeping since she left. I know Reis hasn’t either, because we've run into each other at each hotel gym at four in the morning. I wonder if his nightmares are back.
I know I haven’t slept fully since the moment we found out she was gone. It’s eating at me, but I just have to focus. One more show and then we can go get our girl. Our muse.
Our Melody.
Last night, Reis had come into my room where Markus and I were trying to keep our shit together by watching a Marvel movie, but really, we both were secretly drowning in our own agony. He came in and wanted to do something big, something that Melody would see.
Claiming her on the stage at the last show on our UK tour?
That’s going to get the attention of everyone. Our faces and words are bound to be on every newspaper, every magazine, every single rock article for days to come.
Unless she’s under a rock, she’ll see it.
Oh god, don’t be under a rock. Please, please, be okay. Angry, raging, stomping around.
I’ve been having dreams—it’s the main reason I can’t fucking sleep anymore. I know Kai is, too. My dreams are always that she’s broken and hurt. Not just emotionally, but physically. She can’t get up, she can’t move, and she’s all alone.
Even just thinking of the dream I had last night makes my heart start beating a little faster. I’m ready to be fucking done with this show and get on our plane. We had Paul time it perfectly so that when the show ends, we take off forty-five minutes later.
Just enough time to get off the stage, into the car and make it to the airfield. We can shower on the plane. But what matters is that we get to her as soon as humanly possible.
I’m also not above exchanging my soul if it means that she’s safe, healthy and we get to her in less than five hours.
“You guys ready for this?” Reis yells out into the crowd, who scream in return, but I know he’s really talking to us. Each of us play a few notes on our instruments in response. I hit the pedal three times before the hi-hat twice.
“Awesome, it’s going to be a great night!
” Reis says into the mic, his voice muffled slightly through the mask.
“Before we get started, we have a message for someone special. We need to get a message to her, and if you guys wouldn’t mind, help us out!
” Paul runs out on stage with his phone, starting the recording that he’ll post from all our social media that have been extremely silent for days.
The crowd roars. I pull one of my in-ear monitors out to hear the cheers even louder and sit up taller on my stool. Reis pulls off his mask, throwing it to the side, before smiling to the crowd and holding the microphone in both hands.
“Reverb, there’s been a monumental mistake.
It’s taken you from us when that wasn’t what we wanted.
We want you, and only you . I don’t care what it costs, but I know that I need you in my life more than any fame.
I won’t abandon you, just like I know you never abandoned me.
Please, baby.” Reis' voice breaks at the end and the crowd screams for him.
Markus steps forward, pulling his mask off and throwing it to the side like he does every concert before stepping up to his microphone.
“Songbird, please hear us. We love you, we miss you, we want you with us and never wanted you to leave. I want you. I want you forever. Please, Songbird,” he says brokenly and everyone can hear the emotion in his voice.
He’s sober for this one. The fight to get her back seems to be taking over his need to numb himself.
The crowd cheers and Paul steps back from Markus, just as Kai clears his throat and walks over to Reis' microphone. He pulls his mask off, tossing it behind him and I hear the crowd go wild so he must be flashing them that signature smirk.
“Sync, we want you to come home. We know what happened to you, to us, and we’re never going to stop fighting for you. Not now, not ever. We won’t walk away from you, please don’t walk away from us.”
The crowd roars, cheering and swooning as Paul runs around the stage to get to me. I stand up, and when I do, the fans clap and yell even louder when I pull my mask off and whip it to the side.
There’s a microphone next to me, not something there for me to talk into, normally, but today I’m doing it.
“Echo, I know this is scary. But you… you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to us . And we need you here with us. Please, forgive us.”
I look at Paul at my feet, who’s looking at me through his camera lens and gives me a thumbs up.
Was it enough?
Only time will tell. If anything, it gives her a heads up that we’re coming for her.
And we are coming for her.
My sticks crash down on the last note for the last song of the tour.
Finally.
The song plays out softly, coming to a close, and the crowd loses their shit. We stand, bow, throw our hearts out to the crowd, and stand with our backs to the crowd while we take a picture. Our ‘end of tour’ tradition.
We’re all smiles and radiate grateful energy, but I’m vibrating with the need to get to the airport. I’m so fucking ready to get on that plane. And get one step closer to her.
The curtain closes and we sprint . It’s kind of funny, because we grab our bags on the way out the door, sliding into the already-running SUV to take us to the airfield.
“Sixteen hours, and counting,” Markus says quickly, and I can hear the excitement in his voice.
“I’ve got her old address from Paul, so that’s where we’re headed to immediately after we land. Get some sleep and shower, because there’s no fucking way I’m stopping anywhere but on her doorstep. Got it?” Reis barks, strapping into the first chair quickly.
“Not a problem.” Markus sits and straps himself in as well.
George comes out from the cockpit and smiles. “I understand that we need to hurry up and get home, yeah?” He looks around. “Where’s Miss Melody?”
I click my seatbelt on and look at him.
“We’re trying to get home to her.”