Chapter 39 Then We Figure It Out
THEN WE FIGURE IT OUT
MARCUS
Enzo storms onto the bus right after Lily, leaving the rest of us outside in the aftermath of Harris’s bombshell.
The door slams shut behind him, the sound still ringing in my ears as I try to process everything that just happened.
Harris stands there, arms crossed, his face an unreadable mask.
He’s dropped the hammer, and now it’s like he’s just waiting for the fallout.
We’ve got a show in less than six hours, another in two days—our final show, if the label gets its way. It’s a hell of a time to hit us with this. The pressure in my chest tightens, and I can feel frustration rolling off the guys, too.
Dylan paces back and forth, muttering curses under his breath, while Jax stares at the ground, pale and stunned, like this news has just ripped his will to continue right out of him.
“Lily has to leave?” Jax’s voice comes out quiet, like he’s struggling to believe it. “Just like that?”
I run a hand through my hair, trying to shake off the surge of anger. “She’s not working for the label anymore. Technically, she doesn’t have a reason to stay with us.”
“But she can still stay, right?” Jax looks up, desperation creeping into his tone. “I mean, we’ve had guests on the bus before. There’s nothing stopping her from staying with us... is there?”
I glance at Harris, who shifts uncomfortably. He doesn’t meet my eyes as he mutters, “The label won’t care about guests, but you’re already on thin ice. If Lily stays, it could complicate things further.”
“Things are already complicated. And we’ve basically been fired,” I snap, my voice sharper than I intend. “Anything else we need to know, Harris? Or can we get on with fixing the mess you just dropped in our laps?”
Harris lets out a long sigh, like he’s just as tired of this as we are. “There’s nothing else. Finish your shows, and after that... you’re done.”
He doesn’t wait for a response, just turns and walks away, leaving us standing in the gravel lot. His words hang heavy in the air. I watch him go, the wheels in my mind already turning. If he’s leaving, that means Lily can stay. He’s not going to force her to go with him.
I take a deep breath and turn to the others. “Let’s go inside. Lily’s probably packing her stuff right now, and we need to stop her.”
Jax nods, his jaw tightening with determination. Dylan stops pacing and moves toward the van, his steps quick and purposeful.
Inside, the familiar scent of coffee and leather fills the air, but it feels different now. Instead of invoking comfort, it makes me feel tense and on edge.
We find Lily and Enzo wrapped around each other; her face buried against his chest as he holds her tightly.
Tears stream down her face, and her trembling hands clutch her duffle bag behind his back like it’s her last anchor to reality.
Enzo’s hand moves gently up and down her back, his touch uncharacteristically tender.
For a moment, it feels like we’re intruding on something deeply private. A connection more intimate than anything I’ve witnessed between them before.
Enzo isn’t usually the type of guy to comfort someone. He’s the sarcastic one, the guy who deflects with a joke or a smirk. But here, with Lily in his arms, there’s a softness to him we rarely see, a glimpse of something raw and unguarded. It’s startling, and yet it feels completely right.
It reaffirms everything that I’ve been feeling since Harris dropped his bombshell. Lily belongs with us.
“You don’t have to go,” I say firmly, stepping up behind Enzo, my gaze locking with Lily’s.
She freezes, the duffle bag slipping from her grip and landing on the floor with a dull thud.
Stepping back from Enzo, she looks at me, her eyes darting to the others who are now standing in a loose semicircle around her.
Confusion and frustration flicker across her face, mingling with the tear stains on her cheeks.
“Harris said—” she begins, her voice trembling, but I cut her off before she can finish.
“Harris said you’re not employed by the label anymore,” I interrupt, moving closer. “But he didn’t say you couldn’t stay as our guest.”
Her brow furrows, and she shakes her head. “Guest? Marcus, what does that even mean? I can’t just—”
“Then we figure it out,” I cut her off again, my tone leaving no room for argument. She doesn’t need to voice all the reasons why this might not work. She just needs to believe that it will.
Jax steps up beside me, his voice steady. “Lily, you’re part of this band. You’ve been part of it since you stepped onto this bus, whether we knew it then or not. We’re not letting you walk away because the label decided to screw us over.”
Lily’s lip quivers, and she blinks rapidly, trying to hold back tears. “I don’t want to make things worse for you. If I stay, it might—”
“We’re already in deep. We don’t have jobs anymore in a couple days,” Dylan interrupts, leaning against the doorway. “Might as well keep you around. You make it less miserable.”
Enzo snorts, his arms still crossed. “Yeah, and we’re not letting the label decide who’s part of this family and who isn’t.”
A shaky laugh escapes Lily. She looks at each of us, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “You’re all insane,” she murmurs. “This could blow up in our faces.”
I step forward, taking her hand in mine. “It might. But we’ll handle it together. You’re not leaving, Lily.”
She stares at me, then flits her gaze over the rest of the band. Slowly, she nods, a small, hesitant smile breaking through. “Okay,” she whispers. “We’ll figure it out.”
The air feels lighter as the reality of the decision settles over us. It’s not a perfect solution. It doesn’t even begin to cover the issue of being dropped by the label, but it’s something. And for now, that’s enough.
Enzo claps his hands together, breaking the moment. “Alright, enough of this heartfelt crap. We’ve got a show to prepare for. If we’re being dropped by the label, we better be so good that we make them regret it. Let’s go.”
Lily laughs, wiping at her eyes, and despite the life-changing news from Harris, I feel a flicker of hope. Whatever comes next, we’re in it together. And that’s all that matters.