Page 36 of Heartbeat Girl
“No,” I blurted. “You guys came out to enjoy yourself. I can find my way back.”
“No can do.” Steve stood.
“You seem a little drunk and frazzled.” Pete pointed toward my hair.
“We’ll walk with you.” Liam’s jaw tightened as soon as I started to open my mouth. “This isn’t a choice. I won’t leave you vulnerable when you’re sick.”
My heart went berserk again, and I swallowed the sickness climbing up my throat. It was like LiamknewI wasn’t sick because of the drinks, but terrified of the nothingness I heard within him.
But that’s completely absurd, right?
If Liam knew the crazy going on in my head, why didn’t he ask or bring it up? I swayed and Liam caught me, holding me upright. I thanked him and pulled away.
That was the thing. Liam wouldn’t understand. I was slowly losing my mind. Who would assume someone freaked the fuck out over an empty, quiet chest?How was that possible?The more I thought about it, the creepier it seemed. My body trembled. My ear hadn’t been resting on the right spot. That had to be it. My mistake.
“Jayne?” Liam waited.
As I stood frozen in place, his hand reached for mine. All the blood drained from my face. How did I not notice before? The lack of heat in his touch. He wasn’t cold, but he wasn’t warm either. I reached out and gripped his bicep. Even knowing how weird I behaved, I still couldn’t keep myself from dragging my fingers down his arm. Liam snatched my wrist.
No warmth. He was cool everywhere.
I couldn’t meet his gaze or make eye contact with any of them.
“Let’s get her out of here,” Steve suggested.
“Yeah, I need to lie down,” I lied.
No. I needed Google. Or a Bible.
Because the beatless sound of Liam’s chest haunted me. In fact, a lot about the band freaked me out. I didn’t believe in the supernatural.
But…
My unease around The Oppressors suddenly made eerie sense.
Chapter Thirteen
LIAM
Jayne’s heartbeat echoed through the walls, thumping like a rabbit’s feet as it ran for its life.
Steve grabbed my shirt collar the second we stepped through our hotel room. Scowling, I yanked out of his grip.
He whisper-shouted, “What were you thinking?”
“What?” I feigned ignorance, listening to the Jayne’s labored breathing.
She hadn’t left that spot since closing herself in her hotel room. She stood in front of the door, probably half-wondering, half-terrified we’d come through it.
“You’re tiptoeing too closely. Now I fear it’s too late,” Steve grumbled. “There’s no doubt what Jayne heard,ordidn’t hear inside your chest.”
“If you wanted to hold her, why didn’t you move her head?” Pete piped in. “Why make such a careless mistake?”
“It wasn’t a mistake.” Steve strode over to the wall and pressed his hands against it. “He wants her to figure it out.”
“What?” Pete shouted.
Steve glared at him, pointing at the wall that separated us from Jayne.