I shout her name as I run through the living area to the back, leaving a trail of water in my wake. There’s an eerie stillness hanging in the humid air, rattling me to the core. The bedroom looks the same as when I left this morning. Still, I somehow know something’s wrong.
Vomit surges from the pit of my stomach as I run into the bathroom and find her makeup and shit cleared out. There’s only a handwritten note taped to the mirror.
I’m sorry. I can’t do this.
A dark, nagging sorrow slams into me like a sucker punch, tightening my chest and tunneling my vision down to tiny pinpricks. My rain-soaked fingers blur the ink as I rip the note down, holding it closer like I think the words will change if I stare at it long enough. Knees weakening beneath me, I grab onto the edge of the sink. She can’t really be gone. She promised me that she wouldn’t ever walk away the way she had five years ago. After all the shit we’ve been through, all the things we said to each other—she finally said she loves me, for fuck’s sake—how the hell can she just take off without a real explanation? And what the fuck happened between her and my father? Is he the reason she left?
As I’m sending her yet another text, I hear footsteps pounding through the bus. I hold my breath, hoping it’s Belle and she’s changed her mind, but deep down I know the steps are too heavy even before Reggie comes tearing around the corner, soaking wet, eyebrows deeply set with worry.
“What the fuck’s going on?”
“Belle’s gone,” I say, pushing my way past him into the bedroom.
“What do you mean gone? Where’d she go?”
“No fucking clue.” I plop down on the edge of the bed and thread my fingers through my wet hair. “She was a little shook up over the WCS thing and some bullshit Normie fed her. Then Nicki said she saw her talking to my old man before she ran off.” With desperation thickening my throat, I bolt to my feet. “I have to find her.”
Reggie closes the distance between us, setting both hands on my shoulders. “There isn’t time, brother. We have to be on stage in less than an hour.”
I twist away from him. “Fuck the show! There’s no way in hell I’m letting her walk away from me a second time! Tell the guys I’m sorry. I’ll find a way to make it up to all of you.”
“I get why you want to go after her, because Belle’s one helluva good woman. I wouldn’t let her go either. But maybe you should give her a little time to shake off whatever made her so upset. Women usually need time to cool off after a fight.”
“This is way more fucking serious than a fight! Something big set her off!”
Arms crossed over his chest, he lifts his shoulders and lets out a long breath. “Look man. We both know our contract says we need to give the venue more of an advanced notice than this. There are a hundred other people involved in putting on tonight’s performance. If you cancel, we’ll have to shell out promotion and venue hire costs—no one will get paid for the work they’ve already put in. Plus it’ll put a black mark on our reputation. Think of all the fans who have been waiting months for a chance to see us.”
Of course he’s right. I can’t just take off and let everyone down. But if I don’t go after Belle, she’ll think I don’t give a shit. She might even start to believe that Normie was right and I was only using her as a way to keep my stutter under control.
As I drop my head into my hands, Reggie squeezes my shoulder. “I say you have Normie get you the first flight out of here after the show. We both know Belle doesn’t have anywhere else to go except back to her place in New York. You’ll have a few days to sort shit out with her before the next show in St. Paul.”
As a sudden headache rips through my skull, I nod. “There’s something I have to do, or I won’t be in the right state of mind to perform. Can you cover for me? I’ll try my damnedest not to be late.”
“Sure thing.” He takes my hand, pulling me in for a hug and pat on the back. “She’ll come back to you, brother. I know it.”
With my heart in my throat and adrenaline coursing through my veins, I nearly pound the penthouse door off its hinges. Several minutes lag by before my father opens the door with a crystal glass in hand, assaulting my nostrils with the stench of booze. Of course the worthless prick would be piss-drunk.
Growling to myself, I shove my way inside the brightly decorated room before whirling around. “What the fuck did you say to Belle today after you came by to see me?”
He shuts the door behind me and slurs, “Don’t you have somewhere more impor’ant to be?”