Page 29 of On The Edge
“Forus?” Reis emphasizes, his eyebrow raising in shock.
“We were all too stupid, too worried, too fucking blinded by our own insecurities to see it. Maybe we blocked it out, but now that I’m looking back on all these memories, she liked me. She… she liked me-liked me. She looked at each of us like that, like shewantedus. And that town is too fucked up, too narrow-minded and fucking biblical for what she knew she wanted.” Adam grows softer with each sentence, but the frustration and anger reads loud and clear.
“Let’s be honest, guys. For maybe the first time. It’s what each of us wanted, even if we didn’t think we wanted her together.” Markus nods, and the lights flash on and off as we reach cruising altitude. My breath catches and understandingdawns on me as I look down at her. Is that what she wanted? All of uswithher? God, I would’ve agreed to that the second I knew. I would’ve proudly called myself part of Melody’s harem if it meant I had her.
“What does that mean?” Reis' eyes flash with that possessive streak that’s what started all of us being stuck in this goddamn stalemate.
“It means, maybe we can share,” I say, my eyes connecting with Markus' as he nods.
“What? Share her? Like… you guys touching and kissing and fucking her like I would? No, fuck that.” Reis crosses his arms over his chest in anger as Adam scoffs.
“You think she would want you now? You fucking drugged her and have been nothing but a cruel prick since we found her earlier. Face it, Mathers, you obviously love her, just like the rest of us do.” It’s almost comical how offended Reis looks at being called out.
“I do not! She used us. She took our protection, our care, made us think she cared about us in return, and then turned around andlaughedat us. She means nothing to me now,nothing.” Reis snaps angrily, and the whole plane is silent after his outburst.
“If she means nothing to you, Reis,” I purposefully speak softer to really have my words hit home with him “then why’d you drug her? Why’d you make her come to the club?Youdid that. Why are we–let’s call it what it is, guys–kidnapping her if she means nothing to you?”
Reis' eyes narrow at me, and I shrug, giving him my signature easy smile. His moods don’t scare me. Especially not this fake anger he’s putting out. We’ve been through too much together for him to spout this fake shit and think that we are going to buy it.
He opens his mouth to say something, and closes it quickly, but I know I’ve got him. With a cocky smirk, I turn my back on him. I’ve given him too much of my attention today, especially when I have this angel next to me.
“She’s going to be so pissed off when she wakes up.” Adam runs a hand over his face, but leaves his hand over his nose for a moment too long.
“Probably.”
“What is the plan here, guys?” Markus stands up, walks to the minibar and pours himself a double scotch over ice. I’m surprised he’s not reaching for his stash of drugs that I know are in his bag. If it was any other show, Markus would be three sheets to the wind right now, high as fuck and slurring his words. Instead, he’s sober and worried about Melody.
Coincidence?
“Reis?” I prompt sarcastically, waving my hand in front of him as if to say, alright it’s your turn.
Sure, he told me to cuff Mel to me so that we could talk and get answers without her running off, but after that, it’s gone this far because of him. I’m fairly sure the others would’ve stayed behind to try and make amends with Melody rather than this.
“Kai?” Reis mimics. When I roll my eyes, he sighs deeply and sinks lower into his chair. “I didn’t really have a plan, I just know that we all have some unresolved shit that’s impeding our music and I think it all stems from her.”
NINE
They’reall acting like I’ve done something horrendous.
If you think about it, all I really did was give them what they really wanted. Her.
I cross my arms and look away from them, from her, and try to close my eyes to get some rest. They’re all pissed off at me and I’m not going to apologize for doing it.
I didn’t want to hear her excuses, or worse–understand why she’d said those things.
I just want to get home.
Thankfully, everyone else stays quiet too so I can let my mind drift. There’s no denying that our music has taken a bit of a turn recently, all sad and dark love songs rather than the angry and upbeat singles people correlate with our sound. I just… I haven’t been inspired to write any new music. Kai and Markus give me tunes sometimes, and it’ll spark some flicker of inspiration, but then before I can create a whole song, it dies out.
We all write songs, but I’m really the one to flesh them out and curate them. So it’s almost impossible when all four of us are depleted.
Adam has been in a funk for a long-ass time. Pulling away from us all more and more over time. Lately, I’ve gotten the feeling that the music–the reason why we started this group–isn’t enough for him anymore.
As for me… Well, I’m just angry. I’ve been angry and hyperfocused on proving her wrong for seven back-breaking years.
What Kai and I heard, well, that was the last straw. But I’d heard rumors going around. Other girls tried to make me jealous by saying that Melody would never want me and that she was using us to fit in, to pay for her lunches and dote on her (which we did). That she thought we were all suckers just falling for a pretty face as she strung us along. They told me that they’d heard it from her directly. The first time someone told me that I punched the guy out, figuring he was just a jealous fuck. Melody wasours,and everyone knew it.
The second time, it was one of the girls that was a littletoointo musicians and wanted us to run a train on her. Secretly, of course, because she’d never want to sully her reputation by associating with us heathens. As intriguing as that idea was to me, I pushed her away at the bonfire and said no. She threw her hands up and yelled out that vile shit at me about Melody, and it stopped me in my tracks. I couldn’t hit a girl, but I made it perfectly fucking clear to not say that shit again.
