Page 172 of Pierce Me

Isaiah: I intend to find out. Everything.

Faith: Hey, don’t you have a concert starting like… in two hours or something?

Isaiah: I promise you, there is nothing I would rather be doing right now than talking to the two of you.

Faith: Damn him.

Manuela: Shut up, Fee.

Manuela: Damn you, your highness.

Isaiah: Why am I my highness again?

Manuela: Because you are a prince. Are you completely dumb?

Isaiah: You know, I think I am?

Faith: Don’t let her bully you, Isaiah.

Faith: But if you hurt Eden again, I’ll kill you.

Isaiah: Oh, you won’t have to, Faith. I’ll do it myself.

thirty-six

Miki keeps up a steady stream of swearing all the way to the stadium. I suspect not all of it is due to us being late; some of it is because I look frighteningly pale, but I don’t have time to deal with him right now.

I look out of the car’s windows, trying to concentrate. Is this the same road we’ve been driving down this whole week? My entire world has shifted and I don’t recognize anything around or within me. It’s barely five hours after I watched the ‘Edie’ video, but a century might as well have passed.

Skye leans in to whisper something in my ear. He’s sitting on my other side.

I usually ride alone to my concerts. I need the space to gather my thoughts so that I will be focused before the chaos begins, but right now both Miki and Skye are in my car, fear and worry etched on their faces.

“Listen,” Skye tells me. “Just say the word and I’m cancelling everything. I’m not letting you go on that stage if you’re not ok. You’ve been through enough.”

“I’ve been through…?” I let out a laugh. Miki winces at the harsh sound. “Where is she, Skye?” Pain throbs in my voice and Skye looks up, surprised. He doesn’t have an answer for me. “What have I done? What have I done?”

I bury my head in my hands.

“Hey. Hey!” Skye’s voice penetrates the haze. He’s got me by the collar and he’s forcing my head up. It’s easier to breathe for a second. “You’ve done nothing wrong, do you hear me?” He’s yelling now. Why is he yelling? Do I look so bad? “I’m so sorry I didn’t know. I’m such an idiot, Zay, I should have asked you more questions, I should have done more. I should have made sure you were ok, that you had all the facts. But what happened… to her, to you, to both of you together… It’s an ugly twist of fate. It’s evil beyond imagination. I can’t… Damn, I can’t wrap my mind around it, and it didn’t even happen to me. I can’t imagine what you must be going through right now.”

He exhales roughly.

“Bottom line,” he says, “it’s nobody’s fault, except for that sick bastard’s. And now he’s dead.”

I’m not sure I agree with that.

Yes, the pure evil that happened to Eden since she was a baby, that’s all Solomon Kennedy’s fault. But now? Now it’s up to me to pick up the pieces. And I’ve failed her. I have let her down so spectacularly I can’t even look myself in the mirror. I got dressed and I had them put on my makeup and style my hair without meeting my own eyes in the mirror once. Not a small feat that. I bet everyone thought I was tired. But I’m not. I’m wired with energy.

After the phone call with Eden’s sisters, I spent what little time I had left in the hotel’s studio with Dimitris, Yiannis and my boys. We did a few last rehearsals. Jude’s eyes were on me the whole time. He seemed surprised at how focused I was. But talking to Eden’s sisters woke me up. They made me laugh, damn them, and I shouldn’t be laughing right now.

I mean, I’m not laughing any more, but that Faith. She’s something else, man.

And Manuela. Gosh, I’m scared to death of her.

But talking to them made it all real. And it made it all look not so evil somehow: as if something good had come out of the whole mess. Them. Eden has a family now. A dad. Sisters. A home. She has her talent and her beautiful heart, which she always had and always will. Maybe she’ll be ok.

Maybe I can be forgiven.

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