Chapter 6

The stage lights flashed in time with the drums, and the crowd screamed as if their lives depended on that song. Kate was in pure bliss, recording everything on her phone and jumping as if every chord were a gift. I let myself go along with it, even though the music wasn’t exactly my style; I preferred to look around, feel the place's vibration, the wave of energy rolling over us. I’ll admit that, for a moment, I caught the fever too.

After several songs, Kate shouted in my ear,

“I need to go to the bathroom!”

“I’ll go with you,” I replied immediately.

“Are you crazy? You have to stay and record! I’ve held it through three songs so I wouldn’t miss anything, but now I really can’t. It’s right back there,” she said, pointing about twenty yards away.

“But, Kate—”

“Please, Cams, stay and record. I promise I’ll be back in record time.”

I hesitated. I didn’t like the idea of splitting up, but there didn’t seem to be much of a line, and I figured she’d be back quickly. I nodded and stayed behind, tasked with capturing everything on video.

I was so focused on the stage and on filming the song properly that I didn’t notice the fight starting just a few meters away. A shove. An insult. Beer cups flying. Suddenly, someone hit me from behind, and I fell off the barrier straight to the ground. I landed hard on my side, and before I could get up, people piled in, shoving each other. I was trapped in the middle.

My phone flew out of my hands. I tried to crawl away, but someone stepped hard on my ankle. The pain was so sharp that I screamed, and all I could do was curl into myself, hugging my body and protecting my head.

Through the roar of shouting and music, I heard another voice.

“Camila! Get up, now!”

I recognized that hoarse voice. It was Jacob. I saw him forcing his way through the crowd, eyes blazing. I shook my head; tears were already streaming down my face.

“I can’t! It hurts too much,” I sobbed, unable to move my ankle.

Jacob’s friends appeared moments later, having followed him when they saw him bolt toward me. Together, they pushed the drunk guys away and managed to clear the area. When I finally managed to sit up, Jacob was already on his knees beside me. His friends formed a small circle around us, alert in case another fight broke out. Nathalia was watching me with a murderous look, but at that moment, I didn’t care.

“Jacob, it hurts so much,” I whispered, pointing at my ankle as I tried to hold back my sobs. His expression was hard, but his eyes held unmistakable concern.

I felt small and broken. I was bracing myself for the usual ‘I told you so’, followed by a lecture about being more careful, about paying attention to my surroundings—and I couldn’t help shrinking inward.

“Come on. I’m taking you to the table so I can check you,” he said gently, in a way that completely disarmed me. I hadn’t expected that tenderness, and it made my chin tremble even more.

He wrapped an arm around me, and when I tried to stand, I couldn’t suppress a pained wince. He let go immediately, worried.

“I’m going to check your back,” he said softly. Carefully, he lifted my blouse a few inches and ran his fingers over the sore skin. His touch sent a shiver through me. Our eyes met, and for a moment, a strange silence settled between us, as if time itself had stopped. My pulse quickened; so did his breathing, and I felt that mysterious connection that always seemed to appear when I least expected it.