The door slowly opened and there she was reaching for me – battered and bruised. I grasped onto her. She hurried us to my room, locking and blocking the door. Once we were on my bed, I curled into her side. Then the pounding started and his screaming voice soon accompanied each thud on the door.
Screaming into the dark room, I looked to the clock. It had only been three hours. Then my eyes landed on the date, taunting me with its eerie green lighting. Angrily, I climbed out of bed and headed to the shower to rinse off the sweat. It was getting worse.
I wouldn't be going back to sleep tonight.
* * * * *
Once we arrived to Phoenix, I couldn't get my ass off that bus quick enough. He was driving me insane and it was only the first four hours. I just wanted to get this over and done.
"Mia?" Serena caught up and fell in step with me, "Everything okay?" She wasn't shy about examining my appearance, her eyes tracing my frazzled appearance.
"Is he being an asshole? Do you want me to get my Nair?" Laney said as she fell into step with us.
"No and no, step away from the Nair, Lane," I sighed. "He is an impossible jerk. I swear sleep is something he doesn't do and it's his full purpose to piss me off every five minutes." I stopped walking to check in with the hotel clerk. "I want to rip his head off!"
"Just call it off, Mia, it's not worth it." Kat leaned against the lobby desk, flipping her hair over her shoulder.
"You know I can't do that. Once I make up my mind, I do it. It's only a week, right?" They all gave me an unsure look. "What? Do you know something that I don't?"
"Think about it Mia, do you think he's going to let it be that easy?" Serena sighed. "He's obviously up to something, not that I'm sure what it is, yet."
"I know, but I'm giving it a week and that's it. That's what I agreed to." We grabbed our hotel keys and headed toward our rooms. I would be damned if I would let him win. My mind wouldn't stop thinking about Chris and I hated it.
After my shower, I lay in bed for a while cursing the demon spawn that was Chris, before dozing back off.
The next morning my cell phone chirped me awake. Grabbing the phone, I peaked at the screen. Really, this early? Crap, it was only eight in the morning.
"What Laney?" I croaked out.
"Breakfast in twenty, wake up and get your ass down here to the restaurant." She hung up.
I screamed into my pillow before I got into a cold shower, hoping it would wake me up. Throwing on some baggy jeans and a tiny t-shirt, I slid on some flip-flops. Knowing Laney was going to scoff at my ensemble made me smile. After brushing my hair and twisting it into a knot on the back of my head, I went down to the restaurant.
Entering the hotel restaurant I saw just about everyone was at a large table. One quicker scan of the table informed me that Una and Christopher were the only two who hadn't arrived. I relaxed knowing Christopher wasn't around.
After getting my food, we sat around eating and talking. Once finished, I stood up to go collect my things to take back to the bastard's bus. Just the thought of it made me shudder. Looking over my shoulder, Laney was giving me a disgusted look as she took in my outfit. I stuck my tongue out at her.
"I thought I got rid of those jeans last year?" She narrowed her eyes at me.
I smiled large and turned to leave. I ran right into the bastard himself, stumbling back I had to catch myself on a nearby chair.
"Sorry," I mumbled and walked around him.
As I was passing, he leaned toward me and I flinched away.
"If you want to get so close you could at least wait till we get on the bus." He smirked.
I scowled at him, wanting to slap the attractive little smirk off his face. Instead inspiration struck. Stopping, I grabbed his arm and pulled his face extremely close to mine. I heard gasps from behind us. Our noses were less than an inch away and his eyes widened when I licked my lips.
Using the sickliest sweet voice I could muster out of my mouth, I opened my mouth.
"In your fucking dreams, Mason,"
I shoved him back and walked out of the restaurant extremely proud of myself, listening to the roar of laughter behind me. Then I noticed Una had been watching. Mouthing 'sorry' to her with an apologetic look on my face, she simply winked at me.
We met up with Una later in a small conference room for a few hours before leaving for the concert arena. Having spent most of the day trapped inside the hotel I was ready to get out, though I didn't look forward to being back on the bus.
Along way to the bus, I decided it was just a drive to the arena, so I climbed on the Hushed Mentality bus to ride with my girls. When they boarded the bus, they smiled at me and I smiled back.
"What are you up to?" Serena raised her eyebrow at me.
"Who me?" I asked innocently.
"Yes you," Laney grinned.
"I don't know what you're talking about." I closed my eyes and lay my head back on the couch.
"Oh come on, why aren't you on the jerk's bus?" Kat laughed.
"We're just heading over to the arena, why can't I prepare with the band before we arrive?" I shrugged and laughed.
* * * * *
When I got to the bus I was a little surprised she wasn't around, but figured she was stalling. When the bus started moving, I was pissed off. Where was she?
We got to the arena and I stalked off the bus in time to see her exit the other bus with her band. Her head turned in my direction. I glared. She smiled and waved. She fucking smiled and waved at me as if I was an idiot.
That bitch! Game on, Ryder, game on.
The concert was flawless and when it was over, we were ushered straight to the bus. Mia wasn't there when I arrived and if she didn't show up I was going to count it as an early victory, yet I wasn't sure she had been pushed far enough to leave the tour. Maybe she just left the bus.
In the middle of my thoughts, she walked on and stopped when she saw me sitting there on the couch. She eyed me closely and then went toward her bunk. I put my leg up to stop her.
"What?" she barked.
"Sit." I motioned to the couch and threw the notebook down on the table.
"I'm not a dog," she snapped.
"Just sit down." Grabbing the notebook from the table, I threw it onto the couch cushion next to me.
"I'm tired and just want to go to bed," she growled.
I raised a brow at her. She had to realize I would just keep her awake.
She sighed defeated and plopped down onto the couch – as far from me as possible. There it was again, the lure of her. I didn't understand this strange pull and I didn't like it. She looked over the notebook while I mentally scolded myself for wanting to pull her next to me and then she looked up to meet my gaze.
"So does this mean it's finished, because it looks like you've got it all figured out?"
"Not exactly, we still need to work some things out." I watched her face fall in disappointment. She really thought this arrangement was over already. Idiot. "I had your guitar brought in here." I pointed toward her guitar case. She leaned forward and grabbed it.
"Where do you want to start?" She asked and strummed the strings.
I had to admit to myself that it was hot seeing her with her guitar. Shaking off that thought quickly, I needed to find Stacia soon. The last thing I needed were hormones to get involved.
"Let's start at the beginning together and then we can work it out from there." She nodded and I tapped it out on my guitar. We both started playing and singing.
After an hour, she stood up and went to the fridge grabbing a bottle of water. She turned to me.
"Do you want one?" I shook my head and furrowed my brow at her. I didn't understand why she would offer me anything.
My plan isn't working as well as I thought if she was being polite. I needed to step up the game.
"I think I should start off at first and then you take the second while joining together for the chorus." I changed the subject back to the song.
She was taking
a drink as she sat back down, nodding as she swallowed. We started playing again and played it out the way I'd suggested. We both made some notes after we finished.
Three hours later, she laid her guitar in its case and headed back to the bunk. I followed, which made her nervous. She relaxed when I passed by her and went to my bed in the back of the bus. I lie down on the bed and reluctantly fell asleep.
The thumps grew louder and his screams were deafening. Her grasp on me tightened, shielding me. Then the loud noise went off and all I could hear was ringing. Her hands clasped around my head and over my ears. Looking up into her sad swollen eyes, the smell was familiar, like fireworks.
I heard the door collapse and the dresser screech across the floor when he crashed into the bedroom. Shoving me off the bed onto the floor, she jumped up. A blaring roar exploded around my head. She screamed, "Run now!” and that's what I did…until she screamed again.
"No! Please Don’t!"
Unable to resist, I ran back to her and her screams. When I got back to the room my eyes landed on him as the explosion roared through my ringing ears. Red. Everywhere, red.
"Noooo!" Jolting upright, my shirt and hair stuck to the cold sweat covering my body.
"Christopher?" Mia cracked opened the door. "Um…are you okay?"
"Yes I'm fine," I spit out nastily.
"Are you sure? I can get –"
"It's not your fucking concern!" Standing from the bed, I slammed the door in her face. "Leave me the fuck alone." I threw myself back on the bed and buried my face.
Why can't it just stop, just go away? Why did it have to be so close to…to that day? Hot tears poured down my cheeks.
Chapter Seven
Stupid, ungrateful, egotistical, annoying, door slamming jerk. When I heard him start making noise and then screaming, I tried to be nice and see if he was okay. Then he acted like a total asshole. Well to hell with him! I hope he has another bad dream.
Climbing back onto my bunk, I lay there fuming until I finally fell back to sleep. When I woke, the bus was empty. Pushing up on my elbows, I looked out the window. We were in the back lot of the Vegas arena. Grabbing my shower bag and a change of clothes, I decided to get a quick shower.
While I was rinsing off I heard a voice. I hurried to dry and put dress. Once I started combing my hair, the door suddenly opened up. There stood Christopher with his usual scowl.
"Ever heard of knocking, asshole?" I didn't bother looking at him.
"Ever heard of locking the door, whore?" Turning, I glared at him and slammed the door in his face locking it.
Smirking, he yanked the door back open. "Oh I guess I forgot to mention that the lock is broken." He walked away.
My blood boiled and angry heat consumed my body. Stepping out of the bathroom, I threw my brush at him. Hitting him in the back of his right shoulder, he spun and stalked toward me yelling.
"What the fuck!"
I'm not gonna lie, at five foot six, having a six foot six inch man stalking toward you is a little scary. Fighting the urge to take off running, I squared my shoulders and straightened my spine. He shoved his finger in my face
"Don't ever –"
Before he could finish I smacked his finger out of my face.
"No! Don't you ever!" Shoving passed him. I walked off the bus and into the dry heat.
Slamming and crashing poured from the bus behind me. I didn't look back until I got to the entrance. Jackson and Nicholas scrambled to get onto the bus. That’s it go baby the asshole.
I found the girls, who could tell by the look on my face I was pissed off, though no one asked. They knew what, or rather who, was the cause. Instead, they kept the conversation light.
"This heat is going to kill my hair," Laney pouted to her reflection in the large vanity mirror.
"Christ, Lane, you barely have enough hair to call yourself a girl. Quit bitching." Kat playfully teased.
"You're so mean." Lane stuck her bottom lip out.
I smiled, welcoming the familiarity of their banter.
We headed to the stage for sound checks and then it was off to hair, make-up, and wardrobe for the concert. After we'd spent three hours being dressed for the show, Una came into our backstage room.
"Mia, is everything okay?" She scanned me intently.
Here we go, now I'm going to be to blame for his behavior.
"Una, he's an asshole, a complete dick." I defended in a huff.
"He didn't do anything to you did he?" She kneeled in front of me.
I sat up straight and shook my head.
"Why would you think he did something to me?" She hesitated. "I mean, yeah, he's been an asshole, but if you mean physically hurt me, wait, why would I have to worry about that?"
"I told you Christopher has a past. I don't know the whole story, but what I do know is that he has a temper and Nicholas had to settle him down earlier today. Someone mentioned hearing you two fighting with each other. Then you ran from the bus, so Nicholas and I wanted to make sure –"
"It was just an argument." Then realization hit me. "Should I be worried he would hurt me like that?" My eyes widened. Everyone was looking to Una answers.
"I –"
"We just wanted to be sure." Nicholas's voice made my head snapped as he entered the door.
"Has it happened before?" I scowled at him. Had they really put me on a bus with a guy that beats up women or something?
"Not with a person we're touring with, no, but with strangers yes." Nicholas pinched the bridge of his nose. "I know you both have this tension between you, so I just needed to be sure. He swore he hadn't done anything to harm you, but I needed to hear it from you." He walked over and put his hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry Mia. We will have your things moved back to your bus before the show is over tonight."
I didn't say anything and I didn't move. Did I really think he was dangerous to me, that he could hurt me? No, I didn't believe that. For some reason I didn't feel like he would or could be capable of hurting me. He obviously liked pissing me off, but he didn't want to hurt me.
"Did he ask for you to move my things?" I questioned, still not looking at anyone or anything in particular.
"What?" Nicholas shifted back and forth. "Um…no, he didn't, but I assumed –"
"He didn't harm me and it seems to me that everyone is getting out of hand with this. It was an argument. That's it." As I finished, there was a knock on the door. Then the announcement we were on in ten minutes. I got up and walked toward the door.
"Leave my things." There was no way I was running after I stood up to him today; he would not win this way.
* * * * *
She fucking threw a brush at me and Nicholas made accusations about me. Thanks dad. I had to keep reassuring him that I didn't harm her. It was ridiculous. Therefore, I had a temper and got into some fights a couple of years ago, but I hadn't done that shit in so long. I guess it was too much to ask him to believe in me.
Wasn't I allowed to be pissed off? She hit me. I didn't hit her, no matter how much the urge was there, I could never have done that. And it was true. I'd seen enough of that shit. I could never hurt or harm her. The truth I didn't want to admit to my father or myself is that having her so close to me was making my plan even more difficult for me, instead of easier.
I'm so sick of this. They still want to treat me like the Chris I used to be, well then maybe I should live up to that expectation.
* * * * *
Watching from backstage with Laney, The Forgotten performed. The way she eyed Jackson I could tell she was completely infatuated. Nudging her arm, I smiled at her.
"What?" She tried to hide her smile. Nodding toward Jackson, I winked at her. She laughed and looked back at him.
"You want to kiss him and have his babies," I sang into her ear.
She smacked my arm and looked around us.
"Shut up," she laughed. "He's just so pretty." Jackson captured her attention again.
I raised a brow at her descriptio
n. "Pretty?"
She nodded and bit her lip, never taking her eyes from him.
"Well, I wouldn't tell him that." She looked at me confused. "I'm thinking the seven foot tattooed and pierced giant probably doesn't take pretty as a compliment."
She started to scowl and I put my hands up in surrender. "I'm just saying."
Laughing, she shook her head.
They started their next song. They didn't play this track very often. Jackson's nervous expression confused me and I looked at Elliott and James. They seemed to be very focused on and concerned Christopher. Curious, I began to study Christopher and really listen closely to his words. So many emotions passed over his face; anger, pain, sadness, happiness, there was just so much. He didn't even seem to realize he was on stage anymore. He was lost. Before I knew it, I felt a tear fall down my cheek. Wiping it away quickly, the song was over and I left the arena and went to the bus.
Quickly showering and hurrying to change into some pajama bottoms and a tank top, I climbed into the bunk. My mind was dissecting Christopher's performance. What could've possibly inspired such emotional performance? There was so much passion behind his lyrics. He seemed so alone in the middle of a crowded arena. Eventually, the contemplation exhausted me and I fell asleep.
I felt weighed down like I was sinking, and then the weight felt like it would crush me. Waking with a gasp, I screamed when the dark figure covered me. Shoving with my hands, I maneuvered my legs so I could use their strength to push the shadow. Using my feet, the figure fell back and I heard a groan. I recognized the smell of alcohol and the voice. Christopher.
Pushing myself back to the corner of my bunk, knees to chest, I tried to catch my breath. I stared at him horrified. Had I been that wrong, feeling like he wouldn't harm me? Would he prove me wrong tonight? Shit, shit, shit.
"Fuhhckk…" he slurred and stumbled into an upright position.
"Stay back Christopher!" Scanning for anything I could use to fight him with or for a way to escape, I found nothing.
Looking back to his face, it shifted from anger to pain and then guilt. He mumbled something I couldn't make out and quickly stumbled to his room. A loud crash and a groan came from his room.
Falling Stars Page 7
