CHAPTER 22
BLOOD IN THE CUT
Addison woke up with the soft light of the sun shining directly into her face through the small gap in the curtains. She blocked the beam out with her hand and looked to her side expecting to find Zed. Instead, she was met with a piece of paper on his pillow. Fearing the worst, she picked up the note that he had scrawled on the hotel stationery.
She is shades of Dracula on a full moon night. She is Autumn breezes and blackbirds in flight. She is the sweet kiss of the belladonna, poisonous and deadly. She is Annabel Lee drowning in her love for Edgar Allan Poe. She is falling stars and wishes that beg to come true. She is a midnight song that echoes in the dark.
…..
Went to the cafe downstairs to grab some breakfast. Be back soon.
-Z
She clutched the note to her chest and smiled. Wrapping the bedsheet around herself, she wandered over to the floor to ceiling window. She opened the curtains and rested her head on the cold glass as she watched the snow falling peacefully over the trees below, hoping to find some clarity to calm the chaotic feelings coursing through her. Yesterday should have been one of the hardest days of the year for her to deal with, but with Zed next to her… she shook her head and smiled… he made everything better. Why was she fighting her feelings for him? She knew the answer deep down, but still… she couldn't help that her heart was screaming to be with him. Being with him was as easy as breathing, she didn't need to think about it, it just came naturally. Could she forgive him for his past transgressions? Could she trust him once again? She closed her eyes and let out a sigh.
"There's a silence, in the woods after it snows
That's the vibe now, of the piece inside my soul
Like a spider, there's a web that you have wove
There's a heart now, where there used to be a ghost...
And ooh, yeah it's making me uneasy
Now I hear sounds in the hallway
Rocking chairs are moving on their own
I'm falling for you
So much so that it's freaking me out
So much so that it's freaking me out
So much so that it's freaking me…"
Her phone buzzed on the nightstand, pulling her from the internal tug of war she was trying to process. She walked over and picked it up, reading the text from Bucky.
B: What time are you heading back today?
She quickly typed out a reply as she walked back over to the window.
A: Don't know yet. What time do we need to get on the road?
B: Preferably around noon, but I doubt I can round everyone up by then. Stacey is sick, she stayed at the Motel down the street last night, and I have no idea where Zed is.
A: Is Stacey, ok?
B: Yeah, funny timing since I told everyone you had a 24 hr bug.
She looked up from her phone when she heard the front door open.
A: I'll see you this afternoon.
"It's snowing!" Zed said as he walked into the bedroom.
She looked over to him and smiled. "It is…" she whispered as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. She pulled his face down to hers and kissed him softly. "I thought you left me… But then I found your letter… It was beautiful, thank you."
He kissed her back, whispering against her lips, "What can I say, you've always been my Pattie Boyd."
She giggled into their kiss before she turned around in his arms. "Bucky's looking for you."
"Not where I thought this was going, but okay..."
"Sorry, I just got a text from him."
He stole a quick kiss and tightened his arms around her. "Speaking of texts… Would it be so bold of me to ask for your number?"
She smiled and rolled her eyes as she handed him her phone. "Oh, I guess… Go ahead and call yours, that way I have your number, too."
The smile on his face spread as he took her phone and punched in his own number. "Aww, you want my number, Addie?"
"Shut up, Zed," she laughed as his phone began to ring.
He dismissed the call and handed her her phone back. "There. All done," he sighed in relief.
"Feel better?"
"Much. I kind of panicked the other night when you didn't show up and I had no way of getting in touch with you. Thank god I overheard Bucky."
She rolled her eyes and kissed him again. "So, what's for breakfast?"
He lifted her up and carried her into the sitting room. "Coffee and croissants."
"Mmm…" she whispered as she guided his face back towards her for another kiss. "Please tell me you billed it to the room."
"Yeah, not a chance. You're already paying for the hotel and the room service yesterday, the least I could do was buy us breakfast."
She rolled her eyes as they sat down on the couch. "You're forgetting something."
"What's that?" he asked as he handed her a croissant out of the bag.
"Addison Donnelly is paying the hotel bill. Not Casey Jacobs or Meg Jacobs. Addison Donnelly can more than cover it."
"I fail to see the difference, Gorgeous."
"Addison Donnelly has an AMEX black card. All my other aliases live off a debit card."
"You still have your AMEX?" he asked with his mouth full.
"Yupp… backed by the Donnelly fortune."
He sighed and set his croissant down. "I know we have this fun little charade going on where we don't really discuss the past and all..."
"And I'd like to keep it that way," she said as she sipped her coffee.
"Can you answer me one thing? Especially in light of why we're currently in this hotel?"
"Sure."
"And please, don't think I'm asking this for selfish reasons… I'm assuming your stance on using your last name and position to get ahead in the music industry remains as strong as ever… Which I totally understand and respect..."
"You'd be correct."
He nodded his head while he tried to phrase his question the right way. "If your Dad is no longer with us, who has control of said Donnelly fortune and Bamm!?"
She swallowed the bite of croissant she had been chewing and took another sip of coffee. "It's a bit complicated..." she set the cup down on the table and pulled her knees up to her chest. She was about to take a huge risk, especially since he'd admitted to using her for her family's influence in the past. But there was something in his eyes that made her want to tell him the truth. "Everything was left to me."
"Woah..."
"Yeah..." she whispered, hugging her knees. "But, I didn't handle his death too well… so, my mother sued to get full control… I'm talking EVERYTHING. The houses, the money, BAMM!, you name it… If my step-brother hadn't signed a conservatorship, I would have lost it all... So, although everything is technically mine, I don't have full control until I'm twenty-five… Not like I really want it anyway, but still..."
"Woah..."
"Yeah…" she picked up her coffee and took another sip. "So… now you know… and now I'd like to go back to never talking about it, k?" She stood up and started to walk off.
"Where are you going?"
She stopped and closed her eyes, taking a breath to calm herself. She turned around and gave him a sultry smile. "Shower… Why don't you join me so I can thank you for taking such good care of me..."
"Uber should be downstairs in about five minutes," Zed said as he wrapped his arms around her. "I know we should probably head back towards the bus separately… but I'm way too selfish to give up spending time with you." He leaned down and kissed her softly.
She moaned into his mouth, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You'd think after having you so many times the last two days, I would have had enough of you..."
"I could never have enough of you…" he whispered against her lips before pulling her bottom lip between his teeth.
"I don't want to go back to reality yet..."
He smiled as she started to trail kisses along his jaw. "I was rather enjoying our bubble, too."
"You know we need to stop doing this."
"We've got at least four minutes..."
She giggled and gently pushed him away. "I didn't mean this right now."
He pulled her back to him and picked her up, turning them around so he could pin her against the wall. "Then what did you mean, baby?"
His mouth was trailing hot kisses down her neck, making it very difficult for her to remember what she was trying to say. "Tour… Lacey…"
He growled deep in his chest, sending the best kind of shivers over her body.
"Fucking Lacey… don't remind me."
Addison smiled and pulled his face up to hers. "We need to stop the illicit trysts or at the very least be more careful. I don't want to risk this tour for everyone because we can't seem to keep our hands off of each other."
"Is this the part where you tell me we're 'just friends'?" he asked quietly.
She leaned in closer and kissed him. "No…" She could feel his answering smile against her lips.
"Hey everyone! Look who I just ran into!" Zed boomed as he opened the door to the bus.
"Princess!" Tracey exclaimed as he ran across the front room, almost tackling her back out of the door as he hugged her. "Oh, I missed you! Are you feeling better?"
She squeezed him back in a tight hug and gave him a questioning look before Zed added, "Yeah, I meant to tell you in the parking lot… You look to be doing much better after that 24-hour stomach flu."
"OH! Yeah, I feel worlds better," she said with a smile before mouthing a silent 'thank you' over to Zed.
"Yeah, well Stacey went to urgent care yesterday afternoon," Lacey said as she walked into the front room spraying a can of Lysol. "She woke up puking yesterday… She's still sick today. Thanks for spreading whatever it is you had."
"Oh, no… poor Stacey," Addison said walking past Lacey and sitting next to Eliza.
Eliza gave her a quick hug, whispering "Are you okay?" into her ear.
Addison nodded and gave her a small smile.
Zed tiptoed over to where Bonzo was napping in one of the captain's chairs and licked his finger before sticking it into his friend's ear.
Bonzo shot straight up, "Dude! The fuck?!"
Zed was practically on the floor laughing when Bucky walked in. "Can you keep it down? Stacey is sleeping."
"Sorry, boss."
Bucky rolled his eyes and muttered something that sounded like "children" under his breath. He turned towards Addison. "Glad your back and feeling better, can I have a word?!"
She nodded her head and followed him to the back kitchen.
The second they crossed the doorway he held his cellphone out for her to see. "How the hell did you rack up that large of a bill that quickly?!"
"Good to see you too..."
He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth.
"B, if I don't have the money in my personal account, just take it out of my trust when you take out the money for the missed show."
"Not the point!"
"Than what is the point?"
"You can't just go around charging this much to your AMEX!"
"It's an AMEX Black Card, B… It's meant for large insane purchases."
He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I know you CAN afford it… It's just..."
"It's just what?" she snapped back. "How often do I touch that card or my trust? Huh?" she walked closer to him and lowered her voice even lower. "At most twice a year, Bucky. That's it. Every other day I live off of what I earn, I scrimp, I save, and I don't spend more than what I make. So forgive the hell out of me for splurging!"
"You're right… I'm sorry. I'll transfer the money for your trust to cover it."
"Thank you. And if you could also pay ME out of MY trust for the missed show, that would be appreciated. My brother tends to flip the fuck out if I'm late on a car payment."
"I can't wait until you turn Twenty-five and all this shit becomes your problem."
"You didn't have to sign the goddamn papers, you know."
"Well, you didn't leave me much of a fucking choice! You went AWOL! If I hadn't signed a conservatorship, your bitch of a mother would have full control of EVERYTHING! It's bad enough she has your seat on the board, plus her own! I couldn't sit back and watch her take everything."
Addison placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and offered him a small smile. "I know… I'm sorry I give you a hard time about it, sometimes."
He sighed and held her hand. "Thanks… Sorry, I'm in a bad mood. I've been on the phone since last night trying to get some things lined up, and your hotel bill popped up at the exact wrong time… I know you have more money than you'll ever be able to actually spend, I'm just used to your biggest purchases being in the hundreds, not the thousands. I'm sorry I bitched you out. And thank you for covering everyone's cut for the missed show."
"Literally the least I could do."
"I just hope we don't have to miss another show because of Stacey."
She hugged him close. "It'll all work out, B."
He chuckled and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "You seem strangely happy today…"
She shrugged as she pulled back and smiled.
"Are you… Is that an actual smile?"
She rolled her eyes and let out a soft giggle. "Shut up, Bucky."
They both turned towards the doorway when the familiar sounds of Stairway to Heaven started to play from the front of the bus.
.
Zed was sitting in the captain's chair opposite Bonzo strumming his guitar.
"There's a lady who's sure
All that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven..."
Lacey rolled her eyes. "You are not really attempting Zeppelin, are you?"
Zed flipped her off and continued.
"When she gets there she knows
If the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for..."
She let out an aggravated sigh. "Whatevs… we've got nothing else to do for the next few hours."
"There's a sign on the wall
But she wants to be sure
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings
In a tree by the brook
There's a songbird who sings
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiving..."
Lacey flipped her long blonde ponytail, "Robert Plant you are not..."
Zed continued to ignore her and sing as Eliza stood up and walked over to Lacey.
"I'm tired of you trying to pick a fight and fuck up this tour. So unless you want me to beat out a 4/4 count on you, I'd suggest you just shut your mouth for once..." she whispered too low for anyone else to hear. She smiled when she heard Lacey swallow loudly and nod her head. "Glad we have an understanding." She picked up her drumsticks and plugged in her electric practice pad to join in on the song.
"Well if we're going all out..." Bonzo said as he reached over and grabbed his bass.
"If there's a bustle in your hedgerow
Don't be alarmed now
It's just a spring for the May queen
Yes, there are two paths you can go by
But in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on
And it makes me wonder..."
The three of them were lost in the music until the sound of another guitar cut in. They looked up to see Tracey plugged in and joining in on the melody. Zed nodded his head, "You take the next verse, Trace..."
Tracey smiled.
"Your head is humming and it won't go
In case you don't know
The piper's calling you to join him..." he glanced over to see Bucky and Addison standing in the doorway.
"Princess, grab your ax… you know you want to..." Zed called out as he continued to strum.
Addison disappeared for a brief moment before returning with her cherry-red Les Paul electric. She plugged it in just in time to take over for Jimmy Page's legendary solo.
Everyone on the bus stopped what they were doing as they watched her play. Zed's jaw dropped. He had almost forgotten just how sexy she looked when she gave herself completely over to the music. Yes, he'd seen her play the bass on stage every night since she'd join the tour, but it had nothing on her on guitar. She was lust personified as her fingers danced across the frets. He let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding and stood up, picking up the melody once more. The other three soon followed. Their sounds blending into audio magic. The melodies washing over all of them and bringing them together.
Addison opened her eyes, unaware that she had even closed them, to find herself face to face with Zed. The necks of their guitars almost touching, their strings only inches apart.
He met her eyes and nodded, encouraging her to take the final, and most difficult to sing verse.
She smiled and bit her lip before she started to sing.
"And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul
There walks a lady we all know..."
"Holy shit..." Eliza whispered.
"Who shines white light and want to show
How everything still turns to gold
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll…."
They all jammed the final chords with Zed finishing.
"And she's buying the stairway to heaven…."
They all stood there breathless as they looked around at one another, barely noticing that Lacey had stormed out the room.
Bucky was the first to break the silence. "That was…" he was at a loss for words, opting to clap instead.
They all started to laugh.
"Oh my god, Princess!" Eliza gushed as she stood up and walked over to Addison. "Holy hell! You've got pipes AND you can fucking shred?! Jesus, girl… you just put Jimmy Page AND Robert Plant to shame!"
Addison nearly blushed as she brushed off Eliza's comments. "Hardly..." she said softly, still smiling from ear to ear. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt like this. Music had always been her everything, but playing with the four of them had been a whole new experience.
"She's totally right!" Tracey beamed from next to her. "I haven't had that much fun jamming in AGES!"
"Agreed," Bonzo nodded. "Man… that was like that scene in Almost Famous when they all sing Tiny Dancer… oh, and Kate Hudson as a groupie in that movie… I swear that inspired me to become a musician…"
"Dude..." Zed laughed as they exchanged high-fives. "Penny Lane..."
Addison's smile fell instantly. Hearing that name fall from his lips was more than she could handle. She turned around and made a run for her bunk, not wanting to cry in front of everyone.
"Shit..." Bucky muttered under his breath as he followed after her. He grabbed her arm as she started to climb to her bunk and pulled her into a hug.
"Bucky… stop..." she whispered.
"No."
"I'll be fine… You don't need everyone else asking why you're hugging me like this."
"I don't care about anyone else."
She pulled back and arched her brow.
"Fine… I care a little… But I care about you more."
She wiped her eyes and plastered a fake smile on her face. "I'm fine… see."
"I don't believe you for a second, but I'll drop it for now. If you need me, I'm here."
She nodded her head and dropped the smile. "Thanks, B… I'm just going to..." she motioned up towards her bunk.
He nodded his head and walked back towards the front of the bus.
No sooner had she closed the curtain of her bunk did her cell phone start to vibrate. She looked at the bright screen in the dark and opened the message from Zed.
Z: You okay?
She sighed and closed her eyes. Bree was right, he needed to know. She opened her eyes and typed back a response.
A: I'll be fine after a nap. Just a lot of emotions catching up to me. We need to talk later tonight.
Z: I'll come get you when everyone else crashes
A: Thanks. See you then.
Z: Sweet dreams, beautiful
She smiled sadly at the screen for a moment, letting his last message wash over her, before swiping through her apps and pulling up her secured folder. She punched in her code and went to the images file. There were only three pictures saved there. The first was of her holding her daughter for the first and only time. She could still remember the feel of her soft skin as she held her close. The second picture was one of her father hugging her as he looked down at her and his granddaughter. And finally her favorite picture- A close up of Penny's peaceful face. She traced her daughter's features as tears fell from her eyes. She was perfect. She had Zed's chin and her nose… a perfect mix of the two of them.
She ran her hand across the words tattooed over the scar on her abdomen. "We loved with a love that was more than love..." she whispered to herself. She closed her eyes as her tears picked up, eventually falling into a restless sleep.
.
Addison awoke when the calming motion of the bus came to a stop. She cracked open an eye and looked at her cell. It was well after midnight, they must be at their next stop. She let out a yawn and stretched as much as the small bunk would allow. As she picked up her phone to send Zed a text, she heard giggling coming from the hall.
"Sh… We don't want anyone else waking up..."
She sat up as she recognized Zed's voice.
"Take me right here… I can't wait any longer..."
She gasped and clamped her hand over her mouth.
"Did you hear that?" Lacey whispered.
"I didn't hear anything… but we can't risk it..."
Addison's heart was hammering in her ears. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her stomach began to roll.
"Tomorrow after the show then..." Lacey whispered in a breathy voice.
Addison's hands were shaking, she was going to be sick. She threw open her bunk curtain and jumped down, not bothering to spare either of them a glance as she ran towards the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
After emptying the contents of her stomach, she rinsed her mouth and slid down against the door onto the floor. She brought her knees up and hugged them. How could she have been so stupid again? How could she have not seen that he was using her again? She closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath.
"The boy I love's got another girl
He might be fucking her right now…" she whispered to herself as she gently rocked back and forth.
"Thought if I was smart I'd make it far
But I'm still at the start…"
Her head was all over the place as she replayed every interaction they had had in the last few months, desperately searching for what she could have missed this time. Just like the last time he had broken her heart, she couldn't find anything.
"I don't have an agenda
All I do is pretend to be ok so my friends
Can't see my heart in a blender…"
She needed the ache in her heart to go away. She stood up and grabbed her bathroom bag off the shelf.
"Take my head and kick it in
Break some bread for all my sins
Say a word, do it soon
It's too quiet in this room..."
She dumped out the contents into the sink and picked up her razor. She held it at an angle against the edge of the sink and pushed down until the plastic surrounding the blade broke.
"I need noise
I need the buzz of a sub
Need the crack of a whip
Need some blood in the cut…"
Very carefully she took the exposed blade and pressed it into her wrist. She flinched as it cut into her skin.
"I need noise
I need the buzz of a sub
Need the crack of a whip
Need some blood in the cut…"
She dragged the razor along the old raised scar, relishing the physical pain as it replaced the emotional.
"I need blood in the cut
I need blood in the cut..."
She silently watched as the bright red blood covered the music staff tattooed across her wrist. It wasn't a deep cut- she'd certainly gone deeper in the past, but it served its purpose- calming her as the pain washed over her making her numb to everything once again.
A light knock on the door pulled her attention away.
"I'll be right out..." she said calmly. She carefully repacked her toiletries back into their case and placed it on the shelf. She pulled her sleeve back down and opened the door.
As the bus slowed to get exit the interstate, Zed looked over to Bonzo. "Shouldn't you be making your nightly Face-time call to Bree about now?"
Bonzo shrugged. "I told her to text me when she was finally home. I haven't heard back yet."
Zed ran his hands over his eyes and glanced down at his watch.
"Dude… if you want me to head to bed so you can spend some 'alone time' with someone, just say so."
He let out a soft chuckle. "In that case, can you kindly go the fuck to bed?"
"I gotcha man, have fun," Bonzo laughed as he stood up and stretched. "Just try to keep it down."
Zed threw one of the throw pillows from the couch at him, narrowly missing his head. "Tell Bree I said 'Hi'."
"Will do… night."
He rested his head against the back of the bench seat and let out a sigh of relief. He'd been worried about Addison since she had run off. All he had wanted to do all evening was curl around her in her bunk and hold her, so naturally, everyone decided to sit around and watch a marathon session of The Office. He was reaching for his phone on the table just as a soft voice whispered. "I thought he'd never leave..."
Zed looked up to see Lacey walking towards him. He quickly stood up. "Lacey… what are you doing up..."
"Waiting for a chance to get you alone… sounds like great minds think alike."
"I was just heading to bed," he said as he tried to move past her.
She grabbed onto the hem of his shirt and slowly started to push it up. "I knew you still wanted me… I heard you with Bonzo… Who else would you want alone time with?"
Zed tried to act as calm as he possibly could while his mind was spinning in a panic trying to find a way out of this situation. If he turned her down flat, she'd throw a fit and wake everyone up, she'd also start asking more questions. He flashed her a cocky smirk and slowly started to walk her backward into the hallway. "… but Bonzo's still awake."
"So… he's your best friend. Like he'd say anything," she whispered as she took his shirt up over his head and threw it behind her.
"Sh… We don't want anyone else waking up..."
Lacey wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to pull him in closer. "Take me right here… I can't wait any longer..." she suddenly pulled back. "Did you hear that?"
Zed sent up a silent thank you to whatever it was that Lacey thought she had heard. He needed to get rid of her and fast. "I didn't hear anything… but we can't risk it..."
"Tomorrow after the show then..." she whispered in a breathy voice. He tried to keep the bile from rising in his throat at the thought, but at least it bought him a little more time.
Both of their heads snapped to the side when they heard a bunk curtain open. Addison didn't even spare them a glance as she jumped down and ran towards the bathroom.
"Fuck..." Zed cursed as he heard the bathroom door slam shut.
Lacey giggled and ran her fingers through his hair. "Oops…"
He was furious. He grabbed her wrists tightly and brought her hands down. Everything in him screamed for him to tell her off and come clean about Addison, but he knew he couldn't. Instead, he loosened his grip and closed his eyes, trying to calm his temper. "Lacey..." he said quietly as he opened them back up. "Goodnight."
She smiled up to him, "Until tomorrow..." she threw him a wink and licked her lips as she crawled into her own bunk.
Zed ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He couldn't go directly to the bathroom to check on Addison or Lacey would know something was up. He hated that they had to hide, now more so than ever. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of Jack from the cabinet. He sat down on the counter and took a large swig. God only knows what Addison had overheard. He glanced down at his watch trying to estimate how much time could safely pass before he could check on her. He took another swig, his leg bouncing in double-time. After fifteen minutes, he couldn't take it anymore. "Fuck it..." he whispered to himself as he capped the bottle and jumped off the counter.
He stood outside the bathroom door and knocked softly.
"I'll be right out," Addison said softly from the other side.
He waited patiently for her to open. It was only a minute or two, but it felt like an eternity. When she finally opened the door he breathed a sigh of relief. "Adds..."
Her eyes snapped up to meet his. Her demeanor changing instantly from a quiet calm to a storming rage as she pushed past him.
He silently followed her as she walked through the bus and out the door. The moment they stepped into the cold snowy night he grabbed her shoulder. "Adds..."
"Do. Not. Touch. Me." she growled as she stared daggers into his eyes. She turned back around and kept walking.
"It's not what you think."
She could feel her face heating up. "Wow… for someone who claims to hate Lacey with every shred of his being, you sure have a funny way of showing it, Z." Her knees were shaking both from the cold and from the adrenaline pumping through her veins. "I can't believe I fell for the act again."
"Fell for the act again? What the fuck are you talking about?" He shook his head in frustration. "Adds, she cornered me. I was waiting for everyone to fall asleep so I could come get you so we could talk. Lacey practically tried to rip off my clothes when Bonzo finally went to bed!"
"Bullshit."
"It's the truth!"
"I heard you! Outside my bunk!"
"Then you heard me trying to fend her off! I was trying to get her away from me without causing a huge scene and waking everyone else up! I was trying to protect us!"
She rolled her eyes and stared up to the sky. "Don't even try that shit, Zed."
"Addison, baby, listen to me!"
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!"
Zed's hair ran through his hair in frustration. "Please hear me out..."
"Why? So I can let my guard down and you can use me again?"
"What? I never..."
"Don't…" she cut him off. "I'm sick of the fucking lies, I knew I couldn't trust you..."
"I just got you back. Please don't let that psycho bitch come between us. Please." He grabbed her wrist to keep her from walking off.
She cringed the second his hand made contact. He glanced down and noticed blood dripping down her hand.
"The fuck..." He pulled her closer and pushed the sleeve of her sweatshirt up. "Jesus, Adds… your bleeding." He looked at the thin cut closer and inhaled sharply as he looked up into her eyes. "Did you cut yourself?"
She pulled her arm away and covered it back up. "Why the fuck do you care?"
"You cut yourself?! Are you fucking insane?! "Jesus Christ…" He pulled her back into him, crushing her into his chest with a protective hug. "You could have seriously hurt yourself!"
She struggled against him, pushing her hands against his chest enough to be able to look him in the eyes. "Again, Z! Why do you even fucking care!?" Her voice was raw with emotion.
"Because I fucking love you! That's why!"
She pulled free from his embrace. "This was all a fucking mistake… I'm done with this tour, and I'm sure as hell done with you!" She turned on her heels and ran back towards the bus.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry for the emotional whiplash!
In case you missed it, I'm also writing a short Holiday Story! Go check it out!
SONGS USED IN THIS CHAPTER
Freaking Me Out- Ava Max
Stairway To Heaven- Led Zeppelin
Blood In The Cut-