Fight, Jamiee - Ellie R. Hunter Page 0,16
out in the hall through the peephole. Seeing she’s alone, I quickly open the door and pull her inside. I wouldn’t put it past my brother to hide around the corner just to get me to open up.
“How are you doing? I thought I’d come and check on you since you didn’t return to the suite.”
She’s too kind.
“I’m tired.” And that’s the truth.
Crossing the room, I slip under the sheets on the absurdly large bed. It’s been over thirty hours since I slept more than four hours, and my body’s engulfed with fatigue.
Joining me, Alice climbs under the sheets across the bed from me, laying on her side so we’re facing each other. I’m so glad my brother met her; she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to him. I swear, I’ll kick his ass myself if he does anything to mess it up with her.
“Freddie said you guys knew I was pregnant. You never said anything.”
“I was waiting for you to tell us, as it was your news to share. You don’t know how hard it was for Damon not to reach out to you.”
“I can guess.” The thought brings a small smile to my face, and I close my eyes. “I lost it, Alice. I don’t know if I was having a boy or a girl. I wanted to name it, but I couldn’t.” Not knowing its gender made it even worse; I had no idea who I was grieving for. In the end, I grieved for a future that had been taken from me.
“What happened, Jamiee?”
“Deacon was on tour. I hadn’t missed a single show, but that night, I was sick as a dog. All I wanted to do was hide in bed until the nausea had passed, but Deacon insisted on me tagging along for the show. We got into a fight. I slammed the door in his face and climbed into bed, thinking the argument was over. I figured I’d see him in the morning, and shit would be okay between us again.”
The night comes back to me so clearly when I let myself remember it.
Alice reaches over and takes my hand.
“You don’t have to talk about it if it hurts too much.”
“That’s the thing: I want to talk to you. I’ve kept it to myself for so long, I sometimes wonder if it was real or all in my head.”
She looks at me thoughtfully. “Take all the time you need.”
“He burst through the door and dragged me out of bed. No one else was on the tour bus, and I was screaming for him to let me go, that he’d hurt the baby, but nothing got through to him. It was like he couldn’t hear me. Pulling me up to my feet, he dragged me through the bus and punched me in the stomach so hard I fell down the bus steps. I landed so hard, I was sure I’d broken something. He forced me back on the bus, made me get dressed, and dragged me to the stupid show. About halfway through it, I started bleeding. One of the groupies sleeping with the drummer took me to the hospital, and by the time I got there, I’d miscarried.”
A hot tear rolls from the corner of my eye and drops onto the pillow.
“Jamiee… I’m so sorry.”
She stays silent as I force the memories to the back of my mind once again. I spent every day with him for nearly two years, but when he got angry, he was a completely different person. I didn’t recognise him at all.
“Freddie told me about you two a year ago, I guess it was, and vowed he was going to win you back. But, before he could track you down, your mom told Damon you were pregnant. Since then, he’s been miserable.”
“I know all about being miserable.” He’s not the only one who mourned our relationship.
“How many times did he hit you, Jamiee?”
“Too many times,” I whisper. Strangely, admitting it to her, I feel like a weight’s being lifted off my chest. Secrets are soul-crushing.
“Damon’s worried you’re going to leave, and so am I. We were thinking about taking a trip. You should join us.”
“The whole band?”
“Just Damon and I. Freddie can’t leave, Baz is more interested in not being around me, and River wants to stay and keep an eye on him.”
“Being a third wheel? No thanks. I appreciate the offer, though.”
“Think about it. Unless, there’s another reason you want to stay behind?”
I’m saved from having to