Invisible String

Chapter 10 -We're not fighting

A sarcastic laugh echoed behind us, coming from Eros. The tension in the air became even more palpable, and I felt the judgment of someone who barely knew me hit me like a low blow.

I couldn't believe Ronnie liked a guy like him.

"Logan, you're being distracted from your duties," I insisted, feeling the weight of responsibility upon me.

"And that's my problem," he reiterated. "I won't let you blame yourself for something that's out of your control."

"Logan, you need to think about the band for a moment. Girls come and go, don't let a one-night stand ruin what we've worked so hard for. For the band," Eros intervened again.

His words hit me like a direct punch to the heart. I felt a mix of anger and helplessness. How dare he judge me like that? He was behaving like the media did, labeling and demeaning me without even knowing me.

"Excuse me?" My voice was full of disbelief and contained fury. I couldn't contain my outrage. It was time to set things straight.

The room fell silent, tense and charged, as my response hung in the air. My words had cut like a sharp knife, challenging Eros's audacity and making it clear that I wouldn't tolerate his contemptuous judgment.

Eros looked at me with surprise, but also with a spark of disdain in his eyes. He seemed taken aback by my reaction, as if he didn't expect me to dare confront him.

However, I didn't back down. I stood my ground, meeting his gaze defiantly and determinedly. I had had enough of being judged by the media and public opinion; I wouldn't allow someone else to belittle me in that way.

Finally, after a few seconds that felt like an eternity, Logan broke the silence.

"You're very mistaken if you think you can come to my house and start treating my guest like that. You know nothing about her, and you have no right to treat her that way."

"And do you know her?"

"Logan, I don't need you to defend me," I clarified. I appreciated Logan's effort, but I wasn't a damsel in distress. I could fight my own battles. "Eros, I don't care how much you know about me or not," my voice resonated with a strength I didn't know I had. "But you have no right to judge me like that. Logan was kind enough to offer me a place to stay. All my safe places like my house, my brother's, my best friend's, or even the recording studio are filled with reporters waiting for days to see my face and destroy me for a stupid decision I made when I was with my ex-boyfriend, whom I trusted."

"I have no power over Logan," I continued, firm. "I have no idea why he misses rehearsals or looks distracted. I have no control over him. All I know is that he was the only person who has saved me in all this mess. He's given me a place to sleep and a shoulder to cry on. I've been going through the worst of hells, I won't give you the satisfaction of coming here, looking me in the face, and calling me a 'one-night stand'."

I stared Eros down, defiant but also with a spark of vulnerability in my eyes.

"I understand that you may not fully understand my situation. But I ask, I beg, that you at least respect my dignity as a human being and don't reduce me to a mere stereotype or a derogatory label."

The room fell silent after my speech, and although I still felt the weight of tension in the air, I also felt a small sense of liberation at having expressed my feelings and defended my position firmly.

With my heart pounding in my chest, I turned on my heel and ran back to the room I had occupied for the past few days. After closing the door with a slam, I collapsed against it and slid slowly to the floor. I couldn't believe what had just happened.

"And this is only the beginning," a small voice in my head reminded me. Tears began to fall down my cheeks, mingling with the emotions that overwhelmed me.

A tap on the door brought me out of my emotional stupor.

"Not now!" I complained through sobs, feeling vulnerable and exposed.

I cursed myself for showing weakness. I didn't want anyone to know how weak I felt enough to cry.

"Eros is gone... Can we talk?"

Logan.

No!

"Go away."

I felt bad for kicking him out, after all, this was his home and he had defended me against his friend. But I needed to be alone, process everything that had just happened, and face my own demons without anyone else's presence.

"If you need anything, I'm in the room next door," he let me know. Before I could even articulate a response, I felt his footsteps move away from the other side of the door.

I curled up on the floor, hugging my knees as the tears continued to flow.