ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ꜰᴏʀɢᴇᴛ ᴍᴇ // ᴊ.ꜰ.

♡ 16 ♡

We pull up at 6th Avenue and I thank the driver.

He scratches the back of his neck. 'Miss, I'm parked illegally...'

'Really, it won't take long. I've just got to give someone a quick message and I'll be straight back, promise!' 

Don't you realise you're gonna get the fattest tip ever? Just wait and let me do my thing.

He nods reluctantly and I thank him again before running down the side of the building, looking for the backstage door. I find it almost instantly thanks to the swarm of people gathered there. A big brawl guy is trying to send them on their way. 'C'mon, kids. If you wanna see the show, you gotta buy tickets.'

'But I know them!' a girl shouts. 'Just let me in and they'll tell you who I am!'

I roll my eyes and push past them all. The show starts in less than three hours, and my poor cabbie's waiting. 

I walk straight up to the guard and pull out the lanyard from my pocket, the one Anthony gave me to get backstage if there was ever an emergency.

The guard spots me and eyes the pass in my hand. Reluctantly, he lets me in, slamming the door behind me. I can hear the jealous uproar of the crowd from here.

I take a deep breath and begin my search for their dressing room. A few people kindly give me directions, and when I finally find the door marked with a star on it, I see another guard; arms crossed, glaring at me.

I walk closer and he says nothing.

'Could you please let me in?' I smile, pulling out the pass again.

'Sound check's in three minutes. It'll have to wait.'

I sigh and step closer. 'I am begging you. It will take less than a minute. I just need to walk in, pass on a quick message and then I'm out of your way. My cab's waiting outside.'

He frowns and rolls his eyes before stepping inside. 'Fine. Just hurry up.'

I walk towards the door and grip the handle. My breath hitches, and I turn to look at the bodyguard in a truly idiotic manner. He leans forward. 'Am I speaking English? Get your ass i-'

I don't even have the opportunity to push the door open; somebody inside has pulled it towards them. The door flies open, leaving me in full view of everyone in the room.

Absolutely everyone. Including him.

'Natasha? What's the matter... why are you here?' He says, staring down at me with his big brown eyes.

'I, uh... I came to say that I'm... I'm going back to LA. Tonight. I wrote a note and I was just going to leave but I-'

'Ash, what the fuck?!' shouts Michael, pacing towards me. I shudder, but he just places his hands on my shoulders. 'Why are you here? I mean, it's good to see you, but, why? Is Toni okay? Are you okay?'

'Woah woah woah,' says Chad, 'Hold the fuck up for just a minute. Can someone please tell me what's going on?'

I gaze back at Anthony. He looks as if he's about to speak, but the words aren't coming out.

I sigh. 'I've been following y-'

'I forced her to come.' He says, cutting me off.

'Anthony, stop.' I whisper. I reach for his hand but he pulls away. Why is he doing this?

'I forced her to come because I couldn't stand being without her. She was against the whole plan but I persisted. It was all my idea... I orchestrated the whole thing.'

 'He's lying!' I cry. 'I wanted to come, I did, but it's too hard. I have to go home before I ruin things. It wasn't Anthony's fault.'

Flea shakes his head, his grip still on my shoulders. He turns to look at Anthony, and then back at me. 'That was a dick move, guys, seriously.'

I look at my feet, disappointed. Of all the people in my life, why did I have to let Flea down.

'But it's okay, Natasha. It was a mistake, but... we've all been there. Me, Chad, John...'

John... I scan the room, and there he is, sitting on a sofa towards the back.

He looks even more irresistible. His hair is in a floppy red mess but he looks like an angel.

He glares back at me, his face expressionless. I find myself opening my mouth to say something, but he turns his head.

Flea snaps me back into my thoughts. 'That's why we put that rule in place. It sucks, but in the end, this kind of thing does more harm than good.'

I nod. 'I realise that now. Which is why I'm leaving. I admit, you guys weren't ever supposed to know. I'm sorry I deceived you like that. Truly, I am. And I understand if you never want to see me agai-'

'Don't be ridiculous.' Chad scoffs. 'We love you, you're a part of the family now! It's a bit of a fucked up one, I'll admit, but I wouldn't have it any other way.'

'He's right,' says Flea. 'Why don't you stay a little longer? We come home in a month... it sounds like a really long time but it flies by, honestly.'

Anthony rubs his eyes. 'No, she should go home. Toni will look after her, and we'll be back in no time.'

At first I'm a little startled by his firmness. Does he really want me out of his hair that bad? But I realise that I have to.

One by one, we say are goodbyes. John is still sitting on the sofa. I can't handle any more humiliation from him, so I just nod in his direction. 'Bye.'

Anthony is unusually cold. 'Stay safe.' He mutters.

I give a weak smile before stepping back out into the hallway.

'That was way longer than a minute.' Mumbles the guard. I almost turn around to tell him to shut the fuck up, but I keep my composure.

I feel suddenly liberated. What I did was terrible but I'm just glad that I get to go back home and start fresh.

At first I can hear muffled footteps, as though someone is running behind me. Before I can turn to identify them, I feel a sudden tug on my left wrist. 

But it isn't Anthony. Or Flea. Or even Chad.

What is John doing grabbing my arm like this?

a/n: my kitten was walking all over my keyboard the whole time i was typing this :(( stay tuned for more!