Good as Gold // Josh Burrage

Chapter Twenty-Two

⚠️ this is an important author's note ⚠️
okay y'all, we've reached the chapter where that trigger warning I put in the cast chapter will apply. THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS AN INSTANCE OF SEXUAL ASSAULT. I don't go into too much detail, but it's definitely there. If you feel that you need to skip this chapter, go ahead.

on another note, I'd like to thank my friend Eden (who doesn't have a Wattpad, even though she should) for helping me write the majority of this chapter. I couldn't have done it without her

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Later that week, we travel to New Orleans, the next stop on the tour. As I'm organizing a few things in the boys' dressing room one Friday night during a show, Zachary Sayle, who plays Crutchie, breaks in with Ben behind him.

"What are you guys doing back here?" I ask, looking over as they enter.

"Ben doesn't like to listen to this song," Zach explains. "You know, since Marlee kisses Dan. So we're back here to hang out."

"I will leave you to it, then," I say, excusing myself from the room. I close the door behind them and find something else to busy myself with. They're being loud, but that's not unusual. They reemerge once Something to Believe In is almost over, since Ben has to be on stage.

"Thanks!" Zach calls as they leave.

I shake my head, smiling a little bit. Once I go back into the room, I find something to do, since I don't have a specific job at this point in the show. I hum softly as Once and For All plays over the speakers, and I'm unable to hide a smile when I hear Josh's lines as Darcy.

"I didn't know you could sing." I turn to see KP standing in the doorway. He's leaning to the side with his arms crossed and ankles crossed. He's got a smirk on his face that sends a shiver down my spine, and his eyes gleam like red lights, warning me of danger.

"Thanks, I guess," I say quietly. He takes two small steps into the room. "Shouldn't you be out there taking pictures for the Instagram page or something?" I reply in a monotone voice.

"I don't really have anything to do until the finale." He takes a seat at one of the mirrors, watching me. "You know, I feel like we haven't gotten a chance to know each other enough," he says slyly. I just ignore him and pretend to fix the costumes on the rack. KP stands up from the chair and slowly starts to walk towards me. "I know I've said this before, but you're kinda pretty." My back is facing him, but I glance in the mirror and see him biting his lip and looking me up and down.

I ignore him and continue to look through the costumes. Then the door shuts slowly. I hear the sound of the lock clicking into place. Suddenly, he's standing a few inches behind me. The hairs on the back of my neck stick up and my heart rate starts to climb. I don't know what to do; I'm frozen in place.

"We're not supposed to lock the dressing room doors," I say quietly.

KP just laughs. His left hand is on top of the costume rack, blocking me from exiting if I tried. I shudder, paralyzed. I can feel his breath on the back of my neck. "We've got time," he whispers. My heart has never beat so fast in my life. I have to get out of here. His fingers slide from my lower back to the rim of my jeans.

Then something kicks in. I punch him in the gut with my right elbow. He staggers backwards and starts to curse. Quickly I unlock the door with shaking hands and run out of the dressing room, but before I can turn the corner, I feel a hand grip my arm. Hard. I try to scream, but it comes out as a gasp, and I'm pulled back into the dressing room. The door shuts, and the lights turn off. I'm pressed against the door by KP's body and one of his hands covers my mouth.

"It'll be over soon," he whispers in my right ear. Then he kisses my neck, but it feels more like a bite. I'm scared, and I feel like I'm about to cry. I hear the sound of him unzipping his black jeans. Before he can get to mine, however, a knock sounds on the door.

"Is anyone in there?" The stage manager calls. "KP?"

KP curses and zips his jeans back up. Then he backs into the costume rack, and it falls over. I step away from the door right before it swings open.

The stage manager flips the lights on. "Is everything okay in here?" She asks, looking from KP to me. I don't answer, and I slip out the open door, grabbing my phone from where I left it in Marlee's dressing room.

As quickly as I can, I exit the theater and begin the short five-minute walk back to the hotel we're staying at. I somehow keep the tears at bay until I lock my hotel room door behind me. My legs give out, and I slide to the floor, burying my head in my hands. I don't know how long I stay there. Finally, I drag myself up, take a shower to rinse off the feeling of dirty skin, and lay down on the bed. The tears keep coming. I haven't cried like this in years. At some point, I fall asleep, exhausted.