DOMINIK
I peered inside Brauns dressing room, finding Rosa with her mouth open and eyes wide in surprise. Her cheeks were a little pink and her eyes were a tad glossy, like she was holding back a mountain of tears.
Her hands were shaking.
I glanced in either direction of the hall, praying and hoping that Braun didn't come back. I saw him storm out, and I immediately came over. "Rosa." I whispered. "What's wrong? Are you ok?"
"What are you doing?" She asked quietly, and cleared her throat. "Dominik, I'm really sorry about him, he shouldn't have done that and he's really sorry."
I tilted my head. "Rosa. He's not sorry." I took a step further inside the dressing room, cautiously watching her step back too. I didn't want to scare her or make her feel uncomfortable. "I know that he's not sorry, for a fact. What's going on? Why are you shaking?" I asked, looking down at her hands.
She interlocked her hands together to stop it. "I'm fine, Dom. You should go it's-"
"Rosa." I said flatly, gaining some balls. "I care about you." I confessed and watched her face soften out. "I hardly know you, yet I want to make sure you're alright. Anyone's alright. After that out there, I saw that look you gave me."
"Yeah, i felt bad because he shouldn't have shoved you, Dom. That's all." She said. "He's just really upset tonight, but it's ok."
"See I don't believe you, Rosa." I pointed out. "No one should be shaking after an argument with someone- especially your boyfriend."
She looked at the wall, avoiding my eyes and she rubbed her lips together. "Dom... Just leave it-"
"Rosa..."
"Leave it, Dom." She suddenly snapped at me. "It's none of your business what Braun and I do. Please, get out." I autonomously reached for her hand without thinking, grabbing them and holding them tightly to stop them from shaking. She didn't pull them out either. "Dom..." she whispered it.
I stared at her face, and into her eyes. "I know it's none of my business. I'm not telling you to do anything, but tell me you're happy with him. Tell me the truth and tell me he's treating you right."
"Dom it's-"
"Don't lie to me, Hermosa." The compliment just came out and I watched her lips tighten. I cleared my throat. "I'm sorry if I'm overstepping." I apologised.
"Just..." Rosa pulled her hands from mine. "Don't-"
"What is that?" I spotted something on her wrist. Something deep and dark and purple with some yellow tinge. A bruise on her wrist. I examined her wrist and the bruise, just barely before she yanked it away. "Rosa..." I whispered.
"It's nothing, I hit it." She answered.
And that was a blatant lie. I looked at her. "Don't lie to me." My tone was incredibly flat and serious. I could feel heat growing up my spine with frustration. Because I didn't want to even think about what that bruise meant. "Is he treating you right?"
Rosa swallowed. I heard it and I saw her blink once. "Yes."
I didn't believe a single word that came out of her mouth.
I moved in closer to her. I held my pinky out. "Pinky promise me."
Rosa looked at it, then back at me. She wouldn't do it...
She didn't move, she just stared at me, wondering if she should take it, which was answer enough for me. "You don't deserve it." I whispered and brought my pinky back to myself.
"Please, Dom. Don't say anything." Her voice was weak as she spoke. "It doesn't concern you, and I have it under-"
"Under control?" I scoffed. "Rosa, what's he doing to you?" My voice was deeper.
"Nothing." She touched her face. "It's fine."
I knew he was treating her like shit. I assumed verbal abuse and I could see he was controlling and demanding and all of that. I thought he was just a piece of shit with a woman too good for him. I didn't expect for him to- for him to be rough with her. I didn't know the extent of how much, but I was going to find out.
"I want to help you." I said. "Let me help you."
"Please." Rosa pleaded and grabbed my arm, trying to push me out of the room. Her voice was hoarse and she was avoiding looking at me, staring at the ground instead. "Dom, get out." She added and moved me out of the door.
I wanted her to touch me, but not like this. Not right now. Not because she couldn't tell me how much he was hurting her.
"Rosa." I stopped her from shutting the door on me. I leaned in. "I just want the best for you." I said softly.
Rosa stared at me, eyes lowering. Why does she keep doing that? "I don't need help." She concluded and shoved me once more to slam the door on my face.
All I could do was leave it for now. I walked down the hall and rubbed over my face in worry, wondering how the hell I was going to survive contently, knowing she needed help. Knowing she was just taking this from this guy.
I found Flo and Rhea, packing up for the night and went over. Avoiding Rhea and talking to Flo. "Flo, I need your help." I grabbed her hand.
She looked at me sweetly and concerned. "Hey, what's going on? Is everything alright?" She whispered it.
"Oi." Rhea snapped at us. "Careful with your hand."
I took my hand off quickly. "Not the time." I told her and she just glared at me as she also came over to listen to what I was saying. Ryan in her arms, nearly asleep. "I was just talking to Rosa. She's-" I whispered it. "Brauns hurting her."
Flo's face evened out. "Hurting her? What do you mean hurting her?"
"He's-" I didn't even want to say it let alone see it. Imagine it, or anything. "She has a bruise on her wrist. I know he's hurting her."Rheas eyebrows creased and Flo looked incredibly upset. "I tried talking to her but she won't admit it properly to me. I know it's true, and we've gotta help her. Can you try and talk to her?"
"Yeah, I'll see-"
Rheas cut her off. "She's not getting involved." She said it sharply. "Not if he's fucking abusive, Dom." She grabbed Flos arm. "We're not doing anything."
Flo looked at Rhea, and then to me. Like she was really really sorry about it. Back to Rhea. "Rhea..." She whispered. "I can't do nothing."
I looked between them, hopeful for there, at least Flos help.
"Flo. This isn't gonna happen." She said firmly. "It's not the same as a year ago, where you can just risk your bloody life again to help someone else. There's someone-" she glanced at Ryan all cute in her arms. "There's people who need you."
Flo looked at her softly. "But she's hurting."
Rhea looked at me. "How do you know for sure?" She eventually asked. "How don't you know they just like it rough?" She glanced at Flo. Who scratched her head in a little embarrassment, eyes floating around.
I shook my head. "I know that's not it." Even picturing that pissed me off.
"Well what do you expect Flo to do? If she didn't admit it to you huh?" Rhea was growing annoyed.
"I don't know-" I shrug. "She won't talk to me. She's stubborn so-"
"Is it a good idea for me to try and talk to her?" Flo asked. "I don't think she'll like if you tell others, you know? But I can try and just talk to her more in general." She offered and Rhea didn't say anything to deny her of doing that.
I nodded because I understood them. "Just- Yeah, thanks." I guess it would do and I walked off, mind reeling. I could hear Rhea and Flo arguing a little as they packed up, and I didn't mean to cause a fight. I just- I fucking cared about her. More than I should.
RHEA
"To hell if you think I'm risking you again, Flo. I'm not doing that." I told her, opening the door to the rental for her to get in. I leaned on the door and looked at her. "I know you want to help, but-" I shrugged. "I never want you in any sort of danger again."
Flo nodded once. "I know, but I'm just going to talk friendly to her. She could use some friends, you know?"
I looked away, wondering why she needed more friends. She has too many. I shut the door and moved to the drivers side. Hopping in.
"Don't you feel bad? This is someone Dom cares about, Rhea." Flo told me.
"She's in a relationship." I say.
"With someone bad." Flo replies. "Out of all people, Rhea, don't you understand and want to help?"
And that's partly why I wasn't getting involved with this.
I looked at her. "What? I should understand because I've been raped before? Is that what you're saying?"
Flo gave me a look, not liking what I said. "You know what it's like to be disrespected. We both do." She said.
"Abused and raped, thanks for the reminder." I focused on the road. "It's not something I like to be reminded of, let alone be around. Have you around. It's not happening." I swallowed.
It was silent between us for a while. Flo broke the silence. "I'm sorry, I didn't think about it."
"It's fine." I shook it off.
"It's not." She whispered, turning over to look at me. "I knew you didn't like being involved or anything in things like that. You didn't want to talk to Ellie about her past when we got to know her. I'm sorry." She touched my thigh and all that tension in my neck was already fading. "But I can't just stand back and watch as Dom suffer. At least, I want to make sure he's alright."
"How?" I asked softly, moving to hold her hand because I could never not touch her back.
"I'll call him when I can and- maybe I can give him advice." Flo said.
And that was much fucking better for my blood pressure.
The next day, we had to take Ryan to his doctors appointment. I had Flos hand in mine, and Ryan in the other as we waited in the lobby, and it was taking way too fucking long. Ryan was nearly asleep. Flo was bored out of her mind, and I could barely talk because she just shooshed me. Apparently I was too loud and inappropriate for the room full of medical staff and old people.
"I need the bathroom." Flo said.
"Call me if-"
"I know." Flo pet me on the top of the head like a dog and smiled as she walked across the lobby. I admired down her waist and hips, and down her incredible sexy fucking legs as she walked.
I was getting extremely horny the last 10 hours more specifically. Flo didn't want to do anything with Ryan in the room, and it was bloody hard when he nearly sleeps with us every night. I was getting rather restless, and I needed her.
My phone buzzed in my jumper pocket, and I swiftly pulled it out.
Liv Morgan: Sent a Photo
Why does she keep doing this?
I opened it and read the text with the photo.
Liv Morgan: Drinking a rum and soda. Your favourite ✨
Why was she suddenly doing this? I haven't spoken to her for fucking years. Does she not realise that I actually give zero fucks about what she's doing?
I kept the texts open, wanting to just tell and show Flo, in case Liv tried to talk to her or something when I wasn't around.
Its not even soda. It's a rum and cola anyway you stupid little-
"Ryan." A doctor caught my attention, smiling as he waited for Ryan and I. Luckily, Flo was just coming back and bounced over quickly. I followed them in.
He assured us Ryan was fine and everything to do with the epilepsy treatment was going great. Though, he warned us as he got older and older and becomes more aware of his surrounding. He could be more prone to seizures. He gave us more information about what to do and how not to stress, but it's pretty hard not to when it's your fucking son. Flo and I decided we shouldn't bring him to work as much, just to be on the safe side. Especially if Jey tried to bring him out on stage again...
Leaving the doctors, and eventually getting back home. Ryan was tucked sweetly in the bed in our room, and I met Flo in the kitchen, holding her softly in my arms. "Hey... You okay?"
"Yeah." She smiled and hugged me back, then continued making her hot chocolate with me still wrapped around her. "Want one?"
"No, angel, I want something else." And I kissed her just by the ear, and I felt her knees weaken, a breathe escape her lips.
That was all it took to have her turn around and smile as I pulled her in for a deep kiss. Wrapping my arms around her middle instead.
"I missed you." Flo said.
"I'm right here." I assured her and picked her up beneath her thighs to place her on the counter. Kissing her swiftly again.
But she pulled back again. "I know, but-" I could sense she was off. There was something bothering her.
"What's up?" I rested my hands on her thighs.
"I just feel like-" she shrugged. "Things have just been a little off, you know?"
"Describe off?"
Flo shrugged again. "Well since the date, we've disagreed on a lot of things. I just feel disconnected, I guess."
I felt horrible. I felt like the worst wife in the world. "I'm here, baby. I'm not going anywhere."
"I know." She smiled sweetly. "Don't go anywhere."
"I don't plan on it." I smirked and leaned in. "Now let me show you how connected we can be." And I found her in another hungry kiss. Where she whimpered as I squeezed her waist and used my tongue inside her mouth. She tasted so good. I missed this so much. It's been far too long.
Flo ran her fingers through my hair, making my spine heat. I was fucking soaking already.
I caressed my hands down her waist and grabbed the waistband of her-
Cries erupted from our bedroom.
Fuck. Me.
Flo pulled back and shuffled her way off the bench, walking swiftly to the room to check on him.
I leaned over the bench, rubbing my face. He was the biggest pussy block in all of history. I should have known that since the day he decided to come.
It wasn't just that though. He was on and off crying all night, and I didn't get to do a single thing I wanted to do with my wife.