"Sorry, you want me to do what?" I glared at Matt.
"Come to the cemetery with us. It's what we do before we go on tour or have a show. We all pay our respects to Jimmy." Matt said.
"I haven't been there in months! Look what happened last time!" I shrieked.
They are doing a charity concert in LA tomorrow, and have even found a new drummer named Brooks. I've met him a few times over the last few months, and he's really a great guy.
I just don't want to go back to the cemetery. I've avoided it because it freaked me out so much last time. Yet, at the same time, I'm afraid I have offended Jimmy in a way. I know, absolutely crazy. I can't help how I feel though.
"You do realize that Jimmy would of never hurt you. Dead or alive, right?" Matt grinned a little.
"I get that, but it's just so fucking crazy to me." I sighed.
"Please? I need you there for me." Matt said quietly.
Rarely does this man ask for anything from me. I looked up to see his eyes full of sadness.
"Those Goddamn eyes. Ok, I'll go." I said, watching him light up with a smile.
"Thank you. I really mean that." He said, hugging me.
"Do any of them know about the cemetery?" I asked.
"No. I figured I'd leave it up to you." He grinned.
Reluctantly, I went to the cemetery the next day with all of them. I nervously glanced around for a duck or a tall man with black hair and piercing blue eyes. I didn't see anything. I felt myself relaxing as I held Matt's hand.
We all quietly gathered around Jimmy's grave. Brooks was there too. I'm not sure why that surprised me, but it did. I listened as they all said something to Jimmy quietly.
And then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the duck wandering the rows of gravestones. I squeezed Matt's hand to get his attention. When this didn't work, I tugged hard on his hand. Matt looked at me confused until I pointed out the duck walking one aisle over. Matt smiled wide.
"The stallion duck." Matt chuckled.
Everyone snapped their heads up to see what he was referring to. I heard the girls gasp quietly.
"Holy shit." Brian laughed.
"Where the hell did that come from?" Johnny asked.
"This is strange." Zack grinned.
"You have no idea." I muttered under my breath.
"Well, I know it's not a stallion duck, but this will have to do, man." Brooks grinned.
I watched him place a small rubber duck on the grave. We all chuckled quietly. As we said our goodbyes to Jimmy, we started to head back.
"Did you see that?" Zack asked suddenly.
"See what?" Gena asked him.
"I swear I just...nevermind." Zack shook his head.
I realized as we were walking, Matt wasn't holding my hand anymore. I turned to see him staring off in the distance. I looked to see what He was looking at, but didn't see anything.
"Matt?" I asked quietly.
He turned and smiled wide at me. He walked over and kissed my cheek before we got back into the car. I looked over at him and He just laughed.
"Rev said hi. He said you shouldn't be a stranger." He smiled.
"What?" I whispered.
I never told Matt that Jimmy had said that to me that day. I felt myself growing pale in the face.
"He said that when I went to leave that day." I whispered.
"Then he meant it." He smiled, starting the car.
------------
I was blown away by their performance tonight. I enjoyed the hell out of it, and was glad we had the best seats in the entire place. Matt would turn in my direction to smile at me every chance he got. I loved it. I love watching them perform.
Now I'm sitting backstage getting death glares and resting bitch faces from jealous fans. I'm not well liked from the little I have read online about Matt's homewrecking girlfriend. I haven't told Matt or any of them how their fans really feel about me. I figure they probably know already and aren't telling me so I don't get pissed off.
I stood watching Matt and the guys interact with their fans. I didn't have a problem with the pictures or the hugs. What I had a problem with was the bitches that wanted to hang on my boyfriend for alot longer than they should of. I felt my temper starting to boil. One plastic bitch was seriously caressing Matt's bicep as he smiled at her.
"It's all for show. They don't like it anymore than we do." Michelle whispered in my ear.
"Sure they don't." I glared at her.
"Seriously, they'll be back here bitching about it soon enough." Gena grinned.
I don't know how these guys do it. I really don't. The second some motherfucker put his hands on me, I'd kill their ass. I guess that's why these guys get paid to do what they do, and I work at a bank. Ugh. Whatever. It still pisses me off seeing that girl hang on my boyfriend. What a cunt.
Finally, they were done. Matt kept smirking at me. I'm sure he found it amusing. That asshole won't find it amusing in a minute though.
I smiled sweetly at him, then turned to give Jason Berry a giant hug. Jason had no problems with it. If anything, he was more than pleased to hug me. And keep his arm around my waist as him and I stood and talked.
"Jason? Get the fuck off of my girl." Matt growled.
"Who, Tatum?" Jason smiled, not moving away.
"Asshole!" Matt barked.
I giggled when Jason darted down the long corridor. Matt glared at me playfully.
"Point taken, babe. Point taken. I'm sorry." He said kissing me.
"Better be. That bitch almost got her weave yanked out." I said, watching him laugh.
"I held her back!" Michelle called out.
"Thanks Chelle!" Matt grinned at her.
"Hey man!" I heard behind us.
When I turned, I saw a tall man with a large build. He had dark hair that was buzzed close to his head. His dark eyes smiled at Matt. Matt got an instant smiled and gave him a bro hug.
As they talked, I felt something in the pit of my stomach. Something about this man didn't sit well with me for one second. I felt anxious and scared. I just didn't understand why. I don't think I've ever met him before.
The longer Matt and this man spoke to one another, the more the fear consumed me. I found myself squeezing Matt's hand tighter as each second passed.
"Shit, I'm sorry. Tatum? This is Gage. Gage, this is my girlfriend Tatum. Gage and I grew up together." Matt smiled at me.
Gage extended his hand to me for a handshake. Not wanting to touch him, but also not wanting to be rude, I reluctantly shook his hand.
The moment his hand touched mine, I almost threw up. Bile rose in the back of my throat. Then I looked down at our hands. A scorpion tattoo. The same tattoo as the man that almost killed me that night. Panic and fear suddenly slipped to the surface for me. I stood frozen in place as Gage smiled at me. He let go of my hand.
"You keeping him in line?" Gage asked me.
"Yeah." I whispered.
Gage kept his eyes on me. Those are the same eyes that I saw that night. They are cold and unforgiving. The warmth that had been in them before was now gone.
"Excuse me." I whispered, turning away from them.
I heard nothing as I took off to the bathroom. I slammed open the bathroom door and locked myself in a stall. I emptied the contents of my stomach into the toilet. I can't breathe. More than anything, I'm positive I'm going to die.
Tears streamed down my face. I'm hyperventilating and I'm terrified. The bathroom door opened quietly. I clamped my hand over my mouth. I feel the same as I did when I hid that night in the tall grass. The footsteps grew closer to the stall door. I squeezed my eyes shut.
"Tatum?" Michelle called out quietly.
I let out a loud sob. Relief fled through my whole body at the sound of her voice.
"Honey, open the door." Michelle said quietly.
I flipped the lock. Michelle slowly pushed the stall door open. She looked at me horrified.
"Tay? What's wrong? Are you sick?" She asked.
I shook my head. My body is physically shaking. I can't stop it either.
"Talk to me, ok?" She said.
I shook my head again. Michelle bent down and looked at me worried. When she went to touch my head, I flinched away from her.
"I'll be right back." She said, getting up.
It felt like Michelle was gone for hours. I sat on the floor in the stall, shaking and gasping for air while I was alone. The door opened again. Heavy footsteps came around the corner. I whimpered, curling into myself more.
"Holy shit! Baby, what the hell happened?" Matt almost yelled.
He bent down to touch me and I cowered away from him. Matt looked shocked by my reaction. I can barely get a breath in. I'm so fucking scared that I can't breathe.
"Chelle? Grab Brian." Matt said, not taking his eyes off of me.
"Tay, whatever it is, you can tell me." Matt said calmly.
I shook my head furiously at him. I saw Brian appear behind Matt. He looks just as horrified as Matt had.
"What the fuck?" Brian whispered.
"I...I don't know man. She won't let anyone near her and She won't say anything." Matt told him.
"Give us a minute. Please?" Brian said to Matt.
This has to be killing Matt. Matt honestly has no idea how to help me and for him to ask Brian, well, the man is definitely at a loss. Once Matt was gone, Brian crouched down on the floor, keeping his distance from me.
"Tatum, it's just us. Talk to me. Let me help." Brian said quietly.
I shook my head, more tears rolling down my face. Brian held a hand out to me, still watching me.
"I won't make you move, ok?" He grinned a little.
Slowly, I extended my hand towards him. Brian smiled more and gently held onto it. He started to slowly rub circles over the top of my hand. Very slowly, I felt my breathing return to normal.
"That's better." Brian grinned.
"What happened, sweetie?" He asked gently.
"It's him." I whispered through my tears.
"Him? What do you mean?" Brian asked confused.
"The guy from that night." I whimpered.
Brian sat staring at me as though he was trying to understand what I had just said. Suddenly, his eyes blinked.
"Gage?" He whispered.
"Yeah." I sobbed out.
"Tatum, you're positive?" He asked.
"I swear on my life, Brian." I sobbed out.
"Ok. Ok, come here." He whispered, holding both arms out to me.
I moved over and let him hug me as I sobbed into his shirt. Brian sighed heavily, and kept a tight hold on me. Matt peaked his head into the bathroom.
"Baby? Can you talk to me now?" Matt asked quietly.
"You need to tell him what you just told me." Brian said, letting go of me.
"I can't." I sobbed even harder.
"Tatum, you have to tell me. If you won't, Brian will. I'd rather hear it from you." Matt said worried.
"It's Gage. It was him that night." I whispered, finally looking at Matt.
Then everything spiraled out of control.