Laughter, smug faces, fingers pointed at me. It was all too much, and I was right in the middle of it all.
"Stop," I yelled, but no one heard me—or if they did, they pretended not to.
"Stop."
"Stop!"
I slumped to the floor, cradling my head in my hands.Trying to drown their voices .
"Please… please just stop," I whispered into the ground, defeated.
From the corner of my eye, I saw black shoes walking toward me. I looked up—it was Leo.
"Leo, baby. Please help me," I said, reaching out to him.
He pulled me off the floor and cradled me in his arms. He was warm. I snuggled closer to him.
"Please take me away from here. It's too much," I said into his chest.
"Why, darling? The party is just getting started."
What?
I looked up. This wasn't Leo.
I pushed him away, and his smile turned sinister.
As he reached out to grab me, I jolted awake.
I was covered in sweat. It was a dream. It was all a dream.
I let out a choked sob. Even in my dreams, they torment me.
Eventually, I ran out of tears.
For the rest of the night, I stared at the ceiling.
Too afraid to sleep.
Too afraid to see their mocking faces.
Too afraid to hear their laughter.
Too afraid to see his face.
When the sun finally rose, I went to take a shower.
I let the scalding hot water hit my back until it turned cold. Even then, I was reluctant to leave the bathroom.
As if by some strange coincidence, just as I stepped out, dressed in nothing but a robe, there was a knock at the door.
I hesitated for a moment before opening it. It was Rowland.
"Good morning, dear," he said in a deep, gravelly voice.
My heart did somersaults at the word "dear." He must have just woken up.
"I have a name, you know," I said, my voice strained. My throat was dry, and I rubbed it absentmindedly. All that crying had made me sound like a heavy smoker.
He stepped into the room and sat on my bed. I could feel his eyes roaming my body. I pulled the robe tighter around myself.
"I know," he said with a smile.
I nodded and moved to the sofa to sit, his eyes following me.
"Trust you had a good night's sleep?" he asked.
"Mhmm, I did," I lied effortlessly.
"Liar."
"Excuse me?"
"Liar," he repeated.
"Why would I lie to you?"
"I don't know, but your eye bags tell a different story."
"If you noticed that, why ask at all?" I rolled my eyes.
"Courtesy, I guess," he shrugged.
"Courtesy, my ass. Why are you here?" I asked, feeling irritated by his presence, despite the constant butterflies in my stomach.
"Oh, that. My assistant brought some clothes for you to change into," he said, handing me a bag I hadn't noticed until then.
"Is that all?"
"We also need to leave soon, while it's still early, to avoid the paparazzi."
"We?"
"Yes, we. Unless you have a ride."
"Fine. I'll be down in a second."
"It's alright. I can wait here," he said casually.
"What? No," I said, feeling my cheeks burn.
"Why not?" he asked, as though the answer weren't obvious.
"I'm not changing in front of you!" I said, taken aback.
He just smiled and left.
Creep.