KISS THE RING ☆ Taylor Hawkins

7. Same ol' situation

Mexico City, 1990.

Diane thought she was at the top of her happiness. She thought she couldn't go any further, that she couldn't get any better than that. The tour was going great, she managed to combine work and fun, it didn't feel real. Maybe she had found her true balance of hers. Tommy's arm brought her back to earth, making the cloud of positive thoughts that had been created disappear. Suddenly the pains in her limbs returned, not being able to make even the slightest movement. The drummer held her close, placing his head in the hollow between her neck and chest. "Still not sleeping?" He whispered to her, drawling the words of his with his eyes closed, starting to caress her back with the tips of his fingers. "I can't. The ibuprofen hasn't worked yet." She affirmed, making her partner sigh as he held her closer to him to be able to print a trail of kisses from her chest to her neck. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Tommy opened his eyes, lifting his head towards her to stroke her cheeks with his nose. "My baby... can I help you somehow?" His hand passed from the back to the girl's belly, stroking her and lightly tucking his index finger under the elastic of her panties. Diane shook her head, closing her eyes and, letting a tear roll down her face, a tear that went unnoticed, she refused. "Next time try to keep your hands in your pockets." She announced in a voice broken by sleep, screams and previous crying. Suddenly, the drummer took her face to hold it in his hands, forcing her to look at him. "What did you say?" He almost spat at her two millimeters from her lips. "You heard me." The redhead tried to free herself from the grip, making his boyfriend laugh at her vain attempts. "Baby you have to stop, you know I love you." He whispered to her again, before forcing a kiss on her lips. "Leave me alone." He let go of her and stared at her for a few minutes in absolute silence. "I want to make love to you." Diane lifted her gaze from her aching wrists that she was massaging, moving her eyes over him with visible shock in her sight. "I already told you I don't want to." She replied with a weak voice, letting the drummer take her hands again, this time gently. "I'll be nice, no funny stuff." He took her to sit on his lap, letting him place her legs on either side of his thighs. "Just the two of us, let me love you." Tommy brought her girlfriend's fingers to his lips, gently kissing her and keeping his gaze fixed on her eyes. "My sweet Midnight Rambler..." he brought her closer to him, making him lean against her chest so that he could hold her again before lying on his back, taking her with him. "Please, Tommy ..." He nodded, leaving a kiss on her lips which strangely she returned, making the drummer smile. "I love you so much, Diane."

Tampa, 1990.

Another city, another hotel room, same old routine. The only way Diane found to get through the tour was by developing a cocaine addiction. The room was filled with palpable rancor and hatred, the air heavy and the furniture upside down. In the half hour before, the couple began to pull on each other anything that happens to them by the hand. The drummer, as if it were something new, came back drunk after two days of wandering with Nikki through the streets of Florida, which made Diane really mad: his toxic love was the last thing she needed, but she didn't want to give up at the thought that their fairytale story had become a nightmare. "What is this?" He yelled as soon as he entered the bathroom. The redhead ignored him, continuing to sit on the edge of their bed dabbing her lip and right nostril from which was leaking blood. She just had to look up when she heard his footsteps getting closer and closer. "What does it mean?" Tommy seemed much calmer, almost frightened. He looked at her with shining eyes as he slapped the positive pregnancy test in her face. She continued to wipe away the blood, rolling her eyes before looking back at him. "Diane, talk to me." - "What the fuck does that look like? You're going to be a father, asshole." She screamed in his face, throwing herself at him and punching his chest. "I fucking hate you!" She repeated to him continuing to hit him more and more slowly, until she stopped with tears in her eyes. The drummer held her close, placing his lips on her head and staring into space for a time that seemed indefinite. "I don't want to raise a child in these conditions." She whispered, leaning her head against the chest of her tallest, still sobbing in desperation. "It won't happen. I'll change, I'll be better." He pulled away from her to place his hands on her shoulders, showing his first real genuine smile in weeks of quarrels. "I'm so happy to be a father, I can't wait to tell everyone else."

He still didn't listen to her, as always. She didn't know what to do, she just wanted her boyfriend to treat her with dignity. She just wanted to start a family with the man she loved. She immediately think not to call Joan so as not to give her thoughts, working in the studio was already very stressful for her, same thing for Pat. When Tommy left her in the room to go tell his groupmates the good news, the redhead started thinking, pacing aimlessly around the room. She could only hope that the drummer would do as he said earlier. She then began to think only and exclusively of herself. A child at 18? With the Motley Crue drummer?

What would Joan think? What about Pat?

Sooner or later she would have to tell 'em, it would have been quite impossible to hide a pregnancy, especially from the paparazzi.

It was time to grow up.