It's difficult to slow my mind down, there's too much to think about. Not only do I have to worry about him, but now there's whatever Mike's hiding from me. He said it could hurt me, I don't know what that means. The only way Mike could cause me harm is by not being there at all. He needs time to think, but I'm not sure how much time we actually have before shit hits the fan.
Mike checked the room top to bottom before we went to sleep, yet I still feel uneasy. It's terrifying not knowing if you're being watched. He seemed to feel the same way as we stayed awake for hours, not saying anything. I wanted to talk to him more about everything, but he needs time.
The next morning is quiet. I'm not sure when I fell asleep, but my mind eventually turned off. Sitting up in bed, I glance over at Mike's sleeping form. The sun is starting to rise, beams of light pour into the room. I get out of bed, mind immediately full of buzzing thoughts. Coffee crosses my mind and I change into some casual clothes for the day.
Leaving the room, I head downstairs and find a cafe in the lobby. It looks like a slow morning for them, only one barista with a couple customers. Ordering a coffee, I decide to enjoy it there and take over one of the nearby tables, close to the exist just in case. Sipping gingerly, I notice one of my bandmates get in line. Once they have their coffee, I call him over.
"Good morning, Brad," I greet him and he sits across from me. "Sleep well?"
"Yeah, better than last time when I roomed with Joe," he chuckles and sips his drink. "I take it you and Mike are all good now?"
"Yeah, we talked, but things are still a little crazy," I reply honestly. "Now he's hiding something from me and says it's best I don't know what it is."
"He was mad at you for hiding something and now he's doing the same thing?" He asked, clearly puzzled and a little humored. "That's a bit hypocritical."
"He must have a good reason for it," I excuse Mike's actions. "Do you have any idea what he's keeping from me?"
"Maybe," he grits his teeth. "It's really not my place to say."
"I don't think he'll ever tell me," I sigh deeply. He smiles at me, throwing me off. "What are you grinning about?"
"Oh, nothing. He'll have to tell you eventually," Brad reassured me. "I wish I could say."
"It's getting us into a bit of trouble. I should really just tell you what's going on," I hesitate, unsure if I can mentally handle telling the story. "If you want to know, that is..."
"Of course I want to know. Things have felt crazy since we found those cameras in that hotel," he pointed out, I nod in agreement.
"Well... you know about my childhood?" I decide to begin there. He nods. "That guy never left me alone. He randomly goes to our shows and confronted me after our last concert. I don't know what he wants, but he blackmailed me with pictures of Mike and I in a suggestive pose. He's been messaging Mike creepy things and is definitely the one who put those cameras in there. I was hiding the pictures from Mike, but told him after he opened up about the texts. Our last meet and greet, he gave Mike something that appears to be more blackmail and that's what he's not telling me. Now he doesn't want the police involved or anything."
"Oh, wow..." Brad trails off, clearly stunned by what I'd just told him. "Does the rest of the band know?"
"No, just you and Mike," I fight the tears building in my eyes. Telling the story is hard, but it'll be nice to have someone to talk to about all this.
"This is really serious," he mindlessly says. "Mike needs to tell you what he's hiding. It's not worth going through all this."
"Can you tell me?" I ask, trying not to sound desperate.
"I'm sorry, Ches. I really want to, but Mike has to be the one to tell you. Tell him I said he needs to, maybe he'll see things more clearly."
"You really can't say?" I plead a little more, hoping he'll cave.
"No, I'm sorry. If he doesn't tell you soon, I will, but I want to give him a chance first," he promises. "His secret is not worth both your suffering."
"If having a stalker won't make him talk, I don't know what will," I admit with a pained sigh.
"Give him an ultimatum. I'll tell you if he doesn't within the next 24 hours. At least, I'm pretty sure I know what he's hiding..."
"You're not entirely sure?"
"No, not entirely, but I'm pretty confident I know what it is... maybe I'll talk to him first just to be sure."
"You'd do that?"
"Of course. This is a bad situation, you've been scared for too long. I'll talk to him, I promise," he smiles and grabs my hand to give it a reassuring squeeze. "I'll go get him a coffee and bring it up to him. Even if it's not what I think it is, he needs to tell you. It's too dangerous not to."
"Thank you, Brad," I let out a sigh of relief. He goes back in line to order Mike's coffee.
