We're all on the bus later, on our way to PTV's next venue. Vic and I are laying in his bunk together. He's holding my hand and tracing small circles on my stomach. I look at him.
"Vic?" I ask.
"Yes, love?" he replies, looking back at me.
"We need to talk about Mike." I say. He looks at me more seriously.
"I thought we took care of him?" he asks.
"It wasn't entirely successful..." I reply, looking down.
"What do you mean?" his voice is a mix of concern and an edgy something I don't recognize from him.
"Well, you know the night when we were all drunk in the hotel and you and Tony passed out?" I look at the ceiling of his bunk and avoid his piercing gaze as he nods gravely.
"Um, well, Mike and I were still conscious, and we...more like he...he got us all drunk so he could...get to me."
"What'd he do to you?!" You can practically feel his anger and confusion hanging quizzically in the air around us.
"He kissed me... a lot..." I whisper. Vic's hand tenses up and he stops tracing circles.
"Were you even awake?"
"I don't remember any of it. Jaime and Avery just showed up and apparently Mike was making out with me. I'm so sorry, Vic-"
"No. It's not your fault that he took advantage of you after he got you high and drunk." Vic interrupts me.
"That's not all of it..." I say, regretting everything that's happened between Mike and I. Why can't I just be happy with Vic?
"How could it get any worse??" Vic asks.
"In the hotel when you and Tony were out, I was mad, because Avery had just told me. And I went to shove Mike.... and..." I slide up the sleeves of my PTV hoodie to reveal the bruises. I can practically feel his anger rising and boiling inside of him like a volcano about to blow.
"I'll kill him-"
"Vic, I didn't initially see these, but there's more... it must have happened the night that we were drunk." I say, interrupting his homicidal rant. I pull down the waistband of my leggings to reveal what looks like fingerprint bruises along my hips.
Vic is so mad I'm almost scared of him. I've never seen that look in his eyes. He sits up and I move out of his way. He climbs down and I follow him through the bus to where Mike is on his phone. The rest of the guys and Avery are all hanging out in the same room, but no one's next to Mike.
Vic storms in and screams, "Fuck you Mike! Fuck! You! What is your problem?! Don't you ever know when to stop??"
I walk in just as Mike is standing up and squaring himself up with Vic.
"Look, I know you're mad..." Mike starts, but Vic doesn't care what his brother has to say.
"FUCK YES I'M MAD! I've seen you do a lot of terrible things to women, but I always thought there was a limit! Apparently I mean nothing to you."
"No, Vic, you don't understa-" Mike is cut off again.
"I don't care about your explanations." Vic says angrily.
"Okay, okay... here, I'll make you a deal?" Mike offers. "You get to punch me three times. As hard as you want, okay? One in the face, one in the stomach, and the third in the balls." Vic looks unimpressed. "I know this band means so much to you, but I also know family means more. This agreement means cleaning the slate."
Vic is still fuming, but he nods anyways. "Fine."
Mike starts to say something, but Vic interrupts him with a right hook to the face. I cover my mouth and scramble over to where the others are, standing with Tony and Avery. Tony puts his arm around my shoulders and I lean into him.
Vic gets Mike in the balls next, then when Mike falls, he kicks him in the stomach. Then he steps back, satisfied. Mike is on the ground, coughing.
"I feel better." Vic announces.
To everyone's surprise, especially Mike's, Vic leans over and pulls Mike off of the ground. Vic got him good in the nose, and it's bled all over his lips and chin. He's still kind of holding his crotch and is doubled over slightly from the kick in the stomach.
"Are we good, bro?" Mike asks weakly. Vic looks at me, and I nod. He nods back and looks at Mike.
"We're good. But hey. Seriously this time. You're skating on thin ice- if you so much as breathe on her, you're gone." Vic threatens. Mike nods and saunters away to go wash his face, I presume. I walk to Vic and he flings his arms around my neck, hugging me. He rests his head on my shoulder and sighs.
"I haven't fully forgiven him." he whispers. I exhale and hold him tighter.
"Me either."
