I know your pain

Bleeders

Rowan's pov

It's been a few days since I last heard from anyone. Ricky had been calling me repeatedly, but I couldn't bring myself to answer any of the calls. I was torn between wanting to talk to the person I love and avoiding any further trouble with Chris. It pained me to ignore Ricky's calls, but Chris had made it abundantly clear where I stood. Thankfully, I managed to find a lovely house not too far from Chris and Ricky's place, but far enough to avoid running into them. I was grateful that Ricky's mom agreed to babysit the babies for me while I sorted out my things and prepared to leave Chris' house.

As I packed my belongings, I carefully selected some of my favorite hoodies from Ricky. The bittersweet realization that it was time to leave brought tears to my eyes once again. Before Chris and Ricky returned home, I left a note explaining that it was Chris' fault and quietly exited the room.

"Hey mom, I'm just about to head out. I'll send you my address once I'm back home, but please don't tell Ricky or anyone else. Chris was very clear about that. I'll have to start looking for a new job soon, but it would mean a lot if you could babysit them sometime," I said as she pulled me into a tight hug. "You should talk to Ricky soon; he'll be a wreck without you," she said, and I nodded slowly. "I'll text him once I figure things out," I promised as she let go. After securing Caleb and Rosie in their car seats, I noticed the tour bus a couple of blocks away, so I quickly drove off before they could spot my car.

After a long 10-minute drive, I finally arrived at my new house. The first thing I did was to quickly send a text to Ricky's mom with the address, just to let her know that I had arrived safely. After that, I carefully took the babies out of the car and placed them in their strollers. With the babies in tow, I headed towards the entrance of the house, mentally preparing myself for the challenging task of unloading everything on my own.

Ricky's pov

It's been an exhausting few days on tour, and I can't shake off the worry about Rowan. She hasn't been in touch since she left, and it's been weighing on my mind. Chris has been acting strangely lately, and I can't figure out what's going on with him. As we pulled into the driveway, I scanned for Rowan's car, but it wasn't there, and my heart sank. I glanced at Chris and noticed a sly smirk on his face. The concern on Vinny, Ryan, and Justin's faces mirrored my own feelings as they also noticed Chris's odd behavior.

As we stepped off the tour bus, I hurried into the house and immediately sensed that something was wrong. My heart sank as I entered my bedroom and realized that all of Rowan's belongings, along with some of my own clothes, were gone. Overcome with emotion, I let out a cry of anguish, and Vinny, sensing my distress, quickly joined me in the room. "Ricky... she left a note," he said solemnly as he picked it up and read it aloud. "It was Chris' fault," he uttered, his voice heavy with disappointment.

I stormed out of the room and confronted Chris, unable to contain my anger. "HOW COULD YOU!" I yelled, but he seemed bewildered by my outburst. "YOU KICKED HER OUT. HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO HER? AFTER WHAT SHE DID FOR US?!" I sobbed, my fists clenched in frustration.

"Ricky, she was a distraction to you and caused us so much trouble. I don't want her around you anymore!" he bellowed.

"That's not your decision to make! You're not her real dad!" I shouted before storming out of the house.

I swiftly reached for my phone and quickly typed out a message to Rowan, my fingers trembling with urgency, "I know what Chris did; where are you??" I hit send and anxiously waited for a response, but there was nothing. Tears welled up in my eyes as I pleaded, "Babe, please... I need you. The babies need me." A few moments later, her response came, "Ricky, I can't tell you where I am yet, but I am safe. Just give me some time until I figure things out with Chris... he doesn't want me seeing you anymore..." I clenched my jaw in frustration and retorted, "That's not up to him; he's not your real dad, Rowan." After a pause, her text appeared, "I know Ricky..." I let out a heavy sigh and carefully tucked my phone back into my pocket, feeling a mix of worry and determination.

Rowan's pov

I messaged Ricky's mom and asked her to come over to watch the babies while I went out to look for job opportunities. She kindly agreed to help out, which I really appreciated. As I headed out, I couldn't shake off the guilt of not informing Ricky about my whereabouts. However, considering the current situation with Chris, I felt it was safer for me to keep him in the dark for now.

Once Ricky's mom arrived, I confided in her about my message to Ricky, "Ricky knows I'm safe but he doesn't know my address so do not tell him yet," and she understood. Setting out in my car, I scoured the area for job prospects. It wasn't easy, but eventually, I stumbled upon a promising opportunity – a bar with a music venue inside. It seemed like the perfect fit, offering both a source of income and a chance to immerse myself in live music.

As I stepped through the entrance of the venue, I made my way to the manager's office and introduced myself. "Hi, my name is Rowan, and I'm very interested in working here. I have experience in making drinks, so I believe I can quickly adapt to the role," I explained. The manager, with a welcoming smile, responded, "Well, Rowan, it's your lucky day. We've been searching for a new team member for quite some time. Some of our previous staff couldn't handle the drama and the patrons trying to make connections after the performances. If you're up for it, the job is yours. You'll be earning $25 per hour plus tips." Excitedly, I accepted the offer, nodding in agreement. "I'll gladly accept the job," I replied, extending my hand to shake on it. "Awesome! I'll see you tomorrow, then," the manager said enthusiastically as I exited the venue, feeling elated about the new opportunity.

Now we must wait to see how tomorrow will be..