Hidden Melodies

Chapter Twenty-Five

Copyright by Joelle Blue ©

Ozzie

"I'm excited to go home, but I feel like we've been in our own little world, and I don't want to go back to the real one yet," I mumble to Scarlet as the plane takes off.

We finished our final show of the tour last night, and it's bittersweet. Performing your own original songs with your best friend in front of thousands of your fans will always be the experience of a lifetime. But I miss normalcy. I miss being near what's familiar, waking up in a place that's my own. I miss Charlie. I even miss my dad. My real dad.

We haven't seen each other in a month, but we've been texting a lot, random little bits of our days. Then, two weeks ago I called him, and for a large scary man, he gets choked up easily. The way he said "Oselda?" when he answered the phone made me want to vow to call him everyday.

It's still very overwhelming that I grew up in such a broken situation, but since I've had the perfect distraction, I've avoided it. But I know when this plane touches down, there won't be any more avoiding it. He knows I'm coming back, and even though he's never pressured me for anything, I don't want to make him wait to see each other again. Doesn't make it any less scary.

I haven't heard any news regarding John and his health and I haven't asked.

"Trust me, I know what you mean," Scarlet sighs as she closes her eyes and relaxes into her chair.

She's having the same problem, just with Diesel. The last few weeks have been extremely strained between them and I hate it.

"What are you doing when we get home?"

"I think... would it be okay if I stayed with you for a while?"

"Of course. But is that really what you want?"

Her eyes glaze over. "No," she whispers brokenly.

"Scarlet, what the fuck is going on?" She always refuses to tell me, and it's so hard to not be able to help her. Any time I bring it up she immediately shuts down.

"I honestly don't know Oz. He's like a damn brick wall! He just fuckin' walks away when it gets hard, but then he always comes back. Speaking in his fucking Scottish language, whispering all these amazing things, but then reality comes crashing back in, and he realizes I'm not worth it. Whatever. He won't talk to me, Fiona and Rogue won't since they are loyal to him, and they act like they almost understand his point of view. But I can't live with him when he's like that. I can't be with a man who has deemed me unworthy of so many things, even though he doesn't see it that way."

I nod, holding back the tears threatening to fall. "Okay, you come home with me. You will always have a home there." She leans over the arm rest and leans on my shoulder.

"So, when you meetin' up with Jameson? Can I meet him?"

"Actually, that's a great idea. Have you and Charlie there, it'll be less... scary."

"Are you going to ask him about all those news reports?"

"I don't know. I don't think I want to know if he had anything to do with it or if I care. What are the odds though? He comes back into town, and then she's gone."

A week after I left the hospital to go back on tour, a missing person's report was issued for Winnie. When I saw that, I truly thought it was fake. But then two days later, her body was found in the neighborhoods of Maroon Bay.