She is beautiful. Never in my life have I seen a woman so gorgeous. I stare at her like I'm in a trance. I must be, because it's impossible to look away. Her red lips. Her soft closed eyes. He long blonde hair. Her hips. Her hands in the red sparkly...
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The adrenaline is still pumping through my veins as I make my way backstage. I can barely breathe. My heart is racing, my mind spinning from everything that just happened. I sink down onto the floor as soon as I am out of sight from the audience, my back against the cool wall, trying to catch my breath. I did it. I fucking did it! And they loved it. I can't stop smiling, no matter how hard I try. It is like all the tension, all the fear, all the memories of that disgusting smile from my father are just...gone.
For a moment, I close my eyes and just let it all wash over me—the applause, the cheers, the sight of Alexandre Argent standing up and clapping, wiping away a tear. The tears in the eyes of the audience. My song reached them. My story reached them. All the pain, the anger, the years of running and hiding—they were out there, raw and exposed, and instead of turning away, they embraced it. They embraced me.
I heard footsteps coming closer but didn't bother to open my eyes. I don't have to. I can feel it was Michael. He kneels down beside me, and I feel his presence like a warm blanket on a cold night. I finally open my eyes and looks at him, still trying to calm my breathing.
"You were incredible," he says softly, his voice filled with admiration and something deeper, something that made my heart skip a beat.
I shake my head, still overwhelmed. "I didn't think I could do it, not with him out there. But I did, Michael. I really did."
His hand reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair away from my face. "I knew you could. You're the strongest person I know, Ashley."'
Bullshit. He has only known me for a few weeks and now he says I'm the strongest person he know? Him and his friends are literally soldiers. I swallow hard, the emotions are starting to well up again. "I've never told anyone about my past. I've never let anyone in, not like this. But when I was out there, singing...it was like I was telling the world who I really am. And they accepted it."
Michael smiles; his eyes full of warmth. "Of course, they did. You're amazing, Ashley. They'd be fools not to see that."
For a moment, we just sit there, not saying anything, just being in the moment. The noise of the club seems distant, almost like a dream. All that matters is that I faced my past tonight and won. I didn't need my father's approval. I didn't need anyone's approval. I had taken everything that had happened to me, all the pain and hurt, and turned it into something beautiful.
Finally, I push myself up to my feet, feeling a renewed sense of strength. "I need to thank Richard," I say, more to myself than to Michael. He nods, standing up beside me.
"He looked proud of you," Michael said, glancing back towards the stage. "I think you just helped secure those sponsors."
"Good," I say with a small smile. "I owe Richard a lot. He's been more of a father to me than my real one ever was."
Michael's expression darkens for a moment at the mention of my father, but he quickly masks it with a reassuring smile. "And what about your real father? What are you going to do about him?"
I look down at my hands, still trembling slightly from the performance. "I don't know. Part of me wants to confront him, to tell him to go to hell and never come back. But another part of me... I think I've already won. By standing up there tonight, by refusing to bow to him, I took back my power. I don't think there's anything more he can do to hurt me now."
Michael took my hand in his, squeezing it gently. "Whatever you decide, I'm here for you. You don't have to face him alone."
I look up at him, my heart swelling with gratitude. "Thank you, Michael. I don't know what I'd do without you."
He smiles, and for a moment, I thought he might say something more, something that would change everything between us. But instead, he just nodded, his thumb brushing lightly over the back of my hand. "You'll never have to find out."
I take a deep breath, feeling the weight of everything lifting off my shoulders. Tonight, has been a battle, but it was one I won. And for the first time in a long time, I feel like I can breathe again.
