Yours // 5sos

Chapter 32

"You WHAT?!"

Another week has passed, and it's never been better. My hair is a brilliant orange color, which I applaud Michael for picking out, and his is pitch black.

It's strange seeing him with a semi-normal hair color.

A warm September night, we're in a hotel in California somewhere. I don't even bother tracking where we are. I just know that I'm miles away from my father. From my old life.

But since everything has been going right, naturally, things start going down hill.

"Sami, I just thought-."

I cut Michael off. "You called my dad?!"

"Sami, wait-."

"No, no, just...tell me what you said to him."

Michael sighs. "I told him...look, Sami, I'm going to bring you home tomorrow."

"WHAT?!"

He picks at something on his shirt, purposely not making eye contact. "Well it's true. After the concert tonight, I'm taking you home to Providence."

"No, wait, Michael, you can't do that!"

Michael glances up at me. "Look, princess, I have to. I decided that's what's best for you. It's my job to know what's best for you."

"I cannot go home, I have to stay with you and the boys, I can't leave-."

I start panicking, my heart picking up speed. "Michael you know what my dad has done to me I cannot go back!"

"I have to take you back. You...you're sixteen. You have to stay with your dad...and think of your sisters, don't you miss them?" Michael asks me. He rubs my shoulder gently.

I shake my head. "No, Michael, I can't do it. I have to stay with you."

"I thought you would want to be brave. You usually are so brave," Michael mutters to me, holding me in his arms.

I am shivering now. He can't be serious, he can't be sending me away. "No. I'm a coward. But I'd rather be a coward than be hurt more by my father."

"What if your sisters are being hurt? What if they need your strength?" Michael says calmly. He's not being harsh with me.

"T-they are okay. They don't need me," I whisper. "Please."

"Please what?"

I choke down a sob. "Please don't make me leave you. It'll hurt double. I want to stay with you. I don't want to go back with him."

"Baby, I know," he whispers. "I just want you to know that it's better for you. I'm doing this for you."

"No. If you care about me, you won't do this," I choke out.

He searches my eyes and shakes his head. "Sami...Sam, I can't. I have to. The tour is almost over. I have to do this. It's not like I can take you back to Australia with us. Baby, you...you have to go home."

"I can't-."

"Samantha," he says sharply.

I pinch my lips together. He's mad. I've crossed over something. His eyes are hard now. "Sami. I need to do this. Understand that. You are underage. You have to be with an adult. You have to go back to high school."

I suck in a breath. "Michael-."

"No. Samantha, you can't live the way I live. You have to go back home," he says sharply.

My eyes are welling with tears. "Michael...don't you want me to stay with you?"

He groans, letting go of me and facing away. "This is hard for me too, Sam. Don't you get that? I fucking can't imagine living without you. It's gonna hurt like a bitch. But you need to live a normal life. Your dad has sobered up. Now you can have a normal life."