Save Me (Roger Taylor FanFiction) [Wattys 2019]

8: An Accident

*4th December 1971*

"JULES?"

THAT NAME FILLED me with a whole lot of dread yet it still sent excited butterflies flapping their wings all through my body. No one else has ever called me that and there was a small part of me that was still warm to the fact that Roger has his own nickname for me.

The bruise on my arm was covered up by my black button up shirt that I had to wear to work in the coffee shop. I didn't want to look up to see the blonde drummer standing in front of me. It pained me to look at him after everything that had happened between us, after what he had done.

"Roger," I didn't look up at him. I just continued to wipe the counter with the old rag that was probably kicking about when I ran around in the rain with Roger.

"Are you alright?" This shocked me a bit and definitely caught me off guard. Was I alright? I felt a slight lump in my throat when he asked this but I quickly swallowed it back down. I finally looked up at him.

"Yes, I'm fine, why?" I knew why though. He'd seen the bruise along with every other member of Queen; the difference was, they had their suspicions but Roger knew where it had come from.

Maybe that's why he had turned up alone; maybe he actually did care.

No.

Of course he didn't. He was Roger Taylor; he doesn't care.

"Did he do that to you?" I shut my eyes and finally stopped rubbing the rag across the counter.

"It was an accident," he'd have known if I'd properly lied to him. He knew me too well and I was a horrible liar. But I believed it had been an accident. Lucas hasn't actually meant to hurt me.

"That's not what an accident looks like,"

"Roger! You wouldn't know anything about it. Just go home and keep your nose out of other people's business," I wished he would just stop trying to interfere and trying to get me to dump Lucas.

"I care about you, love, and I don't like the idea of him hurting you,"

"Ah, see, that is something you'd know about it, isn't it? Hurting me,"

He was taken aback by my comment. I'd never actually told him aloud that what he'd done had hurt me, I never liked to admit it because I was way too proud.

"Jules, I-"

"Stop calling me that!" I hissed; I was trying not to raise my voice because the coffee shop was quite full today.

"Julie," My real name didn't sound right on his lips. He barley ever used it, even when all the crap was going down a few years ago.

"Roger, if you aren't going to buy anything please get out of the way of everyone else. You're holding up the queue," He turned around to see the two irritated customers standing behind him. He quickly apologised and stepped out of the way.

"Jules-Julie, please listen to me,"

"Please leave me alone, Rog," I begged as I filled orders for the people waiting in the queue who looked at Roger strangely when they heard my pained tone.

"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you," Roger didn't look at me as he angrily swept out of the shop. I sighed and finished making the coffee for the confused customer.

I was really done with men now, except Freddie, Brian and John of course. The three of them had been my support over the last wee while and I loved them, despite the apparent fancy John has for me. I don't know how I would've made it through the last few years without them.

I hardly ever get to see them anymore, we're all so busy. I love it when they wander into my little coffee shop but only if they don't have Roger with them. Roger makes me so confused.

Roger hurt me a long time ago and now he's trying to break my relationship up. I can't just break up with Lucas; I have a house with him, a life with him. I can't just give all of that up simply because Roger Taylor doesn't like him.

Roger knows he hurt me, even if I'd never told him till now. What he did was unforgivable and it's his fault that we didn't work out, not Lucas'. But there's no way that Roger is going to realise that. I need him to keep away from me so I can get things straight in my head but also so that Lucas doesn't get suspicious.

I was in two minds about what Lucas had told me the other night. There was no way I was going to let some guy stop me from seeing people who make me happy but I didn't want him to hurt them or me.

When I met Lucas, he was a beautiful man in a suit who seemed to bring the promise of stability and security; he seemed like someone who would love me and stay with me. Not like Roger, a good looking drummer in a rock band, a wandering musician. I wished I'd never met either of them, then I wouldn't be stuck in a ridiculous cycle of trying not to upset Lucas and trying to avoid Roger.

This was absolutely not the life I dreamed of.

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A/N

Short chapter for you today and a wee bit of filler I think. I personally don't really like this chapter all that much, what do you think?

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