Always You || Simon Minter (miniminter)

Chapter 27

So I spoke to Simon on discord lol if he posts a video and a random Scottish girl asks to play dead by daylight with him it was me lol it's mad

"Don't talk to me."

The words hit harder than the cold air outside. I shrink back into the passenger seat, fingers curling into my coat. The car is silent except for the engine straining up the winding road. Streetlights streak over Simon's face, sharpening every tense muscle in his jaw.

I've never seen him like this. Not angry. Not annoyed. Just... hurt. Betrayed. Scared.

My throat burns. I stare out the window, not trusting my voice, not trusting myself not to cry.

Simon drives fast but steady, eyes flicking to the rear-view mirror every few seconds like he's still convinced Chris might appear behind us. His breathing is tight, shallow. Every exhale sounds dragged out of him.

Finally, when we hit the main road, he speaks again—still not looking at me.

"Do you have any idea what could've happened?"

I swallow. "I—"

"I said don't." His voice cracks on the word, and he clamps his mouth shut, like he regrets the tone but refuses to pull it back.

The rest of the drive is thick with unsaid things. By the time he pulls up outside the house, my chest feels bruised from holding everything in.

He kills the engine. Silence.

I wait for him to get out. He doesn't.

Instead, he presses his forehead to the steering wheel, shoulders rising and falling in a slow, shaky breath.

"Simon..." I whisper.

"Why would you go there alone?" he says quietly, still hunched over the wheel. "After everything you told me in the car earlier—why would you go meet him alone?"

Tears sting my eyes. "Because I didn't want you to think I was dramatic. Or... fragile. Or like I needed looking after all the time. I thought if I just told him it was over in person, he'd stop."

He lifts his head, finally looking at me. His eyes are glassy, furious, terrified.

"You could've been seriously hurt."

"I know," I whisper.

"And you lied to me." Not shouted. Not sharp. Just honest.

My chest caves. "I'm sorry."

He drops his head back against the seat, staring at the roof of the car. "I can't—Millie, I can't see you like that. Not again. I can't walk up to some random car park and find you being—" He cuts himself off, jaw clenching. "I can't."

Guilt twists inside me like a knife. He drags a hand over his face. "Look, we'll talk tomorrow. I just... can't think straight right now."

I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Okay."

We both get out. The house glows warm from the windows, a painfully normal contrast to the chaos we just went through.

At the door, he hands me my keys without meeting my eyes. "Goodnight, Amelia."

Amelia.

The second the door closes, a voice cuts through the hallway:

"Where the hell were you two?"

JJ. He's supposed to be in LA.

He's standing in the living room doorway, hoodie half on, hair a mess like he's been pacing. His eyes land on me first — immediately narrowing, scanning my face, my clothes, the way I'm holding my arms tight to my chest.

He knows something's wrong.

He always knows.

Simon doesn't even pause. He walks straight past him, jaw clenched, fists still tight. JJ steps aside out of instinct, watching him disappear up the stairs, then flinches when Simon's door slams shut hard enough to rattle the frame.

JJ's head snaps back to me.

"Millie." The others, Josh, Ethan, Harry, and Vik — all look up from the sofa, confused. Ethan must've not mentioned it to Jide - I must thank him for that.

But JJ moves first, crossing the room in three strides. He stops in front of me, grabbing my shoulders so gently it almost breaks me.

"What happened?" he murmurs. "Hey—look at me."

My eyes meet his, and the second they do, the tears threaten to spill. His expression darkens instantly — not at me, but at whatever he's imagining happened.

"Did someone hurt you?" he asks, voice lowering in a way I've never heard from him.

I shake my head quickly, wiping at my face even though I don't know when I started crying. "No. I'm fine. I just... I need to go upstairs."

"Millie." His grip tightens just the slightest bit. "If something happened, you tell me. Right now."

Behind him, Harry is already half-standing like he's ready to go throw hands with whoever upset me. Josh look worried. Vik looks tense.

But JJ looks terrified.

"Jide, I'm okay," I whisper, even though I'm obviously not. "Please, I just want to go to bed."

For a moment, it looks like he's going to push back, insist, demand answers. His jaw flexes, eyes flicking briefly toward the stairs where Simon disappeared.

Then he sighs deep, frustrated, worried and nods once.

"Alright," he says quietly. "My flight got cancelled, I'm leaving tomorrow. We will talk in the morning."

I nod.

JJ pulls me into a quick hug and it almost unravels me completely. He lets go before I fall apart and steps back, giving me space.

"Text me if you need anything," he says softly. "Even if you're just upstairs."

I manage the smallest smile. "Okay."

Then I escape up the stairs, heart pounding, eyes burning. I shut myself in my room and collapse onto my bed, every muscle aching with exhaustion and fear and guilt.

And as the quiet settles, JJ's worried voice echoes in my head just as loud as Simon's did earlier.

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