Reality

Chapter 4

I let out a humorless chuckle, staring down at the girl I fell completely in love with years ago. The girl that broke me. "I deserve at least some sort of explanation after everything that went down," I demand, tightly folding my arms over my chest, not backing down. "You at least owe me that."

Her lip starts to tremble and more tears fall from those big hazel eyes. She chokes in a breath, trying to calm herself as she wipes at her tears. "I know. I know I do," she says painfully. "But I can't tell you."

I scoff. "That's one lame ass excuse."

"You don't understand," she whispers so low I almost don't hear her. Her body language is tense, one arm across her chest as her hand grips her upper arm tight, her other hand clenched in a fist. I can tell she's fighting the urge to play with her fingers, her go to nervous habit I know all too well.

"Then make me understand!" I yell, angry and desperate for her to give me some answers.

She flinches at my tone, shrinking smaller into herself. I find myself wanting to reach out to touch her, but I know I can't let myself back down. I can't just forget the last two years and let what she did to me go without knowing why. I want answers. I need answers.

"Did you not love me anymore?"

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"I can't sit here any longer," I announce to Shay as we sit in my dressing room, still waiting for Joslyn to show up. I stand up and grab my phone, finding the number for a local taxi service. "I'm going back to the hotel."

"What? But you have a meet and greet in less that's thirty minutes," Shay reminds me cautiously.

"Exactly, and Joslyn's still not here. Cutting it this close, she should be here by now. She's never been late without telling me. Ever. So I know something's wrong."

She lets out a sigh, nodding. "Ok, but let me go find her," she tries to compromise, standing up from the couch.

"No." I shake my head. "I have to go check myself. Just call me if she shows up here?"

Shay lets out another long sigh, conflicted. "Alex, you have thousands of people out there for a show and a couple dozen waiting to meet you in a few minutes. Do you know how much trouble you'll be in for being late?"

"I don't care, Shay. Something is seriously wrong. Joslyn..." I let out a shaky breath, trying to calm my nerves. "She can't just disappear. What if something bad happened to her? I won't be able to get through a show or anything without knowing if she's safe."

Shays lips purse into a thin line and she flashes me a look of sympathy and understanding. "Ok," she says uncertainly. "Ok, I'll call if she shows up."

"Thank you," I say before slipping out of the venue to catch my taxi waiting outside.

When I get to the hotel, I stroll up to the front desk, flashing the attendant a charming smile, convincing her to give me an extra key to Joslyn's room. Key card in hand, I go to jog to her room after the elevator doors open, but I feel something under my shoe outside the elevator and stop. Lifting my foot, I look to see that I've stepped on some small, scattered pieces of plastic and glass, the object the fragments came from long gone. Ignoring the pieces, I jog down the hall to Joslyn's room and eagerly shove the card into the slot, impatiently waiting for the door to unlock and flash green.