𝕯𝖊𝖆𝖉 𝕸𝖊𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖘

Chapter Six

It was yet another successful show. Adrenaline pumped wildly throughout Janet as she began to undress in her little private dressing-room. Her hands shook with excitement, and she couldn't help but reel over the fact that she was performing with SlipKnot. A moment of self realization of where she was in her life. Oh, how she didn't want it to end. It was so exhilarating.

She wrapped her arms around herself. Trying to recreate the feeling of Joey around her.

After going backstage, Joey had pulled her into a powerful, surprising hug. He was still in his superball mindset and was all over the place. He didn't put thought into what he did in the moment, but Janet enjoyed every bit of him embracing her despite it catching her off-guard.

"Oh, Joey." She groaned.

"Hurry up little daydreamer, or we're leaving you behind!" Corey yelled banging on the door.

Janet jumped at Corey's sudden shout. She yanked her door open and shoved him, "Don't fuckin' scare me like that!"

Corey laughed loudly, but Janet was being serious. Her face turned fifty shades of red as he began to imitate her, and do improve of her and Joey on the spot.

Janet stomped off to the tour bus with her things in hand.

🥁🥁🥁

Joey rested lazily against the wall, and let out a frustrated sigh.

"Tell me about it," Corey spoke up, "I mean, look at the two, makes ya envious."

Jim and Janet were nonchalantly talking to each other by the tour bus, they were just being themselves. No fake dating to get Joey's attention or anything to make him be jealous.

But their plan had subsequently worked over the past month, and Joey was legitimately jealous.

He finished the rest of his beer, eyes still on them.

"You already told her how you felt yesterday," Corey continued, "And she literally admitted to liking you! 'The fuck is holding you back?"

Joey paused as he brought a freshly opened beer to his lips. Corey was right.

'What is holding me back?' He began to question himself.

His mind went back to the night at the pub, when Janet got jumped by that drunk piece o' shit.

While Mick and Jim got their hands on the guy, Joey and Craig pulled Janet away from him. She clung to Joey, as Craig joined the others. Janet sobbed in Joey's shirt, "Why does this always happen to me?"

Her absentminded question was burned into his memories.

"Because--" Joey began to speak, but held back.

Corey looked at him intently, urging him on, "Because?"

"Because, that night-- that night at the bar, she asked, 'Why does this always happen to me?', but it was to herself, she wasn't asking me. What that bastard done to her happened before, who knows how many times, but it happened." Joey pulled his beer from his face, and gave another sigh, "I-- I--"

Corey eyed him again, "I what?"

Joey looked down, ashamed at himself, "I'm terrified I'd hurt her."

"She really loves you, dude, why can't you believe that? Tell her how you feel, man!" Corey slapped a hand on his back and leaned in, "If you don't take your shot, you'll miss, and she'll be with someone who isn't you."

Something inside sparked Joey's motivation, like a red hot eye under a pan. Joey couldn't run down the hall fast enough.

🥁🥁🥁

The boys were still packing in the building. So Janet took the opportunity to get her shower first on the bus.

She finished brushing out her damp hair when a knock came from outside the door, followed by a voice, "Janet?"

It was Joey, but she was intimidated to open the door.

"Yeah?" She replied.

"C-- can I talk to you about something?"

His voice was surprisingly timid.

"About what?" She called back.

"About your birthday card."

Janet's heart sank as she began to question 'Why?...' in her head. She opened the door and pulled him in. The bathroom wasn't small, but having two people in it, made it feel as if so.

Joey began to talk, but like earlier, he fumbled on his words and subconsciously held himself back.

Janet put her hand up, stopping him in his flustered state.

"Listen, I understand if you're rethinking about what you said. It's fine, this happens all the time when a guy claims they love me. It's like they began to realize what I look like and regret what they said." She subconsciously crossed her arms to comfort herself, "Like I said it happens a lot..." Janet was so caught up in what she had to say, she forgot about Joey.

"Oh shut up!" He huffed and caught her in a kiss mid-rant.

And she thought the hug was a surprise. His kiss was like ice cold water being splashed in your face out of nowhere.

He pulled back, "I wanted to tell you that, I'm really sorry for what happened to you at the bar, and how it made you relive dead memories. I don't want you to relive them with me, to relapse and fall back into your concrete fortress of solitude."

His hand gently held her cheek, whipping away threatening tears from her eyes.

"You've done so much for me over last year and this last month, but I took it all for granted. It's my time to show you how much I love you.

Janet closed her eyes, expecting another kiss, but received a hug instead.

"I only done that to get you to hush. But that really isn't how you show your love and worth to someone in the beginning." He smiled, "Let me show you what it's like to really be loved."

She melted into his embrace, and let out the most pleased sigh in years.

It soon grew quiet as the two still held each other.

"Did Corey pretty much convince you to confess to me?" Janet questioned

Joey answered back with a question of his own, "Did Corey put you and Jim together on purpose just to make me jealous?"

Janet pulled back to look Joey in his eyes, and it both clicked in their minds.

He was behind them both, forcing them through embarrassing and suggestive moments to get them closer together without the other one knowing

The pair called out in unison, "COREY MOTHER FUCKIN' TAYLOR!" And hunted down the conniving singer.