Stage Fright

Chapter 8 ~ Beautiful Mess

Josh

Jesus. I knew Heather's boyfriend was a little rough but I never imagined he'd treat her that badly. After what happened at call-backs and now this? It's a wonder she can even smile most says. I didn't know it was this bad, did other people know it was that out of control?

I know Heather and I weren't real friends and that we didn't know each other particularly well anymore, but I didn't want to see her like this. How could Zeke even treat a girl like he treated Heather?

I didn't even know what the right thing to say was? What do you say to someone that's borderline being emotionally abused? I just had to be here for her, try and stay friendly and comforting. I'm sure loads of people asked her why she was with Zeke and I didn't want to be one of them.

"Do you still live where you used to?" I ask quietly, trying to break up the awkward tension in the car.

"No." She says quietly. "Dad and I moved three years ago, into Twin Lakes."

My eyebrows raise when she says that. Twin Lakes was the nicest gated community in town. Heather used to live in a really nice house, huge for just a dad and a daughter. But Twin Lakes was where the richest people in the city lived, every street was full of mansions and backyard pools.

"Do you like it?" I ask, trying to keep the conversation light.

"Sure, it's nice." She shrugs. I can see from the corner of my eye that she's really holding everything in in front of me. Like she's afraid to cry.

"You don't have to be alright." I tell her quietly and she raises her eyes. "I won't judge swear to god, we all have rough days." She nods a bit at that and I watch a tear roll over her cheek.

"Yeah." She agrees and I continue my drive, feeling my heart shatter for the pretty girl in my passenger seat, crying her eyes out.

I get to the gate and roll my window down to the attendant standing in the booth.

"Name please?" The woman asks and I stutter.

"Josh Baxter." I tell her.

"Who, are you here to see-"

"Dawn, he's with me." Heather says, leaning over so the lady can see her face. She nods and opens the gate, letting me through. I wave and drive through looking at all of the nice houses.

"What street?" I ask and she smiles.

"This one up here on the right." She says and I nod turning down it. There was only three houses on the cul-de-sac. "Mine's the one at the end."

Her house might as well be a palace, it's the biggest of the three, large, long driveway. Nice land around it and the house itself was stunning.

"I know it's a little much." She says with a laugh, wiping off her tears. "Not too homey."

"It's really nice." I mumble and she smiles.

Heather's father was in real estate. He expanded his shares and holdings and he was very well-off.

"Thanks so much for the drive." She says. "I......I don't know what I would have done if you weren't there."

"It's no trouble." I tell her and she nods. "H-Heather, does he talk to you like that a lot?" I ask, feeling worried for her. She sighs and shrugs her shoulders.

"We have disagreements a lot." She mumbles. "We're in the middle of a huge fight right now, he and I keep dumping gasoline on the fire." She admits, running her fingers through her hair. "But I don't want to bother you with all of that."