The Assistant | Scavi

Escaping

"Enough."

"Avi?" Esther was the first to speak up.

"I just want to make music. I don't want to deal with all this shit. Yes, I made a mistake when I decided to say that I am still married, but it was easier. And hearing you all talk about me like you are, shows me that it is still easier. Especially you, Peter. How dare you talk about my love and call it a problem? Just because for once my career isn't a sure-fire success for once and you actually have to do something besides hunting me places" Avi got louder while he was talking. He didn't scream or yell, but his voice was booming through the room. Then he stopped and shook his head. "I... I don't want all this. I'll do whatever you want from me as long as I can continue to make music in peace." With that, the bearded man got up and left the room.

Esther and Scott looked at one another for merely a moment before Scott got up and followed his boyfriend. 

"Avi? Avi wait." He called, but he only saw him turning left once he was down the stairs, he was headed towards the studios. 

Scott walked quickly and saw him disappear in the studio where they had recorded the album together. He knocked on the door and opened it carefully. "Avi?"

"I just want to be happy, Scott." Avi was sitting on the sofa. He had his knees pulled up to his chest. "I don't want to deal with all this shit."

Scott sat down next to him and put an arm around him. "You deserve happiness" he said softly.

"I just keep ruining everything. Why did I tell everyone that I was married in the first place. That was so stupid" Avi said.

"It wasn't stupid, Love. You did this so you wouldn't be bothered by stupid questions about your relationship or the lack thereof. And maybe it was due to your anxiety, too. It's easier to say that you're married but want to keep your wife out of the spotlight than to say that you're in love with a man. I get that" Scott said softly. "And after what Peter said up there, I definitely understand you."

"Peter just wants to make the most of my career. For me, of course, but also for himself. He constantly pushed me to do things I am not comfortable with. I don't like to go on talk shows, galas and award shows, but he always says that they're good publicity. So I go there just to have my peace" Avi explained.

"Mmhm... I get that. It's probably a lot of stress for you. Well, I wouldn't mind going to the Grammy's, but still..." Scott said with a grin on his face.

Avi shook his head. "That's the one thing I wouldn't mind either. It would still be stressful, but the Grammy's are huge. And if I were to be nominated I would definitely go. And I would take you as my plus one, of course."

Scott grinned. "I wouldn't mind at all" he said. 

Avi sighed. "But this probably won't happen. I just yelled at my manager. He'll probably have me fired."

Scott shook his head. "If anyone deserves to be fired it's him. He did you wrong. Not the other way round." 

"But..." Avi stopped there and Scott noticed immediately that he was picking at at his fingers. 

"Avi?" He said softly. 

Avi shook his head. "It's too much. I-" He shivered. 

"I know" Scott said and pulled his boyfriend carefully closer. "I know. Just breathe, okay? You can get through this." 

Avi held on to his boyfriend and tried his best to breathe slowly. He breathed in his boyfriend's scent and it helped him calm down. Still, he needed a while until he was ready to open his eyes again. 

"With us again?" Scott asked softly. 

"Mmhm..." Avi said. "This hit me like I freight train... I didn't expect it." 

"But you got through it fairly easy, didn't you?" Scott asked. 

Avi nodded. "I tried to keep my breathing slow so I had something to focus on and wouldn't hyperventilate."

"You're doing so good, Avi."

Avi smiled when he heard his sister's voice. "Esther. What did they say? I shouldn't have-"

"Honestly, if you hadn't said anything, I would have. Peter had no right to say that" Esther replied.

"And what does he want me to do now?" Avi said. "I'll do it, if they just leave me alone and let me live my life."

"It's not about what they want, Avi. This is about what you want" Esther said. 

"I want Peter out of my team" Avi said. "Maybe Jonathan can take more responsibility. He was constructive while Peter was destructive. I know that this is probably hard to do, but-"

"No bt. I don't want to work with him anymore either" Esther agreed. "I already asked him to leave the room. Jonathan is still there, he's talking to Joy, that's the one who stood up for you and Kayden, he manages your official social media. They're all talking about things you could do, but they need your input eventually. They don't want to decide without you."

Avi sighed. "I don't feel like doing all this. I'm tired." He closed his eyes and leaned against Scott's chest. 

"I know that you're tired, Love" Scott said softly. "But if you can get through this now, we can go home afterwards."

"No..." Avi said. "We still have to get you some hiking boots."

Scott chuckled. "You're right we do. But this is only one more reason to go upstairs and get through the rest of this meeting?"

Avi shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know" he said and sighed. "Probably. It just feels like a lot."

"I know, Avi. But the people who are still up there are going to listen to you" Esther tried again. 

"But I don't know what I want to say, I don't know what I want to do" Avi argued. He sighed. "But it won't get better if I stay here and whine. Can you go upstairs and ask them to wait for a few minutes? I want a moment to collect myself." 

Esther smiled. "Of course, Avi. Take your time." She got up and left."

"Are you really doing okay?" Scott asked after a while. Avi had closed his eyes again and was resting against his chest. 

Avi opened his eyes. "I am" he said. "Just trying to focus." He sighed and got up slowly. "Let's go upstairs? I want to at least try to get through this meeting somehow."

Scott smiled and got up. He took Avi's hand and this time the bearded man held it the whole time, even when they had sat down at the table.

Avi took a deep breath. "So... what shall we do?" 

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