It's been just under a month since Alex and I started our relationship and we've been able to keep it hidden while on tour. All of the stolen kisses deep within backstage halls, loving touches when no one is looking, and late night rendezvous wandering foreign city streets have all gone unnoticed.

That is up until a week ago...

Just as I'm about to walk into Alex's dressing room, I hear heavy, jogging footsteps come up behind me, and before I can turn around to look, a pair of hands grab my waist and push me into the room.

"What the—"

I hear the door close, and the person that shoved me into the dressing room steps out from behind me and presses me up against the door.

"Hi, pretty girl." Alex grins, trapping me between his body and the door. His head is tipped down to look at me, causing a few strands of hair to fall in front of his eye.

"Hi," I squeak out, still a little startled. "Way to give me a heart attack." I reach up to brush his hair back and rest my hands on his chest.

"Sorry." He chuckles, not actually sorry at all. "Just excited to finally see my beautiful girlfriend that I haven't been able to see all day."

I can't help but giggle. "You saw me this morning," I remind him.

Granted, I haven't seen him as much as I normally do due to him being in meetings all morning with Chris and his label, but I did wake him up and bring him coffee before it all started.

"Yeah, for like five seconds," he mumbles, a pout on his face.

"Better than nothing," I counter teasingly.

"Will you shut up and just kiss me already?" he groans, already bending down to touch his soft lips to mine.

While gliding his lips over mine, a gasp emits from somewhere in the room.

"No way."

Alex and I quickly pull apart to see Shay standing in the bathroom doorway letting out a high pitched, excited squeal.

"Tell. Me. Everything." she demands, prancing over to the couch, looking like a kid on Christmas morning. Her eyes are wide and full of excitement, looking at us expectantly.

"Wha—... I—" I don't know what to say.

"Don't even try to deny anything," she threatens with a pointed look. "I literally just saw you two sucking face with my own eyes."

I let out a long sigh, knowing we're busted and there's no way of beating around the bush. "You can't tell anyone," I warn, pointing a stern finger at her.

"My lips are sealed." She pretends to zip her lips shut. "Now, spill."

I take a seat on the couch across from her and she sits on the edge of her seat, anxiously waiting for me to tell her our little secret.

"It's been about three weeks," I admit, and Alex takes a seat next to me, placing a comforting hand on my thigh.

"Three weeks!"

"Shhh!" I remind Shay, not wanting anyone else to possibly hear, even though the dressing room door is shut.

She smacks her hand over her mouth. "Sorry," she whispers.

"Remember when Alex lost his voice and we had to go see the doctor back in New York?" I ask, and she nods. "Well... that's sort of when it all happened."

"Shut up!" she whisper shouts. "All this time?"

I nod and she squeals in excitement again, causing me to sheepishly look down and tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, exposing one of my blushing cheeks. Alex leans over and places a kiss to my burning skin, causing Shay to lose her mind.

"Allyn is finally happening!" Shay grins from ear to ear.

"Allyn?" Alex asks.

"Your couple name. Duh!"

Currently, I'm standing in Alex's dressing room, checking my emails when someone sneaks up behind me.

"Hi, sweetheart," an unfamiliar husky voice whispers in my ear making me jump.

I quickly turn around to see none other than Mike Walker behind me with a satisfied smirk on his face for startling me.

It's the first day of the European leg of tour, and if I remember correctly, there was talk about Alex's parents possibly showing up.

"My son around?" His dark hair is a bit disheveled, and I'm pretty sure I smell some alcohol on his breath.

"H-he should be done with interviews soon," I stutter, taking a few steps back when I realize he's advancing on me.

"Hmm." He shoves his hands in his pockets, still slowly inching towards me. "So, are you my sons little girlfriend, or are you single?"

"Michael," someone scolds, voice full of disgust.

I look to the doorway to find Alex's mom standing there with her arms crossed and looking utterly displeased, Chris beside her.

"She's at least half your age, but I guess that's how you like them." Sandra scoffs, rolling her eyes as her and Chris step inside.

Mike just shrugs, and an uncomfortable silence hangs over the room.

"Hey, babe, where—" Alex walks in, eyes cast down to his phone, completely unaware of the situation in the room at first. His eyes go wide when he looks up to see everyone. "I mean, uhh—" He uncomfortably coughs, trying to cover up his mistake. "What's going on here?"

"Just trying to get to know your little girlfriend here." Mike smirks, slinging his arm over my shoulders, but I shrug him off.

Alex's eyes blaze and his lip starts to snarl. "Don't touch her," he warns, and Mike's smirk deepens.

"So she is your girlfriend," Mike taunts and Alex keeps his mouth shut, fists clinched at his sides.

I look over at Chris and his eyes have darkened, jaw twitching.

Busted.

"Answer the question, Alex," Chris says, voice low.

Alex's eyes shift to everyone in the room, lingering on me for a few beats longer, and I pray for him to deny it, but his eyes soften and his shoulders drop with the exhale of a sigh. He takes a few steps towards me, looking deep into my eyes with a sense of comfort before grabbing my hand.

"Yeah." He gives my hand a reassuring squeeze, eyes never leaving mine. "Yeah, she is my girlfriend." A small, loving smile breaks across his face and my heart stops and I feel the color drain from my face.

"She's your girlfriend?" his mother asks, slight disgust in her voice.

Alex closes his eyes, taking a deep breath before facing everyone. "Yes," he says confidently, but with slight irritation due to all the judgment being thrown around.

As soon as Chris goes to open his mouth, Alex speaks up. "I know it's not ideal because she's my assistant, and you're not supposed to mix business with pleasure, but we work so well together on and off the clock. She's always there for me, and she makes me a better person at the end of the day. Joslyn truly cares about me, and I'm in love with her. There's nothing that'll change that."

My heart slams in my chest due to his words and the look in Chris's eye. His jaw is set, and I can tell he's refraining from exploding. Then, in the blink of an eye, his whole demeanor changes.

"That's great," Chris says, eerily calm. "I'm happy for you guys." He manages a small smile. "Now, let's get ready for the show," he says, walking out the door, Mike and Sandra following behind him.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding in, still feeling my stomach churn with uneasiness.

"Hey," Alex says, turning to stand in front of me. "See, that wasn't so bad." He grabs my other hand, rubbing soothing circles on the backs of my hands with his thumbs. "Now we don't have to hide anymore." He grins widely, bending down to capture my lips with his.

"Yeah," I say breathlessly, trying to force a convincing smile despite the pit in my stomach.

-

During the concert, I feel someone grab my wrist in a tight hold, and I turn around to see Chris, his face hard. "Let's go," he yells over the noise of the crowd.

He drags me backstage to Alex's dressing room, closing the door behind us. His back is to me, hands on the door, bracing himself. "I warned you." His voice is dangerously low.

When he slowly turns around I almost gasp seeing the amount of rage in his eyes. Instinctively, I take a few steps back.

"I warned you to keep it professional, but you didn't listen," he growls. "I've let this go on for too long. I told you the consequences, and now you have to face them. In three days, you're gone. I already called and arranged for a new assistant."

"Wh-what?" My voice wavers, trying to work past the lump in my throat and the ice in my veins.

"You're fired."

"Why?"

"Because you're ruining him!" he roars. "Ever since you showed up he's been different! He's been distracted and nothing but trouble! He's—"

"Not acting like your puppet anymore?" I say boldly, gaining some nerve. I realize I have nothing to lose at this point.

He grits his teeth, fists clinching at his sides. "I've worked too hard to get him to where he is today. He's at the height of his career right now, and I'll be damned if some girl comes in and ruins everything!"

"So this is all about you and not him, huh?" I challenge.

His eyes flare up and he strides towards me until he's inches away. "You seriously think he wants someone like you?" he spits, voicing my biggest insecurity. "You're just convenient. You're just the new, young assistant he thinks he can relate to. Wait until the next model, singer, or actress comes along, and he'll drop you like that." He snaps his fingers. "Believe me, sweetie, I'm only saving you from inevitable heartbreak sooner rather than later."

I feel the last bit of courage and confidence I mustered up crumble, and I realize he's right. Although I do believe Alex loves me, I know I'm not what he wants or needs long term.

Alex needs someone that understands him and can keep up with his lifestyle. Someone that's successful, smart, confident, and beautiful. Someone that's not afraid to be thrusted into the spotlight, covering tabloids and walking red carpets. Not someone that's building their whole career to hide behind the scenes.

"I've already booked your flight. You're leaving our second day in Amsterdam, first thing in the morning. Not a word is to be spoken about this to anyone."

"Why?"

"Because I know Alex will put up a fight to keep you, and I can't have that commotion."

"So what, I'm just supposed to leave without a word to anyone?"

"It'll be easier that way." He shrugs.

"And what if I say something?" I challenge.

The rage flares back up in his eyes. "You say a word to anyone and I'll destroy your career before it even begins. Do you know how much power I have in this industry? I'll be sure no one ever hires you, or even reads past your first name on a resume."

I feel my face pale knowing that my dream can be so easily ripped away from me.

"So say one word and you'll never work in this industry again. If you say anything, not only will you be hurting yourself, you'll be hurting Alex, too. If you stay, he'll only continue to be distracted and his dream, everything he's worked for, will go down the drain. The kid is on top of the world right now, a once in a life time opportunity, and he doesn't need anything standing in the way.

"Even if you were to remain in a relationship with him, do you honestly think you could handle the pressure? Everyone will be looking at and criticizing you. Do you think he'll have as many fans once they realize he's off the market? Trust me, you'll only be hurting him and yourself if you keep this up."

As much as I don't want to believe him, I know he's right. I'll never be able to handle the spotlight and all that comes with it. It's one thing to put myself in jeopardy, but I can't be selfish and drag Alex down too.

"So, slowly get your bags packed and I'll see you off to the airport in a few days." He hands me a one-way plane ticket from Amsterdam to Nashville. "And remember, not a word," he reiterates before walking out of the dressing room, leaving me by myself.

My chest constrict and I feel like everything in caving in around me. I choke in a breath, willing myself to breathe, and more sobs follow. Tears flow from my eyes to the point where I wouldn't be surprised to find a puddle on the floor.

I hear the crowd roar, echoing through the halls, and I know the show is over. Quickly, I will myself to stop crying and run to the bathroom to wipe my eyes and blow my nose. When I look up in the mirror, I look like utter hell and there's nothing more I can do.

"Babe?" Alex calls out, coming into the dressing room while running a towel over his sweaty face and hair. "There you are, I was wondering where you went. I feel like I looked away for five minutes and you were gone." He chuckles, coming into the bathroom.

"Whoa, what's wrong?" he asks, coming up behind me, his concerned face looking at mine through the mirror.

"Oh, I guess I'm coming down with a case of allergies or something. I don't know, I just started sneezing up a storm and that's why I ran back here," I lie with a small convincing laugh.

He grabs my hips to spin me around to face him. His concerned, piercing blue eyes stare back into my bloodshot ones from crying so hard.

"Are you sure you're ok?" he asks, cupping my cheek in his hand, and I instinctively lean into his touch.

"Yep. I just took some medicine so I should be good in a couple of hours." Another bold face lie.

"Alright," he says hesitantly. "I'm going to take a shower and how about we go cuddle up on the back of the bus and watch Friends afterwards?"

"Sounds perfect," I say with a small smile, and he kisses my forehead before going into the bathroom.

When I hear the shower turn on I can't help but let a few more tears fall, my heart cracking.

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