"Please, work." I said to myself, swallowing the painkiller. I sat in the back of the car, while Jack was still driving to the studio, thinking about how to quickly get in there, talk to possibly the smallest amount of people and then get out even quicker.

My head was killing me, both as in headache and as in overthinking. I felt awful and I knew I needed rest, but I couldn't miss this one. Johnny would get too worried that I haven't showed up yesterday and also today, and one way or another I'd still have to tell him what really happened. Now I at least had a chance to keep it a secret.

One positive thing is that the bruise wasn't as visible and obvious to notice as it was two days ago. There was a little bit of swelling and a black mark on my eyelid, and also a more dark purple bruise under my eye, where Alex's knuckles had originally hit in the first place.

Only the thought of recent events made me wanna bawl my eyes out, but I couldn't right now. I had to get myself together for those two hours in there, don't let the eye draw particularly lots of attention and act casual.

Speaking of Alex, he's been calling and texting, day and night, but I haven't answered neither of them. I don't even know what I'm feeling about him anymore. I'm just severely hurt.

I wouldn't be so stressed about people noticing my eye if not the fact that my only protection are sunglasses. I tried make-up, but it looked so unnatural and gross that I literally couldn't keep it. But, everything will go according to plan if I only won't have to take off the glasses. I'll probably say I have a hangover and light is agitating me.

I took the last sip out of my can as Jack parked the car. I barely slept last night, and my only source of any life energy were two energy drinks, which helped a little bit. All in all, you still could call me a walking corpse, because that's exactly how I look and feel.

Me and Jack quickly went into the big building, making our way to the room that the meeting was supposed to take place in. However, unexpectedly, we bumped into Alice who was just exiting the bathroom or something and was on his way to the same room. There was no sign of Johnny at all, whatsoever.

"I heard you guys are coming back to Vancouver on Monday." Alice started.

"Yeah. Speaking of which, have you seen Johnny? I think he was supposed to be here."

"Oh, yes, he'll probably come late," Alice replied and it felt like an obvious thing to know. "Like he always is."

"Excuse me?"

We heard a deep voice saying from behind us, and we both turned around like someone gave us an order. I smiled. Actually, to be exact, I could feel my soul come back to life and it was possibly doing some happy dances. I missed him.

It was Johnny in assistance of Jerry and Sean Bett, dressed in a way where you wouldn't even have to see his face to guees it's him. He also wore sunglasses.

"What is it, matching sunglasses day?" Alice asked, frowning while looking at both of us. I grinned because the glasses really seemed similar.

"I actually copyrighted that look." I said to Johnny and he shot me the most heart-flipping, body warming, needed, beautiful smile to ever exist.

"You wish."

I couldn't help but laugh. I can't express how great it is to have him back.

After few minutes of talking we realized we're really kinda late, so we rushed to the conference room. I could already see all the important men in well composed clothing while there also sat people like Alice Cooper. I don't think there's a lot to explain.

First hour of the meeting wasn't that bad, actually. My head stopped hurting and nobody seemed to be particularly interested in me wearing sunglasses, so that's half of the success.

I, however, couldn't really focus on the meeting itself. They were setting up some details we weren't needed for, and I found myself glancing here and there at the main character of my thoughts these days.

I'd sometimes randomly even catch him staring at me already, and I believe he was thinking as much of our lack of talking as I did.

Actually, I was sure enough it's true when I suddenly got a note on a little piece of paper, passed to me from Alice.

"It's from Johnny." he whispered.

I looked up to find him caressing his lips with his pointing finger (as he always does) while his elbow rested on the armrest, and swinging lightly from side to side on his chair. We made eye contact and he raised his brows, signalizing for me to unfold the note. And so I did.

Cigarette? X

An uncontrollable smile slowly grew on my lips. I put the note on the table and proceeded to write an answer.

Thought you'll never ask

I passed it back to him through Alice and Joe, and watched him almost light up like a Christmas tree while he read. His smile is so addicting.

The main kinda talker on the meeting informed us that we'll continue for 10 more minutes and then we'll have a break. And that's when the trouble started.

The painkiller I praised suddenly stopped doing its job, and it took all I have not to hiss out of the sudden throbbing pain that went from my bruised eye up to my temple. I shut my eyes tightly and waited for the hell-alike 10 minutes to pass.

--

"What do you need the sunglasses for in the building?" Johnny asked as me made our way outside to smoke.

"Oh, you know," now smoothly. "I drank too much wine yesterday, and now light is the public enemy number one."

"Wine?" he questioned, surprised. "I thought you don't like it."

Oh shit, fuck, he's right.

"I don't know, I guess I found some bottle in my cupboard that actually tasted nice."

He finally smiled, and I breathed out a sigh of relief.

"You should see my wine cellar. It's full of bottles that taste nice."

He then did something I wish he wouldn't ever, and I hated myself even more for how I reacted.

Without any warning, he put a hand on my back to rub it slightly, I don't know, maybe bring me closer, because he liked to do it this way. But guess what I did?

I flinched.

I flinched so badly like he was the one who hurt me. And it was so visible he took his hand back, suspending it in the air. We both halted.

I could only look at him in the way where my eyes said: fUck, fuck! I didn't mean to do that, you're not the bad guy. I could only look at him, because even though my lips parted, no words came out. Not a sound.

"Are you alright? What happened?"

I remained silent.

"Talk to me," he softly said, but I was too torn between starting to cry and running away to answer.

In one moment, couple milliseconds, he snatched the sunglasses right away from my nose. I think my heart missed a beat.

"Hey!" I tried getting them back, but he was determined to hold them in an iron grip.

I looked him in the eyes and at first I didn't see any emotion, then his lips parted as he stood there almost flabbergasted. Then, finally, he visibly clenched his jaw and his eyes started burning with anger.

"Who?"

"Johnny it's-"

"Who did it? Alex?" he kept asking, and I literally couldn't bring myself up to answer. I just shrugged my shoulders while trying to form a sentence in my head that won't get Alex killed.

Silence fell around us, when suddenly Johnny spoke up.

"I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch,"

He proceeded to leave, but I protested by grabbing his sleeve and keeping him in place.

"Wait, no! It was my fault! I went too far in an argument and-"

"My dearest angel, El, it's never your fault that someone abuses you. But you can't keep it going." he cupped my face with both of his hands, and I placed mine on his forearms. I tried my best, but tears still slowly made my vision blurry.

"I know."

"No one deserves to be abused from the hands of people we love, and especially not you." he continued, burning holes in my soul while looking directly into my eyes. One tear smoothly rolled down my cheek, but he quickly wiped it off. "He crossed a very important line. You can't go back from there. And you know what to do. That fucker can kiss your ass at best."

He was right, deep down I already knew what I had to do, and Johnny only added me courage. Now I have to break up with him. No matter if anything gets in the way.

Johnny embraced me tightly and I let him, bringing both of my arms to hug his torso. I inhaled deeply and it made me calm down. I kept doing it until I finally didn't feel like crying or wasn't so overwhelmed.

"I'm still going after him." Johnny quietly stated.

"No you're not. I'm not in the mood to visit you in jail for the next 25 years." I replied, smiling now.

"Then I better not see him again."

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