In the Eyes of Strangers

I just sat there, staring after her in complete shock as she walked away. After several moments, I mentally shook myself and stood up, making my way through the packed club; it wasn’t hard to find Dylan, seeing as he was easily the tallest guy there. I reached up, tapping on his shoulder. He turned around and before he could react, I balled my hand into a fist and swung at him. However, before I could go after him again, I felt a pair of arms snake around my waist and pull me away from him. “I really didn’t miss doing this.”

I spun around in Jay’s arms, my eyes blazing with anger; I quickly pulled away from him, not wanting Julia to see us and think the wrong thing, and started to walk away. He quickly caught up to me, grabbing my arm and causing me to spin around. “I’m walking away,” I told him. “The bloody asshole isn’t worth it.” he just shot me a lopsided grin. “Go back to Julia before she starts thinking the wrong things.”

“I’ll explain it to her when I get back.” he replied. I arched my eyebrow at him. “I’m assuming you want to head over to Charlie’s apartment.” I nodded. “Then follow me.” the two of us walked out of the club and toward the parking lot; like the gentleman he was, he opened the passenger side door of his Lincoln for me and waited until I sank down into the front seat before he shut the door and walked around to the driver’s side. Without a word, he slipped into the driver’s seat and started the engine.

The drive to Charlotte’s apartment complex was completely silent, mostly because he remembered how I got when I was pissed about something. He pulled into the parking lot of her apartment complex, parking beside her Impala and got out; I followed suit and followed him inside. We went up to the third floor and he knocked before turning to me and pulling me into a quick hug before pulling and turning around. When Charlotte didn’t answer, I knocked again and continued to until she got fed up enough to open the door.

“Shane, what are you doing here?” she asked, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

“Doing what I should’ve done before, now are you gonna let me in?” she just stared at me for a few minutes, then opened her door wider and stepped back, silently inviting me in. “Can you grab me some ice, love?” I asked, shutting the door behind me.

“Do I want to know?” I just smiled at her cheekily and she rolled her eyes before turning and walking into her kitchen. I went and flopped onto her settee then immediately frowned when I saw the bottle of Jack Daniels on the coffee table. She came back in and saw me frowning at the bottle so she cleared her throat and I looked up at her; she held out a dishtowel filled with ice and I took it from her, smiling sheepishly as I placed it on my hand. “I’m surprised you’re actually here and not fucking George.” she admitted.

“I’m sorry I left, but I couldn’t end up like my parents.” she arched her eyebrow at me. “They’re a bloody mess; he cheats on her constantly and she knows it, but she just turns a blind eye.” I began to explain. “I found out through my grandfather that his latest mistress is actually living there and she’s pregnant with his child,” I couldn’t help but shudder at the thought of having a half sibling. “My mother knows it too and she just allows it to happen because she’s cheating on him with someone on their staff.”

“That is just fucked up.” she laughed.

“I know, why do you think I decided to attend UCLA instead of Oxford?”

“You dropped out soon after meeting George.” she reminded me.

I rolled my eyes. “Because you don’t really need a degree to become a photographer.”

“It’s actually good you left,” she confessed after we had lapsed into a silence. “Because I know that you would’ve helped me kick that bitch’s ass and we both would’ve ended up in jail.” I smiled, nodding in agreement. “Then we both would’ve been kicked off the tour.” again, I nodded in agreement. She stared at the bottle of whiskey sitting in front of her then turned to me with tears in her eyes.

I ended up staying for a few hours, just talking and laughing with her like I used to before I left. I remembered falling asleep on her settee only to be awoken some time later as someone picked me up; I quickly realized that it was Johnny and snuggled against his chest as he talked quietly to Charlotte before walking toward the door. On the way down the stairs, he was completely silent because he assumed that I was still sleeping when I was actually semi-awake. “What time is it love?” I mumbled when we got outside.

“A little after two AM.” he replied. “Want me to continue carrying you or do you think you can walk?”

“I’m good.” I said, snuggling into his chest again. He laughed for a bit then I felt him lean down and kiss my forehead. “I love you.”

“I love you too baby.”

“I want one.”

He stopped walking so I opened my eyes to find him staring down at me. “What?”

“I know we’re leaving soon for tour, but I just want you to know that eventually I want a baby.”

His lips curved into one of his genuine smiles. “If it happens, it happens.” I smiled back, nodding in agreement before tipping my head up. He leaned down, pressing his lips to mine. I happily kissed him back, tangling my fingers through his hair. “When tour ends,” he told me when we stopped snogging. “We should look at places to live.” I nodded again in agreement. “I fucking love you Shane.”

“I love you too Johnny.”

“Why do you never call me George? Even when you’re mad, you never call me it; it’s either Jonathan or Jonathan Arthur.”

“Because love,” I said with a roll of my eyes. “When you introduced yourself to me, you said you hated your name and to call you Johnny. Everyone else, including your fans who think they know you, call you “George” or “Georgie” which I know you hate just as much.” he nodded. “The only thing I don’t understand is why you haven’t legally changed your name.”