Manage Me
You Treat Me Just Like Another Stranger
He got me a puppy? No way. Alex jogged in, but stopped short when he saw me.
"Did you...?" he asked.
"Yes." I replied.
"And?" he asked stiffly.
"You think just because you get me a puppy that everything's okay?" I asked.
"Yeah, I do!" he snapped.
"Well guess what!" I snapped back.
"What?" he yelled.
"It fucking worked!" I cried, tears brimming my eyes.
Alex embraced me, rubbing my back.
“Shhh, hush Brooke. Shh, it’s okay. Breathe, Brooke. You’re okay, we’re good.” he whispered.
After I’d sobbed my guts out and was only hiccupping occasionally, Alex pulled away from me so he could look me in the eye.
“Brooke, why are you crying?” he asked sincerely.
“I...you fucking cheated on me and I was okay with being mad at you but you went and got me a damn puppy and I can’t stay mad at you!” I cried.
“Then don’t.” he suggested, smiling gently.
“Alex...too much has happened between us. I can’t...we can’t do this.” I choked.
“What does that mean?” Alex asked.
“It means we can’t be together.” I replied.
“Can we at least be friends?” Alex practically begged.
“Sure.” I smiled weakly.
--
Late that night, I was up thinking. I couldn’t stay. The whole reason I’d come on the tour was because I was dating Alex. Despite my job, that was it. So I decided that the next day, I’d leave. I got out of my bunk and packed my stuff. Alex stirred.
“Wha-what? What’s going on?” Alex asked sleepily.
“I-uh-nothing.” I said quickly, trying to hide my suitcase.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“I’m...uh...looking for my toothbrush.” I explained.
“It’s in the bathroom?” he answered, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
“Oh, right! Duh.” I said, smacking my forehead dramatically and getting up, but Alex grabbed me by the back of my t-shirt.
“What’s really going on?” he asked.
“I...uh...” I stammered. His eyes were like headlights and I and my lies were caught in his trap.
“You looked like you were packing.” he said, furrowing his eyebrows in concern.
“No, I wasn’t.” I defended.
“No, I know you, Brooke. I can tell when you’re lying. And that’s what you’re doing right now. So you can tell me why you were packing or I can assume the worst.” he said harshly.
“Fine. I was.” I admitted.
“Why?” Alex asked simply.
“Alex, the only reason I came on this tour was because we were dating. We’re not dating anymore.” I explained.
“Fine. Leave. I can’t stop you. But just know that you broke my fucking heart. Does that make you happy?” he spat, going back to bed.
The next day, I finished packing my things and Lucky, and Alex shoved me off the bus. I sat out on the curb. About twenty minutes later, Zack came out to talk to me.
“He’s really upset, you know.” he told me, sitting down next to me.
“Let him be. He’s the one that messed up.” I replied bitterly. Zack sighed.
“I really don’t want you to leave.” Zack admitted.
“Ha, you’re the only one.” I laughed humorlessly.
“No, the guys feel the same way.” he assured me.
“Then why aren’t they out here?” I asked.
“They thought you’d be mad at them for what Alex did.” he explained.
I sighed.
“I’m not mad at them. I’m just upset at all this.” I clarified.
“Do you have any way of getting home?” he asked.
“Well, I was going to call my friend, Morgan, but I don’t want her to have to drive to North Carolina and back in such a short time.” I explained.
“You could ride with us to Tampa and fly back?” Zack suggested.
“What about Alex?” I asked.
“He can deal.” Zack laughed.
“Okay, fine. Just let me call Morgan and I’ll be on.” I told him and he nodded, hugging me tightly.
I took out my cell phone and called Morgan.
"Morgan?" I choked when she answered.
"Brooke, oh my God, I've missed you so much!" she cried.
"Same here." I sniffed.
"Oh baby, what's wrong?" she asked sympathetically. I told her everything. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry." she said sympathetically when I finished.
“What do I do?” I asked helplessly.
“I’ll buy you a plane ticket home and pick you up at the airport.” she told me.
“Okay.” I sighed. We kept chatting until she got a ticket.
“Okay, you’ll fly out tonight at seven PM tomorrow and I’ll pick you up at the airport around 9:30.” she told me.
“Thank you so much.” I told her.
“No problem.” she replied and we hung up.
"Did you...?" he asked.
"Yes." I replied.
"And?" he asked stiffly.
"You think just because you get me a puppy that everything's okay?" I asked.
"Yeah, I do!" he snapped.
"Well guess what!" I snapped back.
"What?" he yelled.
"It fucking worked!" I cried, tears brimming my eyes.
Alex embraced me, rubbing my back.
“Shhh, hush Brooke. Shh, it’s okay. Breathe, Brooke. You’re okay, we’re good.” he whispered.
After I’d sobbed my guts out and was only hiccupping occasionally, Alex pulled away from me so he could look me in the eye.
“Brooke, why are you crying?” he asked sincerely.
“I...you fucking cheated on me and I was okay with being mad at you but you went and got me a damn puppy and I can’t stay mad at you!” I cried.
“Then don’t.” he suggested, smiling gently.
“Alex...too much has happened between us. I can’t...we can’t do this.” I choked.
“What does that mean?” Alex asked.
“It means we can’t be together.” I replied.
“Can we at least be friends?” Alex practically begged.
“Sure.” I smiled weakly.
--
Late that night, I was up thinking. I couldn’t stay. The whole reason I’d come on the tour was because I was dating Alex. Despite my job, that was it. So I decided that the next day, I’d leave. I got out of my bunk and packed my stuff. Alex stirred.
“Wha-what? What’s going on?” Alex asked sleepily.
“I-uh-nothing.” I said quickly, trying to hide my suitcase.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“I’m...uh...looking for my toothbrush.” I explained.
“It’s in the bathroom?” he answered, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
“Oh, right! Duh.” I said, smacking my forehead dramatically and getting up, but Alex grabbed me by the back of my t-shirt.
“What’s really going on?” he asked.
“I...uh...” I stammered. His eyes were like headlights and I and my lies were caught in his trap.
“You looked like you were packing.” he said, furrowing his eyebrows in concern.
“No, I wasn’t.” I defended.
“No, I know you, Brooke. I can tell when you’re lying. And that’s what you’re doing right now. So you can tell me why you were packing or I can assume the worst.” he said harshly.
“Fine. I was.” I admitted.
“Why?” Alex asked simply.
“Alex, the only reason I came on this tour was because we were dating. We’re not dating anymore.” I explained.
“Fine. Leave. I can’t stop you. But just know that you broke my fucking heart. Does that make you happy?” he spat, going back to bed.
The next day, I finished packing my things and Lucky, and Alex shoved me off the bus. I sat out on the curb. About twenty minutes later, Zack came out to talk to me.
“He’s really upset, you know.” he told me, sitting down next to me.
“Let him be. He’s the one that messed up.” I replied bitterly. Zack sighed.
“I really don’t want you to leave.” Zack admitted.
“Ha, you’re the only one.” I laughed humorlessly.
“No, the guys feel the same way.” he assured me.
“Then why aren’t they out here?” I asked.
“They thought you’d be mad at them for what Alex did.” he explained.
I sighed.
“I’m not mad at them. I’m just upset at all this.” I clarified.
“Do you have any way of getting home?” he asked.
“Well, I was going to call my friend, Morgan, but I don’t want her to have to drive to North Carolina and back in such a short time.” I explained.
“You could ride with us to Tampa and fly back?” Zack suggested.
“What about Alex?” I asked.
“He can deal.” Zack laughed.
“Okay, fine. Just let me call Morgan and I’ll be on.” I told him and he nodded, hugging me tightly.
I took out my cell phone and called Morgan.
"Morgan?" I choked when she answered.
"Brooke, oh my God, I've missed you so much!" she cried.
"Same here." I sniffed.
"Oh baby, what's wrong?" she asked sympathetically. I told her everything. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry." she said sympathetically when I finished.
“What do I do?” I asked helplessly.
“I’ll buy you a plane ticket home and pick you up at the airport.” she told me.
“Okay.” I sighed. We kept chatting until she got a ticket.
“Okay, you’ll fly out tonight at seven PM tomorrow and I’ll pick you up at the airport around 9:30.” she told me.
“Thank you so much.” I told her.
“No problem.” she replied and we hung up.
Notes
Title: Ignorance, ParamoreSo this story took a completely different turn than what I was going to do, based on y'all's comments. I hope you're enjoying it!!
Thanks to:
SaraBethGaskarth
mkelly
Britt
and SociallyAwkwardRocker of course! Love all of you babies!
comment and rate xoxo
I've been stumbling across stories I've read, and checking them out again since I seem to forget them after it's been a while. This was one of those cases.
Reading this again, and after reading other stories on here and Mibba, I've realized that with my last comment, I was a bit off. Yes, Brooke and Alex's relationship was cute when they were together/sweet to each other, but reading it again, their relationship was a bit abusive. Neither is completely innocent, but the version of Alex you wrote in this took it to the next level. I realize a lot of it was because of his insecurities, what he dealt with in the past, etc., but Brooke didn't deserve any of that. When she did mess up, she definitely didn't take her anger to the levels he did.
Idk, I'm conflicted because again, when they were together, it was cute, but then it just got sad when they weren't. I'm not sure why she put up with as much as she did.
Your writing is still good, though. Just wish they didn't have so many downs in their relationship. It got really sad at a lot of points, and I just felt Alex didn't need to take it to the degree he did, I mean really.
I doubt you saw my other comment, but just thought I would comment again as an update and to possibly get you to see it.
11/19/17