Time-Bomb

“What...the...hell...” I heard from behind me.

I turned around and saw Alex standing in the doorway. Fuck.

“A-Alex...” I stammered weakly.

“Hello, August. Can we please talk in the hallway?” he spit out through his teeth. His face was red. He was so mad. I nodded mechanically and followed him out.

"Explain." he stated, his cold brown eyes boring into my blue ones.

"Well, you crashed your car and forgot everything, but you loved me, so I came over to help you remember." I replied.

"That doesn't explain Josie." he snapped.

"Well when we were seniors you got me pregnant and then got mad at me and you left after I gave birth. Then three years later, you came back. I went on tour with you, but I left because you were being an asshole. So you drove after me when you were drunk and you lost your memory and you wanted me so I came here and pretended to like you." I explained.

It sounded a lot worse out loud, I had to admit.

"So when we had sex earlier, that was a lie?" he asked incredulously.

"Well yes and no. When I first came back in your life, I hated you because you'd treated me like shit, but you were so sweet when I met you at the airport, I kind of fell for you again. But then this happened." I replied.

"So it was a lie?" he asked angrily. I nodded. "Well that's just fucking peachy. At least I know I have a daughter." he replied.

“Alex, I’m so sorry.” I whispered.

“Oh, you think you’ll just bat your fucking eyelashes at me and everything will be okay?” he asked, throwing his hands up.

“No.” I choked.

“Then what? What the fuck do you expect from me, huh? What’s your grand ass plan this time, August?” he snapped, getting in my face.

I took a step back and sucked in my breath.

“Josie is your daughter, even if you don’t remember her. Please, just go in there and act like you love her. She’s already so sick.” I choked.

His face softened.

“Alright.” he whispered, going into the room.

Alex’s Perspective

I went back into Bailey’s guest bedroom, where Josie was lying in bed. I was completely floored. I’d just found out that I had a daughter and that she was sick, and that August had been lying to me for a week, or longer? I was so confused. None of this made sense. All I knew is that I got into an accident and woke up unable to remember my own songs, but apparently I’d treated August like shit, so she’d left me, and we’d had a kid together back in high school? My temples were starting to pulse from processing all of this at once.

I sat by the side of the bed, looking down at Josie. Her hair was dark blonde, like mine had been growing up. Her plump cheeks were splotched with red. Her lips were pressed into a pout. One hand was curled into a fist, resting beneath her head.

"You know that after Josie gets better, I'm gone, right?" I asked August. She nodded.

"But just know that you'll be leaving behind a beautiful little girl and that she will never forgive you." she told me.

"I have to do this. And you lied to me. I can't just stay with you to keep her happy. It'd kill me inside." I replied.

"Well you know what kills me? You leaving or making me leave every time things get a little hard for you." she snapped.

"How am I supposed to stay with you when you kept this from me?" I snapped.

"I kept it from you because I knew you'd react like this!" she cried.

I didn't know what to say. I went over and sat on the bed next to Josie. I moved some hair from her face, which was turned towards me. Her eyes opened slightly.

"Daddy?" she whispered sleepily. I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm here, sweetheart." I whispered, taking her in my arms.

August’s Perspective

Alex sat, holding Josie, for quite a while until she fell back to sleep. He got up and walked past me out of the room, went downstairs, and sat in the living room. The whole band was there now. I went to sit, but the only seat available was next to Alex. So I sat down. He had his head tilted back against the wall and his eyes were closed.

"Are you mad?" I asked meekly. He tilted his head forward and glared at me.

"What do you think?" he asked sharply.

"I'm really sorry. I just didn't know what to do when I found out you'd lost your memory. So I came back into your life, which took an insane amount of nerve." I replied. He sighed.

"You're right. Thanks for...you know, dropping everything to be there for me." he told me awkwardly.

"No problem." I replied. I yawned and curled up in the small space on the loveseat.

"Y-You can lay on me if you want." mumbled gruffly. I did so and he put his arm around me as I drifted off to sleep.

Notes

comment/sub/rate/appreciate!

xoxo

Hayley