The Weight of Dreams || Greta Van Fleet

Chapter 22: It's Time

Sam stared back at me, nodding.
"Okay then." He sighed, getting up from the bed. I felt like I was going to be sick. 

Actually sick.

I quickly reached over for the garbage pail next to my bed, making it just in time. Sam stopped and pulled my hair back, sitting down next to me on the bed.
"As if today couldn't get any worse." I moaned.
"It's gonna be okay." He said, gently rubbing my back. 

Then I heard a door slam.

"Where is he?" Don yelled. My heart dropped. I was hoping Jake was back on their bus. Then the door swung open.
"YOU?!" Don snapped, reaching out for Sam, grabbing him by the shirt.
"Don stop! It wasn't him!" I yelled, lying back down. My head started to spin again. Don glared down at Sam, and eventually tossed him back onto the bed.
"Where is he." He demanded. I shook my head.
"It wasn't his fault." I sighed. "It was me." His eyes got wide.

"What do you mean it was you?" He yelled, his hands curling into fists. Sam stood up, pushing him back.
"Leave her alone." Sam said sternly.
"How about you mind your business? You've done enough." Don snapped, pushing Sam back.
"Don, stop! Leave him alone. Sam, just.. give us a minute." Sam stared back at me concerned.

"I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone with him."
"Well, that's not your call." Don said, shoving Sam again.
"Don! Stop! Sam.. it's okay." Sam hesitated but eventually left, shutting the door behind him. I didn't hear another door shut, so I assumed he was waiting right outside. I forced myself to sit up.

"Where is that kid?" Don yelled. I sighed, rolling my eyes.
"Just leave him alone, okay? It wasn't his fault. He didn't do anything."
"He knew exactly what he was doing, Juliette."
"Well, whatever. Cancel the tour, kick me off the label, I don't care anymore. Just leave him alone." He stopped, staring back down at me, his face still angry.

"You.. you actually like this kid." He said, his voice dropping. I peeked back up at him. I couldn't remember the last time I had heard Don's actual voice.
"I do." I said softly, glaring back up at him. Don crossed his arms, holding his stare on me.
"And what about this one?" He asked, motioning towards Sam. I felt my cheeks burn.
"What about Sam?" I asked. He sighed, smirking at me.
"He punched me for you. There's obviously something with this one." I shook my head.
"Him and I are friends." Don nodded, and started pacing back and forth.

"What's going on with you?" I asked, getting more annoyed. I had accepted that my career was over hours ago. Why was he dragging this out any longer than he needed to? I had already begun getting used to the idea of actually getting to be with Jake. I had never gotten to experience a real relationship before, and since this life was going to be over, I let myself get excited about maybe having a real boyfriend for once.

"My parents saw the videos. Of you and him." He said softly, now sitting down on the edge of the bed. I stared back at him, confused. He sounded.. like an actual human being. I bit down on my lip, not sure what to say.

"They said that I needed to get my act together, for you to be acting out like this. They said if we don't work on.. this.. then we're both done." I felt my cheeks burn. This isn't at all how I expected this to go. I was sure that I was done and going to be out on my ass by the end of the day.

"So.. what are you saying?" I finally asked. Don sighed. 
"I'm saying.. I'm sorry. For how I've been towards you. We started out great, and I don't know what went wrong. Maybe I'm to blame. Obviously this guy is doing something right. I still want to kill him for touching you, and I still might, but at least you got to have that for a little bit. But its gotta end. You can't be seen with either of them anymore. Not if we want to keep our careers."

I felt like I was going to be sick again. This is all I've wanted from Don for years, but now that Jake (and Sam) were in the picture, it just didn't feel the same as I always imagined it would.

"And what if I don't want to?" I finally asked, pulling my knees up against my chest. He was quiet for a moment, biting down on his lip. He moved closer to me on the bed, gently running his hands through my hair. My heart started to race. It had been years since he's touched me, in a way that wasn't just pushing me around. 

I forgot how much I loved it. 

"Well... I have a proposition for you." He finally said, staring back into my eyes. I had forgotten how beautiful his eyes were. He rarely even looked at me anymore.
"And.. what's that?" I asked, moving closer. His smile grew as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a tiny blue box. My heart dropped.

"Don.. w-what is that?" I asked. He opened the box, revealing the biggest diamond ring I had ever seen. I couldn't believe what was happening. I had dreamt about this moment my entire life, but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine finally being proposed to in the back of a tour bus, sitting next to a garbage pail of my own vomit. 

It somehow felt a little lackluster.

"So.. the team decided.. that it's time." He said. I looked back up at him. This was the man I had spent my entire life with, and he was finally proposing. 

I think?

"Time?" I asked. He shut the box, putting it back in his pocket.
"Time for us to get married. It's the only way we can distract everyone from these stories about you and this guy, and it'll give the press something to focus on for a little while. No one knows who he is anyway, they'll forget about him in no time. And now everything can be about us and the wedding. Of course the proposal will have to be big and public, but.. I wanted to tell you about it first."

"Don, I.. I don't know.." He shook his head, getting up from the bed. 
"I know, it's exciting, so.. just wrap your head around it and.. don't worry. Things are gonna get better. Just.. no more photos with them. Stay away from them." He said, leaning down and kissing me on top of the head. I bit my lip, nodding.

He opened the door, making his way out into the main area of the bus where I  saw Sam, leaning against his bunk staring back at me with sad eyes.

My heart dropped.