Amelia smiled and nodded, looking down to her feet. Zoeâs words meant a lot more than she was going to show. Just knowing that the other girl was going to gladly be watching her, rather than being forced due to their image, was enough for her nerves to be settled a little. However, only for them to skyrocket at the thought of Zoe actually watching her. She didnât know exactly how many times Zoe had heard her music or seen her perform live and suddenly felt like she was going to be awaiting the most important judge of the evening. Trying to swallow that all, Amelia perked her head up at the sound of Zoeâs voice again and laughed softly. âPlease, donât flatter me.â She walked closer to take a peek at the screen. She scrolled through a few, laughing at some of the freak outs that only professionals could decipher. âLook at this one,â she spoke, turning Zoeâs phone around and moving to stand behind her, leaning over her shoulder, pointing to several tweets from the same person, just continuing to scream and yell about the two being spotted, standing and walking closely together. Seeing photos of them, she could feel her heart pulling. Amelia didnât want to keep dwelling on the past, but she couldnât help but think about how this could have been fans reaction years ago. This outing today could be another thing to solidify their relationship, having people scream and yell over how theyâve stayed together so long, how their love is so strong. Not that theyâre just appearing together, so close that the rumors can start. She tried her best to not let her smile falter as she backed away. âI, uh, should probably go get ready to walk on. So, maybe, um, I guess, just,â she sighed and looked at the time. âMeet back here I guess.â Without taking another glance, she walked out of the room and towards the direction of the stage and waited there until being told it was time for her to go on and do her thing.
It took a lot for Zoe not to turn around and stare at Amelia, instead keeping her eyes focused on her phone, on the pictures of the two of them. She had to grit her teeth, a sudden rush of emotions getting the better of her. As Amelia excused herself, she cleared her throat, nodding silently. She didnât turn and face her, she couldnât, not now when she was certain her eyes would be red, the tears threatening to fall down at any moment. As she left the room, Zoe threw her phone onto the couch, as tears began to spill. She knew the whole point of their fake relationship was to get the exact reaction that they had received, and yet, actually seeing how well people took it, she realised that times had changed. She didnât have to hide her relationship when she first started out. She didnât have to throw away the one person in her life who truly believed in her. She felt a sob wrack through her, grateful for the fact that she was alone. She took a deep breath, knowing that she had to calm down as quick as possible, had to get to the side of the stage without looking like she did. Grabbing some of the make up off the side, she dabbed on concealer, wiped away the mascara tracks. It would have to do. Going to the mini-fridge, she grabbed a bottle of the first spirit she could find, and gulped it, her eyes wincing at the burn down her throat. Looking at the time, she knew she had to go as quick as possible.
Sprinting off, she shoved the remainder of the bottle into her bag. As she stood, her eyes focused on Amelia, she felt her heart cracking all over again. She wanted to run back, to hide away backstage until they were due to meet again, but she was frozen to the spot. It wasnât like before, when she would listen to the music, when she could feel the hurt pumped into each beat. Then she could always switch off. Pretend that it wasnât hurting her. Pretend that she wasnât the one who had caused the pain. But when they were a few feet apart, when they had spent the day just in each otherâs company, it was impossible to forget. So, she stayed, motionless. When the final applause rang out, she slipped away silently, back to where they had been. As the door opened and a stream of people came in, she smiled weakly at them all, biting her lip as she saw Amelia. Not wanting to interrupt, she waited until things had calmed down a little. âYou were amazing out there.â She murmured softly.