The Weight of Dreams || Greta Van Fleet

Chapter 23: Time Alone With You

Sam's P.O.V

I leaned in close, listening at the door. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. He was telling her exactly what she wanted to hear, and she was eating it up. He knew that without Juliette, he would be nothing. Why wasn't she seeing this?

And then my heart dropped.

"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."

He was proposing to her, kind of, and.. she wasn't saying no.

Now I was the one who felt like they were going to be sick. Juliette deserved so much more than.. whatever this was. Especially from someone like him. 

Meanwhile she had no idea how I really felt about her.

I leaned in, still listening.
"Don, I.. I don't know." She said.
"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, and then opened the door. Our eyes met and he flashed me a smile as he pushed past me. Juliette looked up at me, her face dropping.

"Sam.." She said, sitting back up. I didn't know what to say.
"Sam, wait, please.. I can explain." I shook my head, backing away and storming off to our bus. I slammed the door behind me, quickly hopping up the steps and going into the back room, shutting the door behind me.

"Sam?" Josh called out from behind me. I plopped down on the bed, hiding my face in one of the pillows. I didn't want to talk to anyone right now. I really had no reason to feel this way, I had missed my chance to tell her how I really felt, not once, but twice now. 

I could only imagine how Jake was going to take it, and I really didn't want to be the one to tell him. There's no way that that should fall on me. If this is what she wanted to do, she should be the one to break it to him. 

But part of me felt like as his brother, I should be the one to warn him. I didn't want her to completely blindside him. 

Then there was a knock on the door.

"Sam, it's me." Josh said. "What happened? Are you alright?" I sighed, turning over to face the door. I knew he wasn't going to leave until I answered.
"I'm fine." I said plainly. He opened the door, making his way inside and sat down next to me on the bed.
"Yeah, people who are fine don't just storm out of a room like that." He said, smirking at me. I shrugged.

"It doesn't matter how I feel." I said quietly, avoiding his eyes. He bit down on his lip, staring back at me. I could tell he wanted to say something.
"What?" I sighed, sitting up and staring back at him.

"Okay.." He said reluctantly. "I.. I'm gonna ask you something. And.. it can stay between us. But I gotta know." I stared back at him confused, feeling my cheeks burn.
"What is it?" I asked, feeling my heart start to beat faster.

"Do you have feelings for Juliette?" He asked. My stomach dropped. I bit down on my lip and held my stare, feeling my cheeks get even redder. I finally forced myself to nod. 
"Okay." He sighed. "That's all I needed to know."
"It doesn't matter though." I said quietly, now looking away. "Don just proposed."

"He what?" Josh yelled. I shot him a look.
"Sorry.." He whispered. "He.. proposed to her? You're sure?"
"Well, kind of. He said the actual proposal needs to be big and public, so everyone forgets about her and Jake. His parents are threatening to kick him off the label too because of this, he's just trying to get her back to stay on their good side. He needs her.. and she doesn't see it. And.. she didn't say no."

"You have to tell her how you feel, Sam." Josh said simply. I felt my cheeks burn again.
"Josh, I-"
"Do you want to live the rest of your life just not knowing?" I looked down, shaking my head.
"Well, we almost kissed, I think, in the car, before we went into the bar. And then when I brought her back to the bus, she said.. she didn't want this life anymore if it meant not being with me. But she was drunk, and when I asked her about it this morning she got angry, and she said.. we were just friends."

"Look.." Josh sighed, he peeked over at the door, and then looked back at me. "I.. I know she says she likes Jake. And for all I know, maybe she does. But.. she loves you, Sam, if I've ever seen it. You'd have to be blind not to see it. We all see it.. even Jake." I felt my stomach drop.

"Even Jake?" I asked, looking up at him. He nodded, his face dropping.
"Jake knows that he's just.. right now. He doesn't understand why she's with him either, but he's happy as long as she wants him, and.. he's ready for when she doesn't. It's gonna suck, and we're all gonna have to deal with the aftermath of that, but.. he knows."

"Even if it was because of me?" I asked, feeling my heart race again. Josh shrugged.
"That will make it a little harder, but we've all seen you two together. He knows he can't do for her what you do, whatever that is." He laughed, rolling his eyes. I couldn't help but smile.

Honestly, I didn't understand what she saw in me either. All I know is I was happy whenever she wanted me around. 

"You can't just let her go through with this without telling her, Sam. It wouldn't be fair to her either. She deserves to know too." I sighed. I hated when Josh was right, cause I knew I would never hear the end of it.

"I.. I don't even know what I would say to her." I said quietly, avoiding his eyes.
"Well, what do you want her to know?" He asked.
"I'm not falling for that." I smirked, feeling my face burn again.
"Fine, don't tell me." He laughed. "But just know, if she's saying those kind of things to you while she's that drunk.. well, those kind of things don't come out of no where, Sam."

"She seemed pretty angry at me." 
"You basically turned her down." Josh laughed. "How often do you think she gets turned down?" I couldn't help but smile.
"Never." He nodded.
"Never." I sighed, smiling back at him. He leaned over, giving me a pat on the shoulder before getting up and going back out into the main room. 

I reached over and grabbed my phone. After staring at the screen for what felt like hours, I finally forced myself to press send.

Sam: I need some time alone with you tonight.