Song - The chain - Fleetwood Mac
Victoria's POV
The walk across the deserted car park after strapping Lola safely into Freddie's car seemed to stretch on for miles, my feet sticking to the cool pavement, my legs almost refusing to cooperate. I could feel Roger's glaring eyes burning into me from behind the steering wheel as I approached the car, his pupils narrowed in hatred as he took long drags of his lit cigarette, his fingers drumming impatiently on the steering wheel. I knew that the second I was in the car, the passenger door locked behind me, that the screaming match would start. I wasn't ready to deal with Roger's temper tantrum, not after the stress of seeing Brian for the first time.
Admittedly, I couldn't even predict what the argument would be about, still completely in the dark about what I had done to offend Roger so. With Roger, sometimes you didn't even need to have done something wrong.
"Where's Lola?" Roger demanded the second the car door slammed shut behind me. He had watched me hawkishly as I had escorted Lola to Freddie's parked car, making his question little more than the opening to a dig.
Please don't make me do this now Roger, I already feel fragile enough.
"She wanted to ride in Freddie's car" I half lied. Roger grunted in response as he twisted the key in the ignition, starting the engine. The sound was a startling contrast to the heavy silence. It was almost choking.
"Thanks for consulting me on that one, it was very considerate of you" Roger retorted, dramatically rolling his eyes.
"I'm sorry, I didn't think I needed to consult you every time I made a minor life decision such as what car my daughter drives home in" I retorted sarcastically. Roger turned to glare at me as he pulled out of the studio car park.
"No, because you don't have to consult me on anything. You just walk back into my life after three years and get to call the shots on everything" Roger mumbled, so faintly that I almost didn't hear him.
"I'm sorry?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow incredulously.
Here it comes.
"Forget I said anything" Roger mumbled darkly. Perhaps that would have been the smart thing to do, to leave the conversation and drive home in steely silence before the situation could escalate, especially seeing as we were shortly to be hosting dinner for our tiny daughter and the majority of the band. But I couldn't ignore it. Roger's entire reaction to the events of today had riled me up.
"No, you've started now, you might as well finish" I spat through gritted teeth.
If he was going to focus all the attention on his butt-hurt attitude when I needed it the most, then he would get the argument he so wanted.
"Let's just make one thing clear right now, this is my house, not yours, and if I want Brian in it, he's going to be there" Roger growled, his narrowed eyes concentrated on the road ahead, his shaking hands grasping the steering wheel tighter than they needed to. I resisted the urge to scoff.
"Is that what all this is about?" I worked out incredulously. Of course, one of our first fights would be about Brian. Figures.
"I didn't say shit to Brian, he made the decision not to be here tonight so don't you dare lay that shit on me" I pointed out.
"Oh sure, and I'm sure his decision to stay away had nothing to do with you glaring at him?" Roger retorted.
"Well what did you expect me to do? Did you expect me to just act like everything was okay, just like that? Well I can't" I spat.
"Oh please, you're dying to have Brian back in your life, you just won't admit it to yourself" Roger scoffed.
"There it is. I fucking knew it" I almost gloated. I had been anticipating this moment since Roger had first brought up the prospect of seeing Brian again. I knew he hadn't matured enough to leave all that jealous, rockstar bullshit in the past. Brian would always be a sore subject between the two of us, no matter what Roger claimed.
