Patience (d.m)

2.1: Confrontation

Never Wanted To Dance by Mindless Self Indulgence

Duff's P.O.V

"Duffy!"

I cringe at the sound of the most annoying voice I've ever heard. Why haven't I forced her to leave yet? Is Henley right? Do I have feelings for Hazel?

I know the answer to that as soon as I'm nearly knocked to the ground by her jumping on me.

I shove her off, but am careful not to make her fall. I glare at her. "Are you ever going to leave?"

"Why would I leave my amazing boyfriend?"

I groan. "For the last fucking time: We are not together. Never have been, never will be."

Hazel laughs obnoxiously. "Don't act like you don't want to be with me. What about all those times you called me to-."

I cut her off before she could finish that sentence. "I don't want to be with you, Hazel. I only called you because I needed a distraction from the girl I really love-."

"And she's ignoring you again, isn't she?" Hazel drops her obnoxious act almost immediately. She takes a cigarette from the pack I had out. She grabs my lighter too, igniting the end of the cancer stick. She takes a drag, smiling. "I know she's the girl that was with you when I first arrived. Henley Baxter. Nikki's bitch."

"She's not with Nikki," I snap, taking the cigarette from her. I put It out on the ground in front of me.

Hazel frowns, looking down at the cigarette. "Well," She says, reaching into her bag. She pulls out a folder and hands it to me. I open it and start looking through the photos. "That's not what these pictures say."

The first one is very dark with only the moon as a light source. However, it was just light enough to see Henley and Nikki kissing each other. A pang goes through my heart.

The second one is Henley and Nikki laying in bed together, about to kiss.

The third one is Henley and Nikki in the shower together. The picture only shows their heads so it looks like they're naked.

The fourth one is Henley and Nikki in the bed with each other again, him nuzzled into her back with his shirt off. The sheet covered them from the waist down.

"Where the fuck did you get these?" I demand, waving them in her face.

She shrugs, avoiding eye contact. "A friend took them for me. They could tell how much I love you and agreed to help me get you."

I frown. "You think exposing Henley is going to make me run to you?" Yes, I'm angry at Henley, but I'm even more pissed at Hazel.

"Don't you hate her?" Hazel looks taken aback.

"Of course not! Nothing could ever make me hate Henley. I love her so much that it kills me sometimes. I want no one else but her. She's the one that I want." I glare at Hazel. "I hate you for trying to hurt the one that I love and I will only tell you this once." I'm very surprised that I'm able to keep my voice down through all of this. I'm shaking with anger. "Get the fuck away from me and this tour or I will file a restraining order."

Hazel's eyes widen, but she nods nonetheless. She runs into the hotel, probably to get her things. I'm so fucking tired of her. And I want an explanation for these goddamn photos.

As I stand on the sidewalk outside of the hotel, my mind reeling with everything I learned, Henley walks up the street with Nikki, Steven, and Mick. She stops in front of me with a smile on her face.

"Hi, Duff," She giggles. She looks so happy right now. Is it because of Nikki? That bastard! "I found this amazing record shop right down the street! Nikki found it and-."

I shove the pictures at her. "What's this?"

She takes a glance at them, her smile instantly gone. "Who took these?" She looks up at me, frowning. "Did you take these? That's actually disgusting-."

"No, I didn't take them. I'm honestly offended that you think that I would do something like that."

Henley sighs. "Then where did you get them?" Her voice is very soft.

"Henley?" Nikki's voice says.

The both of us turn to him. I feel my anger come back at full force.

"You better get the fuck out of here!" I yell.

I attempt to lunge at him, but Henley holds me back.

"Duff stop!" She turns to Nikki. "I'll catch up with you guys later."

Nikki leaves, glaring at me once more before walking away. Henley turns to me.

"Where did you get those pictures, Michael?"

I sigh. "Hazel gave them to me."

"And you just believe her?"

"The evidence is right in your fucking face, Henley!" I yell, getting angry at her for being angry at me.

"That all could be explained but you won't fucking listen, will you?" She yells back. "So what if I did kiss Nikki a few times! What does it fucking matter to you? You were off screwing Hazel just because I wasn't talking to you! How can I possibly fucking trust you? What if we got together and I got angry? Would you just go screw some fucking random chick you find at a bar?"

I can't believe what I'm fucking hearing right now. "Of course not! I made a horrible fucking mistake and I hate myself for it! I love you so fucking much Henley, but you obviously don't love me anymore!"

I feel a sharp pain on my cheek. It takes me a few moments to realize that Henley slapped me.

"How could you fucking say that? Do you not remember what I said on that stage? I got angry at you because I thought that you had feelings for Hazel after you told me that you loved me. But I came to realize that you did still love me." Her voice is soft again. "I kissed Nikki those times because we both needed someone. He needs someone to help him get clean and I need someone to hold me that won't expect a relationship. I need someone that won't pressure me or get jealous." Henley sighs, backing away from me. There are tears in her eyes. Fuck. I hurt her again. "Right now my main focus is getting Nikki clean." Tears begin to fall down her cheeks. "I don't need you acting like it was so wrong for me to kiss someone that wasn't you. We're not together." She begins to walk away, but she stops a few feet from where she was originally standing. "And don't you ever say that I don't love you. I never stopped loving you, even when you broke me." She walks into the hotel, leaving me on the sidewalk.

I watch after her in awe. I know Henley's right. She always is. We aren't together so I shouldn't make a big deal about her and Nikki. Then again, if we were together and I was on tour for a long ass time and she got lonely, would she just run to Nikki? Is Nikki better than me?

Those thoughts, however, are drowned out by one specific thought. Henley's voice rings out inside of my head.

"I never stopped loving you."