International Love

Chapter 14

I spun around and saw Cathy standing there. My mother has some guts. She just thought she could come around here like her husband didn’t just choke me out.

As soon as Derek saw who it was he pushed me behind him to protect me, “What are you doing here?” He said angrily.

“It’s my daughters opening night of her world tour. I have every right to be here just like your parents and Lacey’s parents and Steven’s parents.” Cathy said.

“You lost that right the day your husband put his hands around her neck.” Derek continued, “You need to leave.”

“No. I won’t.” She said crossing her arms.

I felt tears begin to well up in my eyes as I realized they weren’t just going to go away as easy as I thought. Michael wasn’t anywhere to be found, at least I hoped he wasn’t. But I wasn’t understanding how she got inside.

“How did you get in here?” I whispered peeking around from behind Derek.

“Oh I got her in. I figured you’d want her here.” Lacey said walking in, “My parents have already gone to the audience with Stevens if you’d all like to join them.” She said to Dereks parents and sister.

“Yes, we will see you two after the show.” Annie said. Joel and Isabelle ran out behind her.

“Lacey are you f*****g stupid?” Derek yelled, “Why would you get the woman that had a hand in injuring Ivy into this concert?”

“Derek, a mother should always be involved.” Lacey said acting innocent.

Lacey made it clear she was going to destroy me. I thought she just meant my career. I didn’t think she’d actually put my life in danger. By Cathy being here there’s no telling what she would pull. Now that Lacey and Cathy were all buddy buddy, I was a whole different level of scared.

I felt tears well up in my eyes and I leaned against Dereks back.

“This is a whole different level of low Lacey. You saw how she looked after that b***h let her husband choke Ivy.” Derek said to her, “You are the reason that she doesn’t even want to be in the band anymore.”

Uh oh.

“Good that’s the goal. Just quit Ivy. Derek is the only one that wants you here.” Lacey laughed.

“No, Lacey, I want her here, too.” Steven chimed in, “You need to quit trying to sabotage the group and just leave if you don’t want this anymore.”

“Harmony Dreams 5 minutes to stage.” We heard the stage manager say.

“Cathy. You need to leave. You are not welcome here. If you come to one of our shows again I will have you removed from the premises and we will press charges.” Derek said, “You destroyed your relationship with your daughter the day you abandoned her. You sealed the deal the day you let your husband strangle her. She has made it perfectly clear she wants nothing to do with any of you. Now leave.

“This isn’t over.” Cathy said walking out of the room.

“Lacey, if you pull a stunt like this again I will do whatever it takes to have you removed from this band. Quit letting your jealousy overpower you. Grow up.” Derek continued, “Now let’s f*****g act like we get along and go perform.”

Lacey scoffed and walked out with Steven behind her.

“Derek, I’m so sorry.” I said.

“Let’s just go.” He said angrily.

Derek was mad at me. I have no idea why he was mad at me. I had none of this planned. It’s not like I begged for Lacey to go and find my mom and bring her here to blow this night to bits. I did nothing wrong and I don’t know why he was so angry with me.

“Derek, are you mad at me?” I asked him as I put my in ear monitor system pack on my jeans pocket.

“Just drop it Ivy Rose.” He mumbled.

“If you’re mad at me I’m sorry. But I didn’t plan this. I didn’t beg for Lacey to destroy this night.” I said placing the pink rhinestone ear pieces in my ears.

“Ivy I said to drop it. Let it the f**k go.” He yelled.

I looked over and saw Lacey smirking and Steven looked annoyed. I knew this exactly what we didn’t want to happen. Our group was falling to shambles because of f*****g Lacey. This is what she wanted and it was happening.

I chocked back the tears that were welling up as I heard our opening music start. This was an ever loving disaster and I was beyond frustrated.

Throughout the first half of our show we were doing surprisingly well for what’s happened back stage. Our harmonies were on par, our dance moves were on par, and all of our fans were having the time of their life. After the first few songs I found myself having fun, too.

After the first 6 songs our solos were coming up starting with Lacey and her Ariana Grande song.

“We’re going to do a little something new this year!” Lacey shouted, “You’re all going to get to hear our voices separately!”

Lacey’s performance was more entertaining. She had all of our extra background dancers out there with her. I needed to change into my next costume so I needed to go back to my dressing room to change. I grabbed a small bottle of water from the stagehand and started walked back to my dressing room.

“Ivy!” Derek yelled, “Ivy!”

I was ignoring him. He yelled at me for things that weren’t even my fault. So I had no interest in talking with him right now. I kept walking and walked into my dressing room slamming the door in his face. When I got in there Daniel was getting my next outfit ready.

“What is wrong with you, missy?” Daniel asked flinching as I slammed the door.

“Derek is pissed at me for whatever reason for everything that happened earlier.” I groaned throwing the jean jacket I was carrying on the couch.

“I’m sure he’s not mad at you just the situation.” Daniel said. He was probably my right. But Derek yelled at me so I was mad.

“He yelled at me.” I said taking my pants off.

“Okay? And? You’ll yell at him and he’ll yell at you many times in your relationship. You going to act 12 every time it happens?” Daniel said matter of factly.

I knew he was right. But I wanted to be angry for right now because Derek was mad at the wrong person.

Daniel handed me a silver sequined long sleeved dress. I slid it on and it hugged my body in all the right places and was mid thigh. He handed me a pair of black knee high boots with a 6 inch heel. I slid the boots on and looked in the mirror. I smiled and was extremely satisfied with my outfit.

Daniel clipped on the in ear monitor system to my bra and fed the ear pieces through the top. I put one back in my ear and headed back toward the stage.

I opened up the door and Lacey was standing there with a stupid smirk on her face.

“Can I help you?” I asked looking at her.

“You should quit the band now. I’m only going to get worse.” She smirked.

Even though I was already planning to leave, she was fueling the fire. But then if I stayed it would make her mad. I could use the rest of my time with band to my advantage.

“Not a chance.” I smirked pushing past her.

“Good luck topping my performance. They loved it.” She smiled.

When I got to the side stage Derek had just started his song. As much as I was mad at him, there was what Daniel told me in the back of my head. I just hated that Derek yelled at me.

“I like me better when I’m with you.” Derek sang.

I stood staring at him and we made eye contact. He smiled at me and kept singing. When there was a musical break he walked over to me and took my hand and walked back out on stage. The audience went crazy when we both walked out on stage.

“I don't know what it is but I got that feeling waking up in this bed next to you swear the room yeah, it got no ceiling. If we lay, let the day just pass us by.I might get to too much talking.I might have to tell you something. Damn, I like me better when I'm with you.” He sang looking at me.

I think this was Derek’s way of apologizing. I couldn’t help but smile as he sang looking at me. As he finished his song he kept holding my hand and kissed my cheek. I walked back to the band as they finished the song and let them know I had a change in plans for my song for this one show.

“Ladies and gentleman let’s hear it for my beautiful girlfriend, Ivy Andersen!” He said into the microphone.

I waved and walked back to where Derek was standing.

“This is for you.” I whispered in his ear.

Instead of the band playing the arrangement for ‘Chasing Pavements’ they started the arrangement for ‘The Good Ones’ by Gabby Barrett. He sang a song for me, it was only fitting I return the favor.

“He's a phone call to his parents. He's a Bible by the bed. He's the t-shirt that I'm wearin'. He's the song stuck in my head. He's solid and he's steady. Like the Allegheny runs. He knows just where he's goin'. And he's proud of where he's from. One of the good ones. He's one of the good ones. A love me like he should one. Like he wrote the book one. The kind you find when you don't even look one. Anybody can be good once. But he's good all the time. He's one of the good ones. And he's all mine. He's one of the good ones.” I sang looking at Derek.

The audience ate this up the whole time. They were going insane as I continued to sing to him and held his hand. At some point I felt like it was just the two of us as I sang to him. My granny always told me when it felt like it was just the two of you in a room full of people then you knew you were in loved the person.

“He’s one of the good ones, and he’s all mine.” I belted out as the song finished.

As the audience clapped I wrapped my arms around Derek and hugged him tightly.

“I’m sorry I yelled at you, baby” Derek said in my ear. Thankfully mid song I’d taken out one of my in ear monitors because I couldn’t really hear myself singing and I didn’t want to butcher it completely.

“I forgive you.” I said back.

“We’ll be right back to give you some more music!” I said the in the microphone.

Derek and I ran off the stage hand in hand. We ran to the quick change area and Daniel was already there with my next set of clothes. For the final outfit I had a pair of black short high waisted shorts and a white blouse that I tucked inside the shorts with a pair of red knee high leather boots.

“You look sexy.” Daniel said, “This is the best outfit tonight.”

“He’s right babe, I could take you right here right now.” Derek winked at me.

I felt my face heat up and my core clench. I wanted to take him right here right now but that’s highly frowned upon.