~~the next day~~
AJ grumbled as he rolled around in his bed. He looked at his clock and tried to remember his schedule for that day. He all the sudden remembered it was a free day and then the party. He rubbed his eyes and crawled out of bed. He needed to get in a good mood, quick. He picked up his hotel phone and dialed out.
"Hey, this is Gwen and I'm not here so leave a message. Later!" AJ heard. He sighed. He was hoping for Gwen but got the machine instead. He hung up, not in the mood to leave a message. He dragged himself to his shower and turned on the hot water. After his shower, he tried Gwen again.
"Hello?" a familiar voice answered.
"Hey Baby," AJ said, in his raspy voice.
"Hey honey. I can't talk, I'm really busy but I'll call ya soon okay?" Gwen said. AJ sighed.
"Okay," AJ agreed and they hung up.
~~~~
Gwen hung up her phone and zipped her suitcase. She grabbed her bags and left for the airport.
~~~later that night~~~
"The party is at 9, so I'll arrive at 9:30," AJ thought aloud in his hotel room. It was 8:45 and AJ decided to get ready. It's been awhile since one of the guys threw a party and AJ was usually the center of attention. But not this time. Now he had Gwen to think about and respect. He got ready and left for the party at 9:30. He took a cab and arrived at the packed club. It was filled with various celebrities and music icons. A usual Backstreet party. He mingled and greeted his friends and found Howie sitting at the bar. He walked over to his friend and sat next to him.
"Hey man," AJ said. Howie nodded.
"Hey," Howie said. Howie was AJ's best friend in the group and it was awhile since the two have talked.
"Wassup?" AJ asked.
"Claire broke up with me," Howie said, about his recent love interest.
"Aww man, that sucks," AJ said. Howie drank his drink and smiled.
"Yeah, but I'm a free man tonight," he said, as he ordered another drink. AJ sighed.
"I wish I could be so carefree," AJ said.
"What do you mean man? You have Gwen," Howie said.
"I know. And I truly love her but I feel so...restricted. I respect her and I stopped drinking and flirting, which is a pain in the ass. But I haven't felt like myself recently," AJ admitted to his friend.
"Well, that is what tonight is for!" Howie said, drinking his vodka. "Kick back tonight and enjoy being a bachelor! She's not here so have some fun," Howie said. In some way or another, AJ thought he was right. One fun night of dancing wouldn't hurt, right? And one drink won't hurt, right?
"Hey bar tender, get me a vodka," AJ hollered. Howie smiled.
"That's more like it," he said.
~~~~~~~~~
Nick was waiting in the airport wearing a baseball cap and a casual outfit. Gwen's plane landed and he saw her in the crowd.
"Gwen!!" Nick said. Gwen found Nick and ran over to him.
"Hey!" she greeted. Nick helped her carry her luggage.
"Thanks for picking me up. I can't wait to see AJ," Gwen said.
"No prob Gwen. And he has no clue," Nick said, helping her surprise him.
"This is going to be great. He's hasn't been acting himself and maybe this will cheer him up," she said. Nick agreed and he hailed a cab.
~~~~~~~~
An hour went by and AJ was getting drunk. After he had a drink, his mind began to clear and he started thinking clearly. Every time he looked at another girl or took a drink of alcohol, he would think of Gwen. He knew he was messing up but he was only human right? That thought made him get another drink. Howie had left to dance and AJ looked at the dance floor. AJ thought by drinking, it would get rid of all his stress and worries he had about their relationship. He drank another shot of vodka and saw a beautiful blonde walk by him. She was wearing a short skirt and halter top. AJ's eyes shot over at her and she walked up to him.
"Hey, want to dance?" she asked. He finished his drink and was completely drunk.
"Sure bey-beh!" he said, grabbing her hand and dragging her to the middle of the dance floor. He danced with her and couldn't even remember Gwen's name. He was completely and totally drunk and he loved being care free. Or so he thought.
~~~~~~~~~
Gwen and Nick made a quick stop at their hotel to get ready for the party. Gwen got her own room, changed and met Nick back in the lobby. She was wearing leather pants, a red sparkle tank top and a leather jacket over it. She had her hair down and looked like she was ready to party. Nick escorted her outside and they took a cab to the club. They got out.
"Okay, should I just walk in and find him or should you bring him out here?" Gwen asked Nick, wanting it to be perfect.
"Go in. AJ will love it," Nick assured her, not knowing the condition of his friend. Gwen agreed and they walked into the club. Gwen scanned the room for AJ and couldn't find him.
"Gwen?!" she heard. She swirled around expecting to see AJ but it was Brian instead.
"Hey!" she cried, over the music. Brian hugged her.
"Hey sweetie. When did you get here?" he asked.
"I just got here to surprise AJ...but I can't find him. Have you seen him?" she asked, still looking around the huge club.
"No I haven't. I'll go ask Kevin," Brian said. Gwen walked around and still couldn't find him. She walked past a booth where there was a couple making out. Gwen turned around to walk away but heard a familiar voice. She turned around and felt her heart getting ripped out of her chest. It was AJ. He was all over another girl right in front of her. She felt tears swell up in her eyes and didn't know how to react. She wanted to scream but couldn't find her voice. She turned around and ran right into Nick. He didn't need to say anything because he soon saw why Gwen was crying. Furious, Nick stormed over and pulled the girl off of AJ. He grabbed AJ's collar and punched him right in the eye.
"Dammit Nick!" AJ screamed, still drunk.
"AJ! What the hell had gotten into you?!" Nick screamed. Gwen just stood there, not able to move. She didn't know how to react to what she feared most. AJ looked over at Gwen.
"You...you..wench," AJ spat at her. She shook into reality.
"...wwwhat?" she quivered.
"You little wench. You don't love me, you only take advantage of me. You tease!" AJ screamed at Gwen, once he was out of Nick's grip. Nick tried to hold him back but AJ was stronger.
"AJ...you're drunk," Gwen said, not able to fight back because she was so hurt.
"You toy with my feelings and you don't even want to have sex!" AJ screamed. "You just have me wrapped around your finger and you don't even care what I want. It is all about you. You are a selfish whore who is making me suffer my feelings to be with you and you laugh about it in my face," AJ screamed at her. She stood there, motionless. Nick grabbed AJ and shoved him against the wall.
"Take that back you bastard," Gwen said, weakly.
"I meant every word," AJ said with a terror she had never heard of before. Nick slammed AJ into the wall again.
"You asshole!" Nick screamed. By this time, Brian had made it over to see what was going on. He ran over to Nick and AJ.
"What going on?" he cried.
"The whore decided to show up," AJ screamed. Brian punched AJ's face.
"You drunk bastard!!" Gwen cried, running out of the club. Nick ran after her and Brian took AJ outside. AJ's head started spiraling and he soon passed out on the ground.
~~~the next morning~~~
AJ woke up with the worst headache he had ever had in his entire life. He felt like construction workers were digging into his scull. And for some reason, his eye hurt too. He was in his hotel room and couldn't even sit up with falling back down. He had the worst hangover and he couldn't remember a thing about last night. He got up and stumbled to his dresser. He looked in the mirror and gasped. He had a huge swollen black eye. "How the hell..." he thought. He all the sudden got a gut wrenching feeling in his stomach and feared the worst. He stumbled back to his bed and picked up his phone.
"What?" Howie asked, picking up the phone.
"D?" AJ asked, trying not to pass out again.
"AJ?! What the hell happened to you last night?" Howie screamed.
"Skip the lecture and tell me everything that happened last night," AJ said, trying to get sober. He listened in fear as he heard what happened. He couldn't remember a thing from last night. He felt his voice crack as he asked, "What...what did I say to Gwen when she found me?" He cringed when he heard what Howie said. He told his friend to hold on and ran to the bathroom. He felt his stomach turn and he leaned over the toilet and threw up. He sank down on the floor and felt tears stream down his face. He messed up. Big time.
~~~~~
Gwen laid on her bed. She didn't sleep all night. She could only stare at the ceiling and repeat what happened in her head. She was furious. But not only at AJ, but at herself. She knew something like this was going to happen and she was mad at herself for opening up to AJ. She quickly got over him kissing another girl because everyone makes mistakes and that could easily be blamed on the alcohol. But what made her mad was the fact he lied to her. He told her he stopped drinking, he told her she was his only one and he promised her he'd wait for her. He lied about respecting her and understanding her. Now new tears streamed down her face thinking about him. The part that hurt the most was she was in love with AJ and he hurt her so much. "How could I be so stupid?" she thought. Her phone started ringing and she ignored it. What was she going to do? She had to get home and forget about AJ. She got out of her bed and packed her suitcase. She used her cell to call the airport since her hotel room phone was still ringing. She put on a pair of sunglasses and a hat and left her room.
~~~~
"Dammit," AJ screamed as he slammed down the phone. He couldn't blame her. He wouldn't want to talk to a jerk like him if he was her. He didn't know what to do but knowing Gwen, he knew she was on her way home. He put on some clean clothes, grabbed his wallet and ran out of his room. He ran to the elevator and rode down to the lobby. He ran out and searched for Gwen. He ran up to the front desk and asked if she checked out. The clerk told him she did about ten minutes ago and he ran outside. It was no use, she was gone. He could go to the airport but he was so afraid of what she would say to him. His headache took over his entire body and he ached with pain. He was completely heart broken and it was all his fault. He slowly walked back to the elevator and the doors opened. AJ saw himself facing a 6'2'' blonde.
"Nick..." AJ stumbled over his words.
"Don't talk," Nick said rudely, pushing past AJ. AJ turned around and watched his friend walk away. AJ got into the elevator and felt tears swell up into his eyes. What was he going to do now?
~~~~~
