Chapter 18"I don't know but considering Kristen's car is here it probably has something to do with me going down to the studio," he said as the three of them walked into the house. Howie and Mandy saw Cassie sitting in the living room and they stopped dead in their tracks. Jasmine stood there confused by the expressions on their faces.
"Oh hi Howie, how are you?" Cassie asked going up to him.
"I'm fine," Howie said slowly. They heard the bedroom door slam then saw Kristen walking down the hall way towards them. They all saw that she had tears in her eyes.
"Get the hell out of here," Kristen said looking right at Cassie not even acknowledging that the other three were there.
"Kristen why don't you just stop being so immature and let me apologize," Cassie said.
"Because you will just be wasting your time since I won't accept it. You try to ruin every good thing that comes into my life and I refuse to let you do that anymore. Now get out and if you ever step one foot on my property again I will have you arrested for trespassing," Kristen said sternly.
"Fine but since you won't accept an apology don't you find it a little odd that you seem to never be able to hold on to the guys who say they love you. Now you can't even hold on to your husband that you haven't even been married to for a year," Cassie said coldly. The tears welled up in Kristen's eyes and began to fall down her cheeks. She then punched Cassie dead in the face. She was going to hit her again when Howie grabbed her wrapping his arms around her from behind and held onto her tightly.
"You would think you would learn not to mess with me after being hit so many times from me but obviously you are just fucked up in the head."
"Cassie I advise you to leave," Mandy said stepping in.
"Who the hell are you to tell me what to do?" Cassie asked with an attitude.
"You know, I'm a nice person and all and I hardly know you but I find you to be a complete bitch. Now get the hell out of this house or I'll turn into an even bigger bitch and kick your ass until you're paralyzed," Mandy said all happily like and Cassie knew she was serious and just walked out of the house without saying a word. Howie stood there shocked by Mandy's reaction with his arms still around Kristen. Kristen broke loose of his grip and went to her and AJ's room and slammed the door shut. "What?" Mandy asked when she noticed Howie was looking at her weird.
"Nothing, I've just never seen you get mad and practically threaten to kill someone before."
"Oh sorry," Mandy said innocent like.
"I don't know if it's my place to ask or what but what was that all about?" Jasmine asked.
"Should I explain to her?" Mandy asked Howie.
"You three are in a group now. The more you know about each other the better the chance is of you guys lasting for a long time. I'll talk to Kristen and see what is up with her and AJ."
"You really are the peace maker aren't you?" Mandy asked.
"I guess so."
"That's cool, I like that," Mandy said with a smile. Howie smiled back then went down the hall and knocked on the bedroom door. Kristen didn't answer so Howie opened the door and entered closing it behind him. Kristen was laying on her side on the bed clutching a pillow. Howie went and sat down on the bed beside her and saw that she was crying.
"I messed up. I messed up pretty bad," Kristen said before Howie could say anything.
"I'm guessing your rampage on Cassie out there had something to do with why AJ stormed out of the house," Howie assumed and Kristen nodded her head. "What happened with AJ then?"
"I said something to him that I didn't mean to."
"And that would be..."
"I told him that he didn't know what it was like to find that the one person you love more than anything slept with someone else."
"That one person meaning Nick?" Howie asked.
"I didn't mean it," Kristen said sitting up on the bed and wiping her eyes. "I was so stupid for saying it."
"Well do you?"
"Do I what?"
"Still have feelings for Nick even though you are married to AJ now."
"No, nothing more than a friend."
"And AJ knows that."
"Howie, you saw AJ walk out of the house pissed off at me."
"And I also saw AJ and you when you two were broken up. I saw you loved him and I saw that he would never give up on you because of that."
"I don't mean to go against what you are saying but maybe Cassie was right. I ruin it with every guy who claims he loves me."
"First, AJ doesn't claim he loves you. He does love you. Second, no matter how much Nick or that other boyfriend of yours said he loved you it wasn't from the heart. If it was they would have never let you go. AJ has to be the smartest guy you have ever been with. Through everything he never once gave up on you and held onto you."
"Howie, I just practically told my husband that I was in love with his best friend."
"So talk to him and tell him what you really meant. I promise you he will listen and he won't be mad," Howie said handing Kristen the telephone so she could call AJ. She slowly dialed AJ's cell phone number then put the phone to her ear. She let it ring about ten times before she hung up.
"He's not answering."
"So go driving around and try and find him. This is AJ we're talking about so if you go to a sunglasses or a hat store you're more than likely to find him."
"Thanks Howie," Kristen said getting up and giving him a hug.
"And don't be mad at him for calling me up to go to Lou's Studio. It's always better to be safe than sorry."
"You know, I think you should just go for it."
"Go for what?"
"Ask Mandy out. She'll say yes."
"You think so?"
"Yeah I do. She'd be crazy to say otherwise," Kristen said walking out of the room with Howie behind her.
"You okay now?" Mandy asked going up to Kristen and hugging her.
"Yeah I just need to find AJ and explain some stuff to him."
"That's good. Listen I have to go, I have a date tonight," Mandy said with a big smile.
"With who?" Kristen asked.
"TJ, so I better leave. I'll see you tomorrow and bring Howie along and don't be mad about it either. None of us know what we are doing."
"Alright, bye."
"Bye. Bye Howie," Mandy said turning to leave as she said bye to Jasmine too.
"I guess I better get going too. It was nice to meet you Howie and I think the three of us will do good with this group," Jasmine then said to Kristen.
"See you tomorrow," Kristen said as Jasmine walked out the door then she turned and looked at Howie. "Sorry, I didn't know TJ asked her to go out with him tonight."
"Don't worry about it. She likes him, that's all that matters."
"I know but still. At least TJ is a good guy."
"And so is AJ," Howie said changing the subject. "Now go get in your car and try to find him so you two can talk." Kristen agreed and her and Howie walked out of the house, got in their cars, and drove away in two different directions. She went to one of AJ's favorite stores that carried nothing but hats and sunglasses. She was looking around and found a yellow fisherman type hat that had smiley faces all over it. She then saw that there was also a pair of matching sunglasses that were yellow with yellow lenses and on the bands of the sunglasses there were smiley faces. Kristen thought they were cute but knew she would never be caught dead in them. She then remembered that AJ loved wearing stuff that no one else would be caught dead in and she purchased them and had the cashier lady gift wrap it for her. She ended up going on a little shopping spree and bought herself a couple of velvet outfits, a bunch of accessories and a velvet outfit for AJ that she would die to see him in. It was dark outside and with all the shopping she did she got her head cleared about the argument her and AJ had. It was about eleven o'clock at night when she headed back home. She pulled into the driveway and saw that the house was completely dark except for one light on near a window. She went inside and smiled at AJ as she saw him sitting in a chair next to a lamp fast asleep. She knew that he had waited for her to get home and she felt guilty. She went to wake him up so that she could apologize for what she said earlier.
