There's a thousand words that I could say to make you come home, yeah
Seems so long ago you walked away and left me alone
And I remember what you said to me, you were acting so strange
And maybe I was too blind to see that you needed a change
Was it something I said to make you turn away
To make you walk out and leave me cold
If I could just find a way to make it so that you were right here, right now
Joey sat in the park and watched people as they passed by him. Tears formed in his eyes as he thought of the many times that Denise and him cuddled on the very same bench. He pulled his coat tight against his body and slowly walked around Central Park. He saw the pond where he first met Denise. The small patch of trees where he proposed to her. Every inch of the park was filled with memories of their time together. Joey made his way out of the park and began walking down the streets looking in stores as he passed them. He stopped at the jewelry store where Denise inadvertently showed him the ring that she wanted, He had remembered it and came back for it the next day. By that night he was slipping it onto her slim finger. But none of that mattered anymore. It didn't matter that he never once forgot any of their anniversaries. The first day they met, their first date, first kiss, first time they made love. Then the monthly anniversaries, the year anniversaries. Even with all that was happening with his music he never forgot. She was too important to him to forget the littlest thing.
Joey pulled himself away from the jewelry store window. Across the street was the ice cream shop where they went on their first date. Denise was simple like that, she didn't need the fancy things in life. He jogged across the street and sat down at their table. The waitress came and he ordered. Tears began to fall down his cheeks again. He stared at the table, lost in concentration. He barely noticed the waitress returning with his Dr. Pepper float. The float even brought back memories, Denise wouldn't drink anything but Dr. Pepper. He automatically picked up the spoon and stirred it around. A hand on his shoulder made him jump.
"Is this seat taken?" a sweet voice asked.
I've been sitting here
Can't get you off my mind
I'm trying my best to be a man and be strong
I drove myself insane, wishin' I could touch your face
But the truth remains, you're Gone
"It used to be but not anymore," Joey said harshly. Denise sat down next to him. She nervously looked down at the table and fidgeted with her hands. "Dee what are you doing here?"
"I just wanted a Dr. Pepper float," Denise said. Joey laughed inspite of his tears.
"You know what I mean," he said. He looked up at her, catching her eyes.
"I come here every day," she whispered. "Hoping to see you." Joey closed his eyes as fresh tears fell.
"Dee, gosh, urgh!" Joey said frustrated. He ran his hands through his hair. "When you left you hurt me really bad. Dee I'm still hurting."
"I know and I'm really sorry," Denise said tears forming in her eyes.
"Why? Why'd you leave? I thought everything was going great with us," Joey said.
"Joey is was. It wasn't my fault I left. I had nothing to do with it," Denise whispered. "Joey I love you so much. It was fair what happened but life isn't fair."
"Come home."
Denise closed her eyes. "I will tonight. I have a doctor's appointment I have to go to first."
"Denise are you ok?" Joey asked.
"Yeah fine just a little sick," Denise said. She stood up. "I'll call you tonight when I'm done." Denise disappeared down the street.
"I love you too," Joey said.
Now I don't want to make excuses, baby
Won't change the fact that you're gone
But if there's something I could do, won't you please let me know
The time is passing so slowly now, guess that's my life without you
And maybe I could change my everyday, but baby I don't want to
So I'll just hang around and find something to do
To take my mind of missing you
And I know in my heart, you can't say you don't love me too
Please say you do, yeah
Joey paced the living room of his house. Lance sat on the couch, book in hand. Joey was working on wearing a hole in the rug. Lance sighed and put his book down.
"Joe stop. What's wrong?" Lance asked.
"Denise was supposed to call tonight. I'm worried about her," Joey said. Lance frowned.
"Denise? You're fiancee Denise was supposed to call here?" Lance asked. Joey nodded his hand. "Well... um... then she will call."
"Lance it's getting late though." Lance rolled his eyes and picked up his book. He must have been hearing things. There was no way that Joey just said that Denise was supposed to call. She can't. It wasn't possible. Joey sat down in a chair and picked up the remote and flipped through the channels. Lance, unable to concentrate on his book, stood up and walked into the kitchen. When he was sure he was out of ear shot he picked up the phone and dialed JC's number.
"C, I'm worried about Joey," Lance said.
"Well nice to talk to you too," JC mumbled. He sighed. He was thousands of miles away in his house in California how could he help now? "What's wrong? I thought he was getting better. Isn't he still seeing the shrink?"
"He was. I don't know if he still is going to his sessions or not. I assume so only because he leaves the house for hours on ends. I truly thought he was almost over losing Denise but today-" Lance trailed off.
"What happened today?"
"He said that Denise was supposed to call him. He always said that he saw her at the ice cream shop." The line went silent. "Jace?"
"Lance that can't be. You must have heard wrong," JC said.
"I wish. I know what I heard JC. Do you want to talk to him?" Lance asked.
"Yeah let me."
"Ok hold on," Lance said. He placed his hand over the receiver and walked into the living room. He held the phone out to Joey. "JC wants to talk to you."
Joey turned the TV off and took the phone. "Hey C, how's Cali?"
"Great really warm. Joe how are you doing honestly?" JC asked.
"Great. Denise and I are going to work things out," Joey beamed. Lance took a deep breath and put his head in his hands. He prayed that JC didn't tell him over the phone. Joey needed to be told in person.
"Oh really are you?" JC asked.
"Yeah she's supposed to call me. She was going to the doctor's today," Joey said.
"Everything ok?" JC asked. JC shook his head. He couldn't believe he just asked that. He knew the answer was of course not. It couldn't be ok; not with what happened to her.
"I hope so," Joey said. "C I gotta go my cell's ringing."
"Ok let me talk to Lance," JC said. Joey handed Lance the phone and went for his cell phone.
"Yeah?"
"Is his cell phone really ringing?"
"No," Lance said sadly.
"Why is this happening now? After all he went through to get better," JC said.
"JC it has been a year," Lance said. The line was silent for a moment. "He needs help. Professional help."
"No," JC said. "He needs all four of us."
"JC that's not going to help him much. And we need to tell him," Lance said.
JC ignored him. "I'm calling the others. We will be out there tonight," JC said and the line went dead.
"He still needs help," Lance said softly.
What will I do if I can't be with you
Tell me where will I turn to, baby who will I be
Now that we're apart, am I still in your heart?
Baby why can't you see that I need you here with me?
I've been sitting here
Can't get you off my mind
I'm trying my best to be a man and be strong
I drove myself insane, wishin' I could touch your face
But the truth remains, you're Gone
Joey found his cell phone sitting on the kitchen table. He picked it up and without looking at the caller id he hit the send button.
"Hello?" he asked.
"Joe, my love, I'm on my way. I've got some great news," Denise said.
"Ok," Joey said. The said goodbye and Joey hung up the phone. He went out onto the front porch to wait for Denise. She arrived ten minutes later. Joey stood as she got out of her Monte Carlo. She walked towards the house and was greeted with a hug.
"Well?" Joey asked impatiently. Denise motioned for him to sit. They sat together on the porch swing, Joey wrapped his arms around her.
"Joey we're gonna have a baby. Now we can have that family we always wanted," Denise said. Joey kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms tighter around her. He spoke no words he didn't need to, she knew how he felt.
Several hours went by when a SUV pulled up in front of the house. JC, Justin, and Chris climbed out. The headed for the house but stopped when they saw Joey. He was sitting on the porch swing and it appeared that he had his arms around someone but no one was there.
"Joey," Chris called out. Joey, startled, sat up and looked at him. He smiled and stood up. "Whatcha doing?"
"Sitting with Denise," Joey said. They exchanged glances.
"Uh... Joe can we go in and talk," JC said.
"Without Denise," Justin added quickly. JC went to smack him but stopped. Joey frowned and head for the front door. He opened it and held it open for the others. Before going in he motioned for Denise to stay where she was. They all walked into the living room where Lance was sitting. Chris and Justin joined him on the couch. JC stood near the fireplace and Joey stood near the entryway.
"What's up?" Joey asked.
"Joey what's all this talk about Denise coming back?" JC asked.
"She is," Joey said. The other exchanged glances for the second time. Joey nodded his head. A light turned on in his brain. "You're jealous. I've found a great woman and none of you have. You don't want me to be happy."
"Joey that's not it. We loved Denise," Justin said.
"Then what?"
"She can't come back," Lance said. "It's not possible."
"Why not? We love each other. Love knows no boundaries," Joey said.
"True and you will love her forever but you can't be together on Earth anymore," Lance said.
"Oh and you all know that because you are God," Joey said.
"No we know that because she's dead!" Justin yelled. It was the first time he'd ever said those words. He had grown up with her, she was like a sister to him.
"Justin," Lance hissed.
"What it's the truth, It's time we stop hiding behind the fact," Justin said. Justin's words had begun to sink in and Joey collapsed to the floor.
"How?" he managed to mutter. "I just saw her."
"You imagined her. People who are under a lot of stress sometimes imagine things or people and those things or people only seem real to the ones who see them," Chris said. Joey stared at him blankly.
"Joey she was on her way home from the doctor's. She wanted to tell you about the baby in person but she never made it home," JC said. Tears formed in his eyes. He couldn't believe he was reliving his sister's death again. Memories of them together came flooding back to him. The time he got her to eat the mud pie he made and how mad their mom was at him. When he beat up one of her ex-boyfriends. All of them seemed like yesterday. Tears choked him and he was unable to finish.
"A car pulled out in front of her and caused the accident. She was then rear ended a couple of times and was thrown from the car. She died at the scene," Lance said. Joey's face was now stained with tears. "You guys never had a fight. You imagined that too."
"I know. I remember now. I wanted her back so much that I must have blocked it," Joey said. "I still can't believe she's gone."
The was a sudden breeze in the room and all the lights in the house went out.
"Or maybe she's not completely gone," Chris said.
I've been sitting here
Can't get you off my mind
I'm trying my best to be a man and be strong
I drove myself insane, wishin' I could touch your face
But the truth remains, you're Gone