Chapter
Sixteen
Nick and the guys went to visit AJ and Tessa in the
hotel room. Nick wanted to tell AJ about what had really happened that night.
AJ answered the door with red eyes and a runny nose. The group went in and
looked around.
"Where is Tessa?" Asked Nick.
"She's gone man. She left me."
"Oh no." Said Nick. "This is all my fault. I'm so sorry."
He felt so bad for AJ. Nick plopped down on the bed and put his face in his
hands.
"You didn't rape her Frack. That is what drove her
away. She couldn't stand being in this life anymore. She didn't feel
safe."
"But, if I hadn't come on to her, she wouldn't have
left my room the way she did and that creep would not have gotten to her
through my door." Nick was having trouble maintaining his control. "I'm so
sorry, bone. Can you ever forgive me?"
Brian was the first to jump into the conversation,
since AJ knew nothing about Nick's infatuation with Tessa. "Nick, I think
we all had a little crush on Tessa."
"Excuse me? What the hell are you talking about?" He
looked around the room and settled back on Nick. "Talk to me."
Nick told him the whole story, right down to the kiss
and how sorry he was. "It was just a crush, I know that now, but at the time,
I though I loved her." And then Nick continued with the rest of the
story.
Nick felt responsible. AJ knew that. But, it was nobody's
fault. "It happened Nick." AJ sat down next to his friend on the bed. "You
didn't cause it. I didn't cause it. Tessa didn't cause it. That jerk caused
it, and he is going to pay for it ten times over."
"Yeah, but the kiss? Don't you want to hurt me for
it? I wouldn't blame you." He leaned his chin out. "Please, hit me."
AJ put his arm around Nick's shoulders. "No man. It's
over. I can't blame you for having a crush on her. Like Brian said, everybody
did in some way or another. It's okay. So, let's forget about it and go on.
Okay?"
Nick hugged AJ and told him how sorry he was again
and got up and left. The others followed, all except Howie.
"Anything I can do for you, bone?"
"Just let me be for a while, Okay?"
"Okay." And Howie left the room, looking back at AJ
as he closed the door. His friend was laying on the bed, starring up at the
ceiling. There was a tear running down his face.
Howie kept a close eye on AJ. He watched him deteriorate
over the next few months. He performed okay, but, the fire was out of his
performance. He didn't sing with the same passion. Howie needed to do
something.
* * * * * * * *
Jill set the plate down in front of Tessa, but Tessa
did not touch it. She barely ate anymore. She was getting so thin. Jill was
getting worried about her.
Tessa had come home and moved in with Jill. She had
money saved that she earned working for the Backstreet Boys, so she didn't
need to go to work yet, but Jill thought, Tessa needed to get out. She wouldn't
go on a date. She barely left the apartment.
Tessa missed AJ. It physically hurt her to think about
him. Her body ached for his touch. She didn't think she would ever want another
man to touch her. It was not about the rape. She understood that for what
it was. That man had taken her by force. It had been horrible. But, she still
wanted AJ. She could never not want AJ. But, AJ had lost interest in her.
She had been damaged. He had stopped wanting her. That was what had hurt
the most. AJ didn't want her anymore. Tessa sighed and looked out the
window.
"Aren't you going to eat, Tessa?" Jill asked.
"I'm not very hungry right now, Jill."
Jill had to do something. Tessa was getting too thin.
She needed to see AJ. And she needed to see him as soon as possible.
Jill went online and send Howie a message on his message
board. She prayed that he would get it.
* * * * * * *
Howie went online. He was going to see if she could
find Tessa. When he couldn't he tried to remember Jill's last name. It did
not come to him. "Damn." Howie thought that while he was online, he would
check his message board. He looked at it, and a big grin formed on his lips.
He went to the "Write" icon and sent a message to Jill.
* * * * * * * *
"Look Tessa, isn't is beautiful." Jill said pointing
to the beach house." Tessa nodded her head.
Jill told Tessa that she had won a free trip to a secluded
island in the Caribbean for two. It took a little bit of doing, but Jill
persuaded Tessa to join her.
They were half way to the house when Jill remembered
something on the boat. "You go ahead, Tessa. No need for you to wait for
me. I won't be long. Here are the keys." Tessa agreed and went on to the
house by herself.
It was beautiful there. The ocean breeze and the sun
felt good on Tessa's face. Tessa set her things down in the living room and
looked out the sliding doors to the ocean. A walk on the beach sounded good.
She would stay close in case Jill looked for her.
Tessa set out down the beach. She spotted a figure
far off ahead of her and continued to walk. She stopped and picked up a shell
admiring how it sparkled in the sun. She looked down the beach again and
the figure was closer. Again, she walked on, not really paying
attention.
When she looked down the beach again, the figure was
closer and it was a man. He had stopped and even though he had on sunglasses,
was looking at her with his hand shielding his eyes from the sun. And he
started walking towards her again, a little faster. Tessa thought that he
looked familiar. His body movements looked like AJ. As he got closer she
noticed the tattoos and his swagger became more clear. It was AJ.
She stopped. "Well, what the hell do I do now?" By
then, AJ was sure it was her and he had waved. He was getting closer. "God,
he looks good." What she really wanted to do was run to him and take him
in her arms and never let go. But, she didn't know how he would feel about
that. So, she started walking towards him again. She waved to him.
* * * * * * * *
"Do you think this is going to work?" Jill asked Howie
from their vantage point on the boat a ways out from the beach.
Howie had told AJ he was looking at real estate on
the island. He wanted AJ's opinion. When they had gotten to the house, Howie
had claimed to have left something on the boat and went back after it. AJ
took off down the beach.
"Well, they are still walking towards each other. They
are not going the opposite directions. He loves her beyond all reason. He
has been miserable without her. He needs to be with her."
"And, her...him."
They watched in silence as the two figures came face
to face on the beach. They could tell that they were talking because of their
body movements. Then.... the two figures came together in an embrace. When
they separated, AJ took Tessa's face in his hands and kissed her.
Howie and Jill smacked high fives.
The End!!!
