"Are you sure that you're okay? I mean, Hell, Cocci, you just got out of the hospital a few hours ago... Now we have to go out to dinner?" Ana questioned with extreme uncertainty as she watched her friend climb from Howie's Corvette. Holding her breath, she resisted the urge to reach out and help her, noticing the slight grimace to her friend's face. After all, she had just undergone sugery after having a serious accident... Now they were going out to dinner?
"I'm fine, CT. Really. I am going to be cooped up in the house until the Boys go on tour, and then I'll be cooped up in tour busses and hotels. A dinner outing is what I need," Stephanie reassured, smiling softly at the worry in her friends voice. Ana always worried, no matter what people told her.
"I just..." Ana trailed helplessly when Brian's hand landed gently on the small of her back, leading her toward the large booth in the bacl of the cafe. Howie had been quick in making plans for dinner, so it wasn't the best in the house. But better than what Ana could have ever hoped to get if she called last minute. Exhaling a soft breath as if to dispel her worries, she eased into the booth. "...So you're going on tour with them, huh?"
"Yeah. I don't think I could stand being away from Howie for so long... and I will be pretty useless at work until my arm heals. I've needed a vacation for a long time," Stephanie carefully slid into the booth, careful not to bump her arm as Howie sat next to her.
"So you have enough vacation time to go on the road and not lose your benefits? And you've tapped into your FMLA for the injury, right?" Ana continued to rattle off, focusing on the particulars of the situation as means to keep herself collected.
"I checked everything out with payroll earlier before I got discharged and they helped me out with everything else," Stephanie confirmed, cocking her head to the side as she studied the younger woman with a raised eyebrow. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Ana assured, reaching to take the menu into her hands. Opening it, she jerked when Brian's hand moved over her thigh in what was supposed to be a gentle carress. Cursing sharply at the stinging sensation evading her right leg, she bit down hard on her bottom lip in hopes to control herself. "Just worried about you. Sorry, B."
"I'm going to be fine, Ana. Try not to worry too much, okay?" Stephanie grabbed the menu with her left hand, fumbling to open it.
"She's going to have a horrible ulcer by the time she's thirty," Howie surmised, grasping the menu and laying it open upon the table. Easing his arm around Stephanie's shoulders, he gently guided her closer so they could look at the menu together.
"I think I already have a hole in my stomach. Ulcers are wicked; fluids can leak out and mix with--"
"Babe, let's save the health lesson for after dinner," Brian interrupted with a chuckle, leaning over to kiss her cheek. He had never seen Ana so anxious before, but they were all still a little shaken up from Stephanie's accident. It was natural.
"Sorry," Ana apologized once more, smiling ruefully when Brian blatantly gestured to his hand to signal that he was attempting to touch her. Holding her breath to resist cursing him, she took his hand to place upon her upper thigh once more. She then forced herself to study the menu, though nothing looked appetizing. "...What are the chances that I'm going to get souveniers from every place you visit?"
"Souveniers? You mean you aren't going?" Stephanie looked up from the menu, shock etched on her bruised face. "We had already planned--"
"We didn't plan anything, Cocci," Ana interupted uneasily, feeling Brian's fingers tense over her thigh. Biting down on her bottom lip, she focused her gaze on the list of options, barely listening to Howie requesting drinks for everyone. After her uncomfortable encounter with Kevin while gathering some necessities for Stephanie's over-night stays in the hospital... She wouldn't even dream of going on tour... Had made sure it was impossible...
"We went out shopping to get ready for touring!" Stephanie contradicted after the waitress had left. "Why are you changing your mind? I had been looking forward to spend these next few months with you."
"Because I looked into my schedule and... It's just not... I don't..." Ana subconciously reached to gently rub her lower back. Kevin had not been kind when he insisted that she move on when they left for tour. His large, beefy hands roughly seizing her upper arms and throwing her into a wall. It felt as if her entire life force had been pushed out of her body as her breath gave way.
"If you weren't sure because of work, why did you commit to going?" Stephanie's eyes, filled with hurt, merely gazed upon her best friend and frowned. What had made her decide against touring all of a sudden?
"A lot of work suddenly came up..." Ana fumbled to explain, noticing Howie and Brian were also looking to her in confusion. "Besides... C'mon, no one can survive having me by their side for longer than a week... You guys cooped up on busses with me would be a horror..."
"We just found each other again here in New York. I had thought we would become as close as we once were. Probably even more," Stephanie sighed softly, turning her gaze down to her injured arm. "But... work is a priority, I know."
"C'mon, Cocci, it's not the end of the world..." Ana attempted to rally, reaching to rub one of her aching upper arms. "Brian isn't upset..."
"I'm not? This is the first I heard that you aren't going on tour," Brian disagreed with a heavy frown. It didn't make sense that she would assume he's not upset about her bailing out on touring.
'This is the first time I was told that I wouldn't be going on tour unless I was stuffed dead into a suitcase...' Ana thought miserably, somewhat thankful when the waitress returned for their orders. Stiffly, the table decided on what they would eat, though she couldn't even recall what she had mumbled when the woman walked away. Everything was just so terribly complicated...
"Were you ever planning on telling us that work wasn't allowing you to go on tour?" Stephanie questioned, watching Ana's demeanor change to meek and quiet once they were alone again.
"I didn't think it'd be such a big deal--" Cutting off sharply at some sort of disgruntled noise errupting from Brian's throat, Ana's shoulders rounded forward in guilt. "...I didn't know how to tell you..."
"Were you ever going to tell me? Or would I have found out the day we're leaving and you weren't packed?"
"I had every intention of going until two nights ago and I'm sorry--"
"We had so much planned, Ana."
"B, I know--"
"What is so damn important at work that you have to do and no one else?" Brian challenged. He felt he had a right to be upset about this change of plans. He thought Ana was serious about their relationship.
As easy as it had been as a child to weave fibs to explain away the inconsistencies of her injuries, Ana found herself at a loss to explain this decision. The darkness sweeping over Brian's usually light ceurlean eyes caused a hard ache to cramp. She wanted to confess to him that Kevin had been the source of her decision. That he had been so brutal that she feared being literally thrown from the bus should she agree to tour. But, how could she possibly tell him that his older cousin was the source of her pain? Overwhelmed, she reached with trembling hands to work the start of tears away from her watery sapphire eyes. "...I don't know..."
"You don't know? If you just don't want to go, I would rather have you say that than lie to me. We had agreed to be honest in our relationship," Brian's voice was cold and crisp. He had been thrilled to know every morning when he woke up on tour he wasn't going to be alone in his bunk, and that it was going to be Ana in his arms instead of Nick or AJ playing a prank on him. He would be able to show her the sites of so many different cities, and make love in all of them. But apparently, that wasn't what she had in mind.
"Brian..." Howie trailed gently when he noticed Ana start to tremble as she wrapped her arms protectively about herself. Something about the situation hadn't made sense from the beginning. He had been with the women when they shopped for the tour. Ana had mentioned how excited she was to travel and nothing could possibly stop her from going. Yet... Certain that the man's temper was about to send the young woman into some sort of fit, he reached to take Ana's hand. "C'mon, Sweetheart. Let's go get everyone special drinks at the bar."
"...Okay," Ana whispered, allowing Howie to take her hand and lead her towards the bar. She could almost feel Brian's eyes burning a hole into her back and a harsh tremor went through her body. She thought staying away from the tour to live was a better choice than going on tour and having Kevin beat her to death.
Glancing behind him to assure that they were out of sight from their significant others, Howie made a slight detour so he could take the young woman outside. The crispness of the night's spring air caused Ana to take a sharp breath, but allowed her the chance of calming considerably. He was silent as she sagged against the wall and took several gulps of air, as if she had been suffocated inside. "Ana..."
"I'm not like her. Please don't compare me to her," Ana murmured, well aware that the fight Howie witnessed was probably quite similar to the fights that raged between Brian and Leighanne.
"Her? You mean... Oh God, no! I would never think you are like Leighanne. But I do know that something is wrong. You looked like you were about to have a nervous breakdown. What's wrong?" Howie reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Please don't," she was quick to demand, shrinking away at his light touch. The excruciating fire from the dark bruises flared at the quick movement and she bit down hard on her bottom lip in attempts to control the flood of tears. Knowing her movements were exaggerated, she squeezed her eyes closed as Howie gently pulled at the vivid orange hoodie draped over her shoulders to reveal the bruises.
"What the... Ana... what happened?" Howie's voice was soft yet shocked as an array of purples, blacks and greens stood out against the orange of her hoodie.
"I'm clumsy as Hell," she attempted to explain, carefully pulling the hoodie back onto her shoulders. "My house is such a mess and I just trip and... It's a nightmare..."
"You got all those bruises fromm tripping? Did you land on the coffee table or something? Those bruises are pretty rough--"
"Coffee table covered in clean clothes, yeah, I could buy that..."
"Excuse me?"
"Nothing. I'm fine--"
"You go wrestling on a coffee table and you're fine?"
"Yes, but... That's not the point..."
"What is the point?"
"That I can't go on the tour."
"Why?"
"Howie, I already explained it... I have new projects at work..." Ana trailed off, looking away from Howie's sincere, dark eyes.
"And you can't work on the road? Because it's so hard to pack up the laptop that you work from at home?" he questioned gently, hoping to make a point that her excuse was not concievable.
"I have an office too, y'know..."
"An awesome office that you barely use because you enjoy being home in a pair of boxers and barefoot, researching, right?" At her bewildered expression, he chuckled. "Brian thought that was adorable and had to tell me."
"I love him so much..."
"And he loves you even more, which is why it's hurting him that you are going to choose work over spending time with him on tour."
"It's too soon for him to get so involved again. I mean... The therapist is still visiting him and he's taking the anti-depressants. It's not exactly a prime time for him to be in such a serious relationship. After getting out of another one," she suddenly decided, glancing at the dark bruises on her right wrist. "Kevin said that me going on tour wouldn't exactly help--"
"Wait. When did you talk to Kevin? You are never around him to have any words exchanged," Howie glanced at Ana in confusion. The woman was scared of the man. It wouldn't make sense for her to speak with him.
Exhaling a hard breath, Ana glanced to her scuffed Converses, wishing she had censored her statements. "The other night when I stopped by the hotel to grab some of Cocci's things and he was there--"
"Why did you go by yourself? Where was Brian?"
"He was taking a nap. I just thought I would run in and be out before anyone noticed--"
"What did he say to you?" Howie held back a sigh as the wind picked up a little. If Kevin had caught Ana in the hotel, more than just bitter words could have possibly been passed.
"That it's probably not the best time for me to be going on tour with Brian. He's still seeing the therapist and he just got out of a toxic relationship... He doesn't need to be concentrating on another relationship. He should be having time to spend with his friends and enjoy his career--"
"That isn't Kevin's decision. It's yours and Brian's. And if Brian wants you to go on tour, no one has any say in it except the two of you."
"But I understand what he means--"
"It doesn't matter. Kevin does not have a say in your relationship. You can't let him try and control it."
"I don't want to get between him and his cousin..."
"Don't you love Brian?"
"Howie--"
"He loves you, Ana. A lot. You've done so much for him these past few weeks. He is the same Brian I remember before he met Leighanne. He is truly happy. And if you let Kevin take that away... I don't want to think of what could happen."
"Please don't guilt her into staying with me," Brian announced softly as he stepped outside. Stephanie had done her best to calm him considerably, but he found himself just needing to speak to Ana. Moving to the bar, he wasn't surprised to find it void of his friends' presence. After all, Ana detested the smell of smoke and the bar permeated with the plumes of thick smoke. But, instead of charging right out, he had listened to what the two spoke of. But the guilt that Howie was trying to press on Ana wasn't fair.
"Brian..." Ana trailed softly when Howie cleared his throat and assured that he know would go get some drinks before returning to Stephanie. "He's not guilting me into anything."
"I want you to stay with me because you want to. Not because people convinced you to," Brian leaned against the wall of the building, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he gazed into her sorrowful eyes. He had been upset that Ana changed her mind about the tour, but he loved her. And he would do whahtever it takes to make sure she was happy; even if it meant that they would be apart while touring.
"My poor B," she sighed, gently cupping his face in her hands. Delicately, her thumbs moved down the sides of his face as she leaned to press a kiss to the center of his forehead. "Of course I want to be with you. I just worry that maybe you're taking things too fast..."
"I don't feel like I'm going too fast. I thought it would be nice for you to come on tour with me, so we wouldn't be lonely," he explained, placing his hands on top of hers.
"Kevin suggested that I not go on tour with you," she murmured after a moment of silence had lapsed between them.
"Oh he did, did he?" Brian couldn't stop the soft growl that followed.
"He just mentioned that you just got out a bad relationship and you're still seeing the therapist and on the anti-depressants and--"
"And he has no say in what I do with my life. For the first time in so many years... I am happy. It's because of you."
"But I just--"
"Ana, I love you. I think I fell in love with you the minute we ran into each other. You saved me, and nothing can change how I feel. But if you don't feel comfortable going on tour with me, I don't want to force you. I would rather have you want to go, and enjoy it."
"It's not that... I just..." Sighing softly when Brian gently pulled her in to offer a reassuring kiss, she knew that he was disappointed. The thought of spending the tour with him had been so promising. Just the thought of traveling and experiencing some of the greatest sights known to man. And Kevin had to ruin it. "I love you so much, B."
"I love you, too. More than anything," Brian ran his fingers through her curls and offered a smile. "I'll tell you what. Let's enjoy my remaining time in New York and then, the day before we leave, you can tell me whether you want to stay or go. And I will understand."
"I don't even want to think about you leaving..."
"Then let's not. We will do anything and everything you want. Okay?"
"C'mere," she instructed after a moment, pulling her hands from his face and tugging till he stood away from the wall. Tucking her arms around his waist, she rested her cheek against his chest, exhaling a soft sigh of relief when his arms naturally circled about her. There was no way that she could part with such warmth for several agonizing months. "...Are you going to think I'm completely insane if I ask to come on tour with you?"
"Insane? Never... Though touring does change one's mental status--"
"Does that mean that Kevin might actually like me?"
"I am hoping," Brian chuckled softly, kissing the top of her head. "Just give him time... he will come around."
"I just don't understand why he hates me so much," Ana murmured as Brian led her back into the cafe.
"I don't, either. He has been protective of me from the beginning, but..." Brian trailed off, hugging her close to his side. "Don't worry, Baby. Everything will work out."
"As long as you promsie you're coming on tour," Stephanie demanded when the couple approached.
"If he still wants me," Ana murmured.
"I never stopped," Brian promised, allowing her to sit in the booth first and he followed.
"I think you just need to have it out with Kevin," Stephanie decided matter-of-factly after hearing Howie's explanation to Ana's troubles. "He has no right to tell her not to come to tour."
"No matter what I say, he isn't going to listen," Brian took a sip of his drink and curled Ana closer to his side. "He's an old, stubborn jackass."
"But you don't think you should defend her?"
"I am going to tell him that I love Ana, and that he has to deal with her going on tour. I could tell him how great she is until I'm blue in the face, but he wouldn't listen."
"Don't even worry about it," Ana murmured with a delicate shrug of her aching shoulders.
"Well he has to know you're going on tour--"
"I don't want you to fight him. He's a lot stronger than you, B."
"Are you saying--"
"That I don't want you to get hurt? Yes."
"Kev can get violent when he's angry, Bri... you have seen it," Howie commented quietly.
"Too violent," Ana sighed.
"Has anyone suggested anger management to him?" Stephanie asked.
"C'mon now, Kevin may be a lot of things, but he's not a monster," Brian chided with a look of hurt. Yes, Kevin could tend to get overbearing at times, but he was no where near the level of the men that needed anger management. He had never raised a hand to any of them. No matter how far he was pushed...
"I didn't say he was a monster. I would never say that. God, growing up... Kevin was the father figure I never had. I'm just saying that maybe he needs to be steered in the right direction on handling his emotions," Stephanie tried to explain, realizing she had yet another episode of foot-in-mouth.
'I'd disagree,' Ana thought somewhat bitterly, carefully reaching for her glass of soda. He was the monster that haunted her dreams in ways that she could never explain.
"Kevin doesn't need help, so drop it, Steph."
"Bri-Rok, I'm just saying--"
"He's a great man and I don't need to hear this bullshit."
"I was just trying to help," Stephanie blinked away unshed tears as she scrambled out of the booth. The trauma from the accident and the pain in her arm was already hard for her to handle; Brian's cold attitude towards her was pushing her to an edge where she didn't want to fall.
"Steph, don't," Howie quickly commanded, reaching for her good hand so she wouldn't trip against him. Guiding her back into the booth, he leaned to press a soft kiss to her brow. Though he understood that Kevin was Brian's flesh and blood, he still couldn't fathom as to how the young man could explaina way the turmoil Kevin caused in his relationship. So, instead, he mediatated. "The last time you went running into the night, I got a phone call from the hospital, and I'm not doing that again. We're just not going to talk about Kevin."
"Fine," Stephanie whispered, looking down at the table as their food arrived though no one had an appetite.
~*~*~*~*
"C'mon, Sweetie... he's not mad at you," Howie tried to soothe as he slipped the card into the electronic slot and opened the door. He placed a hand on the small of Stephanie's back and led her inside, frowning slightly as he heard her sniffle. Dinner had been tense and soon after the couples split their ways. "Kevin has been taking care of Brian since they were kids. He's just a little defensive."
"But I don't understand why you didn't try to help me, Howie," Stephanie stressed as she rubbed her reddened nose on the back of her hand. Stepping into the living room area of the large suite, she turned to watch Howie step in behind her. "Kevin has been absolutely rotten to Ana and she's done nothing wrong. She acts like it doesn't matter, but it does. He was going to stop her from coming on the tour."
"Steph, the Pope could tell Brian that his cousin needs anger management and he would still react the way he did tonight. Having me step in wouldn't have made any difference," Howie closed the door and proceeded towards the living room where they could hear a video game playing. "Kevin is going to see that Ana is here to stay and he will accept her."
"She's been with Brian for weeks and he's yet to accept her--"
"I never said it was going to happen overnight."
"Why does everyone walk on eggshells when it concerns him?"
"We don't--"
"Damnit, AJ! Stop cheating!" Nick's voice screeched, interrupting the couple's conversation as they reached the living room.
"How the fuck am I cheating when you're the one that's got me pinned?!" AJ grunted with disgust, working furiously to free his leg from Nick's pin in order to slam his foot into the backside pressed so tightly against his chest.
"Shit!" Nick flew forward, nearly cracking his head on the edge of the heavy mahogany coffee table.
"Okay, you two! I just brought one person back from the hospital; I don't want to bring back any more," Howie groaned as Nick sprawled out on the plush carpet.
"Tell the dickhead to stop cheating then," AJ growled, throwing an accusatory finger in Nick's direction.
"I was not cheating!"
"You were, too!"
"Was not!"
"Were too!"
"Was not!"
"Were too--"
"Enough! Just stop playing the game for awhile. What the Hell happened while I was gone? Everything was fine before I left."
"You left before we started playing his stupid game," AJ explained, heaving a pillow in Nick's direction.
"You're the one who chose to play!" Nick's voice was muffled behind the pillow.
"Nice homecoming," Stephanie muttered, sinking down into the loveseat with a soft hiss as the pain in her arm flared.
"You could go back to where ever you came from, y'know," AJ volunteered with a wicked smirk.
"Such a caring bunch this is," Stephanie rolled her eyes as she threw her own pillow at AJ, knocking the hat off his head.
"We love you too," Nick promised, crossing his heart.
"And here I thought you all had some sort of charm that made all the girls swoon," Stephanie chuckled softly, leaning her head back and closing her eyes for a moment. The day had been long and the pain was getting to her.
"Right... and who are you dating right now?"
"Don't even start," Howie warned of his youngest friend, suggesting that perhaps they should order some snacks from room service. Just the sound of food caused the youngest of the men to scamper in search of the hotel menu as the second youngest tackled the phone. Smirking slightly, Howie turned to gently brushed his fingers over Stephanie's forehead. "Tired, Sweetheart?"
"It came out of nowhere," Stephanie opened her eyes and smiled softly, loving the sensation of his fingers on her skin. "My arm is starting to hurt, too..."
"I'm sorry," Howie murmured softly, leaning to press a soft kiss to her forehead.ll
"It's my own fault. I should have been more careful driving," Stephanie gave a small shrug, taking his hand and pulling him onto the loveseat. Nick bounded back into the room with a menu and a grin on his face as AJ got through to room service.
"You're right about that," Howie agreed, slipping an arm around her shoulders.
"How much food can they eat?" Stephanie asked incredulously as she heard AJ rattle off all the food he and Nick wanted. It seemed like they were going to empty out the hotel kitchen with the order. She had heard the two youngest members loved to eat, but to see it firsthand was something entirely different.
"Maybe they're ordering for Kevin too?" Howie suggested with a light shrug of his shoulders.
"He's not here," Nick answered, gesturing toward several more items before declaring that he was finished.
"He's not here?"
"You sound like a parrot," AJ commented as he hung up the phone.
"Shut up, J. When did he leave?"
"A few hours ago?" Nick answered, though he didn't seem too definite.
"Did he say where he was going?"
"I think he was going to hang out at some old jazz bar he found downtown. Y'know, where all the old people go," AJ put in his two cents and Nick snickered with a snort in response.
"Did he say when he'd be back?"
"He just said he would be back later."
"Did you try calling his cell phone?"
"Why?"
"Aren't you worried that he's in downtown New York City... alone... with no bodyguard?"
"Not really..." Nick answered with a casual shrug of his shoulders. "The man could kick my ass and I'm pretty sure he can handle a few groupies... Besides, he told me to back off and I had no desire to get thrown into a wall like Ana did."
"What did you just say?" Stephanie sat up with a jerk and looked at Nick intently.
"What'd I do?"
"Who threw Ana into a wall?"
"I..."
"Nick, you better start explaining."
"There's nothing to explain--"
"Why the Hell did you let him slam Ana into a wall?!"
"I didn't let him do a fucking thing!" Nick immediately exclaimed when Howie reached for the collar of his shirt, yanking him onto the nearby couch. Throwing his hands up in defense, he waited for an oncoming blow like the one he recieved when he attempted to defend Ana. But when nothing came, he shivered with relief. "I just heard Kev yelling and I thought... I don't know what I thought... And... Look, it's not my fault, alright?"
"Nick, you're not making a lot of sense. What happened? Did you see Kevin hurt Ana or did you just hear things?" Howie questioned, glancing at AJ. "Were you here when this happened, J?"
"I wasn't here," AJ answered honestly. though he remembered Nick coming to him with the horrifying news.
"Nick, you need to tell me what happened. Now."
"I was just waking up from a nap and... Maybe they were just messing around--"
"Don't make excuses. What was going on when you woke up from your nap?"
"I don't know," Nick answered honestly, reaching to fuss with the frayed edges of hole in his jeans located over his knee. "I just heard Kevin barking at someone. I thought I was late for an interview again so I came rushing out. By the time I got there Ana was up against the wall and Kevin was holding her there. But he released her and she said everything was fine--"
"Damnit... Nick, you should have called me when you saw that..." Howie groaned, rubbing his weary face for a moment. It explained Ana's demeanor and the bruises he found on her shoulders.
"Why?" Nick questioned in confusion.
"Ana was acting really odd tonight at dinner. She suddenly said she couldn't go on tour because work came up and I found bruises on her shoulders when we were talking outside."
"You found bruises?" Stephanie questioned with surprise, not remembering that specific portion of the conversation.
"...Yeah. I didn't tell you at the restaurant because Ana was edgy enough as it was. I didn't want to make things worse."
"And you didn't think I needed to know?"
"I was going to talk to you about all this when we got back to the hotel."
"You should have told me right away."
"And have you pounce on Ana like a hawk about them? The woman was shaken up enough from Kevin."
"But you just let Brian assume that Kevin did nothing wrong--"
"Steph, you don't understand. I was thinking about Ana. Didn't you see how she was shaking when Brian was confronting her about skipping the tour? Or how quiet she was? Or how she made sure all of the attention was on you? Brian would flip out if he knew what Kevin did, and I didn't want him scaring Ana away."
"You guys are acting like Kevin is some horrible beast set out to devour Ana whole," AJ interupted before Stephanie could protest his decision. Glancing amongst the men - his bandmates - he shook his head in disbelief. "C'mon now, this is Kevin we're talking about. Never balls to the wall. Always serious. Always working. Always... Kevin!"
"But that doesn't mean he's perfect. I'm not calling him a monster or anything like that. But I've heard how he talks about Ana and his dislike for her. It's almost extreme and I'm just worried--"
"That he might hurt her?" AJ finished, snorting sharply when she refused to answer. Looking to Nick and Howie, he laughed. "C'mon now, we're talking about Kevin! The man that boxed my ears when I called my first girlfriend a whore. He'd never do something like that."
"J..." Nick trailed off, sighing heavily. They had to face the possibilities. "He did slam Ana into a wall."
"You probably have it all turned around, Nick," AJ immediately disagreed.
"How? I heard him barking at her and then a heavy thud into the wall. I'm pretty damn sure it wasn't Ana throwing Kevin."
"She could surprise you--"
"Ana would not provoke him. She knows that he doesn't like her and if she had an inkling that he was here, she never would have come to get some of my things," Stephanie interrupted with a frown. AJ was nearly accusing Ana of starting such a confrontation.
"Look--"
"Th'Hell is going on here?" Brian questioned in confusion as he stepped into the living room. The hostility was almost overbearing, adding a significant amount of tension to his already knotted shoulders. Dropping Ana off at her apartment when he had really intended on spending the night with her... Then he comes back to the hotel to chaos... He just wanted to take a sleeping pill and fall into bed.
"Nothing, Rok. What are you doing here?" AJ abruptly changed the subject. "I thought you would be staying at Ana's--"
"I thought so too..." Brian mumbled, tossing his keys to the rental car onto the coffee table.
"What happened?" Stephanie questioned, confused at the change in Brian's demeanor. She had expected him to stay with Ana and make things better.
"I don't know," Brian answered honestly, sliding to the side when a knock came upon the door. Nick and AJ barreling toward it told him enough, so he moved to sit on the empty couch. Sprawling out, he rested his forearms over his face, gathering a large breath. "We were... I was planning on... Well, whatever I was planning on doing with her, she wasn't thinking the same thing. She said she had a meeting with her editor early the next morning so..."
"You wanted to make love and she didn't want to," Howie guessed quite suddenly, recalling the darkness of bruises along her usually softly tanned skin. Dark eyes widening when he realized he had said his thoughts aloud, he offered a hard blush. "Sorry Brian."
"Don't worry about it, D... you're right. I did, and she didn't. I wish she would have just told me that instead of making up that lie about meeting her editor," Brian sighed again, gently tugging at his sandy curls.
"She probably does have to meet with her editor," Stephanie chided with a hard scowl.
"On a Sunday morning?"
"If they need to discuss an article, it doesn't matter what day it is."
"Besides... She told me she took a tumble on some stairs earlier and she's probably still sore from that, Brian. Can't hold it over her head if she's a bit clumsy, right?" Howie offered, sending a warning glance toward his lover.
"No, I can't. I'm just not used to her sending me back to the hotel. Her apartment has become my second home," Brian admitted, ducking slightly as AJ and Nick came running back into the living room with a full cart of different foods and drinks.
"Well, be thankful you're here instead of in the hurricane wreckage of her house?" Howie chuckled in attempts to lighten his friend's mood.
"I remember when we were in high school and I would hang out at her house," Stephanie smiled at the memory. "I was also terrified that her piles of clothes would eat me alive. It was terrible."
"She has an organized mess," Brian contradicted with a light scowl, hoping to defend her honor somewhat.
"She's just not a neat freak, and I shouldn't talk because I'm not much better," Stephanie admitted, chuckling.
"Yeah, you should see what she does to my room," Howie teased, though he couldn't deny he was a bit concerned about her lack of neatness. "I can't imagine what my bus will look like."
"I'll make sure to wash my nylons and hang them all over the bathroom," Stephanie teased right back, poking her lover in the side.
"Terrific..." Howie groaned.
"Oh, you know you're going to love having me on tour!" Stephanie watched Howie's face and couldn't read the reaction. She scowled. "'Right? HOWARD?"
"You guys are like an old married couple," Brian decided when Howie yelped at the way his lover jabbed at his ribs.
"That's because they're old to begin with," Nick chirped, his mouth stuffed with half a cheeseburger and some fries.
"I'd have to agree with that," Brian conferred.
"You're right behind Howie, Mr. Littrell. You aren't exactly a spring chicken," Stephanie narrowed her eyes with yet another scowl.
"But he's dating a young filly," AJ observed.
"That's what older men do -- date younger women."
"Now wait a damn--" Howie stopped mid-sentence and shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "It's called the good life, what can I say?"
Author's Chapter Notes:
Wow, it's been a long time since we updated! Sorry about the delay, and we hope you enjoy!
