“What happened, J?” he asked.
AJ looked back up at them.
“What do you mean?”
“Yea, man you’re all… I don’t know you just look upset about something.” Nick said as Brian and Kevin nodded in agreement.
AJ sighed and looked at his hands.
“It’s nothing.” He said softly.
The guys looked at each other, knowing that he was lying.
He sighed again.
“Howie and Tori are in there sleep… they’re back together now.”
“Oh.” Brian said softly. “And you’re not ok with that…?”
“It’s not that I’m not ok with it… it’s just…” AJ started.
“It’s just that what? You don’t like her any more?”
“No, it’s not that. She’s wonderful as usual.”
“As usual…? Ohhh…” Kevin said.
AJ looked at him. “What?”
“You don’t have feelings for her, do you?” Kevin asked.
AJ looked down. “Wouldn’t that be stupid? Tori and Howie have always been together.”
“Not always J, and that had nothing to do with how you feel. So how do you feel about her?” Brian asked.
“I… I love her…” AJ confessed quietly.
Nick, Brian, and Kevin looked at each other slightly shocked.
“I have for a long time, but by the time I figured it out, she was head over heals in love with Howie, and him for her. There was nothing I could do.” He further explained.
The guys nodded. There always had been great chemistry between Howie and Tori for as long as they could remember.
“How come you never said anything to one of us J? You know we would have helped you in any way we could have.” Brian said.
“And what would you have done Bri? She’s never been interested in me that way. It’s always been Howie for her. She even told me so once.”
They sighed realizing he was right.
“Don’t worry about me guys. They’re happy together, and I’m not gonna do anything to mess that up, or my friendship with them both.” AJ said softly.
‘Even if I want to.’ he thought to himself.
Tori yawned as she woke up the next morning. When she tried to sit up she realized that she was being held down by dead weight. She looked up and smiled at the sight of Howie sleeping soundly. ‘I can’t believe I’m in his arms again.’ She sighed softly and stayed in his arms for a minute longer, simply enjoying the moment.
Howie tightened his hold on her as he began to awaken.
“I don’t want to move.” He said softly, knowing that she was awake.
“Me either.”
“We’ll have to eventually.”
“I know.” She said regretfully.
He held her tighter and gently ran his thumb in a circle on her lower back. Tori’s eyes drifted shut as she shivered. Howie smiled softly.
“That still gets to you, huh?” he said as he continued to do it.
She nodded silently and bit her lip to keep her from making a sound. Howie kept doing it and began to nuzzle her neck tenderly. She moaned softly.
“Howie… god you know what that does to me.”
Howie nodded silently and began to kisses her neck lightly.
“I know…”
Suddenly a loud noise made the two jump apart quickly. The phone rang. Taking a deep breath, Tori answered the phone. Howie sat and watched her, listening to her side of the conversation.
“Hello... oh, hi… yes… but you said I could have tonight off…yes… yes I understand.”
“Who was that?” He asked after she hung up the phone.
“Donald… I have to work tonight.”
Donald smirked as he hung up the phone. He picked it up again and dialed.
“Yea… she’s comin’ in tonight, boss. I’ll make sure to get her by herself.”
Tori and Howie made their way into the kitchen to see Aj drinking a glass of water.
“What do you guys want for breakfast?”
”Whatever you want to fix us?” Aj supplied.
Tori just looked at him.
”All right, all right, geez… how about some pancakes and sausage?” She nodded and turned around to make them.
“Uh, Tor… you might want to make a few extra pancakes.”
“Why?”
Just then a blonde head poked his head in.
“Cause I don’t know about the Kentucky cousins, but I sure as hell ain’t just eating one pancake.”
