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“Love Can Save”


-“It’s not that I can’t live without you.
It’s just that I don’t even want to try.
Every night I dream about you.
Ever since the day we said goodbye.” ~”Back To Your Heart” by BSB.

**~Final Farewells ~**

A.J. closes the door behind him, smirking as Nick’s laughter burst in the kitchen.

“Dude, shut up, Faith and Yas are sleeping.” A.J. grumbles out as Brian raises his eyebrows, smirking.

“A.J.’s right Nick, quiet down. So…” Brian teases, lingering his question in the air.

“Alright guys, can ya go somewhere that isn’t here?” A,J. muses, raising his eyebrows at them.

Nick smirks, “I like it here though.”

“Move.” A.J. mutters, pointing to the front door.

Brian rolls his eyes, “I know when I’m not wanted.” He chuckles, grabbing Nick’s arm, dragging the man with him towards the door. “Wait, I was gonna ask how did the meeting with the detective go?”

A.J. stops and nods his head, “Good, the guy plans on tracking down any unlikely suspects and Anya was there to help give off some names that can be helping that bastard out.”

“Ok, so question. Do you know the rapist then?” Nick asks.

A.J. nods, “Yeah, Yasmine told me the entire story. Remember that guy back at her shower that kinda looked like me?”

Nick and Brian gasps, “Yeah It’s him?” They shout in unison.

A.J. nods, “Yeah. I knew something was up. The whole letter thing, the blackmail that was happening with all you guys getting threatening letters, that was all that dude’s deal.”

Brian gasps, “Whoa, I can’t believe it. And the fact he claimed to be one of Yasmine’s friends, that’s what even more disturbing.”

A.J. releases a sigh and nods, “I know, its too creepy to begin with. But I’m glad this guy is gonna get caught. When the cops pass through with the warrant, it’ll be over for that Kelvin guy.”

“That’s the name?! I was trying to think what his name was.” Nick snaps his fingers.

“Yup, well enough of this talk, you guys are leaving here now right?” A.J. smirks, leaning on the open threshold of the front door.

Nick smirks, “You wanna be alone with her, you bad.”

A.J. sighs, “Shut him up Brian.”

Brian laughs, standing in the threshold, “I’ll try, but Nick is too big to tackle.”

“Heyyyy, I’m not big!” Nick protests immediately.

“He meant big in height Nick. Dude you have some issues you gotta deal with.” A.J. smirks, waving them off as the two men step out of Yasmine’s apartment with grins scrolled on their faces. “Weirdos.” He whispers to himself, closing the door and heading back to the den. Touching his jean pockets, he fumbles through searching for his wallet and grumbles. “Damn. I left it at my place. I can’t leave the girls here alone though.” A.J. ponders, racing out of the apartment to see if he can still spot Nick or Brian. But neither was seen and he calls out to them. Sighing, he enters the apartment and heads over to Yasmine’s bedroom, slowly opening the door. He pokes his head into the room, to see in the darkness, the small curled figure buried under the white silk sheets.

“Yas. Yas.” He calls out, inching his way over to her. He hated waking her up, but he had to leave and didn’t want to leave her here alone. “Yas, wake up. It’s me Alex. I have to pick up my wallet.”

Yasmine’s only respond was a sleepy groan as she lazily rolls over to one side. “Why? Just call one of them to get it.” She moans out, yawning, her eyes still close as she tries to fall back to sleep.

“Alright. Sweetie, you’re right. I’ll do that. It was stupid of me to get you up.”

“Cause you’re a guy, you don’t think.” Yasmine mumbles out sleepily getting a laugh out of A.J.

“When you wake up, I’ll get ya for that statement.” A.J. whispers, smiling as he takes in her beauty. “Hey I forgot to give you back the bracelet.”

Yasmine sticks her hand out of the covers, palm open. “Put it on there.” She whispers out.

A.J. smirks. “I’ll do that when you get up and are awake.” Deciding to play along with her.

Yasmine not up for any games, growls out, “See open hand. Put it there.”

“I thought when people sleep they don’t talk.” A.J. continues egging her own.

Yasmine growls and flings the cover off her head, staring at him sharply. “I know you’re messing with me and I’m cranky cause you woke me up.”

“Well see you’re awake now and you look cute cranky. Yeah I was worried. I need my wallet. What if a fan found it? Then I’ll have to go through all that mess of canceling…”

“Shut up.” Yasmine interrupts, a smirk on her face as A.J. abruptly stops and stares at her.

“Actually, it’s good you’re up, I wanna talk to you about something.” A.J. whispers softly in her ear as he sits on the edge of her bed.

Yasmine eyes him, “About what?”

“I have to start promoting the album with the guys shortly and I won’t be here. I want you to come with me.”

“What? Alex you know I would, but hello, have you forgotten I have a child now? Plus, what if the media gets a hold of this? You’re screwed.” She whispers, hoping not to wake up Faith.

A.J. sighs and smirks. “Who cares what the media says? They always find something to talk about.”

“Yeah but I don’t wanna be the butts of one of their own personal jokes.”

A.J. withholds his laughter, gazing at her. “They’re known to do a good job on that anyway, whether you like it or not. Look, just say yeah.”

“I’ll say yeah when you give me my bracelet back.” Yasmine smirks, holding out her open palm.

“Well you’re the one who broke it and I had to get it fixed. Don’t get all fussy with me.”

“Hey, that was Faith’s fault’s. She pulled on it.” Yasmine grins, sliding to the edge of the bed facing him.

A.J. chuckles and hands Yasmine a golden box with her fixed bracelet. “Don’t blame the baby for that. She doesn’t know any better.”

“Yeah like someone I know.” She teases, taking the golden box and opening it. To her surprise she sees besides her bracelet a golden ring with a small sparkling white diamond in the center of it. She gasps and looks up at him. “A, Al, Alex, this isn’t what I think it is right?”

A.J. smirks, “Depends on what you’re thinking it is.”

“Is this…is this…” Yasmine whispers out, taking out the diamond ring from the box, examining it.

A.J. smiles and kneels down on knee, “Look at me for a minute.”

Yasmine gazes at him, shaking nervously as she places the ring back in the box.

A.J. takes her left hand, holding in gently as he talks about the beauty that Yasmine had showed him since last year. “Everything you do has a purpose. God graced the earth placing you here right here, right now in front of me. Yasmine, make me the happiest man now and marry me.”

Yasmine’s mouth drops open as she struggles to speak but nothing came out. A.J. laughs, “I wanted to go all out and do the whole fireworks and skywriting thing. But you’d think that’s so overrated. So I stuck to something that I know, just being real and me.”

Yasmine closes her mouth finally speaking after the shock had wore down. “I, I don’t know what to say. You got me good. I never thought that you’d want me in your life forever.”

A.J. smiles gently and leads her off the bed and towards the small balcony the apartment has. Sliding the glass pane doors, they both enter the cement balcony and look around at the night sky before them. Yasmine grabs the metal railing, peering her head below to the dark abyss of the ground. “You seem surprise I would do this.”

Yasmine smirks, “Well yeah. Alex, I didn’t even think of this. To get engaged and get married. I thought that was only in fairy tales. Stuff like that don’t happen to normal girls like me.”

“But you’re not a normal girl Yasmine. And before I lose you again, I want you to be a part of my life from now on.” A.J. states, breathing in the cool May spring breeze.

Yasmine smiles and takes his hand as he watches her, holding the diamond engagement ring her hand. Smiling, she hands him the ring and nods. Without another word, he laughs and hugs her, sliding the ring on her finger.

“I just hope you can share me.” Yasmine teases, watching A.J.’s curiosity rise.

“Excuse me?” He smirks, “And who am I sharing you with?”

“I think you might have heard of Him, He has many names but God works just fine.”

A.J. laughs, “I’m sure He doesn’t mind, I’m with his princess.” And he wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her to him as they kiss under the bright silver rays of the moonlight gleaming down on them.

Suddenly A.J. cell phone rings, breaking the serene silence between them. Smirking, Yasmine grabs at his phone clipped on his jean buckle as he does the same.

“Let it ring.” She smiles, trailing her fingers down the phone.

A.J. laughs and nods, gazing into her eyes. “If I die right now, I’ll die with a happy face on.”

“Why do you have to be so morbid?” She giggles, a warm gentle breeze flutters a strand of her dark hair on her cheeks.

A.J. laughs, “Whatever. You just make me so happy.”

“Then I’m glad. Do the other guys know?”

A.J. simply shakes his head. “Nope, cause if they did, they would have blurted something out, especially Nick. He can’t hold his tongue for nothing.”

Yasmine chuckles, shaking her head. “You know you love that man. Stop picking on him.”

A.J. rolls his eyes playfully. “Ahhh, maybe. Hey, since you’re awake, how about I take ya out to ea to celebrate. I can find one of the guys to watch Faith.”

Yasmine exhales, “I, I don’t know. This is all unexpected I guess.”

“Don’t worry. I got it covered.” A.J. picks up his phone and was about to dial it when he heard a message on his voicemail:

“Hey I know I just left Yassy’s place but me and Brian got caught up in some major traffic. I don’t think we’ll be going anywhere stuck on the highway. Just in case Kevin or Howie asks for us later, let them know cause I couldn’t get in contact with them aight?”

A.J. shakes his head, a smile on his face.

“Nick?”

“Yup, he and Brian stuck on the highway.”

Yasmine laughs, “Awww, that is so cute, their first real traffic jam right here in New York.”

A.J. laughs, “Guess so. But that leaves us with only two other options. Kevin or Howie to watch Faith.”

Yasmine laughs, “I’ll go get dressed then. If you can get one of the guys to watch Faith, we can drop her off.”

A.J. nods his head, “Aight.” And he calls Kevin but with no success. Sighing, he calls Howie’s hotel suite and hears someone answers.

“Ello?”

“Oh D! Great to hear from ya, listen I need a huge favor from ya!”

A.J. smirks, hearing Howie groan before responding, “Ahhhh, Alex, what is it? Is it legal?”

A.J. laughs, “Why do you always assume the worst from me?”

“Cause you’re A.J. that’s why.” Howie smirks, taking a seat on his sofa, cradling the phone on his ear neck as his hands busy themselves with his late night dinner set out on the table before him. “So how can I help ya?”

“Can you watch Faith? Me and Yas are gonna go out to eat and celebrate.”

“Celebrate what?” Howie asks, chewing on his spaghetti.

“We just got engaged!”

Howie almost chokes on his food and gasps, “WHAT? WHEN? How did this happen?”

A.J. laughs, “Dude it was all planned out for a while. I was thinking about it and talking with my mom I realized she’s the one man. I have to take advantage and get her before I lose her again to some punk out there.”

Howie laughs, cheering A.J. on. “Wow! J, man you surprised me man. I can’t believe you didn’t tell any of us.”

“I wanted to keep it on the DL that’s all.”

“DL?” Howie asks, not up to the terms the younger generation was using.

“Down low D! Get with the program man.” A.J. smirks.

“Shut up. So you gonna eat out. I can’t believe you gonna get married!”

“Well I needed something positive to happen and Yasmine has been in my life this whole time.”

“It’s funny how before you and Yasmine claim to maintain friendships and not go through with any other relationships with each other but now here you are, you guys dated for a bit and now getting married! I mean that’s a big turn around.”

A.J. laughs, “I know, I hear ya. Well listen, we’re all ready, you watching Faith?”

“Sure. I love the little one. Bring her here, uncle Howie will spoil her.”

A.J. laughs, “Aight, I’ll see ya there shortly. One.” And he hangs up.

“One what?” Howie whispers, confused at the slang thrown at him.
~*~

The dinner was wonderful and now as A.J. was driving back to Howie’s place to pick up little Faith, Yasmine was singing joyfully besides him on the passenger seat. He smiles and pulls up to the Marriot Hotel parking lot after a forty five minute drive and as he turns off the car, he glances over to see Yasmine sleeping peacefully. “Hey Yas. Sweetie, listen, we’re here. Let’s get Faith.”

Yasmine mumbles out something incoherent before whispering out to go alone.

A.J. sighs, “Come on, you know I’m not leaving you here alone.”

Yasmine continues sleeping as A.J. watches. “Fine, whatever.” And calls up Howie’s phone but the phone was busy. “Ahhhh. This sucks. Look, Yas, I’m gonna race through and get Faith. Stay here and don’t open the door to anyone. Do you hear me?” He eyes her as she nods her head somewhat, still caught in deep sleep.

A.J. sighs and races out of the car, flying up to the elevator to reach Howie’s floor.

Yasmine sighs and slowly opens her eyes, gazing at the passenger side. She gasps and jumps at her seat to see that wretched face staring back at her.

Kelvin hisses out, eyeing her. “Did you think I wouldn’t find out! Huh did ya?! I know what’s going on! God I should just kill you right now for all that you put me through. Do you know all I wanted was so be with you? But instead you go to this creep, this man has nothing to offer you. He lives a completely different life. He’s famous. He won’t ever understand what we normal people do. Is this the type of life you want with him? He won’t be around to raise our child Yasmine! I want Faith to know her father. Yasmine, think this through.”

Yasmine narrows her eyes, sliding away from the car window, his face staring back at her from the other side of the window. “You’re insane. You’re not well in the head do you understand that? This is my life but you forced yourself in it. I gave you a chance in the past but you didn’t think I would be the one to stay with you now did ya?” She growls out, searching for a spare cell phone but found nothing.

Kelvin growls and stares around at the deserted parking lot. Only litters of vehicles aligned the parking lot but no one else was inside the parking lot besides them. He pulls out his .35 black handgun from his pocket and aims it at her, “Get out of the car.”

Yasmine gulps and raises her hands up in the air, “Kelvin please. This is insane. You have to get help, you know that? This isn’t what normal people do.”

“I’m normal, you just made me crazy! I’m crazy in love with you! I could have had you to be mine. Instead you went for him. So I thought maybe if I started looking like him you would come back, but even that didn’t work. Yasmine I want you. God, I love you so much its killing me each day. Let me back in your life. That’s all I want.”

Yasmine shakes her head, the fear enclosing at her as she watches him aim the gun at her, “Get out of the car Yasmine, I know you heard me. I won’t hesitate girl.” He hisses out as Yasmine gulps and slowly and cautiously slip out of the car.

She knew this man was mentally unstable and if she didn’t follow through with his orders he wouldn’t hesitate in doing what he has planned. She stands before him, glancing around wishing A.J. would have tried harder in waking her up. She gulps and looks at Kelvin, how she wished the detective was here to arrest the man now.

“I know about the engagement Yas. And I know about that detective you hired with your friend’s. But too bad your detective can’t talk now can he?” Kelvin pulls out a shattered piece of what seemed like detective’s flesh or rather the actual flesh right off the face.

Yasmine cries out in fear and disgust as she backs away from, her back hitting the cement wall behind her.

“What’s wrong? Do you recognize the face? Does he seem familiar to you?” Kelvin hisses out, his hands now covered in the blood from the skin as he puts it away back in the plastic seal bag and into his jacket pocket.

Yasmine cries out as she stands terrified, shaking violently as tears crash down her pale tan cheeks.

“Aww, did I make you cry? Yasmine, come away with me.”

Yasmine sighs and closes her eyes, “Please God, I can’t understand this. Why me?”

Kelvin laughs, “It’s so funny how God must have an off day whenever you’re trouble. Makes ya wonder huh?” And he approaches her, his pistol aimed at her.

“What do you want from me?”

“To be with me! I want you to love me, like you love that man!”

“I can’t control that. I can’t love someone like you, you disrespected me from the beginning and I’m supposed to go to you. No! Never! Forget you! I can’t lie to my heart and the one I truly love!”

Kelvin rages, setting off a round of profanities, before aiming the gun back at her. “You have no idea what you wanted with that man. You were at a loss with him just like when you were with me. You can’t make up your mind about things so let me decide for you.”

“NO!!” A voice booms, echoing down the parking lot as A.J. appears with little Faith cradled in his arm.

Kelvin growls, his dark eyes shooting over to A.J. as he keeps his gun aimed at Yasmine. “Well look who came to play. The one who took my Yasmine away. What do you have to say for yourself? You caused all this to happen you know.”

A.J. narrows his eyes and slowly takes a few steps into the parking lot to see a shivering Yasmine trapped with no where to run except to tackle Kelvin and that was impossible for the man was built and much taller than her to take down. A.J. could have done it if Faith wasn’t with him at the moment but the pistol in the man’s hand had him nervous.

He glances over to see Faith soundly asleep through all of this in his arms. “Kelvin put down the gun. Let’s talk about this. Look at your child. I have her in my arms. Don’t you wanna see her again and touch her? You don’t wanna go to jail and never see her again now do you?”

Kelvin exhales, his eyes diverting back and forth to A.J. and Yasmine. “My baby.” He whispers out, eying Faith. “Take care of her for me will ya?” He whispers, pulling the trigger and shooting at Yasmine and then himself in the chest.

Two shots rang out in the parking lot as A.J. yells out, clutching Faith in his arms as Yasmine drops to the ground besides Kelvin. A.J. shivers while tears stain his cheeks as he approaches the bodies. He stops to see the rich dark red blood ooze out of both bodies chest, Yasmine had fallen on her abdomen so the fatal wound was not visible to him, but Kelvin’s chest was leaking rapidly in blood as the black shirt he wore was covered in his own blood. A.J. sobs, choking back a yell as he fumbles for his cell, calling the ambulance and then Howie.

A few minutes later, Howie races to the parking lot to see A.J. on his knees, caressing Yasmine’s dark locks in his hands.

“A.J.! Oh God!” Howie cries out, his eyes clouding in tears as he takes Faith out of A.J.’s arm and takes a hold of A.J.’s shoulder. “What happened?”

Barely whispering A.J. tells Howie the quick synopsis of what had occurred only minutes before. Howie stood there in utter shock as suddenly the blinking red lights and sirens fill the parking lot. Howie steps back as the paramedics leap out of the ambulance to race over to the fallen bodies on the ground. One paramedic came with two body bags and placed Kelvin into one of them, immediately zipping it up and placing it on a stretcher. A.J. watches in silent horror as Yasmine’s body was lifted up, her open eyes seemed to be staring back at him as one of the paramedics close the woman’s eyes and places her on the stretcher, wheeling her away. A.J. and Howie watch in shock as a diamond ring topples off Yasmine’s left ring finger and lands on the ground as the stretcher is placed inside the ambulance. A.J. covers his eyes and cries furiously as he drops to his knees. Howie watches in utter shock and realizes that was the engagement ring that was given to her and he felt at a loss for his friend. He stares at A.J., rubbing his sobbing friend’s shoulder as he watches the ambulance pulls away and a police car arriving. Tonight he knew he wouldn’t get any sleep and feared now for A.J.’s health and sanity as a couple of cops arrive and make their way to them.
~*~

Nick watches the ceremony in a daze, maybe it didn’t hit him yet that something so tragic could end a person’s life, but it did. For this one woman, it did. He inches closer to the open white ivory coffin, fearing of what he would see when he glances down. He never knew anyone close to him that had passed away and this was so wrong to him. Someone so young, so eager to take on life was taken away without an excuse and that struck Nick. It had been over a week since the tragic death of Yasmine and he didn’t and couldn’t face to believe that Yasmine was gone. But as he drops his eyes down to the open casket to see Yasmine, she looked so beautiful. Like she was sleeping. He was enthralled at how wonderful and happy she looked and for a moment, he touched her cheeks surprised to feel them so cold to the touch. He could hear A.J. besides him, lost and dazed since that night. It was like A.J. had died as well when Yasmine was taken away from him. Everyday he heard his friend blame himself for his newly fiancé’s death and everyday Nick was there to console his friend, to tell A.J. that what happened wasn’t his fault, that he did whatever he could but what occurred was out of his control. Yet his words did nothing to comfort his friend’s hurting soul. Nick glances back down at Yasmine as his eyes cloud in tears. He never saw a person, a corpse up close before. The idea didn’t hit him as he touches Yasmine’s beautiful locks styled loose and a stunning small sparkling diamond tiara placed on her head. Her cheeks and eyes seem bright and alive as a small curved smile covered her soft painted pink lips. A.J. sniffs and walks away from the casket for a breather as Nick continues to gaze at Yasmine. Nick sniffs and feels a hand on his shoulder to see Kevin staring at him, tears rolling down his emerald eyes.

Nick sobs out, “I didn’t even say goodbye to her. Kev, I didn’t say goodbye to her!”

Kevin quiets down Nick and embraces the man, “Shhh…Nick I know.” He croaks out, his voice straining through the freshly new tears that cross his face.

A.J. heads back to the casket, tears falling freely down his cheeks. “Wake up Yasmine! Wake up! God, don’t let her leave me! I can’t do this alone!” He cries out, falling to his knees as Howie and Brian race over to A.J. Kevin and Nick pull away from the embrace and sigh, the entire church was full of people, her family and close friends. Nick glances at Anya and it broke his heart to see the woman crash to the ground screaming out “Why? Why? How could this happen?!” He gazes to see Yasmine’s mother and father cry out in agony for the loss of their daughter. He could hear her father, the same bright emerald eyes gazing back at him as he stands before Nick.

Nick drops his head, not bothering to say a word, for what can he say that will ease the parent’s grief. Nothing and that is what he did as he takes a seat on a pew, biting on his lower lip. He watches Yasmine’s mother: who was holding Faith in her arms, cry and yell out when she reached her child’s casket. Nick closes his eyes, wishing the pain to go away, but it remained there stronger than ever as he watches the scenery, taking it all in: the cries, the pain, the grief.
~**~


**~To Be Continued…~**