I go through the same routine for the next five months, making sure to save parts of my checks. JC and I go apartment hunting and spend weekends with the kids for the last couple months. I find a nice place and move in everything within a month without Joe realizing I was doing it. JC and I ask Nick, Aaron, Justin, AJ, and Chris for help moving the beds and furniture to my new place. They get it all loaded into the truck as Joe gets home. I hand him the divorce papers. "We are done and I'm moving out with the kids. These are divorce, visitation and child support papers." I turn to walk away and Joe grabs my right wrist, holding it as tight as he can. Thankful the kids are in school, I pull my arm. "Let go of me."

"You're not leaving."
"Let go of me! NOW!"
Nick and JC walk near us. JC is worried. "Let her go. I will involve the police, if I have to."
I look at them as Nick smiles. "I can make you let her go and pin you without breaking a law before the police get here. Let her go, dude."
Joe grips tighter. "Fuck you!" I start crying and wanna drop to my knees but won't give him the satisfaction.
JC calls the police and Nick approaches. He's mouthing an apology in case he hurts me. He pulls on my free hand, freeing me from Joe's grip. Nick yells at me. "Go to JC now!" I do as Nick tells me and go to JC, shaking. I let him hold me close. "Aaron! Help!" Aaron rushes over to Nick to help pin Joe.

JC hangs up with the police and rubs my back. "I got you. You're fine. Does your hand or wrist hurt?" I nod as he guides me to the passenger seat of his car. He looks at it. "Will you be alright until the police get here?" I nod, still too shaken to say anything. He's crouched down in front of me. He checks on Nick and Aaron as we hear the sirens. He's holding my uninjured left hand to keep me calm, rubbing my palm with his thumb.
The police zip cuff Joe and put him in the cruiser. They take everyone's statements. They come over to us and take our statements. "Miss, what happened today?"
I look at the officer. "I saved for six months so I could get my kids into a safer environment and to get a divorce. I haven't felt safe or respected in the same house as my spouse. He treated me like a slave. I came for the last of my kids' things and mine. He freaked when I gave him the divorce, visitation and child support papers. He grabbed my wrist and refused to let go of me. I tried to pull away, out of fear. He gripped tighter, it hurt so bad. Nick pulled me away from him and told me to come to JC. I've been over here with him since. Nick yelled for his brother's help. JC asked if I'm hurt and checked it out."
"Do you want to press charges?"
"Yes."
"Go get this injury checked out and sign this if you can." I wince in pain as I sign my statement. "Get it checked out and I will have an officer meet you there for evidence." I nod.

JC gives the same story. Justin comes over. "We're gonna take the beds, washer, dryer and living room set to her place. We can just get her another dining room set. Get her wrist checked cuz it's swelling and bruising."
JC looks at it and takes a few pictures on his cell, puts them on his sd card and hands it to the officer. "They will have date stamps on them. The pictures are the only data on it." The officer thanks him and we head to Cedar Sinai ER. The shock is starting to wear off and I'm starting to really feel the pain in my wrist when we get halfway there. He checks me in and they call us right away for the intake and paperwork. He signs for me. I'm trying to control my breathing to focus on something other than the pain. He holds me close while we wait to be seen. "You ok?"
"Will be soon enough." I feel tears start falling. They call us as an officer shows up.
She comes in with us. "This is a police involved matter. Can you take pictures of her injuries?"
The nurse looks at her. "We can do that right away, as we speak to her or the witness."
JC is focused on me. She looks at the nurse as JC and I sit on the gurney. He has his arms wrapped around me. She nods at JC. "He's one of six witnesses and all statements match up. We just need to document her injuries."
"Ok. Sir, what happened?"

"She was in a bad marriage. She obtained employment, saved, filed for divorce, child support and set up legal council to set up visitation so he could have a relationship with his three children. We loaded the rest of their things, big stuff like furniture, into a moving truck and he came back. She handed him the motions for divorce, child support and visitation for him. He flipped out, grabbed her and wouldn't let go. Nick had to pull her out of his grasp, most of this is from when her spouse grabbed and held her. Justin and myself noticed it was swelling. I think she was in shock and it may be starting to wear off." The nurse tries to look at my wrist and I start to cry from the pain. I grab JC's shirt and hold it. Every wave of pain causes me to stiffen the majority of my body. JC notices and rubs my back. They take pictures, least painful part.
The nurse touches my wrist and I scream out in pain. "It may be broken. We need x-rays to make sure. The doctor will be in very shortly."
JC is rubbing my back and holding me. "Can you give her anything for the pain?"
"Not yet. We have to know if we cause more pain or aggravate the injury."
"When?"
"After we get films. Here's the doctor."

The doctor says something about getting me into radiology right then so they can give me pain meds. I know I was crying the hardest I've ever cried from the pain. I didn't want my right forearm, wrist or hand touched, or resting on anything. I have it elevated but not touching anything, not even my own body. It hurts so bad. They transport JC and I to radiology for the films on my wrist. They force me to let JC up so he can leave the room while they take the films. They put the shield on me and take the films as fast as they can. Every time they touch my right hand or wrist, I scream in pain. I let them do it cuz it'll be done faster if I don't fight them. They finish up and let JC get back on the gurney to hold me. I'm crying even harder. He feels so bad. They give me a vicodin and wait for it to kick in. They wait close to an hour and it doesn't take effect. They give me a local anesthetic by injection. They have to rebreak my wrist to reset it. It is broken. They chose morphine because of how fast it can kick in and last. They dose me and I guess I ko'd cuz JC was shaking me awake. "What color do you want it wrapped in?"
"Turquoise. Or a light teal." I fall back to sleep.
I wake up to JC going over the discharge instructions with the doctor and my hand to mid-forearm in a cast and in a sling. "They took care of it already?" I sound wicked drugged and don't feel any pain.
JC nods. "Yes."
I hear the doctor. "The police have copies of the pictures and films. The medications might wear off in the next couple hours. Here are scripts for vicodin and ibuprofen. Have her take a vicodin and an ibuprofen before bed. Two ibuprofen every six hours as needed. One refill for the vicodin and four for the ibuprofen."
I feel so drowsy. "Ok. How will I know when the meds you gave her start to wear off?"
"She will tell you. Samantha, does your hand or wrist hurt at all right now?" I shake my head no cuz all I feel is drowsy. "She should be ok for the next couple hours if not longer."
"Thanks." He picks me up and carries me like a small kid.
I hear his car keys jingle as he unlocks the door. "Time is it?"

"It's only quarter till ten in the morning. You have time to sleep off the vicodin and morphine. You had enough morphine to knock Justin out and a vicodin. I had to look away when they gave you the morphine, they injected it."
"Let's get the meds while I'm awake right now." He puts me on my feet and we walk to the hospital's pharmacy. "You gonna be alright?" I nod. We get the meds and head back to the car. I get in and start falling asleep again. He holds my left hand the whole way to his house. I hear his cell phone ring. "Justin, just meet us at my house. I'd rather have her here right now. She and the kids can spend the night here. I'll leave the final say to her when she's awake for more than twenty minutes. Vicodin and morphine, enough morphine to knock your ass out. Yeah, she's been in and out for the past hour. No more than ten minutes so far. She's very drowsy. She needs our help with the kids tonight. Yeah." He shakes me gently. "Sam, do you have the keys to your place?"
I look at him, still very drowsy. "New one?"
"Yes, hun."
"Right side belt loop." I try to reach and can't.
He gently grabs my left hand. "It's ok. I can get them off your belt loop when we get inside. She has the keys. Yeah, send Aaron for em then. Ok. It's gonna wear off in a few hours. Hope she doesn't hurt as bad as she did when the shock wore off. C'mon, we gotta get inside, Sam." I hear him hang up his cell. We go inside and he takes the keys off my belt loop. He helps me to his couch and lays me down. I feel him put a blanket on me.
I don't hear or see JC when I wake up. "Josh?"
He rubs my head. "I'm right here. I haven't left. Aaron has your keys for the new place and they're almost done unloading and setting up. Do you wanna stay here with the kids or have me at your new place?"
"You at my place."
He keeps playing with my hair. "Ok." He smiles to comfort me.
I know it's gotta be near time to get the kids. "Josh, what time is it?"
"One thirty. Do you want to pick up the kids?"
"I want Nick to. They get out at three. Do me a favor?"
"Ok. What's that?"
"Stay with me for the next few days? Until I feel safe again?"
He holds my left hand. "Ok. I will."
I close my eyes. "Thanks. I'm gonna call the school and let them know Nick will be picking them up. They know his car." I call the school and they agree to hold them at the school. They want a note and him to show an id so they can be sure it's really Nick.
JC calls Nick and lets him know. Nick wants to talk to me. "How ya holding up, trooper?"

I look at JC and smile. "Slightly drugged and still drowsy. Minimal pain for now."
"Wow. Tougher than I thought. I knew you wanted to drop but for some reason you didn't."
"I wasn't gonna give him the satisfaction of seeing me drop in defeat."
"You gonna be able to write the note I'm gonna need to get the kids for you?"
"I can try. I'll get on it now." I go to sit up and JC helps me. "Thanks, Nick."
"You're welcome. Any time you need something, let one of us know. Word will get between us."
"Thanks. Will do."
"I'll stop by in about 45 minutes for that note. Ok?"
"Yeah, see you then." I hang up and give JC his cell. I get up, grab a pen and paper. I sit at the island counter in the kitchen and try to write it. Takes about five tries and my handwriting is almost the same. I sign and date it. I look at the clock. It took half an hour. I look around and JC is sitting behind me. "Josh, I have no idea how I would be doing this if it wasn't for you and the guys. Thank you."
"You're welcome. You and the kids mean alot to me."
"I'm still wicked drowsy." My cell rings, I try reaching for it but can't. I lean so that my homemade lanyard is within reach. I pull on it, look at the caller id. "Hey, Tig-Tig."
"Been trying to reach you since nine."
"Had an issue when we grabbed the rest of the kids' things."
"What kinda issue? You ok?"
"I gave Joe the papers I told you about and he grabbed my wrist. Broke it. It started to heal and they had to heavily medicate me to rebreak and reset it."
"You ok?"
"Yeah. It's in a cast and Josh is here with me. I was in and out for a few hours. Happened around 8:15, got to the ER around quarter to nine. We were outta there in about an hour. They don't play at the hospital Josh took me to."
She laughs. "How much did it hurt?"
"At first, it was like when your foot falls asleep and it's just waking up. Pins and needles kinda feeling. I was in shock. Got halfway there and I started feeling the pain. It hit wicked bad a few minutes before we were seen. Every time the nurse or doc touched, I screamed and tensed. I thought having Demitryus all natural was painful. I was dead wrong."
"Holy shit."
"Worst part was that the pain was from the middle of my forearm to the tips of my fingers. They kept moving and touching it. All I could do was scream and cry."
"You're stronger than me."
"Well, it had to be taken care of and done. Now I get to deal with a cast for about six weeks."
"Yeah. So are you outta there?"
"Yeah, the meds are starting to wear off. Not alot of pain."
"JC saw it happen?"
"Yeah. Josh, Nick, AJ, Justin, Aaron and Chris were all there and saw the whole thing."
"You pressing charges?"
"Of course. Hopefully, they also give me a restraining order against him."
"Same here and for the kids too."
"What about the stuff you grabbed today?"
"Chris, Aaron, Nick, Justin and AJ are setting it up for me and the kids. Nick's gonna pick up the kids for me."
"Well, give me a buzz or text me later. Keep me posted. Love and miss you."
"Will do. Love and miss you too." I hang up and lean back on JC.
Someone knocks on the door. JC doesn't move. "Who?"
"Nick."
"Just come in."
Nick comes in and stands by us. "Need a hug?"
"Hugs are always good." I give him a hug. I hand him the note for the school. "Make sure to show ya ID."
"Will do. Need anything else?"
"Is all the stuff set up?"
"Set up, hooked up and ready to go."
"Thanks. You guys are great. Could you and Aaron take the boys?"
"Tonight?"
"For the night please?"
"It's a Friday. I can take them for the weekend, if you want."
"Please."

"Sure." He calls Lauren. "Hey babe. We have company tonight. No, Sam's boys. She broke her wrist and will need time to adjust to it. The weekend?" He laughs. "Well, yeah. Ok. I can try to be a good boy. Heh, you know me better. I love you too. Bye." He hangs up and looks at me. "All set. What about Aaliyah?"
"Would Angel take her?"
"No. Maybe Joey would?"
JC calls Joey as I walk Nick to the door. He hugs me. "Thanks, Nick."
"Anytime." He heads out to pick up the kids.
I walk back to JC as he hangs up with Joey. He looks at me and walks over to me. "Joey will take Aaliyah for the weekend."
"Thanks. I'm not feeling too good."
He leads me to the couch and has me sit down. "You might just need to eat." He makes some pasta and I eat it. He used four cheese sauce, added mushrooms, and rotini noodles. I make sure to eat it slowly, just so I don't get sick. "Feel a little better now that you have something in your stomach?"
"Not much right now." Nick calls. "Hello?"
"It's Nick. I'm gonna pick up some clothes for the kids so Aaliyah can be with Joey and his family and the boys can spend the weekend with Lauren and I."
"I bet they're psyched."
"Yeah. It's been a couple weeks since you let them outta your sight for more than a few hours."
"I know. Just keep them safe."
"We will. Rest up and get the knock out cocktail outta your system. They'll be fine."
"Thanks, Nick. Tell Joey I appreciate everything."
"I will. You eat anything since waking up?"
"Josh made pasta. I had some."
"You still sound drugged."
"I still feel fuzzy."
"JC'll take good care of you. Take it easy."
"I'll try to. Make sure the kids call me before bed, please."
"I'll make sure the boys call and I'll let Joey know Aaliyah has to call you before bed."
"Thanks."
"No problem. You gonna tell him?"
"Huh?"
"JC, how you feel about him?"
"Uh, doesn't feel like the right time."
"Lemme know when you do?"
"Maybe."
"C'mon."
"You can keep secrets?"
"Yeah."
"You and James will know first."
"Other than Dawn."
"Yeah." I look at JC and sigh. "Talk to you later."

"I wish I could tell you what he told us. You know his first solo album?"
"Schizoprenic?"
"Listen to 'Build My World' and 'Lose Myself'. Then when you tell each other, it'll be like 'Right Here (By Your Side)'."
I think for a second. "Really? I know those songs almost by heart. You sure?"
"Yeah. Still, wait till the time is right to tell him how you feel. He may cave and tell you first. I think in the next six months he'll tell you."
"That'd be a year of knowing each other."
"I know. A year of feeling the way you two do and not saying it. Don't wait until it's too late."
I sit back on the couch and look in JC's eyes. "Mmmmm, true."
"He's told me that he feels that 'I Will Be Right Here Waiting For You' pretty well explains his emotions. He said one of his songs 'Mercy' covers it too."

"Hunh. Now I know. Just wanna hear it straight from the source."
"Ok. I don't mean to meddle."
"We put you in the middle. I half expected you to meddle. You kept it for six months."
"Ok. Talk to you later."
"Thanks, bye." I hang up and lay down with my head on JC's lap. "Josh, what would you do if a girl you're wicked close with liked you and you felt something for her, but you both were scared to tell each other?"
"Why?" He looks in my eyes and plays with my hair.
"Just curious."
"I'd wait for the right time to tell her and wait for her to tell me who she truly feels. Even if it means knowing her for years before either of us say a word."
"Oh."
"What about you?"
"I'd wait for him to tell me what he feels and decide on how to tell him."

I lay there and we look in each other's eyes. He keeps playing with my hair. I start to doze off. I realize I fell asleep when I wake up and JC isn't near me. I hear him in the kitchen. "Lance, it's killing me to be this close to her and not tell her. I would but-. Man, I wish it was THAT simple and easy. Can you imagine me just blurting that out? Of course not. I've always over thought everything, even more so since 07 and when it comes to my emotions. Why wouldn't I? Exactly." His back is to me and I can hear him messing with the keys on my cell. He turns around as I sit up. "I still feel like that." He smiles at me and I smile back. "I get that, Lance. You know what I mean and I hope you can understand where I'm coming from too. The world. That would be kinda hard. No, not easily. That's why she doesn't stress it. I haven't hung out with any other ones since. No, just her. No, I don't treat it like that. No. Lance, you've gotta be kidding me. It doesn't look like that." He hangs his head and sighs. "Does it, really? I had no clue. Guess I'm oblivious when it comes down to this kinda thing. Three days. Heh, right. That'll backfire. I'm sure. Sam's been awake since I turned around to check on her. Ok, hold on. Lance wants to talk to you."

I still like I'm in a fog. I take his cell. "Hey, James."
"How ya doing? I heard about this morning."
"I'm good. Nick wasn't kidding that word gets between you guys. What's up?"
"By now, you've probably caught on that JC has strong emotions when it comes to you."
"Yeah. Nick hinted at his exact emotions and thoughts."
"I knew he would tell one of you first. Did he say any of these songs? 'I Will Be Right Here Waiting For You', 'Something Special', 'Mercy', 'Build My World', 'You Ruined Me', 'Now & Forever', 'Right Here (By Your Side)', 'Girlfriend Remix' with Nelly?"
"All but the last two or three. 'Bombastic Love', 'Like I Love You', and 'Lose Myself'. Um, 'All For You' and a few others I can't seem to think of right now."
"Probably cuz you're still coming down from the morphine."
"Most likely."
"You need to tell him."
"If I don't today?"
"I'll wait a few more weeks and tell him myself. I don't like doing this but I will cuz it's starting to drive me insane."
"James."
"I mean it. I will keep quiet about how you feel about him till the end of April. May comes around and I will tell him. It's been six months. You both need to know. He still hasn't found out but has an idea you feel something for him by the way you act and talk to him and look at him. He knows it's good cuz I told him it's something he's gonna wanna hear from you."
I sigh. "Nick said the same thing."
"Lemme talk to JC."
"May, no earlier. Song titles are fair. Nothing more. Gotta be fair. 'My All' and 'Butterfly'. Then there's 'Underneath The Stars' and 'Always Be My Baby'. Lenny Kravitz's 'Again' and 'Just One Kiss'. Nick did the last one. 'Open Arms' and most of the 'Now or Never' album. Minus 'Blow Your Mind'."
"You have these songs?"
"Well, yeah."
"Play them for him."
"What?"
"I'll tell him but you play them."
I look at JC. "I will. You and Nick will know first."
"Ok. Lemme talk to JC, please."
"James wants to talk to you." I hold out his cell.
He takes it. "Yeah? Hold on." He walks to the counter in the kitchen where I left the pen and paper. "Ok." He writes down the song titles. "Ok. That's what I've been thinking she feels. I can tell by the titles, mostly. Ok. Yeah. I will, yeah." He turns around and looks at me, smiling.

"I will. May? Ok. Yeah, I can manage that. Sure. Talk to you later." He hangs up. He comes to sit with me. "I'll make you a fair deal."
I look at him. "What's that?"
"I'll play the songs that they told you cover how I feel and you do the same. Fair?"
I bite my lip. "Ok."
"Do you have your iPod?"
"Yeah, when don't I?"
He smiles and I hand him my iPod. I lay with my head on his lap. He plays the songs and I sing the ones I know. He sings 'Now & Forever' while he looks in my eyes and playing with my hair. I sit up and lean on him just as he finds 'Something Special' and plays it. He holds me close, plays 'Right Here (By Your Side)' and kisses me. I cuddle up to him and he hands me the iPod. I play the songs I told Lance and a few more. "Look at me, please, Sam." I turn so I can look him in the face. "I still can't seem to say how I feel but we both know how we both feel. I didn't count on feeling like this or even wanting more than what we've had from the beginning-friendship, sex and respect."
"Honestly, I didn't expect more than a job, friendship, respect and sex. I think we got way more than we both expected and bargained for."
"I have one question, well, a few. How long are we gonna be together before we get together? How strong are we gonna grow together by the time we actually get together?"
I shake my head. "I have no clue."
"Already been six months we've been together without being together."
I sigh. "I know. What song expresses how you felt the day we met and made love the first time?"
"I'd say 'Build My World', 'Lose Myself' and 'Something Special'."
"It was more 'Mercy', 'Build My World' and 'Lose Myself'. 'My All' and 'Butterfly'. 'Open Arms' and 'Underneath The Stars'. The last one cuz of the night we did that under the night sky in the yard." I smile.
He smiles. "You remember that? I couldn't forget it. It just meant something more than any other time."
"Really?"
"It won't mean the same thing with anyone else."
"I kinda feel like this is a dream. Just a fantasy."
"It's not. Any way to prove it?"
"Kiss me? No, I'm j-"

JC kisses me and shows the emotion I've sensed since the first kiss, it's a truth telling kinda kiss. He's cradling my face and after a few minutes, he puts his hands to mine and holds them. I pull away from his kiss. He looks at me and licks his lips. "I hope I wasn't too forward."
"No." I'm kinda In shock for the second time that day.
"You gonna be ok?"
"Yeah. You caught me, Uh, off guard." I look down before I blush. When I start to blush, my hair is blocking my face from JC's view. Lance calls my cell and JC gets up to answer it.
"Yeah, Lance, 'sup?" He sounds like he caught himself off guard. "Sure. Just a second." He walks to the door and lets Lance come in.
Lance looks around the corner at me. "Um, hi. If I came at bad time, I can-"
I snap outta it. "No, it's ok. He, we, Uh, kiss, yeah." I look at him and smile.
"I didn't think it'd be this fast."
"We played the songs and he, uh, caught me off guard."
"How did he get you, of all people, off guard?"
"Kissed. Tons of emotion."
Lance smiles and puts his head in his hands. "Wow. Just wow. JC? Your malfunction has to be something else, like she said something."
"Well, I do know that, uh" he runs his hand through his hair and rubs the back of his head "She does feel the way I do. I pretty much put all my, uhm, emotions into it."
Lance looks at me and JC a few times. "All this from a kiss?" His cell rings. "Hi. JC caught her off guard with a kiss and himself. No, I am NOT kidding you. JC, mind if the rest of the guys come over?"
"No." JC looks at me. "You mind?"
"It's alright by me."
"Come over. Total clearance." Lance hangs up, shaking his head and smiling.