After an emotional night of tossing and turning by both Allyson and JC as they relived the events of the day, they woke up in their respective bedrooms, their hearts beating fast for different reasons.
Allyson had been thinking over and over again about if she could have avoided what happened; if she should have left him to his own devices at the restaurant and all the what ifs that had been running through her mind. She calmed herself as she looked around the room, remembering she was at JC’s. She was safe.
For JC, he was fighting with his feelings. JC might do anything for a friend, but the adrenaline he felt when he saw Allyson in that car was not just that of a friend. Sure, he cared for all his friends, but Allyson was different, and he knew it. He’d known it since visiting her in D.C., but he couldn’t quite articulate it until he held her on the couch as she cried. He felt a deep love for this girl in his soul. Seeing her so upset broke his heart and he swore to himself he would do whatever he could to avoid her ever feeling that way again. But, his objective for the next day was not to be anything more than the supportive friend he promised to be.
JC’s Jeep pulled into Liz’s driveway and both he and Allyson took a few deep breaths to prepare themselves.
Allyson knocked a couple times to no answer. Pulling out the spare key Liz had given her for the week, she unlocked the door and stepped into the house. “Hello? Liz?” she yelled into the house. “Are you here?”
She looked back at JC and shrugged. Liz’s car was in the garage, so she was home. The question was just where. It wasn’t a large home, but it had its fair share of rooms and closets.
Allyson walked further into the house, continuing to call out Liz’s name, until she reached the back garden.
“Oh, good God! You scared me!” Liz jumped as Allyson stepped into the small green space.
“Sorry,” she giggled. “I used my key when you didn’t answer.”
Liz let out a relieved laugh. “It’s OK. Nice outfit,” she said, seeing the TRL and basketball shorts combination Allyson still had on.
“Oh yeah, I needed a change of clothes at JC’s.”
“Speaking of JC, did he just drop you off or is he here still?”
“He’s still here,” Allyson said, turning to the open door, yelling “She’s back here!”
A few moments later, JC stepped through the door to the backyard, smiling as he did.
“Hey! Thanks for bringing Allie back,” Liz said, returning his smile.
“Of course!” He caught Allyson’s eye that told him she was nervous and unsure how to bring up the topic of Paul. He gave her a slight nod to tell her he was not going to leave her.
“What’s going on?” Liz asked, noticing the silent exchange.
“There’s something I need to tell you, Lizzy,” Allyson said, her tone getting more serious.
“What happened? Is this why you were at JC’s?”
“Yeah. Can we go inside?”
“Sure.” Liz put down her hand trowel and wiped the loose dirt off her hands.
Sitting down in the living room, Allyson and Liz were on the couch facing each other, while JC took the chair near Allyson’s side of the couch.
“Allie, what’s going on?”
Allyson looked down. “Well, you know how I got lunch with Paul yesterday?”
“Yeah. Did he do something?”
Allyson looked up with tears in her eyes and just nodded her head.
“Oh my God! Allyson!” Liz yelled as she wrapped Allyson into a hug. “That scumbag! Are you OK? Did he hurt you?”
“I didn’t know what to do, so I called JC, and he came and got me.” Tears were starting to roll down Allyson’s face, though she wasn’t sobbing like she had been the day before.
Neither of them took notice, but JC’s eyes were welling up also, seeing the emotional toll the ordeal took on Allyson and the strength she was finding to tell Liz.
“Do you want to tell me what happened?”
“It was fine during lunch,” Allyson started, composing herself. “Awkward but fine, but then he started drinking more than he should’ve to the point where I knew he couldn’t drive. So I drove him home because I knew he’d be dumb enough to get into the car and drive himself if I didn’t, and I couldn’t handle that on my conscious.” Liz was nodding along. “So then when we got to his place, he started getting aggressive. He invited me in and when I kind of laughed it off, he leaned over and ended up pinning me against the door and started putting his hands on me and trying to kiss me.” Allyson’s voice started to shake as the emotions returned. “And the car door was jammed, so I was stuck. I tried to get him off me, but nothing I did worked, so I grabbed my phone, but he was restricting my arms to where I could only use it behind my back, and the only person here I had on speed dial was JC.” She glanced over at him sitting silently in the chair, his eyes glistening. “And luckily he picked up and was close by. He came to the rescue, and the police were a few minutes behind him.”
Liz, who had moved from hugging Allyson to holding her hand, got up to give JC a hug. “Thank you.”
“Not a problem,” he said with a nod. “I’d do anything for my friends. Besides, Allyson’s saved my butt a few times, so I think I owed her.”
He and Allyson both laughed knowing he was referencing the Us Weekly event.
“So by the time we talked to police, all I wanted to do was get any memory of Paul off me and soak in a bath, and JC was kind enough to let me do both.”
“Always,” he smiled at her.
A few more moments passed as Allyson continued filling Liz in on the police report and answering her questions.
“I’m so glad you’re safe. My God! I knew Paul was an asshole, but I didn’t realize how much of a dickwad he was. If you want to egg his house or anything, you let me know. We can do that tonight.”
Allyson laughed, shaking her head. “No, I think I’ll let the police handle him. Let him have fun with his court-appointed attorney.”
Liz’s laughter joined Allyson’s. “OK. Well, the offer’s there. We’ve got toilet paper too.”
“Well, I’ll let you two ladies plot your revenge,” JC chuckled, getting up from the chair.
“Seriously, thank you,” Liz said, stopping him for another hug. “And we’ll see you tomorrow?” She turned her attention to Allyson, “Are we still on for your birthday festivities?”
“Yeah, I think a little bit of fun would be nice.”
“Then, I’ll see you two there,” JC said with a smile.
“Hey, I’ll walk you out,” Allyson got up.
“I’ll be in the back,” Liz offered.
JC gathered his messenger bag and his keys and headed for the door with Allyson right behind him.
“Well, that seems like it went better than you thought,” JC said with a smile as he threw his bag into the back seat of his Jeep.
“Yeah it did. Thank you for being here,” Allyson said with a smile. “Shit, thank you for everything,” Allyson said.
“It was nothing. I told you I’d do anything to help my friends, especially you.”
Not saying a word, Allyson reached up and pulled JC into one of the tightest hugs they’d shared in the couple years they’d known each other. “I can’t imagine what might’ve happened if you didn’t come when you did,” she said into his shoulder. “I’ll never be able to repay you.”
Once JC got a hold of Allyson, he let out a sigh and picked her up quickly so her toes were barely touching the ground for a moment before setting her back down.
“I’m just glad I was nearby and that, ultimately, you’re safe,” he said, leaning against his black Jeep as the hug ended.
Without thinking, Allyson leaned forward on her toes and pressed her lips onto JC’s.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” she said, covering her mouth as she quickly realized what she was doing and stepped back embarrassed.
“Don’t be,” JC said, his hands grabbing her waist and pulling her into him again, his lips initiating the kiss this time.
The spark that was missing in D.C. had definitely found its way to both of them this time. Their bodies relaxed into each other, as their mouths continued to explore.
JC moaned on Allyson’s lips, his hands moving from her waist to her hair and back down to her waist again.
Allyson gasped as they came up for air. “Woah! I felt that.”
“Mhmm,” JC managed to get out with a smile. “Third time’s the charm, I guess,” his smile turning into a laugh.
“I guess so,” Allyson laughed with him. “And it was worth the wait.”
“Couldn’t agree more.”
“I-I-I should probably go help Liz in the garden,” Allyson stammered as she backed away from JC.
“Yeah, of course, and I should probably get home, finish working on that song.”
“What song?”
“You’ll see. I should have it ready for your birthday tomorrow.”
“I’ll take that gift,” she said with a smile. “Talk later?”
“Absolutely!” he said, his hands reaching for her arms to pull her back in for a soft kiss – this time on her lips instead of her cheek or the top of her head like their usual partings.
She waved back at JC as he opened the door and Allyson walked back into Liz’s house.
As soon as the door closed, JC sat back in the driver’s seat and let out a sound that was a mix of a laugh and a sigh. “Wow!” he said aloud to himself as he shook his head a little before driving home.
