It was two days since josh left for a recording session with a new artist. Ally couldn’t shake the hollow feeling that had quickly filler heart and mind. She felt like she truly had changed when Aaron pushed her down the stairs of her home, she could still hear his voice telling her that she was not worth it, that she would never amount to anything. She knew in her heart Josh was right. She knew she needed help, but she desperately hoped and prayed that this would just be a phase. She was curled up in bed under the covers; she felt safe, she felt a sense of normalcy, but she couldn’t shake the images of Aaron’s face.
As the memories came to the forefront of her mind, Ally could hear Josh’s ringtone on her phone. With a groan she rubbed her eyes trying to rid them of the dark circles and the memories as she retrieved the object she was searching for. Swiping to answer the call Ally put on a smile, “hey josh!”
Skyscrapers is what met Josh’s view as he opened the curtain to his hotel. He no longer toured the world, but he loved seeing the cities he was able to travel to when he was producing other musicians’ music. Listening to his friend greet him over the phone josh thanked God he was hearing her voice, “So, did binge watch your show since a new season is out? Or was it another nightmare?” He could in his mind’s eye see her jaw drop, then he continued, “before you say anything Al, I just worry about you and want to make sure you are ok. I don’t care if you aren’t great in fact, I expect you to have a rough time, that idiot had no idea how to treat a woman and what he did to you would scare me too.”
Ally closed her eyes tight as tears filled them. She wanted so desperately to say yes to him that what he was saying was true, but she didn’t want him to stop him from his work that he loved so much. She had placed him on mute for a second then took a deep breath as she came back on the line, “I’m fine josh. Don’t worry about me.” A picture of the two of them caught her eye, it was sitting on her dresser and displayed the two of them at a party with her sister and brother-in-law on new years eve. She remembered that was the first time in years josh came to the annual party alone. It was the same night josh told her he loved her. Ally brushed it off as a friendly love but after he kissed her at the stroke of midnight she wondered if it was more. Coming back to reality, Ally unmuted herself and buried herself further into her covers. She lightly laughed though it didn’t reach her soul, “in fact it’s my day off so I’m all cozy in my bed and you are keeping me away from my shows I’ve been meaning to catch up on.”
Knowing she was trying to get him to leave her alone Josh shook his head and replied, “ok I’ll leave you to Steve Carrington, I still find it weird you have a tiny crush on the guy he’s what 20 years younger than you?” hearing Ally gasp in fake anger, he chucked as her voice came through the line, “Joshua, you are impossible. I hope Reggie drives you off a bridge.” He knew she wasn’t wishing harm on him; this was their thing. He loved her, he felt terrible for confusing her a few years ago at the new year’s party Melissa and her husband threw, he was a tad drunk that night and felt sorry for himself that he just hadn’t found the right person for himself. Shaking his head, Josh smiled, “alright fine, if you say so.” At that moment his watch chimed with a reminder for him to meet the new artist, “I need to go, talk to you later Al.”
After the call ended, Ally set her phone down on the nightstand, pulled the covers over her shoulders and fell back to sleep.
Two hours until he was home in California, two hours until he was in his own home. Josh had spent two weeks in New York, not just working but also playing tourist. He loved the city and loved the people, but only when he visited. He promised himself he would never move to Manhattan even if someone paid him enough money to move. Shifting his weight on the seat next to the window on his flight home, Josh also thought about the last conversation he had with Ally before he got onto the plane. She sounded off and some of the things she said caused him to wonder if something had happened.
His mind replayed the conversation as if it was happening right then, “If anything ever happens to me josh, promise me you will take care of melissa and nick.” Stunned by what his friend was saying, Josh blinked then struggled as he responded, “yeah Al of course I will, but you aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.” Ally sighed, “I know, you know just in case anything ever does.” At the end of that conversation, Josh called Lance, but he was busy, so he spoke with Michael. “Hey Michael, listen I am about to get on a plane to come back home, but Ally doesn’t seem like herself right now and I’m a bit worried about her.” He rubbed his face willing the feelings he was having to go away. Michael stopped chopping the lettuce he was cutting for his salad, as he listened to his husband’s former bandmate. “Yeah C, I can do that.” He knew Ally was Josh’s best friend, they were in Orlando together when Josh was in the MMC then introduced him to Joey.
Michael looked at the lettuce then knew as he heard Josh speak of his concerns for Ally, that his lunch was going to have to wait. “Do you need me to go over there?” Michael questioned as he placed his chopped lettuce into a container and placed that into the fridge.
Josh shook his head, “No, I know she’ll be pissed if I send one of you guys to check on her.” He sighed, “Michael what would you do? I mean she won’t really tell me what’s going on.” Michael understood his friend’s concern, but also knew Ally’s feelings on the situation as well. Leaning against the kitchen counter, Michael took his phone and moved it to his other ear as he heard his husband come through the door then said, “I can have Lance give her a call.” Lance had just opened the fridge to grab a water when he heard his name then looked to Michael in question. Michael put his phone on speaker, “Josh, I just put you on speaker Lance just walked in.” The three men spoke of their concerns for their friend and decided that they would call her sister and brother-in-law to see if they would help stage an intervention to try and convince Ally to get help.
Blinking at the sunlight streaming in through the window Josh hoped the intervention would work to help save his friend. He knew the signs were all there but didn’t want to voice what he feared was there. His best friend was depressed, she was dealing with PTSD, like he had when he stepped foot on ground zero soon after September eleventh and saw the devastation that had occurred on that tragic day. He shook his head and closed the window to block out the light so he could take a nap on the flight, he just only hoped she would take the help.
Author's Chapter Notes:
another short one for you guys.
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