Justin.
It was early a few mornings later, Jen had come back from the Oscars late the night before so when Sara woke up I decided to let her sleep in and went to check on Sara and feed her. I was walking down the hallway, half an empty baby bottle in my hands, when I heard it. It was retched, screams coming from behind the door of one of the guest bedrooms. I stopped to listen before making the initiative to knock
"Kia?" I called, because she had decided to stay in and help Jen out with a few things that morning. There was no reply so I tried again. "Kia? Are you ok?"
"Go away!" Came her muffled voice and I was a bit taken aback. Here she was in my house and talking to me like I was nobody? After I took the time to find out if she would still live?
"Kia," I sighed and took my chance at turning the door knob. It was unlocked so I pushed it open and walked on in. The bedroom was empty, except for an unmade bed and a golden gown strewn across the trunk by the end of the bed and a pair of heels to match beside it. "Kia?"
"I said go away!" She replied, this time her voice was louder than before and more clearer. I heard her wretch one more time and the toilet flush before she emerged from the closed bathroom door, looking like hell froze over. "God do you ever listen to anyone?"
"Usually," I said and looked her over, "But not this time. Are you okay? You sounded as if..."
"I'm fine," she replied shortly and placed a hand on her hip. "Just tired."
"Really?" I asked and raised an eyebrow at her.
"Yes really," she answered and looked at the door pointedly, "Are you going to leave now or what?"
"I don't know," I answered her and took a step closer, "Are you going to tell me the truth?"
"What truth?" she asked and I chuckled lightly.
"Come on Kia. I'm not that stupid so don't treat me like I am," I replied and she shook her head.
"I never said you were," she told me after a pause. "I'm not sick."
"I never said you were," I replied and gazed at her, "Kia, seriously what's up?" She sighed and sat down on the bed, running a hand through her messed up hair.
"You can't tell Trace... or Jen. They'd kill me," she started and I stepped forward to take a seat beside her.
"Tell them what? What's so bad that I can't tell them?" I wanted to know, after all this was my best friend and wife she was talking about. She took in a deep breath, played with the hem of her night gown before glancing up and looking at me square in the eyes.
"I'm pregnant." There was a silence that filled the room and I stared at her, wondering what to say. Everything sort of made sense now, why she always picked a fight with Trace...
"It's not Trace's is it?" I asked her, although I already knew the answer. She nodded and wiped a tear from her eye.
"No it's not," she confirmed and I took in a deep breath.
"David..."
"It was an accident Justin I swear!" she cried out and I looked at her.
"Have you told Trace? About David and you?" I asked her, trying to stay calm and not chuck her out of my house for treating my best friend like this.
"No..." she began and I glared at her, my fuse finally cut short as I stood up abruptly.
"What?" I asked her. "I thought... he said..."
"We just talked about things okay?" she said and glared up at me, "We apologized for what happened at..."
"But you...." I began totally at a loss for words. "You better tell him or else I will. I swear it Kia. I'm not going to cover up for you again alright?"
"But you promised..." she wept and I shook my head.
"I never promised anything. I just said I would wait till you told him and he said you did so I presumed..." I began but stopped myself, this was all too much for me. "Whatever, this is your mess to sort out. You need to tell the relevant people, that includes Trace. Whether you like it or not."
"What? But I can't! They'd kill me!" she wailed and I shook my head at her.
"Well you should have thought about that BEFORE you decided to spread it," I snapped and stalked out of the room to the sounds of her weeping.
A few days later Johnny decided to call and let me know I needed to pack my bags and get ready to leave for Louisianna to film my new movie The Open Road. I was lying in bed with Jen snuggled up beside me, when she brought up the subject of Kia and Trace.
"I don't really know," she was saying, pressing a hand on my lower stomach and casting a glance over to the baby monitor which lay silent from Sara sleeping. "I mean she says they're ok but you know..."
"Yeah," I nodded and wondered if I should tell her. I know I had told Kia to sort it out, but she hadn't and it was tearing me up inside. Everyday facing both Jen and Trace and having to lie to them because Kia had promised she would find a way to sort it out. I didn't even like Kia that much, after what she had done, so I really had no clue as to why I trusted her to tell the truth and even more I didn't even know why I was covering up for her.
"J?" Jen's voice interrupted my self reflection as I looked down at her.
"Yeah?" I asked her and she laughed slightly.
"Were you even listening to a word I said?" she asked and I shook my head.
"No sorry," I answered and kissed her. "What were you saying?"
"Nothing," she smiled and sat up so she leaned back on the head board. "I was just talking about how quietly Sara's been sleeping lately."
"Yeah she's been getting better," I agreed and reached over to take her hand. "Jen I need..." But my words were cut off as a wail sounded through out the room and we both looked at each other.
"Speak of the devil," Jen laughed with a smile and pushed the covers back, "I better go check on her."
"Uh, ok," I nodded somewhat half releived and disappointed. "Do you want me to come with?"
"No it's ok," she smiled and kissed me, "What was it you wanted to tell me?"
"Nothing," I lied and kissed her back as Sara's wails got louder, "Just go check on Sara. We'll talk in the morning."
"Ok," Jen agreed and left to check on Sara.
The next day I was off, to the set of the new movie I was filming and a few days later Trace and I were sitting int he trailer looking at each other, bored out of our minds. I wondered for days whether or not I should tell him about Kia, after all he was my best friend but it was his buisness and not mine. I leaned back in the chair and stared at him.
"What?" he asked and I shrugged.
"Nothing," I replied and looked away, pulling out my phone to check if I had any missed calls from Jen.
"No really, what?" Trace asked and I cast my eyes to him, opening my mouth to answer when there was a knock at the door.
"Come in!" I called and stood up, walking over to the door as Trace stared at my back. "Yeah?" The door opened, and the whole trailer fell silent. "Hannah? What the FUCK??"
"Hi Justin." She stepped up on to the first step of the trailer and I felt myself become light headed, wondering why and how she had come to be here.
"What are you doing here?" Trace's voice asked from behind me, luckily saving the day. "I thought we had a restraining order put on you."
"You did...." she began and I stared at her.
"So what are you doing here? Breaking the law?" I asked interrupting her as she fumbled for an answer.
"I got hired to help out with catering," she replied and I noticed the bagel I had asked for in her hand. "I didn't know you were going to be here." I huffed, that was a very likely story. I didn't believe her, and neither did Trace.
"Really?" he asked, stepping up behind me, "Because don't they give you a list of who will be staring in the production before you start work?"
"No," she replied shortly, glaring at him before smiling again and thrusting the bagel under my nose. "Here's your bagel."
"I'm not hungry," I lied, taking a step back and looking at her in disgust. "Why don't you take it?"
"Can't," she answered, batting her eyes at me. "Company poilcy."
"Really?" Trace asked with a laugh. "Never heard of that crap."
"If you want I could just lay it on the counter..." she began ignoring Trace completely and standing in front of me full flush trying to get into the trailer. I frowned and took a step back, gently pushing her back.
"No," I told her and grabbed the bagel from her. "I'll take it. You need to leave please."
"But..." she began but I had already shut the door in her face and wipped out my phone to call security. This was what I didn't need, not now, not when I had more important things on my mind. I called security and once I had hung up my blackberry rang.
"Hello?" I asked, looking at the small screen.
"Hey, are you busy?" Jen's voice asked me, I grinned and shook my head.
"No, you read?" I asked her back, making sure I could see and hear her.
"Yeah," she answered and there was a silence for a few moments as the computer on her side kicked in. "You look good."
"Thanks," I said, rubbing my newly shaved cheek and smiling at her. "You look beautiful." She smiled back.
"Are you alone?" she asked and I raised an eyebrow at Trace who nodded and left.
"Yeah why? You wanna show me your tities?" I smirked and she laughed. God how I missed her.
"No, nasty ass," she laughed back as there was a gurgle in the background, I smiled.
"Is that baby girl?" I asked, straining to hear. Jen nodded and sat Sara up.
"Yes it is," she replied and I grinned.
"She's gotten so big!" I exclaimed and made funny faces at her before continuing. "Daddy misses you!" Jen laughed and shook her head at me.
"You're crazy," she said with a laugh.
"No I'm not," I replied and lowered my voice, "I miss you too."
"Well we miss you too," Jen answered and gave me a smile. "So what have you guys been up to?"
"Just work," I answered and yawned, "You?"
"The usual," she nodded and lifted Sara onto her hip.
"Cool. How's Kia?" I asked and I saw Jen raise an eyebrow.
"Kia?" she asked, "She's fine why?"
"Just wondering," I shrugged as Trace walked into the trailer with a bottle of water in his hand. "Has she talked about Trace?"
"Not often," Jen answered and saw Trace in the background and waved. "Hey Trace."
"Hey Jen," Trace replied and smiled for the first time in days when he saw Sara. "Hey kiddo." Sara squealed at the sight of Trace and we all laughed.
"She misses you Trace!" Jen laughed and Trace smiled.
"Me too," he whispered and I wondered who he was talking about but I decided to ask him when it was just us. "They need you back on set J."
"Alright," I nodded and turned back to Jen. "Hear that girl? I gotta go."
"Ok," Jen smiled and looked at Sara. "Say good bye to daddy Sar-Sar."
"Bye munchkin," I waved and she giggled back at me, I grinned and smiled at Jen. "Bye Jenny."
"Bye J," she smiled and we hung up since I needed to be on set ASAP.
“So are you going to tell her?” Those were the first words out of Trace’s mouth as soon as we left the trailer.
“Tell her what?” I asked, playing dumb. I knew what he meant but didn’t want to think about it. Trace rolled his eyes at me.
“You know what,” he replied and nodded at the security guards as we made our way onto set. “Hannah.”
“Oh,” I replied and rubbed the back of my neck, “Well yeah but I need to find the right time and place first.”
“What do you mean?” Trace asked, I could sense a hint of annoyance in his voice. “You should be honest with her, always. There is no right time or place for that.”
“I know,” I replied wondering what was eating his ass. I sort of knew, it had to be something to do with Kia. “But this…”
“Stop making excuses J,” Trace snapped cutting me off instantly. “Just tell her. Is that so Goddamn hard for you to do? Or do you like keeping secrets?”
“Damn Trace,” I muttered and shook my head at him, “I said I’d tell her okay? And if it makes you feel any better I’ll tell her as soon as we get off set tonight ok?”
“Ok,” Trace agreed and we remained silent for the rest of the short walk to the makeup trailer.
I was in the middle of trying to call Jen when my phone rang. I jumped and picked it up quickly, hoping that it was her since she had not picked up any of my calls for the past hour.
“Hello?” I asked situating myself in the nearest chair.
“Justin?” It was my mother, and as usual she sounded stressed.
“Hey mamma,” I answered and rubbed a hand over my tired face. “What’s up?”
“I don’t know,” she replied, I could hear a sense of distress in her voice. “Did you and Jen have a fight?”
“No why?” I asked, now on edge and curious as to why she would think that. “I haven’t been able to reach her all day.”
“Then I suggest you come home as soon as you can,” she answered. I opened my mouth to protest but she continued before I could, “I’ve already talked to Johnny and they’re booking a flight for you now. I’ll have Rachel or Trace give you the details ok?”
“Okay but mamma…” I began but she already had hung up. I stared at the phone and shook my head. I felt as if I was the only one who had no clue what was going on these days. I wondered what mamma was going on about. Jen and I were fine, well from what I remembered from our conversation this morning we were. She seemed happy and content. What had happened to make my mother think otherwise?
I was just about to open my phone to call Jen again when Trace stormed in, slamming the door behind him.
“Get your shit together,” he said shortly and looked around him, “You have a flight leaving out of here in an hour.”
“What?” I asked, that had been quick. Trace didn’t reply instead he just grunted. “Trace?”
“God,” he muttered and glared at me, “You’re bloody unbelievable. Just get your shit together.”
“Trace wait…” I called, trying to get some form of explanation out of him but he turned on his heel and stormed back out of the trailer. This day just could get any worse, could it?
The flight back was long, as I had been gittering in my seat and trying to get Trace to talk. Trace had been staring out the window the whole time, ignoring me as if I had committed the biggest sin known to mankind. It wasn’t until we pulled up at the house did he decide to talk to me.
“J,” he called and placed a hand on my arm as I was stepping out.
“Yeah?” I asked looking back at him. He sighed and shook his head.
“Nothing,” he replied and leaned back in his seat. I frowned and shrugged at him, before climbing out of the car and dashing towards the front door.
“Jen?” I called as I stepped inside but heard nothing. It was strangely quiet, as if someone had just packed up the whole house and gone. I frowned, and thought to myself she must be somewhere. So I headed up the stairs to the bedroom. “Jen?”
I entered the room, but it was empty, par say the closet which was open and the bed sheets creased. I didn’t take much notice of these as I walked around the room and checked the bathroom calling her name. I found no sign of her, so I figured she must be in Sara’s room, which would be the only other place she would be.
I left the bedroom, and walked down the hall to Sara’s room, but I already knew. Before I even opened the door to see the empty open drawers and stripped crib I knew. I knew she had left me, for good.
Author's Chapter Notes:
here is the final chapter!! enjoy a sequel will come soon!!
Completed
angel_from_africa is the author of 31 other stories.
meganj2007 is the author of 1 other stories.
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meganj2007 is the author of 1 other stories.
This story is a favorite of 11 members. Members who liked Upgrade also liked 543 other stories.
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