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Right Here Waiting by x_days_go_by_x
Number of reviews: 2
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Author's Notes: Author's Note: This is not my favorite chapter, by far, of anything I've ever written. I've had such trouble coming up with a way to make it flow, and to make it stick to Jorie's story line. I only ask that you forgive me, Jorie, if I've gone too far off track on this one.
Chapter Two
The morning sunlight poured into the large room as Jorie rolled over, feeling as if she’d not slept a bit the night before. Her dreams had been plagued by thoughts of a lifetime of loneliness. She had tossed and turned all night long, but apparently, it had been lost on JC as he slept on.
She rubbed the sleep from her eyes before leaning over to peck his cheek gently. She allowed her lips to linger on his stubbly cheek for a moment longer than necessary before pulling away, brushing a curly bit of hair back from his face. As quietly as possible, so that she did not wake him, she climbed from the bed and grabbed her clothes. She tip-toed into the bathroom, closing the door quietly behind her.
It took her only a few minutes to change, having tossed the clothes he’d lent her to sleep in inside of the hamper before coming back out of the bathroom. She was startled to find him awake.
“Thought you were going to sneak out of here without saying goodbye?”
“Absolutely not,” she responded, offering him a tired smile. “You just looked entirely too peaceful to wake,” she told him as she crossed the room to the bed. She took a seat on the edge so that she could pull her shoes on before turning to smile at him. He had puckered his lips expectantly, and not wanting to disappoint him, she leaned in, pressing her lips against his.
“Mmm,” he groaned softly once he pulled away. He opened his eyes and offered her a smile. “That’s some good stuff,” he said with a grin. “You gonna be busy allll day, Miss Nelson?”
“Yup,” she responded, making a face at the very thought. She laughed when he whimpered before leaning in to kiss him once more. “I don’t know what time I’ll be done today, but if you’re up for some more late night company, I’d be more than willing to come back tonight,” she told him, cocking an eyebrow in his direction.
A sly smile slid across his face as he wiggled his eyebrows playfully. “Hmm… late night company, huh? Sounds like a plan to me.”
She rolled her eyes, though try as she might, she couldn’t hide the smile on her face. “It’s date then,” she responded with a nod. She leaned over for one last kiss before pulling away and pushing herself to her feet. “I’ve really got to go though or else I’m going to be incredibly late.”
“Where are you going anyway?” He asked.
She hesitated for only a split second. “I’m going to meet with my mom and sister,” she lied. “They’ve been after me for not spending as much time with them lately, so I’ve promised them the day,” she said, forcing a smile.
“Oh. Okay, well have fun. Tell them I said hi,” he said with a smile.
“I will,” she assured him. “I’ll call you later on when I have a better idea of when I’ll be done.”
“Well no need to rush,” he told her. “Take your time, have some fun,” he said, giving her a grin. He watched as she headed to the door and he called out, stopping her. “Hey! I love you.”
“I love you too Jace,” she responded. She offered him a half smile before stepping out of the room, closing the door behind her. She hurried down the stairs and out the front door, going straight to her car. She waited until she was safely down the block before she pulled out her cell phone.
“Keith? It’s Jorie. Listen, we need to talk…”
~*~
The day had been a long one. She had almost decided against going to JC’s house, but she knew she had to. Now, whether or not she’d be staying the whole night depended on his reaction to the news she had to tell him. She pulled into the driveway and sat there for several minutes, talking herself into going in the house.
She heaved a sigh as she turned her car off and climbed out, heading to the front door. She knocked lightly before pushing the door open, calling out to him. “Josh?” she called.
“In here!” He responded, his voice coming from the kitchen. She closed the front door and headed in that direction, offering him a tired smile when she saw him. He offered her one as well, though she saw it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “So, something funny happened today.”
“Oh really?”
“Mmmhmm,” He responded, though he made no move to elaborate.
“Well… listen Josh… I was thinking… and we really need to talk.”
“We do? It wouldn’t have anything to do with why you’ve been lying to me, would it?”
Her eyes widened and her mouth went dry at his accusation. “W-what?”
“I tried calling your phone today to tell you I was wanting to fix dinner for you. Well, your phone was off, so I tried calling your mom. Funnily enough, she had no idea where you were. I thought you were going shopping with her.”
“Oh Christ… Josh, listen—“
“No, you listen!” He responded, his nostrils flaring slightly. “I don’t know what the hell is going on here, Jor. But if… if it’s someone else… then—“
“Oh God no! I would never do that to you Josh! You know that!”
He cocked an eyebrow at her, crossing his arms over his chest stubbornly. “Well it that’s not ‘it’, what is?” He demanded.
“I’ve… I’ve been having some… meetings with Keith and some other writers,” she said, unable to meet his eyes. She didn’t want him to see the unshed tears. “I was wanting to get back into the studio, to get working on a new album and I was… afraid to tell you…”
His countenance fell immediately. “Oh Jorie,” he responded, crossing the room to wrap his arms around her. “Why didn’t you just tell me baby?” He asked her. “You don’t have to keep things like that from me.”
“I was just… afraid that you would be upset. If I’m back in the studio, that means I can’t go out on your tour with you and—“
“Baby, listen to me. I’m a musician. I understand the way the business works. You can’t put your stuff on hold to go traipsing all over the country with me. I understand that.”
She glanced up at him, looking into his beautiful eyes. “I didn’t mean to lie to you Josh. I really didn’t. I’ve… I was afraid that if it got out that I wanted to get back in the studio, that Jive would use you to get me publicity, you know? Like, you’d never have an interview or photo shoot on your own. And I didn’t want to steal your thunder.”
“Jorie, it’s not a big deal,” he assured her, resting his hand gently on her cheek. “It’s really not. And as far as them setting interviews and photo shoots together… well, that’ll only help me too, won’t it?” He asked, giving her a smile. “I’m so sorry I accused you of—“
“You don’t have to apologize,” she said quietly, leaning up to press a gentle kiss to his lips. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of his lips against hers before she pulled away, giving him a smile, a genuine smile this time. “I love you Josh,” she said quietly.
“I love you too,” he responded, pressing another kiss to her lips before pulling away. “No more secrets?”
“No more secrets,” she promised with a nod of her head. She had been prepared for the worst. She knew without a doubt that he’d be angry with her, upset with her for cutting in on their precious time together, but he had surprised her. He had supported her, as she had done him.
Sometimes, she truly doubted their relationship and its longevity. But on days like this, she knew he loved her unconditionally. And that, at least for now, was all she needed.
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