“I’m doing just fine guys. It’s all minor cuts and bruises. The only major thing is my forehead, but I got stitches for that, otherwise Abbey’s car is the thing that got wrecked the most,” JC explained.
“Why don’t you go rest in my room JC,” Abbey suggested. “I think it would be best if you took a nap and got as much rest as possible.”
“That sounds like a good idea. Will you do me a favor though and wake me up around lunchtime so I can eat something,” JC asked.
“Yeah, I’ll make you something and then I’ll wake you up around noon,” Abbey replied.
“Thanks,” JC said as he turned to look at the guys again. Lance, Joey and Chris were all staring at JC like he was going to fall over and die in any second. “Guys, you can relax, I am alright. And stop looking at me like that, you are creeping me out.”
“We are just worried about you. We want to make sure you healthy before we decide to jump into performing, because if you aren’t feeling well, we will definitely cancel the show or find something to do instead of our crazy routines,” Lance explained.
“Thanks guys, but I think I’ll be just fine,” JC said as he started to walk towards Abbey’s room.
A couple hours later in the kitchen
“I was so nervous and I couldn’t think of any other way to get in to see him,” Abbey explained, “so I told the nurse that I was his fiancée.”
“You didn’t!” Madelyn replied.
“I did, and unfortunately it came back to bite me in the ass. The next morning the nurse told me that a press guy came in and she assured him that JC would be alright and his wife was here to take him home. Or something like that, but what she said exactly doesn’t matter. All I know is that she told this guy that I was his wife and now it’s going to get in the tabloids and I’ve just created a mess for the guys.”
“That is the last thing they need, but you know what, I don’t think it really matters because there is a bigger issue at hand here. JC was hurt and you were in a desperate place. It just happens to suck that the nurse opened her big mouth. Isn’t there a law about releasing personal information to outsiders in the medical area?” Madelyn asked.
“I’m not sure. I just hope it doesn’t turn into a huge scandal,” Abbey said.
“Maybe nothing will happen at all. Maybe that guy wasn’t a tabloid person at all, it could have been a cop or someone from who was also in the accident,” Madelyn tried to assure Abbey.
“Yeah, I hope you are right,” Abbey was silent for a few moments. “Maddie, I think that I need to talk to Nick again. I have to give back this ring so it doesn’t cause anymore trouble than it already has. I just want to make sure he gets it back so he knows that I am never going to talk to him again, nonetheless marry him.”
“I don’t know if that is a good idea, but if you really want to give it back to him I want to go with you. I just want to make sure he doesn’t pull anymore crap like this again,” Madelyn explained.
“That is fine, you can come with me, under one condition,” Abbey started, “you have to control yourself. I don’t need you to freak out and start something with him. I just want to go over there give him the ring back and get out of there. Then I won’t have to worry about trying to hide all this from JC.”
“Yeah, I still think that you need to tell JC. If you want to be with him, I think he deserves to know. Plus blabber-mouth Justin knows and he can only keep this a secret from JC for so long. We all just want to protect you from Nick, that’s all,” Madelyn spoke.
“I know, I just have to gain the courage to tell him. I’m afraid that if he finds out he is going to freak and then he won’t want to be with me anymore.”
“You need to think a little more optimistically. Have a little more faith in JC, if he likes you that much he won’t flip out, so you need to tell him, instead of him finding out from someone else. He really does love you Abbey, no matter what,” Madelyn assured Abbey.
“Thanks Maddie,” Abbey said. “I’m going to wake up JC.”
Abbey left the kitchen and walked to her room. She saw that the door was cracked and she heard voices. Abbey decided not to barge in, but instead she listened to the two men speak.
“..and I felt something poke me in the chest. So I reached into my jacket pocket and pulled out a letter. I didn’t know what it was at first, so I opened it. And it was addressed to Abbey. I read through it and it was from Nick,” JC explained.
Abbey’s stomach dropped as she continued to listen.
“What did you do? Did you tell Abbey you found it?” Justin asked.
“No, I didn’t know what I was going to do, so I just threw it away at the hospital as I was leaving. Do you know anything about this? Or is this all news to you too?”
“No, I knew. I wasn’t supposed to say anything to you, but Madelyn told me,” Justin said.
Please don’t say anything else to him about the rest Justin, Abbey thought to herself.
“I don’t know if I should be the one telling you this, but there is more than the letter,” Justin started.
Abbey didn’t know what to do. She definitely didn’t want Justin to be the one to tell JC about this whole Nick situation. She decided to interrupt them hoping that JC wouldn’t ask her to leave the room so he could hear everything from Justin.
She pushed open the door quickly. “Hey guys. JC, I didn’t know you were up yet. Justin, did you wake him up?” Abbey asked.
“No,” Justin replied.
“No, he didn’t wake me up, I woke up on my own, surprisingly enough, and I asked him to come in here to talk with me,” JC said.
“Oh, I’m sorry did I interrupt?” Abbey asked.
JC looked at Justin, “No, you didn’t interrupt anything,” JC said.
“Well, your lunch is ready, I will bring it in to you,” Abbey told him.
“Sounds good,” JC said as Abbey turned around to get JC’s lunch.
Please don’t let them talk more before I get back, Abbey thought to herself as she left the room.
“Justin, could you leave the room before Abbey comes back, I think I might say something to her about this letter. But I still want to talk to you about these other things, I just don’t think that this would be the right place to do so. Especially with Abbey around,” JC asked.
“No problem man. And good luck,” Justin offered. He left the room as Abbey reentered with a tray for JC. He eyed the food a little and headed straight for the kitchen hoping there was more to eat.
“Here you are sir,” Abbey kidded as she set the tray down on the night stand next to the bed. “Is everything alright JC? Are you feeling ok?”
“I’m fine. I have just been thinking a lot lately and I’m worried,” JC started. Abbey’s heart began to beat faster and she just stared back at JC as he continued. “When I was leaving the hospital I found something. In my jacket pocket.”
Abbey’s stomach dropped for the second time tonight. “Are you mad?”
“No, honey, unless you were like secretly seeing this guy behind everyone’s back or marrying the kid, I’m not mad. I just want to know that you are ok and how come you felt you couldn’t talk to me about this? What happened?”
“Well it all started at the airport. After I got on the plane I received a letter. It was the letter you read and I didn’t know what to say or think. I was emotional and in shock,” she started. “Then when I got back to New York and went to baggage claim he was there and he took my bag and followed me outside to my car. I basically told him to leave me alone and I drove off.” JC nodded as he listened to her. “He ended up following me to my apartment and he gave me back my bag. Then he uhh..” Abbey thought for a second to herself. I can’t tell him that Nick proposed to me. I just can’t do it.
“It’s ok hun, just breath,” JC assured her.
“That’s why I didn’t call you. I was so upset and I didn’t want you to find out that he ruined your perfect surprise.”
“Did anything else happen? Has he tried to contact you again?” JC asked.
“Well the day I talked to you during rehearsals was the same day he was waiting for me at my work. I told him to leave me alone and he kept following me to my car. He ended up kissing me, but I pushed him away and drove off. Then I stayed home the next morning, which was yesterday. He tried calling me yesterday morning too, but I didn’t answer,” Abbey said as she grabbed her cell phone from her dresser. “And I sort of broke my phone. Well, not completely, but enough to break the face plate. But he didn’t leave a voicemail, so I think he has gotten the hint that I don’t want anything to do with him.”
“I wish you would have told me sooner. I was really scared when I found that letter. And all this following you around doesn’t sound safe. Abbey, I think that he might be stalking you. I think that you should make sure you don’t speak to him again. And if he tries to contact you I want you to tell me. You need to stay as far away from him as possible.”
“I don’t want to see him again either, but he is not stalking me. He would never do that. He’s just desperate for an old love because he doesn’t have anything going for him right now. He has finally realized that I was the only person who actually loved him despite all his faults,” Abbey explained.
JC shook his head at Abbey, “I don’t think that you are seeing my point. Just promise me that you won’t talk to him again, for my sake, for our sake. Will you do that for me?”
“I promise,” Abbey said as JC leaned forward and kissed her forehead. Both of them sat in silence for a few seconds holding each other. “Why don’t you eat your lunch, JC? You must be starving,” Abbey said as she started to get up.
“Will you stay here with me?” JC asked.
Abbey looked longingly into JC’s eyes, how could she resist this man, “Of course.” She walked over to her bed and laid down next to JC as he picked up the tray of food and placed it on his lap.
“I just want to say thanks for staying with me last night. I’m really glad that you were there with me,” JC said as he took Abbey’s hand and kissed it.
“You’re welcome. I don’t think I could have handled sitting at home knowing you were in a hospital. I would have been worrying too much,” Abbey said.
JC began to eat his lunch as he sat next to Abbey. Both were silent and JC noticed that Abbey was falling asleep. He quietly finished eating his lunch and then laid down next to Abbey. He cuddled up next to her and she lightly woke up and moved closer to him. JC wrapped his arm around her side and they both fell back asleep.
A few hours later
“JC, we need to get going,” a voice called quietly from outside Abbey’s room.
JC opened his eyes to see who was talking to him. “What time is it?”
“It’s almost 5 o’clock. Mike is here to take us to the hotel. Johnny told him it would probably be best since you were in the hospital and all. He just wants to make sure you are taken care of,” Lance explained to JC.
“Alright, I’ll be out there in a second. Thanks Lance,” JC responded. He turned back to facing Abbey. He lightly kissed her on the forehead and rolled her out of his arms. She moaned quietly, but JC didn’t think he woke her up. He got out of the bed and walked around to the side closest to Abbey. “I must be going my dear.” He reached out his hand and cupped Abbey’s cheek. “I love you,” he whispered as he leaned forward and kissed Abbey on the lips. Abbey rustled a little in her sleep, but she did not wake up.
JC backed away from the bed and took a blanket off a chair in Abbey’s room. He threw the blanket over her body and kissed her once more on the forehead before he left the room.
JC grabbed a few of his things on his way towards the door. “Hey Mike, how was your day?” he asked.
“Fine.. oh, except for the part where I found out you were in the hospital,” Mike sternly said.
“Yeah, I know, you can lecture me later, lets just get to the hotel first,” JC replied.
Back at the hotel around midnight
“So did Mike give you a lecture?” Justin joked.
“Of course. When does Mike not lecture us?” JC said. “So, Abbey told me what happened. I can’t believe that Nick is so persistent. I just hope he has gotten the idea and won’t call her again.”
“I know man, this guy is crazy. But Abbey sure as hell doesn’t want to see or talk to him again, especially since he proposed to her. I can’t believe Nick had the balls to propose to her,” Justin said.
“He what?” JC exclaimed. “Nick proposed to Abbey? She didn't tell me that! It must have just slipped her mind!” JC said as he pulled out his cell phone and headed for the door.
“JC, where are you going? You need to stay in the room and try and get some rest,” Justin told JC.
“Justin, leave me alone right now. I know what is best for me, so you can just back off!” JC shouted as he slammed the door. He walked down the hall until he found a set of stairs that took him to the roof of the hotel.
Abbey’s cell phone kept ringing over and over. Finally she woke up, “Who is calling me right now?” She said as she reached for her phone.
“Hello?” Abbey said sleepily.
“He proposed to you?” JC started.
Abbey was confused. “JC? What are you talking about?”
“Justin told me Nick proposed to you. You said you told me everything. Did I not ask you to tell me everything?” JC said harshly.
“I.. I must have forgotten,” Abbey tried to cover up.
“How could you forget something like that? Girls just don’t forget a guy getting down on his knee and proposing to her. Especially since this guy happens to be a stalker.”
“He’s not a stalker, JC. You don’t know the first thing about him,” Abbey said.
“Why should I? I don’t need to know anything about him. He is an asshole and that’s all he’ll ever be,” JC proclaimed.
“Why are you being such a jerk about this? I never asked you to be concerned about me, or to protect me. I am an adult and I can take care of myself. So you can just butt out of my life,” Abbey shouted back through the phone.
“Why are you defending him? Are you still in love with him?” JC rebutted.
“I’m not in love with him. But I just don’t brush off the guy who I was in love with before. He meant something to me and you should respect that. I don’t have any feelings for him now,” Abbey paused and her voice became calm and quiet. “I have feelings for you, JC, I want to be with you.”
“Well you better think that over again,” JC said hastily.
“I heard you say I love you before you left today, I wasn’t sleeping,” Abbey started but was bluntly interrupted by JC.
“Well maybe I made a mistake,” JC said as he hung up.
Abbey sat with her cell phone still to her ear. She was in shock. Her lip began to quiver and she couldn’t hold her emotions in any longer. She began to cry. I just pushed away the one good thing that I had in my life.
