She let out a sigh of relief when she heard the front door close and the echoing of footsteps making their way down the hall. When the door to the bedroom was slowly pushed open, she closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep, not wanting to let him know that she had waited up on him. She felt his body shift into bed beside her before all movement and noise stopped. She rolled over and rested her head on his shoulder, her hand resting slightly on his exposed stomach.
"Em," she heard him say to her before she felt her hand being pushed away from him.
"Huh?"
"I don't feel like cuddling right now so get on your side of the bed and give me some space."
She winced at his harsh words before raising up to look at him. "What's wrong?"
"Not a damn thing except I don't want to feel your body right next to mine right this moment, now please move over!" he yelled at her as she jerked away from him.
She knew that he was drunk. She had experienced many drunken nights with him, and they were always the ones that she dreaded. A tear slipped down her cheek as all her hope slowly deflated from her body. He wasn't going to chance and she had been stupid to actually think that he gave a damn about her and would actual change his lifestyle just to make her happy.
She got up out of bed and made her way into the living room, picking up the phone and dialing Stephanie's number as she fought to hold back her tears.
"Hello?" Stephanie's groggy voice replied over the phone as she stiffled a yawn.
"Steph..can I stay with you tonight? I don't feel like being near Riley."
"Sure..you know my door is always open."
"I'll be there in about ten minutes..thanks Steph," she said before hanging up the phone and grabbing her car keys. She was headed for the door when his sleep filled voice stopped her dead in her tracks.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?"
"I'm going over to Stephanie's and talk..I can't sleep and neither can she..so we're gonna get together."
"I don't think so," he replied angerly, reaching for her keys. When she jerked away from him, his eyes turned to slits and her pulse quickened. She knew what that look meant all too well. "Give me your damn keys."
"Riley..go back to bed and sleep off the alcohol thats in your system. You're not the boss of me, so therefore you have no right to tell me what I can and cannot do!" she told him somewhat calmly as she tried to appear brave in front of him.
"Don't you dare tell me what to do Emily," he yelled at her, reaching out and grabbing a hold of her arm, jerking her small body towards his.
She cringed at the pain that was throbbing in her arm as his hold tightened so she couldn't move. "Let go of me..you're..you're hurting me."
"Fake tears won't get you anywhere. Give me the keys and I'll let go. I don't want you going to Stephanie's because she'll fill your head with stupid ideas..the keys, Em."
She shook her head and held firmly onto the keys, while tears ran down her face. "Please let go of me."
"Cry you little slut," he seethed in her ear as his warm breath made contact with her skin. "I was talking to Johnny tonight and he told me that I was stupid for allowing you to go to New York with that guy..how many times did you fuck him, Em?"
"Nothing happened!" she defended as she tried to move away from him. "We're friends..damn it Riley, I thought you were going to change."
He snickered before pushing her body away from his, sending her flying to the ground. "I'm not going to change for anyone..I shouldn't have to."
"I thought you..you loved me?" she sobbed from her place on the floor as her hand massaged the skin that was burning from where he had grabbed her.
"I don't know what I feel towards you, Em..you make me sick sometimes. You're a slut..how many guys do you screw in this town?"
"How the hell could I screw guys when you've got your eye on me all the damn time?" she yelled back at him as she stood up and threw her keys onto the couch.
"Someone has to keep an eye on you!"
"That doesn't make sense..you're drunk..like you are all the time. I'm sick of it, Riley. I'm sick of this..this house!" she cried as she flung her arms around in the air. "I'm sick of not being respected, and most of all I'm sick of you."
The next thing she knew, his hand made contact with her face, causing her to take a few steps back. "You little.."
"Go ahead..call me a whore! I don't care.. I don't give a damn what you think anymore!" she yelled to him as she picked up her keys and walked out the door, slamming it in his face as he yelled comments at her that she couldn't understand.
As she drove to Stephanie, no tears fell down her face. She had none to cry. She was ready to move on, and this time it was for good. He had used up the last of the chances that she was going to give him.
"Are you just going to leave without saying hi?"
The smug tone he was using was enough to make her even more angry at him than she already was. "Don't tell me that you're ready for round two already. I'd think after last night, you'd had enough of arguing."
"I never get tired of proving myself to be right," he told her as a lazy grin spread across his face. "Did you sleep well?"
"I slept fine," she snapped as she walked over to him and smacked his shoulder. "I want you to know that yes you were right in some ways, but you were selfish in others."
"The same goes for you too."
"Damn it, JC! Why do you have to do that! You can't talk about yourself..you get so damn defensive!"
"You have no room to talk! Listen at yourself!" he cried as he stood up and looked her in the eyes.
"There you go again!"
"Would the two of you shut the hell up!" Joey's voice cried as he stood in the small hallway of the bus. "We can hear the both of you back here."
"Sorry," they both mumbled before Whitney turned and headed back to the bunks, leaving JC alone by the couch. He took a deep breath before sitting down and picking up the magazine he had been reading before she had came into view. He usually wasn't one to argue with people, but something inside of him was causing him to be defensive. It wasn't like he didn't know what it was, because he knew clear as day.
Everytime he would think of Emily, something inside of him happened and caused him to almost transform into someone else. He liked her, but he couldn't admit it to anyone. It had been hard admitting it to himself because he was scared of moving on from Wendy. As much as he wanted to stop his heart from venturing into the grounds of where he could be hurt again, he couldn't.
"Mornin, JC," Cait greeted him as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "Why are you up so early? We usually have to drag your ass out of that bunk just to get you to go into the hotel."
He shrugged before laying down the magazine and stretching. "I don't know..something just woke me up early I guess."
"Something..or someone?"
"Considering no one else was up, I'm going to guess it was something," he replied not catching onto what she had been impling.
"You're so damn dense," Cait said before sighing and leaving him alone and confused. As she made her way back to her bunk, she smiled when she heard the light snoring of Justin as he slept in his bunk. She peeked into Joey's and laughed when he saw that he was fully awake, smiling back at her as she slid the curtain back even further. "Morning baby."
"Climb up here," he whispered as he patted the small space beside him. She hoisted herself up and sighed when she felt the warmth of his body lying behind her. In a few hours, she would be leaving to catch a plane back to Orlando, which meant being away from him for the next two weeks. Under any normal circumstances, that wouldn't be so bad, but things weren't normal anymore. She had fallen fast for Joey and now that she had fallen, she had became dependant on being around him in such a short amount of time.
"Can't you convince Johnny to let you stay with us until the promo is over?"
She shook her head before leaning it against his chest. "He would want to know why I wanted to stay, and if he found out we were seeing each other, he'd pull me off anyways just to keep the press from becoming nosey. Its just for the best that I go back to Orlando and take care of what's needed..besides two weeks isn't that long and I can always all you."
"I know," he said as he placed a quick kiss on the top of her head, inhaling the scent of her shampoo. His arms slid protectively around her waist, pulling her tighter against his body as he closed his eyes and enjoyed her being so close to him.
"I'm not going back to that house," she said simply as she stepped inside and headed towards the couch, falling back on it with an deep sigh. "He's not going to change, and I need to accept that and move on."
"You know you're more than welcome to stay with me until you earn enough cash to find you a place to stay," Stephanie said genuienly as she sat down beside her. "My guest bedroom is open to you as long as you need it."
"Thanks, Steph..but...I think I'm going to leave South Carolina..maybe head to Florida," Emily said quietly as she closed her eyes, waiting on the reaction she was about to recieve. The only noise that she heard was Stephanie sighing softly.
"Why do you want to go to Florida?"
"Its different from South Carolina, and I have an Aunt down there that I'm sure I can stay with until I find a job and a place to stay."
Stephanie was trying to look suportive, but there were so many questions that she wanted to ask, she couldn't hold her strong front. "Are you sure you're going to be able to do this?"
"I want to disappear from the life I use to have..the days of being beaten and hurt are through with, its time for some fun," she said as her tone lightened. "I want you to know that I'll be in touch with you from time to time, and you're going to have to let Whitney know of what's going on...I..I just think this is the best way. I'm not going back to get any of my things because they're all reminders of what use to be."
"Emily you can't take off in just your pajamas..at least let me lend you a few outfits to tide you over!"
Emily glanced down at her outfit before smiling at Stephanie as a small laugh echoed from her lips. "I might have to let you do that for me."
Stephanie exited the room, leaving Emily to look around the small house. There would be no more days of hanging out, just talking about random subjects between the girls. When Stephanie came back in the room, she handed Emily a small bag that held three outfits and a pair of shoes. The two girls hugged each other, one trying to be brave as she ventured out on her new journey, and the other one supportive as she watched her fragile friend make a big leap in her life.
"If you need me, Emily..call me," Stephanie said softly as they walked to the door.
Emily nodded her head before hugging her one last time and making her way to the car, throwing the suitcase in the back. As she backed out of the driveway, a thousand fears erupted in her mind leaving her to doubt the decision she had made. But as she made her way closer to the city limit sign, those fears slowly started to fade one by one.