* 6 and a ½ hours later! *
Lauren sat on her couch waiting for AJ to arrive. She had on black ribbed flare pants with a silver shirt. The shirt was made of shiny silver material, it was a plain piece of material at the front and then it had ties that tied at the neck and around her back. But other than the ties her back was bare. Then she brought along a black ribbed cardigan in case it got cool outside. Just then the moment she had been awaiting for arrived! Her door bell rang. She took a deep breath, got up and went to answer the door.
“Hi” Lauren said as she answered the door and saw AJ’s beautiful face smiling and looking into her eyes.
“Hey, so how are you?” AJ asked in this incredibly sexy, raspy voice.
“I’m good, great now that your here, should we go?” Lauren asked
“Yeah Alright” AJ said and they both left. They ended up going to a movie and then they went to a cafe for drinks and dessert. The date went very well. Both Lauren and AJ knew it. They both had a sense, it’s just that feeling you get when you feel so comfortable around another person you know you could tell them anything and they would listen patiently and wouldn’t judge you. Lauren and AJ talked about anything and everything that night. It seemed like they had known each other forever, there was definitely a chemistry there. After the cafe they went to the park, they both sat on the swings. That’s when they began getting to know each other’s souls! Before then they had talked about their life experiences, their families, their jobs, the basic stuff, but now they started talking about their belief’s, their desires and their secrets. Lauren was normally a relatively private person, she didn’t confide in many people, she didn’t like the idea of others talking about her behind her back. But with AJ she already trusted him, she knew she could tell him anything, without holding a thing back, it was a very rare connection. They both knew that, as AJ felt the same way, only he had felt this way once before, with Christy. The date finally ended at 3 in the morning AJ dropped Lauren off at her house, they just hugged each other as they said good-bye, the hug was simple and short but they both knew it was filled with so much more meaning. They both felt so comfortable in each other’s arms!
The days and the months passed and AJ and Lauren stayed together, their relationship began quickly and it continued to gain momentum each day they were together. Lauren went on tour with the guys. They all had a fantastic time. For both Lauren and AJ were living their dreams, neither of them could ask for anything more, they had their health, their dream jobs, money and most importantly love, absolutely pure and simple, it was love. Not that they didn’t have their share of problems. Of course they did, every couple has, but getting through those problems together is what made their love even stronger.
******
The world tour ended 9 months later. AJ and Lauren got settled back into their houses and back home. They unpacked their stuff, did a ton of laundry, called old friends, the normal stuff you’d do after being away from home for 3 months, throw out dead plants!. ( the total tour was 9 months, but some of it was in the states so they got to visit home.) AJ got all his stuff arranged a lot quicker than Lauren seeing as he had done this about 7 times before! 2 weeks after they got home it was their 1 year anniversary. AJ was determined to make it an unforgettable night, and unforgettable it definitely was! AJ picked Lauren up at 7 pm, he was dressed in a suit, it was a deep burgundy color, he had on a black tank top underneath, he looked amazing, as always! Lauren was wearing a deep gold colored dress, it was a matte, not shiny. The dress went down to her feet, it had a lower neckline with spaghetti straps, AJ let out a low whistle when he saw her, she looked gorgeous, her hair was up in a French twist. The two headed to AJ’s place, this was a surprise for Lauren as she had no idea any of the events he had planned for the night. When they arrived at his house the dining room was dimly lit, AJ had lit candles all around the room, there were roses on the side of the table, AJ instructed Lauren to sit down while he brought dinner, the meal was wonderful and romantic, they even took turns feeding each other spoonfuls of the chocolate mousse dessert. Then they moved to the bedroom. AJ and Lauren had tried almost everything you could imagine, and a lot of things you couldn’t, sexually! AJ was very into what you might call kinky sex. Lauren wasn’t really, but she did it cause she knew it made him extremely happy. But tonight was Lauren’s night, AJ wanted to ‘thank her’ for doing it ‘his way’ the last year. Lauren walked into AJ’s room, it had black satin sheets with rose petals scattered on the bed, their were scented candles burning around the room. Light, romantic music was playing softly in the background. It was beautiful. AJ had never done anything like this, their usually love making was so passionate and intense that their was no time to set up all those romantic little things the Lauren really wanted.
“Wow, baby I’m impressed!” Lauren said scanning the bedroom.
“Oh you just wait baby, the room decorations will be the least of what impresses you tonight... if you know what I mean!” AJ growled the first part but then started laughing by the end. Lauren walked over to AJ. The couple just stood facing each other, staring into each other’s eyes. AJ placed his hand on her shoulders as a motion for her to come closer, he then pulled her into an embrace. They just stood their for a while savoring the feeling of being in one another's arms. The AJ undressed Lauren and Lauren did the same to AJ. AJ led her to the bed she lay down. Lauren started to say something put AJ puts his finger to her mouth and silenced her with a kiss. He then sat down on the floor at the edge of the bed. He pulled Lauren legs gently to move her up closer to the edge, then he spread her legs and placed her feet on the bed so that he was staring into her womanhood. AJ looked up at her eyes, they made eye connect for a second before AJ took her on the ride of her life! At first he started by kissing her inner thighs, they he gently breathed against her delicate skin and he could feel her shake slightly in anticipation. He licked her starting from the bottom and moving up, finally touching her clit. It was like a spark tore through Lauren’s body, she quickly moved her hips. AJ placed his hands on her hips to keep them still, then he continued working on her. He kissed, licked, bit and sucked every inch of her until she was moaning his name and begging for him to stop! The night continue on like that, It was the most romantic love making Lauren had ever received from AJ. He held her and kissed her and slowly, passionately thrust himself in and out of her. Every now and then she would throw her head back and revel in the waves of pleasure that would overcome her body and mind. AJ would do the same, and that is how the entire night passed. Just before they both drifted off to sleep AJ whispered happy 1 year anniversary into Lauren’s ear, Lauren simply said happy anniversary to you too baby. And that was their night, no presents were exchanged as they both new they were content with what they had. Nothing AJ could buy Lauren could make her happier than she was that night. Nothing showed her that AJ cared more than his actions. And AJ knew the same was true about Lauren.
“Bliss” was the word that described AJ and Lauren’s relationship perfectly! They had been dating for a year. They were both very happy with their lives and with each other. Yet AJ’s ex girlfriend Christy would test the strength of their relationship. She may even tear the two apart, only time will tell. AJ and Lauren are laying in bed, it’s the morning after their very romantic one year anniversary celebration.
“Hey baby, how did you sleep?” AJ asked his girlfriend, his voice was raspier than usual as he was just waking up. His voice sent tingles down Lauren's spine, even a year later, she knew she would never get tired of hearing him speak.
“I slept perfectly, how about you baby?” Lauren asked him while reaching her hand over and gently caressing the side of his face.
“Fabulously! So you liked last night?” AJ asked with a sly grin on his face.
“You know the answer to that one hun, I loved last night and I love you more than I could ever express.” Lauren gushed
“You know I feel the same way honey, “ AJ smiled as he spoke he then rolled towards her and began kissing her.
“You know I love you, and I would love to continue kissing you but I have morning breath, I’m quickly going to brush my teeth, then we can continue this!” Lauren got up and headed toward the bathroom.
“all right, I’ll be waiting!” AJ replied, letting his head fall back onto the pillow.
Just then the phone rang, AJ reached over to the night stand beside his bad, he hit his hand on the lamp before he grabbed the receiver and said hello.
“AJ, I need you help, please help me it’s really important” Christy, spoke barely above a whisper, she sounded scared. It took AJ a minute to realize who it was.
“Christy?” AJ asked, still a little unsure.
“Yeah, I really need your help” Christy replied.
“Where are you, what’s wrong?” AJ asked, he was becoming concerned, he hadn’t talked to Christy since a month after they broke up and now a year later she was calling him.
“I’m in Orlando, I’m staying at the Orlando Regency hotel, please meet me somewhere I really need to talk to you.” Christy begged.
“all right, I will, calm down, what time?” AJ asked as he sat up, now he was really worried. Lauren had just walked out of the bathroom and saw the look of concern on AJ’s face, she came and sat down beside him on the bed.
“As soon as you can umm... how about 10 am, my room number is 475” Christy answered
“all right I’ll be there, bye” AJ said then hung up.
“That was Christy, remember I told you about her she was my girlfriend before I met you. Well she’s in Orlando and she called to say she needed my help so I’m going to met up with her in an hour, do you want to come?” AJ asked Lauren
“Ahh.... no this is probably something you should do on your own, I don’t want to interfere.” Lauren said
“O.K., thanks baby. don’t worry, I’ll be back soon, I’ve got my cell if you want to call me.” AJ replied
"bye!” Lauren replied, slightly worried about where AJ was headed.
“Don’t worry” Lauren thought, yeah right she did worry. Christy and AJ were together for two years, only they broke up they broke up twice during that time. That’s a long time to be together with someone. What if AJ decided he wanted to go back to her? What if she wasn’t good enough anymore? All these thoughts floated around Lauren’s mind, she decided to go eat breakfast and try to distract herself until AJ got back. ***
AJ drove to McDonald’s and picked up something for breakfast. He ate the food in his car as he really didn’t feel like drawing a lot of attention to himself this morning. He was worried about Christy. He had loved her once. Maybe he still loved her. His feelings were unclear and he had the feeling going to see her wouldn’t make them any clearer. ***
AJ arrived at Christy’s room 10 minutes earlier. He knocked on the door. Christy answered a few seconds later/
“Wow, you look different” AJ said in surprise and shock. When her and AJ were dating Christy looked beautiful. She had medium length brown hair, it was always shiny, she was of average height and build and she just had this beautiful aura to her. He couldn’t explain it but it made him smile to think about how she used to look or the way she used to smile at him. But now she looked almost sick and very unhealthy. Her hair was dull and stringy like she hadn’t showered in a few days, her skin had a yellow tint to it and she looked very thin, too thin, AJ thought. She motioned for him to come in and sit down. He sat on the side of the bed. She asked him if he wanted anything he just shook his head. Then she sat down beside him.
“Thanks for coming, it really means a lot to me” Christy said and smiled weakly at AJ.
“Yeah no problem, I told you once that I would always be there for you anytime you needed me and I meant it, I’m just glad you called. So how have you been? What’s wrong? You sounded almost scared on the phone.” AJ said with concern in his voice, he knew deep down that something was really wrong with her he just didn't know what.
“AJ, I don’t know how to tell you this so I'll just spill, a month after we broke up I moved to California, thinking I could make a new start and forget about you, so after I moved I made friends with the wrong people, they were into partying and drugs, but seeing as I didn’t have anyone else I just went along with them, I mean at first it was just weed and that was no big deal cause you and I did that more than a few times when we were together..” Christy went to continue but AJ cut her off.
“Yeah, I don’t do that anymore” AJ said sternly
“Yeah O.K., whatever but anyway later on one of them had smack and I had just lost my job waitressing and was really depressed so I thought ‘what the hell’ and I tried it, it was the worst and best night of my all together. Well after that night I tried it a few more times and then I realized I couldn't stop using and eventually snorting wasn’t enough I started shooting up” Christy went to continue but AJ stopped her again when he grabbed her rest gently, so that he could see the inside of her arm.
“Fuck...” was the only word that came to his mind as he saw the track marks and bruises up and down the inside of her arm.
“Yeah, so anyway, last week I slept with this guy I didn’t even know or like, I did it for money to buy more heroin. After it was over I cried, I knew I had sunken lower than I could ever imagine and that I really needed help, so I came here AJ your the only person I could think of please help me, I really really need it.” Christy was crying by this point. AJ then grabbed her arms and pulled her off the bed and into his arms he just stood their holding her for a few minutes, while she cried.
“It’s O.K. Christy I’ll help you, we’ll think of something, It will be O.K.” AJ tried to calm her down.
“O.K. well you can’t stay here by yourself, come home with me and I can take care of you there. Maybe you should go to the hospital, you look sick” AJ said
“It’s just the drugs, I’ll be better when I get clean, No I don’t want to go to the hospital, please don’t make me.” Christy cried again.
“O.K. O.K. don’t worry I won’t make you, let’s just go home now” AJ said and grabbed her suitcase off the bed. She hadn’t even unpacked. He went into the bathroom to check if she had left anything in their when he saw a little plastic baggy and a syringe with a needle that had been dropped in the sink. He knew immediately that she had taken a hit just before he got there. He put the stuff in the garbage then took Christy and her stuff to his car.
***
They arrived home 15 minutes later, he took Christy and her stuff up to a spare bedroom. He told her to lie down and he would be back up their to check on her in a few minutes.
“That’s Christy?” Lauren asked
“Yeah I went to the hotel and she proceeded to spill her guts about how she was now hooked on heroin so I don’t know what else to do besides take her home and try to take care of her.” AJ said, he was worried.
“AJ, if she’s hooked on smack she needs to go to a hospital, heroin’s one of the most addictive drugs on the planet she can’t just quit here, she’ll go through hell, she needs hospitalization for that” Lauren replied.
“No, she said she didn’t want to go to the hospital, she’ll be O.K. here, I’ll take care of her, I don’t know what else to do” AJ said quietly.
‘all right I’ll help you but if she gets worse, your taking her to the hospital, no questions asked.” Lauren said sternly
“Fine, could you go get her a drink or soup or something” AJ asked
“Yeah, You go see her and I’ll be right up” Lauren replied. She headed to the kitchen and started to get together some food and supplies for Christy.
***Meanwhile upstairs***
“Hey, how you feeling?” AJ asked Christy as he slowly walked into her room.
“Well, I feel like shit, other than that I’m just peachy.” Christy replied
“Sorry, I didn’t mean that, I was just thinking remember the time .....” Christy was about to say something when she fell asleep. AJ took the blanket and pulled it up around her chest, he gently kissed her forehead. He also silently wished she wouldn’t mention any stories about him doing drugs around Lauren. Lauren had always said how she didn’t believe in drugs and how wrong they were, so AJ had told her he had never tried them. Yet he was lying, but thought she would she never find out. Now Christy might just spill that secret.
*** 40 hours later AJ and Lauren awoke to Christy’s screaming coming from the room next to theirs. AJ got up and ran to her room, Lauren followed him. AJ kneeled by Christy’s side, she was still sleeping but barely, it had been 42 hours since she’d taken her last hit, the first 24 to 75 hours were the worst for someone quitting heroin. Christy was tossing and turning in her sleep. She was drenched in sweat, and moaning loudly. Lauren came up behind AJ and rubbed her hands up and down his shoulders. He told her he was going to stay by Christy’s side for a while and that she should go back to sleep. Lauren went to leave the room but stopped when she heard AJ start whispering to Christy.
“It’s O.K. baby, you’ll be all right just a few more days and the drugs will be totally out of your system. You can get on with your life, I’ll be here for you” AJ paused slightly then added,
“I love you Christy, even when we broke up, I still loved you”. The tears had already collected in Lauren’s eyes, and now they were openly rolling down her cheeks, she took a deep breath and walked back to AJ’s bedroom.
*** Lauren’s thoughts were racing. He loves her. So does that mean his feeling have changed for me? Or does he love her like a friend? Lauren lay in bed thinking about the many questions she had, AJ never came back to bed that night, he stayed with Christy, holding her hand and stroking her face the entire night. The next day was horrible. Christy had gotten up and tried to sneak out of the house to get more heroin, AJ saw her and stopped her but not before she hit him across the face.
“Look just get me something, anything, even pot will do, I just need some drugs, anything! Please AJ.” Christy cried
“No, Christy you need to be strong” AJ persuaded
“AJ, please.... remember that time, on our six month anniversary when we ‘celebrated’, Johnny came over, we all got so high that night, wow, it was so great, I remember it like it was yesterday, don’t you miss that AJ?”
“Christy look, yeah of course I miss that part of my life a little, but I can’t go back to that, I’m in the public eye too much now, and most importantly there’s Lauren she hates drugs, now I don’t want to talk about this anymore, go to sleep, you need your rest.” AJ replied.
Lauren came into the room when she heard the commotion of Christy trying to escape, but before she could enter the room Christy had already started talking, Lauren had heard the entire conversation. She went downstairs to get him some ice and think about what he had said. He had lied to her, telling her that he had never done drugs before and that he hated them just as much as she did. But he lied, he’d done them before and more than once. How could he do that? It wasn’t even the fact that it was about drugs, it was the fact that he lied, how could she trust him now?
“Here, I got you some ice, you O.K.?” Lauren asked as she gently ran her hand across his cheek, where he’d been hit.
“Yeah, I’ll be O.K., I’m just tired and it’s so draining seeing her like this” AJ said this and motioned to Christy who was now sleeping on the bed.
“I heard what you said before..... about the drugs...” Lauren said quietly. AJ didn’t really know what to say.
“You were eavesdropping on us? How could you?” AJ replied angrily, it was the only thing he could think of, even though he knew he was caught and in trouble.
“I wasn’t eavesdropping and you fucking know it AJ! I ran in here when I heard all the noise and Christy hit you, I came to see if you were O.K., but you two were talking by the time I got here, and I didn’t want to interrupt.” Lauren whispered angrily because she didn’t want to wake Christy.
“I know, I’m sorry Lauren I really am, I don’t know why I lied in the first place but it was kind of because I didn’t want you not to like me and in case we didn’t work out I didn’t want you to know in case you ran to the press after we broke up. But I am sorry, and I’ve never ever lied to you about anything else, you know that, don’t you baby?” AJ was trying to desperately to make it up to Lauren.
“Right now I’m not so sure, I’m going downstairs, I need time to think. Alone.” Lauren left before she got to the stairs she already had tears rolling down her cheeks. She knew what she needed to do. She got a piece of paper out of the drawer, grabbed a pen and sat down at the kitchen table. She started to write a letter.
Dearest AJ;
I love you. I love you more than I could ever express in words. Your presence in my life for the last year has made me happier than you’ll ever know. I will always be eternally grateful for the time we’ve spent together. Right now, as much as it tears me apart to write this, I think we need to be apart for a while. You still have feelings for Christy, I can see it in your eyes. I think you need to spend some time alone and figure out which one of us you want. If you decide you would rather be with her, then I wish you two much happiness together. If one day we come back together, I would be overjoyed. But right now I truly believe we need sometime alone to sort out our feelings. No matter what, I will always love you. Your right AJ, I do trust you. You showed me love on this whole new level, it was a love more intense than I ever knew existed. For that I can never thank you enough. If you ever need anything, no matter how big or small, I would gladly be there for you. You are a truly amazing man, please don’t ever forget that.
Love Always and Forever;
Lauren
Lauren was sobbing by the time she finished the letter. She hated writing it but she knew it was what she had to do. She folded the note and left it on the kitchen table. Then she grabbed her purse and walked out the front door. She got in her car and drove, she couldn’t look back or she knew she would change her mind. *****
AJ sat in Christy’s room for hours, occasionally drifting to sleep, but mostly just sitting their, staring at her and thinking about Lauren. Once he went downstairs to the kitchen to get a drink. He saw the letter on the table. He sat down and read it. Then he cried. He knew he could not live like he wanted to if he didn’t have Lauren in his life. He loved her, now he just had to think of some way to prove it. He knew the first step he needed to make in getting her back. He had to get rid of Christy, as much as he cared for her, he didn’t love her, not like he used to and he knew he would never love her like he did again. He only had love for Lauren. Now he had to think of a plan to get her back. He laid in his bed almost the entire afternoon, thinking of the perfect plan. When he finally had one, he called the guys, as they also played a part in his plan