CHAPTER TWO

She kept glancing at it, and then back at his sleeping form, a sudden and excruciating headache forming. Her mind refused to accept the sight before her. After some time, she walked to the nearest chair and sat, completely dazed. She did not know what to do. She did not understand why this was happening. Inside, in the deep recesses of her soul, she was screaming. She could hear the echoes of her pain in her head, but nothing would come out of her mouth. Her repressed anger and fear and shock and hurt were transformed to into the tears that cascaded down her face freely. A sharp pain in her chest caused her to gasp.

He was breaking her heart.

They completed the first week of their second leg of the tour. It was a time of tension and anxiety for everyone. No one knew if he could perform, play to the crowd, or participate in interviews. But he managed to do all of those things, he was a professional and he did not want to upset his band mates. After performances, he would hibernate in his hotel room, and would not be seen again until the next evening. Occasionally one of his friends would let themselves in, and keep him company for a while. Years of friendship and hard work resulted in an easy camaraderie among them. They could sit quietly without conversation and be comfortable. To their relief he was eating more, his body would not sustain him through a performance if he did not eat, so he tried his best to finish his meals, for no other reason than to avoid his collapsing on tour. Nick watched him, grinning ear to ear, like a mother hen. He still put candies and junk food in his bags "just in case."

AJ acted as the liaison with regard to the private detective they hired. Initially they were not impressed but Kevin insisted that they wait a while longer for results. He was right. Her friends were placed on surveillance, and the evening before it was discovered that one of them had provided her with his car, so she had a means of transportation. It was a small clue, but welcome nonetheless. AJ demanded that their telephones be wiretapped, but he was informed that it was not possible for legal and logistical purposes.

Leigh Anne and Kristin, who had become close friends, tried desperately to contact her. They sat for hours and tried to remember past conversations. They pondered her likes, dislikes, interests, and hobbies all in the hopes that something would jar their memories and they would know where she went. Yet, they felt uneasy. They debated if he deserved to have her. They asked themselves if they could forgive and forget, as their husbands and friends hoped she would.

Then, in the midst of a television appearance, AJ's pager would not stop vibrating against his hip. He waited until the commercial break, and discreetly glanced at it. Kevin and Brian saw him stare at the pager intently, and then look up at them with wide eyes and an even wider grin.

"New York. Watching her now. Call me."