Part 386
AJ followed Sarah into the bedroom where he heard her in the bathroom getting sick. Closing the door behind him, he went into the bathroom. Looking around, he found a face cloth, got it damp with cool water, and knelt down beside Sarah to wipe her forehead.
When she was done, Sarah leaned back and looked at AJ sitting across from her. Taking his hand in hers, she asked, "Where’s Howie?"
"He stayed with Jesse, reassuring her that you did like your surprise."
"He really does love me."
"Why would you doubt it?"
"I don’t know, it’s just…." Sarah stopped casting her eyes away from AJ’s probing look and began playing with her rings.
"It’s just what, ‘Tig’? What’s wrong?"
Sarah looked up again into AJ’s deep brown eyes seeing the best friend in front of her that she trusted with ALL her dirty little secrets. She knew it was safe to tell him and that it wouldn’t go any further than that bathroom. "Alex, I’m scared that this was the last straw for him, that I’ve lost him."
"Why would you think that?"
"This morning, he wouldn’t make love to me. Howie’s NEVER had a problem, even after…."
"After I raped you?"
Sarah nodded her head and AJ continued, "Sarah, you both said last night that Dr. Morgan said to wait to give you a chance to heal and you need to wait to hear about David."
"Okay, fine, but there are other ways besides penetration. Alex, he looked at me and then bolted for the bathroom to throw up. He’s revolted by what he sees now."
"I doubt that very seriously, Sarah."
"Explain him getting sick then. Howie doesn’t even get sick when he’s drinking a lot."
"I can’t explain it but I’m sure if you asked him, he would."
"I wanted to but he wouldn’t come back to bed. Oh, he claimed he was getting up to take care of Jesse but he loves the time she spends with us cuddling as much as I do. He says it’s our family time. Then when I did get up, he barely hugged me and wouldn’t kiss me. No, this is it. Alex, I’ve lost him."
"Sarah, you’re tired still and your hormones are getting the better of you."
Sarah had her knees pulled up to her chest the best she could and now she leaned her head against her knees as she began to cry again.
AJ moved to sit beside her and wrapped his arms around her. Needing comfort, Sarah moved so that she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. AJ held her, his chin resting on her head as he played with her hair.
Softly, he spoke to her, "Sarah, listen to me. Howie is still very much in love with you and you are still a very desirable lady…to him and to me and to Kevin and to any man with half a brain."
"Including Nick?"
AJ snickered, "Yeah, him too!"
"Then why, Alex? Why won’t he touch me or hold me?"
"Sarah, Howie holds in everything when you need him the most, so he can be strong for you. He hasn’t dealt with all this. Another man touched his wife in places that are meant only for him. It was hard enough on him to handle what I did but he could go off on me without fear of the press getting hold of it. He couldn’t do that this time. Not to mention, Howie’s not stupid. David would have hurt him if he’d done to David what he did to me."
"But on the bus, yesterday, after the doctor left. He cried in my arms and he talked to Tyler."
"For how long, Sarah? Five minutes? He’s had time now to calm down, get you taken care of, and he can allow himself to really think about what happened. Sarah, I honestly think you’re letting your imagination run away with you. Give him some time, get him to talk to Tyler again…Just don’t give up on him."
A shadow fell over the two as they sat in the bathroom and they looked up to see Kevin standing in the door.
"Baby, do you feel up to coming back and eating?"
"I guess so."
"It’s a mighty damn expensive breakfast to be wasting," cracked AJ.
"What’s THAT suppose to mean?" asked Sarah as Kevin offered her his hand. She took it and he helped her up.
"Howie was gonna pay the chef a hundred dollars to fix your breakfast but we all chipped in a hundred each," explained Kevin.
Sarah did the math in her head and in shock, "You did WHAT?"
"We all paid…"
"I heard you, Kevin," said Sarah. Shaking her head, "You five are too much."
Kevin wrapped his arm around her. "Nah…we just didn’t feel like seeing you throw another temper tantrum," he teased crinkling his nose as he grinned at her.
Sarah playfully slapped Kevin on the stomach. "You’re mean!"
"Nope…just wanted to see you smile, baby. Come on," laughed Kevin. "The others are waiting on you two."
The threesome headed out to rejoin the others and as Sarah sat down, she reached over for Howie’s hand. Lacing her fingers with his, she squeezed his hand and leaned to whisper in his ear.
"Thank you, ‘D’."
Howie placed a light kiss on her forehead, "You’re welcome. Feel up to
eating now?"
"Not really but I don’t want to disappoint you…or the others."
"Don’t force yourself if you aren’t up to it. There’s some toast here too."
"Nah…I’ll be fine."
Howie reached over to get a forkful off Sarah’s plate and fed it to her,
wiping the corner of her mouth where the gravy dripped down. "How’s it
taste?"
"This is my recipe," Sarah nodded her head approvingly. "I love
you."
"I love you too."
"God…can’t you two keep it in the bedroom," teased Nick.
Jesse let out a sigh and looked at Brian, "At least YOU don’t act all goofy, Uncle Bri."
Everyone laughed and AJ cracked, "Give him another week, ‘Little One’, and he’ll be worse than your parents and Uncle Nick combined."
"Why?"
"Cuz Uncle Bri’s girlfriend is joining him," said Nick with a smirk.
"Yeah, and Uncle AJ will be seeing HIS girlfriend at the same time," shot Brian. "I doubt we see those two for anything other than the show and sound checks."
Jesse looked around at all the adults and settled on Kevin. "Uncle Kevin, don’t you have a girlfriend?"