The sun shines through the blinds directly onto her face. She groans and rolls over. Nick is still sleeping. She climbs out of bed quietly and tiptoes towards the door.
“Leavin’ already?”
She turns to see Nick looking at her. She walks back over to the bed and sits next to him. “Yeah. I need to pack.”
“Pack?”
“I can’t stay here Nick. The tour’s nearly over anyway. I’ll just go home a few weeks early.”
“Don’t let him do this to you Jen.”
She smiles sadly. “He already has.” She kisses his head and walks towards the door. “I’ll find you before I leave.”
She opens the door quietly and shuts it behind her. AJ is lying fully clothed on the bed. He looks at her and she walks straight to the wardrobe.
“Where have you been all night?”
“What do you care?” She looks at him bitterly and pulls out her suitcase.
“Jen, don’t be angry with me.”
“What else am I supposed to be?” She glares at him, tears forming in her eyes. “Happy that I told my boyfriend that I loved him and he doesn’t feel the same way?”
“We don’t have to split up, Jen.” He moves closer to her and she starts pulling out clothes to throw in her case. “Don’t leave.”
“I want to. I can stay with a guy who doesn’t love me.” She closes her case.
AJ grabs hold of her arms and makes her face him.
“Jen….”
“Don’t do this AJ.” She shakes his hands off her and stares at him. “You don’t love me.” He stands in front of her, staring at the floor. She turns round and walks out of the door, tears streaming down her face.
AJ sits alone in the room staring at his mobile phone. He needs to talk to someone but he doesn’t know who to call. There’s a loud banging on the door and Nick bursts into the room.
“You little fuck.” AJ stares at him. “I can’t believe you did that to Jen. You love her, you know you do. What kinda freaky reason have you got for not telling her?!”
“Butt out. You know nothing.”
“I know that Jen loves you. I know that she’s just left for the airport with tears rolling down her face. I know that you’re miserable right now. And I know that without her you can never be happy.” AJ stares up at Nick.
Brian is standing in the doorway. He gives Nick a slow clap.
“Never thought I’d say it but Nick’s so right.”
Nick looks at him. “I’m always right when it comes to my best friends.”
AJ looks out of the window in silence. Nick stands looking down at him for a while then turns round and walks out, Brian following closely behind him.
Jenny sits at her desk, staring at the blank computer screen in front of her and absent-mindedly twiddling a pencil in her hand. Sara watches her with a worried expression.
“You SURE you’re OK Jen?”
Jenny sighs. “For the hundredth time I’m FINE, Sara.”
“You don’t look it.”
“I have writer’s block.”
“You’ve had a lot of that lately.” Sara looks at her for a while. “Call him, Hon.” She says softly, placing a hand over Jen’s.
Jen looks up. “I can’t.” The phone rings and she jumps. “Yep?”
“Jen?”
“What?”
“Can we talk?”
“No.” She puts the phone down and turns back to the computer screen. Sara watches her and starts chewing her nails worriedly.
Jenny looks into the window at the shirts hanging on the sales rack. She can’t quite make up her mind as to whether she’s in a shopping or a I’m-too-fat mood.
“Jen!” She turns round and sees AJ walking towards her. She starts walking away. He catches up with her. “Hey, how are you?”
“Fine.” She mutters, not looking at him. He walks with her for a while trying to think of some way of saying everything inside him. She suddenly stops. “Either say what you want to say or quit bugging me.” He looks at her and the skies open. Light rain falls down onto their faces. She groans and starts to hurry away, in search of shelter. He sees a side-alley and pulls her into it. “Hey! It’s raining.”
“I know. Please let me say this Jen.” She leans against the wall watching him. “I miss you so much Jen. I didn’t know I COULD miss someone so much but I do. When you told me you loved me I just froze. Part of me wanted to hang out the window and tell everyone and the other part reminded me of all the pain I felt the last time I thought I was in love. I didn’t want to open myself up to that again. So I pushed you away. You left and I realised that I felt MORE pain without you than I could ever feel with you.” He touches her face gently and brushes back a wet hair sticking to her cheek. “I love you Jen. Always.”
She stares at him and the pushes away from the wall, back into the street. He follows her, grabbing her hand in his. “I listened AJ. That’s all I could do.”
AJ stares at her. “Jen…don’t do this.”
“You did it to me.” She looks at him. “I believe that you think you love me, but you don’t. If you loved me you could never have hurt me the way you did. You would never have left it 3 months before trying to find me again.”
“I tried to call you these last 3 months but you never answered. I was in Australia….they wouldn’t let me leave to find you.” AJ looks at her again. “Because it was my fault you left, I had to suffer the wait.”
“Three months is a long time AJ. A lot happens.” She walks away.
Nick walks round his pool to sit next to Jenny on a lounger. She smiles at him and he wraps a long arm round her.
“I’m glad you’re back Nick. I really missed having someone to take the piss out of.”
He makes a mock sobbing noise. “Awww, I thought you were gonna get all romantic on me.”
She smiles and puts an arm round him. “No, I am glad you’re back.”
“Me too. Touring is great but I miss my comforts y’know.”
“Yeah..” She prods his stomach gently. “Good to see you’re making up for lost time.”
“Jeez, be nice Jen.”
“No, I like it. You could get confused with a lamp-post otherwise.”
“Hmmm…” He looks at her and then shakes his head. “And it’s good to get away from AJ.” She doesn’t say anything. “He was driving us mad with all his moping and pouting.”
“Could we change the topic?”
AJ wanders into the interview room and throws himself down onto the sofa. The other guys look at him.
“Feelin’ OK?”
AJ looks at Kevin and smiles slightly. “Sure.”
“C’mon, spill.” Howie moves over to sit next to AJ.
AJ groans. “I saw her last week.”
“And?” Brian moves closer.
“She didn’t want to know.”
“Oh. Did you tell her everything?”
“Yeah.” AJ shakes his head. “I’ve messed it up.”
“No?!” The others glare at Nick. He sighs and mutters “Sorry, Bone.”
Kevin looks at AJ. “So what you gonna do now?”
“What CAN I do? She ain’t interested.”
“You’re not gonna give up?!” Brian almost screeches the last two words. He claps a hand over his mouth. “Man, my voice sometimes.”
“AJ, she still loves you. You just need to prove to her that you do love her.” Nick rolls his eyes at Brian. “Man, when’d I turn into Dr Ruth?!”
AJ looks at Nick. “You think?” He brightens and sits up. “Yeah.”
“Hey, between you and me we can come up with something REAL romantic.” Howie winks at AJ. He shudders.
“D, I told ya not to try that winkin’ thing on me.”
Kevin laughs and high fives AJ. “Welcome back buddy.”