Chapter 55
Not giving any thought to his injuries, Kevin punched Joey and Joey went after him. Out of no where, Lance and JC grabbed Joey while AJ and Nick caught Kevin.
Kevin had fire in his eyes as Joey said, "Come on, Richardson! You want me, let’s go! Stop hiding behind Tyler."
"Fatone! You’d better be glad I’m hurt because I’d kick your ass! I’m not going to put up with you treating Tyler like crap! She’s been more than generous trying to include you in the baby’s life even after you raped her!"
"It’s her word against mine on that point. I only gave her what she wanted!"
"You bastard!" growled Kevin as he went after Joey again but Nick easily held him back.
In the scuffle that ensued, Tyler got hit in the stomach and she doubled over in pain. The best she could, Tyler yelled, "STOP IT!! BOTH OF YOU!"
Howie realized that Tyler was in pain and he took her in his arms. "Are you okay?"
"NO!" cried Tyler. Looking at Kevin first and then Joey, she said, "I’m sick of ALL this! Joey, you know the truth about that night and I can prove you raped me."
"BULLSHIT!"
"Why are you denying it?"
"If I raped you, why didn’t you press charges?"
"Well, gee! Maybe because Lou was threatening to destroy the Backstreet Boys. I stayed with you for two months because I was afraid of what Lou would do to them. I never loved you and after that night, I DESPISED you! "
Lance asked, "Joey, did you rape Tyler?"
"What is this? Are you taking her side?" asked Joey angrily.
"I’m not taking anybody’s side....yet," said Lance. "I just know that Tyler wouldn’t make up something this serious."
Tyler was still in pain and it was getting worse. Howie said, "Tyler, are you okay?"
"I said ‘NO’ once. What more do you want me to say?"
"I’m taking Tyler inside. You two boneheads get your act together, if not for Tyler, for the baby," said Howie. "The baby is the innocent one in all this and he’s the one who’s suffering the most."
With that, Howie led Tyler in to the doctor’s office where the nurse took her back immediately. Howie went with her and the standard procedures were done. The nurse checked Tyler’s weight, blood pressure, and asked her a series of questions. Then she took Tyler to an examining room.
Outside, Kevin glared at Joey. "I don’t know why she ever bothered with you. You’ve treated her like crap from the very beginning."
"Maybe because you wouldn’t give her what she wanted. Damn, Tyler has been in love with you ever since I met her and you were too stupid to see it."
"What I felt for Tyler is none of your business."
"And it’s no excuse to treat Tyler the way you did," added AJ.
Lance said, "Joey, you never answered me. Did you rape Tyler?"
"NO!" said Joey defensively.
Kevin shook his head in disbelief as Lance asked, "Then why’s Tyler saying you did?"
"I don’t know. Maybe to get even with me."
Nick said, "Tyler’s not like that."
Kevin said, "I’m going inside to be with her."
AJ handed Kevin his crutches and JC got the door for him. Nick and AJ followed Kevin inside leaving Joey, JC, and Lance on the sidewalk.
Lance said, "Joey, we’ll back you all the way, as long as your being honest with us. We don’t like how you’ve treated Tyler and she is our friend but we’re here for you."
Joey looked at Lance and JC and then went inside without saying a word.
As Tyler waited for the doctor, Howie stood beside her and held her hand. She still had tears rolling down her cheeks and Howie wiped them away.
"Why is this happening to me?"
"Ty, Kevin’s just trying to protect you. As for Joey, he’s hurt because
he’s probably always known that you love Kevin and not him."
"God, why did I ever go with him to New York? I knew that night how Kevin felt."
"Hind sight is wonderful. And you could have listened to me too."
Tyler smiled through the tears, "Another ‘I told you so’, huh? Thank you so much."
"Anything to get you to smile," grinned Howie.
"Does Kryss know how lucky she is?"
"I don’t know but I know how lucky I am."
"Will you go see if Kevin is okay? He’s bound to have hurt his knee
more."
"Do you want him back here?"
"No, I’m mad at him for letting Joey get to him," pouted Tyler.
"What about Joey?"
"Don’t even go there."
Howie left Tyler to check on Kevin and returned quickly. The doctor was already in there examining Tyler so he had to wait to give her his report.
When the doctor left, Howie told Tyler that Kevin’s knee was bothering him but he’d be okay. "You should see the waiting area though. It looks like Celebrity Death Match all over. JC, Lance, and Joey on one side and Kevin, AJ, and Nick on the other."
"Are they behaving?"
"Joey and Kevin are glaring at each other but otherwise, they’re
quiet."
"The doctor wants to do another ultra sound. Tell Joey he can come back."
"Kevin’s not going to like that."
"Talk to him and tell him if he’ll control his temper, he can come too."
Howie left again and when he returned, Joey was with him. Joey stood off to the side and watched the monitor. After a couple minutes, he left and Kevin came back.
When the exam was over, Tyler dressed and went out to make her next appointment. Nick and AJ helped Kevin out to the truck and the other three hung around to find out when the next appointment was.
As they walked out to the truck, Howie said, "You know, we’ll be in South America for your next appointment?"
"I know but I think I’m going to go to the Kentucky Derby since Kevin and I have a stake in it this year. I’ll catch up with you guys."
"What about having Kevin with you?"
"We’ll work something out."
At the truck, Tyler gave all the guys a hug and thanked them for being there for them. Then she got into the truck and headed to Fernandina Beach. She stopped to get them some lunch first and then climbed on I-95 North.
The two and a half hour trip to Jacksonville was quiet. Tyler was still upset about what had happened with Joey and Kevin was trying to figure out how to apologize for the scene. He also had the fact that he’d had to cancel their honeymoon plans and now he would have to tell Tyler about that as well as apologize.
In Jacksonville, Tyler got off I-95 and made her way to highway A1A where Kevin handed her the directions. The only thing that was said the entire way was from Tyler. "I know where the house is. We’ve been there before."
In Fernandina, Tyler drove straight to the house and pulled in the driveway. She went around to help Kevin and to get their stuff.
"Jeff said he’d have a neighbor unlock the house for us," said Kevin as they made their way onto the screened porch.
Tyler checked the door and said, "It’s open. I’m going to go back and put our stuff in a bedroom."
"Jeff’s room is at the end of the hall overlooking the beach."
"Why don’t you get off your knee?"
Kevin heard the tone in Tyler’s voice and watched her disappear down the hall. A second later, he followed her to the master bedroom. Tyler had thrown their bag in a chair and was standing at the French doors looking out at the ocean.
Tyler had heard the thumping of Kevin’s crutches coming down the hall and knew he was in the room. She looked over her shoulder at him and saw the hurt in his eyes.
"Baby, can I hold you?" pleaded Kevin.
"You need to get off your leg," said Tyler trying to stay mad at him.
Kevin moved to the bed and fell backwards on it being careful not to hit his knee. "Okay, I’m off it."
Tyler laughed at him because he was giving her his best hurt puppy look. She went to him and sat down leaning against the headboard. Kevin moved so that he could rest his head on her stomach and wrapped his arms around her waist. Tyler ran her fingers through his hair and the couple sat that way for close to an hour without saying a word.
Finally, Tyler said, "My next appointment is May 7th. You’ll be in San Paulo."
"Do we have a show that night?"
"No, there’s one on the 6th and one on the eighth. I thought I’d fly home after the Rio show for the Kentucky Derby and you could fly home for the doctor’s appointment."
"Are you sure you want to go alone?"
"I was thinking about getting Sonja to go too and then taking your mom and Brian’s mom to the race."
"I’m sure they’d love to go."
"You don’t mind, do you?"
"Not really. I don’t like being away from you but it’ll only be for a couple days," said Kevin looking up at Tyler. "Scoot down here with me, baby."
Tyler moved down like Kevin asked and he nuzzled her neck as he held her close. His mustache tickled her neck and she giggled softly.
Kevin whispered, "I’m so sorry about what happened today."
"It’s okay. I was just disappointed that you let him get to you."
"Baby, I love you and it kills me to hear him talk to you like that."
"I know and I don’t exactly like it either but you have to remember what Chris told us she wanted to do."
"I’m sorry, baby. Do you forgive me?"
Tyler moved to make Kevin look at her. "’Boo’, there’s nothing to forgive. I love how you try to protect me."
"Till my dying day," said Kevin as he kissed Tyler tenderly. Kevin
pulled back and said, "It’s been a while since we made dinner together.
How about we go see what’s in Jeff’s kitchen?"
"I’m not really hungry right now, ‘Boo’."
"I don’t mean now. We’re probably going to have to go to the store anyway. We might as well go check to see what we’ll need."
"Are you up for it?"
"I’ll sit and make the list as you look through the kitchen to see what
we need. I promise to put my knee up."
The couple got up and went to the kitchen to see what was there. Kevin made
the list and Tyler searched the kitchen like they planned. When the list was
ready, Tyler helped Kevin get to the couch and then she headed to the store.
Nick and AJ had followed the couple to Fernandina but before coming to the
house, they’d gotten a list of things Kevin had asked them to get. When they
saw Tyler leave, they went in to help Kevin. They turned Jeff’s bedroom into a
romantic honeymoon suite complete with roses and candles.
AJ gave Kevin the satin white gown he’d bought for her for their wedding night and asked, "Have you told her yet?"
"Not yet. I had to apologize for the mess with Joey first."
"She’s going to be upset when she finds out that you two won’t have much of a honeymoon," said Nick.
"I know but I hope this will make up for it," said Kevin as he surveyed the room. "All I need now is some soft music and a beautiful lady."
AJ handed Kevin a tape and said, "Here’s the music you wanted and you’ll have your beautiful lady soon."
"Thanks, guys. You’d better clear out now before she gets back."
