~*~ When It Rains It Pours ~*~
Howie’s heart was in his throat. There was no way AJ could know Andi was there. No one knew where she was.
"What’s wrong, AJ?" Howie stepped aside to let him in smelling the alcohol.
"Everything is falling apart, Howie. I can’t keep doing this!"
Following him in, Howie said, "You’ve been drinking, haven’t you?"
"Yeah, so?"
"Look, you need to calm down," said Howie realizing that he couldn’t push AJ about the drinking. "You aren’t making much sense."
AJ collapsed on the couch and hung his head in his hands. "My life is falling apart. Andi’s left me and I’ve looked everywhere for her. I need her, Howie."
"She told you in her note that she was coming back to you," reminded Howie as he sat beside AJ on the couch. "What’s got you so torn up? And why are you back in town this soon?"
"Nana died," sobbed AJ.
Howie felt like he’d been punched. AJ’s grandmother had been like a second mother to him and AJ was extremely close to her. Losing her was just like losing his mother. No wonder AJ was so torn up.
AJ was sobbing as Howie put his arm around the young man but a movement at the door caught his eye and he looked up to see Andi standing there with tears in her eyes. She nodded her head and Howie said, "Your world isn’t completely falling apart. There’s someone here."
AJ felt her hand on his shoulder and he looked up into the most beautiful eyes he’d ever seen…his wife’s. "Andi?" he asked not believing his eyes.
"Yeah, baby," she assured as she took Howie’s place. Caressing his cheek, she saw the pain in his bloodshot eyes and could smell the alcohol on his breath too. "It’s me."
AJ crumbled into her arms sobbing uncontrollably as he clung to his lifeline. Andi rubbed his back as she cradled him next to her chest. She knew how much he hurt. Nana had adored AJ, her pride and joy.
Howie watched the two but when the phone ran, he grabbed it and left the room. "Hello."
"Howie, this is Denise. AJ’s disappeared and he’s had a lot to drink."
"He’s here, Denise, and he told me about your mother."
"Please help him. He’s so lost without Andi. I’m not sure he’s going to make it through this without her."
"She’s with him now."
"Andi is? Howie, please tell me they’re working things out."
"She’s holding him but they haven’t talked about their problems yet. Don’t worry, though. Andi has every intention of coming back and this just seals it."
"Thank you, Howie. There is a bright spot in this."
"There’s a couple bright spots but I’ll let Andi and AJ be the ones to tell you that."
Excitedly, Denise asked, "She’s pregnant?"
Howie grinned, "I did NOT tell you."
"No! I promise. Howie, please let the other boys know about the funeral arrangements. The wake is tomorrow night at 7 and the funeral is the next day at 11."
"I will. How are you holding up?"
"I’ll get through knowing AJ has Andi back.
As Howie hung up, he glanced into the living room to see that AJ was sitting up now and they were talking.
"You know, she asked for you."
"I’m sorry, Alex. I wish I had known."
Reaching to touch her, AJ rasped, "I’ve missed you so much, baby."
Andi didn’t miss the gravel in his voice and knew it was from the drinking and abuse to his voice. "I’ve missed you too, Alex," she whispered as she wiped his tears away.
"Where have you been?"
"When I first came back, I was at the house but after my birthday, I came here to stay. AJ, Howie says you’re drinking more, abusing your voice."
That put AJ on the defensive. "What’s it matter to you? You walked out!"
"Alex, I love you and if you mess up your voice, you’ll have to give up your dreams."
"My dreams?" scoffed AJ as he stood and moved to the door to the balcony. "For the last two years, my dreams were of you and me. I don’t give a shit about anything else if I don’t have you."
As he stood there, he saw the remnants of the dinner, heard the music, and started putting the pieces together…the wrong pieces and the alcohol wasn’t helping the situation. He looked at his wife as she moved to stand in front of him placing her hands on his chest.
"Alex, you still have me."
"Do I? It seems to me that you’ve turned to Howie, my best friend, doing the same damn thing you accused ME of?"
Andi stepped back. In her head, she knew it was the alcohol working on him and god only knew what else he’d had, but she couldn’t control her anger as it started to boil. "ACCUSED? That’s rich! Alex, I CAUGHT you in bed! I WATCHED that slut kissing you and sucking your cock! How can you stand there and accuse ME of cheating on you?"
Howie knew things were about to get ugly. Andi had a temper and with AJ drinking, so did he. He stepped into the same room and closer to Andi so that he could protect her if something went wrong.
"It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out! You’re pregnant and from the looks of it, about four months! What, that day I took off and Howie showed up to ‘comfort’ you? Is THAT when it happened?"
"AJ, you’re way off on this," said Howie calmly.
"Am I? I know you, Howard! All this," AJ swept his hand to indicate the
dining room. "This is YOUR way of romancing a lady! Seems to me that you got
things backwards. You usually do this to get them into your bed. How does it
feel to fuck MY wife? Was this a celebration or a night to plot how you were
gonna break it to me?"
"BASTARD!" and skin against skin rang out as Andi slapped him.
AJ rubbed his face where she had hit him and sneered, "Must have been pretty close to home. And for the record, what you saw, Andi, was all that happened. I was too drunk to get a hard on that night!! Marcus said I passed out in the club and he had to carry me up to my room. Sarah just took advantage of the situation to get into my bed."
"I don’t owe you an explanation but since you’ve told me THAT, you’re gonna hear ME out. The day I flew in to see you for Valentine’s Day, I wanted to surprise you…to tell you that I was pregnant with YOUR baby. I had even quit my job to join you on tour. Howie’s been NOTHING but a gentleman the whole time. I went to him, after I caught you, and I asked him to make love to me. I wanted to hurt you as bad as you hurt me but he wouldn’t betray YOU and YOUR friendship. In the last couple of months, I found a way to get past the fact that you had another woman in your bed AND you called her by MY name! I wanted you back, to help you through your addiction but now…YOU CAN GO TO HELL!"
Andi spun away and headed to Howie’s room, tears streaming, leaving the two men staring at each other.
Howie maintained his calm and said softly, "I think you need to leave."
AJ felt like everything was caving in on him. He knew he’d screwed up again. "’D’, I’m…I’m sorry," he said softly.
"Not now, ‘J’. You’ve been drinking and probably other things too. You’re upset about your grandmother but you know something, you had NO right to come in here and accuse Andi of cheating on you. She has been faithful to you through it all."
"Faithful? She asked you to make love to her. How is THAT being faithful, Howie?"
"It wasn’t me she wanted. It was YOU!! All she’s EVER wanted was YOU but you keep climbing further and further into the damn bottle instead of realizing that YOUR addiction is what’s costing you your marriage!"
AJ knew Howie was right but he had to make things right. "What about you and me? We’re still friends?"
Howie shook his head incredulously. "You just accused me of getting your wife pregnant, of trying to take her from you."
"I’m sorry!"
Howie looked at him and knew he meant it. "Look, we’ll survive but I think the best thing for you to do right now is leave."
Looking at Howie, AJ knew he was right. Nothing could be gained now by trying to apologize. He’d hurt Andi deeply and Howie too. Hanging his head, he stumbled out of the house knowing that in one fell swoop, he’d destroyed two of the most precious relationships in his life. It would take a miracle to fix this mess.
