Chapter 5

            Aj stood at the window looking down the street, no sign of his Mom and grandparents.  They weren’t suppose to be home for another hour but who knows if they will come home early and he was there with Chelsea.  Kevin wanted to go out with Kristin but he didn’t want to leave Chelsea at home so he called asking if she could hang out with him.  Of course he said yes, and his Mom said ok too because she had plans to go out with her parents.

            “I’m glad they went out.” Chelsea said as she wrapped her arms around his waist from behind.  “I missed you.”  He turned around in her arms and his eyes locked on hers. He could hear the faint sound of music playing.

“I missed you too.” Aj told her and he leaned in and kissed her. 

“So what did you wanna do?” She asked as they pulled away.  He smiled at her and she rolled her eyes at him.  “We already did that.”

“So” He said as he leaned down and gently kissed her neck. Chelsea lightly laughed as she ran her fingers through his hair, her nails drifted down the back of his neck. 

“Oh” She said as he pulled her up and he looked at her confused. “I love this song, dance with me?” she asked.  Aj tried to listen to the song as she laid her head on his shoulder and rested her hands on his back but he couldn’t make out the words, it was muffled.

“Hey!” Someone shouted and he looked around.

“Hey man wake up!” Brian said shaking him.

“Huh?” Aj said opening left eye and looking around tiredly.

“We’re back at the hotel.” Brian told him laughing.

“Fuck did I pass out?” Aj asked as he sat up.

“As soon as we left the arena.” Nick said as he shoved his butt in Aj’s face, getting up to climb out of the van.

“Get that fucking toxic thing away from me.” Aj mumbled as he pushed Nick’s ass away from him.  He heard a bang and then Nick shout out in pain.  “Serves you right ya douche, that’s what you get.” Aj spoke before Nick could turn around and say anything.

“What did you hit it on?” Howie asked rolling his eyes.

“Door frame.” Nick moaned holding the top of his head.  Howie patted him on the back as they walked towards the parking garage elevators.

“Tired or something?” Brian asked as Aj pulled his bag over his shoulder and Marcus closed the Van door.

“Drained, been a long day.” Aj sighed.

“She was looking better when we left.” Brian said as the two walked onto the elevator.  They squished together to make room for the body guards and then waited for the doors to close.

“Migraines I can deal with but these, they come on like that.” He said snapping his fingers. 

“They hit her hard, she dropped this morning.” Nick said making a dropping motion with his hand.  “I almost broke my neck on all the ice on the floor.”

“What did Kevin say?” Howie asked him.

“He’s worried.” Brian said.

“Yeah I figured he was.” Aj said.

“Did he tell you?” Brian asked.

“No, but I could tell, I’m trying not to worry cause I mean the last one before this was what, two days ago, so who knows when the next one will hit.”  Aj said with a shrug.  A ding came over the speakers and the doors opened.  Aj felt himself relax when he saw the hotel hallway.

            “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” Aj said as they walked up to his door.  They all said goodbye to him and he waved as he pulled his room key from his pocket.  Turning the knob he opened the door and went to walk in.

“Alex?” He heard his Mom say behind him and he turned around.  “Wonderful show tonight.” She smiled.

“Thanks.” He said.  “Did you have a good time?”

“Yes I did.  Are you going to bed?” She asked.

“Yeah I’m beat Ma, been a long day.” He told her.  “We’ll have breakfast tomorrow before we leave for Scotland.”

“Sounds good.” She smiled.  “Will Chelsea be there?” She asked and he closed the door over.

“Yes.” He said looking at her annoyed.

“I’m just asking because of what happened this morning.” She said looking at him.

“Yes she will be there.” Aj said.  “Now I’m going to bed, goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” Denise said and then Aj walked into his room and closed the door.  He put his hand flat against the door and laid his forehead on it.  Locking the door he started to lightly bump head, slowly sighing.

“Hello?” He heard Chelsea say and he stood up straighter.  Walking out of the small hallway he smiled when he saw her sitting up, the lamp on beside her.

“How you doing?” He asked as he set down his bag.

“Fuzzy but better.” She said as he crawled onto the bed and then collapsed beside her.  “Someone’s tired.” She lightly laughed

“Very” He mumbled into the pillow.

“How did the show go?” She asked.

“Good.” He replied as he slowly rolled over and yawned.  “So what were you doing just sitting here?”

“Yeah” She said as he sat up sluggishly.

“Really?” He said as he turned and looked at her.

“Leigh-Anne kept checking on me like every half hour; I think she finally passed out.” She told him with a light smile.  “I was just enjoying the quiet time.”

“Are you sure you’re ok?” He asked as he walked over to his luggage bag.

“Yes, I’m fine really.” She told him as he took off his shirt and dropped it on the floor.  Unbuckling his pants he let them drop to the carpet and then walked back over to the bed. 

“You know I had a dream about us?” Aj said as she lifted the blankets for him.

“You did, when?” She asked wondering when he slept.

“Passed out in the van on the way here.” He said as he laid his head on the pillow.  She lightly laughed as he took her hand in his and laid them between each other.

“What was it about?” She asked.

“You were at my house, Mom was out; I think it was that time before I went to Sweden.” Aj said with another yawn.  “We started dancing to something, I couldn’t make out the song that was playing.  Anyways Brian woke me up before anything good happened.” He said with a joking smile.

“Always.” She said and he looked at her confused.

“Huh?” He said.

“The song that was playing, it was Always.” She told him.  “By Bon Jovi.”

“You remember that?” Aj asked.

“Yep.” She said as she looked down at their hands.  “It was one of the last times I saw you, you guys were back a forth from the US to Sweden recording and everything.”

“Wow I didn’t realize.” He said as her finger drifted over the tattoo on his middle finger.  An idea popped into his head as he watched her and he brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her fingers.  He then pulled the covers off him and walked over to his bag.

“What at are you doing?” Chelsea asked him confused.

“One sec.” He said reaching into his bag and pulling out his phone.  He flipped through the web pages until he found the one he was looking for; he pressed a couple of buttons and waited.  “Ok” He said as he walked over to her and reached for her hand.

“Ok what?” She asked confused.

“Come here.” He said with a light giggle as he waved his hand.  She got up out of the bed and took his hand and he walked them over to the open area of the hotel room.  He pressed a button and then set the phone down on the table.  Chelsea was about to ask what was going on again when the music started playing.

“Dance with me?” He asked as she looked at him.  As Bon Jovi’s Always played over his phone she didn’t say anything when she stepped into his arms and they started to slowly sway in one spot.  Aj closed his eyes as he felt her hands slid up his back, stopping at almost the same spot they were at in the dream.  Her head laid on his shoulder and they both were swept up in the moment.  The words of the people who thought they shouldn’t be together, the worries and second guesses on if this was the right thing too do, all went away as they danced in that spot. He heard nothing but music and felt nothing but her against his skin. Aj opened his eyes and lifted his head a little as he felt her pull away.

It was then he realized the song had stopped playing.  His eyes locked onto hers and he found himself getting lost in them, how blue they were how loving they were.  When her lips pressed against his he slowly reached up, letting his fingers gently step up her neck.  They tangled in her hair and he wrapped his other hand around her waist.

It had been a long time the both of them stood in a room like that; it had been a long time since they had both felt the way they did however there was something that was there before that wasn’t there now.  A little bit of fear, the fear of someone walking in on them, someone catching them kissing, someone catching them making love but now, now even that fear was gone.  Their lips pulled apart and they rested their foreheads against each other. 

Aj opened his eyes and looked into hers, the longer he stared the more he wanted her, and the more he needed her.  Nothing blocking his mind, nothing telling him this was wrong, except maybe her, maybe she wasn’t ready, maybe she didn’t want this to happen yet. 

“Chels…” He started too speak as her arms slid up his back, over his shoulders and down his arms.

“Come to bed.” She said as her hands slid over his and she walked them back.  This time he kissed her as he gently laid her down. He lifted the blankets over them as he pulled her into his arms. 

Their door never opened, no one ever came in, and there was no need to whisper so no one would hear.  They may have been sixteen when they were first together but with everything they had both been through apart from each other, that night to them it felt like two long lost soul mates finally returning to each other.