Chapter 6

            Aj stood against the dresser staring at the hotel room bed.  The fresh memories of the night before danced in his head and he was so lost in them, he didn’t even notice the light smile on his face.  He looked down at the phone in his hand and laughed to himself, one little song did so much.  Slipping it into his pocket he reached down and lifted his bag over his shoulder.  Taking one last look around the room he made sure he had gathered all of his and Chelsea’s belongings and then closed the door.

            He walked over to their tour manager and handed them his key. Aj then looked around the hallway wondering where Chelsea had gone too.  A smile crept across his face when he saw her; she was talking to Brian as Nick chased Baylee around the hall.

            “Why did he even say anything to them?” Chelsea said as he walked up to her.

“Well cause Chels they need to know, they want to know, they care about you.” Brian told her.

“If they care about me then they’ll just leave me alone.” She sighed.

“What’s goin on?” Aj asked.

“Just Jerald being Jerald.” Chelsea said rolling her eyes.

“Kevin told them about yesterday.” Aj said looking at Brian.

“I guess.” Brian shrugged.

“They called me on my cell.” Chelsea said.  “Probably didn’t want to talk to you, so they didn’t call right to the hotel.”

“And like usual they want you to go home.” Aj said.

“Yeah” Chelsea said as she lightly raised her eyebrows.  “Whatever, I’m so over those two.” She said as she fixed her bag and headed towards the elevator. 

“What’s that about?” Brian asked as they watched her plop down on the sitting chair by the elevators.

“I’m not sure.” Aj said as he headed over to her.  “Hey” He softly as he knelt down in front of her.  “Are you…”

“I’m fine.” She said as she looked at him.  “No matter what I say or do, or what you say or do will ever shut them up, so I’m just going to stop trying.” She told him.  Aj was about to say something when his Mom walked up beside them.

“Ready?” She asked.

“Uh, can I get just a second.” He said holding up his finger.  “I’m talking to Chels.”

“Its fine Alex, I’m ready.” Chelsea said standing up.  Aj decided to drop it in front of his Mom.

“Alright, then we’re ready.” He said as he looked at Denise.  She smiled and walked over to her husband just as Chris walked up to him.

“I’m starving.” Chris sighed.

“Me too.” Aj said as the elevator dinged.

“Now I know why you guys are such good friends.” Chelsea sighed.  The two laughed as they walked onto the lift Aj’s Mom and his step Dad following behind them.

As they rode down to the bottom of floor, Aj looked beside him.  Chelsea was leaning against the elevator wall, staring at the floor.  The lift lightly bounced when they hit the bottom floor and the doors opened.  They walked through the underground parking lot and met up with Marcus who was waiting for them at the van with the other body guards.

Everyone climbed into the van and Aj let Chelsea get in before him.  She scooted across the bench seat to the window and sat down as she took Aj’s backpack. When he sat down she handed back to him at he put it down between his feet.

“Who’s that?” Chris asked as a cell phone ring went off.

“Me.” Chelsea said as he reached into her bag pocket and pulled it out.  “Kevin” She said as she looked at Aj and answered it.

“Hello?” She said into the phone and Aj looked out the window as they pulled onto the street.  “I talked to Jerald this morning why?” She asked.

“Where’s her nurse?” Denise whispered as she leaned forward.

“She’s leaving with the others; she needs to get some things before she goes to the airport.” Aj whispered back to her and even shot her a look.

“They what?” Chelsea said and the tone made Aj looked at her.  “Why I’m ok?” She said she then looked at Aj and he saw tears in her eyes and his face fell in confusion.  “Well they can go there and talk to me all they want; I’m not going back to Kentucky.” She said angrily and then she slammed her cell shut.

“What’s going on?” Aj asked as he took her shaking hand.

“Jerald and Tim are on their way to Scotland, they want to talk to me and get me to go back.” She said not looking at him; she then looked away and looked out her window.

            Chelsea sat quiet the whole way to the restaurant and even while they were in the restaurant.  Aj wasn’t going to say anything in front of his family; he didn’t want to upset her in front of them.  He was glad to see that even though she was quiet she ate her food.  She didn’t eat much yesterday because of the migraine.

They all loaded back into the van when they were done, all returning to the spots they were in before.  Aj found himself sitting there wanting it to be last night, when it was just the two of them.  He lifted his arm and carefully wrapped it over her shoulder, pulling her against him.

“Will you talk on the plane?” He whispered into her ear and she nodded. “Ok.” He said as he kissed her temple.  She laid her head on his shoulder and rested her hand on his stomach. 

Aj and Chelsea sat in the Van as everyone else around them chatted it up about what they would do in Scotland on the guys days off.  It was about an hour to the airport and when they got there, Brian, and the others were already in the building.

“What’s up with her?” Brian asked quietly as Chelsea talked to Leigh-Anne.

“We have company coming when in Scotland.” Aj told him.

“Jerald?” Brian asked.

“And Tim.” Aj sighed.

“Maybe it’s for the best.” Brian said and Aj stared at him.

“Don’t say that to me right now.” Aj told him as he turned and handed the woman his ticket.  When they were all through check in they were ushered in to a waiting area.  Fans stopping and said hi, talked for a little bit, and Chelsea stayed in the background, hanging around Marcus most of the time. 

“Do you want the window seat?” He asked as they walked down the loading tunnel.

“If you don’t mind.” She said as they stopped at the doors and waited for Nick to go through.  He smiled at her as he took her bag and they walked onto the plane.  They walked down to their seats and Aj put their bags in the over hang as Chelsea sat down in her seat.

“So talk to me.” Aj said as he took her hand.

“About how they’re going to show up tell me that I shouldn’t be with you, how they want me to go home, and find myself.” She said and he lightly raised his eyebrows when he heard her sarcasm.  “I don’t need to find myself I had 13 years to sit in a room and think about me.”

“Frustrating when people think they know what’s best, but they care about you Chels they’re worried, you were dead, and I know you know you weren’t but to me or them you were.” Aj told her.  “The last thing they want is for something to happen to you and lose you all over again, they almost did, I almost did.”

“So what do I do when they get there, I don’t want to fight with them but I don’t want to hear the same thing over and over.” She said as she laid her head back.

“Just tell them what you always do and then let them go home.” He said as he twirled her ring around her finger.  “And let them say what ever they want about me, like you said, they just don’t get it.”  She lightly smiled at him and he kissed her on the cheek.  Chelsea turned her attention back out the window as the stewardess started talking over the pa.

“Are you going to take a nap?” He asked as he sat back in his chair.

“Maybe.” She replied as she rolled her head and looked at him.

“We can take one together.” He said as he slid his head closer to her.  “There’s no one behind us we’ll just lay back, close our eyes and sleep till we get there.”

“When this leg is done can I go to California with you?” She asked.

“You want to go to come home with me?” He replied a little stunned.

“Yeah, just you no one else.” She said.  “I want us to have time, I want to see where you live now, what your place looks like, I want to get to know all of you again and I can’t do that with people always around.” He lightly smiled at her as he tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. Then he leaned in and kissed her.

“We’ll see ok, you have some tests coming up and Kentucky is a much better place to chill out than Cali.” Aj said and she was about to protest but he stopped her.  “I’m not saying I won’t be there, I’m just saying it really is a better place for you right now, especially after coming off of a tour. Ok?”

“Ok” She replied and he leaned in and kissed her again.

“Hey, since we’re up in the air, wanna take that nap now?” He asked.

“Sure.” She nodded as he stood up to grab some pillows and blankets from the overhead.  He gave one to her and then tucked one behind his head as she took a blanket from him. 

Lying there he watched her for a little bit, holding her hand and thinking about what she had said.  It wasn’t long before she was asleep and he wasn’t really tired as more he was hoping she would nap.  Carefully he put her hand down and sat his chair up. Leaning forwards he reached into his bag and pulled out his journal.  He pulled the pen from its slot and opened the book to a new page.

May 9th 2008.

            My life has never been clearer, that’s saying a lot.  But like usual there are people in my way.  People moaning and bitching over shit they know nothing about. Last night I found what I lost, last night I was with someone who wanted me as much as I wanted her.  She didn’t want my paycheck, she didn’t want my fame, she just wanted me. She made me feel like it was just us in the world with her I don’t feel alone anymore. And here I sit here terrified, I’m terrified that I’m going to lose it all again.  I almost did once, and some times because of that I wonder will I lose her again? So I don’t need these outsiders, these people who know nothing, or think they know shit about my life doing something to jeopardize this.  I don’t really know what the fuck they expect outta her, they want her to just sit at home and go stir crazy.  What the fuck don’t they get about her being locked in a room for 13 fucking damn years? I’m scared, I’m really scared I’m going to lose her, and for the first time in I don’t know how fucking long, it’s not me I’m afraid of fucking shit up.  Bullshit.  All of it.

            Aj closed the book and slipped the pen back in its spot.  He stared at it for a moment and then put it back in his bag.  Closing the flap over, he reached behind him and grabbed his pillow, and tucked it behind his head.  Pushing back he lowered the back of his seat and closed his eyes.  He rolled his head to the right and opened them again.  His eyes didn’t break from her even as they fought to stay open.