“Hey, Darling! Where’s your kid?” Kevin questioned with a bright smile, sauntering into the girls’ condo with a flush of adrenaline. He always became quite excited when visiting Rhiannon and couldn’t wait to jump onto the couch and bring her into his arms. Leaning over the back of the couch, he smacked a warm kiss onto Rhiannon’s slightly flushed cheek. He then laid a sweet bouquet of bright peach roses into her lap, deciding that every day that he saw her, he would deliver a gift. It wasn’t that he wanted to prove his wealth, but more so because he loved her dearly and wanted her to have the best of everything. And to see that bright smile on her face because of him did wonders for his previously bruised heart. She gave him hope for a romantic future, not one just filled with simple pleasures of fame and fortune.
“My kid?” Rhiannon questioned in surprise, holding up the roses to inhale softly. She then leaned over the side of the couch to the end table, placing the flowers delicately in an expensive vase handed down through her generations of family. She then quickly straightened to deliver Kevin another thankful kiss, absolutely adoring the flowers.
“Yeah, y’know, the one you’re watching on the boob tube right now,” Kevin attempted to clarify, motioning toward the girls’ new flat screen television.
“Oh! She’s out with Howie,” Rhiannon answered, glancing back to the television as Kevin wrapped his arms around her waist. Sure enough, Rhiannon had been viewing a few of Savannah’s latest dance videos. The one currently showed was Mariah Carey’s ‘It’s Like That,’ which had been her last video before the accident. And, it had most definitely been Rhiannon’s favorite video shoot out of them all. Working with such a talent like Mariah Carey, knowing that she had created her beautiful looks for each shot was an amazing boost in her pride. Not to mention the fact that Mariah Carey still kept in touch with the girls, considering Savannah to be one of the absolute best. She had even sent a beautiful gift basket when she learned of the accident, making her a strong advocate in Savannah’s struggle to get back into the music business. That was, if Savannah ever wanted to get back into the music business…
“With Howie?” Kevin questioned, making sure he heard right. It was uncomfortable to say the least whenever anyone discussed the oblivious love triangle brewing between AJ, Howie, and Savannah. And, since AJ and Howie were two of Kevin’s best friends, it made it nearly impossible to take a side without causing pain.
“Yeah, AJ went to some debut for a new dance club. He invited Savvy along, but she didn’t have the heart to go. And I can’t blame her. She would have had to sit in a little corner all night, nursing a soda while AJ had all the fun on the dance floor. So, she declined and told him to just have a lot of fun. He bounced out of the house like it was no big deal and didn’t even seem to notice her... Well, anyway, Howie swooped right in and invited her to a movie… That seemed to cheer her up…”
“Howie has a good way of doing that—”
“It’ll be more like a pseudo-happiness… ”
“Huh?”
“I know that AJ is crazy about her… But damnit, he’s so insensitive to what she needs.”
“Rhi, Darling—”
“I’m scared,” she quickly admitted, not being able hide away her flood of emotions as easily as Savannah could. She leaned into Kevin, burying her face softly into the crook of his neck. “Savvy isn’t what she used to be. She’s extremely depressed and I can’t do anything about it. She says she’s fine, but she’s falling apart on the inside. She has these fake smiles that she gives, like someone ran over her kitten… Do you know that she doesn’t even listen to music anymore? A girl that couldn’t live a day without music refuses to even glance at her CD player. She’s in so much pain, physically and mentally… I’m afraid she’s going to do something stupid…”
“Something stupid? Like what?”
“I don’t want to jinx myself, because there’s no way that I can live without her,” Rhiannon gasped softly, refusing to even utter the word ‘suicide’ for fear that Savannah might muster the gall to do so.
“I’m sorry that you’re so scared for her, but what does AJ have to do with that?”
“He’s making it worse!”
“What–”
“First he tries to force her into sex, accidentally or willingly, I’m not sure. Then he doesn’t even ask her to go on tour with him—”
“Rhia, wait—”
“And Howie is the one that puts the pieces back together. He gives AJ the brilliant idea to get back into Savvy’s heart after the sex mishap. He invites her on tour with him, saying that he needs her there. And now he’s there to salvage her broken ego when AJ insists on going to a dance club knowing very well that Savvy isn’t anywhere near being able to dance again! It’s—”
“A conversation that I really don’t want to get into,” Kevin gently finished, reaching to just rub her shoulders. “Howie and AJ are both my best friends, Rhia. Them both having feelings for the same woman is extremely dangerous. I mean, it’s happened in the group before, but that was with AJ and Nick. They had a fist-fight over the woman, drew some blood, and then decided just to let it go. But Howie’s a lot more sentimental than Nick… He really believes he loves Savannah. And, Savannah is actually doing something good for AJ. Do you know he quit smoking because Savannah gets sick from the smell? I just, I can’t root for one or the other. I can only hope that Howie never comes out with his true feelings, otherwise there will be Hell to pay. And, if Savvy is oblivious to his feelings anyway, why push it?”
“Because I just want what’s best for her…” Rhiannon trailed softly, feeling just as conflicted with the situation as her lover.
AJ whistled happily to himself as shut the door to his newly bought range rover, depressing the button on his keyless entry and shoving the keys deep into his baggy, black jeans. He had spent a wild night at the newly opened dance club, enjoying the thrills of fresh scene and change of faces. Only, with every beautiful girl that came slinking into his small area of personal space, the more he longed for Savannah. No woman had competed with her beauty and she seemed to outshine the others. Many offers were made to make him a ‘lucky man,’ but surprisingly, he had declined that evening. But, declining the flings had made him far more passionate to find Savannah for attention. So, stopping by his home for a quick shower to cleanse away any remnants of other women, he practically danced up the steps toward the condo, anxious to find his adoring girlfriend ready to be whisked away into eternity with him.
“AJ!”
Frowning at the intrusion into his thoughts, AJ turned slightly to catch Rhiannon a few feet behind him. He naturally arched his dark brows in question, allowing the woman to catch up to him just near the threshold of the front door. He was anxious to get inside, but offered a smile to Rhiannon nonetheless. “How was work?”
“I have enough hair on my clothes to cover the world’s obsession with receding hairlines,” Rhiannon laughed, glancing up toward AJ. She didn’t know exactly why she called out to him. Maybe it was because Howie was inside with Savannah, having spent the night to keep her happy. Or maybe it was to call attention to his faults. She wasn’t exactly sure, but found herself fighting with every possible scenario as she struggled not to save AJ from another horrendous mess.
“Sounds like you’ll make some good money,” AJ chuckled, reaching to brush away a few curls that rested on her shoulder.
“Yeah, how was the club last night?”
“Absolutely fantastic! The scene was hot. The music was hot. The girls were hot—”
“AJ,” Rhiannon interrupted. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
“No, that’s why I stopped by without taking a nap. I wasn’t doing anything stupid with those girls, Ann,” AJ defended, instantly frowning with slight annoyance. Why did everyone expect him to do the obvious? He had turned away temptation like a prince, because he loved Savannah and couldn’t imagine hurting her with such disrespect. He had previously pledged to be a perfect boyfriend to her and that’s what he intended to do. That is, if everyone would stop harping on him. “Don’t you have any faith in me?”
“Actually…” Rhiannon trailed with a pitiful sigh. AJ shouldn’t expect Howie and Rhiannon to save him each time he screwed up with Savannah, but Rhiannon couldn’t handle seeing Savannah so miserable on his part. Savannah was placing her heart on the line for this man, allowing herself to become vulnerable in the chance of finding completely and total happiness. But, the way AJ was moving, Rhiannon honestly feared the consequences of Savannah’s vulnerability and depression.
“Rhiannon?” AJ questioned, feeling his stomach start to tighten in knots at her silence. He didn’t like the mournful gaze she was giving him that tinged with disgust around the speckles of green in light brown eyes. Immediately, almost like a trained dog, he knew he was in trouble. “What’d I do now?”
“You can’t expect us to always bail you out from Savvy’s wrath—”
“Rhiannon, what did I do now?”
“Howie invited her on tour because you conveniently forgot.”
“I—”
“Did you just expect her to stay home while you had a great time out on tour? Is it your way of breaking away from a new serious relationship. Some free play on tour because technically you’re in a different state and it isn’t considered cheating then? Some stupid guy’s rule about having the best of both worlds. Because that’s really disgusting—”
“Never in a million years would I hurt Savvs like that! I love her!”
“Then if you don’t like her, fine. But don’t play with her heart and keep on breaking it. She really likes you and is putting her heart out on the line. She’s never really had someone take such a deep interest in her that she wanted to reciprocate. And, having her best friend invite her on tour instead of her boyfriend was a lousy blow. Not to mention your little escapade into the club. You’re lucky Howie spent the night to—”
“He spent the night in her bed again?” AJ interrupted with a dark growl of jealousy. He hated the fact that Savannah practically begged Howie to cuddle next to her in bed while her own boyfriend was practically kicked out every night to ensure her virginity’s safety. It drove him insane to know that Howie was nestled comfortable with Savannah beneath the covers, curled in what most would consider a romantic embrace.
“Because you couldn’t be bothered with the fact that Savannah can’t dance let alone go to a club and watch you grind against other nasty women—”
“Damnit, Rhiannon—”
“I’m asking you to make a choice. Your old life or Savannah. Because Savannah isn’t like those other girls that you loved to date. She’s not a dime a dozen that’s willing to corrupt her morals so you can have a good time with her body. She has a golden heart and can show you a paradise you’ll never want to leave. But, if you break her heart, you’ll end up taking away something so special that God wouldn’t have the heart to create again for this abusive world.”
“Howie, it’s official, you absolutely spoil me rotten,” Savannah sighed dramatically as she forced Howie to sit on the couch after bringing her the necessary items needed for her lounging. Mostly the items needed were her long ice pack, pain medication, pillows, the proper remote controls, and an icy Pepsi. And, once he was comfortable, Savannah naturally made herself comfortable against him. Leaning back against his chest, she allowed him to loops his arms around her waist as he plotted an affectionate kiss against her cheek. She felt her cheeks slightly flush from the kiss, but neither said anything. It was a strictly platonic love that they expressed toward one another. Especially when he rescued her from a lonely hell when AJ insisted he was leaving to attend a club opening. He had come like a knight in shining armor to save her heart from being broken by her boyfriend. Howie always seemed to anticipate her wants and needs, making her extremely grateful for his company when she was feeling the lowest the past few days.
“You think this is spoiling you rotten?” Howie actually laughed, patting her stomach with his hands. It amazed him how perfectly she always seemed to nestle into his embrace, especially when they fell asleep after watching movies upstairs the previous night. For being so hard and callous when they had first met, it was surprising to find that she was actually quite affectionate and cuddly. When she cared for someone, she made sure to express it not only emotionally, but physically as well. Only, her touches represented a kinship where Howie did everything he could not to make his sensual. “Sweetheart, you have no idea what I have planned for you when we get on tour.”
“Huh?”
“The guys aren’t even really thinking about getting started on tour, well, except Kevin. But, I’ve been making calls and perfecting everything so this will be an absolutely wonderful vacation for you.”
“Howie—”
“I don’t want to hear any disagreements!” Howie instantly chided with a warm smile. “I rigged my tour bus to make sure it has two king sized beds and a full fridge stocked with Pepsi. Not to mention that I’ll have all the equipment you need for your leg. And, when we go to the concerts, if you feel like going, we’ll have a special box up in the top of each concert for you to rest while you watch. I have the best of the best wheelchairs being ordered along with a whole other mess of stuff. And, if you don’t want to come, that’s fine, because I’ll prop you up in bed with the best of room service at the hotels. Also, I talked with Fatima… She said that if you were willing, when you’re allowed to weight bear on that leg, she’d be pleased to work with you and a physical therapist to incorporate your dancing back into the therapy to make it easier for you. We both agreed that we couldn’t possibly let your talent go to waste while we’re on tour.”
Savannah blinked back a flush of warm tears, immediately glancing down at their hands wrapped around her abdomen. She couldn’t even muster the feelings swarming against her aching heart. Since the accident, she hadn’t the heart to actually listen to music. Yet, Howie was offering her the chance to go back, which seemed to smart worse. “Howie—”
“That’s strictly only if you want to,” Howie quickly reminded. “No pressure and we’ll never speak of it again unless you bring it up.”
“Okay, retraction! That will be spoiling me rotten!” Savannah groaned in awe, truly amazed at what he would do for her to ensure her happiness and safety.
“I spoil you rotten because I love you so much, Savvy,” Howie answered, making sure his voice was light and teasing so she wouldn’t suspect anything different. All his words seemed to fall into twisted contexts whenever he spoke to Savannah. He loved her so deeply, yet had no way of telling her such things. Especially when his best friend was continuing to pursue a permanent relationship with her. Howie didn’t want to cause trouble for Savannah. She didn’t need anymore heartache or chaos.
“I love you, too, Howie,” Savannah answered lightly, patting his hands that fit so perfectly around her waist. “You’re definitely the best of the best when it comes to friends... Well, except Annie, but that’s seniority and all that jazz that means she’s been here longer.”
“You’re something else,” Howie chuckled. “But, I appreciate your natural flare for flattery.”
“Thank you much! And, trust me, I can’t wait to spend all my time with you—”
“Savvs! Baby girl! I missed you!” AJ suddenly hollered, obviously overhearing the entire conversation. His blood boiled with animosity toward his best friend, doing his best to remind himself that Howie was no threat. But, it seemed impossible when he heard of the things Howie was willing to do for Savannah. Especially the mentioning of her in bed with him. It blew his mind to know that someone was stepping into uncharted territory with his girlfriend and had no qualms about squashing his friend quickly to assert his dominance.
“AJ, hey,” Savannah brightened, obviously not expecting to see him so soon. She squealed in a slight surprise when he hoisted her from Howie’s arms, helping her gently wrap her good leg around his waist and support her bad leg against his hip. Quickly, he brought her in for a stirring kiss that caused her heart to flutter with a course of heat racing down her spine. “What was that for?”
“Because I missed you so much,” AJ rasped, kissing just underneath her chin as he held her closer to his body. He glanced sideways for a moment, making sure that he held his best friend’s attention, too. He wanted everyone to know that Savannah was his. Loud and clear. “The dance club was just shitty without my beautiful girl on my arm.”
“Awe, AJ…” Savannah actually blushed furiously.
“And, I have an important question to ask you.”
“Oh? Isn’t a Vegas Wedding a little out of the question?” Savannah teased.
“True… But what about going on tour with me?”
“Tour with you?”
“I would be absolutely miserable if I couldn’t have you by my side for those long months of touring. No woman can compete with your charm and beauty. None of them can match you and wouldn’t be able to satisfy me like you can. And I get so lonely and I need someone to cuddle with when I get homesick. I need you.”
“But I thought that you wanted to get rid of me—”
“Damnit, Savvs, I love you.”
And, with that confession, a piece of Howie’s heart died.
