|
|
Rori woke up with a stiff neck. She looked up and Justin was sleeping. The clock told her she’d slept bout two hours. She sat up with some effort because of her swelled stomach, being careful not to wake Justin up.
"Good morning."
Startled, Rori noticed JC for the first time. He was sitting at the table watching cars again.
"Jesus JC. You scared me."
"Sorry."
"Are you ok?"
"No."
"Can I help?"
"Can you make Ali forgive me?"
"I can try."
JC looked up at Rori with bloodshot eyes.
"Will you?’
"The pressure is off." He mumbled.
"The what?"
"The pressure."
"What do you mean?" Rori asked.
JC set the ring on the table.
"I know about that."
"Then what more do you need to know?!" JC snapped at Rori.
"Sorry." He looked miserable.
"That’s ok. Now tell me what happened, not the results."
"Ok. Here goes nothing. I apologized to her in the hallway. I started to say something about how I wasn’t thinking when I said all that shit earlier and she interrupted me. She said "Just like when you weren’t thinking when you asked me to marry you?" That’s not what I meant. I, I didn’t mean for her to take my words wrong. I guess she was mad and she doesn’t understand why I want to wait so long."
"Why do you?"
"I’m afraid that we’ll get married and she’ll want kids and then I won’t be able to keep my devotion to my career. Right now it’s the most important thing in my life and I don’t know how long it’s going to last. So…"
"You don’t want to risk it?"
"Right."
"So you’ll risk loosing Ali for you job?"
"Yes…No…I don’t know! I wanna be with her. I wanna marry her but I want my job. It just doesn’t work."
JC put his head down on the table.
"I think she’ll understand."
"Would you?’
"She won’t let me explain! When I try, it comes out wrong and I make an ass out of myself."
"Tell her that too."
"When should I do this?"
"How about right now?"
"Ok but what if she doesn’t wanna talk?"
Rori thought for a moment.
"You’re bigger than she is. Make her talk."
"I don’t want to intimidate her Rori. She’ll hate me forever."
"I didn’t mean like that. Pick her up and carry her or something."
JC didn’t seem too sure that Ali would listen and he really had no idea what he was going to say but he had to try. He opened the door to the back room and winced when he saw the way Ali was comfortably leaning against Chris and how his arms were around her waist. He was resting his hands on her stomach. They were all watching a Friends rerun.
"Ali?"
She looked up at him.
"Will you come up front with me so we can talk?"
"About what JC? I thought we were done talking."
"Maybe you were but I wasn’t."
"Fine."
Ali stood up and followed JC. Rori was trying to wake up Mr. Prince Charming.
"Are you all conspiring against me?" Ali asked.
Jessie smiled.
"Only for your own good. Help me!"
"You wouldn’t."
"Try me."
Justin got up, grumbling all the way. He and Rori went to the back to leave Ali and JC alone.
"So?" Ali looked at JC expectantly.
"I love you and I want you back."
"Really?" Ali asked sarcastically.
"I can’t believe you think that!"
"What else am I supposed to think when you’re cuddling with Chris and he has his hands all over you?"
"This conversation is over! Goodbye JC."
"No! I’m not done yet."
JC grabbed her arm.
"Let me go!"
"Just hear me out. Please."
"Ok but this better be really good JC."
"And you want me to forgive you?" Ali asked in disbelief.
"Ali, my career might not last forever and I don’t want to do anything that will prevent me from putting 110% into it. I love you so much that I want to be able to give you that 110% but right now I can’t do it. Do you understand?"
"Yes. You have to give that 110% to your job?"
"Right." JC let out the breath he had been holding in relief. Relief that she did understand.
"So have I always been just a side show for you?"
"No, no, no! That’s not what I meant!"
"Then what did you mean?"
"I want you and my career. Ali, I can’t give up either and I won’t."
"Well you are going to have to give up one of them."
"Are you asking me to choose between the two most important things in my life?"
"Yes."
JC looked at Ali. He was weighing the decision in his head. So many things depend on it.
"What’s it gonna be?"
His heart told him Ali but his head told him music. He didn’t know what to do. He looked down at his feet and then up at her. The look in his eyes let Ali know what his answer was. The look in hers broke his heart. She jerked out of his grasp and ran to the back.
"Ali, please--"
"No! Leave me alone!" she cried. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. She closed the door and immediately fell to the floor. Everyone crowded around her.
"Chris?" Rori held the door open.
He shook his head.
"Yes. Get out."
He gave her a dirty look but let Rori deal with Ali and left.
"What happened?" Rori asked.
"He chose his career." Ali sniffled.
"Oh Ali. I’m so sorry."
Ali continued to cry, letting all the emotions she had let build up through the day. Outside the door, Justin, Joey, Chris, and Lance heard the events from JC.
"And you didn’t choose-- Oh my God JC!"
"How could you--I can’t even imagine." Joey shook his head.
"I was thinking of you guys. If I quit the group then where would you be?"
"At your wedding!" Justin yelled.
"I did what I thought was best for everyone."
Chapter 14 -coming soon!