Does a Chandler impression OH. MY. GOD! I cannot believe the ammount of e-mail I got since posting chapter five! WOW! Thank you guys all so much, it was exactly what I needed. :) It seems like my story is really having an impact on people, and I feel so warm inside now. :) That is a good thing, and even if i could have touched one person with this story, then it was worth it. Thank you all!
Once again, MAJOR thanks go to the lovely Nimm. She helped me with the ideas for this chapter, which is a good thing because I needed it. lol. This chapter is also longer than the last ones. SO anyway I'm shutting up now. :) Happy Reading!
"Watching You Without Me"
Aaron DeLorean
Chapter Six
"Can't let you know What's been happening. There's a ghost in our home, Just watching you without me. I'm not here." --Kate Bush ___________________________________
With the promise of follow-up visits with a psychologist, I left the hospital that morning. The doctor had started me on Valium, which was the last thing I needed but didn't say anything. A.J. came to my room with Tori to help take me to the car.
A.J. grabbed my bag in one hand, and took my arm in the other. I looked at him amused.
"You know hun, I can walk my own little self out to my car." He had a worried expression on his face.
"Well, actually the doctor doesn't want you driving so I drove your rental back to the hotel, and I'll take you back." I rolled my eyes.
"Stupid doctors…" I muttered under my breath. "Fine," I gave him my arm after rejecting the wheel chair the nurse tried to pin me in, "Let's go."
I hobbled out to the parking garage with the help of A.J., the whole time I could hear Tori walking behind us making little worried sounds every time I grunted or panted from pain. I'm sure we all look positively hilarious, the three of us. Two men, one looking like he as about ready to faint, being propped up Boris Yeltsin-style by the other man; a rather frazzled woman trailing behind them in tight vintage-80's Fendi jeans with her hair teased out around her head like a New York hooker. I laughed out loud at the image in my head. Tori emitted yet another little worried gasp as A.J. stopped and look at me concerned.
"Are you ok Aaron? Do you want us to go back and get a wheel chair?" I laughed again.
"Jesus you guys, I'm fine!" They stood there and looked at me like I was an escaped mental patient. I rolled my eyes again, "Can we PLEASE just get to the fucking car and leave?" Tori took a little bottle of pills out of her purse.
"Are you sure you don't need to start taking this Valium sooner than the doctor said?" I sighed and we began our trek to the car.
Tori slithered into her rented Lexus like a graceful cat. A.J. helped me climb up into his Tahoe, which, considering the state I was in was quite the undertaking. My foot stepped onto something firm and I looked down. Running boards. I smiled.
"Wow, looks like someone took my advice!" He laughed,
"Yep, did it just for you baby!" I cocked my head and smiled surprised.
"Such a gentleman." I grinned. Finally settled into my seat, A.J. reached in to buckle my belt. It was too tight and I let out a slightly pained moan. He stopped what he was doing immediately and looked at me closely. "It was a bit too tight." I explained. He reached down to adjust it. I could feel the heat emanating from his body as he slid his hand between my waist and the seatbelt. He looked up at me.
"Better?" He asked with a smirk.
"Mmm, Much." I breathed out. Our lips were mere centimeters apart. He leaned in and brushed his lips on mine. It was like lightening bolts had come shooting down from the heavens and hit me in the head. I felt a tingling in my chest. Suddenly a car horn blared loudly. Surprised, I looked up. There was Tori, sitting smugly in the Lexus, honking her horn. She lowered the window.
"Let's get this show on the road you two, I don't have all day! I have to be at a showing at four!" I flipped her off and glared at her. A.J. laughed.
"Let's roll."
As we pulled off of the interstate, I noticed we had come to a very private, very rich, gated community. I looked surprised.
"You know, call me stupid, but this sure isn't my hotel." A.J. nodded,
"Yeah, I know, um, well, the doctor weren't going to release you, they wanted to commit you for observation. Thank Tori for it, because she wasn't about to let that happen. They finally decided to release you on one condition," I closed my eyes and leaned my head back in the seat; I didn't like the sound of this. "You're gonna come live with me." My eyes popped open as I whipped my head around in A.J.'s direction.
"Excuse me?"
"No one wants you to OD again Aaron." I fidgeted with my hands in my lap.
"I-I'm sorry…" Before I knew it tears were running down my face. A.J. noticed, and total concern possessed his face.
"Oh, Aaron, I'm sorry I didn't mean-" I stopped him mid sentence,
"It's ok, I just," I paused and took a deep breath, "Let's just get home." He nodded,
"Sure."
When we pulled into the drive Tori was already there. One of these days I was going to have to hear the story of how those two had met. Tori popped the hatch on the car, and I gingerly climbed down from the Tahoe. Tori was grabbing bags out of the trunk. I noticed they were mine. I shrugged. At least I wouldn't have to go back and get them. Tori walked into the house and set the bags in the foyer. We followed her in. She turned around quickly and embraced my tightly.
"Oh Aaron," she began in her ubiquitous pseudo-dramatic voice. "I am so, so sorry about all of this, but we all thought you needed something stable, a sanctuary where you can rest." I smiled,
"It's ok Tor, really, I don't mind." Suddenly, in a wave of remembrance, I remember the exact reason why I was in Florida in the first place.
"Oh my god, A.J., the album! We have got to start as soon as possible!" Tori and him both looked worried again for the 100th time that day. Was I really that far in a hole? I really didn't know HOW I felt. A.J. opened his mouth,
"If you feel up to it, I'm sure we could start, but the moment Tori or I feel like you're stressed, I'm stopping production for a while." I smiled,
"Thank you, and I promise to alert you all if I feel like I can't handle it." Suddenly we heard a loud voice coming from the doorway.
"Does anyone close their doors around here, or is this the way crazy Floridians live these days?" I knew that voice! I whirled around to look. A petite woman stood there. The bright afternoon sun framing her soft face as she smiled with her dark brown eyes. She carried with her a single potted rose-pink. In the other hand she had a box of donuts and a salad mix. I squinted and looked at her in the light.
"Oh holy mother of good! NIMM!" I ran up and hugged her. She winked,
"The one and only." She walked in and sat the rose down on the small table in the foyer. She sat the donuts and salad down next to it. "How are you doing Aaron? Pretty bad I gather?" She asked, "As soon as I got Tori's call I took the first flight out of Napa." She turned to A.J. and her eyes traveled over ever inch of his body. "Nice catch Aaron." I blushed,
"We're not dating Nimm." She smiled smugly and conspiratorially,
"Well don't worry, you will be." I looked in her eyes. Nimm and I share what we jokingly refer to as "The Gift". Over the years we had joked about what people would say or do more times than either one of us could remember. She started again,
"He's certainly not here out of pity dear, because if he WERE he would have been gone by now. It is written in the stars kiddies!" I rolled my eyes and we both laughed. A.J. looked lost. I'd have to clue him in on Nimm and me later. My stomach growled.
"Damn I'm hungry." I notified everyone. Nimm held up her box of Hostess Donuts.
"I brought donuts!"
To Be Continued.....