Chapter 22

Chapter 22

The lies were spun and all performances went smoothly. Josh was apologetic at how the conversation went (though unwilling to rescind his rule concerning Aj) so he was easy to convince especially having spent the night with Mollee when I was missing. Mollee was a bit harder to fool but by the end of the night as I paced and yelled and huffed and puffed, she finally conceded and told me she thought a little one on one time with no interruptions might be good for Josh and me. It helped that I promised I’d spend the travel day on the bus leading up to the show with her.  I could also tell, however, that she saw what I saw. That Josh had begun hammering the final nail into the coffin of our relationship. I woke up sick the next morning but wasn’t nearly so annoyed about it now that we were nearing the day of the procedure. As I walked out of the bathroom I was met face to face with someone I really didn’t want to see

“We need to talk” Camie said blocking the hallway back to the bunks. I gave her a nasty look but she didn’t budge

“You have five minutes of my time which is way more than you deserve” I said and led her to the front of the bus for some privacy

“You need to know that I wasn’t the one who spiked your drink” She started and I blinked at her

“Excuse me? Are you going to deny that you gave me a drink laced with something that you insisted would calm me down and give me a night unlike any I’d ever had before?” I asked replaying her words from the early parts of that day from my memory

“Yes. I didn’t put anything in your drink. I gave you a hit of LSD but that was before the drink. Do you remember putting a piece of paper on your tongue?” Camie asked and I tried to look back into the cloudy events of that night. Well son of a bitch.

“Yes. Yes I do” I said only now just regaining the memory of it

“I’ve been thinking about it and at first I thought you were just tripping really badly and I was drunk. But then when I sobered up a bit I remembered getting our drinks from a guy at the bar and I never saw him pour anything. I think he may have spiked our drinks with some GHB or something” Camie said and I thought on it

“Mixed with the LSD and the alcohol it would explain why I was such a mess” I conceded and she looked relieved

“I still don’t remember much from that night at all” Camie said actually sounding a bit nervous

“You don’t? How did you get home?” I asked and she shrugged

“No clue. I just ended up here. At first I thought it was you but then I heard what happened and what you thought I had to do with it and well… I’m back at square one” Camie said clenching her hands in her lap

“You don’t think something bad happened, do you?” I asked and Camie shrugged again in an attempt to seem like she wasn’t worried. Yet somehow, maybe because I had been brought in to the secrets of her act, I could suddenly see right through her. She was scared.

“Whatever. It doesn’t matter I just didn’t want you to think I was some sort of criminal. I may like to mess with people but I wouldn’t give you anything I didn’t think you could handle” Camie said

“Arguably the acid was something I couldn’t handle” I said and she let out a little laugh

“If all had gone according to plan then I would have been sober enough to babysit you. I’m not a complete asshole. Not to my friends” Camie said and I let out my breath. Could I really be friends with Camie? Even if she hadn’t been solely responsible for my night in Germany she still gave me an illegal drug without giving me any information and had pushed me to be a royal jerk to everyone I loved.

“Well I’m glad that you’re not a complete asshole and I’m sorry for what happened to you” I said feeling a little anxious that maybe there was more to that story than she was letting on “But you need to know that I don’t appreciate you coaching me to be a bitch to everyone. I was in a vulnerable place and you took advantage of me. Just like you took advantage of Aj that night by getting him drunk. I need some time apart”

“Back to being everyone’s punching bag then?” Camie asked somewhat bitterly except I could see it for what it was now. She was terrified of being alone

“No. I am sticking up for myself but I’m also letting people help me. And I’m trying to be patient with everyone’s limitations. Including yours” I said attempting to lessen the blow

“Well when you’re ready to have some fun again you let me know. You know where I’ll be” She said getting up from the couch

“Right in the middle of all the trouble which is where you live” I joked and she laughed a bit before walking back to her bunk. She was almost out of sight when I stopped her

“What?” Camie asked taking a few steps back towards me

“You should know that I once had a guy take advantage of me. It’s never ok. If you want to talk about what you think might have happened to you that night you know where I’LL be” I said and though her words were sarcastic I could tell that I had gotten to her

“It’s no big deal. I’ll survive” She said and launched herself into her bunk closing the curtain behind her. Mollee was up soon after so I didn’t have too much time to dwell on the new information. It was clearly bothering me though and it wasn’t long before Mollee used her sister powers to drag the information out of me. We spent most of the day going over what may or may not have happened to both me and Camie. Mollee spoke aloud the conflict that was raging in my head. Camie might be a victim of a crime but she had still done some pretty awful things to me. We both agreed that it was much easier to pretend she was a horrible person than to think of her as a human being and were upset that we were forced to do the later. The day was also riddled with my trying to explain away my need to check my phone every two seconds as I updated Aj and got his input. He seemed content to vilify Camie which was understandable. She had more directly hurt him and he blamed her for our relationship falling apart to begin with. I had to lie to Mollee and tell her that I was texting with Josh, working out details of the following day because I didn’t think she would be able to handle the friendship between Aj and me after everything else. It was a lot to spring on her all at once. Before I knew it we were arriving at the arena and heading up to the stage to stretch. Aj made his way to me and I shook my head discreetly as I noticed Josh was still around hanging lights so he made a pretty good show of pretending he had dropped something and sitting with Howie instead. Meanwhile Mollee and I sat with Camie in a show of solidarity and while she wasn’t completely willing to take her walls down I felt that deep down she appreciated it. Before we headed to hair and makeup I tackled Brian and tickled him until I was sitting on top of him and he was begging for mercy

“Ok, ok, I’m sorry for whatever I did!” He yelled through laughs before I finally let up

“You didn’t do anything wrong. I just wanted to say thank you” I said and Brian tried to catch his breath

“What did I do?” He asked breathing hard

“You told me what I needed to hear even if I didn’t want to hear it. I’m taking your advice. Look at me. Do I look like myself?” I asked striking a few poses

“You know you are starting to remind me of a girl I once danced with” Brian said with a smirk. I gave him a big hug

“You’re a true friend” I whispered in his ear and he squeezed me tighter

“Any time” He said and we headed off to wardrobe together. To say that I felt good during the show that night is an understatement. My life was suddenly coming back together. Everyone was messing around on stage and having a blast. Camie was joking with Brian and Mollee, Aj was joking with me, Brian was giving everyone hell and Mollee even managed to smile at Aj when he was clearly flirting with me. It was a fun night and it wasn’t until bows that I remembered what was awaiting me. Aj and I dragged our feet backstage and let everyone leave ahead of us while both spreading our alibis around to anyone who would listen. Once the place had cleared out we grabbed our bags that we had packed earlier and stashed and headed out to an awaiting cab. My hand was in his and we were in high spirits from the show despite our destination the following day when we found that a cab was not the only thing waiting for us

“Well it’s nice to see what your word is worth” I heard before I saw him. My heart sank like a ton of bricks

“Josh” I said quickly letting go of Aj’s hand. My heart raced and Aj immediately became protective while Josh merely stood and eyed us

“I got an interesting call tonight” Josh started in a voice and mood that made him almost completely unrecognizable “From Missy”

“Did you?” I asked nervously trying to figure out how I was going to talk myself out of this one

“She told me that she and Aj had broken up and thought I should know that she found you two together in bed. I was inclined to think that it was exaggeration but now, after you gave your word that you would stay away from him, I find you two here giggling together after everyone else has left for the show. Tell me Kat, what should I think?” He asked. I stuttered a few times before Aj leaned forward and whispered in my ear

“I’m right here. Give the word and I’ll take care of this” He growled clearly on edge at Josh’s tone towards me

“Josh, I was in Aj’s bed and he was making sure I was ok. I was really sick from the drugs and there is only one bed on that bus” I said starting with the truth in hopes it would lead me to something brilliant. Unfortunately I was drawing blanks

“And what is happening right now?” Josh asked with a condescending tone that really pushed my buttons

“Aj is helping me with something. The demand you made on me wasn’t fair and I can’t follow it” I said

“Helping you with what?” Josh asked with anger flashing in his eyes

“Josh I’m sorry but it’s none of your business” I said with more confidence then I actually had

“Of course not” He said with an incredulous laugh. I felt Aj shift behind me and glanced back to see him checking his watch. We were on a tight schedule and we needed to go

“Josh we have to go. I can explain everything to you when we get back but right now we have to go” I said and tried to walk past him but he grabbed my arm roughly and a subconscious whimper snuck out of my mouth before I could control it

“Watch it” Aj said harshly stepping in but I shook my hand and nudged him back behind me

“Aj it’s ok. Josh let me go” I said calmly and Josh searched my face

“Kat this is it. I’m not going to ask again. Choose me. Stay here with me. I love you” He pleaded and if I hadn’t been so angry my heart would have swelled

“I can’t Josh I have to go” I said trying to pull my arm away

“Kat please stay with me. Please” He begged and my resolve softened a bit until I felt his grip tighten on my arm and my anxiety level began to rise

“Josh let me go!” I said with more than a little panic which caused Aj to put off some pretty unfriendly vibes. After a tense moment Josh seemed to register the tight grip he had on me and he quickly let me go. I pushed forward towards the cab with Aj flanking me like a body guard

“Kat” Josh yelled. Aj had slid into the cab first and I stopped halfway in to turn back to Josh “If you leave with him now we’re done. I can’t spend every day in a competition where the odds are stacked against me. You choose him now and you lose me forever”

“You’re going to really regret giving me that ultimatum” I said angrily before getting in the cab and slamming the door. I stared straight ahead as the cab pulled away and didn’t bother to try and stop my tears as they flowed down my cheeks

“He has impeccable timing” Aj muttered sarcastically as he tried to comfort me without crowding me. He settled with his hand on my lap as my tears multiplied so quickly that I had to busy myself trying not to let it mess up my heavy show makeup

“Oh god” I squeaked out and Aj grabbed my hands

“You’re ok. I’m here” He intoned as I shook my head

“I know and I’m happy you’re here but right now I just need to be upset” I said through more tears

“He really hurt you, huh?” Aj asked searching my eyes and I shook my head

“My boyfriend just broke up with me and I’m really going to miss him. Don’t take this the wrong way but as my ex, you’re the last person who can make me feel better about this” I said as I tried to wipe my eyes

“Ok, I get it but as your friend I need to hug you right now because you’re breaking my heart” Aj said and I let him pull me into his chest where I continued to cry. We rode to the airport in silence and the both of us ducked our heads as our escort met us at the door so we could get to the plane without too much commotion from fans who may still be hanging around. Once on the plane I felt completely drained and fell almost immediately to sleep on Aj’s shoulder as he ran his hand up and down my arm to comfort me. When I woke up we were landing and I was feeling like crap. Ironically it was the first morning that the crappiness was attributed to my mood rather than my stomach. It was like my body knew what I was going to do and was trying to prove to me that it could behave.

“I feel like this whole week has been one giant nightmare that will not end” I said to Aj once he started to wake up as well

“It’ll be over soon. You’re at a pretty good low right now but there’s only one way to go from here” Aj said comfortingly through a yawn

“Subterranean?” I asked with a small smile and Aj sighed and pulled me into a hug

“Oh how I wish I could take some of this on for you” He said into my hair as I breathed in his scent and let it calm me

“Maybe I’ll come out of this a better person” I offered as Aj laughed a little

“You can bet on that” He said with an adoring smile. Despite myself I gave him one back. My gratitude for this man was leading me down a dangerous road and I did not care one bit. We got in a taxi and drove directly to the clinic since we didn’t have much time to dally. I glanced out the window as we drove and realized how nice it was to be in a place where all the signs were in English so I could understand them. Just then I started seeing some signs I wished I couldn’t understand

“What is going on?” I asked as Aj pulled me to him and met my eyes

“I thought this might happen. Clinics like this almost always come with protesters. They are going to yell some really nasty things but we are just going to walk right on by” He said seriously as I nodded. I pulled up my hood on my sweater and grabbed my darkest sunglasses and Aj did the same. It would be a nightmare if anyone recognized Aj and put two and two together about him and his dancer making their way to this kind of clinic. We raced in and I squeezed Aj’s hand tightly as the taunts reached my ears. I was pretty shaken up by the time we got inside and it didn’t help that it was outfitted like a military base. We were patted down and all of our belongings were scanned while we went through metal detectors. When we finally got to the waiting room I was feeling like I had already been through something difficult not that I was about to

“Katrina Blackwell” I told the receptionist once I found my voice and she nodded. Aj put his hand on my shoulder and it was only then that I realized I was shaking

“Alright Katrina we have everything all set up for you inside. If you follow me we’ll get you right in with Dr. Saber to start your evaluation” The receptionist said with a smile. I just nodded and Aj had to practically steer me into step behind her. The good news was that the room we ended up in was completely ordinary. The thick walls completely drowned out both the clinical sounds from the hallway and the taunts from the street below. Dr. Saber was pretty ordinary as well. She was middle aged with some salt and pepper across her otherwise dark hair. She gave me a warm smile as I entered and motioned to the only chair in front of her desk

“Good morning Katrina. And who is this?” She asked motioning to Aj as I stood awkwardly behind the chair not wanting to sit without a place for Aj next to me

“This is Aj. And Kat is fine” I said nervously

“Ok Kat. We usually do these meetings privately so if Aj would like to wait for you” she started but I cut her off

“No” I said quickly and she looked a little taken aback “I’m sorry it’s just I can’t do this without him. He’s got as much to say in this situation as I do. It’s a 50/50 split genetically, right?”

“I guess that’s true. Alright let me see if I can find you a seat” She said shuffling around past us to find a chair that wasn’t in use. After a bit of furniture moving Aj was seated next to me and I held on to his hand for dear life “Better?”

“Much, thanks” I said shyly and she smiled

“We’re here to make sure that you are as comfortable and safe as possible. Now I have a few things to discuss with you two before we start taking some medical tests” She said and my heart rate sped up. The ‘few things’ were actually a list of hard questions that really made me think over my decision from every angle. Aj helped me out when I needed it but basically I bared my soul to this stranger. After about an hour she gave me the ok to go get the ultrasound and blood work done and Aj got a chance to find out firsthand how much I really hated needles.

“I love you girl but if you squeeze my hand that hard again I’m going to lose permanent feeling in my fingers” Aj said with a small smile once they had finished drawing all the blood they needed for the tests

“Sorry. I just hate needles” I said quietly while allowing Aj a second to wiggle his fingers and restore feeling to them

“Good to know” He said pulling me into his chest instead. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes while trying to pretend I was anywhere but in a doctor’s office. Finally after all the test results came back we had to talk about the procedure. It was only going to be about 15 minutes long but since I was so nervous we all decided it would be best to give me some gas to let me enter a twilight sleep during the actual process. The doctor explained everything in excruciating detail including the use of the word ‘vacuum’ which got to me more than I would admit. I was asked if I was sure I wanted to do this about five more times and then I was given the gas. When I woke up again I was sitting in Aj’s arms and he was humming

“Hi” I said groggily

“Hey” He said softly pushing my hair away from my eyes

“Is it all done?” I asked and Aj nodded “Can we go?”

“We just need a doctor to come in and see that you’re awake and tell us we’re good to go. We’re running right on time for our flight though” Aj said as I nodded and rested my head against his chest. My poor brain had spent so much time in a state of confusion as a result of drugs recently that I vowed to stay sober for as long as I could take it. After a few minutes of me groggily nuzzling in Aj’s chest a doctor came in and checked my vitals before telling us we could go. Aj was given a packet of information including things to look out for that would require a follow up visit and we thanked everyone and made our way past the chaos outside of the lobby to our waiting cab

“Are we done now? Can we be normal?” I asked through a yawn as Aj smiled

“We can be normal precious. Why don’t you sleep? When you wake up we can go over this booklet together and then destroy the evidence” Aj said and I nodded and gladly let sleep overtake me. When I woke up again I was in the plane on Aj’s chest and I didn’t even bother to spend the mental energy to figure out how I’d gotten there

“You’re talented at moving me places when I sleep” I said to alert Aj that I was awake

“Hopefully I won’t have to do much more of that. I’d be ok if we managed to have a nice, boring, stress-free life for the next few months. I’d even be ok if that were for the next year” Aj said and I sat up a little and stretched while taking in my surroundings

“Yeah, the nice quiet life is something I’ll be looking forward to” I said through a yawn

“Only about three more weeks and then we get about a month off” Aj said encouragingly but I frowned

“Don’t talk about that. I don’t want to think about the tour ending for the year” I said

“Why’s that?”

“I don’t want to even think about my life without you in it” I said simply and then second guessed the wisdom of blurting that out. Some day I’d have to learn to think before I spoke

“Well we’ll have to figure something out then. New York is a long way from LA” He said as I nodded and settled back down in my seat

“So are you ready to look at this information?” I asked as Aj nodded, clearly a little perplexed by my declaration and then obvious attempt at a change in subject. Good thing we had a lot of information about serious topics to keep us distracted. By the time we landed I was well versed in what was to be expected and what was abnormal so when I stood up with a little bit of abdominal pain I didn’t feel the need to share it with Aj. We made our way back to the arena and I went immediately to Mollee to see if Josh had said anything to her. He hadn’t so I explained to her that we had broken up and she seemed sympathetic

“Are you ok? Do you want a girl’s night? I can get some mint chocolate chip!” Mollee said as I smiled at her and gave her a big hug

“I think I’m ok for now. But keep the ice cream on standby in case I change my mind” I said with a smile that she returned. My cell phone lit up and I checked the text while Mollee busied herself pretending she wasn’t curious as to who was texting me. Of course it was Aj checking for updates so I gave him some and told him I’d see him in an hour at the show and to get some rest. When I sent it Mollee was looking at me expectantly

“I’m sure that wasn’t Josh” She said and I sighed

“Aj” I said simply and she rolled her eyes

“So is that going to happen now because I have something to say” She said and I let out a small laugh

“You might as well say it. Nothing is official but we’re certainly friendlier” I said and she nodded

“I think you should go for it” She said and my jaw just about hit the floor

“What?” I asked

“I know I haven’t been the biggest supporter of Aj but the way he was with you that night when you were at the club and how he stepped up for you even when you had been awful to him” She said and I interrupted her

“Thanks”

“He may have deserved it but you can’t deny that you sucked. Anyway I saw something in him that made me trust him. Maybe it was something you had seen all along. Anyway when you find someone willing to put himself out there for you like that then you have to hold on to them” Mollee said wisely and I beamed at her proudly

“Look at you advocating for love and forgiveness! You’re growing up!” I joked giving her a nudge

“I know firsthand how love feels now and I’m a big supporter. So what are you thinking? Are you going to initialize full force flirting or are we playing hard to get?” Mollee asked with a mischievous grin

“No more games. I’m going to follow my heart. I hear it’s my best feature” I said cryptically which caused Mollee to pout so I added “I promise once I know something I’ll tell you”

“You better” She said and gave me a big hug. I made an excuse about being emotionally exhausted (which wasn’t really a lie) and managed to escape Mollee soon after that. I took a small nap and then made my way to the arena to stretch with everyone. The spirits were pretty high all around and when Aj came in the room my heart began to flutter. He shot me an adorable smile and I almost died of happiness and relief at his presence but then Mollee blocked my view

“Hi Mollee” Aj said cordially after she just stood there looking searchingly into his eyes for a minute

“I owe you something” Mollee said and I could see Aj bracing himself for the worst. Instead she launched herself onto him in a big hug. At first Aj was really uncomfortable and he gave me a confused look over her shoulder. I shrugged and then he just smiled and hugged her back

“I’m pleasantly surprised by this” Aj said when Mollee pulled back and wiped a tear from her cheek

“Thank you for taking care of my sister. You didn’t have to help us and you did. I’ll never forget that” Mollee said and then took his hand and led him to where I was. With Aj on one side of me and Mollee on the other and no stress between any of us I really couldn’t have been happier. Only the small stabs of pain in my abdomen as I pushed myself to stretch my core reminded me of what had transpired earlier in the day. We got through hair, makeup, wardrobe and the prayer and then Aj grabbed my hand to walk me to our starting position

“Your sister really does resemble you” He said as I smiled

“It takes a while to see it but we’re actually pretty similar” I said and Aj nodded in agreement

“How are you feeling?” He asked

“Ok. Just in a little pain but nothing crazy. All to be expected” I said and Aj pulled me back into a hug

“I wish you never had to feel any pain ever again” He said into my ear as the music started

“I’ll work on it” I said with a grin and he held onto me tightly until the very last moment before he stepped on stage. The opening number went really well and the show was well on its way to being one of our best. The harmony radiating throughout all of us was almost tangible and it was making for an awesome show. That is until after the loop sequence in Shape of my Heart. I ran for it full out and right as I launched into the air an intense stab of pain shot through my body and I landed a lot harder than normal. Camie noticed and she stopped her sequence to mimic me on the ground so it didn’t look like I had messed up while I tried to catch my breath. The feeling was like the worst cramps ever mixed with a shooting pain after every deep breath. Of course my body began to go into panic mode. I really couldn’t move much and I was center stage as the guys sang the ballad. Aj noticed and shot me a worried look. I tried to get him to stop giving me more attention lest it become obvious that something was seriously wrong but it was to no avail as promptly he missed his entrance for the second chorus. Camie inched her way over to me during the bridge

“Can you walk?” She whispered and I shook my head no as tears clouded my vision

“Ok. We’ll get you out of here. Hang on” She said holding my hand “When the song ends there is a blackout and we can take a trap door under the stage so you don’t have to walk. I just need you to move about five more inches towards me”

“I don’t think I can” I whimpered and Camie grabbed my arm and squeezed

“You are strong. Come on” She said looking directly into my eyes. With her pulling and my using the little I had left to push myself towards her we made it safely on the platform just in time for the blackout. It began to sink and I rolled off of it before it could hit the ground

“Oh my God” I moaned curling into the fetal position

“What happened?” Camie asked climbing off the trap door before it rose back into place

“I don’t know I must have pulled a muscle or something” I lied but Camie was too busy trying to get me to allow her to inspect my body that she didn’t notice

“Do you need heat or cold?” She asked all business. If there is one thing dancers know a lot about it is treating injuries

“Heat” I said as I tried to take some deep breaths. She ran to the first aid kit and found a heat pack and I cradled it to my lower stomach

“I have a quick change. Do you want me to get you someone?” Camie asked and I shook my head

“Bye Bye Love is next and I have to be out there. Go get ready and I’ll be up in a minute”

“Kat I don’t think that’s-” Camie started but I interrupted her

“GO!” I yelled and she scampered. I groaned a little as I moved the heat pack. I had about two minutes before I had to be back on stage. The heat was making things a little better but I was still in agony. Slowly with lots of mantra repetitions and help from surrounding furniture I managed to get on my feet. A wave of cramps racked my body and I almost ended up on the floor again but I took a deep breath and forced myself forward. It took about a minute to get back to the side of the stage where I needed to enter from in about 45 seconds and my quick changer was looking at me with panic in her eyes. I tried to keep the grimace from my face as she ripped off my current outfit to exchange it for a new one. I finished in the nick of time and tried to let the crowd and the adrenaline get me through this number. If I just got through Bigger then I had a 20 minute break during video clips and a few ballads. I made my way to Aj and he looked at me with such concern that I just about melted on the spot. We hit our first set of movements and I was whimpering in pain with every step

“Kat what can I do?” Aj asked for a second when his back was turned from the audience

“Just get me through this song” I whimpered in his ear and he immediately took charge. Any time we touched it was like he was lifting me and adding extra support to moves that I normally did by myself. He managed to make it seem like part of the choreography and I was grateful. Camie crossed in front of us with Brian and she shot me concerned look that I dismissed with a pitiful smile

“Almost done” Aj said as we entered the last section. He gave me one last squeeze and all but launched me off stage where I fell in a heap out of sight. I took a deep breath and wiped the tears from my eyes. Camie showed up moments later with a new heat pack

“Want to move?” She asked when she found me

“I just have to be back here for the finale so I’m going to stay. I’m out of the way, right?” I asked and she looked around before nodding

“Unless they were looking for you no one would notice you. Do you need anything?” She asked and I shook my head no “I really don’t want to just leave you here”

“Have you ever gotten hurt and had everyone fussing over you? Does it make you feel better or worse?” I asked her with a hint of an attitude. I was hoping that maybe if I pissed her off she’d leave me so I could try and figure out what was going on

“Ok, ok, I get it. I’m going to be right down there. Yell and I’ll be here” She said with authority. I looked her over and even in my pain I registered how much like a true friend she was acting

“Thank you” I said with feeling and she gave me a half smile before walking away. I sat in my own little corner of hell for what seemed like forever before I heard the opening chords signaling our final entrance. I made it through with Aj’s help but once we bowed he literally had to carry me off stage and he didn’t stop there. He carried me directly out of the arena and towards the lot where the buses were waiting. When he took a turn away from his bus I gave him a look “Where are we going?”

“Hospital” He said seriously and my heart just about stopped beating

“No. No way. Absolutely not” I said through gritted teeth as another wave of pain washed over me

“Are you kidding? You just had a procedure done and now you’re in so much pain that you can’t even talk to me. It’s not normal and we’re getting you checked out” He said. Despite my pain I tried to wiggle free from his arms so he had to stop walking to continue holding me. After some struggle I finally managed to slip out of his grip “Come on Kat!”

“No, YOU come on! The doctors said to anticipate cramping. I don’t think it would be this bad if I had taking the proper time to rest after the surgery but we couldn’t and I didn’t. I just need a bed and some Tylenol” I said angrily from the ground

“Katrina Rose” Aj started but I shook my head and gave him my best evil stare

“Take me to my bunk” I commanded and Aj glanced over his shoulder towards his rental car which was a mere 30 feet away

“Kat I just want to make sure-”

“TAKE ME TO MY BUNK” I said with as much energy as I could muster and Aj rolled his eyes and picked me up. He wasn’t trying to bring me to his car but we weren’t moving in the direction of my bus either “What are you doing?”

“I’m taking you to my bus. The bed is bigger and I can be there for you. No complaining” He added as I tried to object

“Fine” I said clenching my muscles as another cramp rolled over my abdomen. Aj noticed and quickened his pace. When we got to his bus he took me straight to the bathroom and began removing my dance shoes and the accessories from my hair “This is not a bed”

“No but it is a shower. Hot water is supposed to help, remember?” He said with a small worried smirk as I vaguely recalled a section in the packet of information talking about how baths could help soothe cramps

“Ok, ok” I said wearily. All the excitement was catching up to me and now that I wasn’t on stage in the middle of a show or on my way to an embarrassing amount of unnecessary attention at the hospital I began to feel it.

“This is stupid but um… what do you want to wear?” Aj asked in an adorable show of nerves. I almost smiled except that I was so tired and hurting

“I’ll keep the shorts and lose the shirt” I said after some debate. Mainly I didn’t want to be touched anywhere near where the pain was radiating from. Aj slid off my shirt leaving me in a sports bra and my tight dance shorts. Then he took his shirt and pants off in one swift movement leaving him in his boxer briefs as he turned on the shower. He picked me up and eased me in before pointing the shower head at my stomach so the warmth penetrated there first. It was almost immediate relief and he slid in behind me so I could rest my head on his chest

“How does that feel?” Aj asked after a minute of adjusting his position

“So much better” I said happily as I closed my eyes

“I thought we were going to have drama free lives now?” Aj said with a small laugh as he pulled my damp hair off of my neck and twisted it lightly over one shoulder

“I’m trying” I pouted and I heard Aj take a quick breath “What?”

“Oh Kat you’re bleeding” He said tenderly and I opened one eye to see some pink water swirling down the drain

“Don’t worry. Normal. It’s normal, remember?” I said and Aj nodded though he was still clearly uncomfortable

“Maybe I should take you to a doctor” He said and I shook my head

“Stop I’m so comfortable and it feels much better. Just stay. If it lasts much longer then I’ll let you take me I promise” I said and Aj agreed after a few moments of silent inner debate. I closed my eyes again and felt Aj brush his hand across my exposed stomach. It was so tender that I didn’t even tense up. Then I felt his other hand brush across my pelvis and I sighed

“Does that hurt?” Aj asked anxiously. I answered him by simply smiling and settling down farther in his lap. His hands went to work with light strokes and then slightly more aggressive massages. The only sound was the shower pouring liquid pain relief and I could feel my muscles start to relax. It was pure heaven. I sat there floating in relief driven ecstasy when slowly the mood began to change. Even with my pants on I was becoming more and more aware that Aj and I were half naked in a shower together and he was stroking quite close to my most sensitive area. An intense longing began to build in me, for him to move his hands a little lower, for me to undo my pants and slide them off. Oh crap.

“Aj” I mumbled through my drowsiness

“Yeah” He answered a little gruffly thus making it clear that I wasn’t the only person behind the change in mood

“I need to get back to the dancer’s bus before we start driving to Sweden” I said slowly trying to convince my exhausted body to move

“Why?” He asked calmly but still dragging his fingers lightly around my stomach

“Because I don’t think this is going to go anywhere good” I said sitting up slowly and Aj groaned

“But I like having you here. I like being able to keep an eye on you and I like making you feel good” He whispered sexily

“Ok it’s time to go” I answered and Aj chuckled a little

“Ok hang on. Let me help you” Aj conceded. He turned off the water and grabbed a towel to wrap around me before lifting me out of the tub. It seemed the bleeding had stopped and so had the pain but the arousal… well that that was far from gone. Aj slid on some sweat pants without letting me go and then grabbed my shirt and pulled it back over my head. I snuggled into his chest and he held me closely still wrapped in a towel before walking me back to the bus. Mollee opened the door as soon as we approached it

“What happened?” She asked quickly

“I’m fine. I pulled a muscle in the show so Aj was taking care of me. I’m back now though” I said quickly and Mollee eyed us carefully

“You’re wet” She observed

“And cold” Aj added with a shiver since Mollee was blocking the door to the warm bus

“Sorry” She said eyeing Aj’s bare chest before hurrying out of the way so he could bring me inside

“I took a bath to try and loosen up the muscle” I explained to Mollee

“So why is he wet? And he’s not wearing a shirt” Mollee observed suspiciously

“He helped?” I answered with a shrug and Aj laughed

“I promise it’s not half as mischievous as it sounds. Can I put you to bed? You’ve been through a lot” Aj said tenderly turning his attention to me when Mollee seemed satisfied by our explanation

“Please” I said tiredly. He brought me to my bunk and I wiggled out of my wet pants and underwear when I was safely under the covers. Aj threw them in the hamper and grabbed me my softest pajama pants and a pair of underwear which I slipped on just as secretively. The same fate met my wet bra and shirt and by the time I was dressed and under the covers I was barely conscious

“No more drama and no more pain ok precious?” Aj asked kissing my forehead

“Ok” I mumbled sleepily. I heard Aj laugh a little and then close the curtain for me and I fell into a wonderfully blissful sleep.