Chapter 4 - I Got The Girl (Who's Gonna Break My Heart)

They climbed into bed together, but not before Jon asked her if she wanted more Tylenol or anything else before they settled in for the 'night'.

Reaching out for his hand, she says "All I want is you close right now."  He takes her hand and crawls to her on his knees. When he gets to her, he leans over and kisses her.  Just a quick little kiss, stolen.

"I know you don't want to hear this, but I'm proud of you." He states 

"For?" She asks

Sitting on his feet, with her hand still in his, he continues "For doing what you did today.  You're such a strong woman, which is one of the reasons I love you so much."

Beth sits up and faces him, "I did what needed to be done.  He can't get away with it.  I didn't deserve what he did, even if he did catch us together."

"Lay down and get some sleep.  It's been a very long day for us." He pushes her back on her forehead, smiling.

"I know, I was thinking about that in the hospital.  This morning, I wake up in your arms and have breakfast with the kids. Then the days goes to shit as soon as I get to LA.  What a fucking day!"

Jon settles in next to her.  She's on her back, so his head is on her chest. "Is this okay?" He asks, only because he doesn't want to cross an imaginary line that's been put there because of Dalton. He fears he may touch her the wrong way and give her anxiety.  Beth puts her arm on him, holding him in place.

"It's better than okay." She tells him, but then she asks, "Is it okay for you?"

 

He lifts his head to look at her and says, "What do you mean?"

 

"I'm not the only one that was raped Jon." she states.  "This happened to you too.  How are you doing?"

 

He just looks at her, taking in her inner beauty and her inner strength.  He thinks to himself, only she would worry about me.  "I have to admit, when I got to you, I was enraged.  I want the asshole dead, but how I feel and my wants will come later.  Right now we have to get you through it and healthy again."

 

"I'll get through it WITH you, babe.  But I need to know how you're feeling along the way.  How you feel and what you need."

 

"I need you to be you again."

 

Beth rubs his back, kisses the top of his head and takes the conversation back even farther, "Thank you for having Richie come to me.  I don't know what I would have done if I had to be here alone until you got here."

 

Sliding his head down onto her stomach, he wraps his arms around her, literally hugging her at the waist.  "If I couldn't be here, he is the only other one I would want with you.  I might get mad at him, and we might fight - but he's got my back, no matter what."

 

"I can't tell you how relieved I was when I seen him and realized that I didn't have to be alone while I waited for you." she yawns, twice.

 

Jon looks up at her and says, "Okay, now shut up and go to sleep.  You need some rest and you can't get it if we keep talking."

 

"I need to talk."

 

"I'm listening." he smiles at her.

 

"I don't want to go to sleep."

 

"Why?"

 

"I'm afraid I'll dream." she admits, feeling a little foolish, but she's being honest.

 

"You should try to get some sleep.  You need rest to heal."

 

"I know, I know.  I just don't want the nightmares again.  My nap this afternoon was terrible."

 

"Richie said that you were pretty restless when you napped."

 

She looked at Jon with a look, "Richie watched me sleep?"

 

Jon laughs and says, "Richie did exactly what I asked him to do.  He was at your side until I could get here."

 

"He was a big help, such a great friend.  Not once did he let me think about what happened, he was a great babysitter."

 

"And none of that changes the fact that you need to sleep.  We both have been up for 24 plus hours, it's time to shut it off and let it reboot."  He lays down on his pillow, next to her and faces her.  "Tomorrow, I mean today - we go home."

 

"Really?"

 

"Yeah, we don't need to stay here, do we?" he asks, maybe unaware of something that he doesn't know

 

Beth looks at the ceiling, not wanting to make eye contact simply because if she did right now, she would break out into tears.  "Home is right where I want to be."  She can see little Romeo and his big smile.  She would love to be hanging out with Stephanie, picking on Jesse about girls and teaching Jacob to ride a two wheel bike.  She wants to go back to the east coast, Malibu is no longer home. 

 

"When we get up and around, we'll go home.  The plane is still here, so whenever you're ready."  that was music to Beth's ears.  She wanted to get out of California and away from all the bad memories that it holds. 

 

"I know that we're in baby step mode right now, but can I stay with you in Jersey for a few days?"

 

Looking in her eyes, he seen that sparkle flash, if just for a millisecond.  "Do you think I'd let you go anywhere else?" 

 

"I didn't want to assume."

 

"Do you think I would let you be alone at all right now?  Even if we hadn't bumped into one another in the city,and something  like this had happened, I'd be there."

"I know, but again I didn't want to assume.  I really enjoyed this passed weekend.  I love what you had done with the house, but I have to admit - I seen a little bit of Beth in the decor." She smiles at him.

"There is a lot of Beth in it.  So much in fact, the contractor got pissed when I wanted the bedroom walk-ins to have windows.  He asked Who has windows in a closet. I laughed at the guy and thought Beth."

"I bet he was pissed, adding  a window where there wasn't one is a pain in the ass, specially in the brick.  But I love the window in the closet." she smirks back at him.

"They are nice."  he admits to her, while trying to hide the impact that she had on him.  He knows that she's complicated, crazy and head over heels in love with him.

"In a few days I can go to my place in the city but for now I'd like to stay with you, are you sure it's okay?"

"Beth Ann,"  He reaches over and brushes an eyelash off of her cheek, "there isn't any other place that I'd let you go."

She grabs his hand and tucks it under her chin with hers, "Can you shut up now so I can go to sleep?" and she smiles.

He works his way close enough, waiting for her to grab him and pull him closer - crowding her is the last thing that he wants to do.