‹ Prequel: I Turn to You
Ain't No Other Man
Ain't No Other Man
Bethany Carter stood looking at her apartment in New York that she had been living in for the past six years. Ever since she had graduated at seventeen and moved across the country to go to school in New York. She pulled her duffel bag over her shoulder and sighed. She had to leave. She was beginning to feel trapped and wanted her sister. The last time she had seen her was three years ago when she had been in New York to visit her, well actually she had been hiding from her boyfriend, and had had a huge bruise covering most of her side and there had been one on her face as well. And now here she was Bethany Elizabeth Carter standing on the street waiting for her cab to go to the airport. Everything that she owned was in that one duffel bag. She had to sell most of her shit so she could afford the plane ticket back to California.
When she stepped off the plane in and set foot in LAX she smiled slightly. She only knew who to call to find out where her sister was staying and so she pulled out a couple of quarters from her pocket and found a pay phone calling Leanne. Jessica’s best friend.
“Hello?” Leanne said as she answered the phone. Brian was making her breakfast so she was sitting at the kitchen table. She was seven months pregnant and he wanted her to stay off her feet when she wasn’t feeling good and she had felt a little dizzy when she got up that morning.
“Hey Leanne… It’s Bethany…”
“Bethany… oh my god BETHIE”
“Don’t call me that, I was wondering if you had Jess’s number…I kinda need to talk to her.”
“Uhm can I call you back after I find it.”
“I’m kinda at LAX…”
“What the fuck are you doing there?”
“I came home…”
“Shit, I think she’s in LA anyway call me back in ten minutes okay.”
“Okay.” Leanne hung up the phone as Brian spoke.
“Who the hell was that?”
“Bethany, Jess’ baby sister.”
“Wow, long time on that one.”
“She’s coming home and needs Jess to get her at the airport.”
“When?”
“Oh Now” and Leanne put the phone to her ear after dialing Jess’s cell phone.
“Hey Lea, what’s up?”
“Jess where are you right now?”
“Uhm me and James are just leaving the restaurant, we went out for breakfast this morning.”
“Where”
“LA”
“Is it anywhere near LAX?”
“uhm about ten minutes why?”
“Go pick up your sister then.”
“Bethany…”
“Yeah, she’s gonna call me back in like three minutes…”
“Yeah, I’ll def.. hang on Le/a… James baby go to the airport. Lea I’ll talk to you later.”
“Hey I wanna see her, bring her by.”
“I will.” they hung up and James glanced at his wife as he made the turn to go to the airport.
“Why am I going this way?”
“Because like usual my little sister doesn’t think and should’ve called before she left New York.”
“She fly in and then call?”
“Yeah, oh James I can’t wait for you to finally meet Beth.” He smiled at his wife. He loved when she smiled and when she was happy and he planned on her staying that way. He took her hand in his and drove the rest of the way to the airport.
Bethany was standing outside waiting for her sister to get there, because Leanne had told her she was ten minutes away because she had been in LA at the time that Bethany had called. She sighed as she scanned the vehicles and when she saw her sister jump down out of a black SUV she smiled and Jessica hugged her.
“BETH oh god it’s been too long since I saw you.”
“Three years Jess…” They pulled apart and Beth noticed the guy that got out of the drivers side of the SUV as he leaned against the side of it. He was smiling at Jessica. “…sis, who’s that?” Jessica turned and taking her sisters hand she smiled at the man as she drug her sister over to him.
“James this is my sister Bethany. Beth this is my husband James Hart.” Bethany’s jaw fell and she looked from the dark haired man to her sister.
“YOU GOT MARRIED AND DIDN’T TELL ME?” Bethany squealed and hugged her sister.
“I’ll tell you everything later, but Leanne want’s to see you and I have somewhere to be this afternoon.”
“Okay, wow whatever the story is I can tell it has a happy ending you’re smiling.” Bethany said and hugged her sister again as James took her duffel bag and tossed it in the trunk and then opened the door for his wife and sister in law. He smiled at them both and then shut the doors at the same time. “Wow where’d you find him?” Beth said leaning forward and whispering to her sister as James walked around to get in the drivers side.
“Later.” Jessica said grinning as her sister leaned back and put her seatbelt on.
Matt was sitting in his living room looking at a picture on the mantel of the fireplace. He sighed. It was one that Jessica had given him five months prior. She had taken it at a show towards the end of the club tour that they had done with Burn Halo and she had gotten it framed. He looked so happy in the picture. But then again he had been doing one of his favorite things in the world. Performing. It was a rare shot actually. You hardly ever got a picture with all five of the guys in it on stage. He was glad that she was happy and back in their lives permanently but she was spending a lot of time with her husband and she wasn’t actually ignoring her friends, it was just that he wished he could just talk to her alone for a little bit. She was his best friend. And James understood that that was all there was between them. They were friends, they didn’t feel anything more towards the other anymore. That had been in high school. Matt got to thinking actually about the night that that had been cleared up.
---Flashback---end of Fallin’ Faster---and then some---
“Great set.” Jessica told James
“We need to talk.” was his response.
“Whatever the hell the two of you have to say can wait, bitch I have a bone to pick with you.” Jessica turned in James’ arms and looked toward Jayme as she made her way over, with a confused expression on her face.
“What the hell did I do to you?” She asked the woman as James wrapped his arms tighter around her to keep her steady. She was starting to shake.
“Jayme, leave her alone she didn’t do anything to you.” Matt said walking over. He was just as confused as the rest of them.
“Didn’t do anything? She didn’t do anything? Oh my god you still love her don’t you.” Jayme yelled. James looked at Matt his eyes hardened, then he thought, if that was the case why was Jessica in his arms at that moment.
“Yeah, but I’m not in love with her. There’s a difference between loving her and being in love with her. I love her the way I love Leanne, Hayden, and Casey, their friends.”
“Right, that’s why she spent almost two weeks glued to your side?”
“He’s her best friend when Leanne’s occupied.” James said calming a little. Jessica’s breathing had slowly evened out and she had quit shaking. He looked down at the woman in his arms. Her eyes were closed and she was by the way her lips were moving slowly counting to ten quietly. He let go of her when her eyes opened and she turned her full body to face Jayme.
“What the hell is your problem, seriously, am I not allowed to have friends?” She asked. She didn’t move from standing beside James, but she wasn’t in his arms, just reaching for his hand. He took her hand in his and squeezed letting her know he was there for her. “Wait is this all because your not allowed to touch his aviators?” Jessica said suddenly thinking back to the day on the bus.
“He’s my boyfriend. You have no right…”
“Don’t tell me I have no right. I’ve known Matt a hell of a lot longer than you. And you know what he was there for me when I needed it. As a friend. I haven’t wanted him like that in years. No offense Matt, and to top that off, we grew up together. I’ve known him since he was three and I was two! I know him better than you, and I may know him better than he knows himself sometimes.”
“Okay that’s creepy. Actually sadly that‘s kinda true.” Matt muttered. Jayme turned on him.
“You’re agreeing with her?” The woman was ready to flip the fuck out on them.
“What you can’t handle the truth?” Jessica said. At that Jayme flipped. She turned on the red head and hit her. Jacey hadn’t been expecting it, which is why she landed on the ground. Everyone froze and a few moved to help her get up. Everyone however stepped back when Jessica picked herself up and turned to face the brunette. She pushed her hair out of her face and the others where shocked when they saw the look in the red heads eyes. It was murder.
“No one and I mean no one hits me.” And Jessica launched herself at Jayme. Leanne’s hand flew to her mouth as they all stood there stunned and watching the two fight. When Jessica had Jayme pinned to the ground is when James finally moved. He touched her shoulder and she turned ready to hit him, but stopped when he offered her his hand and she stood and wrapped her arms around him and buried her face against his chest crying. He held her telling her it was gonna be okay. That no one was ever gonna hurt her again.
Matt watched as Jayme picked herself up off the ground and that’s when they noticed that she was bleeding. Ashli tossed a pack of pocket tissues at her so she could stop the bleeding coming from her nose. Jayme looked at Matt who shook his head and walked away.
“You’re bleeding baby.” James said to Jessica. She glanced at her arm and smiled.
“I’ve had worse than that.” Was her response. They all knew that it was the truth too. She looked in the direction that Matt had just gone. James pushed her in that direction. She walked away as well. They all did actually leaving Jayme to deal with the blood on her hands and face herself. Jessica found Matt getting ready to go out on stage and the rest of Sevenfold joined him and began grabbing their guitars and in Jimmy’s case taking his shirt off because he didn’t feel like wearing it anymore. Not that apparently Casey had a problem with that.
“Matt…are you gonna be okay?” Jessica asked walking over to him. Everyone gave them a little distance. The guys had three minutes until they had to be onstage.
“I think so.”
“I’m sorry…you know that I beat the shit out of your girlfriend. I just lost it.”
“Don’t apologize. She should’ve come to me. Besides she hit you.” Jessica smiled at him and hugged him.
“Have a good set.”
“Ha, I’ll try.”
“You’re a good friend Matt, I’m glad we were able to still be friends. You know after…”
“Yeah, and if James hurts you Imma kill him.” James rolled his eyes and grinned at the other vocalist as he wrapped his arms around Jessica as she leaned into him.
“Not gonna.”
---end flashback---
Leanne watched from where she was sitting on the couch as James pulled in the driveway. She grinned and got up yelling upstairs to Brian, who was messing around with his guitar while she watched TV. She opened the front door and stepped out on the porch, followed almost immediately by her husband. He leaned against the railing as the trio got out of the SUV. James rolled his eyes at Brian who grinned. He had a feeling that the whole drive back to Huntington the girls had done nothing but talked. When Bethany walked around the vehicle, Brian and Leanne were shocked at what they saw. Bethany was wearing a pair of faded denim ultra low-rider flares a pair of white and blue sneakers and a halter top. Her strawberry blonde hair was in it’s natural curly mess and was cut a little short around her face and her hair fell to about her ribcage. She was currently pulling it into to ponies, tying it back on each side of her head behind her ears. This was not the Bethany Carter they remembered.
“Oh my god Leanne look at you.”
“Me, what happened to the girl I knew in high school. Your hairs longer, and your clothes are tighter.” Leanne said laughing as the younger woman hugged her.
“New York happened.”
“You remember Brian right?”
“Yeah, I can’t believe you married him.” She was teasing Brian and that caused him to roll his eyes, but it was good to see her smiling face again.
“Hey stay have lunch with us.”
“Actually I need to go apartment hunting.”
“She didn’t plan any of this. And she refuses to stay with me and James.” Jessica said.
“Oh c’mon Beth you just got back. Stay with your sister. I know she doesn’t mind.”
“I’ll just get in the way.”
“How that house is huge…” Brian said. Jessica laughed and James smirked. Okay so maybe they hadn’t let that cat out of the bag yet.
“Trust me there’s plenty of room for you. Being married to and in love with James is the best part, the perks that come with are just extras. Rather good extras.” She said smirking as she glanced at her husband and let her eyes wonder from his to his mouth and down his body and back up. He smirked at her.
“What a big house?” Leanne asked.
“Well that’s the only one I’ll share.” Jessica said causing them to roll their eyes.
“Okay you guys aren’t telling me something.”
“Beth, don’t you listen to music?” Brian asked
“Yeah…”
“Brian you forget she listens to Pop, you know Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera…”
“Ugh that’s right.” He shuddered
“Well anyway, sis, James is the front man for Burn Halo. It’s a rock band so you’ve probably never heard…”
“Don’t they do that song Fallin’ Faster?” Leanne, Brian, and Jessica looked at her shocked.
“Yeah, since when did you change your taste in music.”
“I didn’t change it entirely. I branched out. I listen to a little bit of rock, every now and then.” Jessica shook her head.
“Well I gotta go, James keys, I’ll meet the four of you over at Zack and Cheyenne‘s.”
“Okay, are you gonna tell me where you’re going?” he asked as he handed her the keys.
“Uhm it’s a surprise.” Well it was two sided. She had a doctors appointment and she needed to figure out what the hell she was gonna do. Today was also his birthday which is why they had gone to LA for breakfast. He had told her he didn’t want anything for his birthday and she was thankful for that because he had told her that when they got married he had everything that he wanted. What the hell were you supposed to get a man that already had everything that he wanted? He shook his head at her and watched her leave. She turned around and walked back over to him. He leaned down and placed a kiss to her lips. She pulled back smiling and grinned in her sisters direction before leaving.
“Wow, harsh, she just left you here.” Lea said.
“Yeah, I guess I’m staying for lunch. Although I was told I wasn‘t allowed to do much of anything today anyway. It being my brother in laws birthday and all.” Bethany said smiling. Brian and Leanne grinned.
Matt walked into Zack’s just as Cheyenne ran down the steps calling out for Zack and she was holding a pregnancy test in her hand. Matt stopped and watched as Zack walked out of the kitchen returning the twist tie to the end of a package of bread. He looked at his girlfriend and barely had time to drop the bread before she was in his arms.
“Well?” Zack asked he was hoping to god that she was. She had laughed the day she told him that she thought she was. He had grinned and told her that he loved her more than anything in the world and that the only thing better than her marrying him, was her having his baby. So she had known when she took the test that he was going to be thrilled.
“I’m pregnant.” Zack grinned and leaned down to kiss her. She smiled up at him and they pulled apart when they heard Matt muttered something under his breath.
“What was that Matt?” Zack asked grinning at his fiancé and not letting go of her.
“I said too many fucking pregnant females.”
“Oh you’ll get over it.” Cheyenne said as she moved from Zack’s embrace and hugged him. He was apparently early for the cook out that they were having that night. It was James’ birthday and Zack had offered his place for the cook out and then they were all going either to LA or Long Beach to hit a club or two.
Jessica sat for a moment in the SUV out in Zack’s driveway she had beat the others there and now she was nervous as hell. She noticed Matt’s car and grinned. She had someone to talk to about her dilemma, she wasn’t entirely sure that James wanted kids. She had brought it up once or twice and he hadn’t said he didn’t want them, but he hadn’t said he did either. She got out of her vehicle when she saw Cheyenne walk out and towards her.
“I was wondering if you were gonna sit there all day or what.”
“Just getting my thoughts together.”
“Uh huh, so what’d you get James?”
“It’s a surprise…” she said falling back on those words.
“Well the way I see it you’re walking towards the house with out getting something out of the SUV, which only means one thing.”
“What?” Jessica said turning to look at the dark haired woman.
“You’re pregnant.”
“How the fuck did you figure that out?”
“Because despite the obvious fact that you’re nervous and you shouldn’t be, I see a smile in your eyes. The same one I saw in Zack’s this morning after I took my pregnancy test.”
“Oh my god you’re pregnant too?”
“Holy shit” Zack said walking out of the house and hearing Jessica’s statement.
“What babe?”
“Maybe Matt’s right too many fucking pregnant women.” Jessica and Cheyenne raised their eyebrows at him.
“Hey I didn’t get pregnant on my own buddy.” Cheyenne said crossing her arms over her chest and looking at the man she loved.
“I know, but you, Michaela, Jessica, and obviously Leanne.”
“Ha you’re right, good thing Hayden had the baby ain’t it?”
“Yeah and speak of the devil…” Chey and Jessica turned and laughed as Johnny got out of the car and then knocked his head against the door he had just closed a few times. Hayden got their daughter out of the car and the three standing on the lawn cringed. She was crying something awful.
“Excuse me Alexi needs to have her diaper changed. Johnny next time I tell you to stop somewhere so I can change her diaper you gonna listen?”
“Fuck yes” The others laughed and watched Hayden walk inside and watched Matt walk out covering his ears. Johnny laughed.
“Okay what’s with the screaming kid?” Matt asked.
“Johnny didn’t pull into a gas station or something for Hayden to change Alexi’s diaper. Hi Matt.”
“Hey Jess, just the girl I wanted to talk to.”
“What the hell did I do?” She asked raising an eyebrow at him.
“What I’m not allowed to talk to my best friend?”
“You are but it sounds like I’m in trouble.”
“No, should you be?”
“No”
“Alright, everyone inside we have a cook out to get ready for.” Cheyenne said and they all made their way in the house. Two hours later once everyone was there Jessica walked out front and watched as James and Brian opened the doors of Brian’s SUV for Leanne and Beth. Jessica grinned at her little sister. She looked happy. She walked to James and put his arms around him.
“I love you.”
“I love you too, are you okay baby?”
“Hey you guys are you coming in or standing out here?” Leanne asked. Beth and Brian turned too.
“We’ll be there in a minute.” Jessica called.
“Something’s bothering you. What’s wrong?” James asked. And not sure how he would respond Jessica moved from his arms. She motioned for him to stay where he was and she closed her eyes before speaking.
“James…”
“Yeah?” He asked he didn’t move, because obviously whatever she had to tell him was something she needed to be away from him for.
“I’m… well we’re gonna… I’m…pregnant.” She opened her eyes and looked at him. He stood there shocked for a minute and then grinned. And she braced herself as he walked to her. He lifted her up and spun her around before setting her down and kissing her lips gently. She smiled against his lips and returned the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Next time because after this baby there is definitely gonna be at least one more, at least I hope their will be, don’t be scared to tell me. I won’t be mad. I’ll be more than happy. I love you and I want to have kids with you. I want us to have a family. You don’t have to be scared of me. I understand why you were scared about telling me honey, but I’m letting you know you don’t have to be.” She nodded through the tears that were falling because she couldn’t believe just how perfect he was for her. How understanding he was being.
Beth walked into Zack’s house and all heads turned. She moved a little closer to Brian and Leanne. Leanne shook her head and tried not to laugh. Of course Beth would be a little nervous she hadn’t seen any of the guys in like six years and she didn’t know anyone really other than Jessica, Lea, Brian, and James. Matt watched as Zack and Cheyenne started bickering again over waiting to tell people about her being pregnant or waiting until later seeing as it was James’ birthday.
“Oh my god, just go inside and fucking tell everyone sheesh… who the hell is that?” Matt asked as a strawberry blonde with pretty blue eyes walked out with Leanne laughing. He watched her for a moment. There was something familiar about her eyes. His eyes moved down her body and when he looked back at her eyes he realized who she was. “Bethany…” Zack looked at him funny and turned to look in the direction that Matt was.
“HOLY SHIT” Zack said looking at Bethany. Cheyenne looked at him. Did he know her?
“Zack?” Bethany asked walking over with Leanne.
“Wow, look at you, all grown up.”
“Ha, funny, look at you, covered in tattoos, apparently you haven’t changed much.”
“What’s wrong with my tattoos? And I have too thank you very much.”
“Nothing baby, who’s this?” Cheyenne asked wrapping her arm around Zack’s waist, obviously making her point that he was taken.
“I’m Bethany Carter, Jessica’s my big sister.”
“What are you doing here?” Zack asked and the way he said it wasn’t nasty, just inquiring.
“I actually just got back to Huntington today. It was a surprise to Jess, I showed up without warning. Your woman?” She asked glancing at Cheyenne who was looking a little confused. And apparently thinking that Bethany and Zack had had a thing once.
“Yeah, Cheyenne, we’re getting married next September.”
“Congratulations, you look happy.”
“We are” Zack said grinning as he put an arm around Cheyenne. “Hey Matt look who’s here.” Zack called over to Matt. Who bit his lip. He had no choice but to say hi to her now. He wondered if she had ever gotten over him breaking her sisters heart.
“Bethany” He said and watched as she turned to face him. She stopped in her tracks when she saw him. Her eyes met his and they were greener than she remembered. She swallowed, shouldn’t she hate him and not suddenly be noticing his eyes or the fact the he was mouth wateringly hot.
“Matt?” She asked. Not entirely sure it was him. He looked so different. She didn’t remember him looking that fucking hot.
“Oh hey there you are Beth. Now play nice, I know you’re probably still mad at him, but we worked through it and he’s like my best friend, well my guy best friend. Sorry Lea.” Jessica said walking outside with James. Just about everyone else at the house followed them. Cheyenne raised an eyebrow at Zack. He mouthed later to her and she shrugged.
“So Jess, what’d you get James for his birthday?” Aaron asked walking over Michaela holding his hand and a can of coke in her hand while Aaron had a beer in his other one. James looked down at her and she grinned. He already knew.
“Or are you waiting to give it to him later.” Jimmy asked leaning against the side of the house and pulling Casey into his arms. Everyone caught the innuendo in that one.
“I already told him what his present was.”
“Gonna tell us, or do we even wanna know?” Leanne said laughing.
“We’re gonna be parents.” Everyone looked at them shocked.
“WHAT?!” Matt, Johnny, Brian, Leanne, and Casey exclaimed. Apparently it hit them first.
“I’m pregnant.” Jessica said and Leanne saw the smile on her face and knew that her friend was happy. That had to have been what she had told him outside. She had watched as Jessica had moved away from James and then two minutes later he had moved to her and wrapped her in his arms spinning her around and kissing her.
“No fucking way.” Casey said.
“What am I not allowed to have kids?” Jess asked.
“You are, but wow, Me, You, and Michaela all at once…holy shit.” Casey said laughing.
“Wait your pregnant?” Hayden said turning to her friend. Jimmy smirked and pulled her against his side lovingly.
“Oh god…” Zack muttered and sat on the ground putting his knees up and resting his arms on them and putting his head on his arms.
“What’s his problem?” James asked.
“Chey’s pregnant too.” Matt muttered. “I said this once I’m saying it again TOO MANY FUCKING PREGNANT FEMALES!”
“Oh god, and poor Zack has to deal with Michaela too because she’s over here all the time anyway.” Joey said. His friend glared at him.
“What me and Aaron only live next door… I’m not always over here. She comes over to our house.” Michaela said.
“Oh god, I’m with Zack…” Aaron muttered and everyone laughed. No one seemed to notice that Beth slipped inside. She looked around for a place to hide from everyone and she finally found a place upstairs in one of the rooms that apparently wasn’t used for much. She sat curled up in the window seat staring out at the clear blue sky. She had forgotten how warm California was this time of year. She was suddenly missing the cold snowy streets of New York City. She sighed as she began to think about the reason that she had left New York. She had lost the baby she had been six months pregnant with. She had been in a car accident and scared out of her mind when she had been told that she lost her baby. She had planned on moving back after the baby had been born, because she had thought that maybe Jessica could help her. The babies dad hadn’t wanted anything to do with it.
She had gotten her heart broken, because the minute that she told him she was pregnant. He said that he was leaving her. He had told her he loved her the night before and then just like that it was over. He hadn’t been the first to break her heart that way either. Well to leave her pregnant and alone he was the first but he wasn’t the first to leave her broken hearted. She sighed as she looked out at the clear blue sky and realized that you didn’t get views like this in New York City. All you saw were sky scrappers for miles. She glanced toward the door when someone opened it and walked in.
“I guess hiding runs in the family.”
“What’s that mean?” She asked looking at him as he sat across from her.
“Your sister, used to hide behind my aviators all the time. I know she did when she was hiding from her feelings for James anyway.”
“Really, Jess doesn’t hide from anything.”
“She did. You’d have to ask her and James about it sometime.”
“I will.”
“So what are you hiding from?”
“The crowd of people downstairs.”
“Why? You’ve been in New York for six years, one would think you’re used to them.”
“I haven’t been sociable for a while now.”
“Is everything okay?” Matt asked her. She looked at him and her eyebrow rose.
“Why in the hell do you care anyway?”
“Your sister is my best friend. She’s busy and I seen you come up here.”
“Your not still into my sister are you?” Beth suddenly asked. Because that was what it sounded like.
“No, but I care about her still, like a friend, that’s it.” Beth didn’t know why but that made her happy.
“I’m just thinking, I’m fine you can go back downstairs.”
“Well actually even though five chicks are pregnant they still want to head to Long Beach.”
“Go figure, hey Matt, I have a question.”
“What?”
“I know about James, you know being part of Burn Halo, how many other guys down there are…”
“What famous or part of Burn Halo?”
“Both?”
“Well you got lets see not counting James, the other four members of Burn Halo, Five Sevenfold boys, Jacoby Shaddix and Jerry Horton of Papa Roach, Josh Todd of Buckcherry and I think that’s it. None of those bands meant anything to you did they?”
“Papa Roach and Burn Halo. Jackson listened to them.” She remembered that Jackson had used to sing her Fallin’ Faster.
“So you up to a club?”
“I guess, I’ll be down in a few minutes.”
“Okay” Matt stood and watched as she looked back out the window. There was something hurting her and he noticed that she had been fine when everyone started announcing that they were pregnant. He had also most definitely noticed that she had turned into a very beautiful woman. He knew she was off limits, but god that didn’t mean he couldn’t look did it? He watched her for a second and sighed. He closed the door behind him and walked back downstairs. Jessica and Leanne were glaring at him from the bottom stairs.
“What the hell did you say to her Sanders.” Jessica demanded.
“I didn’t say nothing.”
“What’d you do?” Leanne demanded.
“Nothing…”
“MATT” Jessica said crossing her arms over her chest.
“He didn’t do nothing sis, he was just checking on me.” They all looked at Beth as she took up for Matt. Jessica said nothing just shook her head. That was a first her baby sister sticking up for Matt.
“Beth, is something wrong?”
“No, nothing, I’m ready to go.” She said and smiled as she walked down the steps.
That night James and Jessica left early as did Leanne and Brian, with a promise from every single one of them that Beth would be fine and they’d bring her to their house before going home. Once the others were gone Beth looked down at her beer. She had been sitting there nursing the same one for an hour. It was only her second.
“You look like you’re debating something stronger or leaving.” Cheyenne said glancing at her.
“I’m debating what that stronger is gonna be.” Beth muttered as she pulled her hair out of the two ponies it had been in and pulled it all back at the nape of her neck before standing. She walked to the bar and ordered a shot of tequila. Then she walked to the DJ and requested five songs. Moments later she was dragging the girls onto the dance floor with her since she wasn’t dancing with any of the guys. Matt’s eyes were on her as the girls danced to some pop song. He kinda recognized it as either Britney Spears of Christina Aguilera. He watched the way her body moved and that’s when he started shooting back shots a hell of a lot faster than he had been. She kept up with him. By the time any of them started leaving later she was trashed and no one said a word when she left with Matt. They figured that he would just take her home. They stopped in the parking lot though when Beth stopped.
“I don’t want to go to Jess’s her and James probably want the rest of the night to themselves. Can I crash on your couch?”
“I guess” Matt muttered. Oh lord this was bad. When they got to his place as much as he knew it was wrong when she kissed him he returned it. He backed her against a wall as their hands ran over one another. They had already lost their shirts and his hands were moving to the strap at her back for her bra. Her hands had moved to the button on his jeans.
“Beth…” a moan escaped his lips as her hands touched the skin above where she was unbuttoning his jeans. “Bethany, we can’t…” Matt said pulling back reluctantly. He closed his eyes and let go of her. This was one of the hardest things he had to do because his body was telling him how much he wanted her. But his heart was saying he couldn’t take advantage of her.
“But.. Matt…” She kissed him again and he kissed her back once more letting it last with her body against his tight so she couldn‘t let her hands roam where they wanted to, then he pulled away. She got pissy when he told her where the couch was. She pulled her shirt back on then she stormed off and when he came back downstairs five minutes later after taking the blanket off the foot of his bed and one of his pillows she was asleep. He carefully lifted her head and placed the pillow under it and then covered her up. He placed a light kiss to her lips.
“Good night Bethany.” He said softly and walked back upstairs. He knew he had done the right thing.
The next morning Matt woke when the front door slammed open and he heard Jessica yelling. He rolled out of bed and glanced down at himself. He had slept in his jeans. He glanced at the clock and cringed. Ten AM. She was pissed by the sound of her voice. He was a dead man.
“Matthew Charles Sanders so help me god I’m going to fucking kill you.”
“Ow… quit yelling…” Bethany said as she walked out of the living room in her obviously slept in clothes, as Matt walked down the stairs. He noticed Beth’s head was in her hands.
“If you’re gonna puke bathrooms right there.” Matt said pointing at a door down the hall. “Why the hell are you yelling?”
“How the fuck do you not have a hangover.” Beth asked.
“She was supposed to come home last night!” Jessica exclaimed
“I do have one, I just don‘t ever show it.” Matt said at the same time.
“I figured you guys would wanna be alone.” Beth said with them. James rolled his eyes at the three of them. He handed Beth her bag and she took it. She raised an eyebrow at Matt.
“Upstairs to the left, second door.” he said and she headed up the stairs with her bag tossed over her shoulder and with her hands she pulled her jeans up a little as she walked. Matt didn’t comment about the obvious fact that they now all knew what color her thong was and that there was a little heart charm attached to it. He kept a smirk from his face. He was hung over yes, but he was more sober than he had been last night and he had stopped what they had started. But that didn’t mean he didn’t remember the way her hands had felt on his skin, how good her skin had felt beneath his hands, or the taste of her lips as she kissed him.
James touched Jessica’s shoulder when she looked like she was getting ready to yell at Matt again. He motioned to the living room and they walked in. Matt picked up the blanket he had covered her up with last night and the pillow he had given her and carried them upstairs without anyone saying a word to him. He was in deep shit and he knew it. He heard the shower in the bathroom and wanted to smack himself for thinking about how much he would love to join her. As much as he wanted her he couldn’t have her. He heard Jess and James talking when he got back downstairs.
“Jess, just ask him if anything happened.”
“James shit, she’s my baby sister.”
“She’s also a grown woman now honey.”
“That’s what scares me.”
“Nothing happened Jess.” Matt said walking in.
“You’re lying I see it in your eyes Matt.” Jessica said.
“Okay so something did happen but it got stopped okay. We didn’t sleep together. Blame the alcohol, at least I still had some self control, but all we did was make out okay.”
“No, not okay, this is why you should’ve brought her home.”
“Jess, I’m the one that stopped it.” Jessica’s head snapped in his direction and looked at him. Mr. One Night Stand, actually stopped something from happening. “I mean shit, as hot as she is, she’s your baby sister.” He couldn’t believe he said that part about her being hot. At least he hadn’t used the word sexy. He would’ve gotten more than just a pillow tossed at his head. Ten minutes later Bethany walked downstairs dressed in a pair of Capri’s a white v-neck t-shirt and pulling a giant hoodie of her head that had the logo for the school she had gone to on the front. Her hair was damp and she had braided it into two thick long braids that she pulled out from under the hoodie and let hang down behind her back. She had forgotten her duffle bag.
“Ready to go?” Jess asked.
“Yeah, I need food and about fifty Tylenol.”
“More like two.” Jessica muttered.
“Whatever.” And they walked out. Matt shut the door behind James and he watched the trio walk to the SUV. He also a moment later watched Beth turn around and walk back to the house. He opened the door after she knocked. She smiled at him shyly and darted up the stairs she came back down a minute later with her bag over her shoulder. She stopped in front him, stopping him from opening the front door for her. She stood up on tip toe and kissed his cheek.
“Thank you”
“For what?”
“Not taking advantage of me.” and she opened the door herself and closed it gently behind her leaving a very stunned Matt Sanders behind her. Matt smiled and watched as she dashed back out the door.
Two months later they were at the hospital for Leanne who had gone into labor and Matt who hadn’t really talked to Bethany in the past two months except in passing as James and Jessica helped her find an apartment and get settled in, watched as even though Leanne was one of Bethany’s best friends looked saddened while everyone else around her was happy. Although four of them were pregnant, and that wasn’t counting Leanne because she was about to have her baby. He could tell that something was wrong with her. He walked over to her. They had all been there about three hours and he was starting to get hungry.
“Hey Bethany, wanna come with me and get food for everyone?”
“Yeah, James, tell Jess I’ll be back.”
“Okay” He said without looking up from what he was doing. Which was sorting through songs on his IPOD. They had all brought one because they knew that they would be there for a while. Beth grabbed her wallet and slid it in the back pocket of her black jeans and followed Matt. He glanced sideways at her in her black jeans, sneakers, and oversized t-shirt. That was more like the girl he remembered from high school. Although she had been almost flat chested in high school. She wasn’t anymore, and he knew the difference, when a woman had gotten implants and when they hadn’t. He knew she hadn’t. He thought about that night often actually, but right now he wanted to know why she was sad and close to crying. When they got out to his car he watched as she got in and turned her head and wiped away the single tear that slid down her face. He touched her arm and she turned to look at him.
“Are you okay Bethany?”
“I’m fine”
“You’re crying.” He said and she looked at him and smiled weakly at him.
“If I tell you something will you promise not to tell my sister?”
“I can’t make that promise Bethany. You know that. If I find out what’s wrong, she’ll expect me to tell her.”
“Please, Matt I don’t want her to know. But I have to talk about it to somebody. And I don’t know why but that somebody has gotta be you.”
“I won’t tell her.” He whispered.
“When I came back Matt it was planned. I just didn’t want Jessica helping me. I had to do it myself.”
“What happened in New York?”
“I was pregnant. I lost the baby a week before I came home. I had been in a car accident.”
“Beth…”
“The baby’s dad didn’t want it. I was going to have the baby and then come home. I was on the way to the doctors office the day I was supposed to find out what it was gonna be.”
“How far were you?”
“Six months. I told Jackson, he was the father and he just left. He broke my heart when he did. He had told me the night before that he loved me. I was a fool to believe him. I always believed them when they said those words. But he just left me and this time he didn’t just walk out on me.”
“He walked out on the baby.”
“Yeah. Matt can you take me back to my apartment please? I Don’t wanna go back up there.”
“I can do that. I’ll just tell them you weren’t feeling well.”
“Thank you.” thirty minutes later Matt was using her key to unlock her apartment door and she walked inside.
“I’ll call and make sure you’re okay later okay.”
“Matt I don’t want to be alone.” She said walking to him.
“Beth, no, not like this.” and he bent down and kissed her tenderly on the lips. And he left with no promises made, and his heart in her hands. He stopped and picked up enough McDonalds for all of them and when he got back Jessica looked at him like where the fuck is my sister.
“She didn’t feel good Jess, I took her back to her apartment.”
“She felt fine this morning.” Everyone looked up knowing where the conversation was about to go.
“She wasn’t looking too good when they left.” Zack piped up wondering if he was gonna get out of his friend why he was defending him, and if he found out that he’d used the opportunity to get in Beth’s pants he was gonna kill him.
“Oh, okay.” Jessica said looking at Zack.
That night when Matt left the hospital after the baby was born he was instructed to check on Beth before going home. Because the others were too tired and Jess was staying with Leanne and Brian a little bit longer. Matt walked up the walk to her apartment and knocked on the door. She opened the door a few minutes later sleepy eyed and in baggy pajama bottoms and a neon green tank top. He shook his head at the sight. Her red curls were out of control and he found it sexy.
“What’re you doing here?”
“Checking on you.”
“Oh, you want to come in, I was gonna make something to eat.”
“Sure.” He said and he entered the apartment and looked anywhere but at her. She opened the freezer and pulled out a frozen pizza. He took it from her and opened it while she grabbed a package of pepperoni’s and extra cheese. She motioned to a cabinet beside the stove and he found a pizza pan in it. She added the cheese and pepperoni’s to it. And he preheated the oven. They sat at the little table in the small kitchen.
“How are you feeling Bethany?”
“Better, you didn’t tell her?”
“No, but you should, when you’re ready.” Matt told her gently. She smiled at him.
“Thank you, you know for listening.”
“You needed someone to talk to.”
“Why you?”
“Why me what?”
“The someone to talk to.”
“I don’t know Bethany.”
“Matt, I liked it better when you called me Beth…” He looked into her blue eyes and he knew suddenly why in the past two months he hadn’t been able to touch another woman.
“Bethany, it’s not a good idea.”
“Why Matt?”
“Your sister would kill me.”
“Speaking of, she never told me why you broke up with her.”
“I was in love with someone else.” Matt said not looking her in the eyes.
“Val, the blonde you dated after her.”
“No, someone I couldn’t have.” He said looking her in those blue eyes that had stolen his heart so many years ago. She wasn’t the same girl she was back then, but she was still the one he could never have. At times ever since moving back to Huntington he had seen the girl she used to be shine through and that was when she had been happiest. She looked at him and they both sat there looking at the other for a moment. They jumped when the timer went off to signal that the oven was preheated. She stood and put the pizza in the oven and set the timer. She didn’t sit back down instead she walked to him. She touched a hand to his cheek and leaned forward placing the gentlest of kisses to his lips. He pulled her down to sit on his lap and just held her. She lay her head on his shoulder and they sat like that until they heard someone clear their throat five minutes later. Bethany moved from where she was and looked guiltily at her sister. James was leaning on the door frame watching his wife. They hadn’t heard them come in.
“What the hell?” Jessica said.
“How long have you been standing there?” Beth asked.
“Since right after you put the pizza in the oven.” It was obvious she couldn’t bring herself to say that it had been since she had kissed Matt. There was evidence that that was the logical thing in the oven since the pizza package and the pepperoni package were still on the counter. Jessica’s blue green eyes darkened as she looked between the two. Matt stood and looked at her.
“Jess…”
“Don’t talk to me Matt.” She told him and she pointed back to Beth’s bedroom and motioned for her sister to move. Beth did, but she looked back at Matt helplessly. He bit his lip, what the hell were they supposed to do.
“You know she’s gonna murder you right?” James asked him as he walked into the room the rest of the way.
“Why did it have to be Bethany?” Matt asked James as he lowered his head to the table in defeat after he sat again. He had nothing left to loose so he might as well admit to it. He’d already lost his heart to her, now he was about to loose her and he had never really had her to begin with.
“Good question.” James said and patted his friend on the back.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing Bethany Elizabeth Carter?” Jessica hissed as she slammed the door behind her. In the kitchen both men jumped.
“I’m a grown up now Jess, you can’t dictate my life.”
“Anyone but him Beth, anyone. He broke my heart and here you are cuddling up to him in the kitchen behind my back.”
“Jess…”
“No I’m not done. Don’t you get it, he’ll move on once he’s tired of you. Remember, he said he was in love with someone else and the day after we broke up he was dating Val. For god sake he hadn’t been with her more than two days before he fucked her.”
“He…”
“Don’t defend him.”
“Jessica…”
“I can’t believe you…”
“SHUT UP, JUST SHUT UP!!!:
“Excuse me?” Beth had never yelled at her like that before.
“He wasn’t in love with Val. She’s not why he broke up with you.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Jessica said sitting on the bed in her sisters room. They looked up when Matt and James walked in. Apparently they had heard the yelling.
“I fell in love with your sister Jessica.” Matt said and she looked up at him.
“It was Beth…” She asked quietly? Matt nodded and she looked between the two. She moved to James who held her. She didn’t speak for a moment, they were shocked when she did. “I… I… can handle that.” She said. They looked at her and James held her tight against him.
“C’mon, Jess, let’s leave them alone.” James whispered in her ear. She nodded and they headed to the front door. Beth and Matt looking at the doorway to the bedroom in shock. A moment later Jessica ran back in the room and hugged her sister and then Matt, only she had something to say to him.
“Hurt her and you’ll regret it, I know where Brian’s guns are.” And with that she was gone. He stood there shocked for a minute and somehow what brought them back down to their senses, was the buzzer in the kitchen going off. They both moved quickly to the kitchen and she took the pizza from the oven and he turned the oven off while she placed the pizza on the counter. She didn’t grab the pizza cutter. She looked at him and he looked at her. They moved at the same time. His lips on hers and his hands on her was all he suddenly wanted. But he wanted to move slow. He held her close as he kissed her. Their clothes slowly came off and they didn’t rush things when they made it to her bedroom. He lay her down and then joined her in bed. She smiled at him.
“I love you Matt.”
“I love you…Beth.” Her eyes lightened and she kissed him before they made love for the first time.
They woke up the next morning and He smiled as he realized that she was curled into his side still asleep. He kissed the top of her forehead and the only thing going through his head was the he finally had her and it was the best feeling in the world. He wasn’t letting go now that he had her. He looked at her laying there asleep. Her hair was a mess and she was smiling as she began to wake up. She looked up into those beautiful green eyes that had haunted her dreams for the past few months and smiled.
“Morning Matt.”
“Morning Beth” He kissed her gently.
“I’m kinda hungry…”
“We did abandon that pizza.”
“Yeah we did.” and she moved from the bed and grabbed his shirt off the floor pulling it on. He grinned as he pulled his jeans on. They walked out of the bedroom with their arms wrapped around one another. When they got to the kitchen she grabbed plates and he shook his head as he pulled the note off the fridge.
…figured you’d abandon the pizza, it’s in the fridge - Jessica…
He showed the note to Beth and grabbed the pizza from the fridge and she passed him the pizza cutter. A few minutes later after she grabbed two beers they were sitting. She grabbed a slice of pizza at the same time he did. He smiled across the little table at him.
“So what’d Jessica say to you last night?” Beth asked after she swallowed her first bite and chased it with beer.
“She threatened me.”
“With what? Her husband?”
“Brian…guns”
“Him or his guns?”
“His guns, her words were I know where Brian’s guns are.”
“Oh shit!” she said laughing. He rolled his eyes at her and smiled at her over his beer. When they finished eating he walked down the hall to go to the bathroom and when he walked back into the kitchen two minutes later she was dancing around the kitchen listening to Dirrty by Christina Aguilera, while she tossed the beer bottles and cleaned the pizza pan. He stood there leaning against the door frame watching her. If she was gonna dance around in his shirts like that every time she cleaned he had a feeling he could get used to her taste in music. She dipped down when she opened the dishwasher to put the plates in it and he had to grin. Yep he could most definitely get used to it.
Later as they finally left her apartment hand in hand to go over see Leanne they were smiling. Leanne looked up when the two of them walked in. Her eyes went wide at the sight of Matt and Beth together. She was still wearing his shirt only to his protests she had put a bra on under it and was wearing the same thong that he had she had been wearing the day she walked back into his life. Her jeans were low rise like most of her jeans seemed to be, but he didn’t mind. They had stopped at his house so he could get a new shirt. She wasn’t giving his up. Brian who was holding the baby looked at them shocked as well.
“What the hell?” Brian asked.
“So I take it Jessica hasn’t been in?” Matt asked.
“Or Called?” Beth asked.
“No” Leanne said cautiously.
“Why?” Brian asked.
“Do me a favor man, lock up and hide the guns. She threatened to kill me.”
“I can see why.” Brian said.
“Only if I hurt her, and I don’t plan on doing that but you know she is hormonal and that’s scarier than when she’s just …”
“Not pregnant?” Beth supplied.
“Yeah” Matt said grinning at her.
xoxox
Six months later Jessica, Cheyenne, Michaela, and Casey managed to go into labor at about the same time and everyone was trying to figure out how in the hell that had happened. As the few that weren’t in the hospital rooms with the soon to be parents sat around waiting they discussed it. Joey just shrugged and Brian shook his head and pulled Leanne and four month old Kelly to him. Leanne looked at her husband and smiled as he took his daughter from her. They looked up as Bethany and Matt walked in.
“You’re late, Jess is freaking out.” Leanne supplied as the two made their way to the room Jessica was in.
“We had a couple of stops to make.” Beth said looking at her friend. Matt grinned and wrapped an arm around her. For once she had a purse over her shoulder instead of her wallet in her back pocket. That in itself was odd. They all noticed that Matt was pretty fond of her low riders because she seemed to only own that type of jeans now.
“Where the hell have you been?” Jessica demanded when the two walked in her room.
“Chill, sheesh sis, it’s not like we cared more about ourselves and ignored the call James made and stayed in bed…we had a couple of stops to make.”
“Where?”
“Can I use the bathroom before I answer that?” She asked.
“Whatever.” Matt rolled his eyes and sat in a chair across from Jessica’s bed. He didn’t want to be next to it when Beth walked out of the bathroom. Five minutes later Jessica watched as the bathroom door opened. “What the hell took so long, I no longer am in the mood to bitch at you.” Beth ignored her sister and looked across the room at Matt. She grinned and he stood and wrapped her in his arms.
“I’m not going anywhere baby.” He whispered in her ear.
“I know…” she whispered back and she kissed him.
“Okay what the hell is going on, don’t ignore me Bethany!” Jessica said and James glanced behind Beth to the bathroom. He saw a couple of pregnancy test boxes on the counter. No wonder she hadn’t opened the door all the way.
“I’m gonna have a baby!” Beth said and she moved and hugged her sister.
“Wh…what?” Jessica sat up a little more in the hospital bed and glared at Matt.
“I didn’t do it by myself.” He said backing away.
“MATTHEW CHARLES SANDERS I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!” Jessica yelled. That had not only the nurses running in but even the entire gang minus the three other women in labor. They all stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Beth standing in front of Matt and he looked like he was using her as a human shield. She wasn’t complaining.
“What the hell was that about?” Brian asked. He looked from the two standing on one side of the room to the pregnant about to give birth woman who’s husband was trying to calm her down.
“He… mother fucker…”
“Jess you’re not making sense.” Hayden said.
“Sonofabitch knocked her up.”
“Hey that Sonofabitch is also my fiancé thank you.” Matt smirked as Jessica’s head snapped in their direction.
“Oh god…” Jessica lay back on the bed and muttered several strings of curses in the other twos direction.
“You should’ve known that shit was coming girl, she moved in with him.”
“What the hell are you talking about Hayden.”
“And that’d be why we didn’t tell her.” Beth muttered under her breath causing even James to laugh, and seeing as he was married to Jessica, and closest he paid for it dearly. She reached out and punched him.
“Again, Matt hurt her and I kill you.” Matt glanced at Beth she nodded.
“Unlike the assholes in New York, I’m not gonna walk away from her when I get tired of her, because I’m’ not gonna get tired of her.”
“Ha, considering even I noticed you no longer cringe when she listens to her music.” Leanne said laughing.
“Uhm…”
“Could have something to do with me dancing around the house to it in my bra and panties half the time.’ Beth said and the doctors shooed them out so Jessica could give birth.
When she stepped off the plane in and set foot in LAX she smiled slightly. She only knew who to call to find out where her sister was staying and so she pulled out a couple of quarters from her pocket and found a pay phone calling Leanne. Jessica’s best friend.
“Hello?” Leanne said as she answered the phone. Brian was making her breakfast so she was sitting at the kitchen table. She was seven months pregnant and he wanted her to stay off her feet when she wasn’t feeling good and she had felt a little dizzy when she got up that morning.
“Hey Leanne… It’s Bethany…”
“Bethany… oh my god BETHIE”
“Don’t call me that, I was wondering if you had Jess’s number…I kinda need to talk to her.”
“Uhm can I call you back after I find it.”
“I’m kinda at LAX…”
“What the fuck are you doing there?”
“I came home…”
“Shit, I think she’s in LA anyway call me back in ten minutes okay.”
“Okay.” Leanne hung up the phone as Brian spoke.
“Who the hell was that?”
“Bethany, Jess’ baby sister.”
“Wow, long time on that one.”
“She’s coming home and needs Jess to get her at the airport.”
“When?”
“Oh Now” and Leanne put the phone to her ear after dialing Jess’s cell phone.
“Hey Lea, what’s up?”
“Jess where are you right now?”
“Uhm me and James are just leaving the restaurant, we went out for breakfast this morning.”
“Where”
“LA”
“Is it anywhere near LAX?”
“uhm about ten minutes why?”
“Go pick up your sister then.”
“Bethany…”
“Yeah, she’s gonna call me back in like three minutes…”
“Yeah, I’ll def.. hang on Le/a… James baby go to the airport. Lea I’ll talk to you later.”
“Hey I wanna see her, bring her by.”
“I will.” they hung up and James glanced at his wife as he made the turn to go to the airport.
“Why am I going this way?”
“Because like usual my little sister doesn’t think and should’ve called before she left New York.”
“She fly in and then call?”
“Yeah, oh James I can’t wait for you to finally meet Beth.” He smiled at his wife. He loved when she smiled and when she was happy and he planned on her staying that way. He took her hand in his and drove the rest of the way to the airport.
Bethany was standing outside waiting for her sister to get there, because Leanne had told her she was ten minutes away because she had been in LA at the time that Bethany had called. She sighed as she scanned the vehicles and when she saw her sister jump down out of a black SUV she smiled and Jessica hugged her.
“BETH oh god it’s been too long since I saw you.”
“Three years Jess…” They pulled apart and Beth noticed the guy that got out of the drivers side of the SUV as he leaned against the side of it. He was smiling at Jessica. “…sis, who’s that?” Jessica turned and taking her sisters hand she smiled at the man as she drug her sister over to him.
“James this is my sister Bethany. Beth this is my husband James Hart.” Bethany’s jaw fell and she looked from the dark haired man to her sister.
“YOU GOT MARRIED AND DIDN’T TELL ME?” Bethany squealed and hugged her sister.
“I’ll tell you everything later, but Leanne want’s to see you and I have somewhere to be this afternoon.”
“Okay, wow whatever the story is I can tell it has a happy ending you’re smiling.” Bethany said and hugged her sister again as James took her duffel bag and tossed it in the trunk and then opened the door for his wife and sister in law. He smiled at them both and then shut the doors at the same time. “Wow where’d you find him?” Beth said leaning forward and whispering to her sister as James walked around to get in the drivers side.
“Later.” Jessica said grinning as her sister leaned back and put her seatbelt on.
Matt was sitting in his living room looking at a picture on the mantel of the fireplace. He sighed. It was one that Jessica had given him five months prior. She had taken it at a show towards the end of the club tour that they had done with Burn Halo and she had gotten it framed. He looked so happy in the picture. But then again he had been doing one of his favorite things in the world. Performing. It was a rare shot actually. You hardly ever got a picture with all five of the guys in it on stage. He was glad that she was happy and back in their lives permanently but she was spending a lot of time with her husband and she wasn’t actually ignoring her friends, it was just that he wished he could just talk to her alone for a little bit. She was his best friend. And James understood that that was all there was between them. They were friends, they didn’t feel anything more towards the other anymore. That had been in high school. Matt got to thinking actually about the night that that had been cleared up.
---Flashback---end of Fallin’ Faster---and then some---
“Great set.” Jessica told James
“We need to talk.” was his response.
“Whatever the hell the two of you have to say can wait, bitch I have a bone to pick with you.” Jessica turned in James’ arms and looked toward Jayme as she made her way over, with a confused expression on her face.
“What the hell did I do to you?” She asked the woman as James wrapped his arms tighter around her to keep her steady. She was starting to shake.
“Jayme, leave her alone she didn’t do anything to you.” Matt said walking over. He was just as confused as the rest of them.
“Didn’t do anything? She didn’t do anything? Oh my god you still love her don’t you.” Jayme yelled. James looked at Matt his eyes hardened, then he thought, if that was the case why was Jessica in his arms at that moment.
“Yeah, but I’m not in love with her. There’s a difference between loving her and being in love with her. I love her the way I love Leanne, Hayden, and Casey, their friends.”
“Right, that’s why she spent almost two weeks glued to your side?”
“He’s her best friend when Leanne’s occupied.” James said calming a little. Jessica’s breathing had slowly evened out and she had quit shaking. He looked down at the woman in his arms. Her eyes were closed and she was by the way her lips were moving slowly counting to ten quietly. He let go of her when her eyes opened and she turned her full body to face Jayme.
“What the hell is your problem, seriously, am I not allowed to have friends?” She asked. She didn’t move from standing beside James, but she wasn’t in his arms, just reaching for his hand. He took her hand in his and squeezed letting her know he was there for her. “Wait is this all because your not allowed to touch his aviators?” Jessica said suddenly thinking back to the day on the bus.
“He’s my boyfriend. You have no right…”
“Don’t tell me I have no right. I’ve known Matt a hell of a lot longer than you. And you know what he was there for me when I needed it. As a friend. I haven’t wanted him like that in years. No offense Matt, and to top that off, we grew up together. I’ve known him since he was three and I was two! I know him better than you, and I may know him better than he knows himself sometimes.”
“Okay that’s creepy. Actually sadly that‘s kinda true.” Matt muttered. Jayme turned on him.
“You’re agreeing with her?” The woman was ready to flip the fuck out on them.
“What you can’t handle the truth?” Jessica said. At that Jayme flipped. She turned on the red head and hit her. Jacey hadn’t been expecting it, which is why she landed on the ground. Everyone froze and a few moved to help her get up. Everyone however stepped back when Jessica picked herself up and turned to face the brunette. She pushed her hair out of her face and the others where shocked when they saw the look in the red heads eyes. It was murder.
“No one and I mean no one hits me.” And Jessica launched herself at Jayme. Leanne’s hand flew to her mouth as they all stood there stunned and watching the two fight. When Jessica had Jayme pinned to the ground is when James finally moved. He touched her shoulder and she turned ready to hit him, but stopped when he offered her his hand and she stood and wrapped her arms around him and buried her face against his chest crying. He held her telling her it was gonna be okay. That no one was ever gonna hurt her again.
Matt watched as Jayme picked herself up off the ground and that’s when they noticed that she was bleeding. Ashli tossed a pack of pocket tissues at her so she could stop the bleeding coming from her nose. Jayme looked at Matt who shook his head and walked away.
“You’re bleeding baby.” James said to Jessica. She glanced at her arm and smiled.
“I’ve had worse than that.” Was her response. They all knew that it was the truth too. She looked in the direction that Matt had just gone. James pushed her in that direction. She walked away as well. They all did actually leaving Jayme to deal with the blood on her hands and face herself. Jessica found Matt getting ready to go out on stage and the rest of Sevenfold joined him and began grabbing their guitars and in Jimmy’s case taking his shirt off because he didn’t feel like wearing it anymore. Not that apparently Casey had a problem with that.
“Matt…are you gonna be okay?” Jessica asked walking over to him. Everyone gave them a little distance. The guys had three minutes until they had to be onstage.
“I think so.”
“I’m sorry…you know that I beat the shit out of your girlfriend. I just lost it.”
“Don’t apologize. She should’ve come to me. Besides she hit you.” Jessica smiled at him and hugged him.
“Have a good set.”
“Ha, I’ll try.”
“You’re a good friend Matt, I’m glad we were able to still be friends. You know after…”
“Yeah, and if James hurts you Imma kill him.” James rolled his eyes and grinned at the other vocalist as he wrapped his arms around Jessica as she leaned into him.
“Not gonna.”
---end flashback---
Leanne watched from where she was sitting on the couch as James pulled in the driveway. She grinned and got up yelling upstairs to Brian, who was messing around with his guitar while she watched TV. She opened the front door and stepped out on the porch, followed almost immediately by her husband. He leaned against the railing as the trio got out of the SUV. James rolled his eyes at Brian who grinned. He had a feeling that the whole drive back to Huntington the girls had done nothing but talked. When Bethany walked around the vehicle, Brian and Leanne were shocked at what they saw. Bethany was wearing a pair of faded denim ultra low-rider flares a pair of white and blue sneakers and a halter top. Her strawberry blonde hair was in it’s natural curly mess and was cut a little short around her face and her hair fell to about her ribcage. She was currently pulling it into to ponies, tying it back on each side of her head behind her ears. This was not the Bethany Carter they remembered.
“Oh my god Leanne look at you.”
“Me, what happened to the girl I knew in high school. Your hairs longer, and your clothes are tighter.” Leanne said laughing as the younger woman hugged her.
“New York happened.”
“You remember Brian right?”
“Yeah, I can’t believe you married him.” She was teasing Brian and that caused him to roll his eyes, but it was good to see her smiling face again.
“Hey stay have lunch with us.”
“Actually I need to go apartment hunting.”
“She didn’t plan any of this. And she refuses to stay with me and James.” Jessica said.
“Oh c’mon Beth you just got back. Stay with your sister. I know she doesn’t mind.”
“I’ll just get in the way.”
“How that house is huge…” Brian said. Jessica laughed and James smirked. Okay so maybe they hadn’t let that cat out of the bag yet.
“Trust me there’s plenty of room for you. Being married to and in love with James is the best part, the perks that come with are just extras. Rather good extras.” She said smirking as she glanced at her husband and let her eyes wonder from his to his mouth and down his body and back up. He smirked at her.
“What a big house?” Leanne asked.
“Well that’s the only one I’ll share.” Jessica said causing them to roll their eyes.
“Okay you guys aren’t telling me something.”
“Beth, don’t you listen to music?” Brian asked
“Yeah…”
“Brian you forget she listens to Pop, you know Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera…”
“Ugh that’s right.” He shuddered
“Well anyway, sis, James is the front man for Burn Halo. It’s a rock band so you’ve probably never heard…”
“Don’t they do that song Fallin’ Faster?” Leanne, Brian, and Jessica looked at her shocked.
“Yeah, since when did you change your taste in music.”
“I didn’t change it entirely. I branched out. I listen to a little bit of rock, every now and then.” Jessica shook her head.
“Well I gotta go, James keys, I’ll meet the four of you over at Zack and Cheyenne‘s.”
“Okay, are you gonna tell me where you’re going?” he asked as he handed her the keys.
“Uhm it’s a surprise.” Well it was two sided. She had a doctors appointment and she needed to figure out what the hell she was gonna do. Today was also his birthday which is why they had gone to LA for breakfast. He had told her he didn’t want anything for his birthday and she was thankful for that because he had told her that when they got married he had everything that he wanted. What the hell were you supposed to get a man that already had everything that he wanted? He shook his head at her and watched her leave. She turned around and walked back over to him. He leaned down and placed a kiss to her lips. She pulled back smiling and grinned in her sisters direction before leaving.
“Wow, harsh, she just left you here.” Lea said.
“Yeah, I guess I’m staying for lunch. Although I was told I wasn‘t allowed to do much of anything today anyway. It being my brother in laws birthday and all.” Bethany said smiling. Brian and Leanne grinned.
Matt walked into Zack’s just as Cheyenne ran down the steps calling out for Zack and she was holding a pregnancy test in her hand. Matt stopped and watched as Zack walked out of the kitchen returning the twist tie to the end of a package of bread. He looked at his girlfriend and barely had time to drop the bread before she was in his arms.
“Well?” Zack asked he was hoping to god that she was. She had laughed the day she told him that she thought she was. He had grinned and told her that he loved her more than anything in the world and that the only thing better than her marrying him, was her having his baby. So she had known when she took the test that he was going to be thrilled.
“I’m pregnant.” Zack grinned and leaned down to kiss her. She smiled up at him and they pulled apart when they heard Matt muttered something under his breath.
“What was that Matt?” Zack asked grinning at his fiancé and not letting go of her.
“I said too many fucking pregnant females.”
“Oh you’ll get over it.” Cheyenne said as she moved from Zack’s embrace and hugged him. He was apparently early for the cook out that they were having that night. It was James’ birthday and Zack had offered his place for the cook out and then they were all going either to LA or Long Beach to hit a club or two.
Jessica sat for a moment in the SUV out in Zack’s driveway she had beat the others there and now she was nervous as hell. She noticed Matt’s car and grinned. She had someone to talk to about her dilemma, she wasn’t entirely sure that James wanted kids. She had brought it up once or twice and he hadn’t said he didn’t want them, but he hadn’t said he did either. She got out of her vehicle when she saw Cheyenne walk out and towards her.
“I was wondering if you were gonna sit there all day or what.”
“Just getting my thoughts together.”
“Uh huh, so what’d you get James?”
“It’s a surprise…” she said falling back on those words.
“Well the way I see it you’re walking towards the house with out getting something out of the SUV, which only means one thing.”
“What?” Jessica said turning to look at the dark haired woman.
“You’re pregnant.”
“How the fuck did you figure that out?”
“Because despite the obvious fact that you’re nervous and you shouldn’t be, I see a smile in your eyes. The same one I saw in Zack’s this morning after I took my pregnancy test.”
“Oh my god you’re pregnant too?”
“Holy shit” Zack said walking out of the house and hearing Jessica’s statement.
“What babe?”
“Maybe Matt’s right too many fucking pregnant women.” Jessica and Cheyenne raised their eyebrows at him.
“Hey I didn’t get pregnant on my own buddy.” Cheyenne said crossing her arms over her chest and looking at the man she loved.
“I know, but you, Michaela, Jessica, and obviously Leanne.”
“Ha you’re right, good thing Hayden had the baby ain’t it?”
“Yeah and speak of the devil…” Chey and Jessica turned and laughed as Johnny got out of the car and then knocked his head against the door he had just closed a few times. Hayden got their daughter out of the car and the three standing on the lawn cringed. She was crying something awful.
“Excuse me Alexi needs to have her diaper changed. Johnny next time I tell you to stop somewhere so I can change her diaper you gonna listen?”
“Fuck yes” The others laughed and watched Hayden walk inside and watched Matt walk out covering his ears. Johnny laughed.
“Okay what’s with the screaming kid?” Matt asked.
“Johnny didn’t pull into a gas station or something for Hayden to change Alexi’s diaper. Hi Matt.”
“Hey Jess, just the girl I wanted to talk to.”
“What the hell did I do?” She asked raising an eyebrow at him.
“What I’m not allowed to talk to my best friend?”
“You are but it sounds like I’m in trouble.”
“No, should you be?”
“No”
“Alright, everyone inside we have a cook out to get ready for.” Cheyenne said and they all made their way in the house. Two hours later once everyone was there Jessica walked out front and watched as James and Brian opened the doors of Brian’s SUV for Leanne and Beth. Jessica grinned at her little sister. She looked happy. She walked to James and put his arms around him.
“I love you.”
“I love you too, are you okay baby?”
“Hey you guys are you coming in or standing out here?” Leanne asked. Beth and Brian turned too.
“We’ll be there in a minute.” Jessica called.
“Something’s bothering you. What’s wrong?” James asked. And not sure how he would respond Jessica moved from his arms. She motioned for him to stay where he was and she closed her eyes before speaking.
“James…”
“Yeah?” He asked he didn’t move, because obviously whatever she had to tell him was something she needed to be away from him for.
“I’m… well we’re gonna… I’m…pregnant.” She opened her eyes and looked at him. He stood there shocked for a minute and then grinned. And she braced herself as he walked to her. He lifted her up and spun her around before setting her down and kissing her lips gently. She smiled against his lips and returned the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Next time because after this baby there is definitely gonna be at least one more, at least I hope their will be, don’t be scared to tell me. I won’t be mad. I’ll be more than happy. I love you and I want to have kids with you. I want us to have a family. You don’t have to be scared of me. I understand why you were scared about telling me honey, but I’m letting you know you don’t have to be.” She nodded through the tears that were falling because she couldn’t believe just how perfect he was for her. How understanding he was being.
Beth walked into Zack’s house and all heads turned. She moved a little closer to Brian and Leanne. Leanne shook her head and tried not to laugh. Of course Beth would be a little nervous she hadn’t seen any of the guys in like six years and she didn’t know anyone really other than Jessica, Lea, Brian, and James. Matt watched as Zack and Cheyenne started bickering again over waiting to tell people about her being pregnant or waiting until later seeing as it was James’ birthday.
“Oh my god, just go inside and fucking tell everyone sheesh… who the hell is that?” Matt asked as a strawberry blonde with pretty blue eyes walked out with Leanne laughing. He watched her for a moment. There was something familiar about her eyes. His eyes moved down her body and when he looked back at her eyes he realized who she was. “Bethany…” Zack looked at him funny and turned to look in the direction that Matt was.
“HOLY SHIT” Zack said looking at Bethany. Cheyenne looked at him. Did he know her?
“Zack?” Bethany asked walking over with Leanne.
“Wow, look at you, all grown up.”
“Ha, funny, look at you, covered in tattoos, apparently you haven’t changed much.”
“What’s wrong with my tattoos? And I have too thank you very much.”
“Nothing baby, who’s this?” Cheyenne asked wrapping her arm around Zack’s waist, obviously making her point that he was taken.
“I’m Bethany Carter, Jessica’s my big sister.”
“What are you doing here?” Zack asked and the way he said it wasn’t nasty, just inquiring.
“I actually just got back to Huntington today. It was a surprise to Jess, I showed up without warning. Your woman?” She asked glancing at Cheyenne who was looking a little confused. And apparently thinking that Bethany and Zack had had a thing once.
“Yeah, Cheyenne, we’re getting married next September.”
“Congratulations, you look happy.”
“We are” Zack said grinning as he put an arm around Cheyenne. “Hey Matt look who’s here.” Zack called over to Matt. Who bit his lip. He had no choice but to say hi to her now. He wondered if she had ever gotten over him breaking her sisters heart.
“Bethany” He said and watched as she turned to face him. She stopped in her tracks when she saw him. Her eyes met his and they were greener than she remembered. She swallowed, shouldn’t she hate him and not suddenly be noticing his eyes or the fact the he was mouth wateringly hot.
“Matt?” She asked. Not entirely sure it was him. He looked so different. She didn’t remember him looking that fucking hot.
“Oh hey there you are Beth. Now play nice, I know you’re probably still mad at him, but we worked through it and he’s like my best friend, well my guy best friend. Sorry Lea.” Jessica said walking outside with James. Just about everyone else at the house followed them. Cheyenne raised an eyebrow at Zack. He mouthed later to her and she shrugged.
“So Jess, what’d you get James for his birthday?” Aaron asked walking over Michaela holding his hand and a can of coke in her hand while Aaron had a beer in his other one. James looked down at her and she grinned. He already knew.
“Or are you waiting to give it to him later.” Jimmy asked leaning against the side of the house and pulling Casey into his arms. Everyone caught the innuendo in that one.
“I already told him what his present was.”
“Gonna tell us, or do we even wanna know?” Leanne said laughing.
“We’re gonna be parents.” Everyone looked at them shocked.
“WHAT?!” Matt, Johnny, Brian, Leanne, and Casey exclaimed. Apparently it hit them first.
“I’m pregnant.” Jessica said and Leanne saw the smile on her face and knew that her friend was happy. That had to have been what she had told him outside. She had watched as Jessica had moved away from James and then two minutes later he had moved to her and wrapped her in his arms spinning her around and kissing her.
“No fucking way.” Casey said.
“What am I not allowed to have kids?” Jess asked.
“You are, but wow, Me, You, and Michaela all at once…holy shit.” Casey said laughing.
“Wait your pregnant?” Hayden said turning to her friend. Jimmy smirked and pulled her against his side lovingly.
“Oh god…” Zack muttered and sat on the ground putting his knees up and resting his arms on them and putting his head on his arms.
“What’s his problem?” James asked.
“Chey’s pregnant too.” Matt muttered. “I said this once I’m saying it again TOO MANY FUCKING PREGNANT FEMALES!”
“Oh god, and poor Zack has to deal with Michaela too because she’s over here all the time anyway.” Joey said. His friend glared at him.
“What me and Aaron only live next door… I’m not always over here. She comes over to our house.” Michaela said.
“Oh god, I’m with Zack…” Aaron muttered and everyone laughed. No one seemed to notice that Beth slipped inside. She looked around for a place to hide from everyone and she finally found a place upstairs in one of the rooms that apparently wasn’t used for much. She sat curled up in the window seat staring out at the clear blue sky. She had forgotten how warm California was this time of year. She was suddenly missing the cold snowy streets of New York City. She sighed as she began to think about the reason that she had left New York. She had lost the baby she had been six months pregnant with. She had been in a car accident and scared out of her mind when she had been told that she lost her baby. She had planned on moving back after the baby had been born, because she had thought that maybe Jessica could help her. The babies dad hadn’t wanted anything to do with it.
She had gotten her heart broken, because the minute that she told him she was pregnant. He said that he was leaving her. He had told her he loved her the night before and then just like that it was over. He hadn’t been the first to break her heart that way either. Well to leave her pregnant and alone he was the first but he wasn’t the first to leave her broken hearted. She sighed as she looked out at the clear blue sky and realized that you didn’t get views like this in New York City. All you saw were sky scrappers for miles. She glanced toward the door when someone opened it and walked in.
“I guess hiding runs in the family.”
“What’s that mean?” She asked looking at him as he sat across from her.
“Your sister, used to hide behind my aviators all the time. I know she did when she was hiding from her feelings for James anyway.”
“Really, Jess doesn’t hide from anything.”
“She did. You’d have to ask her and James about it sometime.”
“I will.”
“So what are you hiding from?”
“The crowd of people downstairs.”
“Why? You’ve been in New York for six years, one would think you’re used to them.”
“I haven’t been sociable for a while now.”
“Is everything okay?” Matt asked her. She looked at him and her eyebrow rose.
“Why in the hell do you care anyway?”
“Your sister is my best friend. She’s busy and I seen you come up here.”
“Your not still into my sister are you?” Beth suddenly asked. Because that was what it sounded like.
“No, but I care about her still, like a friend, that’s it.” Beth didn’t know why but that made her happy.
“I’m just thinking, I’m fine you can go back downstairs.”
“Well actually even though five chicks are pregnant they still want to head to Long Beach.”
“Go figure, hey Matt, I have a question.”
“What?”
“I know about James, you know being part of Burn Halo, how many other guys down there are…”
“What famous or part of Burn Halo?”
“Both?”
“Well you got lets see not counting James, the other four members of Burn Halo, Five Sevenfold boys, Jacoby Shaddix and Jerry Horton of Papa Roach, Josh Todd of Buckcherry and I think that’s it. None of those bands meant anything to you did they?”
“Papa Roach and Burn Halo. Jackson listened to them.” She remembered that Jackson had used to sing her Fallin’ Faster.
“So you up to a club?”
“I guess, I’ll be down in a few minutes.”
“Okay” Matt stood and watched as she looked back out the window. There was something hurting her and he noticed that she had been fine when everyone started announcing that they were pregnant. He had also most definitely noticed that she had turned into a very beautiful woman. He knew she was off limits, but god that didn’t mean he couldn’t look did it? He watched her for a second and sighed. He closed the door behind him and walked back downstairs. Jessica and Leanne were glaring at him from the bottom stairs.
“What the hell did you say to her Sanders.” Jessica demanded.
“I didn’t say nothing.”
“What’d you do?” Leanne demanded.
“Nothing…”
“MATT” Jessica said crossing her arms over her chest.
“He didn’t do nothing sis, he was just checking on me.” They all looked at Beth as she took up for Matt. Jessica said nothing just shook her head. That was a first her baby sister sticking up for Matt.
“Beth, is something wrong?”
“No, nothing, I’m ready to go.” She said and smiled as she walked down the steps.
That night James and Jessica left early as did Leanne and Brian, with a promise from every single one of them that Beth would be fine and they’d bring her to their house before going home. Once the others were gone Beth looked down at her beer. She had been sitting there nursing the same one for an hour. It was only her second.
“You look like you’re debating something stronger or leaving.” Cheyenne said glancing at her.
“I’m debating what that stronger is gonna be.” Beth muttered as she pulled her hair out of the two ponies it had been in and pulled it all back at the nape of her neck before standing. She walked to the bar and ordered a shot of tequila. Then she walked to the DJ and requested five songs. Moments later she was dragging the girls onto the dance floor with her since she wasn’t dancing with any of the guys. Matt’s eyes were on her as the girls danced to some pop song. He kinda recognized it as either Britney Spears of Christina Aguilera. He watched the way her body moved and that’s when he started shooting back shots a hell of a lot faster than he had been. She kept up with him. By the time any of them started leaving later she was trashed and no one said a word when she left with Matt. They figured that he would just take her home. They stopped in the parking lot though when Beth stopped.
“I don’t want to go to Jess’s her and James probably want the rest of the night to themselves. Can I crash on your couch?”
“I guess” Matt muttered. Oh lord this was bad. When they got to his place as much as he knew it was wrong when she kissed him he returned it. He backed her against a wall as their hands ran over one another. They had already lost their shirts and his hands were moving to the strap at her back for her bra. Her hands had moved to the button on his jeans.
“Beth…” a moan escaped his lips as her hands touched the skin above where she was unbuttoning his jeans. “Bethany, we can’t…” Matt said pulling back reluctantly. He closed his eyes and let go of her. This was one of the hardest things he had to do because his body was telling him how much he wanted her. But his heart was saying he couldn’t take advantage of her.
“But.. Matt…” She kissed him again and he kissed her back once more letting it last with her body against his tight so she couldn‘t let her hands roam where they wanted to, then he pulled away. She got pissy when he told her where the couch was. She pulled her shirt back on then she stormed off and when he came back downstairs five minutes later after taking the blanket off the foot of his bed and one of his pillows she was asleep. He carefully lifted her head and placed the pillow under it and then covered her up. He placed a light kiss to her lips.
“Good night Bethany.” He said softly and walked back upstairs. He knew he had done the right thing.
The next morning Matt woke when the front door slammed open and he heard Jessica yelling. He rolled out of bed and glanced down at himself. He had slept in his jeans. He glanced at the clock and cringed. Ten AM. She was pissed by the sound of her voice. He was a dead man.
“Matthew Charles Sanders so help me god I’m going to fucking kill you.”
“Ow… quit yelling…” Bethany said as she walked out of the living room in her obviously slept in clothes, as Matt walked down the stairs. He noticed Beth’s head was in her hands.
“If you’re gonna puke bathrooms right there.” Matt said pointing at a door down the hall. “Why the hell are you yelling?”
“How the fuck do you not have a hangover.” Beth asked.
“She was supposed to come home last night!” Jessica exclaimed
“I do have one, I just don‘t ever show it.” Matt said at the same time.
“I figured you guys would wanna be alone.” Beth said with them. James rolled his eyes at the three of them. He handed Beth her bag and she took it. She raised an eyebrow at Matt.
“Upstairs to the left, second door.” he said and she headed up the stairs with her bag tossed over her shoulder and with her hands she pulled her jeans up a little as she walked. Matt didn’t comment about the obvious fact that they now all knew what color her thong was and that there was a little heart charm attached to it. He kept a smirk from his face. He was hung over yes, but he was more sober than he had been last night and he had stopped what they had started. But that didn’t mean he didn’t remember the way her hands had felt on his skin, how good her skin had felt beneath his hands, or the taste of her lips as she kissed him.
James touched Jessica’s shoulder when she looked like she was getting ready to yell at Matt again. He motioned to the living room and they walked in. Matt picked up the blanket he had covered her up with last night and the pillow he had given her and carried them upstairs without anyone saying a word to him. He was in deep shit and he knew it. He heard the shower in the bathroom and wanted to smack himself for thinking about how much he would love to join her. As much as he wanted her he couldn’t have her. He heard Jess and James talking when he got back downstairs.
“Jess, just ask him if anything happened.”
“James shit, she’s my baby sister.”
“She’s also a grown woman now honey.”
“That’s what scares me.”
“Nothing happened Jess.” Matt said walking in.
“You’re lying I see it in your eyes Matt.” Jessica said.
“Okay so something did happen but it got stopped okay. We didn’t sleep together. Blame the alcohol, at least I still had some self control, but all we did was make out okay.”
“No, not okay, this is why you should’ve brought her home.”
“Jess, I’m the one that stopped it.” Jessica’s head snapped in his direction and looked at him. Mr. One Night Stand, actually stopped something from happening. “I mean shit, as hot as she is, she’s your baby sister.” He couldn’t believe he said that part about her being hot. At least he hadn’t used the word sexy. He would’ve gotten more than just a pillow tossed at his head. Ten minutes later Bethany walked downstairs dressed in a pair of Capri’s a white v-neck t-shirt and pulling a giant hoodie of her head that had the logo for the school she had gone to on the front. Her hair was damp and she had braided it into two thick long braids that she pulled out from under the hoodie and let hang down behind her back. She had forgotten her duffle bag.
“Ready to go?” Jess asked.
“Yeah, I need food and about fifty Tylenol.”
“More like two.” Jessica muttered.
“Whatever.” And they walked out. Matt shut the door behind James and he watched the trio walk to the SUV. He also a moment later watched Beth turn around and walk back to the house. He opened the door after she knocked. She smiled at him shyly and darted up the stairs she came back down a minute later with her bag over her shoulder. She stopped in front him, stopping him from opening the front door for her. She stood up on tip toe and kissed his cheek.
“Thank you”
“For what?”
“Not taking advantage of me.” and she opened the door herself and closed it gently behind her leaving a very stunned Matt Sanders behind her. Matt smiled and watched as she dashed back out the door.
Two months later they were at the hospital for Leanne who had gone into labor and Matt who hadn’t really talked to Bethany in the past two months except in passing as James and Jessica helped her find an apartment and get settled in, watched as even though Leanne was one of Bethany’s best friends looked saddened while everyone else around her was happy. Although four of them were pregnant, and that wasn’t counting Leanne because she was about to have her baby. He could tell that something was wrong with her. He walked over to her. They had all been there about three hours and he was starting to get hungry.
“Hey Bethany, wanna come with me and get food for everyone?”
“Yeah, James, tell Jess I’ll be back.”
“Okay” He said without looking up from what he was doing. Which was sorting through songs on his IPOD. They had all brought one because they knew that they would be there for a while. Beth grabbed her wallet and slid it in the back pocket of her black jeans and followed Matt. He glanced sideways at her in her black jeans, sneakers, and oversized t-shirt. That was more like the girl he remembered from high school. Although she had been almost flat chested in high school. She wasn’t anymore, and he knew the difference, when a woman had gotten implants and when they hadn’t. He knew she hadn’t. He thought about that night often actually, but right now he wanted to know why she was sad and close to crying. When they got out to his car he watched as she got in and turned her head and wiped away the single tear that slid down her face. He touched her arm and she turned to look at him.
“Are you okay Bethany?”
“I’m fine”
“You’re crying.” He said and she looked at him and smiled weakly at him.
“If I tell you something will you promise not to tell my sister?”
“I can’t make that promise Bethany. You know that. If I find out what’s wrong, she’ll expect me to tell her.”
“Please, Matt I don’t want her to know. But I have to talk about it to somebody. And I don’t know why but that somebody has gotta be you.”
“I won’t tell her.” He whispered.
“When I came back Matt it was planned. I just didn’t want Jessica helping me. I had to do it myself.”
“What happened in New York?”
“I was pregnant. I lost the baby a week before I came home. I had been in a car accident.”
“Beth…”
“The baby’s dad didn’t want it. I was going to have the baby and then come home. I was on the way to the doctors office the day I was supposed to find out what it was gonna be.”
“How far were you?”
“Six months. I told Jackson, he was the father and he just left. He broke my heart when he did. He had told me the night before that he loved me. I was a fool to believe him. I always believed them when they said those words. But he just left me and this time he didn’t just walk out on me.”
“He walked out on the baby.”
“Yeah. Matt can you take me back to my apartment please? I Don’t wanna go back up there.”
“I can do that. I’ll just tell them you weren’t feeling well.”
“Thank you.” thirty minutes later Matt was using her key to unlock her apartment door and she walked inside.
“I’ll call and make sure you’re okay later okay.”
“Matt I don’t want to be alone.” She said walking to him.
“Beth, no, not like this.” and he bent down and kissed her tenderly on the lips. And he left with no promises made, and his heart in her hands. He stopped and picked up enough McDonalds for all of them and when he got back Jessica looked at him like where the fuck is my sister.
“She didn’t feel good Jess, I took her back to her apartment.”
“She felt fine this morning.” Everyone looked up knowing where the conversation was about to go.
“She wasn’t looking too good when they left.” Zack piped up wondering if he was gonna get out of his friend why he was defending him, and if he found out that he’d used the opportunity to get in Beth’s pants he was gonna kill him.
“Oh, okay.” Jessica said looking at Zack.
That night when Matt left the hospital after the baby was born he was instructed to check on Beth before going home. Because the others were too tired and Jess was staying with Leanne and Brian a little bit longer. Matt walked up the walk to her apartment and knocked on the door. She opened the door a few minutes later sleepy eyed and in baggy pajama bottoms and a neon green tank top. He shook his head at the sight. Her red curls were out of control and he found it sexy.
“What’re you doing here?”
“Checking on you.”
“Oh, you want to come in, I was gonna make something to eat.”
“Sure.” He said and he entered the apartment and looked anywhere but at her. She opened the freezer and pulled out a frozen pizza. He took it from her and opened it while she grabbed a package of pepperoni’s and extra cheese. She motioned to a cabinet beside the stove and he found a pizza pan in it. She added the cheese and pepperoni’s to it. And he preheated the oven. They sat at the little table in the small kitchen.
“How are you feeling Bethany?”
“Better, you didn’t tell her?”
“No, but you should, when you’re ready.” Matt told her gently. She smiled at him.
“Thank you, you know for listening.”
“You needed someone to talk to.”
“Why you?”
“Why me what?”
“The someone to talk to.”
“I don’t know Bethany.”
“Matt, I liked it better when you called me Beth…” He looked into her blue eyes and he knew suddenly why in the past two months he hadn’t been able to touch another woman.
“Bethany, it’s not a good idea.”
“Why Matt?”
“Your sister would kill me.”
“Speaking of, she never told me why you broke up with her.”
“I was in love with someone else.” Matt said not looking her in the eyes.
“Val, the blonde you dated after her.”
“No, someone I couldn’t have.” He said looking her in those blue eyes that had stolen his heart so many years ago. She wasn’t the same girl she was back then, but she was still the one he could never have. At times ever since moving back to Huntington he had seen the girl she used to be shine through and that was when she had been happiest. She looked at him and they both sat there looking at the other for a moment. They jumped when the timer went off to signal that the oven was preheated. She stood and put the pizza in the oven and set the timer. She didn’t sit back down instead she walked to him. She touched a hand to his cheek and leaned forward placing the gentlest of kisses to his lips. He pulled her down to sit on his lap and just held her. She lay her head on his shoulder and they sat like that until they heard someone clear their throat five minutes later. Bethany moved from where she was and looked guiltily at her sister. James was leaning on the door frame watching his wife. They hadn’t heard them come in.
“What the hell?” Jessica said.
“How long have you been standing there?” Beth asked.
“Since right after you put the pizza in the oven.” It was obvious she couldn’t bring herself to say that it had been since she had kissed Matt. There was evidence that that was the logical thing in the oven since the pizza package and the pepperoni package were still on the counter. Jessica’s blue green eyes darkened as she looked between the two. Matt stood and looked at her.
“Jess…”
“Don’t talk to me Matt.” She told him and she pointed back to Beth’s bedroom and motioned for her sister to move. Beth did, but she looked back at Matt helplessly. He bit his lip, what the hell were they supposed to do.
“You know she’s gonna murder you right?” James asked him as he walked into the room the rest of the way.
“Why did it have to be Bethany?” Matt asked James as he lowered his head to the table in defeat after he sat again. He had nothing left to loose so he might as well admit to it. He’d already lost his heart to her, now he was about to loose her and he had never really had her to begin with.
“Good question.” James said and patted his friend on the back.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing Bethany Elizabeth Carter?” Jessica hissed as she slammed the door behind her. In the kitchen both men jumped.
“I’m a grown up now Jess, you can’t dictate my life.”
“Anyone but him Beth, anyone. He broke my heart and here you are cuddling up to him in the kitchen behind my back.”
“Jess…”
“No I’m not done. Don’t you get it, he’ll move on once he’s tired of you. Remember, he said he was in love with someone else and the day after we broke up he was dating Val. For god sake he hadn’t been with her more than two days before he fucked her.”
“He…”
“Don’t defend him.”
“Jessica…”
“I can’t believe you…”
“SHUT UP, JUST SHUT UP!!!:
“Excuse me?” Beth had never yelled at her like that before.
“He wasn’t in love with Val. She’s not why he broke up with you.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Jessica said sitting on the bed in her sisters room. They looked up when Matt and James walked in. Apparently they had heard the yelling.
“I fell in love with your sister Jessica.” Matt said and she looked up at him.
“It was Beth…” She asked quietly? Matt nodded and she looked between the two. She moved to James who held her. She didn’t speak for a moment, they were shocked when she did. “I… I… can handle that.” She said. They looked at her and James held her tight against him.
“C’mon, Jess, let’s leave them alone.” James whispered in her ear. She nodded and they headed to the front door. Beth and Matt looking at the doorway to the bedroom in shock. A moment later Jessica ran back in the room and hugged her sister and then Matt, only she had something to say to him.
“Hurt her and you’ll regret it, I know where Brian’s guns are.” And with that she was gone. He stood there shocked for a minute and somehow what brought them back down to their senses, was the buzzer in the kitchen going off. They both moved quickly to the kitchen and she took the pizza from the oven and he turned the oven off while she placed the pizza on the counter. She didn’t grab the pizza cutter. She looked at him and he looked at her. They moved at the same time. His lips on hers and his hands on her was all he suddenly wanted. But he wanted to move slow. He held her close as he kissed her. Their clothes slowly came off and they didn’t rush things when they made it to her bedroom. He lay her down and then joined her in bed. She smiled at him.
“I love you Matt.”
“I love you…Beth.” Her eyes lightened and she kissed him before they made love for the first time.
They woke up the next morning and He smiled as he realized that she was curled into his side still asleep. He kissed the top of her forehead and the only thing going through his head was the he finally had her and it was the best feeling in the world. He wasn’t letting go now that he had her. He looked at her laying there asleep. Her hair was a mess and she was smiling as she began to wake up. She looked up into those beautiful green eyes that had haunted her dreams for the past few months and smiled.
“Morning Matt.”
“Morning Beth” He kissed her gently.
“I’m kinda hungry…”
“We did abandon that pizza.”
“Yeah we did.” and she moved from the bed and grabbed his shirt off the floor pulling it on. He grinned as he pulled his jeans on. They walked out of the bedroom with their arms wrapped around one another. When they got to the kitchen she grabbed plates and he shook his head as he pulled the note off the fridge.
…figured you’d abandon the pizza, it’s in the fridge - Jessica…
He showed the note to Beth and grabbed the pizza from the fridge and she passed him the pizza cutter. A few minutes later after she grabbed two beers they were sitting. She grabbed a slice of pizza at the same time he did. He smiled across the little table at him.
“So what’d Jessica say to you last night?” Beth asked after she swallowed her first bite and chased it with beer.
“She threatened me.”
“With what? Her husband?”
“Brian…guns”
“Him or his guns?”
“His guns, her words were I know where Brian’s guns are.”
“Oh shit!” she said laughing. He rolled his eyes at her and smiled at her over his beer. When they finished eating he walked down the hall to go to the bathroom and when he walked back into the kitchen two minutes later she was dancing around the kitchen listening to Dirrty by Christina Aguilera, while she tossed the beer bottles and cleaned the pizza pan. He stood there leaning against the door frame watching her. If she was gonna dance around in his shirts like that every time she cleaned he had a feeling he could get used to her taste in music. She dipped down when she opened the dishwasher to put the plates in it and he had to grin. Yep he could most definitely get used to it.
Later as they finally left her apartment hand in hand to go over see Leanne they were smiling. Leanne looked up when the two of them walked in. Her eyes went wide at the sight of Matt and Beth together. She was still wearing his shirt only to his protests she had put a bra on under it and was wearing the same thong that he had she had been wearing the day she walked back into his life. Her jeans were low rise like most of her jeans seemed to be, but he didn’t mind. They had stopped at his house so he could get a new shirt. She wasn’t giving his up. Brian who was holding the baby looked at them shocked as well.
“What the hell?” Brian asked.
“So I take it Jessica hasn’t been in?” Matt asked.
“Or Called?” Beth asked.
“No” Leanne said cautiously.
“Why?” Brian asked.
“Do me a favor man, lock up and hide the guns. She threatened to kill me.”
“I can see why.” Brian said.
“Only if I hurt her, and I don’t plan on doing that but you know she is hormonal and that’s scarier than when she’s just …”
“Not pregnant?” Beth supplied.
“Yeah” Matt said grinning at her.
xoxox
Six months later Jessica, Cheyenne, Michaela, and Casey managed to go into labor at about the same time and everyone was trying to figure out how in the hell that had happened. As the few that weren’t in the hospital rooms with the soon to be parents sat around waiting they discussed it. Joey just shrugged and Brian shook his head and pulled Leanne and four month old Kelly to him. Leanne looked at her husband and smiled as he took his daughter from her. They looked up as Bethany and Matt walked in.
“You’re late, Jess is freaking out.” Leanne supplied as the two made their way to the room Jessica was in.
“We had a couple of stops to make.” Beth said looking at her friend. Matt grinned and wrapped an arm around her. For once she had a purse over her shoulder instead of her wallet in her back pocket. That in itself was odd. They all noticed that Matt was pretty fond of her low riders because she seemed to only own that type of jeans now.
“Where the hell have you been?” Jessica demanded when the two walked in her room.
“Chill, sheesh sis, it’s not like we cared more about ourselves and ignored the call James made and stayed in bed…we had a couple of stops to make.”
“Where?”
“Can I use the bathroom before I answer that?” She asked.
“Whatever.” Matt rolled his eyes and sat in a chair across from Jessica’s bed. He didn’t want to be next to it when Beth walked out of the bathroom. Five minutes later Jessica watched as the bathroom door opened. “What the hell took so long, I no longer am in the mood to bitch at you.” Beth ignored her sister and looked across the room at Matt. She grinned and he stood and wrapped her in his arms.
“I’m not going anywhere baby.” He whispered in her ear.
“I know…” she whispered back and she kissed him.
“Okay what the hell is going on, don’t ignore me Bethany!” Jessica said and James glanced behind Beth to the bathroom. He saw a couple of pregnancy test boxes on the counter. No wonder she hadn’t opened the door all the way.
“I’m gonna have a baby!” Beth said and she moved and hugged her sister.
“Wh…what?” Jessica sat up a little more in the hospital bed and glared at Matt.
“I didn’t do it by myself.” He said backing away.
“MATTHEW CHARLES SANDERS I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!” Jessica yelled. That had not only the nurses running in but even the entire gang minus the three other women in labor. They all stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Beth standing in front of Matt and he looked like he was using her as a human shield. She wasn’t complaining.
“What the hell was that about?” Brian asked. He looked from the two standing on one side of the room to the pregnant about to give birth woman who’s husband was trying to calm her down.
“He… mother fucker…”
“Jess you’re not making sense.” Hayden said.
“Sonofabitch knocked her up.”
“Hey that Sonofabitch is also my fiancé thank you.” Matt smirked as Jessica’s head snapped in their direction.
“Oh god…” Jessica lay back on the bed and muttered several strings of curses in the other twos direction.
“You should’ve known that shit was coming girl, she moved in with him.”
“What the hell are you talking about Hayden.”
“And that’d be why we didn’t tell her.” Beth muttered under her breath causing even James to laugh, and seeing as he was married to Jessica, and closest he paid for it dearly. She reached out and punched him.
“Again, Matt hurt her and I kill you.” Matt glanced at Beth she nodded.
“Unlike the assholes in New York, I’m not gonna walk away from her when I get tired of her, because I’m’ not gonna get tired of her.”
“Ha, considering even I noticed you no longer cringe when she listens to her music.” Leanne said laughing.
“Uhm…”
“Could have something to do with me dancing around the house to it in my bra and panties half the time.’ Beth said and the doctors shooed them out so Jessica could give birth.