Lost in Darkness

“Thanks for letting me stay with you guys.” Cali said softly as she followed Brian and Jen into the house with a box of clothes in her arms.

“Hey, it’s no problem.” Brian smiled, reaching out to take the box from her. “You know we wouldn’t make you stay by yourself.”

“Technically, I wasn’t by myself. Jimmy’s been with me, but I just don’t feel safe in that house anymore.”

“I don’t blame you.” Jen frowned lightly, studying her friend. “With all the crap that’s been happening, I’m surprised you haven’t asked to stay with us sooner.”

“Daddy told me to wait and see if it went away. He deals with anonymous weirdoes all the time and they usually just give up after a while. No such luck here.”

“Well, you’ll be safe with us.” Brian said reassuringly, setting the box down in the spare room. “We’ve got a top notch security system, thanks to Jen’s dad.”

“I’ve got one too, Boogie. But he’s never tried to get into the house that I know of.” Making a face, the heiress sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “I just feel uneasy when I’m there, like he’s constantly watching me or something.”

“I’d feel creeped out if I were you, too.” Jen muttered.

“Be glad you’re not me. You saw the letters he sent. The guy is seriously fucked in the head.”

Nodding, the brunette sat down on the corner of the bed and raised an eyebrow. “Is Jimmy coming over?”

“He said he would after he finished helping his dad with something. You guys don’t mind if he stays, right?”

“Why would we mind, Cali?” Brian asked, smirking. “You know damn well that you and Jimmy are always welcome here. Just do us a favor and try to keep the loud sex to a minimum.”

Cali flushed pink and looked down at the floor as Jen reached over and pinched her fiancé.

“Ow! Babe, what gives?” Brian cried, rubbing his arm.

“Be nice.” The older woman muttered, rolling her eyes. Shaking her head, she looked back at Cali with a smile. “Are you hungry or anything? I was about to make lunch when you got here.”

“Oh, no. I’m fine. I think I’m just going to get the rest of my stuff moved in and then take a nap. I haven’t been getting much sleep with all of the phone calls.”

“I can imagine.” Getting up from the bed, Jen smiled and rested a hand on Cali’s shoulder. “You go ahead and get some rest, okay? We’ll wake you up when Jimmy gets here.”

“I’m pretty sure Jim can do a good job of that on his own.” Cali snickered. “But thanks.”

“Sure thing. Come on Brian, let’s leave her alone.”

“I’ll be there in a minute.” Brian murmured, watching his fiancée walk out of the room. Turning back to Cali, he sighed and pulled her in for a hug. “I don’t want you to worry about anything, Gonzo. You’re safe here.”

“I thought I was safe at home, Boogie.” Cali sighed, hugging him tighter. “But even with Jimmy there, I just didn’t feel safe enough.”

“You said yourself that the dude didn’t try to get into the house, right?”

“I don’t know if he did.” She shook her head. “I would assume that my alarm system would have gone off or something.”

“Well, he won’t be getting in here.” Brian gave her a reassuring squeeze and kissed her cheek. “You look beat.”

Snickering, Cali pulled away to open up a box and take out her pillow to put on the bed. “Like I said, I haven’t gotten much sleep lately.”

“Obviously.” Frowning as he studied the dark circles under his friend’s eyes, Brian sighed and headed for the door. “Well, I’ll let you unpack. If you need anything, let us know.”

“Thanks Boogie.”

“Though, I do have a question.”

“Yeah?” Looking up from where she’d been opening a box. Cali raised a brow.

“Where is your dad? I mean, I know if my child were getting stalked by some psycho, I wouldn’t be off somewhere else.”

“He’s in Rome for a while. You know how he is with business.” Shrugging, Cali frowned. “I just wish he hadn’t taken Markus with him. Maybe I would have been able to stay home if Mark was here.”

“I certainly wouldn’t want to be a stalker if Markus was around.” Brian chuckled. “That guy is burlier than Matt.”

“Markus is very intimidating.” Cali nodded absently, running her fingers over a shirt buried in the bottom of one of the boxes. Looking back up at Brian, she smiled. “I’m fine, Brian. You don’t have to watch me unpack.”

“Right. Well, like I said, just holler if you need us.” Walking out the door without another word, Brian shut it behind him.

Sighing, Cali sat down on the edge of the bed and rubbed her hands over her face. She was so tired lately that she was surprised she was even able to walk around. Ever since the letters had started coming, it was like she’d been keeping one eye open at all times. And then there were never ending phone calls. Every night, like clockwork, the phone would start ringing at ten and wouldn’t quit till well past six the next morning. It seemed that the only time they stopped was when Jimmy was over. But Jimmy couldn’t be there all the time and she was often left alone at night, which she hated.

She’d never been afraid of being alone before. Truth be told, she hadn’t been afraid of much before this bullshit had started. But lately, everything scared her. She couldn’t hear a noise in the house without wondering if the man tormenting her was walking around somewhere inside. She’d lost count of how many times she’d sent Jimmy around to check all of the locks on the doors and windows before they went to bed. She’d invested in dark curtains for the windows and stepped up the security on the house, but nothing made her feel better. Finally, she’d begged Jen and Brian to let her stay with them, at least until her father came home.

Of course, her friends had been more than willing to help. Cali knew that Jen was busy planning her wedding and that Brian was going to be heading into the studio with the guys for a follow up to their last album, but both of them had welcomed her into their home with open arms. Thank goodness, too. Cali couldn’t walk around her house without feeling like she was being watched. The last straw had come after she’d received a letter filled with some very personal shots of her that Jimmy had taken with a camera she usually kept in her car. The pictures had all been marked with various sexual slurs and the letter that accompanied them hinted that the man intended to do something vile to her the next time she was alone. So, in the hopes of throwing him off, she’d packed up and left her beloved beach house; trading the sudden discomfort of her own home for a safe, secure spot in the guest room of Brian and Jen’s place.

As she looked around the room, Cali wondered if this would ever end. Sighing, she got up to put a few more things away when she heard a soft whining on the other side of the door. Curious, she went over and opened it, stepping back when Brian’s dog Pinkly rushed in and jumped up on the bed. The little Maltese wagged her tail happily and stood up on her hind legs when Cali approached the bed. Smiling, the heiress gave her a few pats on the head and yawned again.

Figuring she could finish unpacking later, she kicked her shoes off and lay down on the bed. Pinkly curled up against her side as Cali stared blankly at the wall in front of her; she absently wondered if Brian had remembered to lock all of the windows in the room. Slowly, her eyes began to slide shut as she sighed deeply and fell asleep.

X+X+X+X

“I hope she’s gonna be all right.” Jen murmured as she cut up the chicken she was preparing for that night’s dinner. “She looks so worn out.”

“I’ve never seen her like that.” Brian confessed, going to the fridge for a beer. “Not even when she was going through her insomnia bullshit.”

“I think there’s a difference between insomnia and being kept awake because you’re too afraid to sleep.” Frowning, the brunette glanced at her fiancé. “Did she ever show you the letters?”

Brian nodded slowly. “Yeah. The guy who wrote em is pretty twisted. Some of the things he said he was going to do to her…”

“It’s a wonder that Lucio didn’t fly straight home to take care of her. I know how he is about his job, but I also know that his daughter comes first, regardless.”

“I know what you mean. Hell, the guy could have at least sent Markus back.”

“Well, I’m sure whatever it is that they’re busy doing is important.”

“I hope so. I don’t want Lu to come home and tell us that he was away for something stupid. I might have to hit him.”

“Brian,” Jen giggled, setting her knife aside as she scooped the cubed chicken into a bowl of marinade. “You know damn well that Lu would shoot you if you tried.”

“I’d still do it.” Shrugging, Brian took a drink of his beer and looked around. “Where the hell is Pinkly?”

“She’s in Cali’s room, I think. I heard her wander down the hall and she hasn’t come back.”

“That’s a first.” Brian snorted. “Usually, she’s in here when you’re cooking.”

“Well, they do say that animals can sense when people are distressed. Maybe Pinkly just wants to make Cali feel better.”

“Maybe.” Sighing, the brunet looked over at his fiancée and smiled before coming over to wrap his arms around her shoulders. “Are you gonna be able to work while Cali is here?”

“Brian, planning a wedding is not rocket science. It won’t be that hard to do, even with the extra person in the house. Hell, Cali might want to help.”

“Somehow, I doubt that. She’s not all that big on weddings.”

“Yes, I know.” Rolling her eyes, the brunette sighed and turned to kiss Brian’s cheek. “Besides, it’s not like I’m going to be waiting on her hand and foot.”

“Don’t be so sure of that.” Chuckling, Brian kissed Jen’s temple and walked away to give her room to work. As he headed into the living room, he paused to look down the hall leading to the guest room. He couldn’t help feeling a little worried about his friend. He’d never seen her so messed up before. She’d certainly never been this scared about something before. Even Jimmy had expressed his concern for his girlfriend. He’d recently told Brian that the little woman had pretty much stopped sleeping, even when he was there, and would jump at even the tiniest of noises. And if the house wasn’t sealed up tight like an army base, she’d flat out refuse to relax until Jimmy made sure there were no monsters peeking in through the windows or waiting at the back door for her to leave it carelessly unlocked.

According to Jimmy, the doctor she’d seen had prescribed some pretty powerful anti anxiety meds for her, but they did little to help. Instead of calming her the way they were supposed to, they just turned her into a fretting zombie who sat around with her eyes wide open, too terrified to fall asleep for even a second.

Sighing, the brunet ran a hand through his hair and tore his eyes away from the door. He hoped that Cali would be able to rest up and maybe get back to her old self while she was here. Taking a seat in his favorite chair, Brian picked up the remote to turn the TV on and find something to watch until dinner was ready.

X+X+X+X

When Cali awoke later that night, she found herself lying disoriented on a bed that wasn’t hers. One glance at the fuzzy little body cuddled beside her reminded her that she wasn’t at home any more. She was staying with Brian and Jen because home wasn’t safe. Sitting up, she stretched her arms above her head and heard Pinkly jump off the bed and wander over to the door. Yawning, the heiress swung her legs over the side of the bed and tried to navigate through the pitch black room to let the dog out. She grunted when she ran into a few boxes, and felt along the wall for the light switch. Flicking it on, she blinked the spots out of her eyes and screamed at the top of her lungs when she looked up to see a set of blue eyes staring straight back at her.

Footsteps thundered down the hall as Brian and Jimmy fought to be the first one there. The door burst open and the drummer rushed inside to gather the startled woman in his arms.

“What happened?” He asked, looking her over for any sign that she’d been hurt.

“I saw…” Pointing to where the eyes had been, Cali felt a little foolish when she realized she’d been unknowingly standing in front of a mirror that hung near the door. Putting a hand to her face, she shook her head. “I thought I saw someone. Guess I only saw myself.”

“Jesus, Gonzo.” Brian breathed, leaning against the doorframe. “You scared the shit out of me.”

“It scared me too!” Cali cried, frowning. “Why the hell is there a mirror there in the first place?”

“I don’t know. Ask Jen. She’s the one that decorated the room.”

“Is everything all right in here?” Jen asked, coming down the hall to peek into the guest room.

“Everything’s fine.” Jimmy answered, stroking Cali’s hair soothingly as he held her tight. “She just scared herself.”

“Who puts a mirror there?” Cali mumbled bitterly, snuggling into Jimmy’s protective embrace. “Honestly,”

Turning to see what she was talking about, Jen winced and instantly reached up to take the mirror off the wall. “Sorry about that. I guess I didn’t think it would be an issue.”

“It’s all right, Jen. She’s not upset at you.” Jimmy reassured the brunette.

“I’m going to go put this away. Um, dinner’s done if anyone is hungry.”

“We’ll be in there in a minute, babe.” Brian nodded at his fiancée and looked back at Jimmy and Cali. “I assume you’ll take it from here?”

“Yeah.” Nodding, Jimmy waited until Brian had left before turning back to his girlfriend. Reaching up, he cupped her cheek in his hand and raised an eyebrow. “You okay?”

“I’ll be fine. That just scared the shit out of me.” Cali murmured, looking back up at him. A light smile spread across her lips as she stood on her toes to kiss him. “When did you get here?”

“I had only just walked in the door when you screamed.” The drummer answered, kissing back. “I was asking Brian how you were doing and then… well, you know.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scream like that.”

“It’s understandable, babe. You were startled. With the shit you’ve gone through lately, I would be more surprised if you hadn’t screamed.” Smirking, he sighed and hugged her tight. “This is all going to change, baby. It’s going to go away.”

“You don’t know that, Jimmy. For all I know, he’s just going to keep looking for me until he finds me again.”

“He won’t find you again. I’ll make sure of it.”

“And how are you going to do that? We don’t even know who this psycho is, Jim.”

“Don’t worry about that. I told you, I’m going to keep you safe, no matter what happens. If I have to tell the boys that we’re gonna have to postpone the album in order to stay with you, then I will.”

“You know they wouldn’t be happy about that.”

“No, but they’d understand. They care about you too, Cali. They’re all just as worried as the rest of us are.”

“I just don’t understand.” Cali frowned and lowered her gaze. “Why me? I’m nobody. Why the hell would anyone want to stalk me?”

“Baby,” Sighing, Jimmy sat down on the bed and pulled her into his lap. “You’re the daughter of a very powerful man. Your best friend is the daughter of a well known actor. Your other best friends are in a band. Unfortunately, running with that sort of crowd is bound to bring a few weirdoes out of the woodwork.”

“I know, but Jesus, Jimmy I haven’t done anything. So what if Daddy is powerful and rich? So what if Johnny Depp is Jen’s dad? So what if you all are in a fucking band? That doesn’t explain why I’m the target! Why me, huh? Why not someone who actually matters in the world?”

“You matter to me.” The drummer said quietly, resting his head on her shoulder with a pout.

“But I’m nobody to anyone else! I’m just another fucking face in the crowd! Hell, Jen is more well known than I am!”

“Jen is also a model, baby.” Jimmy wound his arms around her in an attempt to calm her down.

“That’s my fucking point! Why the hell is this happening to me when it should be happening to someone famous?”

Jimmy sighed again and frowned. He knew his poor girlfriend was just exhausted by the things that had been going on over the past few months. Hell, he’d had a front row seat to the break down of her seemingly impenetrable outer shell. He was angry at the sicko who had turned his once unshakable lover into a cowering mess of jumpy nerves and irrational fear. He wanted to find out who this guy was and turn him inside out for all the things that he’d done. He hated that there wasn’t anything he could do to make this all stop so Cali could go back to being Cali.

“I just want to know what he wants from me.” The dark haired woman whispered, swallowing hard. “That’s all I want.”

Jimmy tightened his hold on her when she squeezed her eyes shut and turned to bury her face against his shoulder. Her body shuddered as she fought to keep her sobs down, and the drummer could do little more than sit there and rub her back. It wasn’t fair for this to be happening to her. The little woman had done nothing to deserve this sort of torment. Nobody was even sure how this psycho had even found her. For all anyone knew, it was just some elaborate, twisted joke being played by a random nobody in order to fray her sanity.

Closing his eyes, Jimmy cupped the back of Cali’s head and turned to kiss her cheek. “I’m sorry, baby. I wish I knew what to tell you.”

Cali said nothing as she clutched at his shoulders and cried. Jimmy just sat there and tried his best to soothe her, occasionally peppering her damp cheek with little kisses. Finally, she pulled away and dragged the back of her wrist over her cheeks. Sighing heavily, she turned her bloodshot eyes to him and leaned her head against his.

“I’m sorry.” She murmured, still sounding choked. “I’m not trying to unload all of this on you. I’m just…”

“You don’t have to apologize, baby.” Jimmy smiled and dried her tears with the corner of his shirt. “I know things are rough for you right now.”

“I know, but I don’t have to drag you down with me, you know?”

Smirking, the drummer planted a kiss to her forehead and nuzzled at her hair. “You’re not dragging me down. I’m your boyfriend, remember? I’m supposed to let you vent and cry to me, especially when something like this is happening to you.”

“Yeah, but I know I can’t be all that much fun to be around lately.” Sniffling, the heiress frowned. “I’m all paranoid and shit.”

“You have a reason to be paranoid. And to be perfectly honest, I’m a little paranoid myself. I always worry about you when I’m not with you, which is why I’m glad you’re going to be staying here with Brian and Jen. At least I know they can keep an eye on you when I’m not around.”

“I hope so.” Covering her mouth as she fought a yawn, Cali rubbed at her eyes and grunted as she set her head on his shoulder. “Fuck, I’m still so tired.”

“Have you taken any of your pills today?”

She shook her head. “No. I haven’t needed them today. Though, it might be a good idea to take a few right now. That way I can eat and just go to bed without fuss.”

“It’s not even six yet.” Jimmy frowned, looking at his watch. “Are you sure you want to go to bed so soon?”

“You know I haven’t been getting enough sleep. It might be good for me to try and catch up while I can.”

“I suppose you have a point.” He sighed. “I was just hoping that you and I could spend a little time together, is all.”

“We’ll have plenty of time to spend together, Jim. I just need to rest first.” A small smile lifted the corner of Cali’s lips as she reached a hand up and stroked her knuckles down the side of his face. Her smile widened when he curled his fingers around hers and lightly kissed the tips, bowing his head to give her a proper kiss on the mouth.

“I know.” He whispered when he pulled back. “But I missed you today.”

“Missed you too.”

“The whole time I was helping my dad out, I kept wondering if you had gotten here and if you were okay.”

“I should have had Brian call you. I was just so tired, I didn’t even think about it.”

“It’s all right. Part of me knew that you were okay.” Smiling, he nuzzled the side of her head and sighed. “We should get out there before Jen sends Brian to fetch us.”

“All right.” Making a face, Cali got up from Jimmy’s lap and picked up her purse. Digging through it, she found her little bottle of pills and opened it, popping two of them into her mouth and swallowing them dry. Shuddering at the taste, she replaced the cap and tossed everything onto the bed. Turning back to Jimmy, she gave a tired smile and held a hand out to him. “Come on, Jim. Let’s go eat before these kick in and I pass out in my chair.”

X+X+X+X

Halfway through dinner, Brian and Jen couldn’t help noticing that Cali didn’t seem to be eating. She just sat rigidly in her chair, poking at her food with a fork. Her blue eyes were glazed over and focused only on her plate. She didn’t speak or look around the table, even when Jimmy leaned over and said something to her. Catching sight of the looks the couple was giving his girlfriend, Jimmy cleared his throat and took a sip of his beer.

“She took a few of her pills.” He explained, pushing the food around on his plate. “She wants to try and get as much sleep as possible.”

“How many did she take?” Brian asked, eyeballing the way Cali clumsily stabbed at a piece of chicken and simply stared at the way it looked impaled on the prongs.

“Just two.”

“Are you sure?”

“I watched her take them. She only took two.”

“Jesus, what is she taking?”

Frowning in thought, Jimmy tapped his chin. “I think they’re Xanax.”

“Xanax shouldn’t do that to her.” Jen piped up, shooting a concerned look at her friend. “I mean, I’ve taken them before and I’ve never reacted like that.”

“She’s also a lot smaller than you are, Jen.” Jimmy said pointedly, waving his fork around. “And she hasn’t been eating much. The pills are gonna hit her harder.”

“Maybe she should only take one.” Brian muttered, watching Cali set her fork down and reach for the glass of water in front of her.

All eyes were on the heiress as she lifted the glass in her shaky hand and brought it to her lips. They all waited to see if she’d drop it on herself, but she managed to take a sip and place it back on the table without spilling a drop. As if becoming aware of the stares from around the table, Cali looked around and raised an eyebrow at Jimmy.

“Did I do something wrong?” She slurred, blinking slowly.

“No baby.” He smiled and used his napkin to wipe at a bit of water on her chin.

“Why is everyone staring?”

“They’re not used to the way you act on your meds. Don’t worry too much about it, okay?”

“Okay.” Sighing, the dark haired young woman leaned over in her seat and rested her head on his shoulder.

Putting his arm around her, Jimmy held her as close as he could without hauling her out of her chair, looking up to find that Brian and Jen were fighting to keep from staring at them. The silence filling the room was tense and thick with questions Jimmy knew they wanted to ask, questions that he would answer after Cali was asleep. Setting his fork down, he pushed his plate away and quietly excused himself. Getting up from his chair, Jimmy helped Cali out of hers and lifted her into his arms like a child.

“Where are we going?” She mumbled, limply draping her arms around his shoulders.

“To bed.” He answered, carrying her down the hall to her room.

“I don’t want to sleep. It’s a bad idea to sleep, Jimmy.”

“Baby,” Gently setting her down on the bed, Jimmy moved her purse out of the way and gathered the blankets back to let her slide beneath them. “You’re safe here, remember?”

“Did you lock the door?” Cali asked, curling up against the wall.

“Yes I did.”

“And the windows?”

“Of course.”

“Is the alarm set?”

“I will set it when I leave the room.”

“Don’t go.” Reaching up, she took hold of his sleeve and tugged at it weakly. Her blue eyes were wide with fear and Jimmy tried his best not to sigh at the expression he’d become so used to seeing on her face. Smiling softly at her, he toed his shoes off and crawled under the blankets with her. The two shifted around until they were comfortable and as he lay there stroking her hair, Jimmy wondered if things would really change. For Cali’s sake, he hoped so. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could stand to see her dope herself up to escape the fear that never wanted to leave her.

He’d grown used to this blurred, slurring version of his beloved, but it still pained him to see her panicking underneath all of the medication. It was almost like nothing would cure her of this paranoia and she would be doomed to stay in this constant state of fear forever. God, he certainly hoped that wasn’t the case.

“Jimmy?” Cali’s voice was a warm whisper in his ear that sent a chill down his spine.

“Hmm?”

“Do you think everything is going to be okay?”

Turning his head to look at her, the drummer smiled softly and kissed the tip of her nose. “Yes baby. I think everything is going to be fine.”

“Do you think we’ll be able to go home?”

“Eventually, yes.”

“Jimmy?”

“Yes, love?”

Snuggling closer, Cali tightened her hold on him and tucked her face against his neck with a sigh. “I love you.”

Tugging the blankets over them, Jimmy smoothed his hands along her back and gave her a tiny squeeze. “I love you too, baby.”

X+X+X+X

By the time Jimmy managed to pry himself away from Cali’s clutches, Brian and Jen had navigated to the living room where they sat pretending to watch whatever it was on the TV. Both looked up when he came into the room and gave him identical looks of expectation. Sighing heavily, Jimmy ran a hand through his mussed hair and turned to get a beer from the fridge before he had to answer their questions. Taking a seat on the sofa, he barely glanced at them.

“Go ahead and ask what you want to ask.” He muttered, taking a long drink of his beer.

“We’re not trying to be nosey, Jimmy, but we’re a little concerned about the dosage of those pills.” Jen said softly, setting aside the magazine she’d been blindly flipping through.

“I told you, the dosage is fine. But the girl fights them and that’s what happens. She’s so damn scared to sleep that it isn’t even funny anymore.”

“I didn’t think it was funny to begin with.” Brian murmured. “Just how high is the dose? You know, just in case we ever have to monitor it.”

“Ten milligrams. That’s how much is in each pill.” Picking at the label on his beer bottle, Jimmy refused to meet their gazes.

“Don’t you think that’s a bit much for someone her size?”

“I didn’t prescribe them to her. And I count them to make sure she’s not taking more than she should. I know what it looks like, but she’s not taking too much. ”

“How can you stand it?”

Jimmy lifted his head at Jen’s question and fixed her with a strange look. Shaking his head, he let his gaze drift to the ceiling as he huffed. “I love her. If she suffers, I suffer. Her pain is my pain and her fear is mine too. I stand it because someone has to. She’s already scared enough of being alone. The least I can do is be there for her so she doesn’t feel that way. If she thinks the pills will help, then Goddammit, I’m going to make sure that she gets what she wants.”

“You’re a good man, Jimmy.” Brian said sincerely, taking a drink of his beer. “But we can see that this is taking a toll on you, too.”

“Oh, of course it is!” Throwing his hands up, Jimmy narrowed his eyes. “I don’t sleep either. I worry about whether or not that psycho is going to come after her when I’m not around. I’ve gotten into the habit of triple checking all of the locks and alarms without her having to ask me to do it. I’m just as paranoid as she is and I’m not even the one being stalked.”

“You should rest, too.” Jen said softly. “You know Brian and I won’t let anything happen.”

Finishing his beer in one swallow, Jimmy got to his feet to throw the bottle away. When he came back into the living room, he looked to the two on the couch and sighed.

“I hope you two know what you’ve gotten yourselves into.” He muttered, shaking his head. “I’m going to bed. She’ll freak out if she wakes up and I’m not there. I guess I’ll see you in the morning.”

“All right, dude.” Brian nodded, not daring to look away from the drummer.

“Thanks. You know, for all of this.” Jimmy mumbled, keeping his eyes on the floor.

“Any time.” Jen smiled, but the drummer didn’t return it.

“Goodnight.” With that, Jimmy headed down the hall and slipped into Cali’s room. Once the door was closed, Brian turned to look at Jen just as she looked over at him.

“I hope they’ll be all right.” Jen sighed, moving closer to Brian on the couch.

“I’m sure they’ll be fine. They just need a few days to recuperate.” Smiling, the older man kissed the side of his fiancée’s temple and settled in to watch TV with her.