Grace stalked angrily into her hotel room and violently threw herself onto the bed. She stared at the ceiling for a moment, trying to calm herself.
‘We bury our dead alive, don't we?' Grace's mind reeled. ‘You see her everyday. She talks to you. She haunts you. She begs you for meaning. Conscience . . .' His words echoed through her mind.
Grace covered her face with her hands. "Why can't it just be the way it was before?" She begged aloud. There was a light knock at the door. Sighing, Grace let her hands drop above her head.
"Grace?" Howie inquired softly, through the door.
Grace felt something thicken in the back of her throat and anger swept over her. She prowled slowly towards the door.
Howie waited for Grace to answer. Just as he was about to turn around, the door was flung open and Grace's mouth was covering his. She yanked him inside by his lips. The door slammed behind them, and Grace shoved him against it. Howie looked at her in shock.
Grace panted slightly. "When I was answering that door, just now, I wanted to hit you." She paused and glanced at his eyes. She turned away from him. "Howie, I'm a bit out of it right now. I'm angry and I'm confused and . . . I'm unemployed . . . I feel so scared right now and I just, I want - I don't even know anymore."
Howie swallowed. He walked up slowly behind her. Very gently, he wrapped his arms around her. She was shaking. "I know," He told her. He kissed her neck softly.
She turned in his arms and pushed him away. "No, I . . . no . . ." Grace shook her head. "Not this. Not now. I-"
Howie closed the space between them again. He placed his hands on her shoulders. "What then?"
Grace was silent. She wouldn't meet his eyes. Finally she returned her gaze to his. "Carrie Gregor. She was buried at St. Peter's Memorial in San Francisco. Her mother's name was Wendy and her father's name was Charles. She had an older sister named Lisa . . . She was three . . ." Grace sniffed and stifled a sob. "These are things I was not suppose to know, and I was not suppose to care about." Howie's grip on Grace's shoulder's tightened. "She's in my nightmares. I - I couldn't do it tonight Howie. The reason I'm leaving the tour is not because of what you did or what Lou said. Lou's a good guy but he's an ass ; I - The real reason I'm leaving is because I can't do it. I can't carry those girls. I can't even watch someone faint without a imagining . . . without imagining her face. I'm not ready for this and I won't be -"
Howie silenced her by placing a finger over her lips. Grace crossed her arms in front of her chest, but he hugged her anyway. He hugged her tightly. Time seemed to stand still in that moment, but slowly their faces drew apart. With a shaky hand he brushed her dark hair out of her face. "I love you . . ."
Cora's lips felt hot against Nick's as he slowly pushed her back towards the bed. He let his hands slide over her body, enjoying the sound of her soft moans. She broke away from his lips to nibble on his ear. Just then there was a knock at Nick's door. Cora paused.
"They'll go away," Nick told her, fiddling with her bra clasp.
The knock came again. "Answer it!" Cora advised. Nick sighed and turned to get the door.
He opened it slightly to see Brian standing in the hall. "Hey Nick, what's up?" Brian asked.
Nick exited his room quietly to stand in the hall with Brian. "I'm kinda in the middle of something Brian."
His friend grimaced. "Don't tell me you and Cora -"
"You can shut up!" Nick snapped. He gave Brian a goofy grin. "I've been practicing those fine caliber seduction techniques A.J. has shared with me."
"After everything that's happened tonight?"Brian rolled his eyes. "I take it you've done this before?"
"Uh, yeah," Nick replied. He paused to think. "Actually, I really do care about Cora. I really like her . . ."
"You're about to have sex with her and ‘you just really like her'?" Brian asked incredulously.
"It's not like it hasn't happened before Bri," Nick replied. "In fact, I - I really, really -"
"Have a hard on," Brian said turning away. "God Nick, would you mind?"
"Sorry Bri," A slightly embarrassed Nick told his friend. "But I really do care about Cora, in fact, I think I love her . . ."
"Yeah?" Brian muttered. "Well share that with her Nick. Ugh, I came down to talk to you, but I guess I should just let you go to your - wait a second . . . Nick, are you sure Cora isn't a virgin?"
Just after Nick left the room, Cora undid her bra and sat down on Nick's bed. "Why am I doing this; and now of all times? Do I really want this?" She wondered. She ran through how many times she'd almost has sex with a guy and then backed down. It had ruined most of her relationships. "Fuck that thought . . . It's not like Nick and I haven't made out before . . ."Cora muttered. "Okay next question: Do you love Nick? Um, well, yeah . . . Okay, Does he respect you? Of course he does. Is this a serious, substantial relationship? Yes, And last but not least, Do you want this:" Cora lingered on her last question. "Yes."
Just then, Nick reentered the room. "That was Brian," He told her. "He's gone now . . . You wanna . . . ?"
Cora smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thanks for taking off your bra," Nick whispered. "I don't know how girls do that!"
Cora laughed. "Yeah, just another mystery in the eyes of men . . ." They quieted with a kiss.
Alison lay on her bed crying. Just when she thought her past was in the past, something had to come up like this. Just when she could put it out of her mind, every little thing would remind her of it. Just when she needed someone to hold her, she'd dismissed him.
She heard A.J. knock again. She wanted him, but she didn't want to answer. Soon, the knocking stopped.
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