AJ waited nervously in the airport for Jenna's flight to arrive. It was already twenty minutes late, and it was getting harder and harder for him to keep still. He had called Nick's cell phone repeatedly, hoping that he could interrupt whatever might be going on in the boat, but no one answered. Now, all he could do was think about how out of control he'd let things get.
All he'd set out to do was break up Nick and Jenna. Now, not only were they casualties of his wrath, but all of a sudden Howie and Christine were involved.
"Alex!" He heard from the gate, a smile splaying across his face as he turned to see Jenna emerging from the gate, dashing towards him and giving him a hug. For a moment he actually thought they were together again.
"Welcome home girl." He said squeezing her a little tighter, smelling her perfume and feeling the softness of her hair against his face. Touching the skin of her back above her pants, skin he sorely missed. He never wanted to let go.
"I can't wait to get home." She said, pulling away from him, much to AJ's disappointment. "I just want to sleep in my own bed. I didn't think I'd miss it this much!"
AJ nodded as they continued on to pick up her luggage, his own quietness masked by the noise of the airport.
"So he doesn't know I'm coming does he?" Jenna asked excitedly as they stood at the edge of the luggage carousel.
"No, he's in for a pretty big surprise." AJ said, the hidden undertones only apparent to himself. He could see the excitement inside of her, shining in her eyes, filling her full of life even in the wee hours of the morning. AJ grabbed her bags from the conveyor belt, knowing which ones were hers without even being told, and loaded them onto a cart.
"Ya know Jen, he's probably sleeping, why don't you come spend the night at my place and go surprise him in the morning?" He said as they wound their way through the airport towards the parking lot where his car was parked.
"Al, it's almost four in the morning, and I haven't been home in weeks. You guys might get used to sleeping in strange beds, but I want my own, in my house, with my guy."
"Fine." He sighed. Her words like a knife in his heart, but he still didn't want her to find out about Nick and Christine. He didn't know how to distract her from going home. If he tried too hard she'd know something was up, but if he didn't try hard enough she'd be crushed.
But she'd be yours! His mind screamed.
He had some time before they got back to the house, if he drove slow enough, if they hit enough red lights, if he took the long way, maybe, just maybe Christine would be gone.
The remnants of the party were in plain sight the moment they walked in the front door. It was like a frat house, people sleeping on couches with beer still clutched in their hands, lamps knocked over, a cup floating in the fish tank.
AJ saw the look of appallment on Jenna's face, and could only stand back as she stepped deeper into the house. He'd managed to waste as much time as possible on the trip back from the airport, but traffic was light early in the morning and he'd still only shaved fifteen minutes off the impending doom. Jenna had pressed him to talk to her on the ride home, but he had nothing to say. If he spoke the only thing that would come out was a lie or what Nick was doing, and he didn't want to say either.
He followed her as she went upstairs to the bedroom, and he breathed a visible sigh of relief that he wasn't in there with Christine, even though he knew if they were anywhere they'd be on the boat. She was visibly upset, but she didn't say a word as she hunted for Nick through the mess that was once upon a time her clean house.
"Did you know about this?" Jenna finally asked as they walked into the kitchen, turning on her foot to face him.
"The party? Yeah I knew." He admitted sheepishly. "I'm sorry I couldn't talk him out of it."
"Where is he?" He could see the anger bubbling up inside of her.
"I don't know." He replied semi-honestly, unconsciously looking out the window towards the boat, not catching himself in time, as Jenna's gaze followed his own. She took off out the back door before he could even stop her, heading towards the dock.
"Jenna! Come back!" AJ yelled as he stepped outside the house. Hoping with every ounce of humanity he had left in him that Christine had gone long ago. He listened with strain for sounds of yelling once she finally boarded the boat and went inside the cabin. He knew he couldn't go down with her. If Christine was there Jenna might find out that AJ had not only been at the party, but convinced Nick to have it. So instead he stood at the back of Nick's house, his heart pounding in his chest, his breathing labored as he watched for any sign of what was happening. He didn't hear anything from the boat, and he didn't see anyone coming out. By this time he was sure he was hyperventilating.
Ten minutes passed, fifteen, twenty, half an hour, and still no one came out, and he didn't hear any yelling from within. His heart sank and soared all at the same time. Obviously Christine had gone (hopefully before something happened), which made him breath a momentary sigh of relief, but on the opposite end, Nick had pulled the wool over Jenna's eyes one more time, and AJ was the one to suffer. He was always the one that suffered.
He walked back through the house, littered with beer bottles and cups, and left out the still open front door, not even wasting a moment to shut it.