| "TAAAAAYYYYYYOhGod..." she cried out and then a sob escaped her lips before she clamped them together and buried her forehead in his chest, her body shaking with the effort to breathe normally and keep from crying as the waves of her climax slowly subsided. Taylor was gently fixing her jeans and refastening them, then stroking her hair, her shoulders, her back and hips as she fought to get her balance, desperately wanting to stand on her own two feet. "Jamie.." he whispered in her ear, kissing her neck softly as she tilted her head back against the wall, keeping her eyes closed thought it made the earth seem to spin in the wrong direction. "Jame..god baby.." he breathed again, stroking her cheek and tracing her collarbone as he held her close to him. "Come on, Jame..." he said softly, trying to tug her with him as he stepped back. "God.." he gasped, then slipped his arms around her waist and lifted her, knowing she wouldn't move on her own when he saw the sinlge tear slip from her closed eye down her cheek. She lay in his arms like a rag doll as he carried her to her van, then turned on her side as he set her gently in the seat. "Jamie..I'll be right back, okay? Please don't go anywhere.." he urged, stroking her hair back off her face when she didn't answer. "Stay put, Jamie. Promise me.." he urged again, sighing with relief when she nodded her head in agreement. "Kay.." he kissed her softly on the cheek and she squeezed her eyes shut tight. "Just getting your stuff baby. I know you don't like to leave it.." he said and took off running into the back door of the bar before she could break her promise and run. "OH MAN!! Look what time it is you guys...we gotta go.." Zac suddenly said, making Ike groan. "OKAY DAD...sheez.." Ike complained, wanting nothing more than to stay there, in the booth next to Jade, holding her hand. He gave Jade a small wink when Zac started in about how they all needed to go back and check on Taylor and Jamie, and responsiblity, all the things that everyone thought he didn't care about. "Okay, come on." Ike finally said and they all got up, Ike and Zac taking care of the check, then piled back into Patti's car. Taylor enlisted Shane's help in getting Jamie's equipment into the back of the van, both of them complaining under their breath that she should just leave the stuff set up THERE if they were going to play again the next night. Shane shook Taylor's hand and said goodbye, then reached in Jamie's window and ruffled her hair. "'Night kid. Get some sleep." he said and nodded toward Taylor. "Thanks man.." he murmured as Jamie just looked at Shane with glassy eyes. She closed them again when Taylor opened the driver's side and climbed in. "Jame? Baby please talk to me.." he sighed and reached over, giving her knee a squeeze. "I don't wanna talk now, Tay.." she said softly and turned her face to the window. "Okay." he sighed again, resigned to the fact that he'd just screwed everything up, and wracking his brain to figure out how he was going to fix it. He turned the key in the ignition, started to back the van up, then immediately slammed on the brakes, rocking Jamie's head back. "Shit.." she muttered rubbing the back of her head where it clonked against the window. "I'm sorry, Jamie. It was that or plow over Patti.." he said and jumped out of the vehicle. "I just wanna see what they need, okay? We're going..I promise.." he said still worried she'd get angry and take off. "Kay.." she sighed, rested her head against her window and closed her eyes. "You and Jamie loaded all the stuff up? She's wasted..." Zac asked, looking around Taylor to see where Jamie was. "Shane helped me. Jame needs to get home to bed..are you guys cool for a way home? I don't wanna leave anyone stranded..." Taylor answered, glancing back at the van. "Where's Jamie, Tay?" Jade asked, searching Taylor's face intently. "In the van. She really just needs to sleep it off, Jade." Taylor said, his effort NOT to worry Jade clearly apparent TO Jade. "Oh god. What?" she asked him, her hand on her hip. "Nothing Jade. She's just drunk." Taylor said to Jade's back. He looked at Ike and shrugged, "You guys are set?" Taylor asked again. "Yeah..I'll take Jade home.." he answered, while Patti and Tami assured Tay and Ike that Zac would get safely home. "Kay.." Taylor answered and then turned to look at Jamie, arguing with Jade. "Jamie! Jamie, look at me.." Jade shook Jamie by the shoulders, to try to get her to talk. "Jadeleigh, don't..." she muttered and drew her knees up to her chest, resting her forehead on them as she wrapped her arms around her legs, curling herself into a ball. "What's wrong, Jameson? You're freakin' me out. I've never seen you like this.." Jade asked, angrily. "Honest Jadeleigh. I'm all right. I haven't been this trashed in years is all, I just wanna get to bed. Okay?" Jamie said forcefully. "You've NEVER been this trashed in all the years I've known you, Jamie. Why are you doing this to yourself? Taylor's proven himself just in this one night, Jame. God. He LOVES you." Jade insisted, wanting her friend to face herself and admit to her own feelings. She knew Jamie was in love with Taylor, and did not want to see her friend wreck it all over her dead brother and her own insecurities. "Jadeleigh, PLEASE." Jamie groaned and looked up at her friend, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. "I feel like shit and I am too trashed to talk about this NOW. Please. If I could drive myself and I hadn't already promised Daddy, I would be GONE. And I told you before that I have NO IDEA what you are talking about." she sniffed and quickly wiped the tear that slid down her cheek, away. "Oh Jamie.." Jade breathed and tried to put her arms around her friend. "Jadeleigh NO. No..." Jamie begged and put her head back down to rest on ker knees. "You know I love you, but not NOW okay?" Jamie choked and wiped her eyes again, on her pantlegs. "Okay, Jameson." Jade sighed heavily. "I will talk to you tomorrow." Jade had NO idea what to do, she NEVER seen Jamie cry before, EVER. Jamie was always the one who was holding her up, holding her hand, letting her cry and listening. She desperately wanted to do the same for her friend, but Jamie was dead set against it. Jade knew that she was unable to admit to herself why she was even crying. She hoped that Taylor was strong and patient enough to stick it out until Jamie learned how to let herself FEEL again. "Okay, Jadeleigh. But not before noon, I need some sleep." Jamie muttered, he voice muffled because her face was covered by her arms. "Jamie.." Jade opened her mouth to say something else but decided against it when she saw Taylor and Isaac watching them intently. "Never mind." she said. "Try to be a little more considerate of Taylor, at least tonight. HE's worried about you, too." she said and kissed the top of Jamie's head. "And I love you, too." she stated, stroked Jamie's hair one time and walked away as Jamie curled herself into an even tighter ball. |