Two weeks into the tour Dawn had barely had a chance to breathe. On top of doing shows every night, she had autograph signings, interviews, and public appearances to do almost on a daily basis. Jive was making sure she got exposure before her CD came out, plenty of exposure. Unfortunately, the CD release was pushed back two more weeks. Dawn was beginning to think it would never come out.

Touring was becoming easier and she loved performing. She couldn’t believe how nervous she had been that first night. Had it not been for AJ being there, she’s not sure she would have gotten through it.

Dawn glanced at her calendar hanging on the wall.

"2 days", she said to herself and sighed as she laid her head on her arm.

She was waiting for her nightly call from AJ. It had been a little over a week since AJ had made his surprise visit in Paris and she missed him immensely. It was a little easier for them to say goodbye knowing he would be back in a little over a week.

"I can’t wait," she whispered to herself.

She looked up at the clock on the nightstand.

"11:47", she sighed.  "It’s only dinnertime there. He’s probably busy with Arianna right now. I’ll go take a bath and pass some time."

As soon as she got undressed and started her bath water the phone rang. She ran over to answer it.

"Hi angel," the familiar voice said.

"Hi baby! I was starting to get worried, usually you call earlier."

"I know, I’m sorry, I don’t mean to keep you up, my mother came over and made dinner for all of us and we just got to talking…." His voice trailed off.

Dawn sensed something was wrong. The tone of his voice was not what it usually was when they spoke.

"Alex, what’s wrong?" She asked, concerned.

"What makes you think something’s wrong?"

"I can hear it in your voice. You forget how well I know you."

There was silence for a moment, an uncomfortable silence. Dawn couldn’t take it anymore.

"I can’t wait to see you in two days."

She could hear AJ take a deep breath. 

"Baby....I have some bad news," he began.

"I knew it. Just please tell me you’ll be here in two days. Please, I need to see you, I need a little dose of reality."

There was more silence.

"Alex? Please talk to me. Tell me you’re still coming."

Tears started to well up in her eyes. She knew what he was about to say, she could feel it.

"Baby I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, but I have to go to LA with the guys and meet with these producers. We have to leave tomorrow. I tried to get out of it, I tried to get them to change the date, I tried everything, I honestly did, but nothing worked," his voice fell.

Dawn was silent, he could hear her sniffling, trying to hold back tears. He felt terrible, he always told her that he would never hurt her and that’s exactly what he was doing now. There was nothing he wanted more than to be with her and hold her in his arms.

"Angel?"

"I’m here," she choked out.

"Talk to me, tell me you’ll be okay. Tell me you’re not mad. I’m so sorry."

"I just miss you so much. All this craziness is making my head spin. I was looking forward to locking us up in my hotel room and just spending some time alone."

"Now you know that wouldn’t have happened," he tried to joke.

He heard her let out a small laugh as she sniffled again.

"Please don’t cry, Angel, you know I can’t stand it when you cry."

"I’m sorry, I just never prepared myself for this. I guess I should have, though. When will you be able to come then?"

"I don’t know, hopefully two, maybe three weeks."

"Why so long? That’s so far away!."

"I know it is, but it’ll be here before you know it."

Dawn sighed and was quiet for a moment.

"This is just great, my CD is going to be released in two weeks and now you're going to miss that. I was really looking forward to you being here when it was released. We always promised each other we would never be apart for longer than two weeks, Alex."

"I know baby, I know. I can’t do anything about this though. I tried, I swear I did."

She understood the fact that he had to go out of town for a few days, but she didn't understand why it would be so long before he came out again. She got up off the bed and wiped her eyes,

"Well, okay then, so I guess I’ll see you in three weeks".

"Angel, please don’t be mad at me, this isn’t my fault, there was nothing I could do."

"I’m not mad at you, Alex, I’m mad at the situation. And I’m mad at myself for letting all these opportunities to go out on the town with the band or D or Enrique or even Noah for that matter pass me by while I sit here miserable, waiting for you to call."

AJ cringed at the sound of Noah’s name.

"Well, it sure sounds like you're mad at me. I didn’t realize everyone was such a partying bunch over there…."

"I’m gonna go now, I’m gonna go see if I can catch Noah before he goes out, they were going to a few clubs and I think I want to go with them".

AJ sighed. "Please don’t hang up, you’re not being fair. I don’t want to fight".

"I have to go, tell Arianna I love her and miss her. I’ll talk to you later," she said, thrn hung up the phone.

She sat down on the edge of the bed, buried her face in her hands and sobbed. They never, ever hung up without saying 'I love you,' she regretted not saying it and almost picked up and called him back, but she didn't. Sometimes she wished she wasn't so goddamned stubborn.

"He'll call back, he always does".

She waited for the phone to ring again. After a few minutes of crying and waiting for the phone to ring, she got angry.

"I’m sick of being so dependent on him, damn it. I’ll show him a ‘partying bunch’," she said, getting up and going to her closet.

She looked for something sexy to wear. Her eyes finally settled on tight, royal blue shiny pants and a matching half-shirt. She threw the clothing on her bed and sat down again. She glanced over at the phone once more, hoping it would ring. After a minute or two, she picked it up and dialed Noah’s room.

"Are you still going clubbing tonight?" She asked him when he picked up the phone.

"Yeah, why? Did you change your mind?" He asked, hoping she had.

"I sure did, do I have time to get ready? Say, half an hour?"

"No problem princess. I’ll be by in about half an hour."

"Okay, cool. Hey, do you think we’ll be able to meet up with D tonight? She went out with a few people from Enrique’s bunch".

"I don’t know, she didn’t say where she was going, but we’ll try", he lied. "If we don’t meet up with her, I’ll still make sure you have a great time. Larissa and David are going, too."

Larissa and David were a couple of her dancers. She knew them pretty well, but had yet to really party with them, wasting so much time holed up in her hotel room.

"Cool….half an hour," she said, hanging up the phone.

A little while later there was a knock at her door.

"Wow, you look incredible!" Noah exclaimed when he saw her.

"Thank you," she blushed.

"Your chariot awaits", Noah said, holding out his arm for her to take.

She grabbed her purse, smiled and took his arm, leaving her cell phone sitting on the bed as the door closed behind her. Just as the door closed the phone rang.

"Where the hell is she?" AJ said to himself, cleaning up the baby powder that Arianna had spilled all over the house. The phone was on its fifth ring.

"I can’t believe she’s mad at me for having to go out of town," he said as he slammed the phone down and went back to cleaning up the white powder strewn all over the house.

Dawn downed a shot of Tequila and grabbed a lemon off the bar in front of her.

"Damn girl, take it easy," Noah joked. "You’ve already done three shots and are working on your third drink."

"So what. I’m trying to relax."

Noah watched as she took another gulp of her drink.

"So, what happened tonight that made you change your mind about coming out?"

"Nothing, I just got sick of sitting in that damned hotel room."

"Did you talk to AJ tonight? Is he coming out Thursday?"

"I don’t want to talk about it Noah, I want to have fun tonight."

She grabbed him and pulled him onto the dance floor. Noah didn’t know what had happened between Dawn and AJ, but he knew it was something big. As they danced Dawn proceeded to grind her body against his, he placed his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. Her body felt so good next to his. He didn’t know what was wrong with him, he had always made it a priority not to get involved with anyone he worked with. Something about Dawn was different though. He could give her everything she wanted and needed, more than AJ could, that was for sure. AJ didn't deserve her. He just needed to make Dawn realize that. He knew she was drunk right now, but this was his chance. He just needed to get her alone.

"Why don’t we go somewhere and talk, maybe back to the hotel," he yelled above the music as he pulled her closer to him and ran his hands down her back.

The feeling of his hands sliding down her back gave her goosebumps. It reminded her of the feeling she got when AJ did that. Her body ached to feel AJ’s hands on her body right now.

Noah took her by the hand and started to lead her out of the club. They almost made it outside when D spotted them, she was making her way into the club. Seeing Noah holding Dawn’s hand while she was obviously drunk and barely able to walk made her blood boil.

"Where are you two going?" She asked finally catching up to them.

She stepped in front of them and folded her arms.

"D!" Dawn exclaimed, throwing her arm around her neck. "Where have you been? I’m so happy to see you!" She said, stumbling over her own feet.

D held onto her and couldn’t help but laugh at her very drunk friend.

"I’ve been out partying with Enrique and some other people. I thought you were going to stay at the hotel tonight?"

"Hell no. I wanted to party hardy marty," Dawn giggled.

Enrique made his way over to them and Dawn threw her arm around him like she did with D.

"Enrique! How’s it going?" She slurred.

He laughed and held her up.

"I think I should get her back to the hotel." D said to them, grabbing Dawn by the arm.

Noah grabbed her arm to stop her.

"I was just about to do that."

D looked at him and narrowed her eyes.

"That’s okay. I’ll take her back. I wouldn’t want to ruin your fun." D lied, knowing damn well what fun he had in mind.

D didn’t wait for him to answer. She saw Dawn grinding with Enrique to the music. He was looking at D with pleading eyes…trying not to enjoy it. She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

‘It’s a damn good thing I got here when I did or that would be Noah she’s grinding with’.

She peeled Dawn from an uncomfortable Enrique and took her out to the waiting limo.

When they got back to the hotel Dawn collapsed on the bed in a fit of giggles.

"What are you giggling at?" D asked her, giving her a strange look.

"I have no idea," she replied, giggling again.

D rolled her eyes and took off Dawn’s shoes. She stood up and put her hands on her hips.

"Do you think you can get yourself undressed. I’m not AJ…I don’t care to see you naked," D joked.

Dawn stopped giggling at the mention of AJ’s name. She sat up and looked at D.

"He’ll be lucky if he sees me naked ever again."

Dawn got up and stumbled into the bathroom and slammed the door.

‘That’s what I thought…she had a fight with J. That’s why she went out partying with Noah,’ D thought to herself. ‘I wonder what the hell happened.’

When Dawn didn’t come out of the bathroom D went to check on her. She knocked on the door and was answered with a groan. She opened the door and found Dawn on the floor next to the toilet. She helped her to her feet and to the bed. She passed out as soon as she hit the pillow. D turned out the light and left.

As she closed the door to Dawn’s room she noticed Noah standing in front of her door waiting for her. D didn’t say anything to him as she searched for her room key in her purse.

"Is she okay?" Noah asked, concerned and still a little put out that he didn’t get to take Dawn back.

"She’s fine." D replied, shortly.

"I could have taken her back to her room. She would have been fine. You don’t have to babysit her."

D looked at him sharply.

"I’m not babysitting her Noah. I’m just doing what I came here to do…make sure she’s alright."

"That’s what I’m here to do too."

D stepped closer to him so that they were nose to nose.

"You are here to make sure she gets onstage and gets to interviews and rehearsals when she should. I’m the one that puts her to bed when she’s shitfaced…got that?"

"So I’m supposed to tell her no when she asks me to take her to a club?"

"No…you’re just not supposed to take her to a club, get her drunk and then take advantage of her."

Noah laughed, shaking his head.

"Is that what you think I was doing?"

It was D’s turn to laugh.

"How many times do I have to warn you Noah?"

"Need I remind you of what happens when you threaten me D?"

D wouldn’t let him intimidate her. She swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat.

"You think I’m afraid of you?"

"I see how close you’re getting with Enrique. Everyone else sees it too. What do you think your precious boyfriend would say if I told him how much you two are hanging out together?"

D glared at him and crossed her arms.

"Enrique and I are JUST friends. There’s nothing going on."

"It’s your word against mine. Who do you think he’ll believe?"

With that he turned and walked down the hall, smiling to himself. D watched him until he disappeared into his room. She unlocked her door and through herself on her bed and sobbed.

Chapter 19
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