D came home later that night to a dark house. She figured Dawn and AJ were gone. She didn’t see a note anywhere telling them where they went, which was unlike them.

"Where Mommy?" Arianna asked from D’s arms as they walked down the hall to Arianna’s room.

"I’m not sure sweetie," D told her.

As they neared Dawn’s room, D could hear faint crying coming from inside.

‘Uh oh,’ she thought as she set Arianna down.

"Why don’t you go into your room and play with that new dollie Uncle Nick bought for you today."

Arianna giggled and took off running to her room.

D walked up to Dawn’s door and knocked quietly. When she got no reply she opened the door and poked her head in. Dawn was lying on the bed, crying into a pillow.

"Dawn?" D whispered, coming in and sitting on the bed.

Dawn looked up at her and D could see all the pain and anguish on her face. Whatever happened she knew it was major. She was almost afraid to ask.

"What happened, hon?"

Dawn sat up and grabbed some tissues from the nightstand. She wiped her eyes and sighed, trying to calm down.

"That phone call I got right before you left today," she began.

D nodded.

"It was Noah."

D closed her eyes and shook her head. She was so tired of hearing that name. Every time something went wrong his name was always on everyone’s tongue.

"He wanted to apologize for everything that’s happened and he asked me to forgive him."

D’s eyes narrowed.

"He wanted things to go back to the way they were before all this shit happened," Dawn sniffed.

"You’ve got to be kidding me? He expects you to…" she cut herself off, not wanting to rehash everything. "Nevermind…go on."

"I told him I couldn’t decide anything right then. I told him I’d call him. That’s when Alex came into the room."

"Oh shit," D breathed.

"He was livid. He asked me why I was going to call Noah and I told him he just wanted to know how I was. He said that Noah already knew how I was and I didn’t know what he meant by that."

"And what did he mean exactly?" D asked curiously.

Dawn’s eyes started to tear up again. She put her face in her hands and shook her head. D reached up and took her hands away so she could look at her.

"What did he mean, Dawn?"

"He…he…he asked if the baby was………was………Noah’s," she whispered.

D gasped and covered her mouth. She couldn’t believe he had actually said that to her. She had no idea he was even thinking it.

"I told him it wasn’t…that we had never slept together but he didn’t believe me. I told him that we made this baby that night on the beach but he said that I was with Noah more. That was only one night. I know this baby is his!! I KNOW it is!!! I didn’t sleep with Noah, D!! I swear I didn’t!!" Dawn insisted. She was close to hysterics.

"Shhhhh, calm down. It’ll be okay," she assured, putting her arms around her.

"I didn’t do it," she sobbed. "This baby isn’t Noah’s. I can’t believe he would say that!!"
"Shhhhhhhhh. Everything’s going to be fine. Why don’t you get into bed and relax I’ll take care of Arianna."

Dawn nodded and crawled under the covers. She pulled AJ’s pillow to her and smelt it. Why was this happening? What did she do to deserve this? What if she lost him forever? She started to sob again.

D left her alone and went to check on Arianna. She was playing quietly with her dollies. D got her ready for bed and rocked her to sleep. She checked on Dawn, who had finally fallen asleep, before heading to her room. She sat down on the bed and leaned against the headboard. This was such a mess. She couldn’t believe it had gotten to this point. She picked up the phone and dialed Nick.

"Hello?"

"Hey baby."

"Hey yourself. You miss me already?"

"Of course," she laughed.

"So, what are you wearing?" He asked seductively.

"Now’s not a good time for phone sex, hon."

"Why, what’s wrong?"

"Have you seen J?"

"No I haven’t.  Why? Did something happen?"

"I told you today how he was acting like such a dick to Dawn. Not talking to her last night, sleeping in Ari’s room and biting her head off this morning."

"Right. You said it must have had something to do with how she was acting with Noah," he replied.

"Exactly. Well, when I came home tonight she was bawling her eyes out in her room. I guess Noah had called and wanted to apologize and beg for forgiveness," she rolled her eyes.

"That bastard. He’s got a lot of nerve."

"No shit. J overheard her tell him that she’d call him and he went off on her. He accused her again of sleeping with Noah."

"I thought he was over that."

"So did I. It gets worse. He said the baby wasn’t even his. It’s Noah’s."

"WHAT!?!?  He actually said that?? "

"I know. Can you believe itr?"

"No. He must have been so pissed."

"Dawn was practically hysterical, insisting that she never slept with Noah and the baby is AJ’s."

"Maybe…"

D closed her eyes and twirled her finger around the phone cord.

"You don’t really believe that do you? That the baby isn’t AJ’s?"

"Noah said that they slept together so it is a possibility."

"Yeah, but that doesn't make any sense.  If they slept together the night that Noah said they did, she wouldn't be as far along as she is," she sighed.

"Unless the doctor was wrong," Nick reasoned. 

They were quiet for a minute.

"Maybe you should try to find AJ," D suggested.

"Probably. God only knows what he’s going to do considering how pissed he is."

"I hope he doesn’t do anything stupid."

"AJ? Do something stupid? Never," Nick said sarcastically.

"Just try and find him. I’m worried."

"I will, baby. Just take care of Dawn and I’ll handle AJ."

"Okay. Call me if you hear anything."

"I will," he promised.

"I love you."

"I love you, too. I’ll call you."

They hung up and D crawled into bed. She wasn’t tired at all. She stared up at the ceiling, wondering if things were ever going to be the same again.

Nick looked everywhere he could think of to find AJ. He had tried AJ’s house first but he wasn’t there. He went to every bar and club he knew AJ frequented but had no luck. He asked around and no one had seen him. He was getting worried about him.

He headed back to AJ’s figuring he’d have to come home eventually. When he got to AJ’s he saw his Mercedes parked in the driveway. He breathed a sigh of relief and knocked on the door but there was no answer.

"Come on AJ!! Open up the fucking door!!!" He shouted then knocked louder.

"I’m not leaving so if you don’t open up the door I’m gonna keep knocking until you do."

Nick waited but AJ still didn’t come to the door.

"Damn it," he cursed aloud.

He looked around wondering how the hell he was going to get in. He looked over at the rocks that were out front. He smiled to himself as he went over to the third one and picked it up.

"Bingo," he said as he picked up the key that was underneath.

He went back to the door and unlocked it.

When he stepped inside he called for AJ but of course got no reply. He searched the house from top to bottom but he couldn’t locate his friend. He ran a hand through his hair as he stood in the kitchen.

‘Where the hell is he?’ He thought.

He went over to the sliding glass doors that lead out to the deck. He looked out and was relieved to find AJ sitting on a lounge chair smoking a cigarette and sipping a beer. He opened the doors and AJ turned to look at him.

"How the hell did you get in?" He asked angrily.

"I used the extra key you had hidden," Nick explained, sitting down next to him on the other lounge chair.

He grabbed a beer, opened it and took a long sip.

"I don’t want company right now. You can leave."

"I’m not leaving until we talk."

AJ looked over at him, his eyes blazing.

"I don’t feel like talking."

"Tough shit," Nick threw back at him.

AJ sat up and faced him.

"I don’t think you’re hearing me. I said GET THE HELL OUT!" He fired.

"And I don’t think you’re hearing me. I said I’m not leaving until we talk about what happened tonight!" Nick fired back.

AJ got up and walked over to the edge of the deck. He didn’t need this shit right now.

"I don’t want to talk about this Nick. I don’t need you lecturing me on how much I fucked up tonight and how I need to rethink what I said to Dawn. Fuck that. She cheated on me with Noah and now she’s having his kid."

"You don’t know that for sure."

"Yes I do. Look at how she is with him. There’s no other explanation, man. She was with him every single day and I was only with her a few times. You do the math!"

Nick shook his head. He didn’t really know what to say to him. He wasn’t so sure he didn’t believe it himself.

"You have to talk to her, AJ. D said she’s practically hysterical."

"I’m supposed to care?" He scoffed, walking over and grabbing another beer.

Nick just stared at him in shock.

"Of course you’re supposed to care. She’s your fianc�, the love of your life, the mother of your children."

"NO! Stop right there!" he yelled pointing at Nick. "She is not the mother of my children. I don’t have any children."

"How can you say that? What about Arianna?"

"She’s not mine Nick. She’s not my flesh and blood. It’s not the same thing. All I’ve ever wanted was a child to share with Dawn. A child created by the two of us, from our love. That’s why I was so excited about Dawn getting pregnant but that kid isn't mine either!!"

"Jesus Chris,t AJ! You love that little girl like she was your own!"

"Yeah well that doesn’t hide the fact that she’s not," he spit out.

Nick couldn’t believe what AJ was saying. He knew deep down that he didn’t mean any of it but it still stung. He hoped he calmed down a bit before talking to Dawn. The last thing she needed was to hear any of this. Nick got up and approached AJ until they were nose to nose.

"You listen to me, buddy. You calm yourself down and stop talking crazy. You think I believe this bullshit you’re throwing at me? Well I don’t, but Dawn might so I suggest that you take a few days and cool down. If you say any of this shit to her you will be sorry. I promise you that."

He turned and walked away.

AJ looked after him fuming. Who the hell was he to threaten him? He had a hell of a lot of nerve.

He sat back down in his lounge chair and wrapped his arms around himself. He shivered at the cold and curled up into a ball. He felt more alone than he ever had in his life. Everything he knew and loved was slipping further and further away and there was nothing he could do to get it back.

Chapter 52
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