Falling Into You

Chapter 21

I woke up the next morning and stretched my arms out across the bed.

The other side of the bed was cold.

My eyes shot open, there was no one beside me.

I froze. I was finished. I couldn't do this anymore. I screamed into my pillow. I gripped the pillow and screamed all my hurt into it. Something tried to pull me away, I figured it was Peyton, and I just held to the pillow tighter. But the hands were stronger and I was pulled to face them.

"Allie! Baby, what's going on?" Jay rushed, pushing my hair out of face.

 I hugged him tightly "It was real" I breathed.

"Yes baby, I'm really here" he rubbed my back.

"I thought it was a dream, I had so many.." I trailed off.

"I know, Peyton told me" He tucked the hair behind my ear

I blushed "Oh"

"I was just making you breakfast. I'm sorry, I promise tomorrow I wait until you're awake"

I shook my head, I was embarrassed now.

"No, you don't have to. I don't want you feeling bad for me"

"You have no idea how bad I feel" He shook his head.

"Don't. I thought I was dreaming, but I'm not, you're really here" 

"Yes I am, now come eat" he kissed my forehead

I got out of bed and wrapped myself in the blanket at the end of the bed.

"Oh, that reminds me" he said.

He went to his backpack and pulled out the blanket I had the first night we spent together.

"I think you're missing something" he handed me the blanket.

I tore the other blanket off and wrapped myself up in Jay's blanket. The smell filled my nose and I sighed.

"All better?" he hugged me.

"So much better" I said into his chest "I love you"

"I love you too"

Breakfast felt normal. As if nothing had even happened. Jay was making pancakes, the boys were making jokes back and forth at each other. 

I felt better. Whole again. Everyone felt better now. Tyler now gave Peyton his complete attention now that he didn't have Jay in the back of his mind 24/7. Andy wasn't as on edge anymore because of the stunt I pulled with Dean, he promised he wouldn't say anything because I promised I would be the one to tell Jay. And Joey and CC went completely back to normal.

Everything was okay now.

I had just taken a load of laundry out when  I heard CC calling for me.

"Yeah!" I called back

"You're dads on the phone" he called again

I smiled bigly and threw the bin on top of the dryer. 

"Hi dad" I said

"You're in a good mood" he said.

"I am, are you?"

"I'm doing well here, the cravings are almost gone"

"That's great dad, I'm so happy"

"So I see you're back at home. I called Peyton's, her parents said she was here with you"

"Yeah, they are renovating, so we came here"

"Sounds good, you have everything you need? You don't need any money?"

"Not yet. But you'll be home soon right?" I asked hopeful.

"I don't know, kid. It's going to take some time"

My face fell "I understand"

"You'll be okay, honey. You're so strong. And you have a lot of support"

"Thanks, I know I'll be okay. I just wish you were here" I said.

"I'll be back before you know it. I have to go now though, I have a group meeting"

"Okay, dad. I love you"

"I love you too, kid"

I put the phone on the hook.

I decided I would wash some dishes.

I needed to tell Jay about what happened with his parents, and what happened with Dean. Both of those are touchy subjects. There was no way I could use a 'good news bad news' scenario. If I told the parents story first, he would feel bad enough without the Dean story coming soon after, but if I told the Dean story first, he might not let me even get to the Parents story.

Just like clockwork, Andy walked in the kitchen. The guy who had been with me for both situations.

"Workin' hard or hardly workin'?" he said as he grabbed a glass from the pile of cups I just dried.

I didn't say anything.

"Allie?" he asked.

"If you were Jay, what would you want to hear first: the fact that your stepdad didn't give a rat's ass about you in jail and didn't let you mother see you or the fact that your girlfriend punched the one person you told her to stay away from in the face?" I rushed out.

Andy looked stunned, he opened his mouth to speak, but before he could a voice came behind me.

"What the hell?"

I turned on my heels. Jay stood in the entrance to the kitchen, holding a box of pizza.