Blast From The Past

Taking Its Toll

I hear Joey coming in through the front door after being with the New Kids for most of the day, but he doesn't sound as cheery as he did the other day. I go to greet him. Taking one look at him, I can see how tired he is. "Why don't you go for a bath and I'll order something in for tea?" He places a kiss on my cheek, "think I might go for a bike ride and then I'll hop in the bath when I get back." I hug him. His shoulders seem a little tight. "Okay, babe, I'll start running the bath for you after you've left and maybe I can pour some wine, if you like me to?" He let's go to change his footwear. "Yeah baby, sounds good to me. I won't be long. Love you K!" He winks and strides out of the door.

The next day when Joey comes home from work, again, he's seeming a bit withdrawn. So we do the same, he goes for a bike ride and I'll run a bath for him. I try to encourage him to open up to me. "Joe, I'm worried about you. What's going on?" Instead of talking, he'll just shrug it off as a stressful day. I just don't know what to do.
"Katee! Miss you bestie, how's things?" Is how I'm greeted when I answer my phone. "Oh Nikki, things are okay. Me and Joey are good but I'm worried about him." Then she asks to explain what's been going on. "The more you try and push someone to talk, the more likely they'll unintentionally push you away. Give him time. The work, is it to do with the New Kids?" She asks me. Damn it. "Thanks Nikki, I can hear Joe pottering around so gonna check in on him. I'll talk soon. Bye." Why didn't I realise that he's been with Donnie all week, I wonder if there's tension between them and causing friction with the group.
"There you are my beautiful girlfriend, what you been doing?" I tell him how I've been catching up with Nikki. "Joey, can we talk?" His brow lifts up slightly, "isn't that what we're doing now baby?" I sigh. "I'm worried about you. What's going on at work?" Again he shrugs his shoulders then they sag. He goes to sit down on the sofa. "I'm good babe. It's just not always rainbows and unicorns being a 'pop star' he finger quotes the rainbows and unicorns. "I know that. Every time you've come home from being with the guys, you just seem so stressed. I can tell it's taking its toll on you." I watch as he stands up to look out of the window. "It's just stressful. Every time he opens his mouth, I wanna punch him. But it'll be fine tomorrow."

Hmm okay, so it's definitely got to do with Donnie. What the hell is going on. This is all my fault. Everything was great between them before I came along. I walk over to stand behind him, and I wrap my arms around his chest. His hands press on top of mine. "I love you Joseph." He spins rounds and gives me the kiss of death, "I love you more than you'll ever know Katee."

The next morning, Joey stretches as he sits up in bed. "I really can't be bothered today, wanna do something fun instead?" As much as I would love to do something exciting with him, I know he'll regret not going into work. "The guys will need you. And miss you. We can do something later on when you've finished." He mumbles. "What kind of boyfriend am I that deserts you everyday you're here for work when you have traveled all this way to see me?!" Oh my. "You are an amazing boyfriend. I couldn't ask for anyone better than you!" He goes to the bathroom. I stay sitting up in bed, checking through my phone. Ten minutes later, he stands leaning against the doorframe, with his eyes gazing at me. His eyes smouldering. I gesture for him to come back to bed. Seductively, he slowly walks towards me, and climbs on top of the bed with his arms either side of me. Feeling his arms, I love how toned they feel in my tiny hands. I can feel his breath which has a hint of mint. His eyes bore into my soul.

Joey did eventually leave to go to work but only for a few hours. When he first got back, he slammed the front door and yelled a few expletives. Upon hearing him yell, I ran to the door. He came back more stressed than he has done already. Watching his posture, it's slacking and his usual cheerful self has disappeared. "How did it go today? I wasn't expecting you back so soon." Glancing at his face, he looks fed up. "He's an absolute moron, he got me so bloody mad K, I had to get outta there!" I try to calm him down by gently stroking his arms. I lift my hand up to caress the side of his face, "you're home now. Just forget about him." I notice his fists clenching. It makes me so sad to see him like this. For the rest of the day, I try to distract him from work and relax with me. We play some board games together. I show him what I've been working on on the laptop. Together we rustle up some food and enjoy eating it. Then there's a knock at the door. "I'll get it, you sit tight, Mac."
I open the door and it's Jonathan, I gesture for him to come inside.

"How is he doing?" Is the first thing he says as he stops to stand beside me in the hallway. "Hmm. Been really stressed. Why?" He takes a deep breath. "Things have been tense. I don't have the foggiest of ideas on what is going on between him and Donnie. In fact, none of us do. They're at loggerheads with each other." I invite him for a drink but first I stop him before we get to the dining room. "Jon, can we just not mention about Donnie, it's took me so long to relax him. Maybe we can chat tomorrow with him when he's calmer." He nods. Then I follow him. Jon manages to make the three of us laugh with his stories until he has to go home.