Right Down Cherry Lane//Warrant •Jani Lane•

Time

It's been sometime. A year to be exact, crazy I know, right?

Anyway, things were...let's just say things were going. Grace was now 1, and Carrie 6, me 21, and Jon now 26.

Time flies

I saw Jani. And it wasn't a very good meeting. I was at work, Jon was in the studio, Grace and Carrie  were at my moms. I was working and Jani had burst through the door.

He was drunk. He went on and on about how sorry he was for acting how we met and everything else that he did. It got bad, so I eventually had to kick him out. That was 3 months ago.

Jon and I on the other hand? Things were not the best. And neither one of us knew why. Either that or we did and we didn't want to say anything, cause if we did, that would make it real.

So we continued on, the problems within our relationship quiet until they couldn't be anymore. So Jon and I both watched and listened simultaneously waiting for the ball to drop.

And who was going to be the one to drop it.

We acted fine, but we both knew we weren't and on both Jon and I's sides? Depending on how others looked at it. Either both of us were to blame or neither one of us were  to be blamed at all.

After my shift, I went home. My mom was keeping the girls tonight. When I got home there was a message on the answering machine. I listened to it. It was Jon's 'friend' from high school. I knew they had dated once upon a time and Jon told me that a while ago.

But I couldn't help but wonder and kind of see that something was still there, whether Jon and I liked it or not. I sighed. I don't know how to feel about it to be honest. She calls almost everyday, and almost every day Jon answers.

And the only run in I had with Jani was when he was fucking drunk.

I left the message so Jon could listen to it when he got home. I took a shower and got into some comfortable clothes.

This was not the same house. This was a three bedroom house with a decent sized kitchen, and a decent sized backyard. And it wasn't just in my name. It was a house that was ours that was Jon and I's.

After I cleaned the kitchen and Carries room, I sat on the couch for a bit and the door opened. It was Jon. "Hey babe." He said as he entered. "Hey." I said with a small smile as he sat down next to me.

He kissed my cheek. "You...you've got a message on the answering machine." I told him before he could continue to kiss my cheek and my neck. "It can wait, who was it?" He questioned. "Dorothea." I said. He sighed and just like that, with a snap of two fingers his lips were off of my neck, he was off of the couch and he was walking to the other side of the living room.

He listened to it, I didn't have to, I already knew what it said. Jonny, it's me again. What are you up to? How's Grace, we need to hangout, I miss you. Yadah yadah yadah

After he was done listening to it, he walked back over to me, his eyebrows furrowed. "What's with the look?" I questioned as he sat down. He shook his head. "What look?" He said, trying to hide his uncertainty.

"The one you've got on your face right now." I said on the boarder line of being sarcastic. He sighed and un furrowed his eyebrows. He was quiet. "What?" I questioned. He shook his head and tried to move to my neck like before.

I lightly pushed him away he stared into my eyes, and I did the same. I guess it would be me. I guess I was the one who was letting the ball drop.

"It's been a long time." I told him. He nodded. "It has. We've been dating for a little over a year, Grace is 1 now, Carries 6, you're 21, I'm 26, and the next Bon Jovi record is coming along great." He explained with a smile. He wasn't getting where I was going with this, so I decided to as upfront and blunt as possible.

"You want her, don't you? I asked him. His eyes went wide at the accusation and he shook his head. "It's doesn't matter what I want, I got you and Grace." He stated. He was trying to convince himself. I shook my head. "I can see that you do. And if you love someone enough, you gotta be happy for them, and learn to let them go. Even if it hurts." I told him.

Not just shoving a dagger through his heart, but through mine as well.

"Lori...no." He said slowly and softly as he went to reach for my hands, I let him grab them. "I love you." He said. I nodded, a sad smile on my face. "I know, but just because you love me doesn't mean you're not in love with someone else." I told him softly, staring at him as he rubbed his thumbs over the top of my hands.

He then looked down at my hands for a minute and just held them still, he eventually looked back up to me. He stared in my eyes, I could have sworn he was on the verge of crying. "I'm sorry." He said quietly. I shook my head and gently put my forehead to his.

"Don't be sorry. You can't control who you fall in love with." I told him honestly, thinking that I should probably be listening to myself. "Where's this leave us?" Jon questioned, moving away from my forehead. I shrugged. "Truthfully? I don't know. But Jon, as your girlfriend, as your friend, if you want her, go to her." I said, a tear slipping out of my eye.

I quickly brushed it away. "I do love you." He said. I gave him another sad small smile. "I know I know. And I love you too. And I have a feeling we'll always feel that way for each other. But you and Dorothea? There's no arguing with that." I told him truthfully.

From what he told me, apparently they were high school sweethearts, and for them to still feel like that towards each other after not being together or seeing each other for several years? It's kind of romantic, whether or not it was breaking my heart.

He then gave me a look and grabbed one of my hands again. "You've got that too though." He said. I looked at him confused. "With who?" I questioned. He gave me a small smile. "You and Jani? There's no arguing about that either. Lori, he wrote a song about you, called I Saw Red, the guy loves you." Jon explained.

It then got quiet. We didn't know where to go from this deep and departing conversation. "We okay?" I questioned. He smiled, a tear slipping out of the corner of his eye. "Yeah." He said.

We then kissed for a little bit, sort of like a goodbye. "We'll always love each other Jon, you're the father of my kid. We've got Grace, and Carrie likes you too." I said as we eventually pulled away. He chuckled at that, a bittersweet smile on his face.

"I know we'll always love each because you're the mother of my child, and I do love Carrie, but the guys? They're your family too." He said. I laughed at that. "Oh I know, I still haven't had the chance to break in the pot holders Tico got me for Christmas." I laughed, Jon laughing with me.

It eventually died down. "We had hell of time." He said staring at me and smiling at me with not just his mouth but through his eyes. I nodded. "And we'll have more, just not this intimately, but as parents to Grace and Carrie...and as friends." I told him.

He nodded and he got up off the couch, me following. We stood there a minute. "I'll sleep on the couch tonight if that's okay." Jon said. I nodded with a small smile.

"Of course." I said as I got him his pillow and a blanket. I gave them to him and before I could step into the bedroom again, he grabbed my wrist and kissed me again.

Really was goodbye. We said goodnight after the kiss and I went to bed. This was crazy, but everything was gunna be okay, just like it had been.

We understood why this was happening, on all counts, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt and heartbreak all those involved.