As Twinkie slipped into the empty room, her heart raced a little. She knew she wasn't supposed to be here, but she didn't care. When she saw her boyfriend waiting for her, a smile instantly lit up her face. "Hey baby," she whispered, kissing him softly. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her close as he kissed her back.
"I missed you," he murmured, his lips brushing against her ear. "I missed you too," Twinkie replied, her smile widening as her hands gently traced his arms. The chemistry between them was undeniable, and soon enough, she was perched on the edge of a table, their intimate moment escalating into something they both knew they couldn't resist.
The world outside disappeared for a while as they gave in to their secret rendezvous, but Twinkie knew this was temporary. The weight of her family's problems - Karen's pregnancy, the pressure from the tour, and Mattie's constant pushing were never far from her mind. She'd have to go back to all of it eventually, but for now, she just wanted to be lost in this brief escape.
Meanwhile, outside, Jacky had managed to find a payphone. She dialed Glynn's number, her fingers trembling slightly as the dial tone buzzed in her ear. When he finally picked up, his familiar voice brought her a small sense of comfort. "Hey," she said softly, leaning against the wall, her head pounding with the weight of everything going on.
"Hey baby, how was the show?" Glynn asked, his voice calm and supportive. "It was good," Jacky replied, but then let out a heavy sigh. "But Karen's pregnant, and the pregnancy is messing with her voice. It's higher pitched than usual."
Glynn's silence on the other end told her he was processing the news. "And what did Mattie say when she found out?" he asked cautiously.
Jacky rubbed her temple, feeling a headache creeping in. "She said a whole bunch of bullshit, as usual. Talking about the church and our reputation." Her voice wavered with frustration. "I'm so damn tired of it, Glynn. I'm ready to get a lawyer and try to get full custody of Karen. I can't keep letting her be in that mess, and Dorinda... I swear, I need to get her out of that dumbass marriage with Greg too. I just don't know what to do."
Her voice cracked as she leaned against the wall, the stress of it all finally crashing down on her. Glynn's steady voice brought her back for a moment. "You're doing what you can, Jacky. It's a lot, I know, but you can't carry all of it on your own."
"I feel like I have to," Jacky admitted, her eyes welling up with tears. "I don't know how much more Karen can take. And Dorinda... God, I just want her safe."
Glynn's deep sigh echoed through the phone. "We'll figure it out, Jacky. One step at a time. You're stronger than you think."
Jacky closed her eyes, trying to believe his words, but it was hard. The weight of her sisters' struggles, and her own, felt suffocating.
-
Karen wiped the sweat from her face as she made her way toward the bathroom, her mind swirling with the whirlwind of emotions from the show and everything else. She had been trying to keep a low profile, especially with her pregnancy weighing on her both mentally and physically. But when she turned the corner and saw Drew standing there, everything else seemed to melt away.
"Drewww!" Karen exclaimed, her face lighting up with shock and excitement. Without a second thought, she ran toward him, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. Drew hugged her back, his familiar warmth calming her instantly. "Hey, Kare," he said softly, his voice full of affection.
As they embraced, Karen suddenly felt the baby flutter inside her, a small reminder of the life growing within her, though she tried to ignore it. Her hand reflexively went to her stomach for a moment before she quickly lowered it, not wanting to focus on that right now.
Drew, as if sensing her need for comfort, reached into a bag he had with him and pulled out one of Karen's favorite snacks. "I figured you might want this," he said with a smile, handing it to her.
Karen's eyes softened, and she couldn't help but smile. "You remembered," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, feeling a sense of normalcy in the midst of all the chaos. For just a second, it felt like everything was okay. " I always do." Drew replied, his eyes never leaving hers.
For a moment, Karen stood there, holding the snack in her hand, feeling a little less overwhelmed. Drew had always been her escape, her little slice of peace in a world that seemed to be crashing down around her.
But even in this brief moment of happiness, Karen couldn't fully escape the weight of everything else. She looked down at her stomach, then back at Drew, wondering how much longer she could pretend that everything was fine.
Then Karen and Drew locked eyes, the connection between them undeniable. Without thinking, they both leaned in, and their lips met in a tender but intense kiss. As they pulled away, Drew chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Damn," he muttered, still taken aback by the moment.
Karen giggled, her heart racing as she looked up at him, feeling butterflies fluttering in her stomach. It was one of the few times recently that she felt genuinely happy, even with everything going on. "We should probably go somewhere a little more private," she whispered, glancing around nervously.
Drew nodded in agreement, and the two quietly slipped away to a secluded corner of the venue, away from the prying eyes of the world and, more importantly, her family. They found a small, quiet spot and sat on the floor, the sound of the bustling tour group faint in the background.
As they sat together, Karen slowly opened her snack, taking small bites while Drew talked about random things nothing too deep, just enough to keep the conversation light. She appreciated the distraction, and Drew's presence made her feel more at ease.
"How are you feeling, Kare?" Drew asked, his eyes softening as he looked at her. "I know it's been rough lately."
Karen hesitated for a moment, not wanting to unload all the pain and stress she had been carrying. But with Drew, it was different. She could be vulnerable. "I'm... overwhelmed," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "Sometimes I don't even know what I'm supposed to do."
Drew nodded, reaching over and taking her hand in his. "You don't have to figure it all out right now. One step at a time, okay? You've got me."
Karen squeezed his hand, grateful for his support, even though the situation was so much bigger than either of them could handle alone. "I just don't want to let anyone down," she murmured, her voice breaking slightly.
"You won't," Drew assured her, his thumb gently rubbing the back of her hand. "You're stronger than you think, Karen."
Just as they were settling into the quiet of their conversation, Karen suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. She glanced up, her heart skipping a beat when she noticed Earl lurking in the shadows, his eyes fixed on them with a scowl that made her stomach turn.
Her smile quickly faded, and she subtly shifted closer to Drew, her body tensing. Drew noticed her change in demeanor and followed her gaze, spotting Earl watching them from a distance.
"Shit," Drew muttered under his breath. "What's he doing here?"
Karen swallowed hard, her grip on Drew's hand tightening as fear crept in. "He's always lurking," she whispered....
