The Actress and the Athlete: A JJ Watt Story [ON HOLD]

Chapter Seventeen

****I am so sorry it has taken this long for an update!!! I hope this can help you forgive me.****

It's been almost two weeks since I told JJ about Alex and what he did to me. On the outside, I tried to put on a brave face for everyone, but inside I was still very much on edge. I haven't received another letter since the "Young and Beautiful" video shoot, but that didn't change the fact that Alex was still out there, watching me. The nightmares were still happening, but not as often as before. But when they did happen, JJ was right there to comfort me and make me feel safe.

I finally came clean to my family and my friends about what was going on and as expected, they reacted the way any person would react; angry that I kept this from them for nearly a month and worried for my safety as well as their own. Cara took every precaution necessary to make sure I would be safe; she upgraded my home security system, moved Carter into the spare bedroom in the studio, and hired a private detective named Liam Sheppard to start investigating who was sending these letters and if this was in fact Alex or just some fan stalking me.

I stared out the passenger side window of JJ's truck, watching the cars as they passed us by. The Texans didn't have a game until Monday night so my mom called us over to her house for a family barbeque and to watch some college football that Saturday. It was also her way of taking my mind of everything that was going on. Country music played in the background while JJ talked about our upcoming trip to Wisconsin. The Texans had their bye week coming up and since JJ normally went to his cabin during the bye week, I decided to come along with him. I listened but his voice became more and more distant as my mind replayed the last conversation I had with Detective Sheppard.

"Nicole, I want you to understand that we're going to do everything that we can to protect you and everyone around you, with that being said there isn't much that we can do until he attempts to make physical contact with you." he tells me. "Now the restraining order you have against Alex is still good so that should keep him away."

"But what if it doesn't work?" JJ asked. "This guy has been leaving her letters and she even saw him when she was in LA!"

"She said she THOUGHT she had seen him." he corrected him. "And we don't know if these notes are from Mr. Muñoz and not just one of her fans that could be stalking her."

"A fan wouldn't know to call her Bubbles or use the phrase he used to say to her before he would beat her!"

"Mr. Watt, I understand your frustration, but please understand that we are working with very little here. However, that doesn't mean we aren't going to take this seriously. I promise you that we will find him or whoever is doing this to her and we will arrest them. But for now, Nicole I suggest that you try to maintain normality. If any more of these letters show up or if whoever this is tries anything, you call me personally or you call the police. Don't worry...we will catch this guy..."

"...Babe." JJ says, snapping me back to reality.

I snap my head to look over in his direction. "Hmm?"

"You still with me?" he asks, his gaze on the road.

"Yea sorry, just got lost in thought I guess." I softly reply, flashing a fake smile at him. He didn't say anything, but the look on his face told me he didn't believe me.

We reach a standstill in traffic and the truck comes to a halt. While we wait in traffic, JJ suddenly stretches over to the passenger side and places a soft, tender kiss against my lips, turning my fake smile into a real one and butterflies to go berserk in my stomach. He pulls away from me slightly before placing another kiss on my lips, then another at the end of my nose, causing me to giggle.