Promise? ✤ COLIFER SHORT STORY

Chapter 10 ✤ The Emmy Awards

Jen's POV

"Okay, what does this mean for the two of you?" Rose said in a hushed voice later that night, after I'd filled her in on everything that had happened.

I looked down at Asher, who was fast asleep right next to me. We ended up having dinner in our hotel room with Josh and Ginny, and Alex was checked into a room on the first floor. Asher fell asleep before Josh and Ginny even left our room.

I wiped his dark hair out of his face, and for a moment I envied the completely peaceful expression on his face.

"I don't know what it means," I sighed eventually. Asher had fallen asleep next to the pillow, so I laid my head on it and pulled up the sheets before I looked back up at Rose. "I really don't know what it means."

"I thought you guys already went through this," she said. She was sitting cross-legged on top of the sheets, but she pulled one leg up to her chest. "Whenever I see you two together, you're just happy and in love. When did this happen?"

"I guess we just never really talked about it when we should have." I pressed my cheek against Asher's head; my temples were pounding and rubbing them wasn't helping.

I didn't even want to talk to Rose. I just wanted this weekend to be over, and then...

And then I didn't know what would happen.

"I think we better get some sleep," I muttered.

"You're right," Rose said. She titled her head sideways and pouted, and then she hopped out of bed to kiss my cheek.

"You'll be fine, Mozza. And you, little dude," she whispered softly, leaning over to kiss Asher's forehead, "You might not know it, but you have a mom and a dad who love you more than anything in this world."

I smiled up at her.

Long after she'd switched off the lights in the room, I was still staring up at the dark ceiling. My mind just wouldn't shut off, which was driving me crazy. But right as I bit my lip to stop the tears from coming, Asher rolled over in his sleep and snuggled up against my chest. He pulled up his knees, squeezing Hippo between us; he seemed smaller than ever.

It calmed me down enough to close my eyes and keep them closed. I might not have an answer to everything right now, but the most important thing in this world was lying right next to me.

And for at least a few hours, that was enough. 

* * *

"Are you sure you have everything?" Rose called from the bathroom the next day.

"Yes, I'm sure," I called back, turning to look at the ceiling and slapping my forehead. I got ready about twenty minutes ago; it was Rose who was taking an unusual amount of time to put on her shoes.

When another minute or so passed, I gave the door of our room a gentle push. "McIver!" I called inside, "The car is here, we have to go!"

"I'm here, I'm here," she shouted, and two seconds later she dashed out of the room in a whirlwind of perfume. She was giggling as we headed for the elevators, and even though I woke up feeling like I got hit by a truck, her great mood was infectious.

This was it: we were leaving for the Emmy Awards. It was going to be a long night, and I'd never been more stressed to attend an event than today. I said goodbye to Asher ten minutes ago; he was going to the beach with Alex for the rest of the day.

A car was waiting outside the hotel. Well, actually... Using the term "car" was a little degrading; it was a black, shiny limo with tinted car windows, and Rose let out a tiny shriek as we got inside.

"This is insane," I whispered when we scooted over the black leather couches on the left side of the limo. There were strips of purple neon lights on the ceiling, and even narrower strips running along the top and bottom of the miniature bar on our right.

"Everything alright back there?" the voice of the driver suddenly boomed through the speakers.

Rose and I looked at each other; Rose grinned broadly.

"Yeah, we're good here," she called back. She eagerly grabbed one of the glasses of Champagne and offered me one too, but I shook my head.

"It's a very, very bad idea to arrive drunk at the Emmy's," I said. I was feeling trapped and panicky; I couldn't afford to get comfortable in the very comfortable couches of the limo, because if I did my dress would get wrinkly before we even got there.

I finally leaned back a little bit when we started driving. Rose requested to hear some 80's tunes, but I wasn't feeling it.

"Oh, come on, this has got to stop," she said when I refused to sing along to "Don't Stop Believing." She turned towards me and got hold of my hand. "Jennifer Marie Morrison, you've been in this business long enough to know that gossip dies out after about a week. Just lift your chin up and deal with it."

"Except it isn't gossip," I muttered under my breath.

She sighed. "Okay, I know, but they don't know that. Trust me, there's going to be a day when you're old and slow and no one's going to be interested in you then."

I raised a brow at her, but the corners of my mouth were trembling. "You know that's a terrible thing to say, right?"

"You know what I mean. Now take a glass of Champagne and relax for a moment."

I let her push a glass in my hand, and I took little sips until we noticed that the car had been standing still for a really long time. Rose crawled all the way to the front of the limo so she could look through the little window.

"Okay, we're in a giant traffic jam," she reported without looking back. "And I don't know if— HEY, that's Josh, Ginny and Colin's limo!"

I put my glass back on the bar and sat down next to her. She was right; their limo was one of the stationary cars in the lane next to ours. They were barely a few yards ahead of us, while they left the hotel about ten minutes before Rose and I did.

"We'll get there in time, don't you ladies worry," the driver reassured us with a smile.

It took three more replays of "More Than a Feeling" before we started moving again. But I was about to fill my glass for a second time —I'd stopped caring about the alcohol percentage ten minutes into the drive— when Carlos, our driver, let out some Spanish cruse words.

"Are you kidding me?" I said, because the car was slowing down again. I squeezed myself next to Rose at the little window, but she was just staring through the windshield.

Then I saw the reason why we'd stopped, and it wasn't another traffic jam. A black limo had come to a stop in front of us.

"That's... Josh, Ginny and Colin again!" I announced rather unnecessarily. "Do you think their car broke down?"

"I don't think so," Rose said, shaking her head. Then she shot up, out of nowhere. "He's getting out! Oh my god, he's getting out!"

"What?" I ducked under her elbow to see what she meant, but my jaw dropped when I saw Colin hurrying out of the limo. "Oh god, he's getting out!"

I only caught a glimpse of his dark blue suit before he ran straight past the front of our limo. He kept running, and I grabbed Rose's arms when he flashed past the dark windows.

"What on earth is he doing?" I cried. "Is he out of his mind?!"

"I don't know, you tell me!"

There was a thud on the door; we were still holding onto each other's arms, staring at the back of the limo, when Colin yanked the car door open and stuck his head inside. 

He was panting when his gaze found mine.

"We need to talk."