You've Set My Heart Ablaze
Chapter 26-
James’ POV:
I knocked on Jen’s door and after a minute or two, she answered, with Nolan in hand. “James? What are you doing here?”
“I came to ask you to tell me the truth, Jen.” I replied
“What truth?”
“What happened tonight?”
“I already told you. I went over and told her to be good to you and she freaked out.” Jen replied
I looked at her, “Truthfully?”
Jen nodded, “Yes.”
“Okay. I’m sorry, Jenny…did she hurt you?”
Jen shook her head, “No. I’m fine. Can you stay for a while?”
I nodded, “Yeah, I can stay.”
She handed me Nolan, “Great. I’m going to take a shower. There’s a bottle in the fridge for him, just heat it up for a few seconds, okay?”
“Yep.” I smiled and went to the kitchen, “Okay, buddy, let’s find that bottle.”
I opened the fridge and took the bottle out, putting it in the microwave. After it got warm enough, I took Nolan to the living room and sat on the couch. I smiled down at him. He had grown so much since a few days ago, when I was with him last. Soon enough, he’d probably be walking…I started to burp him when I felt my phone vibrate. I placed Nolan in his bouncer and looked at my phone. Allison was calling. I sighed and sent it to voicemail. I wasn’t sure of what to say to her…things hadn’t been good…I didn’t really trust her…I know it was wrong, but I couldn’t help it…I wanted to trust her, but I couldn’t…
I rocked Nolan slowly as he started to fall asleep. Jenny came back into the room, “Hey.” she whispered
“Hey…he fell asleep…”
“I’ll take him up to the crib.” she replied, taking him from my arms and carrying him upstairs. After a few minutes, she returned with a baby monitor. “Thanks for stopping by, James…it’s been so lonely here since my mom and sister left.”
“Where did they go?” I asked
“Boston. My Aunt lives there.”
“You didn’t want to go?”
Jen shook her head, “They were driving and I didn’t want Nolan to be in that hot car for so long and they’d have to make so many stops so he could eat…”
“I could’ve watched him.” I replied
“I know, but…honestly…I didn’t want to go. My aunt is kind of a prude and me having a baby and not being with his father would just make her go nuts and I don’t want to her any criticism…”
I looked down, “I’m sorry…”
“Don’t be, James…things just didn’t work out for us, but we have Nolan and he has two parents who love him very much and care for him.”
I nodded, “Jen?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m sorry…”
Jen looked at me and kissed me…I didn’t know why I did, but I kissed back.
Allison’s POV:
“James…hi…it’s me again…I’m sorry I keep calling you, but…we just need to talk, James…I’m so sorry…Anyways, call me back.”
I sighed and hung up. I knew James was angry with me…but why didn’t he answer? I laid back in bed and looked at the clock, it was a little after 7pm…we had been at the police station all morning and most of last night. I grabbed my keys and left a note for Melanie. I needed to get away for a while, so I headed to the bar.
I know that was probably not my best idea, but at that point…I didn’t care. I sat down at the bar. “What can I get for you, doll?” Manny, the bartender, asked.
“A bloody mary, Manny.” I replied
“Rough night, Ally?” he asked
I nodded as I explained to him what had happened with Jen…and how James wasn’t calling me back or answering. “I just don’t get it…”
“Well darling, seems to me like the boyfriend believes her over you.”
I nodded again, “I assumed that…but it’s kind of true though…I did attack her first…”
“Well yes, but she did instigate it…and he seems to believe that you instigated.”
I hated to admit it, but…Manny was right. I sighed and took another sip of my drink just as soon as a guy sat next to me. He was medium height, had dark hair and eyes. “Hey, Manny. The usual.” he said. He had some sort of accent, but I wasn’t sure what kind. “Hey.” he said looking at me.
“Hi.” I smiled. He looked familiar, but I couldn’t place his face.
“What’s your name?” he asked
“I’m Allison. What’s your’s?” I asked
He laughed, “You can call me Superstar.”
I rolled my eyes, “Oh?”
“Yeah.” he laughed again, “So what seems to be your problem?”
“Dating one of your kind.” Manny replied, handing him his ‘usual’ a vodka with lemon.
“Oh you’re dating a hockey player? Which one of the Penguins are you dating? Sid? Geno?”
I blinked, “You know them?”
He laughed, “Yes! You don’t recognize me, do you?”
I shook my head, “No…and James Neal…”
“Ha…Neal.” he said shaking his head
I looked at him a little closer and then it hit me…”Max Talbot?”
I knocked on Jen’s door and after a minute or two, she answered, with Nolan in hand. “James? What are you doing here?”
“I came to ask you to tell me the truth, Jen.” I replied
“What truth?”
“What happened tonight?”
“I already told you. I went over and told her to be good to you and she freaked out.” Jen replied
I looked at her, “Truthfully?”
Jen nodded, “Yes.”
“Okay. I’m sorry, Jenny…did she hurt you?”
Jen shook her head, “No. I’m fine. Can you stay for a while?”
I nodded, “Yeah, I can stay.”
She handed me Nolan, “Great. I’m going to take a shower. There’s a bottle in the fridge for him, just heat it up for a few seconds, okay?”
“Yep.” I smiled and went to the kitchen, “Okay, buddy, let’s find that bottle.”
I opened the fridge and took the bottle out, putting it in the microwave. After it got warm enough, I took Nolan to the living room and sat on the couch. I smiled down at him. He had grown so much since a few days ago, when I was with him last. Soon enough, he’d probably be walking…I started to burp him when I felt my phone vibrate. I placed Nolan in his bouncer and looked at my phone. Allison was calling. I sighed and sent it to voicemail. I wasn’t sure of what to say to her…things hadn’t been good…I didn’t really trust her…I know it was wrong, but I couldn’t help it…I wanted to trust her, but I couldn’t…
I rocked Nolan slowly as he started to fall asleep. Jenny came back into the room, “Hey.” she whispered
“Hey…he fell asleep…”
“I’ll take him up to the crib.” she replied, taking him from my arms and carrying him upstairs. After a few minutes, she returned with a baby monitor. “Thanks for stopping by, James…it’s been so lonely here since my mom and sister left.”
“Where did they go?” I asked
“Boston. My Aunt lives there.”
“You didn’t want to go?”
Jen shook her head, “They were driving and I didn’t want Nolan to be in that hot car for so long and they’d have to make so many stops so he could eat…”
“I could’ve watched him.” I replied
“I know, but…honestly…I didn’t want to go. My aunt is kind of a prude and me having a baby and not being with his father would just make her go nuts and I don’t want to her any criticism…”
I looked down, “I’m sorry…”
“Don’t be, James…things just didn’t work out for us, but we have Nolan and he has two parents who love him very much and care for him.”
I nodded, “Jen?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m sorry…”
Jen looked at me and kissed me…I didn’t know why I did, but I kissed back.
Allison’s POV:
“James…hi…it’s me again…I’m sorry I keep calling you, but…we just need to talk, James…I’m so sorry…Anyways, call me back.”
I sighed and hung up. I knew James was angry with me…but why didn’t he answer? I laid back in bed and looked at the clock, it was a little after 7pm…we had been at the police station all morning and most of last night. I grabbed my keys and left a note for Melanie. I needed to get away for a while, so I headed to the bar.
I know that was probably not my best idea, but at that point…I didn’t care. I sat down at the bar. “What can I get for you, doll?” Manny, the bartender, asked.
“A bloody mary, Manny.” I replied
“Rough night, Ally?” he asked
I nodded as I explained to him what had happened with Jen…and how James wasn’t calling me back or answering. “I just don’t get it…”
“Well darling, seems to me like the boyfriend believes her over you.”
I nodded again, “I assumed that…but it’s kind of true though…I did attack her first…”
“Well yes, but she did instigate it…and he seems to believe that you instigated.”
I hated to admit it, but…Manny was right. I sighed and took another sip of my drink just as soon as a guy sat next to me. He was medium height, had dark hair and eyes. “Hey, Manny. The usual.” he said. He had some sort of accent, but I wasn’t sure what kind. “Hey.” he said looking at me.
“Hi.” I smiled. He looked familiar, but I couldn’t place his face.
“What’s your name?” he asked
“I’m Allison. What’s your’s?” I asked
He laughed, “You can call me Superstar.”
I rolled my eyes, “Oh?”
“Yeah.” he laughed again, “So what seems to be your problem?”
“Dating one of your kind.” Manny replied, handing him his ‘usual’ a vodka with lemon.
“Oh you’re dating a hockey player? Which one of the Penguins are you dating? Sid? Geno?”
I blinked, “You know them?”
He laughed, “Yes! You don’t recognize me, do you?”
I shook my head, “No…and James Neal…”
“Ha…Neal.” he said shaking his head
I looked at him a little closer and then it hit me…”Max Talbot?”
Notes
Sorry again for the long wait...been going through a lot...I think I'm going to go to 30 Chapters and end it...maybe...:)
Thank-you for reading it thus far:)
6/3/13