Chapter 38

After quickly examining Jay’s battered hands, Kadie was relieved to discover that the damage was only on the surface - bruising and torn skin, but no apparently serious damage. That said, she warned him that it was going to hurt like a sonofabitch for a few days, as the bruises and cuts stiffened. Jay just sat looking at her patiently, his mental - emotional - pain far greater than any physical injury right now, and Kadie sighed, leaning to kiss him.

“Just stay there and try not to attack anything else.” She said sternly, leaving him on the floor and getting to her feet. “I’ll go get some gauze and stuff.”

“Can I at least sit on the couch?” He pouted, and she smiled.

“Yeah, sure.” She laughed as Jay held up a hand, begging assistance. “Jesus, guys are all the same! One little bruise and they need a nurse.”

As he got to his feet, Jay pulled her into his arms, his hands resting naturally on her butt as he smiled tenderly.

“I think I’ll always need you, baby.” He said softly, dipping his head to bump his forehead against hers. “I know we hardly know each other, but - and feel free to smack me if this freaks you out - I think I could be falling in love with you……….Desi.”

“Desi?” She said in surprise. Nobody’d ever called her that before, and Jay shrugged slightly.

“I dunno. Just seems to fit you, baby. And, well, everybody calls you Kadie…….I guess I wanted something that’s just mine.”

She looked up at him. She’d never believed in love at first sight. Lust, sure. She’d fallen madly in lust with one or two guys in her life, but love? Strange thing was, though, even after just the short time they’d known each other, if she tried now to imagine her life without Jay in it, well, it didn’t seem like much of a life. Maybe there was something to this love thing after all. Somehow, too, his need to have a name that was just his to use, well, that struck her as sweet and lovable. And she liked the feeling. Smiling as tenderly as he did, she raised a hand to his face, brushing her thumb over his cheekbone as she cupped her hand along his jaw.

“Actually…….it doesn’t freak me out, Jay. And that scares me a bit.” Her thumb moved again, caressing down over his full lips. “Because I can’t imagine not having you around, baby.”

His eyes lit with joy. Maybe it was just the circumstances right now, the fact he could very easily lose the one person who’d been a constant through his entire life that was making him just say what he was feeling. But whatever the reason, Jay didn’t regret saying it, especially given that Kadie - Desi - had echoed his feelings. Smiling again, he leaned in to kiss her, and it somehow felt different now. Felt more special, almost, now that they’d voiced their feelings for one another. As they slowly parted, Kadie eased back out of his arms.

“Let me go get stuff for your hands, baby.” She said huskily, and Jay let go of her reluctantly.

“Don’t be too long.” He murmured.

She made it to the door when a thought struck her, and she walked slowly back to him.

“Jay - I should tell you. When I was talking with Richie - he told me that your mom told him everything - everything - that happened, and he told Jon.”

“He what? What right did he have……?”

“I don’t think he meant to.” She said quickly, now knowing exactly why Richie had told Jon the truth. “I think he was just really shocked by it, Jay, and he needed to tell someone. For kinda obvious reasons, he couldn’t - or wouldn’t - tell you. Don’t be mad at him. I just wanted to make sure you knew that, well, all four of us know the whole story.”

“Except for who did it.” Jay’s eyes darkened angrily. “Though I have a pretty fucking good idea.”

“You do?!” Kadie laid a hand on his arm. “Who, Jay? Who do you think…….?”

“I…..” He looked at her, the shadows in his eyes frightening her. “Mom was seeing a guy who’s involved with the team, until I told her he was married. I’m afraid that when she told him to take a hike he may have……may have lost his temper…..”

“But, baby, what’s been done to your mom…….seems a bit over the top for a guy being told he’s history.”

“He’s a prick.” Jay said firmly. “I mean, I’ve heard the guys talking about him - hell, they even refer to him as Nick the Prick half the time. I hate the idea that someone I know could’ve done this, but……well, mom’s too sensible to let a stranger into her hotel room…….I just….”

“Baby.” Kadie whispered, cupping his face gently, not knowing what to say or do. Knowing all she could do was be there for him. “Please….just…..just wait here, okay? I’ll be back in a minute and we can talk. We’ll just have to wait, and when your mom wakes……”

“Don’t you mean ‘if’ she wakes up?” He said bleakly, wincing as the gentle touch on his face changed to fingertips digging into the sides of his head.

“No! No, I don’t, Jay!” She snapped. “Don’t you dare give up on her! I’ll smack the shit out of you if I hear another word like that, you hear me?!”

“Ow!” He yelped. “I hear you, baby. Okay, so when mom wakes up…..?”

“When she wakes up, she can explain what happened. To you, or me, or the cops, but until she’s awake and can tell the story, just don’t assume anything, okay? You’ll drive yourself nuts.”

With those parting words of wisdom, Kadie left Jay sitting on the couch, staring blindly at the floor. When the door opened, he raised his head, assuming it was her, but it was Jon and Richie, each bearing two cardboard cups of coffee.

“What the fuck happened?” Jon saw the state of Jay’s hands, and almost dropped the cups he carried.

Richie, though, spotted the hole in the painted wall and rolled his eyes.

“I guess the wall lost?” He said, jerking his head toward the damage, and Jay grinned shamefacedly, blushing.

“Yeah, it did.” His hands were truly aching now, and seeing the pain in his face Jon laid the coffee on the table, not asking him to take it in his damaged hands. “De…..uh, Kadie’s gone for gauze and shit.”

“Quite a temper you got there.” Richie said, half-directing his words at Jon as he spoke.

The two older men sat down, Richie taking the spot next to Jay to prevent Kadie being hit with another of those deja-vu-all-over-again moments when she returned. Or, God forbid, someone else walking in and catching the uncanny resemblance.

“Yeah.” Jay reached carefully for his coffee, flicking the lid off and raising it to his lips. After a long sip, he laid the cup down, keeping his eyes on it as he spoke to his companions. “Kadie told me…….what happened to mom.” He flicked a glance at Richie, then at Jon. “She told me you both know?”

“My fault.” Richie said quickly. “I’m sorry, Jay. Your mom told me, and I guess I just needed to tell somebody. Jon got elected.”

“I kinda understand.” Jay said softly, reaching for his coffee again. “I just wish mom would wake up soon, so we can find out for sure who…….”

“For sure?” Jon picked up on the words first. “You think you know who did this?”

“I…….” Jay looked down, unsure whether he should voice his vague suspicion. And that was all it was. He couldn’t imagine any reason Nick would do something this violent.

“Dammit, Jay, if you know who did this……” Jon blurted, his vehemence shocking Jay.

“C’mon, Jon.” Richie butted in quickly. “If Jay doesn’t want to……”

Jon turned his head, knowing how damned close he was to blurting out the truth, to telling Jay just why he felt so responsible for Billie. How close to telling him that his father wasn’t some long-dead fiancé, but that he was sitting right here. That he was Jay’s father. And this so wasn’t the time for that kind of thing.

“Nick.”

Jon swung around at Jay’s soft voice, seeing the confusion, the hurt in the Bongiovi-blue eyes.

“Nick?” Richie echoed Jay’s quiet voice. “Nick who?”

“Nick Fabian.” Jay said reluctantly.