Part 12
"That will be fifty six dollars sir." The Chinese man said as A.J paid
him.
"Thank you" A.J said shutting the door. As he passed Krystle, who was
still sitting on the floor, he motioned for her to get up. She
hesitated at first, but then finally pulled herself together. Without
saying a word to him, she helped get the drinks out.
'Didn't he have something to tell me?' she said to herself.
"So Krys," Brian interrupted her thoughts, "need some help?" he asked
helping her get the glasses. She nodded her head.
"So," she started a conversation trying to forget what had happened
earlier, "Are you still with Sandra?" she asked. She really liked her.
"Sandra... I'm still with her. She's really great. She still asks
about you. Why don't you come up to our house for a while next week?"
"Ya... That would be great." Krystle said. She wasn't really listening
to what he was saying. She kept wondering why A.J was ignoring her.
~ At dinner
A.J sat on the other end of the table across from Krystle. She was
starting to feel really uncomfortable. 'What did I do know?' she asked
herself.
"Krys," A.J said softly from across the table.
"Ya..." she said back. She figured he was ready to tell her what he had
planned on saying earlier.
"Could you... umm pass the salt shaker," he said, not looking up from
his plate.
'Oh that's it' she said to herself. She got up from the table slowly
with the salt in her hand. Placing it in front of A.J she said, "Guys,
I'm not feeling to well, so I'll be going to bed now. Thanks for
coming." She was holding back tears again. Why was he pushing away from
her again?
'I knew I couldn't trust him' she said heading up the stairs.
~ In the kitchen~
"A.J man. What's going on with you and Krys?" Kevin asked as the
others cleared the table.
"I dunno Kev. One minute I feel like I love her, and then the next I
just don't know," he said with a sigh.
"A.J," he said raising his voice a little, "You can't do this to her.
You know she can't handle this. She's not a toy remember. Right now
she up there probably crying. You think I didn't notice how all of a
sudden you're ignoring her? Come on now A.J, You either love her or you
don't! And I'm not willing to see her hurt anymore. You either face
the fact that you love her or end it now." Kevin said getting up from
his seat. Brian was already at the door waiting for him. Howie had
left to hit the clubs a bit earlier.
"Come on man" Brian yelled from the front.
"I gotta go, but you better have an idea of what you are gonna do by the
morning. I'll be back then..." Kevin said heading for the door. He
looked over at Jennie who was sitting on the stairs.
"Bye Jen... I'll be back tomorrow." He kissed her forehead and left
with Brian.
"G'Night, A.J," Jennie said heading upstairs.
"Night!" he said back.
He sat in the kitchen alone in the dark for nearly an hour before he
decided to head up for bed. Slowly he passed Jennie's door and came to
a stop at Krystle's. He peered his head in. The lamp at the side of
her bed was on, but she was asleep. A.J walked over to the bed and
starred at her for a while. He turned off the light and headed for the
door. Krystle's voice allowed him to freeze in the dark.
"Why do you do this to me A.J?" she asked. Her voice was imbalanced.
They couldn't see each other because it was dark.
"I don't understand!" he said back,
"You say you love me... you say you want to be with me... and
then..." she began to cry, "You try to make a promise to me... but you
can't... Is it me? Cause I don't know what I'm doing wrong A.J... I'm
trying my best to show you that I love you... it's not easy for me to do
that... Cause love doesn't come easy for me... and I'm so afraid right
now,"
"Of what... What are you afraid of?" A.J asked walking closer to the
bed.
"I'm afraid of loving you. I'm afraid of loosing you again. Every time
I love someone... they always leave me... Always" Krystle sat crying,
not knowing where A.J. Suddenly the light went on, and A.J stood with
teary eyes as he watched her. He looked into her eyes, as he continued
to cry.
"Krystle," he never called her Krystle before, "I promise you... that
no matter what happens from this day on... I'm going to love you... I
promise you that no matter what, I'll always be here for you... I
promise you Krys... That I'll never, ever leave you..." he said sitting
down next to her. She buried herself in his shirt as she cried. He
held her tight and rocked her back and forth. Soon she fell asleep.
A.J stayed up until late, rocking her back and forth, repeating his