Chapter Ten – Those Little Words

Jon looks at the clock when there's a knock on his door. He frowns, trying to think who could be here now. He wasn't expecting anyone, not that people don't just show up out of nowhere. But everyone who probably would be is out of town for some shows. He sets his beer bottle down on the coffee table as he stands up and walks over to the door. He raises an eyebrow when he sees Beth standing there. What is she doing here? How did she know where he lives?

"My brother is a cop," Beth says. "I called in a favor to get your address."

Jon nods. "Answers that question. What are you doing here?"

"Can I come in?"

He steps to the side and gestures for her to come inside. "Sorry about the mess. I just got back today and now in the middle of unpacking and all that."

"Not a problem. Mind if I sit?"

"No, go ahead." He watches as she sits down on the couch before he moves to sit on the other end. "If this is about dinner…"

"It is, kind of. But there's more to it than that, Jon." Beth watches Jon closely. "You may not have wanted to be there, but you did show up. That has to mean something. And I saw the way you looked at my daughter. Despite you not wanting to do with any of us at that moment, you still looked at her like she meant something to you. So what changed?"

Jon sighs. "Face it, Beth, I am never going to be good enough for her. You and Ethan have made that perfectly clear."

Beth nods. "You may not be what I picture for my daughter, but I have only ever wanted her to be happy." She shrugs. "I don't want her to end up in a marriage of convenience. She should have everything she wants. Don't take that as marry her tomorrow or anything. I just want you to know that you make her happy. Even though I didn't know the reasoning behind it, I did see a difference in her leading up to when we first met you. You are that reason, Jon. I am sorry I didn't let that part be seen right away. I was wrong."

He runs a hand through his hair. "I'm not perfect, Beth. Far from it."

"No one is perfect, Jon. If they say they are, they're lying to you. Do you care for Angelina?"

He nods. "Very much."

"Then that's what matters. I'm not looking for perfection. I thought I had that in my marriage. I want Angelina to follow her heart. She needs to find someone because she loves them."

"How's she doing?" He already knows the answer to that. Likely the same as him. In the last week and a half, he's barely eaten or slept. The only thing that's kept him going has been the shows.

"As good as can be expected I guess. She hasn't come out of her room much. If it weren't for me bringing her food, she probably wouldn't be eating. And I can't honestly say if she's been sleeping or not."

"I never meant to hurt her."

"You should talk to her."

"After that night she's never gonna wanna see me again."

"You'd be surprised." She reaches over and squeezes Jon's arm. "Drinking won't solve your problems. Talk to her."

He nods. "I just need time… figure out what I can even say." He frowns a little. "Can you wait here for a moment?" He stands up and walks down to his room without waiting for an answer. In the matter of moments, he's returning to the living room with a small stack of his t-shirts. "Can you give these to Angelina? Just tell her they're mine, she'll understand."

Beth frowns a little as she takes the stack of shirts. "Of course. Just promise me you won't wait too long to talk to her."

"I promise."

Angelina looks over when there's a knock on her door. "Come in," she says. She smiles a little when Beth walks in. "Hi, Mom." She looks at the shirts in her hands and frowns. She doesn't remember Beth getting the laundry.

"Hi, sweetheart." Beth sets the shirts on the bed. "Jon asked me to give these to you. Said to let you know they're his and you would understand that."

Angelina looks at Beth once again. "Jon? You saw Jon?"

Beth nods. "I went over and talked to him. Now, explain the shirts."

"I told him that I wanted to make a quilt using some of his shirts." She shrugs. "Sounds dumb, I know. But…"

"It doesn't sound dumb. It sounds like you love him."

"I do." Angelina sighs as she picks the shirts up. "How is he?"

"A lot like you are. He's miserable without you. He may not want to admit it, but I could tell. I think you should talk to him, Angelina."

"Are you okay with him and me?"

"I think it's going to take some getting used to. But I saw how happy you were with him. That's really all that matters to me. No, he's not who I pictured you with."

"He's a good guy, Mom."

Beth nods. "I know." She smiles at Angelina. "You should talk to him."

"What about Dad?"

"You leave your father to me. You worry about Jon."

"Okay."

Beth kisses Angelina's cheek before standing up once again. "I'll see you later."

Angelina looks the shirts once again with a smile on her face. She sets them to the side before walking over to her closet to find the perfect backing for the quilt. She flips through the fabrics before settling on a dark blue piece.

Angelina takes a deep breath as she looks at Jon's trailer. She knows he isn't alone by the cars in front, but she's hoping she's not interrupting anything. She climbs out of her car and makes her way up to the door. Can she really do this? Yes, she needs to. She knocks on the door and takes a step back. She wrinkles her nose at the noise coming from inside. When the door opens, she looks up.

"Angie," Jon says. He runs a hand through his hair as he steps down from the trailer.

"Am I interrupting?" Angelina asks.

He shakes his head. "No." He gestures behind him. "Just a few of the guys."

"Oh. I was hoping we could talk. Is there…?"

"Come in. We can talk now."

"But…" She points toward the door. "What about them?"

"I'll tell them to leave." He opens the door again and motions for her to go in.

Angelina licks her lips as she steps inside. She frowns a little at the sight of the others, but mainly when she sees Amy. She hadn't talked to Amy in over a week. Her best friend had definitely changed lately. Of course, Amy had practically told her that she was stupid for letting Jon go. Not that Amy let Angelina tell her what had happened. Jon rests his hand on Angelina's lower back, causing her to jump a little.

"Guys, out," Jon says.

"Oh come on," another girl says.

"No, get out."

Angelina moves away from the door. She raises an eyebrow when the red headed woman steps in front of her. The woman snorts, causing Angelina to frown.

"She's no good for you Jonny."

"Get out, Helena."

Angelina watches as they pile out of the trailer. She looks at Jon when he turns toward her after closing the door. "I could've come back another time."

He shakes his head. "No, it's fine. I didn't really want them here to begin with. Especially Helena. But Chris was my ride, so I didn't have much of a choice."

"Who is she?"

"A girl I used to have a thing with." He shakes his head again. "It was… well, let's just say I want nothing to do with her." He waits for Angelina to sit down before sitting down beside her. "Your Mom stopped by."

"She told me." She looks at Jon. "Thank you for the shirts."

"You're welcome. You had said you wanted some to make a quilt with. I can give you more if you need more."

Angelina takes a shaky breath. "Jon, I'm sorry. I should've seen that you were having a bad day and not pushed you."

"No, Baby, don't apologize. I was a jerk." He sighs. "I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you. And while I don't think I'm good enough for you, it doesn't mean I want to let you go either." He looks at her. "I should've tried that night and I didn't. I was a jerk to you and to your parents."

"Mom's giving you a chance." Angelina wipes her eyes. "If you want it. Jon…" She covers her face.

"Baby…" Jon moves closer and slides his arm around her. "Hey, it's okay, Angie. I want it. I want you." He rubs her back. "I love you, Angie."