Don't judge me for the beginning of this... but yeah. I was feeling kind of... well, read it and you can figure it out, haha.
Sorry, I realize that that was a bit of an overshare, but yeah. It starts off funny kinda, but then things about Rydel start popping up and everyone starts to notice. It's revealed at the endish of the chapter what's going on with her, but it's not the end of the story or of her story line. It's only going to get more intense from her on out, so be prepared for that. I'm actually kind of scared to post this honestly so... alright then. I had a teacher of mine once say that "a good story is a good story, so if it's true, then tell it, bring awareness to it." Guess this is that moment.
It's kinda heavy and dark towards the end, so you've been warned.
I normally dont do that, where I say what the issue is right away. I like to keep you guys guessing haha, but I got a review saying that it was about her father's abuse and let me tell you how right on you were.
I'm going to say this again, Laura's father in Don't Let Go and Ross' father in both this and Don't Let Go are based on my own father. Most of what I write about is true... so... yeah. I'm taking real life experiences and using it in this story. In no way at all do I think Mark is like this in real life. I think he's a sweetheart and see where Ross gets it from, but it's a fictional story and I'm kind of messed up so that's how I write fiction I guess. Just please, don't think of me differently after reading this, because I'm not much different than I was a day ago. I'm still me. Promise.
I was also going to just make this lighthearted and not so intense, but I just got news literally a couple hours ago that one of my very good friends passed away last night. Since I'm in Los Angeles and not back home in Toronto, I didn't get to say goodbye. So I guess this was kind of my way of dealing with it. Also, I got a letter for my birthday from my biological father and it was just so emotional. That's most likely why this is the way it is. I apologize for that.
Sorry about the rant and continue to read on. I don't think you'll enjoy this one because of the content of it, but yeah. Read and let me know what you think of it. It's really long, longest chapter I've ever written, I'm pretty sure, so... there's that.
Ross opened the door to the apartment, his head down as he looked at some of his mentions on his twitter. He was exhausted, after being on set all day and talking to his agent about the upcoming Teen Beach Movie promotion that he was going to do, he just wanted to curl up in bed (beside Laura, if she was home) and go to sleep for the next week. If that was an option.
He shut the door, looking back to make sure it was shut and locked and then took a step further into the apartment. He heard someone clear their throat and looked up, eyes a bit wide and noticed that Laura was sitting on the couch, her feet underneath her, dressed in the robe and nightgown he loved so much. She had a smile on her face.
"Hey Ross, I'm so glad you finally came home… you are alone, right?" She asked, looking over him to see if Rocky or anyone else had followed him back to the apartment.
He laughed at her adorableness. "Yes, I'm alone," He answered, throwing his phone, keys and wallet down on the table in front of Laura, he leaned in to softly kiss her. "Why?" He asked, pulling back just slightly, "what did you have in mind?"
"Well, you know how we got to spend all day…" Laura answered, her hands going to the jacket he wore and pushing it off, "just being innocent Austin and Ally?" He nodded and helped her take the jacket off. "Well, right now, I want to spend time with you, being not-so-innocent Austin and Ally."
"Huh, Calum was right," Ross said and Laura gave him a look, a look that though it was meant to show her annoyance toward what he'd said, it made his heart thump in his chest. "Uh, he said I was super lucky today… and that I should be one grateful… actually I'm going to finish that and shut up." Laura nodded, grabbing his shirt in her hands, she pulled him closer, falling on her back on the couch, her hair spread behind her. He landed with his hands on either side of her and looked down at her. "Sup, beautiful?" He murmured, before leaning in and kissing her. She gave him a soft squeal in return and kissed him back, deepening it as she wrapped both arms around his neck and pulled him closer, so that he was completely lying on top of her.
After a few minutes of intensely making out, Laura broke the kiss, breathless and stared up at him. Ross' hands went around her waist, and he smiled as he felt the baby bump.
"I'm so excited about this baby," He told her, looking right at her as he spoke. "We're gonna be two bomb parents."
Laura giggled, and he lifted up her nightgown a bit so that he could see her stomach. He started to blow kisses on it and it caused Laura to start laughing, squealing as he held her in place and kept doing it.
"What are you doing?" She laughed.
"Blowing kisses on your stomach," Ross answered as though it was something people did on a normal day.
"It tickles!" She squealed again and then looked at him, "and you got Ross slobber all over it." She tried to put her nightgown over it to clean it up, but he shook his head. Instead, he helped her sit up and then pulled off the robe and then the nightgown so that she was just left in her matching lacy yellow bra and boyshorts.
"You're uh… wearing my birthday present," He managed to say, not taking his eyes off her body. Though she was pregnant, to him it was still perfect.
"Well, yeah, I felt like today was a special occasion, though it isn't, but… whatever. We can make up a damn holiday if we have to," Laura answered, leaning in to kiss him. "An occasion, you're kind of overdressed for, might I add." Her eyes went to the door, "that's locked this time right? I don't want Rocky or Vanessa to burst into here like superheroes or whatever."
"Trust me, babe… it's locked." Ross answered, giving her his adorable, heart melting look that just made him kiss him so hard and so roughly he moaned into her mouth.
"Good," She breathily answered back and then put her hands underneath his shirt, lifting it up and throwing it to the side. She got up and motioned for him to do the same, unbuttoning his jeans, before she surprised him by jumping up and wrapping her arms and legs around him. He wasn't too caught off guard and put his hands on her ass, holding her as one hand traveled to get tangled in her hair. He pressed his mouth against hers and kissed her hard and deep as she muttered, "bed," against his lips. Ross stumbled into the room, falling on top of her on the bed as she kissed him again, her hands traveling lower.
He didn't stop her and she didn't stop him. After not seeing each other for a few hours, this is what they both needed and nothing was going to stop them from continuing on.
"Weird," Rocky stared at his phone, hanging up on his brother. "It's going straight to voicemail again."
Ratliff looked at his call log, "dude, you called Ross like fifty times—that's not an exaggeration by the way—" He added, speaking to Rydel, and then returned to Rocky. "What's so damn important?"
"I haven't heard from my brother in over two days, okay. I'm worried about him." Rocky looked at him offended.
"Okay, so there's no other way to say this, but since you're a mother right now, I'm going to warn you of something that may take a moment to wrap around your thick brain…" Rydel put her hand on Rocky's shoulder, "he's probably having special time with Laura right now and isn't available to talk right now."
"Special time?" Rocky tilted his head.
"Oh come on, you know what I mean." Rydel rolled her eyes and sat down on the couch, crossing her legs and then her arms over her chest, she looked up at her brother, who then realized exactly what she was referring to.
"Again? Really? Come on, Rocky." Rocky made a face and shuddered. "I've got to work on my shitty timing."
"Yes, yes you do," Ratliff agreed, patting his shoulder before going to sit down beside Rydel.
"Please do, I'm begging you. I don't need you to interrupt my… special time with Ratliff." Rydel told him, looking pointedly at her boyfriend who just smiled back at her.
"Yeah, it's official, I have no life." Rocky sighed and then went to sit down on the other side of Rydel. He ran his fingers through his hair before his phone vibrated in his hand. His face lit up and Rydel looked at him, "ooh! It's Ross! Shh!"
"Really?" Rydel said flatly, giving him a look.
Ratliff just looked amused.
"Hello? I mean, uh, hey, Ross, what's going on?" Rocky smoothly answered as he sat back, his arm on the back of the couch. He winked at Rydel.
"You called me like fifty times, not an exaggeration by the way," Ross answered, Rocky's face going to unamused for a split second. "whats up? Was it important?"
"Yeah, well, no. Not really, not like life or death." He answered and could hear Ross sighing on the other end.
"Okay, then what did you want?"
"So, I hear from a birdie named Vanessa and another named Rydel and a third named Maia, that they're all spending the day with your girl tomorrow. Ratliff and I have no lives as of this moment and we're wondering if you wanted to spend the day with us and possibly Calum if I can reach the bozo."
"Yeah, sure I guess. I have to do a few things, like meet with my agent to go over some more Teen Beach Movie stuff in the morning, but yeah, afterwards, I'm down."
"Awesome, so see you around… one thirty, two?"
"Yeah, I should be done by then." Ross answered, "but right now… I have to go help Laura with dinner."
"Wow, you're so domesticated, it's like you two are married already." Rocky sighed and Ross laughed a bit on the other end.
"Not yet, but I'll text you after my meetings are over."
"Alright, sounds good." Rocky hung up and then he looked up at his sister and his best friend. "Yeah, so, Ratliff we're hanging out with Ross tomorrow. I'm gonna see if I can reach Calum."
Ratliff nodded and Rocky looked for Calum in his contacts as all three of them heard footsteps and lifted their heads to see Riker was walking into the room. He gave them a strange look.
"What's up guys?" He asked.
"Nothing." Rydel answered, her tone cold, she put her hand in her hair and looked away, towards Ratliff.
"You're still mad at me, it's been almost a week, Rydel, come on." Riker sighed, shaking his head.
Rocky and Ratliff didn't say anything to back him up.
"You're just lucky Ross un-quit the band," Rydel finally said, looking up at him, she stood up. "Otherwise, I'd probably never speak to you ever again." She tried to move past him, but he was fast and grabbed her wrist. This caused fear to go through her and she spun around, "let go of me!" She suddenly shouted, but Riker held on tighter, still gentle and not rough at all. "Let go!"
"Rydel, stop." Riker's tone was gentle as he tried to get through to her. "Just calm down okay? It's just me, Riker."
She started moving her body, fighting against him, "let go, Riker! Let me fucking go!" Ratliff immediately jumped up and Riker chose that moment to let go as she just fell against him, his arms going around her, he shared a look of concern with Riker and Rocky. Though, to their surprise, she wasn't crying, was just shaking.
No one said a word, and she looked up embarrassed, before pulling away from Ratliff and looking around. "I have to…" She didn't finish and instead ran out of the room and upstairs to her bedroom.
"What the hell was that?" Riker finally said, as he watched her go. "She's never done that before and…"
"She was so scared," Ratliff finished his thought. "So damn scared, I wonder what's going on." He started moving in the direction of her room, "I'm gonna go see if I can talk to her." Without waiting for them to agree, he just ran up the stairs and knocked on the door. She didn't answer. "Rye, it's me, Ratliff."
She opened the door a moment later and looked up at him. He tried to see if she'd been crying or anything, but just found dry eyes.
"I'm sorry." She finally said. He didn't know what else to do but hug her. And he did, her body fell against him again as he just held her, kissing her forehead gently and rubbing her back. He held her and she just stayed there, blinking almost blankly into nothingness.
Laura pouted at Ross from across the table the next morning, "we have to be apart all day today."
"I'm going to be seeing you tonight," He assured her, "I live with you, silly, remember?"
She smiled, "I know, but I'm still going to miss you."
He got out of his chair and leaned in to press his forehead against hers, "I'm going to miss you too." He whispered and kissed her softly as his phone went off on the table. He looked back to check it out, and picked it up, reading Rocky's message.
Something's up with Rydel, think you can get Laura to watch her today and make sure she's alright?
Ross furrowed his eyebrows and then read the message out loud to Laura.
"Wait, what? Is she okay? What's wrong?" Laura immediately asked, and Ross texted Rocky back her questions and a few of his own. His phone went off not even a few seconds later.
Riker was talking to her last night and understandably she's still pissed off at him, but she was trying to leave the room and Riker grabbed her wrist, she started to freak out and basically screamed at him to let her go. Then, she ran off into her room and Ratliff followed her, he said she was almost emotionless and wasn't herself at all.
"Oh my god," Laura whispered as Ross read the message to her. She thought for a moment, remembering that Rydel had been abused by Mark and wondered if it had something to do with that. "I think… Ross, I think I know what's wrong." He motioned for her to continue. "You know how when something happens to you, you kind of keep it bottled inside and don't talk about it much?"
"Yeah."
"Well, I think that's what's going on with Rydel. She kept her abuse a secret for so long and when it came out, it was more concern for you since your father had just hit you. No one really paid attention to her, if you think about it and I think that the memories of the abuse are getting to her and she's… acting this way because of it." Laura took a deep breath before continuing. "We don't know what went on between her and your father, we only know what happened to you, because we were all there to witness it. I think that's just her natural reaction to when she gets grabbed like that."
"So, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder." Ross said and Laura nodded sadly thankful that he'd been paying attention to his lessons in high school so that she didn't have to spell it out for him. "Oh, shit." He sat back and sighed, looking down at his phone.
"She could also be self harming or turning self medicating, but I'm not completely sure about that," Laura reached over to take his hand in hers, holding it tight. "I'm going to see if I can try and talk to her. I think if she has someone to talk to, she'll open up a little bit. If not, then she needs…" She trailed off.
"Help," Ross finished and Laura just sadly looked at him. "Okay, let me know if you notice anything off about her, text me. I don't care how many times it takes, I wont get annoyed."
"I will," Laura promised.
"Thanks," Ross weakly responded and then Laura let go of his hand. He had his head down, "I just wish that I noticed it more before, you know? I was just so focused on moving out and the baby that I—"
"No. No, don't think like that," Laura immediately went to his side of the table, she sat down on his lap and lifted his head so that he was looking right at her, "none of this is your fault. Okay? None of it."
"If not mine, then whose?" He asked her quietly.
She took a moment to respond, but when she did, she closed her eyes and hugged him. "Your father's." She whispered after a few moments of silence. "He's the only one to blame here, not you, not Rydel, not anyone else."
He nodded and she pulled back, noticing he had tears in his eyes and couldn't help but think about what a sweetheart he was, crying for his sister like that.
"It'll be okay," She whispered, wiping his tears away. "I'll watch her today and make sure nothing happens, but I'll let you know if I found out anything."
He nodded and she hugged him again, just as his phone started to ring. He sat up and wiped his eyes, sniffling as he reached over to grab it, seeing that it was his agent.
"Hello?" He cleared out his throat and nodded, "yeah, it's just been a rough morning, but I'll still be at the meeting in an hour and a half. Yeah, sure. I know, okay see you then." He hung up and looked at Laura who was studying his movements. "I should go shower." She nodded and slowly slid off his lap as he stood up. He leaned in and gently kissed her. "I love you, Laura."
"I love you too," She mumbled against his lips and then kissed him. "Go shower, I don't want you to be late." He nodded and left then, while Laura just sat back down in his seat. She looked down at her stomach and rubbed it. "Well, it looks like we have a mission to complete today," She whispered to her belly, "I hope you're up for it, because we are going to complete it no matter what it takes."
"Be careful today okay?" Ross said as he walked to the front door, Laura behind him, all freshly showered and feeling a bit better. "Don't get into any crazy shit, and… watch out for crazy people."
Laura smiled at his concern for her, "I'll be okay. I'll be with Maia, your sister and my sister, and god knows my sister has always watched out for me, seriously. Once I was crossing the street and I wasn't paying attention and she pulled me back literally at the last second." Ross' eyes widened. "Relax! I was a little kid, it hasn't happened since then." He gave her a look, "okay, maybe a few times," She admitted. "But… I promise you, this baby and I will be extra careful."
"I like the fact that you just had a conversation with yourself there while still maintaining a conversation with me, skills, babe, skills." She rolled her eyes, giggling as he pressed his lips to hers again. "Love you, I'll see you tonight."
"That you will, love you too," And with that he left, Laura shutting the door behind him. Running her fingers through her hair, she looked around the empty apartment and sighed, just as someone knocked on the door, startling her out of her thoughts. She opened it to reveal Maia and Vanessa. "How did you two get in here so fast?"
"We passed by Ross on the way up and he let us in," Maia answered, walking further into the apartment. She put her bag down on the couch and then sat down on it. "I can sit here right? I wont get any Ross and Laura germs on me?"
Laura gave her a look, "No Ross and Laura… germs as you said it, there."
"Oh," Vanessa nodded, "good to know you two haven't had sex there yet." Laura groaned, shaking her head. Leave it to her sister to be the blunt one.
"And there it is," Maia smiled at them and Laura sighed.
"Okay, you two, stay out of trouble for like half an hour, think you can manage that? I need to shower."
"Why didn't you just shower with Ross to save time?" Maia asked, winking at her and Laura groaned again.
"This is never going to end is it?" She asked no one and threw her hands up, going into the bedroom, just as Vanessa high fived Maia. "I saw that!" She called out into the living room and the two older girls burst into laughter once again.
Rydel sat beside Ratliff, her head on his shoulder as they just stared straight ahead at the happy and lively beach in front of them, silent and content.
Ratliff had surprised her that morning by showing up at her front door step and telling her to get dressed. She did so, quickly and he then drove them all the way to the beach, knowing that if she was anything like her brother, Ross (or anyone on the planet, really) then being at the beach would surely help clear her mind.
"We have a couple hours before Ross' meeting is done and you have to meet with the girls, what do you want to do?" Ratliff asked her after about forty five minutes of silence.
She lifted her head up, the cool air blowing through her hair as she stared at him, "I'm sorry," She said it so quietly, he wasn't sure he had heard her.
"Sorry? Rye, you never have to be sorry, for anything, okay?" He put his hand on the back of her head and pulled her towards him, kissing the top of her head.
"I'm sorry about last night and freaking out and… I'm just… I'm sorry." She looked down but Ratliff shook his head, raising her head, so her eyes were facing his again, he just leaned his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, sighing deeply for a few moments.
"I don't know what's going on with you… but whatever it is, you know you can tell me, right?"
She nodded and looked away, not saying anything more. Instead, she pulled away from him slightly and lifted up her sleeves, to keep herself warmer. Ratliff noticed it, but as soon as he'd seen it, she stopped and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him towards her, she kissed him, softly. When he didn't respond right away, she pulled back and then kissed him again, deeper, until eventually he responded, his hands on her waist, he kissed her back until she slowly broke it off.
"I'm okay," She whispered and he looked right at her again. "I love you, thank you." And then she hugged him. Ratliff wrapped his arms around her, knowing that she wasn't okay, but also knowing that she'd come to him eventually if he just gave her the space she needed.
Ross walked out of his agent's office, happy that the meeting was over and he could do what he wanted for the rest of the day. He sent Rocky a text, telling him to meet him at the café by the Austin and Ally studio with Ratliff and Calum in the next twenty minutes.
He drove there and sure enough, Rocky, Calum and Ratliff were already there, waiting for him as they already had a table.
"Hey, sup guys?" He asked as he sat down, high fiving Calum as he did.
"Not much, how was your meeting?" Calum asked, and Ross shrugged.
"Maia and I are going to be hanging out a lot in the next few weeks, and it's all going to be in between the promotional shit I've got to do with Laura, so it's going to be pretty busy and hectic soon." Ross answered, picking up the menu in front of him. He looked at Ratliff, "How's Rydel?"
Ratliff sighed, "honestly dude, I don't really know. She's kind of acting a bit off and she said she was okay but I'm not buying it."
"Yeah, I wouldn't either," Ross answered, "but Laura figured out what was wrong, so she's going to watch her today. Is Rydel with her now?"
Ratliff nodded, "I dropped her off on my way to meet Rocky and Calum."
"Awesome," Ross answered. They ordered their food and as they waited, Rocky studied his brother for a few moments, as he talked to Calum. He'd grown up with the kid, and Ross still managed to amaze him everyday. He looked way more grown up and more like he had a handle on things as each day passed. Rocky also knew that after the baby was born, Ross would be a hundred percent dedicated and willing to do whatever it took to take care of it. He'd be a great dad, much better than their own, and smiled at the thought of it.
"So, what are you and Laura going to do about…uh, Riker," Rocky asked him as he stopped speaking to Calum.
Ross shrugged, "I don't know, pretend he doesn't exist for a while longer. We didn't really talk about it."
"He's your brother, you cant pretend he doesn't exist." Calum sighed, "I thought you two were cool, what happened?"
"I…" Ross trailed off, realizing that he and Laura still hadn't told Calum or Raini the news. "He was just being controlling and trying to tell me what to do again, I didn't like it and made sure he knew it."
"About what? Your life?"
Ross nodded, looking at Rocky and Ratliff who gave him a shared look, saying he should just tell Calum and then deal with Raini and Laura later. He rolled his eyes and then looked at one of his close friends. "And about the baby." He finally said.
Calum looked confused, "baby? What baby?"
"The one Laura's pregnant with," Ross answered, taking a sip of his drink.
"Well, okay, with the way you two act around each other and how much sex you two have, I'm kind of not surprised."
Ross blinked at him, "sorry?"
"Look, it sucks that she got pregnant now, like the timing is shitty, not the actual pregnancy part, but I know you guys will figure out a way to take care of the baby and as young as you are, that's kind of something to think about. But anyway, whatever Riker said, shouldn't impact your decision in anyway. This is your kid, your life and your decision. Riker can have an opinion all he wants, but at the end of the day it's not going to mean anything. Just like if myself, Raini, Ratliff or Rocky were to tell you what to do. You're not going to listen to us. You're still going to do what you want, it's what you've always done."
"He's got a point about that," Rocky commented.
"Yeah, that's… true, I guess, but Riker… he was acting more like my father than my brother and it didn't sit well with me."
Calum shrugged, "your dad's out of the picture for the most part, right? Maybe that's just his way of dealing with it, by stepping up and being the father figure in your life."
"He's always controlled everything though, the band and… other shit." Ross shook his head, "he doesn't have to be my dad, just be my brother, that's all I want."
"Then you should talk to him," Ratliff said, just as their food came.
"Yeah," Ross sighed, playing with his food for a few moments, "that's what Laura said."
"She's right," Rocky said, "you've got to talk to Riker, it's been almost a week, think it's time to do that yet?"
"No." Ross answered, stubbornly.
"You know what? While you decide what you want to do with Riker, why don't we just have a fun day together? The girls are going to beat us in the fun department if we don't hurry up and eat," Rocky joked. He felt his phone vibrate, pulling it out to see that Vanessa texted him.
Eating?
He rolled his eyes.
Are you a mind reader or something? He texted back.
Look up you doofus. Rocky lifted his head, confused, and sure enough, turned around to see Vanessa was waving at him. He saw Laura, Maia and Rydel beside her.
"Oh, well, look at that, they're here too," Rocky commented. Before anyone could say anything he got up and walked up to Vanessa, his hands in his pockets. "Why are you here? Not that I mind, but… really, why?"
"Same as you," Vanessa answered, "we were hungry."
"Right," Rocky nodded, looking back at the table. Just as he did, Laura walked away from the group and walked up to Ross. Rydel did the same with Ratliff and Maia just walked over to see Calum. Rocky turned back to Vanessa. "So… you guys want to sit with us at our table?"
Vanessa smiled, "why not? Everyone's already there," Rocky put his hand out, gesturing for her to lead the way. She blushed and he smiled to himself, as they walked back to the table. Laura was eating Ross' food and giggling when he made a face at her. Rydel was sitting beside Ratliff and Maia was in deep conversation with Calum.
"Looks like we have visitors," Rocky commented as he gestured for Vanessa to take his seat and then took a free chair, taking it for himself.
"They're not the only ones," Calum said as he lifted his head and saw a few young girls were looking at them, squealing as they ran up to their table.
"Hi, we're sorry to bother you, but we noticed that you guys were here and we want to know if we can take a picture and get autographs?"
Before anyone could answer her, their waitress came up to the table, "I'm sorry, but you can't be here unless you're going to buy food. They're eating their lunch and I'm sure if you were them, you wouldn't want any disruptions, either right?"
One of the girls' mouth dropped open, "how rude, who are you to say what we can and can not do? This is a public place!"
"Look, really, it's fine. If all they want is a picture and autographs, we'll be more than happy to give it to them." Ross spoke up, toward the waitress.
"I was just trying to—"
"We know and trust us, we appreciate it," Laura smiled over at her, "thank you." The waitress nodded and with that, walked off. She turned to the girls. The one who spoke to them first waved a camera in her face, accidently bumping her side. She winced in pain, grabbing her stomach. Since she was right beside Ross, he was the first to notice.
"Laura? Are you okay?" He asked, a bit worried.
She nodded, "I'm fine, totally fine." She assured him and they stared at each other for a moment before she turned back to the girl, who looked apologetic. "It's alright, no worries. I'm not mad."
After taking many pictures and signing numerous autographs, the group was once again alone. Ross as discreetly as he could, pulled Laura onto his lap. He put his hands on her stomach and started to rub it, which made her feel better instantly.
After talking for a bit longer, Rocky stood up, announcing that the boys were going to go do some guy stuff which made Laura giggle.
"What are you guys going to do?"
"Laser-tagging," Rocky grinned and Laura playfully rolled her eyes.
"Have fun then."
"We will," Rocky winked at her. "And after, paintballing and then you know… guy stuff. Manly stuff." His voice got deeper by the end and it made everyone laugh.
"Well, we're going to do girl stuff… so there," Vanessa stuck her tongue out at him and he did it back.
"They're like the older versions of you two… it's so creepy accurate." Ratliff commented to Ross and Laura who burst into laughter.
"I think for that to be true, Rocky would have to be blonde," Laura shot back.
"Point taken." He leaned back in his seat and Rydel hid her face in his neck, giggling against it.
"So we will see you ladies later," Calum said as he stood up. Ratliff hugged Rydel and Ross did the same to Laura before they both stood up to join Rocky and Calum. They left at that moment and all that were left were the girls.
"Calum, let's make a bet," Rocky proposed to his older friend. "How long do you think Ross will last without Laura and Ratliff without Rydel."
"Considering I see something going on with you and Vanessa… I really doubt this bet will benefit you at all."
Rocky's mouth dropped open, "We're just friends! Nothing's going on between us."
Calum gave him a look that said he wasn't buying it.
"Anyway," Rocky waved his hands around for emphasis. "I give it a couple of hours, for both."
Calum turned to look at Ross and Ratliff who were in deep conversation. "I give it a few more than that."
Rocky smiled, turning to him, "so, bet's on?" He held his hand out.
"Bet's on." Calum shook his hand.
"Sweet."
"Is it pathetic that I miss Ross already? And he just left like thirty seconds ago?" Laura asked a lovesick look on her face.
"Well, considering you're carrying his child, that makes sense." Maia answered, "it's a weird attachment thing, I guess, or something. I don't know, I'm not an expert."
Laura giggled.
"I still can't believe you're pregnant," Rydel said, shaking her head. "And with Ross' baby, I really should have seen this coming when you two met four years ago."
"Yeah, you're telling me." Vanessa agreed, "my baby sister is having a baby… that shit's crazy!"
Laura burst into laughter and put her hand on her stomach. "It's not that bad, I mean… I'm not looking forward to all the doctor appointments or the pain or… you know birth, but once I hold him or her, it'll be beautiful and… I'm really looking forward to it."
"So, when are you telling Charlie he's going to be an uncle?" Rydel asked her.
"Or mom she's going to be a grandmother?" Vanessa added.
"Hey, guys, she just got through telling you two and the rest of Ross' family. Baby steps, baby steps…" Maia jumped in to her defense.
Laura agreed, "I'll tell them soon, but not right now."
"Better do it before the world finds out first," Vanessa advised.
"Yeah, wouldn't want your mother to find out through a gossip site that her daughter is having a child." Rydel added.
"Alright, let's stop talking about this," Maia spread her arms wide, "we're here to have a girl's day, not talk about when Laura and Ross are going to tell the world or anyone else about her pregnancy."
Laura gave her a grateful smile and both Vanessa and Rydel nodded. Rydel looked down at her hand, watching it as it went into the glass of ice tea and out again. Laura studied her for a few moments and noticed that as she did it, her sleeve went up just slightly and that there were marks and lines on them.
Oh shit.
She pulled out her phone, going to Ross' contact, she quickly sent him a message.
I think Rydel is cutting herself. Her sleeve went up a bit and I saw some marks there, but I'm not completely sure.
It wasn't long before she got a text back.
Okay, thanks just keep watching her. Love you.
Love you too, she texted back and then shut her phone, biting her lip as she did.
"Ready?" Maia asked her and she nodded, getting up, she followed her sister and her friends to Maia's car. They got in and then Maia turned on her radio.
"Ah! Turn it up!" Vanessa squealed, "we all have to jam to this!" She pulled out her flip camera and started to film everyone as they started to sing, the thoughts in Laura's brain disappearing for a breath moment as she just focused on having fun with her friends.
"What did she send you?" Rocky asked as they walked up to get their tickets for paint-balling. "Anything?"
"She thinks Rydel might be cutting herself," Ross whispered to him. "She saw something on her wrists."
Rocky nodded, "well how do we approach her with this? She'd flip her shit."
Ross shrugged, "I don't know, but…we have to somehow."
Rocky was silent for another moment before he lifted his head to speak to Ross again. "And you?"
Ross blinked, "what about me?"
"How are you feeling since dad… you know…"
"This isn't the right time or place to talk about this right now." Ross said as they walked further up in line. "People can overhear or—"
"So Rydel and you aren't that different after all, got it." Rocky faced forward and Ross blinked at him, confused.
"Sorry?"
"You heard me. You and Rydel like to keep things bottled up inside until it all explodes. You pretend like shit is okay, when it's not. That's not healthy." Rocky turned to him at that moment. "And don't deny it, because you did it when you and Laura had your falling out while we were on tour. You kept it inside the entire six months and it all blew up when we got back. I get it's hard to speak about your feelings, but it's not healthy to just ignore them either. You and Rydel have to learn that."
Ross knew better than to argue with someone who was right, "Laura said that same thing a while ago and I've been opening up to her a bit."
"Look, Ross, dad treated you like crap from the moment you got the offer to audition for the show and you considered it. And then you two got into a fight and he did what he did. I get that. But if you want me to be completely honest, Rydel has only one person to go to to talk about this and it's not me, Riker, Ratliff, Laura, Maia, Ryland, Calum, mom or anyone else. It's you."
"Oh, wow…" Ross trailed off, "I didn't even think off that."
"That's what I'm here for bro. To guide you. That's what big brothers are for."
Ross scoffed, "yeah tell that to Riker."
"He is… in his own way, but we're not talking about him, we're talking about Rydel. Will you talk to her?"
Ross nodded, "definitely, I'll text Laura to bring her over later."
Rocky gave him a smile, "awesome. Now, on to a more important question, and you know me being your brother and all, I'm here to talk to you."
"Yeah, go on," Ross said as he sent Laura the text. He looked up.
"How's the… well, you know. What I keep walking in on and interrupting, and on those days I don't interrupt how is it?"
"First off, I'd just like to say that I am shocked by how forward you're being right now, and second… amazing." He got a far away look in his eyes and smiled. "She's uh, very talented for some one who claims to suck at dancing, though I don't really know what the two of them have to do with each other, but yeah." He blinked, "she's the best."
"Are you just saying that because she's the only person you've been with like that and you have no one else to compare her to?"
"No, I really mean that. I mean, I've kissed other girls, but none of them are compared to when I kiss her, or when I hold her or anything. She's the first girl I've said I love you to and I mean it when I say it's the most amazing feeling in the world. Nothing compares to seeing that smile on her face and her eyes light up. It's… it's just amazing you know."
Rocky smiled, "yeah, I get it. I'm glad you found someone you know you'll spend forever with."
"Yeah. It's funny because when we met, I told her about my love for Romeo and Juliet and then I said to her, you're my Juliet. We didn't know what I meant then, I just said it, because I don't know, maybe I believed it was true back then, but obviously, I didn't know it until much later."
"Do you tell her that now?"
"Yeah, we it's like an inside joke, pet name. I call her Juliet sometimes and she'll call me Romeo. Weird, but it's how we roll." He pretended to pop his collar and then the brothers shared a laugh.
"Or you call her Lorax," Rocky reminded him.
"Hey, that was clever, you have to admit. Her name is Laura, I loved the Lorax growing up… and it just fit so perfectly."
"What does she call you again?" Rocky wondered.
Ross gave him a look, "Rozy."
"Like Rossy?"
"Sort of, but with a z, so it's like Rah-zee." He pronounced it. "Or…" His face broke out into a huge smile, "she calls me Superstar, that's my favorite one of all."
Rocky wrapped his arm around his brother, "I miss us talking like this, we really need to do it more often."
"Yeah," Ross agreed, "but I'm not talking about my sex life."
"Hey, that's up to you." Rocky laughed, "I was just asking because I thought you needed someone to talk to about it."
"And ironically my only option is the guy who cockclocks most of the times when they happen."
"Hey, I can't help it. It's how I roll." He pretended to pop his collar and then Ross laughed as they walked up to the front. He looked around, "where are Calum and Ratliff?"
"We've been behind you this whole time," Ratliff said and they both turned around, shocked. "You just didn't notice, you were off in your own worlds."
"Sorry…" Ross awkwardly trailed off.
Ratliff shrugged, "all good, I kinda heard what you said about Rydel though. And Rocky's right, you have to be the one to talk to her, I'm not the right person."
Ross nodded, "then for you, I'll do it. And for her too, of course, because I do care about my sister."
Ratliff smiled. Calum put his hand on Ross' shoulder, "as for the Laura thing dude, I'm really happy… for you both."
Ross smiled, "thanks."
They then got up to the cashier and Ross thought about what he was going to say to Rydel to get her to talk to him. She didn't seem like she was in the mood to talk, but he knew somehow, that he had to get it out of her. No matter what it took. He needed her to know she wasn't alone.
"Alright, Laura," Vanessa smiled at her as they walked into the apartment, shopping bags hanging from their wrists and their nails perfectly manicured. Laura ran her fingers through her newly done hair, and looked at her sister. "We're in the privacy of your apartment now, Ross isn't here. Spill."
"Spill?"
Vanessa looked at Maia and Rydel. "Yeah, about Ross. What's he like when you… you know…" She trailed off, motioning with her hands for Laura to finish the thought.
Laura did catch on and narrowed her eyes in the direction of her sister. "How would I know? You and Rocky keep interrupting it everytime it happens."
"Okay, not everytime. I wouldn't say that." Vanessa argued. Laura nodded, sighing in agreement.
"Wait, should I be hearing this? This is my brother, we're talking about here," Rydel reminded them.
"You don't have to, I mean—"
"No, are you kidding me… this is girl talk," Rydel grinned, "I'll even tell you about Ratliff, though we haven't gone that um, far yet."
"No way!" Maia turned to her, surprised. "How long have you two been dating?"
Rydel shrugged, "about two and a half months."
"And…?" Vanessa motioned with her hands again. Rydel gave her a look.
"Well, the other day we told each other that we love each other for the first time and I told him I was ready. He said he was too, but he wants the moment to be right and for it to be perfect." Rydel had a dreamy look on her face and the three girls in front of her smiled.
"That is so cute!" Laura squealed, catching everyone off guard. "I'm so happy for you!" She reached over and squeezed her hand. Rydel squeezed it back and Laura observed her, noticing she winced a bit in pain when she did it. She quickly took her hand away.
"So…" Maia caught Laura's attention again. "Tell us about Ross."
"What about him? He's totally amazing and he's the sweetest guy I've ever met, a total sweetheart as I've said numerous times, even when we weren't dating." She thought for a moment, "okay, sorry Rydel, but I'm about to get kind of personal, but if I don't share this with someone, I might burst." Rydel smiled and nodded for her to continue. "Everytime Ross and I have sex, it's like… the most amazing feeling ever, you know. Like it's just us, and he wants to be there with me, every single time. He makes sure that even if he finishes um, first, that I um…" Laura began to feel a little awkward, but continued anyway. "I finish too or that I finish first… normally. And afterwards, all he wants to do is cuddle and hold me and sleep. He really likes sleeping after for some reason, or sometimes, he'll lay on top of me." She giggled and Maia smiled.
"That's something Ross would totally do too." Maia agreed, "in Puerto Rico, there were times when he would just lay on his stomach after we filmed a surfing scene or even a dancing scene. I think he just likes to lie on his stomach."
"She's got a point about that, he used to do it as a kid too."
"But on top of me? Why would he want to do that."
"Well, you're the first and only girl he's ever loved, as far as I know," Vanessa pointed out and Rydel nodded, since she knew for a fact Laura was the only girl he'd ever loved, "seems to me like it's his way of staying close and connected to you."
"Awww!" Maia and Rydel gushed together and Laura felt her cheeks redden a bit.
She put her hands over her face, "oh my god, I can't believe I'm actually talking about this right now."
Maia put her hand on Laura's shoulder, "it's normal to talk with your friends about this stuff, don't feel too embarrassed."
Laura nodded, "okay. If you say so." She paused, collecting her thoughts when Rydel asked the question that totally took her off guard.
"Is he gentle?" Her voice was soft when she asked, her cheeks slightly pink. Laura could see she was embarrassed about asking such a personal question about her own brother.
"Very," Laura answered, "every time, though, rarely he's a little rough, but it's not too bad because he'll go right back to being gentle again."
"Wow, Laura, I envy you so much right now. You have the perfect boyfriend." Vanessa smiled, leaning back in her seat.
"Yeah, Raini told me that the other day actually," Laura replied.
"Speaking of Raini, it's sad she couldn't join us today." Maia made a sad face, "I was looking forward to seeing her pretty face."
"Well, I'll be sure to pass on that message when I see her on Monday." Laura smiled at her. "She was really bummed she couldn't make it, but next time, she said she would for sure."
"She doesn't know yet huh?" Rydel asked and Laura shook her head.
"We're planning on telling her and Calum next week."
"Well, anyway, I'm glad to see you're so happy with Ross," Vanessa smiled at her, "he's the perfect guy for you. I knew it the moment you came home from the audition and we're talking about some blonde, surfer dude that you had auditioned with. You've had perfect chemistry from the very beginning, whether or not you saw it. It was there."
"You think?" Laura tilted her head, teasingly.
"I know." Vanessa nodded her head in her direction and Laura burst into laughter.
"I remember when I first met Ross too. He was wearing a beanie and jeans and a regular yellow wifebeater underneath a faded jean jacket that was rolled up to his elbows. He looked like the typical teenage boy you see in movies. And I honestly thought he was a surfer from California. I didn't really get the chance to talk to him before we went in to audition, but the funniest thing was that for some reason, his shoes weren't tied, so when we both got called in, he tripped and fell literally at my feet." Rydel, Maia and Vanessa laughed with her, as she continued, "he got up and was so smooth about it. He held his hand out towards me and said, hey, I'm Ross and I'm usually way smoother than that."
"Then what happened?" Maia asked.
"I just smiled and he took my hand. I told him I was who I was and that I'm not as smooth as that and he smiled back at me. That's when I knew we had a connection and obviously it showed because we both got the parts we wanted."
Rydel's eyes lit up, "I remember that day! He came home and was muttering something about tripping in front of a really cute girl and was embarrassed about it. He told us the story and I could see it then too and I thought, wow this girl must be really special." She smiled at Laura, "turns out, we were both right."
"Yeah," Laura agreed, "you were." With that, the four girls smiled at her and she smiled back, thinking about how lucky she was to have found Ross and kept him in her life for as long as she had.
After two more hours of talking, Maia announced that she had to leave because she promised her boyfriend she'd have dinner with him. As she left she promised Laura she'd visit really soon.
Just as she left, the door opened and Ross came into the apartment, Ratliff and Rocky behind him.
Laura stood up to greet him, he happily kissed her. "Where's Calum?"
"Happily spending the twenty bucks I gave him." Rocky grumbled and Laura raised an eyebrow.
"Those bozos made a bet on Ratliff and I, Calum won." Ross shrugged, kissing her again, before breaking away and looking up at his sister. He gave Laura a look and she nodded, "Vanessa, Rocky, Ratliff, will you please join me in the other room? I want to dominate you guys in UNO."
"Oh yeah, like that's going to happen," Rocky fake laughed as they walked into Ross and Laura's bedroom, the door shutting behind them as Ross turned to face Rydel.
"I wonder what that was about," She commented, standing up, she tried to fix her sleeve again and Ross, remembering what Laura had texted him, took notice of it.
"I asked Laura to do that earlier," He answered and she looked up at him in surprise. "I wanted to talk to you in private."
"What? Why?"
Ross let out a long sigh, knowing that this was the moment. He sat down across from her and took her hand in his. "You have to talk about what happened, Rydel." He said gently. "It's hard, I know, but he hurt me too."
Rydel, realizing where he was going with what he was saying, quickly pulled her hand back. She shook her head. "No, I'm fine, there's nothing wrong with—"
"Stop lying," Ross told her sharply. "Stop denying it and stop pushing it to the side, you need to talk to someone about it."
"I'm not lying! Why are you so determined to get into my head?" She demanded, standing up, she walked to the other end of the room, her head in her hands.
"He hit me too, Rydel." Ross faced her, "you aren't the only one. Okay? And if I remember correctly, you were there and you witnessed it happen, so talk to me, tell me what he did, how many times he did it, whatever you want. Don't hold back."
"Don't hold back?" Rydel asked and he nodded. "Are you sure you really want me to do that?"
"Yes, Rydel, please…" Ross looked at her with such a pained expression on his face. "You have to get out of you own head, it's not healthy. And I know this, because I do the exact same thing and it's… not good."
"Well, at least now you have someone to open up to."
"You do too! Ratliff, your boyfriend. He's the same thing to you as Laura is to me." Ross told her, "but you can't hide things anymore, you need to be upfront and honest."
"Honest? You want me to be honest?" Rydel demanded, stepping closer to him and he nodded. "Fine, do you want me to tell you that dad made my life hell for years because he was so fucking upset with you? He would hit me because I was always in the way or because it was just easier to. He couldn't hit mom and I don't know why but he couldn't hit you or Rocky, Riker or Ryland. I just think that maybe I was an easy target who knows, but what he could do was touch me and make me feel dirty ever single time he fucking was alone in the room with me. He made me hate myself Ross, and now, I hate him. I hate him for what he did to me, to you, to mom, to this whole damn family and that slut he was sneaking around with for years. Now he's going to marry her because she's pregnant. Awesome. Maybe if she has a girl then he'll do to her exactly what he did to me!" She was yelling by the end of her rant and it had attracted the attention of everyone who was in Ross and Laura's room. "And at this point, if we were to find out he was dead the next day, I wouldn't give a shit. I wouldn't even feel anything because of what he did. So there, Ross. Remember how you told me you thought of him as your hero? Well, what do you think of your hero now?" Her breathing was heavy as she just stared hard at him. Ross kept his mouth shut, not knowing what to say and with that, she just shook her head, grabbed her things and stormed out of the apartment and he just stood there, and watched her go, not making a move to stop her.
Ross heard the door open and Ratliff was the first to come out. "What happened?" He asked him.
"She just… took off." Ross answered, "she said all these things and then took off."
Laura put her hand on Ross' back and he just numbly hugged her, the things Rydel said to him bouncing around in his mind. She looked up at Ratliff who just bit his lip and nodded, running out of the apartment.
"Dude, what happened?" Rocky asked.
Then came his cryptic answer, "So many things… I don't even know where to begin."
It didn't take Ratliff long to find Rydel as she hadn't gone far. Her blonde hair wasn't hard to miss. So he ran up to her and stood in front of her as she wiped her eyes and pushed passed him.
"Go away, Ratliff, I don't want to see or talk to anybody right now."
"Oh yeah? Where are you going to go?" He challenged her. "Back home to Riker, who you cant stand right now or back to Ross' apartment who is freaking out over whatever it is you told him."
"He shouldn't have pushed me to say anything, because now it's all out in the open!" Rydel yelled at him, "I didn't want to say it, but I did! And now I just made things worse!"
"How?" Ratliff yelled back at her. "You've been acting weird for a couple of days now, maybe even longer if you want me to be honest. You need help Rydel!"
She looked taken aback, "you just called me Rydel."
He blinked at her, confused. "That's your name, isn't it?"
"But you usually call me Rye. And now that you're upset with me you're back to calling me Rydel."
"Okay, stop overanalyzing that, because it's not that big of a deal right now. Okay? You need to come with me and you need to talk to someone."
"I can't go back there," Rydel tearfully shook her head.
"Fine, then come over to my house if you want." He gently grabbed her wrist, but the contact shocked her so much, she pulled away and stumbled backwards. He furrowed his eyebrows, confused. And then without another word, caught up to her, pushing her sleeves up, he saw all the cuts and looked up at her.
"There, is that what you wanted to see?" She asked him, "Now you know, how mentally unstable I am." She stared hard at him, "Haven't you heard? I'm fucking crazy!" She yelled into air, her eyes moving around wildly. "Is that what you wanted to know so badly? Is that what you wanted me to say? Because now you're going to think of me differently and probably not be with me anymore, but that's okay, I don't expect you to—" She was cut off when Ratliff pressed his lips against hers, roughly. She closed her eyes and kissed him back, before he broke the heated kiss and then wrapped his arms around her holding her close.
"I am never leaving you," He whispered into her ear. "I don't care how messed up you think you are, I'm always going to be here for you." He held her tight and she just stood there, her eyes burning with tears as her arms slowly raised up and she hugged him close to her. "I'm never letting go." He whispered and she sobbed into his chest. "It's okay, I got you." He whispered into her hair a moment later and she sobbed again, holding him tighter.
"I'm convinced that my family is a officially fucked," Rocky said after a few moments of silence in between himself and Vanessa. "My dad fucked it all up and there's no way of fixing it." He had his hands in his jacket and sat down on a random stoop that he found, looking at her as she sat down beside him. He took one hand out and put it on his lap, so she took the opportunity to put her hand on top of his. He looked up at her and she gave him a soft smile.
"You're strong, you know. Putting up with all that you have. I don't know much about what's going on, but I know it's been tough. Laura's been telling me about what a tough time you've guys have been going through."
"She lost her father, the father she never go the chance to know; she was going through a rough time too." Vanessa shrugged and he continued, "to sum it up though, my father's a cheating, abusive asshole."
"How so?"
"He cheated on my mother for two years, he's been treating Ross like shit because he went to the audition for Austin and Ally and he didn't want that for him, and now of course supports him in nothing he does, and they got into an argument one day and it escalated to the point where dad hit Ross in front of everyone, come to find out he's been abusing Rydel for years too. And just a couple days ago, he broke the news that he's marrying the slut he was cheating on mom with and they're having a baby together."
"Wow," Vanessa looked at him in shock, "I don't even—I don't know what to say."
Rocky shrugged, "it's okay. I try not to think too much about it. I mean with Ross and Riker fighting every five seconds I just try to think of other things that will distract me enough I can stay out of it."
"Like what?"
"This awesome documentary thing Riker got me into. Cool documentaries about wildlife and how they live in their natural habitats and I've been writing a lot, and… I don't know, whatever keeps me distracted."
"Well, if you need anything at all, and those documentaries get too repetitive, I'm here for you." Vanessa squeezed his hand and he smiled at her. She smiled back at him and then with his free hand he reached over and hugged her. She leaned into him, closing her eyes, and let out a happy sigh. He let one out too, happy that he now had someone he could lean on if he needed it.
Ever since everyone had left, Laura noticed Ross had gone into a shell of himself, so to speak. He wasn't speaking to her and had this look on his face like someone killed his puppy or something. After getting ready for bed silently and brushing his teeth, he got into bed, beside Laura. She sat up and looked at him. He looked up at her and then at her stomach.
"I hope our baby is a boy." He said, speaking the first words he'd said to her in a little over two hours.
"Why?" She gently asked.
"Because then my father won't hurt him. He can stay the hell away from him and not go near him." Ross answered back, his tone cold and angry.
"What did Rydel tell you?" Laura whispered gently, her hand going to his cheek as she rubbed it gently.
He ignored her, not meaning to, but still doing it anyway. "If Serena has a girl, he's going to touch her too, just because he knows he can and thinks he can get away with it, well, no. I'm not going to let that happen, he can't touch her."
"Ross?" Laura looked at him in concern. "Please, talk to me. Tell me what she told you."
He turned to her, "my father is a sick bastard and needs to be put in jail." Was all he said, before he turned away from her and laid on his side, staring hard at the ground.
Laura bit her lip, tears coming to her eyes as she tried to think about what could have made Ross so angry and Rydel storm off like that. When suddenly, Ross' words bounced around in her brain.
'…my father is a sick bastard…'
'…he needs to be put in jail…'
'…I hope our baby is a boy, then he can stay away from him and not go near him…'
"Ross? D-did your father sexually abuse Rydel?" She asked him quietly. He didn't answer for a few moments, before he turned back around to face her. He nodded his head and then Laura gasped, her hand going to her mouth, her eyes filled with tears. "Oh my… oh my god…" She felt that familiar flip-flop in her stomach and wasn't sure if it was because of the baby or the news she'd just heard. She knew what was coming next and quickly jumped out of the bed, barely making it to the toilet before the contents of her stomach emptied into it.
Ross got up and knelt down beside her, rubbing her back with his hand, he held her hair back and stayed with her until she was finished. She wiped her mouth with a tissue and then flushed it all down the toilet. She turned to Ross, her eyes filled with tears.
Then she burst out crying and he fell against the wall behind him, holding her as she cried into his chest, her heart hurting and her head pounding.
"I'm so sorry," She whispered, "I'm so sorry…" She just held on to him tighter. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close as he rested his head on top of hers and closed his eyes.
"I am too." He said quietly after a few moments of silence.
Thirty minutes passed before Ross was able to get Laura to calm down, knowing that stress and worry weren't good for the baby. He stood up and then picked her up bridal style, taking her into the bedroom, he put her gently into bed and then got in next to her, the blankets over him, as he lay down beside her. He looked at the clock and noticed that it was nearly midnight. Luckily, they didn't have to work until Monday, but he still had to go to the studio to record songs and that was in a little over six hours.
But he knew he wasn't going to get much sleep. Laura moved beside him and then suddenly, he felt her on top of him, her face just a few inches from his.
"I can't sleep."
"Me neither." He said back.
"Then… we should figure out another way to occupy our time," And with that, she pressed her lips to his, her hands on his cheeks as she felt him wrap an arm around her waist. She pulled him back with her so that he was on top of her and kissed him deeper, her legs wrapping around his waist, she pressed her body against his.
He was too emotionally messed up to realize that what they were doing probably wasn't a good idea, given the news they were given just earlier that night. But he needed the comfort and he could tell Laura did too.
And when Laura pushed his pajama pants down along with his boxers, he just decided at that moment that he wasn't going to stop her and responded back to her ministrations by putting a hand in her hair, tangling his fingers and pushing her against him, kissing her harder and roughly.
He then realized at that moment that they both needed the distraction and nothing was going to stop them from getting it.
It's ironic to me that I'm normally a very private person, but when it comes to this story, I make it so that Ross and Laura aren't... heh.
Oh, and as a side note, now that you've read this chapter, remember back in Don't Let Go, when Rydel is talking to Mark after he hit Ross and she threatens to call the police and she just stares at him and says, "you know why." Then tells him to leave? Yeah... well, here's why. I wasn't just going to let that go... you didnt think that didya?
If anyone has ever gone through this or know someone who has and they need someone to talk to. I'm always here for you. I will talk no matter what. I'm a very good listener, so even if you just want to talk and talk and not have me say a word, I'm here for that too. Don't be afraid to talk. I learned that the hard way and I still am in some ways.
Kay, well, my boyfriend thinks I should sleep... so I'm going to sleep. Goodnight. Tell me what you think whether in a message, a review or on twitter: jessier529. xx
