Chapter 14 Don't Leave Us
Disclaimer: I own everyone not recognizable
"You can't do what, Carolina?" Stephanie held her friend as she cried hysterically.
"I don't want to be me anymore." Her body wracked with sobs. "I don't want this life anymore."
Stephanie shoved Carli back. "Are you kidding me? The life you fought so hard for? The family who would die for you, you don't want anymore?" She looked at her friend as the anger built inside. John found them and almost came into the room until he heard the conversation.
Carli shook her head. "I don't want to hide anymore. I don't want my husband to think if he leaves us alone for two minutes something will happen. I don't want to look over my shoulder if I'm out of the house. I want my son to grow up and live his dreams and I want to be there to see it." She tried to compose herself and explain why she was cracking.
John stood just outside the door with Paul and his heart was breaking for his wife. Carli's anger began to build as she thought of everything again. "I don't want anymore phone calls telling me where I'd been that day, no more phone calls telling me what pajamas Joey is wearing right now. Do you know how fucking scary that is? He knows what pjs my son is wearing, Joey's blinds are never open in his room because of this. He can tell me exactly what John is doing when we're not in the same room no matter what city we're in."
John was shocked. He didn't know the phone calls were that detailed and were still occurring. He sank to the floor and listened to his wife. Paul sat beside him stunned also. Stephanie cut off Carli's ranting. "You have to tell John. No wonder you're breaking right now, look at you. You spend all day with your son, never leaving his side. Damn, Carli, he naps in the same room you're in because you're afraid he'll be missing when you check on him. What kind of life is that? What kind of life is that for Joey and John? Think of your husband. He would throw himself in front of a runaway train for you two. But you live in constant fear, all of you. Joey can sense it."
"We went to Disneyworld last week as a special birthday trip with just the three of us." Carli continued. "He called while we were there and knew what we were wearing, the rides we'd been on, what we had for lunch. He told me exactly what John and Joey were doing while I was talking to him. I could feel the bile rise in my throat and I wanted to throw up." John looked at Paul and they both sat there wide eyed.
"Does John know this?" Steph couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"No. I called the police and alerted park security but once again, they can't do anything unless he physically touches one of us." Carli took deep breaths fighting the tears. "He's coming for me, Steph." Carli looked at her friend with the most serious expression Stephanie had ever seen. "He's coming to take me away from everything I know. He said John can have Joey because he and I will start a new life."
John couldn't listen anymore and went to get Joey. Paul followed and informed the other searchers they'd found her and she was fine. When John walked into the big hall he could tell those closest to them had been on high alert because they'd all surrounded Joey and his every move was carefully guarded. It was like he had his own entourage. Joey of course loved the attention and played it full tilt. Paul stood next to John and put a hand on his shoulder. "What the fuck do I do man?" John asked.
"Support her. Wait for her to come to you. Guard her like you never have before. We'll get more security on her and Joey 24/7. Scott won't get to her, John. He just won't." John heard footsteps behind him and he knew without looking it was Carli. That's how well he knew his wife. He knew the sounds of each of her shoes, he knew her scent, he knew her touch. Carli wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her body into the expanse of his back. She held him tight and just breathed him in.
"I love you, John." She said and his heart melted. His anger for not telling him faded away and his heart flip flopped in his chest. The things this woman could do to him with three simple words. Three words that meant nothing on their own but meant the world when put together. He turned to face her. Carli's eyes were a little puffy but she'd fixed her make-up and unless you knew her, you'd never know she'd been crying. John kissed her with his entire soul. He replayed Paul's words in his head as his tongue danced with hers. 'Guard her like you never have before.' That he could definitely do. He held his wife and silently vowed to never let her go. He would fight to the death for her and their boy.
Carli looked up at her husband, the man she wanted and would spend the rest of her life with. She silently vowed to fight to the death for her boys. Nobody was taking this life from her. She took a deep breath and knew she needed to find the Carli that lived her life full speed ahead. The Carli that didn't let fear run her life. This was her one shot in this world and she was going to love every second of it. John watched his wife's expressions change and knew she was changing right before him. Her strength and resolve was returning right before him.
"Can you spare a few minutes?" He asked her and gave her the look.
"John, it's our son's birthday party." She had to smile at him. She did want to feel that connection to him, needed to feel it.
"Yeah, and look at him. He's got his loyal audience to watch out for him while we sneak away. Just a few minutes, baby." He kissed her neck and snuggled into her hair. John also needed to feel a connection to his wife. Yes he spent every second of every day wanting to make love to her, but this time he needed not only the physical, but the emotional reassurance.
"Did you already scope out a location?" She asked and smiled at the thought of a quick rendezvous with her husband. John grabbed her hand and took off down the halls. They found a room a safe distance from the party and as soon as he locked the door, he grabbed her and threw her against it. His tongue dove into her mouth and his hands were all over her. They were both instantly aroused and could explode at any given moment.
"I love it when you wear skirts." He said in his deep lust induced voice. She loved that voice and his words could send shivers down her center. John's mouth was back on hers and he lifted her skirt. His hands found every inch of her and his fingers meticulously stroked her. Between his moans and his hands Carli thought she'd died and went to sex heaven. She slightly came out of her daze and swiftly removed the belt on John's shorts. She had a hard time releasing him because her brain was fighting between the dexterity to unbutton and unzip her husband's shorts and her own impending orgasm. Her knees began giving out and John picked her up. He carried her to a table and lay her on it. Before Carli knew what was happening his tongue was joining his fingers and she screamed from her immediate orgasm.
She had about three seconds to recover before John was plunging into her. He lifted her from the table and sat in a chair. Carli's brain was in overdrive and she made love to her husband like this was their last time together. Or a two year old would interrupt them at any moment. They looked into eachother's eyes as they made love and conveyed without words all of their feelings.
After the madness of a toddler's birthday, things settled back into the normal routine. Carli told John everything, from the phone calls to how she was feeling. He couldn't blame her and admitted he did smother her. He knew he was smothering her, but can't help how he feels. He would be nothing without his family, it would be like cutting him in half and expecting him to function normally. His life without her was not nor will it ever be an option. They decided to live their lives with as much normalcy as they could and continue fulfilling their dreams. John wanted another baby and Carli admitted she did too.
They already had a very active sex life so they didn't need to plan anything out for timing. The only obstacles they ever faced were Joey and their penchant for being loud. It was hard to try and be spontaneous when the little guy barely let his mother out of his sight. They snuck quickies in the kitchen, in the shower, during nap, anytime anywhere was their motto. Sometimes Carli would greet him at the door and launch herself at him, raining kisses all over him and tearing at his clothes. He hadn't even put his bags down and she was getting him naked. He was home four days a week and they spent those four days, several times a day, making love. John had suggested letting Joey spend the night with his parents and Carli only laughed. She would not be without her son at all so they would have to settle for quickies and risky places. He had to admit the risk of getting busted added to the thrill of making love to his wife on the back patio. Against the front door. In the pool.
Six weeks later Carli was pregnant and both families were beyond thrilled. The phone calls began to thin out and she was visibly relaxed. Her pregnancy with Joey was very easy and she hoped this one would be too. Carli had doctors appointments every two weeks to monitor her condition outside of the pregnancy. She would be watched like a hawk from everyone, nobody wanted another scare. Carli didn't care about herself as long as she could give John everything he wanted. It made John angry and he tried to understand but he couldn't, made no sense to him. He went to each and every doctors appointment so he knew the truth, Carli would play anything and everything off so he needed to be sure she was fine. They decided not to find out the sex of the baby this time and just enjoy their time together as a family. Carli's raging hormones during her pregnancy kept their sex life full throttle and John couldn't get enough of his wife. At the pace Carli set, John would be seriously suffering during the six to eight weeks after the baby was born.
John lay in bed one evening watching ESPN and looked over at Carli. One hand on her tummy and the other on the pillow by her face. She was on her back but her face was turned towards him. He watched her sleep and still couldn't believe this was his life. Whenever he expressed that during conversations with his mom, she always told him the same thing. It only takes one woman to change a man, good or bad. John was wild and crazy, not a care in the world, and then there was Carli. His mom was right, it only took one woman and all John's views and opinions of himself changed. The guy who liked to hang out with his friends and drink, the guy who loved kids but didn't think he'd be a good parent or role model, the guy who lived for his work, had vanished and John had become a family man.