Leave It Alone


"What's wrong?" Jason questioned, watching AJ roll off him in bed, collapsing on her back beside him, stopping halfway through sex.

"N-Nothing. Nothing, I just…. I need a minute." AJ turned to him. It wasn't like she could tell him that she was picturing another man whilst she was on top of him. She was beginning to think there was something wrong with her.

"Too much to handle?" Jason teased as she smiled.

"Yeah." She humoured him as he smiled.

"How about you just lie there then?" He smiled, rolling over on top of her, slipping back inside and thrusting into her as AJ tilted her head back a little. Normally her sex drive was through the roof, but right now, it was the last thing on her mind.

They'd gone on a romantic meal. She laughed and loved her fiancé. Seeing exactly why she'd fallen in love with him. Why she had accepted his proposal. Why she was so excited to marry him. But ever since her kiss with Punk, something felt different. She couldn't shake it. Not even whilst Jason was making love to her.

She was relieved to say the least when he finished, rolling off from her and lying on his back beside her.

"You are… the best." Jason panted a little as she smiled to him, "Seriously? How did I get so lucky to find you?" He turned on his side to look at her, "You have the most beautiful soul. The way you… the way you want to take care of people." He said as she smiled.

"Is that why you fell in love with me?" She questioned curiously.

"Yeah." He nodded, "That and the most amazing body." He said as she smiled to herself.

"I always wondered if there was a perfect person out there for everyone." AJ nodded, "Do you think there is?"

"Yeah." He smiled, "And I've met her."

"Me too." She whispered. In the quiet moments, where her brain relaxed and she looked in his eyes, she was still in love with him very much, "I didn't really believe in love or… marriage growing up."

"Because of your parents?" He figured.

"Yeah." AJ nodded, "They only stayed together for me, for as long as they did. I mean, they only reason they got married was because of me." She said.

"Sometimes it's more damaging for a kid when their parents who don't love each other, stay together, instead of just getting divorced." Jason said.

"I was just like piggy in the middle the whole time. And they'd use me to score points against each other." She shook her head, "They just hated each other so much, I didn't understand it."

"Some people just aren't meant to be. Sometimes they don't know it." Jason nodded.

"Yeah." AJ looked at him, "My dad was kind when she wasn't around, sometimes. I used to wonder if they both resented me for the fact they had to stay together." AJ nodded.

"That was their decision." Jason nodded.

"Yeah, I know. It just goes through a kid's mind, I guess." AJ nodded, "And an adult's."

"I am sorry for being so distracted with work and then taking it out on you, trying to blame you for working too much." He said, "I'll try to do better, I promise." He nodded as she smiled.

"We both can do better." She cupped his cheek as he nodded. She wanted to believe him. Lying here with him, she had every reason to know she was in love with him, it just didn't feel the same since her kiss with Punk. She knew it was a bad sign that she couldn't shift him for her mind, even when faced with all her fiance's good qualities, and after a wonderful night with him.


"So… April not with you tonight?" Punk asked, sitting with Renee in Kat's whilst Dean had disappeared for more drinks.

"No." Renee turned to him, "I don't think she'll be coming back here for a while." She said discretely as Punk looked at her. It was very obvious she knew what had happened.

"She told you." Punk nodded.

"I'm her best friend." Renee said, "Shame on you." She whispered.

"Shame on me?" Punk laughed a little, "She kissed me. Or is she saying it was the other way around?"

"No, of course she's not. She knows what she did was wrong, but you shouldn't be messing with her the way you have in the first place. You know she's in a relationship." Renee shook her head, "Were you not loved enough as a child?" She questioned as Punk rolled his eyes.

"I was a very loved child, actually." Punk nodded to her as Renee sighed, "Is she ok at least?" He wondered.

"She's confused, that's for sure." Renee said, "I mean… between me and you, what are you doing? What are you getting out of this?"

"Nothing." Punk said, "Would it be so impossible to cross anyone's mind that I might like her." He shook his head with frustration as Renee looked at him. She could tell he wasn't the type of guy to just say things like that about anyone.

"You have feelings for her?" Renee asked as Punk just shrugged modestly, "She's engaged." She shook her head, "It's… it's not gonna happen."

"Then why'd she kiss me?" Punk asked her, "Huh? Is she really that happy with her fiancé that she has to come here and kiss me?" He questioned. He hadn't realised that he'd become extremely comfortable with his brother's new lady friend. She was very easy to talk to.

"They've been… having a bit of a hard time recently with work." Renee told him, "So you coming in and looking at her like she's the only girl in the room, wasn't very good timing." She explained, "I think it's best you just… you leave her alone." She nodded to him.

"Well she told me to, so I will." Punk nodded, "But if you were really her friend, you might wanna ask her if she's really that happy with the guy she's with." He said.

"That is… not my place to do that." Renee scolded, "She loves Jason. I know that. And I don't see any scenario where they don't get married." She said.

"I do." Punk mumbled.

"Ok, drinks." Dean came back to the table, sitting down drinks for the fire crew as well as his brother and Renee, "So your friend ain't coming?" He asked Renee, sitting back down at the table.

"No, not tonight." Renee said, looking at Punk who just made a face at her, getting up and leaving the table as Dean watched.

"What's up with him?" Dean asked.

"He's totally hung up on her, isn't he?" Renee asked him as Dean nodded, knowing what and who she was talking about, "I think she is too." She admitted quietly.

"But she's gonna settle for the fiancé." Dean predicted.

"Well she does love him." Renee said.

"You don't love someone if you're out kissing another person behind their back. Or at least, you don't love them enough to marry them." Dean shook his head.

"She must be so confused." Renee shook her head.

"Well… it's not really our business." Dean nodded.

"You just hate drama, don't you?" Renee nodded.

"Of course I do." Dean said, "I don't like stressful situations so I stay away from them." He shrugged as Renee smiled.

"I wish we were all as smart as that." She teased.

"I am a rare breed." He nodded to her as she chuckled.

"Yeah you are." She chuckled, leaning in against him.


"Hey, mom." Punk walked into his mother's room the next afternoon, spending his day off with a visit to the care home she was in.

Gerry just looked over at him, watching as he wandered over to the coffee and tea selection in the corner of the siting room, pouring himself some coffee.

"Careful, that's hot." Gerry warned as he nodded with a smile.

"Thanks." Punk smiled, stirring his coffee and making his way over to her at the table she was at, "You want something? Tea or coffee?"

"No, I've had some." Gerry nodded to him.

"How you been?" He asked her, "You ok?" He nodded. He struggled having to put his mother in a care home. It loomed over his head almost every day, worrying him that she wasn't happy or that she felt her freedom had been taken from her.

"Oh, I'm fine." Gerry nodded, "Are you?"

"Yeah… kinda." Punk shrugged, looking at her, "I got a little situation going on. Girl problems." He nodded.

"Girl problems?" Gerry laughed, "My Phil with girl problems? Do I have to pretend to be shocked?" She said as he smiled. Not at her comment, but the fact she could recognise him and was aware it was him sitting with her. That was always a good thing.

"Yeah, easy on me." Punk nodded as she smiled.

"Who is this girl giving you a problem?" She raised a brow.

"She's not giving me a problem." Punk said, "Actually I think I'm giving her a problem." He nodded, "I do… like her a lot and it's weird cause I don't know all that much about her, but I know enough to know I like her. More than I've probably liked anyone before." He nodded.

"She doesn't like you?" Gerry asked.

"She's engaged to someone else." Punk nodded as Gerry grabbed her book and smacked his arm with it, "Mom." He laughed.

"What is the matter with you, Phillip?" Gerry shook her head, "The reference, sticking your nose where it doesn't belong comes to mind." She nodded.

"Ok, just hear me out." Punk put his hands up, "I don't think she's happy. I know she's not happy. Not as happy as she thinks she is."

"You don't know what other people are feeling." Gerry shook her head.

"I just know." Punk assured her, "If she was happy she wouldn't be looking elsewhere. She wouldn't be looking in my direction."

"Well maybe you just need to behave a little better." Gerry advised, "Leave well enough alone. A good thing will come to you, if you deserve it." She nodded, "And what will be will be." She said.

"How did you know dad was the one?" Punk asked her.

"The way he looked at me." Gerry nodded, "You just know. And you realise all the men that came before… it was just a warm up."

"All the men?" Punk scoffed, "Alright." He nodded with a small laugh as she looked at him with a stern motherly look, which only made him smile, because he missed being mothered by her and told off. It was rare these days to feel like he was talking to his mother, so he never took it for granted when she was in a good frame of mind to acknowledge him.