Quiet

"How did it go walking Becca and Shiv home?" AJ asked quietly, lying in bed facing Punk later that night.

They'd had breakfast with Lyla in the morning and then gone to hang out with Cole before he left to go back to the city. Finally, it was just the two of them.

"Like watching the blind leading the blind." Punk nodded as AJ smiled.

"Yeah, Shiv text me this morning to tell me she had the worst headache ever." AJ nodded, "And then asked if she'd done anything stupid." She chuckled a little.

"She just kept telling me she was confused the entire walk to her house. And then Becca told me she didn't hate me as much as she did before. So… that was good, I guess?" He shrugged as AJ smiled.

"A step in the right direction." AJ nodded.

"Did Lyla stay over with you last night?" He asked. He only wondered since Lyla was there this morning when he showed up to apologise.

"No. She just came around for breakfast." AJ said, "We actually had a bit of a fight last night, too."

"Really?" He asked with surprise. He couldn't imagine them fighting.

"Yeah, it was not a good night for me." AJ admitted.

"What happened with you and her?" Punk asked, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Remember I told you about that guy she was dating in college?" She asked him.

"Yeah. Lewis, right?" Punk remembered briefly.

"Yeah." AJ nodded, "Well, turns out she really liked him and didn't exactly want to break up with him. But because I had all these ideas about us moving away, she didn't want to let me go by myself." She explained, "Anyway, she still thinks about this guy a lot. She sees him whenever she goes back to New Jersey to see her parents. And she just told me that seeing me and you together these past couple months has made her think about him more." AJ shrugged, "So I feel pretty responsible."

"You shouldn't feel responsible." Punk shook his head, "She's a grown woman. She made her own choices."

"That's what she said." AJ nodded, "But if I never asked her to move with me, maybe she'd still be with him."

"Or maybe she wouldn't." Punk said.

"I just hate that I made her feel responsible for taking care of me." AJ said, "I realise now that… after I was raped, my life stopped but… so did hers. She was with me every day. Checking in on me."

"That's what a best friend is, April. Just… some people aren't lucky enough to have one as good as Lyla." Punk nodded, "She was there for you because she cared. Not because she felt obligated."

"I know. And she's told me all of this. We've talked it out." AJ nodded, "But I can't help how I feel knowing she really liked this guy, and she gave that up to come out here with me."

"You said she still sees him?" Punk asked.

"Only a few times a year." AJ said.

"And they can't make it work? He can't come out here or she can't go out there?" Punk asked, "Surely there's a way around it. If she feels that strongly about him."

"His job is in New Jersey. And she said that she can't imagine herself moving back there now." AJ said, "So I don't know."

"Well, it's not your fault." Punk nodded, "Is that why she was so weird about you bringing up going on a date with Cole?"

"I think so." AJ nodded, "I just want her to be happy, you know?"

"Yeah." Punk nodded, "She'll figure it out. It's good she told you about it."

"Yeah. Everyone was giving me complete honesty last night it seems." She teased a little, giving him a raised eyebrow as he smiled.

"Best policy." Punk nodded.

"Mhm." AJ hummed, "I just… don't know why you felt like you couldn't tell me the whole truth." She said.

"Because I'm ashamed of it." Punk said, "Didn't want you thinking of me like that. Especially with what you've been through."

"I don't need to be treated like a baby." AJ said, "And I just don't get it. I'm sorry, but I don't. You've told me all the horrible things your brother did to you when you were growing up. He stole things out of your apartment." She shook her head, "And you still wanted to help him?"

"I don't get it sometimes, either." Punk nodded, "But he was begging for my help. Sobbing and pleading with me. And I was naïve and thought I could get away with it." He shrugged.

"The witness…" AJ said, "Is he ok now?" She asked.

"Yeah." Punk nodded, "He was in hospital for a couple days. Mostly because of a concussion. There was no permanent damage."

"When you got found out… what was your brother's reaction?" AJ asked curiously.

"He just thanked me for trying." Punk nodded, "I thought he would kick up a fuss but… he kinda just accepted it."

"He never deserved your help." AJ shook her head.

"Can I ask you something? About your attack?" He asked quietly.

The room was dark as the sun had set. It was just the two of them in their own little world, lying on their sides facing one another, occasionally stroking the other's face or arm. In a complete state of calm.

"Yeah." AJ nodded.

"Did he deny it?" Punk asked.

"Yeah." AJ said, "The defence team went down the route of claiming it was consensual. That I was just into rough sex." She rolled her eyes, "The whole thing was awful and humiliating. Having to sit there and listen to lies."

"Did you think at any point that he would get away with it?" Punk asked.

"Sometimes." AJ nodded, "And then… my lawyer presented the pictures of me after the attack. Once I saw the faces of the jury, I knew he was probably going to get found guilty."

"Has he ever tried to contact you since?" Punk asked.

"No." AJ shook her head, "He doesn't know where I live so… it'd be impossible. And even if he did, he wouldn't be allowed to contact me."

"Why do you think he did it?" He asked.

"I don't think there's any explanation for it." AJ shrugged, "Just… a bad guy."

"I'm sorry if me beating up Luke scared you." He said, "I just hated seeing him cornering you like that. I just lost it."

"It's ok." She whispered, "In a weird sort of way, it's nice to know that someone would go to such lengths to protect you." She nodded.

"I will always protect you." He whispered, cupping her cheek, stroking his thumb back and forth gently as she looked across at him.

"I know." She whispered back.

"Do you want to go away for the night tomorrow?" He asked her, "After we finish work?"

"Where?" She asked with a small smile.

"I don't know. Just drive until we find the first hotel." He smiled.

"What about work the next morning?" She asked.

"The kids can handle it." He nodded as she chuckled a little, "And I get the feeling my shop won't be as popular after the whole town watched me lose it with Luke." He said worriedly.

"Have we really only had three customers?" Daryl shook his head, standing behind the counter the next morning, "It's 10am."

"No one wants to support the town's Mike Tyson." Finn said, standing by the coffee machine with nothing to do.

"It was a few punches." Punk rolled his eyes, "This place is too sensitive." He concluded.

"What did he even do?" Daryl asked.

"He was harassing AJ." Punk said.

"Then you did what you had to do." Daryl shrugged as Finn nodded along.

"If he ever comes in here again and I'm not here, politely ask him to leave." Punk told them both, "He's barred."

"That's obvious." Finn nodded, "What's his problem? Is he that pissed about AJ ditching his ass?"

"They went on one date." Daryl shook his head, "The dude is insane."

"He's just one of those guys that can't handle rejection. Clearly." Punk shook his head, watching the door to the coffee shop, begging for a customer to enter.

"He has nowhere to get coffee now." Daryl chuckled a little, "That's sad."

"Hey would you guys be able to run this place tomorrow whilst I'm gone?" He turned to them.

"Where are you going?" Daryl asked curiously.

"I'm taking AJ away for the night." Punk said.

"How romantic." Daryl smirked, "I mean… if it's as quiet as it is today, I think we can handle it." Daryl nodded, looking over to the one customer they had sitting by the window, a middle-aged man who was reading a paper and drinking his coffee.

"Yeah, this is depressing." Finn said, "I thought after the success of our stall, we'd be even busier."

"That's on me, I guess." He nodded. He took full responsibility for the quietness of the shop. He just didn't think it would be this quiet.

"There she is." Daryl smiled, watching Linda walk through the door of the coffee shop, wobbling her way over to the counter.

"Slow day?" Linda asked, looking around the basically empty coffee shop which was usually packed at this time.

"You having your usual, Linda?" Finn asked, grabbing a mug to put under the coffee machine.

"Yes, sweetie." Linda smiled to him whilst Daryl went and fetched her a fresh pastry, "You ought to put some Aloe Vera on that." She nodded to Punk's hand which was extremely bruised, "Walk with me to my seat." She told him as he nodded, walking round from the counter and giving her his arm to hold onto whilst he walked with her to her usual seat.

"It's alright." Punk assured her, "I never got a chance to see you after we closed up the stall on Saturday. Thank you again for all your baking. I appreciated it." He nodded to her.

"You're quite the talk of the town right now." Linda looked at him.

"Yeah, well people should mind their own business." Punk shook his head.

"They would, but you chose a pretty public space to pummel a man into the ground." Linda said, getting to her usual seat by the window and sitting down.

"He got what he deserved." Punk said, "He's been harassing my girlfriend."

"You love her, don't you?" Linda smiled as Punk nodded, only realising that he rarely saw Linda smile.

"I do. Very much." Punk nodded.

"Then you protect that love with your life." Linda nodded to him as he looked down at her.

"I will." He nodded.