Here's chapter 15! Enjoy! :)

Heart Meets Break, Lips Need Drink

There was a faint knock on the door.

"Mom? Dad? Are you in there?" John asked concerned.

Ricky got off of Ben and looked at Amy.

Amy's eyes were wide with shock as she took in the scene before her. "Stop it! Both of you, just stop it right now!" she screamed, her voice shaking with fear and frustration.

The door opened slowly as John walked in.

John's eyes widened as he saw his parents, their clothes disheveled and their faces a mess of emotions. He had never seen his dad look so furious before, and his mom's cheeks were wet with tears. He also noticed Ben had some bruises on his face. The sight of them fighting was more than he could bear. "What is going on?" he demanded, his voice shaking.

Amy rushed over to John, her arms wrapping around him protectively. "It's okay, John," she said, her voice trembling. "It's just a misunderstanding."

"But there's broken glass and furniture that got turned over. What happened to Uncle Ben?" John asked worried as he pulled away from his mother.

Ricky took a deep breath, rubbing his jaw. "It's nothing, son. Just a disagreement that got out of hand," he said, trying to downplay the situation.

John looked at Ben, who was slowly getting to his feet, wincing at the pain in his ribs. "Uncle Ben, are you okay?"

Ben nodded, straightening his shirt. "I'll live," he said through gritted teeth, his eyes never leaving Ricky.

John looked back and forth between his parents, his confusion and fear growing. "What's happening?" he whispered.

Amy took a deep breath, her eyes pleading with Ricky. "John, we need to talk," she said, her voice shaking.

Ricky nodded, his own expression a mix of regret and determination. "Yeah, buddy. Your mom and I need to explain some things," he agreed, his hand resting on John's shoulder.

John's eyes searched their faces, and he could see the pain and love that was written in every line. "Okay," he said, his voice small.

"Well, I guess I should go now. I'll pay for all the damages. I'm sorry, Amy." Ben said sincerely as he started to walk slowly towards the door.

"Ben, wait!" Amy called out as she went after him.

Ben paused with his hand on the doorknob, his shoulders slumped. "What is it, Amy?" He said defeated.

Amy's eyes searched his, filled with regret. "I'm sorry. For everything. I never meant for it to end like this," she said, her voice trembling.

Ben's expression was unreadable. "I know you didn't, but you can't keep running from your past, Amy. And you can't expect people to just get over it when you come back into their lives and turn everything upside down again," he said, his voice laced with sadness.

Amy nodded, her eyes brimming with tears. "You're right. I know I've hurt everyone, especially you," she whispered, reaching out to touch his arm.

Ben looked at her hand, his gaze intense, before pulling away. "This isn't just about me, Amy. You've hurt Ricky too. And now, you're just going to choose him again?" he asked, his voice thick with emotion.

Ricky stepped forward, his own anger and pain clear. "I never stopped loving her, Ben. And apparently, she never stopped loving me either," he said, his voice firm but not unkind.

Ben's eyes filled with tears as he looked at Amy, his heart breaking into a million pieces. "What about me? Did I mean nothing to you?" he choked out.

"Get out Ben! Before I call the police." Amy said sternly.

"Ok, I'll go." Ben said sadly and he left the hotel room.

Amy watched Ben walk away, her heart in her throat. She felt sick, knowing she had caused so much pain. She turned to Ricky, her eyes pleading for understanding. "I didn't mean to lead him on," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ricky's face was tight, his jaw clenched. "But you did," he said, his voice cold. "You have to be honest with people, Amy. You can't just keep them guessing and then expect them to be okay when you finally make your choice."

Amy nodded, feeling the sting of his words. "I know," she murmured. "I'm sorry."

"Is everything ok?" John asked sadly.

"Yes, it will be." Amy answered kindly as she faked a smile for her son.

John looked skeptical but decided to give them some privacy. He picked up the hotel phone and called the front desk for ice for Ricky's bruised jaw before leaving the room.

Once the door clicked shut, Amy turned to Ricky, her eyes filled with tears. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

Ricky took a deep breath, his own anger dissipating. He stepped closer to her, gently taking her face in his hands. "Amy, we can't change the past," he said, his voice soft. "But we can learn from it. We need to be honest with everyone, especially ourselves."

Amy nodded, her eyes never leaving his. "You're right," she murmured, her voice thick with unshed tears. "We owe it to John," she added, her voice catching on her son's name.

Ricky's eyes searched hers for a moment before he leaned in, pressing his lips to hers in a soft, reassuring kiss. "We'll get through this," he whispered.

Amy nodded, her eyes filled with hope. "We will," she said, her voice a mere whisper.

They sat on the bed, the tension in the room thick and heavy. The sound of the ice machine down the hall was the only thing that broke the silence. Ricky took a deep breath, his thumb tracing gentle circles on the back of her hand.

After putting some ice on his jaw Ricky felt a lot better.

"So now that I'm feeling better where do we want to go for dinner?" Ricky asked nicely.

"I'm glad you're feeling better, Ricky but I have an early flight tomorrow." Amy said sweetly.

"What? No you're not going back to New York are you?" Ricky pleaded as he touched Amy's hand.

Amy looked down, her eyes avoiding his. "Ricky, we can't stay here like this. We need to tell John the truth. Besides my job is there."

"Forget your job, Amy! You can get another one here. I want to marry you for real this time." Ricky said honestly as he rubbed Amy's back.

Amy's eyes widened in surprise, and she turned to face him fully. "What are you saying?"

Ricky's gaze was intense, his voice steady. "I'm saying that we can't keep living apart, pretending we don't feel the way we do. I know it's complicated, but I believe we can make it work. For us and for John," he said, taking her hands in his.

Amy's heart raced at the sudden proposal. She looked into Ricky's eyes, searching for any sign of doubt. "What about Ben?" she whispered, her voice shaking.

"What about him? You two are over, right?" Ricky asked concerned.

Amy's eyes searched Ricky's, looking for the truth. "We are, but that doesn't change the fact that he's hurt. And what about Adrian?"

Ricky sighed, his grip on her hands tightening. "We'll deal with that when the time comes. But right now, we need to focus on us and John," he said, his voice filled with determination.

"Yeah, you're right. I love you, Ricky." Amy said happily as she hugged him.

The room felt as if it had been bathed in a warm glow, the anger and tension from before dissipating like a forgotten storm. They held each other for a long moment, the reality of their rekindled love setting in.

"I love you too, Amy! You want to order room service and pick up where we left off last night?" Ricky's voice was excited and then got more seductive.

Amy pulled away, laughing nervously. "Maybe not just yet, Ricky. We still have a lot to figure out. But yes, I do want to marry you, and I want us to be a family again. Let's just take it one step at a time, okay?"

Ricky nodded, his smile fading into a look of understanding. "Of course, Amy. We'll tell John tonight at dinner. We'll sit him down and explain everything. I'm sure he'll understand."

Meanwhile downstairs...

"So you're just going to give up on love son? Is that it?" Leo said seriously sitting next to Ben at the bar.

Ben took a sip of his drink, his eyes on the TV above the bar. "It's not that simple, Dad," he replied, his voice filled with a weariness that belied his age.

"I know it's not, but you can't let one bad experience define you," Leo said, his gaze never leaving his son.

Ben sighed, his eyes still on the TV. "It's not just one bad experience, Dad. It's a pattern."

Leo leaned closer, his voice gentle. "Everyone makes mistakes, Ben. Remember that. You can always learn from them."

Ben nodded, his gaze still on the TV, but his thoughts miles away. "I know," he murmured. "It's just... I thought I had finally found someone who could understand me, who could accept me for who I am."

"I see. Are you talking about Amy or Adrian?" Leo asked concerned after taking a drink of his beer.

Ben's eyes snapped to his father's. "Amy, who else?" he demanded, his voice a mix of anger and shock.

Leo took a deep breath, setting his beer down. "Son, I know you love her, but you can't keep holding onto something that isn't good for you," he said, his tone measured.

Ben's eyes were filled with pain as he turned to look at his father. "How can you say that?!" he spat, his anger rising.

"Excuse me? How can you just throw away what you have with Adrian for your first love? You two were supposed to get married!" Leo said angrily.

Ben's expression was a mix of frustration and sadness. "It's not that simple, Dad. You didn't see what happened up there. Amy and Ricky...they're in love. They always have been," he said, his voice tight.

Leo frowned, his gaze searching Ben's face. "But what about your love? What about the life you've built with Adrian?"

Ben's eyes searched the floor, avoiding his father's gaze. "It's complicated, Dad. I don't know what I'm going to do," he admitted, his voice heavy with regret.

Leo took a deep breath, his own feelings of disappointment and fear for his son's future warring within him. "Well, you need to figure it out soon, Ben. You can't keep living like this," he said firmly.

"I know," Ben murmured, his shoulders slumped in defeat. "I'll talk to Adrian when I get home."

"You don't have to, Ben. I'm still here." A familar voice said from behind them.

Both Ben and Leo turned to see Adrian standing there, looking at Ben with a mix of love and sadness.

"I'll let you two talk. Nice seeing you, Adrian." Leo said kindly and he left the bar.

Ben's heart felt like it was in his throat as he turned back to Adrian. "Adrian, I'm so sorry," he said, his voice cracking. "You heard all of that?"

Adrian nodded, her eyes never leaving Ben's. "I did," she said, her voice calm but with a hint of pain.

Ben's gaze dropped to his hands, which were clutching his half-empty glass. "I don't know what to say," he admitted, feeling like he was on the edge of a cliff, about to fall into an abyss of his own making.

"Listen, Ben. I've been thinking that maybe we need some time apart. If you really love Amy then maybe you should go after her." Adrian said honestly as she sat next to Ben.

Ben looked at her, his eyes wide with shock. "What? No, Adrian, I can't because she's with Ricky again." he said, his voice thick with emotion.

Adrian took his hand gently. "Ben, I know you still have feelings for her, but she made her choice. And if she ever decides to leave Ricky again, do you really think it's a good idea to be there waiting for her? It's toxic, and it's not fair to either of us."

Ben's eyes searched hers, a storm of emotions brewing within him. "I don't know," he admitted, his voice barely a whisper. "But I do know that I love you, Adrian. You're the one I want to be with."

"Am I? Or am I your second choice?" Adrian asked concerned looking at Ben.

Ben's eyes snapped to hers, his grip on her hand tightening. "You're not my second choice, Adrian. You're the love of my life," he said, his voice filled with conviction.

Adrian's eyes searched his, looking for the truth in his words. "Why did you ask me to marry you again if you still have feelings for Amy?" she asked softly, her voice filled with pain.

Ben took a deep breath, his heart racing. "Because I thought...I thought I could make it work, that I could move past it," he said, his voice cracking. "But I see now that I was wrong. I can't keep doing this to you. To us."

Adrian's gaze softened, and she leaned in closer, her voice filled with love and compassion. "You don't have to, Ben. We can work through this. We just need to be honest with each other, and with ourselves," she said, her thumb brushing gently over the back of his hand.

Ben took a deep breath, his eyes searching hers. "But what if I can't get over her? What if I hurt you again?" he asked, the fear of losing her evident in his eyes.

"You won't," Adrian assured him, her voice steady. "We'll face it together, just like we've faced everything else. I trust you, Ben," she said, her eyes never leaving his.

"I appreciate that but I don't think I can trust myself." Ben said painfully as he started to get off the bar stool.

Adrian's grip on his hand tightened. "Don't say that, Ben. We can work through anything," she insisted, her eyes never leaving his.

"Didn't you just say we need some time apart?" Ben's voice was cold and filled with sadness as he let go of Adrian's hand and sat back down.

Adrian nodded, her eyes welling up with tears. "I know, but I didn't mean it like that," she whispered, reaching out for him again. "I just meant that we need to figure out what we really want, without the pressure of expectations or guilt."

Ben paused, his hand hovering in the air for a moment before he let it drop to his side. "Okay," he said, his voice hollow. "Some time apart might be good for us. For all of us."

Adrian nodded, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Just promise me you'll think about us, about what we have," she said, her voice shaking.

Ben swallowed hard, the weight of her words sinking in. "I will," he assured her, his own voice filled with emotion. "I just need some time to figure this out."

Adrian nodded, her eyes never leaving his. "Take all the time you need," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ben took a deep breath, feeling the weight of her words. "I will," he murmured, his gaze dropping to their still-joined hands. He leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles before standing up. "I'll be in touch," he said, his voice thick with emotion.

Adrian nodded, her eyes filling with tears as she watched him leave. She knew that she had to be strong for both of them, but the thought of losing him was almost too much to bear. As he disappeared through the hotel lobby doors, she took a deep breath, composing herself before she turned.

"Adrian? Is that you?" A familar male voice said from behind her.

"Omar? What are you doing here?" Adrian said surprised as she looked at Omar.

Omar took a step closer, his eyes filled with concern. "I heard what happened from your mom. Are you okay?" he asked, reaching out to touch her arm gently.

"Wait, why aren't you in New York?" Adrian asked confused.

"Oh, I moved back here a few years ago. I realized New York wasn't for me. But are you okay?" Omar answered kindly.

Adrian looked into Omar's eyes, the kindness in his gaze offering a glimpse of stability amidst the chaos of her life. "I don't know," she admitted, her voice shaking. "Everything's just...falling apart."

Omar pulled out the barstool next to her, sitting down and taking her hand in his. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked gently.

Adrian took a deep breath, her eyes filling with tears. "Ben...he still loves Amy," she said, her voice barely audible.

Omar's expression was one of shock and sympathy. "I had no idea," he murmured, squeezing her hand gently. "What are you going to do?"

Adrian took a shaky breath, her eyes searching Omar's face. "I don't know. I just...I can't keep going through this," she said, her voice trembling. "It's tearing me apart."

Omar's grip on her hand tightened. "You deserve better than this, Adrian. You're an amazing woman, and you shouldn't have to deal with someone else's baggage," he said, his voice filled with sincerity.

"Thanks Omar but I have to go. I can't be talking to you about this. It was nice to see you." Adrian said kindly as she got off her bar stool.

Omar's eyes searched hers, the concern in his eyes evident. "Okay, if you're sure," he said, his voice filled with understanding. "But if you ever need anything, I'm here for you."

Adrian nodded, a small smile ghosting her lips. "Thank you," she murmured before walking away, her shoulders squared as if bracing herself for what was to come.

Upstairs, Ricky, Amy, and John were getting ready for dinner. John had picked out a nice restaurant in the hotel, and they were all dressed to impress. Ricky had managed to clean up the room, the shattered glass and overturned furniture replaced by a quiet tension that hung in the air.

They sat around the table in the dimly lit restaurant, the only sounds being the clinking of silverware and the hushed whispers of other diners. John was eating his food, his eyes flicking between his parents, who were doing their best to maintain a facade of normalcy.

Amy cleared her throat, breaking the silence. "John, your dad and I need to tell you something important," she began, her voice shaky.

John looked up from his plate, his expression a mix of curiosity and dread. "What is it?" he asked, his eyes darting between them.

Ricky took a deep breath, his hand reaching for Amy's under the table. "We've made some big decisions today, John. Your mom and I have decided to get married," he said, his voice steady.

John's eyes widened, his fork mid-air. "Married? Like, for real?" he asked, his voice filled with hope.

Amy nodded, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Yes, sweetie. We're going to be a family again," she said, her voice trembling.

John's eyes darted between them, the gravity of their words sinking in. "But what about Uncle Ben?" he asked, his voice small.

Ricky took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving Amy's. "John, Uncle Ben is a good man, and we all care about him. But your mom and I have realized that we still love each other, and we want to make our family whole again," he said gently.

"Ha ha right...Are you sure you're not just trying to get laid, Dad?" John laughed and took a drink of his water.

"John! Since when did you start talking like that?" Amy said shocked.

John looked at his mother, his cheeks turning red. "Sorry, I just thought it was funny." he said sheepishly.

Amy couldn't help but smile a little despite the seriousness of the situation. "It's okay, John. We all need to lighten up a bit," she said, squeezing Ricky's hand.

John's gaze bounced between his parents, trying to read the sincerity in their faces. "But what about Uncle Ben?" he asked again, his voice laced with concern.

Amy's smile faltered, and she took a deep breath. "John, Uncle Ben is a good person, and we care about him, but sometimes, people grow apart," she explained gently. "It doesn't mean we don't love him, but your dad and I have realized that we're meant to be together."

John set his water glass down, his eyes searching his mother's. "But what about Uncle Ben's feelings?" he asked, his voice earnest.

Amy's smile faded entirely, and she took a deep breath. "Uncle Ben will be okay, John. We all will," she said, trying to sound more confident than she felt.

John looked skeptical, but he didn't argue further. Instead, he focused on his food, the silence at the table thick and uncomfortable. Ricky and Amy exchanged a look, both aware of the weight their decision had placed on their son. They had hoped that their love and reassurance would be enough to ease his concerns, but the doubt in his eyes was palpable.

The dinner passed with forced small talk and awkward silences. The tension grew with each bite, the air charged with the unspoken words that hung between them. Despite their best efforts to keep the conversation light, the shadow of their recent revelation loomed large over their meal.

Ricky's thoughts were racing, his mind a whirlwind of emotions. He had hoped that once the words were out, the path ahead would be clear, but the reality was far more complex. The love he felt for Amy was as strong as ever, but the pain he knew Ben was feeling weighed heavily on his conscience. He had always considered Ben a friend, and the thought of causing him such heartache was almost unbearable.

"John, can you excuse us for a moment?" Ricky asked, his tone serious.

"Not yet...I might have a girlfriend." John said seriously.

Ricky's eyes widened in surprise, and he chuckled. "Really? That's great, buddy. Who's the lucky girl?"

"Claire, Grace's daughter." John said as he smiled.

Amy's eyes widened in shock. "Oh really? But you two are only thirteen." she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"It's just a crush, Mom. Nothing serious." John said as he rolled his eyes.

Amy and Ricky shared a knowing glance, both remembering the intensity of their own young love. They decided to let it go for now, knowing that the real conversation they needed to have would come later.

Once John had finished his dessert and excused himself to go back to the room and call Claire, Ricky and Amy were finally alone. They looked at each other across the table, the unspoken words of their hearts hanging in the air. Ricky reached for Amy's hand, his thumb tracing circles on her palm.

"I know this isn't easy, Amy," he said, his voice low and sincere. "But I believe we can make this work."

Amy's eyes searched his, filled with a mix of hope and fear. "How Ricky? My life has been in New York for a long time, now." she asked, her voice trembling.

"We'll figure it out. Maybe we can move there together. Or maybe you could work remotely," Ricky suggested, his voice filled with determination.

"Uh...I'm an assistant conductor so I don't think that's possible." Amy said seriously.

"Heh, you still get nervous around me don't you? It's cute." Ricky said nicely as he smirked.

Amy blushed and pulled her hand away, taking a sip of her wine to calm her nerves. "It's not that Ricky, it's just a lot to take in." she said, her voice shaky.

"I know it is, but I don't want us to keep living apart like this. I miss you, and I miss being a family." Ricky's voice was earnest as he reached for her hand again.

Amy took a deep breath, the warmth of his touch calming her racing thoughts. "I miss it too," she admitted, her voice soft.

"Then let's do it," Ricky said firmly. "Wherever you want to get married, I'll make it happen." Ricky's voice became calmer.

"I can't wait! We can figure out the details later. It's been a long day." Amy said excited and then tiredly.

Ricky nodded, his gaze holding hers. "Let's get some rest," he agreed, his voice gentle.

I know this was a long one! What's going to happen next? Thanks for reading! :)