Sad_Girl
Blue Crack Supplier
**The following is a work of fiction. No offense intended to anyone, it’s all meant in good fun. Strong language, semi-adult themes
Chapter Thirty-three
Natalie hid in her hotel room as much as she could for nearly a month. Through Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado she kept as low a profile as possible. She felt like a fiend, a cad, a heel. No matter how much her heart was broken over the whole affair, Bono was the one who wore his heart on his sleeve. He was the one who appeared to have been wronged in the eyes of their colleagues.
In Florida, he and Adam spent as much of their time as possible on the beach, flirting with the bikini clad girls who came from all over in search of a reprieve from the winter weather. Natalie had heard more than her share of stories about spring break in Florida and the ‘anything goes’ attitude which so many came to regret only after their return to their normal life and the consequences began to make themselves apparent.
Literally, in many cases, a parent.
It was none of her business. She told herself this over and over and over again, hoping that it would eventually feel true. It hadn’t happened yet. The thought of Bono with some random girl who had no idea who he really was or how special he was made her stomach twist into knots. By the time they reached New York on St Patrick’s Day, she was fairly certain she’d developed an ulcer. Or was very close to it, at least.
Her heart ached, not for recognition as someone who had been just as hurt in the breakup of a love affair, but for the chance to do things differently. ‘If you give me just one more chance’ and ‘If I could do it all again’ were thoughts which constantly rattled around in her mind. When she tried to sleep, tried to work or tried to concentrate on anything else, those thoughts were the disruptive noise in the background which broke her focus.
More than anything, she wanted him to come to her as he had so many times in the past few months, stealing into her room in the middle of the night. She wanted to step out of the shower and find him waiting, leaning in the doorway with that cocky grin on his face, his eyes washing over her as if she was everything he’d ever wanted. Every night she went to bed and stared at the door, willing it to open, willing him to tiptoe in and slid into bed next to her as silently as he could manage. Which had never been all that quiet, but she had never minded being awakened. Not by him. Not like that.
But he didn’t come. The door remained closed every night, her bed vacuously empty. As little as she managed to sleep, it seemed harder and harder for her to climb out of bed and begin her day. Sometimes she wished the vast emptiness of the bed really would just swallow her whole.
It was hard to have to face your mistakes day after day, and each day those mistakes were reflected in the behavior of the people around her. Hushed whispers and barely masked stares from everyone on the crew from the newest roadie to her long-time friend and comrade, Paul McGuiness made her feel as if she wore the truth like an ill-fitting dress. It was the only thing people saw when they looked at her.
She had managed to bring about the exact fate she had been trying to avoid in the first place.
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Larry, for all his talk of privacy, was the biggest gossip Bono had ever known. With the exception of telling Edge, which he had done solely in the interest of keeping the relationship between himself and Natalie from becoming widely known, Bono had not let it be known to anyone. Since Larry had discovered the secret, however, there was not one person in the crew who had not become privy to the knowledge of their broken love affair.
To be fair, he didn’t think it was Larry himself who had told everyone. In fact, most likely, he had only told Alyx, Adam and Paul. Once Adam and Paul were in the loop the news had spread like wildfire. He didn’t know Alyx well enough yet to venture a guess about her involvement in the gossip, though he tended to doubt she would spread rumors without provocation. Simply having been fooled for so long had been enough provocation on Adam and Paul’s behalf. They were on the inner circle, after all, and should have been trusted with such information.
Adam had tried to make it up to him, taking him out to parties after their shows in Florida and Tennessee, parties which were full of beautiful girls who were always in the mood to party. It had helped a bit, to be honest. Bono couldn’t complain about having countless women in to chat up, dance with and kiss until neither of them could see straight. But it wasn’t what he wanted. Not really.
What he wanted was for Natalie to talk to him again. But she was obviously so angry with him that she couldn’t stand to be in the same place at the same time as him. He might want the chance to work things out with her, but his pride wasn’t about to let him crawl back to her. It was her decision to toss him out that night in New Orleans, and if she wanted him back she had to be the one to say so. He’d never done anything to make her think he wouldn’t be willing to take her back and to try it again, with new rules, of course, but still the important parts would be the same.
He had never stopped loving her. He was simply determined to make her say it first.
*******************************************************************
Shortly after the pregnancy test had returned a positive result, Larry had begun worrying. Should she really be traveling in her condition? Would there be time to find a proper doctor in Dublin if she stayed with them until the tour ended in late March? What about converting her studio into a nursery? How long would that take?
Alyx had assured him and reassured him that there was no reason she shouldn’t stay with the tour, but had finally called it quits after two weeks of constant questions and concerns.
“If what you wanted was to drive me away,” she told him as she packed her things up in Minnesota, “ye’ve done a right good job of it.”
“I don’t want you to go.” Larry told her, and Alyx shot him a look which told him she might beat him within an inch of his life with her suitcase. “I mean, without me. I don’t want you to have to be alone for more than a month. I just want to make sure we do this right, safe for you and the baby.” He explained. Her face softened as she realized he wasn’t changing his mind and trying to convince her to stay.
“I know. Myself and wee Mullen in me belly are flattered that you care so damned much.” She told him with a little smile. She mussed his hair despite his objections, and soon found herself dragged down and pinned on the bed, one of his hands holding both of her wrists above her head.
“We’ll get married as soon as I get back to Dublin.” He promised her seriously. She stared up into his handsome young face, studying his remarkably long eyelashes and steely blue eyes.
“No rush. I’m not planning on leaving you anytime soon.” She told him, gentleness in her voice which was rarely heard. She had been playing the role of tough girl for so long that even amongst those closest to her she rarely let her guard down.
“I love you Alyx. I want everyone to know that we’re a family. Something that can’t be broken up as easily as most couples, you know? Something which will be over in the blink of an eye.” He told her, releasing her wrists to run an index finger over the curve of her cheek, which had already grown softer and fuller with her pregnancy.
“You’re thinking of Bono and Natalie?” She asked, and he nodded.
“And of Holly and Edge. He really thought he loved her, you know. Now she and Adam have something going on, but it’s something I don’t know how to define. Edge is on the phone with A’Marie every night, acting like he never knew Holly at all. It’s all so changeable. I don’t want that. I don’t work like that. If I lost you, Alyx…”
“You won’t Larry!”
“But if I did… there are forces out of our control, things happen, y’know? If I lost you now, I’d still love you. It’s not something I can turn on and off, something I can just get over like other people seem to do.” He explained in earnest.
“I know.” Alyx nodded, blinking back a swell of tears. “I know, and I feel the same way. You know that, I hope.” She said, studying his face for a reply. He nodded gently, his hair tickling her cheeks as it shifted back and forth and they both smiled as she brushed it away. “I think you’ll discover that your mates are much the same. They’re just doing the best they can to survive the way things have played out. You learn how to deal with things when you have to. You put on bandages to hide the wounds that’re too raw to leave exposed. A person puts on masks of indifference and false happiness to hide the emotional wounds.”
Larry’s eyes grew distant as he thought about this, and he smiled sadly as he saw his friends in a different light. He smiled again as his eyes focused on hers and he leaned in to nuzzle her nose with his own.
“You’re going to be a wonderful mother.” He told her, kissing her softly. She smiled at his compliment, though she had her doubts about her ability in that area. It was a sincere compliment and she chose to enjoy it rather than ruin it with doubt.
“You’re not going to stop wanting me once I get fat and leaking milk? Or when I’m exhausted from not sleeping, smelly from changing diapers?” She asked him playfully.
“I’ll never stop wanting you.” He assured her, spreading his kisses down along her jaw and then against the base of her neck, making her both shiver and grow hot at the same time. She sighed contentedly and yielded to his gentle sucking and nibbling at her throat. She might’ve had to wait longer than she’d wanted before knowing Larry as a lover, but once he’d discovered that side of himself he’d turned into an insatiable seducer.
**************************************************************
“Adam!” He heard her calling his name from across the lobby even before he’d opened the glass door. He looked up in response to the sound and saw her hurrying across the lobby, her blonde hair bouncing in the wind after her as if trying to keep up. He grinned as he tossed open the door and abandoned his luggage there, inhibiting the rest of the band’s entry into the hotel. In three steps, she was there, her body colliding with his and sending him reeling backwards as her eager mouth locked with his.
Flash bulbs snapped and sizzled like fireworks all around the lobby, but neither of the reunited couple took any notice. Holly was clinging to Adam, kissing him with so much passion that if the scene had been meant for television it would have been edited out, censored for being too racy. The placement of Adam’s overly large hands on Holly’s curvaceous backside only added to the nearly obscene moment.
Once their mouths finally parted and they had a moment to look at each other, both of them grinned without pause. Natalie doubted a nuclear missile would be able to remove the stupid smiles from their faces at that moment. She glanced over at Edge who shifted uncomfortably and glanced around for something, anything else to look at.
“Hello, do I know you?” Adam asked playfully, and Holly let out a burst of laughter.
“No, but I’m a huge fan.” She replied, eliciting a surprised chuckle from Adam.
Having cleared the doorway of Adam’s abandoned suitcases, Bono pushed past the couple briskly and hurried for the lifts. He was certainly not against public displays of affection, but he didn’t particularly want to witness any at the moment. It was just salt in his wounds.
Larry, Natalie, Paul and most of the crew were close behind him, all choosing to take little notice of the spectacle of Adam and Holly’s reunion for their own reasons. Adam turned to collect his bags and nearly collided with Edge as he tried to move past. Dodging that collision, Edge found himself face to face with Holly.
“Hi.” She told him meekly, and he managed a small smile and a slight nod.
“How’ve you been?” She asked, worrying her lower lip with her teeth. She couldn’t quite meet his eyes.
“Fine, thanks.” He replied in his soft spoken manner. “I hear you’re doing well.”
“Yeah, things are good.” She agreed, glancing over his shoulder at Adam as he returned with his luggage. She said a hasty goodbye and the two of them hurried off to catch the next lift. Edge stopped to fuss with the tag on the handle of his own suitcase, biding his time so he didn’t have to ride in the same elevator as them. Give them their privacy, since they seemed so desperate for it, he reasoned.
It wasn’t that he wanted her back. Oddly enough he had no twinge whatsoever of desire for her to kiss him the way she had Adam. All he felt when he saw her now was regret. He had somehow convinced himself that he’d loved her, when he knew now that what they had shared had barely been a glimmer of the way he felt for A’marie.
He didn’t dislike Holly. Not exactly. It was more that he couldn’t seem to muster any strong feelings whatsoever toward her. She was just a girl he once knew. He thought perhaps he should be ashamed of himself, having declared his love for her only months ago and now feeling so apathetic about her.
It was as if his life had been black and white until the day he met A’marie. What he felt and knew and wanted before were two dimensional. Now that he’d found her? Life was brilliant, bright and full of height and depth he’d never even imagined. No, he finally concluded, it was nothing to be ashamed of. He had loved Holly as he understood love at the time. Bland, dull and shallow like everything else in his world at that point.
He smiled at the analogy as he caught the next lift. He checked the time on his watch against the clock in the cab of the elevator. He was eager to share his new perspective with A’marie, but he had several hours before she would be home from school. Still, he thought he could manage to call her between sound checks and the actual concert. He was eager to get on with the day.
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Alyx had been bombarded with kindness from Larry’s family from the moment she got off the plane in Dublin. His father had beamed when he met her there to drive her back to the flat she and Larry shared. Obviously, Larry had phoned with the news. Cecelia, Larry’s older sister, had been by with hand-me-down baby furniture and more advice than Alyx could possibly remember. They’d even driven her to the publisher to deliver her manuscript about U2. She was grateful to be accepted by them, knowing how much they meant to Larry, but it was so new to her that she found it a bit overwhelming.
She almost didn’t answer the door, certain it was one of her new in-laws with a bag of groceries or more helpful advice. She wasn’t sure she could take anymore Christian kindness. In fact, at that point, she was just trying her best to keep from snapping and swearing a blue streak over the fact that her last pair of jeans no longer fit around her waist. She couldn’t even get the zipper up, let alone the button through its hole.
She was grateful for the invention of sweat suits, which before this she had loathed with a passion befitting only the issues of great importance such as capital punishment, terrorism and abortion. She finally responded to the door as the person on the other side knocked yet again. She peeked through the peephole and drew in a sharp gasp.
“Alyx?” Jimmy called out, looking straight into the peephole as if he could see her watching him. “Alyx? Are you there? I thought I heard you…” He said, stepping back and glancing around the hallway nervously. His clothes were filthy and worn, his hair a matted mess and his eyes were so bloodshot she could barely see a hint of white.
“How’d you find this place?” She asked through the door, not bothering to greet him with a hello.
“Alyx! Thank God! Are you going to let me in?” He asked, looking at her through the peephole again. He looked desperate. He reminded her of a stray dog, dying slowly of starvation and neglect on the streets.
“What do you want, Jimmy?” She asked him, fear drying her mouth and throat until she couldn’t swallow.
“I’m off the needle, sis. I swear! I just need a place to get clean. Somewhere I can sleep for a few days; get past the worst of it. I can’t do it at home, you know. I can’t step out the door without seeing someone cooking up. I need to be away from it until I’m stronger.” He told her earnestly. She heard a door open somewhere down the hall and worried what the neighbors would think about this ragamuffin talking to her door.
Against her better judgment, she opened the door and waved him in.
Chapter Thirty-three
Natalie hid in her hotel room as much as she could for nearly a month. Through Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado she kept as low a profile as possible. She felt like a fiend, a cad, a heel. No matter how much her heart was broken over the whole affair, Bono was the one who wore his heart on his sleeve. He was the one who appeared to have been wronged in the eyes of their colleagues.
In Florida, he and Adam spent as much of their time as possible on the beach, flirting with the bikini clad girls who came from all over in search of a reprieve from the winter weather. Natalie had heard more than her share of stories about spring break in Florida and the ‘anything goes’ attitude which so many came to regret only after their return to their normal life and the consequences began to make themselves apparent.
Literally, in many cases, a parent.
It was none of her business. She told herself this over and over and over again, hoping that it would eventually feel true. It hadn’t happened yet. The thought of Bono with some random girl who had no idea who he really was or how special he was made her stomach twist into knots. By the time they reached New York on St Patrick’s Day, she was fairly certain she’d developed an ulcer. Or was very close to it, at least.
Her heart ached, not for recognition as someone who had been just as hurt in the breakup of a love affair, but for the chance to do things differently. ‘If you give me just one more chance’ and ‘If I could do it all again’ were thoughts which constantly rattled around in her mind. When she tried to sleep, tried to work or tried to concentrate on anything else, those thoughts were the disruptive noise in the background which broke her focus.
More than anything, she wanted him to come to her as he had so many times in the past few months, stealing into her room in the middle of the night. She wanted to step out of the shower and find him waiting, leaning in the doorway with that cocky grin on his face, his eyes washing over her as if she was everything he’d ever wanted. Every night she went to bed and stared at the door, willing it to open, willing him to tiptoe in and slid into bed next to her as silently as he could manage. Which had never been all that quiet, but she had never minded being awakened. Not by him. Not like that.
But he didn’t come. The door remained closed every night, her bed vacuously empty. As little as she managed to sleep, it seemed harder and harder for her to climb out of bed and begin her day. Sometimes she wished the vast emptiness of the bed really would just swallow her whole.
It was hard to have to face your mistakes day after day, and each day those mistakes were reflected in the behavior of the people around her. Hushed whispers and barely masked stares from everyone on the crew from the newest roadie to her long-time friend and comrade, Paul McGuiness made her feel as if she wore the truth like an ill-fitting dress. It was the only thing people saw when they looked at her.
She had managed to bring about the exact fate she had been trying to avoid in the first place.
******************************************************************
Larry, for all his talk of privacy, was the biggest gossip Bono had ever known. With the exception of telling Edge, which he had done solely in the interest of keeping the relationship between himself and Natalie from becoming widely known, Bono had not let it be known to anyone. Since Larry had discovered the secret, however, there was not one person in the crew who had not become privy to the knowledge of their broken love affair.
To be fair, he didn’t think it was Larry himself who had told everyone. In fact, most likely, he had only told Alyx, Adam and Paul. Once Adam and Paul were in the loop the news had spread like wildfire. He didn’t know Alyx well enough yet to venture a guess about her involvement in the gossip, though he tended to doubt she would spread rumors without provocation. Simply having been fooled for so long had been enough provocation on Adam and Paul’s behalf. They were on the inner circle, after all, and should have been trusted with such information.
Adam had tried to make it up to him, taking him out to parties after their shows in Florida and Tennessee, parties which were full of beautiful girls who were always in the mood to party. It had helped a bit, to be honest. Bono couldn’t complain about having countless women in to chat up, dance with and kiss until neither of them could see straight. But it wasn’t what he wanted. Not really.
What he wanted was for Natalie to talk to him again. But she was obviously so angry with him that she couldn’t stand to be in the same place at the same time as him. He might want the chance to work things out with her, but his pride wasn’t about to let him crawl back to her. It was her decision to toss him out that night in New Orleans, and if she wanted him back she had to be the one to say so. He’d never done anything to make her think he wouldn’t be willing to take her back and to try it again, with new rules, of course, but still the important parts would be the same.
He had never stopped loving her. He was simply determined to make her say it first.
*******************************************************************
Shortly after the pregnancy test had returned a positive result, Larry had begun worrying. Should she really be traveling in her condition? Would there be time to find a proper doctor in Dublin if she stayed with them until the tour ended in late March? What about converting her studio into a nursery? How long would that take?
Alyx had assured him and reassured him that there was no reason she shouldn’t stay with the tour, but had finally called it quits after two weeks of constant questions and concerns.
“If what you wanted was to drive me away,” she told him as she packed her things up in Minnesota, “ye’ve done a right good job of it.”
“I don’t want you to go.” Larry told her, and Alyx shot him a look which told him she might beat him within an inch of his life with her suitcase. “I mean, without me. I don’t want you to have to be alone for more than a month. I just want to make sure we do this right, safe for you and the baby.” He explained. Her face softened as she realized he wasn’t changing his mind and trying to convince her to stay.
“I know. Myself and wee Mullen in me belly are flattered that you care so damned much.” She told him with a little smile. She mussed his hair despite his objections, and soon found herself dragged down and pinned on the bed, one of his hands holding both of her wrists above her head.
“We’ll get married as soon as I get back to Dublin.” He promised her seriously. She stared up into his handsome young face, studying his remarkably long eyelashes and steely blue eyes.
“No rush. I’m not planning on leaving you anytime soon.” She told him, gentleness in her voice which was rarely heard. She had been playing the role of tough girl for so long that even amongst those closest to her she rarely let her guard down.
“I love you Alyx. I want everyone to know that we’re a family. Something that can’t be broken up as easily as most couples, you know? Something which will be over in the blink of an eye.” He told her, releasing her wrists to run an index finger over the curve of her cheek, which had already grown softer and fuller with her pregnancy.
“You’re thinking of Bono and Natalie?” She asked, and he nodded.
“And of Holly and Edge. He really thought he loved her, you know. Now she and Adam have something going on, but it’s something I don’t know how to define. Edge is on the phone with A’Marie every night, acting like he never knew Holly at all. It’s all so changeable. I don’t want that. I don’t work like that. If I lost you, Alyx…”
“You won’t Larry!”
“But if I did… there are forces out of our control, things happen, y’know? If I lost you now, I’d still love you. It’s not something I can turn on and off, something I can just get over like other people seem to do.” He explained in earnest.
“I know.” Alyx nodded, blinking back a swell of tears. “I know, and I feel the same way. You know that, I hope.” She said, studying his face for a reply. He nodded gently, his hair tickling her cheeks as it shifted back and forth and they both smiled as she brushed it away. “I think you’ll discover that your mates are much the same. They’re just doing the best they can to survive the way things have played out. You learn how to deal with things when you have to. You put on bandages to hide the wounds that’re too raw to leave exposed. A person puts on masks of indifference and false happiness to hide the emotional wounds.”
Larry’s eyes grew distant as he thought about this, and he smiled sadly as he saw his friends in a different light. He smiled again as his eyes focused on hers and he leaned in to nuzzle her nose with his own.
“You’re going to be a wonderful mother.” He told her, kissing her softly. She smiled at his compliment, though she had her doubts about her ability in that area. It was a sincere compliment and she chose to enjoy it rather than ruin it with doubt.
“You’re not going to stop wanting me once I get fat and leaking milk? Or when I’m exhausted from not sleeping, smelly from changing diapers?” She asked him playfully.
“I’ll never stop wanting you.” He assured her, spreading his kisses down along her jaw and then against the base of her neck, making her both shiver and grow hot at the same time. She sighed contentedly and yielded to his gentle sucking and nibbling at her throat. She might’ve had to wait longer than she’d wanted before knowing Larry as a lover, but once he’d discovered that side of himself he’d turned into an insatiable seducer.
**************************************************************
“Adam!” He heard her calling his name from across the lobby even before he’d opened the glass door. He looked up in response to the sound and saw her hurrying across the lobby, her blonde hair bouncing in the wind after her as if trying to keep up. He grinned as he tossed open the door and abandoned his luggage there, inhibiting the rest of the band’s entry into the hotel. In three steps, she was there, her body colliding with his and sending him reeling backwards as her eager mouth locked with his.
Flash bulbs snapped and sizzled like fireworks all around the lobby, but neither of the reunited couple took any notice. Holly was clinging to Adam, kissing him with so much passion that if the scene had been meant for television it would have been edited out, censored for being too racy. The placement of Adam’s overly large hands on Holly’s curvaceous backside only added to the nearly obscene moment.
Once their mouths finally parted and they had a moment to look at each other, both of them grinned without pause. Natalie doubted a nuclear missile would be able to remove the stupid smiles from their faces at that moment. She glanced over at Edge who shifted uncomfortably and glanced around for something, anything else to look at.
“Hello, do I know you?” Adam asked playfully, and Holly let out a burst of laughter.
“No, but I’m a huge fan.” She replied, eliciting a surprised chuckle from Adam.
Having cleared the doorway of Adam’s abandoned suitcases, Bono pushed past the couple briskly and hurried for the lifts. He was certainly not against public displays of affection, but he didn’t particularly want to witness any at the moment. It was just salt in his wounds.
Larry, Natalie, Paul and most of the crew were close behind him, all choosing to take little notice of the spectacle of Adam and Holly’s reunion for their own reasons. Adam turned to collect his bags and nearly collided with Edge as he tried to move past. Dodging that collision, Edge found himself face to face with Holly.
“Hi.” She told him meekly, and he managed a small smile and a slight nod.
“How’ve you been?” She asked, worrying her lower lip with her teeth. She couldn’t quite meet his eyes.
“Fine, thanks.” He replied in his soft spoken manner. “I hear you’re doing well.”
“Yeah, things are good.” She agreed, glancing over his shoulder at Adam as he returned with his luggage. She said a hasty goodbye and the two of them hurried off to catch the next lift. Edge stopped to fuss with the tag on the handle of his own suitcase, biding his time so he didn’t have to ride in the same elevator as them. Give them their privacy, since they seemed so desperate for it, he reasoned.
It wasn’t that he wanted her back. Oddly enough he had no twinge whatsoever of desire for her to kiss him the way she had Adam. All he felt when he saw her now was regret. He had somehow convinced himself that he’d loved her, when he knew now that what they had shared had barely been a glimmer of the way he felt for A’marie.
He didn’t dislike Holly. Not exactly. It was more that he couldn’t seem to muster any strong feelings whatsoever toward her. She was just a girl he once knew. He thought perhaps he should be ashamed of himself, having declared his love for her only months ago and now feeling so apathetic about her.
It was as if his life had been black and white until the day he met A’marie. What he felt and knew and wanted before were two dimensional. Now that he’d found her? Life was brilliant, bright and full of height and depth he’d never even imagined. No, he finally concluded, it was nothing to be ashamed of. He had loved Holly as he understood love at the time. Bland, dull and shallow like everything else in his world at that point.
He smiled at the analogy as he caught the next lift. He checked the time on his watch against the clock in the cab of the elevator. He was eager to share his new perspective with A’marie, but he had several hours before she would be home from school. Still, he thought he could manage to call her between sound checks and the actual concert. He was eager to get on with the day.
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Alyx had been bombarded with kindness from Larry’s family from the moment she got off the plane in Dublin. His father had beamed when he met her there to drive her back to the flat she and Larry shared. Obviously, Larry had phoned with the news. Cecelia, Larry’s older sister, had been by with hand-me-down baby furniture and more advice than Alyx could possibly remember. They’d even driven her to the publisher to deliver her manuscript about U2. She was grateful to be accepted by them, knowing how much they meant to Larry, but it was so new to her that she found it a bit overwhelming.
She almost didn’t answer the door, certain it was one of her new in-laws with a bag of groceries or more helpful advice. She wasn’t sure she could take anymore Christian kindness. In fact, at that point, she was just trying her best to keep from snapping and swearing a blue streak over the fact that her last pair of jeans no longer fit around her waist. She couldn’t even get the zipper up, let alone the button through its hole.
She was grateful for the invention of sweat suits, which before this she had loathed with a passion befitting only the issues of great importance such as capital punishment, terrorism and abortion. She finally responded to the door as the person on the other side knocked yet again. She peeked through the peephole and drew in a sharp gasp.
“Alyx?” Jimmy called out, looking straight into the peephole as if he could see her watching him. “Alyx? Are you there? I thought I heard you…” He said, stepping back and glancing around the hallway nervously. His clothes were filthy and worn, his hair a matted mess and his eyes were so bloodshot she could barely see a hint of white.
“How’d you find this place?” She asked through the door, not bothering to greet him with a hello.
“Alyx! Thank God! Are you going to let me in?” He asked, looking at her through the peephole again. He looked desperate. He reminded her of a stray dog, dying slowly of starvation and neglect on the streets.
“What do you want, Jimmy?” She asked him, fear drying her mouth and throat until she couldn’t swallow.
“I’m off the needle, sis. I swear! I just need a place to get clean. Somewhere I can sleep for a few days; get past the worst of it. I can’t do it at home, you know. I can’t step out the door without seeing someone cooking up. I need to be away from it until I’m stronger.” He told her earnestly. She heard a door open somewhere down the hall and worried what the neighbors would think about this ragamuffin talking to her door.
Against her better judgment, she opened the door and waved him in.
And Adam and Holly are very cute, and so are Larry and Alyx. 
Wonderful chapter SG. I am so invested in this story. Alyx part is really entertaining with all the changes she is about to experience. I can realte to Edge's akward situation. Nat's lonleness is all to familiar also. This is such a well put together story, SG. You always surprise me, keep it up!
