Sex, Love, and Other Mishaps

Chapter 23

Johnny smiled, and gently stroked Alicia's face as a soft snore emanated from her throat. He was so relieved to have his love with him, even after her accident, her miscarriage, and her rape. Even when she was upset with him, he still loved her. The way her hazel eyes sparkled and crackled when she tossed her hair, the feel of her soft form in his arms, and most of all, the love she shared with him.

Johnny's hand stilled, and slowly moved to her shoulder as she tossed and rolled over onto her stomach. She sniffed, and turned to face him. A genuine smile faded through her features as she took his exquisite facial features in. She sighed, and kissed Johnny on the cheek.

"Don't think I'm not mad with you, because I still am." Her voice, still husky from sleep, shook with pent up anger, and she swiftly rolled out of bed, without a stitch of clothing on.

Johnny watched Alicia retreat to the bathroom, and his head turned automatically as her phone blared the theme to a TV show. Picking up her iPhone, he saw Blair's name on the shattered LCD screen.

"Hey, Leesh? Phone call for you!"

"Who is it, jackass?"

"Blair! Want me to answer for you?"

The slamming of the bathroom door caught his attention, as a still-naked Alicia sprinted into the room and snatched the phone from his frozen hands.

"Hello? Hey, Blair! What's up?"

From his vantage point on the king-sized bed, he could see Alicia putting on her underwear in the en suite bathroom, and he sighed. Johnny could hardly stand to be so close, yet so far from her.

Alicia slammed her hand on the marble counter, and shrieked. "What do you mean, he's back? That good-for-nothing asshole is there? With you? In your living room? Blair, are you fucking insane? He cheated on you!"

Johnny propped his upper body on a pillow, like a teen at a sleepover. A few more moments of tense silence echoed through the room, and a huff of air was heard from Alicia.

"Well, he's there for something. How much you wanna bet his whore dumped him for another STD-ridden jock? Oh, he missed you." Sarcasm dripped from her voice, and Johnny could hear another voice on the phone, talking frantically.

"TELL BLAIR HI FOR ME! HI BLAIR!" Johnny yelled into the bathroom, and he grinned boyishly when Alicia slammed the door shut with a glare.

Johnny giggled, and sat up and pulled on a pair of briefs with bacon and eggs. Tugging on his jeans and T-shirt, the doorbell rang, and he clamored downstairs to answer it.

On the front porch stood Dex, and Dianne. Johnny coughed, and stepped back, allowing them entrance into his home.

"Hey, Dex. Hey... Dianne." Johnny coughed out Dianne's name, trying to distance himself from her overwhelming perfume.

"Hey, Johnny boy. Listen, is Alicia here? We need to apologize to her." Dex's voice was soft and throbbed with sincerity.

"Yeah, Blair. And I'm a virgin. He says his car broke down, but he just wants to fuck..." Alicia's voice trailed off as she clattered down the stairs, hair askew and pants half on.

"...you. Blair, sweetie, I gotta go. Gotta take out the trash." Alicia smirked and hung up, and faced the trio on her carpet.

"Now, Alicia, hon, before you do anything rash, they're here to apologize. Aren't they?" Johnny remarked, and gave a pointed stare at Dianne.

"I don't care if they're here to apologize to me or the queen of England. You apologize to Blair first. Then you can come back and grovel at my feet, dickhead." Alicia growled, and grabbed Dex by his collar.

"Out! Before I call Blair back and tell her to get back together with her ex!"

Dex halted, and turned around sharply. He took a deep breath in. "She's going to go back to...him? What is she thinking!? He'll break her heart again! I gotta go, I gotta go apologize!" He ran off the front porch, and only stopped to wait for Dianne.

Dianne smiled, and turned to Johnny. "Be a dear, and tell Alicia about that one night, hmm?" She smirked, and gave him a lipstick-covered kiss on his stubbly cheek.

"Out!" Alicia roared, and slammed the door in Dianne's heavily made-up face.

"What the hell was that about? What does she mean, that one night? You'd better have a damn good explanation!" Alicia's voice was soft, but filled with growing animosity.

"One night- and this was way before I knew Dex- I went out and got sloppy drunk at a bar. It wasn't long after you were raped. I felt so horrible about that, that I couldn't do anything, couldn't help you."

"Okay... And? That tells me nothing. Try explaining a bit more."

"I was so drunk I couldn't see half a foot in front of me. All I could see was the next tequila shot coming up. In what seemed like a minute, I was in someone's home and kissing them, and apparently I slept with him. Even when I'm drunk, I'm still hung like a horse."

"Cocky bitch." Alicia muttered, and started walking into the kitchen.

Johnny grabbed her arm, and halted her footsteps. "The girl was Dianne. I didn't know it, but it was. Three years later, when I saw her with Dex, I didn't recognize her. But she recognized me.

"During her entire relationship with Dex, I was her side dish, just a dalliance. I meant nothing to her. When Dexy found out, I couldn't stand it. We didn't talk for about a year. I couldn't even live with myself. I just couldn't!

"She still has me under her spell. I'm bound to her, because I'm indebted to her. I was this close to alcohol poisoning that night. By sleeping with her, I saved myself, and she saved me. I'm sorry." Johnny put his hands on his face, and fiercely rubbed his red eyes as he moved to the cream couch. He sat down, and his shoulders started to shake, almost imperceptibly.

Alicia stood there silently, and took his features in. "I'm sorry."

Her voice was soft, and she hesitantly walked over to the couch, where Johnny was starting to cry. She entwined her arms around his shaking form, and pulled him to her. Rocking him in her arms, she kissed his hair, and laid her cheek on his glossy hair. "I still love you. Shh, shh, it's all right. It's all right."

From his place on her chest, Johnny spoke, his words muffled by her shirt. "Do you forgive me? Please. I couldn't bear to be without you. I love you. Don't leave me, don't leave me."

Alicia pulled him closer as she started to cry. "I'd never leave you. Never."