Page 52 of Cat's Outta the Bag

I’m not exactly sure how long I’m in there, sitting in the dark. But eventually, I feel someone open the door quietly. A warm arm comes around my shoulders and pulls me close. When I look up, it’s Tristan. How did she find me?

"There've been complaints of a doctor crying her eyes out in this hall." Must have said that out loud, I guess. "After I saw the news, I had a feeling it was you. Then I asked some of the ICU nurses, and they said you've been frantically checking charts to see if Jason was brought in."

Just hearing his name brings fresh tears to my eyes. Please, please, please let him be alright.

"Honey, he's ok. Or at least, ok enough to not be here or on the news. They've announced all the victims who died, and Jason isn't on the list. He's not hurt."

"Oh, thank fuck." I fall into Tristan's chest, sobbing anew. The relief is almost painful. I don't know what I would have done had he been there. She rubs my back, cooing softly, instructing me to breathe in… and breathe out. It takes a while, but I'm finally able to calm down.

“I was so scared Tristan. I thought I had lost him, our future. What if – What if he had been there? What if he had died and we lost the chance to get married. Have kids? I want to have his kids Tristan!”

She chuckles, knowing kids has never really been on my radar historically. But with Jason, I can see them so clearly. Cute, rosy cheeked, blond haired green-eyed mini humans. I love them and they don’t even exist yet.

“Thank you. For looking and finding me. I think I need to go home.”

“Do you want me to call a ride?”

“No, I’m ok. I just need to see him.”

Tristan nods, helping me to stand before going back to her workday. She happens to be on nights this week.

The whole way home, I try to rehearse what I’m going to say. How do I apologize and get him to forgive me?

I'm not sure why I even tried to prepare, because I'm crying the moment I'm in front of his door. I knock once, just barely cognizant that it’s very late. But after a few seconds of no response, I knock again. And again. And again, until I’m pounding for what feels like forever, but is probably only a few minutes at most. To be fair, it is almost three in the morning.

And when I see him? Hair rumpled, eyes squinting at the light and an adorable crease in his cheek from his pillow, I collapse.

He catches me.

Chapter 38

Jason

“What? Alexis?” It takes half a second for my exhausted brain to realize that she’s sobbing in my arms. I caught her on instinct, and I’m now very confused.

“Baby, what is it? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” She doesn’t answer, just starts crying harder. I’m starting to panic. What if she was attacked? She shakes her head, pulling me tight against her, holding on as if her life depends on it.

Not wanting this to continue in the hall, I pull her inside and shut the door. Once we have privacy, I wrap my arms around her tight and just hold her. I have no idea why she's here, but I'm not going to pass up the opportunity to hold her. To breathe her in. Fuck, I missed her.

Eventually, she calms down enough to talk. Her eyes are bloodshot, cheeks chapped, and I wish I could take it all away, whatever it is.

“There was a shooting.” She hiccups, fresh tears falling down her face. I do my best to wipe them away. “It was on the set of Primogenesis Fallout. And, I thought… fuck, I thought you had signed on and were there, and I kept asking people who were on the scene if you were there, but no one knew. And I kept checking the ICU patients over and over again, but you weren't there. And I thought that the worst had happened, that you had died and that we never got the chance to repair things and be together, and I fell apart. Then Tristan found me and told me you were ok." A new wave of tears spill over her red cheeks , and she can't keep going.

"It's ok, baby, I understand. I heard about it on the news but didn't know what set it was on. I would have texted – shit, my phone’s still on Do Not Disturb isn’t it?" She just nods, unable to talk. I feel awful, I needed to concentrate, so I turned it on, it never occurred to me that she’d think I was there. But of course, why wouldn’t she? The last she knew, I was giving in and letting Steven bully me into signing on.

I kiss the top of her head, rubbing her back as she cries. Fuck, if our roles were reversed? I don't know what I would do.

Eventually, she’s able to calm down again, and I can tell she’s exhausted. Right now the only thing that will help is sleep.

“Come on, Sweet Cheeks, let’s get you home and into bed.”

She doesn't argue as I bundle her up and walk us down to her apartment. Once I get her inside, I immediately take her to the bathroom and help her wash her face and put PJs on. As soon as she's in bed, Slinky immediately comes in and lies on her chest, purring quietly.

"Try to get some sleep, ok? I'll talk to you tomorrow." I try to leave, but she grabs my arm.

“Wait! Where are you going? Don’t leave,” her voice cracks, and I can already see new tears forming, “please.” She whispers.

“Home, back to bed?” I’m confused. Despite all that’s happened tonight, we haven’t talked anything through, I wouldn’t dream of assuming I’d stay the night. And I’m not sure I should.

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