Chapter 53

“Hey! Where’s Jon?”, since he walked out neither one had seen him.

“Didn’t he tell you? He took a break, went home to Dot.” Tico’s voice vibrated.

All eyes mirrored the same fear.

“He did WHAT?” Fuck! Richie slumped onto the chair, his glass forgotten before him. “What if things get out of hand? Shit guys!”

“I guess we have to trust Jon don’t we?” Ksenia uttered, hoping but fearing for Dorothea and the kids as well.

Richie’s fingers pressed the phone button, slamming the phone to his ear.

“What the hell Jon!?”

“I need to straighten my life brother, Dot is my life. I owe her an explanation and besides you and Pixie there need some alone time to work things out. I complicate everyone’s lives. I need to sort my life Rich.”

Pain tore from his throat and Richie understood. Jon needed to do this on his own.

“I understand bro’. You just keep you head together and let me know what happens.

“Will do Rich.” The phone clicked.

Looking at the dead phone, he muttered. “He’s gonna be ok…he will be ok. God please, he has to be…”

“The question is…will Dot be?”

A thick silence fell over the crowd.

~~~

Opening the door, Jon threw the suitcases onto the carpet with a dull thud. It was unusually silent. Where was she?

Searching the rooms he found nothing. Her scent was everywhere and he felt a tug of longing, but fear of what she would say, overshadowed his excitement of seeing her and he slumped onto the couch, waiting for her.

He smelled her before she unlocked the door. Scanning his watch he frowned. She had been away for hours!

A bang had him sitting up straight.

“What the hell?” arms flailing she called out his name. Jon reached her just in time, saving her from an unceremonious dunk on the butt.

“I’m sorry! You’ve told me so many times not to leave my shit at the door.”

Pushing away from him, she stood up. No welcome back, no kiss…

A rhythmic sound kept ticking in his ears, nothing loud, but just loud enough so it could be annoying.

“Do you hear it? That sound…” Jon veered towards her but she moved away.

“What sound are you talking about? I don’t hear anything.”

Realizing it might be only audible to his ears, he shrugged it off, focusing on her.

“How have you been babe? No hello kiss?”

Cold daggers shot his way.

“Hello kiss? Are you fucking kidding me? Do you suffer from amnesia or something Jon? The last time you saw me, you dropped me like an unwelcome puppy and spend the night elsewhere. You didn’t want me then, what had changed? Did the slut you slept with bored you enough so you decided to come back to your poor little boring wife?”

Feisty aren’t she? What the fuck was that sound? He shook his head.

“That’s why I’m here Sweetness. I came back to explain.”

Hands on the hips she hissed like a snake.

“Two months Jon…it happened two months ago! Why the sudden hurry? The tour almost over so you needed a warm body for a while until the next one?”

“You won’t believe me but I did it for your own safety. Yours and the kids…” Tick, tick, tick, tick…

Jon turned his head. The sound wasn’t from behind, nor to his sides…its was towards the door. Dorothea slammed the door shut.

“Can I just kick off my shoes and sit down. Then you can tell me your little sad story.”

He watched closely as she slipped off her sandals, sliding onto the couch, rubbing her temples.

“Headache?”

She leaned backwards, eyes closed ,she nodded.

Joining her on the couch, he slid his fingers over hers, taking their place, he massaged slowly.

“Talk Jon, I’m listening.” At least she wasn’t pushing him away.

“I need your full attention when I’m talking to you, its important. Lets see what we can do for this headache first, ok?”

Jon felt the heat radiating from his fingers, soaking into her skin. She groaned appreciatively, her muscles slacking.  A few minutes ticked by.

“Feeling better baby?”

She opened her eyes. “Yeah…it does feel better. Thanks.” She frowned at her sudden recovery but brushed it away.

“So tell me.”

Jon sucked lungs full of air, closing his eyes for a mere moment.

Please God, don’t let her freak out.

“Dot what I’m about to say is very serious. I’m not crazy and I’m not making a joke. You should take it for what it is..the honest truth. Please just don’t freak out.  Hear me out, ok?”

Moving back slightly, she watched his face, a nervousness in her eyes he couldn’t miss.

“Jon, you’re scaring me, just tell me.”

Standing up, he moved from her, he didn’t want her to be afraid of him, but he knew what was to come.

“That night when you came to see me, I was so happy to see you but honey, you were in danger. “

“Danger? Jon what are you talking about? I was with you.”

“I know and that’s the problem. I’m not the Jon you know. I’ve changed and honey not for the best unfortunately. I’m a danger to everyone, to you, Richie, Tico, Dave, Obie…everyone. But I’ve changed it, I found a way to control my urges, that’s why you haven’t seen me in such a long time.”

Dorothea shook her head.

“You’re not making any damn sense Jon! Are you on drugs? Is that it?”

“No…no drugs and God knows what I’m about to tell you is fucking crazy.” He knelt down before her, taking her hands in his…tick, tick, tick…the sound was now even louder.

What the hell, that is so damn distracting! He has to get behind that damn sound and soon!

 Dot was experiencing a different distraction. The man she fell in love with years ago was at her feet, shimmering blue eyes set her heart to skip a beat, those kissable lips…

“Dot, Sweetheart…I’m a vampire.”