Love Lies 48

I silently moved a bit towards the staircase, as I could hear Jon come in through the door, and Richie walking in from the Parlor room.

“It’s good to see you again,” Richie laughed.

Jon laughed also. “Yeah! I haven’t seen you guys in a while. I’ve been so busy.”

By busy, he must’ve meant “having marriage problems”.

“How’s Blaze of Glory?” Richie asked, as he casually leaned up against one of the staircases’ poles.

“Going good,” he laughed. “I wish I could’ve had you guys help me with it…”

“We’ve been working hard too,” Richie said. I don’t know if he wanted to mention his solo record.

“I’m sorry it’s so short notice about me staying here…” Jon’s voice trailed off.

“Don’t mention it,” he laughed. “We just got our beachside area outside finished.”

“Where’s Kmae?” Jon said.

“She’s getting dressed or something.”

“She’s not mad at me because of…you know. Right?”

“She shouldn’t be. Unless I pissed her off.”

“Oh,” he said. “Want me to put my stuff in my room?”

“You sound like a little kid,” Richie laughed. He wasn’t wrong. He really did. Jon always had that thing about himself, where he could make everything sound like a child’s perception.

“Shut up,” Jon said sarcastically, as he picked up a few out of many suitcases, and trudged up the stairs.

Shit. What was I going to do? I was standing like I was listening, which I was, but I didn’t want him to know about it.

I went into his room again, trying to make it look like I was smoothing out the bed.

“Kmae!” Jon said, as he came up and hugged me.

I tried to act like I didn’t know anything. “When’d you get here?”

“A few minutes ago.”

I smiled, as I hugged him back.

"I honestly never thought I'd see the day where you'd actually be happy to see me," Jon laughed, as he hugged me tighter.

“Yeah,” I agreed..sorta.

“How have you been?”

“Good,” I said. “How about you and Dorothea?”

“That’s a long story,” he said.

“I have time,” I laughed.







He told me everything, from how she disapproved of him going on tours and writing news songs, to her wanting to have kids already. He said that he wanted to be a father, but now wasn’t the time. He also told me about how depressed he was becoming, and how he was drinking more and more.

“I think I’m going to cut my hair,” he said, as he pushed away the curly bangs in his face, with the baseball cap that said “RUN-DMC” on it.

“No!” I said.

He looked at me funny. “Kmae, it’s almost 1990. I need to get rid of it. Plus, I’ve already got everything for Blaze of Glory filmed.

“What about the New Year’s Eve party that you have to sing at?”

“They can survive.”

“Jon,” I pleaded, “you’re not going to cut your hair yet. Wait until May. Alright? After the wedding, and after everything.”

“The wedding…” his voice trailed off.

“Yes, the wedding. Have you bought a tie yet?”

“A tie? I think I need a suit first.”

“I thought you were all going to wear those light blue ones.”

“Oh yeah.”

I shook my head and laughed, and then got serious. “So, what are we going to do about Dorothea? She was supposed to be in the wedding…”

“She’s not going to be,” he said. “I’m divorcing her.”

I felt my heart make a “thump” noise in my chest, as it fell. “Really?”

“I can’t take it anymore,” he said.

Right then and there, he broke into a million pieces before me, spilling out more and more about how he’d think the earth would be better without him, and how he’d become suicidal. I couldn’t help but think of the dream I had that one time where he was going to shoot himself if I didn’t love him.

“Jon,” I said, as his tears ran out. “You know, me and Richie love you. You’re always welcome here whenever.”

“I want you guys to move back to New Jersey,” he pleaded. “ I want you there when I need you guys.”

Richie was standing at the doorway. “I miss New Jersey.”

“I do too,” I said.

“I miss you guys,” Jon said.

And for the first time in almost a year, Jon missed us.