“We got big problems,” Nick said as he came into my hotel room. I just looked at Nick. “What's wrong?” he asked.
“Howie knows.”
“How does Howie know about AJ? You guys left while it was happening.”
“What about AJ?”
“What does Howie know?” Nick asked.
“Howie overheard our conversation earlier. What happened to AJ?”
“That's not good,” Nick said. “How did he take it?”
“WHAT HAPPENED WITH AJ!?!” I shouted at Nick.
“AJ just walked out on the group.”
“Oh my god,” I said looking for a place to sit down. “Because of what happened with you and Amber?”
“Because of what he thinks happened between me and Amber...which was just a drunken mistake! I swear! Brian and I tried to explain that there is something between us and not me and Amber, but AJ wouldn't listen to it.”
“Well...Howie believes there is something between us...actually, he knows there is something between us.”

Amber's View

I walked slowly into the hotel lobby. I was not anxious to speak to AJ but I knew I had to. I took the elevator up to the floor he was staying on. Marcus was posted outside the door. I didn't even need to say anything to him, he used his key and let me inside. AJ was rushing around the room packing up his bags.

“We need to talk,” I said as I closed the door behind me.
“I have nothing to say to you,” AJ said not stopping from his task. “Leave.”
“Well you may not have anything to say to me but I have something to say to you.”
This time AJ stopped shoving clothes into his duffel bag and started heading towards me. “I don't want to hear anything you have to say to me,” he said coldly almost pinning me to the wall. He stood there with a look I had never seen before in his eyes. Before I knew it he was kissing me hard. The kiss only lasted for a few seconds before he stopped and drew back.

“You can't do this.”
AJ went back to the bed and started to pack again. “I can do whatever I want, it's my life.”
“No it's not just your life,” I replied. “It's the life of your friends who have given everything to this group and don't deserve to have it end like this just because of us. It's the life of your kids, they don't deserve to have to go through life watching us hate each other.” AJ sat down on the side of the bed and put his head in his hands. He didn't say anything, but I knew he was at least listening. “I'm not saying things can go back to the way they were, they probably never will be the same again, but you can't let it end like this. Not like this…”

“I don't think I can be around him…not after…”he said grasping for words.
I walked over and sat on the bed next to him. “It was all me. I was trying to get you back for hurting me so much. Nick just happened to be convenient. Don't blame him for any of this…blame me.”
“But him and Rhonda…”
“Are in love, even if they don't fully realize it yet. I know you don't want to hear it, but her and Howie are over. They can't stay the way they are. I'm a friend and I want her to be happy no matter who it's with, and Howie hasn't made her happy in a long time. I would hope you'd be enough of a friend to realize the same.”
We sat there in silence for awhile before I got up and left. He obviously had a lot to think about. I just hoped he'd come to the right conclusion.