"Okay Ash, I'll be over there in about 20 minutes."
"I'll be ready."
Ashley walked in her front door and her Dad was sitting on the couch.
"Come in here Ash, I need to talk to you."
"Okay but Stacey is picking me up soon to go to the mall. I don't want to fight with you, if it's about John again!"
"Well Stacey can wait. I know you're mad at me because I locked all the phones up and took away your car keys. But I am trying to keep you from getting hurt again honey. You don't understand how guys think, and how they will tell you anything to get what they want! He may be telling you he's so in love with you, but he's probably stringing several girls along."
"Not John Dad! He really loves me!"
"I remember how it was with Bret and how I begged you to leave that punk alone! How you got so mad when girls chased after him right in front of you! And how you moped around for months after he left you, without even a phone call! Did you forget how you cried your eyes out when you read that magazine article, where he was photographed with the two blondes in New Orleans the day after he left Biloxi!"
"I don't want to talk about Bret!"
"Well what do you think this kid, John is up to behind your back?"
"I trust John!"
"Don't be so naive, Ashley. Even I have seen, this kid has a lot of girls hanging around him! That's what the life with a musician is like. A woman in the background being treated like garbage while they do whatever they want with every woman around!"
"Those girls are just fans of his music. I am grown Daddy. I can deal with whatever I have to, to be with John!"
"I know you think so. But he will break your heart and it's only a matter of time! And what if he never makes a career out of his music? All these want to be rock stars have two things in common, no real job or money and I want more than that for you! You deserve better than a long haired bum that can't even support himself! I had hoped this thing between y'all would have played out by now. But from what his Mom told me, you are getting too serious with this little punk! I can't let you see that boy anymore! I want you to end things with him! And I don't want you dating anymore damn muscians!"
Her eyes were filling with tears. "But Daddy I love him. I can't live without him!"
"You just think that now. You'll meet somebody else and you won't give John Bongiovi another thought."
"No Dad I can't break up with him! You can't make me!"
"Ashley now I don't want to hear that! You are still living under my roof and I'm your Father. You will respect what I'm saying. Now I think this kid is bad news, and I want you to get rid of him! If not I might just have to pack everything up and take you back home to Mississippi!"
"You can't do that!"
"Just watch me!"
"You don't understand what he means to me! I hate you!" She cried, running upstairs to her room.
Stacey knocked on the door. Randy ripped it open quickly, thinking maybe it was John.
"Hey unk."
"Hey Stacey. I'm going to let Ash go with you, but you better not be taking her to meet that damn boy! You understand?"
"Yes sir, I promise. I am just going to the mall shopping for a new outfit for the concert next week."
"Okay that's fine. She's upstairs sulking. You can go on up."
"Thanks."
Stacey walked upstairs and lightly knocked.
"What?" Ashley's voice cracked as she was sniffling.
"It's me, let me in!"
"I probably can't go with you. He just raunched down on me about John again."
"Oh but you can, I promised him, I wouldn't take you to see your lover boy." She giggled.
"That's so not funny. Are you still taking me to the apartment?"
"Of course, do you even have to ask?"
"Thanks. Have I told you how much I love you lately, sweet cousin of mine?" She smiled wiping her eyes.
"Nope but you can tell me on the way."
As they walked down the stairs her Dad was standing at the door. "I know you're mad at me, but take my credit card in case you find something you want to buy Ashley. I do love you and I really want what's best for you."
She grabbed the card but didn't speak to her father.
They walked out to the Jeep.
"I need to stop at Shop Rite first." Ashley announced getting in.
"Okay, what for?"
"John spent his whole check getting the apartment. They don't have any food, so I'm going to stop and buy them some, compliments of my Dad." She smiled holding up her Dad's credit card."
"Uncle Randy's gonna have a fit!"
"He won't even notice."
They pulled in at the grocery store and got out of the Jeep.
"No I'm surprising him. Grab that buggy, Stace."
"Okay." She pushed it over to her. Ashley started picking out things, she hoped John would like and definitely needed and tossed them in.
As they walked through the store she added a lot more stuff.
"God Ash are you trying to feed an army?"
"Maybe, I just want to make sure they have enough."
"Oh I think they will." Stacey giggled.
They rounded the beer isle last and she grabbed a case of Budweiser. She knew what beer John loved but seldom could afford and she didn't want him drinking the cheap stuff tonight in his new apartment.
They paid for all the stuff and loaded it in the car and headed toward Bradley Beach.
They found the street number on the front of the building and saw John's car. This must be it." She smiled.
They parked and got out and walked up the stairs and knocked.
Richie came to the door. "Hello ladies."
"Oh Wow the furniture is already here!" Ashley smiled looking around.
"Yep fresh off the truck."
"Where's John?" She asked.
"I don't know he left with some hot chick he met out on the beach." Richie looked at her as serious as he could be.
"I'm right here, don't listen to this asshole."
He smiled and made a fist and lightly punched Richie upside his head and walked over to Ashley from the bedroom. "I know it's not much, but how do you like it?"
"It looks great, I love it." She smiled looking around.
"A few things were already here. The bar stools and the entertainment center and some pots and pans and stuff, but the other stuff I rented.
"Aww it all looks good John."
"Don't I get a hug." He grinned at her.
"Yes you most definitely do."
He opened his arms and she walked over to him and they hugged and just held on to each other. Then he leaned down and kissed her and as he was really getting into it she pulled away. He wondered, what was up with her, but he didn't say anything.
"I bought you some groceries can you help us bring them up?"
"Oh Ashley, you didn't have to do that! But I'm so glad you did. I'm starving! He laughed. "We'll get the stuff, come on Richie."
Richie and John came back with as much as they could carry and John went back for the case of beer.
"Damn baby, you thought of everything. Thank you. How did you pay for all this?"
"My Dad's credit card." She grinned.
"Seriously? He's going to kill you!" John laughed.
"I don't think he'll notice, we buy groceries there with the card all the time."
"Well thanks baby. It means a lot to me that you would do this for me."
"No problem. Do you want me to fix you something to eat?"
"Yeah a sandwich and chips would be great."
"Okay, I'll fix it. Richie do you want something?"
"No thanks, but I'll take a beer."
"Okay, here you go." She grabbed one out of the fridge for him.
John ate the food she fixed for him and looked up at her. "Let's go walk out on the beach."
"Okay."
"We'll be back." John looked at Richie and he picked up on he wanted to be alone with her. "Okay man, we'll be here."
John and Ashley held hands crossing the street.
"I love the view, this is so beautiful." She smiled looking around.
"Not as beautiful as you are."
"Thanks. She looked away and had a little sadness in her eyes, that he picked up on.
"Whats the matter?"
"Nothing really."
"There's something going on! You pulled away when I kissed you, earlier and you're avoiding eye contact with me now! I need you to be straight with me Ash!"
"My Dad told me I have to end things with you."
"What? I can't believe this shit! You are 18 years old! He can't go around picking your damn friends or boyfriends for you anymore! You're too damn old for that shit! It's up to you! What do you want?"
"It doesn't matter what I want. Things have gotten so complicated. I tried to do things the right way. I didn't want to sleep around. I wanted to be totally in love, the first time I made love and I was, with you. And being with you felt so right. But I will never get over my first time being filmed. I get sick to my stomach thinking about people watching that damn tape! Now our parents know we're having sex! And your Mom hates me! My Dad doesn't want me with you! We are hurting the people we love the most! I just think maybe us being together was a." John cut her off.
"I'm sorry John but I think your life would be easier if I wasn't in it! You had to move out of your own house! I don't want you fighting with your family over me. I just don't think it's going to work out between us." She teared up and looked away."
He grabbed her and turned her around. "Oh no you don't! You're not giving up on us, just because things have gotten a little hard! You said you loved me no matter what! This isn't you talking, it's your damn Father!"
"You don't understand John. My Dad said he would make me go back home to Mississippi! And I do love you and I always will, nothing could ever change that!"
"He can't make you go! You can move in with me! I'll take care of you! You don't need your Dad!"
"We hardly know each other John! I don't know if living together would work out! And he's my Father!"
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