Chapter 83 - What Else Can I Say?

The feeling of your gut and your heart racing to hit the floor is a feeling that cannot be described.  When Beth hears what Romeo says about Brian, she's certain that her stomach and heart ran out of her body, leaving her to deal with the bomb, strictly with her mind. 

 With Rowan's hand tightly in hers, her reaction is to pick the child up, "Romeo, what did you say?"  She walks toward him.

"Romy, what are you talking about?"  Jon snaps at his son, "You have seen that man before?"

Romeo, fearful that he said something wrong, mentally feeling like he has betrayed his mother, shakes his head yes and tells his dad, "He comes over to see mom.  They're friends."

Everyone looks at Romeo, surprised by this piece of information that he just let out of the bag, Stephanie takes the lead, "I've never seen him before."

"Me either."  states Jesse, looking at Jacob.  Jake shrugs his shoulders and looks at his dad.  Jon looks at the boy and Jake can only shake his head no.  Everyone can feel the bomb that had just been dropped in their camp, caught of guard and no one knows what to do.

"Romeo, how often do you see this man?"  Beth asks him, as she eases in next to him on the chair.  She playfully sets Rowan on his lap, wanting to ease his mind a little bit.  

"I don't know." he admits, with another shrug.

"Is it a lot?"  his dad asks him, getting up and getting Spencer, whom is wandering a little to far away.  His little feet are faster than dad thought.  

As he snatches up Spencer, Jon hears Romeo say, "He's usually there when I get home from karate."

"On Thursday?" Jon replies, hiking Spencer up on his shoulders, "Does he work for your mom?"  Jon looks at Beth, his concern is mounting - Dorothea has mentioned nothing about having another man in her life or a new hired hand around.  "You have karate on Thursday right?"

The boy nods his head yes.  

"He's there when you get home?"  Jon questions.

Another nod, but this time Romeo rests his head on Beth's shoulder, "Mom calls him honey."

Jon and Beth lock eyes, Beth sees that Jon is on the verge of blowing a gasket, takes her turn, "Okay, let's not get worked up over this.  We're on our honeymoon and all of this can wait until we get back to the states."

Stephanie, the oldest of the kids and always the helpful hand can see the look on her dads face and she knows that there is no way that this was going to just die down.  Being the great big sister, she tells her brothers, as she takes her sister from Beth, "Come on boys, let's go for a walk so dad and Beth can talk."

"Steph, that isn't necessary."  Beth blurts, "We aren't talking about this anymore."

Stephanie nods toward her father, "He needs to talk about it - and we don't need to hear it."  The boys, listening to their sister get up and follow her lead.  Jesse takes Spencer from Jon and kisses his baby brother on the cheek.  Just like that, all six Bongiovi children leave their father and their new mother sitting poolside, on the beach.   

Beth takes the few steps to Jon and whispers, "Can we not do this now, please?" She kisses his right temple, "We can't let him, or them I mean, ruin our honeymoon.  It's bad enough he trampled all over our wedding."

"I can't dismiss this Beth and you know that."

"Yes you can."  she slowly sits in his lap, "We don't need to let it in, Jon."

"He's been around my son."  He looks at her, raising his right eyebrow.  "He's been in our lives and we had no idea."

"And we can't let that ruin our honeymoon.  Come on - they can't win this one, babe - please?!"

"Beth, he's been around my son, don't you get that?"

"Yes Jon, I do.  And I'm sorry that he has wormed his way into our life - but there is nothingt hat we can do about it now. Hopefully he's in jail and will go away when he gets out."

"We have no idea how long he's been around."  he wiggles, giving Beth a clue that he needs to get up.  She stands, he stands and immediately his fingers go through his hair.  "That bitch has some explaining to do."

"Jon, she may have not known."

"That's bullshit and you know it." he snaps back at her, "She has a plan in motion and she is using him to do it."

"AND YOU'RE LETTING HER WIN!"  Beth explodes, "Giving her exactly what she wants!"

"Can you really think that she isn't involved in something.  That this is total coincidence?" he barks at her.  He knows he's barking at her, but he can't help himself.  He can't stop the feeling of frustration and the feeling of betrayal, even if it was from his ex wife.  "She had to have known."

"Why's that?"  Beth snaps back.   "If she didn't know, then there is something even more sinister going on here, even more to be concerned about."

"No shit!" he turns and walks away from her.  Stopping at the edge of the pool, getting lost in the ripple of the water.  "It never ends." He softly mumbles.

Beth walks up behind him and slides her arms around his waist and to be a pain in the ass, she jabs her chin into his back, causing him to turn around, "This is NOTHING compared to what we have been through Jon, this is nothing."

"This is something Beth."  he looks down at her, noticing the spark that he seen earlier in the day has fluttered away.  "This is one more obstacle and one more upset that we don't need."

"But together, we can get through this.  Worse case - they're in love and he's around until they're not.  Or, she has no idea who he is, but we do - so it's only a matter of time before he's gone.  It can only be one of two things."

"You're forgetting the third possibility."

"And what's that?" Beth inquires, leaning her head on his chest.  "Wait, don't answer that.  This is our honeymoon - we need to put this aside and enjoy this time together."

"You know we can't do that." He tells her, "We need to find out the situation, how Brian has been around my son and we knew nothing about him."  He takes a deep breath, "Steph knew nothing, and she knows everything."

"Her relationship isn't the same with Dot, they aren't as close as they used to be."

"But Dorothea would brag about a hot, younger boyfriend - unless there was a reason to hide him."  His arms go around her neck, and his lips find her face.

One quick kiss and Beth throws in there, "He's not that young." 

"I know, but he's younger than her and to her that would be brag worthy."