"I will be right down in a minute," He hollered to Kev.

     "Need any help, dawg?"

     "Nope, I am fine. Just a lil groggy."

     "Ok man, but hurry up the faster we get going the faster we can go home." Kev hollered back before leaving down the hall.

     Leaning against the door, Alex took in a heavy hearted sigh as he ran his fingers through his short hair. Remembering waking up yesterday evening to find her gone pained him in a way that nothing had before. He had poured his heart to her and she ran while he slept and now he was alone, again. After a few moments he pushed himself off the door using his foot against the door and quickly threw together all of his stuff into his duffel bag and the rolling suitcase that he brought with him.

     'I am never talking to that bitch again' He thought to himself, 'Don't ever want to fucking even see her again unless I have to!'

     Once all his stuff was together he changed his cloths into a pair of blue jeans, a sweater and a beanie cap, and headed out taking the stairs. When he got out of the stairwell, he spotted the group gathered at the near the south entrance and he made his way toward them. As he walked past the south elevators thought of her again, and his heart broke, resentment toward her grew anew. Then as he walked up behind everyone he heard her laugh.

     Alex looked at her from behind his black sunglasses, her back was to him and she was talking to Nick. He watched as Nick gave her a hug and spun her around in a huge circle.

     "When you come out to California next month we are going to have to throw a huge party for you." Alex heard Nick say as Nick put Jocelynn back on the ground.

     "Yea, well we will have to wait and see," She smiled up at Nick.

     Alex grimaced at the realization that in 4 weeks that they were going to be working together on the video for 'Climbing the Walls'. Gina turned around and saw him standing there looking around. "Well, AJ finally made it. Y'all ready to go?" Everyone nodded in agreement.

     "Fine, let's get going." He growled as he charged toward the doors and went out to the waiting vehicles. He threw his bags into the back of the escalade and hoped in after them.

     Joce stood there with everyone else as Alex barged ahead. She knew his reason for acting this way was because of her. And she felt the guilt of it deep within her soul. She grabbed Juaqin from Howie, "Here, let me carry out my nephew for you guys." She offered as the group walked out following Alex.

     After making sure they all got one more hug and goodbye to her they all started piling into the vechiles. They were taking the 3 Escalades back to Salt Lake, and the rent-a-car place was going to pick up the 2 cars from the hotel in a few hours. Howie, Gina, Juaqin took one, Brian, Leigh, and Baylee in another, and Kev, Kristen, Nick and AJ would take the last. Before Gina hopped into the SUV she hugged her sister once more, "I am so happy for you. You should take that record offer, they only come once and a life time you know?"

     Joce nodded as she let go of her sister, "Like I told you guys, I have to talk it over with Joe first to make sure we can work something out with Drogyn. But I will consider it." She promised as Gina hopped into the SUV.

     Nick stuck his head out of his and honked the horn, "Hey Joce come here!"

     Rolling her eyes, she ran over to Nick," What now? " She asked leaned over the window in the back seat passenger side.

     "Hey, can you tell China that I will give her a call when get to the airport?" He asked.

     "You called me over here for this?"She asked trying to sound annoyed.

     Nick shook his head, "Naw, just that when you come out in Cali, you and I should work on a track together. Or you and AJ should do another duet... you know it would be hot."

     Joce shrugged, and looked behind Nick to the back seat where Alex was stretched out in, "Bye, Alex." She offered, no response.

     "Eh, he is probably asleep." Kev, who was driving, offered. "Take care, and congrats again."

     One by one the SUVs drove out of the parking lot. Joce stood there waving as the group drove off honking. Once they were out of sight she hopped into her car and headed home.

                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     Joce sat at her desk in her bedroom, staring at the contract that laid in front of her. Looking at her watch she figured that Gina, Howie and Alex were probably home already. Their planes took off at 4pm it was now 5. She contemplated multiple times about calling Alex since yesterday, to explain to him what her reasons for leaving were. But now she knew it was no use. This contract was going to even further complicate things and only make him hate her more. When she came home she called up Joe and talked to him about the recording deal that J-Records offered and how they would handle custody of Drogyn. After wards she spent 3 hours in a meeting with the two suits yesterday who just added more complications to her week.

     Joe had agreed that they would re-work the custody whenever needed. And he also felt that Drogyn would be better suited with her if she had to tour or move. He was still only 3 and could easily adjust to travel if it arose. Joce had worked it out with the suits that if the record took off she would tour during the summer and holidays once Drogyn started school. But until then, she would tour as much as possible. The contract that laid in front of her was a copy, or of an idea of what the full contract would be like. They set up a meeting to happen during her trip to California where they would sign the final contract with the 'Head Suits'.

     Sighing she stood up and looked out the window at the landscape. Thoughts of Alex started forming in her head, Kevin had said he was asleep. But she knew that he wasn't, she wasn't that stupid. She decided that she was going to sign the contract with J-records for 3 albums. She had talked to Howie on the phone last night and he said that she was getting a better deal then they did when they had signed their contract with Jive.

     'I wonder if Alex heard about the record contract yet? Or if he even cares? Joce, stop doing this, you need forget him. He will never forgive you for that stunt you pulled. You did what you had to do.' She told herself, 'Then why does it hurt so much? I am going to focus on my son and my album. Men are nothing but heartache.' She decided as she looked out the window.

     'This is my life, my heart, and if I don't protect it no one will.'

                               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     Alex walked into his LA home, throwing his bags on the ground at the enter ace as he made his way down the wall into his bedroom. Throwing himself on his bed he stared at the ceiling. Even over 500 miles he could still sense her and feel her presence within him. And it pissed him the hell off. Rolling over in the bed he grabbed out his cell phone and searched the address book, deleting her numbers, everything, as he scrolled the list he noticed and old number and decided to give it a call.

     "Hey, this is Alex. I was wondering what you were doing later tonight?"