CHAPTER 21
"What do you want?" Amber crossly said, as she turned around to face him. "Well, if you're going to be all huffy about it……"Lance trailed off, and turned to go inside. She immediately regretted her tone and words. "Lance wait!" she called after the slowly retreating figure. "What did you want to talk to me about?" she sighed, asking him again. "Joey." He uttered, almost inaudibly. The very sound of his name brought a cloud over her eyes, and a tired, almost beaten look to her face. "Please, can we avoid that subject?" she asked, and her eyes had a begging look that almost made her give in. "Sorry, Amber, but we need to talk now." Lance firmly responded. "But.." Lance interrupted her. "He's pretty upset you know." "I know," she said sadly. "But what am I supposed to do? Lie?" she challenged him. "No, you should never do that, especially with feelings." He answered without hesitation. "So why did you lie?" he inquired, leaving Amber too astonished to respond.
Meanwhile…..
As Katy walked into the ICU, she could only gasp at the sight of her friend. Amee's wounds were both internal and external, and Katy couldn't believe what she was seeing. Amee's entire face was swollen, and her arms, from what she could see, were covered in bruises. The loud beeping from the heart monitor and the sound of the ventilator were the only signs that she was alive. "Oh, Amee." Katy whispered tearfully, trying to swallow the growing lump in her throat. She was angry, hurt, and unable to think straight. Suddenly she heard a male voice coming from behind her, near the doorway. "Katy?" it questioned her "Are you ok?" She glanced towards the sound of it, and found herself looking into Joey's eyes.
"I- I don't know what you're talking about." She finally stammered in response. "I didn't lie to him. I DIDN'T!" she reinforced, trying to assure not only Lance, but herself as well. "Amber, just get off it. You know you like the guy, and know you know he loves you in return." He reasoned with her. "I'm telling the TRUTH! I DON'T love him!" she raised her voice, then realized something. Why would she be acting all defensive if she really and truly didn't? Why would she care what Lance told her? But why had she run away from Joey on the beach? "Maybe you weren't really running away from him" she told herself, answering her own question. "Maybe all you were running from was your past." Suddenly she realized her feelings. Lance had broken down the barrier, and he knew it, too. "Who could ever love me?" she mumbled sadly, thinking about all the hurt and pain she had ever inflicted on everyone, deserving or not. "How could anyone that was so good inside and out love someone so undeserving of affection?" she thought aloud. "Whether you're willing to believe it or not, someone really does care about you." Lance said, putting his arm around her. "And besides, what could someone as sweet as you have ever done to hurt anyone?" He said, getting up to go inside. She watched him leave, and wished she could tell him everything, but held back. "If you only knew," she thought sadly to herself. As the first rays of sunlight began to peek through the darkness, she knew what she had to do. But would Joey still feel the same about her once she really did admit her true feelings?
"JC, please go home and at least try to get some rest." Jasmine insisted. He was so tired, and he really needed the sleep. "No." he said stubbornly. Justin has to wake up before I even think about sleeping. " He replied firmly, loyal and protective of his younger friend. "But Ace, you NEED your rest." Jasmine quietly said, trying her best to persuade him. He looked down into her eyes, and the calmness she always seemed to have radiated, soon making him feel better. And exhausted. God where would he be if he didn't have her? The thought was too scary, so he put it out of his mind. He gave in, and the both of them wearily set off in the Ferrari, where they drove to Amee's house and fell asleep in the security of each other's arms.
CHAPTER 22
"Joey, what are you doing here?" Katy asked him quietly. "I just stopped by to see how she was." He answered. "So…how is she?" he asked. "Not good," was all Katy could reply before her eyes once again filled up with tears. "Hey, don't cry." Joey soothed, pulling her close in a friendly hug. Suddenly, her tear filled blue eyes met his brown ones. Before they knew what they were doing, their lips met. The kiss, however, was short-lived. Almost as soon as they touched, both were pulling away in shame. They turned away from each other, their minds going a million miles a minute. "I DON'T BELIEVE I JUST DID THAT!" Joey screamed at himself. Katy was feeling the same way. Even though they weren't officially a couple with anyone else, Katy was beginning to like Lance, and Joey… Well, Joey couldn't shake his feelings for Amber THAT fast. After a very awkward moment, Lance came running in, too excited to notice the way that Katy and Joey jumped. "Guys!! Justin's up!!" he happily announced, then rushed back to his friends room, Joey following closely behind. Katy sat down in an uncomfortable seat next to Amee's bed, willing her friend to follow Justin's example.
Back in Justin's room….
Justin woke up and the first thought that entered his mind was "Where am I?" This place was different from the dark coldness and hostility he had last recalled. The stench and the feeling of a cold slab of cement underneath him being slowly warmed by his blood were things he knew he probably would never forget. And the pain. No, the pain wasn't just a memory. It was still as strong as it had been before. His arms were like to dead weights attached to his body. And when he so much as blinked, his face stung worse than a thousand bees. He groaned softly, and his mind suddenly focused on someone else. AMEE. "Omigod." He thought to himself. Where was she? Was she ok? What if she wasn't? The questions tormented him. But it hurt to much to move or really speak, so he couldn't know. "Justin? JUSTIN!" the familiar bass voice suddenly caught his attention, and Lance's head suddenly came into view. "Justin, you're ok!" Joey's voice joined Lance's, and his head appeared as well. He tried his best to speak. "Amee…." He mumbled. His friends exchanged a look that he couldn't decipher. But he knew when they didn't answer right away that it was bad. Real bad. Finally, Joey answered. "She's in pretty bad shape, Ju." He said grimly. "It's all my fault, too." Justin said to himself, sadly. "Justin, it isn't your fault." Lance spoke. It was almost as if he had read his mind. But nothing could convince him. "It should be me." The thoughts echoed in his mind.
* * * * *