Lalie walked back in carrying two pizzas. When she saw Phil alone in the living room surrounded by the still dissembled pieces of the television stand, she made a stop to the kitchen and dropped off the pizzas before taking a seat next to him on the couch. "What's wrong? Where did Justin go?"
"Thanks a lot, Lalie," he grumbled, not even bothering to look up at her.
"What? What did I do?"
"You know what you did! You called Georgia and asked if she had any connections in the publishing business. You didn't respect my wish of not showing it to anyone, and you dropped it off at Carter's Publishing anyway!"
"Oh, my God, Phil... I didn't know they'd call so soon! I was going to tell you tonight in bed!"
"So you could seduce me into seeing things your way?" he wanted to know.
She frowned at him. "I should slap you across the face for saying that! And why are you so angry? Didn't they like your book?"
"No, as a matter of fact, they loved my book. They loved it so much that they wanted to set up an appointment to go over contracts so they could publish it."
"Oh, my God! That's wonderful, Phil!" but she stopped when she noticed he wasn't at all enthused. "How come you're not excited?"
"Because Justin was here when they called. He pried it out of me and then stormed out."
She put her arms around him and rested her head on his tense shoulder. "If he can't be happy for you, then that's his problem."
"No, Lalie, it's my problem."
She looked back up at him. "How is his happiness your problem?"
"I don't think you understand my relationship with my brother. He wins, Lalie. He always wins! He's the best and then I fall back into the shadows. He doesn't like being in the shadows, Lalie... and it's all my fault."
"He can't win all the time!"
"If you're Justin Timberlake, you do."
She almost laughed. "Obviously, he doesn't. You came out on top this time, and he's just going to have to deal with it."
"No, I'm dealing with it. He's going to make my life a living a hell until he wins the next fight."
"He can't do that!"
Phil finally put his arms around her and then leaned down to kiss the side of her face. "Yes, he can... because I always let him."
"Why, Phil? Why do you let him walk all over you?"
"Because if I don't, then he leaves all together."
"And you love him."
"I can't help it. He's an asshole, and I know it... but I can't help but want to be his friend. Why can't he be mine?"
She leaned up to kiss him. "Maybe that's a question you should be asking him instead of me."
"Justin, I'm sick of you moping around the place," Adelyn said as she made some sandwiches for their dinner. "You're not going to feel better until you call him and apologize, so why don't you just pick up the phone and get it over with."
Justin fell into a seat at the kitchen table and sighed. "I can't," he mumbled.
"For God's sake, swallow your pride and dial his number!"
"I can't," Justin repeated, this time, louder than the last. "I'm sure he doesn't want to hear my voice. He probably hates me."
"He doesn't hate you," Adelyn told him before she set his plate down in front of him. "Your brother will never hate you. Can't you see that you have him wrapped around your little finger?"
"What?" Justin asked, sitting up straight.
She sat down across from him. "He'll do whatever you tell him to do. All he wants is your approval."
"Why would he want that?"
"He looks up to you. Even though you're his little brother, you've always been one step ahead of him."
He slumped back in his seat. "Until now."
"What he wants is for you to hug him and tell him congratulations."
"He knew exactly what I'd do. He didn't even want to tell me about the book."
She picked up her glass of milk and took a sip. "Because he knows you too well. He knew you'd get upset, and that's the last thing he wanted. Justin, your brother is afraid of you."
Justin poked at his sandwich. "Why would he be afraid of me?"
"You're a bully, Justin. Everyone's afraid of the bully."
He looked up at her, confused. "A bully?" he asked. "I love my brother."
"Try being nice to him then. Pick up the phone and call him."
"I can't."
Adelyn got up and took the phone from the counter. She dialed Phil's number and the shoved it into Justin's hands. "Ask him over here."
Reluctantly, Justin put the phone to his ear. He glared at Adelyn while he listened to the phone ring. Someone picked up.
"Hello?"
"It's me," Justin said into the phone as he continued to poke at his sandwich. "I want to talk to you. Will you come over?" By his silence, Justin could tell that Phil was hesitant. "Please?" he added.
"Can I have your word that I won't be harassed?"
"I promise."
"Then I'm on my way."
"Good-bye," Justin said, and then hung up the phone. He set it on the table and then glared over at Adelyn once more. "I hate you," he said.
She only laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck and smothering his face with kisses. "Now you sound like Kyle... and I love you, too!"
Phil arrived fifteen minutes later and Adelyn answered the door. She pushed him back out in the hallway and then closed the door. "He really feels horrible," she told him, "So if he says differently, don't believe him. He loves you, Phil. He told me so."
"Then why can't he be happy for me?"
"Just be patient with him... please, Phil."
Phil walked around her and went to open the door. "I've been patient with him my whole life. I think it's time he learned to be patient with me."
"It is," Adelyn agreed as she stepped in front of the door so he couldn't go inside yet. "I've been arguing with him ever since he came back from your place. And if Justin's anything," she chuckled. "It's stubborn!"
Phil gently pushed her out of the way and opened the door. "I know," he said. "God, how I know." When the two of them walked into the living room, Adelyn put her hand on his shoulder. "I'll be in the bedroom working on some paperwork. Just yell if he gets out of hand."
"I heard that," Justin grumbled from the couch.
"Good. Then maybe you'll behave yourself."
After Adelyn was out of sight, Phil noticed that Justin was looking right at him. "What did you want to say to me?"
Justin looked away. "I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have yelled at you, and you were right. I am jealous."
Phil grinned. "I knew it!"
"You don't have to be so happy about it!"
"Sorry. And hey, you still have two and a half years to catch up to me."
Justin glared at him. "That's all I wanted to say." "
Are you going to be mad at me forever?" Phil wanted to know as he sat down at the opposite end of the couch.
Justin didn't respond.
"Look, I'm sorry Lalie went behind my back and turned my book in without asking me. If it had been up to me, no one would have ever read it. I didn't ask for this to happen."
"You don't get it, do you?"
"What?"
"I'm not mad because you turned your book in. I'm mad because you didn't even try!"
"What do you want me to do about it, Justin? I wasn't trying to hurt you. I didn't even want you to know about that stupid book. I don't even care about the dumb deal. If you want, I'll call the publisher back and tell them that I'm not interested. Is that what you want?"
Justin squeezed his eyes shut as Phil went on and on. He didn't even realize that he was making him feel worse. "Shut up!" he suddenly called out. "What makes me angrier than anything is the fact that you DON'T care! How can you not care that someone wants to publish your book? Don't you know what an opportunity you have?"
"If you'll stop being mad at me, I'll tell them to forget about it," Phil repeated.
When Justin opened his eyes, they were filled to the brim with tears. "That's not what I want," he whispered.
"Then what DO you want?" Phil demanded. "Because I really don't know what I can do to make you feel any better."
"I don't know," he admitted. "But I don't want you to forget about your book. I want you to publish it." It was silent for a moment as Justin wiped the tears from his eyes.
"Are you sure? You won't be mad at me?"
Justin shook his head. "How can I be mad at you if you didn't do anything?"
Phil got up and sat back down next to his brother. "I wish it were your book and not mine," he said.
Justin chuckled, still wiping at his eyes. "Stop. You're making me feel worse."
"I knew you cared," Phil said as he threw his arms around his brother. "Lalie said that all you wanted to do was walk all over me, but I knew you cared."
Justin sighed. "Just promise me one thing."
"What?"
"Promise me that this isn't some sort of autobiography of our childhood."
Phil laughed. "It's not."
"Good," Justin sniffed. "Because then I'd have to ask you not to publish it."
Chapter 5
Keeping the Peace
Family: Timberlake
Non-Nsync Fiction
I'll Never Stop {Fiction}
Email Me (irishgirl982@yahoo.com)