Josh managed to put up with her for almost two
weeks, but no he didn’t love Louisa, he used to like her when they first went
out but there was no question of love and there never would be.
He
tried to make it work, heaven only knows why, but he tried, he tried to give
her another chance, tried to see her like he saw her two months ago when they
first started dating but it failed. Not even because of him; he adapted to her
more than enough it was Louisa who didn’t yield an inch. She always wanted to
have her way and he wasn’t going to let her control everything they did. Justin
had advised him to think it over in a few weeks and he had.
Just
like a few weeks ago, before he talked to Dan, he knew he didn’t love Louisa
and he knew he didn’t want to be with her anymore.
He
was going to end it tonight and for good this time.
***
“Look
Louisa this really isn’t working, I’m sorry, I tried but I have to go” Josh
said quickly before leaving her little apartment on the third floor of the huge
house where the Treydson’s lived.
“Josh
wait!” Louisa called after him but he ignored it, he ran down the stairs, flew
down the corridor towards the front door. At the end of the corridor, a door
opened and Dan appeared. When Josh rushed out of her ‘apartment’ she’d quickly
called Dan’s office telling him to stop Josh from leaving. Josh stopped once he
reached Dan.
“I
tried but it’s not working so I’m just gonna go” he informed the man, he didn’t
get a response.
“Okay...
well good…. bye!” Josh said before he hurried past the man. Dan however stopped
him, grabbing his arm.
“Come
on” he said ushering him into his office.
Josh
reluctantly followed him, leave you idiot! But before he had a chance to
listen to that inner voice he was already standing inside Dan’s office.
“Okay
listen, let’s make a deal” Dan started, pushing Josh to a seat. Josh looked at
Dan as he sat down on his desk in front of him, Josh nervously clasped his
hands together while Dan folded his arms over his chest, taking in the young
man in front of him.
So
Louisa wanted this man he thought, He was handsome he had
to give him that but…
“What
kind of deal?” Josh interrupted Dan’s thoughts but he quickly recovered.
“Yes,
the deal…. you like money kid?” Josh stared at him his face scrunched up in confusion.
“Uh…
I guess” he shrugged, what did this have to do with anything?
“Okay
look, my sister whishes to be with you and I’m willing to do what it takes to
grant that wish; name your price” Dan said simply, he didn’t even flinch when
the words left his mouth, he didn’t falter or choke. Josh just sat there
dumbfounded not sure if he’d heard this correctly.
“You’re
willing to pay me for going out with your sister?” Josh repeated, making sure
he’d heard it right.
Dan
simply nodded, a small grin already passing his features; I got him he
thought, no one could resist money, the proper amount anyway. But then
he didn’t know Josh very well; he didn’t like her anymore, he couldn’t pay
me enough to go out with his sister Josh thought as he shook his head no, not
only that; getting paid to be her boyfriend was wrong and he wouldn’t fall for
it. Some rich people thought everything was for sale, well tough I’m not
Josh thought.
“I’m
sorry I’m not interested” he said, he shook his head once more with the answer
he gave before he stood up to leave.
“Whoa,
whoa wait! Didn’t you hear what I just said?” Dan asked startled this boy
didn’t fall for the ‘anything you want’ line while he stood up himself.
“I
heard you but I don’t want your money, buy her a teddy bear or something” Josh
said dismissing the idea while he turned and started walking towards the exit
of Dan’s office. In other circumstances Dan would have thought Josh’s teddy
bear comment was funny but not now.
“Look
smart ass, no one leaves my sister unless she wants them to” Dan said as he
grabbed Josh and shoved him against the wall. His hands fisted in the boy’s
shirt as he pinned him against the wall.
“You’re
not leaving her” he stated, pushing him against the wall with each word.
“Yes
I am!” Josh yelled shoving Dan out of the way, Dan lost his balance and fell
backwards onto the floor.
“Josh”
he warned but Josh couldn’t care less, screw him and his stupid money.
“Everything
okay boss?” a head peeked around the doorframe before Josh could reach it.
“Ah
Ben get in here!” Dan said motioning for his man to come in while he scrambled
to his feet.
Josh
stopped dead in his tracks as the man came in to the room and shut the door
firmly behind him. Ben blocked the exit for Josh to give his boss time to get
back on his feet. Josh stared the man up and down; he was muscular and tall,
looking down at him with a scrutinizing gaze that made Josh shudder and wish
he’d have shoved Dan aside sooner so he’d be on his way home, away from this
place.
“Josh,
sit” Dan instructed while he walked towards his desk. He turned around slowly
as Dan addressed him. Josh eyed him wearily but slowly walked towards the chair
he’d occupied minutes earlier. He sank into the chair, his leg jiggling while
biting his nails from nerves, he suddenly felt like he had a reason to be
nervous.
“So
you don’t want the money”
“No”
he stated determined while firmly shaking his head, bringing his hand down;
forcing himself to end the nail biting.
“Then
what do you want? Power? Better position at the company? Nice car?” Dan
suggested, listing off the options.
“I
want to go home” Josh told him, staring directly at Dan. Dan sighed, looking up
at the ceiling, rubbing his finger over his chin in thought.
“Okay”
Dan said determined with a quick nod, locking eyes with Josh suddenly.
“Okay
what?” Josh asked, confused.
“I
can go home?” Josh tried but Dan looked as if he hadn’t heard one word. In fact
he was eyeing Josh, staring at him as if he was looking through him. Josh
nervously brought his hand back to his lips and out of habit resumed his nail
biting. Dan finally blinked, snapping out of his daze, a plan in his head.
“What
was you brother’s name again?”
Josh
stilled his nail biting at once, staring at Dan, taken aback by the sudden
change of conversation and that there still was one.
“Uh…
Justin” he answered, his face scrunched up in confusion.
“Okay,
well here’s the deal; you stay with my sister, don’t hurt her just make her
happy…”
Josh
didn’t like the start of the sentence.
“And
I won’t have to hurt your brother” Dan stated simply, once again he didn’t
flinch or anything.
Josh
didn’t like how the sentence started and he most definitely hated the way it
ended. He sat dumbfounded for a second, his eyes growing like sausages, shaking
his head while he managed to say,
“Uh...
ex… excuse me… what?!”
“Your
brother, Justin...” he paused to let it sink in, “won’t get hurt as long as you
don’t hurt my sister”
“You…
you can’t be serious!” Josh exclaimed but Dan didn’t look like he was joking.
“In
fact I am, I told you before I’d do whatever it takes to make sure my sister’s
wish would be fulfilled and if this is what it takes…”
“But
you can’t do that! You won’t get away with it!” he said panicking, his voice
was cracking and he knew it but he couldn’t stop it; he was scared and furious
at the same time.
“You
see that’s where you’re wrong, I will. I got contacts everywhere…. even with
the police” he informed the youngster with a smirk on his face.
“I
wouldn’t try to ask them for help, they can’t help you. They won’t believe your
story and you know that would be breaking our deal so I won’t do that if I were
you, unless you want me to break my end of the deal” he taunted.
“What
a little money can do” he said with a wink.
“Dan,
you can’t be serious!” Josh exclaimed once again, hoping this was a sick joke.
“This
is a joke right?”
It
wasn’t.
Dan
shook his head no.
“I
think we established by now that I am serious” he responded as he got up.
“Go
home Josh, go home and think about this. Make a choice” Dan said, pulling Josh
up, snickering at his own comment and Josh flinched.
A
choice? A choice?! His mind repeated, he didn’t have a choice
and Dan knew it; asshole!
If
only I’d walked away when I had the chance, Josh thought.
“Why
would you do this?” Josh asked all of a sudden, unmoving.
“Do
what?”
“Go
this far, just to get me?” he asked incredulously.
“You
know Josh, my sister wants you and I don’t care why or how but she will get
you”
“Even
if you ruin an innocent’s live?” he shot back.
“Now
Josh, don’t go all melodramatic on me, I won’t have to ruin his life if you
make the right decision. So go home and make the right decision” he said with a
smirk, pushing Josh towards the exit, Ben stepped aside to let them through.
Josh let Dan guide him, he didn’t know where he was anymore. He vaguely heard
Dan’s last words,
“It’s
up to you Josh and remember my warning” Dan finished before he opened the front
door and pushed him out. Josh turned back, trying to let it all sink in, he was
met with a smile from Dan before the door closed in his face. He stared at it
for several moments before he turned and walked away.
Shit!
he cursed, What do I do now?
***
“Dan!”
Louisa called from the living room.
“Yes?”
he asked walking into the living room, sitting beside his sister.
“Is
he staying?” she asked hopefully.
“Yes
he is” Dan nodded, his sister smiled and he smiled with her, happy with the way
the conversation had ended.
Dan
had thought Josh would have gone for the money. Surprisingly he had turned it
down; it didn’t matter to Dan, the money would be spend on bodyguards and his
contacts instead. It didn’t matter to him; as long as he saw the happy smile of
his sister he couldn’t care less. He’d made a promise to himself; whatever his
sister wanted he would get it for her. One way or another; he’d kept his
promise many times over the last few years and he had again today when he’d
forced Josh to stay with his sister.
“Where
is he?” she asked, interrupting his thoughts.
“He
went home but he’ll be back. Just give him time to process what happened today…
he’ll be back”
“You
didn’t threaten him did you?” his sister asked, knowing how her brother could
be, she didn’t care either, as long as she got what she wanted. She was that
spoiled.
Her
brother’s chuckle told her everything she needed to know and she smiled with
him.
***
“Ben!”
Dan yelled, when he closed the door of his office, leaving his sister in the
living room watching TV. He needed to take repercussions right away in case the
young man decided to go to the police right away.
“Call
Ed” he instructed when the man poked his head around the corner.
“Yes
boss”
“Tell
him to look out for a young fella called Joshua Chasez, have him contact me
when he appears at the police station”
“Yes
boss, right away” Ben nodded.
“Oh!
And send him a photo of the boy, Louisa will have one” he called after him.
Ben
nodded again, then left the office to make the call. Dan turned in his chair,
his back to the door and smiled to himself; he would get what he wanted once
again.
***
“So
you broke up with her?” Justin asked a few days later.
Justin
had known Josh went to see Louisa two days ago; telling her it was over but
Josh didn’t seem happy about the break-up or at least relieved it was over.
Justin found that strange because two days ago he was certain he would break up
with her but Justin knew Josh would still be nervous to actually do it, he’d
expected Josh to be relieved, maybe even happy but he was neither. It looked a
lot like two weeks ago he thought.
“Uh…
no” Josh said, avoiding eye contact, pretending to be busy, papers he’d
rearranged about 5 times now.
“Why
not Josh?” Justin asked gently, something was wrong.
“I…
I don’t know… I think I do like her” he lied, he didn’t know what to say at
this point and the lie came easiest.
“Josh”
Justin sighed.
“We’ve
been over this!” he said warily, letting his head fall back to the edge of the
couch. Sometimes he didn’t understand his brother.
“I
know” Josh sighed, leaving the papers for what they were and joining Justin on
the couch.
“I
just… let me figure this out okay” Josh asked pleadingly, asking his brother
not to get involved; for real. He really didn’t want Justin to get involved in
this.
“Okay”
Justin relented, not all that convinced he was okay and that he knew what he
was doing but Justin let it go.
“Thanks”
Josh said simply, before letting his head fall back to the edge of the couch as
well. Justin turned on the TV, channel hopping while Josh closed his eyes
tightly willing away Dan’s words; you don’t hurt my sister and I won’t hurt
your brother.
He
shook his head; it was not real, it couldn’t be and he choose to ignore it. He
reopened his eyes and watched TV with his brother; Dan just couldn’t be
serious, he just couldn’t.
