Chapter Twenty-Four
Slowly, almost methodically, he paced around his hotel room, wondering what the hell he was doing. "Obviously, I'm pacing," he said to himself, rolling his eyes. "Great, now I'm picking up New York's habits."
That didn't stop him from pacing, though. He was sure to be the stupidest man alive for even THINKING about going to see Tim. Tim Croft, the one man that he couldn't stand. The one man that he would be able to kill with his bare hands. And yet, in two hours, he was going to be standing in the same, small room with him. He was going to look at him, sit down at the table and...and what? Talk? What was he even supposed to ask. Why he was going after Brooklyn. Why he was trying to make her life a living hell.
There were no questions that he wanted to ask. There was nothing that he could say that would even give him a hint as to how he felt about him. The word 'angry' didn't even apply in this situation. Because JC was more than angry. He was more than livid, which he didn't know was possible.
And he had to hide it from Brooklyn. If he ever told her what he was doing, that would be the end of it. She had planned to go and see Tim at the end of the first leg of the tour, but he got ahead of her. He flew out to California, he rented a hotel room, and now he was the one that was standing in that very room, wondering when the hell he became such an idiot.
"You can't be serious!" Mia exclaimed, jumping up off of the bed and staring at him. She raised her small frame up as much as possible so that she could look him straight in the eye. "You're thinking about going to see that...that...that asshole! What is going through your mind. Does Brooke know anything about this? She must not, because she would kick your ass if you even mentioned it to her."
He sat down on the other bed with a weary sigh and looked towards Austin, who hadn't shown any emotion, or had any reaction to what he had said. "Your sister wants to go and see him." That got him. Austin swore, and stood up, walking over to the furthest wall in the room. "I'm sorry, but I'd rather go than have her go. She's got her mind set on going to see him and ask him what the hell he's up to. I don't want her to go."
Mia sighed loudly. "I don't want EITHER of you to go. It's not smart. Do you know what the press can do to you if they even catch a whiff of this? You'd be burned at the stake, and Brooke would be the one holding the torch. Damn it, JC, you don't have to do this."
"Yes, I do. It's either me or her. There's no choice here. I'm not going to let her go and face him. She can't." His voice lowered, as well as his eyes. "You know New York. As soon as she comes back, she's going to be back like she was before. Austin, you never saw it, but it scared me shitless. She wasn't herself. She was...she was no one. She just laid there and did nothing. She wouldn't look anyone in the eye. She would barely talk, for Christ's sake, and if she goes to see him, she's going to be the same way again. I don't want that to happen again."
"Tim hates your guts. Do you think that this is the best way to go?"
He shook his head. "There is no right or wrong about this. I can't help it. I've already called my lawyer and had him arrange a meeting for the two of us. He didn't ask why, and I'm not going to tell him, but this is something that I have to do. I can't let her go in there, and if I can get the answers before her..."
Austin turned around and leaned against the wall. "If you get the answers, and you tell Brooke, she's going to end it all, right there. You know her, too. You KNOW that she's going to do something like that. She'll ignore you, she'll ignore your calls...and she'll do it for the rest of her life, if she has to."
"But it's better than her going." JC was stubborn, but they had never thought that he could be that stubborn. "Maybe I can stop this. Who knows? You must know that Tim is behind everything that's happened."
"I don't have any doubt about that," Mia said quietly, looking off into space. She couldn't look at him. She couldn't watch as he sacrificed himself. "I know that he's behind this, because only one person would be twisted enough to do this, but JC, really, think about it. Do you really want to lose everything that you have going with Brooklyn? You mean so much to her, and now you're talking about...about..." She couldn't finish. There was no way to finish what she wanted to say.
Silence enveloped them for a moment, before he raised his eyes and looked between the two of them for a moment. "I still think that it would be better if I did it rather than her. I can't...I can't let her go through that again, because it really could ruin her this time. She's dead set on this, guys. This is the only way that I know that I can stop her."
"That won't stop her," Austin spoke up. "She'll still go, but she'll hate you for what you did. She hates it whenever anyone gets involved in her life. This is something that she would never forgive you for." He walked back to the bed and sat down with a weary sigh. "You really love her, don't you?"
JC blinked twice, thinking about the impact of those words. "Even if I didn't, I would still do this. Look, it's not like it's a big deal. I'm going to go and see him for a few hours. Two hours at the most, I was told. Yes, it's going to be two hours of hell, but I...I have to. I know that she doesn't take kindly to people protecting her, but there's...I sound like a broken record here. There's no other way."
The couple looked at each other quickly. "I'm not going to tell her," Mia said. "Neither one of us is going to tell her about this, but if she comes right out and asks us if you went to the jail to see Tim, we're not going to lie. She's the only person that I could never lie to, and Austin feels the same. You know that she's going to find out."
"And that frightens me more than going to see Tim."
"Shit. I'm dead." He walked back to the bed and tossed himself across it, cursing under his breath every few seconds. "I'm dead. I knew it. I never should have done this. She's going to hate me. I'm dead. So freaking dead that it's not even funny. Dead. Dead. Dead. I'm an idiot."
His hand reached out for the can of Pepsi beside the bed, but caffeine was the last thing that he needed at the moment. Hs nerves were already shot. His eyes closed and he rubbed them carefully before rolling over onto his side. He had covered his tracks well enough. Brooklyn knew that he didn't like to see or talk to anyone when he was sick, and he asked all the guys to tell her that he wasn't feeling well. He changed his answering machine so that it picked up the calls on the first ring, as if he didn't want to be disturbed. Everything was set up so that she wouldn't know.
All of a sudden, he sat up with a jolt and pulled his wrist up to his face. "Damn it," he cursed, getting off the bed. He couldn't believe that he had fallen asleep. He hurried to splash some cold water on his face and put on his ball cap and glasses before shoving both his wallet and his key into the pocket of his baggy jeans before running out into the hall.
When he looked at his reflection in the doors of the elevator, he almost laughed. He looked nothing like himself. He had dressed more like Austin, as if that would take everyone's attention off of him. He stepped out of the elevator with a roll of his eyes and stepped outside, looking around for the limo that he had ordered to take him around.
The driver was waiting with an open door, and he slipped in, giving the address to the driver before putting up the window that separated the two of them. He really didn't want to talk to anyone. His whole mind was focused on what he was going to say, what he was going to do...he was just thankful that there were going to be guards there, because he knew that given the chance, either one of them would have jumped across the table to attack each other.
The ride was short, and before he knew it, they had pulled up to the jail. He took a deep breath when the door opened and walked confidently up the stairs to the front doors, pulling it open before walking in and looking around. He saw the person that he was supposed to talk to and walked over there, resting his hands on the desk. "I booked time to see Tim Croft."
Slowly, the woman in the uniform looked up at him, and JC removed his sunglasses before clipping them on the pocket of his jeans. "Name, please?" she asked in a bored tone that let him know that she had to say this all of the time.
"Joshua Chasez." He had wanted to use a fake name, but he knew that they were going to ask for identification. The last thing that he wanted was to be caught with fake ID Austin had even offered for him to use his name, but they looked nothing like each other, and using his real name was his only choice.
"Photo identification, please," she commented with that same bored tone. He stifled a sigh and brought out his wallet, taking out his driver's license, wincing at the picture before he handed it over. She looked from the card to him, and then back a few times before she handed it back and handed him a laminated pass at the same time. "Keep that on at all times, and you have to sign here, please." He dutifully signed his name and put the pass on.
Finally, a smile covered her face. "Just walk through there, and that guard will take you to where you're to meet Mr. Croft. You know...you're the first person to come and see him in here, besides his lawyer."
He grinned back. "Hopefully, I'll be the last, too," he muttered, before walking towards the guard. He didn't say a word as he led him down the hall to a room with a closed door. He opened the door and JC stepped inside, looking around. There was nothing in there, other than a table and a few chairs. One of the chairs already had Tim in them.
He had changed from the last time that he had seen him. For one, he had grown a beard. His hair was longer, and there was a different look in his eyes. He couldn't tell what the change was, but it was there. "JC, it's a pleasure to see you again," Tim said in a sarcastic tone, gesturing to one of the chairs.
JC swallowed thickly before sitting down in the chair and looking at him. "You must know that I didn't want to come, right?" he asked.
"I figured so, but I couldn't figure out just why you came. Is there a reason, or did you just want to catch up, since we haven't seen each other for awhile."
A smirk covered his face. "And I never really want to see you again. The real reason why I came here is because of Brooklyn. She has her heart set on coming to see you. And I don't want her to, so I came instead. That's not the only reason, of course, but I think you can figure out what that other reason is."
Tim made a face and pulled a cigarette out of the pack in front of him. He caught JC's eye and smiled. "There's not a hell of a lot to do in here, so I needed something to take my mind off of that little manipulative bitch. Want one?" he asked, holding out the cigarette.
"No, thanks, I don't smoke," he said, almost stiffly. "But please, don't let me stop you," he added.
Tim raised his eyebrows before lighting the cigarette and letting out a cloud of smoke. "That was one thing that Brooklyn was able to cure me of, you know. When we met, I smoked all the time, but she made me quit. I would do anything for that girl. Well, back then, I would have. You obviously haven't seen the same side of her that I have."
He set his jaw and stared at him. "Obviously not, because I saw her when you practically destroyed her. I'm sure you've heard the stories. They were all over the world about how she wouldn't leave her house and so on. By the way that you're talking, we know two completely different people that just happen to have the same name."
"And a stupid name at that. I always thought that Brooklyn sounded like a prostitute, not that Brooke was much better from her. What is it that you call her? New York, right? Hm...makes her sound like some dancer at the Pussycat, if you ask me."
"Well, I didn't ask you. Would you just cut the crap? You know what's been happening lately, and I want you to stop it."
An innocent look went over his face, but JC knew him well enough to know that it was just an act. "What ever could you mean, JC? By the way, I heard that Brooklyn broke her wrist. How, exactly, did that happen? They never really said in the papers, but I've always been curious. Of course you know that I can't call her, so I can't ask. I hope that she's all right."
He figured out what he was doing, and he wasn't against playing along for a little while. "Oh, she's fine now. The cast was taken off a few days ago. She didn't break her wrist, you know. It was a hairline fracture, but you must have known that, even if the papers did get it wrong."
"How would I know if she broke her wrist instead of fractured it? She had a cast, didn't she? That's all that I really knew. I just GUESSED that she broke her wrist."
"Uh huh." He looked around and saw the coffee machine in the corner. JC stood up and went to pour himself a cup of coffee, taking a sip of it to wet his throat. It felt incredibly dry at the moment. "So, I take it that you've been doing well in here, Tim?"
He shrugged. "As well as could be expected, really. So, tell me, really, how is Brooklyn lately?"
The cup of coffee went down on the table and JC raised his eyes to look at him as he sat down, tapping his finger on the table. "Why are you so interested in New York? I mean, she was the one that put you in here after all. I would think that you would hate her," he said innocently, staring at him.
"That's where you're wrong, JC I've always loved Brooklyn."
He yawned and closed his eyes for a moment. "Sure. If you start singing some sappy love song, warn me so that I can get out of here. Seriously, though, I find it funny that you still have feelings for her. Only because, like I said, she put you in this jail, and she was the one who ruined all your plans. Which were...what again? You were going to marry her, slowly ship her money into an account and then divorce her, right? The first in a long string of women, I believe was mentioned at the trial. Hm, that's strange. And I always took you to be a stand up citizen."
Tim blinked a few times and then sighed. "I have nothing against Brooklyn. She's always been a very romantic and beautiful woman. How are the two of you doing, JC? You haven't mentioned anything if the two of you have started a relationship together or anything. Are the two of you even talking anymore? Oh, wait, you must be. It's all over the place all the time."
"Thanks for asking, but we're fine. In fact...well, I must be the luckiest person on the face of the Earth right now, because she's taken an interest in me, and we're seeing if we can have a relationship based on more than just...friendship. You know what I mean."
He slowly applauded. JC almost flinched when he heard the sound, because he had heard the stories from Brooklyn about how he had done that to her, before verbally attacking her. Instead, he covered it up with a sigh. "You'll find out what I did. She needs someone to control her, and frankly, you're not man enough to do something like that."
"Oh, you'd be surprised, but that's not what I was going to do. I was never going to 'control' New York, like you tried to do. She's too...special for something like that. Then again, you wouldn't know that. After all, you tried to take over her life and live it for her, didn't you? Maybe I should applaud you for that."
"Please, if I got up to take my bow, they would take me away," he said, nodding towards the guards. They both looked towards him. "I'm happy for you, JC, but just remember, a relationship with her doesn't mean anything. She could leave you like that, or she could find someone else."
They stared at each other for a moment before JC started to talk again. "Oh, I forgot to tell you this when I came in. Your best friend in the whole world, Mia? She's getting married."
His eyes rolled. "I wonder which guy could handle a she-devil like her."
"Austin, apparently. They'll be married in a little while. Both Brooklyn and I are standing up at the wedding for them. Oh, gee, maybe if you were around, he would have asked you. Then again, I'm more than pleased to dance with the maid of honor. Too bad you can't make it. I'll be sure to send you a tape of it."
"Please do," he said dryly, before snubbing out the cigarette in the plain black ash tray in front of him. "So, you really did want to come and catch up with me, didn't you? That's very nice of you, JC. They don't let me outside much, and the only person that has come to see me is my lawyer. I was hoping that Brooklyn would come once or twice."
He looked towards the window and let out a patient sigh. "I wouldn't expect her to be coming anytime soon. She really doesn't want to see you, not that I could blame her. But no, Tim, you're wrong. I didn't come to catch up with you, because there's something more important that we need to talk about."
Tim waved his hand, telling him to go on. Both JC, and the two guards, froze when they saw the movement, but the pop singer recovered before they did. "All right. I don't know if you ever heard about this, but New York...well, there's been a little trouble, lately. None of the press have caught onto it yet, but it's going to happen sooner or later. See, lately, New York has had a shadow following her around."
"Oh, you mean that she's finally having bodyguards following her every move. That's great. She needs to be protected, and we both know that you're not strong enough to do that."
There was no doubt that he would have loved to stick out his tongue, but this wasn't a friend, and this wasn't Brooklyn. To those people, he would have, but Tim was a whole other story. "No, no, not bodyguards," he started to explain patiently. "No, more like a stalker. That's how she fractured her wrist. Someone attacked her in a parking lot and hit her. She blocked the shot with her wrist, and that's how that injury happened."
Slowly, Tim scratched the top of his head. "How far is your apartment building from the hospital, I'm wondering."
"Ten minut-" He stopped short and stared at him. "I never told you that it happened in the underground parking lot at my building," he said slowly, staring almost intently at the accused murderer.
He gasped slowly and reached for another cigarette. "Oh, really? I must have been hearing this. But it did happen there, didn't it? The poor girl. She must have been traumatized."
A confident smile spread on JC's face. "Actually, no. She was perfectly fine with it. Of course, she was a little scared for me, but she was fine once we got back to my place." He was going to let him make all the slip ups that he could. The only thing that bothered him was that Tim hadn't asked his lawyer to be there. Obviously, he was watching his words, and being very careful, but it was still a little strange.
"Ah, did you try to play the knight in shining armor?"
He grinned again. "Well, I wouldn't say that I TRIED, because I believed that I succeeded, and I definitely did get handsomely rewarded." It was a lie, but it was good. The look in Tim's eye was more than good enough. As much as he tried, he couldn't hide the look of pure fury in his eyes.
It cleared though, and quickly. "Well....that's...nice, I suppose. I take it that the two of you are close."
"Very close. She's spent a lot of time in my apartment. In fact, he spent the night together just a few nights ago. Ever since then...well, you know how it goes." He almost wanted to laugh. JC hated saying stuff like that about anyone, let alone Brooklyn, but it was worth it. Just like the first comments.
"Yes, she's always been a little slut, hasn't she?"
He ignored the comment. "But the wrist...that isn't the only thing," JC said quietly. "She spent the night with Chris...oh, you never met him. Chris Kirkpatrick. He's in the group with me. Anyway, New York spent a few nights there, and for some reason, someone was trying to break into his house. Scratched the hell out of his garage door, and almost got it open, if it wasn't for her calling the police rather quickly."
Again, the eyebrows went up. It was such a 'Brooklyn' move that it looked wrong, but Tim had been around her long enough to pick up her habits. "They're both very lucky, then. You know, it doesn't seem to bother you that the two of them spent a few nights together."
His head shook. "Of course not. The two of them are close friends. They have been ever since they met. Again, though, that's not it. Because she's been getting some letters. For some reason, though, it looks like your handwriting, and they always say that they're from her fiancé. Well, we all know that New York doesn't HAVE a fiancé anymore...unless I was considering taking the job...and there were those two incidents."
"You? You and Brooklyn? Somehow, I can't see that happening."
"Oh, I wasn't talking about now, but it's always something to think about. I know that her brother likes me quite a bit. Why else would he have asked me to be his best man. And, my family absolutely adores her, even though they've never met before."
Tim groaned and rolled his eyes. "Great. So, what are these other two 'incidents', as you put it."
He yawned slowly. "Sorry, I didn't get a lot of sleep last night. I'm not crazy about flying, but it's something that I have to do, unfortunately. Those two incidents. See, when we were in New York City, when she came to visit me, somehow, her engagement ring showed up, but I know that you know about it. You called her at my place and told her about it. Or, asked her about it. Same difference, I suppose. Then, a couple nights ago, the ring showed up one more time. Which is funny when you think about it, because she THREW IT OUT in New York City. Unless someone went and looked around in a garbage dumpster...well, I just don't know how it could have shown up. Maybe you could clear it up for me."
Tim cleared his throat before looking away for a moment. It was that moment that JC knew that he knew something about it, but he wasn't going to say anything about it. "Really, I don't know anything about that. Are you accusing me of something?"
"If I was accusing you of something, I would have brought my lawyer along on this trip, and you probably would have wanted yours. No, I would NEVER accuse you of anything. I was just wondering if you knew anything about it? I mean, you must have heard something."
His head shook slowly. "The only news that I've heard lately is from a guy that I met in here that got out a little while ago. I guess that I'm not that lucky." He asked one of the guards to pour him a cup of coffee, since he wasn't allowed to get up. Once it was in front of him, he took a deep breath. "I'm surprised that you came to see me."
JC shrugged carelessly before looking back at him. "I had nothing better to do, and you know that I must be pretty damned bored if I wanted to see your face again. That was the main reason that I wasn't at the trial, you know. I'm sure that they read my statement in court of why I couldn't be there, and what I knew and had seen. I just couldn't stand to see you after what you did to New York, and I still can't bare to see you, but I'm dealing. Just barely, but I'm dealing."
"And you didn't bring any guards with you? How careless of you."
"I don't need them for this. I'm more than protected with these men watching your every move. Besides, these guys carry guns, which my guards don't. That's always reassuring."
They both fell silent for a little while before Tim sighed. "How has Brooklyn been dealing with having a stalker?"
"Is that real concern, or are you just putting on an act? She's perfectly fine. She thinks that you have something to do with it, which...honestly? I think she could be right to a degree. I think you know something about this. I'd rather that you told me about it before I leave, because if you could just clear this up...there's something that's bothering you, Tim. What would that be? Is it the fact that Brooklyn and I are together?"
His eyes rolled. "She always had a thing for you, you know, even if she wouldn't admit to it. It made me sick to see how she used to moon over you. Brooklyn would always ask what you would think of something, or if you would like to tag along. I was more than happy when you left to go back on your little tour. We didn't need you around, and to tell the truth, she doesn't need you around now."
"Hm...yes, she has told me about that before, and you know what? Surprisingly, or if you knew, I had a little 'thing' for her too, as you've said. Luckily, when you were gone, it just...grew into something bigger. It's hard not to love her, I guess. It comes easily for me, at least. I don't know. Did you ever really love her?"
"To a degree, not that it matters to you. Do we really have to talk about the two of you? I'm about to throw up, thank you very much."
He let out a dry chuckle before looking over at Tim. "That's what's bothering you, after all. Me and New York. Well, I'll make you a deal." He leaned across the table. "You know, as much as I do love her, I would do ANYTHING to make sure that she's safe and happy. Even if it means that I wouldn't be around her." He caught the look in Tim's eyes, and smiled slowly. "I see that you're following on the same wavelength that I am. If you'd be willing to stop whatever has been going on, and I'm not saying that you're doing it, mind you...I would stay away from New York."
His eyes almost burned into him. "What do you mean by 'stay away' from her?"
"Exactly what it sounds like. I will break off all contact with her. Literally, I will leave her alone. I won't answer if she calls, won't answer the door if she comes around...I will have to go to the wedding, however, but after that one dance, I'll leave her alone. How does that sound to you?"
It was a gamble, and he thought that he was going to give himself away, but JC stayed incredibly calm through the whole thing. More calm than he thought he would have been. "And how do I know that you're going to keep with your deal? I don't exactly trust you, and I'm not exactly in the position to make sure that you're going to come through on it."
He let out the breath he was holding, but he made it sound exasperated. "Why can't you just take my word for it? It's not like it's the end of the world, is it? And you're right. There's no way for you to make sure that I'm going to stick with my deal. A contract is out, right away. Can't you just take my word for it?"
Tim narrowed his eyes. "I...can't believe that you're doing something like this."
"Like I told you, I'd do anything to protect New York. She's everything to me, but if I can't be around her, the least I can know is that she's safe, and that means the world to me. As long as she's safe, I'll stay away. As long as she's being stalked, and she's anything BUT safe, I'll be around, Tim. I'll be around longer than you could ever dream of. Actually, if this continues, I might just have to keep my eye on her all the time. Do you understand what that means, Tim?"
He shook his head. "You can hire all the little spies that you want-"
"No, I'm not talking about spied. I'm talking about being around her ALL THE TIME. I know that the two of us could talk to our managers and see if our tours could be put together so that we're only a day or two behind her. That's nothing, and I know that the guys would like it. They just love her, like everyone else. It wouldn't be that hard, either. Sure, there would be a lot of rumors, but you have to deal with them, I guess."
"So...what? You'd follow her around? Big deal."
JC laughed and leaned back in his chair, crossing his ankles. "I would do more than that. Given the opportunity, I'm sure that I could come up with something that could bring the two of us closer than before. And eventually, like I said before, all I would have to do is go out and get a ring. She wouldn't say no to me."
Tim was practically livid. "You wouldn't."
"Oh, I would. Don't put it past me, Tim. I can get just as nasty if I have to. She wouldn't no the difference. She'd be too wrapped up in the whole thing, like she was with you, to see anything. I'm not an idiot. I'm just learning from...well, I can't call you the best or a master, but I'm learning from someone that has tried it before. There's only one difference here." He leaned forward to the table a little and crossed his arms on it. "You failed when you tried. I won't. I'm going to have your ex-fiancée on my arm, and you're going to have...whatever your cellmate's name is."
All of a sudden, he started to laugh, and he could barely stop. "You think that you're going to come up to my level? You have GOT to be kidding me. You're just a little boy. You've never tried anything like this before, and you wouldn't even know what to do with Brooklyn if you got her. Which you never will."
He shook his head. "Don't underestimate me, Tim. I've got more stuff on my side. I'm rich, I'm famous, and I have plenty of pull with people. Something that you don't have. Not only that, but I've got New York's attention. Those four things are all I need to win her over, and you damned well know it, so don't sit there and tell me that I don't know what I'm doing. I may not be after her money, but you'd be surprised what I can do."
There was almost a look of fear in Tim's eyes when he looked towards him. It wasn't possible that there could be someone that could do the same thing that he tried, and actually make it work. That just wasn't possible, because Tim, in his own mind, was the master. That's all there was to it. A pop singer, of all things, couldn't even attempt what he had.
But JC was right, and Tim knew it. He had plenty of money on his side. He had the popularity and public presence. He had the money, and unfortunately, as much as he hated to admit it, he had Brooklyn. "So...what if I did know something? What then, Chasez?"
"Oh, and here I thought that we were on a first name basis." He leaned forward again with a cocky smile. "Like I said, I would practically push New York away. She wouldn't know what hit her, really. After the wedding, I just wouldn't be around. I'd break her down, little by little, if I had to. It wouldn't be that hard, because she's in such an emotional state, and I know how to do it.
"You do know, however, that there's almost no doubt that New York would end up with one of my friends. Chris, most likely. They're pretty close, and everyone thinks that they have something going on. It's not like it would be a big change, but I wouldn't even try to be her friend after that. It's all your call, Tim. I'm letting you do it, but I'm telling you that I'm not waiting around forever for an answer. I want it during this visit, and if you don't give me one...I guess the two of us are just going to get a little...closer."
There was a heavy silence between them as Tim thought about what he said. "And if I said that I wasn't going to help you?" he asked in a quiet voice.
JC sighed and looked towards the window. "Well, that would mean that I would be around New York as much as possible. I would fly out to see her, I would go to the wedding with her, and make sure that she doesn't dance with one other person, other than her brother. I would make sure that she's with me all the time, and you know something, she probably wouldn't mind. She's completely head over heels over me, and it wouldn't be that hard to...convince her. It only takes a dozen roses, a few diamonds, and she'd never leave my side."
"You're an asshole, you know that?" Tim asked in a nasty tone. "I can't believe that you would even bring this up with me. This is ridiculous." He slammed back in his chair and stared intently at the younger man.
Again, JC lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "Hey, you asked. I just answered you." His spread his hands out, and grinned. "I'm just letting you know what would happen if you asked no. Somehow, I don't think that you're going to say no." The grin turned cocky one more time. "I know you better than you would think, Tim. Come on, you can't fool me. I've seen you at your best, and I've seen you at your worst. Stop trying to fool me with this act, and just tell me. Are you or are you not going to take my offer."
Tim looked around the room. "How much time do we have left?"
He made a leisurely show of looking at his watch. "Not that much time. Forty five minutes. Why, are you going to wait until the very last second, just to make some sort of suspenseful impression. Just so that you know, it'll do shit all for me. If you're going to say yes, you might as well say yes right now." He leaned back and picked a piece of lint off of his shirt. "I can hear the wheels turning, Tim. What's it going to be?"
"I don't...really understand this deal. It doesn't mean much to me. I'm stuck in here, and you're out there in the actual world. What could I do to make sure that you stick with your deal? I can't exactly tell."
His head shook slowly. "Yes, you could. Because not only are we on television and in the papers almost every single day, you have your little spies around everywhere. Obviously, this 'friend' of yours who got out was 'watching' New York, if he hasn't the one that did everything to her." It was like a light was suddenly turned on over his head, and everything came into focus. "That's who did it, isn't it? You've had this person follow Brooklyn...send her the letters by mailing them to him, and having HIM mail them. He was the one that gave her the ring both times, too, wasn't he?" Letting out a deep breath, he flicked his eyes back to him. "I have to admit, you're impressive, Tim. I probably wouldn't have thought of something like this. Is the man getting paid, or what?"
He brought his eyes back to his. "None of your business, and I'm not speaking a word," he said coolly, before sipping slowly at his coffee. "I'm thinking about it, JC. You definitely know how to make an offer sound...interesting. What good would it be for you not to be around her, though?"
"It wouldn't do any good, in my opinion. Then again, you hate my guts. You would rather see New York with some sort of trailer trash, much like yourself, than with me. That's your problem, though, not mine. If I wasn't around her, you wouldn't have to worry about her being happy, I suppose. Tim, think of the possibilities. Your precious Brooklyn would fall once again. You know that she's completely in love with me. If another person that she loved left her...it would ruin her." He said the last four words very slowly so that he could get the point. "But hey, if you don't want to, I'd be more than happy to stay with her."
Tim sighed softly. "So, if I say that I would do whatever I could to stop whoever's doing this...you would leave Brooklyn? This very moment, I'm talking."
JC nodded slowly, keeping his eyes on him. "Exactly what I'm saying."
"Fine. I'll take you up on your offer."
He was sure not to show any type of emotion as he put his hand forward, staring at Tim. Just as slowly, Tim put his hand forward, and they shook on it. "Great. I guess I'll be going now. Have a great life, Tim. I'm sure you and your cellmate will enjoy each other," he said with a smirk, standing up as he shoved his chair back into place. It slammed against the table and rattled a few times. "Don't expect me to stop in again, and don't expect New York to stop in ever. I don't even need to stop her. Her brother will do it for me."
As he was walking to the door, Tim called out to him. "Chasez!" JC turned around. "You're a very stupid man."'
He didn't blink once as he looked back. "That may be. I'll be sure to send you a tape of the wedding." With a smirk, he walked out, followed by the guard. They stalked down the hallway at a fast pace, as JC stopped at the front desk again. He handed back the pass and signed out, before thanking the woman and walking out the front doors. He had only been in the jail for an hour and a half, but the fresh air was heavenly. He took a deep breath and pulled down his sunglasses to block the overly bright sun, before jogging out to the waiting limo.
When he slipped in and the door shut, JC started to shake. His hands started before anything else, and it quickly spread through the rest of his body. His eyes slammed shut, and he leaned back on the seat, pulling his hat off of his head. He pushed his hands through his hair in an attempt to stop the shaking, but it didn't do anything. He felt physically ill over what he had just done, and that wasn't even the full impact of it yet.
And he was lying to Brooklyn. He wasn't just hiding something from her, he was LYING to her. That was something that he swore to himself he would never do. That wasn't something that JC EVER did. He took honesty very seriously. Lying to someone he cared about (or cared deeply about, like he did her), made him want to retch. He would have a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach for the next week or so. He would lie awake for hours.
"God, what the HELL did I DO?" he shouted in the confines of the back of the limo and slammed his head back against the seat. He felt like such an idiot. How was he supposed to explain to her what he did. He COULDN'T explain it to her. Austin and Mia were right when they had told him what Brooklyn's reaction was going to be. She was going to hate him. She was going to ignore him. It was bad enough for her to hate him, but for her to ignore him...it would be the end of his world. Nothing would ever be the same.
How could he have done this to such a wonderful woman, he asked himself, groaning lightly. "I was right. I'm a God damned idiot. How could I even THINK of doing something like this?"
His head turned to the opposite window and he stared out of the tinted glass, not looking at anything in particular. Not that he could, with it whizzing by the way that it was. "You had to. You couldn't let her go, but how are you going to tell her not to go? She'll want to know why."
And then it hit him. He hadn't done what he had wanted. Sure, he had gotten Tim to say that he wouldn't bother Brooklyn anymore, but he never mentioned not TELLING Brooklyn. That was his mistake. Tim could tell Brooklyn anything that he wanted. He could send her another note.
But would Brooklyn believe it, he wondered. Maybe, but probably not. Of course, she would bring it up with him, and that's what he was dreading. She would ask him if he did it, even jokingly, and he couldn't say no to him. Because that really would be lying.
He was so completely screwed that he couldn't believe it.
And he was going to have to stay away from her for awhile. At least a little past the wedding. That was the real killer.
"I think it's getting worse," Brooklyn said with a sigh as she hugged a pillow to her chest. "I feel all grade school again. You know, that giddy feeling you get when that guy that you like looks at you? This is the same, only it is SO much stronger."
Mia giggled from where she was laying on the queen sized bed in the back of the tour bus, looking up at the ceiling. "You are so far gone, it's not even funny. You're completely head over heels over JC, and you can't deny it. Besides, you guys are so cute together. You were made for each other."
She smiled and rolled over onto her stomach, but she wouldn't let go of the pillow. "I'm not denying it. Not anymore. We haven't decided what we want, but he's just incredible. He's...remember, how I used to think that Tim was completely perfect?" Mia nodded slowly, almost regrettably. "JC IS perfect. He was the one that I was looking at whenever I looked at Tim, but I never knew it before. Now, I do. He's what I've always looked for."
"I can't believe it. Brooklyn's having a girlie moment with me, and it's cool!" she squealed. "It's about damned time that you started to dish about him. You guys have been around each other for what seems like forever. It's about TIME that you got around to it. We've all been telling you, since the moment that you guys met, that you were perfect for each other. Why didn't you believe us?"
Brooklyn rolled her eyes and looked over at her best friend. "I never understood how everyone got this in their minds. I mean, you hadn't met him, and even YOU were saying that he was right for me. How did you know?"
"There's little things about you that you don't know, Brooke. There was this...light that showed up in your eyes. Not like the usual light that you have, because that's natural in both you and your brother." Mia sighed when she said that, before shaking her head. "Right, we're talking about you here. Uh...this light. It was like...your eyes turned an incredibly dark shade of green. That's how I knew They were like this jade color, and I remembered when your eyes turned like that whenever you looked at Tim. As soon as Jace came into your life, you looked at Tim like you look at me. But JC? You looked at him like he was Superman or something, and you were Lois Lane. He was your hero."
She nodded. "And he always will be. He saved me, Mia. If it wouldn't have been for him, I wouldn't have made it through anything that I went through. He means more to me than I can even fathom. He's just...he's my world. He's everything to me."
Her friend sat up, with a serious look on her face. "That's pretty big, Brooke, but I know what you mean. He's my hero, too, only because he brought back my best friend. I'll always admire him for that, and I'll always be pulling for you guys to be together. You know me, Brooke. When you find someone that I really like, if you don't end up with him...I'll be pissed at you for life."
"I know, I know," she groaned, rolling onto her back. "I just...there's so much to him. And I want to know every single little part, you know?"
Mia nudged her with her elbow. "Ooh, someone's getting a little...ahem...personal there. So, you want to see all of the sides, including the personal side?"
"Who says I haven't?" she asked with an evil grin. "I'm kidding, Mia Michelle. Gee, give me a break here!" she yelped when she got hit. "Go easy on the stomach. I'm still recovering a little here. Seriously, though, I haven't slept with him or anything. I'm just...not ready for that part of any relationship right now. Last time, someone held it above my head, but I'm sure there will be a time that all my hormones are a-goin', and I'm going to be MORE than happy to jump into the nearest bed with him."
She started to laugh, and had to close her eyes. "You can get pretty nasty when you want to."
"Thank you, thank you," she said, taking a little bow. "The only thing is...we haven't really talked about...you know, the two of us. Like, what we want from the relationship or whatever. We've avoided it as much as possible."
"And you want to tell him what you really think of him, don't you? You just have to pick the time, Brooke. You just need the right time, and then bust out with it, close your eyes, and hope to hell that he says something just as good back. Wait, I take that back. I KNOW that he would come back with something equally good. That's not something that you have to worry about. But close your eyes, because I'm sure that he would lay a hell of a kiss on you for that one."
A blush started to spread on Brooklyn's face. "Well...I've been thinking about the right time. I think...I think...I may have...found the right time." She stuttered over the entire sentence. "I was thinking about at the wedding. I mean, him and I are going to be spending a lot of time together for that time, and I just...if I can pull him away...you know..."
"It is the most romantic place that you can possibly be at for the next few months, so I say go for it. You're going to be surrounded by roses, candle light, and the most romantic music that I can think of. Give me a signal, and I'll go up to the DJ and ask him to play something soft and perfect for it."
Brooklyn was more than giggling at this point. Her whole stomach hurt from laughing so hard. "What am I supposed to do? Scratch my head? Drop my napkin?" she asked in between the laughs.
"Well...that would work. No, seriously, just like, catch my attention before the two of you walk off, and I'll have it taken care of. I don't care if I have to threaten the DJ with his life to break in the middle of one song, and play a romantic one, I will have it done."
The two of them slapped palms quickly. "Awesome. So, at the wedding. That's when I'm going to tell him. Oh, this is perfect. Nothing could ruin this."
Chapter Twenty-Five
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