Pacey turned, following Jack's gaze towards the back porch, where the last person in the world he expected to see was staring at him, well, like he was the last person in the world that she expected to see.
"Oh God," he muttered, instinctively moving away from Ashley's embrace, unable to take his eyes off of Joey and the look of complete shock and betrayal that he could see in her eyes.
Joey Potter. What the hell was she doing here?
And what on earth possessed her to stare at him like he had done something wrong?
"Pacey?" Ashley asked, staring at him in wonder, then glancing over at the woman that he had locked eyes with. "Pace? What's wrong? Who... who is that?"
Pacey couldn't find his voice, or feel his hands, or remember his name, or where they were, or do anything at all, much less construct a sentence that would explain to his girlfriend who exactly it was that he couldn't take his eyes off of. Hell, he couldn't even breathe. All he could do was watch her. And all he could feel was a painful tightening in his chest.
She looked more beautiful than the last time he had seen her.
Since the last time he had held her, and touched her, and kissed her.
Since the time they had broken each other's hearts.
Joey couldn't believe it. Couldn't believe that she was actually looking at him. Couldn't believe that he was standing right there. Standing right there with some blonde bimbo wrapped around him. This was so perfect. So fucking perfect.
She was going to kill Jen. No, she was going to maim Jen, disembowel Jen, eviscerate Jen. Tear Jen into shreds for forcing her into this situation. 'We're gonna have to make room for two more?' Yeah, room for two bodies in the backyard where she was going to bury Jen and whoever it was that was hanging all over Pacey.
And then she was going to get the hell out of there. Head off in the other direction and never look back. Get as far away from Pacey Witter as she possibly could.
Yeah, she was... Just as soon as she could get herself to stop staring at him.
Ashley grabbed Pacey by the hand, shaking it until she finally got his attention. "What's wrong with you?" she hissed. "Pacey, who is that?"
Pacey turned to her slowly, his eyes moving down to look at the concrete beneath his feet, not feeling brave enough to meet her gaze. He could feel Joey's eyes on him and he was having trouble concentrating on anything else. "That, that is Joey. Joey Potter. She's an old friend that I... haven't seen in awhile," he told her through gritted teeth.
Ashley glanced back to Joey and her face froze. She immediately dropped Pacey's hand, taking a quick step back from him. "I thought she looked familiar," she muttered, looking back at Pacey again, daring him to look her in the eye. He couldn't. "She's the girl in all those pictures that you have, isn't she? The ones of you and her that you have hidden in your closet, in your sock drawer, in that shoe box underneath your bed? An old friend? Right," she laughed bitterly, not even waiting for Pacey to respond before she turned on her heels and went jogging off in the other direction.
Pacey sighed, glancing quickly back at Joey before forcing himself to take off after Ashley, his entire body fighting against him every step of the way.
Joey watched him run after her. After Candy or Mindy or Bambi or whatever the hell her name was, and then she turned to Jen, her eyes blazing. "So, let me get this straight. You invited Pacey here and you didn't tell me? You invited Pacey and his date here and you didn't tell me?"
"I am so sorry, Joey. I didn't know that he wasn't coming alone."
"And that somehow makes this all okay? Like I wouldn't have cared if he had come alone?"
"I know, I know. It was completely stupid and thoughtless and completely unfair to you. I'm sorry, Jack and I just thought that... it was time for you guys to see each other again," Jen said, looking over at Jack who was still in the yard, looking completely uncomfortable after having been standing in the middle of that scene.
"Well, congratulations, Jen. This was a real Taster's Choice Moment," Joey laughed coldly, turning for the door. "I think that I've had enough holiday cheer for one night. I'm going back to school. At least no one is waiting to completely humiliate me there."
"Give me the keys!" Ashley shouted to Pacey, pulling at the handlebar on the car door, but it was locked.
Pacey jogged up behind her, careful to keep his distance. "You think that I'm just going to let you drive off?"
"Pacey, I'm embarrassed and I just want to get the hell out of here. If you don't give me the keys, I'm just going to walk home."
"We have to talk about this, okay? You can't just come all of the way up here and then leave."
"You're not going to give them to me?" Ashley sighed. "I guess I'm walking then."
"Ash, it's getting dark, it took us hours to drive here, so don't be stupid, you're not walking."
Ashley gave up, resting her head against the cold window of the car. "Pacey, you're supposed to be telling me that you're sorry," she told him. "This is way too much to deal with. I can't believe you expect me to spend our first weekend away together with your ex."
"Look, nobody told she would be here. And you're not going home, because it's about to start snowing again."
"That's not what I want to hear, Pacey. I want to hear that that girl, Jim or John or whatever her weird name is, doesn't mean anything to you anymore and that it's all in the past. And that you love me," she turned to face him, the beginning of tears shining in her eyes. "You're not supposed to be giving me a weather report."
"Okay," Pacey agreed softly, taking a few tentative steps towards her. He didn't know what he was doing. All he was going to do was end up hurting this poor girl in the end. She deserved more than this, but he needed her, needed somebody at least. "I'm an idiot and I'm sorry. Joey doesn't mean anything to me and it was all in the past. I love you and I have no idea what the weather is like, okay?" he asked, reaching out for her.
She stared at him for a moment before accepting his embrace, hugging him tightly.
She pulled away slightly to look up at him. "Remember that little speech the next time that you screw up, Pacey."
"It's in my file," he supplied, pulling her back against him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"It's hard, isn't it?" Jack asked from his spot behind Joey at the window.
Joey turned to face him, startled and unaware that he had been watching her. She was ashamed that he had seen her watching Pacey. She had stared while he and his girlfriend stood hugging outside. She turned back to the window sadly. "That doesn't even begin to describe it."
"I'm sorry, Jo. I swear that Jen and I didn't know about her."
Joey closed her eyes, trying to block out the tears that threatened. "I know."
Jack moved closer to Joey, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her towards him. "Come here," he whispered, holding her in a warm hug. "I know that even though we didn't know she was coming, it still wasn't cool of us to plan all of this behind your back. I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it, Jack. I guess it had to happen sometime."
"Do you want me to take you home?" he asked softly.
Joey shook her head, clinging to Jack tightly and trying her best not to cry. "I've got a few things to work out first."