“You never come home anymore Josh.”

“Mom. ABDC is in season – you know that. I’ve gotta stay here, but I’ll be home for the holidays, promise.” JC Chasez moved skillfully around his kitchen, putting the finishing touches on his omelet and hash browns as he tried to wrap up a conversation with his mom. He loved her to death, but he hated when she got into her nagging phase. Today, she was nagging about how he never came home. Last week, it was about how he –

“Will you be bringing a girl home this time? You’re not getting any younger.”

– wasn’t seeing anyone.

“OK Mom. It’s 8am here, and my breakfast is getting cold. Can we have this conversation after I’ve eaten?” He heard her sigh on the other line as he carried his plate to the breakfast nook, the newspaper and a cup of coffee already at the table.

”OK. Fine. But don’t forget, your sister’s coming into town tomorrow.” JC smiled at the reminder, happy to have family in town. He hadn’t seen his sister in nearly a year, and he was looking forward to her visit. Even if she was just coming out there because of work, at least she was there at the same time he was.

“The guest room’s been set up since she told me two months ago. Trust me Mom, things will be fine.” He wrapped up his conversation with his mom before hanging up and setting the phone aside, sighing and shaking his head. He dug into his food and flipped through the paper, enjoying the silence of the morning. He’d been running like crazy the past few weeks, and it was nice to have a weekend to just sit down and relax.

That was, until the phone rang again.

Groaning, he looked at the Caller ID and glared at the number before answering. “You’d better have a good reason why you’re calling right after Mom. I know she called you.”

“She wanted me to call and make sure everything is good and that you have my itinerary.” His younger sister sounded amused, which didn’t help the situation at all.

“You know you’re just fueling the fire, right?” JC huffed as he pulled out his iPhone, unlocking it and flipping to the e-mail Heather had sent him a few days before. “And yes. I have it. You’ll be here tomorrow at 9:30, and I’ll be at the airport to pick you up. I have an extra car you can use while you’re here, and the guest bedroom and bathroom are all set for your girly ways.”

“Did you remember the alcohol? I’m gonna need it if they expect me to complete most of this audit in four days.” JC chuckled as he took a sip of his coffee, leaning back in his chair.

“Yes. The bar is stocked. Anything else Princess Heather?”

“Nope. You covered it all. I can give a positive report to Mom now. See you tomorrow bro!” JC rolled his eyes as he hung up and went back to his breakfast and newspaper. He knew it was quite possible he’d get no peace while Heather was around, but she was family. Family that he missed. He’d go with it and, within reason, give her anything she wanted.

As he pulled the sports section out of the paper, his phone buzzed with a text.

I get to drive the Beamer, right?

JC laughed as he typed out a sentence that pretty much equated to saying, “In your dreams.” When he said within reason, he meant it.

JC hoped and prayed he blended in, grateful the LA air had turned chilly that morning so that wearing a hoodie, hat and jeans was the norm and not the abnormal. While being in a place as crowded as LAX – where someone was bound to recognize him before he got out of his car – was daunting for any celebrity, it was more of the crowds that got to him. He hated being around so many people, most of whom could care less if they bumped into you or cut in front of you.

He felt like an old, crotchety man. Whatever.

He scanned the massive arrival board near the terminal exit, looking for a Delta flight from New York City. He found one that showed that it had arrived deplaned, so he began scanning the crowds walking from the terminals to the main area of the airport. He spotted her before she saw him, and he smiled proudly at the sight.

There she was – his little sister, the businesswoman. She had a Coach laptop bag hanging off her shoulder, a matching Coach carry-on rolling behind her, and her black skirt suit with pink camisole and pink heels were turning heads. She’d always had a flair for the classy and expensive, that’s for sure.

As she continued to scan the crowd, JC realized he blended in a little too well. He whistled loudly and waved at her, immediately catching her attention. Her smile lit up the area as she walked over to him quickly, dropped her bags and jumped into his arms with a squeal.

“Do businesswomen squeal when they greet their brothers?” JC asked matter-of-factly as she planted a wet kiss on his cheek.

“Oh shut up you. I can’t believe I'm here! I missed you!”

“I missed you too sis,” he reciprocated as he picked up her bags and walked beside her to baggage claim. “Have a good flight?”

“I slept most of the time. It was wonderful – most sleep I’ve gotten in days.” Up close, he noticed the bags under her eyes and her tired smile, but he didn’t say anything. As an accounting guru for a major firm, she was always busy, always tired. JC decided this wasn’t the time to convince her to find a slower-paced job, so he made a note to mention it later.

“Well, you look fantastic Heather. You’ve been turning heads since you landed, I’m sure.”

“Before,” she corrected with a wink as they got to her baggage claim area. With her long legs, wavy auburn hair and green eyes, his adopted sister was a knockout, even more so now that she was in her 30s than when she was in her 20s. She enjoyed the attention, even if she wouldn’t admit it.

“Attention whore,” he muttered as the loud horn sounded to signify bags were on their way. She slapped his arm as they waited, Heather pointing out her massive suitcase as it came rolling by.

JC managed to grab it and nearly dropped it as he moved it off. “God damn Heather! What in the world did you pack, and why didn’t you bring two suitcases?!”

“Oh shut up,” she huffed, taking her laptop bag and carry-on from JC as he handled her big luggage. “It’s not that bad. It was only over by 10 pounds, so they let me by.” JC rolled his eyes as they left the area and headed to his car, chatting about random stuff. JC learned that Tyler might have found ‘The One,’ which thrilled their mother to no end. She was itching for grandkids, and neither JC nor Heather was ready for that yet. Tyler, being the baby and the one closest to home, was her only hope.

“Why won’t he just move?” JC asked as they got to his BMW and loaded everything in. Heather shrugged as they got into the silver sedan and drove off.

“He loves Mom. And Bowie. And his girlfriend lives there. And he has a good job. He might change his mind if he marries this girl though – if Mom’s already talking about babies, it’ll just get worse.” JC nodded in agreement as they hit the freeway, traffic crazy as always. “Oh! Can we make a stop before we go home? I promised Addy I ‘d see her as soon as I got here.” JC shot Heather a look as she began fiddling with his GPS.

“Addy? Who’s Addy?” She waved his question off with her hand as she scrolled through the features on his GPS. “Heather! Who’s Addy?” Before she could answer, her phone rang in her pocket, which sidetracked her for a few seconds. As she talked to her boss and found the address, JC’s mind wandered. Addy? Who the hell was Addy? Heather hadn’t mentioned having many friends in LA; she was mostly out here for business.

JC waited for Heather to get off the phone so he could pepper her with more questions, but she stayed on the phone the entire time, fiddling on her iPad and writing things down as she talked a million miles a minute. JC tuned her out and followed the GPS as it took them off the freeway, his mind still wondering who in the world they were going to go see.

As if sensing they were near, Heather wrapped her phone call with her boss as JC pulled up to a cupcake shop. It looked packed, and like it had just opened – the blue and white striped paint on the outside looked like it’d just been done, and the patio furniture outside the building looked new. JC found a parking spot in front of the store and barely got it in park before Heather flew out of the car and inside the shop. Rolling his eyes, JC followed suit at a slower pace, ignoring the eyes that were looking from him to his car and back again. As he stepped into the shop that smelled like 40 different types of sugar, he spotted Heather and her friend in the middle of the store.

“Oh my God! This place is amazing!”

“Isn’t it?! We’re doing so great here – people love us. It’s incredible…and I have you to thank for convincing me to get off my ass and open it.” JC stepped closer to the duo, still not recognizing the girl. She was cute; her curly hair was thrown up messily, and she was wearing a cupcake apron covered in flour. When she looked from Heather and spotted JC, and her baby blues locked on his, JC knew exactly who she was.

“Oh. My. God. Addison?!”
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It took Addison Porter a moment to gather her thoughts and recollect herself. She knew he lived in LA, but to see him here, in her store, after not seeing or talking to him for nearly 10 years, was a different story.

“Surprise!” Heather squealed, jumping up and down, her pink heels making clicking noises on the tile. “Now do you remember who Addy is, Josh?” Addison swallowed hard as JC walked up to them, a look of disbelief on his face. He seemed just as shocked as she was, which was good. The last person she’d expected to see was him.

“Man. How are you, Josh?” Addison refused to call him JC; she knew him as Josh, and he’d always be Josh. And right now, he was staring at her like she had three heads.

“I’m…I’m in shock. I didn’t even know you were here. How long have you been here?” Addison couldn’t tell if it was shock or regret that made JC sound the way he did, so she went on the defensive and stood up straight.

“We opened two months ago. I moved here three years ago to go to pastry school and stayed. I opened this shop with a classmate in her basement after we graduated and saved enough to open a storefront. People like us.” She was proud that things had taken off and traffic had been steady since they’d opened. It had cost a small fortune to buy the building and get things set up, but savings and help from both sets of parents helped get them here.

“This…this is incredible.” Addison allowed herself to breath briefly as she smiled, watching JC take in the scene as she took him in. She’d seen pictures of him here and there, but she hadn’t seen him in person in 10 years. He’d changed, but for the better. He wasn’t this lanky, skinny kid anymore; he had some meat on his bones, and he looked incredible. His hair was short, eyes still fierce and face still sexy.

Damn Heather for not warning her.

“I want a cupcake!” Heather announced as she walked up to the counter, scanning the selection in the two glass cases near the register. She felt JC walk up beside her as he continued to scan the place, which made Addison nervous. Why did he still make her nervous after all this time?

“So…how’ve you been?” JC asked, Heather oblivious to their interaction. Addison swallowed and nodded, feeling hot despite the coolness of the shop.

“Good. Busy. This is my baby, and it’s a lot of hard work. I love it though.” She dared to look up at him, smiling. “How are you?” He looked down at her – at 5’6”, she was pretty short – and smiled back, Addison’s heart melting on the edges. That smile still got her…she’d figured it would.

“Good. Busy too, but good. Recording again.” Addison nodded silently, her eyes still locked on his, the butterflies back in her stomach. A slow grin played on his lips as Addison willed herself to look away.

“Addy! Come help me pick a cupcake – I want them all!” Grateful for the excuse to step away, Addison acknowledged Heather’s request with a wave before turning back to JC.

“You want something? Still a red velvet cake fan?” JC smiled politely and shook his head, stepping backwards.

“Nah – I’m good. Tell Heather I’ll be waiting in the car. It was…it was good to see you Ads.” His smile lingered in her thoughts as she turned her attention back to her best friend, who was quizzing her co-owner about flavors. Addison inhaled deeply and settled her nerves before joining Heather at the counter.

Talk about a ghost from Addison’s past.
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JC kept his eyes locked on his car as he exited the shop, the cool California air calming his nerves. He refused to think until he was in the safety of his car, shutting out the world around him and focusing on what had just happened.

Addison? Here? In LA?

He was surprised Heather hadn’t mentioned it before, especially since she had known that Addison was in the area. Why wouldn’t she mention it?

Seeing her again had left him speechless for a few seconds and taken him back to that time. Their time. He wasn’t prepared to see her again, and he was even more unprepared for the feelings that stirred when those gorgeous blue eyes met his. She still looked as amazing as she did when he’d left her, but this time, the tears were gone.

God. The tears. And, time to cue the self-imposed guilt trip.

“Josh. You’ve got to get a cupcake. Don’t you want one?!” JC knew he’d regret letting Heather eat sugar this early in the morning, but she was in town and happy, and he wanted to keep it that way.

“I’ll just eat one of yours,” JC commented, his eyes shifting to the box of cupcakes Heather had in her lap. “I’m sure they’re delicious.”

Heather bit into her coconut macaroon cupcake and sighed, melting into her leather passenger seat and closing her eyes. “This is heavenly. I want to marry it and have its mini cupcake babies.” JC chuckled as he turned the car on and programmed the GPS for home. “Was everything OK in there? Things seemed a little…weird.” JC refused to look at his sister but shook his head.

“Nope. Just haven’t seen her in ages. It was nice to see her again.” The conversation trailed off as Heather continued to moan and groan over her cupcake, JC’s thoughts still on Addison. He mentally reminded himself to save the address for the cupcake shop in his GPS. He had a feeling he’d be venturing back to see her very soon.
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Addison didn't think about her surprise encounter until later that night, after the bakery had been shut down and she'd dragged herself home. Working as much as she had the past few months left her constantly exhausted, but she'd never felt so accomplished in her life. She'd been dreaming about owning her own bakery for years...now that it was a reality, life was awesome.

That was, until she'd seen JC. She found herself frowning as she dropped her purse at the front door and walked slowly to the couch, collapsing on it and kicking her shoes off. Even though many years had passed - and many things had happened to the both of them - Addison had always felt like she hadn't gotten closure. One minute, there was an "us", and the next...well, no "us". She had a lot of emotions going through her right now, and she wasn't sure how to handle them. Excitement, butterflies, anger, borderline hatred...

"Hello? Earth to Addy?" Addison snapped out of her trance and looked up at her best friend and roommate, Grace Richards, who had wandered into the living room. Grace was the complete opposite of Addison: Grace was a Southern belle, born and raised in Savannah surrounded by the wealth and prestige of one of the town's oldest families. While Addison spent her youth as an only child in a suburb of Atlanta, Grace went to private school, traveled Europe and learned three languages. Addison had prom and Homecoming; Grace had cotillions and debutante balls. But when they'd met at church camp when they were 10, they were automatically inseparable. Addison still couldn't believe their friendship had lasted more than two decades, even if she and her parents had become more than just friends over the years.

"Oh. Hey Gracie Lou," Addison greeted tiredly as Grace sat down on the couch beside her, concern painted on her face.

"You look like shit. What happened today? Bad day?" Usually, Addison had some witty comeback when Grace's overly honest mouth spit out things like that, but tonight, her brain was elsewhere.

"I saw him today." She turned to face Grace as her best friend raised an eyebrow at her. "Josh." Grace's dramatic gasp made Addison smile a little and chuckle. "He came with Heather to the shop today."

“Oh yeah…I forgot she got into town today.” Grace leaned in closer, her face serious. "Did you punch him in the balls?" Addison laughed as she shook her head, grateful Grace was around to help diffuse tense moments like this. "No. Seriously Addy - did you?" Addison rolled her eyes as she got off the couch and trudged to the kitchen, digging through the fridge for food. She spotted Chinese cartons and grabbed them, checking its contents - broccoli beef and fried rice - before pouring them on a plate and sticking the plate in the microwave.

"Now now Grace. That's not nice," Addison replied as Grace joined her in the kitchen, hopping on the nearest counter. "And no. I didn't. We were...civil."

"It was awkward, wasn't it?"

"Very awkward," Addison admitted as she tossed the cartons in the trash. "We were both thrown off. Leave it up to Heather to not tell me that she planned on bringing her brother with her."

"Well, you know Heather – she’s all over the place and tends to forget important details like that. So...is he still hot?" Addison narrowed her eyes at Grace as she sat back down beside Addison, placing a bottle of water on the coffee table in front of them.

"God, Grace, did you seriously ask that question?! Why is that important?!"

Grace simply shrugged as she picked at her nails. "It's not. But I still want to know." Addison got lost in the memory of the JC she'd seen earlier that day, dressed simply in blue jeans, an Angels hoodie and matching Angels cap. He still looked as gorgeous - maybe more so - as she remembered. She'd felt that familiar jump in her heart that only he brought along, and it pissed her off that he still had that hold on her. "I see that look on your face Addy. Last time I saw it was that summer." Addison snapped out of her trance and looked at Grace, who looked sad and concerned. "You've still got a thing for him, don’t you?" Addison rolled her eyes and leaned against the counter, shaking her head.

"That man broke my heart Grace. I thought he could be forever, and he thought otherwise. The last thing I want to do is see him again." Grace gave Addison the 'I know you're bullshittin' me but I'm gonna leave it alone' look as the microwave rang out. Grateful for the opportunity to turn away from Grace's stare, Addison made slow work of grabbing her warm food, a fork, napkin and bottle of water. When she finally turned back to face Grace, her best friend was still giving her the look.

"You know I don't believe you. But I'm leaving it alone. For now." Addison smiled as she headed back to the couch to scarf down her dinner, Grace following behind. "But just so you know, I really don't believe you." Addison shot Grace a glare as she sat down and began to eat.

"For the love of Pete, Grace. I saw the man for 30 seconds today, and you act like I fell back in love with him. Can we please drop the subject?! I saw him, end of story."

"But - "

"Drop it, or I'm calling that ex-boyfriend of yours to tell him why you really broke up with him." Grace gasped loudly, her eyes wide as saucers.

"It's not my fault he wasn't good in bed but his brother was!" As Grace stammered through all the reasons why her latest man was not The One, she thought about JC one more time. She was a big enough woman to admit that, despite what her brain was saying, feelings were still there. She just hoped this encounter had been the last encounter.

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JC woke up the next morning after 10 am – which was very late for him. But, considering he’d tossed and turned until nearly 3am, it was expected. He had been more restless than anything and hadn’t been able to turn his brain off, which he hated. He was still tired, but he had things to do and couldn’t afford to sleep in any later. As he brewed a big pot of coffee, he saw a note his sister had left on the fridge.

I should be off by 7.  Want to meet for dinner? My treat for putting up with me for the next few days. Have a great day bro. – H

JC smiled as he re-read the note. Even though his sister had only been in town for a day – and she would be gone in the blink of an eye – he loved having her around. Being close in age, they had been inseparable growing up and were still close, even though they lived on opposite coasts. JC wasn’t a fan of only seeing her during holidays, so he wanted to take advantage of having her here as much as he could. He pulled his cell phone out of his shorts pocket and sent a text to his sister.

Let me guess – you went into work at 6, didn’t you? You work too hard, you know that? You name the place for diner. Remember to surface for food during the day.

He slipped his phone back in his pocket and grabbed the biggest coffee mug he owned as he waited for the pot to finish brewing. He dug through the fridge for his bottle of creamer, his eyes falling on a pink box that hadn’t been there before. He quickly remembered that Heather had bought cupcakes from Addison’s shop the day before, eyeing the box for a few seconds. Curiosity got the best of him, and he slid the box out of the fridge and opened it.

The cupcakes looked fantastic. There were all sorts of flavors, topping, wrappers…including a red velvet one. Smiling, JC picked it out of the box and stored the rest for later, opting to take a bite now than wait to pair it with his fresh coffee. The tanginess of the cream cheese frosting, paired with the light and fluffy red velvet cake, sent JC into food heaven. He’d eaten a lot of red velvet cake over the years, but this was the best damn red velvet cake he’d ever had. He even admitted that, while his mom’s cake was incredible, this might be better. It took a lot to top his mom’s cooking, but Addison had done it.

“No wonder Heather had a foodgasm in the car yesterday,” he muttered as he took another bite. The cupcakes were even better than he remembered, which didn’t surprise JC in the least. He’d known Addison for years, and she’d been baking for almost all of those years; it was only a matter of time before she’d set up shop somewhere and spoiled the world with baked goodness.

JC finished the cupcake in two more bite and tossed the wrapper in the trash as his coffee finished. He poured himself a cup and sighed, his mind going back to his encounter with Addison the day before. It’d blown his world to see her after he never expected to ever again. Heather hadn’t mentioned her in ages, and he thought she was still in New York City working as an up-and-coming defense attorney. To know she was practically in his backyard was a shock to his system and forced her back into his life when he’d pushed her out long before.

He carried his steaming mug of breakfast blend to the patio, enjoying the quiet of his Hollywood Hills neighborhood and the view it afforded him of Los Angeles. He typically used his free mornings – which were few and far between nowadays – to clear his mind. Today though, he could only think about Addison. The encounter had been on his mind since he’d left the cupcake shop, and it bothered him that he couldn’t let it go. They had been long over, and the look on her face when she’d spotted him told her that he was the last person she expected to walk in.

JC wished he could put together what bothered him so much about seeing her again. Maybe it was the fact that she’d been in LA for years and never mentioned it. Or that the guilt was still there, even after all these years. Or maybe it was the fact that, deep down, he regretted leaving her the way he had. She hadn’t deserved the abrupt cut-off with little logical explanation, but hindsight was 20/20, right? JC let his mind wander on for a few more minutes, enjoying his coffee and the quiet until his phone buzzed in his pocket.

How about The Federal Bar at 8?

JC had heard about the new NoHo arts district restaurant and had wanted to try it. Although it was a bit of a drive from where he was, he’d pretty much do anything for his sister at the moment. He typed back a response to confirm the dinner date as he finished the last of his coffee. JC forced himself to leave all thoughts of Addison on the patio as he exited, ready to start his day.

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“I need more triple chocolate ganache cupcakes!”

“Where are the sprinkles?! I need the sprinkles!”

“Are you sure this order was for three dozen cupcakes? I thought they wanted more?”

Addison’s shop, For the Love of Cupcakes, was buzzing. They had only been open for an hour, but the lunch crowd had drifted from the taco food truck parked across the street to her place, and they were slammed. While it was exciting to be this busy at 11:30am, it was also stressful. Addison was glad at that moment that she and her business partner, Miranda Phillips, had hired more staff than they’d intended. They’d be sunk without them.

Addison put the finishing touches on two dozen triple chocolate ganache cupcakes before plating them and walking from the kitchen to the storefront. She took a second to take the place in, her heart soaring with pride. The three counter workers were busy helping customers, a positive buzz in the air despite the line. Most people took advantage of the wait and canvased the four cases of cupcakes that were on display, oohing and aahing over what they saw. It pleased Addison that she was starting to recognize the faces of some of the regulars, a sign that people really liked them and were coming back for more.

It had taken months for her and Miranda to figure out how they wanted to design the place, which was housed in an old building that had been recently renovated as a part of the NoHo arts district’s rebeautification project. They’d gotten the place for a steal in comparison to what they would’ve paid elsewhere, and the faded red brick building suited them perfectly. The inside had been completely redone, with an artsy feel flowing from the district into their shop. The black and white walls were adorned in paintings from local artists, most for sale if someone was interested.  Old-fashioned chandeliers provided lighting, and Addison really liked the pairing of red chairs and the white tables with black tops. All of the tables inside were taken, as were the four all-white patio sets outside the shop.

“Oh thank God – the next three customers want this cupcake.” Miranda took the platter of cupcakes from Addison and went back to the counter, chatting happily with customers as she helped box up cupcakes. While Miranda and Addison had both gone to pastry school together, Addison was the better baker. Miranda enjoyed this type of interaction, and Addison preferred baking, so they meshed perfectly. She gave the place one more sweeping look before heading back to the kitchen to finish off the peanut butter and jelly cupcakes.

Addison was moving the cupcakes onto a tray when Brandy, one of the girls who ran the counter, stuck her head through the door. "Addison? A Heather Chasez is here for you. Want me to tell her you're busy?" Addison swallowed hard before shaking her head, wiping her hands on a nearby towel.

"Is she alone?" Addison asked. Brandy stuck her head back outside briefly then popped back in, nodding. Sighing with relief, Addison abandoned her station and followed Brandy up front, immediately spotting Heather through the crowd of people. It was hard to miss her, considering she nearly towered over people. "Can you bring two triple chocolate cupcakes to us please?" Addison asked before making her way towards Heather.

"Well hey there Ms. Cupcake," Heather greeted with a bright smile. She bent down to give Addison a hug, who glared up in return.

“Now why are you in here with those 5-inch heels? Let’s make me feel shorter, shall we?” Addison grumbled as they claimed an empty table in a corner near the front door. Heather laughed as she sat down and crossed her long legs. Addison still thought Heather had potential as a model, but Heather was never that type anyway.

“Oh hush. They’re not 5 inches...at least, I don’t think so. I’m sorry I caught you at a busy time.” Addison waved her hand nonchalantly to let Heather know it was fine. Brandy walked up at that moment with the cupcakes, and Addison chuckled as Heather’s eyes went wide. “Oh my God. I love you. You’ve must’ve caught my cupcake vibes or something.”

“You never turned down a good cupcake,” Addison pointed out as Heather made a grab for one of the cupcakes, ripping off the wrapper quickly and eating half the cupcake in one big bite. Addison raised an eyebrow, amused, as Heather made food love to the remainder of the cupcake, moaning in satisfaction when she was finished.

“I’ll save the other one for later,” Heather said quickly, dusting her hands of cupcake crumbs. “But right now, I have some news.” Addison felt her heart rate pick up. Was it JC? Was something wrong? Wait - why did her brain automatically go to him?

“What happened? Everything OK?”

“I’m moving to LA!” Addison breathed a visible sigh of relief, but now she was confused.

“Um...I thought you lived in New York?”

“I did - until about an hour ago. The company I’m here to help out likes my work and wants me to work for them - with higher pay, less work and more opportunities to work my way up. So I’m going to finish the audit but put in my two weeks while I was driving over here. Of course, they’ll scream conflict of interest or whatever, but the audit will be spotless, and they’ll have no room to say anything.” Addison shook her head and grabbed the remaining cupcake, taking a bite as Heather squealed in protest.

“You just dropped a bomb that you’re moving from New York to LA basically on a whim. I deserve some chocolate. I thought you’d outgrown this Heather.” Her friend shrugged and smiled sheepishly, which caused Addison to shake her head even more. Heather had always been the impulsive, whimsical one. Yale had been a last-minute decision. Her move to New York had come together in three days. But now that they were older, wiser, Addison thought that this phase was gone. Obviously not.

“I know, I know. But this opportunity is just too great to pass up. And, I’ll be here with you and Grace and Josh...I missed being near the people I care about the most.” Addison froze at the mention of JC’s name, almost forgetting that the two pretty much came in this neat package when they were in the same city. Heather was the reason she had met JC in the first place, a fact she was trying desperately not to regret at the moment.

“So...when do you start at your new job?”

“Next week. I leave for New York on Thursday to pack up - they’re going to pay my packing fees; how awesome is that?! - and I’ll move in with Josh on Sunday. I start Monday.” Addison sighed heavily as she finished the cupcake, mustering a smile for her friend who was obviously thrilled to be moving.

“Well. Congrats Heather. They’re going to love you. And, it’ll be great to have you back - Grace will be thrilled.”

“Oh, I already told her,” Heather said as she stood up. “She was more than thrilled. We’re having dinner tomorrow night, if you’re free. I have plans with Josh tonight, which is when I’ll break it to him that he’s getting a roommate.” Addison chuckled nervously at the mention of his name again, a sinking feeling in her stomach weighing her down. “Well, I’ve got movers to call. Tomorrow night, OK?” Addison nodded with a smile and gave Heather a hug before watching her exit the shop. “Bring cupcakes!” she shouted back before the door shut. Addison took a few seconds to gather her composure before heading back to the kitchen.

Son of a bitch.

With Heather moving to LA, she knew that seeing JC on a regular basis would be impossible. And, the fact that Heather probably had no clue what had gone down between them that summer meant that she would keep trying to put them in situations where all of them were together.

As Addison went back to mixing icing, she tried to calm the internal freak-out she was having. It shouldn’t bother her that JC would be making his way back into her life, should it? It had been ten years since that time, and the fact that it still bugged her to be in his presence was ridiculous. They had practically been kids back then, but they were adults now. They should be able to hang out without Addison wanting to slap him multiple times...

Right?

“Addison! PB & J, please!” Miranda’s desperate call for more cupcakes snapped Addison out of her trance. She started to ice the remaining cupcakes and forced her conversation with Heather out of her mind. Everything would be fine. Just fine.
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JC parked his Jeep as far from the entrance as possible, which made Heather fuss. Oh well - she’d get over the walk.

“You shouldn’t have worn those damn heels if you didn’t want to walk,” he told her as they headed across the long parking lot behind the restaurant’s building, JC taking in the sights. Even though it was a Tuesday night, he was impressed at the number of people around. He could hear a saxophone in the distance and see people heading towards a nearby art gallery. He’d never been to this place before, but he knew he’d be back.

“You know me and heels - we’re peas in a pod.” JC rolled his eyes as they walked up to the entrance of the restaurant and stepped inside. The dark wood floors, maroon walls and hints of browns and golds gave the restaurant a dark, sexy appeal. Their hostess walked them past two different bar areas, both packed with Dodgers fans watching their team take on the Phillies, and to a secluded area near the back of the massive space.

“Enjoy your meal,” the petite brunette with the bright red lipstick and sizable chest said with a smile, winking at JC as she walked away. JC turned discreetly and watched her, appreciating the way her hips swayed and her ass jiggled as she walked.

“God - have you not changed a bit since we were kids?” Heather spat at him disgustingly as she opened her menu. JC grinned as he followed suit, scanning through as a waiter walked up and introduced himself as Pat, Matt...something.

“Can I bring you guys drinks while you’re perusing the menu?” JC saw Heather bat her eyelashes and rolled his eyes, returning his attention back to his menu. She was about to work her woman charm, and he wanted no part of it. He heard her order him a beer and herself a margarita - “And keep them coming,” she’d added with a bright smile - and waited until their waiter walked away to turn his attention back to his sister.

“God - have you not changed a bit since we were kids?” he spat back at her, an amusing tone in his voice. Heather rolled her eyes but smiled. “So, how was work today? Get a lot accomplished?” He noticed Heather start fiddling with her black linen napkin nervously and heard her clear her throat.

“Well, I - ” she started. JC immediately thought the worst and leaned in closer.

“What happened? Did you get fired? Wait – you’re not pregnant, are you?” Heather’s laugh rang through the empty space.

“No! I’m not pregnant, Josh! I’m moving!” JC raised his eyebrows, setting his menu aside.

“Moving? Where? I thought you loved New York?”

“Well, I did.” JC rubbed his face roughly, knowing where this conversation was going. Heather did this every other year, it seemed like - she got tired of her life, and she made a “change” of some sort. Usually, this change wasn’t thought out all the way - from spur-of-the-moment trips to foreign countries to moving apartments on a whim to acquiring random pets and antiques, Heather had been through a lot of “changes” over the years. She’d been quite content for a couple of years now, so JC thought she’d outgrown that phase.

“What do you mean, you did? Did New York suddenly change on you?” Heather glared, sensing the irritation in JC’s voice.

“I got a great job opportunity this morning - and I start Monday. I’m moving...here.” JC’s eyes went wide, not expecting to hear that.

“You’re joking, right?” Heather’s nervous laugh told him otherwise, causing him to groan. “Are you serious Heather?! You’re moving here to take a job you got today!? I think this tops the cake for you sis, seriously.” JC wished his beer was in front of him at that moment; he really needed a drink.

Heather leaned in closer, a pleading look on her face. “Just hear me out Josh. It’s a great opportunity with a great company, and it won’t be as stressful as what I’m doing now. I hate what I do, and you know that.” JC couldn’t argue with that notion. He’d watched Heather struggle through her work the past two years, knowing she dreaded getting up every morning. She had a good job with a good company though, so she sucked it up and went with it. Well, she had – until now, apparently.

“Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, really want to do this?” A slow smile crept across Heather’s face as she nodded. Their waiter came back with their drinks then, JC turning his attention to his beer and his thoughts for a few moments.

He’d be lying to himself if he didn’t admit his excitement about the sudden change. It’d be great to have family on his side of the world, especially his sister. Of course, that meant he’d probably be around Addison and Grace more, but he could live with that. Well, he was pretty sure he could live with it, at least…although the thought of being around Addison full-time again made him nervous.

But, he and Addison had been so long ago that being around her shouldn’t bother him anymore. Sure, they hadn’t seen each other – at all – in between the break-up and the sudden meeting the day before, but so what? They were mature adults now, and they could handle being around each other. They had started out as friends first, and their history went way beyond that summer.

As JC watched his sister flirt her way into a free margarita and the waiter’s number, he made up his mind. He was going to make this situation as uncomfortable as possible, and he was going to be excited about his sister’s move. JC took another swig of beer as the waiter retreated, red in the face. “You made that college boy blush. How cute.”

“He’s 28 and an aspiring actor,” Heather retorted, sliding the piece of paper the guy had written his number on in her clutch.

“Wow. You’ve barely been in this town, and you’ve already fallen for the stereotypical struggling actor who waits tables in between walk-on roles. Good job.” Heather rolled her eyes as she finished her first margarita and reached for her second. “Hey. I’m glad you’re moving out here.” Heather’s eyes lit up with her smile.

“Thanks, Josh. I’m excited to be moving here.”

“I’m sure that means you’ll be staying at my place for the foreseeable future.” Heather batted her eyelashes innocently, causing JC to shake his head. “I’m gonna have to lay down some ground rules if that’s the case, missy. You may be 34, but you act like you’re 15.” Heather huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, pouting.

“You’ve always treated me like I was way younger than you. News flash Chasez – I’m not.” JC laughed to himself as he watched his sister grumble to herself across from him. He knew the next few weeks, months, would be interesting. But, he had his sister back as his sidekick – and at the moment, that was what mattered to him the most.

Chapter 4

"God. How much crap did you have out there?! I know your place wasn't that big!"

 

Heather shot her brother a glare as the movers brought in one more load of boxes. "Shut up. It's not a lot. Besides, all my furniture was either sold or put in storage." JC rolled his eyes as he surveyed the damage around his house. "Don't worry...it's not as much as it looks. Trust me."

 

"Whatever you say," he muttered as he headed to the living room, plopping down on the sofa and turning on the TV. It had been less than a week since Heather had dropped the bomb that she was moving, and he didn't know how she'd managed to get everything packed and shipped so quickly. He'd thought the move would be a lot worse...but she had managed to downsize well, which he appreciated since there was still limited space in his house. He had room for most of her stuff, but moving everything in would've made for a tight fit.

 

"I won't be here long, promise," Heather said as she sat down beside JC and nudged his shoulder.

 

"I like having you here. I don't mind at all. Just...all your shit is taking over my place. I'm afraid it's going to eat me alive." Heather rolled her eyes and smacked his arm before getting up and showing the movers where to put the last of the boxes. He sighed and settled back in the couch, letting the chaos of moving go on around him. He had an ABDC production meeting that afternoon, and he wanted to do nothing more than relax.

 

He was, however, glad to have someone else in his massive house. It'd been just him since he'd moved in a year ago, and it got rather lonely and quiet. With Heather around, at least there would be activity.

 

"Oh. By the way. Addison and Grace are coming by this afternoon!"

 

And random guests from his past.

 

JC groaned and rubbed his face roughly. He knew that Heather moving back meant he'd see Addison more, which he would have to deal with. He'd completely forgotten about Grace, though...he was pretty sure the girl hated him with every fiber of her being. He knew she'd been there for Addison post-split, and she'd seen the damage he'd done. Facing her would not be pleasant.

 

"Can't you guys just have dinner somewhere?" JC called to Heather, who was at the front door paying the movers.

 

"Nope! They’re going to help me unpack!" JC checked his watch as he sighed. Not even 11am, and meeting was due to start at 3. Maybe he could sneak out early and avoid the situation all together. He knew it was bitchass move, but he didn't care. JC still didn't know how to act around Addison. She had acted like she was fine with things, but he knew females; they were fine one minute and screaming the next. He knew he'd have to face her, but not right now. He wasn't ready. He wasn't ready for her to come to his home, either, but he couldn't help that. He could, however, help seeing them. He channel surfed as he plotted the timing of his escape and an excuse to leave before he needed to. He knew he was copping out, but at least his sanity would be safe.

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Addison dragged her feet across the living room floor, chewing on her bottom lip nervously.

 

"You think if I tell Heather I ate some bad batter, she'll let me off the hook?"

 

"No! What the hell is wrong with you?! He probably won't even be there!" Heather had officially moved to LA, which meant she and Grace were expected to be there to help her unpack. It had been a tradition started when they'd graduated from college - they had always gotten together when one of them moved to a new place. She usually enjoyed the experience, but today, it was making her nauseous.

 

"You don't know that. He could be there the entire time." Grace popped her head out of her bathroom and glared.

 

"He's a busy man Addy. I'm sure he's got better things to do. Now, stop getting your panties in a wad and finish getting ready. We're leaving in 10." Addison inhaled deeply and steadied her emotions before heading back to her room to grab her white flats. She checked herself one more time in the mirror - she thought her white shorts and turquoise one-shoulder top were a safe wear - before heading back to the living room to wait on Grace. She took 15 minutes more than anticipated, which Addison was grateful for.

 

She wasn't sure why the thought of deliberately going to JC's place was so nerve-wracking. Ever since their encounter, she'd been on guard, looking everywhere for him. Now that he knew she was there, her senses had been heightened, and paranoia had been in full effect. Out of all her exes - and it wasn't like there had been many - he was the one she wanted to stay away from the most. And now, that would be next to impossible.

 

As they drove to Heather's new home, Addison stared out the window, trying to enjoy the ride and the scenery. She and Grace lived in the complete opposite direction of Heather and JC, and they rarely came out this way. Addison had to admit that the area was very nice, his neighborhood even nicer. She muttered a "wow" under her breath as they pulled up to his house. Well, mansion.

 

The gate leading up to it was open, allowing them to drive up to the house with no issues. The two-story, sprawling house was beautiful, the copper exterior appealing to Addison. She noticed the balcony on the second floor and that it probably overlooked the entire area, which had to be a breathtaking view. Her nerves settled as Grace put the car in park and unlocked the doors.

 

"Nice place," Grace muttered as they walked up to the front door. Before either could knock, the door swung open with a loud squeal.

 

"I'm so glad you guys are here!" Heather exclaimed as she threw her arms around the women. Addison chuckled as she returned the hug, now excited to be a part of their long-standing tradition. "Let me show you around! It's huge, isn't it?" Addison took in the interior, taking in the spacious living room with cream walls and black leather furniture. The shades of brown in the tile tied the room together, and Addison found herself wondering who had done the interior design. She hung back as Heather and Grace headed to the kitchen, Grace wondering aloud if JC had any ice cream she could "borrow".

 

The artwork caught Addison's eye, sparking her curiosity. She'd never seen it before, and she was sure JC had a mixture of artists on the walls. All of the pieces were appealing in their own way, and she silently commended JC on his good taste.

 

"I found them at an art gallery a few weeks ago." She jumped as she turned around quickly to face the voice. "New artists in the area. I try to change out my art every year or so." Addison smiled a little as JC walked up to her, keys and wallet in hand. He was in distressed blue jeans and a white graphc shirt, both simple but sexy on him. They fit his body perfectly, Addison noted appreciatively. Her heart began to race as she fisted her hands in her shorts pockets, her nerves fraying at the edges. Here she was, face to face with him again, and she felt the exact same way she did that summer.

 

She swallowed hard before she spoke again, praying her voice would come out stronger than she felt. "You've got an amazing home Josh. It's beautiful." His smile melted the edges of her heart - and bitterness she was still carrying, deep down inside - as he nodded his thanks. "You headed out?"

 

"Yeah. Figured I'd leave you girls to your tradition. Heather filled me in, and it's probably best I stay out of it." Addison laughed quietly as she looked down at her feet, her face turning hot. JC's eyes always got the best of her, even after all this time. "I should go. I'm sure I'll be seeing you around." She nodded as she looked back up, her eyes locking on JC's baby blues. "You...you look great Ads. It's good to see you again." Before she could respond, JC threw her one last brilliant smile and walked out, shutting the door quietly behind him.

 

Addison sighed heavily and closed her eyes to steady her heart. Why, why, why did he still have that effect on her? He'd chosen someone else over her, which meant anything she felt for him should be gone. Long gone.

 

"Addy! Get in here! We're popping open the wine!" Addison snapped out of her trance at the sound of Heather's voice, huffing at the fact that JC had gotten to her yet again. She put on a smile as she headed to the kitchen, determined to have a good time. She knew wine would help get the party started - and get her mind back on track.

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"So, we roll out in three weeks. New York, Chicago, Houston and back here. We're finalizing travel and hotel today and should have them ready tomorrow." JC finished jotting down notes as the producer moved on to the next item of business, mentally reminding himself to make sure his assistant had cleared his calendar. While he was excited for another season, the prospect of traveling for two weeks straight wasn't all that appealing. He knew he'd feel differently once auditions began, but until he got to that point, he'd dread the trip.

 

As the other members of the production staff filled them in on the audition process - more so for the new judge joining the crew, a member of a previous season's winner - JC let his mind wander to the very brief encounter he'd had with Addison. He was relieved that things weren't entirely awkward between them and that he hadn't seen Grace. He wasn't ready to deal with the attitude he knew he'd get from her, especially since a phone call had kept him at home longer than anticipated and thwarted his plans for an early escape.

 

He also had to admit that she looked cute - OK, hot - in those shorts and that shirt. He wasn't sure why his mind kept wandering to her looks...maybe it was because she had changed and stayed the same, all at once. Addison still had the same smile, same twinkle in her eye...but she had more confidence, she'd lost a few pounds - not like she'd been fat before, but the weight change was noticeable to him - and she dressed sexier than before. That last one really got him; their lone summer together involved a whole lot of Addison wearing jeans and t-shirts. Seeing her in cutoff shorts and a one-shoulder top had nearly driven him insane.

 

The producer shuffling papers around forced him to re-focus on what was going on around him. The last thing he needed was to drift off and get caught. He concentrated on the show for the next 1.5 hours, which was how long the meeting lasted. He was grateful to get out when he did; his stomach had started to rumble, reminding him that he hadn't really eaten since breakfast. Remembering that he had leftover Chinese waiting on him, he skipped grabbing something else and headed straight home, his mind spinning with work stuff. He spent the ride going over schedules, audition notes and production schedules, hoping he could balance it all out with his own music production schedule. He had taken a break from producing for a few months but was now back at it, and he had a handful of artists ready to work with him.

 

He'd also been considering throwing a party for Heather to properly welcome her to LA. He'd invite some friends and co-workers, introduce her to some people, maybe take her out to some clubs...he just wanted to make her feel welcome in her new town. Of course, he had no idea how he'd pull it off, but he'd figure it out. He thought a week would be plenty of time to put something quick together - it didn't need to be fancy, but it didn't need to be poorly planned, either. JC made another mental note to ask his assistant about party planners at their meeting the next day.

 

When JC pulled up to his house, he noticed the car - wasn't sure if it was Addison's or Grace's - was still there, which surprised him. He'd been gone for the better part of four hours, and he'd expected them to be gone by then. He mentally prepared himself for any sort of randomness that could occur when he headed inside, shutting the heavy oak door quietly as he surveyed the place. All was quiet on the first floor, which meant the women were upstairs. Relishing in that fact, he headed to the kitchen to warm up his food, grabbing his iPad from the coffee table in the living room on the way to go over his full schedule. As his food was finishing heating up, he heard giggling and footsteps coming down the stairs, a signal the girls were done. JC considered sneaking out to the backyard but instead pretended to be busy fiddling on his iPad as the giggling approached.

 

"That was so fun!" he heard Grace exclaim as they walked into the kitchen, empty wine glasses in hand. "Next time though, we invite boys. That would've made it more fun." JC rolled his eyes as the girls caught sight of him, Grace's smile turning sour. "Oh. Hi JC. Didn't know you were back." He could hear the attitude in her voice, which heightened his own attitude towards her.

 

"Well, this is my house. Didn't know I need to announce my arrival."

 

"Would've been nice," Grace retorted, folding her arms and leaning against the nearest counter. JC shot her a glare as Heather stepped in.

 

"OK you two. Chill out. They were just leaving. Honestly Grace, I don't know what your issue is with Jace." He smiled sweetly at her, causing her to huff and stomp away. Heather went after her, leaving Addison and JC alone. Again. Addison cleared her throat as she leaned against the couter across from where he was sitting.

 

"China Moon. Good call." JC raised his eyebrows, confused at how she knew what he was eating. "I saw the containers on the counter. It's my favorite Chinese place in town." He chucked and nodded in agreement. He wasn't surprised she'd found the best Chinese takeout place in town; she loved Chinese food as much as he did.

 

"So how's the business going?" he asked, genuinely curious about it and wanting to talk about something before the room fell into an awkward silence. She just shrugged.

 

"Busy. Couple of catering events coming up, helping my partner plan some parties soon, coming up with fall cupcakes...I love it though. And people love us, which is even better."

 

"That's awesome Addison. I'm really happy for you." Her smile made his heart race, just like it had back then. He sucked in a breath as discreetly as he could, trying not to make it obvious that she still affected him. JC could feel the awkward silence coming on as they stared at each other, but Heather's voice yelling from another room cut in.

 

"Addy, let's go! Sushi awaits!" Addison broke the stare and blinked twice before smiling slightly. She pointed her thumb in the direction of the front door as she pushed herself away from the counter.

 

"Guess that's my cue. See ya later." Addison left without a second glance. JC inhaled and exhaled deeply, steadying his nerves before going back to his food. He wasn't sure if this whole "your sister's moving in with you, so her best friend/the ex that you pushed away is back in your life with little warning" was good, bad or both.

 

"Probably both," he muttered as he took a bite of broccoli beef. "No. Definitely both."

Chapter 5

"Heather! You're going to be late!"

 

"Oh relax. I don't have to be there until 9 - it's only 7:30." JC thought about reminding his sister that traffic was a bitch in LA - and it wasn't like she could rely on a subway to get her to work, like in New York - but he held his tongue as his sister finally walked into the kitchen. With it being her first day at her new job, she was dressed to impress in a black pencil skirt, white blouse and red belt to match her heels. Her hair was thrown back in a messy bun, which looked casual and professional all at once. He could tell, though, from her bloodshot eyes and slow walk that she had probably overindulged in alcohol the night before.

 

"You look like you had a lot of fun last night," he told her, amusement in his voice. While she'd managed to cover her hangover well, JC could still tell she didn't feel great. Heather gave him the finger as she grabbed a large travel mug from the cupboard and filled it with the rest of the pot of coffee JC had made.

 

"Oh, by the way, Addison's car is still here." JC looked up at Heather from his phone and raised his eyebrows. At least he knew whose car had been sitting in his driveway the day before, but why was it still there? Was Addison around? "She and Grace caught a cab home. We were all too drunk to drive. Oh, and my car's still at the restaurant, so I need to borrow the BMW."

 

"That cab must've cost a fortune," JC muttered under his breath. He wasn't sure exactly where Grace and Addison lived, but he knew it was nowhere near where he lived. "One, why didn't you wake me up? I would've driven them home. And two, you're not driving that car - you can drive the Jeep." She narrowed her eyes at him as she dumped what looked like half the sugar container in her mug.

 

"One, we were drunk - which means, we weren't thinking clearly. Taxi seemed like the best option in our wasted state of mind. And two, I am not driving that thing Josh. It's ancient." Heather had never been a fan of Jeeps, a fact she'd been clear on since JC had bought his first Jeep years before. He knew it would drive her crazy to drive it, but she was out of her mind if she thought he'd let her drive the new car to work on her first real day in LA traffic.

 

"It's not ancient - it's an '03 and looks brand new. It's just for one day, and I'll take you to get your car when you get off work." She gave him one last, hard glare as she shoved the lid onto the mug, nearly tipping over the cup in the process. "So, is Addison coming to get her car today?" JC asked, trying to keep his voice even so Heather wouldn't notice the interest he had in the situation. Heather, still clearly irritated, simply nodded.

 

"She's supposed to be, yeah. Probably after we all get off work. If I'm not here when she swings by, be nice and not a smart ass about it, OK?" JC gave a non-commital shrug as Heather gathered her things and headed for the front door. "Now, are you gonna give me the keys to that POS or not?"

 

"Oh come on sis. You're going to hurt the Jeep's feelings." JC tried to wipe the amused grin off his face as he went to the bowl he had designated as his key holder, digging around for the set of keys to his Jeep. He tossed Heather the keys as she walked past him to the front door, huffing.

 

"If I come back without it, I ditched it on the side of the road," she called to him as she opened the door.

 

"And your job will be looking for a replacement tomorrow if you do. Good luck!" he yelled after her before the door clicked shut. JC chuckled as he turned his attention back to his phone, checking e-mails and his schedule. He had a lot going on that week and needed to be sure he was on top of things. And, now that he knew Addison was probably coming by again, he wanted to make sure he was around. You know, just to say hi.

 

After checking his schedule and e-mails, JC decided to do some small things around the house. His housekeeper only came three times a week, so it was up to him to catch the slack in between. He did some laundry, arranged for dry-cleaning, did the dishes and straightened up his office, then made some phone calls regarding production schedules. He felt rather accomplished by the time 10am came knocking on his door, but he could feel himself dragging. Deciding he needed more coffee, he headed back to the kitchen to replace the pot his sister had jacked. As he was rinsing the pot out, he heard the front door open.

 

"Rise and shine cupcake!" JC groaned as his overly morning person of an assistant, Chase Myers, announced his arrival from the front door.

 

"In here," JC called from the kitchen as the coffee began brewing. Chase appeared in seconds, a box in one hand and his messenger bag in the other. "What's in the box?" Chase's face lit up as he set the box on the counter.

 

"Only the best cupcakes ever. I found this shop last night and fell in love. Have you heard of it?" JC took a look at the box, his eyes going wide at his immediate recognition.

 

"Um...yeah. My sister's best friend owns it." He heard Chase gasp as he turned his attention back to his coffee. Addison seriously was everywhere this morning.

 

"Shut up! These are incredible! If she ever brings cupcakes over, you'd better save me one." JC nodded as Chase opened the box and grabbed a cupcake, moaning in satisfaction as he took his first bite. "So, bossman, whatcha need today?"

 

"Actually, I need you to find me someone who can cater a party for me. I want to throw a surprise welcome party for Heather on Friday here at the house - just something small, maybe 30 guests. She's a big Mexican fan, so maybe have a local food truck cater?" Chase finished his cupcake and pulled out his notepad, jotting down notes as he leaned against the kitchen counter.

 

"There's one that would be perfect for this type of thing - I'll call them today. Any sort of decorations?" JC shrugged as he made his second cup of coffee for the day.

 

"I don't know. I've been bouncing around the idea of doing it outside, but I don't want things to be overdone. I want it simple." Chase, who was also trying to become an event planner, nodded as he wrote furiously.

 

"I think a low-key Hollywood glam would be awesome," Chase thought out loud, still scribbling. "Maybe do white lanterns strung up outside, rent white couches to set up around the pool, have gold accents incorporated somehow..." As Chase talked his way through a design plan, a lightbulb suddenly went off in JC's head. He remembered Addison saying the night before that she catered...what if she did the dessert for the party?

 

"Why didn't I think of that sooner?" he thought out loud, catching Chase's attention.

 

"Think of what sooner?" JC took a sip of coffee as he pointed at the cupcake box.

 

"Addison - the owner of that shop. I could ask her to cater the dessert. Do a cupcake tower." Chase gasped as his mouth fell open.

 

"I LOVE it! We could build a cupcake tower and put it under the cabana, and then..." JC let Chase continue to ramble as he thought it out. It would be perfect. Heather would be thrilled, he'd have an excuse to work with Addison and catch up with her...it was absolutely perfect. "So, should I call, or do you want to call?" Before JC knew what he was doing, he was downing his coffee and grabbing his keys.

 

"I'll go over there right now. You stay here and finish the design, and start making phone calls. I'll handle the cupcakes." Chase nodded, exiting the kitchen for the office. JC didn't know what was pushing him to actually drive out there - what if Addison said no? Maybe he should just send Chase...or call...but for some reason, he felt like he should do this in person. He had to. Before he could change his mind, JC headed through the back of the house and to the garage, climbing into his BMW that still had the address saved in the GPS. He took in a deep breath as he found the address and instructed the GPS to take him there.

 

Here goes nothing.

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"Please be here," Addison muttered under her breath as she perused the aisles of the specialty baking store. She was on a mission: find pumpkin cupcake molds for her pumpkin spice cupcakes. She had an upcoming fall wedding that requested those cupcakes, so she needed to find the molds quickly. She'd already been in the massive store 20 minutes and hadn't found them yet - but she refused help. She was on a mission, and she was going to find them herself. Eventually.

 

As she walked up yet another aisle, her phone chimed in her pocket. She pulled it out and paused in the middle of the aisle, reading the text that had come in.

Had a blast yesterday - thank you for coming! Hope you're not too hung over this morning!

Addison groaned, rubbing her head as it throbbed again. She, Heather and Grace had indulged in a little too much sake the night before during their post-move dinner, which had left her with an angry head that morning. Heather had offered to let her and Grace spend the night, but the thought of waking up in JC's house - and the possibility of running into him while in no makeup, last night's clothes and messy hair - was too much for her to handle, even in her drunken state. So instead, they'd paid a fortune to catch a cab home, and Addison was driving Grace's Lexus until arrangements to pick up the abandoned car could be made. She was borderline embarrassed about it, but at least the night had been fun.

Head hates me. We'll be over tonight to pick up my car. I'm glad you're on our coast now.  

Addison smiled as she pushed send, then she refocused on the task at hand. Two aisles later, she finally found what she was looking for, cheering in triumph as the pumpkin molds greeted her in a special holiday section. She picked up six cupcake pans and checked out, leaving before all the goodies in the store could tempt her. She had a busy day ahead and needed to get back to the shop. Even though she felt like hell, she still had work to do.

She fiddled with Grace's satellite radio - they'd always had different tastes in music, and Grace's love of country music was not exactly a love of Addison's - before pulling out of the parking lot and heading back to the store. She checked the time, noting she'd be a little earlier than the 11am opening. When she and Miranda had first started talking about opening their own store, Addison couldn't imagine anyone but her doing all the baking. Now that the store was taking off, she was grateful to have a talented team of bakers behind her who allowed her to run out for quick errands like this right before opening.

 

Addison make quick work of getting back to the store, getting back in 15 minutes and besting the 30 it took her to get from the shop to the baking store. Her mind kept going back to her car sitting in JC's driveway, but she let those thoughts go as she drove up to the store. The kitchen was buzzing when she arrived, everyone working on something. On top of running the storefront, they also had two catering orders to fill later that day.

 

"Did you find them?" Miranda asked as she nearly ran into Addison but instead veered around her, a tray of cupcakes in her hand.

 

"I did!" she called after Miranda, who had disappeared into the storefront from the kitchen. She quickly jumped in and started helping where she was needed, grabbing a black apron before starting on icings and batters. She was itching to take a crack at the pumpkin spice cupcake again - she felt like the spices were off - but that could wait. She focused on making the pink icing for a Barbie cupcake order she was filling, wanting to make sure she got it just right. As she was beginning to ice the birthday cake cupcakes, Brandy walked up to her, a shocked look on her face.

 

"Um...JC Chasez just walked in. He's asking for you." Addison felt the color drain from her face as she set the icing bag down slowly.

 

"Is he alone?" she asked quickly, wiping her hands on her apron. She suddenly felt self-conscious, realizing her hair was probably a mess and that she smelled like batter. Brandy simply nodded, clearly too starstruck to say anything. Addison nodded back as she slipped out of her apron and hung it back up before walking to the kitchen door. She could see JC through the tiny window in the door, sitting at a back corner table and looking outside. She smoothed her hair, knowing it probably didn't do any good, before taking in a deep breath and walking into the store. She could feel the eyes of her staff and Miranda on her as she walked quickly to where JC was seated.

 

He looked up at her just as she made it to the table, a smile crossing his face. "Hey Ads. Sorry to drop in like this." Addison smiled back as she took a seat across from him. She noted that he was trying to blend in, wearing a black baseball cap with jeans and a white shirt. But she could tell it was him. She'd always be able to spot him out, no matter how much time passed or how many "disguises" he wore.

 

"It's no problem Josh. What...what are you doing here?" He cleared his throat nervously as he leaned in, Addison catching a whiff of his cologne. God he smelled amazing.

 

"Well...I have a favor to ask." She raised an eyebrow as he continued. "I want to throw a party for Heather this Friday to welcome her to LA. And, a party we're having wouldn't be complete without your cupcakes. I know it's short notice, but would you mind - " Addison held up her hand.

 

"Say no more Josh. I got it." His grateful smile made her blush, and she fumbled to keep her brain on track. "Let me grab a notepad. Want a cupcake?"

 

"Did you even have to ask?" His husky chuckle made her heart race. Rather than risk talking - and sounding like a teenager whose crush had just said "Hi" to her out of the blue - she nodded and got up, heading across the empty shop to the counter to grab a notepad and red velvet cupcake.

 

"What is he doing here solo?" Miranda whispered quickly as Addison grabbed a cupcake from the case and slid it onto a pile of napkins.

 

"He wants us to cater his sister's welcome party this weekend," Addison whispered back, stealing a glance at JC. "Not sure of the deets yet, but I'll handle it. Heather is my best friend - I couldn't say no." Miranda nodded her head quickly on agreement.

 

"He's a celeb Addy. Even if you'd said no, I would've turned around and said yes. Word of mouth could be huge for us if we do something like this." The business side of her squealed in excitement, but the personal side felt nauseous. Doing this gig meant she'd be working side by side with him for the week - and judging by the way she'd reacted when she found out he was back in her store, feelings were still very much alive. Addison forced her feelings down as she grabbed a notepad from the back counter and headed back to where JC was seated. She sat down and slid his cupcake to him, inwardly catching her breath when he licked his lips and took a bite. She had some thoughts on what else he could bite...

 

Cool it Addison, she warned herself mentally as she clicked her pen. "So. What kinds of cupcakes should I bring?"

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Thirty minutes later, Addison and JC had it all worked out. They'd battled over cupcake flavors but had settled on four types: red velvet, triple chocolate ganache, Snickers and margarita. Now, JC was trying all the cupcakes out, and he was floored.

 

"Who the hell taught you to bake like this?!"JC exclaimed as he tasted the margarita cupcake, blown away at the tangy kick it had.

 

"It's a gift Chasez," Addison responded with a cocky grin, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm just that good." He took one more bite before setting it aside, not wanting to overstuff himself with cupcake.

 

"Well, it's an awesome gift. Heather's going to love these." JC checked the time on his watch and saw the people slowly filtering into the store. He didn't want to overstay his welcome - and risk people figuring out who he was. "So, I'll see you at 4:30 on Friday?"

 

"Actually, I'll see you tonight, remember? My car?" JC had totally forgotten, the cupcakes clouding his memory. "Heather said you'd be home most of the night, so is it OK if I drop by after I close out here? Around 8:30?" JC nodded as he stood up and slid his baseball cap further down on his head.

 

"Yeah - just call when you get here so I can open the gate. Or text." JC slid the notepad away from Addison and wrote his cell number down, then slid it back to her. "And as payment for letting your car sit in my driveway all day, you need to bring more of those margarita cupcakes. They're my new favorite." Addison smiled as she stood up and led JC to the door, holding it open so they could both walk out to his car parked in front of the store.

 

"I'll bring them. Heather's going to love this party Josh. Just...watch how much booze you have around. She got pretty toasted last night." JC chuckled as he unlocked his car.

 

"I know. She tried to cover it up this morning, but I could still tell. I hope she played it off well this morning." Addison nodded in agreement as she stood on the sidewalk and JC opened the driver's side door slowly. He knew he was stalling, not wanting the time with Addison to end. They had talked, joked, and laughed, just like old times. And, he'd enjoyed tasting those cupcakes - they were awesome. He wanted to hang out with her more, get back into her life...but he knew that at this point, their redeveloping friendship was too new to even ask for more time. Even if they were getting along, he knew she was going to need time to trust him again. He hoped this event would be the jumpstart to their new friendship he needed to...

 

Gain her trust again. Yeah. That was all. Just regain her trust.

 

Addison clearing her throat snapped JC out of his thoughts. "So, I'd better get back inside. Thanks for thinking of our shop - even though we go way back, at the end of the day, you're famous and we're not. This is huge for us." JC smiled and nodded.

 

"I'm glad my sister's best friend is such an amazing baker. I'll see you later tonight." He lingered for a second longer before sliding quietly into his car.

 

"Hey Josh," Addison called, pulling him back out of the car. He thought he'd forgotten something, but Addison's sudden shift from smiling to almost sad told him otherwise. "I just have to know..." He squinted at her in confusion, not sure where she was going with this. "Was she worth it?" The last words slipped out quietly, but JC had caught them. And he definitely knew what - and who - she was talking about.

 

He stood frozen to the spot for a moment, unsure of how to react to her question. It was one he hadn't anticipated hearing from her. Ever. He slowly shook his head at her, knowing he was giving her the truth she deserved.

 

"No Addison. She wasn't. She just wasn't...you." Before he could face any more questions - or see the hurt flash across her face again - he climbed into his car and drove off. He felt like he was leaving her all over again, but this time, he looked back through the rearview mirror. He saw her standing on the sidewalk, looking after his retreating car, and it hit him hard how she must have felt, must have looked the day he didn't look back. He cursed under his breath as he forced himself to keep driving and not turn around to go get her. She wasn't his to get, and he wasn't ready to face it all. Not yet.

Addison watched JC drive away, blinking back tears as she lost sight of his car. She didn't know why she'd asked that question - it had just slipped out. Among the many things she'd thought about post-breakup was if she'd been worth it, if Bobbi had really been better than her. JC's answer made her feel better - and worse.

If JC had known that Addison was the better choice, why had he not come back to her? Addison hated to admit it, but she'd waited for him for months to change his mind. But the more she saw pictures of Bobbi and JC - and then pictures of JC and other girls, all famous and prettier than her - the more she regretted the time they had together. She tried not to be the bitter ex on the outside, but on the inside, she felt that way for a year before she finally let it go.

She found herself reflecting on what they'd had, thinking way back to the first day she met him, which was the day she had moved into the dorms at Yale. She knew who JC was from the MMC days - and had wondered to herself if Heather Chasez was THE JC Chasez's sister - but she didn't dwell on it too much. When Addison actually met JC as he carried boxes into the girls' shared dorm, it was crush at first sight. She never saw JC that often because he was always traveling, especially after *N Sync formed, but they did exchange phone calls often. She got to know him that way, got close to him.

It wasn't until she and Heather had graduated with their MBAs, and JC had unexpectedly shown up at their joint graduation party, that she realized the crush was more serious than she'd originally thought. She and Heather spent that summer traveling with the guys, and JC and Addison had somehow managed to hold a summer romance with no one knowing. Well, at least no one said anything if they did know. Addison hated that they were such a secret - which should've been her first flag - but she was so into JC that she didn't care that they snuck around after shows, made excuses to ride the same bus, made sure she had a separate hotel room so JC could stay with her. By the time the summer and tour were ending, she'd all but convinced herself she was in love with him.

Then one unsuspecting morning, it was all over. JC never gave a legitimate excuse why he was ending it...he just pulled her aside, said he couldn't keep seeing her and walked away. Just like that, her heart was ripped into a million pieces, and she made it her mission to pretend JC never existed. She and Heather remained best friends, seeing each other several times a year...but JC was never mentioned, and Addison never visited while JC was around. Addison had even gone as far as staying away from LA and Orlando, places she knew JC had homes; but when Addison decided to go to culinary school and got into one of the best ones in LA, she sucked it up and moved. She'd been just fine living in the same city as him for three years without him knowing - why couldn't it still be that way?

Addison inhaled and exhaled deeply, then made her way from the sidewalk to a bench in front of the shop. She was an emotional wreck at that moment and hadn't felt that unstable since JC had walked away ten years ago. She hated herself for not blocking him out, for letting her girly emotions get the best of her and open up towards him. She'd only seen him a handful of times and already felt like she was losing her mind - just like before.

She sat on the bench for a few minutes, taking time to calm down and push the encounter behind her. If she was going to get through the busy day, the last thing she needed was this situation hanging over her head. When she felt confident that she'd pushed past it, she put a smile on her face and walked back into the shop, jumping back into icing as soon as she hit the kitchen. Her phone buzzed in her pocket as she was finishing up.

Josh is going to pay to have your car moved to the shop - I found your keys in my purse when I got to work. Thought it'd be easier than driving back out our way to get it. Hope you don't mind.

Addison sighed with relief as she re-read the message from Heather. Now, she wouldn't have to face him twice in the same day, which was a good thing. Addison didn't trust her emotions enough to deal with him again. She sighed heavily as she replied to the message.

Thanks for that. I'm here until 8, so swing it by whenever. I owe you one!

Addison slid her phone back into the back pocket of her jeans before going back to work. As she boxed up the cupcakes, she made up her mind: she was getting too close to JC again. She needed to cut him back out, before it was too late. It'd be easier said than done now that Heather was living with him for the forseeable future, but Addison knew that, at the moment, the only way to keep things in check was to just avoid the situation all together and revisit it when she was ready.

Giving herself a determined nod, she left her station and popped her head into the office she and Miranda shared. She found her co-owner sitting at the main desk, organizing invoices and receipts. "Hey Addy! So - fill me in. What are you doing for the party JC wants to throw?" Addison sat down across from Miranda and took in a deep breath. She knew what she was about to do could confuse him – and piss him off – but it was for her own good.

"About that..."

JC took a look around the back yard, pleased with what had been done with it. He'd let Chase have free reign over the party, and he'd done an amazing job. It looked just like what they had talked about: white lanterns strung across the yard, rented red couches situated around the pool, a food tent where a local taco truck had set up shop, DJ booth in the corner spinning tunes - it was all there and looked awesome

JC still couldn't believe they'd pulled it off in less than a work week. They'd had to pull some strings to get it all handled, but they'd done it. And, with some of Heather's new coworkers bringing her to the house when the party started - and swearing to keep her busy and not let her come home early - it was bound to go off without a hitch.

As he scanned the yard again from his back door, he noticed someone walking in carrying what looked like cake boxes. He felt his stomach turn in knots as he watched the person walk in and talk to Chase, who was in charge of the set-up. When he saw that the person who had delivered the cupcakes was someone from the shop Chase had found at the last minute, his heart fell just a little. He was hoping Addison would change her mind and be the one to drop off the cupcakes, even after he'd gotten a short call from Addison saying she couldn’t do it. He knew he needed to talk to her, wanted to talk to her – but she was clearly avoiding him, and there was nothing he could do about that.

JC stepped back into the house and checked the time, noting it was already nearing 6pm. Guests were slated to start arriving at 6:30, with Heather making her grand entrance around 7. If he was going to be there to greet people, he needed to get changed out of his basketball shorts and tank top soon. He took one last glance at the rising cupcake tower, sighing. At least the cupcakes had made it to the party, even if it was obvious Addison wouldn't be - a fact he tried to be OK with as he headed to his room.
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“You can still go, you know. I think you should go.”

“You’re kidding me, right? I told Josh I couldn’t make the cupcakes for his sister’s fucking party. His sister, who happens to be my best friend, won’t get cupcakes because of the awkwardness. And I’m supposed to just show up like nothing’s going on?” Grace shot Addison a look as she adjusted her pearl necklace.

“Stop eating that ice cream – it’s making you dramatic. You can still go Addy. This is Heather we’re talking about.” Addison sighed as she stuck another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth. She knew that Grace was right – she could still go if she wanted – but how was she supposed to function in an environment that was destined to be weird?

“I know. And I’ll make it up to her some other time. But I just…I can’t.” Grace huffed but didn’t say anything as she adjusted her blue halter. “I’ll call her when the party’s done.” Grace gave herself one last look in the hallway mirror before grabbing her keys from the table under the mirror.

“You’d better. I’m not covering for your ass and making up some lame excuse as to why you’re not there.” Addison stuck her tongue out at Grace as she turned and left the house for Heather’s party. She sighed and settled deeper into the couch, flipping through channels as she continued to consume Ben and Jerry’s with abandon.

“How is it that we have 50 million channels and nothing is on?” she muttered grumpily as she tried not to think about the party. She felt horrible for not attending the surprise bash, but she just couldn’t do it. She’d canceled the cupcakes for crying out loud – how was she supposed to show up now without a legitimate excuse as to why she’d bailed?

Grace had told her, rather shortly, that cupcakes were cupcakes and they wouldn’t matter at the end of the day. What did matter was that Addison was putting her insecurities about JC ahead of her best friend, which was “stupid, selfish and childish,” apparently. Grace’s words did little to settle Addison’s nerves or change her mind, so here she was. Alone on a Friday night with Ben and Jerry as her only companions.

“And, apparently, the Golden Girls,” she said out loud as she turned to a marathon of one of her favorite shows. She sat on the couch for the next hour, eating through the entire pint and laughing through two episodes. She almost forgot how pathetic it was that she was drowning her insecurities in such a manner when her phone buzzed from the corner of the couch. She groaned as she saw Heather’s number light up, debating about sending it to voicemail.

“I was wondering if you’d pick up!” Heather sounded happy. Very happy. Addison couldn’t tell if it was alcohol or surprise that made her sound that giddy, but she decided not to ask. “Where are you?!”

“Oh, you know…at home, hanging out…” She knew that sounded stupid, but that was the best she could come up with at the moment.

“Why aren’t you here?! Look, I know you didn’t have time to make the cupcakes, and that’s fine. That doesn’t mean you have to skip out on my bash!” As voices yelled in the background and Heather laughed at something, Addison’s mind went into a tailspin. JC had told Heather she was too busy? Seriously?

“I just…I…” Addison stammered, not sure what to say.

“Stop making excuses and just come! It’ll be fun, I promise!” Addison knew she now had no excuse – JC had stepped in and made things all better on the surface, which left Addison stuck in a corner. She huffed as she forced herself off the couch and to her bedroom.

“Fine. I’m on my way.”

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Addison sat in her car, staring at the house and trying to calm her heart down. She could hear the music going in the back yard and see all the cars parked up and down the street, a sign the party was a success. She saw more people walking in and didn't want someone to think she was some sort of stalker paparazzo staking out for TMZ, so she got out of her car and headed to the party. She sucked in a deep breath as she neared the gate to the back yard, willing herself not to chicken out. As she stepped inside, she looked around and couldn't help the smile that crept up.

The party looked amazing. She could smell the tacos from across the yard, her stomach grumbling in response. The area looked just as she'd envisioned when JC had described it, the red couches popping against the white carpet laid under them and the white lanterns strewn across the yard. With the sun already setting, the white lights from the various lamps and landscape lighting made the area look even better. Glamorous. Just like Heather.

"You made it!" Heather's squeal - then the click of her heels across the pavement as she ran to give Addison a hug - snapped Addison back to attention. She smiled as she returned the hug, noting that Heather already had the sweet smell of mixed drinks on her. "Didn't Josh do an awesome job?! I was totally surprised!"

Addison tried not to force her smile as she nodded. "He did. I'm surprised. He and Chase put together one hell of a welcome party, that's for sure." Before Addison could say anything else, a guy - and probable admirer - pulled Heather away and back to the bar area. Addison rolled her eyes and chuckled as she scanned the area for Grace, one of the few familiar faces she knew would be there. But when her eyes landed on JC, who was standing poolside entertaining a petite brunette with a short dress and wide smile, she froze. Before she could look away, his eyes caught sight of her and went wide, then he turned away. Addison breathed a sigh of relief but then cursed under her breath as she watched JC excuse himself from the brunette and walk towards her. She caught the brunette's fiery stare and simply smiled as JC walked up to her.

“Surprised to see you here.” His voice was even with a little bit of an edge to it. Addison gave him a weak shrug.

“Heather called and told me I had to be here. Can’t deny the center of the party, right?” she said with a light chuckle that quickly faded out. She looked up at JC, who had looked away and was nursing his beer. Addison swallowed hard before continuing. “I’m gonna go get some food,” she said quickly as she turned on her heels to walk towards the food table. JC’s hand on her arm stopped her.

“I don’t like that you’re avoiding me Addison.” Well. Way to address the white elephant in the room – just get straight to the point and get it over with. “I know things are weird, but you didn’t have to skip out on the party just because of what’s going on between us.” She narrowed her eyes as she slipped out of his grip.

“First of all, nothing’s going on with us. Second of all, I’m not avoiding you.”

“Whatever you say,” he muttered as he stepped away. “Help yourself to some food. Let me know if you need anything.” With that, JC turned and walked away from Addison, leaving her in the middle of the party alone. She stared after him, her heart in knots, as he went back to the petite brunette and laughed. She narrowed her eyes and headed to the food tent in the opposite direction of JC, glad for a distraction.

As Addison walked up to the food tent and looked at the various choices, she dared a look back in JC’s direction. He was still talking to the mystery girl, but their eyes caught and held. She shook her head slightly and looked away quickly, a little flustered. She reminded herself that she was there for Heather and nothing else; her issues with JC would just have to be tossed aside for the moment.

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JC spent the next two hours mingling and meeting people, playing the ever-social host. A lot of people he’d invited had been Heather’s friends he’d never met, so to be able to put names and faces together was fun for him. But, even though he kept his distance, he kept finding himself seeking out Addison to make sure she was still around.

He was more than surprised to see her there, especially with the whole cupcake situation. At the end of the day, JC didn’t care about those; what was important was that she was there for Heather, which was why had established the little white lie that Addison had been too busy to make the cupcakes on short notice. Still though…it was weird for him to have her there.

As he made the rounds, he kept one eye subconsciously on Addison. He noticed her move from Heather’s group to Grace’s solitary corner to the food table. He noticed her drink a couple of beers, chat with some of Heathers friends, check her phone…he didn’t mean to seem so stalkerish. It was like a radar was attached to him that followed Addison wherever she went. He chalked it up to him wanting to be sure she was OK at all times, which is what any good host would do.

And yet, he couldn’t work up the nerve to go talk to her. He knew they needed to talk, clear the air, make things less awkward. But he just didn’t have the guts to do it – every time he thought about walking over there, his palms got sweaty and his heart started racing, and he’d chicken out. He wasn’t even sure if Addison wanted to talk to him, so what was the sense in trying to strike up a conversation with her if he wasn’t sure she wanted to?

He tried hard to push her out of his mind as he came up to a group of friends who were leaving the party. It was after 10pm, and the party was moving to a nearby club where a VIP section had been reserved. After turning the guys’ invite to join them down, along with suffering through light jabbing at how he really was old if he didn’t want to go out for even just a little while, he showed the guys out with a wave. He stood at the gate to the back yard, scanning the area. He saw The Three Her-sketeers – a nickname he’d come up with for the trio ages ago – gathered by the bar, finishing their drinks. He inhaled deeply and started in their direction, determined to break the ice.

“Awesome party bro!” Heather squealed as he walked up to them, Jello shot in one hand and her new-found man puppy standing behind her. That guy had been following her all night…oh, if only he knew he didn’t really have a chance with his sister…

“Thanks,” JC said with a smile as Addison and Grace looked his direction. Grace rolled her eyes and looked away, which made JC narrow his eyes at her. Addison looked away sheepishly as some random guy JC had seen floating around the party walked up to Addison.

“You sure you don’t want to join us?” the guy asked Addison, flashing a flirtatious smile. JC felt his blood start to run hot as he watched the exchange silently from a few feet away. “It’ll be fun, I promise.” He saw Addison smile but shake her head.

“No…I have an early day for work tomorrow. But maybe next time?”

“I’m sure there will be a next time,” the guy said suggestively as he flashed one more smile and walked away. Addison looked back at him at that moment, and he willed himself to keep his mouth shut as Heather and Grace gathered their purses from the make-shift bar counter.

“Addy, are you sure you won’t go?” Heather pleaded as she stumbled off her stool. “It’ll only be for a bit!”

“Heather, it’s already after 10. I have to be up at 6, and we’re not in college anymore – I can’t work all day off of a few hours of sleep.” Heather pouted but didn’t say anything else to Addison.

“Are you going?” she asked JC. He simply shook his head.

“Gotta get this shit cleaned up sis. You guys go ahead, and call me if you need a DD.”

“No DD – I booked a limo earlier this week to come get us and tote us around. I just need to get my keys…” Heather tried to move from her stool but fell backwards instead, her man puppy catching her as she squealed and laughed. JC groaned as he helped man puppy get Heather upright.

"Maybe you should stay here..." JC started.

"I've got her. Promise," Grace cut in, nudging JC out of the way. "Just give me a house key so I can get her ass inside." JC dug into his pocket and pulled out his keys, removing the house one and handing it to Grace.

"I give you permission to cut her off and drag her home whenever you see fit." Grace nodded as she and man puppy - JC really needed to learn his name - helped Heather to the limo. Her drunken laugh rang across the empty back yard as JC turned his attention to Addison, who was playing with a drink umbrella.

"It was a great party." Addison's voice was soft, but JC heard her loud and clear.

"I didn't expect to see you witness it," JC responded, grabbing the stool nearest Addison and sitting down. "But I guess if you'd stayed home, you wouldn't have met your new boyfriend." Addison shot him a look out the corner of her eye.

"Don't be a smartass Josh. It's not very becoming right now."

"I'm just callin' it like it is Ads." JC was surprised he sounded as bitter as he did. "That boy would've been all over you if you'd just said the word." She turned on her stool to face him, her eyes narrowed and jaw set.

"One, your sarcasm isn't needed or appreciated. Two, even if we were dating or whatever, it'd be none of your business anyway."

"So you're dating him then?" He could almost see steam coming from her ears, which meant he was pushing her buttons. His irritation with her backing out of the cupcakes - even though he really didn't have a reason to be mad about that - was starting to come to the surface, and he was struggling to keep it in check.

"God Josh - I don't even know him! What is your deal?! You know what - forget it. I don't want to know." She tossed a couple of dollars in the tip jar on the bar and stood up quickly, huffing as she made a move to leave. JC reached out and grabbed her arm, which got him another venomous look.

"Leaving so soon?"

"Don't play innocent with me Josh. See, this is exactly why I didn't want to come - I knew it'd be awkward. What I didn't expect was for you to turn into an ass."

"Why would it be awkward?" JC was definitely trying to play innocent, but he knew Addison could see through him. Her eye roll confirmed that suspicion.

"You're kidding, right? After what happened the other day, then me backing out - "

"Yeah, about that. The bullshit reason I got won’t cut it – ”

“Excuse me?! Bullshit reason?! What the hell is that supposed to mean?!”

“You know what it means Addison. I don’t buy it for a second. ‘Too busy’?” JC put the last two words in exaggerated finger quotes for emphasis, his temper now dangerously close to exploding. “Come on. We both know damn well you backed out because of what I said to you the other day. And that’s stupid.” JC had definitely set Addison off now; her cheeks were red, and her hands were balled into fists at her side.

“Joshua Scott Chasez.” Yup – he’d definitely struck a nerve. She only said his full name when she was pissed. “Who the fuck do you think you are, telling me that my reasoning is stupid? For your fucking information, I did not ask for Heather to move here. I did not ask for your whack ass to come back into my life. But now that you are, I’m trying to do the best that I fucking can to keep my emotions in check and not slap the shit out of you for the way you treated me all those years ago.” JC raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest.

“I think that’s the most swear words I’ve heard you say in one sentence. I’m impressed.” Addison threw her arms up in the air and gave an exasperated huff before turning on her heels and storming towards the gate. “Addison! Wait!” JC called after her as he got up and chased her across the yard, catching up in seconds.

“Get away from me,” she snarled through clenched teeth, her eyes set on the exit she was quickly coming upon. JC dared to grab her arm and spin her around to face him, stopping her in her tracks and getting him another pissed look.

“Look. I’m sorry I said your reasoning was bullshit. And I’m sorry if what I said made you uncomfortable the other day. But what, did you want me to lie to you?”

“No. But it's got me all sorts of..." Her voice faded out as she inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. "This was a bad idea Josh, I've gotta go." Addison yanked her arm out of JC’s grasp and turned on her heels, walking quickly to the back door and leaving the yard. JC stood in his spot for a few moments, watching the trail she’od walked, thinking. He wasn’t quite sure how to react to that…but he now had an idea about what was bugging her.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath, rubbing his head in frustration. If things were going to be even between him and Addison again, he'd need to talk to her. And soon.

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Addison threw her keys and purse on the couch and began walking circles around the coffee table, still heated. The half hour drive home did nothing to calm her temper – it just gave her time to think and get more pissed about the situation.

She hadn’t expected to react the way she had. Hell, she wasn’t quite sure what she expected when she decided to go to the party instead of stay away. She should’ve just stayed away; if she had, she wouldn’t be circling the damn coffee table.

“This is stupid,” she muttered to herself as she abandoned her circling and went to her room to change into her pajamas. If she was going to be mad, at least she’d be comfortable. As she changed, she thought about the encounter and how it hadn’t played out at all like she’d thought.

In the years since Addison and JC had stopped talking, she always thought about what she’d ask if she got the chance. Why did he choose her? What made her special? Had he cheated on her with Bobbi? Tonight, she’d had that chance – she’d had JC’s undivided attention after the party had cleared, and she could’ve aired it all out. Instead, her temper had taken over and completely shut everything down. Instead of getting answers, she left with more questions. Worst of all, she’d left regretting she’d even come to the party, which was something she didn’t want to feel when it came down to a party for someone she truly cared about.

Addison sighed heavily as she trudged to the bathroom to wash the make-up off and brush her teeth. She knew she should head to bed soon, even if she was bound to toss and turn due to thinking the whole night over in her head. If she’d stuck with her head and not gone to the party, she wouldn’t be in this situation right now. Well, both of them wouldn’t be in this situation right now.

She could tell that JC was pissed off, too. The whole cupcake thing had clearly struck a nerve with him, but Addison didn’t get why he was making such a big deal out of it. Well, she knew why – she’d chosen an argument over her best friend, which really wasn’t smart. But the fact that JC thought he could say what he did to her and not expect her back out was ridiculous. She spent years thinking Bobbi was much better than her, but come to find out, she wasn’t…?

“Stop. Thinking.” Addison said it forcefully as she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror, wanting her brain to drop the whole situation and just forget about it. Her phone chiming in her purse on the bed broke her thoughts temporarily as Addison rushed to get it, thinking it could be Grace. A text from an unfamiliar number greeted her.

It’s Josh. We need to talk about…this. Over dinner or something. I think that’s the only way we’ll move past all this.

Addison lowered herself to her bed, shocked. How had he gotten her number? Did he seriously want to talk it out? Addison stared at the message for a few moments, not quite sure how to respond. Should she respond? Or should she just leave it alone? Knowing she couldn’t just let it go, she typed a quick reply and hit “Send” before she could change her mind.

I agree. Are you sure you want to meet for dinner?

A few seconds later, she got a text back.

Yes. I do. We need to talk to this out in person, adult to adult. Are you free Wednesday?

Addison did a mental check of her calendar as she pulled it up on her phone. Her calendar was free of baking and personal obligations that day, Addison noted nervously. That meant she had no reason to turn down his dinner offer – date – whatever. But should she do it? She chewed on her bottom lip as she typed a response.

I’m free. I’m guessing dinner that night would work for you?

It would. You just pick the place and tell me the name. I’ll meet you there whenever works for you.

Addison texted him the first place that came to mind – a sushi place that she’d recently discovered and fallen in love with. When JC responded with an “I know that place, let’s meet at 6,” Addison’s heart began to race. What was she getting herself into? Did she really want to do this?

“It’s just dinner,” she said with finality as she wrapped the text conversation with JC and set her phone aside. “Everything will get aired out, and everything will be fine.”

Right?

"One more time from the top - and really focus on that last note." The singer in the sound booth - a 16-year-old Justin Bieber lookalike being scoped out by producer friend Dallas Austin - nodded as JC started the track again. He sat back in his chair, listening closely to the singer and making mental notes on what he could fix. Overall though, JC was impressed. His changing voice could cause some issues, but overall, he was a good find. As the singer wrapped the chorus, JC tinkered with the soundboard and faded the song out.

"How was that?" Morrison Stevens, the 16-year-old tweeny hopeful, asked. JC smiled encouragingly and nodded.

"Sounds good kid. I'll talk to your manager about some ideas I have for this track. You OK to come back later this week?" Morrison nodded enthusiastically as he put his headphones aside and stepped out of the booth. The duo walked to JC's front door and chatted about music until Morrison drove off with the promise to focus at music lessons and finish up his songs. JC watched him drive away and smiled sadly, remembering when he was Morrison's age and how his passion for music drove him to be the best he could. As he walked back into the house, he found Heather lying on the sofa flipping channels.

"It's like, 8:00 Jace. Shouldn't he have been in bed two hours ago?" JC rolled his eyes as he moved Heather's legs out of the way and sat down beside her. "I heard him sing though. He's good - a little rough, but good. He's got potential."

"Well thanks for that vote of confidence Ms. Music Know-It-All." Heather sat up and smacked him on the chest with a glare.

"Your sarcasm is not appreciated today. It's been a long day." He smiled sympathetically as Heather put the remote aside and grabbed her can of Coke from the nearby coffee table.

"How's work? Keeping you busy?" Heather sighed heavily as she drank some of the soda.

"Yeah. It's hard to find a balance. I mean, I love the company, but I feel overwhelmed working into their system right now. I know I've only been there a few days, but I feel like I'll never catch up." JC gave her a friendly encouraging nudge.

"You'll get it Heather. Just give it a little bit of time, OK? It's only the beginning of the second week. Do you like this job better than your last one?" Heather's slow smile and nod said it all. "OK then. Stop being Ms. Impatient and let it ride. I'm sure it'll get better sooner rather than later." Heather huffed but nodded.

"Fine. So...Grace told me about the dinner date you have with Addison tomorrow. Is something going on between you two?" JC rolled his eyes and silently cursed Grace. He was hoping to keep all this under wraps...so much for that.

"We're just catching up," JC said nonchalantly, turning his attention to some reality show on TV.

"Bullshit Jace. I've seen the way you two interact - and it's obvious there's a history there. What happened between you two?" Well, if JC had had any inkling that Heather knew about their summer romance, she'd definitely squashed that. Deciding not to talk about it all just yet, he simply shrugged.

"I'm pretty sure she has a crush on me." He knew if Addison heard him saying that, she'd call him a cocky son of a bitch. He was willing to take that risk to throw Heather off.

"And what about you? Do you think she's cute?" Another shrug came from JC.

"She's OK. I mean, she's cute, but that's about it."

"You know bro, you're not getting any younger. She's super cute and totally your type." JC gave his sister a surprised look.

"How do you know what my type is?!" It was her turn to shrug as she finished her Coke.

"I don't know. I just do. And she's your type. She's a good girl, has a good head on her shoulders, she bakes the best cupcakes in the world...can you imagine if you married her? You'd have cupcakes whenever you wanted!" JC laughed as he shook his head.

"And then I'd be fat. You remember how it was when she'd bake in college - I'd gain five pounds just by eating the batter."

"But it was the best damn batter ever, right?" JC shrugged again. "Look Josh. If there's something there, you should explore it. Or at least consider it."

"Thanks for that, but I think I can handle my relationships on my own. And don't give me that look," he added quickly as Heather gave him a "Yeah right" look.

"Whatever you saaaaaaaay..."

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"God. I look horrible."

"Shut up Addy. No you don't. I say, you go in your pajamas - he doesn't deserve to see all that," Grace chimed in, waving her hand around Addison's body to emphasize what "that" meant. Addison cracked a smile as she adjusted her little black dress - a sleeveless number that stopped mid-thigh and crisscrossed in the front so that, with the right bra, the cleavage was off the charts - and slipped into her hot red heels. She'd spent the last hour debating on how to wear her hair and had opted for down, the natural curls framing her face perfectly.

"Do you think I should wear the red - "

"God Addison, just stop already! You agreed to this dinner, and you agreed to wear that dress. We both know you're going to wear that, and we both know this dinner will go just fine. I swear, your nerves are ridiculous sometimes." Addison gave Grace a bashful smile as she stepped away from her floor-length mirror.

"Sorry. I just...I'm not sure I'm ready for this. Not yet." Grace rolled her eyes as she moved from her perch on Addison's bed and walked over to Addison's dresser, grabbing the bag of chips that were sitting on them.

"Yes Addy. You are." Grace leaned against the dresser and shoved a handful of chips in her mouth, eating them before continuing. "You've been waiting for this moment since you broke up. Take advantage and just go. Stop doubting this." Addison took one last look at herself in the mirror, forcing herself to be satisfied with the look, before she grabbed her clutch from her bed.

"Thanks for pushing me to do this Grace. I mean it." Grace waved the compliment off as she shoved more chips in her face.

"I know this is what you want - and you won't be satisfied until you do this. Now, get your sexy ass out of here before you're late - and bring me back a California Roll, kay? Thanks." Before Addison could retort, Grace turned on her heels and walked out of her room. Addison chuckled to herself and rolled her eyes as she left her room and grabbed her keys.

"Just like Grace to demand food and split," she muttered as she left the house and climbed into her car. She took in a deep breath before starting her car and starting the 20-minute drive to the sushi restaurant that was a favorite of hers. She had suggested they meet there because Addison knew it and felt comfortable. And, they had a private room that they could use for an occasion such as this.

She told herself not to have a panic attack as she hit traffic on the highway, reasoning with herself that the extra time in the car would allow her to brace herself emotionally. She didn't want to blow it by blowing up at him, but she knew what kind of person she was: an emotional one. She took things to heart, especially when it came to sensitive situations - and this was definitely a sensitive situation. The last thing she wanted was to start yelling or - worse - start crying during their conversation, but the possibility of those happening was definitely high.

Addison inhaled and exhaled deeply as she crawled her way through traffic, continuously checking the time and praying she wouldn't be too late. Her thoughts were all jumbled, and the light jazz music she had playing wasn't helping her calm down one bit. "Please let me make it through this," she whispered to herself as she came to another standstill and heard horns honking around her. "Please."

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JC checked his watch and tried not to look nervous. He and Addison had settled on meeting at a local sushi place, and he'd arrived a few minutes early for good measure. It was now 10 minutes past their agreed-upon meeting time, and JC was getting worried that she'd bailed on him. He bounced his knees up and down, then forced himself to stop - that would definitely make him look nervous.

Five more minutes went by, and JC was about to give up. He tried hard not to be angry - Addison had every right to bail - but to say he was disappointed was an understatement. He sighed heavily and pulled his phone out to try and call Addison when the door to the restaurant flung open and Addison rushed in.

"I'm so sorry!" she huffed as she put her hands on her hips and sucked in as much air as she could. Even though her face was flushed, she looked incredible in her black dress that was very low cut and gave him more than enough of a view of her sexy long legs. He struggled to keep his eyes on her face as she swept her hair out of her face and fanned her face.

"You OK?" he asked, trying not to sound amused, as they walked to the hostess stand.

"Yeah yeah - traffic was a bitch, and I couldn't get signal to call you. I'm so sorry Josh...you probably thought I had bailed."

He tried not to blush as the waitress seated them in a private room. "I kinda did, yeah. I was getting ready to call when you rushed in." Her bright smile made his heart skip a beat as the hostess handed them menus, smiled and left them alone.

"Sorry. And hi. I didn't even say hi when I walked in."

"Hi," JC responded with a smile. "You look incredible. I'm glad you came." Addison gave him a shy smile as she put her hands on top of her closed menu.

"Thanks. I know what I want - I come here all the time.”

“I do, too – how is it that I’ve never seen you here?”

“I tend to just pick up and go. And, you’re famous – I’m not. I can sit wherever I want, and you probably sit in some private spot away from the adoring public.” JC chuckled as he took a sip of water and shrugged.

“So…how have you been Addison?” JC had been thinking about this moment since they had agreed to meet for dinner. His heart was racing, but he tried to keep his nerves in check on the outside. The fact that he didn’t know how the conversation would go made him sick to his stomach.

“I’ve been…I’ve been good. Pretty good.” The conversation died temporarily as their waiter walked in with waters and a smile. He took their drink and sushi orders and stepped out quickly, leaving them in complete silence. Addison took a sip of her water as she looked down at the table, clearly not wanting to look at him. She’d barely made eye contact with him since they sat down. JC cleared his throat nervously as he wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans and tried to find direction for the conversation.

“Look Addison. I just…” She looked up at him then, her face unreadable. He hated that he couldn’t tell what she was thinking. “I just feel like we need to have an open conversation about things. Move past things. Now that Heather’s here, we’re going to be around each other a lot, and I would really like our interaction to be pleasant. Friendly.” Addison sighed as she nodded.

“I know. We’re going to be around each other a lot because of your sister. But…I don’t know. This whole move thing caught me by surprise, and I’m still adjusting to actually being around you after so long. It’s just…it’s weird for me.” JC nodded in understanding as he took a sip of his water to wet his dry throat.

“I’m sure it is. It’s a little weird for me, too. But I’m glad that you and I are…” JC paused for a second to find the proper wording.

“Getting to know each other again,” Addison finished. JC smiled slowly at her as he nodded. She still knew what he was thinking without him saying it; at least that hadn’t changed.

“I want you to talk about whatever you want to talk about. I want to get to know you again, talk to you. Where do you want to start?” Addison shook her head, looking back down at the table again before looking back up at him. God…he wished he could figure out how she was feeling.

“You don’t want me to answer that. You should decide where we start, because where I want to start probably isn’t where you want to start.” He cocked her head at her, not sure where she was going with the conversation.

“Well…where do you want to start?” Addison’s eyes darkened – they always did when her mood changed – as she sat up straight in her chair and leaned in closer.

“Why?”

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“Why…what?” Addison couldn’t believe that JC was acting so dense, but she kept her smartass remarks in check.

“Why her?” She saw him shift uneasily in his chair as he cleared his throat. Yup – definitely wasn’t where he wanted to start.

“Addison.” His voice was stern as he rubbed his forehead roughly. “Do you really want to go there? Do we have to go there right now?” She nodded her head vigorously.

“Yes. We do. Ten years ago, you walked away without much explanation whatsoever. From what I can see, I didn’t do anything wrong. And, considering you started dating Bobbi soon after we broke up, it makes me really suspicious that you were cheating on me.” She could feel her temper rise, but she fisted her hands to help her focus and control it.

Her eyes bore into JC’s as he kept quiet in his seat, clearly not sure how to answer the question. “I don’t know what you want me to say Addison. Will it really change things?” She shrugged.

“I don’t know. I don’t think so. But I thought…I thought we were good. More than good. And then one day, bam. We’re done. And the next week – bam. You’re with Bobbi. I spent so many months trying to figure out how to rationalize your decision, but I just couldn’t come up with anything and eventually just gave up thinking about it.” Addison saw him sigh as he rubbed his forehead.

“I can’t tell you why I decided to get with her Addison. We just…I thought we were getting too serious, and I didn’t want to drag you into my crazy world that I lived in at the time. And then she came along as a rebound, and I…” He faded out, his eyes shifting to the table.

“She was one hell of a rebound Josh. She was around for quite awhile for being a rebound.” He gave another shrug, which did nothing to ease Addison’s mind.

“She was there for me. She was a friend, we kinda fell together, and then we fell into a routine. Our relationship ran its course, and we’ve been done for a long time now.”

“Like that’s supposed to make me feel better, especially since you chose her.” The sarcasm was dripping in her voice, but she didn’t care. Now was her shot to get it all out, and she’d be damned if she didn’t say everything on her mind – and then some.

“God Addison. That was ten years ago. What do you want me to say? That I didn’t mean to choose her? I already told you that she wasn’t you – but I knew once I broke it off, I couldn’t get you back. So I stayed with her.” She raised her eyebrows at him.

“You honestly would’ve tried to get with me if you thought you could?” JC sighed and shrugged, slouching back in his chair.

“I’m not sure Ads. Honestly, after we broke up, I pushed you out of my mind. I felt horrible for how I handled things, and I missed you. So I just pushed us out of my mind and went on. It was the only thing I could do.” Addison didn’t feel any better with his explanation. She wanted to feel a sense of relief, but she just didn’t. His reasoning made no sense to her, at all.

“How could you just forget me like that?” She asked the question softly, but she knew he heard her. “I mean, we were good, right? Weren’t we?” JC nodded slowly, a sad smile crossing his face.

“We were Ads. We were. We were more than good. I just…I made a mistake. Guys make stupid mistakes, and that was a stupid mistake I made. I’m so, so sorry I hurt you.” It was hard for Addison to accept his lame excuse, even though she knew that would make her hypocritical. She was guilty of doing things she couldn’t really explain, so how could she knock JC for his decision?

“It just…I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense to me Josh. It’s like, you turned into this completely different person the day you left, and it broke me. I’d never been in a relationship that moved so quickly and broke me into a million pieces.” She felt silly admitting that out loud, but she felt like he needed to hear the truth about what he’d left behind. “It took me awhile to get over it, to not be bitter anymore. I think a part of me is still bitter. But…I’m past that now.” She saw a flash of sadness cross JC’s face, but she didn’t ask about it.

“I understand. And I’m almost positive I’ll never be able to say I’m sorry enough. Seriously.”  Addison eyed him suspiciously, still skeptical. She knew he was sorry – she could see it in his eyes – but his reasoning wasn’t what she expected. In all actuality, she preferred something more concrete than “I don’t know; it just happened”…at least she’d have an actual answer instead of something vague.

She sat in silence for a few moments, taking it all in. JC clearing his throat again made her look up from the table. “I understand if you want to walk away and pretend you never saw me. I deserve that. Just…before you do, consider my plea for us to be friends again. We were really close once upon a time, and I haven’t been close like that to any girl since you. You…you get me. And I miss that connection, that friendship.” She smiled a little, nodding in understanding. “So…I’m just going to ask once. Can we start over? I’m not saying forget the past Addison; I just want us to form something new. Get to know each other again.” He gave her a hopeful look as Addison sighed heavily. Could she do that? Could she honestly re-form something that didn’t involve a relationship?

Slowly, she nodded. “I think…I think I can do that. I want to do that. Start fresh and – ”

“See what happens,” they finished together. Addison felt goosebumps form as JC grinned and squeezed one of her hands with his. Her hand continued to feel warm after he let go, her heart racing and falling to the pit of her stomach at once. How the hell was she supposed to be ‘just friends’ when she clearly still had unresolved feelings? She mentally kept herself in check as she nodded.

“Yes. See what happens. So…guess we should start with me?” JC nodded, taking a sip of water and sitting back in his chair.

“Yes. I’m all ears.”

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Two hours, two bottles of sake and lots of sushi later, Addison and JC were still talking, which surprised him. He could still feel a little tension in the room, but it was nothing like what he had anticipated. Addison had been a little hesitant to talk at first, but she’d eventually opened up and caught him up on everything he’d missed. Her big decision to go to culinary school, her decision to open the shop and everything in between had been covered. JC had barely said a word, but he didn’t care – he loved listening to her talk, and he felt like he was finally getting to know her again.

“And that’s how I wound up here,” Addison finished before downing the last of her sake. “This is the last place I thought I’d wind up, but it’s been a great experience so far. Not sure we would’ve lasted in many other cities besides here.” JC shook his head in disagreement.

“Are you kidding me? People will love your cupcakes anywhere you go. Trust me – I’ve eaten a lot of cupcakes, and none compare to yours.” He noticed Addison blushed as she looked away, smiling a little.

“I appreciate that Josh. Seriously. I know you kept pushing me to go to school way back when, but I never listened.”

“Then what changed your mind?” That’s one thing she hadn’t talked about yet. Addison shrugged as she sat back in her chair, sighing.

“I just…I don’t know. Your encouragement kept ringing in my ears, even after we were done. My job started to become too demanding, and I realized I just didn’t love it anymore. But, I love baking – and I know I’ll always love baking. So, I quit my job, went back to school, and here I am.”

“And here you are,” JC ended with a smile as the waiter walked in. Addison eyed him suspiciously as he left the check on the table and walked out without so much as a word or a glance. “What’s your issue with him? You’ve been giving him the eye all night.”

Addison huffed as she sat back up in her chair. JC involuntarily eyed her up and down, still amazed that she looked the way she did – smokin’ hot. “He’s just weird Josh. He’s been way to quiet the entire night.” JC shrugged as he took a look at the receipt and took a card out of his wallet that was sitting on the edge of the table.

“He’s doing his job. And he’s probably following orders from the manager to not talk to celebrities. I appreciate the quiet, out-of-the-way service he’s given us.” Addison shrugged as she pulled her wallet out of her purse and started to reach for the receipt. JC moved it closer to his side of the table, earning him a glare.

“Josh. What are you doing? We’re splitting the bill.” He simply shook his head as he pulled cash out of his wallet and set it on the check holder.

“It’s on me. I suggested dinner; I pay. You pay next time.” His reply caused Addison to raise an eyebrow at him, a smile playing at the corners of her lips.

“Next time, eh? You think we should have dinner again?” JC wasn’t sure where she was going with this, so he treaded lightly with his response.

“Well…yeah. I think this may be the only way I can get you to talk to me, so I plan on arranging as many dinners as possible so I can hang out with you.” Addison rolled her eyes, but the small smile that crept across her lips let JC know that his suggestion was an OK one.

“Fair enough. I guess we’ll see how this goes.” JC nodded as Addison stood up and grabbed her things, checking her watch. “I don’t want to ditch and run, but I also don’t want this roll to go bad. I’d better head out.”

“Yeah…as much as Grace and I don’t get along, food poisoning isn’t something I wish on anyone.” Addison chuckled as she twirled her keys around her free hand.

“I…I had a great time tonight Josh. Thank for inviting me out.” She rocked on her heels nervously, and JC tried hard not to copy her. He had been dreading the end of the night when they had to say good-bye – mainly because he didn’t want it to be awkward like this.

“I’m glad you actually agreed to come out with me. I had a great time, too. I guess I’ll see you around?” Might as well get this over with than drag it out, JC thought to himself as he shoved his wallet into the back pocket of his jeans. Addison nodded with a smile.

“You’ve got my number now. Don’t be afraid to use it, OK?” JC mirrored her smile and nodded, feeling slightly giddy on the inside. The fact that he got permission to keep in touch with her was something he wasn’t expecting, but he’d take it.  As Addison made a step towards the door, JC reached out and grabbed her arm gently.

“Is it OK if I give you a hug?” Addison grinned as she set her bag and clutch on the ground and wrapped her arms around JC’s neck, pulling him close to her to fulfill his request. JC inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of her perfume and shampoo. He’d missed having her in his arms like this – more than he’d realized.

When he turned to nuzzle her cheek with his, she didn’t move but just hugged him tighter. When he turned even more and his lips brushed against her cheek, she turned and caught his lips with hers as if it was second nature. Their kiss sent sparks through JC, made his heart melt like it did the first time he kissed her. Before he could take the kiss deeper, Addison pulled away with a soft gasp, her fingers over her lips. JC swore he saw tears well up in her eyes before she grabbed her things and quickly rushed out of the room. It took all JC had to not rush after her and apologize; he knew he needed to give her space.

He needed the space, too. Hopefully, he could find the answer to the one question floating through his mind: why?

Addison sat on the porch swing in her back yard, staring into space. She had tried to piece together how the night had gone – and how any of it suggested that a kiss would be the way to end it – but it was no use. She couldn’t figure out how things had gone down that road yet again.

She didn’t blame JC for the kiss; he had asked for a hug, which she gladly gave. The kiss though…she couldn’t tell which of them initiated it. Either way, both of them had fallen into the kiss, and both of them had been willing participants. She couldn’t blame JC when she hadn’t wanted to stop the kiss after his lips touched hers.

She had felt that familiar connection – that “spark” – that had been there from the very beginning, and she hated that she still felt it. Things would be so much easier if that spark had magically disappeared, but it hadn’t. Now, she was stuck. She still wanted to be friends with JC, but could she do that when it was obvious feelings still existed on both sides?

"Well. At least you made it home before you had a meltdown." Grace’s appearance in the backyard startled Addison, and Addison shot Grace a glare to let her know. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you,” Grace added as she sat down beside Addison on the swing. “Saw my roll in the fridge. Thanks.”

“Thank Josh – he paid for it.” Grace raised her eyebrows.

“Josh paid for it? What? Did he pay for the entire dinner? I thought tonight was a friend affair…” Grace trailed off as she narrowed her eyes at Addison. “Is there something you’re not telling me Addison?” She huffed and leaned back against the swing, rocking it with her movement.

“No Grace,” she said sternly. “It was supposed to be a dutch friend thing. He just paid for dinner before I could get my wallet out. Trust me, that wasn’t intentional.”

“So…how’d it go?” Grace turned to face Addison and folded a leg underneath her, ready to listen. Addison sighed as she shrugged nonchalantly.

“It went relatively OK. We talked about a lot of stuff. He apologized for the way things went before, but I wasn’t convinced that his reasoning was solid. I’m still not convinced. It just sounded like he was making things up and trying to convince me that he broke up with me because he was stupid. I just…I don’t know.” Addison rubbed her forehead in frustration, not sure how to put into words how she felt. The reasons JC had thrown at her were valid, she guessed….but it just felt like some part of the truth was missing. His reasoning was off in her brain.

"That sounds like a typical guy excuse, honestly. I've heard it plenty of times before. It might be a cop-out of some sort, but it's a legitimate reason in his mind. If you think he's hiding more, keep badgering him. He'll give eventually. If you think he's being as open as he can about the situation, leave it alone and work on your friendship. I know you want him back in your life, but you need to get to know him again first." Addison nodded at her friend's advice, knowing she was more than likely right.

“There's something else - we kissed.” Addison added it in a rush and closed her eyes tight, not wanting to see Grace’s reaction. When a few seconds went by and the world didn’t implode, Addison slowly opened her eyes and looked over at Grace, an apologetic smile on her face.

“What the hell Addison.” Grace’s voice had a hard edge to it, and her eyes were narrowed. Yeah, she was pissed. “What would possess you to do something like that?!”

“It just happened!” Addison said defensively, trying to keep eye contact with Grace. “Honestly Grace. Do you think I walked into tonight thinking, ‘Oh, I’ll just have sushi with my ex and then kiss him for good measure’?”

“I wouldn’t put it past you. I knew that Heather moving back here would spell trouble for you.” It was Addison’s turn to narrow her eyes.

“And what the hell is that supposed to mean?” Grace ran her hand through her hair and shook her head.

“That boy has been out of your life for years…and you’re still caught up Addison. If you had the chance, you’d be all over that boy in a heartbeat.”

“That’s not true,” Addison muttered, not sure if she could faithfully counter that argument. The kiss was still on her mind – and until it left, she wouldn’t be able to deny Grace’s statement. Grace crossed her arms over her chest and shot Addison an “I told you so” look.

“You need some distance from him Addison. You have got to get your emotions in check before he comes back in and fucks things up again like he did the last time.” Anger bubbled in Addison’s veins as she played Grace’s words back in her head. Why was she always so defensive when it came to JC?

“God Grace – why do you hate Josh so much? What the hell did he do to you?” Instead of Grace firing back, she sighed and leaned back against the arm of the swing, shrugging.

“He didn’t do anything to me Addison. But he hurt you. I was there when he hurt you, and I never want that to happen to you again. I can’t handle another year like that…it sucked. Big time.” Addison’s glare softened. So that was why Grace didn’t care for JC…and Addison couldn’t even be mad at that reasoning. Grace had stuck by her side while she got over the break-up and had been the best friend a girl could have in her life. Addison was surprised she hadn’t considered that reasoning earlier.

“I never thought of it that way,” she admitted softly, looking down at her hands. She heard Grace sigh heavily.

"Look Addy. As someone who loves you like the sister my parents decided I didn't need since I was handful enough, I'm going to tell you something that may make you mad. Do not get caught up in the past Addy. Don't. I know that may be hard for you, but you have to focus on the now and not the then. Forget what happened before."

It was Addison’s turn to sigh heavily as she shifted uneasily on the swing. "It isn't as easy as that Grace. But I’ll try. I have to try.” Addison sighed again and refocused her attention on the backyard, wanting some silence to re-gather her thoughts as she let the night flash through her mind one more time. She did feel uneasy about JC's explanation - she felt something was missing. But that kiss…God that kiss…it had taken her back. Made her feel like everything would be OK, like she was meant to be with JC. She forced herself to push it all out of her mind; if she was going to sort her feelings out and settle things, she had to forget the past. Forget the date. Focus on the now.

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"How'd it go?" JC settled onto a couch near the pool, stretching across it. He loved fall LA nights like this.

"It went OK," he told former bandmate and close friend Justin Timberlake, who had called just to say hi as he was pulling in from dinner with Addison. "I think it went OK, at least. I had a good time."

"Did you tell her?" JC pinched the bridge of his nose as he contemplated lying. "You didn't, did you?"

"I don't even know how to approach the topic man. What am I supposed to say?"

"Um, just tell her the truth! She's a smart girl. Now that she's in your life again, do you think she won't find out?"

"She hasn't figured it out so far J. Why should she now?"

"I don't get why you can't just tell her the truth. I'm sure she knows you're partially bullshittin' her anyway." As JC looked up at the stars, he knew that what Justin was saying was true. Addison deserved the full truth, not some half-ass lie that didn't even partially cover why they had to end.  "Look dude. Do you want to be the one to tell her, or do you want someone else to tell her?"

"You wouldn't," JC growled, bolting up on the couch.

"No no no," Justin said quicky. "I would never do that man! But even though LA is a big town, Addison's cupcakes are taking off. It's only a matter of time before she's working for someone who will know you and what happened back then. Might even recognize her."

"The chances of that happening are slim to none. You've got a better shot at getting married than her finding out from some random acquaintance." Justin laughed, which didn't make JC feel any better. His friend's words had his brain spinning. What if Addison found out the truth? Why was it so hard for JC to be honest with her?

"That won't be happening anytime soon. TELL HER JACE." JC sighed as he stretched back out across the couch.

"She'll know. Eventually."

Maybe.
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Addison spent the next week busying herself with work. She hadn't talked to JC since their dinner date, which was good and bad for her. She had decided not to reach out to him for a bit until she felt confident she could keep her emotions in check around him, but it was also driving her a little crazy. It was a relief not to have to face him again, but she was almost dying to talk to him and see him again. She knew it was better for her not to see him though, which is why she tried not to think about him. So when Heather and Grace decided to hit the clubs that Friday night, Addison was all for it.

"This is going to be so fun!" Heather squealed as they finished their glasses of wine and fixed their make-up. Since Addison had to show up to work the next day, she was playing DD - but that didn't mean she couldn't have a little fun. She drank some water to balance out the two glasses of wine she'd had before applying her lipstick, giving herself a once-over in the mirror and a satisfactory nod. Tonight, she felt sexy - and her black mini, white halter and black boots reflected that. Her hair was perfect, her make-up was perfect...she was the perfect package.

"Someone looks like she's trying to get laid tonight," Grace commented matter-of-factly as she adjusted her tube top dress and gave Addison a glance.

"Am not!" Addison retorted quickly, subconsciously pulling down her skirt just a little. Grace giggled as she slid a pair of silver hoops into her ears.

"Yes. You do. But you look hot, so rock it. Maybe some random dude will get your mind off of - "

"Off of who?!" Heather, who had left the room to put their wine glasses in the sink, asked excitedly as she walked back in. "Who are you seeing?!" Addison swallowed hard as her eyes met Grace's, the panic in them evident.

"She's not seeing anyone," Grace added quickly as Addison struggled to bring her heart rate down. "I was just saying that a random guy could take her mind off work for awhile - we both know she works too much." Heather nodded quickly in agreement.

"I agree Addy. You work too much. Tonight, no talk about work; we're just going to dance and party all night." Addison mouthed a "thank you" to Grace, grateful she didn't have to explain anything. Grace shot her a glare, but Addison could see the smile playing at the corners of her lips.

The girls made one last trip before a mirror before heading out, piling into Addison's Civic and heading to the nearest club. Even though Heather hadn't been in town long, she'd already made friends with lots of people and got them into VIP, which made going through the ridiculously long line a breeze. As they stepped into the packed club and the music hit Addison's ears, she couldn't help but smile. She knew she needed a night like this to forget about everything - and even if she wasn't drinking, she sure as hell was going to shake her ass on the floor.

They made their way to the VIP area reserved for them off to the side of the main dance floor, a bottle of champagne open and ready for them. Heather poured each of them a glass before holding hers up, clearing her throat loudly. "To us - best friends for life!" The girls cheered as they toasted and drank up, Addison enjoying the tickling of the bubbles on her tongue. She surveyed the dance floor as a big group of people was being led through the crowd by security, others turning to watch. As the lights hit the group, Addison didn't recognize any of them.

Well, except for one.

Her heart dropped and hands became clammy as she squinted to get a better look. When the person she was looking at made it to his VIP section across from hers and looked out over the dance floor, Addison huffed. What the hell was he doing here?!

"Let's dance!" Heather shouted as the song went from Lady Gaga to Ludacris. Addison shook her head quickly and scrambled to come up with an excuse to stay put.

"You guys go - I'm gonna head to the bathroom and will meet you guys on the floor." Grace and Heather nodded as they linked arms and strutted to the floor. Addison gave one last glance in JC's direction before heading to the bathroom to calm her nerves. How was she supposed to have a good night when the one man she wanted to get her mind off of was in the same vicinity? She forced herself to breathe as she wove through the crowd to the bathroom. As she neared the privacy of the bathroom, she felt a hand tap her on the shoulder. Her heart skipped a beat as she spun around.

“I thought that was you! Didn’t expect to see you here…” Addison inhaled and exhaled quickly to calm her racing heart as she realized the tapper wasn’t JC. Instead, it was her overzealous admirer from Heather’s party. “Andrew…remember? Heather’s party?” Addison nodded quickly, realizing her startled look must’ve made admirer guy think she didn’t remember him.

“Oh! Of course! I remember who you are Andrew. How are you?” A devilish grin crossed his face as he stepped closer to Addison. The music was muffled since they were in the hallway leading to the bathrooms, so Andrew’s steps forward were not necessary. And, Addison realized, not wanted.

“Better now that you’re here. Want a drink?” Before Addison could find a way to politely turn him down, she felt arms wrap around her waist. She tried not to tense as the familiar scent of cologne and aftershave hit her nose.

“She’s with me tonight. Maybe next time?” Addison managed a weak smile as Andrew scowled and walked quickly in the opposite direction. Addison huffed and spun around quickly, a glare on her face.

“Are you kidding me Josh? What the hell are you doing here?” He held his hands up and took a step back, trying to look serious but a smirk playing at his lips.

“Hey. You’re lucky I had to pee. I saved you from a long night of boring-ass Andrew.” He said Andrew’s name in a mocking tone, which irritated Addison.

“What – there’s not a golden toilet in some magical bathroom in VIP?” The smirk took over JC’s face as he shook his head.

“Nope. Have to use the bathroom with the common folk. Tragedy, I know.” Instead of giving in to the teasing, Addison simply turned around and started walking towards the women’s bathroom. She was relieved that JC was acting the way he was, though – it had changed her nervousness to anger and irritation.

Before she could reach the door, she felt JC’s hand on her arm. She refused to turn around but did stop in her tracks. “Let go of me Josh,” she said through clenched teeth, wanting nothing more than to leave him behind. Even if he looked like the hottest piece of eye candy in the place with his sandblasted jeans and white button-up, she wanted to leave him behind. Badly.

“Don’t be mad Ads. Look. I just came down to say hi. I saw you from VIP and didn’t want to avoid you all night, especially since you came with my sister. I know you’re avoiding me Ads – and it’s my fault. I’m sorry.” Addison knew he was apologizing for the kiss, but she didn’t want to acknowledge it. She had come to have a good time, and seeing JC was blowing it. She didn’t want to think tonight; she just wanted to dance.

“Josh, can we talk about this later? I came here to have a good time and dance, not think about that damn kiss.” She turned then to face him, wiping her face of any emotion. “I kissed you back. It’s not just on you. But please – let’s deal with this later.” JC shook his head as he tightened his grip on her arm.

“Addison. The whole point of that dinner was to not make things awkward. Instead, we made things worse. Well, I did, really. Can we just be friends?” Addison yanked her arm out of JC’s grip and squared him up, putting her hands on her hips.

“No Josh. It’s obvious we can’t just be friends. You and I can’t be just friends right now. I just…I need time to pull away and regroup.” Before JC could protest or talk her out of it, she walked quickly to the bathroom and shut the door behind her. She found an open stall and softly let the tears fall. Why was it so hard to regroup and make this thing a “just friends” relationship? Would they ever be just friends?

Deep down, Addison knew that it would be very, very hard to be just friends with JC. Their history still ran deep, and it wasn’t something they could just drop to the wayside. Deep down, she knew she still had feelings for him – strong feelings. She had spent years convincing herself that if she ever saw JC again, she would be able to face him and just be friends. Now that he had pretty much been thrown back into her life, it wasn’t as easy as it looked – and she hated that she couldn’t keep the old in check long enough to establish a new.

“You have to do it Addison,” she whispered to herself as she dried her tears. “Do this for yourself.” She took in a deep breath and nodded firmly, telling herself that she could do this. She had to do this. For her, for her sanity, for her future. When she left the stall and headed back into the club, she didn’t take a second glance at JC’s section. She was there for her, and that was all that mattered.

“OK. This is the last group for today. Once this is done, we’ll bus you back to the hotel.” JC nodded and stifled a yawn as he shifted in his chair to get comfortable. ABDC auditions were keeping him busy – he was in his third of four cities and wanted nothing more than to go home. Spending nearly two weeks in and out of hotels and airplanes was taking a toll on him.

Once the last group walked in, JC put on a smile and watched the performance with interest. When it came to singing and dancing, he always put everything else aside to concentrate on it. He cared about the crews and about the show, and he only wanted the best to be represented. Telling the final crew that they were in to the next round put a smile on his face; being able to make a crew’s day made his day brighter. Even if he was tired of the travel, he never tired of the actual gig.

“Tomorrow, we’re up at 8am for callbacks. We head home in two days, so hang in there!” the producer announced as the cameras started breaking down. JC nodded and stretched before standing up and heading for his dressing room.  As he shut himself away from the world, he dug his phone out of his pocket and checked his various messages. As he sifted through them, he was looking for one person’s name in particular; he tried not to be disappointed when the name didn’t appear.

He hadn’t spoken to Addison since the bathroom encounter almost three weeks ago. He’d lost count of how many text messages he’d started to her, how many times he’d considered calling her…but he knew it was for the best. Addison had made it clear she needed space to clear her head, needed space to figure out how she was going to handle him – and if JC was honest with himself, he needed the space to steady his emotions, too.

Being on the road had helped keep his mind off of her, somewhat. The auditions had kept him so busy, had kept his mind figuring out ways to improve the show, that he didn’t have time during the day to really think about it. He had been losing sleep over it at first, but he was fine with it now. He had a job to do, and that came first. He’d figure out how to handle Addison if he saw her again once he got home.

JC entered his dressing room and plopped down on the nearest couch, stretching out and closing his eyes. He had so many thoughts running through his mind and just wanted to take some time to clear them all out. Instead, his mind wandered back to Addison, wondering what she was doing, how her job was going. Ever since she’d moved back, he wanted to reach out and really try to develop the friendship they once had; he just didn’t know how she’d react to it.

“Stop being a little bitch Jace,” he muttered to himself as he grabbed his phone and started typing out a text. Right before he was ready to send it to Addison, he stopped, erased it and dropped his phone back on the ground, groaning. He couldn’t bring himself to do it – not while he wasn’t sure if she even wanted to talk to him ever again. Instead, he closed his eyes and forced himself to drain his thoughts and breathe deeply. If he couldn’t talk to the one person he really did want to talk to, he’d talk to his dreams.
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“Happy Birthday to you!” Addison smiled brightly as the birthday girl blew out the six candles on top of a cupcake nearly three times its normal size. She loved catering events like this, especially birthday parties for little kids. The joy on their faces as they dug into their cupcakes made the entire day – no matter how stressful – much, much better.

As she helped the parents of the birthday girl put cupcakes on various Dora the Explorer paper plates, she smiled sadly. Addison had always thought that at this point in her life, she would be settled in her career, married and a couple of kids running around. Now, she felt like she was starting her adult life over again and going in the complete opposite direction from before. She knew she was happy with her decision, but it didn’t mean her biological clock wasn’t screaming at her that she was running out of time to fulfill the rest of her dreams. For now though, she would settle on making a 6-year-old sugar happy on her special day.

“Thank you so much for catering!” the mother of the little girl, Tessa, said softly as the kids ate. “These cupcakes are delicious and don’t have too much sugar. Last year, we had cupcakes with double the frosting, and I had to send the kids home bouncing off the walls. I’m sure their parents hated me.” Addison laughed softly as she looked over the table from a few feet away.

"I love doing these types of things. I love catering events, but birthday parties – especially for kids – are at the top of my list.”

“Do you have kids?” Tessa asked as she plucked a chocolate cherry cupcake from the nearby platter. Addison shook her head.

“No kids for me. I do love baking for kids though.” Tessa laughed as she took a bite and closed her eyes, moaning softly.

“Good God Addison. You have a gift, my new baker friend. I shall be coming to you for all birthdays and special events. These are fantastic.” Addison gave Tessa a bright smile and was about to thank her when her husband motioned for her to cross the room and talk to him. She watched sadly as the couple giggled, hugged and kissed, clearly enjoying the party and the moment. A sharp twinge hit her heart as she started thinking about JC. Again.

Addison hadn’t talked to him since that night. She knew that he was out of town – Heather had told her, and that was the only way Addison would go over there to hang out with her – but she still found herself wondering what was going on with him on the road. How he was doing. What he was up to. She knew she shouldn’t be thinking that way, but she found herself veering in that direction more often than she would admit out loud.

Instead of dwelling, Addison made herself stay busy for the last hour of the party. She tidied up the cupcake area, refilled drinks and talked to other parents who were at the party. She did a lot of networking in that short time, booking two birthday parties for kids who had been at the party. She couldn’t help but smile as people filed out and thanked her for the awesome cupcakes.

It never got old, hearing that her business was solid and people liked her. In her old field, she never heard it enough, and it burned her out. Here, she heard it all the time, and it made her feel like what she was doing was worth it. No matter what else was going on, she felt safe when she was baking and doing things for the shop. It was her life now, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

As she loaded up her car, her phone buzzed in her pocket. Her heart skipped a beat, partially hoping it was JC. She shoved the disappointment aside when she pulled her phone out of her pocket and saw that it was Grace, then swallowed hard when she read it.

We need to get home. Daddy’s gone.

Addison ran her hands over the banisters of Grace’s childhood home, tears threatening to fall. She had hoped to come back under different circumstances, but she couldn’t deny that she was happy to be home. It just felt so weird, so empty, being there after the news.

She had rushed straight home from the birthday party to find Grace frantically packing things and sobbing. The family had already arranged for Grace and Addison to fly home on the next available flight, so Addison threw things together, made a couple of calls to the shop and flew out with Grace. Three days later, they were still trying to piece everything together.

The family doctor had told them that Grace’s father had died of an aneurysm. It was quick, and he was pretty much been gone before he hit the floor of his home office. Addison found comfort in knowing that he didn’t feel any pain, but the fact that something so quick had taken him was hard to digest.

Grace was holding herself together pretty well, but Addison could see her cracking. Grace’s mother was a mess and wouldn’t come out of her room unless she absolutely, positively had to. The wake and funeral weren’t for a few more days, to allow family time to arrive and to finish all final arrangements, and Grace was handling most of it. Being an only child in a small family meant someone had to do it – and Grace had stepped up. Addison was trying to help as much as possible, but she knew that she was really there for moral support than anything else.

“Addy?” Addison was now sitting on the bottom stair of the grand staircase, and Grace was calling for her as she walked across the main foyer. She looked completely worn out but still very well put together, as a Southern charm like her would.

“Right here,” Addison called back before Grace could walk by her. Grace turned, spotted her and gave her a sad smile before walking over to the stairs and joining her. Addison heard Grace sigh heavily as she rested her head on Addison’s shoulder. “You OK?” Addison asked softly, taking her hand.

“I…I don’t know. It’s weird, being here without Daddy. I hate it. I hate all this planning. But, he set everything out, and we’re doing this the way he wanted. I’m really afraid of what will happen to my mom when we leave.”

“We don’t have to leave, you know,” Addison chimed in. “I could open a shop here and move back with you. I know you can find something here, or work in your dad’s business…” Grace’s silence made Addison shut her mouth.

“I don’t want to move. I want to stay in LA – I love it there. This isn’t me, and I think Daddy knew that. That’s why he left the business to a cousin who’s been working with him. Mom and I will be taken care of always, but he knew that me coming back to take over would never happen. He always understood that I wanted something different. God I miss him.” Addison heard Grace sniffle and squeezed her hand tighter.

“I miss him too Grace. He was a great man.” Grace cleared her throat and sat up straight, turning to face Addison.

“I have two things to tell you before I get whisked away again. One, Heather just called – she’s leaving Atlanta and will be here soon. I sent a car to pick her up. Two, Daddy put in his will that he wanted you to say some words at the funeral. I’m doing the eulogy, but you’ll do a sort of post-eulogy. He considered you a daughter, and he wants you to be a part of the services.” All the emotions that Addison had been holding in since the text message came spilling out at that moment, and she broke down on the stairs. Grace’s family had given her so much, and to be asked to speak at such a private event had gotten the best of her. She heard Grace sobbing softly beside her, and the girls wrapped each other in a hug, comforting one another. After a few minutes, Addison gathered herself together and sniffed, pulling away from Grace with one final squeeze.

“I don’t think your dad would appreciate us spilling tears over him,” Addison said sadly with a small smile, wiping the tears away. “And I know you’re busy. I’ll stay on Heather watch, and we’ll come find you when she gets here. OK?” Grace nodded and gave Addison one more long hug before pulling herself off the stairs and walking away. Addison sighed and rubbed her forehead, her heart heavy and emotions shot. She wasn’t sure how she was going to make it through the next few days, but she’d find a way.
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“Hello? Heather? You here?” JC scanned his living room and kitchen, looking for any sign of life. He had seen Heather’s car in the driveway, so to not see or hear her in the house was odd. He scanned the kitchen once more and saw a note on the fridge.

I tried calling and texting, but I think your phone’s dead. Grace’s dad died earlier this week, so I’m flying out for the funeral. Should be back by Sunday. Call me when you can. – H

JC leaned against the island and let the news sink in. He didn’t know Grace’s family as well as Heather did, but he had met them a few times and really liked them. Grace’s dad was a bear of a man, tough on the outside but gentle on the inside. He knew Grace and her dad had been really close, so the loss must’ve been a blow to her. As he set the note on the counter, he heard the phone ring.

“You make it?” JC asked after he picked up, knowing it was Heather.

“Yeah – I’m here with Addison right now.” JC swallowed at the mention of her name. Now that he was back in LA, he’d been considering trying to get a hold of her…now that he knew where she was, that wouldn’t be happening any time soon. “Grace is around here somewhere. She’s a mess.”

“I’m sure she is – please pass on my condolences. I’ll send some flowers out there tomorrow.”

“Thanks Josh – I know they’ll appreciate it. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything before I left…I really did try to get a hold of you.”

“Oh please Heather. You’re a grown woman. I’m sure you left messages on my phone, but it’s buried underneath the rest of my shit in my backpack. Just keep me posted and let me know if they need anything, OK?” JC ended his phone call with his sister and immediately called the local florist he always used when he needed flowers. He ordered a memorial wreath and flowers for Grace, her mom and the funeral, hoping they were decent enough when they arrived; it was the least he could do during a time like this.

He slowly made his way to his room after ordering the flowers, willing his bags to unpack themselves. Instead, he sat on the edge of his bed and thought about things. He wanted to text Addison, make sure everything was OK, but he knew that probably wasn’t a good idea. Not right now, at least. He’d just have to wait to hear from Heather – she was his only assurance that this sudden turn of events was going as OK as it could.
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“Morning sunshine.” Addison groaned as she turned over in bed to find Heather lying beside her.

“What time is it?”

“Just about 10.  I couldn’t sleep any longer.”

“Well, I can – so get under the covers and hush for another hour,” Addison muttered, snuggling deeper into bed with a contented sigh. Grace had insisted that Addison and Heather stay at her place, and she had claimed the same room she had on many a night when they were growing up. She was thrilled to realize that the same overly comfy bed she’d had growing up was still in there, and she wanted to spend as much time with it as possible.

“But I can’t. I’m hungry.”

But Heather was doing a good job of spoiling that reunion.

“God Heather. I hate you right now.” Heather squealed softly and kissed Addison on the forehead, which got a grumble out of her. She unwillingly rolled out of bed and slipped into her robe, leading a waiting Heather downstairs to the kitchen.

“You’re up early!” the familly cook, Edna, greeted with surprise and a smile.

“It’s her fault,” Addison mumbled sleepily, pointing at Heather as she dragged her feet to the nearest stool. “She said she was hungry and woke me up. Please feed her before I kill her.” Edna laughed as she moved towards the fridge.

“Tell me what you want, and I’ll make it.” Edna was a Deep South woman, a fantastic cook who had worked her way towards running the entire household staff. She had been around for as long as Addison could remember, and her cooking just got better and better as the years went on.

Addison rested her head on the cool tile of the island as Heather ordered everything under the sun. Addison had been up until 3am with Grace, helping her sort through her father’s belongings and figure out what could stay and go according to the will. It had been a daunting task – one that Addison had tried to get Grace to wait on until after the funeral – but Grace had insisted on getting it done. It was worrying Addison, the way Grace was acting: she wasn’t eating, wasn’t sleeping and kept running on coffee and demands. Addison wanted to barge into her mother’s room and shake her back to reality so that Grace could get a break, but she knew that wasn’t a great idea. Instead, she continued to make herself available in any way possible.

“Morning all,” Grace greeted in a sing-song voice a few minutes later, dressed elegantly in a black pencil skirt, crisp white shirt and her hair in a bun. Her black heels clicked across the tile of the kitchen to the coffee pot, where Addison watched her pour a big cup of coffee and take a long sip as she sorted through the mail.

“I thought you’d still be asleep,” Addison spoke, her eyes locked on Grace. She looked up at Addison and smiled, shrugging.

“Got a lot to do. Family start arriving today, and the final arrangements are being made. Can’t slack.” The funeral was in three days, and Addison wondered how long she could keep up this façade that everything was OK. Before she could try to light into Grace, a soft knock came at the back door where deliveries were typically made. Grace crossed the kitchen quickly to answer, and Addison looked up with interest as two florists walked in with four beautiful arrangements.

“Who are those from?!” Heather exclaimed, hurrying over quickly to sniff at the mixed arrangement that Grace had taken, surprised, from one of the florists. She pointed in the direction where the other flowers could be taken and opened the card that came with her flowers. Tears stared to fall as she handed the card to Heather and sniffed the flowers, smiling sadly. Heather read the card silently, grinned and slid the card over to Addison.

I’m so sorry for your loss Grace. Please know that I’m here if you ever need anything – and please don’t hesitate to call. Have a safe trip back to LA. – Josh

Addison gasped softly as she re-read the heartfelt card from one of the people Grace didn’t like the most. She excused herself quickly and hurried upstairs to grab her phone, knowing she needed to make this phone call. A text wouldn’t do, and who knew if Grace would actually make the call herself. She tapped her foot nervously as the phone rang once, twice.

“Ads?” Addison smiled at the mention of her nickname from a familiar voice.

“Hey Josh. I um…” She cleared her throat nervously, not quite sure what to say now. “I wanted to let you know that Grace just got the flowers. She loved them enough that she actually cried.” She heard JC chuckle softly on the other end.

“What? She cried? And you didn’t get any evidence of it? Lame.” Addison giggled as she sat on her bed, thrilled to be hearing his voice after so long. She heard him clear his throat before continuing. “How…how are you? I didn’t want to bother you guys, so I didn’t text or anything…”

“It’s fine. Heather told me you were out of town anyway for work. Things are OK. Grace is this sort of zombie daughter who’s taking care of everything, and I know it’s wearing her out. I’m waiting for her to break down, but I’m sure it won’t be until after the funeral. Wake’s Friday, and funeral’s Saturday. I’ll be home Monday.”

“That’s good. I was worried about you. Well, you guys.” Addison couldn’t help the grin that slid over her face at the mention that JC had been thinking about her.

“What you did was so sweet. Thank you. I just wanted to let you know that they came and are beautiful – I don’t know if Grace will make this call herself.”

“Well, thanks for that. I was hoping they’d make it in time for the funeral.” The line stayed silent for nearly a minute, setting Addison’s nerves on edge. Before it got too awkward, she decided it best to end the call.

“Well, I guess I’ll – ”

“I’m sorry,” JC cut in quickly. “I’m sorry for making things hard for you. I just…” Addison rubbed her eyes and sighed as he trailed off. “I guess this whole situation has been more complicated than I thought it would be.”

“Not complicated Josh. Just…interesting. I promise, we’ll deal with this when I get home. I do want us to be friends without all the awkwardness.”

“I do, too. Look – I don’t want to take up anymore of your time, so you go back. Thanks for letting me know about the flowers. I’ll talk to you later.” Addison heard the line click dead and dropped her phone on her bed, huffing as she fell back onto the mattress. When would things not be so different between them? Would it ever not feel awkward? Could they even try to build a friendship with all the baggage that came along with their history?

“Don’t think about it Addison,” she whispered to herself sternly. She had other things to worry about, other things to deal with – Josh would just have to wait.

The next couple of days were a blur for Addison. She had somehow gotten wrapped into the funeral arrangements for Grace’s father, mainly because Grace’s mother was useless. She spent her time looking at her husband’s things or holed up in her room, crying. Addison knew that everyone handled grief in their own way, but to not have her involved in the funeral arrangements was just weird.  Grace kept assuring her that she knew what she was doing and to leave her mother be, so she did. She left her alone and helped Grace as much as possible.

She was also struggling to write a speech that would fit Grace’s father’s memory as well. The family had a long history that went beyond the walls of the house, and to put into words what Grace’s father meant to her would be hard. Very hard. She’d gotten some semblance of a speech written out, but she was struggling between keeping it or just speaking off the cuff. She had 24 hours to figure it out.

But today wasn’t about the funeral. Today was the private viewing for the family, and Grace had insisted that Addison and Heather come along. She didn’t want to impose on such an important family moment, but Grace wouldn’t have it any other way – so the three of them, along with Grace’s mother, were riding in a limo to the funeral home. It was the first time Addison had seen Grace’s mom for more than two minutes, and she looked worn but proper in a simple black dress, white belt and her hair pinned back in a low bun. She didn’t say a word the whole ride, or even look at anyone. It was obvious she was the one dreading this more than anyone else.

Grace had been running on all cylinders since early that morning, but even she had seemingly put all the funeral business aside and was doing nothing but staring out the window. Addison fidgeted nervously as they pulled up to the funeral home, not sure how the next hour or so would go.

“Should we even be here?” Heather whispered as the four of them exited the limo, Heather and Addison standing in the back of the crowd to let Grace and her mother greet family.

“I don’t know, but Grace wanted us here. So we’re here. Just hang back until she needs us,” Addison whispered back as they began to file into the grand funeral home on the outskirts of Savannah. It looked like a grand Southern mansion had been built in the middle of the country, the serene area providing a sense of peace for Addison. She followed the family and funeral directors into the chapel area, a beautiful area with high ceilings, wooden pews and, at the front, the casket holding Grace’s father.

While everyone else kept walking, she froze at the back row of pews, suddenly feeling very sick. She felt the tears sting her eyes as she lowered herself into the nearest pew, begging herself to not have a panic attack and run away. The enormity of the situation was starting to hit her - that she was in this space to say good bye to a man who had doubled as a father for so many years - and it was almost too much.

“Hey – you OK?” Heather said softly as she appeared beside Addison, kneeling on the floor beside her. Addison took in a couple of deep breaths to steady her nerves before she nodded and allowed Heather to help her up from the floor. They walked slowly to the front of the chapel as the sounds of cries and sniffles filled the air. Addison felt the tears start to fall as she and Heather finally made it up to the casket. She took in the peaceful body of the great man that had helped her through so much and smiled tearfully. Heather sniffed beside her as she ran her hand over his suit coat, noticing that he was wearing his favorite navy suit with the gold buttons.

“This was his favorite suit,” Addison noted out loud as Grace walked up to join them, tears staining her face.

“He made sure we had this one picked out,” Grace chimed in softly, taking Addison’s hand in hers and gripping hard. “He had it pressed and hanging in a special spot. It’s almost like he knew his time was near.” The girls stood in silence for a minute, Addison trying not to break down as she took in the moment. Grace’s father still looked regal and strong, even in death; his hair was combed over with not a hair out of place, and everything was crisp. Addison could feel a breakdown coming back as the tears began to fall harder, and she quickly excused herself to not cause a scene. She managed to hold the sobs back until she made it outside and was sitting on the steps leading to the entrance.

“God Addy – I’m so sorry,” she heard Heather say as she sat down beside Addison and wrapped her in her arms. “I know this must be hard for you…”

“It’s unfair I have to go through this twice!” she sobbed, clutching Heather’s arm tightly. “Unfair!” She continued to sob as Heather rubbed her back and rocked her gently, Addison losing track of how much time they spent outside. By the time she was done, she knew all of her make-up had run with the tears, but she didn’t care. She’d been holding in her emotions for Grace’s sake, but having the breakdown made her feel better.

“Do you want to go back inside?” Heather asked gently. Addison shook her head.

“I want to just stay out here for awhile. Stay with me?” Heather smiled a little and nodded, moving closer to Addison and wrapping an arm around her shoulder. The girls sat in silence as Addison looked out across the fields that surrounded the funeral home. The sense of loss was one she’d felt only once before, and she had hoped to not feel it again for a very, very long time.  If she was honest with herself, she had hoped not to feel it ever again – she’d rather die than feel the emptiness that came with seeing someone else she loved died. Now, it was too late…she just had to figure out how to deal.
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JC trudged to his dressing room, wanting nothing more than to shut the door and take a long nap. Taping was in full swing, and it had been a very long day. He was thrilled though that, for the most part, the crews had done their part to fulfill their individual challenges – made his job more fun.

As he collapsed into his make-up chair, his phone buzzed from his pocket. He answered quickly when he saw that his sister was calling; he hadn’t spoken to her in a couple of days, and he was curious to see how things were going out there. “Hey!” he greeted enthusiastically as he picked up her call.

“Josh. Man is it good to hear your voice.” She sounded exhausted, which worried JC. Something told him the wake might not have gone well.

“Everything OK Heather? You don’t sound great…”

“It’s OK. Well, not really.” He could hear the edge in her voice, which made him sit up straight in his make-up chair in his private dressing room.

“What’s going on?”

“Well…it’s Addy,” she started with a sigh. “I’m worried about her Josh. She had a breakdown today, and I know this can’t be easy for her. Probably brings back memories of her own parents, which isn’t good, I’m sure. She’s been crying on and off for the past four hours; I think she might finally be asleep.” JC swallowed hard as his mind began going a million miles a minute. He knew the history behind the close bond shared between Addison and Grace’s family, and he had figured this funeral wouldn’t be easy on her. To hear that she might not be handling it well set off something inside that had him really worried.

“I think I should come out there,” he said quickly. “You guys need someone who isn’t emotionally tied to this situation who can be there as the rock. All of you have a vested interest in that family, and I know the funeral won’t be easy. I should be there. I should’ve gone with you.” JC knew it was a bullshit excuse he was pulling right now, but he just felt like he should be there to support them. Support her.

“Are you crazy?! You have a show to tape! I know you met Grace’s family a couple of times before and want to show your respects, but the funeral’s tomorrow. You’re gonna have to either catch a red-eye to Atlanta and drive or catch a private flight, and both options are crazy.” JC was already out of his chair and heading down the hallway to find his assistant, who had made the taping with a couple of friends.

“Both are doable, trust me. Today’s the last taping for a few days, so I can finish this and hop a flight out there. I’m coming. Just find me a hotel in Savannah.”

“Josh. Seriously. You don’t have to come. I can handle this all on my own.” JC spotted Chase in the wings of the set, talking to some people, and headed over to him quickly.

“Heather. I know how emotional you get. And to be quite honest, I should probably come out there and pay my respects anyway. It’s not that big of a deal. I’ll call when all the arrangements are made.” Before she could protest again, JC hung up and flagged down Chase. He walked over quickly with a confused look on his face.

“JC? I thought you’d be taking a break, which is why I didn’t – ” JC held up his hand to stop Chase from talking, wanting to get everything situated quickly.

“You’re not in trouble, I swear. I need you to do something for me. And fast.”
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The morning of the funeral came too quickly for Addison. She had stayed in bed as long as possible, hoping she would simply wake up from a bad dream and move on with her day. But when she woke up that morning, she knew it wasn’t a dream.

Sighing, she pulled herself out of bed at 8am and tip-toed down the stairs. The house was quiet, but she could hear voices from the kitchen and smell breakfast already going. She could feel her stomach rumble in response to the bacon, eggs and French toast cooking in the kitchen as she walked across the breakfast nook into the kitchen.

“It smells so good – ” she started as her eyes scanned the kitchen, finding Grace and Heather. She froze when her eyes landed on JC, gasping quietly. He gave her a smile as he held up his coffee mug, tipping it in her direction. She could feel the women stare at the two of them, the awkward silence making it harder for Addison to form words.

“Morning Addison.” JC broke the silence, keeping his eyes on her.  “Coffee?” Before Addison could get a word out, she bolted for the kitchen door that led to the back yard, walking as fast as her bare feet could carry her as far away from the kitchen as possible. She heard JC calling out her name but continued to walk, trying to pull her scrambled brain together again. It was safe to say he was the last person she expected to see in the kitchen that morning.

Before long, she heard feet running up and felt an arm reach out for her. She stopped in her tracks and spun around, coming face to face with a slightly out-of-breath JC. “What the hell are you doing here?” she blurted out without thinking. “I swear, you were not here last night when I went to bed.” She could tell JC was trying to keep a smirk off his face as he shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

“I caught a red eye after a taping last night. I’m here today and will leave tomorrow afternoon with Heather. Just felt like I should be here to pay my respects, and I don’t have another taping until the middle of next week.” Now that JC had mentioned the red-eye flight, Addison noticed that his eyes looked bloodshot, and he just looked tired overall.

“What time did you land?” Curiosity was getting the best of her; she wanted to know why exactly he was there, but she needed to ease into it first.

“Uh…around 4am Savannah time. Took about six hours to get here, then add in the time change and…yeah. But I slept most of the flight, so I’ll be fine through the funeral.” Addison shook her head and continued to walk, still not believing that he was actually there. She kept her pace slow though, allowing JC to walk beside her without killing himself.

“Why are you here?” She didn’t stop walking but looked over at him. “What made you come?”

“Before I answer, can we sit somewhere? You don’t have shoes on, and it’s not like we’re in the city where there aren’t snakes and other creatures that can bite.” Addison smiled a little and nodded, pointing at a fire pit that was set up not far from where they were. They made their way over silently, Addison trying to calm her nerves as much as possible. She sat in a chair across from JC and kept her eyes on him.

“OK. Now. Shoot. Why are you here?” He ran his hand through his hair before shrugging.

“I just…I felt like I should pay my respects. It was the right thing to do.”

“Bullshit Josh, and you know it. Are you gonna tell me the truth, or am I gonna ignore you the rest of the time you’re here because you’re lying?” He raised an eyebrow at her as he sat up straight. It was silent for a few moments before he finally answered.

“Look Ads. I know that this must be hell for you. Don’t think I forgot everything you told me about your history with this family – how they took you in when you were 12 after your parents died, how they legally adopted you at 13, and how they’ve been your only family since that time. I know that Grace’s dad was like a second dad to you, and I just…I wanted to be here for you.” Addison felt the tears welling up again as she bit on her lower lip to keep them from falling.

“You don’t have to be here,” she replied softly. “I can handle it on my own.” JC sighed and stood up, then walked over to the chair nearest to her and sat down.

“No Addison. You can’t. It may have been awhile since you and I spent some time together, but I remember you. I still know you. No one else understands the bond between you guys except for Grace, and she’s grieving right now, too. I know you don’t want to burden her with your true feelings, and Heather won’t get it because she doesn’t know the whole story. But I do. I know. I just…I just want to be here for you.” Addison felt her heart melting at JC’s sincere words. How could he still be the same amazing guy after all this time? And why was she surprised that he hadn’t changed a bit?

“That’s very sweet of you,” she told him with a sad smile, a couple of tears escaping. When JC gently wiped them away, she lost it again, her emotions letting loose for the second time in less than 24 hours. She felt JC pull her into his lap as the sobs came again, not bothering to hold back. She felt safe in JC’s arms, felt like he could make any issue go away. She allowed herself to get lost in that safe feeling as she cried for what felt like hours, letting JC comfort her with soft words and light touches. When she finally exhausted herself of tears, JC was still there, holding her, wiping the tears away.

“You feeling better now?” he asked with a soft smile, giving her a squeeze. She simply nodded. “Want to head back inside?” Addison preferred to stay out there with him, but she knew she needed to get back inside if they were going to get ready for the funeral and leave with everyone else. She nodded as she stood up, wiping the remaining stray tears away.

“I…I’m glad you’re here,” she admitted as they started to talk back to the house. “Thank you for coming. Thank you for remembering.” JC took her hand and held tight, Addison not even bothering to let go. It felt too good to let go. He didn’t respond, but no words needed to be said. As much as Addison hated to admit it, she knew that JC’s presence would make the funeral easier to handle, that he would be able to calm her nerves. She also knew that could spell trouble for her and her emotions, but for now, she wouldn’t dwell on that. She was just grateful he was there.
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The funeral was beautiful. JC was surprised at how many people attended the funeral, and how many more had sent their condolences in one way or another to the family. JC and Heather sat in the row behind Grace, Addison and Grace’s family members, but JC always kept one eye on Addison. She was flawless when she gave her own eulogy, leaving not one dry tear in the house as she talked about how the family had taken her in, how Grace’s father had doubled as a second father, and how much she’d miss him. It even had JC in tears, but she shed none. She was perfect.

After the funeral and burial, JC headed back to his hotel to give the family space. He barely spoke to Addison during the entire thing, but he knew he’d be able to talk to her later. He was also dead tired and wanted nothing more than to sleep the next few hours away. He managed to get out of his suit before he collapsed on the comfy queen size bed, falling asleep in seconds. A soft knock on the door startled him awake.

“Hang on just a second,” he called out groggily, checking the time on the nightstand. It was nearly 8:00, which meant JC had been sleeping for a good six hours. Groaning at how much of the day he’d wasted, he pulled on a pair pajama pants he dug out of his small suitcase and trudged to the door. Addison greeting him shocked him awake.

“Oh God. I woke you up. I’m so sorry – I’ll just come back.” Before Addison could turn away and leave, JC grabbed her arm gently.

“No no. I needed to wake up anyway – I’ve been out since I got back. Everything OK?” He could see that her face was still red with embarrassment, which he found absolutely adorable.

“Yeah yeah – just wanted to check on you and see how you were doing. I couldn’t get a hold of you on your phone, so I just came by. Had to pick up something from a shop nearby anyway.” JC wasn’t sure how much truth there was to the shop story, but he didn’t say anything. He was just glad she’d come by.

“I’m fine, I promise. You eulogy was beautiful today Ads. I know he would’ve been proud.” She smiled sadly and nodded her thanks.

“I appreciate that. I’m just glad it’s over and we can move on. I think Grace’s mom is finally coming out of her shell and showing some life now that he’s really gone. She actually apologized to us for the way she’s been acting, which caused Grace to break down completely, finally. The two of them were sobbing in her dad’s office when I left. I had to get out of there.” A sad look took over Addison’s face, and JC invited her in quickly before she started crying again.

“Are you sure you’re going to be OK? I know I keep asking, but I’m just worried about you.” Addison nodded as she sat down on the edge of JC’s bed and wrung her hands nervously in her lap.

“Yeah. I’ll be fine. I’m already better now that the funeral’s over. I’m ready to get home and move on. The reading of the will is tomorrow, which is why I’m staying until Monday – I think Grace is sticking around for another week to tie up loose ends.”

“Do you think she’ll move back now that her dad’s gone?” Addison shrugged.

“I don’t know. She might. She says she loves LA and her dad wouldn’t expect her to, but I’m not sure she wants to leave her mom here like this. I think her mom’s sister is moving in for awhile, which will help – but still. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was back here in a year.” JC nodded as a phone started ringing. Addison rolled her eyes as she reached in her dress pocket and hit the ignore button. “I know that’s Heather or Grace. I’ll get back in a little bit. Do you…do you want to come back with me?” JC smiled and shook his head.

“I’m good here. I’ll probably grab a bite to eat, watch some TV and head back to sleep. My body’s screaming at me to get more sleep.” Addison chuckled and shook her head.

“I can’t believe you flew out here like this for just one day. You’re crazy, but it meant the world to me.” The mood turned serious as JC moved from the door to the bed, sitting down beside Addison. “It really meant the world to me. Thank you for coming out.”

“I wouldn’t miss it. I’m just sorry I waited so long to fly out. I should’ve been here when Heather was.”  JC watched Addison continue to wring her hands, knowing she was nervous. He placed his hands over hers gently to steady her, tucking a piece of stray hair out of the way when she looked up at him. He swallowed hard as he got lost in her eyes, trying not to drown completely in them.

“Is it…is it OK if I stay with you for a little bit? Hang out? I can’t handle the sadness in the house right now. I’ll just text Heather and tell her that we’re going to grab a bite to eat.” JC smiled and nodded, excited that she was going to stay for a little while.

“Sure. Stay as long as you want. Know where we can get some grub?” Addison nodded with a bright smile – the brightest JC had seen that day.

“Yeah. I know just the place.”

Addison sat back in her chair, completely satisfied and full. But she had a piece of sweet potato pie staring her in the face, and there was no way she’d let that go to waste.

“Remind me again how you found this place?” JC asked as he took a sip of coffee. He’d just finished his own slice of cherry pie and didn’t look to be in as much of a food coma as Addison was at that moment. She managed to sit up in her chair as she scanned the place again, smiling.

“Grace and I have been coming here for years. This place opened when we were in high school, and every time we come home, we take way too many meals here. The owner is a friend of Edna’s, so I’m not surprised the food is amazing every time we come here.” Addison took a bite of her pie and nearly melted into her chair. She considered ordering a whole pie to take back with her; she just couldn’t find food like this in LA.

“Thanks for bringing me here. It was absolutely delicious. I might come back here just to eat here.” Addison chuckled as she continued to eat through her slice of pie; she’d found her appetite again and wasn’t leaving until the pie was finished. “So…are you OK?” Addison looked at up JC and smiled softly, nodding.

“Yeah Josh. I’m OK. Really.” She put her fork down and wiped her mouth with her napkin, sighing. “You know, when my parents were killed in that crash, I was still a little too young to understand death. I knew I’d never see them again, but it took awhile for the enormity of the situation to it me. With this, it was different. I mean, that man took me into his home when I nearly went into foster care and took care of me.  Paid for my college, helped put me through culinary school, treated me like his own daughter…and I will never be able to repay him for saving me. The fact that he’s gone is just…it’s hard. Just as hard as when I lost my parents.”

She looked to her right and stared out the picture window, smiling sadly as she recounted various memories of Grace’s dad. “I’m sorry Ads. I wish I knew what I could do to make it better,” JC said softly, cutting into her thoughts. She looked back over as she felt his fingers brush over her hand gently. She tried not to make her sharp intake of breath obvious as his hand lingered on top of hers.

“You being here has made it easier to deal with,” she admitted. “I’m not quite sure I’ll be able to repay you for going through all this trouble.” JC squeezed her hand gently before pulling away. Addison wished he’d kept his hand on hers but didn’t make it obvious she thought so.

“Well, how about you come back to my room and watch a movie with me, then we’ll call it even. Or, we can just talk. Or go for a walk. Or whatever. I just want to make sure you’re OK.” She nodded as the owner of the restaurant and Edna’s friend, Dottie, walked over.

“Well well. I was wondering if I’d get to see you again before you left,” Dottie said in her big Southern drawl, grinning as Addison stood up to give her a long hug. “You holdin’ up OK sugar? How’s Gracie and her momma?”

“They’re…they’re holding up. I think things will get better now that the funeral’s over.” Dottie nodded sadly before focusing her attention on JC.

“Now Addison, I don’t think you’ve introduced me to this fine fella you’ve been in the company of this evening. If he’s not your boyfriend, he should be – he’s a looker.” Addison laughed, trying not to be embarrassed, as JC grinned and stood up.

“Joshua Chasez ma’am. Pleasure to meet you. Dinner was fantastic.” Dottie shook his hand and eyed Addison, giving her the “You take him before I do” look she had seen her give other customers.

“Well, I hope you’re taking good care of my girl here. She deserves the best.” Addison blushed as JC glanced over at her, amusement in his eyes.

“Yes ma’am – only the best for Addison. I’m taking care of her, promise.” Dottie patted JC’s cheek affectionately and nodded.

“Good. Now, get out of here while the night’s still young.” Addison’s mouth fell open as she shook her head sternly.

“No Dottie. We’re paying – ” Dottie’s stern look made her shut her mouth quickly.

“Now look here sugar. You’ve had a rough week. The least I could do is provide a hot meal for you and your friend here. Now, just promise to come see me one more time before you leave town, OK?” Addison tried not to tear up again as she gave Dottie a long hug. She and JC said their good-byes before heading out into the cool fall night. Things had been so chaotic lately that Addison hadn’t realized that her part of the world had been plunged into fall. Leaves changing, Halloween decorations out and about, pumpkins scattered across front porches…it was definitely that time of the year.

“So…do you want to head back to the hotel?” Addison breathed in the cool air before nodding.

“Probably a good idea. I don’t have a jacket, and it’s probably not a good idea to get sick right before I head home.” JC grinned and extended his arm, which Addison took without hesitation. The walk back to the hotel was comfortably silent, Addison enjoying JC’s company and the perfect Savannah night. He let her back in his room and turned on the TV.

“OK. Movie suggestion. I’m almost positive I saw that Lord of the Rings was going to be on, and I know how much you love that series…we can watch that?” Addison gave JC a look as she sat down on the edge of the bed and slipped out of her shoes.

“How’d you know I love that series?!”

“Heather has a big mouth.” Addison laughed as JC sat down at the head of the bed, slipped out of his own shoes and got comfortable. “You know, you can join me up here. I won’t bite, promise.” Addison swallowed nervously but nodded, crawling up the bed to sit beside him. As the opening credits for the first Lord of the Rings movie began playing, she looked over at JC. For the first time in quite some time, she really took him in. He didn’t look like he’d aged a day since she’d met him. His haircut was infinitely better, but everything else was the same. He was the same overly attractive, ridiculously sweet man she’d met all those years ago, and it made her heart twinge. If she let herself, she could fall for him all over again in a heartbeat.

“Thank you,” she finally said. JC, who had been completely engrossed in the movie and hadn’t noticed her staring at him, looked over with a puzzled look on his face. “Thank you for coming out here. I can’t say it enough Josh, seriously.” He gave her that cute lopsided grin she loved as he opened his arms, inviting her closer. She scooted in and rested her head against his chest without a second though, her eyes closing for a brief second as she felt him kiss the top of her head.

“I’m always here Addison. I’ll always be here. I promise. Now, tell me – would you pick me over Legolas?” The semi-serious moment turned amusing as Addison laughed out loud.

“Honey, you don’t want me to answer that question.” She turned her head to look up at him, his scowl meeting her amused eyes.

“Figured.”
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The bright sunlight streaming through the half-open curtains awoke JC the next morning, who grumbled his displeasure with the rude awakening.

“Why is it so damn bright?” he grumbled as he blinked his eyes a few times to adjust to the sunlight. When he heard a sleepy voice mutter something incoherent, his eyes slowly shifted to his right and his eyebrows raised. There was Addison, curled up under the covers, fast asleep. JC’s first thought was that she looked damn gorgeous asleep; his second thought was trying to figure out how she’d stayed the night.

Then he remembered: both of them must have fallen asleep during the long-ass Lord of the Rings movie. JC slept like a rock that night – best night’s rest he’d gotten in weeks, actually – so he hadn’t even realized that Addison was still there. He couldn’t help but smile as he fought the urge to kiss her good morning. The tender, one-sided moment was broken up with the vibrating of JC’s phone on the bedside table.

“Hello?” he answered gruffly, sleep still in his voice.

“Oh Josh – thank God. Is Addison with you? She didn’t come back last night.” He peered over at her for a few seconds before answering.

“Yeah. We were watching a movie last night and fell asleep. She’s still out.” He heard his sister breathe a sigh of relief.

“I figured that’s where she was, but I was still freaking out. I’ll tell Grace – she’s freaking out, too. I was afraid something had happened to her, so I changed our flights to late this afternoon. I hope you don’t mind.” JC looked over at the alarm clock and realized it was just short of 8am; their original flight was to leave at 2pm, so this gave JC more time to sleep. Fantastic.

“That’s fine with me. Once Addison wakes up, I’ll make sure she gets home. Promise.”

“Good. Come with her so you can say bye to Grace’s mom and Edna, OK?” JC promised to do so before hanging up and setting his phone back down. He was about to drift back off to sleep when he heard Addison shift beside him.

“Josh? What time is it?” she asked groggily, her sleepy sexy voice making JC groan softly under his breath. Damn that was hot.

“Around 8. Go back to sleep for another hour or so, OK? I’ll go back to Grace’s with you once you’re awake.” Addison didn’t say anything but rolled over so that she was facing him, her head resting on his shoulder. She draped an arm over his stomach curled her fingers around his arm, holding him close as she drifted back to sleep. JC swore under his breath as he looked down at her. How in the world could she have him on the verge of being hooked again with just a simple touch?

JC tried hard to go back to sleep, but Addison being so close to him kept him awake. Instead, he checked his email and watched TV with the volume low, enjoying having Addison practically in his arms. It wasn’t long before he found himself making soft, lazy circles around her back with his hand and running his fingers through her auburn hair as if they had been together for ages. While Addison was sleeping, it gave him time to think about everything that had gone down the past few days.

If he was truly honest with himself, he knew that he would date Addison again in a heartbeat. The unresolved feelings between them were probably a major reason why things were so awkward, and JC was sick of it. He just wanted to figure out – once and for all – if he and Addison still had something special or if he was just imagining it. He knew then that he at least had to try; if he didn’t try, he’d have no one to blame but himself.

Just like the first time, JC wasn’t sure when things had changed between them. Maybe things hadn’t changed at all and they were trying to force a friendship from something that could be much more than that. Being a hopeless romantic at heart, JC chose to believe that there was something more there that was worth exploring, even if Addison fought him on it. The first time around, she had fought him on their relationship – this time, he had to prove to her that he was worth it. He wouldn’t hurt her again.

Now…how would he go about doing that?
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 When Addison woke up for the second time, the first thing she noticed was how close she was to JC. The second was that his hand was running through her hair. She fought a smile as she let her eyes flutter open and let them adjust to the sunlight streaming into the room.

“Morning sunshine,” she heard JC greet her. She reluctantly rolled away from his embrace as she stretched, looking around for a clock. “You sleep OK?”

“Best sleep I’ve gotten in weeks,’ she let herself admit out loud as she found the bedside clock. 9am. She felt like she could sleep for days but knew that wasn’t possible. “Thanks for that,” Addison added as she scooted to the edge of the bed and stood up, stretching again. “What time are you leaving? I thought you’d have to be at the airport by now.” JC shook his head, Addison taking his stretched-out form in. God he was gorgeous, even in the morning.

“Well, Heather changed our flights because she and Grace were freaking out when you didn’t come home last night.” Addison’s eyes went wide as her mouth fell open.

“Shit. I didn’t tell Heather I was staying. God, they must’ve freaked out.” Addison felt herself go into crisis mode, and she began walking around the room to gather her things. She found her purse and dug through it for her mints, popping three in her mouth to curb the morning breath she could do nothing about until she got back to Grace’s. As she went to dig for her keys, she felt JC stop her with his hands and turn her to face him, his eyes calm. That look immediately calmed Addison down.

“It’s OK Ads. Heather knows you’re here now. Our flight is now tonight sometime, so we’ve got some time – she just said for both of us to go to Grace’s when we’re ready.” She heaved a sigh of relief as she relaxed, nodding.

“I’m an idiot. I didn’t mean to crash here last night Josh.” She watched as a slow smile crept across JC’s face and he swept a wisp of hair out of her eyes.

“No no. It’s fine. I…I enjoyed having you here, actually.” Addison felt that familiar tingle in the pit of her stomach – the one only JC had been able to give her that was a combination of nerves, butterflies and hormones – and immediately began shaking her head, pulling away. “Do you want to grab some breakfast? I think there’s room service.” Addison shook her head as she pulled away from JC and started walking towards the door.

“I should probably get back,” Addison said as she reached for the handle. She couldn’t let her emotions get in the way – not right now. “I don’t want them worrying about me any more than they already have.” As Addison turned the handle, she heard JC clear his throat behind her.

“I think I still have feelings for you.” She froze, letting the handle slip out of her hand and the door shut in front of her. “No – I don’t think I still have feelings for you. I know I still have feelings for you. I wouldn’t have come down here for just anyone Addison. I’ve been trying to fight it since I saw you in the shop that first time, but I just…I can’t let you walk away again.” Addison turned slowly to face JC, who had shoved his hands in his pajama pants pockets. The look on his face – an almost pleading one – tore at Addison’s heart. Was he serious right now?

“Josh…I just…” Addison sighed, not sure what words to use. “I don’t think there’s anything there anymore. I just don’t.”

“Bullshit,” he said quickly, walking towards her. “Why do you think things are so awkward between us? We can’t just be friends because there’s still something there. I know it.” Addison felt her heart race as she shook her head, not wanting to entertain the notion. Even if there was some truth to his words, why would he pour out his feelings now? Couldn’t he have waited until they got home?

“Can we talk about this when we get back to LA?” she pleaded. “I just…I can’t deal with this right now.”

“Ads. I’m not asking us to jump straight back into a relationship, but…I care about you. A lot. I want to at least have the chance to date you again, see if there’s really something there or if I’m just imagining it. Right here, right now, I’m asking you to go on a date with me when we get back. Hell, why don’t we go out on Tuesday? You’ll be back by then, right?” Addison gave JC a look before she started laughing. He was really being serious, wasn’t he?

“Josh…” Her voice trailed off, but a smile remained on her face. The fact that he’d come out there, paired with the other things that had happened since they’d reconnected, was damning evidence that maybe something there was worth exploring. She might be getting a second chance with the only man she’d ever considered falling in love with – hell, had probably fallen in love with during their short time together – and she knew she would be stupid to bypass it.

“I see your brain processing,” JC said softly, sounding amused. “Does that mean you’ll go out with me?” Addison grinned as she nodded slowly.

“Yes. I’ll go out with you. Tuesday night. There’s a new restaurant and bar not far from where my shop is; we can go there.” JC’s wide grin made her heart melt.

“Awesome. I’ll meet you at the shop at 8?” Addison couldn’t help but grin back.

“Yeah. At 8.” She gave him one last smile before turning on her heels and walking towards the door. She didn’t look back as she stepped out into the lobby, but she knew JC was still smiling behind her. This whole thing could blow up in her face or be the most perfect situation – but she knew that if she didn’t try, she’d regret it. She had to try.

JC was all but convinced that Addison was standing him up. He'd been waiting an hour and hadn't heard from Addison since her "traffic's a bitch; I'm gonna be late" text 30 minutes before that. Had she changed her mind?

"Of course she did," JC muttered under his breath as he finished his second glass of wine and plopped the glass on the kitchen island. Why had he expected for her to come to dinner anyway? It's not like she owed him anything. Beyond disappointed, JC headed to the oven to turn it off of warmer mode and take out the lasagna he'd slaved over for an hour. As he got ready to cut himself a piece, the doorbell rang.

"Josh! Open up! It's me!"

Shit.

JC froze, the knife in midair. For a few seconds, he didn't know what to do next - the doorbell had caught him completely off-guard. When it rang again, accompanied by several short knocks on the door, JC jumped and brought himself back to reality. He set the knife down and hurried to the door, tugging at the bottom of the white long-sleeved thermal he'd thrown on over a pair of dark-wash jeans. As he wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans and reached for the doorknob, he prayed to the stars above that he wouldn't fuck this up.

"You thought I'd stood you up, didn't you?" JC laughed and shrugged, indicating he'd been busted.  "I'm so sorry Josh. Traffic was terrible. I tried to get here as fast as I could." He shook his head and smiled, stepping aside so she could step in.

 "It's OK. I actually just took the lasagna out of the oven. Hope you're hungry." Yes, he had fibbed just a little bit, but he didn't want Addison thinking he'd really given up on her showing up. He gave her an appreciative once over as she tossed her purse on the couch and slipped out of her heels. She had on an orange skirt and white graphic tee with random accessories, but JC only noticed how hot she looked. Her hair was curled and pulled back in a messy ponytail, a look JC loved. He inhaled deeply, forcing himself to keep his thoughts chaste before he got into trouble. 

"It smells amazing Josh. I'm absolutely starving." Grinning, he showed her to the kitchen and helped her sit at the kitchen island before grabbing her a glass of wine. "Huh. Moscato, huh? Heather must've told you this is my version of crack." JC laughed and nodded as he finally cut into the lasagna.

"She did. It's a little sweet for my liking, but it's still good. I've got red and white in the chiller, too, if you want something else with the lasagna." JC cut two helpings and slid them on plates, walking them over to Addison and setting her plate in front of her. He sat down as she took a bite and moaned in appreciation.

"You are an amazing cook. Wow. This is GOOD." JC nodded his thanks as he took his first bite, surprised at how good it had turned out. He'd attempted lasagna a handful of times, and it had been awhile since he'd made it. He got two more bites in before Addison cleared her throat and set her fork down.

"Everything OK?" JC asked, setting his own fork down and turning to face her.

"Oh yeah - it's fine. But this isn't the way I had envisioned our date starting - me waltzing in an hour late and jumping straight to dinner. So...let's start over. Hi." JC laughed, his racing heart slowing down. He was absolutely expecting the worse to happen during this entire date, so he thought she was going to say something about leaving, not starting things over.

"Hi. You look great."

Addison blushed and nodded her thanks. "So do you. Your baby blues really pop. I love it." The two of them stared at each other in silence for a few seconds, the sexual tension sizzling between them. Before JC could counter and say something completely stupid, he turned back to his lasagna and picked up his fork.

"I uh...I have salad in the fridge. And a cheese platter, too." Addison shook her head as she took her fork back and started eating again. 

"This is great. I'm fine with this. I didn't think it was possible, but you've become a better cook since the last time I had your food. I'm glad you invited me in instead of going out." JC smiled as he took another forkful of lasagna, trying to calm his nerves. Why was this so weird? It had been so natural when they'd dated the first time...this was just awkward.

The duo ate in silence for what felt like eons, but was probably only a few minutes, the only sound being the scraping of forks and the sips of wine. Addison wouldn't even look at him, which made the whole situation even more awkward.

Deciding the ice needed to be broken, JC took a long gulp of moscato and cleared his throat. "So. How was your flight back?" Addison shrugged as she chewed.

"It was OK. Nothing eventful. Was hard to leave Grace and her mom, but they need their time to grieve and heal."

"And how are you doing?" JC almost regretted asking the question as he watched Addison set her fork down and heard her sniffle.

 "I uh...it's hard. Still a little hard to believe I won't ever see him again. It's tough." JC sat in silence as Addison wiped some tears away and took another sip of wine. "I know I told you already, but thank you for coming out there. It did more good than you'll ever know." JC cautiously put his hand on Addison's shoulder and rubbed it gently as she began to cry softly, using the napkin JC had set out with their place settings to wipe away the tears. She leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder, JC pulling her chair closer to make her more comfortable.

"I honestly can't imagine what you're going through Ads, but I'm here for you. It was only logical that I go out there and be there for you."

"But why? You and I aren't dating. We're still getting reacquainted with one another after so long. Why go through all that for me?"

"Because I care about you," JC responded without thinking twice. "You are special to me. You've always been special to me. And now that I get this chance to get to know you again, be a part of your life, I want to be there for you. We have a history, one that isn't easily forgotten. I wasn't about to let you suffer on your own." Addison didn't answer but simply nodded her understanding, still sniffling.

"Well, I appreciate it. Thanks." He felt Addison plant a gentle kiss on his cheek before pulling away, making JC's face burn. He fought to control the urge to kiss her back as Addison went back to eating her dinner. "So when do you go back to ABDC?"

Glad for a subject change, JC took a sip of wine before answering. "Tomorrow. We've got a taping tomorrow evening. You should come to one some time. I can get you tickets." Addison grinned as she chewed.

"That would be amazing. I love that show. Been watching since the first season." JC looked over and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Seriously? You've been watching?"

"Of course! Contrary to popular belief, I didn't tune you all the way out during the last decade. You always have something insightful to say, and the dancing is fun to watch. You're a good judge."

Floored, JC wasn't quite sure what to say. "I'm surprised you didn't throw something at the TV every time you saw me," he mumbled through a bite of lasagna. He heard Addison snort beside him, causing him to turn his head to look at her. 

"Geez Jace. I know that the way you and I ended wasn't ideal, but I still cared about you. We were friends first."

"Well, you should've said that ten years ago when you took off from the tour and didn't tell anyone where you were going." Well. THAT came out of nowhere, JC thought to himself. He hadn't meant for that to come out so snarky - or at all - but he couldn't take it back now. Maybe drinking that third glass of wine had been a bad idea. He saw Addison clench her jaw out of the corner of his eye, and he braced himself for her wrath.

"You broke up with me Jace. I didn't have to tell you a damn thing. Everyone else knew but you, and that was the way it should've been. You stopped caring about me, so you kicked me to the curb and found someone else a couple of weeks later. So don't even go there, because you do not want to feel the wrath I've built up against you the last ten years." He kept his head down as Addison slammed her fork on the table and stood up quickly, nearly knocking her chair over. He fully expected her to storm out of his house - and maybe out of his life - but instead, she headed to the kitchen and started loudly rummaging through his cabinets. It only took seconds for him to realize her intention.

She was going to make cupcakes.
---
"Addison. What in the hell...?" Addison shook her head, opening every cabinet to find ingredients. JC always had a stocked kitchen, so she knew he had everything she'd need. She just had to figure out where everything was - and she needed to do it while keeping her mouth shut, before she really laid into JC.

 "Oh, you know me - I tend to bake when I get pissed off. That's what I'm doing now. I can't get back to my own kitchen fast enough, so your kitchen will have to do." Without waiting for a response, she continued to rummage around until she had ingredients, measuring cups, bowls and his KitchenAid mixer all lined up. She'd even found muffin pans and cupcake liners - it was almost like he was expecting her to waltz into his kitchen and make cupcakes.

She didn't bother to look in JC's general direction as she turned on the oven and laid out all of the ingredients. She let her natural baker side take over as she began measuring the dry ingredients and tossing them into a large bowl she'd found in a nearby cabinet. She made herself focus on the baking to get her anger back under control, before she exploded and ended any chance of the two of them resolving whatever the hell was going on between them.

How dare this son of a bitch tell me it wasn't OK to walk out, Addison huffed to herself. The man started dating Bobbi not long after he dumped me! How am I supposed to bounce back from that?!

"Did you cheat on me with Bobbi? Is that why you dumped me?" Addison hoped JC could hear the spite, the anger, the sourness in her voice as she continued to measure and mix ingredients for her peanut butter cupcakes.

"Dude. NO. It wasn't like that, at all. Come on Addison - what would make you think that?!" She was a little surprised that JC had the balls to sound shocked by her accusation.

"Oh, I don't know...maybe the fact that pictures of the two of you making out backstage got out less than a month after you left me. Or that you were calling her your girlfriend less than two months after we were done. That's an awful fast time to turn around and have a relationship that wound up lasting for years, don't you think?" She managed a quick look up at JC, who was stone-faced and staring at his nearly-empty plate. 

She rolled her eyes and shook her head, quieting down again to focus on the batter. On the inside, she was stewing. She had so many things she wanted to say to him - much of it hurtful - but she had to keep it in check. She had spent months being consumed by bitterness and anger, and she didn't want that to happen again. 

The kitchen remained dead silent, except for the random noises Addison created by baking - the mixer combining all the ingredients together with a fast whirr, the spatula scraping the sides of the bowl, the loud clink of the muffin pan on the counter as Addison prepared it for the batter. She could feel JC watching her, but she didn't dare look up again; she just kept her had down and worked. When the oven was ready, she gently slid the filled pan into the oven, closed the door and went about cleaning up her mess. All of that took a good 30 minutes, from what Addison could tell, and now she was more than ready to go home. 

As Addison finished wiping down the counters and set her mind on leaving, she heard JC clear his throat. "You know, you mattered to me back then. Still do now." Addison threw her rag on the counter and put her hands on her hips, glaring in JC's direction.

"Bullshit Josh. Come on now. Again, your actions spoke louder than your words, and you were loud and clear about how you felt when you dumped me and moved on." Shaking his head, JC pushed his plate away and stood up.

"Come on. I have to show you something." Before she could tell him that he could shove whatever he had to show her up his ass, he walked out of the area and down the hallway that led to the other rooms of the house. Now curious as to where he was going, Addison huffed and followed JC's retreating figure. When she reached the room he had walked into, she stopped dead in her tracks.

Addison could do nothing more than stand at the threshold, staring. Was JC really letting her into his recording room? Heather had always said that JC's recording space was sacred and not meant for non-music folk. She took a look around the room, in awe of the space. The room was bigger than she thought it would be, with a sizeable recording both and giant soundboard that had an infinite number of knobs, buttons and other gadgets. The room was serene, with tan walls and dark brown paneling that Addison assumed helped with noise control, along with dark brown throw rugs and some furniture against the wall opposite the recording booth. The lighting was adjusted so the room had almost a seductive feel to it - dim and low in the middle, but the spotlights lining the wall highlighted the various accolades JC had received as a member of *N Sync and solo artist. She couldn't help but smile as she quickly scanned the platinum records, trophies, first presses...she remembered JC getting most of those like it was yesterday. All of the anger she had melted away as she took in the room.

"Why are you still standing there?" Addison could hear the confusion - and amusement - in JC's voice as it broke through her trip down memory lane.

"Am I even allowed in here? Heather told me this space is sacred. I'm not about to break the sacred." JC just laughed.

"Of course you can come in. I have something to show you." Addison took one cautious step, then another cautious step, into the room as JC turned towards the back wall. She squinted to get a better view of what JC was headed towards, then walked quickly across the room to stand by JC. She heard him chuckle as she scanned the wall, her jaw dropping.

"Holy crap Josh. All of these are yours?! You must have doubled your record collection since the last time I saw you!" She looked at the dozen storage cubes full of records, realizing quickly that they were grouped by genres.

"I collected all the albums I could, including the ones that we did as a group, Justin did solo and I did solo. There's actually one I want to give to you..." Addison raised an eyebrow at JC as he stepped up to one of the cubes and carefully removed one of the albums. He handed it to her quietly, nervously. "There's something inside there, too," he added as Addison took it and turned it around in her hands. "This was the first one off the press. I swore that if I ever saw you again, I would give this to you, no matter what places we were in in our lives."

"Josh..." She tried to hold back tears of sadness as she continued to stare at JC's first solo album. "I don't know what to say."

"Just look inside it please. This is killing me." Addison laughed a little as she slid her hand inside the record holder, careful not to bend it. She felt a card and slid it out, opening it silently. JC's familiar scrawl made her smile as she read the words:

This album is because of you. I will be forever grateful that you came into my life, even if you didn't stay. You will never know how much you mean to me. Love always, Josh

Addison pretended to read the note a couple of more times so that she could gather her thoughts. Her heart had started to race as she'd read the note, not quite sure what to think or how to react.

JC cleared his throat nervously as he shoved his hands in his pockets, causing a teary-eyed Addison to look up at him, still clutching the note. "I saved this as soon as it came off the press. I wanted you to know how much your support meant to me for all of those years, how this album was inspired by - and because of - you. So...thanks. And, this is sorta kinda proof that I really did care about you, even if you didn't know it." Addison kept looking at JC, still not sure how to handle what he'd just told her.

At that moment, Addison knew that she was too far into this to back out - that she had feelings for JC that she wouldn't be able to deny, even through the anger and resentment. She had definitely fallen for him again, and the record was the icing on the cake for her. Instead of using words, she decided to use actions. She dropped the record on the floor, planted her hands on either side of JC's face and pulled him in for a kiss. Addison felt his body go rigid, and he didn't make a move to kiss her back, so she pulled away quickly. Her heart dropped to her feet, the rejection stinging more than it should've.

"I uh...I'm sorry..." she stammered as JC stared at her, wide-eyed. "I didn't think...I wasn't..." As Addison tried to stammer out an excuse, JC suddenly pulled her back to him by her hips and crashed his lips to hers. It only took a second for Addison to wrap her arms around JC's neck and pull him closer to her, falling deeply into the kiss that she'd been waiting on for ten years. She felt JC's fingers dig into her hips as their tongues began to tangle seductively, JC's low groan setting Addison's blood on fire. 

Just as JC's hand started to slide up her shirt, Addison came back to reality and pulled away quickly, shaking her head to clear it. Her whole body burned with desire for this man, but she just couldn't do it. She wouldn't let herself get caught up like this again.

"God Josh - this is exactly how we started the last time. We got caught up. I can't do that again." JC looked just as disheveled as she felt, which made it even harder for her to pull away.

"You're right," he responded, nodding his head quickly. "I uh...I guess we should go check on those cupcakes now." Addison could hear the huskiness in his voice that she had jokingly called his bedroom voice once upon a time, and it always led to them ripping each other's clothes off. Always. To get away from the temptation as fast as possible, Addison made quick work of picking up her record from the eggshell-colored carpet, turning on her heels and leaving the room. She didn't breathe again until she got to the kitchen, relieved that JC hadn't immediately followed her. That gave her a few seconds to straighten her outfit and catch her breath.

"That was almost too easy," she muttered under her breath as she started checking the cupcakes to make sure they'd cooled down. "I'm so fucked."
---
As Addison left the room - more like ran from the room - JC couldn't do anything but watch her go. His heart was still racing, his blood was still flowing south, and he was still wasn't quite sure what had just happened. He had meant to give her the record, call it even and go eat cupcakes, not fall into the hottest kiss he'd had since they'd broken up. 

"Wow..." he whispered, absently rubbing his lips that were still searing from the kiss. JC had no idea what would've happened if they hadn't stopped kissing, but he had a pretty good idea where things were headed - and he didn't mind one bit. He was surprised at how quickly things had escalated between them, which only meant one thing.

He was totally fucked.

How could he remain friends with her without wanting to be with her - both physically and emotionally? How could they come back from that kiss and keep it platonic? There was no way in hell JC could keep that charade up. He huffed in frustration and rubbed his face roughly with his hands, not quite sure what to do next. Resisting the urge to hide out in the room until Addison decided to leave, he took a few extra seconds to calm his hormones before making his way to the kitchen.

He stood quietly at the main entrance to the kitchen, not wanting to disturb Addison's flow. She was such a natural when it came to baking, no matter what kitchen she was in. The delicious smell of peanut butter and melted chocolate was wafting through the air, making JC's mouth water. Addison was bent over a batch of cooling peanut butter cupcakes, dipping the cupcakes into a pot of the melted chocolate. He couldn't stop staring at her ass, couldn't get over how sexy she was, couldn't get over how much he'd missed her in his kitchen. It just felt natural to have her there, just like it had that fateful summer that had brought them as close as they'd ever been. JC longed for that. JC wanted that.

And, at that moment, JC decided he was going to get it.

"I think I loved you back then." He blurted it out without thinking, and he tried hard not to show his regret over those seven words as Addison's head whipped away from her cupcakes.

"Uh...come again?"

What in the hell was this man doing?!

Addison stared – hard – at JC as he shifted nervously from foot to foot, his hands shoved back into his pockets. “What in the hell are you talking about, Chasez?” She tried to keep her voice even, but it was shaking with frustration.

“I uh…I just…I fell so fast for you. And so hard. And it scared me how quickly I fell for you. So I broke it off – and I’ve regretted it every day since. I didn’t want to scare you off by being in love with you so quickly, so I pushed you away instead. And for that, I will never be able to say that I’m sorry enough.” Addison just stood there, a half-dipped cupcake still in her hand, her mind going a million miles an hour.

“What am I supposed to say to that? That I accept that you broke my heart because you fell for me? I fell for you pretty damn hard, too, kid. It wasn’t just you. Why didn’t you just talk to me? You never fucking talked to me about anything until it was too late.” JC visibly shrugged but stayed silent for a few seconds.

“I just…I don’t know. I didn’t know how to broach the subject with you. I know I handled it wrong, but please. Don’t hold that against me. I’m ten years older, ten years wiser, and have spent the last ten years missing you. I just…I want the chance to show you that what we had was real, and we might have a chance at it again. Please.”

Well. Someone certainly was in honesty – and begging – mode tonight.

Addison set the cupcake down and leaned against the counter, speechless. She let her brain try to process what was going on, but it was hard for her to do that when part of her wanted to run away and part of her wanted to run into his arms.

“You know, this is how this all started,” Addison spoke softly, looking over at JC. “I remember that day. You cornered me, told me you had feelings for me and wouldn’t take no for an answer about us dating, and gave me the best kiss of my young life. You were always so sure about things, about us. Just like you seemingly are now.” JC shrugged again, taking one step towards her.

“We’ve been winding around this for weeks now. Months. There’s just this pull that’s between us. Now that you’re back, I can’t stay away from you. Don’t want to stay away from you. And that pull won’t go away until I get another chance to be with you. I can’t take it if you’re in my life as just a friend, just like I couldn’t take it the last time.”

Addison tried to hide the grin that was sliding across her face, but it was hard to do when her inner goddess was giddy as a schoolgirl. He still wanted her, still needed her in his life. Even after so many years, so many other girls, so many other chapters – they were back to square one.

But Addison wasn’t willing to give in that easily. Instead of letting the grin slide across her face, she straightened her face, narrowed her eyes in a glare, and turned back to the cupcakes. She heard JC shuffle across the floor as she turned the stove back on to re-melt the chocolate, but she made the effort to not look up as he got closer. Her heart started to pound, and her jaw clenched, as she felt him move right behind her. 

“Addison.” His voice was soft, gentle, begging. She still refused to turn and face him, even though her heart was starting to win the battle against her brain. His cologne was starting to invade her senses, his light breathing by her ear was starting to turn her on…

She began to inhale and exhale slowly as she dipped the last of the cupcakes in the cooling chocolate, her nerves – and hormones – causing her hands to be a little unsteady. JC must have noticed, because his hands slid over hers to help her dip the last cupcake. Addison inhaled sharply at their intense connection, her heart nearly beating out of her chest.

“Addison. Please.” His soft voice made the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand up, her eyes fluttering shut as they set the cupcake down on the cooling rack. JC’s hands remained on top of hers, their fingers intertwining as Addison moved hers and JC’s arms to her sides. She continued to inhale and exhale slowly, her resolve starting to come back.

But then, she felt his lips kiss her neck gently. That was when she melted into the floor.

“Josh…” she breathed softly as he continued to kiss and nibble on her neck, then her earlobe. She inhaled sharply as JC’s lips connected with her spot – the one where her ear met her neck – and she tightened her grip on JC’s hands.

“Still the spot, huh?” She could hear the seductive undertones of his chuckle, could feel it deep inside her bones, and she knew she was done. The last of her resolve melted away as she turned around and planted her lips squarely on JC’s. It took seconds for him to pull her up against his body and deepen their kiss, their tongues meeting seductively in a delicious tango. Addison prayed to the heavens that this kiss never ended, because it was rocking her world something fierce.

JC’s hands began to roam, his hands quickly finding the hem of her shirt. Addison didn’t protest as she pulled away and put her arms up, letting JC know it was OK for him to slip it off. As he tossed it carelessly behind him, Addison made quick work of slipping out of her skirt. There was no point in being bashful with a man she’d slept with many times before, even if it had been some years.

“Wow.” Addison blushed as JC whistled under his breath and gave her an appreciative once-over. “I think you look better now than when we dated, if that’s even possible.”

“Flattery will get you far, my friend,” Addison responded with a grin as she made a move for his shirt. He whipped it off before she could do it herself, adding his shirt to her clothes on the floor. Her mouth watered as she took him in. Those abs, those arms, that chest…

Addison ran her hands over his chest in awe, causing JC to groan and his eyes to flutter shut. “I think you and I had better take this somewhere else,” he said through gritted teeth. Grinning, Addison gave his pecs a kiss before he grabbed her hand and dragged her into the hallway. Addison gasped as JC pushed her up against a wall and claimed her lips once more, his hand moving quickly to her back to unsnap her bra. She managed to get her arms out of the straps and tossed it somewhere on the floor as they stumbled down the wall and into a bedroom. JC kicked the door closed before moving them back to the bed, Addison falling onto it with JC not far behind her.

His mouth claimed hers again heatedly as Addison made quick work of unbuckling and unbuttoning his jeans. She heard him kick his jeans and boxers off almost impatiently as his mouth attacked her neck, surely leaving behind a hickey she’d have to cover up the next day. Any worry she had about a possible hickey went out the window as JC slid her underwear down her legs and tossed them aside, his hands skimming them as they trailed back up her body.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” she heard him ask as his mouth trailed kisses across her stomach, working up. She shuddered, moaned as he claimed one of her breasts.

“I would’ve stopped you already if I didn’t want this,” she managed to get out as his mouth trailed back up to her neck, then her lips. He pulled back slightly so that their eyes met, his eyes a deep, seductive blue. She ran a hand through his shaggy hair as he nudged in between her legs, positioning himself. Normally, Addison was all about the foreplay – but right now, she felt like just one touch would make her explode. She wanted all of him before that explosion happened.

He slid gently into her, Addison sighing and closing her eyes, relishing the feel of him again. She thought she heard JC utter the word “fuck” under his breath as he stayed still for a few seconds, which gave Addison time to adjust. She pulled him into a long, slow kiss as he began to move slowly, gently. Addison’s body begged for a faster pace, but she wanted to enjoy this for as long as possible.

As they found a rhythm, Addison couldn’t help but think how right this felt, how great he felt inside her again. She sighed his name against his ear as she clung to him and wrapped her legs around his waist, never wanting to let go.

JC started to pick up speed, causing Addison’s soft sighs to turn into pants and moans. He always knew what spot to hit – and how to hit it right – a trait that most men she’d been with were seriously lacking. She tried hard not to leave nail marks in his back as he pounded her, the bedframe squeaks mixing in with Addison’s moans.

“Come on Addison,” he grunted in her ear, signaling that he was close. She could feel every delicious inch of him as he picked up speed and she tightened around him, the friction almost too much. It took only a few more thrusts for Addison to tumble over the edge into bliss, moaning JC’s name loudly as she came. She gripped the bedsheets and arched her back as pleasure rippled through her body, JC’s loud groan as he came adding to her bliss. She was still shaking when JC collapsed on top of her, sweaty, panting and absolutely gorgeous.

“Holy shit,” she whispered through her pants, her heart rate starting to come down as she settled into post-sex bliss. JC rolled off of her and on to the space to her right, still panting.

“That was the best sex I’ve had in God knows how long,” she heard him say softly, running his hands roughly over his face. “You are fucking fantastic.” Addison laughed as his hand slid into hers, and he brought it up to his mouth for a kiss.

“Well, I didn’t come over expecting that to happen, but you’ll get no complains from me.” Addison turned her head to look over at JC, who had also done the same. They were both glistening in sweat and still recovering, but both had smiles on their faces.

“I really missed you Addison. Not just the sex – but all of you. I’m so glad you’re here.” Addison smiled bashfully before leaning in for another kiss. Just as the kiss started to take a turn for the steamy, they both heard a door slam. 

“Jace?”

The duo pulled away from one another and froze, Addison looking over wide-eyed at JC. He had the same look on his face, and he looked white as a ghost.

“What is Heather doing home?!” Addison whispered frantically, not quite sure what to do. Half of her clothes were in the kitchen, her bra was in the hallway…

“I don’t know!” JC whispered back, sounding just as frantic. He jumped off the bed and scrambled around to find his pants and boxers. Addison rolled into the comforter she was lying on top of, not sure if she should hide in a closet or just stay there and get caught.

“Jace? Why is Addison’s car here? Hello…where are you guys?” JC fumbled to zip up his pants and had his hand on the door handle when they heard Heather gasp.

“Wait – why are there clothes on the floor?! Oh my God – ADDISON! JACE! ARE YOU HAVING SEX?!" 

Addison hung her head as JC groaned.

Busted.