Chapter Nine

          JC had a bad feeling. He wasn't one to be intuitive or sense impending doom, but today seemed different. It started the night before when he got the call that Chris wanted to meet with everyone. He couldn't say why he had this feeling. Everything else was going good right now. The tour was going as planned, selling out every stop across the states. The album was still selling well across all markets. And while he was on the road, Olivia was keeping busy with the wedding plans-although that was causing him a little bit of stress as she was insisting on getting the most expensive of everything. And, he admitted to himself only, the fact that they had set the date-September 25, just four months away-had dazed him a bit.

          He shook off the thoughts, reminding himself that he loved his tough but sweet Livvy, as he maneuvered his Jeep into the Hollywood Hills to Chris' house. He marveled at the houses alongside his friend's and fleetingly wished he could look for one himself. But Liv insisted on staying on in New York as all of her friends and family were there, keeping her company when he was away on tour, and her job-she worked at a popular art gallery.

          As JC neared Chris' house, he saw that he was the last one to arrive. The guys had a short break, just four days off, and everyone had taken the first chance in months to spend time with their families. He put the Jeep in park behind Joey's Acura SLX and made his way to the house. He knew the door would be unlocked so he simply let himself in.

          "We're in the living room!" He heard Lance yell.

          "What's up, fuckers?" JC greeted as he   stepped down into the living room where Justin, Joey and Lance were sprawled all over the large black sofa and matching love seats watching a Dodger game on Chris' big screen television.

          "Hey, JC," Chris stepped in from the kitchen and handed a bottle of Bud Light to Joey who had turned twenty-one just four months before and tossed cans of Coke to Justin and Lance. The two friends shook hands and gave each other a quick pat on the back. "Want something to drink?"

          "Nah, I'm cool. House looks good, man," JC said his eyes roaming around the now completely furnished room.

          "Thanks. Rachel's been a big help."

          JC brought his eyes to Chris'. "You let her help you decorate your house?"

          He nodded. "Sure, why not? She's got great taste." He held out his hand to encompass the room.

          "You don't think it'd be a little weird to tell a future girlfriend your ex picked out the couch she's sitting on?"

          Chris looked at JC. He frowned slightly, then grinned. "Why don't you take a seat, C?" JC shrugged and plopped on the sofa next to Justin and the two ensued in an elbow shoving match while Chris nabbed the remote from Joey and clicked off the television.

          "Aw...I was watching that!" Lance moaned.

          "Sorry. JC's here." Chris grabbed the ottoman Joey's feet were on and moved it so he could sit facing the guys. Joey bitched and moaned again at losing his footstool then sat up in the loveseat.

          "Hey, man! What are you, guys-twelve?" Lance screeched to Justin and JC when their shoving spilled over to him.

          "So, what's up, buttercup?" Joey said, making Chris laugh and drawing the others' attention. "Why'd you drag us all here; to show off your girl's taste in furniture?" They all laughed, but JC, who tensely grinned.

          "No, I just have something I needed to share with all of you."

          Lance sat up quickly, gasping dramatically. "Oh, my god. Christopher, are you pregnant?" This time they all really did laugh. "I'm just kidding. What is it?" he asked settling back against the sofa.

          "Um, okay." Chris opened his mouth and laughed anxiously. "Wow...I didn't realize this would be so hard to say." JC frowned at Chris while Justin sat up a little straighter.

          "Just spit it out, yo. I got me a hot date." He laughed and nudged Lance, who rolled his eyes.

          "All right." Chris inhaled deeply. "I've asked Rachel to marry me," he said on his exhaled breath. Silence filled the room. "And she said yes." Chris looked at each of his bandmates, waiting for a reaction.

          "Are you kidding?" JC's voice cut into the silence. All eyes turned to him as he looked fiercely at Chris. "You're fucking joking right?" Chris' head tilted and his brows came together. JC jumped to his feet. "You're insane!"

          Lance sat up. "JC..."

          JC turned his cobalt glare on Lance. "What?" When Lance said nothing, he turned back to Chris. "Chris, you are out of your mind if you think you can do this. She's only seventeen years old, for Christ's sake."

          Chris kept his temper in check. He had expected JC to be upset, but it still surprised him. "I'm well aware of how old my fiancée is, JC. And she'll be eighteen this week. We waited until she was eighteen."

          JC planted his fists on his narrow hips. "Like that makes a damn difference? She's still too young. She's still ten years younger than you."

          "All right!" Chris jumped up from the ottoman, his heated eyes on JC. "Jace, I'm not asking for your permission. We're doing this whether you like it or not. But the time came for me to let you all know about our plans."

          "So what is your plan? What are you gonna do? You're gonna marry her and live happily ever after?"

          "JC, why are you being such a dick?" Justin spoke up, flipping his baseball cap around so the cap wasn't covering his eyes. JC turned on him.

          "Shut up, J! Just because I have the balls to tell Chris the truth-"

          "Hey!" JC looked back at Chris with wide eyes. "You're pissed at me, fine, but don't take it out on him."

          JC raked his hand through his dark wavy hair. "This is ridiculous. Chris, you cannot marry this girl."

          Chris stepped forward. "Give me one good reason why not."

          "One? You want one? I'll give you one: she's a child!" He turned to the others. "Don't any of you have anything to say? Besides Justin," he said when Justin opened his mouth.

          Justin stood from the sofa even when Lance tried to hold him back. "I really have something to say, all right?"

          "Let me guess: you're on Chris' side?"

          Justin frowned hard at him. "There are no sides here, JC. We are one group, one entity and we back each other up. Always...right?" He looked at Lance and Joey. Chris crossed his arms at their silence.

          Joey sighed. "I gotta say..." he shook his head and looked up at Chris. "I kind of agree with C on this, Chris." Chris rubbed at his eyes. "You know I like Rach, man, she's a great girl, but...dude, she's still in high school."

          "She and Maddy graduate next month," Justin offered.

          "Thanks, J," JC said dryly. "Reason number two: she's going off to college, right?"

          "Don't even go there, Jace. There are plenty of colleges all over this city. She's smart enough to get into any one of them." Chris looked at Lance, who had his head buried between his hands. "What about you, Lance?" His head shot up. "You've been pretty quiet. Got something to add to this lively discussion," he deadpanned.

          Lance held out his hands. "If you're happy, man..." Chris grinned softly.

          "That's a lie."

          "What?" Lance frowned at JC.

          "You're lying. You told me you were worried about Chris and where this relationship was going."

          Lance, normally the calmest one, leapt to his feet so quickly everyone jumped. "Don't you dare twist my words to suit you, JC. Yes, I said I worry," he said looking back at Chris. "I worry because I don't want to see you or Rach get hurt. And I worry about you, JC."

          JC lifted shocked eyes to Lance. "Me?"

          "Yes, you. I worry that you're moving too fast with Liv. She's a wonderful person and I know you love her, but you and she haven't been dating all that much longer than Chris has been with Rach. And, I gotta tell ya, there's a lot she's said and done that makes me question why she's with you."

          JC's face twisted into a scowl. "Who the hell are you-?"

          "Don't." Lance pointed a finger at him. "I have the balls to say it to your face, don't I?" JC looked away, trapped by his own words. "Look, the truth is I worry about all of you. JC and Chris...J, I worry about you and Maddy, and Joey with all of your...insignificant others." Joey grinned. "But it's because I love and care about all of you. And all I want is for all of you to be happy."

          Silence filled the room again and no one moved an inch, until Justin fell to the armrest of the sofa. Lance glanced at Chris, leaning an arm on a shelf of the entertainment center that took up one wall of the room. "So when is this wedding supposed to happen?"

          Chris slowly lifted his head. "Uh, ahem, the, uh, twelfth."

          "The twelfth? As in next Saturday from now the twelfth?"

          Chris nodded.

          "How the heck did you pull that off?" Justin questioned, dumbfounded. How could he not have known that one of his best friends was planning a wedding? Chris shrugged sheepishly.

          "When you put your mind to something..."

          Justin grinned. "Nice."

          "Nice?" Justin rolled his eyes to JC. "Nice? I can't belie-Jesus, J, you're as demented as he is," JC barked pointing a hand at Chris. "You, yourself, are barely a few months older than her. She's a teenager. She's a goddamn child!"

          "She's not a child!" Chris shouted. "Goddamn it, JC, you're talking about the woman I love. Yes, I said woman!" He screamed when JC moved to respond. He let out a frustrated huff of breath. "I can't make any of you understand what having Rachel in my life has done for me because its something I can't put into words myself. But of all of you, JC," he paused, waiting for JC to look at him. "I expected you to understand."

          JC clenched his jaw and shook his head. "She is going to get hurt so bad, Chris. You're on the road with us nine, ten months out of the year. She'll be here in this big-ass house by herself. How the hell do you plan on taking care of her?"

          Chris scoffed. "You act as if I'm the first person to do this, C. What about Liv?"

          JC's back went ramrod straight. "What about Liv?"

          Chris took a step forward. "You're going to be on the road right there next to me. Liv's going to be all by herself in New York. Are you going to take care of her?"

          JC glared. "There's a difference."

          "What difference?"

          "Olivia has a life away from me. Olivia has friends. Olivia has a job. Olivia is a fucking adult! Now in three months, Rach is going off to college and she's going to meet all these younger guys who not only have more in common with her, but they're convenient because they're there. What makes you think, with you gone, she'll be faithful?"

          Before anyone could stop him, Chris leapt forward, clutching his fists in JC's shirt and slammed him against the closest wall. Joey jumped to his feet and Lance held out his arms, blocking both Joey and Justin from moving forward. "Because I know that's coming from right here," he jammed a finger into JC's chest above his heart, "I'm going to forgive you. But don't you ever say anything like that about Rachel again." He shoved JC again before stepping back, breathing heavily.

          "I'm getting married next Saturday. And there isn't anything more I want than for the four of you to be there."

          JC pushed himself up and away from the wall and fixed his shirt. "I won't be."

          "Jesus Christ..." Justin mumbled as he fell to the sofa.

          Chris clamped down on his emotions and looked at JC through watery eyes. "I'm not going to beg you. And it hurts me to say this, especially to you, but if you won't be there for me, don't expect me to be there for you." He turned on his heel and climbed the stairs to the second floor. JC's mouth parted and he very nearly took a step after Chris.

          "Good going, JC," Justin said as he passed by him on the way to the front door.

          "What?"

          Justin stopped with the door half-opened. "You may have just caused the breakup of *NSYNC." Lance glanced at JC, who stood immobile and frowning, and said nothing as he walked out of the house after Justin. Joey moved next to JC and laid a hand on his shoulder.

          "Don't listen to him, man."

          JC looked at his friend. "Why not? The goddamn kid is right."