"You're fucking psychotic!"  Laura threw down her bag in anger and began to scream loudly. "There was never a marriage here, JC! In fact, there isn't anything here anymore...No relationship…Nothing!" Laura took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.

She bent down to pick up all the papers that had fallen out of her bag and suddenly stopped. "JC what did you expect?  Did you think that if you just ignored it long enough, the problem would go away?  You just got done giving me the ole' 'You're an incredible' heave ho speech."

Laura began jabbing her finger into his chest to get her point across, "You can't bring up not one time where I ever fuckin' lied to you.  I've never stolen from you and I sure as hell have never fucked anyone behind your back.  So for you to say that you trust that…that bitch…over me?  Then you deserve each other."

"Look, I didn't mean to blow up at you like that...I just thought we would have made this decision together."

Laura backed away and looked at him in disbelief. "Together?! We haven't made a lot of decisions together for a while now, JC." Laura picked up her bag and started out of the studio and up the stairs as she kept talking. "That paternity test and the results are a prime example of what I am talking about," she said as she stopped and turned around to look at him. "We could also bring up the fact that you moved Rachel into your house without speaking to me about it first! So don't get all high and mighty with me about not including you on any decisions, JC!" she yelled.

"It's my fuckin' house! I can move her in here if I want!" He yelled back.

"I'm your fuckin' wife!!" she screamed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Girl, you are tore up from the floor up!"

Laura laughed lightly as she let her body fall down on the couch at the club. "I'm not drunk yet, Rick. I'm working on it though."

Rick looked towards Hallie who just shook her head and looked the other way as she tapped her foot to the music.

Laura noticed that Rachel and JC hadn't shown up yet. "I wonder where the happy couple is tonight?"

"Who?" Rick asked.

"JC and Rachel." she replied.

Hallie quickly interrupted her from speaking further. "Hey Rick, can you get me a club soda from the bar, please?"

Rick agreed and walked over to the bar. Hallie moved closer to her friend who was sipping on a rum and coke. "You need to watch yourself, Lar. I know you are hurting right now but please try and keep a lid on your emotions for the next couple hours or so till this party is over."

Laura rolled her eyes and went to take another sip of her drink. Hallie grabbed it from her hand. "Let's try and put the brakes on this too while we are at it."

Laura snatched it back and sighed to herself. "You can be such a bitch at times."

"Yeah well I'll be a bitch as long as I know I'm looking out for you." she said as she snatched the drink back and dumped cigarettes from a nearby ashtray into it.

Rick returned with the club soda and handed it to Hallie. As he started to sit down next to Laura, she grabbed his hand and started to stand up. Rick quickly put out his arms when he noticed she was beginning to stumble.

"Damn, I'm fucked up." Laura laughed. "Come dance with me, Ricky." she said as she pulled his arm and guided him to the dance floor.

Nelly's "Work It" was playing throughout the club. Rick stood behind Laura as she began to sway her hips with the beat. He began to smile slightly as he watched her closely. He could almost see through her pink floral half top. He licked his lips as he looked down and noticed how tightly her jeans hugged her ass and how the waiste-line was so low. Laura slowly backed up and let her ass brush up against him. He moved in closer to her and they both began to grind. Just as Hallie turned her head away in disgust, Justin walked towards her and wondered why she was making such a weird face.

"I'm embarrassed to be associated with this chick right now. Look at her!" she pointed. Justin looked up and searched the dance floor for Laura. His eyes widened and he smiled when he finally spotted her. "She's just trying to have a good time, Hallie. Ain't that Rachel's brother?"

"Yeah that's Rick. I know she is having a good time, but come on! There's no need to do all that." she motioned.

"That's nothing compared to some of the things I've seen."

"Yeah...well the fact that she is doing it, is what is bothering me." she said as she picked up her drink.

As Rick and Laura were dancing, the music suddenly changed. Usher's "Yeah" began to play. Justin looked towards the front door and could see Joey, Chris and Lance walking into the club.

Hallie watched closely as Lance, Chris and Joey walked towards them. She looked past them and saw Rachel and JC walking in. She looked down and noticed that they were holding hands. Justin noticed the same thing. She looked towards him and saw he was deep in thought as he watched the two of them. He looked at Hallie and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm just as lost as you are right now."

They both watched Rachel and JC as they stood at the door and talked to a group of people. The waitress immediately came over and took their drink orders.

"So what's up with that?" Justin asked Joey as he looked towards JC and Rachel.

"Your guess is as good as mine, man." Joey replied. "I'm just going to mind my business for the moment. I don't want to get caught up in anybody else's bullshit but my own right now."

Chris and Justin nodded in agreement and went on to talking about other things. Hallie couldn't help but watch JC, Rachel, Rick, and Laura and wonder silently to herself if she had missed anything that had happened in the past 8 hours.

JC and Rachel finally came over and joined them. "Hey Hallie, where is Laura?" Rachel asked as she went and sat down next to her.

"Somewhere dancing with your brother." Hallie said as she took a sip of her club soda. Rachel looked up and scanned the crowd in search of Rick and Laura. JC did the same. He spotted them near the middle of the dance floor and noticed that they were grinding.

Hallie smiled and said, "I hope they are getting back together."

"They dated?" he asked loudly. JC noticed the group was silent and looking towards him. He cleared his throat and re-stated his question in a normal tone.

Justin took that as his cue to vacate the area and headed out onto the dance floor to dance with Laura as well.

"Yeah." she replied matter-of-factly. "Ever since high school up until right after some of her songs were recorded. They would have gotten married had it not been for other things."

"Oh...I never knew they dated." he explained as he turned his head and watched her. 

Laura tilted her head back in laughter as she watched Justin try to teach her how to do the air clap from the video.  She was sandwiched between both men and JC did everything he could not to look in her direction.

"Yep...The world is just full of surprises these days huh, guys?" Hallie said sarcastically as she stared at JC and Rachel.

Justin ran over and interrupted, "Why don't we go upstairs and shoot some pool, JC?"

JC was still looking towards Hallie with a scowl on his face. "Sounds like a plan."

"Baby, don't be gone too long. I want to dance with you before the night is threw." Rachel added. JC nodded as he went to follow Justin, Chris and Joey upstairs. The four men greeted people as they went upstairs to the pool tables.

"What the hell is going on? You fuckin' Rachel too now?" Chris asked.

"Just going with the flow right now, Chris. Everyday it's something new." he said as he leaned against the railing holding a pool stick waiting on Joey to break.

Justin walked over and stood next to him. "She is really hurting right now, man."

JC rolled his eyes. "So? That's what happens when deceit come back to bite you in the ass."

"I know you don't believe that...I mean just-"

"Look let's just play, Justin."

As the guys were upstairs playing pool, Hallie, Lance and Rachel were downstairs talking. Laura and Rick slowly walked back over towards them to take a break. She saw Rachel and tried her best to act happy to see her. They hugged and began to talk amongst themselves until Rachel excused herself to go to the ladies room. Laura leaned over to speak to Hallie while Rick and Lance talked amongst themselves.

"How long have they been here?" she whispered to Hallie.

"Long enough to see you making a fool of yourself out there."

Laura lightly punched Hallie in the arm. "Shut up."

Rick and Lance excused themselves to get more drinks. Laura lifted up her head and scanned the room for JC. "Where is he?"

"Upstairs playing pool with Justin and them." Hallie pointed.

Laura looked up and could see the back of Justin's head and JC standing next to him. She watched and smiled to herself when she saw him laughing and having a good time with his friends. She then spotted Rachel upstairs walking over towards him. They stood there talking to one another. She noticed Rachel say something to Justin who smiled at her and then went to take his shot.

As Hallie was setting down her drink on the table she noticed that Laura's nails were digging into the couch. She looked in the direction that Laura was staring and saw Rachel and JC kissing. Hallie grabbed her hand and held it tightly as she tried to get her attention. Rick and Lance returned with drinks. He went to hand one to Laura and noticed she was staring off into space. He called her name a few times until she finally snapped out of her trance and looked towards him. "...Huh?"

"You okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine." she said as she took the drink from his hands. Jay-Z's "Song Cry" began to play. Laura sat back and thought to herself as she feigned interest in the conversation the group was having. She gulped down her drink and began to drown in her own thoughts. JC, Justin, and Rachel started down the steps and over towards them. They immediately sat down and joined in on the discussion. JC and Rachel sat on the couch across from Laura and Hallie. JC sipped his drink and looked towards Laura who was staring at him.

I can understand why you want a divorce now

Though I can't let you know it

Pride won't let me show it

Pretend to be heroic

That's just one to grow in

But deep inside you know I'm so sick, right?

I can't see it comin down my eyes

so I gotta make this song cry...

Can't see it comin down your eyes

Gotta make this song cry...

JC's eye contact was suddenly disrupted when he looked towards Rachel who had draped her arms around his neck as she leaned in to whisper something in his ear. JC smiled and stood up and followed her to the dance floor.

The night continued and Laura did her best to take her mind off of JC and Rachel. JC did his best not to have to interact with her. He walked around and mingled with various people in the club and danced with Rachel every now and then. Hallie tried everything she could to coax Laura into leaving early. But Laura was determined to show JC and everyone else that he couldn't get the best of her. J Holiday's "Bed" began to play and Rick dragged Laura out onto the dance floor. Laura was so drunk that it was hard for her to keep her balance as they danced with one another.

Rick moved the hair away from her face and placed it gently behind her ear so he could look into her eyes. "I know you probably don't even care that I am saying this right now, but you look amazing tonight."

"Even when I am a blubbering drunk?" she joked.

"Yes," he laughed. "Even when you're a blubbering drunk." The smile faded from his face as he stared at her. "You are even more beautiful then I remember you being."

Laura looked away from him. She wrapped her arms tighter around his neck and placed her chin on his shoulder as they continued to dance.

JC was on the other side of the room talking to a group of women and doing his best impression of a guy who didn't care as he glanced over and saw Laura with her one leg draped around Rick, her head on his shoulder, and his hand on her ass holding up her leg.

Laura looked at Rick's neck and let her fingers glide across his shirt. "I never got a chance to tell you sorry for everything I put you through, Rick."

"What did you put me through, Laura?"

"I just mean that I am sorry that I put work ahead of you..."

Rick covered her mouth with his finger. "Don't apologize for following your dreams, Laura. I didn't understand that then. I ran away from us instead of hanging in there with you...And I don't want you blaming yourself for why we fell apart...I was afraid...It's not your fault."

"What were you afraid of?"

"That once you got here you wouldn't need me anymore. You'd go and date some singer and forget about me...Mr. Nobody."

"There is no way in hell that I would ever forget you." Laura smiled at him. He smiled back at her and kissed her forehead.

Laura stared down at his shirt and took a deep breath before asking, "Are you still attracted to me?"