It's been about 3 long weeks and I've kept in touch with JC. I haven't told anyone I know about Nick cheating. AJ did confront me about JC. I told him I was getting advice and JC told him I needed his opinion. I pulled Brian aside and asked him how long has Nick been unfaithful. "Umm, I don't want to be involved. How long have you known?"
"Two, almost three months, B," I tell him, folding my arms over my chest. Yeah, I'm fucking cross.
"You're better off asking Aaron."
I call Aaron as a walk away from Brian, not another word directed toward him. "Hey, Leilei."
"Acey, can we meet up?"
"What's up?"
"I'm not talking about it over the phone and come alone."
"Meet me at Friendly's?"
"An hour good?"
"Yeah, can I know what it's about?"
"Your brother. See you in an hour."
"Alright."
"Oh, don't lie or hold anything back."
"Why?"
"Just trust me."
"You know I do."
"Later."
"Later."
We hang up and I get into my blue 2003 Camero. Nick got it for my birthday in 04, he got it because I love Transformers. I'm a girl and I play video games, like Transformers, Japanimation (DBZ anyone?), play football with the guys and don't care for people (mainly chicks) like Paris. "I'm going to find out once and for all, even if I have to spar with his brother," I convince myself as I drive to JC's. It's a twenty minute drive and he's ten minutes away from the restaurant. I pull my cell out and dial a number.
Three rings and "Hello?" makes me smile.
"Josh, can I swing by?" I ask, even though I know he'll say sure because he has yet to tell me no.
"Sure, I'm in the studio."
"I'm ten minutes up the road, see you soon."
"See you then, Leilei."
I toss my phone in the passenger seat. "Fuck this shit, two can play this game," I mutter, turning onto JC's street. ETA, five minutes. And I start getting nervous and anxious. Ten houses, seven, three. I whip my car in behind his jeep and see his BMW next to it. I text him to let him know I'm here and he says to go through the garage. I do as he says, locking the door as I close the door. I go straight to his studio.
"Bring it up an octave and it'll be perfect," he tells the artist over the mic.
"Hey, Producer." I lean on the door jamb.
He keeps his eye on Ciara as a smile plays on his beautiful lips. "Leilei."
"In the flesh. Got a few minutes?"
"I will once she finishes this track and we send it to final."
I wait patiently as she hits the note and finishes the song. He praises her and she she thanks him, leaving his studio. He turns to face me, still smiling. "I might need to come by after I talk to Nick's brother."
"Oh? Why's that?"
"I'm going to get answers that I need, even if I have to beat his brother's ass."
"I figured as much. How long are you staying right now?"
I look at my watch. "Ten minutes."
"Ok, what did you want to talk about?"
"Can you be frank with me? Don't lie."
"Sure."
"How long have you known he was doubling up?"
He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose as he counts back. "About three years."
I nod, sucking in my bottom lip. "Meaning Aaron might have known longer," I say, trying not to break down or scream. "That dirty fucker."
"I told him to stop because I believe that you'll throw the nine years away and leave. You've been smart with every penny you got in cash from him, saving it for a rainy day."
"Oh, you have no clue. Plus helping Justin and James with their companies? I have a nice bank account."
"I wouldn't doubt it."
"Either way, I don't need him or anybody to support me financially."
"Leilei, I know. I have heard how hard you work and how well you save your money. You don't like spending his money or anyone else's but your own."
"I didn't earn it, I have no right to blow it."
"That's one of the reasons I like you."
My eyebrows furrow. "We can't get on this subject right now."
"Why not?"
"Because we just can't."
"Fine," he snaps at me.
"I have to go. Is ok if I stop by after I meet up with Aaron?"
"Make sure to call," he says, waving me off.
"Or text," I say, knowing the other part by memory.
"Yeah."
I head out and drive to Friendly's. I see Aaron leaning against his Impala. He knows it's my car because of the decal. I have a decal of Bumble Bee and the Autobots and Decepticons fighting on the sides of my car with my name making the ground and the Autobots posing together on the back window. I said I love Transformers. Bumble Bee is my fave. I grab my phone from the passenger seat, get out and hug Aaron. "I always loved that he picked you. You usually rock things like this."
I have a pair of light blue LEIs, a turquoise tank top, and blue/turquoise DCs on. My hair is pinned up with a clip. "Thanks. Let's go grub out."
He smiles. "Never a prissy girl," he says, dropping an arm around my shoulders. The waitress asks us how many. "Just two."
Once she seats us and takes our drink orders, I get to the point. "I want you to tell me everything. Don't sugar coat it, don't lie and don't withhold a damn thing."
"Ok."
The waitress puts our sodas on the table and I thank her. We order the shrimp and fish & chips baskets, knowing we share our plates. We always have. "How long has he been doubling up on me?"
He stops moving, his brown eyes on me and silent for a few seconds. He clears his throat. "He's been doing it for just over three years."
"When exactly?"
"Just a few days before Brian's birthday in 08."
"Japan?"
"Yeah, with a dancer."
"I knew I should've gone on that tour."
"I'm sorry."
"You can't control him. It's not your fault. Did you at least scream at him for me?"
"That's what that fight was about when he came back to the States. That's why it was in code."
"The whole 'that was wrong. Whatever, you're one to talk. You have no idea how much this is going to hurt' fight?"
"Yeah, we were talking about it until AJ stepped in and said to drop it or take it elsewhere."
"It got dropped because I came in the room," I recall.
"Yes."
"How many others?"
"Four, they know they're lays and will never be anything more."
I pinch my lips between my teeth, nodding as I absorb the information. "I can't believe this shit."
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. I know you've been good to him. You were there when he went through his dark times."
"Yes, I have and I would stay if I didn't catch him in our bed with another woman in our bed."
He snaps his head in my direction. "When?"
"Three months ago almost," I tell him as our food is put on the table. "Miss, could we get 4 more things of tartar sauce, please?"
"Sure."
"Anybody else know you caught him?"
"Brian and you."
"When did Brian find out?"
"Just before I called you," I reply, snatching a piece of haddock off his platter and trade with a piece of shrimp. He bites the shrimp out of its tail and watches as I eat the fish I took off his platter. The waitress comes back with the tartar sauce. "Could you add a scallop platter, please?"
"Of course," she answers, walking away and scribbling on her pad.
"Leilei, have you asked him about it?"
"Of course I have."
"Have you cheated?"
"Three weeks ago, for the first time in my life. Nick is my first boyfriend, my first lover, and the first person I've cheated on."
"With who?"
"You don't know him," I lie.
"Who?"
"Jason, a friend from high school."
"I'm guessing he was here visiting?"
"Yes."
"Oh, ok."
I just lied to his little brother and I feel a little guilty, he's like my brother and best friend. He's not once done anything to hurt me and I can't hold this against him because I know how Nick can be sometimes. "Would you understand if I left him?"
"I'll back you 500% and I wouldn't blame you. I'll even let you stay in the house I have here in LA."
"Thank you, Aaron. I'll make sure to pay the bills and part of the mortgage."
"You don't have to."
"I'm doing it and you're going to let me," I say with finality in my voice.
He puts his hands in front of himself as in surrender. "Ok, ok. When do you want to do this?"
"When does he leave for Chicago?"
"Next week."
"Could you help me? I think I can get a couple other friends of ours to help."
"Sure. I'll pay for the-" he stops midsentence looking at the door.
I turn around to see why and notice Nick coming our way. I turn back to Aaron, snapping my fingers in his face. His eyes look at mine. "Ixnay on the fucking upidstay, capeche?"
"Yeah. Do you have plans to go out tonight?"
"I was thinking of stopping by your house."
"Cool."
"Hey, baby. Aaron," Nick greets us.
I have to play it cool and like I don't know, so I kiss him as I wonder where his mouth has been as of lately. "Hey, Nicky."
"What's up, bro?"
"Just came to see why Johnny said you were meeting up with Leilei."
"If we told you that, baby, it'd ruin the surprise," I coyly reply.
"Oh, really?" He kisses me and whispers in my ear.
"Nick! That's not something we should talk about here or in front of your brother." He hasn't had any in a couple days and I know because I called all his female contacts, who didn't know about me. I told them to come up with a reason other than me as to why they can't see him when he calls.
"Then we should head home."
"I have to talk to Joey about something for Briahna," I tell him, knowing it's not at all the truth. I was going to see JC.
"Let me know when you're on your way home?" he says, kissing my neck.
I get full body shivers and he makes me want to- "I will."
He kisses me again, our tongues intertwining this time. He looks into my eyes, his hands cupping my face, a small and playful smile dancing on his lips. "See you when you get home, baby," he tells me, getting out of the booth. "See you later, bro."
I watch as he leaves. "I hate him sometimes."
"My guess is this is one of them."
"Like you wouldn't believe. What were you saying before he showed up?"
"I'll cover the truck, let me do that at least."
"If you insist."
He changes the subject to work and family get togethers coming up as we finish our platters, sharing laughs. We start talking about the good times and I start feeling bad about planning to leave the only man I've been with. I was 18 when we started dating and I'm 27. He covers the tab and I pay him back for half of it, knowing not to argue with me over it. We walk to our cars and hug before departing. "Keep in touch and use our code," he reminds me.
"Op Top?"
"Yes. Text only about this."
"Thanks, Acey."
"Anytime."
I sit in my car and watch him leave before putting my head on the steering wheel. This information has shattered my heart now, I just hid the pain for the time being. I dial JC again. I'm crying. "Hello?"
"I need someone who cares," is all I can say.
"Do you want me to come get you?"
I start my car and head to JC's. "I can drive, just keep talking to me."
"Ok. Come over. Do you want to talk alone or is Justin ok to stay?"
"Alone."
"Sorry, man. Leilei needs to talk to me alone. Yeah, I'll call you tomorrow. Bye. He left."
I sniffle, choking back sobs. "Almost three and a half years!"
"I'm sorry."
I don't know what I expect him to do or say. "I fucking hate him! I called every girl in his phone that wasn't related to him and told them about me."
"What does that mean?"
"He can't get any unless it's from me."
"When was the last time?"
"Three days ago."
"He's pining for it."
"Yeah, he had the nerve to drop in on my meeting with Aaron!" I scream, pounding a fist on the steering wheel. "Fucker!"
"I'm outside, leaning on the jeep."
"Oh, God. I can't believe this shit!"
"I'm willing to help you out. You know that."
"I know. I have to leave him. I can't stay with him like this."
"We can deal with it later, right now, just get here safe."
"Cad ba mhaith liom a dhéanamh gan tú? JC, you've been such a good friend."
"I try to be," he says, sounding worried. He's almost never this worried, not about me.
I start crying again, wiping my tears. "I can't fucking believe this shit!" I'm crying so hard that have to pull over at the end of his street. I lock the doors. "Can you come get me? I'm crying too hard to drive."
"Where are you?"
"Go to the end of the drive and turn right. End of the road."
"I'm coming down there on foot. Be there in a few minutes stay on the line with me." All I can do is cry so hard that my breath keeps hitching and catching in my throat. "Leilei, calm down." I cry even harder as he tries to soothe me. "I see your car. Unlock the doors." I do as he says and get in the passenger seat. He opens the door, climbs in the driver's seat and immediately envelops me in a reassuring embrace. "Shhh, I'm here." He pulls away and I lay across the middle console, his hand on my back. He drives with his left hand and rubs my back through my shirt with his right. We pull into his driveway and he cuts the engine, pulling my keys from the ignition. "Let's go inside." He's been so sweet to me since we met nine years ago and I forgot his name because we got so busy we lost contact for a few years. He's always picked up the phone when I call. He comes to my side of the car and carries me inside. My arms are around his neck and my body is turned into his. We get inside, he closes the door and sits on the couch with me in his lap. I turn my body so I'm straddling him and continue to cry. "Leilei, tell me what you found out."
"4 other women. Japan, just before Brian's birthday, 08. An ex, a back up dancer and two others."
"Have you ever cheated?"
Other than you? "No."
"Dated anyone else?"
"No."
"How many guys have you slept with?"
"Two." I'm choking out the answers between sobs and I've already soaked part of his shirt.
"Nick and myself. Look at me, Leilei," he says as he slides his knuckle under my chin, making me look into his blue eyes. I sniffle and try to calm down. "You know what you need to do."
"I'm leaving him while he's on the NKOTBSB tour. Leaves in a week. Help me move out, please." I put my face against his shoulder again.
"You're going to have an anxiety attack. Calm down, stop crying. I'll help you move."
I stop crying at the mere mention of my anxiety attacks due to shock. Nick doesn't even remember that, but JC did? I told him seven years ago when I had been crying after hearing my best friend had been killed in a car wreck back home. Nick had taken three days off from recording to be with me and JC spent nearly five weeks with me. He was at the burial, funeral, and the four weeks back here in LA. He had helped me pick the pieces of my shattered reality up and try to get the pieces fit back together, to make sense of it. I look into his eyes, searching for an answer to an unspoken emotion, an answer he only knows. My cell phone breaks the long and deafening silence. I look at the ID and shake my head, sniffling. "Hey."
"Where are you, baby?"
"Talking to Joey."
"Then why did AJ see your car at JC's?"
"I picked up Joey and stopped here. He needed to stop in and see his brother."
"I don't believe it."
"I'm not the one sleeping around." Damn it!
"WHAT?!"
"Forget I said it."
"What do you care if I came back to you?"
"Never mind." JC's biting his lip, trying his best not to get involved, even though he's been involved since I slept with him.
"Who fucking told you?" He's beyond ripshit.
"I caught you with Amanda three fucking months ago, in our bed," I answer meekly. I mentally kick myself for saying it.
"You don't know what you saw."
"Nick, you were naked and so was she. You were both moaning. You were on top of her!"
He's silent and I hang up with him, dialing AJ. "Hello?"
"When did you drive by here?"
"Ten minutes ago."
"Did you know your little brother is cheating on me?"
"What?"
"Yeah, for over three years."
"That fucker."
"You're in the same group with him and you don't know?"
"Not till now. Who else knew?"
"Brian and Aaron. JC knew."
"How'd you find out?"
"Caught in bed with Amanda, the girl he dated that was in the 'Break Your Heart' vid, almost three months ago."
"You've been hanging out with JC alot lately."
"He's been the only person to tell me other than Aaron!"
"Can I stop by?"
"JC, AJ wants to come by. He had no clue." JC nods and pats my thigh. "Yeah, come over," I tell AJ as I let JC get up.
"I'll be there in ten." I hear silence after a light click.
"I have never wanted to hit anybody more in my life," JC says to nobody in particular.
I walk around him and wrap my arms around his midsection, resting my head on his back. He reaches back to put his arm around me the best he can before deciding it'd be easier if he turned around. We stand like that until someone knocks at JC's door. My phone gets a text 'I'm at the door -Bones'. I answer the front door. "I swear I'm going to kick his ass." He sees how red, bloodshot and puffy my eyes are and is more enraged than he was when he first heard. "He swore up and down that he was going to pop the damn question in Boston, backstage, at FUCKING FENWAY!" AJ's balled fists go up toward the ceiling before he sits himself at JC's island counter. "He told me he's been faithful, but that's been proven a damned lie." He turns to look at me with his concerned brown eyes. "Is him being clean a lie too?"
"He has been honest about that," I confirm.
His cell rings and he looks at the caller ID, laughs and answers it. "What do you want, bull shitter?"
"You're taking her side?" It has to be on speaker.
"You said you were being faithful this time. She took you back every time. I'd rather see her with someone like JC or Justin."
"Fuck you, AJ!"
"No, fuck you, Nick! If you respect and love her like you claim you'd be honest and really be faithful to her!" JC screams. "You don't even remember her best friend's name! Her middle name! Why she shouldn't cry too much or too hard! You're an asshole!"
"Fuck you, JC!"
"Honestly, I hope she doesn't forgive you after this. She has been nothing but supportive and true to you. Nothing but honest."
"I was there when you dealt with your addictions, your family problems, everything since 02 and not once did I tell you no."
"I love you, Leilei. I'll stop. I can't lose you."
AJ takes it off speaker and puts it to his ear. "I won't let you break her resolve this time. She needs time away from you to do what she sees fit. Just back off and she's staying with who she chooses. Let her think and I bet this is why you didn't tell me. You're as bad as I was until 2007." He hangs up and looks at me. "He's going to give you three weeks away from him to figure everything out if I bring you home right now. A last night together is all he asks in exchange."
JC sighs and I shake in his arms, knowing what will most likely happen. I'm hoping I'm wrong and it's just a last hoorah before he leaves for tour. "Follow me in my car."
JC shakes his head. "Leave it. I'll pick you up if anything happens. Just send a text or call."
I nod and leave with AJ, still hoping I'm wrong.
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