"You're ten minutes early," Brian teases.
"Of course, I'm with my man. Brian, this Devin, Devvie this is Brian."
He quickly pulls me away from Devvie, Brad and Rich to a corner, a scowl evident. "Since when?"
"Relax, it's a ploy to force Nick to see that he can't always have what he wants."
"So you're not really with him?"
I shake my head, chortling. "No, B-Rok. He is a good friend of mine from Massachusetts, as well as Rich and Brad," I explain.
"So, you're just trying to convince him and yourself that you don't want anything to do with him when you both want the other more than you care to admit?"
I roll my eyes as my cell rings before I can answer. "Saved by the cell," I say, playing on an old saying and a tv show title. "Hey-lo, hey-lo, hey-lo."
"I thought you'd never speak to me again."
I walk across the room to Devvie. "Dump her yet?"
"No," he sighs. "I'm still with Bobbi."
"Just keep her away from me."
Devvie's brows contort in complete befuddlement. "Huh?"
"I'll explain later, Devvie."
"Who in the hell is 'Devvie'?"
"James knows him."
"Whatever. Do you have a few minutes?"
"I have about 30 of em."
"Where are you right now?"
"Rehearsal building at the Compound, what's it to ya?"
"I'll be there in five," he tells me, killing the engine.
"What?! What the fuck do you mean five? How many days do you have between shows?"
"Four days and I plan on spending the next day and a half with you and the day after that with Bobbi."
I hear an ATV start up and my right eye begins to twitch. "FYI: I'm seeing Devvie," I blurt, quickly hanging up after. "AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!" I scream, twisting my fingers through my hair and tugging at it. "Nickolas and now Joshua? Fuckity, fuck, ffffffffuuuuuucccccckkkk!"
"Nice vocabulary, doce menina."
"Love your use of words," Brad quips.
I sneer, pissed and ready to snap at Nick or JC. Depending on who pushes that final button and when it's pushed determines not only how I flip, but also the level of attitude that becomes available. "It's either that or I snap now," I confess, cleaning my nails using my teeth and other nails. I'm trying my best to stay calm to prevent a serious disciplinary move from Johnny. I grab Devvie's black and green Celtics cap, smiling as I twist up my hair and adjust its size before placing it on my head.
"Hey, Jazzy," JC greets me from behind.
I take a deep, cleansing breath and fake a smile, wheeling to face him. I take the five steps required to hug him as I greet him properly and somewhat warmly. "Hey, Josh."
"How are you holding up?"
I sigh and look at my sneakers, pulling the cap down a little more to cover my eyes. "A little better than last time," I answer quietly.
"Haven't hit him yet, huh?"
"No, Aaron and these three have helped prevent it. Gary assists them when necessary."
He grips my jaw like he did a couple weeks before, a gentler hold this time and brings my deep ocean blues to look into his cerulean orbs. "Jazz, I don't mean to be an assh-" he begins to explain, only to stop after searching my eyes thoroughly. "Something's been bugging you other than him. It's big. What's up?"
I did mention he can read me almost as good as James, right? Well, he can and he only does it when he really wants answers, he's even done it while on the phone. "Can we talk after?"
"Jazz, you made it back!" Brett calls out to me.
I blink and nod. "Of course, Sam."
"Why do you call me by my nickname where the paps can get near us and Sam where they can't?" I ask, furrowing my brows and narrowing my eyes.
"To protect your privacy," he quietly tells me, brushing his lips near my hairline on my forehead. It's how he kisses Heather, I find it to be a reassuring brother kiss.
"Sit by the dark hair and green eyed guy over there," I suggest, motioning to Devvie and smiling at them both. Devvie gets more of it than JC, but they sit on the couch and Devvie launches a conversation about me, no doubt because they both nod in my direction as Aaron grabs my hand to get me to fall into formation.
"We're starting with 'CLPG'," Brett announces.
"Acey?" I question, confused due to not having memorized the song titles yet.
"He means 'Crazy Little Party Girl'."
I nod, understanding now. "One, two, one, two, three, four," Brett counts off, starting the playback in sync with his beat count.
We go through the set three times and I have a good portion memorized. "You're remarkable, Jazz," Landon compliments me.
A smile graces my lips. We're all a little short of breath, almost four hours of dancing to practice for a show will do that to you. My hands rest on my hips and I bend at my waist, thanking him as I transition into a squat to catch my breath. I know that all five Boys, JC, Devvie, Brad and Rich are here and watched me bust my ass to make Aaron look great. Devvie gets up and pulls me close, kissing my lips as he squats in front of me. "That is going to look fantastic when it's live," he assures me.
"Thanks, mon cherie."
"You're dating Devvie?"
"My name is Devin, only she can call me Devvie."
"I forgot to tell him that," I defend. "I didn't have time to properly intro you guys. JC, this is Devin, Rich and Brad who are collectively known as LFO or 'Lyte Funky Ones'."
"They're that new group, nice to meet you three," JC says a little too warmly.
"Brad, Rich and Devvie, this is JC Chasez from *NSYNC. He's the 'C' in it and y'all met his parents just a few hours ago."
"That's why he looks familiar!" Brad jokes.
"The pictures!" Rich finishes.
The five of us laugh and JC stops to think. "You've heard of my group, though, right?" he asks, clearly over thinking yet again.
I groan, dropping my hat covered head as low as I could. "Joshua Scott! That was a laugh and no thinking required before moving on joke."
"So the joke about the fly and the cat is out of the question with him?" Brad asks as seriously as he can muster, picking on him.
"Tell it if you're up to spending the next half hour explaining it to him and he still won't get it. He sucks at comprehending jokes and riddles. Don't tell him a secret, the world would find out within a week."
"What about telling him something from across the room?" Rich prods.
"Try it."
He runs across the room and mouths something about needing to get laid by a hot brunette Devvie's with. "You want to what by who?" JC says wicked loud.
My hand covers my eyes as I shake my head side to side, knowing he would have that exact reaction. Devvie punches Rich on his arm for saying it. "Pervert," I mutter.
"Let's get you over to the other building," JC suggests, smiling at me.
"Yeah, can we order some food?" I ask.
"I got this!" Brad yells.
"You don't know the best places to order from," JC points out.
"Oh, hell, naw! I know the best spots!" I interject, my back home accent becoming apparent.
"You have the same drawl as James!" Brad teases.
I take a calming breath. "And what's ya point, city boy?"
"Drop it, man," Devvie defends. "I like her drawl, it's who she is and it sounds cute, not too heavy."
"Thanks, Devvie." I'm genuinely appreciative of that.
"She went home last April and picked up her original accent in a week!" JC reveals.
I shove JC playfully. "Everyone always asks why I don't tell him secrets and all!" We all break out in smiles.
He shoves me back. "At least it's all in one language!"
"How original," I mutter sarcastically.
"What does that teigh whatever thing you always say mean?" JC inquires.
"You mean teigh trasna ort fein?"
"That's it!" he exclaims, filled with excitement.
"It means-" I whisper the English equivalent in his ear, "So who's goin' ta hear it first?"
"I don't know yet."
He drops his arm across the back of my shoulders. "Promise you're goin' ta use it on that stupid skank you call a girlfriend," I insist.
~~~~~
We've been talking for about an hour and a half, enjoying pizza, Portuguese, Chinese and Italian foods and sharing everything. "Then she scared the shit out of me when she jumped off the speaker, landing a couple feet behind me with a loud thud!" JC tells everyone, laughing.
"What about the time you thought-" I start to tell them.
"You can't hold any of that against me!" JC interrupts.
"Not what I was going for, but ok," I say wearily. "There were text messages he read and it was with Devvie, they said something to the effect of 'I miss you. Can't wait to see your sexy ass when I get to Boston next weekend.' I was visiting JC and the guys in Europe and I had plans to visit them in Boston a couple days after coming back to 'Lando," I explain, turning to him. "The only thing I'm wondering is what possessed you to go through my texts and when."
"That's something we can discuss in private," he tells me through gritted teeth.
"No, now's good," I press him for the information.
"I did it because I thought you were doing things you shouldn't be."
"What kind of things?"
"Having sex and doing drugs."
Aaron and I glance at each other, nodding because we know what happened between Nick and I. "Not true. Just because I kiss or cuddle a guy, it doesn't mean I'm sleeping with him," I point out.
"James and Justin both claim they've never done it with you."
"That's the absolute truth. On to less complex matters, why are you here?" I say, leaning on the table with my chin in my hands as my ice blue eyes shoot daggers at him and boring into him.
He shifts his weight uncomfortably in his seat directly across from my spot at the coffee table. "Johnny said to come resolve it and my parents ripped me a new one about what happened when I visited them fifteen minutes after you had left. I also had Tyler calling me an asshole and Heather pitching a major bitch fit for treating you like shit for standing up for yourself when comes down to Bobbi. My family doesn't like her either." He shrugs. "It's my choice who I'm with."
"It's my choice to tell you that she's a leech and is using you." I give him a smug look.
Someone knocks at the door and I answer it, not even thinking of asking who it was. I open the door and scream, "JC! Dev!"
JC gets to me just as Devvie does, but Devvie not knowing who the 6 foot 3 inch, dark brown (almost black) haired and blue eyed man standing in the doorway is focused on grabbing me, to move out of harm's way. JC put himself between the man and I, protecting me. Knowing Nick is still nearby and the door is wide open, I instinctively yell out 'Nickolas, is gá duit, cabhair' because I had taken the time to teach him the words I just used. I pray he hasn't omitted those words from his memory. I'm scared for my life as Devvie makes a second barrier between the man and I, the man I look so much alike it's ridiculous and he scares me. I become unable to speak, but hear someone shriek at such at piercing volume, hearing my heart pound as if it's going to slam out of my chest and notice my brain comes to a complete halt. Nick comes up behind me, covers my mouth to quiet me. "Shh! It's me, Nick," he tells me in a low whisper, using a comforting tone as he wraps an arm around my shoulders to discreetly pull me out the back entrance and make a quiet get away while the man, JC and Devvie fight with him. We jump on the ATV I had out back and we drive to a secluded hillside, hiding in the tall grass in the field portion of it.
We lay side by side, not touching each other at all. "You remembered," I state, still very much in shock that the man I hoped would never locate me did track me down.
"I couldn't forget those words even if I had tried and I did, you shrieking helped jump start the memory, too."
"Thanks."
"That's him?"
"Yes."
"I still can't understand how he could do that to you and your mom."
"Me either."
"You didn't deserve it."
"No, but it's what happened and nothing can change it. You scared me a day or two before I ran," I inform him.
"How?"
"Your temper is just like his and I ran before I could experience that again."
I'm not sure, but it sounded like he was beginning to cry and I don't think he'd ever admit it. "I'm so sorry I did that."
"Just don't let it happen again."
His cell buzzes in his pocket, forcing me to realize we were whispering and talking. "Hello? No, Kev, she's fine. I have her. She is safe. I'm fine. Not until he's arrested. I don't give a fuck. I'm not touching her. No, we aren't. Soon as the cops show up and I speak to an officer, I'll bring her back. Promise. Bye." His hands link together behind his head as I feel some tears fall from my face, then I choke back the sob when I hear a car pull up by the ATV. I slam my eyes shut and pin my lips between my teeth, allowing myself to silently cry.
Nick grabs my hand and taps out the beat to 'I Belong To You' on the webbing between my thumb and forefinger, continuing with 'Can't Get You Off My Mind' both by Lenny Kravitz. I recognize the sounds of him texting someone, I had been unable to forget the sounds his buttons made as he clicked and tapped them when he'd dial or text. "Samantha, is this anyway to greet me?"
I take in a shaky breath and nod. "Yes," I almost inaudibly reply. "After what you've done." I continue to sob silently and uncontrollably. This is life or death. I have three people to either thank or damn, depending on my outcome. This is the biggest demon from my past, he's that monster you can banish and bind all you want and nothing works. The only thing left to so is to run, escape and hope he won't find his prey. I told Nick, Justin and JC; James was there before Ma ran the first time and heard about the second time. He's going to know about this, detail for meticulous detail. "Please, just go, run, leave," I beg Nick.
"No way I'm leaving your side," he snips at me quietly.
"Brandon, go away." I begin to tremble and gooseflesh covers my entire body, all due to my extreme fear of this man. I have to try to stay strong, smart and alive.
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