I can't believe she thinks I'm lying to her about this! C'mon I seen him do it myself, my eyes didn't deceive me that night and it's now been burned into my memory! "JC, help me out here!"
"You're the one who saw it, she won't believe you and she won't listen to us," he rationalizes, admitting complete defeat.
"He does have a valid point," Joey agrees, rubbing his face with his hands.
"She has to believe Lance!" I argue.
"Nope. Get proof and then bring it up again," he suggests moments before she comes within earshot.
She looks at Chris, asking him something in Spanish and he shakes his head. "That's what I thought."
"Anyone else hungry?" JC inquires, changing the subject.
"Let's go," Joey says, grabbing the keys.
"Vamos," she tells us, walking in the direction of the door and we follow her.
Once we order, she looks at me. "Nothing more to say, hmm?" she snips at me quietly.
She's really pissed. "Nah, I said what I had to say."
"I hope nothing like this is brought up again, right?" she demands.
"Not without proof it won't," I fire back.
She laughs, not a 'it's funny' laugh cuz it's more of a 'I don't believe you could get proof' sort of laugh. "Sure, Justin," she scoffs.
I will get the proof needed to make her believe the truth I'm telling her, even if it takes years and I'll stop at nothing to obtain it! I will fucking expose him!
"So, Cass," Lance slowly comments, "how's the managing gig going?"
"Pretty well, the pay is good, the acts I manage and co-manage are doing well enough not to have any troubles with the labels." She nods.
Chris brought up tattoos to terrorize JC and she indulges the design of it, making him shudder. "Where is it?" Lance inquires, curious.
"On the inside of my thigh near the top."
"Which one?" JC wonders out loud.
"The right one. Why would it matter?" she slowly replies.
He smirks, dirty thoughts flooding his perverted mind and Chris smacks him on the arm. "Ow! Just curious is all," he partially admits.
"You better find that wandering mind before my fist discovers your face, pretty boy," I barely hear Chris threaten JC.
"-he got me tiger lillies," she gushes, looking love sick as Joey signs he'd rather not hear about Nick.
Our seating arrangement? On my side of the table it's me, Cass and Joey while Chris is across from her, JC to his right and Lance to his left (across from Joey).
Me? Determined? Just slightly. I know it's gonna hurt her to know the truth, but she deserves to know because he IS HER BOYFRIEND. Why would he lie about something that makes him feel so guilty when he hides it from her? Why hide anything from her? Why cheat? Why lie? I don't understand the logic behind any of it, that shit destroys all relationships. Hell, Amy stopped talking to me when she found out about me being with Britney because Trace told her months after I started seeing B, admitting she would've preferred me to be with Cassie. That had been a shock to me and it made everyone else laugh boisterously for a few minutes.
"-not involve him?" JC groans.
"Yeah, there's work and other information pertaining to it."
"How about the prick?" Joey asks.
"He was arrested in San Diego a few days ago and is awaiting arraignment and trial," she indulges, talking about a guy who shot at her in Tampa and fled.
Ch 16
Why didn't I mention being shot at before? It was an isolated incident and he's now in custody, being extradited to Tampa now and the government had gotten involved because he'd been targeting me by order of the gang my dad had been playing lawyer for. He must have been new because he gave up names when he was told he would be tried for 25 to life, my memory being jogged by what he yelled at the boardwalk. 'He knew we'd come after you when he said he wasn't helping us!' were his exact words, moments before opening fire and I was thankful I had been alone. Nick had taught me the ins and outs about the docks. I jumped over the side, rolling out of my landing and ran to my car. When he slammed on my window, I snapped a few pictures of him and it made apprehending him all the more easier.
"Can you believe he didn't even care, 'Lan?" I ask, angry with the man who gave me 1/2 of my DNA.
"Sounds like him, though."
I get back to Chris' and kick back, a text coming in and I read it. I respond to it, putting the annoying thing on my cousin's coffee table and sitting back on his couch with my feet on either side of the device. "We missed you, Pook."
"I know, 'Lan. It's harder now that I'm their only manager," I reiterate.
"I wish you had longer breaks than you do."
"In time we'll all have longer breaks."
"You're managing how many acts?"
"Five so far."
"What's your limit?"
"Nine."
"Oh, you're almost at your max, then."
"Yes. I've been told I'm being requested by other acts like this Jessica Simpson girl and Jordan Knight."
"That'll make seven."
"Ryan Gosling wants me to manage his acting career and Drew Lachey is requesting me for the group he's in, 98 something," I admit, waving my hand at the whole thing.
"You mean 98 degrees?" he asks.
"Yeah, them. How are Titi and the girls?"
"They're doing good. Mom's thrilled about only having Kate and Tay home. Molly and Emmy are both in college."
"I bet," I chuckle. "Kate's in what grade now?"
"Kate's a sixth grader and Tay's in third."
"She skipped a grade?" I shouldn't be too surprised, but I am.
"Yeah, she took her first grade SAM and other tests three weeks in, passing with 97's or higher."
"I'm proud of her!"
"I was, too and still am."
I glance at the red numbers on the cable box and groan. "I have to head home before it gets too late," I tell him, rubbing my eyes.
He offers me his hands to help me off his overly comfortable couch and I take it, hugging him when I'm on my feet.
"Love you, Pook."
"Love you, too, 'Lan. Thanks for tonight. I'll call you next week."
"Don't forget any numbers!"
Story Tags: Be the first to add a tag to this story
