“Wait a minute,” Blair said, pacing the kitchen of Justin’s large home. She had a plastic cup filled with ice water in her hand. “Angela?” Blair looked over to Justin. “That’s your ex-girlfriend, right?”
“Yeah,” he nodded.
“You think your ex-girlfriend told People and Us that you’re having a baby?”
For the most part, everyone in the room nodded.
“I don’t get it,” Blair said, plopping down into one of the chairs at the dining room table. “Why would she do that?”
Justin just shook his head. Blair could tell he was in shock. Lynn sat down in a chair next to Blair and rested her head on one of her hands.
“She probably told because she was mad,” Lynn said. “She knew that there was something Justin couldn’t stand, and it’s the press butting into his business. She knew this was something he wanted to keep private and she decided to screw him over.”
“By extension all of you?”
“By extension you,” Lynn clarified. “This doesn’t affect us as much as it affects you. Sure, we’re all family and we all know what’s going on, but you’re the one who’s got the baby. When they figure out it’s you, they’ll track you down, find out where you live, find your family and try to get people to talk. If you go anywhere, they’ll follow and take pictures.”
“They’ll know your car and be watching you,” Joey said from the couch. “They’re brutal.”
“Of course you have the right to not say anything, but they’ve got the right to take your picture… within reason,” Lance told her. “You’ll be a hot topic.”
“They’ll track down my family?” Blair asked, looking to Justin.
He shut his eyes and nodded. He looked so pained. His hands were in his pockets with his thumbs hooked through the belt loops of his jeans. She could see his brown belt from beneath his red t-shirt. All she wanted to do at that moment was hug him. Hug him because she knew he was hurting. Hug him because she was scared. Hug him for making him go through this. Hug him because he looked like he needed one. “Yeah,” he said very softly.
“Hey, Blair,” JC asked from the kitchen. He was bent over, peering into the refrigerator for something to eat. “Why did you say you didn’t think your family would have told anyone?”
“She didn’t,” Chris said.
“My family would have told anyone because they hate me.”
“Oh, honey, they don’t hate you,” Lynn smiled. “They can’t hate you. Look at you! You’re darling”
“They’re ashamed of me. My parents feel betrayed because they thought they had raised a better child. Heaven forbid their youngest daughter has sex before she’s married. Heaven forbid any of their children have sex before their married. Too bad my sisters got away with it.” She hugged her legs to her body, putting all of her on that chair. “Maybe I’m just not as lucky or something. They don’t understand that this wasn’t that I had been planning on. They think I did this to spite them. Truth be told, I was a wild child during high school and college, but that was just because I was the youngest and my parents were so over-protective.”
“Oh,” Lynn said, she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “To spite them? Oh, honey.” She stood up and wrapped her arms around the poor girl, who had just begun to cry.
“Good news,” Johnny said, reentering the three adjoining rooms. He had come from down the hall in the office. “I just got off the phone with the editors of both magazines. They said they’ll do a feature with all of the right facts.”
“Can’t they just take the article out?” Justin asked, rubbing his head with his hands then stretching.
“That’s what I asked,” Johnny said, holding up his index finger, “But they said that they already paid the informant. Apparently, they don’t like to go back on a deal. But Justin, now’s as good a time as any to get it out there.”
“You don’t get it,” he said, “I don’t want media attention. I don’t want to be stalked even more than I already am and I don’t want Blair to be thrown into a media whirlwind because of my bitter ex-girlfriend.”
“So you just want facts to be wrong?” Johnny asked, “Until you give them what they want they’re going to be ruthless.”
“Even when they get what they want, they’re going to be ruthless,” Justin countered, “I’ve been there, man, done that. Don’t you remember Britney?”
“Honey,” Lynn said, rubbing Justin’s back. “Johnny’s right. Just clear it up with People and Us and call it done. Everyone’s going to want an excusive and you can decide when and with who you want to do it with, but eventually, you’re going to have to do something.”
“Exactly,” Johnny said. “You don’t even have to give an exclusive now. I can tell them you’ll do a phone interview. You can answer or not answer their questions. They’ll say they talked to you and you will have confirmed the rumor that you are indeed having a child, but don’t have to disclose any other information you don’t want to.”
Justin looked to Blair, who had turned around in her seat to face him. Her eyes and nose were a little bit pink. “How do you feel about that?”
“It’s up to you,” she said, shrugging. “I’m comfortable with what you’re comfortable with.”
“Fine,” Justin said. “I’ll do it.”
