Chapter 22

Looking down upon the one man she had been so afraid to see, Violet felt more anger than fear at this point. How could he even think to bring her here? And for what it looked like they had come here for? She knew Justin and Cameron had hooked up a while ago, but seeing them together did something to her, it made her feel upset and completely pissed off. But again, that could be because had brought her to his dead best friend’s old club. Ok, so maybe she wasn’t really dead, but he didn’t know that now did he? Is this what she really meant to him? Nothing? Just someone who gave him a place to bring his girlfriends for a quick screw?

Looking over at Violet, JC could see the fury in her eyes. It didn’t take a genius to know she wanted to beat the crap out of him. She did it twice before, why not again? Turning away from the balcony, Violet was ready to go down the stairs and confront Justin Timberlake. Whether he knew she was alive or not. Stepping in front of her, JC tried his best to stop her. Yes, she was a powerful woman and he knew she could move him if she really wanted to, but he couldn’t let Justin find out this way. They may not have seen each other in a while, but he was still a good friend.

“No! I can’t let you go down there.”

“Fine. I can say what I need to from here.”

“Damn it Vi!” JC realized his mistake as soon as it left his mouth. One, he had spoken too loudly, two, he said her name.

“Who’s up there?” They heard Justin’s voice and without a doubt he was probably ready to come up the stairs to investigate. JC couldn’t let him see Violet. She had to tell him in her own way.

Going to the opening on the balcony, JC showed himself. “It’s just me, J.”

“JC? Man, what you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing. I didn’t know you came here anymore.”

“You either. Still adding to the collection?” Justin walked over to the staircase, as did JC. Walking down it, he answered, “Occasionally. What about you? It doesn’t look like you came here to add anything.” He said, eyeing Cameron.

“That’s none of your business!”

“And why I’m here is none of yours.”

“I heard you talking to someone. On the phone like always, or did you bring someone here too?” Justin inquired.

“I didn’t bring her here. She was outside looking in, so I showed her what I do when I need to get away for a while. That’s all.”

“You little hypocrite.”

“I’m a hypocrite?”

“Yes! You say you can’t believe I’d do this when here you are doing the same damn thing! You’re unbelievable, you know that?”

“With me it’s different.”

“How the hell is it different?”

“Let’s count the ways, shall we? One; I didn’t bring her here just to fuck her in a new place. Two; I could never do that to my best friend. Three…”

“This place use to belong to her!” Before JC could finish, they heard the voice echo over the loudspeakers. Feeling the chills run down his spine, Justin felt as though he just heard a ghost. He knew that voice. He grew up hearing that voice. He spent two years missing and wishing he could hear it once again. Looking to the stairs, he saw her descending them slowly and gracefully, how she always had. Watching her approach him, Justin couldn’t focus. He didn’t hear a word she said. He became dizzy and lightheaded, and before he knew it, all he saw was black.

Going over to the limp body of Justin, Violet crouched down to look at his face. She hadn’t seen it in person is two long years. He looked so different. His head was shaved, he was all scruffy, and Violet thought he looked worn down…and unattractive if you can believe it. And yet, he still held a power over her. Catching herself reaching out to touch his face, Violet pulled back and stood up, a little too fast. She lost her balance and JC caught her.

“You ok?”

“I’m fine. I have to go.”

“Vi, wait!”

“I have to go, I’m sorry. I have to get Blaire. I’ll see you later. It was nice seeing you again Cameron.” Running to the old storage room, Violet climbed back out of the window and took off running down the street, tears streaming down her face.

“I think he’s coming to.”

“Is he? Justin! Justin, you ok buddy?”

Trying to open his eyes, Justin tried to figure out what just happened. “Wha….what happened? Where am I?”

“You’re in the Neon Blade.” JC said, looking down at the man he hadn’t seen in about a year. Crouching down, he helped Justin sit up. “Take it easy man. You fainted.”

“Why did I faint?” Grabbing his head and wincing in pain, Justin closed his eyes. “Oh man. Did I hit my head on ground or something?”

“Probably. I wouldn’t doubt it. You just fell over.”

“So, tell me again why I passed out?” Looking up to JC and Cameron, he looked back and forth to Cameron’s face and then JC’s. They were looking at each other as though to say “you want to tell him?” Then it hit him just like a bus during rush hour on the Vegas strip. “Please tell me everything that has happened within the last ten minutes or so was a bad fucked up dream?”

Justin didn’t even need either of them to answer him. Their blank faces and the “uhh…” coming from JC’s opened mouth was enough to inform him he was in fact awake and not dreaming. “She’s alive?” He whispered to no one in particular. “And you knew?” Standing up, JC pointed an accusing finger at the man he has once called his friend. “Two years. Two god damn years and you knew all this time that she was alive!”

“Calm down Justin! I knew for two weeks!”

“You are such a liar.”

“Don’t even think about turning this around on me! I found out by accident. I went to pick up Danni for the breakfast the guys and I were having since it was two years exactly, and she was watching a little girl! And then in walks Violet fucking Emerson so excuse the fuck out of me for not running directly to you when I found out she was indeed alive and not a walking ghost!”

“You still could have told me that my best friend of fourteen fucking years is in fact alive!”

“It wasn’t my place to tell you! She has a lot of shit going on right now and she has more than just the news that she’s not dead to tell you about! So stop feeling like the god damn victim here because she was going to tell you on her own damn time! I imagine it is kind of hard telling your best friend that the two years we all though she was dead she was actually alive and well in Georgia!”

Getting up in JC’s face, Justin readied himself for a fight. “You called me your friend.”

“I haven’t called you my friend in a long time!” This is why they only were together for the Challenge For the Children. Every time they were together, they fought. It was a never ending cycle, and quite frankly, Cameron was getting sick of it. Stepping between the feuding men, no, not even men, boys, she spoke up.

“Enough! I’m sick of this shit! Every second you two are together all you are is at one another’s throats! It’s not JC’s fault why he didn’t tell you. I’m sure he was just respecting Violet’s wishes because she wanted to tell you on her own time when she was good and ready to. A fourteen year friendship is not something you can easily forget. There’s no use in fighting about it.”

“Whatever. I’m done with this.” Looking at JC, Justin pointed to him. “We’re through.”

“That’s just fine.” Turning around, JC went back to the storage room and crawled out of the old club. It felt as though he was losing everything. But one very important person just came back to him, maybe things were beginning to look up. But with Justin, things would always be bad.

Driving down the street, JC focused more on his thoughts than the road and where he was going. Looking around him, he realized he was stopped, parked in an apartment building parking lot. Violet’s apartment building’s parking lot. Turning off the car, JC got out and went up to her apartment. Knocking on the door, he hadn’t even expected her to answer.

“Hey JC.” She said, opening the door wide enough so he could get in. He couldn’t help but notice how sad she looked. She was pale, her eyes were bloodshot, and she had tear stains on her cheeks.

“Come here.” JC put his arms out and pulled her in for a tight hug, one she obviously needed since she saw Justin earlier that day.

Falling into JC’s chest, Violet felt herself begin to cry once again. Something she hadn’t been able to stop doing since she had run out of the club. Seeing him again was harder than she had thought it would be. He was different now, and there was an obvious tension between him and JC. Something she couldn’t help but to feel responsible for. “I am so sorry. This is all my fault.”

“What, Vi?”

Pulling away from JC, Violet wiped away her tears that seemed to be never ending. “Everything! I made a mess of everything. And you and Justin aren’t friends anymore and that’s all my fault.”

Taking her face in her hands, JC looked her right in the eyes. “Don’t you dare blame this on yourself. Things haven’t been the same between Justin and me for a long time. Ever since…”

“I slept with him. I made a mess of everything by doing that, and I am so sorry.”

She was beginning to get upset again and JC couldn’t take it. “Don’t worry about that. That night everything went down, I was going to see you, to tell you how much I loved you and couldn’t live without it. We could have gotten through it then, and we can get through it now. So stop blaming yourself. Our friendship had been diminishing for a long time.”

“I still feel terrible about it, JC. I always will.” She said, looking down and closing her eyes, her hands covering his on her face.

“You don’t have to. It’s a thing of the past. It doesn‘t matter anymore.” He assured her. Kissing Violet’s forehead, JC moved them to sit on the couch. Looking at the little girl on the floor with her pillows and toys watching Barney, JC couldn’t help but think of how badly he hoped she was his child. Then maybe, just maybe, he could feel whole.

Violet and JC just sat in the apartment and enjoyed one another’s company all night. JC was going to leave around nine o’clock, but Violet had asked him to stay. She didn’t want to be alone and god knows when Danni was going to return home, if she even did. Looking down to where the quiet child was, Violet saw her sound asleep, curled up with her stuffed bear. Picking her up, Violet was ready to take her into the bedroom to lay her in the crib when JC stopped her.

Giving him a confused look, she smiled when he asked, “Can I do it?”

“Yeah.” JC took the small girl from Violet’s arms and carried her back to the bedroom. Laying her in the crib, JC couldn’t fight the urge to kiss her forehead before tucking her in and shutting the light off and going back out to the living room. Stretching, JC made that low growl noise Violet had always loved.

“Well, I guess I should get going.” Standing up, Violet went over to him.

“You don’t have to go now. I don’t want you to go.”

“You don’t?”

“No. I like being with you. And unless you need to be somewhere, I’d like it if you stayed with me here.”

“Well, I definitely have nowhere else to be.”

“Good.” Violet smiled at him, going into the kitchen. “You hungry at all?”

“Actually, yeah. I am. Didn’t have anything for dinner.”

“I’ve been craving pasta. Want me to make some?”

“Sure. Need any help?”

“Nope. Just sit there and keep me company.” Again, that smile. JC could look at her all night, and he planned to.

They ate their late dinner around nine forty-five and then went into the living room to watch some TV. After settling on reruns of Saved by the Bell, Violet laid on the couch wrapped in JC’s arms. She was so comfortable, it was nearly impossible to stay awake, so she didn’t, they had both drifted off to a peaceful sleep. Around eleven-thirty, They were awoken by a pounding on the door. Figuring it was Danni to drunk to remember her key was actually in her purse, Violet just walked over to the door, mumbling “I’m gonna kill her.” Not thinking twice, Violet opened the apartment door completely surprised to see a pissed off Justin in the hallway instead of her roommate.

“Hello Violet. Long time, no see, huh?” The glare in his eyes reminded her so much of the look in Ben’s eyes the night he had tried to kill her, and for the first time ever, Violet Emerson was scared of her best friend.

“What are you doing here?”

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