“Justin!” Alexia was in utter shock. The last thing she expected, and the last thing she wanted, was for Justin to walk in on her conversation with her son.
“Damn right! Josh, go to your room, and stay there until I tell you to come out,” he looked pointedly at Alexia, “I need to have a talk with you MOTHER.”
“Yes, sir,” he replied, obediently following his father’s orders.
Justin waited to hear the sound of Josh’s door closing before he said another word, but once he heard that click, he let lose.
“What the HELL is wrong with you?! There are so many things, that I don’t even know where to start!” he yelled. “First of all, what the fuck were you thinking when you started talking to Josh that way? What kind of mother are you? You don’t just sit there and tell your 8-year-old son about your love life!”
That’s when Alexia interrupted, “Like he doesn’t here enough about sex from you and your friends.”
“Like hell we talk about that stuff in front of him! We know better than that, unlike you. I was right in the beginning. You weren’t meant to be a mother, let alone a wife, which you proved just now. Which is another thing you don’t go around discussing with your young child. You don’t talk about your problems with me with our son! That’s just ludicrous. If anything, that could make him feel responsible for OUR problems. So don’t you EVER put him in the middle like that again.”
“I…”
“And ANOTHER thing… Why is it that you can tell our SON the reasons you left before you can tell ME? You’ve withheld that bit of oh-so-important information from me for FIVE fucking YEARS! But then you tell our SON? What the fuck is THAT about?”
Alexia was silent, unable to think of a good response. Not that she would have answered anyway, for fear of showing the tears and emotion that clogged her throat.
“Oh! No answer? Is that how we’re going to play now? That’s ok. I don’t mid doing all the talking. You’ve done enough as it is. Maybe I’m glad you left. Maybe I never really did want to marry you. Did you ever think of that as the reason to why I waited so long to ask? Oh, of course you did! That’s the whole reason you ran away from us, isn’t it? Did I get it right? That is what you said, isn’t it?”
Unwilling to take anymore of his verbal abuse, she walked away, heading toward her room.
Justin followed, unrelenting. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”
No answer. She just continued up the stairs and down the hall.
“We’re NOT through here! I’m not done talking to you!”
He reached the doorway to her room just as she had pulled her suitcase out of the closet and began throwing clothes into it.
“Oh please! Is this always your answer? You’re going to run away AGAIN?! When are you going to GROW UP? When are you going to take responsibility for your actions and learn to face the truth?” Justin questioned her.
She turned to him after locking her suitcase, and answered with tears running down her face, not caring anymore if he saw them. “None of those things call for me having to bear this kind of verbal abuse from an ASSHOLE like you! And I’m not going to take it!” She picked up her bags and walked out of the room.
He followed her again, silently this time. He stopped at the top of the stairs, watching as she walked out the door, out of his life… again. And this time, he knew for sure that he was the one who drove her to it.
~ At JC’s House ~
The doorbell rang and JC got up from the couch to answer it. He was surprised to see Alexia standing there when he opened the door. But what shocked him the most was the state she was in. She was sobbing and looked barely able to hold herself up anymore. He embraced her comfortingly, and as soon as his arms were around her, she crumpled in them. Picking her up, he carried her to the couch, then retrieved her bags.
Joining her on the couch, and pulled her into his arms again, trying to calm her down.
Chris, who’d been in the kitchen, wandered into the den to see what all the commotion was about. ‘What happened?’ he mouthed to JC.
JC shrugged his shoulders in response, and continued to soothe his friend.
When she seemed calm enough to speak, he asked the obvious question, “What happened, Alex?”
“I-it was Ju-ustin,” she hiccuped.
“What did he do?”
“He came home when I was talking t-to Josh. He didn’t l-like what he he-heard, and he started yelling a-at me.”
“In front of JOSH?”
“No. H-he sent Josh t-to his room.”
“What kind of things was he saying that got you so upset?”
“H-he said that I-I…” she paused to take a deep breath, because she was getting upset again, “He said I wasn’t m-meant to be a m-mother or a w-w-wife.” She resumed sobbing once she’d gotten her words out.
JC looked helplessly to Chris, not knowing what to do or say. Chris walked over and stood over the pair on the couch.
“I think we should take her upstairs. I doubt you’re going to get anything else out of her for awhile,” Chris suggested logically.
~ Back at Justin’s ~
Hours had passed, and there was still no word from Alexia. Justin had been forced to make “Christmas Dinner” on his own, whereas they usually went over to his mom’s for dinner on Christmas. Josh was unhappy and had been asking where his mother had gone to all day, which in turn displeased Justin. Now, they were sitting down eating, and the questioning started again.
“Dad, when is Mom coming home?” his little voice asked calmly, but with a tinge of sadness to it.
“I’ve told you a hundred times already, I don’t know! She might NOT come back.”
His son suddenly stood up, knocking his chair over. “It’s your fault she left!” he screamed, “Why did you have to yell at her like that? She wouldn’t have left if it weren’t for you! I hate you! You ruined Christmas!”
“Josh…” Justin’s words were worthless as he watched his son run out of the room and upstairs to his own bedroom. Seconds later, he heard a door slam shut. “Just perfect,” he muttered defeatedly.
~ The Next Morning @ JC’s ~
“Morning, sleepyhead,” JC greeted Alexia as she came into the kitchen. “Want some breakfast?”
Alexia declined as she slumped into a chair at the table, resting her head on her folded arms. JC reached across the table and stroked her hair comfortingly.
“Alex, you gotta eat something. Don’t starve yourself because you’re upset.”
“I’m not hungry, Jace. Just leave it alone,” Alexia’s voice was slightly muffled as she didn’t move her head from the table.
“Morning, you two,” Chris said cheerfully as he joined them.
“Morning, JC replied.
Alexia head rose from her arms, “Where’d you come from?”
“I’m staying here for right now,” Chris answered her question.
“What? You are? Why?”
“Chris’ house is being remodeled, so I told him he could stay with me until it’s finished,” JC explained.
“Oh my gosh. Then, I can’t stay here,” Alexia said.
“Of course you can,” JC insisted.
“No, no. You don’t want two people staying here with you. Plus, I don’t know if I’m ever going to be moving back in with Justin. That’s seriously not even an option right now, so I should start looking for a place of my own anyway,” Alexia rambled.
“Well, I insist you stay here until you find your own place,” JC said.
“I should start apartment hunting tomorrow.”
“I’ll help you if you want, but I think you should wait until after the holidays. Which reminds me, would you like to be my date to this New Year’s Eve party we were invited to in New York? I think it would help to cheer you up a little.”
“I… I don’t know. I don’t have anything to wear, and Justin will be there.”
“You won’t have to speak to Justin. You can just ignore him.”
“I still don’t know.”
“Please? I really need to find a date, and I think you would have fun.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“I guess that’s better than a no.”
~ Two Days Before The Party ~
Alexia walked into her temporary room and found a dress bag on her bed. Walking over to it quickly, she picked it up and unzipped it. Her jaw dropped at the sight of the gorgeous ensemble.
“You like it?” JC asked from the doorway.
Her head whipped around to look at him, but she was still speechless.
“I thought it might sway your decision a little. And if you look under the bed, there’s a matching pair of shoes to go with the dress,” JC smirked.
“JC, you shouldn’t have,” Alexia stammered, still unsure of what to say to his kindness.
“I know. But like I said, I need a date. And it’s a little too late to ask anyone else. So you’re kinda stuck. Unless you wanna waste that beautiful dress and leave me dateless.”
Alexia smiled warmly, “And what kind of friend would I be if I did that?”
~ New Year’s Eve in New York City ~
The limo picked up the group and their dates from the Four Seasons, where they were staying for the next two days. Every member of the group had a date, except for Justin. Apparently, he hadn’t wanted to ask anyone.
“Plenty of single and willing women are gonna be there. Why spoil the fun by bringing a date?” was his excuse. When in reality, the guys knew he’d probably planned on bringing Alexia until they got in a fight, and then hadn’t wanted to go with anyone else.
“So, Justin. What’d you do with Josh while you’re up here in New York?” JC asked the question Alexia had been wondering.
“He’s staying with my mom while I’m here. You know that’s where he always goes when I have to leave.”
“I know.”
“Then why’d you… nevermind,” Justin mumbled as the limo pulled up to the red carpet leading into P. Diddy’s private soiree, which was sure to be a star-studded event.
Chris, Joey, and Lance were the first to step onto the carpet with their dates. Next, JC stepped out, then turned to take Alexia’s hand as she joined him. Finally, Justin followed them.
Justin lagged slightly behind the group, watching Alexia and JC. He found Alexia to be exquisite that night. Her dress was simple, yet elegant and classy. The halter dress showed off her shoulders and the skirt of the dress was a little longer than mid-thigh, and showed off her perfect legs. The midnight blue color brought out her eyes. Her light make-up highlighted her natural beauty. And her hair seemed to glow and appeared soft as silk. Altogether, she looked utterly breathtaking.
But she wasn’t with him. She was with JC. So he would just have to find some way to ruin her night, because she looked way too happy with his best friend.
For the first hour, Justin just watched as JC and Alexia made their way around the building, mingling with other celebrities and friends. After he had enough of watching them, he decided that he would just start flirting and dancing with other beautiful girls. “Then she’ll know that I’m over her,” he thought out loud, before making his way over to the dance floor.
The first pretty girl he found, he started dancing with. Before long, he was surrounded, not that he minded.
“God, just look at him. Those girls are pathetic,” Alexia commented to JC.
He turned his head in the direction she was looking. “Alexia, stop worrying about him. He’s probably doing it to make you jealous.”
“Now why would he want to make me jealous. It’s not like he has feelings for me. He’s probably doing it to show me how replaceable I am.”
“I’m telling you. He’s trying to make you jealous, and it’s obviously working.”
“Well, two can play that game,” she said, grabbing JC’s hand and dragging him to the dance floor.
Justin watched her from across the room. She hadn’t even seemed to notice him. He’d been grinding with numerous girls for hours, was about ready to pass out from exhaustion, and he’d done it all for nothing. She on the other hand, appeared to be having the time of her life. She’d just been dancing, talking, and laughing with JC all night.
“Sorry, I have to go,” he tried to excuse himself from his current dance partners.
“Wait. The song’s not over yet,” she whined.
“Well, it’s time for me to leave,” he insisted.
“Before you go,” she grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him into a kiss, which lasted a lot longer than he’d wanted it to.
“I cannot believe his nerve,” Alexia stated, looking quickly away from the scene.
JC saw the hurt on her face and turned to see what had caused it. Immediately, his attention was drawn to where Justin and some random girl were practically making out across the floor. “Don’t pay any attention to him, Alex. He’s probably drunk and has no idea what he’s doing.”
“DON’T make excuses for him. I don’t need excuses. If he wants to go screw some random skank tonight, then that’s his choice. I don’t want to watch it though. Can we leave?”
“Sure. Let’s go.”
Justin watched them leave together, jealousy overtaking his senses.
“Come on,” he grabbed the hand of the girl who’d kissed him and practically ran out the door. He caught their limo just before it started to drive away. He threw open the door and pulled the girl in with him.
Alexia and JC were forced to sit there while this girl straddled Justin’s lap and made out with him the whole ride back to the hotel.
The second the limo pulled up to the Four Seasons, Alexia jumped out, not even waiting for JC, who followed right behind her.
The girls whispered in Justin’s ear, “Let’s go to your room, baby.”
He proceeded to push the girl off of him, “I can’t do this.”
“What the hell? You had no problems two seconds ago!”
“I said, I don’t want to have sex with you. That’s that.” He climbed out of the vehicle and instructed the doorman to get her a cab, then went up to his room, alone.
“I can’t believe he was so rude!” Alexia exclaimed once her and JC had made it to her room. “Making out with that whore right in front of me! What did I ever do to deserve that kind of treatment?”
“Like I said before, he’s probably drunk, and he’s upset because you were with me and not with him.”
“That’s absurd. He never asked me if I would go with him to that party, and you said you guys had been told about it a month ago.”
“Maybe he was scared to ask you,” JC suggested.
“That’s bullshit. Justin’s never been scared of anything when it comes to women, except maybe his mom. And why are you defending him? Were you not in the car five minutes ago? Did you not see that tramp all over him? Her hand was making its way down his PANTS, JC!”
“I’m sure he wouldn’t…”
She cut him off, “He was smiling and returning the favor! So don’t even tell me he wouldn’t have let it go too far. Don’t forget that I’ve been in that girl’s position before, and I know how Justin is when it comes to things like that.”
“But you also haven’t been here for the past five years. He’s changed. He hasn’t been with ANY girl since you left.”
“I find that extremely hard to believe after what I saw tonight, and you won’t convince me otherwise. He’s a man-whore, and I was obviously too blind to realize it sooner.”
“You’re wrong, Alex.”
“Goodnight, JC. You know the way out.”
“Goodnight,” JC said before leaving her room.