Ch 21
"Can you give me advice?" Jerry asked. "Nothing has ever stopped you before, Red."
Bobbie smiled. "I thought you quit calling me that." She answered.
"Old habits die hard. You don’t mind, do you?" He asked with a concerned smile. This wasn’t helping him with V. However, he wanted to keep things open with Bobbie.
"As long as you don’t call V Red too." Bobbie answered sincerely. She didn’t regret breaking up with Jerry. Things weren’t working out between them. They both needed to move on while they still could. However, she had to admit she missed his sarcastic remarks.
"Never." Jerry said emphatically. "However, it won’t matter since she will be with Jax."
"Is that really what you want?" Bobbie asked knowing the answer was no.
"I told you before I want him to be happy." Jerry couldn’t understand why Bobbie wouldn’t drop the subject. He had fallen in love with his Jax’ best friend. Jax had too. Now, Jerry couldn’t have her and he would have to watch Jax with her.
"What about your happiness Jerry? You deserve it as much as he does." Jerry’s stubbornness still frustrated Bobbie to no end.
"He is my little brother. I take care of him. I make him happy. That is the way it works. It has always been that way." Jerry loved his brother. Sure it bothered him that Jax always received the most attention. However, he felt Jax deserved it.
"Why? Luke took great care of me when we were growing up. He still would if I needed him. However, he wouldn’t change his life just because it would make me happy. Why should you do that for Jax?"
Jerry thought about it. "I always have." It seemed like a lame excuse even as he gave it.
"Why don’t you do something for yourself?" Bobbie asked. It seemed like Jerry had spent the better part of his life living solely for himself. She couldn’t understand why this time was different.
"Weren’t you going to give me some advice? What was that?" He asked softly. It seemed safer to change the subject.
Bobbie thought back to her original plan. "Talk to Jax."
Jerry thought about her idea. It seemed stupid. He couldn’t bear listening to Jax talk about how amazing V was. However, maybe Jax wasn’t sincere. Maybe Jax only wanted the competition. Maybe he only wanted the competition. "That isn’t a bad idea, Red. Ciao." He said as he got up and walked to the door
He was out before Bobbie could stop him. "Some date that turned out to be." She said sarcastically as she finished getting ready.
--
Jax glared at Ned. "You think it was me. Why?"
"You aren’t stupid, Jax. Answer the question. What did you do to make her leave?" Ned asked again.
"God Dammit Ned, I didn’t do anything. That is why she left. She has been around forever and I have never done a thing to convince her to stay. This time she decided not to." Jax answered. It wasn’t exactly what happened but it was close enough.
"What are you talking about?" Ned asked confused by his answer.
"Somebody said something about V." He didn’t look up at Chloe. "A loved one, a friend, hell even a casual acquaintance would have stuck up for her. I didn’t. She got hurt." He explained sharply. "I need to be alone." He opened the door to the penthouse; entered, slammed it shut, and locked it before anybody could follow him.
Ned, Alexis, Simon and Chloe stood in the hall looking at one another. "I am going back in." Chloe announced as she tried the door. "He locked it." When she knocked he didn’t respond. "He won’t let me in." She sounded hurt.
"He said he needed to be alone. Give him time." Alexis said harshly. She couldn’t understand why Jax’ words from a minute ago hadn’t been painfully clear to Chloe. Jax didn’t want company.
Chloe looked stunned. Nobody talked to her that way. Jax was too upset about this. She had to do something to get back into the inside circle. After a moment of thinking she had an idea. "Simon, I need your help. Come with me."
Simon wasn’t sure he should follow. However, with his date missing, he didn’t have anything better to do. "Ned, Alexis." He nodded a goodbye as he followed Chloe towards the elevator.
With Chloe and Simon’s departure Ned and Alexis remained alone in the hall. "Should we go downstairs and have a drink before the party?" Ned asked. He felt stupid standing in the hall.
Alexis shook her head. "V needs a friend right now. I am going to go to her."
Ned looked puzzled. "You don’t know where she is. How will you find her?"
Alexis smiled. "I have a few ideas. I will be back in time for your performance." She said before giving him a quick kiss and heading for the elevators.
Ned looked up at the ceiling. He hadn’t planned on spending the evening alone. He contemplated knocking on the penthouse door. However, as he raised his hand to knock somebody called his name.
"Don’t even think about it, Ashton. I need to see Jasper, alone." Jerry said as he reached the door.