JUSTIN

Fucking Pittsburgh for a wedding dress? We could afford Paris, and Mom chooses Pittsburgh? It was just mind blowing, she runs to fashion shows in New York, Milan, and Paris for fun, but is in Pittsburgh for her wedding. The women in my life never make sense. The planner comes in, distracted, but perked up when he saw my mother.

“My favorite client, here to cheer me up.” He tells her, hugging her. “Who do we have here, and where did that fabulous car in my parking lot come from, I've never seen one like it?” He asks, looking at me.

“My son, Justin graced me with his presence today. Justin calls the car Britin, we just say it's his vanity because he designed it. Justin this is Emmett, the man saving my sanity.” Mom gushes.

He looked taken aback for a second, but shook it off and led us to the dressing rooms. “Are we dressing Justin too?” He asks Mom.

“I have what I'm wearing. Make sure my mother feels like a princess. Nothing she wants is out of the question.” I tell him.

“Baby, you should really be careful, I can do a lot with that statement.” He tells me.

“Take it as my mother gets the wedding she wants.” I tell him.

“Betty has the dress, so go try it on. Justin can show me the car.” Emmett tells us.

We got outside and I already knew Emmett didn’t know cars, when he said it was pretty. My car was everything gearheads drool over, so when pretty came out, I just thanked him without rolling my eyes.

“I know nothing about cars, but my boyfriend is a car guy. It’s just, this reminds me of a car I saw earlier, but Teddy, my best friend told me the car I saw was rare. Since I’m now seeing two cars that I can’t name, I wondered about how it’s possible.” He tells me.

“Don’t tell me, the car’s paint job changed with the light, dark purple to black, am I right?” I ask, ready to kick Lee’s ass.

“I’m I supposed to answer?” He asks.

“Where did you see him?” I ask, closing my eyes, shaking my head, and hoping I wasn’t right.

“At my friends building, Kinnetik. Teddy and Brian work in advertising.” He tells me, just adding to the things Brian never told me. But then, I never told him the car he told me was his dream car was my design, either.

“Can you tell my mom and sister that I can’t stay here?” I tell him, needing to leave before I ran to Brian.

“Brian doesn’t sleep much, but when he does he dreams about getting you back. Nothing that worked for him before works now, the drinking, drugs, and tricks didn’t make him forget you. He needs you.” Emmett tells me.

“Which would mean more to me if he had ever once told me anything about himself, or his life.” I tell him, getting in and speeding off.

EMMETT

I fucked that up, but you don’t hurt like that if you don’t still love someone. I went in and told Betty to have Darren take over. I needed to get the boys together, we needed to help these two find a way back to each other. Ted tried to say Brian would fire him for leaving, but all I had to say was I met Justin. I called Drew and asked what he knew about the cars everyone was talking about and had him saying he was on the list too. Why didn’t I pay attention to my brothers? Apparently cars were to Drew what fashion is to Brian.

“How do you know it’s the right guy?” Teddy asked, as he came into my house.

“He told me. By not denying he knew Brian when I told him what Brian’s been like.” I tell them.

“How do we find him again?” Blake asks.

“You know the bet you made? Well I think Brian is going to be surprised at who he meets. I need to find out why Justin wasn’t mentioned by Cynthia when she talked about the MacTaylor corporation.” I tell Teddy.

“The owners are Leeland MacAllister and Cole Taylor, maybe Justin works there.” Ted tells me.

“Ted, he told me that NOTHING his mother wanted for her wedding mattered, cost not being a problem. Only people who could afford to say that would.” I tell him.

“Maybe ask his mother, I’m sure she’d tell you.” Blake tells me.

“Tell Cynthia she’s slacking. Cole’s name is listed, without his first name, which is, any guesses? Justin. And he has family in Harrisburg, which Emmett knows since he’s doing the wedding for her.” Drew smirks from his laptop.

LINDSAY

Mel called all excited and told me to pretty please let us invite everyone over to meet her friend. I giggled as she told me he was her Brian, before she met me. I was already on my way to see Brian, and told Mel I’d get him and Ted to invite everyone to dinner. I’d even make sure to induce Brian by using Gus. It was the one guilt that didn’t bother me, because Brian was thrilled to spend time with Gus. I called to have dinner catered, since the guys hate all things vegan. It sort of made me happy that we wouldn’t be including Michael tonight. Mel hates Michael more than she used to hate, well dislike, Brian.

I waved to Cynthia, who nodded that I could go in. She agreed with Mel and I about Michael and we all sort of became friends out of mutual agreement that Brian needed help. When we walked in Brian got up and pulled Gus out of his stroller, ignoring me to talk to his son. I didn’t mind, because our son was getting what we couldn’t from our families.

“Mel’s got a friend in town so we wanted to have you and the guys over to meet him.” I tell him.

“I’m not interested.” Brian tells me.

“We aren’t setting you up, I know better. Mel just seemed really excited and wanted the gang to meet her friend, I think she said his name was Leeland MacAllister.” I tell him, suddenly getting all of Brian’s attention.

“I wouldn’t want to upset Mel. I’ll call the guys.” He tells me.

“We don’t want Michael there.” I tell him.

“Linds…”

“It won’t work on me, he is not my friend or yours. You need to stop seeing the fourteen year old kid who took you home to his house so you could avoid yours, and see him and what he’s doing to you. In fact, I’ll send you something and if you're willing to look then maybe it will wake you up.” I tell him sending him the video.

He watched, but as usual excused it like he always did. “He has good days too.” Brian tells me, making me want to roll my eyes. Where did the man I know go?

“Then respect that Mel and I don’t want Michael over, trying to be the center of attention.” I tell him.

“You know if he finds out I’m not in Wyoming, he’ll show up regardless of not being invited.” I tell her.

“Wyoming?” I ask.

“Ted’s idea. Apparently you never meet anyone from Wyoming.” He tells me, like that makes sense.

“I need to go pick up the order for the dinner we are having, want to come with me?” I ask, to keep him from not coming tonight.

“Why not, Cynthia will quit if Michael shows up again.” He tells me.

“Strange coming from Michael’s PA, or at least that’s how Michael sees it.” I tell him, walking out as Cynthia glares at me for that comment. “We’re having dinner at my house if you don’t have plans.” I tell her.

“My boyfriend said he was going to make up to me for Brian making me deal with Michael. He says guys are jackasses when it comes to childhood friends.” She tells us, as I drag Brian out so he can’t reply with his usual sarcasm.

“I should have told Cynthia if I win the bet, she has to kiss Michael’s ass for a month.” Brian tells me.

“Michael has you, Ted, and Emmett for that, which is just how he wants it.” I tell him.

“Lindsay, I know he can be hard to take, but let him go, he needed me to help him.” Brian tells me.

“Keep believing it, it means Michael wins and you became spineless.” I tell him, pissed.

“Maybe I should just watch Gus, apparently…” Brian stops, looking at a guy staring back at him.

“Brian?” I ask, staring between them.

The other guy runs when Brian started towards him and jumped in a waiting cab, leaving Brian in the middle of the street. I had to pull him to the sidewalk, I’ve never seen Brian like this, totally gutted. Not even sitting in the waiting room waiting for news on Michael did he look like this.

“I can’t come. Tell Ted he wins.” Brian says, almost defeated.

“I’m fucking done with the kid gloves, you will come and you will be the Brian Kinney your son needs you to be. I will not accept whatever this is!” I yell at him, scaring Gus.

Brian nodded, looking at me like he wasn’t sure who the woman standing in front of him was. “We’ll find him Brian, and this time you let him in, do you understand? Give him the parts of you left out and he didn’t know.” I tell him.

“Mel told you?” He asks.

“No. I know you, and I know the look on your face told me whoever that was gave you a minute of happiness before he ran off.” I tell him.

“His name is Justin and he’s the only man who I would chase.” He admits.

“Why didn’t you?” I ask.

“I never let him tell me his full name. I wanted him free of me and it was the only way I could let him go when I disappointed him. Which I did every time he asked anything.” He tells me.

LEE

I silenced my phone but couldn’t silence the texts Justin was sending letting me know that he was going to tear apart my car. Mel was puzzled as my phone went off every ten seconds and I didn’t answer. I turned it off when Justin started texting ‘SLEDGEHAMMERS WERE DESIGNED TO MAKE THINGS UNRECOGNIZABLE’. A blonde woman came in with a baby and wouldn’t you know it, Brian Fucking Kinney. Then came the two guys with dates, one of which was Drew Boyd. I went over to talk to Drew, who I’d met when he registered for a car.

“Hey, they didn’t tell me it was you here.” Drew tells me, shaking my hand.

“Mel calls me Lee like all my friends, well unless I do something to piss her off.” I tell him.

“Sorry, I can’t do this tonight.” Brian tells us, walking out the door, before anyone could stop him.

“Something wrong with Brian, Lindsay?” Mel asks.

“I might have pissed him off when I said things about Michael. Only I think it’s more to do with the guy who he saw, someone named Justin.” She tells Mel, making me worry about how Justin took seeing Brian.

“Fuck! He said he was over Brian.” I said without thinking.

“We already know.” Drew tells me.

“Then you know that Justin doesn’t need someone who can fuck around on his partner and kid.” I tell him.

“Justin had a partner and kid?” Ted asks, confused.

“No. Brian and that whiny guy in your office, you remember the kid too right? He said his name was Gussy.” I tell him, sarcastic as hell.

I didn’t expect them all to slowly start laughing, and it took a while for them to stop. “Lee, meet Gussy, Lindsay, Brian, and my son. No one else's.” Mel says, when she managed to stop laughing.

BRIAN

I left my car in the middle of Liberty Avenue and just started walking past the club, Woody’s, and the guys offering anything to get my attention. I knew when Justin was anywhere, and six months didn’t change it. That was why I looked around me. He stood like in my dream, stone faced, and left so I couldn’t catch him. I couldn’t pretend I was impervious, when the man who still six months later, leaves a hole in my world. I didn’t go to the loft, but back to my car when I reached the end of Liberty Avenue. I drove to the house I bought with the idea one day I would let Justin in. I planned to sleep in my car, refusing to enter the home that I would only use if Justin was there.

JUSTIN

Lee finally answered me, but with some address saying to put aside my drama queen and check it out. I sent him my middle finger but my curiosity got the better of me. I got up and walked out of the diner, after meeting the man Brian was screwing around on with me. Michael made it apparent to everyone trying to eat that Brian was in trouble for not coming home tonight. And he was telling everyone to make sure they all tell Brian he better come home tonight.

It made me wonder how Brian’s taste was so varied. Michael was nothing like me. I guess when you’re the one they cheat with, they don’t want to be reminded of the one they're cheating on. I took my car from the lot I parked in when I went to see Brian, and drove towards home, since the address Lee was sending me to was almost there. When I got to the address there was a car in the driveway. I parked behind it before going to the door of the house. I was going to text Lee to ask why I was here, when I heard Brian behind me.

“Tell me you’re real.” Brian begged.