LINDS

I was sitting around the house, trying to figure out what to do. I should have told Peter we could meet for dinner. Maybe I should get to know Jen. She would be a good person to keep on my side. I look around the room to make sure I have everything I need. I shouldn’t have put the clothes on the bed, but I can hire someone to clean and pack for me.

I should call Jen first, but I never got her phone number. Jen never liked Brian and Justin being together, so we have that in common. I drove to what I think is Jen’s neighborhood, but I realize I don’t know which condo she lives in. Jen is the kind of person who would welcome the neighbors, so people would know her. With that in mind, I knock on the first condo and wait. The man who answers the door tells me that it sounds like the woman two doors down. I thank him and go to that door. The woman who answers looks nothing like Jen. I ask her if she knows Jen.

“I have four kids under the age of seven, so unless Jen was one of them, I wouldn’t know her.” The lady said sarcastically and then slams the door in my face. I shouted through the door that she should have invested in birth control.

After trying five more houses I realize I need a different strategy. I finally find Jen in the phonebook and recognize that I wasn’t even in the right neighborhood. I called and asked if she wanted to go to dinner.

“Is everything okay Linds?” Jen asks me.

“I just wanted us to get to know each other better,” I tell her.

“Tucker and I were going to eat in Linds, maybe we could plan for some other time,” Jen tells me.

“We really need to spend some time together Jen, I wanted to tell you in person about Justin and me,” I tell her.

“Linds, there is no you and Justin. There is Brian and Justin, there is Justin and his children, but there will never be a you and Justin. Get that through your head. My son is living happily married to Brian. Justin doesn’t want or need you in his life. I don't know why you think differently. I know Justin has never told you he wanted you to be involved in his career or his life. Why don’t you go home to your family and leave Brian and Justin alone.” Jen tells me.

“You obviously haven't talked to your son lately. Justin is leaving Brian to make a life with me. Justin will be depending on me to keep people who aren’t happy for us out of our lives. I know you don’t approve of Brian, and if you think about it, I’m giving you a way to get Brian out of Justin’s life. I thought you and I could become friends, but I guess you're another person Justin will have to let go, so he can be happy.” I sneer into the phone.

“Linds, you need to get your life together and stop trying to live through my son. You need to start taking care of your children and your marriage. You're right, I didn’t approve of Brian in the beginning, but he became my other son the minute he fell in love with Justin. I love Brian Fucking Kinney for everything he did and is willing to do to protect my son from people like you.” Jen hangs up.

Jen just made it to the top of my shit list. She better not try to contact Justin after treating me like that. Wait till I tell Justin.

JUSTIN

My mom called Brian to find out why Linds thinks I'm leaving him for Linds. We forgot to include Mom in the list of people Linds would contact. Truthfully, I didn’t think she even knew how to contact my mom. Mom moved in with Tucker after Molly left for college, so Linds shouldn’t have been able to find her. Brian tells her everything. We just found out my mom can out curse Brian.

“Are you fucking telling me that bitch thinks she can take my fucking son like he's her fucking property? I thought she fucking ate twat, not dick. Justin sure as hell has no interest in knocking up her crazy ass. Brian, you need to get Gus away from her. You tell her I'll beat the living shit out of her if she harms one hair on either my son’s or my grandson’s heads. I'll bring Deb and will knock some goddamn sense into the bitch.” That's my mother the lady speaking.

“Jen, you're going to have to stand in line. There is no way she is taking Justin or Gus anywhere, especially the Hotel California of her fantasies.” Brian tells her.

“Brian, protect my grandchildren and keep my son from confronting her. Justin, you know you can’t reason with a mad woman. Brian, promise me you’ll keep him safe.” Mom tells Brian.

“Yes, Mother. I promised you that the day I married him.” Brian tells her.

“I like Mom better, or if you're feeling frisky you can call me Mommy.” She tells him. “Call me if you need my help.”

I think history has been made. Brian is not only speechless but he's blushing.

“I no longer wonder where you get being a smart ass from,” Brian tells me.

I snorted, it turned into a giggle, then I just started laughing hysterically. Victoria and Beth giggled with me, they didn’t even know why. For the first time all day I felt normal. It was time to do normal things, I told Brian we are going to have dinner, play with the girls and read them their story. We need to return to our normal. I don't want to think about anything that doesn't involve our family until tomorrow.

We keep to our routine with the girls, even with strangers in the house with us. The girls seem to think the guys watching over us were new friends. I told the guard, Allen, to try not to scare the girls. Allen told me kids as young as the girls don’t know why he’s here and he tries to make sure they never do. He is really nice to the girls and tells me to pretend he’s not here. How the fuck do you pretend a six foot six guy isn’t in the room?

After getting the girls to sleep, I’m wired and can’t settle down. I want to go find Linds and run her over with my SUV. Many, many times. Brian grabs me as I pace around the bedroom, I know he can feel the tension coming off me. I start tearing off his clothes, I wanted to scream and throw things. Brian told me to take it out on him in bed. I can’t even tell you when I fell asleep.  

Max was waiting in the kitchen the next morning, he told me it would be better to limit Linds’s contact with me. I feel like everyone wants me to hide. I tried to convince Brian and Max to let me go with them. Max told me it was better not to give Linds anything she could see as me accepting her delusions. I told them I wanted to see what was happening. Brian told me the nightmares I would probably get from this would only get worse if Linds reacts the way Max thinks she will. I finally relented. It’s just hard to understand how I got a stalker.

“Was it something I did?” I asked Max, “It just seems like I should be able to point to something and say that is when it started. All Linds has ever done was annoy me with advice.”

“Justin, you could walk down a street and smile at someone, in most cases, people either smile back or continue on their way never thinking about it again. Then there is the person who takes the smile you carelessly showed as you giving them special attention. That's how stalking happens. Some people have never even met their stalker, only to find out the person saw them out somewhere and fixated on them. Linds left Brian behind when you almost married him the first time. She wanted you to be a famous artist and Brian got in her way. Linds is determined to fulfill her fantasy at any cost, and by doing that she becomes dangerous to your family. I hope when I talk to her, she’ll see reason. Justin, you need to understand this isn’t going to end today.” Max tells me. I wanted to hear this was over, not that Linds could still be a problem after today.

Brian and I had to go to the police station and file the paperwork again. It’s kind of embarrassing to have to explain to the same detective that we have more crazy ass people in our lives. The detective told me everyone has crazy people in their lives. It didn’t make me feel better.

BRIAN

I didn't want Justin to have to see any of this, I have to play nice with Linds, so she'll sign the papers. It feels like I’m betraying Justin. Justin told me it's to protect Gus, and nothing else. I know that in my head, but it doesn't make what I have to do any easier. I just don’t know if I can pull this off. I might have to kill her. Gus has to be my reason to keep her breathing.

Nick worked late last night to have what I needed to keep Gus away from his mother. Mel and I are going to explain it to him, after school today. Justin and I talked about what to tell Gus, we think we just need him to know Linds is having problems and until she's better, she can't be a good mom.

Max told me once she's signed the paperwork I should get out and let them handle the rest. Mel showed up at Kinnetik and told me she couldn’t pretend this wasn’t her problem too. Mel at first was going to stay out of it, but she couldn't act like this was her get out of jail free card.

For the first time in my life, walking into my company feels walking into the gates of hell.

MAX

When Peter called I thought it would be another routine case. Linds sounds like your garden variety, bored housewife. I figured she was attracted to Justin and wanted to play house with him. I told Peter it could be she wanted excitement and sees Justin as her way to the excitement. When we met with Justin and learned more about Linds, I knew it was no longer routine. Linds is past the point you can reason with her. Making Justin face it was actually harder. Brian told me Justin wants to believe Linds is just talking out of her ass. I told Brian I wouldn’t have stayed if that was the case.

I was surprised it took us throwing everything Linds has done out there and explaining to Justin why I think we need to take precautions. Linds trying to integrate herself into Justin’s mother’s life told me Linds needs help. The problem is stalkers fixate, and unless something else comes along, Linds is going to keep trying. Brian gets that this is probably the beginning of Linds’s campaign.

“What is the next step?” Brian asks me.

“We keep Justin away from her until she does something to get herself put away. The real problem is your son, it gives her access to information on Justin. Gus could say something as innocent as he and Justin are going to the park and she is going to be sitting there waiting for them. She needs to feed her obsession and when we deny her a way to do that, she is going to go from talking to action. It’s the action that gets people hurt.” I tell him.

“I can’t believe I have to go in that room and act as if she's getting my husband in order to save my son from her. I honestly don't know if I can do that Max. It goes against everything in me. I want to walk in there and hurl her ass into a vat of acid, not play nice.” Brian tells me.

“You need to view it as a means to an end. Don't overplay being nice, just tell her facts. You want custody of Gus, she isn’t capable of taking care of him. Just tell her that. How she interprets it isn't an issue. That's my job. Once I talk to her, she is going to be concerned about how to get to Justin and nothing else.” I tell him.

Brian doesn’t see that Linds isn’t going to chase after him. She is going to want him out of her way. My other concern is this Michael person; if Linds thinks Michael can help her, she is going to use him. If Michael is as gullible as they are saying, we are going to be looking at a different situation altogether. I might have to move some of my guys to Pittsburgh. Brian and Justin are lucky they can afford protection, most people have to move or run from people like these two.

I guess it's time to meet Linds.

TED

Max told us to treat Linds normally, he wants to see her behavior. I told Brian we need to treat her like a client, so she doesn’t try to make them work to get the paperwork signed.

I talked to Blake and he told me Justin is her Crystal Meth, she is going to do anything for a fix. Unlike addicts, we can't clean her up, unless she recognizes Justin doesn't belong with her. It sounds like what I went through, it took seeing the things I allowed to happen just to get high for me to get help. Blake told me Linds would have to check herself in for treatment. He thinks that if forced to go, Linds could fool the doctor. I can see where he’s coming from. She would say all the right things and wait for another chance to score her high.

LINDS

Brian asked if we could talk first, Mel was with him.

“Mel, I'm fine with our relationship being over. If you're here to see if I changed my mind, I didn’t.” I tell her.

“Brian and I wanted to discuss custody of Gus. If you're determined to leave we have to see to Gus’s welfare. Brian has some papers you need to sign.” Mel tells me.

“I can see your point, but later when Justin and I settle down, I want to be able to have the children around,” I tell her.

“We can work that out later,” Mel tells me.

“Brian, that includes the girls,” I tell him.

“Linds, plan your happily ever after later. Just sign the fucking paperwork. After that, I don't give a damn.” Brian tells me, pushing the papers toward me. Brian needs to get over losing Justin.

I signed where Mel told me to. Brian is acting like an asshole the whole time. If this wasn’t what I thought was best, I would have made it harder on them. Mel looks over the paperwork, tells Brian everything is good. Brian turns to walk out. He could at least thank me for not making this harder. I could have made them sign for joint custody.

“Brian I know letting Justin go is hard, but you should have let him go when he first moved to New York,” I tell him. He brought this on himself.

“You want to know what's hard Linds, it's listening to you. Where in that mind of yours did you think…” Mel cuts Brian off.

“Brian let it go,” Mel tells him.

“Linds, after today I never want to see you again. You’re fucking Casper as far as I'm concerned.” Brian slams out the door, saying everyone expected too much of him.  

“He’ll get used to life without Justin, tell him to make up with Michael. They can go back to the way things used to be after Justin's gone.” I tell Mel.

“Linds, fuck off.” Is all she says to me before she follows Brian out of the office.

They leave me in Brian’s office alone and I get up to see where Peter is. I want to get this over with. Brian is in Ted’s office, I watch as he starts to yell. I can’t hear what he’s saying. I was going to go and tell Brian I understand losing Justin will be hard, but he won’t accomplish anything by acting this way. Peter intercepts me and tells me we can talk in the conference room. I told him this wasn’t going to take long. I walk in ahead of him and take the chair at the head of the table.

I was about to tell him he is being let go when another man comes into the room.

“I need to speak to Peter alone. Would you mind waiting outside?” I tell the man.

“Actually Linds, you were asked here to talk to me. My name is Max Holston. I’m the head of security for Justin Taylor-Kinney as of yesterday. I was brought in because we are worried about you.” Max tells me.

“First of all, it’s Justin Taylor. Kinney is Brian’s last name. Second, we can discuss how you’re going to handle Justin and my security after I talk to Peter.” I tell him.

“No, we are here to deliver a restraining order. Justin and Brian want to make sure you understand exactly what this is. You are not allowed within five hundred yards of Justin, Brian, or any of the children. Your wife wanted you to have one with the same conditions for her too. If you attempt to contact any of the people I just mentioned, I have been authorized to detain you until the police arrive. There is to be zero contact with Justin. Do you understand? If not, tell me before you're escorted off the property.” This Max person tells me. If they think I’m going to listen to them, they need to think again.

“You need to get Justin on the phone right now. Brian probably thinks he can do this and Justin will just go along with it. Justin wants me in his life. He is just too afraid to leave Brian. Everyone is trying to stop us from leaving together. Well, Max and Peter, you're both going to be fired when Justin finds out what all of you did. GET JUSTIN HERE NOW! I want my husband to tell you himself that everyone is out of our lives.” I tell them.

“Ms Peterson, Justin is not your husband. He isn’t going to intervene, he signed the papers I just gave you. You need to pick up your things and leave this building. I have security waiting to escort you out of the building. Although, I would take great pleasure in having a police escort if you want to stay.” The asshole is smiling.

I don’t say a word. I pick up the restraining orders and tear them into small pieces. When I had them small enough I rained them all over ‘Mr tells me he’ll call the police.’

“You can burn each piece if you want to, but it’s still going to be in effect. Make my life easier and accept reality. Justin Taylor-Kinney doesn’t want you in his life. You need to get your life together and it can’t include Justin.” He tells me.

I grab my things and decide to try to see Justin alone. I know everyone is keeping us apart. The assholes who escort me out, wouldn’t let me go until I was in my car. I was told not to return to the building. Like I want to see fucking Kinnetik or Brian again. Justin deserves to get away from everyone trying to control him.