JUSTIN

I waited for Brian’s breathing to even out, because he needs the sleep. It would also make it easier for me to sneak out of the house. I don’t want him to have to do what is already hurting him, so I’ll do it for him. I don’t know these assholes, and they can’t really hurt me. I eased the door open and crept down the stairs. Now, what to do, do I visit Deb and let her pretend she fucking cares about anyone but herself and Michael, or call the last artist Liddy sleep with? 

“You stay the fuck out of this Jay.” Max says from my living room.

“Lower your voice you asshole.” I tell him. I look and the bedroom door was still closed.

“I’m trying to save myself the bail money.” He tells me.

“Take it out of my account.” I tell him.

“Jay, think for a minute before you run to the rescue. You don’t remember these people, who knows what you would be walking into. Maybe the reason you never remember them is because your mind wanted them gone.” He tells me.

“So I wanted Brian gone?” I ask him.

“Don’t take this like it’s going to sound, but from all accounts he was a dick to you. He pushed you away, treated you like crap, and kicked you to the curb. Why would you want to remember that? I’d be glad not to remember someone treating me like shit.” He tells me.

“MAX.” I was angry he was talking about Brian like that.

“BUT, he was a man who was still dealing with the aftermath of abuse. We don’t trust easily, and if he never dealt with it, what he was doing makes sense, to the adult me. It wouldn’t to someone at eighteen, who was sheltered growing up. SO LIKE I SAID, your eighteen year old mind didn’t see it the way your now twenty-three year old mind would. Hence, not wanting to remember the pain. Now on to what you think you were going to do. We have to know the players or we don’t play the game, you taught me that. Why are you not listening to your own rules?” He asks me.

He’s right, unless I know who I’m dealing with, it would be a giant mistake to confront them. I just want to spare Brian from having to realize his so called family sucks the big fat one.

“Max, how do I fix this for him? I don’t care what he was like before, he’s a good man and deserves better.” I tell him.

“Only you could fall in love twice with the same guy, and in only a couple days both times.” He jokes.

“He’s just that good.” I smirk.

“Dude you scored. I’m so proud of my baby, and disappointed you couldn’t wait a week, you slut.” He laughs.

“Unlike you, I like to know what I’m getting. If you’d just fuck them first you’d know you were going to want an exit faster.” I tell him.

“Okay, Mr Two Dates in Five Years, explain how a guy who never had a relationship can give me advice?” He ask me.

“It’s why I never had a relationship. They sucked in bed. Plus I was always waiting for a guy I wanted to chase, not one that wanted to chase me.” I tell him.

“Did Mr. Kinney make your heart go pitter patter? If not can I have him? And Emmett too, cause imagine a top and a bottom. I’d be in heaven.” He tells me.

“Stick to Emmett, because our friendship will end if you look at Brian that way.” I tell him.

“Oh my God, you would pick someone over me? I need to go upstairs and tell Brian he has ‘gone where no man has gone before’, the heart of Jay Thomas.” He smiles at me.

“You’d just be jealous, because naked, he’s beyond what mortals like you could ever dream of.” I tell him.

“Seriously Jay, do you think he’s someone you want a future with, or is he a link to your past?” He asks me.

“I’m not absolutely sure yet, but I want the chance to know him.” I tell him.

“Then let me handle Liddy, she’s worse than the other two, she knew and toyed with you. The other two would have shouted loudly that you abandoned Brian and took off to greener pastures, while telling Brian where to find you. In the end they will shoot themselves in the foot, and you can mess with them all you want. Liddy requires a lot more finesse.” He tells me.

“What are you thinking?” I ask him.

“Making all the doors of the art world slam shut in her face. She wants to come to my town and mess with my brother, it’s time I use my influence to fuck her up. I was thinking of inviting Sam to visit.” He tells me.

“Sam likes them young, not her age.” I tell him.

“He would also like to display his work with yours. He would dive into the stinky pussy, if you’ll agree to a joint show.” He tells me.

“Interesting idea, but what would he do to Liddy?” I ask him.

“Make her think she’s his muse, then show up with new muses in front of everyone. You know Sam, he would want to tell everyone he bagged the bitch just to see what it was like to fuck a used up lesbian. Sam’s a sleaze, but he has his uses.” He tells me.

BRIAN

I woke up alone and was a little upset that Justin wasn’t here. At least he was still in the house, I could hear him talking downstairs. I walked to the top of the stairs and listen to Justin telling Max that I’m just that good. This was a conversation I wanted to hear more of. I almost wanted to go caveman when Justin said that no one made him want to chase them. Does that mean they were chasing Justin? Okay, so I chased him too, but fuck it, he’s mine so I can leave it alone. 

Then I heard the one thing that cemented Max in the friendship category forever. Justin told him he would chose me. Max wasn’t really upset about it. I guess it’s hard for me to understand not wanting Justin as more, because I always have. 

They were discussing ways to topple Lindsay. I figured I’d better get some clothes on, because the Sam idea had merit, but could backfire. They needed to understand Lindsay better, she would just regroup and turn it on them. I was getting dressed when Justin came back upstairs.

“How much did you hear?” He asked me.

“Enough.” I tell him.

“Max is just thinking, he hasn’t made up his mind and unless we agree he won’t do anything.” Justin tells me.

“He needs to know more about her, but I was talking about the conversation before that one.” I tell him.

“And?” He asks me.

“I’ll let you chase me, but truthfully I would rather us run to each other. I think you did enough chasing me in the past.” I tell him 

“The fact that I want to chase you is something new for me. It’s more than I ever wanted with anyone in the last five years.” He tells me. I know we’re golden, because he still wants me. 

LINDSAY

God, why is it when I’ve had a late night the Novotny’s have to call nonstop for hours. I really didn’t want to deal with their shit today. I wanted to know where the hell Justin disappeared to, no one knows anything and the ones that do are staying silent. Fucking Max managed to stop artists from talking to me if they wanted a show with fucking Jay Thomas. How the fuck Justin managed to be friends with Max is still a mystery. If Max doesn’t want you to know, nobody will tell you. 

I remember following Brian to the gallery at Justin’s first show. Of course I didn’t know it was Justin yet but I wanted to find out why Brian was in New York. I agreed that I would stay here and see if Brian found Justin, while Michael and Deb would watch from Pittsburgh. I remember walking to the other side of the gallery to avoid Brian and seeing Justin standing there in the back of the gallery. I was about to run to keep him from seeing me, when he looked at me and there was no recognition in his eyes. He turned to look at a painting, so I walked right up to him and talked about the painting. It was as if I was talking to a stranger. All I could think was he doesn’t remember me, so I could make his life miserable. When Max told Justin his painting sold, I snuck to the front and had to keep Brian from seeing Justin. I did what I knew would keep them apart, I made friends with Jay and kept him with me all night. It was laughably easy since he didn't remember anything. It also served as a great way to blackmail Michael, because it wasn’t likely Michael would find out Justin wasn’t a threat to him like he thought. 

After that it was just a matter of fucking the PI to keep quiet. I wanted to make Brian pay for fucking up my life with Mel. I couldn’t have Mel anymore, so he couldn’t have Justin. It helped that Deb is delusional enough to see her son as a catch, for any man. Of course Michael is the classic example of someone only a mother could love. Shit, I better answer or I’ll never get them to stop calling.

“Hello Michael, what is so fucking important that you couldn’t wait for a reasonable hour to fucking call?” I tell him.

“Guess who returned from the dead Lindsay?” Michael asks me.

“Captain Astro?” I ask the moron.

“Did you hear that from somewhere?” He sounds all excited, he can’t be fucking serious.

“No Michael, do you honestly think I give two shits about Captain Astro, Turd?” I sneer at him.

“Take that back.” And this is why I hate dealing with Michael.

“What are you going to do, tell your mommy? Grow up dipshit.” I tell him.

“Fine, I guess you don’t care that the twink is back in town.” He tells me.

“Someone trying to steal Brian from you again? I keep telling you, after the shit you did with the loft and stealing sperm, he wasn’t going to want anything to do with you.” I tell him.

“Don’t act so innocent, you were right there with me. You and Ma acted like I needed to trap Brian. If I had waited he would have eventually come to me.” Did I mention that Michael is delusional too?

“Keep dreaming, Brian was never going to be into a whiny, petulant, mama's boy like you, hell, you don’t even have the looks for Brian to even consider you a trick. You called for a reason, some twink is in town, and...?” I ask him.

“JUSTIN TAYLOR. Ring any bells Lindsay? If he tells Brian about us, you'll be in as much trouble as I will be in.” He tells me. Poor Mikey, he doesn’t know that Justin doesn't remember Pittsburgh, it’s how I've been keeping him from blabbing to mommy. He knows attempted murder means jail time.

“I didn’t try to kill him Michael, you did. I just suggested New York and helped him purchase a ticket, you’re the dumb ass who followed him, and then didn’t even make sure you killed him when you hit him.” I tell him.

“I wasn’t trying to kill him.” Shit, will he ever learn to talk without whining.

“What did you expect when you hit someone in the back of the head?” I ask him.

“I don’t know, I just wanted him out of Brian’s life, not dead. I never should have told you anything, it's not like Justin saw me. I can always tell people you’re lying, because I can’t afford to keep paying you to keep you from telling. Sooner or later my boss is going to figure out I've been stealing from the store. If Justin ever figured out it was me, wouldn’t he have told by now?” He asks me.

“Then stop sending me money and I’ll just tell Justin the truth, no skin off my back. I don’t care about you, I just wanted Brian to pay for Mel leaving me. My life is already ruined, want me to ruin yours?” I ask him. 

“I guess Ma and I will have to handle it. I'll tell her you told me to keep quiet about where Justin was.” He tells me.

“Tell your mother to wait for me to get there, because you two are total fuck-ups. You’d likely end up in a dumpster, after Brian killed you.” I tell him. Last thing I need is Deb on my ass.

I hang up on him, but could swear he said he already had. Had what?