Chapter 56:
Showdown
Brian nervously picked at his fingers,
feeling the concentrated stare of AJ burn right through him, the soft hiss of
the heating unit the only sound that came between them.
He hoped help would arrive soon; the idea
of being cooped up with AJ right now didn't appeal to him in the least. He
glanced up quickly at AJ who was leaning against the edge of the conference
table with his arms crossed, studying him. Sighing inwardly, he dropped his
gaze, renewing fake interest in his hand.
AJ coughed loudly. "So, are you going
to sit there like an idiot ignoring me, or do you want to talk?"
"Talk?" mumbled Brian, keeping
his head down. "What about?"
"Oh, how about the way you just acted
in the photography studio? Remember that? Or why you were sleeping outside
Nick's door? What about that little surprise you pulled on stage?"
AJ's frustration grew as he watched Brian
sitting quietly, not saying a word. He got up and walked over to Brian,
slamming his hands down on the table with enough force to make it shake.
"Maybe you could tell me just what the hell is wrong with you!"
Brian jumped up from his seat and turned
away, rubbing his forehead tiredly with his hand. "There's nothing wrong
with me, Bone."
AJ snorted in reply. "Yeah, right!
Come on, Brian! Why are you doing this to yourself... to us?" Brian
heard the catch of desperation in AJ's voice, the pleading. AJ's hand snaked
around the upper part of Brian's arm, pulling him around to so that they were
face to face. The hurt, the confusion was so plain that Brian could not bear to
look at him and he shook off AJ's grip. He went over to the window, glancing
down at the traffic below.
"You can't hide forever, B-Rok,"
AJ whispered. "This is tearing you apart. Can't you see that?" AJ
took a step closer, eyeing him closely. "Brian....Brian!"
The young singer jerked his head back from
the view and AJ sucked in his breath. There it was, all the pain, all the suffering,
reflecting clearly in the anguished blue eyes of his friend.
"Just tell me what's wrong… please."
AJ's reached out, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. Brian closed his eyes,
forcing the tears back. If he spoke now, he knew there would be no stopping. He
almost swayed with the longing, the wish to release all his fears and to be
free of the constant agony he endured. AJ was close, so close to getting what
he wanted that the enormity of it jolted Brian back to reality.
" I … I can't."
"You can't...or you won't?"
"Both."
Brian opened his eyes and AJ knew he had
lost. The pain that was so evident a moment ago had disappeared, replaced with
bright blue eyes of determination. AJ's mouth turned into a harsh smile as he
slowly placed his glasses back on.
"Well, I guess that's it, huh?"
he said. Brian could not see the bitterness, but heard it AJ's voice.
"Yeah,...I guess so."
They looked at one another, neither
willing to say more. A tentative knock on the door announced Evelyn's return.
She glanced back and forth at AJ and Brian, uncomfortable about interrupting an
obviously awkward moment. "Um, there's someone here to get you," she
informed.
AJ broke contact first, nodding. He turned
to see Xavier enter and compressed his mouth into a thin line, the only sign
visible of his displeasure at seeing the unwanted bodyguard.
"Where's Eric?" he asked
stiffly.
"He's handling things downstairs with
the guys. It got pretty crazy." Xavier disregarded AJ, looking straight at
Brian. "You okay?"
Brian ignored the question and asked one
of his own. "Anyone get hurt?"
"Nick."
Xavier heard their sharp intake of alarm
and motioned for them to hurry and follow him. "He's going be okay. We're
checking him out right now. Nick was the only one injured; none of the fans
were, thank goodness. Come on." He gave Brian a tight smile as they headed
down the hall.
Brian felt his heart pound with fear,
understanding all too well Xavier's look. Xavier had warned him that he
wouldn't be able to keep Nick safe. And he hadn't. With a deepening dread he
walked faster, not wanting know what Xavier had done to Nick. He knew he would
find out soon enough.
***
