Keep Your Enemies Closer

Part Two: Lying to Yourself

J: "Touch him and I'll kill you." Brooke laughed. B: "I've heard that one before. Look where that got you." Jade glared at Brooke. He hit a soft spot. She knew it was not her fault that Adrian had turned into this person, no matter how much she tried to tell herself that. Her own guilt tore her apart for too long since what happened with Adrian. She still has not forgiven herself what she had done to protect herself from Adrian. But she knew she would do it again if she had to. Especially now that Miles was mixed up in this.

J: "I'm so sorry, Miles. I shouldn't have let you get mixed up with all my crap, with all this." Miles looked at her with a soft smile. M: "I told you that you always apologize too much. This isn't your fault, you-" A: "-Shut the hell up. Now. You're going to answer some questions and do as I say. And if you don't..." Jade flinched as she heard the gun smack into Miles' head. He grunted in pain but did nothing more. Jade gave Adrian a deadly look. Jade sung a verse of a song lightly. J: "I might kill my ex. Not the best idea." (Kill Bill by SZA)

Adrian laughed. A: "You don't have the guts to kill me. Because you still care about me, and you always will. You said it yourself, don't you remember?" Another soft spot. The conversation that Adrian and Jade had before he... Broke her heart... and so much more. Jade knew that Adrian was right, she probably couldn't kill. But if it was choosing between Adrian's life or Miles'. She wouldn't hesitate to save Miles.

J: "You realize that it's just an expression. But maybe not today. You're really getting on my nerve with this whole kidnapping thing. I had things planned for today." Adrian shook his head. A: "You really don't believe this is real, do you? All these jokes... We'll see if you're still joking after I'm done with you." Jade rolled her eyes, annoyed. B: "I have an idea. Take her to that room." Jade looked around to where Brooke was pointing. There was a door to a small room with a table and a chair. Looked like an investigation room you'd see at the police station in movies. She watched as Adrian pulled her chair in the room. She was anxious to have Mikes out of her sight. What were they going to do with him? Of course, she was worried about him first, and Adrian noticed it. He knew her too well. Another regret she's always had.

A: "Oh don't you worry about him. You're gonna see him right in front of you, through that one way mirror." Relief flushed through Jade's system. At least she could see Miles. She would know whether to break free from the chair and attack Adrian or Brooke or both. She was really hoping she wouldn't have to worry about Miles getting hurt, he's pretty smart too. B: "Here's how this is gonna work... We're going to ask you some questions. And if you don't answer or if we figure out you're lying... Well, you'll have a little show in front of you. You lie or stay quiet, and we'll hurt this guy." As Brooke pointed to the one way mirror, Jade could see Miles sitting across from her, confused why he's being turned in the direction of a mirror. He doesn't see the window, and he doesn't see her. Chills ran up Jade's spine.

A: "Oh, don't worry. She won't lie. Not even to save herself. She wouldn't even lie to save me back then. She's so honest you can ask whatever the hell you want. It took me a while to really believe it." Brooke looked at me. B: "Hmm. That's quite interesting. My first question is why? Why the hell are you so honest? Even when lives are a stake, even when you could save someone with a lie... you still tell the truth. Why is that?" Jade looked down... She knew she had to be honest, but she couldn't show any vulnerability. She had to tell the truth in a way that will show strength instead of vulnerability. J: "Because... I never saw a reason to lie, and I don't want to be known to lie. I'm very creative with the truth because I know how it feels to be lied to. I'd never want to put that on someone else. I would never be the reason someone feels the way I felt." Brooke smile in the corner of his mouth.

B: "Quite an interesting answer. I'm surprised it's not some kind of moral you have set up for yourself." A: "Next question. This one is simple... Do you still have feelings for me?" Jade looked Adrian in the eyes as she spoke. J: "Didn't I already answer this earlier? And I thought the way I treated you the last time we met was a clear sign." Adrian got closer to Jade's face. A: "That's not an answer. I know your tricks with twisting the truth, so I'll make this easy. It's a yes or no question." J: "No. You already know that." Adrian smiled. B: "I thought she doesn't lie..." A: "Well, this is going to be fun." Adrian began to walk out the door. Panic exploded in her system J: "You really think I'm lying? Why would I lie about that, especially now? I think you're in denial." Adrian stopped and turned towards Jade.

A: "Of course you're lying. I know you still have feelings for me. It's obvious. You've been obsessed with me since middle school." Jade chuckled. J: "There's a big difference between being obsessed with someone and caring about them. You might not see it since you don't care about anyone. But I don't feel that way anymore." Adrian got really close to Jade. A: "I don't believe you." J: "That's on you." A: "There's no way you can just let go of everything... all the things we've been through." J: "Actually, I can. Because I did. And so should you." Adrian moved so his face was inches from Jade's, but she did not flinch. She was as still as stone. A: "Then prove it to me." He got so close that he could have kissed Jade if he wanted. But in his eyes, it was a test. Jade held her breath as she looked down to the right. She turns her face a millimeter and Adrian smiles. A: "If you don't have feelings for me, why do you react that way? Why do you have that look on your face." Jade's voice was shaking as she quietly answered Adrian. J: "I don't like you, Adrian."

Adrian moved back away from her and shook his head. A: "Either you're lying to us, or you're lying to yourself." J: "How many times do I have to tell you... My feelings for you are long gone. Get over it." Adrian looked into Jade's eyes. A: "Actions speak louder than words." Jade shook her head and chuckled. J: "That's not always the case. And of course I'm going to react the way I did. I'm human after all, your actions affect me too." A: "Not like that. You seem afraid, and flustered." J: "You must be really bad at reading facial expressions and body language to think that I feel EITHER of those things. But go ahead. Your denial will be the end of you." Brooke stepped in between us. B: "Goddamn, enough with the bickering.  Just get on with your questions, I don't have time to stand around." I gave Brooke a nasty look. A: "Fine. What are your true intentions with... What's that guy's name?" J: "His name is Miles. And my intentions are as good as they've always been." Adrian looked past Jade to Miles.

A: "Do you have feelings for this Miles? It's okay, he can't hear you, so you can tell me." J: "We're just friends. That's all I see him as." Adrian smiled. A: "You might wanna tell him that. From the conversation I had in the car with him, doesn't seem like he wants to be 'just friends'." Jade looked back to the lower right, as if to look back at Miles. She was deep in thought, debating whether she should believe Adrian or not. J: "I don't believe you. I know how you like to exaggerate and take things too far. I'm sure Miles said something that might make you think that. But I know him." Adrian chuckled, he didn't fall for the trick. A: "You're trying to turn the blame on me. I would know if he likes you, I used to feel the same way he does now. How does that make you feel? To know that he has feelings for you as I did?" J: "He doesn't. We're good friends... nothing more and nothing less."

A: "Since you're being so stubborn... assume he did have feelings for you like that. How would that make you feel? What would you think?" Jade rolled her eyes. J: "Why do you care so much of what I'd think. It doesn't matter what I would feel or think. It's not how he feels and it will never be." A: "That's not an answer." J: "Yes it is. I responded to you with the same topic, didn't I?" Adrian looked over to Brooke with a smirk on his face. A: "Brooke? Wanna teach her a lesson? She can't seem to answer my question." Panic and fear rushed through Jade's system as Brooke nodded and began walking towards the door. Jade jerked and squirmed, trying to free herself from the chair, but it was way too tight. She could tell she would get bruises later on.