Jaycee's POV:
"Hiya there buttercup." Came a voice from behind me, a voice I craved more than life itself.
I turned around to come face to face with my beautiful angel. A smile appeared on my face involuntarily.
"Baby what are you doing here? Where were you? I miss you." I tried reaching out for her but my hands went right through her. I tried reaching out again and again but it went right through every single time.
"What's going on? Why can't I hold you Lexi? Don't you want me anymore?"
"No Jay don't ever say that. I'll always want you. I'll always need you; you're my lifeline." She said, stroking my cheek. Her hands were so cold I felt them in my heart.
"What's going on Alexis. What's happening? Please don't go away. I didn't mean what I said when I told you that it'll take too much to fix us. I don't need anything. I just need you." I tried like hell not to cry because I've been doing a lot of that lately which I really hate. I hate feelings and I hate emotions, but I just couldn't help it. I don't understand how this stupid, garbage of a heart works. Also why exactly is it even connected to my tear ducts?
"I'll always be with you Jaycee Royce and you'll always have me. All you have to do is be sure I'm the one you want. Just be sure that it'll only be me; no matter what." She looked visibly upset, like she thought I'd be abandoning her. Heck to the no girl that's never happening.
"Of course I'm sure. There's no doubt in my mind..." I started, but she quite literally started to disappear from in front of me.
"Lexi wait! Please don't leave again wait! Wait!" I yelled as I started running behind her, my hand reaching out to touch a strand of her hair; or anything. I ran so fast without seeing where I was going. One wrong step and I slipped and fell down a cliff. The air was sucked right out of my lungs and it took me a whole minute to regain it. I yelled and yelled, but nothing came out. It felt like I was endlessly falling in slow motion; the air slowly leaving my system. I saw the ground getting closer and I tried to hold on to anything but I miserably failed. Curse these jelly fingers! A few seconds before I hit the ground I finally came to; gasping for air.
It was just a dream. It was all a damn dream!
I put my head between my knees and tried to rock myself to calm down; my whole body was shaking. How the hell does this one girl have this much power over me? How does a mere dream of her leave me sweating and my heart about to explode. Apart from the sound of my rapidly beating heart, I heard something else. Between the engine sounds and the minor turbulences, and the annoyingly loud music coming from Jace's headphones; I could hear it. Someone was crying. I looked up and started looking towards the sound and my eyes landed on a hoodie with a pair of pink cat ears.
Brenda.
I wiped the sweat off my forehead and made my way towards where she was sitting. She was hugging a pillow so hard it almost fell apart. Her face red with a river of streaming tears. What on earth happened? Is what happened with Sebastian still haunting her?
"Hey." I said, literally too afraid to take a step further. Yes, my best friend scares the crap out of me sometimes.
"Hey Jay." She barely whispered, taking her headphones off; face still glued towards the window.
"Do you mind if I join you?"
She just shook her head without looking at me; still staring out the window.
I sat down, reluctant to open my mouth, but I already knew why she's upset.
Sebastian; that's why. Making ladies cry since '95.
A few minutes of her sniffling passed and I still didn't know what to say.
"He really misses you, you know. He may not say it but...." She put up her hand to stop me from talking.
"What's done is done Jay."
My dear lord she sounds like Alexis. Why y'all gotta be so damn dramatic?
"Ok. Screw him. What exactly is bothering you? Come on. Spill it out. You know you want to Brendy."
She giggled a little, remembering the name I used to give her back in fourth grade.
"Come on." I said taking a step forward from my seat to wipe away her tears.
"Where do I even begin?" The crack in her voice broke my heart a little. I'm never used to her being this sad.
"Wherever you want."
"It's just...hard. It's so hard leaving someone you've fallen in love with Jay."
"Don't I know." I whispered; remembering a certain someone.
"What was that?" She asked.
"Oh. Nothing. Continue."
"It's just.... so frustrating. Having something amazing to tell them but realizing you can't do that because you don't talk anymore. Needing a shoulder to cry on but realizing that you can't talk to them. Everything hurts. The memories. The love that was once there. The cheating...."
"Wait what?"
"Yeah. You didn't know did you? He sent me a message that was meant for her. Allison or something. So I followed him to where they were meeting. It was a restaurant very far from where we live which could only mean that he didn't want to be seen. I stayed there just to make sure it was what I thought it was. He fed her himself almost the whole time. They laughed and joked around and I couldn't take it anymore Jay. The whole thing got on my nerves so much that I almost fainted. As I stood up to leave, he caught my eyes but couldn't even muster up the courage to come after me. Why would he?.." She trailed off, her breath hitched in her throat.
The fricking idiot! I'm going to teach him a damn lesson! He can't play my friend like that!
"Say that to yourself you ignorant baboon." Replied my conscious. The audacity these things have!
"He tried talking to me but I couldn't deal with it. I was too hurt to even listen to what he had to say. I don't even know why I'm the one crying. It's his loss really. Let him cry himself to sleep. Let him text Addison for all I care."
"Allison..." Somehow my dumbass felt the need to interject.
She gave me that look that sent shivers down my spine.
Yikes.
"Sorry. Continue."
"Rant over. I just feel so used and betrayed. I never told this to anyone but I really loved him Jaycee. I really saw a future with him. I mean we've been together since my freshman year and his senior year and nothing ever came between us. Am I seriously that hard to love? I mean what.... what have I done? Why do I feel so unloved and unwanted?" She whispered. When she looked at me, I could truly see how broken she was.
"You are genuinely one of the most caring and kind people I've ever met Brenda. Don't you dare, for a second, assume that this is your fault. I know how idiotic and moronic my brother can be and trust me that I'll talk to him for you, but please don't blame yourself. You are perfect the way you are and I would never trade you annoying the crap out of me for anything in this world. So please, don't cry over someone who clearly doesn't deserve you. I've always known you to be a strong person and I wouldn't want that shaken just because of a person; an idiot at that. You're trying to translate his empty words to form a message that will justify his actions when there isn't a hidden message. Him not caring and slipping up like that is the only message you need. With or without him, you'll be just fine Brenda."
She accidentally let a tear slip but I had to reassure her. I feel very responsible for her because that's my brother that broke her like that. I won't stop until she's sure that she's not alone.
"That's the problem though isn't it? That even though you want to move on, you can never actually let him go. Even though they leave, they're never really gone. You hear their voice in every melody and see their image in everyone you look at. You feel their heart beat with every rhythm of your own heart. I get that girl but trust me there's more to life than him. There are sunsets and sunrises waiting for you to experience them. Karaoke parties just anxiously waiting for you to sing at and ruin. Parties waiting for you to attend. There's a whole lot more to life than heartbreak girl."
At this point I was on the floor, holding her hands to keep them from shaking. Her tears were falling and I had to wipe them after literally every sentence.
"I know you'll find someone who deserves your heart because it is truly a heart of gold. Be happy Brenda. Even if happiness is your study time; studying microbiology and pathophysiology. Live for that study time. Make it marvelous. Study at a coffee shop or a restaurant. Study under the trees or on a terrace overlooking a pond. Let that small happiness, whatever it is, become your passion. That is what will keep you alive sweetheart. You'll find someone for you, because you are a gem."
Looking at something behind me, she smiled to herself, touched her necklace and whispered "I think I already did."
Ew! Not frickin Ross man! Gross. He stole my Alexis from me and charmed her into liking him and now he bewitched Brenda. What is he? The frickin illuminati? For the love of God!
We just looked at each other for a few but long seconds.
"I don't know what to say Jay. In all the years I've known you, I've never heard you say something as thoughtful as that to me. You're right. There's more to life than jerks who are careless with people's hearts. I'm very grateful for you guys and for you especially. You're literally the best guy I've ever met and I wouldn't trade you for the world." She said, hugging me.
"But from what I know, this goes two ways. You and Lexi; you can get through this. I believe in you guys."
Speechless; I gave her a few tissues and brought her a bottle of her favorite sparkling water; with a touch of lemon. How anyone can actually drink that stuff is beyond me. It literally tastes like tv static.
"Well you mean the world to me kiddo and I hate seeing my friend upset over someone as dumb as an orangutan from the male species. We don't deserve you ladies. We really don't."
She laughed and wiped her face.
"Yeah you really don't. We're the elite species. In all seriousness though, thank you Jaycee. It's nice to know that you have my back ."
"Always."
"So what are we planning exactly? You flew straight to New York for a girl you claim you're over. What does that say about you?"
"That I'm in too deep. Also there's no 'we', you and Sabrina are staying at the hotel we'll have booked for you and we'll handle the rest. You guys can be our eyes and ears and help us with surveillance and whatnot."
She didn't even fight back; she knew I'm right.
"Sounds fair. I really miss them Jay. I don't want anything bad to happen to her."
"I won't let anything happen to them. I won't forgive myself if anything happens."
"Don't worry. Our girl is strong as hell and CJ is super smart. They'll always find a way to come back. It's just that, this whole no communication thing is really worrying me. We haven't heard from her since that day she left us. It's been almost a week and a half Jaycee. We haven't heard anything from her and I'm really scared they did something to her."
"Please don't say that Brenda. We know Alexis and we know CJ. They'll make it through this. Besides, we'll be there to save them. The gangs we know there will help us too since we're not too familiar with New York. Don't worry. Now come on we need to sleep for a while because we should be up in three hours." I say, taking her hand to lift her up.
"Actually we need to make a pit stop in Nebraska for fuel and since the weather is crappy, we might be there for a couple of hours. We pretty much underestimated the fuel we needed." Said the co-pilot literally coming out of nowhere before disappearing again.
"Well then. Okay. Let's sleep." I say, heading back.
After I made sure that Brenda was sound asleep, I went back to my seat. I sent out a few texts to my friends there telling them we needee ammo, tech, surveillance gadgets and such for our mission. Between the light snores of my friends - and Jace the crap face - I realized that I was back alone with my own thoughts.
My thoughts about her.
Brenda was right. What if something happened to her? I know my girl is strong but her uncles are criminal masterminds who went through great lengths to make her family's death seem like an accident. Alexis doesn't know anyone in New York and being there alone with these men and Giovani's gang means she's in ten times more danger.
All because of me and my stupid, mindless actions. I took Giovanni's brother from him therefore he will do the same to me; by taking the single most important gem in my life. Joke's on you though, because this time, I've come prepared. He'll be sorry he ever lay hands on my girl.
In order to sleep better, I put on my headphones and went to my recordings. I replayed the last voicemail I got from Alexis. Her beautiful, angelic voice made it so much easier to sleep. I was out like a light.
•••• •••• ••••
"Ok everyone wake up! Rise and shine! We have arrived at our destination!" I yell out at the sleeping beauties sprawled all around the plane.
"Who put this dipstick on speaker? Turn him off!" Complained Brenda. Of course she's the one complaining.
It took about a whole half hour to wake up these oversized babies.
While everyone was busy getting their stuff ready and making sure they didn't leave trash behind; I told them all to gather around.
"Ok guys. This is it. If anyone wants to back out, now's the time. Trust me, I won't think any less of you." I said, looking into everyone's eyes.
There was a long, kind of uncomfortable silence.
"Is grandma really serious?" Replied Ashton.
"Seriously mom we're ok." Sneered both Adam and Jordan.
"I'm too afraid to say anything so I'm just going to politely look away." Said Jace.
"You are mistaken if you think we'll let you have all the fun by yourself. Alexis is our friend as much as she is yours. Listen, we know we're all risking our lives here but she is in more danger than we are and if we don't move - like right the heck now - they light move her and that way we'll never know where she went.
They all agreed and looked at my for confirmation.
I'm proud of these boys and I'm proud to call them my family; what's his face too whatever.
"Well alright then. Let's get this show on the road."
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AN: okay everyone! Everything is about to go down!!! Stay tuned for the final showdown between the boys and the demon uncles!
Hope you liked this chapter and thank you so much for reading my book thus far. It definitely means the world!