Re: Four Years Later...[James/Ash/Luke]

[Guest]

James felt his breath hitched in his throat he didn't know what to do or say at this point. Was everything they had done just a waste of his time? All of the heartache and pain? How he almost gave up his dreams just to be with her?

He felt sick like he was going to vomit but he didn't know if that was from the alcohol or from the conversation he just had he turned and walked back into the hotel room where he noticed that Sam had left but Dante had remained.

James walked over to his bed and sat on it, his face blank.

Dante arched an eyebrow, "Man you okay? You don't look alright."

James shook his head, "No I'm not."

"Umm you feelin sick? Want me to like get you a bucket or something cause you look like you're gonna hurl." Dante stated.

James stared out the window at the building across from the hotel, "She cheated...."

Dante got up and walked in front of James, "Who cheated?"

James' eyes fell to the floor, he couldn't look Dante in the face or anyone for that matter now he really wanted to be alone he didn't need anyone prying or nothing.

"Oh." Dante realized he sat next to James, "Ay man I'm really sorry I know how much you liked her but maybe this long distance thing got to her, I mean its obvious if she really cared she would have tried to make it work harder, but you know what dude you're a good guy and you should have no trouble finding another girl alright? Forget about her."

James didn't know whether to agree with Dante or tell him to leave he just sat there and sighed, "Umm listen you mind if you come back later I kind of just want to be alone."

Dante nodded, "Yeah sure man." Dante got up from his spot and walked over to the balcony door locking it and headed for the door to leave, "Don't want you doing anything crazy man, alright and cheer up dude you'll bounce back."

Dante walked out of his hotel room and James lay on his bed he just wanted to close his eyes and wake up from this nightmare.

When does it stop hurting?

[Tiger-Lily]

"Gotta be here, gotta be here..." Evelyn flipped hurriedly through her phone book. "COme on, come on, Brookes, Ashlee, Brookes, Ashlee..."

She groaned. "Perfect...it's a private number...should've figured, she was living alone..." Evelyn dropped her head into her hands. Her headache was increasing with every tear, it felt. She exhaled. "Sunday....Ash would be...out shopping...oh God..."

Evelyn leaped to her feet and paced the room.

Call list...

Evelyn's phone line was dead. Odd. She'd paid all her bills.

She stomped her foot once, and five minutes later, had hailed a cab to the mall.

"Okay, yeah, an entirely new one. I'd like the same plan. Lock my SIM card please," she told the clerks at the telecommiunication store.

Hell if I let you get ahead Ryan.

[Guest]

Ashlee took a sip from her iced coffee ocassionally glancing up at the store windows, she had traveled to the mall today in search of a gift for Evelyn but at the same time just to get out of the apartment.

She walked by the cell phone store and stopped in her tracks this time she was sure she saw Evelyn.

She walked inside and saw her at the desk, "Ev?"

[Tiger-Lily]

"Ashlee!"

Candice grabbed Ashlee's arm and turned her around just as Evelyn took the escalator.

"Wow...what are you up to, girl?" Candice chirped, cheerily.

Evelyn stalked out, stuffed the SIM into her cell and turned it on, heading for her apartment as she dialled the phone lines.

[Guest]

Ashlee removed her arm from Candice's grip, "Get away from me you whore." She said icily, trying to flee away from her. Candice was defintley someone she did not want to run into.

[Tiger-Lily]

"Whoa, girl," Candice smirked. She paused. "So...word is James is in town again..."

[Guest]

Ashlee rolled her eyes, "What's it matter to you? He loathes you incase you still haven't gotten that through your plastic head."

[Tiger-Lily]

Candice smiled. "No...I was just wondering if since his best friend came back, our local guitar hero returned too. You know, I heard he's in Florida. Isn't that where Tiffany is too?" She flicked her hair back, eyeing Ashlee.

[Guest]

Ashlee groaned at the mention of Luke's name, "Listen I could care less where Luke is at this exact moment alright so if you think you're hitting some sensitive spot here with me you're not. We broke up and he's free to do whatever the hell he wants."

[Tiger-Lily]

Candice shrugged at her and walked off. "Say hi to him from me...if he ever calls."

[Guest]

"Don't worry Candice nobody ever really misses you to that extent." Ashlee replied bluntly turning around to walk away, she sighed and muttered to herself, "God what a buzz kill..."

[Tiger-Lily]

"Okay...wait, two whole days?" Evelyn yelped into the phone at the telephone connection guy. She fumed silently. "FIne, thanks for nothing, ugh!"

This was stupid. A creep in town and she was cut off. None of her friends had her new number and...

"Hello, Ashlee?" Evelyn said into her phone, getting frustrated.

[Guest]

Ashlee smiled, "Hey Ev! Gee girl where've you been James and I have been trying to get a hold of you for quiet some time now! How are you doing?"

[Tiger-Lily]

Evelyn blinked. "James...what?"

***

"This better work..." Candice muttered. Ryan smirked.

"I just had to change your name, you know? These are your papers from when you had the test taken in highschool."

He sealed the envelope, stuck on a stamp, and asked, "Did you find out where he's staying?"

"Perks for living here so long, everyone knows you. He's at the Marriott. Suite seven-oh-nine." Candice smirked and plucked the sealed envelope out of Ryan's hands. She stalked out. "I'll send off this little baby..."

***

About three hours later, th envelope slid through the guest mailbox. The roomservicemen picked it up, dropping it through to James' room and rining the doorbell to tell him as they walked away.

The envelope bearing a positive pregnancy result, dated a week back, bearing "Evelyn Mathesson-Collins" as the name.

[Guest]

"You didn't know?" Ashlee took a sip of her coffee and sat down at a bench, "James came into town last night. I saw him this morning and we were both trying to get a hold of you. He wanted to suprise you because he has some time off and wanted to see you for your birthday. I called you earlier but it said your phone was out of service. Are you okay?" She asked.

***

James heard the doorbell ring to his room, he woke up from having nodded off after Dante had left. He got up rubbing his eyes and walking to the door. He opened it and looked down both ways of the corridor and didn't see anyone, he turned to walk in when he stepped on the envelope.

He picked it up reading Evelyn's name, he closed the door to his room and walked in he ripped open the envelope having some hope that maybe this was some sort of joke and inside that envelope he would read, "Ha ha got you."

James read the letter and his eyes widened as he read.

"Evelyn...pregnant...Ryan."

James stood frozen in horror, disgusted, he felt so sick like he was going to throw up again but it wouldn't happen he just stood there reading it over and over, hoping it was fake that it wasn't true but it was from the doctor's office.

He ripped the letter to shreds so he couldn't read the words anymore hoping that it would erase what he read and that it would just go away.

He sunk against the wall of his room and rested his head on his knees he felt something fall from his pocket, he looked down and saw the red velvet box, he opened it revealing the stunning platinum band which held the square icy blue diamond, surrounded by smaller white diamonds, it gleamed in the sunlight casting tiny rainbows onto the wall.

James snapped the box shut as his thoughts went back to a few weeks ago,


"Are you nuts?!" Sam exclamied.

James and Dante laughed as James snapped the box shut, "No I'm not."

Dante snickered, "Yeah Sam, guys in love what's so bad about that?"

Sam shook his head, "No! James you're making a huge mistake I mean... you barely see her anyway how could you buy her that?" Sam pointed to the ring box.

"Well Sam, I figured she'll be finishing school soon and well its not like the minute I give her this were gonna get married right away we'll obviously wait." James stated.

"Exactly." Dante agreed.

"You're both stupid." Sam declared.

James and Dante both laughed.

Sam shook his head, "No I mean come on James! 1.5 million dollars?! Do you know what you could have done with all of that?! You could have bought yourself a nice summer home in Paris! Dude you're gonna scare her and she's going to never want to see you again!"

James rolled his eyes, "Oh god, Sam shut up! I think were ready, and you know what thanks the idea for the summer home I can buy that next so Evelyn and I have somewhere to go over our summer vacations." James grinned.

Dante laughed, "Good for you man, hopefully everything goes well."

James smiled, "Thanks Dante, and I know things will go well, we're ready I know it."

James regert it now, he wished he had listened to Sam now and returned the ring, now he wanted nothing more than to destory it.

[Tiger-Lily]

Evelyn stared at her feet, feeling frozen inside. Last night...Her eyes egan to sting again and she swallowed, biting her lip. "N--No, I'm not..."

She swalloed again, wiping at her eyes. "Ash, Ryan ca--came ba-back and he's doing something again, b--but I can't tell....what. He destroyed my cell's SIM card, and keeps making lewd remarks...God, okay...um..." She filled Ashlee in quickly on what little she knew about what Ryan had said.

"And I was drunk, yeah, but I'm always aware. And if I've done anything...that big...I would recall. So he has to be bluffing..." Evelyn became aware that she was crying again. "He knows James is in town, I bet he does. He didn't tell me and he probably has some sick scheme..." She inhaled, closing her eyes.

[Guest]

Ashlee gasped, "Oh my god...no way Evelyn. Are you alright? I'll come get you I know where James is staying we could see him, knowing Ryan he's probably already done something or said something to him and where are you I'm coming to get you." Ashlee said worriedly heading out of the mall into the parking lot and into her car.

[Tiger-Lily]

"I'm at home," Evelyn said softly. She heard Ashlee hang up and headed for the bathroom to wipe her face off yet again, swiftly changing out of the party dress she still wore and into a simple black button-down blouse with a silvery belt and white pants.

What did Ryan do? Knowing him, he must have done something...?

***

Candice smiled as she watched Ashlee get into the car. The car that would soon stall in the middle of the rush as its fuel ran out through the tiny hole. She wondered what exactly Ashlee would do? Dodge five lanes of oncoming traffic?

[Guest]

Ashlee sped down the freeway, passing in and out of lanes like a race car driver. She was pushing at least over eighty miles on speed but she knew she had to hurry up and get to Evelyn because given Ryan's track record that he was up to something damaging.

Ashlee was about to do a daring move by cutting through three lanes to get to the far right to her exit, it was while she was cutting through the second lane that her car started to slow majorly, she had managed to swerve out onto the shoulder on the far right, right before hitting her exit. She heard the metal grinding on the passenger side of the car as it came to a halt on the side of the road.

She smacked her head on the steering wheel and rubbed it and looked down and saw that her gas tank was on empty, which she remembed it being full today.

Ashlee stepped out of her car and saw the gas dripping out from the back, somebody had drilled a hole in her gas tank and the gas was leaking out from the back.

"Mother fucker!" She shouted kicking her car. She took out her phone and quickly called Evelyn, "Ev! Some stupid bitch drilled a hole in my gas tank and I'm stuck on the freeway near your exit you have to come get me!"

[Tiger-Lily]

Evelyn had been trying to find out where James was staying, but it wasn't very easy. Some said the Marriott, some the Holiday Inn. She tried both but the Marriott told her that he was taking no unauthorized calls.

"But...he knows me," Evelyn told her, annoyed. "I'm his girlfriend, for God's sake!"

"That's what they all say," the receptionist replied, and hung up. Evelyn blinked, somewhat stunned.

The doorbell rang.

She heard her cell ring just as she ran to get the door.

"Damn timing," she muttered. Who would call her on her new number? Wasn't Ashlee at the door?

"Ash--!!" Evelyn threw open the door--

Something heavy hit the side of her head and she collapsed, vision darkening as a cool female voice purred, "Ashlee's having a little car trouble, darling. No worries."

The woman gestured to the man with her. "Pick her up and let's go."

The last thing Evelyn saw before she blacked out were a pair of black booted feet.

[Guest]

Ashlee tried to dial again but this time Evelyn's phone was off, she called James this time.

James looked down at the caller ID, "Hey Ash what's up?"

"James?! You need to come help me!" Ashlee said frantically.

James stood up from his spot on the floor, "Ashlee what's wrong are you okay?"

Ashlee took a deep breath, "I'm fine its just someone drilled a hole into my gas tank and my car crashed on the side of the free way by Evelyn's exit near her apartment. Listen you need to come get me because Ryan stole Evelyn's SIM card to her phone and he's messing with her. Now she isn't answering my calls and I'm afraid James we were coming to see you."

James eyes widened, "Um where are you?"

Ashlee looked around, "I'm on I-75 stuck like thirty feet or so from her exit you remember exit 174! Come on James you have to come get me and we have to help her something could have happened to her and we need to make sure she's okay!"

James nodded, "Okay, okay."

He put on his shoes and headed out of his hotel room running down the hallway, he knew that Ryan was up to no good and everything he told him was a lie. Yet that letter he got he couldn't shake it, but he was sure as hell that if him and Ashlee found Evelyn she would clairfy all of this. He ran out into the lobby and saw Dante.

"Hey man!" James stopped in the lobby.

"Hey dude what's up?" Dante asked.

James took a deep breath, "My friend Ashlee, you remember her from this morning? Well she got into a small accident on the freeway and I need to get her, you rented a car right?"

Dante nodded, "Yeah man I did, is she going ot be alright?"

James nodded, "She's fine but she's stuck and she needs me to get her can I please borrow it?"

"Sure, sure." Dante handed him over the keys.

"Thank you!" James took the keys and ran out into the parking garage finding the car, he started up the engine and accelerated quickly out of the garage and onto the streets.

[Tiger-Lily]

Evelyn rubbed her head as she awoke in some overly bright place. Her head hurt from all the light and she groaned and fell back onto...a matress?

"Still pathetic," a male voice grunted. Evelyn's eyes caught sight of a pair of black boots. She gulped, eyes rising.

"Wha...?" Her voice faltered.

Kelly smiled down at her from beside Kent. Evelyn shook her head. "I don't...get it. What's going on? Weren't you supposed to hate him?"

Kelly snickered. "That was an excuse to bring you back to WIllchester, stupid girl."

Evelyn swallowed, feeling her mouth run dry. "Why...?"

Kelly's eyes flashed. "You've ruined me, ruined my whole social standing. I don't do this very well..."

"You know, it would be so much easier if we just offed her?" Candice's familiar voice came from the doorway. "At least then whatsisface's brother's kid would always be miserable, right?"

"James, you mean?" Kelly asked amusedly. "I should've recognized hi when he came to our place all those years ago, Kent. I don't know why I didn't see it...he has the same physical appearance as his uncle."

"Weren't you like, dating his uncle?" Candice asked carelessly. Kent's eyes darkened. Kelly snorted.

"Till the old fool died. Just as well. I liked Seattle better. But then we had to flee when they thought I had something to do with it."

Candice shook her head. "Wow, talk about screwed up..."

"But anyways, it won't e long before this one's out of our way. And then it's all a matter of framing the boy, you know?" Kelly continued.

Tris is some bad dream, Evelyn told herself, as she lay listening quietly. Why is my luck so screwed?

[Guest]

James pulled up on the side of the road and saw Ashlee standing next to her car. He stopped the car and walked over to her.

"Hey Ash are you alright?" James asked.

"I'm fine James, we need to get to Evelyn though I have this bad feeling that somethings happened so we'll talk when we get there alright?" Ashlee told him.

James nodded and decided Ashlee was right that something was up and that they were going to be wasting a lot of time if they stood around here. As soon as Ashlee got into the passenger side of the car, James sped up onto the ramp and towards Evelyn's home.

James parked Dante's car and him and Ashlee both hurried out to Evelyn's apartment building and Ashlee went to go see the land lord to ask for a spare key to her apartment.

Ashlee emerged moments later with the key in her hand and the both of them ran up stairs, they would have taken the elevator but they were sure if Ryan had been around or anyone for that matter that they could have tampered with them.

James and Ashlee panted as they finally reached Evelyn's floor, they stopped for a moment at the doorway from the stair well before continuing forward, Ashlee opened the door and the both of them walked in.

James closed the door behind him as Ashlee walked ahead, "Ev!" She called her name disappearing into the kitchen.

James went towards her room, "Evelyn!" He called walking in her room and searching around.

James sighed when he heard no sign of her, he came out of her room and went to her living room, Ashlee emerged from the guest bathroom and she shook her head, "Nothing."

James sighed looking around, "Where could she be?"

"I don't know James, and I have a feeling that something happened." Ashlee replied folding her arms over her chest.

[Tiger-Lily]

"Ryan, you are pathetic," Candice told him. Ryan sighed, grey eyes clouded.

"What, so I don''t want blood on my hands, that makes me pathetic?"

Candice smirked. "What's the matter, I mean, it's not liek you actually care about her."

Ryan stayed silent, running his fingers through his hair.

"Just give this to her already!" Candice fumed. She thrust the plate at Ryan and stalked out. He sighed, getting to his feet. Maybe she'd hold through...it did take about twelve ours to have an effect.

"Look, I know you hate us and everything, but take this," he told Evelyn, opening the door to where she was seated on the floor, bound. She glared up at him, no fear in her eyes but plenty of rage.

"And you guys plan to what? Kill me and then frame him so you cna inherit his and my money, huh?"; she asked conversationally, as he set the plate of potato dumplings in front of her. Ryan gave a small grin.

"Smart girl, Mathesson." Evelyn's anger flickered, a hint of fright in her eyes. She glanced down at her plate. Ryan smirked now.

'No, it's just food. We're a little classier than ordinary poison."

She cursed under her breath and he added, "I believe your step mom has something quicker for her favorite stepdaughter."

Evelyn swallowed. She glanced around the windowless room.Judging by how cold it was, she was in a basement.

"What time is it?" she asked calmly, refusing to let her voice waver.

"Seven--thirty PM," Ryan replied as he straightened out of his slouch. He tugged her ropes loose so her hands alone were free. Unexpectedly, he leaned over and brushed his lips against Evelyn's cheek. She turned her head away, grinding her jaw.

Ryan paused. "I could help you out of this...but then, you'd never agree to my terms."

"You're right," Evelyn told him coldly. "I probably wouldn't. So go away."

"Eat up, Ev. You'll need your strength later," he remarked coolly, shutting the door as he left. She heard the smooth click of the lock.

She was hungry, she realized dazedly. Since when had she been here? How long before her planned demise? Evelyn gave a sigh and picked up one of the dumplings, biting into it as her eyes welled up with tears. Funny how, despite both James and Ashlee's being here in town for a while already, she wouldn't get to see either of them before her time ran out.

***

Ryan checked his watch, watching through the little window in the door as Evelyn finished off the dumplings and lay down on her side, her green eyes open and distracted. He sighed, walking away. Twelve hours, Ev.

Pulling out his cell, he dialled the number he'd found to be Ashlee's.

"Willchester Park, fake court, midnight." He hung up instantly, pulled out the temporary SIM card he'd been using, and disposed of it in the fireplace so it could not be tracked.

[Guest]

James eyed Ashlee, "Who is it?"

Ashlee shook her head, "I don't know it was a blocked number, he told us to meet them at Willchester Park at the fake court remember? At midnight."

"I don't Ash, it could be a set up." James bit his lip.

"Come on James, for all we know these creeps could have Evelyn we have to help her or they could do something horrible to her, besides we won't be alone we'll be together and if anything happens we could save each other." Ashlee stated.

James sighed,"You're right Ash, what time is it?"

Ash glanced down at her phone, " Its about fifteen to twelve so what are we gonna do?"

James sighed, "Lets go."

The two of them left and went to the park, the way James had drove there it seemed as if they flew there. They arrived at the park parking the car in the parking lot they both stepped out into the cool night, and headed over to the fake courts together. Being here brought so many memories back to James, some good,but most were bad for him.

He sighed leanging against cool pole of the basketball net while Ashlee scanned the park for anyone that they could possibly be meeting. James glanced down at his phone and watched it change from eleven to midnight.

He let out a breath, "Well, this better be important Ash or we just got punk'd."

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