“I see what you’re doing…” Emily got near Jess at the couch, after taking a club soda, when she saw her friend a little lost in her thoughts and a deep stare taking over her eyes.

“What? Me?”

“Yeah… Don’t you think I didn’t see you flirting for too long with that sexy piece of ass in there…” Emily showed her smirk and drank a sip, receiving an even bigger frown from Jess.

“What the hell are you talking about… Zack is not even in the room.”

“I’m not talking about his ass. I’m talking about that ass.” She pointed at the huge space the grand piano tail was taking in Zack’s big living room. “It’s beautiful, by the way.”

“Yeah, it is, isn’t it? I woke up this morning and there he was, with those lovely roses on top of it, with my name on the card…” she took a tired deep breath. “… and I couldn’t even thank him…” her eyes fell to her hands.

“I think the best way to show him gratitude is by playing some good songs. Why don’t you do that? I miss listening to your fast ‘cadenzas’. You play those keys like you’re Brian in a dress…” Emily’s last grumbled sentence made Jess chuckle hard like in ages she didn’t.

She remembered instantly of that night before her premiere, when Zack called her Synyster Gates of the keys. It sounded weird by then, but now that Emily said it too, she was starting to believe that… somehow, she was good. That she was still good.

Could she ever believe in herself again?

“What’s up with you and Brian anyway? And his hair, where the hell did it go?”

“Yeah I saw it… He has that rich boy hair cut now, I’ll definitely miss…” Emily stopped to think of how soft his long hair felt on her fingers when she was pulling it on their wildest night together. “…miss his locks.”

“Only his locks?”

They traded a long glance and Emily tried to hide her feelings from her best friend. But she knew that was impossible when it comes to Brian.

“Take your lazy ass out of this couch and go play something, woman! NOW!” they both laughed when Emily tried to run from Jess’ question and she stood up to check on Jimmy.

He was clearly involved in a warm conversation with one of Jess’ friends, Mei, so she decided not to interrupt. Then her eyes crossed with one of the twins’ pair. Her gaze was colder and shallower than her sister’s, so she figured that one was Michelle, who nobody cared to introduce to her, by the way. Well, she couldn’t care less about that either, she wasn’t there to be nice with those sisters. It wasn’t her job to please anyone but Jimmy tonight.

When Emily looked at Jess again, she was still there, in that same place, staring at the piano. What the hell, J!

She walked quickly back to her, grabbed her hand and pulled her up until she was dragging her to the piano, once and for all. Emily pointed for Jess to sit and she rolled her eyes, hesitated a little and finally sat with a pout and a cranky face.

“Make amends, J. He needs you. Without your fingers, he’s just some useless piece of wood. Go ahead, look around, people are not even watching you, no one is asking you to be perfect. Just play it… for yourself. I’ll pretend it’s just some annoying elevator song in the back of my head…” she winked at her friend after whispering those words and turned her back.

Jess waited for Emily to disappear from her sight and tried a few jazzy chords and even clusters in a non-logical order, slowly and so quiet she couldn’t even hear it herself. But she could finally feel it again, the texture of the keys touching her fingertips, like she had never stopped. Touching it for the first time was blissful, hearing it was even more. Her heart raced and sweat built up on her forehead. But then she calmed herself again, looked around and no one was watching. They were all entertained with something else and that was how she liked it to be. No pressure. Just she and him, making love again.

Jess didn’t notice but Zack was watching her by distance, on his balcony with view to the beach. Then Emily walked by his side and made him turn his back to her. He got her message. They were now contemplating the starry night sky and ocean, just listening.

“You convinced her, huh?”

“Had to drag her there.” She smiled at him and he replied with a nod. “I really appreciate what you’ve been doing for her, Z. She deserves the best and you give her the best.”

“She is the best.” He just whispered and they looked at each other with a big grin.

“She’ll get her life back… don’t worry. Just give her some time.”

“Yeah, I’ll never doubt that.” He drank his coke. “I heard California Philharmonic opened for auditions. Do you think maybe we should… sign her up?”

“I don’t know, she’d feel pressurized, and I don’t think that’s what she needs now. Or maybe this is exactly what she needs… I’m no Freud.” She shrugged.

“Speaking about Freud, she’s always talking about her therapist now, how successful he is, that he graduated in Princeton and stuff. Should I be worried?” Emily chuckled.

“Nah, I don’t think so. She has a thing for rebellious rockstars. He doesn’t stand a chance…”
Emily winked with a smile in assurance and he replied with a chuckle.

They both noticed the great friendship that was built between them just by that simple conversation.

---

“I just can’t believe you were married to someone that doesn’t even like my band…”
Mei chuckled to Jimmy’s complaint for the tenth time that night. He was making jokes all the time while she explained why she moved to Cali with her friend.

“That’s a kinda selfish thing to say, isn’t it?” she was still laughing while the words came out.

“Yeah you’re right about that but… I mean, I could never marry a woman that doesn’t listen to the same music I do. I bet he never let you chose a song when you were in bed…”

She laughed more loudly and was getting out of breath already when she stopped to think about it. Jimmy was right, he never let her chose the song, not even the radio station when they were in the car. How could she accept living like that?

“Why do you know that much about my life, mr.?” her laughs were getting less and less, but still there and he smiled to her, his eyes shining like the stars.

“Well I… I just do.” He shrugged. “And I know you deserve better too.” Their eye contact got much more intense now.

He was clearly flirting with her all night. She felt her heart fluttering while swimming into his eyes. No, she couldn’t… She couldn’t fall for another man that fast. C’mon Mei, get a grip!

“Hey you two, you should go eat something, you’ve been seating here all night!” Emily’s voice arrived in the middle of their staring game and Jimmy’s eyes flew straight up to hers, leaving Mei’s with no place to go. “Do you want something, Jim?”

“No I’m good, Kim already brought me a plate. And you all should stop bringing me stuff, I’ll be fat and lazy before you know it.”

“Okay, next time you’ll go get it yourself, ass!” Emily showed him her tongue, joking. He showed her his and Mei felt completely out of the picture.

Aren’t they just friends now? Why are they acting like they were married for centuries?

Emily sat by Jimmy’s side and he never turned to Mei again, she felt like she was invisible. He only had eyes for Emily. But Mei kept listening to their conversation, even when she tried not to.

“We should talk about… you know.”

“Can we just wait? It’s not like we should tell everybody now.”

“No, I don’t wanna tell everybody, I just wanna know where I’m supposed to sleep tonight. Do you really want me… in your house, all the time?”

“Yeah, I do… I need a roommate.” Jimmy pouted like a kid but Emily decided not to be taken by his puppy face this time.

“You need a maid, you mean.” Her words were cruel but she needed to know what was going on through his enigmatic mind.

“Emily, c’mon! It’s not like I want you to do stuff for me. I want you to keep me company, I’ll go insane alone in that house. I won’t ask you to do anything you don’t want to. I have plenty of rooms and plenty of space and a studio so you can play whenever you want. It's a very good offer. Please?” his eyes were glowing.

She thought about it and it sounded like the perfect idea. She wanted to be as close to Jimmy as possible, she had to keep an eye on him and she knew no one would do it better than her. She knew him like the back of her hand, any signs of something wrong, she would know.

“Okay, we can try. But let’s set up a few rules: we sleep in separate rooms.”

“That’s no fun…” he pouted again and she shook her head with a smile.

“And you’ll always call me if you need me.”

“Deal.” He showed his hand to her and she grabbed it, smiles taking over their lips.

Mei got up from her seat and decided to go breathe fresh air. She understood she couldn’t keep fooling herself thinking she could have a shot with Jimmy. It was just a matter of time for Emily to get back to his arms living with him. She brushed her thoughts away and went to chat with Jess.

---

Val was in a corner all night long, not making the slightest effort to start a conversation with anyone. Not even with her fiancée, who was trying to figure out what was happening. She and her sister kept following Emily with their evil glares, especially when she was laughing and talking to Jimmy.

“What’s up with that face?” Matt finally asked Valary when they were alone at the kitchen. “Will you ever talk to me about stuff again?” before she could grab a snack, she snapped at him.

“Only when I want to.” She grumbled.

“Oh, come on! We’re getting married in three months, that’s how you want it to be?”

He noticed her jaw clenching and god only knows how hard he was trying to understand her anger, but it was getting more and more difficult at each minute.
She opened the fridge using more strength than she should and started looking for something. He only watched.

“I can’t believe there’s not even hidden vodka here. Who came up with this genius idea anyway? That girlfriend of his?” she even crouched while searching desperately all the places in Zack’s fridge.

“Hey! What’s going on with you!??” when she stood up and finally gave up her quest for alcohol, she turned to him as he raised his voice to get her attention. That was the only way she would listen, when he’d yell.

Val took a deep breath with eyes closed and let her body bent on the fridge in surrender.

“What is she doing here? I can’t believe you all still allow her to be around him as if nothing had happened!” she finally let out, whispering.

“You think I want this? You think I’m the owner of his life and can control what he does? He always does what he wants, he never listens, you know him. I just don’t understand why you’re blaming ME for his decisions!”

“You could talk to him! Put some sense on that brain of his, for god sakes.”

“Why don’t YOU do it? You know, I’m getting a little tired of taking care of other people’s lives all the time when I can’t even handle my own stuff, okay? They’re my responsibility when we’re on the road. When we are here, I’m just his friend.”

“Yeah, fine, wash your hands from this! Let’s keep pretending everything’s going perfect! Until she’s back again into Brian’s bed and we all have to watch them breaking his heart for the millionth time!”

When Val gasped that last sentence, someone made her presence noticed by cleaning her throat.

“Sorry to interrupt, gotta grab some water for Jimmy. Just pretend I’m invisible!” Kim showed her full smile and couldn’t help but listen their conversation a little… Well, let’s be honest, she heard it all.

The couple stood quiet and awkward until she left the room, thinking it could’ve been worse. It could’ve been Jimmy.

“We shouldn’t discuss this here, tonight, alright? We’re here to celebrate his life, not to act like his parents. You just gotta swallow this hatred you feel for her for just a few more hours, is that too much to ask?”

She brushed her hair back and shook her head in disbelief. She couldn’t even stay at the same room as her or hear her voice. Yeah, it was a lot to ask.

“I can’t… I can’t just pretend nothing happened like you and your friends do, Matt. I’m sorry.” She walked towards the kitchen door and before going out, she finished. “Tell him I wish him the best.”

Matt shook his head facing the ground. She was being too selfish this time and he never saw her doing that before. Did she change?

She left through the back door with a hurting heart knowing that Jimmy’s life was out of their hands now. She didn’t even know him anymore, he felt like a stranger. In fact, all of them felt like that, even Matt himself. He wasn’t the sweet and caring guy he once was when they first met. Will he be even more distant after their marriage?

She didn’t know for sure. But she did knew something: she would definitely want to postpone those three months. For undetermined time.

Notes

Uhh...a lot happening on Vengeance's paradise...
Mei?? What the hell?? Did you just give up the fight?? xD
And I bet you liked Val out of the picture huh, Kim? =p

a few more days and part two will be up! ;)

need your opiniooons <3