Planning on Forever

CHAPTER 11

The drive home was an awkward one. Jonah seemed to be in his own world. His gaze never left the passing scenery. Alternatively, Vanessa's gaze never left him. She was worried. Jonah never handled large amounts of attention well. It was always a sore spot in their friendship back then. She imagined it all felt worse now. He wasn't just getting unwanted attention, rather he was being forcibly tied to the Brady name.

"I'm sorry you've been forced into this situation," she mumbled. "I'm sure the last thing you wanted was to be associated publicly with me."  He snorted but remained quiet. Soon their transport pulled into Nick's apartment building. Everyone had agreed that his place was central enough as a meeting point and provided the better security. Her parents and Clive were awaiting their arrival. 

They exited the car in silence as they walked alongside one another to the elevator. Jonah's presence felt more like a black hole than the weighted blanket she used to feel. His body hadn't eased on its rigidity since leaving the interview. She hated it. 

They rode up in silence. Jonah stood on the far end of the lift, closest to the exit. Vanessa chose to stand on the other end, closest to the back wall. Eventually their quick trip up ended and just as the doors opened, Jonah heaved out a long breath. He kept his eyes on the ground and quietly said, "All I've ever wanted was to be publicly associated with you." With that, he walked briskly towards Nick's place. 

Meanwhile, Vanessa felt glued to her position. Her head spun in all directions. What could he have meant by that?

#

He shouldn't have said anything. It was bad enough that they were forced into the charade, it would be catastrophic if real feelings were brought into it. He shook his shoulders before knocking on Nick's front door. He needed to clear his head and remember not to repeat past mistakes. As the saying went, 'fool me once.' He needed to keep it in mind. 

"You're back," answered Nick as the door opened. His face was hard with unmasked resentment. Jonah resisted an eye roll. Nick had always had it out for him and he'd never understood where his animosity stemmed from. If anything, that animosity should have been directed at Cole. Vanessa would have been better off if it had been. Nick suddenly looked behind Jonah, his expression easing instantly. Jonah knew the cause the second his skin prickled. "At least you're all in one piece." 

"We weren't sent to the slaughter house," mumbled Vanessa. 

Nick shrugged and stepped back. Jonah ignored the siblings and entered quickly. Just as he rounded the corner he heard Nick answer, "I'd disagree." Jonah found Clive seated at a small table behind his laptop. The man had his eyes trained on the screen. Jonah knew he was stressed simply by seeing the large throbbing vein on his forehead. It was never a good sign. He approached his agent and longtime friend with trepidation. 

"Hi," he said quietly. 

Clive shot his head away from the screen and smiled towards him. That had to be a good sign. He hoped. "How did it go?" 

Jonah shrugged and sat across from Clive. The siblings joined the room, talking quietly amongst themselves. They ignored them and continued down the corridor towards the bedrooms. Jonah tried to ignore the anxiety. He hated feeling out of the loop. "It was alright. I think we handled ourselves quite well."

"Any potential backlash?" asked Clive. He pushed his laptop away, putting all his attention on their conversation. Jonah always admired that quality about Clive. He had a way of making one feel important when they spoke. 

"Maybe," he said with a drop of his head. "They asked about my career and I admit I reacted too quickly. It may have sparked curiosity more than we'd like."