Seeds of Jealousy

Justin



I look at the ring once more, then up into Brian’s eyes. “Holy fuck.” I whisper. I’m shocked and just a little afraid. He wouldn’t do this just to trick Dee, would he?



“I’m serious, Sunshine,” he assures me with a smile as though reading my mind. “I’ve wanted to do this for a while now, but I was waiting for just the right time.” He glances around him at the room full of people before his eyes settle back on mine. “This isn’t exactly what I had in mind,” he admits, “but I want everyone here to know exactly how I feel. I want you with me forever. I want you to marry me.”



“Over my dead body,” Dee angrily shouts. “I put too much into this not to end up as Mrs. Brian Kinney.”



The love in Brian’s eyes turns to pure anger as he turns in her direction.



“You have no fucking right, Denise. You have been playing us all for fools and as of right fucking now, IT’S OVER. I will not let you keep hurting my family like this. Hurting your children. Brianna.”



All eyes turn to Brianna who is sobbing in Deb’s arms.



“Brianna, I did this for you. For us. I want us to have a real family. One that I never had. Sweetie…” She goes to touch her but Brianna flinches from her mom.



“Brianna?” She tries again.



“You touch this child right now, I will break your fucking hand,” Deb threatens her.



Dee looks surprised for only a second before she squares her shoulders to make a stand. “She’s my daughter,” she shouts.



“Right now, I wish I wasn’t! I hate you! I can’t believe you did this. I can’t believe my mother could hate someone as much as you do Justin. Enough to lie to all of us, make us all worry about you. You never cared about anyone else’s feelings in this but your own,” Brianna cries.



“I care about you, your father and the twins.”



“NO, you don’t or you wouldn’t put us through this. Mom, this is heartless, just plain mean.” My heart goes out to her. “Justin has done nothing but love us. He loves me and treats me like I was his own daughter.” She puts her head back into Deb’s chest. “I hate you.”



Dee turns to glare at me. “This is your fault. All you had to do was leave and let us have the family we wanted, the family we deserved. I’ve known Brian a lot longer than you have, and I was the one there when he was beaten by his father. I was there to kiss him and hold him and make him feel better, not you.”



Turning to Brian, she continues. “Why would you pick this slut over me? A piece of blond boy ass over someone you have known all your fucking life?” Calming down a little, she moves in front of him.



“Brian, I love you. I can make you happy. I know we can be happy. If Justin wants joint custody of the twins, fine, but I want you. If we can be together, I’ll let him spend time with the kids. As long as I get what I want, and that’s a family. OUR family.”



I can’t believe my ears. “Fuck you, Dee. Your little scenario won’t work for a lot of reasons, the main two being they are MY kids and Brian is MY partner.”



She turns to face me with a cold smile. “Then I will take Brianna and leave. Brian will never see his daughter.”



“Denise, you better fucking shut up before I shut you up. YOU will NOT talk to him like that and you will not take my daughter from me. You will NOT use OUR daughter as a bargaining chip,” Brian practically yells at her.



“I still have full custody of her, Brian. Either come to me, or I take her and disappear.” She looks at me with a smug smile. She thinks she’s won.



“The fuck you will. Every person in this room will physically stop you if they have to, me included. I have stood by and watched you make fools out of all of us and I refuse to let you continue. Mel has already been informed that I’m filing for full custody of Brianna and Justin is doing the same for the twins. I won’t let you near them, Dee; you’re not fit to be their mother right now,” Brian says.



She looks at both of us with sad eyes. “You can’t do that.”



“You brought this on yourself, Dee,” Mel tells her.



She’s shaking her head. “No, the judge won’t give them custody. I’m their mother. They always give custody to the mother, you’ll see.”



“Dee is 11 years old,” Mel points out needlessly. “The judge will talk to her and ask her where she wants to be.”



“She wants to be with me,” Dee whispers.



“No, I don’t, mom,” Brianna says, wiping her tears and turning to face her mother. “All my life it’s only been the two of us and I was so happy, but now, after everything you’ve done, I don’t even know who you are. I don’t want to live with you knowing what you’re capable of. I want to live with someone who loves me and will do what’s best for me, no matter what they want for themselves.”



“You don’t mean that,” Dee says quietly.



“Yes, Mom, I do,” Brianna tells her.



Dee stands there looking like she’s just been punched in the gut. “I have nothing left,” she says as though she can’t really believe it.



“Dee, listen to me,” Brian starts to say.



“No!” She turns to me, her eyes blazing. “This is all your fault, Justin!” She lunges towards me, knocking me backwards as she hits me. I grab her arms as Brian is pulling her off.



Ben and Michael also help me up.



“Did you see that?” Dee rants, rubbing her arms where I grabbed her. “He hurt me! I don’t want my kids around someone who would hurt a woman.”



“Okay, you know what, I have heard enough. Listen to me you drama queen wanna be. We’ve all seen your evil ways and know just what you are capable of. Justin would never hurt anyone, but if he bruised you a little while defending himself, good for him. You deserve it,” Emmett tells her.



“Shut up, you fucking fairy. You are a disgrace to all gay men. Why the Hell should I care what a nelly bottom like you thinks?” Dee sneers.



Emmett glares at her. “I may be a nelly bottom, but at least I’m not a pussy who messes with peoples minds, especially your own daughter’s.”



At the mention of Brianna, she seems to deflate a little. Turning away from Emmett, she turns pleading eyes on Brian and me. “Look, all I ever wanted was Brian. Everything I did, I did because I want to be with him. Doesn’t that prove how much I love him?”



“No, Dee, it proves how sick and obsessed you are,” I tell her. “You’re a good looking woman; you can probably get any man you want, but not Brian. HE’S GAY!” I shout. I’m so tired of this bitch.



Brian



“He’s right, Dee. I’ll never want you that way. I’m gay, I like men, and I’m in love with Justin. But I also believe that you love your kids, regardless of what you are doing. You need help and I want to make sure you get it. You can go into a hospital and they’ll help you work out your problems.”



“I’m fine, I don’t need a hospital. All I need is you and the kids,” she argues.



“That’s never going to happen. You need help, Dee. I know we were there for each other as kids and I want to be there for you now, but I will NOT continue to let you try to destroy this family. I stuck up for you, told them you couldn’t possibly be doing all the things they thought you were. Maybe I was just lying to myself, not wanting to believe the girl I knew could turn out to be so cruel and ruthless, but it stops now, Dee. The lying, the manipulation, all of it.”



“But I’m your best friend and he’s nothing but a piece of blond boy…”



“Don’t even think about finishing that, Dee,” Brian hisses, his voice angrier than I’ve ever heard it. “He’s the man I love. The man I want to spend the rest of my life with. You might have been my best friend once, but now, it’s Justin. It’ll always be Justin, no matter what.”



I look over at Justin and he smiles at me. I can’t help smiling back.



“Everyone said I was the hero for saving him when he was bashed but, the truth is, Justin is my hero. He saved me in ways you can’t even imagine.” I turn to look her straight in the eye. “Most of all, he saved me from turning out to be someone like you, Dee.”



I turn back to look at Justin and see the tears in his eyes. “He was brave enough and strong enough to love me when I didn’t think anyone could.” I pause for a moment, my throat constricted by emotion. “And every single day that I’m with him, I know how truly lucky I am, not because I’m hot or successful or have money, but because he loves me.”



“Oh my God, that is the sweetest thing,” Emmett blubbers.



Never taking my eyes off Justin, I slowly walk closer until I’m standing right before him, our eyes locked together. “Only one thing will make me happier.” I see him frown at me in confusion and I smile. “Your answer, Justin.”



“Brian…” Dee starts before five voices in the room tell her to shut up in unison. The room is quiet as they all hold their breath.



“Well, Sunshine? What do you say?”



He looks at me, then down at the ring in my hand. I find myself holding my own breath when he closes his eyes. “Justin?”



He opens them and looks at me for a moment before a blinding smile spreads across his face. “Yes,” he whispers. Before I have time to register his answer, he’s jumping into my arms, kissing every inch of my face. “Yes, yes. A million times, YES!”



Everyone is hooting and clapping, rushing over to congratulate us on our engagement.



Everyone, of course, except Dee.



Peering out of the commotion surrounding us, I see her standing alone, a strange look on her face, but one I instantly recognize.



The look of defeat.