Crazy Maybe (28 page)

“When I got home, I had a visitor waiting for me inside the house.  It was Jackson.  I knew he was behind what’s happening to Shane, but he admitted it.”

I know she
was still talking after she said Jackson was in her house, but my brain stopped comprehending the words when I pictured her being here alone with him.

“He basically said I have to publicly take responsibility for everything or he will destroy everyone around me.  Shane, you, your parents
…..He knows his involvement will eventually be found out by the media – because he plans to run for the presidency.”

“
Back. Up
.”  It seems I’ve finally found my damn voice.  “I don’t think I heard anything after you said Jackson was here.”  I start pacing now to try to contain the adrenaline that’s coursing through my veins. 

I just thought I was tired after my workout today.  Seems I have plenty of energy left to kick Jackson Rhoades
’ ass all over Atlanta.  I run my hands through my hair and groan in frustration.  Just knowing he was here, in her house, waiting for her to get home.  He could’ve done anything to her and I wouldn’t have been able to help her at all.

“How the hell did he get in?”
  I bellowed.  Not meaning to direct it at her, but my fear for her safety and my anger at Rhoades are getting the best of me.

She calmly responds, “I don’t know how he got in.  But he walked right out the front door when he left.”

“Why are you so nonchalant about this?”  I demand, still pacing and now pointing at her.  I know I should calm the fuck down.

“He’s desperate
.  He needs me to take the blame and cover for him.  He thought he had this all figured out when he sent me to that psychiatric hospital but he didn’t.  There’s something I’ve missed.  Something obvious that I didn’t consider.  Something big,” Andi continues speaking as if she’s simply reading off stock market values.

She’s talking to me but she’s deep in thought, like she’s not really here with me.  I think she’s been reliving
everything that happened that night and trying to come up with the missing puzzle piece.  I also think that reliving it has taken quite a toll on her.

“I’ve gone over every detail of that night…and the whole time I lived with them before that night….and every detail of the time in that hospital…..and –,” she suddenly stopped talking and jumped up from the table. 

Her hands flew up in the air over her head as she yelled, “Oh.  My.  God.  I’m such an idiot! 
Of course!
”

“I hate to be thick, but what are you talking about?”

“I know exactly why he’s so desperate now.  He made a comment about how I let the media get those pictures of me.  He never considered that I would be all over the news and tabloids after inheriting my father’s business.  When those pictures hit the news, the story was sensationalized even more.  They will keep digging until they find out who the anonymous foster family was that took me in.”

“Ok, but I still don’t get why he needs you so much.  What did you figure out?”

She gave me her mega-watt smile and she honestly looked so happy.  Her excitement level just increased a hundred fold and she’s even making me believe there just may yet be hope.  She’s pacing, her eyebrows are furrowed, but she has a determined glean to her eye.  She’s not scared or in shock now – she’s sure she has figured it out and she’s working out a plan now.

“I need to get everyone together, Luke.  Shane, Mack, your parents, all our friends – everyone.  This will impact them all and I need to make sure you all can handle the fallout – until Jackson is taken down for good.  I want to explain everything to everyone at once and give everyone a chance to
speak before I do anything.”

I agree to call an emergency meeting.  I feel like a damn idiot even saying that, like I’m some kind of
fucking geek government official.  But I promise to do it for her anyway.  Everyone is coming over to Andi’s house within the hour and she’s back at the table feverishly making out a list.

Soon everyone is gathered in the den where Andi has put out drinks and snacks
.  We’re all chatting and just generally mingling when Andi comes in the room.  My parents are here, along with Brandon, Alicia, Greg, Christina, Tania, Katie, Shane, and Mack.

“Thank you all for coming on such short notice.  I
had an unwelcome visitor when I got home today.  Jackson Rhoades was waiting in my house for me.”

After a collective gasp from the ladies and a few comments of rearranging his manhood from the guys, Andi told everyone the same story she had told me.  She started
with her parents’ death, then she described what happened the night she ended up in the psychiatric hospital, and everything else up to this point. 

“The reason I’ve asked you all here is so that you understand what is at risk with my plan.  Jackson is a very powerful man with contacts and resources that we can’t match.  He has threatened every one of you in an attempt to control me. 
He’s banking on me taking full responsibility for everything – for attacking him, but also for convincing the girls that he molested them, that it was all fabricated by me.  That’s his plan and if I go along with it, he will win.  He will always have something to hold over our heads and no one will ever believe the truth if I change my story later.

My plan is to take the offer to go on the talk show and answer all their questions honestly.  O
nce the truth hits the media, there’s a chance that the girls he molested will come forward.   Maria would be old enough now to remember what happened and tell the media.  There are others, too.  But it all depends on if they’re willing to speak up or not. 

It’s a big gamble to put ourselves on the line like this.  It could mean the end of Shane’s career.  It could mean the end of Mack’s business and Sam and Linda’s business.  And for everyone else, I don’t know what he will do, but I know he will find something to hurt you. 

I won’t do it if everyone isn’t onboard.  And I will understand – no hard feelings, no questions, nothing.  I just need everyone to consider what this could do to you and make up your own minds.”

She sat and waited as everyone contemplated every possible scenario.  Most everyone was quiet and it was hard to tell what they were thinking.  I spoke up first.

“I don’t care what he tries to take from me as long as it isn’t you, Andi.  I’m with you.  I will stand beside you regardless of the consequences and regardless if anyone comes forward to confirm what he did.”

“But son,” my mom’s desperate plea is evident, “you don’t know what he’ll do to you and Andi.  Or to us.”

“That’s true, Linda,” Andi responds kindly, “It is crazy, maybe, to take him on like this.  But I think of those little girls and what they had to endure, and it doesn’t seem so crazy anymore.”

Mom was taken aback for a second.  She hadn’t considered it from that angle and she immediately changed her tune.  “I’m with you, too, Andi.  You’re right – if those little girls could endure that monster, I certainly can, too.”

Then Shane spoke up, “I’ll admit I had a moment of….selfishness….when all of this first hit.  But I agree – I will stand with you, Andi.  I want to see him brought down for what he’s done.  I want to make him pay for what he’s done to those little girls, to all of us here, but most of all, for what he’s done to you.  He’s tried to turn you into a victim for a long time and it’s time we put an end to it.”

Everyone else chimes
in with their agreement.  We are now one unified family, standing together to weather the storm that is approaching.  The storm we all know could have serious repercussions and implications on our lives and careers.  But it’s the right thing to do and we’re going to stand together and see it done.

ANDI

I’m so nervous right now I’m biting my nails and pacing relentlessly.  I know this is the right thing to do but I just don’t know what all the consequences will be.  I can face the consequences for myself but I feel guilty that everyone else is suffering because of me.

I just confirmed I will do the interview with the talk show host and they’ll start running the promo ads soon.  The show is taped so it won’t actually air until about a week after the interview.
  The studio audience will also be allowed to ask me questions. 

The producer said if there are too many audience questions, they will edit some of it out of the final show.  The “editing” process concerns me – especially if they edit some of my answers.  I had a condition added to the contract that I have final approval for any editing of the questions and answers to make sure they don’t swap any around or cut out important parts of my answer to make it seem like something else.

After everyone left the other night, I tried to convince Luke that this wouldn’t work and that it was a bad idea.  He saw right through my fear and continued to be my rock, giving me strength at the very times I don’t think I can keep this up.  I don’t want to let him down – his faith in me gives me determination.

Shane hung back and we had a long talk about everything that’s going on around him.  I wanted to make sure he was good with me answering questions about him.  I’m sure they will come up.  With all the tabloids and paparazzi running
stories, also known as lies, about me since my birthday, they know that Shane and I are close.  And he’s made it a point to have his picture taken with me on several occasions.

He wants me to tell everything and leave nothing out.  He reminded me of something I already knew - if it looks like I’m holding back on one thing then no one will believe anything I say.  And it’s important that I’m believable so that Jackson’s real victims will feel safer in coming forward.  Not to save me – but to save others who he may hurt in the future.

Shane offered to come with me on the talk show.  While a big part of me would love to have him there, I don’t want to make him a bigger target than he already is.  So I will answer all the questions about anyone in my life and pray it all turns out well.

I’ve decided on an awesome song for the competition
in two weeks.  I’ve started practicing and gathering my props.  It’s going to be great and I can’t wait.  The promos for the talk show will be running by the time I perform again and this time I hope it does bring more people into the club.  I
want
this performance to be seen by everyone.

Luke has been staying at my house pretty much all the time now.  I think he still feels awkward with it even though I’ve tried to reassure him in every way I can think of.  I’m sitting at the kitchen table enjoying a
n afternoon caramel macchiato when Luke comes in and surprises me.

“Baby, is the offer to move in here with you still good?”  He asks with his best smile but I see the vulnerability underneath the secure façade.

I smile warmly and grab his hand, “Of course it is!  Are you really going to give up your bachelor pad now?”

Luke’s smile drops, his head tilts to the side and his eyes narrow in consideration of my question.  “
Bachelor pad
?  Did you really think that’s why I kept my apartment?  To use it to run from us?”

It suddenly hits me that his voice has a hurt and offended tone to it.  I admit I am totally confused
and feel like this is about to turn into an argument. 

“Isn’t that usually why men hold on to a separate apartment when they’re supposedly in a committed relationship?”
  I ask innocently.

He considers my response and
I realize that we both keep answering each other’s questions with another question.

“Luke, it’s just that we’ve been together for a while now.  You stay here much more than you do at your apartment.  But you have never wanted to give it up, no matter how much I want you to be here with me.  So, I just naturally thought that you weren’t quite ready to make that kind of commitment to me….to us.  You haven’t been ready to give up your safe house.”

I say this to him as non-confrontationally as possible.  I’m really not trying to turn this into a big production.  I am just really glad that he’s asking me about moving in and giving up his apartment.  I love him so much and I can’t imagine my future without him in it.  I don’t want to imagine that.

He walks slowly towards me, still thinking and nodding his head as if in a private conversation with himself.  I wait and watch him as he processes what I’ve said and considers his own response.

“So you think I have commitment issues,” he finally states.  It’s not a question.

“I don’t know why this conversation is turning
to this.  I’m really glad you want to be here with me and that’s what I want.  I just want to know that you’re sure about giving up your apartment.”

“It’s not an unfair assumption.  Even though I have had commitment issues in the past, that’s not why I’ve held onto it,” he takes a deep breath and turns his back to me as he looks out the back door.

“Andi, I don’t feel like I have anything to offer you.  You have more money than I could ever dream of making on my own.  You have a big, nice home and I have a small apartment.  I held onto it because I was afraid you would wake up and decide I’m not enough for you – not good enough, not successful enough – just not
enough
period.”