Chapter 26:

Lin ran to the door as soon as Lafayette had slammed it behind him and locked it with shaking fingers. He brought his phone back up to his ear and, as calmly as he could muster, informed the dispatcher that the man he was calling to complain about had left the room and a security guard was no longer immediately needed to come escort him off, but yes, he would appreciate if they still stopped by to make sure everything was okay. The operator informed him that someone would be by when they got the chance to make sure things were okay, and that of course he could call back should anything else come up. Overall, the conversation did little to quell Alex's mounting panic, but Lin capped it and stuffed it back down in order to maintain the communication. He gave them Alex's information in case they needed to follow up later, then ended the call.

As soon as he was alone in the room he felt Alex's panic kick into overdrive.

His hands shook so much they nearly dropped the phone as he opened his contacts and called the one pinned at the top. Three rings later and Aaron's voice answered with it's usual, "Alex, baby! How's it hanging?"

"You said he didn't know who I was," Lin replied.

"Who didn't know who you were?" Burr said, suddenly sounding concerned. "Baby, what's going on?"

"Lafayette!" Lin yelled before forcing himself to take a deep breath. He told Alex that now was NOT the time to fucking panic and fought him for complete control, shoving the feelings aside so he could focus. "My goddamn roommate's best friend just told me in no uncertain terms that he knows who I am, Aaron! I spoke to you about him last week! You said he wasn't a threat! You said this wasn't going to happen again! You said you had a goddamn screening process! You said he didn't have a clue who I was, so who the fuck told him and how the fuck does he know?!"

The sound of Burr clicking away furiously at a keyboard sounded over the line as he hummed in a disapproving way. "I'll recheck everything Alex, don't worry. Lafayette will be on a plane back to France tonight."

Deporting him won't help! He could still contact the school! I don't care how he found out, I need to know what he wants!

"No," Lin said firmly. "I don't want him deported, Aaron. I want to know what the hell he wants with me ."

"Deportation would neutralize him until we could figure that out, Alex. And it would keep him busy enough that he won't be focusing on you."

You don't know that!

"You don't know that, Aaron," Lin repeated. "It could piss him off or make him warn his friends about me,"

"If they don't already know…"

"Not. Helping."

"Alex, baby, look; I love you, no matter what comes up I will take care of you, you know that. And I know you might not wanna hear this spiel right now, but you also know that this wouldn't have happened if you had you own place to li-"

"NO!" The thought was resounding in their head, so much that Lin spoke it into existence without hesitation. I can't live alone! That's how he got in last time!"I won't live by myself," Lin said. "It's not an option."

"Well bouncing from place to place and having a different roommate every few months isn't exactly doing you any favors either, baby."

But it's safer...

"It feels safer."

"It's not. Alex, look, I've had an apartment reserved for you in a sweet little complex not even that far from the campus and close enough to work that you can walk since you started taking classes. It's gated and has security on call doing patrols every hour. You want a two bedroom? I'll upgrade you and you can get a roommate. Or just get a dog. I've got a friend that breeds pitbulls you know, they're good guard dogs when you train them right."

It's...not?

He's wrong.

"I don't have time to train a dog, Aaron," Lin said. "And who would take care of it when I'm at class? Or at work? I want to be a lawyer, that means long hours in an office and a lot on my plate already."

He keeps saying this, there must be a reason. What if it is safer?

Don't be ridiculous Alex. That isn't a part of the plan.

The plan is to graduate school and become a lawyer. Own my own house later. I can live anywhere before then….right?

"Well, your lifestyle puts a lot on my plate too," Burr replied. "Baby, trust me, I wanna do what's best for you. And what's best would be a stable home environment where you would know that you're safe. Where you don't have to keep looking over your shoulder, waiting for the next danger lurking to get you. You could stop living with only a handful of things stuffed into a suitcase and put down some roots and start living your life, Alex. Wouldn't you like that? To have a balanced life?"

See? He's looking out for me. I trust Aaron, he wouldn't hurt me.

We're not living alone. We can't get a dog.

We'll find a roommate, someone we trust.

Who do you trust more than yourself?

Aaron can find someone.

Aaron can find you a nice cage to live in, yes. We are not living in a cage, Alex. You're better off in student housing. It's harder for someone to pin down a routine for you if you keep changing, change your routine, change your routes, change your numbers, change your locks. Keep moving, keep people around you, don't be alone, don't be a fool. Listen to me.

"I'm balancing life just fine," Lin growled into the phone. "And you're right, I don't want to hear this spiel right now." He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. The thing was, every time Aaron brought it up, Lin had to fight against Alex to say no. It was becoming more appealing to him by the day, but that didn't mean Lin had to roll over and let Alex accept it. Lin knew one day he would be the price Alex would pay for his freedom. He still wasn't going to let Alex sell himself out now.

"Just...figure out what the fuck does Lafayette want from me, and get back to me as soon as you do. And in the meantime, send me some goddamn security while you sort this mess out."

John pulled his phone out as he always did while stepping out into the cool night air. With his other hand he worked on untangling the hair ties knotting up his curls and was startled only briefly when delicate feminine fingers brushed against his. "Here, let me help," Peggy said eagerly, already working on getting the bands out, and John simply bent at the knees and leaned his head to the side to give her easier access to his locks. "Thanks, Pegs," he said as he unlocked his phone. Her response was lost to him as soon as he saw that he'd missed several text messages, the most recent of which was from the unnamed number he now dreaded.

Call me when you get this, the first message read.

And don't think you can pretend you didn't see it. I'll know when you get back to the dorm, John.

Most of the other messages were from Lafayette with exactly one from Alex following it. He opened the one from Alex first.

Hey, we need to talk about some things when you get back to the room. I had a fight with your friend. I'm sorry.

Someone bumped his shoulder and he looked up to see Simba smiling playfully at him. "Need a ride?" he asked but the question was interrupted by the shrill shriek of a whistle. John and his two coworkers looked over and saw Thomas standing by his truck. John tried not to think of the last time Thomas had picked him up after work and how that had turned out.

"Uhh, thanks man, but I think it's handled."

"I thought you were coming home with us tonight," Peggy said, holding onto John's arm. "Lafayette practically begged Angelica to let you spend the night. I mean, I helped too!" She nuzzled her face against him. "You can stay in my room if you want."

"Pegs, I got class tomorrow, I can't," he said. "Listen, I gotta make a private call, so I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Reluctantly she let go of him, looking quite confused, but John really couldn't afford to worry about her right then. He stepped away to the side, nervously scrolling up to find the number he needed to call, and hitting the call button only after he'd made sure he was far enough away in the shadows to feel confident that no one would hear him. The line bearly rang twice before it was answered.

"I thought it would go without say that I wouldn't want you to tell anyone else about Alex either."

John sucked in a breath of fear, his heart instantly racing as he recalled Alex's text. "I-I-I didn't!" he said, stumbling over his own words.

"Oh, but you did John," Burr said coldly. "Told your little French friend, didn't you? Now he's out here running his mouth about shit he doesn't need to be talking about and pissing people off who don't like to be pissed off, John. And I think you and I both know what happens when you piss off people that don't like to be pissed off."

"I'm sorry," John said right away, a kneejerk response to trauma he had learned to lessen the damages sustained. "I'll talk with him, I'll keep him quiet! He's already made a promise to me not to tell anyone, I'll remind him of that and we can work this out!"

"Hmm, he's made a promise to you, you say? Well, what good are promises when you don't keep them, John? Better question, what good are promises without leverage to hold all parties accountable? See, I know you're going to keep quiet because you know what I'll do to you if you fucking don't. But what leverage on Lafayette do you have? Hmm?"

"I….he's...my friend…."

"Some friend he is. You do realize he's broken whatever promise he made to you, right? And you want to know how I know? Because Alex told me."

John's mind reeled as he tried to follow what Burr was telling him. "Then...then Alex knows…"

"See, here's where you're in luck. Your french friend is an asshole, but a very clever little asshole. He was careful with his word choice, and oh make no mistake John he blew your cover. But! He blew it in a way I can easily fix for you, if you want me too?"

"What's the catch?" John asked immediately, reluctant to grab any seemingly innocent lifeline just thrown to him by this conniving douchebag.

"Smart boy," Burr chuckled into the phone. "I've noticed something in the last week, John. Alex seems rather fond of you. I suspect that's because you don't try to pry into his life unnecessarily, and of course why would you have a need too? You already know what he's trying to keep secret, why would you need to ask any questions about where he sneaks off too so late at night? But, he's likely to think that means he can trust you. So I want you to do something for me, it's a bit of a long term plan, so just know you're not walking away from this at the end of the semester, like I...heh, maybe planned to let you do originally." John felt a trickle of anger start to break through his anxiety, and he wanted to snipe a scathing remark at the man stringing him along, but wisely bit his tongue. "I wasn't lying when I said I owned that nightclub. I own several investments, Alex and the work he does is just one form of them. The nightclub is another. And, like I showed you, I also own several rental properties, such as the one above that nightclub."

"Please just get to your point," John muttered, still irritated.

"I'm sorry, am I boring you? You know, my alternative plan is just to kill your friend, John. If I'm wasting my time here, just let me know and I'll just proceed with that-"

"No! No, no, no, no! I'm listening, I'm just...tired, okay? It's nearly 3 in the morning, I just got off work, and now you're threatening me? Dude, I get it, I fucked up, you're an evil mastermind holding all the cards, but for fuck's sake, please stop jerking me around by my dick. Just tell me what the fuck you want me to do so I can just go do it already, not like I really have a choice, right? It's do as you say or you'll maim or hurt someone I care about, right? Well, I don't want that so, please, please just tell me what I need to do to prevent it and we can move on. Like, don't you have an orphan to shoot dead somewhere? Literally anything else to do? Or is this really it? This is what you do on a Monday night?"

There was a moment of silence and for just a second John worried he might have gone too far. Then, slowly, a soft little chuckle sounded over the line. "You've got some moxie, John. I'll give you that," Burr giggled. "But if you don't want me to sort this out with a bullet lodged in Lafayette's head, then I need you to hear me out here."

"Right," John said, still emboldened by his own words. "So, your point then?"

"I want you to convince Alex to move in with you at the end of the semester. Don't worry about where, I've already got a place. Once you do that I want you to live with him for...let's say six months, and then you can move out if you want, walk away from all this."

"And what happens if I don't get him to agree to this by the end of the semester?"

"Nothing good for you."

"Of course. Dare I ask why you want me to move in with him?"

"Because I suspect he'll feel safe with you. Like I said, he's quite fond of you, John. Now, that's your long term goal. Would you like to know what your short term goals are?"

"You mean aside from also trying to convince Alex you're an evil asshole who should quit working for you without telling him why or how I know any of that?"

Another chuckle. "Yes, good you remember the game I told you I'd entertain playing. But you might want to put that in your long term goal category. Push him too hard and he'll fight you harder each time. Believe me, I know how he is. Now, your short term goals are time sensitive, so listen closely as I'm only going to tell you this once. Go back to the dorm you share with Alex and calm him the fuck down. I've already sent someone over to guard him, but of course they can't be there forever so just play dumb to anything he seems worried about you knowing. Make him see you as just as safe. Should be easy, since you popped another of my employees in the face with your little airsoft gun. Then, in the morning, go find out who else Lafayette has told about Alex. I need to know what damage control I'm going to have to take. Call me back as soon as you know who else he spoke too and don't leave any names out. Then, cut Lafayette from your life entirely. I see him as a threat now John, and if he ever comes around Alex again then I'm going to kill him."

"but...he's my friend...I'm sure he didn't mea-"

"Frankly speaking, he's a shitty friend John. You don't need people like that in your life, I'm doing you a favor here, you might even thank me later."

"You don't understand, I love him-"

"Right, right, and that's why you fucked me then, was it? John, look, I won't sugarcoat this for you, I know how people work and I've done my research. That little French fuck isn't worth the rimjob he could give you, and he certainly doesn't care for you as much as you do for him. Hell John, I saw the smile he had when you told him you were looking to get my dick inside you, at least when I put Alex out there I make sure he's getting something he really wants in return. Aren't you tired of waiting for him to come around? The way he strings you along, making you think there's a chance he'll take you back to bed with him if you just do as he wants? And wasn't it always about what he wanted? Sure, everything was peaches and cream when he wanted you, but then one day he didn't. I mean, that's what it looks like happened since you sent so many messages his way, just begging him to take you back. Texts, e-mails, heh, the voicemails were my favorite. The guy really had you dickmatized, didn't he? But surely you have to know somewhere deep down that it isn't gunna work out, right John? What are you doing wasting your time when he doesn't want you?" John wanted to protest, but….he knew Burr was right. "And I know this should be the part where I tell you, 'oh, you'll find someone better! You deserve someone who loves you for who you are! Everything happens for a reason!' but I think we both know I'm not that kind of person."

"Yeah," John sighed. "You didn't strike me as the domestic life type."

An amused laugh answered him. "On the contrary, I did marry the one true love of my life. We even had a daughter, she was my pride and joy. But take it from a guy who's been there and done that, it's not all it's cracked up to be. Looootta work in raising a family."

John frowned at that, unsure how much he could trust that statement. It was probably a lie to just mess with his head. Still, he couldn't help but ask, "what happened to them?"

"My wife decided she didn't want to play the game anymore."

He wanted to ask what that meant but he knew by the tone of Burr's voice that it wouldn't be anything good. After a moment of silence, Burr simply went on, "Well, you have your assignments John, you really ought to get to work on them."

A moment later, the line went dead in John's ear. He heaved a sigh and rubbed the back of his neck, mulling over what he'd have to do. The sound of a throat clearing made him spin around with startled surprise to see Thomas standing behind him, his arms folded over his chest and an aloof yet somehow disappointed look on his features. "How….how long have you…?"

"Long enough to know you're at least waist deep in some serious shit, John. And it looks like you're sinking. What's going on?"

John turned his face toward the ground, trying to formulate what he could say and what would be off limits. "Laf….didn't tell you?"

"Laf said a lot of things to me today, especially after I had to swing back around after dropping you off and pick him up when Alex threw him out and called campus security on him. But I don't think that call had anything to do with Laf, I think it had something to do with the asshole who had a gun pointed at my head when I went to pick you up from that disastrous booty call you had last night. So c'mon, out with it, what are you involved in?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

John forced himself to take a breath, trying to settle fraying nerves. "Thomas, I don't want to get you anymore involved in this, okay?"

"Fuck it John, in for a penny in for a pound, what's the difference?"

"The difference is you can still walk away."

"And what happens if I don't?" Thomas waited for a response from John, noting but not commenting on the way John shook in fear as he mulled over his reply. "John, what happens if I dig deeper into this?"

"He'll kill you too," John said, hugging himself and stepping away from Thomas, as if the physical distance would sever Thomas's interest in the matter.

But Thomas merely rolled his eyes. "Okay. And?"

"And what, are you stupid?! Your life is in danger, shouldn't you want to, I dunno, not want that?!"

"We're all dying just at different rates, John! If I get killed trying to help you that's my choice, and I'm fine with that."

"Well, I'm not okay with it! You have people that love you, what would happen to your family?!"

Thomas shrugged. "They'd get another kid, give my stuff to them."

"What about your friends, what about James? What would happen if they lost you?"

Then Thomas paused, looking hurt. "What about what would happen to me if I lost you?" John slowly shook his head, begging Thomas not to play that card. "James is...I mean, I...You're my friend too, John. I know that's not how you see me, but I...hoped...maybe one day you would...forgive me…"

"you don't get to decide how i want to deal with what you did to me."

Thomas reached for John but stopped as soon as John backed away from him. "I know," he relented. He heaved a sigh and stepped back, trying to show John he wouldn't lean into that matter any further. "I just...want to help you, John."

"Then stop asking questions."

The silence that fell over them was so heavy, John swore it smothered the outdoor sounds around them as well. The rustle of wind through landscaped bushes, the scuffs of their feet on the pavement, someone's car driving past on the street; John could hardly hear anything for these things that were supposed to cause at least some sound. He pushed his hands up over his face, and back through his loose curly hair, smearing the stressed tears he had, feeling himself tremble, though by now it was probably due as much to cold as it was to fear. He looked out across the now empty parking lot, wondering when his co-workers had left, and regretting telling them he'd let Thomas take him home. Of course now he knew he couldn't just go home, and unless he could stomach getting into Thomas's truck….

John's phone began to ring and he pulled it out of the pocket he'd stuffed it in. He knew it was Laf before he'd even looked, of course, but all he could manage was to stare at it as it rang. He was about to answer it when the call ended of it's own accord and John was left just standing there with a feeling of emptiness. A moment later, Thomas's phone began to ring and he answered it with a simple, "hey Laf."

Funny, a moment ago John couldn't hear anything, but now suddenly he could hear how pissed his best friend was on the other end of Thomas's phone. Sure, he couldn't make out the words, but he could just imagine what the French man was saying.

"I took him home," Thomas said. "What do you mean where? To his dorm, where else? … Well that's your opinion. … I still think you need to discuss that with John first." Thomas glanced at John and he realized that, much like that morning, Thomas was trying to protect John from someone else's wrath. "Right, just as long as he keeps acting the way YOU want him too, that is. … It means exactly what it meant this afternoon when I told you I wasn't going to move John's things anywhere until I talked to him about it first."

"Lemme talk to him," John said, reaching for Thomas's phone without stepping closer to him.

"Hold on Laf," Thomas said before he dropped the phone to his chest. "You sure? You didn't seem like you wanted to talk to him a moment ago."

"Yeah," John replied. "I'll handle him." Thomas shrugged and handed the phone over. John brought it up to his face carefully, for a moment unsure of what to say, until Lafayette's voice prompted him with a confused greeting to see if anyone was still on the line. "Laf."

"John?" his friend replied.

"Yeah. What's going on?"

"I do not know John, perhaps you need to tell me. Why are you back at your dorm when I ask Angelica special permission to have to come stay with me?"

"Why would I need to stay with you?" John asked. "Is there some reason you didn't want me to go home to Alex?"

Lafayette sighed on the other end of the line. "He is not your home, John. He is someone who would use you for fun and leave you-"

"Like you did."

"I love you. Alex will not feel that for you, John. Sex is not sacred for him."

"Kay. Well, I'm still going back to my dorm, where I live. You can't change my mind on that."

The French man sighed audibly, clearly trying to show John he was annoyed by his stubbornness. "FINE. Then how about we have lunch tomorrow? When will you be free?"

"I'll call you when I get done with class."

"Why are you being so secretive all of a sudden? You used to tell me everything, John."

"Because I realized I can't trust you anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm going to bed now."

"I am not done speaking with you!"

"Goodnight Lafayette."

"John wait-" But he clicked the button to hang up before he could hear anything else and held the phone back out for Thomas to take. The Virginian accepted his property back stoically, only commenting, "damn John, would you like my jacket?"

John gave him a confused look. "No, why?"

"Because your voice wasn't just cold, it was downright artic when you spoke to Laf."

"I'm just tired."

"You're always tired, John. C'mon, I'll take you back to your dorm."

"Straight to my dorm?"

"Yeah."

"Promise?"

"Yeah, I promise."

John shuffled down the hallway toward his dorm room with a sense of dread hanging over his head. He didn't know what he was going to step into when he pushed open the door, or what he was even going to say to Alex. Play dumb. Yeah, okay. How dumb? Because all John wanted to do was just put his head down and not pick it back up until the semester was over, maybe just spend the next four months praying that he wouldn't fuck up any more then he had already.

As he put his key in the lock and turned the knob, he heard Alex ranting away about something on the other end. John tried to push the door open, only to find it was stuck, and Alex abruptly stopped speaking before calling, "Who's there?!"

"Alex, it's me," John called from the other side of the door. "Open the door please." There was a moment of almost silence, though John could have sworn he heard another male voice talking lowly and he definitely heard Alex's hushed but frantic reply. A moment later the door opened and John found himself face to face with Oak.

"John," the man greeted him with the smallest tilt of his head. He glanced down either side of the hallway, checking to see if John was alone before opening the door wider and gestured for John to enter. He hoped he didn't look too panicked as he stepped past and into the dorm, finding Alex standing in the middle of the room with his arms folded over his chest.

"Is...something going on?" John tried, looking between Alex, who kept shifting his own weight between his feet and looked about as on edge as John felt, and Oak who was calmly closing the door behind John, cutting off his one route of escape.

"We need to talk," Alex said. "Don't worry about Oak, I just needed someone to keep me company while I waited for you to come home."

"Okay," John said as he dropped his bookbag to the floor. He spared one more glance at Oak, who stood imposingly in front of the door, before looking back at Alex. "Seriously man, what's going on?"

"There's no easy way to say this, and I personally believe blunt honesty is needed anyway, so...As soon as you left with Thomas and James, Lafayette and I got into a fight and I no longer feel that he should be allowed in the dorm. With you here or not, I do not want him in my space or around my possessions, what little I have...I know that's..." Alex looked around at all the many more items John had brought to the room, his own things really only being confined to his closet and the mattress he slept on. "I know it might seem a little, mmm, demanding of me but after the accusations he made I no longer feel like laying out a welcome mat for him. I know he's your friend, and I know you two are close, so I won't tell you to stop hanging out with him or talking to him, but I really do not want him here. At all. Under any circumstance. He deeply upset me and I need to have a boundary."

"More than Thomas did?" John asked.

"Way more than Thomas did." Alex sighed and rubbed at his face with his hand. "I'm sorry that I have to ask this of you, John. I know it's a pain, and if you can't respect my request I'll...I'll figure something out in terms of moving out or something, just please let me know now, okay?"

John bit his bottom lip, trying to think of what he would say and do if he hadn't known he was gunna have to fudge his own cluelessness. "Well...what did he say?"

"He basically called me a prostitute for talking to a few women, John. He accused me of wanting to seduce you, use you for sex and then had the adacity to say I would just up and leave you as soon as I was done having fun with you. I don't know where in the world he got that notion from, do you?"

"That's..." John sighed, deflating under the realization of what Alex was telling him. Lafayette really had toed a fine line in keeping his promise to John. What was even worse is that John knew why Lafayette had made those accusations, but he also knew he couldn't justify them to Alex now. He sat down on the mattress that was his bed and rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hands. "...I'll talk to him."

"You're more then welcome to do whatever you feel is necessary, but I don't want to see him here in the dorm anymore, understand? Like, I am willing to deal with him however I need too outside of here, but he can't come into this space anymore, you understand me, right?"

"Alex, I hear you. I'll talk to him in the morning and tell him he can't come by anymore. What more do you need?"

"Nothing, I just need you to know I'm past patiently waiting for him to show me whatever good you see in him. I really wish I could like him for your sake, but he's really just rubbed me the wrong way."

"Okay, well, I'll tell him that. Anything else?"

"No, that's all I had to say. I'm sorry John. I know this can't be easy for you but I have boundaries too. And I won't put them aside because you can't protect yours."

John crossed his arms over his chest and said nothing more.

END CHAPTER