Dawson smiled. He couldn't help it. The thought of Pacey finally being gone
was something he wanted to rejoice in. Of course, he was sorry that Joey
was hurting and he would show genuine sympathy, but its not like she was in
love or anything.
He knocked on the door and waited for someone to open it. To his surprise it was Doug, Pacey's brother and Jack's long-time boyfriend, who opened the door.
"What are you doing here?" Dawson asked as he pushed past Doug, into the apartment. Doug clenched his fists in anger at the arrogant blonde who had just strolled in as if he alone were the center of the universe, but for Joey's sake he would control himself.
"Jen asked us to come over." He said, motioning to Jack who was in the kitchen washing some dishes. "Plus, Joey was wondering if I knew where Pacey might have gone."
"Do you?" Dawson silently prayed Doug wouldn't know.
"Not a clue, Dawson, but I'm going to have a detective friend of mine start working on that first thing tomorrow."
Dawson ignored that last part and hoped his luck would hold out. "So, where is she?"
The door opened and Jen stepped out of the bedroom, shutting the door quietly behind her. When the three men, who had now all taken a seat in the living room, sent questioning glances in her direction she ignored them all. Joey was asleep again but she still wouldn't eat anything. It was going on ten and she hadn't eaten anything all day and Jen was starting to worry about her. But she supposed that if she had just had her heart ripped in two she wouldn't feel like eating either. Maybe Joey would feel like it tomorrow.
They all watched as Jen walked into the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee. She sat in the recliner without saying a word. Jen really didn't feel like discussing anything with Dawson there. She already had a pretty good idea about what his opinion was on the subject.
After a few moments Jack couldn't take anymore waiting. "Well?"
"Well what? She's heartbroken. She cried herself to sleep." Jen stated obviously, as she sipped her coffee.
"Why would she be heartbroken?" Dawson asked, completely oblivious.
"Because she loves him."
He just shook his head adamantly. "No she doesn't."
Jen was sick of it. It was the same attitude Dawson had a few months ago, when he had moved to Boston to find Pacey and Joey had become more than your average roommates. He acted like he still knew Joey better than anyone. He didn't.
"How would you know?" Jen asked irritated tone.
"I know Joey." He was so arrogant that it made Jen want to scream.
"No, you knew Joey. You stopped really knowing her back in high school. You really haven't had a clue about her since you moved to Hollywood."
"But I'm back now." he argued.
"You have been back in her life for three months. Three months and you are trying to tell the rest of us about Joey. She does love him. As much as you hate it, it isn't going to change."
"She. Doesn't. Love. Him." he stated.
Joey had been listening on the other side of the bedroom door and she couldn't believe what she had just heard. How could Dawson say something like that? And it wasn't even so much what he said but the way he said it. It was so cold, final. As if he knew the inner workings of her heart.
Joey stepped out of the room and looked Dawson square in the eyes. "I do love Pacey. I always have and I always will. It won't change, no matter how stupid he acts sometimes."
"Joey, you don't know what you're saying." Joey wanted to pull her hair out. He was treating her like she was a child. In a way they all were but Dawson was the only one making her feel like it.
She shook her head. "No, you wouldn't know. Pacey left because he loves me and as stupid as that is I understand."
"You are a fool, Joey. Pacey Witter doesn't love you. He can't. It was just lust. I mean this is Pacey we're talking about." Dawson was desperate to get her to believe him, even though he knew he was lying. Pacey had loved Joey since kindergarten.
"Yeah, this is Pacey we're talking about." Jen stepped in. "The same Pacey who is always there for his friends, who bought her a wall just so she could express herself, who always looks out for Joey, or any of us, the same Pacey who has been your best friend for the last sixteen years."
"So?"
"What bothers you more, Dawson? That Pacey loves her or that she loves him back?" Doug asked from his place next to Jack.
"Dawson, maybe you should just leave." Joey said quietly.
"Fine, I will. I guess I'll see you around."
"If you have anything negative to say about Pacey then don't bother."
Dawson stood there, stunned for a second. She was picking Pacey over him and the guy wasn't even there. Dawson didn't understand it. In fact it infuriated him, but he realized that Joey needed time. He walked out the door without saying anything else.
He knocked on the door and waited for someone to open it. To his surprise it was Doug, Pacey's brother and Jack's long-time boyfriend, who opened the door.
"What are you doing here?" Dawson asked as he pushed past Doug, into the apartment. Doug clenched his fists in anger at the arrogant blonde who had just strolled in as if he alone were the center of the universe, but for Joey's sake he would control himself.
"Jen asked us to come over." He said, motioning to Jack who was in the kitchen washing some dishes. "Plus, Joey was wondering if I knew where Pacey might have gone."
"Do you?" Dawson silently prayed Doug wouldn't know.
"Not a clue, Dawson, but I'm going to have a detective friend of mine start working on that first thing tomorrow."
Dawson ignored that last part and hoped his luck would hold out. "So, where is she?"
The door opened and Jen stepped out of the bedroom, shutting the door quietly behind her. When the three men, who had now all taken a seat in the living room, sent questioning glances in her direction she ignored them all. Joey was asleep again but she still wouldn't eat anything. It was going on ten and she hadn't eaten anything all day and Jen was starting to worry about her. But she supposed that if she had just had her heart ripped in two she wouldn't feel like eating either. Maybe Joey would feel like it tomorrow.
They all watched as Jen walked into the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee. She sat in the recliner without saying a word. Jen really didn't feel like discussing anything with Dawson there. She already had a pretty good idea about what his opinion was on the subject.
After a few moments Jack couldn't take anymore waiting. "Well?"
"Well what? She's heartbroken. She cried herself to sleep." Jen stated obviously, as she sipped her coffee.
"Why would she be heartbroken?" Dawson asked, completely oblivious.
"Because she loves him."
He just shook his head adamantly. "No she doesn't."
Jen was sick of it. It was the same attitude Dawson had a few months ago, when he had moved to Boston to find Pacey and Joey had become more than your average roommates. He acted like he still knew Joey better than anyone. He didn't.
"How would you know?" Jen asked irritated tone.
"I know Joey." He was so arrogant that it made Jen want to scream.
"No, you knew Joey. You stopped really knowing her back in high school. You really haven't had a clue about her since you moved to Hollywood."
"But I'm back now." he argued.
"You have been back in her life for three months. Three months and you are trying to tell the rest of us about Joey. She does love him. As much as you hate it, it isn't going to change."
"She. Doesn't. Love. Him." he stated.
Joey had been listening on the other side of the bedroom door and she couldn't believe what she had just heard. How could Dawson say something like that? And it wasn't even so much what he said but the way he said it. It was so cold, final. As if he knew the inner workings of her heart.
Joey stepped out of the room and looked Dawson square in the eyes. "I do love Pacey. I always have and I always will. It won't change, no matter how stupid he acts sometimes."
"Joey, you don't know what you're saying." Joey wanted to pull her hair out. He was treating her like she was a child. In a way they all were but Dawson was the only one making her feel like it.
She shook her head. "No, you wouldn't know. Pacey left because he loves me and as stupid as that is I understand."
"You are a fool, Joey. Pacey Witter doesn't love you. He can't. It was just lust. I mean this is Pacey we're talking about." Dawson was desperate to get her to believe him, even though he knew he was lying. Pacey had loved Joey since kindergarten.
"Yeah, this is Pacey we're talking about." Jen stepped in. "The same Pacey who is always there for his friends, who bought her a wall just so she could express herself, who always looks out for Joey, or any of us, the same Pacey who has been your best friend for the last sixteen years."
"So?"
"What bothers you more, Dawson? That Pacey loves her or that she loves him back?" Doug asked from his place next to Jack.
"Dawson, maybe you should just leave." Joey said quietly.
"Fine, I will. I guess I'll see you around."
"If you have anything negative to say about Pacey then don't bother."
Dawson stood there, stunned for a second. She was picking Pacey over him and the guy wasn't even there. Dawson didn't understand it. In fact it infuriated him, but he realized that Joey needed time. He walked out the door without saying anything else.
