The Unseen Obstacle CH.28
I Disclaim
Pacey brought their bags and in and looked around, it looked like the barn had been closed for the winter, but it was still in good condition, and even had a bed in the one of the stalls probably so someone could stay with sick animals. Unfortunately it was a small twin, he knew the bed would go to Joey, she should have it, but he also knew she would fight him on it, and that would get him into trouble. The last thing he needed was Joey in a fighting mood, her lips got all powty, her eyes took on this glint, and she just looked so…..uhhh. Just thinking of how she looked angry was enough to force him back outside into the blizzard." I'm locking up the Wagoner."
Joey nodded as he passed her looking around the barn, it was warm and good place to hide out a storm, but she expected no less from Pacey, he was caregiver, he wouldn't have let into any place that wasn't safe, that just wasn't Pacey. But he couldn't always protect her from harm, and this time the harm was herself. She needed to protect herself from the current urges she had to give into Jen's demands and 'just let go'.
It was a very tempting offering and she was sure that if she tried seducing Pacey she could, it wasn't that she was that confident in her abilities to seduce a man, after all it took all her will to get Doug to sleep with her, and she couldn't even get Dawson to that point. But Pacey thankfully wasn't like Doug or Dawson, which did add a point to his favor, he was a normal man with normal urges, even if he did go into that mode where he let reason affect him, after a while Pacey was still just a boy as horny as all the others. Not that she wanted just sex, with Pacey, but at this moment, watching Pacey walk out the barn in a pair of tight jeans, she was almost willing to give into the idea.
It was what happened after ward that worried her, taking a new step always changed things and in her experience never for the better. With Dawson her lifelong friend became some ethereal that she didn't even recognize, she stopped being his friend and became this thing on a pedestal that she didn't want to be. Taking the new step with Doug didn't work so well for her either, sure things felt fine, and there was no outward appearance that things had changed, but one Sunday she came home and found and email that just 'Sorry I can't stay.-Doug' Doing the something like that with Pacey wasn't acceptable, he was all she had life, she was Joey Potter the girl from the wrong side of the creek, and all her life she had two friends Pacey and Dawson, then knew her, cared for her, helped her go on, except she didn't have one for them anymore and the loss of the second would destroy her. Not even with Jack and Jen to help pick up the pieces could she survive the final lost of her childhood, it would be too much like burying her mother again.
"Hey I found some chips and soda in a cooler in the back; I think it's left over from my dad's last fishing trip." Pacey said as he walked back into the barn, three minutes in below temperature cold got him back to less embarrassing state of viewing for Joey. He looked at her and she seemed to be staring at the bed, probably already starting the arguments for why he should have the bed in her head." Jo?"
"Sorry what?"
He held up the cooler, and gave a lopsided smile." Pacey hunted brought back food."
"I'm not hungry." She looked back at him, and then pointed toward the bed." Were you going to be a gentleman and offer it to me?"
"No offering infers you have a choice, you're taking the bed and there's no way I'm fighting with you about this Jo."
"Okay, thanks, so I going to sleep, not really hungry wake me when it time to go." Joey practically ran into the empty stall where the bed was and closed her eyes, hoping that the next time she opened them it would time to leave.
"Jo is you okay?"
"Yeah Pace just tired." She keep her eyes closed, and tried to sleep knowing that it wasn't going to actually happen.
"Come on Jo, I thought we weren't going to do this attitude thing anymore?" Pacey said as he came into the room, and leaned up against the wall. "What's going on?"
Joey opened her eyes and suddenly a thought hit her that made her sit up and look at him through narrow eyes." Hey Pacey I have a question for you?"
"Sure."
"What do you get out of this?"
"Out of what?"
"This relationship that you and I have, I mean I know it helps me and keeps Bessie at bay, but how does it benefit you." " So far you've lost any chance of reconciling with Andie, any relationship you had with Dawson is totaled beyond repair, Bessie and Bodie have taken to threatening you whenever they see you, you're off limits to all your many female fans, so what do you get out of this, why do you go along with it."
He shrugs and shifts the weight in his foot looking away uncomfortably." Nothing, you needed me and I like helping you."
"Even thought this puts your life on hold." He nods and she shakes her head sitting up even more, and till she basically just sitting on the bed starting up at him." No, I'm not buying that one, you get up every morning and drive either to school or to where ever I may want to go, you're near me every hour that Bessie allows, what did Doug put you on suicide watch, or you worried I may hurt myself ."
He pushed himself off the wall angrily." No, I know you wouldn't do something like, that I just care is all."
"But again, why?" Joey stood and met her him full." I mean don't get me wrong I care about you too, but ever after Andie and you called it quits I was this dedicated."
"Yeah well you were probably too busy making out with my brother at the time." He snapped.
Joey's eyes widen ad she gave her half grin." Oh I get it this is Pacey in protection mode, you stick close enough to me, to ensure that I don't get reckless again and end up what? Sleeping with the Football team?"
"No." even thought it was lye, he did get worry that Joey would get reckless again, she was an overachiever in everything she did, and when she rebelled she went all out. He didn't think she'd sleep with the football team, but he was worried about where her next temptation could take her.
"Then what are safeguarding me for Doug; cause again no matter when he returns he'll get the same greeting I've told you he would, that hasn't changed, I don't hate him, but we nothing anymore."
"THIS ISN'T ABOUT DOUG DAMMIT." Pacey yelled and tried to calm himself, why couldn't she just let this go, why did she have to push for answers. Cause she was Joey Potter, that's why, she even an overachiever at never letting things go.
"Then what?" "You're always been my friend Pacey this is going into selfless territory, that kind of behavior on my behalf puts you on a list for sainthood, so what's the deal,
"Can't you just drop this?"
" Can't you just tell me why?"
"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU, I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU, EVERYONE ELSE IN TOWN KNOWS IT, WHY DON'T YOU?" Pacey watched as she frowned and then just sat back down, looking anywhere but at him. 'Finally, she shuts up'." What nothing to say now."