Welcome To The Media (Dylmas AU)

36. Just A Sick Joke

*drops chapter*
*runs*

Thomas's pov

I was driving a car. Sitting in the driver's seat, clenching at the steering wheel, fingers white. Eyes trained forward. Eyes always trained forward. Everything seemed normal. If I didn't look back, everything was okay.

Except, of course, that there were no brakes.

There were no brakes and I couldn't stop. With every second I gained speed, moving forward, forward, forward, never looking back. I was moving faster now and my wheel was locked in position and the brakes were useless pedals on the floor. And there was a cliff. I could see it now. I was heading directly for this cliff and I was going to drive right off, but I couldn't turn because the steering wheel wouldn't steer and I couldn't stop because the brakes wouldn't brake.

And none of this was a dream. None of this was fake. None of this was a figment of my imagination.

This was me.

"Please, Reggie," I had whispered into the phone. There were tears falling from my eyes and there was wreckage scattered in my wake. "Please."

There was silence over the line. Dylan's bathroom lights shone brightly on my small, wrecked form.

"You won, okay? Please, don't continue with this anymore. I'll do anything, please," I had continued through still swollen lips.

Another silence. Then, "You love him, don't you?" Reggie had asked. His voice had been so annoyingly knowing and yet my heart stilled in my chest.

"I do," I admitted.

"You're more stupid than I thought," Reggie replied after a second with a sigh.

"Yes," I breathed. "I'm the stupidest fucking human being on this planet."

I had pressed the phone closer to my ear in the silence that followed. Then I waited. All I could do was wait anymore.

"I made a bet with you Thomas, do you remember?" How could I forget? "And I set conditions. You had to make Dylan fall in love with you. If you did it, I'd forget your secret. I'd fade away, and you'd never have to see me again. If you couldn't do it, I get to tell everyone everything I know about you."

"But," he finished, "if you didn't accept the terms of our bet, then I'd expose your story with Mr. Elijah Burton to the entire world."

I knew exactly what he was saying. Perhaps I had finally fallen off the edge though, because it barely even hurt me anymore.

"Go ahead. Expose me," I whispered. "If that's how this has to end, then fine. Do it."

"Consider it done."

I had blinked, feeling choked and hot and terrified and like my emotions had been run over by a steamroller. Reggie hung up, and I was left alone, in silence, staring at the towel rack in Dylan's bathroom.

I blinked again. This time I stared at the Welcome to Los Angeles sign hung proudly outside the airport walls. I stared at Dylan as he slung a backpack over his shoulder, finally signaling down a taxi. I stared at the people around me, all vying for our attention. I stared because that phone call was twelve hours ago, and I had to look forward. I had to look forward because I had no brakes, and I truly couldn't stop.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

I hadn't seen my manager in months--hadn't spoken with him for weeks. Jack, with his ever-present red beard, was the first to greet Dylan and I when we arrived at an impressive building in the heart of L.A. where 'emergency press' was going to be held later. He looked exactly as he always had, though perhaps he had gained a few more pounds and lost a few more hairs. Jack didn't look pleased to see me, not that he usually did. We weren't friends, weren't even friendly most of the time.