Not Another Reason

Chapter Eleven: Truth

Justin continued to send texts to Evelyn, asking her if she was okay, and what was going on with them, and if whatever they had was really over, with no response back for hours. As much as Justin acted like he didn't care, he did, a lot. Especially when it came to Evelyn. Truth is, when they first started their situation of casual sex, he already did have some type of feelings for her, and the more it happened the more his feelings grew. He didn't know how Evelyn felt about him or if she even saw him as more than just a stress reliever, but when she told him that she would get jealous when he talked to his ex, he became hopeful.

But now he knew he messed up ever saying anything about them to Clay before she was ready to confirm or deny what was happening between them was real.

A knock at his door makes him put his phone down in frustration, and as the knocking got more persistent, he got a little hopeful, thinking it may be Evelyn coming over, finally ready to talk. But as he opens up the door, the hope fades away and annoyance sets in seeing Clay standing at the door.

"He can't be prosecuted, okay?" Clay begins. "What the fuck are you doing here?" Justin asks confused. "I know it was Bryce. All right?" "Jesus." Justin looks away, sighing. "She said he was your friend."

"All right, get in here." Justin gives in, moving to side and opening the door wider for Clay to come in.

"You have to tell her, Justin." "When the fuck will you give up?" Justin asks annoyed, slamming the door. "Look, I get it. You were trying to protect your friend, so you lied to Jessica and you told her Hannah made the whole thing up, and have Evelyn cover up for her and make me think it was actually her and not Jess." "I did? So I guess it's my word against Hannah's huh."

"Exactly. So the one witness is dead and Bryce will get away with it and you can stop protecting him. It's legal fact." "Did you talk to somebody? Tell me what the fuck you did." Justin begins walking towards Clay, anger clear on his face.

"What the fuck? Are you even listening? I just told you, I can't go to the cops." "Then what do you want from me?" "I want you to tell Jessica the truth about what happened that night. You and Eve."

"She knows what happened. Go and ask her." "Yeah, I did. After I found out it was really her, and she just repeated whatever bullshit lies you fed her. She even said the exact same words as Eve did when I asked her. But she knows something's up. Just look at her, she's messed up. She was drunk at school today. Along with Eve."

"She's fine. And stop worrying about Eve." "She's fucked up. They both are. And so are you." Justin ignores him, grabbing food out of the toaster oven. "What's even going on with you guys, that 'stay away from my girl' shit? What are you guys a thing now?" "You need to mind your fucking business, Jensen." "Does Zach know? Or Jess?"

Justin doesn't respond, giving Clay the answer he needed. "Jessica deserves to know the truth, about everything and she's never gonna believe it unless it comes from you and her best friend. If I can even call Eve that anymore."

"Hey, they still are best friends, don't talk about her like that." Justin points at him. "Yeah, well I don't think having a relationship with her ex boyfriend is something a best friend would do."

"It didn't happen the way Hannah said." Justin starts, walking past him to the couch and ignoring Clay's words. "I've heard that before." Clay adds in sarcastically, before continuing. "Tell Jessica the truth." "I already told her the truth."

"It's bullshit, and you know it." Justin sits on the couch, finally facing and putting his full attention on Clay. "We hooked up. That's what happened. She wanted it, and we hooked up. Ask Evie if you want, she saw us that night. There was no other guy. There was no other story, you hear me? So whatever Hannah thought she saw, she lied about it on those tapes because she's a crazy fucking drama queen, and homewrecker who killed herself for attention." He yells at Clay, now more angry than before, before sighing, realizing what he said.

"I'm sorry man, I know she was your friend." "And you were her first kiss." Clay responds, speechless. "So she said... Whatever happened..whatever Hannah thinks happened..how does that help Jess now? What she needs, what we all need... is for this to be fucking done with."

"How can she be done with this if she doesn't even know what it is? You can get me suspended, you can ruin my fucking life if you want to. It won't change what you did. And sooner or later, people are going to find out."

"People are not gonna find out." "Why are you protecting Bryce? What does he have on you?"

"I'm not protecting Bryce, you little fuck! God, I'm protecting Jessica! I care more about Jessica than I do about Hannah, than I do about you, than I do about-" "Eve?"

Justin sighs, looking down at his food. He didn't know if he cared more about Jessica than he did Evelyn. If it was a couple of weeks ago, he may have said yes without hesitation, but now he was unsure.

"Just get the fuck outta here!" Justin yells at him. "You don't deserve her." Clay mutters, making Justin snicker. "Yeah, I've heard that before." "No, I mean Eve. You don't deserve her. Neither does Zach. She's such a great person and ever since the accident she's been all fucked up, and you're the last thing she needs." "Oh, so what you deserve her?"

Clay stays silent, not knowing what to say. "I see the way you fucking look at her, Jensen. You like her, but guess what, she doesn't want a pussy like you. You don't even know what really fucking happened to her, nor half the shit she's been going through lately."

"I know she lost her brother, and has been drinking a lot lately, probably not getting any sleep judging by how tired she looks, and suddenly she hates someone who she used to be best friends with, I know that much." Justin scoffs at Clay's words, eating more of his food. "Get over your crush and stop caring about her. She doesn't give a shit about you so you should do the same."

Clay shakes his head, knowing deep down Evelyn did care about him, and right now she was just lost, and angry at the world it seemed like. He doesn't know what else he can say to Justin, so he decides to leave. Reminding him once last time that Jessica needed to know, about everything.

A knock at Evelyn's window takes her out of her train of thought as she stared at another one of Jeff's pictures. She wipes her hand across her face, wiping excess tears away, and gets up, slowing moving toward it, not knowing who to expect and pulls the curtain back to see it was Justin.

"Hey." He greets. "Hey." She says back, in a low sad voice. "Sorry I didn't text you back.. I've been busy." She continues, Justin looking slightly behind her and seeing her dresser covered in pictures of her and her brother throughout their life, along with an alcohol bottle on the floor next to the chair she was sitting in. Justin nods his head, understanding. "Can I come in?"

She moves to the side, letting him pull himself through the open window.

"We should probably talk, huh?" He asks, ready to address whatever was going on between them, but Evelyn shakes her head, beginning to tear up again. He opens his arms, both quickly walking towards each other, as she begins to cry into his shoulder.

"Are we bad people?" "What?" "For not telling Jess, about us? About that night? Are we bad people?" "No, baby. We're just trying to protect her, you know that."

Evelyn shakes her head, knowing it is some part of the truth, but the other being more selfish reasoning.

"Jeff would be so disappointed in me right now." She sobs, barely able to get the words out. Whenever she disappointed her big brother it hurt her to the core, and now even with his death, she felt like he was watching over her, shaking his head as she was doing all the things he wouldn't approve of.

"Don't think that, okay? You're just trying to get through it like the rest of us. It'll all be okay baby, it'll be okay." He shushes her, rubbing her hair as she continues to cry.