Things Aren't Always What They Seem

*** about a year and a half ago***

It'd been a little over six months since Charlotte had started up with Kane-- and though Jon put on a happy face, inside he was being ripped apart. Jon knew that Charlotte was serious with Pat; that she trusted him more than he deserved. He knew that she'd given him her virginity. He also knew that since she'd began dating Kane, he barely spent nearly as much time with her as he used to.

Jon didn't want to resent his friend as much as he did, but he couldn't help it. The guy had practically stolen his best friend and he relished in it. Jon could see it by the looks Pat would give him and the smirks that would spread across his face. Jon had kept his mouth shut up until now--at least for the most part-- but he couldn't do it much longer. After one particular practice Jon decided he needed to have words with Pat-- not argue with him-- just have a rational discussion where he could simply say he would appreciate being able to spend more time with Charlotte than Pat had been given him...because as of lately, it'd been zero.

"Kane," Jon called out to him over his shoulder as he got himself dressed and pulled his shirt over his head.

"What's up?" Pat answered as he turned around.

"Gotta minute?" Jon walked over as they stood face to face.

"Yeah, what's going on?" Pat asked again.

"I don't really know how to word this without it sounding like I'm overstepping my boundaries but lately I feel like I've barely seen Charlotte." His cheeks felt warmer and he rubbed the back of his neck giving away his uncertainty.

"What do you mean? She was at the game last night," Pat answered stoically.

Jon glared at him. "You know what I mean."

"So, what's your point? You do realize I'm dating her right?"

"I know that. I'm not asking you to break up. I just feel like you're purposely monopolizing her time. I haven't spent any time with her lately. I just miss my friend, that's all."

"So let me get this straight," Pat crossed his arms and looked at Jon condescendingly. "You came over here to ask me to stop spending time with my girlfriend because you want to spend that time with her. And you think that I'm only spending this time with her to keep you from spending it with her...?"

Jon realized it sounded ridiculous. When he heard Pat say it out loud it sounded even more ludicrous, but he still couldn't shake that feeling.

"I know it seems petty," Jon started trying to calm the situation down. The way Pat was looking at him though, just didn't sit right with him. "I just, I guess all I'm asking for is just a little time to hang out with her. It's weird for me, I guess. We used to hang out all the time and now I only see her is when she's with you."

"You've never liked her and I together." Pat wasn't asking Jon, he was telling him something they both knew. As Pat leaned against his locker with his arms still crossed and glared at Jon, Jon stared right back.

"What's your point?"

"Why should I want my girlfriend hanging out with someone who wants her to break up with me?"

Jon shook his head and puffed out air. He was done playing nice. "I guess I threaten you that much then, huh? You're afraid of losing to the guy who's been nothing more than a friend for all these years."

"You keep telling yourself that," Pat sneered back under his breath. "I gotta get out of here," Pat said as he turned to grab his stuff. "I have plans with my girlfriend."

***

"Hello?" Jon answered his phone when he saw Charlotte's name pop up on the screen. It'd been a day since he had his little discussion with Patrick and he was hoping that after mulling it over, Pat would comply with his request. It wasn't excessive after all-- and Jon felt he did the right thing by asking Pat, not just going behind his back and stealing time with his girl.

"JON!" Charlotte yelled into the phone. "We need to talk."

"What? What's up Char?"

"How DARE you go behind my back and talk to Patrick like that." Shit. Now Jon knew how this was going to go, and what Pat said to Charlotte was probably a very skewed version of the truth.

"Like what?"

"You told him that you think he and I spend too much time together? That you feel you're entitled to spend more time with me than he does? Are you kidding me? Where do you think you get the right to tell my boyfriend he can't spend more time with me than you?"

"Woah, calm down." Jon tried to stop her rant, but she was as angry as she'd ever been.

"No!" she answered, voice still elevated. "I'm pissed!" Jon didn't need for her to tell him, he was more than aware.

"I can see that Charlotte. Would you let me explain? Please?"

"Fine," she pouted. "Better be good."

"I didn't tell him I was entitled to spend time with you. I never said anything like that. I simply told him I haven't spent much time with you since you guys started dating and I missed my best friend. I guess I just asked him for some time with you..."

"Why would you go to him? Huh? He doesn't make my decisions Jon. I make my own decisions. If you have something you want to say then you need to say it to me. Maybe I want to spend time with him. Did you ever consider that?" She clearly wasn't backing down-- she was fuming and there was no discussion to be had with her this angry.

"Okay. I get it Charlotte," Jon said defensively.

"No, you don't get it. He's my boyfriend and he comes first," she said more reasonably but very coldly. "You can't handle that your best friend has someone else in her life, but you need to accept it. Go fuck some girl you pick up at a bar-- I'm sure that'll make you feel much better about all this," she said bitterly before she hung up the phone.

Jon hung his head and took a deep breath. He was losing his best friend and the worst part was, it was to someone he had once considered a friend. Now he was just a teammate, a teammate who was rapidly becoming the enemy.

***

A few hours later Jon was sitting on his couch enjoying the night to himself watching a movie and relaxing when he heard a knock on his door. He sighed and took a moment before getting up to open it. He still had a stinging pain in his heart from what Charlotte said to him earlier and the fact that their friendship was on the decline. He forced himself up and went to the door. When he opened it he saw Charlotte with a nervous smile and a box of pizza in her hand.

"I brought a pizza as a peace offering," she said as she pushed it towards him and put it on display.

"Oh?" he looked at her smiling on the inside but outwardly making her sweat it out. Neither of them moved as she stood in the threshold and he still had his hand on the door.

"Yeah. I'm really sorry for flipping out on you Jon. I don't know why I got so angry about it. After our fight I thought about it and I realized that I shouldn't have been angry. You just miss me and the truth of it is I miss you too. I just felt like-- when Pat told me-- that you were going behind my back, like I couldn't make my own decisions and it hurt a little. I'm so sorry for what I said to you though. Can you forgive me?" she looked up at him holding her breath and waiting for him to yell at her.

He stared into her eyes for a few seconds before curling his lips up into a smile. He reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her into him. "Come here," he breathed out as he hugged her tight to him.

She threw her arms around him and clung to him. "I'm so sorry," she said again into his chest.

"It's okay," he sighed out before pulling away from her. "Come on, I don't want this pie to get cold." Jon took it from her hand and started into the kitchen. "Where's your boyfriend tonight?"

She smiled and followed him inside. "I told him I needed the night off."

"And he was okay with that?"

"What's he going to say to me? He understood."

Jon nodded his head and with his back to her he pursed his lips and shook his head. Pat had her totally blinded and it made his stomach turn.

***Present Day***

Jon was perched on Rose's couch watching tv while she was throwing something in the microwave to heat up for the two of them. They got back to her apartment after the episode between him and Charlotte in the club and it was the first time he'd spent time with her since she was back from her trip. She tried to unzip his pants when they walked in the door but he pushed her away.

"What was that all about anyway?" Rose yelled curiously from the kitchen.

"What?" Jon answered as he turned his attention to the kitchen.

"That whole thing with you and Charlotte and that guy. Seemed intense."

"Yeah," Jon rubbed his neck and looked down at the ground flashing back to earlier in the evening. "That guy just kind of cornered her so I went to help her out. That's all."

"She okay?" she said still waiting on the microwave and rummaging through the fridge.

"Yeah she's fine I guess. Pat showed up so I guess he took care of the rest of it."

"Uh huh," Rose's answers got quiet when the mention of Pat came up.

"Have you talked to her since we left?" she hollered.

Jon sat back on the couch. "No." He didn't feel the need to elaborate. When he rested his head on the back of the sofa he noticed Rose's suitcase perched on the far side next to it. He leaned over and nonchalantly rubbed the big white tag that the airport had put on the handle. Without thinking about it he glanced down innocently at the tag and wrinkled his brow when he saw 'Cancun' printed on it. "Hey, uh, Rose," Jon called out suspicious.

"What babe?" she said as she closed the door to the microwave and made her way into the living room with plates in her hand.

"Where did you go for your gig again?"

"Cali," she said as she swallowed, not looking him in the eye.

"Oh, that's weird. Why does your suitcase say Cancun then?"

Her eyes widened and she stopped mid-sit as she went to plop on the couch. "Well, we were in California for the shoot and then we went to Cancun for a few days to take a break and get a few extras."

"Oh," Jon nodded his head not believing her. His suspicions about her were growing and for as pretty a girl as she was, he couldn't find himself to think of her even remotely attractive anymore. "That's convenient."

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing," Jon shook his head and tightened his jaw. Was it possible she was telling the truth? Yes. Did his gut think she was? No.

"You have something to say, say it," she demanded.

"I don't have anything to say," Jon stood up and looked down at her on the couch. "I'm just going."

"What? Why?" Rose jumped up and followed him to the door.

"I guess it's okay in your world to ditch your boyfriend for a wedding you promised you'd go to, to go live it up in Cancun. Whatever. Rose, maybe we should take some time to think about things. I'm going home, you think about what you want."

"What kind of things?" she asked with a shaky voice.

Jon didn't say anything he just shook his head and swallowed. "I'll call you tomorrow." He didn't turn or look back at her as he walked out the door and shut it behind him. He didn't trust her and she knew he meant business. She'd played her part in fucking over her relationship and it was coming back to bite her in the ass.

Jon drove home and blasted Dashboard much like he used to. His life was in shambles-- his personal life anyway. The snow had begun to fall in the city and the roads were slick. The wind was blowing hard but none of it phased him. He had too much on his mind, so much that he barely noticed the weather.

When he walked through his door he noticed the light was on and when he looked in his living room he saw Charlotte sitting there with her arms crossed staring at him. He knew by the look on her face that she was pissed.

"What are you doing here?" he asked completely surprised.

"You aren't the only one with a key."

He threw his keys on the table and walked into his living room where she was, her expression cold. He stood awkwardly in front of her waiting until one of them broke the silence.

"What are you doing here?" he asked again just as defensive as her attitude was.

"I want to know what has gotten into you lately. It's like you've turned on me."

"I didn't do anything. Maybe it's your conscious."

"What did I do?" she asked, her voice raised. "What have I done to you Jon? Why are you so angry with me?"

Jon sighed out loudly and shook his head. "You sat and waited here for me so you could ask me that?"

"Yes. I don't get it." He could see that despite her anger, she was hurting. It was what he wanted but now that he saw it firsthand it made him feel worse.

"You wanna know?" he asked as he stood in front of her pacing, he still hadn't sit down.

"I'm not here to play games!" she yelled. "I have enough of that from my fiancee."

Jon whipped around and looked at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Forget it," she flickered her eyes away and shook her head. "I shouldn't have come here. I don't know what's gotten into you but clearly you're not in the mood for sharing." She got up and when she got to the door Jon finally said something. "Say good night to your fiancee for me," he snarled sarcastically.

"I've had it! I'm so sick of trying!" Charlotte screamed as she turned around. "Just say what you want to say! You hate him. I get it. You've never wanted me with him and you don't like it, I get that. We all get it. I just never thought you'd treat me like shit over it. I'd never do that to you! What changed? You don't see me being an asshole over my opinions of Rose."

"And what are they?" he asked as he walked closer.

"Your business with Rose isn't my business. I'd never treat you the way you've been treating me. That isn't how you treat your best friend," she shot back bitterly.

Jon grunted and it only served to further Charlotte's anger. "Tell me what you want to say Jon. Just freakin spit it out."

"Fine. You want the truth? Then fine. I don't like you with him. I fucking hate it. I don't trust him as far as I can throw him. I never have. And you just fall for his bullshit-- from day one!" he yelled at her with no ounce of remorse. "I don't think he's right for you. You might think I'm an asshole but at least I'm the asshole telling you the truth."

"Oh you want the truth?" she yelled back riled up. "Fine. Here we go," Charlotte was going punch for punch. "You think Rose is right for you? That girl is as self-centered and fake as they come. You've been dating her for a year and she manipulates you. I don't trust her and I don't think she's right for you but you know what Jon?" her voice was getting strained from screaming. She felt the tears start to form behind her eyes. "It isn't my business! It's your relationship and your decision! I would never treat you like how you're treating me over something that I had no right to stick my nose in!"

"You're right Charlotte. I guess being best friends with someone, to you, means lying to them. Not telling them the truth. If people always minded their own business and sat on their observations then some problems would never be solved and people would never know to make the right decisions. I guess friends don't help each other or tell them their concerns. That makes you a fucking fantastic friend to have in my life. So thanks for the truth-- a year later."

Charlotte felt the tears fall down her cheeks as she leaned against his door. "You know what Jon? You were right before. Sometimes people do grow apart. Maybe you and me," she took a breath and looked away fighting back sobbing. "Maybe we've run our course. This isn't the way friends treat each other. You've been different since Pat proposed to me and... I don't need it."

Jon felt his heart pound and the knots in his stomach tighten but he was just as mad as she was. He stood so close to her against his door he could feel her breathing. The tension between them was so real he could almost touch it. "Thank God you've let me off the hook. I don't need you in my life," he spat back as he looked her in the eyes. It was the biggest lie he'd ever told.

Charlotte's eyes popped open and she just looked in his completely, visibly hurt. He knew that in some capacity he'd just broken her heart.

"After everything we've been through, I hope you feel good about yourself." She turned and opened the door and began to walk through it. "Don't worry. You won't need to concern yourself with me anymore. And you won't need to worry about my wedding. You're not invited. You're not my friend anymore. Our... our eight year relationship is over."

"Relationship? You can't end a relationship you never had," he snickered.

"You're right Jon. Everything we've been through. The fights, the good times, the sacrifices. Hanging out together every moment, the surprises and the fact that I moved here for you...I'm glad it meant nothing." She wiped away the tears that soaked her face as she turned back around and walked out, closing the door behind her.

He stood there looking at the wooden door for what felt like minutes before feeling the anger and disgust rise up in him. He grabbed the first thing he saw-- the remote-- and whipped it against the door, screaming out as it shattered and hit the floor. He fell to his knees and tried to catch his breath. He pushed her away-- he'd succeeded at his goal. It was the hardest thing he'd ever done, but now that he wasn't in her life anymore, she could go off and be happy with Patrick, and he...well, he could survive it.

Jon had so much adrenaline and anger carrying over from not only his fight with Charlotte but with Rose as well. He went into his bedroom and immediately his eyes went to the picture of him and Charlotte from the night he'd won the cup. He couldn't stand looking at it and in a move of pure disgust, he slammed it face down on his night table.

He took his clothes off and got in the shower where he let the hot water fall over his muscles and relax them. He was sick and ashamed but he also really was angry. He was angry she'd picked Kane over him. He was angry at himself for never telling her how he felt. He was angry over how all of this played out. He finally stepped out of the hot shower and put his boxers and flannel pajama pants on. As he ran the towel through his hair he heard his phone ring. He went over to his bed where his phone was resting and saw a number on the screen that he didn't recognize.

"Hello?" he answered unsure of what to expect-- hoping it wasn't some crazed fan who'd gotten a hold of his number.

"Hello, is this a Mister," the woman on the other end dragged out the 'r' which made him more uncomfortable. "Toews?"

"Yes, who's this?" Jon asked, his heart stopped beating because deep down he knew something wasn't right.

"I'm calling from Northwestern Memorial Hospital in regards to a Miss Charlotte Adams. I'm sorry to have to inform you but there's been an accident."