something's gotta give *

[hannah1]

This was an entire new set of feelings for Olivia. She'd practically never felt like this before, aside from one time, so she had no idea how to handle this. She never meant to even like Jack, let alone what she'd let him do to her. She'd only wanted to get him back on his feet, teach him what life was all about. Well, teach him that life wasn't about Nina Clarke and whatever feelings he had leftover for her. Deep down, Phoebe could be compassionate, and she was when she saw him moping in the library that night a couple months ago. But now, who was the one moping? That's right, Phoebe. She hated herself for letting this happen, it was so outside of her code for herself. She didn't let herself get attached because it was too much work when shit fell apart, like it did yesterday.

She sighed into her cup of tea, looking down into the brownish fluid. As much as her conscience told her she was the winner of what happened yesterday, she felt so lost. She'd gotten a punch at Honor - a damned good punch, too. Besides that, she'd gotten a couple good burns at Jack and left with her dignity intact. At least that's what she kept telling herself. The whole situation was ridiculous, and there was no doubt she regretted coming home from Madrid to surprise him, especially after him telling her she should have expected him to be in bed with her worst enemy, and that she should have called. God she was still so angry, but so confused at the same time. She knew deep down she wasn't ready to let Jack go, her heart wasn't finished with him even if her brain was, but she desperately didn't want to add her name to the list of "womanized by Jack Bailey". The list was already too long and far too pathetic to hold the name of Olivia Grace. She didn't belong on that list. She had her own list of guys she fucked over or played with, she wasn't the girl who got into relationships and got screwed over, she did the screwing over.

Taking a drink of her tea, she looked out the window of the cafe. This was so stupid, and she knew it. She didn't look a bit upset, but her mood was like a forcefield. Once you stepped inside of it you understood what she was feeling, even though she didn't. It was some mixture of anger and sadness, brokenness and attitude. For once in her life, Phoebe felt like she needed someone to talk to. Sure she could talk to her brother, but did he really want dragged into her shit? No. She was selfish, but not toward her own family. She'd consumed enough time crying on his shoulder yesterday. Today she was going to put herself back together and move the fuck on. She had her pity party, and that was enough. She promised herself that she would return to the fiery, bitchy woman she'd been, the one who didn't need a man or a shoulder to cry on. She decided to focus on how good it felt punching that bitch in the face. She deserved it, and she knew she did. She grinned, knowing Honor had probably just run off to be with her sisters, which made Olivia take pride in knowing she'd only sought her brother's comfort for an hour or so.

All those thoughts really only lasted until she saw Jack in her mind's eye. "Fuck," she stated under her breath, gulping down some more tea. She'd never felt more... human. She always felt so invincible, untouchable by the earth's harmful grasp. She let things roll off so easily, she was the definition of resilient and here she was with a dent in her armor. But that's all it really was, right? A dent in the armor.. the armor was still good and able to protect her. But she had a weak spot. Was that acceptable?

Fuck no.
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[devonblakewest]

Devon rarely ever involved herself with the media these days. Let alone jack's relationship problems. She'd heard about it all, granted, she just didn't care as much as she use to. Jack had gotten hurt and now he was back to hurting other girls. Usually she was stepping in to tell the other girls to back the eff off her best friend. Most of them never listened and often it led to some physical and verbal fights. None of them lasted. She was surprised that things had even lasted with Nina Clarke. Devon hadn't even bothered talking to the blonde because she wasn't even sure how they managed to get married in the first place. Then the divorce happened and Devon had to swallow every thing she wanted to say and just pat jack on the back. Though she'd told him all along this was going to happen. She knew that Jack played ladies well, had a long, long list of girls he laid and left before morning. She'd been witness to a number of walk outs and too many angry girls coming to his door in hopes of finding him. By then, he was on the next hunt and Devon dealt with his mess. She was almost tired of it by now and figured he'd do okay without her stepping in every single time. Though she'd grown irritated, slightly, when he 'dated' phoebe. Who dated a whore? Both on jack and phoebe's case. She didn't understand how Phoebe didn't see this coming. And how jack could do this all so stupidly. She doubted he'd feel remorse for much longer. She'd already yelled at him and called him an idiot over it. That happened a lot too.

Devon sighed, pushing away the thoughts of her complicated friendship with Jack and packed up the last bit of things she needed from the manor they shared. Then she was on her way out again, back to the airport and back to making costumes. At least then, her mind would be busy and not thinking about Jack and other men in her life. She was starting to really hate not have a chick to talk to. She'd never really had girl friend to confide in. Her mother was made of marble and her father bowed down to that marble queen. Devon had never gotten along with her parents.

Deciding that she needed to eat before going back to an overpriced airport, she told the taxi to just drop her off at cafe montmartre. LA was overpriced, but it was better than LAX. Every time she stepped foot in the airport that annoying jingle of a song got stuck in her head and she wanted to scratch her brains out.

She made her way to the entrance, thinking of what to order when her eyes landed on someone that made her almost turn around. What the hell. Couldn't Jack and his girls just not be everywhere for once? Devon thought that over and laughed at herself. With how many ladies Jack has had, she shouldn't be surprised how many popped up around the world. The industry world was small, after all. Gritting her teeth, she walked over to the table where Phoebe was sitting and claimed the seat across from her, "Hey." Devon greeted, pushing up the sunglasses that hid half her face. She had no idea what she was doing. For some reason she felt compelled to tell Phoebe that jack was just an asshole. She probably already knew that though.

"I'm Devon. I never got to officially meet you before Bailey sacked you." That was harsh. She cringed a little at her own vulgarness. Which wasn't something she usually noticed, "I mean, before he back stabbed you, like Jack Bailey always does. But did you really expect anything from him?" She wondered, raising an eyebrow at the girl, "Because if you did, then I seriously should have bothered to meet you and tell you otherwise. I've known Jack for a long time and I doubt he'll ever really change. Though I guess I have you to thank for making him a whore again." That last bit was sarcastic. Devon couldn't help but feel a little irritated that jack was going to start adding onto his list of girls again.

[hannah1]

The next thing she knew, some bitch was sitting down across from her. How dare she? Did she not realize that only yesterday, the girl she was sitting across from didn't hesitate to punch someone in the face? The girl looked familiar, but when it came down to it Olivia really didn't care who it was. She was probably some fan girl coming over to ask what it was like to screw Jack Bailey. Phoebe had a good few words for her, at least until she opened that mouth of hers. Once she did open her mouth, the words just kept pouring out, and that was something that just annoyed Phoebe to no end. Why couldn't girls these days keep their damn mouths shut? They seemed like they had to babble on and on, incessantly even, about nothing in particular. Phoebe's posture was straight, and her composure kept as Devon spoke, not even flinching at the mention of Jack. However, when she referred to her as "sacked by Jack", Phoebe had to give a knowing smile, and look down into her tea for a moment.

But she, unlike Devon, had a little self control and just sat there, taking in whatever the hell this girl was spilling out. Really, she didn't have time for this. She must not have been too good of friends with Jack, considering they'd known each other from the time they were in college. They hooked up a lot back then, it was sort of a rotating thing they had going on. They'd go off and screw someone else, and when they both needed a really good lay, well of course they'd hook up because they were both the best at playing the game. It was a no strings attached kind of thing, a little like their relationship, only with a lot less strings. Sort of. It was complicated to explain, but simple as fuck to live out. She missed those days, they were a lot easier to handle than whatever the hell they were going through right now.

"Well, Devon, was it? I should start off by saying that I sacked Jack, not the other way around," she set that little notion of hers straight right off the bat. Technically, Phoebe had broken up with him while she was still in his apartment, though he continued to call her his girlfriend later that night in the chat. She had a lot more setting-straight to do, considering it hadn't even been twenty-four hours and everyone already had everything screwed up. "Second, I've known Jack since college. I know exactly what he's like, what he's capable of, and the choices he makes." She knew Devon was probably (maybe) only trying to be helpful and a little hurtful, but Phoebe was in no damned mood to deal with people who thought they knew what happened. The last part, she was ready to just rip into, but she figured maybe, just maybe she should have a shred of self control. "And last, the relationship between Jack and I, was never really a relationship at all. I was with him to help him get over Nina, and you do have me to thank for getting him back to the way he was instead of the mopey, sobbing, pathetic Jack you all had after the divorce." She said, her slight smile intact and bright. She wasn't one of those girls that fell apart. She'd fight until the very, bitter end and not once would she resort to petty hair-pulling and slapping like Honor. If she was gonna go out, she was gonna go out with style and grace, like her last name implied. But she wasn't going out now, no way in hell. She was at the top of her game now, and not afraid to cross some lines anymore.
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[devonblakewest]

Obviously it was no good trying to argue with this girl. Devon knew that Phoebe had balls and guts already, tougher than most girls in this kind of world. But she didn't think for a minute that Phoebe was unaffected by jack. Everyone got affected by Jack. In some little freaking way. He just managed to get into your life somehow. She remembered the first time she met him- or started to hang out with him. She'd been a dancer back then in some slightly high class bar. Jack had been there and she nearly crapped her pants, actually embarrassed. She'd quit that job shortly after seeing Jack there and got a job as a waitress. She hadn't made as much in wages, but it was enough for her to pull on her own. For a while, that night she'd thought that jack would want to get in bed with her. She couldn't bang jack, even then. It all seemed wrong to Devon. Surprisingly, they managed to get along with just a little sexual tension and Devon gave herself the label as his best friend. It was only recently that he started to agree with that label. Devon was nothing if not persistent.

Devon couldn't help but notice the self control that Phoebe had and gave her credit for not losing it. After all, Devon didn't really have any right talking to her anyway. She wasn't surprised that Phoebe had known Jack since college; Jack knew a lot of people since then. That was when she, herself, had met him.

"You can't sit there and lie to me saying you're not bothered by this at all." She rolled her eyes, "Because from what I've heard you're every man's wildest dreams." True, Devon heard a number of things she didn't want to hear, "But there Jack went, porking another chick when he already had you." Devon shrugged. She figured that had to sting a little, if you thought that way. Maybe it was only Devon that thought in such a way. She figured that Phoebe had pride, ego. What kind of girl that played men didn't have ego? And what kind of girl would she be if she really didn't care that jack picked someone beneath her?

She wasn't sitting here, trying to start anything. She wasn't even sure why she'd planted herself in this chair. She just saw Phoebe so lost in thought and knew that this was another one of Jack's "victims." Her best friend was the worst kind of criminal but she still loved him and refused to severe ties with him. And he had been slightly mopey. He'd gotten better, from what Devon remembered. But not everyone saw Jack the way Devon did. So maybe she was just completely off her horse here.

Devon held up a hand, a sign that she hadn't meant anything by sitting here and talking to her, "I already knew you had balls. You just looked a bit.. lost when i came in." She shrugged. It was probably the moment to leave but Devon wanted to see what else Phoebe had to say. She looked down at her phone, wondering if Jack was up yet. Or on set. She hadn't been needed on set for the day, or even the next two days. Just last week, she'd packed a number of things in a hurry before returning to Tuscon. Now she finished packing, without the rush.

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[hannah1]

Of course Jack had weasled his way into Phoebe's jungle of a heart, and of course it hurt seeing him all over the one girl she hated more than anyone. It was true that the fact that it had been Honor had set her off most. If it had been any other girl, she probably would have just asked to join, knowing that she would have won out in the end. But in the end, she'd been hurt, and she let him do it to her. She firmly believed that no one could hurt her unless she let them, and she'd proved it to herself over and over again when the nasty words or rumors that people spread should have torn her down and they didn't. And then this happened, and she let him get the best of her, something she wasn't going to let happen again. Before this she hadn't cried in years, and she let it happen, the only thing she regretted about it. And she hated that Devon saw straight through her act, down to the fact that Phoebe was hurting inside. She was trying to hard to deny the fact that Jack had any effect on her, but Devon just knew, and that frustrated Phoebe. Usually, she was very good at only letting people see what she wanted them to see, and the fact that Devon had outsmarted that just pissed her off, not setting her up to like Jack's best friend forever, or whatever.

However, she disagreed. She most certainly could sit there and lie her damn pants off without thinking twice about it. She was gonna have to step up her game because she wasn't going to seem broken to someone who was just going to go back and squawk to Jack. No, honey bunches, it doesn't work like that. Most people would call Phoebe Grace a bimbo, but she was much smarter than anyone gave her credit for. And apparently so was Devon. Yes, she'd been told she was every man's dream, the single ones and the taken ones alike she was perfect in their eyes. She was nothing but a really great lay, a spectacular chest to fondle, and a reoccuring memory. She didn't get attached, that's what made her so great. She could move on even more easily than they could most of the time, which made her unique. But what she said next also made a great deal of sense. She gave a very short, very light sigh.

"Which proved to me my work was done," she said with a level head and a very heavy heart. "That's a very Jack-like thing to do." She was right and she knew it. She didn't need Devon or tabloids or anyone to tell her fucking around was something Jack Bailey (the one everyone knew) would do. It did hurt, hearing her put it like that, but she'd been hearing it her whole life, why should it affect her so badly now? It shouldn't, and she realized that, so she ignored it. And really, that's what a lot of her anger was over, the fact that he delivered her a substantial ego blow. Men didn't insult her pride, they only built it up further by calling her dreamy and sexy. What most people meant to burn really only came across as a compliment to Olivia, and they were all fucking retarded if they didn't understand that by now. When Devon sort of held up the white flag, saying she wasn't trying to start shit, Phoebe realized maybe, just maybe this chick wasn't so bad. Pheebs knew she had balls herself, but so did Devon and she proved that by sitting there and talking so bluntly to the girl that had already proven herself to be potentially hostile.

She let down the fake, sarcastic smile, and showed her real face.

"For what it's worth, you're right," she said, though it really wasn't something she'd planned on telling this girl. She wasn't going to elaborate on it though, rather leave it open-ended so it couldn't incriminate her. "I respect you for coming up to me," she said, her dark brown eyes looking straight into Devon's blue ones. But still, Phoebe wasn't going anywhere. For the first time in a while she was deep in thought, lost in it actually, to use Devon's word. She took another drink of tea, her eyes returning to the window.
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[devonblakewest]

it was obvious that neither girls were going to back down, even if this wasn't a fight. Devon was willing, though, to get up and leave Phoebe alone because she didn't have the energy to argue with a hot headed person. She was already jet lagged. She hated getting little to no sleep at all. But in this life, you needed to learn to do just that. Devon treasured her sleep and hating getting up at ungodly hours and being forced to fuction like she'd been well rested.

She wasn't going to go back and snitch to Jack. She was actually ready to give him a talking to and give more than just two cents worth. He'd probably, and everyone else, would just say she was some jealous girl who wanted Jack all to herself. She doubted that she could handle Jack for very long, though she did like having time with him. Their time was always very limited now and she sometimes felt like she was going to lose one of her best friends. Or both really. None of their lives circled around each other anymore and Devon knew that if she ever lost them, she wouldn't be able to make it through a day. No one knew her better than them and she needed someone like that in her life. Half the time, she wasn't even sure what she wanted. Without her boys, she'd be alone. And that was probably her greatest fear. She hated being alone. On nights when she knew it would be absolutely safe, she'd climb into bed with Jack because she couldn't sleep alone. And it was fun to make him squirm. jack bailey was never supposed to be uncomfortable.

She was surprised that Phoebe admitted to being hurt. But it didn't take much to see that she was. Any girl with pride as big as Phoebe's boobs was going to suffer something if she was cheated on. Devon shrugged, "I just don't want Jack to have another girl on the list, who he screwed over. You're the only girl who's come out with fists flying and a head high." Nina didn't count because that had been a divorce and the marriage had been a scam. Though Jack deserved to get hurt once in a while. Devon shouldn't rub it in his face, but she did once in a while. At least now, Nina Clarke could be said without him cringing, thanks to Phoebe.

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[hannah1]

Honestly, Pheebs didn't really care about Devon's relationship with Jack from here on out. They could fuck like rabbits or share girly stories, whatever they wanted. Olivia was finished with Jack. She wanted him back, yes, she wanted to be back in a relationship with him because she was happy. They were extremely compatible together. They could stand going extended amounts of time apart, and they could have a damn good time together. But if she got back together with him, they'd both look like desperate losers and she wasn't willing to do that. She knew she had already sort of fucked up her reputation, but she was going to prove to the public that she wasn't affected by this. It might seem that way, but she was going to live the lie until it was the truth. That's how she'd gotten through twenty-eight years of what she called a successful life. She had enough money to support herself and several others, she had all the family she needed, and she was happy. That's what she needed, and had.

She knew she'd thrown a curve ball at Devon by admitting she was hurt, but hey, what did it really matter? They weren't known for being particularly close to Phoebe, so anything she spilled wouldn't really be taken seriously. She smiled at Devon's response. She really had seen that coming, though she appreciated the compliment. And deep down, well it wasn't that deep, Phoebe hoped to God that she'd hurt Jack at least a little, and she knew she had. He wouldn't have wanted to talk to her so badly if he didn't. And even if it was just because she was a damn good lay, at least he'd have a nice case of blue balls until he could find someone with a fuck like Phoebe's.

"Trust me, if I have any say in it he's not going to know." She was already on the track to putting herself back together, even though she never really fell apart like most girls do. Sure she was upset for a while, stepped outside her comfort zone, but she was back in it now and ready to play the damn game. "I don't plan on changing, either," was all she said. She was proud of the way she handled this and wouldn't change a goddamn thing. She finished off her tea and stood, and that's when it hit her. Jack had talked about Devon when he was in that huge frenzy about her having a love interest. Phoebe cracked a smile. This girl was crushing on the guy Phoebe fucked a couple months prior. Oh wow. She wanted to give an evil cackle, but decided to calmly stand and throw her cup away. "Nice talking to you," was all she said.
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