Cutting My Losses
Cutting My Losses 11/14
Lending Hands
When things get too hard to handle in Vegas, Greg runs to Pittsburgh and the person that knows him best, his longtime friend, Justin Taylor. Little does he know, running away will have serious consequences.
Cutting My Losses
Chapter 11
Nick had been trying to get in touch with Greg for the past couple days, with very little luck. They'd only had one conversation since the break up. Through this whole thing, Nick really couldn't decide who he wanted to kick most. Yeah, Greg left Vegas and now his best friend was hurting, but that phone conversation with Greg had been rough.
Nick must've called him right after the break up or something, because Greg had been a mess. Nick could hear the tears in his friend's voice. Greg just kept going on, blaming himself for just about everything under the sun. Half the conversation had been Nick trying to get Greg to calm down. The other half was him trying to get him to believe that Greg hadn't ruined everything and that Warrick still cared about him. Greg wasn't having any of it.
Nick had no idea what Warrick had said to Greg during that phone conversation, but he had a feeling it was less about what he said and more about how he said it. Warrick had a talent for appearing completely unaffected by even the most personal of matters. It cost him, though. When you keep all that in, keep it with you, it weighs you down until you're begging for a way to get rid of some of it. Warrick had so much emotional baggage that Nick was surprised he hadn't collapsed under the weight of his own. Warrick may have handled the weight just fine, but his relationship with Greg hadn't.
Nick had sincerely thought their relationship would last. Greg was the complete opposite. He was transparent. There was no filter between his brain and mouth. He wanted what he wanted, felt what he felt, and that was the end of it. Over the course of the relationship, some of Warrick's coping mechanisms must have worn off on Greg though, because after the explosion, Greg pulled a Warrick.
He pretended everything, including him, was fine. He didn't let anyone see what was going on in his head. And, under the weight of it all, he ran, which, to Nick, was such a Warrick thing to do. Granted, Warrick has never run from Vegas. That was only because he has more ties to the city than Greg. When things got rough, Warrick was unable to escape physically, so he did it mentally. Just a year ago, Nick found his friend sitting down in a casino trying to forget a girl.
So, Warrick ran mentally. He got pissed when Greg ran physically. And Nick figured Warrick probably ran off some bullshit to Greg about how he knew it wouldn't last, a self-fulfilling prophecy if Nick ever heard one.
Nick closed his cell phone after listening to Greg's voicemail for the umpteenth time this week. He walked into the kitchen to get a beer. He had just settled on the couch and was about to turn on the Discovery Channel when his cell phone rang. He didn't recognize the number on the display. It had a 412 area code, definitely not Vegas. He put on his friendly voice and answered it "Nick Stokes,” just in case it was work related.
"Hi. This is Justin Taylor.” The name sounded a little familiar, but Nick couldn't place it. "I'm a friend of Greg's.” The friend in Pittsburgh and the cause for all the drama around here lately. "I got your number from Greg's cell phone.” That immediately got Nick's attention.
"Is he alright? Did something happen? I've been trying to call and no one's been answering. I figured he was just sulkin'."
Nick sighed in relief at Justin's next words. "You figured right. I don't know what your best friend said to Greg, but the guy's an asshole." Daphne elbowed Justin in the ribs and mouthed, "be nice.”
Nick chuckled at the honest description of his friend. "Rick ain't so bad, just stubborn." Nick paused for a second before adding dryly, "Greg leaving town so quick didn't help things much."
Justin was automatically defensive of his best friend. "Greg had his reasons for doing what he did.”
"Yeah, well so did Rick.” Nick sighed. "I can't say they were good reasons, but I'm sure they make sense in his head. Was there a reason you called? Or did you just want to beat up on Rick?"
Justin took a deep breath before exhaling. "I called because I wanted to know if you think they have a chance of getting back together. Greg seems to really like this guy, for what reason, I don't know. I mean he's hot and everything but-yeah, I'm rambling. Okay. I just want to know if I should be telling Greg to forget him or go after him.”
"You know, I don't really know. That's what I've been trying to call Greg about. I think if he'd just come back and they started talking, maybe they could work things out."
"Greg seems pretty sure that being here or there won't change anything."
"Warrick's pretty stubborn, I'll give him that, but if you ever saw them together...Warrick adores Greg. Warrick used to do all kinds of crazy stuff just to see Greg happy. I don't think that just disappeared overnight. If they could just talk to each other..."
Justin was disappointed. There was no way he'd be able to convince Greg to go back to Vegas. "Yeah...well, Greg's a mess. I don't see him going back to Vegas." That wasn't the only option though, was it? "Maybe you can get Warrick to come here?"
Justin hadn't even met the guy, but he could hear the smile in Nick's voice. "Well, I did have an idea. I'll need a little help though..."
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Nick jogged up to Warrick in the hallway and slapped his hand on his friend's back. "Bro, you're gonna be thanking me real soon."
Warrick felt the dread wash over him. "And why is that?"
Nick kept smiling. “I just scored you a week long vacation."
Warrick stopped walking. He brought his hand to the bridge of his nose trying to soothe away the approaching headache. "What did you do, Nick?"
"Keats from days backed out of that Visual Computing Conference happening this week. Ecklie asked me, because I could use the education credits. But I told him I knew you wanted to go to it and you were free this week. Even offered to cover your shifts." That's not exactly how the conversation went and Nick was forever indebted to Keats, but Warrick didn't need to know that.
Warrick gave Nick a hard stare. "That conference is in Pittsburgh, Nick."
Nick tried to look innocent. "Yeah, that's what Ecklie told me. Heard it's a nice city. Most livable in the U.S."
"Greg's in Pittsburgh."
Nick did a piss poor job of feigning shock. "Oh, man. Rick, I had no idea."
Warrick just rolled his eyes. "Just give it up. You're a shitty liar, Nick."
"I just thought if you guys were in the same city, you might consider talking to him."
"Did you tell him I was going to be there?"
"No."
"Well don't. I'm going to go this conference because I don't really have a fucking choice with you talking to Ecklie about it already. But hear me on this Nick. When I get there, I'm not calling Greg or talking to him. We're not getting back together. What we had is over, and that's the end of it. So stay the fuck out of it." Warrick continued walking out of the lab, leaving Nick in the middle of the hallway.
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Nick had the pleasure of driving a pissed off Warrick to the airport so the man wouldn't have to park his car over the week. "I'll see you in a few days, bro."
Warrick opened the car door to step out but turned to Nick first. "I swear to God, Nick, if I get there and I even hear Greg's name, I'm coming after your ass so fast there won't be time to run." Warrick got out of the car, closed the door and walked into the airport.
Nick watched Warrick walk into the airport before pulling out his cell phone and calling Justin. "Yeah, everything went fine. He's getting on the plane now. Hey...could you do me a favor? Make sure he doesn't come back until they've made up."
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Author's Notes: Gotta thank vanna12 for the beta job.