“It’s not working! The plan’s not working!” Casey screamed in frustration, pacing the room in her attempt to disperse of her pent up frustration. “Why does Brian have to be such a… such a…. a JERK!?” she questioned rhetorically, not expecting any of her fellow conspirators to have the answer.

“I don’t know, honey. Brian’s not Brian anymore. He’s like some kind of evil zombie version of Brian,” Nick soothed, trying to ease his girlfriend’s frayed nerves. They all had seen the stress Brian’s attitude had caused on Paige. They’d seen her crestfallen face time and again after one of Brian’s insults. They’d seen the look of pity on her face as she had watched him walk away from everyone he loved, pushing the people who cared most about him out of his life. And there was nothing any of them could do to help him.

“If Brian would just quit being a jackass, maybe he’d be able to see what’s right in front of him. Paige is just the type of woman he needs in his life. She’s strong, independent and fearless. He’s an old-fashioned romantic, and will do anything just to make her laugh or smile. She’s the world’s greatest mother – at least according to TJ. He’s an amazing father – when he’s not being an ass,” Casey swooned, describing the pair. “Plus, Brian and Paige have so much in common. They like a lot of the same music. They’re both extremely family oriented. Very religious. They both love kids. They love basketball and singing. But they also balance each other out. Paige is a lot more serious than Brian and will help keep him in line and focused. But he will also help her loosen up and stop worrying so much. I mean, you couldn’t FIND a more perfect couple!”

“Who’s a perfect couple?” Alex asked, hearing the tail end of the conversation as he entered the room.

The other four occupants exchanged looks, wondering whether they should let their band mate in on their plan. After all, he had befriended Paige fairly quickly and might be able to help them move their plan along. “Brian and Paige,” Serine answered, watching Alex’s reaction closely.

A smile spread across his face at the thoughts formulating in his head. “You guys set this up, didn’t you? You invited Paige here to set her up with Brian,” he accused, unable to stop his smile from spreading.

“Yeah. We thought that since they’re both having such a difficult time moving on with their lives, we might be able to give them a little extra push in the right direction. Actually, even before Shawn’s death or Brian’s divorce, we knew they’d be perfect together – but they were both happily married, so we just let the idea drop. But now…” Serine trailed off.

“But now, they’re both single, and you thought you might be able to play matchmaker,” Alex finished, shaking his head at his friend’s crazy scheme. “It’s not going to be easy.”

“Yeah. Thanks Einstein. We’ve kinda already figured that out,” Nick scoffed, just as frustrated as his girlfriend. After all, Brian was his best friend, and he was tired of watching him suffer every day from the loss of his marriage. He knew he couldn’t just stand by and watch his brother throw his life away.

“As I was saying… it’s not going to be easy, but I think you’re actually on to something. I’ve been talking to Paige, and she’s getting fed up with Brian’s behavior just like the rest of us. She’s not taking his crap anymore, and I think she’s on the right track with that attitude, but she may need a little encouragement from the rest of us,” Alex continued, glaring at his younger band mate.

“Wait, you mean she’s standing up to him now?” Howie questioned, clearly surprised by the latest turn of events. “Last time I saw them together, she was almost in tears because he was yelling at her.”

“Like I said, man, she’s sick of it. She told me that if her son had ever acted this way, there was no way she would have let him get away with it, so she’s not going to let Brian get away with his behavior, either,” he quoted, impressed with her determination to fight.

“You know what this means, right Serine?” Casey asked, looking at the only other person in the room who would understand her thoughts.

“It means Paige is back!” Serine agreed, glad to know her friend was starting to recover from her loss and learning to appreciate life again.

“What do you mean ‘Paige is back’?” Howie inquired, asking the question that was on all the men’s mind.

“You know how Brian hasn’t been himself lately? How he’s been a jerk instead of his usual happy-go-lucky self? Well Paige hasn’t been herself lately, either. She’s usually just as happy-go-lucky as Brian, but she’s kind of been in a depressed mood – not that anyone can blame her for it. But she’s just been extremely out of character. She’s not usually as shy and soft-spoken as she’s been. In all the years I’ve known her, she’s never been afraid to make a fool out of herself or to speak her mind. I think that’s what had me worried the most. The fact that she had turned into the shy, timid little girl instead of the woman I’ve known most of my life,” Serine explained, a permanent smile returning to her face at the prospect of having her friend back.

“Well, that’s one down, one more to go. So how do we get through to stubborn-ass-Littrell?” Alex questioned, his thoughts in sync with the rest of the group.

“That’s the question,” Howie stated, looking around at the pondering faces in the room.

“You know what? I’m sick and tired of the spoiled little brat attitude you’ve been sporting ever since I got here. So your wife left you – big deal. Worse things have happened in your life. It’s not the end of the world! Get over it and stop being a prick,” was the first thing the group heard upon exiting their meeting room. It was obvious to everyone that Paige and Brian were currently involved in a screaming match.

“You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, so just back off!” Brian yelled back, obviously irate from having been put on the spot. “Your husband didn’t leave you by choice. My wife did. At least you know your husband loved you. My wife told me to my face that she didn’t love me anymore. She told me she couldn’t live a lie anymore. Do you know what that’s like?”

“You’re right, Brian, I don’t know what that’s like. My husband DIDN’T have a choice – and neither did I. But I will not back off, either! This is ridiculous. You have a little boy in there who needs a father – not a selfish asshole who can’t think about anyone but himself. I’m not going to let you destroy his life along with your own,” Paige declared, upset at the complete selfishness of the man in front of her. Never in her life could she have imagined him being so pompous – so ignorant and self-centered.

“Don’t talk to me about my son. You don’t know anything about him or what we’ve been through,” Brian angrily spat.

“Neither do you. You haven’t taken the time to find out how all this is affecting Baylee. You’ve been too wrapped up in your own misery that you’ve been blinded to everything around you. You don’t even realize you’ve been hurting the one and only tie you have left to your wife. You’ve been hurting your own flesh and blood by ignoring him, and eventually, it will be too late to undo the damage,” Paige advised, her tone softening as she talked about the little boy who had woven his way into her heart. “That kid loves you to death – and he’s worried about you. You need to get your head out of your ass NOW and show him that you love him too.”

“Mind your own business. You don’t know me. You don’t know my son, so don’t pretend like you do. Just because you’re a fan doesn’t mean you know anything about the person I really am,” Brian stated.

“You’re right. I don’t know you. And right now, I am glad I don’t know you. At least I don’t have any previous memories to compare you to – unlike your friends and family. I don’t have to be sad that someone I care about is losing himself in his misery. I don’t have to be heartbroken every day because my friend has lost his way. I’m really glad I don’t know you right now because if I did, you might have just lost a friend,” Paige announced, turning and seeing their audience. “At least I don’t have to be like them – worrying about my brother and friend destroying his life a little more with every passing day. I hope you realize what you have before you lose everything. Good luck Brian.”

With that said, Paige turned on her heel, walking in the opposite direction, away from the man who had caused her to lose her temper. All was silent behind her as she exited the building, never once looking back on the scene she left behind.

“Whoa,” Nick whispered, breaking the unnerving silence that had surrounded the group.

“Stupid bitch, doesn’t know what she’s talking about,” Brian muttered, turning and walking in the direction of his son’s room, suddenly desperate to spend some time with his only son.

“Whoa,” Nick repeated, as the group stood awkwardly in the hallway, unsure of what to do or where to go. After the scene they had just witnessed, they weren’t sure their plan was going to be enough. Brian’s hatred for the woman confronting him had scared them, but it had also given them hope since it was the first time Brian had been that passionate about anything after his divorce. Maybe, just maybe, she could break through to him like no one else seemed to be able to. But Alex was right about one thing – it wasn’t going to be easy.