Part 41

Justin walked back into the house and found his mom standing in the kitchen. “I have a question mom.”

“Sure. What is it honey?” Lynn replied.

“Do you know what was going on between Talia and I? Or Liz and I?” He asked, hoping that his mother could clue him in on some things.

Lynn thought for a minute and chose her words carefully before she answered him. She knew that something wasn’t right with Liz, but she had a feeling that somewhere in his mind, Justin did. He had to figure that out for himself. “Well… you and Liz were dating at one time. A couple. I’m not sure what your status is now. As for Talia,” Lynn paused and debated whether to tell him what she felt. “I think Talia cares very deeply for you. And I think that you felt the same way about her. Before this little incident, the two of you were planning a very special evening together. Alone. And no one else but me knew that the two of you were going to be together.” Lynn looked to Justin to see what his reaction would be.

Justin tried to digest what his mom had told him. He’d known there was something else between him and Talia besides friendship. It didn’t ring any bells yet, but he was hoping that it would soon. “Thanks mom.” Justin replied absently and went up to his room. He called Liz from up there. Finally she answered the phone when he was just about to hang up.

“Hey Liz. It’s Justin.”

Liz felt a smile creep across her face. It had to be a good sign that he was calling her. “Hi Justin. How are you feeling?” She asked as nicely as possible.

“I’m feeling pretty good actually. I was wondering if you would have lunch with me tomorrow.” Justin got right to the point. It was late and he didn’t want to have a long drawn out conversation.

“Lunch sounds great. What time should I pick you up?”

“How about 10:30 and we make it an early one?” Justin suggested. Liz agreed and they got off the phone. Justin felt like he could sleep now that he had a plan of action. He had to get to the bottom of this so that he could put everyone, including himself, out of their misery.

The next morning

Justin woke up early and went for a walk to clear his head. He wanted to be totally unbiased at both lunch and dinner. Surely if he went out on ‘date’ with both Liz and Talia, he could get some kind of feeling about what had been going on with each of them. He thought about just asking them, but that would be too easy. He wanted to remember. He made it back to the house and noticed that it was almost time for Liz to be there, so he decided to shower.

“Hey mom. I’m going to jump in the shower. Liz is supposed to be coming to pick me up, so if she gets here before I get out, tell her to wait.” He requested. Lynn agreed and he ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

Talia woke up feeling a little better. She had hope for her dinner date with Justin later on. Maybe it would rejuvenate his memory. She tried not to get her hopes up too much, just in case nothing happened. Either way, she knew that she would be disappointed. But at least this was a step in the right direction. She decided to stay in all day and work on her dancing. She knew that it would make her feel better and clear her mind.

Even though Liz didn’t want to admit it, she was nervous about lunch with Justin. She had to be very careful not to say anything that would betray her real feelings. She had to play the part of the good, worried girlfriend and hope that he never remembered the fight that they’d had before his accident. Liz took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

Lynn heard a knock at the door and knew that it would be Liz. Justin had been upstairs for almost 30 minutes and she hoped he would be down soon so that she wouldn’t have to put up with Liz’s fakeness for long. Groaning inwardly, she got up to answer the door.

“Good morning Lynn.” Liz greeted her sweetly.

Lynn smiled in response, but felt sick at Liz’s obvious over exaggeration. “Come on Liz. Justin should be ready in a few minutes.” She replied and stepped aside so that Liz could get through the doorway.

Liz went in the living room to wait for Justin. Lynn stayed in the kitchen purposely occupying herself so that she wouldn’t have to talk to Liz. Ten minutes after Liz got there, Justin came downstairs, dressed and ready to go.

He kissed Lynn on the check on their way out the door. “We’ll be back in a couple of hours mom.”

“Okay dear. Be careful.” Lynn replied and watching Liz back out of the driveway and head off down the street.

Liz drove carefully and more reserved than she usually did. She had to do everything right if she was going to get Justin back. She drove down a street lined with cafes and let Justin pick one. She was pleased to see that he picked one that they used to frequent in the better days of their relationship. ‘That has to be a good sign.’ After finding a parking place, they went into the building and found a secluded table.

“So Liz. Tell me some of the things that we used to do together.” Justin said, trying to make conversation.

“Well, we went out to the movies a lot. We went to parties that my friends or your friends had. One our favorite places to visit was the beach. We’d walk along the shoreline with our shoes in our hands and watch the sun go down.” Liz rattled off. She did, however, have fond memories of their evenings at the beach. At one time, before she met David, her relationship with Justin was pretty story book like.

Justin tried to conjure up the visions she was describing in his head. But he didn’t get any results. Maybe he was trying too hard. Just then his cell phone started to ring. He excused himself and got up from the table. He stepped off to the side a little and answered it.

While Justin was on the phone, the waitress came to take their order. Liz looked up from the menu and recognized her friend. “Hey Emily. What have you been up to?”

“Oh, same old stuff.” Emily replied. She saw Justin standing off to the side talking on the cell phone. “I didn’t know you and Justin were back together.” She commented.

Liz smiled nervously, hoping that Justin didn’t hear her. “Oh well, you know we couldn’t stay away from each other.” She said quickly, hoping that Emily would drop it.

While Justin was on the phone, he heard what Emily said. “Hey Jc, I gotta go. I’m having lunch with Liz.” He hung up the phone and went to sit back down. ‘We were broke up? I wonder what for.’ He thought to himself. He wanted to ask Liz about it, but he also wanted her to him on her own. He gave the waitress his order and watched her walk off. “Was that one of your friends?” He asked Liz, hoping that she would explain what had just went on.

She looked up at him and prayed that he couldn’t sense her nervousness. “Oh yeah. That was Emily. We used to run around together quite a bit.” She replied. ‘God I hope he didn’t hear that.’ She thought. He didn’t press the issue any further, so she assumed that he hadn’t.

They made light conversation through lunch. Justin managed to recall a few things about his relationship with Liz. So far, they were all good. But something didn’t seem quite right to him. There was something that she wasn’t telling him and he wanted to know what it was. He concentrated on that all during lunch, but couldn’t come up with anything. They sat and talked for a while after they were done eating. It got close to being 2pm, and Justin mentioned that he should be getting home. He didn’t want to be rude, but he still needed to call Talia and finalize their dinner plans.

Liz pulled up in the driveway and put her car in park. “Thanks for lunch, Justin. It was really nice.”

“You’re welcome. I just wish that it would have helped me remember more.” He replied. “I would invite you in, but I think I’m going to go take a nap.” Justin felt bad for lying to her, but he couldn’t have her hanging around all afternoon.

“Oh that’s no biggie. I may go home and do the same thing myself.” Liz kissed him on the cheek and waited until he got inside before backing out of the driveway.

Justin walked in the house and found his mom in the living room. “Hey mom, I’m back. I’m going upstairs to call Talia. We’re supposed to have dinner tonight.” He stood behind the couch where she was sitting. “Talia said that you had her number.”

“Well, you certainly are busy today.” Lynn chuckled a little, getting up to retrieve Talia’s number. She fished through her purse and handed a piece of paper to Justin. “Here ya go.”

“Thanks mom.” He replied and hurried up to his room. He sat down on the bed and laid the piece of paper down in front of him. Picking up the phone from the bedside table, he dialed Talia’s number, not even realizing he did it from memory and without looking at the paper.

Talia heard the phone ringing over the Mozart she was dancing too. She rushed to grab the phone. “Hello?” She answered breathlessly.

Justin smiled. He could hear music in the background. “Hey ‘Lia. It’s Justin.”

“It’s about time you called. Don’t you know you have to give a girl notice for a date.” She teased him. “I take it your mom gave you my number.

“Yeah, she did.” He replied. “Oh, but wait. I didn’t need it. She gave me your number, but when I came up here to call you, I didn’t look at the paper.” He was excited because that meant that he was slowly getting his memory back.

Talia was happy as well. She wanted him to get his full memory back soon so that they could pick up where they left off. In the last couple of days, she’d come to realize just how much she cared for him. “Well that’s a start.” She replied, trying not to sound too anxious. “So, what time do you want me to pick you up, and what should I wear?”

“How about picking me up at 6:30? And I’m going to take you somewhere nice.” Justin said. He figured that he would get the name of a nice restaurant from his mom. He and Talia talked for a few more minutes, then got off the phone.

After she hung, Talia sat on the couch staring at the wall. She was nervous about dinner. Not wasting any time, she got up and got in the shower. She wanted to look perfect for tonight.

Justin ran down the stairs and found his mom. “Hey mom. What’s a good restaurant? I want to take Talia some place really classy.” He waited for her to tell him, then looked up the number in the phone and made reservations for 7:30. “I’m going to take a little nap. Will you wake me up in an hour and half?” Lynn nodded and Justin went back up to his room to lay down.

Talia took a long, hot shower, rinsing off the sweat from dancing. She lathered and rinsed herself three times to make sure she was squeaky clean. She got out and put her hair up in a towel and set about trying to find something to wear. Justin said they’d be going to a nice restaurant and she wanted to look perfect. After vetoing several outfits, she finally settled on one. It was a short, velvet, dark blue dress with a slit up the side and a scoop neckline. There were some subtle shimmery accents that made the dress sparkle in the light. She picked out some black strappy heels to go with it. Satisfied with her outfit, she went back into the bathroom to fix her hair and makeup. She dried her hair, then put it up in some oversized rollers to give it some bounce. Then she sat down at the vanity and applied her makeup. She took her time and when she got done with her hair and makeup, it was a little after 5:30. ‘Perfect timing.’ She thought and went into the bedroom to get dressed.

Lynn noticed the time and went upstairs to wake Justin up. She should have gotten him up a half hour earlier, but she’d forgotten. She walked into his room and smiled because he was sleeping so peacefully. She shook him lightly by his shoulder. “Justin. Honey, get up. It’s 5:30.” She urged quietly.

Justin jumped out of bed. “Thanks mom.” He called on his way to the bathroom.

Talia stepped into the dress rather than pulling it over her head, because she didn’t want to mess up her hair. She pulled on some neutral colored pantyhose and slipped on her shoes. Studying her reflection in the mirror, she was satisfied with what she saw. The short dress and heels emphasized her shapely legs. And the dark blue color of the dress complimented her auburn hair. She checked the clock again and saw that it was 5:45. ‘Just in time.’ She thought and headed out the door.

Justin had showered quickly and was standing in front of his closet trying to pick out something to wear. He pulled out some khaki pants and a black Ralph Lauren turtleneck. He thought that Talia would appreciate the choice. The turtleneck was tight on him and made his eyes stand out. He pulled the clothes on and went downstairs to wait for her.

Talia pulled up in Lynn’s driveway at 6:30 on the dot. She got out of the Jeep and straightened her dress. She stood at the door for a minute preparing herself, then knocked lightly.

Justin heard the faint knock and got up to answer it, hoping that it was Talia. He swung the door opened and just stared. “Wow. You look outstanding.” Was all he could say.

Talia felt herself blush at the compliment. ‘He looks pretty damn breathtaking himself.’ She thought and her face reddened even more. “Thank you. You look very nice yourself.” She replied. He stepped aside so that she could come in. They talked to Lynn for a few minutes, then it was time to leave.

Lynn wrote the address of the restaurant on a piece of paper and handed it to Talia. She watched them walk out to Talia’s Jeep and found herself avidly wishing for Justin to regain his memory again. It was obvious how much Talia cared for him.

Justin sensed Talia’s nervousness as she drove. He wondered what the deal was and decided to do his best to find out at dinner. They arrived at the restaurant and didn’t have to wait long for a table. They had a nice secluded table already set with candles. Justin’s thoughts were far from on Liz at the moment. He had to force himself not to stare at Talia. They made small talk over their appetizers. He could tell that she was walking on eggshells with him. Then he remembered what his mother had said. She thought that Talia really cared for him. ‘Could that be the reason she’s being so cautious?’ He wondered silently. Deciding to come right out and ask her, he took a deep breath. “Can I ask you something Talia?”

“Sure.” She replied a little apprehensively.

“What were we to each other?” His voice was close to a whisper.

Talia’s breath caught in her throat. She looked up from her shrimp cocktail and her eyes locked with his. ‘He’s testing the waters.’ She thought. “Well… we were… friends… close friends I guess you could say.”

Justin mulled over her answer. That was not what he was hoping for. They’d been more than friends. He could feel it. Though he didn’t know how much more. ‘Was she avoiding the question because of Liz?’ Then another thought came to him. He’d heard Liz’s friend at lunch asking if they were back together. ‘Had Talia been the reason they broke up?’

Part 42

Talia's eyes surveyed the restaurant as they waited for dinner to arrive. "Do you like it?" Justin asked. He seemed to be searching for her approval.

"Oh it's beautiful," Talia smiled, "I've heard a lot about it, but I've never been before. It really is lovely."

"Thank my mom for that," Justin said quietly, "one of the difficult parts of memory loss ya know… not remembering the places you want to eat or the people who you'd like to spend time with."

Talia felt his eyes on her and blushed. He was referring to her, or maybe to Liz. Her thoughts were so jumbled in her mind at the moment that she couldn't decipher what he was trying to insinuate. "I can't even imagine how it feels," Talia sighed. She finally mustered up the courage to look up from the red napkin, which sat in her lap. Her eyes met with his and she could feel the same electricity she had felt only days earlier. She quickly looked away from him.

'Damn it. How am I supposed to gather anything if she won't even look at me?' Justin wondered. "I had lunch with Liz this morning." If his original thought was correct he was sure that fact would get her to react in some way.

"Oh…" Talia said. She tried to seem unaffected by it, but her hurt showed in her voice, which cracked. "How'd… How did that go?" She casually brushed her hair from her eyes and looked toward him over the candlelight. She hoped that the moistness in her eyes wasn't evident.

"She's a nice girl," Justin smiled, "really nice."

"That's great," Talia nodded, "I wouldn't know. I have never really taken time out to speak to her. I just know what I have been told about her. Do you think you're going to be going out with her again?"

Justin noticed a hint of pain and question flash in her eyes. 'Maybe I was exactly right… Talia was the reason that Liz's friend said we had problems.' The idea seemed real and unreal all at once. He couldn’t imagine anyone cheating on Liz, even if it was with someone as beautiful and kind as Talia. Liz was everything that every guy wanted. She was beautiful and sweet. But Talia…

"Things were close today… TOO close," Liz fumed over the phone. She paced the floors of her apartments as one hand held the cordless phone to her ear.

"You realize any other guy would have nothing else to do with you," David said calmly. "I mean you cause Justin's accident by making him suffer extreme emotional distress and then call me back only weeks later to complain to me about your situation…"

"You're the only one who knows the whole story," Liz sighed.

"I don't blame Justin," David replied evenly, "I hope he remembers everything and leaves you back at square one. What's that saying? You made your bed now sleep in it. But in your case there isn't much sleeping going on… IF I remember correctly."

"Shut up David!" Liz demanded angrily. "Just tell me you won't tell anyone."

"Your secret is safe here," David agreed.

Justin pulled the check out of Talia's hand before she could open the book. "It would be impolite if I made you pay," Justin laughed.

"If you say so," Talia sighed. The night had been magical and nothing had happened. They ate; they talked and for a moment it seemed like nothing had changed between them. She briefly let down her guard and allowed herself to stare at him.

"Is something wrong?" Justin asked. He looked down at himself and brushed off his sleeves. "Do I have something on my face?"

"Your huh?" Talia shook her head out of her daze. "Oh… no… I was just… distracted."

"Oh?" Justin smirked snidely. "Is that what they call it now when you're staring at someone? Distracted. I'll have to remember that."

Talia blushed; she had been caught red handed--so to speak. "Sorry that wasn't very polite of me."

"There are much worse things you could be doing," Justin reassured her. He hadn't meant to make her uncomfortable. In fact, he understood it completely. He couldn't even fathom the idea of having someone you cared for sit in front of you and not know you. He only knew it the other way around.

Talia watched him pull his wallet out of his pocket and slip a few bills into the book. "At least let me leave the tip." She dug through her own bag and slid a few bills out of an envelope and placed them on the table. "Okay… now things seem SOMEWHAT fair. Although I owe you dinner or something."

Justin nodded. "Deal."

Lynn curled up on the living room couch, book in hand. She was experiencing a new, odd feeling. She had never waited up for Justin before. Even with all the dates he had brought home and all the parties he had gone to in his lifetime, she had always trusted him enough to not wait up. Or at least wait in her bedroom until she heard he was in the house safe and sound. That night was different, she found herself curious as to what happened. 'Maybe he remembered something…' Lynn smiled to herself. She hoped that was the case. She was really beginning to like Talia.

Talia hugged her body to keep the cool breeze from hitting her right on. "I should have worn a coat," she laughed. "I know how the night gets some times."

"I don't even have a jacket to offer you or anything," Justin said regretfully. "You look cold. Maybe this walk wasn't the best idea."

"Okay maybe not," Talia admitted awkwardly. It, after all, was her idea. Her way of keeping Justin to herself for a little longer. Even if it was only minutes. "We can go back to the car then…"

"That's PROBABLY the best idea," Justin smiled. Her cheeks had adopted a rosy shade from the chilled wind that was blowing around them and he couldn't help but smile at her futile attempt at self-warmth. He wrapped his arms around her, almost mindlessly as they continued to walk down the block back to the car.

Talia felt a smile stretch across her face, a hopeful one.

"I had a lot of fun tonight," Justin said as Talia slipped the car into park, "and I'm not just saying that because my mom paid me fifty dollars to do so either." Talia's eyes widened as she turned toward him in disbelief of what he just said. "I'm joking 'Lia. You haven't said anything since we got in the car. I had to check if you were still breathing."

"I had fun too," Talia smirked. "It's just that when I drive I like to keep my eyes ON the road while I drive. Nothing against you or anything." In actuality the feelings of his arms around her earlier had spooked her. She was hopeful, but she didn't want to set herself up for the ultimate disappointment.

"Well we're going to have to hang out again some time," Justin said. His eyes wandered from her face to the clock and back again. She looked so lost to him. Her eyes kept moving to him and away from him nervously. He had an urge to kiss her, but he had to hold back. He didn't want to scare her, or do something he'd later regret.

"Well you have my number."

"That I do. Good night Lia." Justin leaned over the front seat and kissed Talia on the cheek. His lips lingered there a little longer then he had anticipated and he pulled away quickly. "Good night."

"Night Justin."

Lynn heard the front door open and slid down on the couch to give the illusion that she was sleeping. "Justin sweetie is that you?" she yawned.

"Yeah ma," Justin said quietly. He tiptoed to the couch and knelt beside it. "I'm sorry if I woke you."

"No problem," Lynn smiled. "How did your date with Talia go?"

"Date? No. Dinner? It went smoothly," Justin answered honestly. "Talia is a really great girl and we had fun. The restaurant was perfect."

"I thought you might enjoy it." Lynn sat up and stretched her arms above her head. "I should get to bed though." She looked at the clock, which read nearly 1AM. They had definitely been out longer then she had anticipated they would be. "Good night sweetie." She kissed Justin's brow and pulled herself to her feet tiredly.

"Wait… mom…" Justin said quietly. "You like Talia right?"

"I like her a lot," Lynn smiled, "she's an amazing girl."

"Yeah… I think so too," Justin nodded along silently. "Good night mom."

Justin showered quickly and slipped into bed. The night had been fun and grueling all at once. In the end he just seemed more confused. He slowly closed his eyes and tried to drift off to sleep.

Talia glanced at herself in the mirror and wrapped her robe around her body. Her feet padded on the wooden floor as she made her way to the kitchen. 'Tonight really was nice…' she found herself thinking, 'even if he didn't remember me fully. Or anything about me at all.' She sighed to herself as she filled her favorite mug with coffee and spooned in some sugar, simply to add taste. There was no way she could get to sleep now. Not after her hopes were rekindled. 'He's going to remember' she thought proudly.

Liz leaned over and kissed him sweetly as her hands rubbed the back of his neck in smooth, calming motions. He could feel himself immediately relax under her silky smooth touch. Justin pulled away and looked at her, expecting fully to see her beautiful face staring back at him. Her eyes shining through the dim light and her pouty lips beckoning him to kiss her again. He felt his throat close as he was met with soft, comforting hazel eyes. Talia. Her auburn hair cascading over her delicately built shoulders. She smiled at him seductively. "Now who do you want exactly?" her soft voice whispered.

Justin shot up from sleep; beads of sweat dotted his forehead and upper lip. 'What is happening to me? And how am I going to solve this?' he wondered. "Remember," he answered himself, "simply remember."

Part 43

Justin laid back down and tried to go to sleep again. He looked at the clock on his nightstand and saw that it was 5am. After laying there for an hour, he decided that getting more sleep was hopeless. He got up and went in to the bathroom to brush his teeth. After he was finished, he went downstairs, hoping that his mom was awake. He really wanted to ask her about Talia. He just couldn’t stand not knowing any more. Justin went into the kitchen first, thinking that was the most likely place for Lynn to be.

“Hi mom.” He greeted her with a hug.

“You’re up early.” Lynn was surprised. He never got up this early unless he had to. “Something is bothering you isn’t it?”

Justin smiled because she knew him so well. He decided to get right to the point. “Just say it mom. Is Talia the reason that Liz and I broke up?”

Lynn turned to face Justin. “Oh no. That’s not how it was at all. Talia came along after the problems with Liz.” She replied. She could tell that he was confused. “Sit down dear.”

Justin did as he was told. He was relieved that Talia wasn’t the source of the problems between him and Liz.

Lynn sat down across from Justin. “When you had your accident, Talia is the one that found you and called 911. She may have saved your life. You had amnesia from the first accident. Talia came to visit you every day and the two of you became very close. Like I said before, I am almost positive that she is in love with you, or something very close to love. I also know that you cared for her very deeply. Before your relapse, you and Talia were planning an evening together. From what I gathered, it was a very special night. You and I went shopping so that you could get her a gift. Then you saw something or someone that caused your mind to overload. You blacked out at the mall and I called an ambulance to take you to the hospital.” Lynn stopped finally to see how Justin was taking the information she was giving him.

Justin took in everything that his mother was saying. He particularly liked the part that she told him about the evening he and Talia were planning the day he had the relapse. ‘But what made Liz and I break up?’ He wondered silently. There had to be a good reason. He wouldn’t break up with someone that looked like that just because. It proved to be too much for him to process at one time. “Thanks mom.” He replied. “I think I’m going to try and get some more sleep.” He kissed his mother on the cheek and left the room.

Lynn sat there after Justin went back upstairs. She hoped that she hadn’t overloaded him with information. She sighed in frustration. He had asked her. She got up and went back to preparing things for dinner later that night. She figured that Justin would be asleep for a while and decided to take a nap herself.

Talia woke up on the couch. She had a slight crick in her neck, but the discomfort paled in comparison to her dinner to Justin. She remembered how they’d been before his relapse, and was hopeful that they could be that way again soon. Last night boosted her feelings for him even more, though she hadn’t thought that was possible. She pulled herself off of the couch and went to get in the shower.

Lynn woke up a couple of hours later. She went upstairs to check on Justin. She knocked on the door lightly just in case he was asleep. There was no answer, so she eased the door open. His bed was made neatly. Lynn closed the door and went downstairs to the refrigerator to get a glass of tea. That was when she saw the note taped to the door.

Mom,

    I took Jonathan to the park. We might decide to go to Disney Land later. If you need to get a hold of me, I have my phone turned on.

Love Justin

Lynn smiled. At least Justin remembered who Jonathan was. She knew how Jonathan adored his older brother, and he would have been terribly disappointed if Justin hadn’t known who he was. She decided to get out of the house herself. It was close enough to noon for her to go out for lunch. On a whim, she decided to call Talia and see if she wanted some company. She dialed Talia’s number and waited for her to answer.

Talia was blow drying her hair when she heard the faint sound of the phone ringing. Turning off the dryer, she rushed to where the phone was laying on her bed. “Hello?”

“Talia? It’s Lynn. I was wondering if you wanted to have lunch with me.”

Talia was shocked at the invitation. “I would love to Mrs. Harless.”

“Talia dear. Please call me Lynn. Meet me at my house in an hour?”

“I’ll be there.” Talia replied and hung up the phone. She rushed to finish getting ready. She figured that Lynn would choose someplace casual since it was just lunch and pulled some nice jeans and a sweater out of the closet. Since she didn’t have much time, Talia opted for the no makeup look. She grabbed her bag and rushed out the door.

Lynn got dressed and waited patiently for Talia to arrive. She saw her pull into the driveway and grabbed her purse. She met Talia in the driveway. “Do you mind if we take your Jeep?”

“Not at all.” Talia replied and waited until Lynn got in. “Did you have any place particular in mind?”

“Actually, I did.” Lynn gave her directions and sat back in the seat. They arrived at the café and went in. After getting a table, Talia excused herself to go to the ladies room. While she was gone, the waitress came to take their drink order.

“Hello Mrs. Harless.” The waitress greeted her.

“Well. How are you Emily?” Lynn recognized Liz’s friend. She had come to the house with Liz and Justin before. And she had went out with Joey briefly if Lynn remembered correctly.

I’m doing all right. I was pretty surprised to see Liz and Justin in here together yesterday. I can’t believe that he forgave her for what she did.” Emily continued the conversation. Then she noticed the look on Lynn’s face and realized that she might have just said too much. “I’ll go get those drinks now.” She said and walked off.

Talia had heard the last of the conversation as she was coming back from the rest room. She sat down in the booth across from Lynn. “What was that all about?”

“You know, I’m not really sure. But I think that we may have just gotten a clue about this big fight that Justin can’t remember. I’m was suspicious before, but now I’m almost positive that Liz is hiding something.” Lynn replied thoughtfully.

Talia tried to digest what Lynn was saying. That meant that there was a possibility that Liz was lying all along. The restraint that she’d shown where Justin was concerned may have been totally unwarranted and unnecessary.

“Talia? Are you okay?” Lynn asked.

Talia broke out of her thoughts and looked up at Lynn. “Can I tell you something?” Lynn nodded. “Justin and I… we… well I… waited on being together because of him not remembering what happened with Liz. She was there, telling him that they were together and there was no one to dispute that. So we both accepted it as the truth. Otherwise, we would have been together long before his relapse.” Talia told Lynn. She was a little nervous as to how Lynn would take it, but she had to get it out.

“Oh my. I’m so sorry. We are going to figure out what is going on, Talia.” Lynn replied. Their lunch arrived and they ate quickly, throwing out ideas as to why Liz would lie. They didn’t know what she had done, but it had to have been pretty significant. After they were finished eating, Lynn insisted on paying the bill.

“Now I owe you lunch and Justin dinner.” Talia laughed as she said it. Lynn brushed her off and they went out and got back in the Jeep.

“What do you say that we go over to Liz’s apartment and try to get to the bottom of this?” Lynn asked.

Talia’s eyes widened. She was really starting to like the way that Justin’s mother thought. “Sounds good to me.” She replied and they drove off in the direction of Liz’s apartment.

It didn’t take long to get there and Talia was a little nervous about the adventure. ‘Surely she won’t start something since Lynn is here too.’ She reminded herself. She followed Lynn into the building and up the stairs to Liz’s floor.

Lynn knocked on the door, hoping that Liz was home. She didn’t get a response the first time she knocked, and she rapped on the door a little more insistently the second time.

“I’m coming, I’m coming.” Liz shouted from inside. She couldn’t imagine who would be at her this time of the day. David was at work. She swung the door open, expecting a salesman and was very shocked at Lynn and Talia standing there. “Hello. Justin isn’t here.” She assumed that they were looking for him.

“I’m not looking for Justin. I came to talk to you. Can we come in?” Lynn said.

Liz stepped aside and watched Talia and Lynn walk into the apartment. ‘What the hell did they come here for?’ She wondered silently. It was actually making her nervous.

Lynn sat down on the couch and stared at Liz. She knew that she was making Liz uncomfortable, and that’s exactly what she wanted to do. “So tell me Liz. What exactly was Justin so upset with you about?”

Liz felt her face blanche. ‘What do they know and how did they find out?’ “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play stupid Liz. I know that you did something. Your little friend Emily said something about it today while Talia and I were having lunch.” Lynn’s voice had gotten harsh.

Liz cursed Emily silently. She figured that she might as well give up. Justin would remember sooner or later anyways. But she wasn’t going down easily. “Okay. So I lied about Justin and I being together. So what?” She retorted.

Talia couldn’t stand it anymore. “So what? You kept him from being happy just because you wanted to be selfish and you say so what? You’re probably the one that caused his relapse! He probably remembered whatever it was that you did and it was too much for him to handle. You’re such a selfish, self centered, self serving… bitch!” Talia’s voice had risen and she was yelling by the time she finished. Her face was flushed and she remembered that Lynn was there with her. “I’m so sorry Mrs. Harless.” She apologized to Lynn and walked out the door to get some fresh air.

Liz just sat in the chair stunned. The few times she’d seen Talia, she’d been quiet and reserved. Not at all like the outburst she’d just had. She turned to Lynn, hoping for some sort of kindness, but was met with a cold stare.

Lynn stood up. She didn’t think there was anything else to be said. She started to leave, but stopped in the doorway. “Understand one thing. Do not ever come around me or my son again.” She paused to make sure that she got her point across, then left.

Part 44

Talia kicked the tire of her car in frustration. She couldn't believe the nerve of Liz to lie to Justin's face like she did. She couldn't believe herself for feeling an iota of sympathy towards her. She cursed herself now for holding out on Justin because of it. If she had just followed her animal instinct and let him have her on the couch, even if Justin didn't remember her ever again. She'd have that night as a memory.

"Talia…" Lynn's quiet voice came from behind her. "Are you all right?" Talia spun to face Lynn. She wasn't even aware that she was crying until she saw the look of sadness cross Lynn's face. "Awww… sweetie I'm sorry about that."

"No no… wasn't your fault," Talia laughed. She wiped the tears that were streaming down her cheeks. She had kept a somewhat strong front for too long. It was her time to break down as she looked back and thought of the times she could've seen through Liz's act if she had just looked hard enough.

Lynn wrapped Talia in her arms, trying to comfort her pain in some way. "I'm so sorry. Well now we know for certain that something is up with her… now the good thing is that we can keep her away from Justin. Keep him from hurting any more then he has."

Talia nodded slowly as another sob wracked her body. "You must think I'm crazy." She pulled away slowly, wiped her eyes and laughed at the situation.

"For caring about my son? No."

"For crying over her like this," Talia sniffled. "She doesn't deserve it. She's a horrible person. I don't get how anyone could do that to him." Lynn looked on with a satisfied smile as Talia began to display her emotions on her sleeve. "I know I haven' t known him for very long… but to me everything he's ever done in my presence has left me just in awe. It happened so quickly; I never meant to fall in lo…" Talia caught herself and conspicuously raised her hand to her mouth.

"I knew," Lynn smirked. "Mothers know that sort of thing. When someone is in love with her child. And all you can do is hope that the person who does fall in love with them is suitable." She examined Talia closely. "You pass the test with flying colors, in case you were wondering."

"Thanks," Talia smiled. No words could have meant more to her at that moment then the ones Lynn so aptly spoke.

"We better get back," Lynn smiled. "You can drive right?"

"Yeah. I'm okay."

"The teacups again Justin!" Jonathan demanded as they stepped out of the exit gates.

"Again?" Justin groaned. "We've been on four times and I feel sick."

"You're such a baby," Jonathan laughed. Justin reached down and tussled his younger version’s hair playfully.

"One more," Justin caved. He couldn't hold out on the young pleading eyes of his brother. It felt refreshing to be out with someone that he didn't have to worry about remembering or worry about impressing. Jonathan was there, tugging at his hand, pulling him into line AGAIN; oddly enough Justin didn't mind one bit.

"Do you want to come in for tea or something?" Lynn asked as Talia pulled the car in front of the house.

"No thanks. I'm kinda out of it right now and I'm sure I wouldn't make the best company for you," Talia smiled softly.

"I'm not worried about conversation," Lynn smiled. "But I do understand if you'd like to get home, even if only to let what happened today process. I'm going to need some time to digest it myself."

Talia laughed half-heartedly. "Just think… you raised a son so well that a girl blatantly lied to keep him with her."

"Well… if you put it that way." Lynn smiled kindly. "Don't worry yourself too much about it. Justin will remember soon and then he'll know where the person he really cares for is."

"Let's hope so."

"Now you have your T-shirt, Mickey Mouse hat, cotton candy and soda." Justin quickly gave his brother the once-over before herding him towards the parks exit gates. "You are so spoiled." Justin shook his head and a certain sound of amusement hinted in his voice. He undeniably had fun with Jonathan. Justin felt Jonathan tug on his arm. He stopped his pace abruptly and ducked to his brother’s eye level. "Jon, don't tell me you have to go to the bathroom… we JUST left the park."

Jonathan shook his head furiously. "I don't have to go. I wanted to say thank you."

Justin smiled brightly. "You're welcome." He hugged his brother tightly, as Jonathan placed a kiss on his cheek. "Eww… you're not only welcome. You're sticky too." Justin wrinkled his nose a little and stood back up. He placed a protective hand on his brother’s shoulder and started toward the car.

Talia tossed her bag and jacket over the back of the couch, not stopping for a minute to check messages or even turn on a light. Her head was spinning and the only thought in her mind was 'aspirin'. The incessant pounding caused tears once again to well up in her eyes. She filled a glass with water and popped two aspirin, pleading for the headache to subside.

"Justin, the light's green," Jonathan pointed out, breaking Justin from his daze. Justin turned his head slightly and smiled at his brother.

"No need to get smart with me, young man," he scolded playfully as he pulled the car into the intersection.

*~* “Hey, um Talia?” Justin started shyly, looking down at his hands.

“Yes?”

“Would you mind if I gave you a hug? You know, for everything that you’ve done for me. Calling for help, and coming to visit and stuff…" He trailed off and looked at her hopefully.

Talia couldn’t resist the face he was giving her. He looked like a lost puppy. “Of course.” She said and stepped closer to him. She was nervous as heck, and was relieved that he made the first move, opening his arms to her. With a little smile, she stepped inside them and slipped her arms around his trim torso. Her face was even with his chest and he rested his chin on top of her head.

After a minute, they separated. Justin sat back down on the bed. “I really do appreciate everything you’ve done for me Talia.” *~*

The memory, although small and seemingly insignificant, seemed to affect him greatly. He was sure it was a new memory. It all seemed to click with what his mother had told him earlier that morning. That Talia and he had met only when she had rescued him from the side of the road. 'What luck' he smiled to himself as he pulled into the driveway of his mothers' house. "Come on Jon… time to tell mom what fun we had today."

"God I had homework," Talia groaned inwardly as she set herself at her cluttered desk and opened her history book. The aspirin had helped her mildly; the pounding had subsided to a light knocking. She couldn't get her mind off Liz and what happened. Not even in her wildest dreams could she have imagined Liz could be that conniving and underhanded.

Her mind reeled with thoughts of Justin and the times they had spent together. All of them so innocent and so surreally amazing to her. She could hardly believe that she had the opportunity to be with him. She smiled at the thought.

*~* "I'd better go so that you can get some sleep." She said.

"No." He reached out and grabbed her hand. Then his face reddened at the gesture he had just made. He dropped her hand like a hot potato. "I'm sorry."

Talia sat down on the bed and smiled at him. "Don't be. I'm glad that you feel comfortable with me being here. I just don't want to intrude on your recovery."

He nodded to show that he understood. "Would you stay for a little bit longer? Just until I fall asleep?" *~*

"We're home!" Justin called through the door. The house was silent, but he knew his mother was home because the light in the kitchen was on.

"MOM! MOM!" Jonathan called as he ran ahead, eager to share all the day’s events with his mother.

Justin stood in the doorway and watched at Jonathan animatedly explained the days events to Lynn. "Sounds great," she had smiled. "But I want you to wash your face you have blue cotton candy all over. You're supposed to get it in your mouth honey." She watched as Jonathan hit the ground running.

"We had fun today," Justin smiled.

"You look it," Lynn sighed. "I saw Talia today. We had lunch."

Justin looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "I had a memory today."

"A memory? About Talia?"

"Yeah…" Justin smiled. "We were in the hospital and she hugged me." Justin took a seat at the table and cradled his chin in his hand. "It was just a nice memory." He became distant again, staring blankly at an affixed point on the table.

*~* She noticed Justin was moving closer to her. The closer he got; the more and more she felt the pounding of her heart against her rib cage. She tried to hold her reserve as he slowly approached. He had done this before, she reckoned, even if he had no recollection of it. He had definitely rendered some woman helpless by mere thoughts of what was about to occur. His lips finally reached hers and she lost herself totally to him at that moment. All her reserve in the world was no match for the feeling of him. How soft and welcoming he was. His arms wrapped around her and he continued his methodical assault on her senses. She could mildly taste the salt from his tears on his lips and it was that which caused her to snap back into the hazy reality. "NO NO NO! STOP! You're with Liz." Talia pulled away, but refused to look at him, knowing he'd pull her in again. Him, embodying everything she had wished for eight years prior on that falling star.

"I don't KNOW her Talia," Justin said quietly. He grabbed her hand. She could hear the quiver in his voice. 'Don't cry' she urged him silently. Knowing she'd lose herself completely if he did. "I don't know her. You're the one who told me to do what I feel," he whispered. His fingertips ran across her lips. "I don't know Liz. I know you." *~*

"Justin!" Lynn said. Pulling him from his thoughts. "You're having a memory aren't you?" Justin nodded. "Talia?"

Justin smiled. "Yeah… about Lia." He excused himself from the table and jogged up to his room. The thoughts he was having both excited and tired him. Everyone was right, once one came everything seemed to fall into place behind it.

Talia gave up on her assignment and decided to watch a movie. Her concentration couldn't remain on the movie; her mind was working overtime. She smiled wryly as another thought hit her hard.

*~* Forty-five minutes later, there was a knock on her door. She changed into her pajamas and shuffled to the door in her bunny slippers.

“That was fast…” She began, but Justin stopped her from saying anything else. He bounded through the door and scooped her up in a bear hug, spinning her around in the middle of the floor.

Talia held on for dear life and waited for him to set her back down on the floor. He did after a few seconds, but held tightly to her so that she just slid down his body. On a normal level again, she looked up into his eyes and saw that they were sparkling with excitement.

Justin looked down at Talia. Her auburn hair was loose and flowing around her shoulders and she had on flannel pj’s. With the way she looked at the moment and the relief he felt from the memories he’d had, he couldn’t resist. He leaned down slowly and captured her lips in a quick kiss.

“What was that for?” She asked, trying to conceal the giddiness she was feeling.

Justin didn’t reply right away. He led her to the couch and sat down, pulling her after him. Bringing his hand up to touch the softness of her clean face, he kept his other hand intertwined with hers. “I have the best thing to tell you ‘Lia.”

She stifled a sigh at the feel of his hand on her skin. Resisting the urge to fall into his arms, she asked as calmly as she could manage, “Well, what is it?”

Justin smiled wider and kissed her lightly on the tip of her nose. He reveled at the look he saw in her eyes before he broke the news. “I’ve gotten my memory back.” He paused just to enjoy the widening of her hazel eyes. “And I know now that I don’t love Liz anymore, if I ever really did ‘love’ her. We had a fight the night of my wreck, and I basically broke up with her.” *~*

Justin slipped a T-shirt over his head and rushed down the stairs, hoping to find his mother. The last memory had hit him especially hard and cleared up so much for him. "MA!" Guilt overcame him suddenly as he reached the bottom step. He clasped his hand over his heart and sighed.

"What… Justin? Is something wrong?" There was noticeable panic in her voice.

"Lia… Lia and I were definitely together," Justin rambled. "I remember that her and I were together, that I had a fight with Liz and we broke up. Talia wasn't the REASON we did though… it was something Liz did. I know that now."

"Calm down," Lynn urged. She could see he was flustered and she tried to get him to sit down.

"How? How could I think that Talia would hurt Liz like that? Or any one for that matter…" Justin looked up into his mothers face for an answer, but received none. "And why… why did Liz and I fight?"

Lynn swallowed hard. She didn't know whether to tell him the whole trust or leave something hidden to him. Especially since this sudden flood of memories had left him visibly shaken. "Justin sweetie… I'm sorry."

"Talia must hate me for not remembering her."

"I'm sure she doesn't hate you. I spent the day with her… I'm MORE then sure she doesn't hate you. She couldn't."

Justin let out an audible sigh as he tapped his foot nervously on the floor. "I should have known just by the way she looked at me the other night at dinner. Or the way she let me hold her hand. I only knew what you told me… but I should have felt it. She would have every right to be mad at me for not remembering."

"She's a great girl Justin… she'll understand." Lynn tried to comfort him as best she could, but it obviously wasn't working. His cheeks had become flushed and there were tears evident in his eyes.

"I'm sorry but… I need to get out of here… I need to be alone."

"Justin I don't think that's the best," Lynn attempted to keep him back.

"Mom can I have the car?" Justin asked evenly. "I need time right now to sort this out."

"Okay," Lynn sighed heavily. She handed him the car keys and watched her eldest son sprint out the front door and disappear into the early evening.

Part 45

Justin drove with no particular destination in mind. He just knew that he had to get some air and be alone. He felt so closed in, he even rolled the window down on the car. The cool air of the late afternoon rushed through the window and blew over his face. It helped a little. After driving aimlessly for while, he saw a small park and pulled the car over to the curb. He looked around and didn't see anyone else there so he got out. It was getting cooler outside and he grabbed the blanket that his mother kept in the back of the car. He wrapped it around his shoulders and sat down at one of the picnic tables.

*~* Talia slowly opened her eyes and became acutely aware of Justin's arms, which were wrapped protectively around her body. Their legs were entangled together and she could feel his breath on her skin. She looked around the room, they must have found their way to his bedroom, but she couldn't recall how. She moved a little, and in turn Justin moved.

"Justin," Talia whispered. She shook his arm. "Wake up Justin it's nearly 11."

"In the morning?" Justin mumbled into the pillow. Talia squinted against the light from the sun and laughed.

"Yeah in the morning."

"SHIT!" Justin exclaimed as his eyes shot open, "I have to be in the studio by twelve!"

"Well you need to get up then," Talia giggled. Justin buried his face in her neck and held her tighter.

"I don't want to get up," he said quietly, "I like this."*~*

Talia smiled at the memory of waking up in Justin's arms. It had felt nice, and so right to be waking up next to him. Sighing, she wished that she could turn back time and be with him again. Maybe, if she knew what the future had held, she wouldn't have stopped his advances. Then at least, if she couldn't have him, she could have the memory of being with him.

Justin stared out at the reddening sky. The tears were silently streaming down his face. 'How could I have hurt her like that?' He couldn't believe that he would be able to forget what he'd had with Talia. It was so perfect, and they had just really gotten together. He remembered the night that she had been planning and realized that was the day he'd had his relapse. He felt like someone was tearing his heart right out of his body. She must have felt so deserted and alone when she came to the hospital and he didn't know who she was. 'I have to know if she still wants me.' He decided and got up off the picnic table. He ran to the car and threw the blanket in the back. As he sped off, he prayed that she would forgive him.

'He had to get his memory back sooner or later.' Talia reminded herself. He couldn't go forever and not remember her. She realized that she would wait as long as she needed to. She thought about the last night they'd spend together. They'd been watching "Titanic."

*~* During the part when Rose and Jack were down in the cargo hold, Talia felt Justin's eyes burning into the side of her face. She slowly turned her head to meet his gaze. Their eyes locked. She didn't move or try to stop him as he leaned closer to her. Her breath caught in her throat with his faces inches away from hers. She closed her eyes as his lips touched hers.

Justin loved the feel of Talia's lips against his. They were so soft and pliant. He slid his tongue into her mouth and explored every inch, turning his body into hers more as he did so.

Talia slid her arms around Justin's neck, and reveled in the feel of his body pressing against hers. He was wreaking havoc on her mouth with his tongue. Her legs were still folded beneath her and she had to unfold them to get more comfortable. When she did, one leg ended up on each side of Justin's body.

When he felt Talia's legs around his waist, he nearly lost all control. He held her against him with one hand on the back of her head and put the other one on her bare leg. The feeling of her soft skin under his palm was enough to drive a tin man crazy and he thrust his tongue deeper into her mouth. When she moaned into his mouth, he couldn't take it any longer and leaned forward, sending her backwards onto the couch. She was holding to his neck, so he used the hand that wasn't on her leg to brace himself.

Talia had lost her reason the minute that Justin's hand had touched her leg. Now the other hand was under her sweater, caressing her flat stomach. He moved further up, and she snapped back into reality. "Justin…"

"What?" He whispered, his breathing a little faster now.

"Stop. Please."*~*

Justin groaned out loud as the memory came rushing back to him. He remembered the feel of her bare skin against his hand. The way that she'd looked at him that night was unbelievable. It was like he'd been able to see right into her soul. As he drove towards her apartment, he decided that just an apology wasn't enough. Searching the store fronts as he drove down the street, he found what he was looking for.

He came back out with an enormous bouquet of flowers. Girls loved flowers. Hopefully that would help him plead his case a little. After what seemed like hours, he pulled into the parking lot of the complex she lived in. He got out of the car and rushed up the stairs.

Talia would give anything to have Justin back the way he was before. The way his blue eyes burned into her was amazing. And the feeling of his lips on hers was the most perfect feeling she could think of. She heard a knock at the door and pulled herself out of the memories. Looking through the peephole, she didn't see anything, so she figured it was one of the neighbors' kids come to borrow some sugar or something.

She opened the door and nearly fainted at the sight before her. Justin was kneeling in front of the door with a bouquet of flowers in his hand. His eyes were red rimmed and she thought he'd been crying. "Justin?"

"'Lia…" He whispered. "Can you ever forgive me?"

"Forgive you for what?" She was too shocked to be able to think straight.

"For not knowing how I felt about you." He replied quietly.

Her heart pounded and she grabbed his hand, pulling him to his feet. "Does that mean…?" She trailed off.

"Yes. I remember. Everything." He pulled her close to him and just enjoyed the feeling of having her in his arms again.

Justin pulled away from Talia and held her at an arms length. He wanted to look at her, simply study how amazing she was. "These," he said. He handed the flowers to her and smiled coyly. "These are for you. I'm sorry if they're a little late."

"A little late," Talia sighed. A tear escaped her eye, as she smelt the flowers. "I don't care that they're late at all." She looked up at him, their eyes meeting. "At least they're here... At lease you're here. Come in. Come in."

Justin stepped through the door. "So you forgive me?"

"I was never mad at you," Talia smiled. She placed the flowers on her desk and rushed to him again. She fiercely wrapped her arms around him, holding him for dear life. "I could never be mad at you." Her voice was quiet and timid, she was fully aware that she was shaking.

"I am sorry though," Justin said; his voice, quiet but firm. "I'm sorry for going to lunch with Liz. I can't even begin to imagine how much it hurt you when I began saying such nice things about her. You must have known that she was trouble… but you didn't say anything to me about it."

"I remembered what it was like the first time that you lost your memory. You only pulled away when pushed by people. I didn't want to push you further away by trying to push you to remember things. I was fairly confident it would all come back to you. Then you'd be back where you belong."

"With you," Justin smiled. He relinquished his grasp on her and tilted her head until their eyes met. "I'm glad I remembered." He leaned down slowly, as if not wanting to ruin the moment. Not wanting to seem too eager he touched his lips to hers softly. The taste of her lips brought back even more memories of their times together. He gently urged his tongue past her lips and sighed as the motion was received without protest.

Talia felt Justin's hands firmly grip her waist and she fell further into the kiss. She hadn't forgotten the feeling of him being close, but it was nice to be reminded. Her hand massaged his neck as they continued their passionate kiss. She loved him so much, and that love completely consumed her. "I can't believe this," she whispered. Justin placed strategic kisses on her lips and neck as she spoke. His lips only made it more difficult for her to say what she had to say. "What brought it back? When did you have your first memory?"

"In the car… I was with Jonathan," Justin said breathlessly. He could hardly believe that he was feeling her again. That she was letting him touch her, that she wasn't upset with him. He now only felt guilty that he hadn't come straight to her. He had wasted a good hour or so in the park. A good hour that he could have spent holding her more, kissing her more.

"I had lunch with your mom today," Talia said quietly.

"She told me."

"Then we went to Liz's…" Talia said carefully. Justin pulled away and looked her over quizzically. "While your mom and I were eating we were informed of Liz's trickery. Since you remember now, you'd realize that. So we took it upon ourselves to go and confront her."

Justin laughed. "I would have loved to see her face."

"We still didn't figure out WHY she was playing games," Talia shrugged. "But that doesn't matter to me now."

"Well I know," Justin smirked. "I said I remember EVERYTHING."

Talia pulled him to the couch and sat down. He fell on the couch next to her and smiled at her wryly. He couldn't get enough of her, how she smelt, how she felt, how she spoke. "So are you going to share with me why she was being such a conniving bitch?"

Justin glanced at her wide-eyed. "Catty huh?" He smiled his breathtaking smile and placed his hand on Talia's knee. "She was cheating on me." That was the last thing Talia had expected. "I had gone over to her place to surprise her. We had gotten home earlier then I had expected, so I figured I'd be this great, sweet boyfriend and show up at her place maybe take her to dinner." Talia nodded along as he spoke, her eyes intently locked on his lips and the way they formed every word. She smiled to herself, he was hers now. "I let myself in and found her with another guy."

"Ohhh… I'm so sorry." Talia hoped she didn't seem fake when saying that, she truly felt hurt for him.

"Yeah and we had a fight and she complained about me not being able to be with her all the time. She explained to me that sometimes that's what a girl needs. To have someone just to be there," he finished quietly.

"I understand that feeling." Talia interlocked her fingers with his and smiled.

"You know that since there is an us you need to know that I can't be here ALL the time," Justin explained. "I don't need to be hurt like that again."

Talia looked at him, sadness in her eyes. The idea of hurting him was incomprehensible. She leaned in and kissed him sweetly, she was aware no words would due in that situation.

"My relapse," Justin began again, "I saw the guy… the guy she was with. He was in the store. It must have been too much for me to handle, and now… now I'm here."

"And I couldn't be happier about that," Talia smirked. Once again her wish was there, hers for the taking.

Justin was happy that she wasn’t hiding her feelings any more. She was sitting right there in front of him, and she wasn’t mad at him. She didn’t hate him. She was glad to have him back completely. And he was that. He was hers. And happy to be. Unable to keep from touching her, he cupped her face in his hands and pulled her lips to his.

Talia sighed inwardly. It felt so good to have him back in her arms. She’d missed him so much. She pulled back for a moment to look into his eyes. They still held a slight red tint. “Close your eyes.” She whispered. He did and she touched the lids with first her fingertips, then her lips.

Justin sat perfectly still and let her caresses soothe his skin. Then he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him, capturing her lips again.

‘To hell with will power.’ Talia thought to herself and slipped her hands under his shirt. She wanted to touch his bare skin and ran her fingers over his lean, muscled chest and stomach. But then just touching him wasn’t enough. She grabbed the hem of his shirt and eased it upwards. Justin rose up a little so that she could pull it over his head. Once she had it off, she tossed it to the floor and devoured him with her eyes.

Justin laid there and let Talia stare at him. He wasn’t sure what she wanted exactly, but he wasn’t about to stop her. He was so glad to have her back, and from the way things were going, it looked as if she felt the same way.

After she memorized every inch of his gorgeous chest, Talia moved her eyes to his. He was just lying there with a quizzical and slightly amused look on his face. He seemed to search her eyes to try and figure out what it was she was doing. The problem was that she wasn’t sure herself. She just knew that the last few days without him had been pure hell and she didn’t ever want to have to go through that again. She was going to give herself something to remember if it ever happened again. Keeping, her eyes locked with his, she leaned in to kiss him again.

Justin stopped her before their lips could touch. “Talia…” He started.

“Shhhh.” She interrupted him. “Don’t talk.” Her voice was barely audible enough to be called a whisper. He didn’t try to say anything else, and she pressed her lips to his.

If that was she wanted, Justin wasn’t going to argue. He hadn’t made a secret out of the fact that he’d wanted her long before now. Taking the initiative, he leaned forward so that he was on top of her. He slipped a hand under her sweater and enjoyed the feel of her skin under his palm.

“Wait.” Talia said softly.

Justin smirked, figuring she was going to stop him again. But she didn’t. She got up off the couch and held out her hand. He took it, and she led him into her bedroom.

Once Talia took him in the bedroom, she figured there was no turning back. She let go of his hand. “Don’t move.” She told him and walked to the dresser where the candles from a few nights ago still sat. Taking a lighter that was laying by the candles, she lit them. Then she lit the ones on the nightstand as well. When she was done, she walked back to where Justin was standing. She couldn’t believe what was happening. It didn’t even feel like her feet were touching the floor. Stopping a few feet in front of him, she admired his lean torso for a second, then slipped her sweater over her head. His eyes were following her every movement and she held his gaze. Next, she unbuttoned her jeans and slid them slowly down her legs. She stepped out of them and kicked them off to the side. Still looking right in Justin’s eyes, she stood there in just her bra and panties.

Justin couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was even more beautiful than he imagined. He stared, mesmerized, as she moved towards him again. She put her hands on his shoulders and ran them down his chest to the waistband of his jeans. He sucked in his breath and closed his eyes. He had button fly jeans on and she undid each button with painstaking patience. After she got the last one through the buttonhole, she ran her hands around the inside of the waist, positioning one hand on each side. Justin opened his eyes again and looked down at Talia as she pushed his jeans to the floor. Once they were around his ankles, she carefully helped him ease each foot out. Then she tossed them to the side with hers and stood straight up again.

He stood there in his boxers and let her look at him as he’d looked at her. It was driving him crazy to not have his hands on her, to not be kissing her. But then again, the slow pace at which they were moving was more erotic than anything he could imagine.

They stepped toward each other simultaneously. Talia extended her arm tentatively and touch his chest again. His skin was so smooth. Again, she looked into his eyes, and saw that he was enjoying this as much as she was.

The feel of her hand on his skin again was too much for Justin to handle. He couldn’t take it any longer and scooped her up in his arms. Leaning down to kiss her, he walked carefully to the bed. He put one knee up on the bed and eased Talia down against the pillows that were piled up. She scooted under the covers and held them up for him to join her. He did and drew her into his arms. He opened his mouth to say something, but Talia put a finger to his lips to stop him. To insure that he wouldn’t think again about talking, she brought his mouth down on hers and pulled him on top of her.

Her plan worked because Justin didn’t think anymore about talking.

*~*

Talia laid with her head on Justin’s chest as their breathing slowly returned to normal. She was smiling to herself and thinking how that was the most wonderful thing she’d ever experienced. Talia finally spoke, breaking the silence. “Justin?” She queried quietly in case he was asleep.

“Yes?”

Talia raised up to look at him. “Do you believe that if you want something bad enough that you’ll get it?”

He shrugged his shoulders and replied, “I haven’t given it much thought. Why?”

She just smiled at him. “Just wondering.” She laid her head back on his chest and drifted off to sleep.

THE END


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