Meredith walked out of the front door of her sorority house and walked over to her car. It had been about two weeks since tour was over and Meredith was now living at the UCF campus as a college freshman.

Her shoes clicked on the concrete as she headed towards her car. She was dressed in a black skirt that reached mid-thigh, black chunky shoes, and a pale pink top with a pink 3/4 sleeve sweater unbuttoned over it. She was dressed perfectly for her date.

She climbed in her car and drove off. A little while later, she pulled up in front of a nice blue and white house. She parked her car and climbed out. Meredith walked up to the front porch and rang the bell.

Chris opened it. “Meredith!” he exclaimed, pulling her inside and into a hug. “Long time no see, girl.”

Meredith laughed. “Chris, I saw you two days ago.”

Chris lowered his voice. “But we’ve missed you. Especially you-know-who. He’s been complaining about how you’re in the same town yet you two can’t see each other everyday. It’s a good thing you’re here...we were getting ready to kill him.”

Meredith laughed.

Chris glanced at the 18-year-old in front of him. She had matured so much during and since the tour. “Wait here,” he said. “I’ll go get your date.”

Meredith went into the kitchen and made herself a drink. She had been in this house many times over the last few years, so she didn’t feel uncomfortable with making herself at home.

The doorbell rang, so Meredith went to answer it. “Elaine!” she exclaimed, seeing the older girl in the doorway.

Meredith hugged the dark brunette and shut the door behind her. “I haven’t seen you in ages!”

Elaine smiled at her friend. “I guess I’ve just been really busy with law school and modeling.”

Meredith laughed. “Yeah, I bet.”

Chris came down the stairs followed by JC and Justin. Meredith continued to talk to Elaine but smiled as she felt a hand slip into hers. She turned to the man next to her and gave him a kiss.

“I guess we better get going,” Meredith said. “We don’t want to be late for our reservations.”

Meredith was pulled out of the house by her boyfriend. She stopped and crossed her arms over her chest. She almost smiled when he turned around, a questioning look in his blue eyes. “Don’t I even get a hello? Or a ‘Gee, Mer, you look nice’?” she asked, one eyebrow raised.

He approached her and pressed his lips softly to hers. He pulled back and rested his forehead against hers. “Hello,” he whispered. “You look gorgeous.”

Meredith grinned and kissed his nose as she started out to his vehicle. “That’s more like it.” she said, turning around to tease the man she loved.

----------------------------------
When I think, how life used to be
Always walking in the shadows
Then I look at what you've given me
I feel like dancing on my tip-toes
----------------------------------

The two arrived at the fancy restaurant and were seated instantly. As Meredith sipped her water, she thought about everything that had happened the past few months.

~*~ flashback ~*~

“Meredith?” JC asked, nervously, opening the curtain of her bunk. It was the third day of tour. “I broke it off with Elaine. I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?”

Meredith’s heart fluttered. She smiled, widely. “I’d love to, JC.”

JC grinned. “Good. I’ll be looking forward till tomorrow then. Sweet dreams.”

“Same to you, JC.”

~*~ end flashback ~*~

“Meredith? Are you there, sweetheart?” he asked, laughingly.

Mer smiled across the table. “I was just thinking about the past tour. Can you believe it’s already our two month anniversary?”

He reached across the table and took her hand, his blue eyes deepening with emotion. “Yes, I can believe it. These two months have been the best of my life. I’m so glad you decided to come on tour with us.”

Meredith smiled, tenderly. “Me too.”

----------------------------------
I must say everyday I pray
When realize you're by my side
I know I'm truly...

Blessed for everything you've given me
Blessed for all the tenderness you show
Do my best with every breath that's in me
Blessed to make sure you never go
----------------------------------

“Mer, I was going to wait til later to give this to you, but I can’t wait,” he said, pulling a small velvet box out of the pocket of his sports coat.

Meredith took the box with shaking hands. She opened it to find a small silver ring attached to a chain inside. The ring had a circle of flowers engraved in it. She held the ring in her fingers and read the inscription inside. ‘J and M 4-ever’

She glanced up, tears in her eyes. “I love you,” she mouthed, not being able to speak.

“I love you too,” he mouthed back, winking at her.

----------------------------------
There are times that I test your faith
'Til you think you might surrender
Baby I'm, I'm not ashamed to say
That my hopes will grow in splendor
----------------------------------

“Would you like to dance?” he asked, standing up and holding out his hand.

“I thought you’d never ask,” she teased, taking his hand and following him out to the dance floor. “Whatever made you love me?”

He thought about it for a second. “I think I loved you from the moment I saw you. I just denied it. Chris used to tease me about it and I was always saying how you were just a friend and we were too different to be dating.”

“Well...I’m glad you finally came to your senses,” Meredith said, grinning.

He kissed her forehead. “I am too.”

----------------------------------
You walked by in the nick of time
Looking like an answered prayer
You know I'm truly...

Blessed for everything you've given me
Blessed for all the tenderness you show
Do my best with every breath that's in me
Blessed to make sure you never go
----------------------------------

“When did you start loving me?” he asked.

“I think it was the same as you. I know I realized just how much I truly loved you on our first date though,” Meredith said, thinking about that special night they had finally gone out. She hesitated, not wanting to bring up her mistakeful past. “What would you have done if I had found out I really was in love with JC, and him with me?”

Justin’s expression grew serious. “I would have lived the rest of my life in misery and jealousy of one of my bandmates.”

Meredith sighed and laid her head on his chest. After starting tour with NSYNC, JC and Meredith had dated for two weeks. But then JC had talked to Elaine and they had realized how much they loved each other. JC had broken up with Meredith but strangely, she hadn’t felt like her heart was breaking. Instead, she had felt as if she was being released.

Meredith had begun to see Justin in a different light ever since the tour had started. Whether he was on stage or signing autographs, Meredith had often found her eyes wandering to him. Even when she had been dating JC, she had grown extremely jealous of the girls that always flung themselves at Justin.

What she hadn’t known...was that Justin felt the same way.

----------------------------------
Blessed with love and understanding
Blessed when I hear you call my name
Do my best with faith that's never-ending
Blessed to make sure you feel the same
----------------------------------

~*~ flashback ~*~

JC and Meredith had just broken up, but Justin knew he couldn’t wait any longer. He approached her as she sat reading a magazine in the lobby of where the guys were having yet another photo shoot. “Hey Mer,” he called out.

Meredith looked up in surprise. “Hey Justin. Why aren’t you in there smiling pretty?” she asked, teasingly.

“Because I’d rather be out here seeing your pretty smile,” Justin answered.

Meredith was taken back by his flirting. She wondered why her hands were starting to sweat. It was almost as if she was nervous around her best friend.

“Mer,” Justin started, taking a deep breath. “I know you and JC just broke up. But do you think, maybe, you’d like to go out with me?”

“Like on a date?”

“Yeah....on a date.” Justin answered. His eyes held Meredith’s.

She knew she should say no, afterall, she didn’t want to be on the rebound this soon. “I’d love to.”

~*~ end flashback ~*~

----------------------------------
Deep inside you fill me with your tender touch...
----------------------------------

Justin pulled slightly away and tilted Meredith’s chin up. He kissed her and her lips responded, the love flowing between them. “Always and forever, right Mer? No more doubts?” he asked, referring to their doubts at the beginning, JC’s involvement with Meredith’s emotions, and everything else that had happened.

Meredith nodded and her beauty entrapped Justin at that moment. “Always and forever, Justin. I’ll never let you go.”

Justin leaned down until his lips were once again on hers, and he was right where he belonged.

----------------------------------
Blessed for everything you've given me
Blessed for all the tenderness you show
Do my best with every breath that's in me
Blessed to make sure you never go
----------------------------------

song used: “Blessed” -Christina Aguilera