He was late again.

Her slim frame stood tall, her long ebony hair lifted by the soft breeze. She adjusted the scalloped lace cuffs of her scarlet cardigan, her eyes scanning threw the spots of people walking beneath her. Her brown eyes were angry, shooting daggers at the innocent people passing by as she strummed her fingers against the stone railing.

She paced back and forth, walking from one end of the bridge to another, her eyes shifting from the people in the park, to the skyline, to the foggy water that rippled beneath her.

She was second again. Second to her.

How was she second? She had never been second in his life. She was always first- the one who’s opinion mattered. The one that he loved and adored. She had expected that someday he’d have a girlfriend, but this was ridiculous.

She turned abruptly as she heard someone approach, her eyes shooting an icy glare.

It was him. He opened his mouth to defend himself but she spoke before he even had a chance.

"Save it Justin, I don’t even want to hear it!" Jess exclaimed as she stalked off the other side of the bridge and headed towards her car, her hair whipping behind her.

Justin followed her, his long legs shortening the space between them rather quickly. "J, I’m sorry I’m late!" he said as he finally reached her. "It’s just that Raine and I got caught up at the beach and I just couldn’t make it over sooner," he said as he followed her over to her car.

The anger boiled within her, rising as she heard that sickening name. Raine. Raine Walker had managed to transform Jess’ life from the second she came crashing through it; taking her best friend, Justin with her.

"I don’t care Justin. I just don’t care anymore!" she cried, a tear escaping her eye. She rubbed it away quickly, then turned to face him. "I don’t want to be second to that bitch!" she screamed, stomping over to her car and getting in.

He followed her, rage sprouting with her words. "Don’t call her a bitch!" he retorted, his jaw set in anger, his sapphire eyes bulging. "I’m in love with her!"

"You’ve known her for two months!" she cried, now openly sobbing. He was blind, so completely blind. How could he pick a complete stranger over his best friend, his soul mate? He had said it himself. She was his other half, his perfect match…his everything.

But that was before Raine. Raine Walker had managed to do what Jess couldn’t. Justin was dependent on Raine- she was like a drug for him, an addiction that he could never satisfy.

"Jess, you know I love you but I think Raine’s the one and I need to invest time with her. I love her," he said speaking slowly and gently, as if speaking to a young child.

‘The one?’ her mind screamed. Good God no. Raine was not the one. She couldn’t be the one, it wasn’t possible. There was no way in hell that Raine was ‘the one.’ Raine didn’t know what Justin wanted, what he so desperately needed. She couldn’t. No one could.

No one but her.

She alone knew the true Justin Timberlake. He wasn’t perfect; he was in fact human, and along with his mortality came a wealth of flaws, all which she accepted and loved.

Raine would never fully appreciate Justin for who he was. She could never understand his musical brilliance or his fascination with life. Simple Raine could never embrace his impatient streak in which Jess shared, his heated temper, or his ludicrous superstitions. Nor would she comprehend their friendship, a staple to both of their lives.

"Justin! It’s been two months. You don’t know that she’s the one in two months! She could be a God damned psycho killer for all you know!" she screamed as she started her car.

"Jess! Will you stop it?" he asked, a fire blazing through his blue eyes. And then she knew she’d done it. It was there, that flame of animosity- it burned so brightly in his crystal blue eyes that she couldn’t help but shudder.

"I love her, and I can’t believe that you of all people can’t understand that! Maybe we weren’t meant to be best friends after all." He regretted the words the second they left his mouth, but it was too late.

More tears fell from her eyes, her lips pressing together for strength. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath to regain her composure, then looked straight ahead, her lips preventing her from saying the hurtful words that were flowing through her mind. She nodded, swallowing, her eyes set on the windshield. "Maybe you’re right Justin. My best friend would never say that." And with that she slammed her foot on the gas and disappeared from sight.

She sped down the freeway, taking out all her aggression on the gas pedal. She couldn’t believe him. He actually had the nerve to question their friendship, and over what? Raine?

She pressed down as hard as she could, the small car jumping with a burst of power. She didn’t think anyone was capable of coming between she and Justin. No matter how cliché the title, they were in fact ‘best friends.’ But Raine had seemingly taken her place. Justin didn’t need a best friend with Raine, she thought bitterly, stomping on the gas once again.

Justin was completely content to spend all his time with Raine, constantly showing up late for he and Jess’ plans, or not even at all. She felt herself frown deeper as she thought of the countless times their plans had been ruined. She knew that someday, he would have a serious girlfriend, and she accepted that to some degree. But this was completely insane! Raine occupied every second of his life, not leaving even a measly hour for Jess.

Jess sighed as she sat back in her seat, zooming in and out of a few cars. She grinned to herself as she changed lanes carelessly, causing the car behind her to honk indignantly. She got off on her exit, pausing for a moment at the stoplight. She turned left as the light changed green, not noticing the big rig that was speeding towards her.

Justin flipped the light switch, illuminating the hall with soft light. He kicked off his shoes and socks, and headed towards the kitchen. The cool tile of the floor stunned his feet as he entered, flicking on another light switch that lit the room with a sudden shout of brightness. But the house didn’t lie. No matter how many lights he turned on, the house would still be empty, and he would still be alone.

He couldn’t deny the fact that he was lonely. He wanted so desperately for Raine to move in with him, but Jess was in and out of the house regularly and she would insure Raine’s life was a living hell.

He had once been satisfied just to be with Jess. What they shared was amazing, their bond stronger than anything life could throw at them. But he wanted more. He craved the intimacy that a girlfriend brought, the feeling of being needed and loved.

And Raine fulfilled that spot perfectly. He loved the man he was when he was with her. He was the model boyfriend, the one everyone wanted. He didn’t know what made him so insecure; millions of girls globally, obsessing over him wasn’t enough. They loved his stature, what he was, not who he was. He needed a woman to love him as he was, take him or leave him.

Justin shook his head, thinking of what Jess had said about Raine. He loved Raine and thought that Jess would have loved Raine too. In his mind, they were two of a kind- both were smart, sophisticated, and confident. But Jess somehow saw it differently.

But he had to admit, Jess wasn’t the easiest person to get along with. She was impatient, stubborn, brutally candid- and that was just the tip of the iceberg. Her beauty was intimidating, her presence commanding, her personality intriguing. Appropriately enough, she was a veritable knock out, tall and thin, catching the eye of every man who came within ten feet of her.

But she had another side, one she revealed only to Justin. She wasn’t as tough as she made out to be- she too had fears and weaknesses to conceal and her self doubt was no less powerful than everyone else’s. She was just as lost as everyone else, just as afraid- she was just better at covering her fears.

But Raine was different than Jess. Raine was as delicate as a flower, her nature so gentle and pure. Her face was exquisite, her long golden hair trailing down her back, her ice green eyes always radiating happiness. When she smiled, he felt his knees go weak. And maybe that’s how he knew it was love. He had never felt this way for any of his girlfriends before. Not Adrienne, or Tyler, or Renee, not even Jess.

Justin climbed up the stairs slowly, feeling each and every ache and pain in his body. He reached his bedroom, his blue eyes staring at the giant mahogany sleigh bed. It must’ve tripled in size since he last saw it, now taking up almost the entire room. As usual, it was empty- no loving girlfriend there to welcome him. He stripped of his clothes, climbing into the cold sheets once again, alone. He sighed, turning out the light and closing his eyes.

The phone rang shrilly, the sound piercing through Justin’s tired ears. He rolled over, patting for the phone on his night stand, his eyes adjusting to the dark of the room.

"Hello?" he asked groggily as he let out a soft groan.

"Justin? It’s me Katherine," Jess’ mom spoke, her voice quivering.

"What’s wrong?" he asked immediately, looking over towards the clock. The red numbers alarmed him that it was late, too late for her to be calling for a friendly chat.

"She’s in the hospital…" she cried, sobs filling the receiver. "My baby is dying…"

He felt his heart do flip-flops, landing with a crash in his stomach. "Jess?" he asked, in disbelief, although he already knew the answer.

She let out a muffled cry in response.

"Okay I’ll be there as soon as I can."

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