**Flashback**
JC buried his face in his hands, his tears seeped through his fingers. "Why, Laura?" he cried. "I dont understand why."
Laura stared at him through teary eyes. It killed her to do this to him, but she couldn't take it anymore. "It's too hard. You're not here everyday, you don't see what I go through." He stood up off the hotel couch. Pacing back and forth, he ran a single hand through his dark hair. "I'm sorry JC."
He grabbed her by both arms and stared deep into her eyes, the eyes that still held so much love. Tears continued to run down his reddened face.
"Damn it Laura. I love you! I thought you knew that?!?"
Her hand ran over his cheek, wiping away his salty tears. "I do know that, I do. But I just can't do this anymore." She gave him a soft kiss on the cheek, her tears mingled with his as their faces met. "Goodbye JC," she whispered. With that, she turned and walked out the room and out of his life.
**End Flashback**
Laura took a deep breath. That was the past and she had to move on. She placed the photo back on the desk. 'It was almost two years ago,' she reminded herself. 'Get over him.'
"HEY LAURA!" Angie called through the bedroom door.
Laura dragged herself off of her bed and opened the door, revealing an excited Angie. "Why are you so excited?" she questioned.
"My boss just called and I have to do a review for a concert! Normally I get stuck with these crap pieces that I have to write, but this one could actually be cool!" Angie explained.
"Are you kidding? That is so cool. What for? What concert?"
"It's a concert on the fifteenth. That group...um..what's their name??? Nsync is putting it on for a charity type deal. I'm not a big fan...couldn't even tell you who they were, but hell, it's FREE!"
Laura's smile instantly disappeared and all color drained from her face.
"Did I say something wrong?" Angie questioned.
"Ummm...no...I'm just not feeling well that's all." She lied.
"Oh, ok. Free concert for us....front row tickets," Angie sang.
"Ang, I hate to say this, but I just remembered that I can't go. I --um--- have other plans."
Angie quit dancing around. "What do you mean you 'have other plans'?" she said disappointed. "Cancel them. You're coming with me whether you like it or not."
Laura couldn't say no to her best friend. She never could.
"Pleeeeaaaase..." her roommate begged.
"Fine. But you owe me. BIG TIME."
**************** *************************
THE DAY OF THE CONCERT
"Laura! Hurry up! We're going to be late!"
"I'm coming.. I'm coming."
Laura opened the door and emerged from her room. "Wow. You look great," Angie said.
"Thanks." Laura smoothed out her outfit. "Ready?"
"Yeah, let's go."
AT THE VENUE
"JC man. C'mere. Look at this crowd. "They're pumped." Justin and JC peeked at the audience from backstage. JC scanned the first couple of rows. He did a double-take on a woman sitting in the front row. Her back was to him, but he recognized the flow of her hair, the soft gentle curve of her neck and shoulders. He was entranced. "Yoo-hoo! JCCCCCCC!!" Justin waved his hand in front of JC's face. "Come back to me now. We have a show to do." JC was shaken back to reality. "Are you ok?" Justin asked. "
Yeah, I'm fine man let's go." JC said.
"Laura are you ok?" Angie yelled over the music. "You don't seem like you're having a good time."
"I'm having fun, I've just got a lot of other things on my mind," she answered.
"What?!? How can you possibly have anything on your mind besides these guys? They're all gorgeous as hell. Especially that one."
"Which one?" Laura asked, hoping that if she acted interested Angie would leave her alone.
"That one," she pointed. "Oh my god, he's looking right at you." She sounded like a teenybopper.
Laura forced her eyes to the stage. When she did, they met his beautiful aquamarine eyes. The moment seemed to freeze.
**So tell me what to do now, when I want you back.**
JC's voice caught in his throat as their eyes met. He couldn't believe what he saw. She was still as beautiful as ever.
"JC, c'mon man. You're up," Justin said to him on stage. JC shook himself from his thoughts, picking up the verse. He went through the rest of the routine like a robot, simply doing the moves, void of emotion, his mind on other things, his mind on Laura.
"Come on guys. Quick costume change, let's go." Lance said.
"JC, what in the hell is the matter with you?" Why aren't you concentrating on the show?" Justin said.
"Nothing man. I just--go--got other things on my mind that's all."
"Dude, I don't give a shit what's going on your personal life, not that you really have one anyway. Put some energy in the show. You're usually the one giving us this speech."
"You're right. I'm sorry. Let's get back on stage."
JC spent the rest of the show avoiding Laura. Not because he didn't want to see her, but because every time he looked at her, all those old emotions overwhelmed him and he totally froze on stage.
"The concert was pretty cool, wasn't it?" Angie asked, still sitting in her seat as the venue slowly emptied out.
"Yeah it was...can we get out of here now?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"We have backstage passes remember? I have to interview them and try to make it a 'personal article,'" Angie explained.
"WHAT?!? You never said anything about having to meet them again."
"Again? Did I miss something?" Angie asked, confused.
"Forget it. Let's just get this over with ok?"
Before Angie could ask again, Laura was quickly walking away.
BACKSTAGE
The girl stopped outside the door to the room where the guys were. "Do I have to go in there?" Laura pleaded.
"Yes, you do. I don't get why don't want to meet them. They're all hot and don't even try telling me that you weren't checking that one guy out for the ENTIRE show!"
"Listen Ang. If let me leave now, I'll do the dishes for a month."
"Nope."
"Two months?"
"No."
"Ok, dishes and laundry for two months?"
The girls quit arguing as the door next to them flung open. They turned to see Justin standing there.
Part 2
"Laura?" Justin exclaimed, a huge smile on his face.
"Hey Justin," Laura said, an awkward feeling coming over her, knowing who else was in that room.
Justin picked her up in a big bear hug and spun her around. "Justin, you're breaking ribs here," she joked.
He set her back down, flashing that million-dollar smile to an extremely confused Angie.. "So, Laura...aren't you going to introduce me to your friend? he said, never taking his eyes off Angie.
"Oh, sorry. This is Angie, my roommate-slash-best friend in the whole wide world."
"Nice to meet you Angie," he placed a light kiss on the back of her hand.
She smiled. "It's certainly nice to meet you too," she flirted.
"Hey Justin! Are you ever going to go and actually---- get----- our ---drinks, " JC's voice trailed off as he came bolting through the door way. He stopped dead in his tracks, staring deep into the dark eyes of the woman he still loved, the one he never stopped loving.
"Hi Josh..." Laura said softly, barely above a whisper.
"H-h-how are you?" he stuttered.
She studied her hands as she spoke. "I'm ok. How are you?"
"All right, I guess. I --uh--- why don't you guys come in?" he asked, backing through the door way. Laura took a deep breath walking in the room, and greeted the rest of the guys.
Still outside the door, Justin looked to Angie. "I was just going to find some drinks for all of us. Wanna come with?" he asked.
"Sure. So, umm..how you do guys know Laura?" she asked, curious to figure out what the hell was going on.
"She didn't tell you?" he questioned as they walked down the empty hall.
"Tell me what?"
"Her and JC used to go out, a couple years back. They were great together. They complimented each other, you know?
"I wonder why she never told me this."
"Honestly, I think it probably hurt her to talk about it. I know it still kills JC if you even bring up her name. None of us can figure out why she broke up with him. It's obvious that they were still totally in love. "
"That girl is so getting beat for not telling me this," Angie laughed.
"It's great to see you again Laura," Joey said, everyone sitting around the room. "So tell us, what have you been up to?"
"Nothing much. Just going to school and working. Nothing exciting."
"So.." Chris began, "you got a boyfriend?" he asked, knowing that everyone wanted to find out, for JC's sake.
"No, I don't have a boyfriend nosey."
JC let out a breath he wasn't aware he had been holding.
"What about you guys? Any secret girlfriends you're hiding from the press?"
Chris chuckled. "Well, you know Joey, he's got a hundred of them."
Joey punched Chris in the arm. "Hey. You're just jealous because they all come-a-runnin' when they see "The Italian Stallion" and are like 'Chris who?'"
"Yeah," Chris stated sarcastically, "you got me. I'm so jealous of the Great Fatone."
"You know it."
Laura laughed. "See, this is why I miss you guys so much. You could always make me laugh."
"Is that the only reason?" JC asked dryly, not looking at her. His words were almost emotionless with no tone, accusation reflected in his voice.
She looked into the blue pools of his eyes. She see all the hurt and pain. It killed her to know that he was still hurting. So was she, but she made her decision two long years ago.
As she was bout to reply, Justin and Angie came through the door giggling and laughing.
"Here's your drinks guys," Justin said.
"Guys, this my roommate Angie. Ang, these are the guys."
"Well well..." Joey laughed. "Looks like you two are getting along PRETTY well."
Lance finally spoke. "Man Joey, not everyone's like you. They come in laughing and you automatically assume they're gonna have sex."
The room erupted in laughter.
"You're just taking all your sexual frustrations out on me because you miss Sara."
"Sara?" Laura said slyly. "Aww! Does 'lil Lance have himself a girlfriend?"
"Yes Lance does, ok?" He said.
"Ok, so that cover's Lance and Joey, but what about the rest of you? No secret rendezvous?"
"Nope," Justin spoke. "Chris dates every now and then but nothing serious. The only girls I ever meet are fans and I have a policy to never date fans. And JC is always in the studio or writing."
A smile appeared on Angie's face when Justin said he didn't have a girlfriend. They started their own conversation, as did Joey, Chris, and Lance. Leaving JC and Laura to sit in awkward silence.
"So," Laura broke the silence between them. "Justin said you're still writing. Your poetry?"
"Yeah," he replied. "I write my poetry and that tends to give me some inspiration for writing lyrics and stuff."
They continued their conversation without much emotion, both avoiding talking about 'them' at all costs.
"Well," Joey said about 45 minutes later, "We should probably head back to the hotel now."
"Yeah," Laura jumped up, "We should go home too."
"Do you guys have to go?" Justin asked, taking Angie's hand in his. "Why don't we all go out or something?"
"Don't give me the pitiful eyes," Angie laughed. She pointed to Laura, "She's the one you have to convince."
"Come on! It'll be fun! Please!" all the guys, except JC pleaded.
She stared at JC. He hadn't said a word. Maybe he didn't want her to go. The room fell close to silent as everyone waited for Laura's answer.
"Yeah, it could give us a chance to catch up." JC finally said quietly.
She looked at everyone's pleading expression, and then she looked to JC. Finally, she responded. "Fine. Let's go."
A chorus of "yes" and "all right" came from everyone.
They grabbed their things and one-by-one headed out the door. "Thank you," Angie whispered to Laura as she walked past holding Justin's hand.
"Oh, don't thank me. Two months of laundry and dishes is quite enough thanks."
Both girls giggled as they shut the door behind them.
Part three
Angie and Laura followed the guys back to their hotel. "You and Justin…you two seemed to fit well together." Laura said as she flipped through he stations in the car.
Angie smiled at the mere mention of his name. "Yeah, he's great. You know how sometimes you just don't feel comfortable around someone? It's not like that with him He just puts you at ease. Did you ever meet a guy and you click right away and it's just perfect? Like you know there's some sort of future there?"
Laura thought back to when she and JC first met. The minute she looked in his eyes, she knew that was it. He was one. He later told her that he had felt the same way. Laura shook the thought from her mind. 'That's the past' she reminded herself. "Yeah Ang, I know how you feel. Believe me, I know."
"So, you and JC, what's that all about? And why in the hell didn't you ever tell me?"
"That's ....um....me and Josh....well." The tears that she'd fought back all night welled up in her eyes. Angie placed a comforting hand on her shoulder from the passenger's seat. "It's ok girl, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." Laura wiped her tears away with her hand. "You want me to drive?" Angie asked softly.
"Yeah, you better. Tears and driving don't mix well."
"Put on your seatbelt. We have a tour bus to catch up to," Angie joked as she got in the driver's seat.
~*At the hotel *~
"What took you guys so long?" Justin asked as the girls walked in the hotel lobby.
"We would have been here sooner, but SOMEBODY got a ticket," Laura said.
"I was only doing 53 in 35, the cop was just being mean," Angie stated a little angry.
"Sure he was Ang, sure he was." Laura said as she followed the rest of the guys to he elevator around the corner.
Angie started to follow them when Justin grabbed her hand and spun her around to face him. "I know how to make you forget about that ticket," Justin said, their faces only inches apart.
"And how's that?"
"Like this," Justin leaned down and pressed his soft lips to hers.
Angie smiled as they pulled apart. "You know, I don't really think I got that, would you mind showing me again?" she smirked.
"Gladly." His lips met hers once again. She traced the outline of his lips with her tongue, inviting him to deepen the kiss.
"We better go upstairs, they might miss us." Justin led her to the elevator a short while later. When Justin and Angie walked in the suite, everyone just looked at them.
"What?" they said simultaneously. Everyone giggled.
"Nothing," Joey walked over to them. "Justin you got a little lipstick on ya buddy," he pointed to his face. Justin and Angie turned several shades of red.
"Ummm..where's Laura?" Angie asked upon realizing she wasn't in the room.
"She's out on the balcony with JC. They said they needed to talk," Lance explained.
***
JC leaned against the rail of the balcony. "It's great to see you again. It's been a long time."
"Yeah," Laura agreed, "too long."
He looked up at the star-filled sky, remembering all the times he saw that very same twinkle in her eyes. He swallowed hard against the lump that was forming in his throat. The only sound audible was that of the rustling leaves on the nearby trees. He pressed his eyelids tightly shut. Drawing in a sharp breath, he blurted, "I still love you so much," almost surprising himself.
Laura's heart stopped at his words as her eyes flew wide-open to study his face. "JC----don't., ok? Don't do this. You don't mean it." Tears instantly began to fall from her eyes. The tears weren't for the moment, but for the two years of aching, misery, and pain that they had both lived.
He turned to face her, a shocked expression on his face. "Don't mean it?!? How you can you possibly think that I don't mean it?" He stared intensely into her dark eyes, trying to figure out what was going on behind them. "I think about you and miss you everyday. There is not a day that goes by that I don't cry when I think of not having you anymore."
"But how can you mean it?" she cried. "I hurt you. I'm the one who ended us, how can you still love me?" she practically yelled, tears stinging her cheeks. "You can't." She sank to the ground, hanging her head. "You can't," she whispered again.
He came over and knelt down next to her. "Laura...Laura look at me." He took his fingers and lifted her chin until their eyes met. "I love you, ok? I always have. And when you love someone, I mean REALLY love someone, you forgive them. That's what love is. You taught me that. You taught me how to love and you taught me to forgive. I'm not going to lie to you, when you broke it off...it hurt. It hurt a lot. I wanted to hate you, I wanted you to be in as much pain as I was, I wanted to stop loving you. I tried to. But I couldn't. My heart wouldn't let me. And that's when I knew that I would always love you. That's when I knew you were the one."
Laura was taken back by words. How could someone love so much? How could someone be so forgiving? She was a forgiving person, especially when there was a good reason, but not when it came to matters of the heart.
"There was never a time that I even tried to find someone else to love, someone to replace you. Because I knew deep down inside that I could never cherish anybody as much as I do you."
She started to speak, but he placed a finger over her lips. "Shhh....don't speak...for once, listen to your heart."
She looked up into his mystical eyes, his words repeated over and over in her mind as gazed at him. **Listen to your heart...Listen to your heart**
As if he knew she was going over them in her mind, he repeated his own words. "Listen to your heart," he whispered. He took his hands and cupped her face. Gently and cautiously, he pressed his lips against hers. Her entire body tensed up, then slowly relaxed as his mouth lingered on hers. All the feelings she had tried to get over the past two ears came flooding over her again. She gently pulled back after a few seconds. JC looked at her, not sure what she was thinking. Before the could say anything, she pressed her lips to his once more. This kiss was deeper and much more passionate. Warmth wound its way through her stomach, reminding her of all she'd been missing. "That was....." JC began.
"Amazing," Laura finished his sentence.
"And long overdue," he added. They both stared in each other's eyes, smiling, knowing that this is the only place they wanted to be.
"Well, it looks like somebody finally came to their senses," Lance said as he peaked through the glass and viewed the couple on the balcony.
"What do you mean?" Joey and Chris asked simultaneously, as they walked over to where he standing.
"Took 'em long enough," Chris said.
"Yes it did! Do you guys...um.....Wanna go get something to eat?" Joey asked Chris and Lance looking from JC and Laura on the balcony to Justin and Angie, who were together on the couch, in their own little world. "These guys are making me sick. Oh you're so sweet, On you're so cute," Joey continued mocking the couples as they walked out of the hotel suite.
Part Four "We should probably stop before we *can't* stop," Angie said with a smile as she pulled her lips away from Justin's.
"Yeah, you're right," he placed a soft kiss on her lips. "So much for me not dating fans."
"I hate to burst your bubble, but I'm not really a fan," she poked him in the chest, blushing slightly at her confession.
"What?" a surprised Justin asked.
She couldn't help but giggle at his shocked expression. "Don't get me wrong. I like your music and you sing great, your voice is amazing, but before tonight I wouldn't have been able to tell you apart from any other guy walking down the street."
"Really?" he asked.
She nodded. "Yeah....sorry."
"No, don't apologize. I guess in a way, I'm glad. That way there's no preconceived notions of what I should be like. There's no wondering if you're dating me just because of my name, you know?"
"Yeah, I understand what you're saying."
"So, if you're not a fan, how'd you get such good seats at the concert?"
"I'm an intern at a magazine, and I had to do a review of the show. I guess I just got lucky."
He shook his head. "I don't think it was luck."
"What do you mean?"
"I think it was more than luck, it was fate, kismet, destiny....you were meant to get that assignment."
"Oh really?"
"Yep."
****
Laura shuddered as the cool breeze passed over bare arms. She leaned against the railing, JC behind her.
"Chilly?" he asked.
"A little."
He ran his hands up and down her arms, his chin rested on her shoulder." It feels so good to hold you again," he whispered, placing soft kisses on her neck. She leaned her head to the side, revealing more of her neck to him, reveling in the feeling of his lips upon her skin. Her hand reached back, running through his hair.
"Come on," he laced his fingers with hers. "Let's go inside."
*
"Those two seem to be getting along pretty well," JC whispered, motioning to Justin and Angie on the couch, giggling and laughing, still lost in their own little world.
Laura smiled. "Yeah, they do. It's weird to see her like this though.
"Why's that?"
"Normally around people she doesn't know well, she's kinda quiet, especially good looking guys."
"You? Hang out with someone who's quiet? It can't be!" JC joked as they walked into the kitchen area of the suite.
"I said she's quiet around people she doesn't know well. Once she's comfortable around you, she's *almost* as loud as me, but not quite. When we're together you can't get us to shut up."
JC laughed. "You haven't changed a bit have you?"
"Nope....is that a bad thing?"
"No, I love you just the way you are," he kissed her nose. "I wouldn't want to change a thing." His lips crashed down on hers in a passionate kiss, his fingers ran up her back and through her hair as her arms wrapped around him. Pinned against the counter, she had no choice but to give into him. She explored his mouth as his hands ran over her body. "Mmmm.... Josh," she moaned against his lips. His kissed traveled down her jaw line. She tipped her head back as his lips moved over neck and the pulse of her throat. His hands cautiously made their way under the bottom of her sweater, running over her stomach. His hands stroked a path to the sides of her breasts, teasing and tantalizing until she wanted to pull him to the kitchen floor and show him how much she really loved him, how much she really needed to him.
"Wait, Josh, stop."
He looked at her, a worried expression on his face. "Is something wrong?"
"Yes...well no..." she took a calming breath. The effect he had on her she couldn't describe, it practically disabled her ability to speak.
He leaned his forehead against hers, his breath running ragged through his lungs. His hand softly caressed her cheek. "We don't have to do anything you don't want to." His tone was soft and sincere, almost as if he was talking to an inexperienced virgin and not an ex-lover.
She covered his hand with hers. "No. It's not that. I want to do this…I want to do this all night long," she gave him an evil grin. "But not with both of our best friends in the next room."
He kissed her forehead. "I understand and you're right. Now...if we could just figure out a way to get them out of here..." She giggled.
As if on cue, Angie peeked her head in the doorway. "Hey guys. We're going to..." she turned her head back to the other room as she giggled. "Justin stop! Seriously, come on! Stop that tickles! Anyway..." she turned her attention back to them. "We're going to go get something to eat. You guys wanna come?"
They looked at each other and smiled. "No, that's all right, Ang. We'll catch up to you guys later."
"Ok, see you later. Bye."
JC waited until he heard the door shut behind them. "So.. we're finally alone."
A wave of nervousness suddenly swept over both of them.
"Yep....alone....just us."
Part Five
"So," Angie said as Justin led her out of the hotel. "Where are we going?"
"To get something to eat."
"I know," she laughed. "I meant where are we going to eat."
"I don't care, where ever you want."
"How about McDonald's or Taco Bell or something?"
Justin gave her an odd expression.
"What?" she asked. "Something wrong with fast food?"
"No, not at all. It's just that most girls always want to go someplace fancy.
"Well I'm not most girls."
"I can see that."
"I'm pretty simple."
"I like that," he smiled at her. "It's.... refreshing."
"So," Angie took a bite of her food," he's probably gotta go everywhere with you, eh?" She motioned to the large bodyguard hovering over Justin's shoulder. "Not *everywhere,*" Justin said seductively. "If you know what I'm saying. "She smiled, her way of letting him know that she knew exactly what he was saying.
*
"You were definitely NOT lying when you said you couldn't bowl well," Justin laughed as her ball, once again, fell in the gutter.
"HEY!" Angie huffed. "I don't make fun of you."
"That's because I'm awesome. Look at score, it's like three times as high as yours. You couldn't make fun of me if you wanted to."
"Oh yes," sarcasm overtook her voice. "You SO awesome, you're just a bowling God."
He laughed. "I'm having a lot of fun tonight."
"Yeah, me too."
*
"And here we are again," Justin said as he and Angie approached the door to the suite of the hotel.
"Are you guys in for the night now?" the bodyguard asked.
"Yeah Tony, we're not going anywhere."
"Ok then I'll see you tomorrow."
"Later man."
"Bye Tony, it was nice meeting you," Angie said.
Tony brought her hand to his lips. "The pleasure was all mine."
"Hey now," Justin smiled. "Don't be stealing my girl. You're supposed to be my bodyguard."
"I wouldn't dream of it," he looked back at Angie as he continued to speak to Justin. "But if you let this one go, I'll be glad to take your place."
She laughed and Justin patted him on the back. "See you later."
"Bye."
Justin opened the hotel room door as Tony disappeared around a corner." Um, Justin..." Angie hesitated about going in. "Just so there's no confusion later, if I go in there," she pointed inside the room. "I'm not...we're not...."
"I know Ang. I didn't plan on sleeping with you. Well, not tonight at least. We just met, I'd feel like we were rushing things."
She smiled. "You're just perfect aren't you?"
"I try," he laughed. "Come on. Let's go in now."
"So, where should I sleep tonight?" Angie asked. She had changed into one of Justin's T-shirts and a pair of cut-off sweat pants.
He smiled at how cute she looked in his clothes. "How about in my bed?" he suggested, someone nervous of what her reaction would be.
"Then where are you going to sleep?"
"My bed."
"Justin, I told you that---"
"I told you that I agreed about that. I just want to fall asleep with you next to me. Is that ok?" She blushed slightly.
Justin laid flat on his back with Angie cuddled to his side. He played with the tendrils of her hair as he listened to her breathe. "Thank you," he said with so much sincerity and meaning in his voice, his eyes were fixated on the ceiling.
"For what?" she asked.
"For tonight. I had a lot of fun. For the first time in a long time, I knew what it was like to just be a normal eighteen year old kid. It means a lot to me. I got to just be Justin, you know? Not Justin Timberlake, the first 'N' of NSync, that rarely happens."
She leaned up and placed a soft lingering kiss on his pouty lips, knowing how much he meant he truly meant those words, and knowing how much tonight did, in fact, mean to him. "I'm glad I could be of service." She laid back down. "I wonder if Laura went home or if she stayed here?"
"I saw her purse out there so my guess would be she stayed."
"I wonder what those two did while we were gone."
They both busted into a fit of laughter. "I don't think I want to know"
More Coming Soon...
