"Hello?" Collin's voice answered the phone.
"Collin? It's Megan." She said trying to stay as calm as possible.
"Hey Princess, how ya doin'?" He asked cheerfully. "We miss you up here."
"I miss you guys too. When I got back from France, I went straight to visit Joey."
"How is that big bag of hormones?" Collin asked. Megan giggled.
"He's pretty good. You probably heard about the baby." She said.
"Yeah, I heard she's a doll." He said. "So, did you need something in particular or were you just calling to say hi?"
"Actually, I was wondering if you could tell me what's up with Jacob. He called me last night."
"Oh man, I knew he would do that!" He exclaimed.
"What happened?"
"Him and Cassie broke up and he went kinda crazy." He told her. "He got drunk and started talking about how he was going to get you back now that he was single again. Then he left and I haven't seen him since... that was last night."
"He called and practically begged me to take him back. But I told him that I was already taken."
"Really? By who?" He asked.
"Justin."
"Uh-oh..." Collin said. "I don't want you to get hurt again."
"Everything will be fine." Megan assured him.
"I mean after last time..." He drifted off.
"I don't even want to think about that." She said. "The only thing I have to worry about is if he finds out that it's Justin."
"Yeah, he never did like him too much." He commented. "Like when Joey brought him and the other guys to meet us, he told me he 'didn't like the was he looked at you'"
"Please don't tell him Collin." She pleaded. "Not until I tell Justin."
"Tell Justin what?" She heard a voice behind her. She gasped and turned around. Luckily, it was Joey.
"God, you scared the crap out of me!" She threw a pillow at him. "Collin, I'll call you tomorrow...ok bye."
"What happened?" Joey asked. "Jacob called me last night." She said.
"What?!" He yelled. "I thought you told him not to call you anymore?"
"I did... but you know him. He never listens."
"Well, you would think that after what he did to you that he would know that you didn't want to have anything to do with him. What did he want?" He asked.
"He wanted me back." Megan said softly.
"You mean he had the nerve to call you and ask you to take him back?"
"Collin told me he was drunk. He didn't know what he was talking about." She told him.
"How can you be so calm about this?" Joey asked. "You're not scared at all about what might happen to you if he finds out that you're with Justin?"
"Of course I'm scared. I terrified!" She said. "But as long as he doesn't know, there's noting to really worry about, right?"
"But what if he finds out? It's not exactly like you and Justin can just run away and hide. That's not how our lives work, you know that."
"It'll be fine Joe. I know it will."
"Famous last words Megan. Remember that." Joey said leaving the room.
"Hey baby, you're gonna come watch me shake my money-maker at the concert tonight, right?" Justin asked laughing a little. His smile faded when Megan didn't even look at him. "Meg?" She snapped out of her daze.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?" She asked.
"I asked if you were coming to the concert tonight?" He repeated. "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine, just a little tired and thinking about... stuff." She wasn't ready to tell him yet.
"You wanna talk about it?" He asked sitting next to her.
"Not right now. We'll talk about it later. I just need some sleep." She gave him a reassuring smile. "I'll go to the concert tomorrow night."
"Oh, I forgot to tell you. There isn't a concert tomorrow." He told her. "We have the VMA's."
"Oh." She said.
"You're going with me right?"
"I don't know Justin..." She said reluctantly. "I don't have anything to wear."
"We have a stylist that's making a dress for you." He said. "C'mon Meg, you gotta go."
"But what are people going to think of me?" She asked. "They're gonna say 'oh look: There goes Justin with "the new girl". I wonder what kind of dirt we can find on her."
"They're not gonna say that. They're gonna say: 'Oh look: There goes Megan Ardini. Damn she's fine." He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. They looked out the window of their New York hotel. "Then they're gonna ask me, 'How did you end up with a girl like her?' And I'm gonna say, 'I was very lucky.'"
"I doubt it."
"C'mon baby, you gotta go. All the other guys will have dates. I'll look like a loser if I go by myself." He kissed her neck while he pleaded for her to go with him. "Please?"
"Alright, I'll go." She gave in. "Only 'cause you're such a good sweettalker."
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" He spun her around and placed all kinds of kisses on her face.
"I didn't know you'd be this happy." Megan laughed.
"We're gonna have such a good time." He smiled. He looked at his watch. "I gotta go before Mike comes in here and has to kick my butt. Steven, our stylist will come over later to get your measurements for the dress."
"What does it look like?" She asked.
"I'm not gonna tell you and don't try to get him to either. I told him not to tell you even if you begged."
"You're mean." She pouted.
"Ohhh. You want some cheese with that whine?"
"Haha." She said walking toward the bathroom.
"So what are you gonna do while I'm gone?" He asked following her.
"I'm going to take a shower and then I'm going to sleep after Steven comes to get my measurements."
"Taking a shower huh?" Justin asked his eyes shining with mischief. "You know. The guys won't mind if I'm a little late and I could use a shower too."
"Before the concert?" She asked, not buying anything he was saying.
"Well, why waste water?" He raised an eyebrow suggestively.
"I don't think so." She pushed him out of the bathroom.
"Well, it was worth a shot." He leaned over to kiss her goodbye when there was a knock (more like a pound) on the door.
"JUSTIN!" Mike yelled. "YOU'RE LATE! AGAIN!"
"I'm coming!" Justin called back. "Work calls." He smiled.
"As always." Megan said back.
"I'll see you later." He kissed her. "Sweet dreams."
"I hope so." She smiled.
"Bye." He whispered kissing her again.
"JUSTIN!!!! HURRY UP!!!!"
He kept hitting her. No matter how much she begged for him to stop, the blows to her stomach and chest got worse. When she finally couldn't stand the hurt anymore, she fell to the floor.
"Get up!" He yelled kicking her in the side. She screamed out in pain. "I said get up!"
She couldn't stand. It felt like her insides were on fire. She couldn't breath. She realized that she had left her inhailer in the car. Not like it would have mattered. It wasn't exacly like she could say: "Excuse me? Could you please stop kicking me so I can breath again?" The wheezing noises she was making didn't help any either. They only made him angrier. He yelled and screamed while she pleaded for him to stop. She pleaded until she lost conciousness.
"Megan? Baby, wake up." Justin shook her shoulder. Megan's eyes snapped open and she sat up quickly. She could feel the tears running down her face and the bright light of the lamp beside the bed burning her eyes. She looked at her surrouinding and sobbed. It was only a dream... she thought. "What happened baby? Why are you crying like that?"
"Oh my God Justin!" She threw herself into his arms. She cried into his shoulder while he stroked her hair, not knowing exactly why her was comforting her.
"Tell me what happened." He whispered. "Were you having a nightmare?"
"Oh god, it was worse than a nightmare." She sobbed. Joey, who was passing the room, heard Megan's crying through the door that Justin had left open when he rushed into the room.
"What happened?" He asked running to Megan's side. "What's wrong with her?!"
"She was having a nightmare." Justiin said. Joey knew exacltly what had happened.
"It's happening again." Megan told Joey. He nodded and hugged her.
"It'll be okay." He assured her.
"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" Justin asked. "What's happening again?" Megan quieted down when she realized what she had said.
"Ummm...she just has these dreams sometimes and they haven't been happening lately and now they are..." Joey said reluctantly.
"But she was talking and begging someone named Jacob to stop hitting her. That isn't the kind of dream that people just have for no reason." Justin said. "Megan, who's Jacob?"
Joey and Megan exchanged glances. She had to tell him sometime.
