After showering and changing into her pajamas Faith already felt a little better. She couldn’t believe she had let that happen at the club. Now she had everyone all worried for nothing. Lance had never held onto her so tight, Brynn kept giving her worried glances, every time she would look at Justin he gave her one of those ‘worried but trying to look in control’ smiles, and then there was JC. She wiped the fog off the mirror and looked at her reflection with a sigh, "Just give it up Faith."
She exited the bathroom and made her way over to the bed. She looked at Brynn who was now digging through her bag and asked, "Are you sure this is ok with you? I mean I know it’s gonna be a little uncomfortable sharing a room with him." "If I wasn’t ok with it I would tell you, but there are two beds and I’m sure that he plans on sleeping since they have a show to do tomor...uhh...tonight. We’ll probably just both crash," Brynn answered, "stop worrying so much." Faith shook her head and looked down at her hands, "Brynn, can I ask you a question?" Brynn stopped her search when she heard the distant tone in Faith’s voice.
"Of course you can," she said coming to sit next to her on the bed. Faith glanced up at her with teary eyes as a knock sounded at the door. They sat there a few more seconds when they heard a familiar deep voice sound from behind it, "Faith? Brynn?" Faith wiped away the tears that had found their way down her cheeks and walked to the bathroom to brush her teeth, "Tell him I’ll be ready in just a sec." Brynn watched her friend walk to the bathroom as she opened the door.
Lance looked around the room and noticed that Faith wasn’t there. He looked at Brynn and then back into the room before asking, "Where is she?" Brynn opened the door wider to let him in before answering, "Bathroom...she’ll be ready in just a sec." He shook his head and walked over to Faith’s bed flopping down on it. Brynn giggled, "By all means make yourself comfortable." Lance smiled but his expression changed slightly as he watched Brynn glance at the bathroom door before making her way back to her bag.
"Everything ok?" he asked. She looked over at him and smiled, "Yeah, I’m fine but..." Her words were cut off as Faith opened the door of the bathroom. Lance took one last look at Brynn before Faith pounced on him. "FROGGY!!" Lance laughed and rolled her off of him. "Come on girl, Justin is ready for bed and he’s getting grumpy." Faith looked at Brynn, but before she could say a word Brynn piped up, "YES..now will you go." Faith smiled and gave her a quick hug before walking to the door with Lance. "I owe ya one," Lance said closing the door behind him.
Brynn sighed loudly and giggled, "I think I owe you one." She grabbed her pajamas and headed to the shower singing, "Baby when you finally...get to love somebody...guess what...it’s gonna be me." Just as she turned on the shower another knock sounded at the door. When he got no answer he let himself in with the key Faith had given him. "Brynn?" He could hear her singing coming from the shower and smiled. "Yup, it’s gonna be me alright."
He sat his stuff down next to the bed and laid down. He laughed out loud as the next thought popped into his head. "Justin, what would your mom say if she knew you were sharing a room with a girl...a beautiful girl at that." He laughed again and laid his head back on the pillow as her voice filled the room. "A beautiful girl that you’ve fallen for."
Joey and Chris made their way through the hallway laughing. "Dude, I don’t think I have ever seen a chick that ugly in my life," Joey choked out. Chris slapped him on the back as he laughed harder, "Dude, I don’t think that was a chick." Joey’s laughter suddenly faded and made Chris laugh even harder at his shocked expression. "You have got to be kidding me. Please tell me you’re joking Chris. I actually danced with her." Chris laughed even harder, "No buddy, you danced with HIM."
Joey smacked his forehead and laughed. "Drinking is bad. No more drinking for Joey." Chris’ laughter eventually faded and he realized how tired he was. He let out a big yawn as he reached for the doorknob to their room. "I don’t get why in the world three of us had to share a room this time. Yeesh, you would think we could all have separate rooms by now." Joey laughed, "They screwed up dude...no biggie. It’ll be like the old days. You know JC smacking us cuz he’s trying to sleep and we’re being too loud."
As they entered the room they noticed the balcony door open. Joey stepped towards it to close it, but noticed JC sitting in the chair gazing out over the city. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn’t hear them come in. Joey looked at Chris and considered going out to talk to him, but thought it was best to just let him have this time to think. Chris dove for the bed and Joey grumbled, "Fine...I’ll sleep on the roll away. I guess the OLD man couldn’t take it." Chris laughed, "I may be old, but I got the bed...nanny nanny boo boo."
After a few moments of silence Joey finally had to ask, "Chris, do you think JC is ok? He’s never up this late." When he didn’t get an answer Joey sat up and looked in Chris’ direction. He could hear his deep breathing and realized that he was asleep. He took one last look at the balcony door before flopping back down on his pillow. His thoughts drifted back to the many times he had seen JC that night. He seemed so happy that Joey almost didn’t believe it was him. Of all the times he had seen JC smile, he had never seen him smile as much as he did when it came to Faith.
Joey closed his eyes as JC’s slender figure came through the door and closed it softly. He made his way over to the bed and crawled in deep under the covers. After shuffling around a bit to get comfortable he sighed loudly before slowly drifting off to sleep.
"Why didn’t you tell me all this before?" Lance asked as he stroked her hair gently. "Lance, you know me...you know how I operate," Faith whispered back as she snuggled up closer to him. She sniffled and laid her head on his chest. "Besides what chance do I really have anyway? In his eyes I’m just like a little sister. How many times has he said that to you and to me?" Another tear made its way down her cheek as she secretly wished that what she said wasn’t true.
Lance’s hand stopped stroking her hair and he sat up on the bed, "I can NOT believe you just said that." His reaction shocked her a bit and she sat up to look at him. "Lance, he says it all the time," she said as she reached for his hand in the darkness. "Not that. You know what I meant," he answered as he turned and took her hand, "You have as good a chance as anyone...actually, you have a better chance than anyone."
Faith flopped back on the bed and laughed, "Lance, don’t start this lecture. You know that JC thinks of me as a little sister. I should be happy he even thinks of me as that." "CARRIE FAITH SMITH!!" The stern tone in his voice made her jump as her eyes darted to him, "Lance, you know..." He cut her off in midsentence sternly, "NO, you know damn well that any man would be lucky to have you. You are my best friend in the world. No matter what I know that you will always be there for me. Through it all you have been right by my side every step of the way. When the group started you were there supporting me. You stood by me when nobody else did. Not just me either. You were always there whenever anyone needed anything. All one of the other guys had to do was even look like they needed help and you were the first one to run to them. Not everyone is like that Faith. Not everyone truly cares about people the way you do, and not everyone would love JC as unconditionally as you ALREADY do."
As tears slowly found their way down her cheeks he laid down next to her and pulled her close. As she relaxed against him he whispered, "He’s the one that should be asking what kind of chance he has with you." As they held onto each other in the darkness Faith cried quietly, holding onto Lance as tight as she could. She heard his voice as it floated through the room. Never had she heard him sing more beautifully then right at this moment. She instantly felt her pain slip away as she listened to his deep soothing voice. Her breathing began to deepen as his words floated through her head.
"I would give everything I own...give up my life..my heart...my home...yes I would give everything I own...just to have you..." his words were interrupted as he yawned. He glanced down at her sleeping so comfortably in his arms. "I love you Smuff, and whether you believe it or not...JC does too."
As they lay there in the darkness she could hear him breathing in the bed next to her. The slow rhythmic sounds were like music to her ears. The only thing better would’ve been if he was lying in bed next to her. She closed her eyes and smiled. Just having him in the room made her feel so safe. She was almost asleep when his voice broke the silence. "Brynn, are you asleep?" She couldn’t help but smile as she heard him say her name.
"Nope...I’m still awake," she answered, "are you ok?" He turned over on his side to face her, "yeah, I’m ok...I...uh..well, I just wanted to ask you something," he stuttered. She sat up in the bed to look at him and smiled, "Ask away." The nervous tone in his voice made her uneasy, but at the same time a little giddy. He reached up to turn on the light, causing light to flood the room. His voice was a little shaky as he finally said, "Well, I was just wondering if maybe...well...I had a really good time tonight. I just thought that maybe...maybe we could go out sometime. Ya know...if you want to."
As his words echoed through her head she thought her heart was gonna explode out of her chest. She felt like jumping up and down on the bed, like screaming off the balcony, like running down the hall and telling Faith so they could dance around together, but most of all she felt like jumping in that bed with him and wrapping him in a ‘Brynn’s in love bear hug.’ Instead though she smiled brightly and softly spoke the words that she had longed to say for so long, "Justin, I would love to."
His smile could’ve lit up the night as he beamed happily at her. He walked over to her and lightly kissed her on the cheek, "Goodnight, you have sweet dreams now." As he walked back to his bed and turned off the light Brynn reached her hand up to touch her cheek. She flopped back on the bed fighting the urge to squeal with happiness. She took one last look over at his sleeping form and smiled as she closed her eyes letting her thoughts run wild. She relived every moment she had spent with him, and couldn’t help but smile as she remembered the feel of his warm breath and the soft caress of his lips on her cheek. "Sweet dreams," she whispered into the darkness.
"You do realize that if you don’t hurry up we’re going to be late for sound check," JC asked impatiently. Justin sipped the last bit of his milk out of the bowl and smiled up at him, "I’m ready Jace." The expression on JC’s face caused him to laugh, "What’s that look for?" "Dude, please tell me that you were a good boy last night. Please!" JC pleaded. Justin laughed as he stood up and grabbed his jacket off the back of the chair. "I was a perfect gentleman, JC. Now, let’s go get the girls and get to sound check before Johnny kills us all."
They walked out into the lobby and found Faith, Brynn, and Lance talking. "Where’s Joey and Chris?" Lance asked when they walked up. "Chris was in the shower when I left to hurry Justin up, and Joey...well he should be dressed already," JC answered. Faith snuck a quick glance at JC and smiled when she realized that he was wearing the shirt she had given him for Christmas. It hugged him in all the right places fitting his slender yet masculine frame perfectly. She turned back towards Brynn as the elevator dinged behind her.
She watched as Brynn and Lance’s expressions faded from smiling and happy to looks of shock and disbelief. As she turned to look in the direction they were staring her breath caught in her throat. "Oh my God," she whispered as she watched him walk in their direction. Brynn placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and tried to smile reassuringly.
Justin and JC seemed utterly clueless until the man walked up to the group. Faith watched as JC’s jaw tightened and he suddenly tensed up. Justin’s jaw nearly dropped as he stood face to face with this man he hadn’t seen in so long. "Hey there...I thought that was my blue eyes I saw over here." Faith forced on a smile as she tried not to leap across the group and smack him. JC suddenly turned to walk away as he mumbled, "I should go find Joey." Faith’s eyes followed JC as he walked to the elevator and pushed the button. Justin sensing that she was upset about his reaction excused himself to go with him.
Faith turned her attention back to the man in front of her and forced a smile, "Hello Travis." He smiled at her and then scooped her into a hug. A loud bang came from the elevators. Justin poked his head out just before the doors closed and lip synced to Brynn, "Help." Brynn excused herself and ran towards the elevators to help Justin calm an obviously very upset JC. Faith glanced over Travis’ shoulder to Lance who was scowling at him. Finally he let her go and she stepped closer to Lance, "Uhh...what are you doing here?" He smiled brightly at her and reached out to take her hand, "I came to see my girl."
Lance took a step towards him but Faith leaned against him to stop him, "Um..well, we’re about to leave right now so.." He cut her off in midsentence by holding up his hand. The mere gesture made her nautious. It caused memories that she never wanted to revisit to spring up in her mind. "I’m staying in the hotel so I’ll come up and see you. You’re in room 1105 right?" Lance’s body tensed with those words, "How did you know that?" Travis just smiled at him and ignored his question. He leaned over and kissed Faith on the cheek as he turned around to walk away, "Later babe."
"Who does that asshole think he is?? He hurts her once, hurts her twice, and now he thinks he can come back and... and... SEDUCE her again??" JC said forcefully as he paced around the room. Justin and Brynn sat quietly on the bed as they watched JC try to calm himself. It had been a struggle to get him to quit punching the elevator let alone get him into the room.
"Jace, you need to take a deep breath and calm down. Yelling isn't gonna do you any good." Justin said. Even though Justin was not at all fond of Travis himself, he was confused as to why JC was this upset about Travis' visit. Brynn, on the other hand, watched JC's angered eyes with complete understanding. But she only wished he wasn't this upset. She was afraid this wouldn't help the situation at all.
JC walked out onto the balcony where he had gone to clear his feelings quite often lately and Brynn looked over at Justin with a knowing smile. Justin walked out and placed a hand on JC's shoulder, talked to him, and actually had him laughing for a minute. As Justin began to walk back through the door, Brynn stepped out onto the balcony. Wrapping JC in a hug, she reassured him. "Travis means nothing to her, I promise. JC, you gotta trust me on this one. But it's up to you to make her realize there is someone other than him........" Her voice trailed off and she pulled away. She smiled and winked as a slight smile turned up his lips and he squeezed her hand. "Thanks for understanding." He said quietly and walked back into the room.
Walking back inside behind JC, Brynn told him to grab Joey on his way back down. Then Justin took Brynn's hand and they quietly opened the door and shut it behind themselves. Walking down to the elevator, they pushed the button and waited for it to pick them up. "What'd you tell him to get him laughing?" She asked. Justin's almost cocky chuckle brought a smile to her face. "I told him if Travis made one more pass at Faith that we could take him down, either that or sick Chris on him." He laughed softly. Brynn giggled before he took her hands into his and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "Thanks for helping me out with him back there. Looks like you understood more than I did. Must be a girl thing." He smiled. Brynn smiled slyly. "You could say that."
"I... WAS.... hanging with the fellas, saw you with your new boy...friend it made me jealous. I WAS hopin that I'd never see you with um, but it's all good cuz I'm glad that I met him. HUH. Now I know the competition’s very slim... to none. And I can tell by looking that he's not, THE ONE. He's not the type you said you like, style is whack, clothes are bad, come on girl, let him go, I want you WHAT??" Justin's voice rang in JC's ears as the song continued and he tried his hardest to concentrate on what he was doing. But when it came time for his own solo part in this song, the familiarity of it was almost too much for him.
Throughout the entire sound check, Joey had been noticing that JC wasn't singing with his usual characteristic spunk. As the guys were told to take 15, Joey watched carefully as JC grabbed his bottle of water, towel, and took a quick seat on a chair. He walked over to where his dark-haired friend was sitting, staring at something straight ahead of him. Joey looked over to find Faith and Brynn talking to Lance. With a sudden light of inspiration, Joey pulled up a chair next to JC and put his water down on the table.
"Yo man, what's with you today??" Joey asked, pulling JC from his racing thoughts. "Nothing, I've just got a lot of things on my mind." JC said solemnly, reaching for his water. Joey sighed as he looked at Faith, then back at JC. "Looks to me like a lot of ONE thing." He nodded over toward where Faith was standing. "Spill it. There is something going on there and as your ROOMMATE and friend I deserve to know."
JC took a deep breath and looked back at Faith. Realizing Joey would not give up until he knew. With his voice barely above a whisper JC finally spoke, "Joey, I think I'm in love."
When the concert came, the venue was packed as usual and the concert began explosively, once again captivating Brynn and Faith's attention to the five guys on stage. Backstage, JC struggled to keep his mind off Travis and Faith, but when he came out on stage things seemed to be back to normal. Singing in front of a crowd was what he always dreamed of.
When it came time for ‘This I Promise You’, Justin looked up at the private box in which Faith and Brynn were watching and blew Brynn a kiss. Seeing Justin's happy grin, JC's thoughts immediately wandered to Faith and he sang with more emotion than usual. Brynn's thoughts set on Justin and she watched as his eyes closed when he sang his last words. "This I Promise....... You........". Faith looked at Brynn's concentration on Justin and smiled.
"That's a pretty nice song your friends got there." A familiar voice hit Faith's ears like drums just as the song ended. Brynn snapped from her thoughts as she whipped around and saw Travis standing in the doorway. Her eyes clouded and she frowned as he walked towards Faith. "How did you get in here?" Faith asked quickly, confused and startled. "Well hello to you too baby." Travis' cocky smile made Brynn cringe.
Faith looked at Brynn for help and Brynn tapped him on the shoulder. Turning around he looked at her rudely. "You better get out of here quick before security arrests you." Brynn said, frowning. "And if you don't, I know a couple of people who will make sure you do." She continued. "Well you're one snappy little thing aren't you?" He chucked her hard under her chin and she looked back at Faith.
"Travis, you can't be in here and I don't want you in here so would you please leave?" Faith tried the polite manner, realizing Brynn's threat wasn't working. "Honey, I can be in here if you are. You're my girl, you can tell them I'm with you." He tried to charm Faith. Faith looked away helplessly and Brynn watched in disgust as Travis grabbed Faith's hand and took a seat next to her. "Let me go Travis!! We- you and me- are nothing. Get it??" She asked, trying to look confident in herself. Travis looked at her and laughed. Brynn scowled and turned back to the show, privately thinking of ways to keep him away from her and JC.
That night Brynn and Faith sat in their room on their beds talking. "I cannot believe Travis came here today. And trying to make it seem like we're together?? Can we say asshole??" Faith said as she made herself comfortable. Brynn pulled out some twizzlers and tossed some over. "Your not the only one who can't believe it. We're lucky a certain five guys don't know about the little scene up in the box." Brynn said.
Faith didn't catch the hint in her voice. "It is really freaking me out that he knew where our room is and is just so suddenly staying in the same hotel. Not to mention, how DID he get up in the box??" Faith said, looking at Brynn for an answer. "OH girlie- I totally agree with you. And you know he's gonna be around. That means...promise me at least one thing, right now." Brynn said, looking her best friend in the eye. "You got it." She said, taking a bite of her twizzlers. "You can't let his ‘impeccable charm' get to you."
Faith looked at Brynn pathetically. Laughing, she answered. "Girl, that jerk is nothing but an asshole who by showing up only dug his own grave even deeper. No worries." Brynn smiled. "I'm glad you said that. Say it more often, it might help, well let's just say, calm some things." Faith thought about what Brynn had just said. "God, why does Travis have to show up NOW?"
"That is one REALLY good question." Brynn said quietly. "Girl, you don't even know how good a question that is." She laid down in her bed as Faith turned off the light. Faith sat pondering everything that had happened. ‘Right when I thought I might be able to show JC how much I care, it's through.' Faith thought to herself. Sighing deeply, she closed her eyes and tried to think about their unforgettable dance.
At that very moment JC lay in his own room, trying hard to sleep but was failing miserably. He thought back to the dance the two had shared, and how he had felt like he could hold her like that forever. ‘Now that asshole shows up.' He thought with a deep sigh. Turning restlessly under his covers, he found a comfortable position. ‘If only I could hold her under these covers and protect her forever.'
An hour and no sleep later Faith finally climbed out of bed and walked quietly to the door. She quietly made her way across the hall. Just before she reached Lance’s door the door next to hers opened and JC stepped out. She couldn’t stop the smile that lit up her face. As he pulled the door closed gently behind him he saw her standing there. "Oh hi" he whispered with a smile playing on his lips, "I..uh...couldn’t sleep. You ok?"
Faith nodded her head as she looked him up and down. ‘Who would’ve thought one person could be so damn sexy in pajama pants’ she thought to herself. "Yeah, I couldn’t sleep either. Thought I would crawl in bed with Lance." JC smiled at her and looked down at his bare feet. "Well, I thought I would walk around a little...maybe go to the lounge. Wanna keep me company?" he asked.
She smiled as he glanced back up to her, "Sure." He walked towards her offering his arm and she giggled, "Always the perfect gentleman." He smiled brightly as they walked off down the hall, "I try." As they entered the elevator she yawned and leaned up against the cold metal. His voice was barely above a whisper as he put his hand on hers, "Faith, can I ask you something?"
She lifted her head and opened her eyes to look at him, "Of course you can. Are you ok?" He looked at her and the look on his face told her that something was wrong. As the elevator doors opened he took her hand and escorted her through the lobby and into the lounge. She couldn’t seem to get rid of the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something told her she should’ve just stayed in bed.
The lounge was deserted as they walked in and took a seat at one of the booths. She glanced up at his face and she could see that the problems he was facing were tearing him apart, much like her secret love for him was. She touched his arm gently and whispered, "Jace, what’s wrong hon?"
He looked at her and took a deep breath before finally speaking, "Well, there’s a lot on my mind right now. Some of it has to do with a girl. Actually, most of it has to do with a girl. I just don’t know what to do about it." With those words her heart broke and she fought not to let the tears that were stinging her eyes fall down her cheeks. She just couldn’t seem to find her voice.
She knew one thing for sure, she couldn’t look in his eyes. If she did then she would crack and there was no way she was going to explain her emotional outburst. When she had collected her thoughts enough she finally spoke, "Um...well, what about her?" She prayed that he didn’t notice the disappointment in her voice or the sad tone that it had taken on.
He didn’t like the feelings that he was getting from her, but he had already started and he had to get it out now. "Well, I don’t think she even notices me. I can’t seem to find a way to tell her, and I was wondering if maybe you had any ideas." With every word he spoke her heart shattered a little more. ‘God this is so unfair. Why can’t he see that I love him’ she thought to herself as she struggled with the tears that still threatened.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to pull herself together. There was no way that she could allow herself to breakdown in front of him. "Well, what kind of person is she? Uh..I mean is she..." When she saw the look on JC’s face she stopped speaking and turned just in time to see Travis stagger into the lounge.
She turned around quickly praying that he wouldn’t see her and laid her head down on the table. "Why God? Why?" she mumbled under her breath. JC’s hand slowly slid over the top of hers to comfort her. "You wanna go back to the rooms?" Faith glanced up at him and then over to the table where Travis sat. JC squeezed her hand tighter and smiled, "Don’t worry. I promise he won’t hurt you."
They had only taken one step when Travis noticed them. His fiery eyes darted back and forth between the two of them when he saw their hands intertwined. As the two walked through the lounge towards the door Travis scowled at them before leaping up in front of Faith. "What the hell do you think you’re doing?" he grumbled. JC placed a warning hand on his chest and glared at him, "Leave her alone man. That is your LAST warning."
Travis glared back at him as he pushed JC forcefully backwards. "She is mine and don’t you ever forget that. She’ll always be mine." JC fought to keep his temper from getting the best of him. One look into Faith’s frightened eyes told him that he had to remain calm. "Travis, there is about a 350 pound bodyguard that would be more than happy to break every bone in your body. Would you like to meet him?" JC spat out angrily. "Can’t fight your own battles...you need a bodyguard?" Travis spat back.
Faith couldn’t take anymore and she pushed Travis back against the table. All her frustrations seemed to come out at once as her eyes burned into him. "Why the hell can’t you just leave me alone? What part of this do you not understand? Didn’t our little chat tonight at the concert mean anything to you. US...YOU...ME...NO MORE!! THERE IS NO US!! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!" He placed a hand over her mouth and she bit down on his fingers. "Don’t you ever put your hands on me again." JC dove towards him but Faith caught him. "Let’s go."
Travis and JC shot each other fiery glares as Faith literally dragged JC out of the lounge and through the lobby. "I CAN NOT BELIEVE HIM!!" Faith yelled as fresh tears poured down her cheeks. Faith quietly cried the entire elevator ride as JC fought to slow down his breathing. They stepped out onto their floor just as Lonnie rounded the corner. "There you are. JC, do you..." his words trailed off when he saw the tears streaming down Faith’s cheeks and the fiery gleam that was still in JC’s eyes. He looked from one face to another before finally speaking again, "JC?"
"I’m...umm...I’m gonna...go...to Lance," Faith fought to get out. She quickly turned around and practically ran down the hallway as JC fought not to let his own tears fall. Why did Travis have to show up now? Things were finally starting to work out and now he had to show up. Lonnie walked JC back to his room as he watched Faith knock on Lance’s door and his arms reach out to hold her as soon as he saw her. He ran a hand through his hair and realized just how envious of Lance he was. He was holding her right now.
The entire morning Faith had avoided JC’s gaze. Not because she wanted to, but simply because she had to. If she thought about him she cried and she didn’t want anyone to notice just how heartbroken she was. He had found someone else and that she would just have to live with. The bus bumped slightly and she glanced around at all the smiling faces around her.
Tonight’s show was in San Antonio...away from Houston and hopefully away from Travis. As her eyes met Lance’s she forced a smile. She knew he wasn’t buying her act, but he also knew full well why she was playing it off. She always had to be the strong one. When her eyes fell on Justin and Brynn she couldn’t help but smile. It was the first smile that she hadn’t had to force all day. Brynn was sleeping peacefully with her head in Justin’s lap as he gently stroked her hair. She could see the smile playing on Brynn’s lips and knew exactly what she was dreaming about.
She turned her attention back out the window as JC headed towards his bunk. He had seemed sad and withdrawn all day, but there was an anger in him that no one could understand. Faith fought the tears that were once again stinging the back of her eyes as she watched him slide into his bunk. Unable to take anymore of the fake smiles and bright faces, Faith stood up and made her way to the front of the bus. Maybe a good cry was just what she needed.
As she walked by the bunks she heard a sniffle beside her. She looked down in the direction of the noise and noticed it came from JC’s bunk. ‘God, please don’t let him be crying. I can’t take that’ Faith thought to herself. "JC?" Faith called to him. He was silent for a moment before finally answering, "Yeah." He pulled the flap open that covered his bunk and Faith noticed his puffy red eyes. She offered him her hand and the two walked together to the front of the bus. "Talk to me Jace," Faith whispered still fighting to control her own tears, "is it...is it about her?"
His eyes darted to hers and then immediately back down to his hands. He nodded his head slowly before reaching over to place his hand on hers. "I..I don’t know what to do Faith." The lump in her throat was back and she was fighting a losing battle with her tears. She reached over and pulled him down to lay his head in her lap as she slowly massaged his scalp running her fingers through his hair. "Jace, it’s ok sweetie. If this girl can’t see how incredible you are then I don’t want you with her anyways. You are one of the greatest guys that I have ever known. I’ve seen the way you treat the girls you date. You make them feel so safe and so loved. You make them feel special." Her words trailed off as warm tears found their way down her cheeks. "I just wish I could find someone like you."
Her words caused his stomach to tie up in knots and his palms got sweaty. ‘You’ve already found him’ he thought to himself. Her touch felt so at home to him. She made him feel so complete when he was with her. His life suddenly held more than just singing and dancing. He loved singing and he loved dancing, but right now more than anything he loved Faith.
He felt a drop hit his arm and looked up to find tears slowly streaming down her cheeks. Instead of calling attention to something she was apparently trying to hide he decided to just let her lead the conversation. "JC, can I ask you a question...about last night?" As the memories of the events of the night before filtered back into his head he immediately tensed up. He had never wanted to hit someone so bad in his life. Travis brought out something in him that he had never known before. All he knew was he had to protect Faith.
"Yeah, sure" he answered as he closed his eyes waiting for whatever she was going to throw at him. "Well, I just wanted to ask..." her words trailed off as she fought to get them out. So many thoughts were running through her head. She wanted to know who this girl was and how she could have managed to steal JC’s heart away from her. She glanced down at JC and noticed him looking up at her. "Umm...Lonnie wasn’t mad at you was he?" she finally finished. ‘Faith you are such a wimp’ she thought to herself.
JC raised an eyebrow before laying his head back in her lap. "Oh, um..no." he whispered. "Good," she said as her voice cracked through the tears that were still present. She continued to massage his scalp and JC felt his eyes get heavy. As the bus hit a bump her arm slid around him to keep him from falling off the couch. The feel of her arm around him made him smile. "JC, you should get some sleep sweetie," she whispered. He sighed and smiled up at her before closing his eyes and pulling her arm farther around him. "Night Faith."
As he drifted off to sleep she studied the features of his face. His arm loosened a bit on hers and she knew he was asleep. She ran her finger along his bottom lip and smiled as the corners of his mouth slightly twinged. She noticed the stubble that lined his chin and the masculinity of it. She looked at the tiny little chicken pox scars on his cheek and forehead before turning her attention to his eyes. His beautiful blue eyes were now being delicately covered by his eyelids as he rested peacefully in her arms. His eyes held so much passion and intensity that they had the ability to make her weak in the knees. As she scanned his features again she looked down at his ear. She giggled quietly as she ran her finger across his earlobe. Nobody ever understood what her fetish was with his ears, but if they could just see the beauty that she saw they would understand perfectly.
He stirred slightly and snuggled closer to her. He sighed happily and she could feel his breath on her wrist as her hand rested comfortably on his cheek. She gazed at him lovingly and thought to herself, ‘This man is beautiful...inside and out.’ Her thoughts were interrupted as her cell phone rang from her bag. After a complicated blend of lifting and reaching she finally got it without waking up JC.
"Hello," she said quietly into the phone. She was unprepared for who would be waiting for her on the other end, but as she heard his voice the knot in her stomach returned. "Hey there blue eyes. How’s my girl today?" She tried her best to remain calm because she didn’t want him to know that he was getting to her. If he could see her shaking hands right now then he would know that he had her whipped. "Can I help you with something Travis?" she snapped back coldly.
She heard his words, but all she could think about was how she had to keep him away from JC. The anger that she saw in his eyes last night scared her, and although she knew it was only to protect her she never wanted to see that look again. When she heard his next words her breath caught in her throat. "What?" she coughed as if she hadn’t heard him correctly. "You heard me babe. I want to see you and JUST YOU tonight. We need to talk about some things...mostly about us." She swallowed hard before calmly speaking into the phone, "Travis, how many times do I have to tell you that there is no US. WE as in you and me...are NOT a couple anymore. There is no US."
He didn’t answer her right away, but she could hear his shallow breathing on the other end. She was just about to hang up when she heard his voice whisper, "Faith, I love you and I need you." She felt JC slide his hand on top of hers and she looked down at him. ‘Travis loves me but I love you’ she thought to herself. "Faith, if you can honestly tell me that you don’t love me then I will leave you alone forever. I mean honestly look me in the eyes and tell me that."
Travis’ words snapped her attention back to him. "So, you’re telling me that all I have to do is look you right in the eyes and honestly tell you that I don’t love you?" she quickly questioned. "That’s what I’m saying," he answered. "Fine, I’ll meet you tonight then." He chuckled happily but his next sentence made her weary of what she had just said. "Alright, but...DURING the show. That way I know that jerk that’s trying to steal you away from me won’t be around...or Lance. I’m sure that spunky friend of yours won’t be missing her loverboy Justin either, so no worries. I’ll meet you at 9 on the dot. That’s when they go on...I’ve done my homework."
She rolled her eyes and frowned at his cocky attempt at being witty. "Fine Travis. Exactly at 9 o’clock. Where?" He chuckled, "Well, at the arena of course. We wouldn’t want Lance thinking you had deserted him for the night now would we?" "Fine, the arena at 9 o’clock right in front of the box office," she snapped back ignoring his attempts to get to her. "Till then my love....oh and tell JC I said hello." Faith’s eyes quickly jumped to JC sleeping peacefully in her lap as she heard the click on the other end of the line. "You asshole," she mumbled to herself as she threw the phone down on the couch.
"Unless JC is saying some pretty terrible things in his sleep, I would say you just got a phone call you didn’t like." Joey’s words made Faith jump and nearly hit JC in the nose. "Jesus Joey, you scared the hell out of me," she snapped back as Joey threw a hand up in defense. "I’m sorry...didn’t mean to scare you," he said as he eyed her carefully. "Is everything ok Faith? You don’t seem to be yourself today." She rubbed her temples attempting to force away the headache that was causing the pounding sensation in her head. "Yeah Joey, I’m fine hon...just one of those days I guess." He glanced from her to JC to the phone laying on the couch next to her. He didn’t buy her story but decided it was best not to push the issue. "Faith, if you need me...you know I’m here anytime." She smiled up at him, "Thanks Joey and I just might take you up on that before it’s over."
As everyone sat around quietly listening to the meeting going on Faith's thoughts seemed to run wild. What in the world was she thinking? How was she ever going to explain this meeting with Travis without everyone thinking it was a date? She made a promise to Brynn that she had every intention of keeping, but most of all she had made a promise to herself long ago. She was not going to let Travis destroy her. She refused to allow it. As she glanced over at JC who sat quietly chewing on his hamburger she smiled. More than anything I refuse to let him destroy JC.
"Alright guys, we have a problem. The elevators for the end of ‘God Must Have Spent’ are not working properly. So, you’re gonna have to improvise tonight," the stage manager informed the group as they all sat around on the stage. Justin looked at the guys and smiled, "Woohoo...I get to do the ending like the last tour." Chris threw a french fry at him and turned his head quickly. "I saw that you old geezer," he said as he chucked it back at him.
"I know this isn’t like the greatest ending you could have or anything, but just a Faith idea here. What if you just walked over and finished it from the ramp? Ya know how you finish ‘Tearin’ Up My Heart’ over on the right ramp. Well, you could finish ‘God Must Have Spent’ on the left ramp," Faith piped up as she looked back and forth between the faces of her friends. "That’s a great idea," Brynn chirped happily as she glanced over at Justin.
"Actually, that is a great idea. It goes with part of the choreography for another song so it doesn’t look too spiratic and we don’t have to listen to Justin drag out ‘on you’ for 20 minutes," Lance said laughing. "That’s my Smuff." Faith’s face blushed slightly as she threw one of her own french fries at him hitting him right in the nose. Joey laughed causing Lance’s attention to fall on him. "You think that’s funny Phat-one?" Joey nodded his head and laughed louder just before he got nailed by one of Lance’s french fries. Pretty soon it was an all out war. French fries, ketchup packets, even some pieces of hamburgers were sailing through the air. When they ran out of those they threw the ice from their sodas.
Brynn was laughing so hard she hadn’t noticed Justin sneaking up behind her. He carefully grabbed the collar of her shirt and pulled it lightly. She made an effort to turn towards him just as he dumped a hand full of ice down her shirt. She squealed and jumped around as she fought to get the ice out of her shirt. When she had finally gotten the last piece out she dove for Justin knocking him off his feet. She lay on top of him laughing as he laughed beneath her. She looked down into his eyes and the intensity in that look caused them both to immediately stop laughing. He ran his hand up her back and then moved it to her cheek. As his lips touched hers she slid her hand up into his curls and pulled his head up to deepen the kiss. As they pulled back he smiled and licked his lips, "Mmm...nice lip gloss."
For the first time they both noticed that there were still five other people in the room. Brynn’s face slightly flushed as she rolled over off of him. Faith’s eyes met hers as they both smiled brightly at each other. Justin stood up and reached a hand down to help Brynn up. Once she was on her feet he made no effort to let her hand go, and Brynn made no effort to remove her hand from his. Faith couldn’t help but giggle as she looked at Justin. She walked up to him slowly and reached up to pull a pickle out of his hair. "I was gonna tell you a little sooner, but I figured that it was the last thing on your mind at..uh..." she pointed down at the spot where Brynn and Justin had been laying before looking back up at Justin, "that point." Justin smiled and squeezed Brynn’s hand tighter. "It sure wasn’t," he said as he looked back over at Brynn’s red face and smiled.
"We should probably go get cleaned up now. We still have meet and greet to do. Thanks a lot for starting this JUSTIN," Chris said chuckling. "Oh wait, I seem to remember a certain OLD MAN throwing the first fry," Justin shot back. JC looked around at the stage and laughed, "Johnny is gonna kill us." "We’ll just blame it on Chris," Brynn said laughing as she watched Chris shoot her a shocked look. "UGH...I thought you were my Homey G Funk #2...what’s up wit dat?" he said placing a hand over his heart, "I’m so hurt." He turned to Faith and laid his head on her shoulder as he pretended to cry. She patted him gently and whispered something in his ear causing him to laugh loudly before she jumped down off the stage and headed towards the back.
"What did she say?" Justin asked curiously. Chris shook his head and laughed harder, "Trust me on this one...you don’t want to know. I know one person that might like to take her up on it though." Justin’s eyes bulged as Chris glanced to JC quickly. "What?" JC asked when he saw Chris’ attention focused on him. "Nothing...nevermind," Chris said laughing as he hopped down off the stage and walked in the direction that Faith had gone. Joey jumped down to run after him, "CHRIS!! Wait..wait..wait..Joey NEEDS details!!" The others laughed as they slowly climbed off the stage to follow them. "She really shouldn’t encourage him," Brynn said laughing. Justin shook his head and laughed, "She’s just as bad as he is sometimes."
As the group walked behind the stage none of them noticed the figure that sat up on the top level. He had watched every move they made, but most importantly every move that Faith made. "Travis, you gotta make tonight count buddy. This could be your last shot," he whispered to himself as he watched the last of them disappear. A moment later Faith came running out with Joey hot on her heels. Her laughter filled the empty arena and Travis smiled. "I love you blue eyes." He watched as Joey caught her and spun her around in circles before giving her a big hug. He walked towards the doorway and turned around to get one last look at her. She and Joey had laid down on the stage and were now engrossed in their own conversation. "Until tonight babe," he whispered and blew her a kiss before leaving the arena.
"Where's Lonnie??" A stage director said as he entered into the room where the guys, Faith, and Brynn were sitting 20 minutes before the show began. They all looked around before Brynn piped up. "I'll go find him." She offered, getting up off of the chair she sat on. Justin's eyes watched her curiously as she opened the door to the long hall of the venue and closed it behind her. Looking down both ways of the empty hall she headed to her right. Glancing into all the open rooms she spotted no Lonnie.
"I wonder where he is." She murmured to herself. Sighing she began to turn around when the door for the stairs opened at the end of the hall. She smiled figuring it was Lonnie, maybe coming up to grab the guys. Turning back to face the door she began jogging towards it. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the husky figure trotting out of the door wasn't her friend Lonnie. "Oh my god, it's Travis." She whispered to herself before looking back to make sure none of the guys or Faith had come out of the toy room.
Walking towards him, Brynn took a deep breath. The frown that had formed on her face deepened as he turned to her and made himself look comfortable. "Well look who it is." Travis said, playing up to her with a plastered smile. Brynn tried to sound authoritative. "Why are you here Travis?" She asked.
Travis' fake smile left his face when he saw that she wouldn't take his sweetness. "Did Faith's little ‘FRIEND' send you down here?" He asked stepping closer to her. His voice sounded a bit wobbly and Brynn turned her head at the smell of his breath. Quickly realizing the slight alcohol scent she turned back to him. "WHY are you here Travis?" She asked again, backing up, knowing now he was slightly drunk and capable of anything.
Just as she had suspected, he came towards her. To her surprise though, he put a sharp hand on her shoulder and gripped it tightly. Pointing his long index finger on her nose, he talked sharply. "I don't know who you think you are, but to me your just a little bitch who's getting in the way of the love Faith and I share." He said, slamming her hard into the wall behind her. Shaken but not hurt, it took Brynn a minute to realize what Travis had just done. "What love Travis. THERE IS NO LOVE." Brynn said, rubbing the back of her head that had swung against the wall.
Travis' red and angered face came at her again as she flinched. But before he could reach her, Brynn looked back as two strong hands landed on Travis' chest and flung him back into the wall behind him. "If you EVER lay a hand on her OR Faith again, you'll have to answer to me. There are MORE than enough people here to take you down without even so much as a scream." Justin's powerful and strong words were music to Brynn's ears as Travis looked away from Justin's harsh glare and mumbled something before he headed back down the stairs. Justin slammed the door before turning back around.
His concerned and worried blue eyes locked on hers as she took a deep breath and stepped away from the wall. "Are you okay?" He asked quietly, tilting his head gently. Brynn smiled reassuringly as she reached up and around his broad shoulders. "Thank you Justin." She whispered into his ear. She felt his strong arms lock around her waist and hold her protectively for a minute. Her thoughts began to race but she tried to redeem herself. Pulling away, Brynn continued. "I better go find Faith before he does."
Justin nodded his concerned head in agreement and they began to walk. "And you've got a concert to do." Brynn continued. A voice from down the hall called Justin and he turned to her before darting off. "Be careful. I could smell alcohol on his breath and I don't know why he was drinking but he was." He looked at her. "I will." She said before he turned to jog down the hall. She made her way down to the toy room and walked in. Chris was running around the room looking for his jacket. Brynn spotted it on a chair before she picked it up and handed it to him. "Thanks. And your still my homie G Funk #2" He said with a smile before shooting out of the room.
"Wait!! Where did Faith go!?!?" Brynn yelled after him. "She said she had something she had to do!!" Chris replied before turning a corner and falling out of sight. ‘Something she had to do?' Brynn repeated in her head, worried that something might have to do with Travis.
Faith made her way through the thinning lines of fans as the concert was starting. She heard the beginning of "No Strings Attached" and the wild uproar and smiled. ‘They are too much.' She thought of her friends.
Looking around as she stood in front of the box office, she began to think maybe he wouldn't show. But immediately her hopes were distinguished as she felt someone tap her shoulder and she turned around to find Travis standing before her. His leather jacket and khaki slacks made him look somewhat sophisticated, but she knew what he was trying to do. Plus, the minute he opened his mouth he looked less attractive than ever.
"My Faith, so kind of you to join me this evening." He stuck out his arm to escort her and she frowned as he began to pull her away with him. "Where are we going Travis?" She asked. "Just somewhere a little more comfortable." He concluded with a devious smile. Suddenly a pang of worry hit her stomach but she shrugged it off. ‘All I have to say are those words, and he's gone.' She thought uncertainly as he headed with the direction of the crowd.
‘Where's Faith?' JC thought to himself worriedly as he looked up to see Faith not sitting in her usual seat. He looked over to Brynn who was darting glances in every direction. He watched closely as she got up and began to walk around the inside of the arena, as if she was looking for something she'd lost. JC's forehead creased slightly as they walked in for a 5 second break.
"Where's Faith?" He grabbed Lance's arm on his way by. Lance looked at him confused. "I don't know." He answered, surprised at the question that was on JC's mind in the middle of a concert. Truthfully, JC knew questions like that were always on his mind lately, but tonight, not seeing her usual smile made him worry.
Faith's eyes began to show major worry as she looked up at the sign above the tunnel Travis had just led her through. FLOOR SEATING. Then turning to look straight ahead she realized what Travis was doing. He led her over to an open spot less than 15 feet from the stage, despite her struggles to get him to turn around.
Now they were in full view for JC, Lance, Justin, Joey, and Chris. She looked up and saw JC's eyes immediately lock on her. Feeling almost ready to collapse, Faith attempted to get away from Travis one more time.
"Travis, why did you bring us in here?" She said, close to tears, knowing JC was watching. "I want you to tell me you don't love me in front of everyone. Show me the truth Faith." He said deviously, grabbing both her hands. She struggled to get out of his grip but failed miserably. He pulled her close so that she could feel his breath on her forehead. It was then she smelled the scent of alcohol.
"Travis, have you been drinking??" She asked, flabbergasted. "Just for you baby." His response took her by surprise. "What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, disgusted. Trying to pull away he answered with, "Tell me Faith. Tell me in my eyes you don't love me."
Taking a deep breath she looked as deep into his eyes as she possibly could. "I don't love you Travis. I never have, and I never will. I don't love you." She said, trying to be forceful. Yet she didn't feel his hand raise from behind her back and grab her shoulder. Pulling her towards him she felt his lips slam against hers.
"Faith!! I've been..." Brynn ran up behind her but stopped mid-sentence when she saw Travis pull Faith towards him and envelope her into a kiss. Staring, with deep breathing, she immediately looked up at JC who's eyes looked like they were ready to burst with anger. He seemed to have frozen.
"Bye, Bye, Bye, bye bye." The words rang out and the crowd cheered indignantly. Brynn watched as Faith thrust Travis away with all her might and ran away crying. JC, up on stage, stood watching the whole scenario before bounding off stage himself, tears in his own eyes. Brynn chased after Faith, as Justin, Lance, Joey, and Chris watched the whole scene pass before their eyes. "Oh no." Justin said aloud as the others nodded in agreement. With that they flew offstage after JC.
Faith ran as fast as she could through her blinding tears. She heard someone calling her name behind her, but nothing seemed to be registering in her mind right now. All she knew was she had to get away from Travis and she had to find some way to get away from JC’s stare. She ran through the crowd and before she knew it she could feel the fresh air hit her face with a burst as she ran through the front doors and down the stairs.
When she couldn’t run any longer she sat down and let the tears take her over. She could hear the fans around her happily conversing about the amazing show they had just seen. Little did they know that while their world seemed so much better, other’s worlds had just crashed around them. She wiped her cheeks as more tears cascaded down.
When she felt the arm slide around her shoulders she jumped fearing it was Travis, but when she heard Brynn’s voice she instantly went into her friend’s arms. "Brynn...I..." her tears hindered the words that she wanted to get out. Brynn gently stroked her hair and tried to calm her. "Shh...it’s ok Faith," she whispered in her ear, "he’s not gonna hurt you anymore."
The tears wouldn’t stop as her heart broke more and more with the thought of JC. She was so embarrassed, and now JC was going to think that she had done just what she promised everyone she wouldn’t do. As she sobbed on Brynn’s shoulder her hopes quickly faded away from her.
"JC, come on man...let me in," Justin’s concerned voice sounded from behind the door. "No, just go away. Please." JC said through a clenched jaw. He was so angry with himself for allowing himself to fall for her. More than anything he was angry with Travis for having such power over her. He ran his hands through his hair as a warm tear slid down his cheek. He picked up the water bottle that sat next to him and flung it against the wall causing water to splatter everywhere. "DAMN IT JC!! WHY DO YOU HAVE TO LOVE HER?!!" he screamed as he slid back down into the chair and let his tears take over.
A moment later a key turned in the lock and the door opened. Lance walked in followed by Lonnie and Justin. Lonnie stepped back allowing the friends to work out whatever problem was facing them. Chris and Joey came thundering into the room and stopped when they saw the condition that JC was in. Never had they seen their friend openly sob the way he was at this moment and none of them knew exactly what to do. Mike walking into the room snapped Lance’s attention to the doorway. He immediately dashed over when he saw that neither Faith or Brynn was with him.
"Where are they? Where is Faith?" Lance questioned with a very concerned tone. Mike placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him before answering, "We don’t know Lance. We’re still looking, but they aren’t in the arena. I sent Dre to look outside." Lance ran a hand through his hair and glanced back to JC who was now talking to Joey through his tears. "This has gotten out of hand," he grumbled as he dashed past Mike and headed back into the arena. He rounded the first corner and ran right into Travis knocking him off his feet.
No sooner had Travis hit the floor than Lance pounced on him. His fist connected with Travis’ nose in an attempt to release some of the frustrations that he had caused that evening. Mike’s strong arms reached down ripping Lance off of him as Travis scrambled back onto his feet. "What the hell?" Travis spat out as he glared at Lance with fiery eyes. "MIKE, LET ME GO!!" Lance yelled. With all the commotion going on in the hallway several other security officers came running and tried to hold Travis back.
Mike in an effort to calm Lance had to drag him back to the toy room. "MIKE!!" Lance yelled as he kicked his legs trying to free himself. As they entered the room Mike sat Lance down forcefully in the chair, his large arms holding him down. "Lance, stop it man. Beating the hell out of him isn’t gonna help anything," his deep authoritative voice boomed through the room. Chris and Justin walked over to assist Mike while Joey walked JC out the door towards the busses.
"Guys, we have got to get out of here. This is gonna create a frenzy with the fans. They know the busses haven’t left yet," Lonnie informed nervously. "We’re gonna have to send out a decoy. If not then we’ll never get them out of here in once piece. Not to mention the fact that we still haven’t found Faith or Brynn. Where the hell is Dre?" Mike’s attention focused on Lonnie as he spoke, "We have to get these guys out of here now Lonnie. Leave a limo and I’ll find the girls and bring them to the hotel."
"Who are you and what are you doing back here?" a husky voice spoke as he glared at Travis. "My name is Travis sir. I’m dating Faith. I’m so sorry if I caused you any inconvenience, but he just lunged at me," Travis answered innocently, "I was just going to see my girl." The security guard’s fiery eyes burned into him as he lifted him up from the chair and escorted him to the door, "I better not ever and I mean EVER see your face around here again. Is that understood?"
Travis nodded his head and quietly opened the door. "Once again sir, I am very sorry," he said before closing the door softly behind him. No sooner had the door closed than Travis saw three familiar figures heading towards him. As they got closer he saw the tears streaming down Faith’s cheeks and his smile faded. "Blue eyes," he whispered. Her fiery eyes darted towards him as she stalked up to him punching him in the chest. "I HATE YOU!! WHY THE HELL WON’T YOU JUST GO AWAY!!" she screamed as Brynn ran up and turned her away from him.
Brynn’s fiery eyes shot a warning at Travis. He stepped back out of the way as Dre stepped up to him, placing a hand on either side of his head. "I’m gonna say this one time and only one time. The next time it’s not gonna be pretty. Do I need to say it slowly so that you can get it all?" The smirk on Travis’ face was nauseating as Dre laid it out for him. "You so much as breathe in her direction again and I will personally see to it that every bone in your body is broken. Have I made myself clear?" Travis slid out from under his arms before smiling brightly. "Perfectly," he answered before heading off in the opposite direction of Faith.
The entire bus ride was silent and the elevator ride up to the rooms was even quieter. JC lay in his bed trying to find anything to keep his mind off of Faith and the pain due to his shattered heart. The show in Dallas was tomorrow and he had to find some way to get through this. Everytime he heard "It Makes Me Ill" he literally felt ill, and one line of "This I Promise You" was enough to send him into tears. She adored that song...she always had. From the first time she heard them sing it she had loved it. He remembered the glisten of tears in her eyes as she focused intently on them while they sang and that smile that was bright enough to light up the night sky.
He sighed loudly and rolled over fighting to find some peace. He had to tell her. Even if it meant that she laughed at him and called him a fool. He had to tell her that he loved her. Joey was right, and it was time that he did what he wanted to do so many times before. No matter how hard he tried though he couldn’t seem to get the picture of Travis’ lips pressed against hers out of his head. Her delicate gentle lips pressed so roughly to Travis’. He couldn’t seem to find a way to make the kiss they shared right. Her lips were meant for a gentle meaningful kiss, the kind that leaves the sweet taste of love lingering after your lips have parted. Most of all her lips were meant for the taste of his kiss and the love for her he held within him. As he fought the battles raging in his head he finally drifted off for a night of restless sleep.
Lance paced the floor as Justin sat on Brynn’s bed glancing back and forth between Lance and the clock. "Where the hell are they? She’s ok...they’re ok...they’re fine...they’re fine right Justin?" Lance questioned nervously. Justin stood up and walked over to his friend sitting him down on the bed. "Lance, I am just as worried as you are. You have got to calm down though. She’s gonna be upset when she gets here and she’s gonna need you. I’m gonna crash with Brynn again tonight and let you two have the room to yourselves. You’ve got to calm down though."
Lance shook his head and breathed in deeply just as a knock sounded at the door. He nearly knocked Justin over as he ran to it and flung it open. When he opened the door to find Dre he jumped out and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Please God, tell me you found them..both of them." Dre shook his head and pointed to the door that Brynn was coming back out of. Lance instantly ran to Brynn his eyes pleading for answers as Justin scooped her up into a hug.
Brynn hugged him back and then looked to Lance before whispering, "She’s pretty upset. She hasn’t stopped crying yet, and honestly...I don’t think I have ever seen her like this." Lance’s eyes widened as he placed his hand on his chest and breathed in deeply. "Does she want me?" he asked praying that her answer would be yes. Brynn nodded her head and called to Lance as he walked down the hall, "Justin can just sleep in my room so you guys can talk." She glanced back up at Justin as her face flushed slightly, "If that’s ok." Justin leaned over and kissed her gently on the forehead, "Of course it’s ok."
Lance knocked softly on the door and waited a few moments before it opened slowly in front of him. He was not prepared for what he saw and he was sure that he never wanted to see it again. Her eyes were red and swollen, tears still pouring from them, and she looked as if her entire world had just shattered. She stood there looking at Lance for a moment before once again letting her sobs overtake her as she went into his arms.
He held her a little while longer before walking her over to the bed to lie down. He snuggled up close to her and held her, letting her cry. No words had to be spoken at that moment. What she needed most was to just be held. In that instant he realized just how much she truly did love JC, and the heartbreak that she must have gone through everyday living with her secret. He kissed her forehead gently and whispered, "I love you Smuff." He felt her head nod against his chest as she squeezed him tighter. He didn’t know how to make her pain go away, but he knew one thing that had always comforted her. As he sang the words to "God Must Have Spent" to her he realized truly how precious she was to him and he thanked God for sending her into his life. In that same prayer he also prayed that God would find a way to mend her broken heart.
Brynn chewed on her finger nervously as she stared out the glass balcony doors. She knew she wasn’t going to be able to sleep because she couldn’t seem to find a way to calm herself down enough. She felt the bed shift and two strong arms wrap around her. She smiled as she lay her head on his chest. "Are you ok? He didn’t hurt you did he?" Justin whispered as he stroked her hair. "No, I’m not the one he hurt sweetie," she whispered back as she closed her eyes feeling his fingers in her hair.
"I don’t think I have ever been so scared in my life," he whispered as he kissed the top of her head gently, "the look on your face when he had you pinned against that wall...it scared me." Brynn sat up on her elbow and looked up into his mesmerizing blue eyes, "Thank you for saving me. I don’t know what would’ve happened if you hadn’t come." She leaned up farther and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. As she opened her eyes she saw the smile that had lit up his face just before he leaned in for another kiss. His hand roamed over her back as his arms held her close to him. She could feel his heart beating against her hand as she placed a few teasing kiss from his lips down his neck.
Their eyes locked as he brushed a stray hair out of her face. "Brynn, can I ask you something?" She nodded her head not breaking away from his intense stare. "Promise not to laugh?" She smiled at him and kissed his lips again softly. "Promise." He smiled down at her and kissed the end of her nose gently. "Will you be my girlfriend?" She giggled and kissed him again before asking, "Will you hold my hand?" He nodded his head and intertwined his fingers with hers as she smiled slyly and continued, "Will you kiss me?" A smile crept up on his face as he leaned in and kissed her softly on the cheek. She raised her eyebrow and stuck her lip out into a playful pout. He chuckled as he leaned in and nibbled on her bottom lip gently before pulling her head up and kissing her passionately. As he pulled back and looked deep into her blue green eyes she leaned up again to playfully kiss the end of his nose. "Mmm...you’ve got yourself a girlfriend," she said as a smile lit up her face. He pulled her close to him again and snuggled closer as they drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms.
