A steady stream of light entered the room like a blinding flash. The late morning sun already high in the sky, filling the outside world with warmth and energy, was trying to accomplish the same feat inside the quiet hotel room.
But alas, it was going to take more than a little sunlight to energize this particular room and its occupant.
A loud thud sounded in the hallway, making enough of a noise to stir awake the figure beneath the covers. A light groan greeted the day, followed by a series of snorts, yawns and small movements, before the figure was yet again motionless.
Another thud from the hall caused more movement from the figure, this time a long arm stretching above the blankets to pull them down from its face.
Opening his eyes ever so slowly, they were greeted by the bright sun shining directly at him. Immediately regretting his lack of good judgment, his eyes squinted closed and the blankets brought back up and over his head.
Squirming beneath the blankets, Justin tried to get comfortable again, but it wasn't working. The insatiable pounding in his head make it damn near impossible for him to do anything other than concentrate on the pain. His stiff back, sore muscles and dry mouth all combined with the pain in his head to make this certainly one of his worst mornings.
Almost cautiously, he pulled the blanket down from his face, keeping his eyes closed as he lowered the edge of the sheets to below his arms. Turning his head towards the window, he carefully opened his eyes again. The pain wasn't as shocking this time, but it wasn't the best idea he had come up with.
Covering his eyes with a trembling hand, he groaned. Pushing the blankets further down his long body, Justin pushed himself up before leaning his weight back on one elbow.
God, what the hell had he done last night? Ran into a wall three hundred times head first?
By the way his head pounded, that explanation didn't seem too far fetched.
Pushing himself up further into a sitting position, he rubbed his hands over his face before deciding to try and open his eyes again. Keeping a hand over his eyes to block out some of the suns glare, Justin untangled his legs from the sheets and swung them over the side of the bed.
Lowering his head, he opened his eyes completely and focused on a spot on the floor.
Had the sun always been this fucking bright? he wondered.
He tried to yawn, but the actions only caused his head to hurt more. Instead, his face contorted into a scrunching pout as he tried to keep himself from yawning aloud.
Glancing over at the clock, he noticed that it was past eleven.
They weren't scheduled to leave for Philadelphia until two, so he still had plenty of time to recover.
A quiet burp filled the room, and Justin could taste the alcohol on his breath. It made him cringe, and he wondered what the hell he had drank last night that made him feel this much like a piece of shit run over on the highway. Cause whatever it was, there was no way it was worth all this pain.
He tired to remember the events of the night before, but all that registered in his mind was pain. The more he tired to force his memory into cooperating, the more it told him to fuck off and go back to sleep.
Glancing at the clock again, he contemplated just that. He could sleep for another hour before he even had to start gathering his things to head to the next city. They never left on time, so it wasn't a big deal if he got a little more sleep.
That way, he would be more prepared if any of the guys asked him what he did last night. Or if Jake, his bodyguard, asked him why he looked like he had been at a bar. He knew he was going to get in trouble for going out the night before without security, but he wanted a little 'Justin time'. He wanted to be anonymous, and that is kind of hard to do when you have a two hundred and fifty pound, six foot four black man with a bald head and tattoos down either arm following your every move.
Hopefully, no one noticed he went out the night before. Therefore, if he could get a little more sleep, then avoid everyone as much as possible without raising suspicion until he felt a little better, then he would be in the clear.
Smiling at his plan, Justin raised his arms over his head as he stretched his tired back.
A sigh filled the room, and Justins eyes widened.
He wasn't the one who sighed.
Lowering his arms, he carefully peered over his shoulder.
In a flash, he was up and out of the bed, across the room and standing in the corner. His eyes wide and his heart racing, he stared back at the still occupied bed he had so quickly vacated.
There was someone else in his bed. And that person was a naked woman.
Panic overtook him as his mind raced. He desperately tried to remember any detail of the night before, but all he got was fuzzy thoughts and nausea.
What had he done? What the fuck did he do last night? Who was this person and why the hell were they in his room, and more importantly, in his bed?
The woman in the bed sighed deeply, before rolling her body over to face Justin. Her tired eyes blinked, squinting at the bright sun welcoming her before she raised a slender arm to her face. Blocking out the sun, she opened her eyes wider before scanning them around the unfamiliar room.
When her eyes locked on Justin, his heart stopped. His breath caught in his throat, and his body tensed.
She looked at him for a long while, neither one of them saying a word.
Suddenly, the woman pushed herself up to lean back on her elbows, her eyes still locked on Justin. He didn't even blink. Justin stared at her, terrified to move.
She looked him over a few times, before allowing her eyes to leave him and scan the room. Her clothes were strewn about the room, as were his. Rubbing her head, she groaned slightly.
The noise she made caused Justin to jump slightly, her eyes returning to him.
The woman pushed herself up further and into a sitting position. Crossing her legs beneath herself under the blankets, she held the sheets tightly around her still naked body.
Watching him for a moment, she broke the silence. "Hi." she whispered.
Justin didn't respond. Still, he didn't even blink.
"Um," the woman said, narrowing her eyes and shaking her head. Swallowing hard, she sighed. "Ugh, I feel awful."
Justin didn't respond, but he did blink. A big accomplishment on his part at the moment.
Justin looked her over repeatedly, yet his eyes never moved.
Her long, slender body was hidden by the blankets. The tan color of her skin contrasted the crisp white of the sheets. Her arms wrapped around the top of her chest, holding the sheets in place. Her green eyes watched him periodically, but never keeping focus on him for more than a few moments while her pale lips pursed in thought and confusion. Her short, dark hair was tousled, fringes falling in her eyes.
Grinning uncomfortably, she tightened the sheets around herself. "Um, I know I probably did this last night," pausing, she narrowed her green eyes. "Or at least I hope I did." Laughing awkwardly, she sighed before looking back up at Justin. "I'm Trystan."
Her words breaking him from his panicking thoughts, Justin raised his eyes to hers. "I'm Ju--"
"Justin, I know." she finished his sentence with a smile. Noticing his shock, she shrugged. "Not to add to the awkwardness of this moment, but I'm a fan."
Her light mood on the situation should have been comforting to Justin in some way, but it wasn't. He couldn't figure out what was happening, and all he could think was what Erin, his girlfriend, was going to do if she found out.
He had never been unfaithful to her during their relationship. Never. He had never even been tempted by another woman, and now here he was, with a naked stranger in his bed after a night of drinking that he couldn't even remember?
If he thought the pain in his head was horrible, it was nothing compared to the feeling his heart was going through at those thoughts.
Suddenly, a loud knock at the door broke Justin from his thoughts, causing both he and Trystan to jump. Darting his eyes between her and the door, Justin panicked on whether to answer it, or pretend he was still asleep.
"Justin!" Chris' voice called loudly from the other side of the door. "Get your pale, skinny, too-small-to-be-called-an-ass ass out of bed before I am forced to come in there and kick your pale, skinny, too-small-to-be-called-an-ass ass!"
Hearing the door rattle as Chris tried to open it, Justin rushed over and pressed his weight against it.
"I'm awake Chris!" he yelled back, trying his best to keep the tiredness out of his voice.
"Aw, I was wanting to kick some ass." Chris whined. Pushing on the door again, he pouted. "Open up!"
"No!" Justin yelled back. "Im-" looking around the room, he blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. "Naked!"
"Ugh! Man, don't even say that! You know how easily I get mental pictures of stuff! The last thing I want to start my day off with is a mental picture of you naked!" Chris scolded.
Peering through the peep hole in the door, Justin jumped when he noticed Chris trying to do the same. "What do you want, Chris?"
"I just wanted to tell you that we're leaving early." he answered, still trying to open the door. "You've got about an hour before we have to be downstairs and on the buses."
"Okay, thanks, good to know. Bye." Justin rambled. He knew his odd behavior was probably not a good idea, but he couldn't help but be a little frantic at the moment. A naked stranger in your bed could do that to a person.
"Well jeez." Chris whined. "Not even going to invite me in for tea and crumpets? Fine! See if I care." Justin watched through the peep hole was Chris walked away. Seconds later, he was back. "You sure you don't wanna get in a good morning ass kickin?"
"Yeah, I'm sure." Justin answered, rolling his eyes.
"Okay, just checking." Chris said. "See ya downstairs. And don't be late! I don't want Anthony kicking my ass thinking I didn't tell you!"
"Okay." Justin said, mentally urging Chris to leave. Thankfully, he did.
Checking once more to make sure Chris was gone, Justin turned and leaned his back against the door with a sigh.
This was not good. This was so far away from being good, that the light from good would never reach the situation he was in.
Pushing away from the door, Justin ventured back into the room, cautiously peering around the corner to look at the woman still sitting in the bed.
"Is he gone?" she asked, her voice quiet.
Justin nodded. "Yeah."
Trystan nodded, before her eyes fell to her hands which were fidgeting in her lap. The sheets were tight around her chest, her legs crossed Indian style beneath her.
"Listen," Justin said, rubbing his face with his hands. "I know this is going to be a really stupid question, but I have to ask."
Raising her eyes to him, Trystan nodded. "Okay."
Sighing, Justin looked at her with sad eyes. "Did we?"
It took her a moment to realize what he was asking, but she nodded. "Yeah." Narrowing her eyes at him, she tilted her head. "You don't remember?"
"No," Justin said loudly, shaking his head. "I don't remember anything. I don't usually drink, and very rarely remember anything the day after if I do drink. All I do know, is that I just slept with someone I don't even know!" Justin laughed bitterly at himself. "I just cheated on my fucking girlfriend!"
"You have a girlfriend?" Trystan asked, her voice tinted with a mixture of shock, confusion and hurt.
"Yeah," Justin nodded. "I do." He couldn't help the groan that escaped his lips. "Which is why I cant believe I did this. I've never done anything like this. I cant believe I would do something this.....this......."
"This what?" she asked.
"Stupid!" he blurted out.
The moment the words left his lips, he regretted them. Sure, he didn't know this girl, but that was part of the reason he felt bad for what he said. He was sure she was feeling the same confusion he was at this moment, and then he goes and make her feel worse by insulting her.
"I'm sorry," he immediately apologized. "I didn't mean to insult you."
Trystan shook her head, her eyes locked on a spot on the bed. "No," she replied. "Its okay. I know you didn't meant it." Justin didn't miss the hurt in her voice, and that only intensified his regret.
Pacing around the room, Justins mind raced with what to do.
He couldn't remember anything about the night before, so wasn't sure how to go about handling the situation he was in at the moment. Should he ask her if she remembered anything? What happened? Or even, who came on to whom?
Glancing up to the clock on the night stand, Justin groaned. "Ugh," running his hands through his hair, they paused mid way to grip his head. "This is going to be yet another stupid thing for me to say right now, but since I'm already on a roll," he noticed her grin at his words, so continued. "We're leaving to go to the next city in less than an hour."
Trystans eyes rose to his, but she said nothing.
Pursing his lips, Justin tried to think of what he should do. "Listen," he said, stepping up to the side of the bed. "I'm really sorry for anything I have said or done to make you feel badly. That was never my intent. I am just a little caught off guard and confused about last night." he laughed slightly before continuing. "I don't remember anything." he said, rubbing his eyes. Noticing her still staring at the bed, he sat on the edge. "Look, I don't really know what to do or say right now to make any of this less uncomfortable. But I don't want you to feel badly." Reaching over to the phone, he picked the receiver up and looked back to her. "If you would like, I will book this room for one more night. You can stay here tonight if you want. Or even just hang out, have a shower or whatever and take your time before going home. I know it doesn't make up for anything, but its all I can think of." he laughed uncomfortably.
Her eyes slid over to the phone in his hands, before looking up at him. He wasn't sure if he had just insulted her again with his offer, or if she had even heard him.
Slowly, her head nodded in agreement. "Okay."
Smiling comfortingly at her, Justin dialed the front desk and asked that the room be charged to his credit card for an additional night.
Hanging up the phone, he turned back to her. "Listen, I'm going to take a quick shower and pack up my things before anyone notices that I'm not ready to go."
She nodded, her eyes avoiding his.
Watching her for a moment longer, Justin stood from the edge of the bed and gathered a change of clothes before walking into the bathroom.
Closing the door behind him, he immediately dropped his calm composure. His lips shook with emotion, his hands shaking. Leaning on the sink for support, Justin fought to keep his balance.
What was he doing? What was he going to tell Erin? She would never forgive him for this. He would never forgive himself.
Forcing himself to keep calm, Justin showered quickly, the entire time his mind racing with possibilities of the night before.
He tried as hard as he could, but the only thing he could remember was laying in bed after the concert, missing Erin, feeling like shit and deciding to go out and forget his troubles. He couldnt remember what club or bar he ended up at. He didnt even remember how he got back to the hotel.
Stepping out of the shower and onto the cold tile floor, Justin felt numb. His entire body felt forgien to him and he couldnt even look at his own reflection in the mirror as he dressed.
Gathering his belongings from the bathroom, he reluctantly returned to the bedroom.
Justin was surprised to see that Trystan was now dressed in one of his t-shirts, sitting on the edge of the bed. Looking up at him, she grinned. "I hope this is okay." she said, motioning to the shirt. "All I have to wear is the dress I had on last night."
Justin nodded at her. "No, that's fine. You can keep it."
Crossing the room, Justin began to gather his clothes, CDs and other items from around the room to carelessly toss into his suitcase. He tried to act naturla, but it wasnt working out too well. All he wanted was to get out of that hotel room, and out of New York. As far away from last night as he could. He knew he would never be able to escape what he had done, but all he could think was leaving. As soon as he could.
Flipping over the lid on his suitcase, he fought to close it. He had thrown all his belongings inside in such a dishevled manner, that it made it impossible to close the suitcase. Suddenly, he heard Trystan laugh behind him.
"You're never going to get that closed like that." she laughed. "Here," she said, crossing the distance between herself and Justin. "Let me do it."
Flipping open the lid again, she reached inside the suitcase and carefully began rearranging the items to make more room. Finishing, she flipped the lid closed again, and slid the zipper easily along the edge, closing it tightly.
Straightening herself, she smiled at Justin.
He grinned back at her uncomfortably. "Thanks."
"No problem." she replied.
Staring at her for a moment, Justin pulled his suitcase up and off the chair, setting it beside him.
"Well," he said, clearing his throat. "I guess I have to--"
"You have to go." she said, finishing his sentence. "I understand."
Biting his lip, he looked at her. "Listen, I am really sorry about last night. I never meant for it to happen."
Again, a look of hurt crossed her delicate features, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. "That's okay." she said quietly.
Trying his best to give her a smile of encouragement, Justin sighed. "Good bye, Trystan."
Returning his gesture, she tired to smile. "Good bye, Justin."
Feeling he should do something, Justin leaned over and hugged her gently. She stood still for a moment, before returning the embrace. Pulling back, Justin squeezed her arm reassuringly before turning towards the door.
Pulling the door open slightly, he turned and gave her one last look. She still stood in place, wearing his t-shirt, her hands clasped nervously behind her. He gave her one last smile before walking through and allowing the door to close behind him.
With the loud thunk of the door closing behind him, Justin exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.
He would never forgive himself for this. No matter what was to happen; whether he told Erin or not, he was going to have to live with the mistake he made for the rest of his life.
Sighing to himself, Justin turned and headed down the hall towards the elevators where Jake stood waiting for him.
"Hey, J." Jake greeted, reaching out a large hand to pat Justin on the back. "Good to have you join the land of the living."
Justin grinned at him. "Thanks."
"So, you ready escape the craziness of New York?" he asked as the two stepped into the elevator together. Pushing the button for the lobby, Jake crossed his strong arms over his chest.
Looking up at the illuminated numbers as the elevator descended the floors towards the lobby, Justin sighed. "More than you realize."
