Flashes of light filled the car every few seconds, illuminating the interior briefly before the car passed the overhead street lights and moved on to the next as it sped down the highway. A warm breeze poured into the car from the open passenger side window, Erins hair swaying against the wind.
The night air was warm. It was the kind of Orlando night everyone loved. Warm, without being hot, with just a hint of a cool breeze to cool the skin after the heat of the day.
Usually, it was the kind of night Justin loved. But this wasn't a usual night.
Tonight, his mind was racing with what he had just found in his car.
His hands tightly gripped the steering wheel as he tried his best to concentrate on the road in front of him. The last thing he needed was to get in an accident on the way to Joeys.
Breathing deeply, Justin tilted his head in an attempt to relieve some of the stress in his shoulders.
How had she gotten in his car? She had to have gotten in somehow to be able to leave the picture sitting on the passenger seat. But how? His car was always locked, the alarm always armed. There was no way for her to get in without setting it off.
But that wasn't what was worrying him most. More than anything, he was frantic at the thought that he was right. She had been at the grocery store that day. More than likely, it had been her he had seen for that flash second, and again in the line as he was leaving. More than ever, he wished he had just stayed a few moments longer to be able to see her face, instead of dismissing his own concern and walking away.
He had stared at the photo for what seemed like hours, but in reality it had only been a few moments. Before he knew it, Erin was climbing into the passenger seat of the car. Quickly, he shoved the photo in the seat pocket to his left, hiding it from her view.
She didn't miss the panicked look in his eyes as she turned to face him. It was unmistakable. He looked as if he had just seen a ghost.
She had questioned him, but he immediately dismissed her worry with a smile. He simply said that he had thought of something he had to do later. Now, even he knew that that excuse was lame, but he couldn't think of anything better than that in such short notice.
She had tried to question him again, but he just smiled and started the car, telling her not to worry about it.
They hadn't spoken much during the drive to Joeys. Erins stared out the window, the breeze in her air blowing loose strands into her eyes. Occasionally, she would reach up and slide them behind her ear. Her motions were delicate and feminine, and it still amazed Justin how she could be so completely unaware of her sexuality, when it almost but completely overtook his senses.
Most of the time.
At this moment, his thoughts were elsewhere. Places he hoped they would never be again.
But he didn't always get what he wanted.
Now, he had no doubt that it had been Trystan at the grocery store. There was no other explanation. And now he was almost convinced that it had been her leaving the blank messages on his answering machine, and the one not speaking when the phone was answered.
But of all this, one question still rang in his head.
Why?
Why would she go to all this trouble to get in touch with him, just to end up not even saying anything. If she had a point to make, then by all means, make it. Say whatever she had to say, and let him go.
He knew that she was probably upset about being pushed out of his life, but what did she expect? She knew he had a girlfriend. She was told that clearly that first morning in New York, and at the time she had appeared to understand. At that time, she appeared to be almost embarrassed about the situation they were in. But as time went on, she seemed almost glad. As if she was thankful that it had happened, and that she now had a reason to get in contact with him.
She said she had understood. Granted, he knew it probably wasn't easy, but surely it was understandable why things had to be the way they were. He had a girlfriend. One that he loved more than life itself. What he had with Trystan was just a one night stand. A mistake made from a combination of loneliness and alcohol. Something he would never do again and something he wished had never happened.
More than anything, it was something he wished he could take back.
His first impression of Trystan had been that she was a woman of confidence and control. Someone with a good head on her shoulders, and one that knew how things in the world worked.
Things like what happened between them surely happened all the time, and this was no exception. It was a mistake.
The only difference was that he was Justin Timberlake.
But the more he got to know her, the more he saw different sides of her. Her confidence had wavered, even if only momentarily, giving fleeting glimpses of her hidden angers and resentments. Her reactions had more than once been ones to surprise him, and he had no way of knowing what she was capable of.
Because in reality, he didn't even know her.
For all he knew, she was completely unstable. Capable of anything at any time, and that he was not safe anywhere.
Sure, he was probably overreacting. No matter how obsessed she may have been becoming with him, she wasn't necessarily dangerous to him.
She was probably just pissed off for being dismissed from his life, and was trying to scare him. Trying to make him worry and use these tactics as a way to get herself back into his head.
If that was her plan, it was working brilliantly.
Now knowing that she was in fact still in the Orlando area, he had to find out where. He had to find her somehow, and talk to her. It was the last thing he wanted, but he had to do it. He had to before this went any further.
He didn't want to involve the police, because that was just not an option for him. If anyone found out about this, then the reasons behind it would be discovered as well.
And if he went to the police, somehow the media would get a hold of the information. They had an amazing way about them for finding out things that even he didn't know about. It seemed as if something would happen in his life, and within a few hours, it would be front page news.
This was certainly one thing he didn't want to see publicized.
He had to find her. Somehow, he had to get in contact with her. But for the life of him he didn't know how to do that. He didn't know where she was staying, or even where to start looking.
"Justin?" Erins voice broke him from his thoughts.
Turning to look at her, he did his best to appear normal.
"Hmm?"
"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice laced with concern. "You look as if you're completely preoccupied with something."
Justin grinned slightly at her. "I'm fine."
Erin stared at him a moment longer. The intermittent lights from the overhead street lights illuminating her features periodically, her eyes shining as the lights passed.
He wasn't going to lose her. No matter what happened, losing Erin was not an option to him.
"Really," he said again, his voice soft as he turned his eyes back to the road in front of him. "I'm fine."
Erin didn't respond. She only looked at him for a moment before turning to stare back out the window at her side.
Knowing that her mind was probably racing with possibilities for his strange behavior, Justin knew he needed to settle her concern. Reaching over, he took her hand in his, squeezing it gently. Lacing his fingers with hers, he rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand soothingly.
It was a small gesture, but it calmed even him. Just the contact between them was more relaxing than anything.
Suddenly, a soft ringing came from the floor at Erins feet. Pulling her hand from Justins, she reached down and pulled her purse up and onto her lap. Rummaging through the bag in search of her phone, Justin kept his attention on the road.
Finally locating the screeching object, Erin flipped it open and pressed it to her ear.
"Hello?"
Justin looked over at her for a moment, waiting to hear her address the caller.
'Hello?" she repeated, her forehead furrowing.
Justins eyes narrowed slightly, that all too familiar feeling creeping back into his mind.
"Is someone there?" Erin called, her voice louder in an attempt to reach through to the person on the other end.
Looking over to her again, Justin directed his eyes to the back of the phone at the caller ID screen. It was partially covered by her hand, but he could still clearly make out the word.
Unknown.
Pulling the phone from her ear, Erin looked at it confused for a moment before flipping it closed.
"No one was there." she said, shrugging her shoulders as she placed the phone back in her bag. "I think something is wrong with my phone. That has happened a couple times now."
"When?" Justin asked, nervously darting his eyes between her and the road ahead.
Had there been more calls since that day a few days back? Had she received more calls like this?
"Well, I got a few that day a while ago, but you knew that." Erin explained, resting her elbow on the door at her side. "There wasn't any for a while, and my phone worked fine. But then yesterday, I got a call like this. And now tonight."
She had called her. Somehow Trystan had gotten Erins cell phone number, and was now calling her.
What if she told her? What if, out of spite for Justin, Trystan told Erin everything that had happened. About their affair in New York. The meeting and concert in Cleveland. The meet and greet in Orlando. Any of those are bad enough, but what was to stop Trystan from changing a few of the details to make it sound worse than it really was? For all he knew, she could make it sound as if it had been him contacting her, wanting her to meet with him.
The thought of any of those scenarios terrified him.
Suddenly, the phone began to ring again. Sighing, Erin reached into her bag and pulled the phone back out. Flipping it open, she pressed it to her ear again as she pushed strand of hair back behind her ear as they fluttered in the breeze from the open car window.
"Hello?"
Justins eyes were wide as he waited for Erin to speak.
"Hello?"
Justin closed his eyes painfully.
Huffing, Erin pulled the phone away from her ear, closing it quickly. Tossing it back in her bag, she crossed her arms over her chest. "Stupid thing."
"The other person is probably on a cell phone, too," Justin said, trying to offer an explanation. "Between the two, you probably just cant hear them."
"Maybe." Erin said, shrugging her shoulders.
They drove in silence for a short while, Erin staring out the window at her side as Justins mind churned with possibilities.
Once again, the ringing sounded.
"Argh!" Erin groaned as she reached for her phone again.
Reaching out, Justin took the phone from her hand just as she was about to flip it open.
"Here," he said in a calm voice. "Let me see."
Erin released her grip immediately, her hands falling to her lap.
"With pleasure." she sighed. "Stupid piece of crap phone."
Repositioning his hand on the steering wheel, Justin looked at the phone for a moment.
Again, the caller ID was the same.
Unknown.
Using his thumb to push the phone open, he watched as a series of lights brightened at the action.
He didn't want to press that phone to his ear. That small, insignificant phone was terrifying to him at that moment, and he wanted nothing more than to throw it out the window.
But that would probably look suspicious.
Swallowing hard, Justin slowly moved the phone to his ear, the sounds of the highway and wind softening as his ear was blocked with the presence of the phone.
"Hello?" he called through quietly. His voice was so low, he wasn't sure if anyone would be able to hear him.
Just as he was about to speak again, a familiar voice answered.
"Hello, Justin." the voice called cheerfully. The voice caused a shiver down his spine, and for his whole body to feel drained of all life. His hand went limp on the steering wheel, his foot lightening on the gas to slowly decrease the speed of the car.
It was a voice he never thought he was going to have to hear again. The voice of the woman he thought was out of his life.
He could almost see her smile through the phone.
"So," she said, her voice thick with pleasure and taunting. "Did you like the picture?"
