Please note that this chapter contains some mild sexual content. You've been fair-warned. Thanks. :)
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With the weight of, seemingly, the world pushing her, she slowly layed backwards down on the mattress while tears still raced down her cheeks. Her heart pumped blood to her veins faster and faster every new second that passed and her eyes would open and close periodicly.

The pain welled up inside of her until it was just one massive ball of emotion sitting in her system, eating away at her pride. This was so stupid...she had let this become something bigger than it all really was and she had pushed Justin away...just like she had told him NOT to do to her way back when. She was a total hypocrite and right now, she hated herself.

She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them to keep herself balled up on top of the mattress. The tear-stained piece of paper was being pushed against her heart as if she was trying to leave an imprint of the words.

She stayed in that same position for what she thought to be an eternity, until she knew she couldn't take the way that she was letting herself slip away from reality like this anymore. Slowly, her body unraveled until she was sitting up again and she wiped at the tears on her face. Her eyes rested on the soft words as they once again melted into her brain, engulfing her in yet another wave of guilt.

She got up and left her room, not caring at the state of mess she was in. Her focus was only on one thing right now.

Her watch read midnight and she was surprised that it was that early. She could have sworn it was at least two. She wondered if he was asleep. He...that wonderful genius that had poured out his heart in one single poem.

The sad expresson on her face spoke volumes to Lonnie, who stood on guard outside Justin's room and she didn't have to say anything to make it known that she needed to be with him. He gave her his best encouraging look and cracked open the door for her.

And when he got no acknowledgement back, he still knew that everything would work out.

Kelsie quietly walked over to Justin's bed, where as she figured, he was fast asleep. He was sprawled out on his back, his arm took up all the space of the twin side, like he was reaching out in longevity for that body that wasn't there and his other arm was resting gently on his stomach. She wanted so badly to smile because no matter what, a picture of him sleeping never failed to melt her heart.

And even though that's what it did, there was no smile tonight.

All she could do was cry even harder. She had caused him pain. Her eyes squished together at the very thought. SHE had caused him PAIN. What kind of person was she? Sure, she hadn't caused as much damage as Chloe had to him, but she hadn't believed his word. His WORD...a person's most important possession. Instead, she had ignored him, screamed at him, and had been untrusting...and for WHAT?

The tears continually cascaded down her face, two at a time, until she couldn't stand it any longer. How she wished that she could just wake up from this bad nightmare and that everything would be perfect... Chloe would be non-existant, their relationship would be back to the way it should be and the world would just go on like it had before. How she wished that she could just make all of this disappear. But...she couldn't.

She sniffled quietly, brushed the tears off her cheek one more time, and slipped underneath the twisted sheets that had been pushed down to Justin's slim waist in his restlessness. Instinctively, she snuggled up to the warmth that radiated out of him, trying to get as close as she could to him. She threw her arm around his waist and buried her face in his bare chest, finally feeling content being back in his arms. She felt his body shift onto his side as his arm pulled her closer to him, responding to her need to be as close as she could be to him.

A smile came to his lips when he felt her practically cling to him. He knew that the poem would do it and right now he felt so good just holding her, he never wanted to let her go. He hoped that she never let him go, either. His head tilted and rested against her forehead so he could kiss her temple gently.

At the contact of his lips on her skin, she closed her eyes tightly, shocked at how something so gentle could make her shiver. She had definitely forgotten how much she missed him and how good he made her feel. The emotions she was feeling combined with the guilt and pain she still felt grew to be to much for her to handle and she broke down in sobs again. Justin's arms tightened around her when he felt her tremble with tears. His hand rubbed up and down her back soothingly to let her know that it was okay but she only cried harder.

His eyes opened slowly and he pulled back some so he could look at her. Her body was shaking, glistening tears were streaking her face in the darkness, and her lips were quivering. He kissed her forehead and touched the drops of liquid on her cheeks. "Shhh...Kels, what's wrong?"

One glance at those deep, caring blue eyes and she was GONE. She had completely dropped over the edge. Her arms flew around him, clinging and grabbing at all she could get and her head dove into the crevice of his neck. The words rambled out of her mouth. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Justin!" She said it so many times he could have gone nuts. He tried lifting her off of him but she was holding on to him too tight. "Kelsie...sweetheart...you need to give me some breathing room." He kissed her cheek as she finally loosened up her grip and he touched her cheek softly, as he reached for the light switch.

He pulled his body up to a sitting position, squinting from the brightness that the room had just filled with, and looked down at her. He had never seen her like this. She was finally showing him her weak and needy side...and he guessed she didn't let that one out of her box too much because she was letting it all go right now. He didn't know what to do.

Sure, they had gone through a very stormy and very difficult time in the past week. And while it was a big deal, since they hadn't really fought like that before, it had been taken too far when it really wasn't something that should have been so big. They both hadn't been thinking straight, and while he understood that, he couldn't quite comprehend why she was getting THIS worked up over it. He had been wrong to yell at her and she had been wrong to make an assumption as big as the one she had made. Yes, they were both at fault here but they were adults and this was something that should have stopped as soon as it started.

His hand rubbed up and down her back as she kept her arms around his neck, her sobbing echoing in his chest. He could feel the drops of water that fell from her eyes trickle down his chest and it made him want to itch at them but before long, his mind was elsewhere.

"Baby...sweetheart, look at me.", his voice cooed out softy in her ear.

She raised her head a little bit to look at him and when she wanted to cry even harder, his finger touched her lips. "Please don't cry, Kelsie...I need you to sit up and talk with me..."

He helped her sit up against the back board of the bed and patted her knee as she sniffed loudly to rid herself of the clogged head she had. He started to stand up to get her a box of tissues, but she grabbed onto him and stared at him with painful eyes, clearly stating that she didn't want him to leave her.

Justin tried to smile. "I'm only going to get you some tissues. I'll be right back, I promise."

She watched as he disappeared into the bathroom to find a box of tissues, admiring how cute he looked with his sweatpants hanging low on his torso showing off his Carolina boxers. She closed her eyes again, waiting for him to come back and praying for the strength to be able to talk to him about all this. It wasn't long before she heard his footsteps.

When her eyes opened, he was shrugging a tee shirt over his chest, holding out a box of Kleenex. She grabbed at them, wiped the mascara and tear stains off her cheeks and blew her nose a few times with the other ones. Justin smiled as he watched her. People would think he was weird if he told them that he was even in love with the way this woman blew her nose...how she did it quietly so she wouldn't gross people out. He didn't want to laugh, but she was just so cute.

He sat down next to her again when she was finished and looked at her. "Feel better?", he said as he placed the box of tissues on the nightstand.

She nodded her head slightly to acknowledge him.

He frowned when she kept her head hung low, like she wasn't worthy of looking at him. He didn't like this side of her. His fingers came to the bottom of her chin and pulled her head up. She avoided his eyes for the longest time until he got a little frustrated. "Kelsie, you're not helping me here. We need to talk."

Her eyes slowly raised until they met his. But she didn't say anything.

"This isn't you, Kels. I need the strong Kelsie to come back to me. You have to tell me what's bothering you so much right now so we can try to talk about what is happening between us. I can't have you sit here and stare at me the whole time because I'm not too fond of that sad look you are giving me. Okay? Will you talk to me?"

His voice was so gentle she wanted to cry again but his words pushed her on. The strong Kelsie...You are STRONG...be strong.... She nodded. "I'll talk to you."

He smiled warmly at her voice. She had found it in her to speak, although her voice still shook, at least she had found it in her to speak. He wanted to give her a hug just for that but he was afraid if he did, she wouldn't let go. "Thank you. Can you tell me why you are so upset?"

"Justin, because!", her voice was being dragged down by that tone of pain again. That tone that showed how guilty she felt she was. "I caused you pain. I made you upset and I made you mad! I'm so upset because the poem you wrote was so beautiful and I was so wrong and you made me see that. I was so mean to you and I hurt you. I never wanted to do something that would hurt you but I did..." Her head fell again and she almost started to cry. "I'm so sorry...I'm so so sorry...."

She was rambling the same words over and over again in different ways. He couldn't handle this. "Kelsie, don't you dare let me see you cry. Pick your head up.", he waited until she looked at him before he continued talking. "You can't let those feelings take over your body. We were both wrong, myself more then you, so don't think that this is all your fault.", he paused. The look of sadness was still in her eyes. "Kelsie, this is NOT your fault."

"Fine...but SOME of it is."

"Okay...what 'some' do you think you are at fault for is?", he watched her closely as she started picking at the tousled sheets.

"I shouldn't have judged you and yelled at you so much. I shouldn't have pushed you away. I should have believed you."

"Why didn't you? Why did you take her lies for the truth?", he asked curiously after a slight pause.

She looked away to try to think of an answer. She had asked herself this many times in the past week but she could never think of a good excuse, besides the one that it "seemed logical". Her mind had played games on her and she had listened to it. It spoke louder than her heart had and she hadn't listened hard enough to hear what her heart was trying to tell her. The little devil named Chloe that sat on her shoulder, laughing, had tempted her to open the wrong door and had sent her into a living hell. Kelsie finally looked back at Justin, who continued to stare at her intently. She watched his eyes closely. They were full of love for her, they were being strong for her, and they were urging her to put this all behind her because he was willing to forgive if she was. It was amazing how he was always so put together even if inside he was breaking apart. And while she knew he had to be somewhat breaking inside, he refused to show it, to keep her strong...and she loved him for it.

She spoke, a smile finally coming to her lips. It lit up her eyes. "I love you."

Justin's face broke out in a grin when he saw that smile he knew was eventually coming. "I love you too..."

She crawled over to him and kissed him gently at first, teasing him until she knew he wouldn't be able to take it. His hands lay at his sides as her body straddled his torso. He tried not to let this get to him too much because they needed to talk and figure everything out before they could be picture perfect again. His hands started to ball into fists when the tip of her tongue touched the roof of his mouth in the tender spot that sent a little shiver down his spine. Her fingers played with his curls, wanting him to make some sort of reaction.

It wasn't long before his restraint snapped. His hands raised up to pull on her waist, to get her closer, and his lips became hungry for the taste of her sweet kisses. His heart felt like a dynamite was exploding inside of it because it had been so long since he had kissed her, or vice-versa. Never in his wildest dreams did he think it would feel THIS good to have her back in his arms. It was like he had been travelling in a barren desert for years and years without any bit of water and now he had finally found a lake to drink from.

Just as his hands started to move up her back, she broke free from him with a warm smile. His eyes pleaded with her not to stop, but she only shrugged with an apologetic look. "I feel better, now."

Was she kidding? She wasn't just going to do that to him, stop and tell him that she felt better. Nooo way.

He racked his brain for some kind of response to something like that, but was left speechless.

"Um, okay, then. I'll just answer your last question since I kind of steered away from that..."

He managed to get out a little nod as he continued to stare at her wide-eyed.

She sighed quietly. "I believed her, Justin, because I wasn't thinking straight. The only thing I kept seeing was that magazine on YOUR bus, I kept hearing your angry screaming at me for something I didn't know I did, and I kept seeing her lies replay in my head. I thought that maybe it could be true, the part about you using me, because some of what she said was sensible. She knew what she was doing, Justin, and that's where all these new rumors popped up from. I believed her because I was so mad at you for yelling at me, for buying that magazine, for having a picture of her in your wallet, for always mentioning her when we were together, and for every other thing you've done in the past that I didn't like. And because of all that, I took it out on you in the only way I knew how to...", she paused. "But at one point, I really did believe her. I don't even know what I was thinking...so, I'm really sorry for accusing you."

Justin shifted on the bed so he could sit up straight and scratched the back of his neck. "Okay. What I can't understand is why you listened to her... I know you just told me but it just doesn't make sense. I mean, you knew what she did to me...why would I do that to her? Or you?"

"I know, I know, I'm the worst girlfriend in the world for believing it. At first I didn't understand it, because I thought that same thing too. She was the one that did that to you and I didn't know why YOU would do the same thing to someone else, but then, I guess everything that I mentioned before started to leak into my mind. I thought about what she said...the part where she accused you of saying I would get more spotlight than Ch...she...ever would...and I remembered your spite when you started seeing her on the magazine covers. It sort of sounded like you were eating your words at what you supposedly said."

He didn't say anything for a minute and then made a face. "Oh...", he sighed. "You're right..."

She looked at him. He was filling up with guilt now. It was his turn and she needed to stay strong for him. "Justin? You have to tell me why you bought that magazine."

His pained blue eyes looked up at her in apology. "I don't know. I...I really don't."

"There has to be SOME reason...or you wouldn't have gotten it."

She was right and he knew it. He couldn't tell her the truth...that he had to get it because Chloe had looked so damn hot on that cover he couldn't fight the temptation. She would kill him...never talk to him again! He sucked in a breath and shook his head. "There was an article on motorcycles in it and I wanted to read it. But I got so mad at the article on her that I didn't even get to read it so it was dumb of me to even get it."

Kelsie stared at him, wide-eyed, in shock. He was flat out lying to her face. She didn't have time for this. "You are lying to me. Why are you LYING to my FACE, Justin?"

He put on his best defensive face. "What?! No, I'm not!"

She got up to stnad beside the bed. "You did it again. STOP lying. I don't understand how you expect me to come in here and talk honestly to you about all this when my turn comes to ask you the question that started this whole mess and you LIE to me. To my FACE! I'm not stupid and unfortunately for you, I know you too well to know when you are lying.", she folded her arms. "So either you tell me the truth to a simple question right NOW or I'm leaving."

He gave her a pathetic look while he tried to think of something believable. He couldn't lie to her again, but the truth would hurt her...wouldn't it? He watched as she shook her head in frustration and reached for the doorknob.

"Fine, Justin. Goodnight."

He grabbed his head. Stupid, stupid, stupid.... Looking towards her once more, he couldn't let her go. "Wait!"

She turned around with a bored look. "You better not lie."

"I got it because...", he winced and spoke in one breath, jumbling the words together. "...shelookedsodamnhotandIcouldn'tfightthetemptation!"

Kelsie closed the door and walked towards him again, raising an eyebrow. "Say that one more time."

He ran his fingers through his hair nervously and avoided looking at her as he spoke with a strained voice. "Because she looked SO hot and I couldn't fight the temptation of having it in my hands."

He was scared to look up at her reaction. He had said it and he wouldn't be surprised if she had left his room. When he looked up, she was only standing there, rubbing her neck and biting her lip. Her voice was quiet.

"Okay. Well...you just proved my point of why I believed her, Justin."

"What do you mean?"

"You aren't over her...which is why I first believed everything."

He got up to stand in front of her, shaking his head. "No. I AM over her. Maybe not then, but I am now. There's nothing but regret and frustration amounting in my heart for even spending a second of my time on her.", he sighed. "And there's nothing that I want more than to get past this, destroy her, and...spend forever with you..."

She tilted her head to look at him, wanting so bad to listen to him and do exactly what he said. She felt herself choke up again wishing that she could only believe him "You say that EVERY TIME.", a tear slipped out of her eye and rolled slowly down her cheek. "I don't know how I can believe you anymore."

Justin felt his heart slowly start to break in half causing him to shut his eyelids in pain. He reached out to put his hand on her arm and pull her close to his body, not able to watch her cry again. She was right... yet AGAIN. And it was another thing that he hated himself for. He used to never be able to keep relationships right after he had broken up with a cheating girlfriend, but this time he knew it was different. Even though he told himself so many times that he was over Chloe and that Kelsie deserved all of his attention, he never could push past that last obstacle that held him back.

Tonight, though, hearing the woman he was in love with tell him that she couldn't believe him when he said he loved her, made him realize how dumb he had been. It made him realize that this wasn't worth it and it made him realize that he HAD let go of Chloe a long time ago, but he only held onto her through his mind. Kelsie's words tonight snapped the rope that he held onto and now he knew that she was gone. He smiled as he thought of it. He had done it, and if Kelsie hadn't been there to yell at him so many times about it, he never COULD have done it.

His arms wrapped around her and held her against him tightly, rocking her back and forth. He had to make ammends to this somehow. He rested his head against the side of hers, softly singing into her ear.

"And I'm truly inspired/Finding my soul/There in your eyes/And you have opened my heart/And lifted me inside/By showing me yourself/Undisguised//And I won't ever be too far away to feel you/And I won't hesitate at all/Whenever you call/And I'll always remember/The part of you so tender/I'll be the one to catch your fall/Whenever you call..."

He paused a minute when he felt her arms tighten around his waist and suck in a huge breath. He kissed her head and continued to sing, as he rocked her.

"And I will breathe for you each day/Comfort you through all the pain/Gently kiss your fears away/You can turn to me and cry/Always understand that I/Give you all I am inside....."

He pulled back gently and looked into her teary eyes, knowing right then and there that she was it for him. He touched one of the tears on her cheek and watched as it dissolved into his finger. His other hand traced along her cheekbone softly as a whisper came out of his lips. "What can I do, Kels? How can I prove that you're my everything?"

She didn't know how to answer him. She picked her head up only to rest her forehead against his. They stood in the middle of the room, holding each other around one another's waists, both knowing that there was no answer to that question.

Kelsie tilted her head against his forehead and pushed up on her feet so her lips could graze his softly until she could find a good accessway. Justin's head dipped down and his mouth latched onto hers as they tried to release all the feelings and emotion that had built up inside of them during the duration of their little talk. The pace picked up fast and Kelsie found herself melting into him when he took control. Her hands rose until they found his shoulders and neck to pull him closer. She opened her eyes just enough to watch him. His eyes were closed tightly and the little curls that were usually in his eyes had been pushed back by his fingers and were now sitting impatiently in a pile of other curls. Her fingers couldn't resist twirling them in her fingers.

Her eyes shut on impulse again when the coldness of air hit her on the back but she relaxed as soon as she felt Justin's warm hands touch her skin on the small of her back. He broke away from her lips for a breath and started to rain kisses down her jawbone and neck, nibbling away at her skin like he couldn't get enough. Kelsie's sharp intake of air when his tongue touched the hollow of her throat gently only made him crave more. Her fingers fisted in his hair when his hands moved higher up her back and his lips connected with hers again.

Unconciously, they started to move backwards until Justin felt the back of his legs hit the side of the bed. His knees buckled involuntarily and he fell onto the matress while Kelsie crawled over him and searched for a way to deepen the pressure of the kiss. Her hands slipped under his shirt and felt the heat that was radiating off his body. The contact of Kelsie's hand rubbing up and down his chest was just about to send him over the edge and if he wasn't careful, this could get out of hand. But right now he just wanted to damn all of his morals straight to hell.

Just when he thought that the intense pleasure and pain that she was feeding him by what she was doing to him couldn't get any worse, she tore her lips away from him and dove for the extra tender spot on his neck. She knew exactly what she was doing. Her hair tickled the side of his face while her lips worked their magic. Justin moaned quietly when her tongue flicked out on his skin.

Kelsie broke away from him and propped herself up to look down at him. The look on his face was priceless -- one of complete pleasure, yet of agonizing pain. She waited until he opened his eyes and then smirked evilly at his brilliant blue eyes.

That was the very last straw. His restraint snapped almost immediately after he saw those horns grow out of her head. With a quick motion, he threw her over and was straddling her waist. The tone of his voice and the way he spoke so huskily only made her grin get even bigger. "You think you're so funny."

Kelsie nodded with a raised eyebrow as her finger traced the outline of his chest through his sweat-moistened shirt. This was torture for him and she knew it. She watched as his jaw tightened and the sparkle in his eyes got brighter with every new smile she showed.

He hated the way that she was staring at him. Well, actually he loved it, but it was making him crazy. He ripped his shirt off and tossed it behind him on the ground, shrugging down at his girlfriend. "It got hot."

Kelsie's grin got wider and she nodded sarcastically. "I'll bet."

He bent down to kiss her again softly and was just about to get comfortable when he heard a knock on his door. A groan escaped his craving lips and he threw his head back in frustration. He stood up and tapped the tip of her nose. "Don't go anywhere..." He winked before he turned his back to get the door, wanting to kill whoever was on the other side.

He swung it open to see a fist about to hit him in the face. He ducked as Chris almost fell into the room. Justin groaned angrily when he saw it was only him. "Oh my GOD, what do you WANT?"

A smirk came over Chris' lips as he sized Justin up. "WELL...what have YOU been doing, young'un?", he took in the state of Justin's undress, the way his hair stuck out in every direction, and the way his lips and neck were swollen in redness. "You're looking a bit...hm...ravished."

Justin gave him a violent glare. "What do you want?"

"Well, I was looking for Kelsie because she wasn't in her room. But I think I know where she ISSSSS...", he giggled.

Justin tapped his foot impatiently. "Why are you looking for her? Why are you out here so damn late, Chris?"

He looked at his watch. "It's only two o'clock."

"Go away, dude. Leave us alone.", he started to shut the door put Chris put out a foot to stop it.

"Ahhh, so she IS in there. Man, what are you guys doing?"

"Chris. SHUT UP and go away!"

The door slammed in a laughing Chris' face and Justin shook off his frustration walking back to his bed. "So sorry baby...it was just Chris being a moron...so where wer---"

He stopped immediately in his tracks when he saw her curled up on his bed, sound asleep. He quietly tiptoed over to the side and sat down on the edge of the mattress, using his fingers to brush away the hair that had fallen into her eyes.

It was probably better that Chris had interrupted them and that she had fallen asleep because he realized that their playfulness could have quickly turned into something that they were not ready for.

He traced along her flushed cheek with a smile and slipped underneath the covers. He pulled the sheets up over them, making sure she had enough of them. If he could just lay there and watch her all night, he would be perfectly fine. He could watch her forever...she was just so perfect to him. Not perfect in the sense that she was infallible, but in the sense that even though she was wrong sometimes and even though she made mistakes like any human being does, she had the strength and the willpower to admit to it. Sometimes she was stubborn, but in the end she always buckled down with the truth. Something about that just made her even more attractive to Justin and made him realize again how lucky he was.

He was sure that the discussion and the mixed signals that had been thrown around tonight had exhausted her because he was tired as well...but she had had the harder side of it. He hadn't been honest, and he knew that this whole mess had been his fault. If he had just completely let go of Chloe from the beginning, the temptation to buy the magazine wouldn't have been there, the references to her when he was spending time with Kelsie wouldn't have happened, and the rumors wouldn't have been so bad.

His head was starting to hurt. Maybe he should just get some sleep, have some good dreams, and wake up to start fresh. Sounded good.

He reached for the light switch and turned it off, cascading the room with complete darkness. The bed shifted as he tried to get comfortable on the soft mattress. He winced at the squeaking noise, hoping it wouldn't wake his sleeping beauty up. When he felt her body move against him he knew that he had. "I'm sorry, Ke--"

Her fingers touched his lips to quiet him and she threw her arm around his waist to draw him closer. "Go to sleep.", were the only words to leave her lips in a whisper.

He smiled, kissed her forehead, and snuggled up to the warmth she was feeding him. "I love you.", his eyes closed slowly. "We can beat this."

Minutes after the words left his lips, he had drifted off to sleep by the sound of her slumber-filled breathing.

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The next morning an incessant pounding on the door to Justin's hotel room could probably be heard all the way down the entire hallway.

"JUSTIN!", Lonnie's voice was screaming into the room. "YOU BETTER BE AWAKE!"

Inside the room, the lump on the bed was immobile, unaware of the chaos surrounding the slumber of the two people that the lump was composed of.

"JUSTTTIN!!"

One body finally moved under the sheets, hearing a pounding at the door. When the angry yells hit her ear, Kelsie sat straight up, confused. She looked around the room slowly, down at the sleeping figure beside her that still had his arm thrown across her waist and then her eyes slowly and cautiously landed on the alarm clock that had forgotten to be set last night. Seven-fifteen.

"JUSTIN WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU...."

Kelsie rubbed her eyes and started to shake Justin on the shoulder. "Justin, wake up." Her voice was more strained than it normally was, filled with an excessive amount of sleep. Justin wasn't moving. "Justin..."

She got out of bed and walked to the other side, trying to wake up a little. She bent over him and started to shake him by the shoulders. "Justin get up! Sweetheart....", she rolled her eyes. Why was he so hard to wake up?! "JUSTIN GET UP!!"

She winced as the pounding got so loud she thought Lonnie might break the door down. As quickly as she could, she got to the door and opened it a crack. "Umm..."

He took one look at her and became furious. "Don't EVEN tell me he's not awake yet!"

She shook her head. "No...he's in the shower...give him like five-ten minutes?"

"FIVE, TOPS. We are almost an hour behind schedule because he is always SO late!"

"Okay, thanks. Five minutes." She closed the door and ran back to Justin, who was now laying on his stomach. She slapped his back. "JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, WAKE UP!"

He grunted and turned on his side again, his eyes slowly opening to see a blurry figure of Kelsie standing over him with her hands on her hips, looking quite frustrated. His voice came out huskily, like he had just been getting over laryingitis. "What'd I do now?"

"OVERSLEPT!", she yanked him up by his arm and pulled him off the bed, pushing him to the bathroom. "Justin, you have FIVE minutes to get changed, get your stuff, and be on that bus. Lonnie is FUMING."

His eyes grew wide and he checked his watch in shock. "OH, SHIIIIT!" He grabbed his head and ran to his bag, looked at his watch again, ran back to the bathroom, his eyes flying from one thing to another. "I can't be ready in five minutes...I...I have to take a shower...."

Kelsie turned the faucet on, grabbed his shoulders so he would face the mirror, and shook her head. "No time for shower. Wash your face, do what you have to do. I'll get your clothes. But be FAST, J."

She ran off to find him a clean tee shirt and some pants. She grabbed his sneakers, some socks, and a bandanna, then started to throw all the rest of his belongings into his suitcase. She heard her name being called from the bathroom so she jogged over to the door and peeked in, not prepared for what she would see.

She sucked in a breath when she saw Justin standing over the sink, wearing only a pair of Carolina boxers, running a razor over his face. The sweatpants he had been wearing just a second ago were laying on the floor carelessly. She swallowed and looked up at him. "H...huh?"

He smiled at her. "Can you toss me some pants and a shirt?"

"A...a what?"

He stared at her. "Ya know? Some clothes? People wear them..."

She shook herself out of it. "Oh...yeah...sure." She picked up the clothes she had grabbed for him and tossed them to him, watching as he finished shaving and threw the clothes on over his boxers. She yanked her eyes away from him and checked her watch. "Two minutes."

He splashed water over his face one more time and started to brush his teeth, tossing the razor and the toothpaste to Kelsie who stuffed them into his bag. He did his best to put on one sock at a time while still moving the toothbrush around in his mouth. She helped him step into his sneakers and tied them while he spit the excess paste out of his mouth and rinsed with water.

Finally he was finished in the bathroom, was dressed, shoed, and was standing in front of the mirror, looking at himself in disgust. "What am I gonna do with this hair?"

Kelsie came up behind him and covered the mass of curls with the tan bandanna she had found. She smiled and patted him on the shoulders. "All done, right on time."

He stared at her through the mirror with a grin and turned around to face her, bending down to kiss her. She only allowed a quick one. "No time, Justin.", she laughed softly. "I feel like I should be handing you a brown-bagged lunch and sending you off to work."

He smirked and kissed her again. "Thank you, honey.", he glanced at the door when he heard a knocking again. "I better get going before Lonnie completely flips on me.", he grabbed his bag. "See you on the bus?"

She smiled. "Give me five minutes."

He chuckled and kissed her with one hand on the door and one hand on the bag. He unconciously opened the door and Lonnie pushed it open. He grabbed Justin by the shirt and started to pull him out the door. Justin fought against his grip. "Wait...wait...one more..."

Kelsie grinned against his lips as he tried his hardest to get one last kiss in. His fingers grazed against her cheek before he was yanked out the door by Lonnie.

The last thing she heard was Lonnie's bored voice. "God, guys, just get married already!"

She bit her lip with a smile and twirled hair around her finger as the door slammed closed. She sighed in a dreamy tone of voice, Lonnie's voice circulating in her mind incessantly. Her grin got wider as she thought of Justin, remembering the last words he had whispered to her before they fell asleep last night.

She repeated them to herself in confidence. "We can beat this."

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*song by Mariah Carey and Brian McKnight "Whenever You Call" can be found on Mariah's #1's album.