Chapter 20
It had been two long months since Ashley had left. Two months of moping, whining, and silence from a once overly excited-for-life Justin. They guys all sat back and watched as Justin tried again and again at a scene that he couldn't seem to get right. He had dark circles under his eyes, his hair was begining to look bad, even for Justin, and he rarely ever smiled.
"This needs to stop." Lance commented as he heard the director yell for the 20th time.
"I know, if we'd have know he was such a bad actor, I wouldn't have agreed to the movie." Lance threw a nasty look at Chris who smiled sheepishly.
"That's not what I meant and you know it. The kids gonns die from depression if he doesn't see her soon." Lance sighed and wished he could fix Justin's problem.
"I don't see why he doesn't go see her. He has the right, and we can do scenes without him for a while." Joey stated, also watching his young friend that look far to old.
"I know why." Chris mumbled. He knew the reason Justin wasn't fighting tooth and nail to get out of the movie shoot, and he decided it was high time the others knew as well.
"Why then?" JC joined the groups conversation.
"Well, over the past few weeks Justin has been getting letters and pictures from someone. These have been very professional looking pictures...of Ashley and Jordan." JC spit out his water and Joey's jaw fell to the floor. Lance just stared, wide eyed.
"WHAT?" They all seemed to yell at once.
"Shhh...Well, these don't mean anything. But Justin has a sore spot for Jordan as you all know. He told me he didn't want to go home and find out it was true. He said that before the whole blow up with Ashley before Christmas, Jordan had been sending Justin notes about him and Ashley. J said that Jordan had stated things that he thought only he and Ashley knew, but apparently Jordan knew too. That's why he blew up so quickly."
"He doesn't believe that does he? I mean, come on, Ashley's a smart girl, and she's head over heels for him. She sure as Hell wouldn't do anything like that."
"Yea, well you know how thickheaded that boy is. I told him to talk to her, but he was actually smart and said he didn't want to do it over the phone." Chris sighed as he watched Justin rub his temples.
"We need to do something, and fast." Joey said concer written all over his face.
"I have an idea..." JC said, a light bulb flashing over his head.
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It had been a long day, and Justin just wanted to get some sleep. He looked at his watch and decided to call Ashley, and then go to bed. It was only six where he was, but it was nine in Orlando.
"Hello?" Ashley's sweet voice rid him of his worries.
"Hey Jules." He breathed out, glad to be lying in bed. Although he wished she could be there with him.
"You sound stressed, have a bad day?" She asked, well aware of the tired nature of his usually cheery voice.
"Yea, you could say that. It's alright though, I just need some sleep, that's all." Ashley could see right through his excuse.
"MmmHmm, J, what's wrong?" She questioned, wishing he would talk to her, open up like he used to.
"Nothing. I told you, I'm just tired." He rubbed his eyes and and yawned for emphisis, even thought she couldn't see.
"Babe...please. Talk to me. You've been so distant from me for over a month and a half now, what's wrong? What did I do?" Justin swallowed the lump in his throat and knew he couldn't do this...not yet.
"Listen, I have to go. I'll call you tomorrow."
"Justin?"
"Yeah?" He asked, impatient to get off the phone.
"I love you." Justin didn't know how to respond, so he did the first thing that came to mind, and one of the stupidest things he had ever done before.
"No, you don't." and he hung up.
Ashley sat on her bed, flabberghasted. Never once had he hung up without saying I love you, and never once had he accused her of not loving him. A strange feeling ate at her stomach, and she knew that this time it wasn't the baby.
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Justin sat back on his bed and let the tears fall. He angrily wiped them away when there was a knock at the door.
"What?" He asked, none too nicely.
"J? We need to talk to you..." JC's soft voice came through the door. Justin really wasn't up for talking.
"Go away." He sounded much younger than his 23 years.
"J...We're comming in." The door opened and all four of his 'brothers' filed in, grim looks on their faces.
"I'm not in the mood, OK guys?"
"Justin...you haven't been in the mood for a long time. We don't care if you're upset, we're not taking your crap anymore, so listen up!" Chris bellowed and Justin shut up.
"Chris told us about the Jordan pictues thing, and if we know you at all, you're letting this eat you alive." JC started, sitting down on the couch in the room, the others following.
"We know you don't believe the pictures, and we know that Ashley isn't that type of person. She deserves your trust Justin." Justin looked at the wall, the phone, the bed, anywhere but at his friends. He knew they were right.
"We don't want this to ruin something so right J. We've seen the two of you grow up and become such a loving couple. Just becuase there's some idiot out there that has enough balls to go after you doesn't mean you believe him." For the first time Justin made eye contact with Joey and noted the look of disapointment on his face.
"What do you suggest I do?" He asked, his voice husky.
"Get your ass in gear, and get back to Orlando." Chris held up a hand when Justin went to argue. "No buts. We talked to Mitch, he's cleared you to go. He thinks you need time off too. You have a flight tomorrow at 10, so get packing."
"What?" Justin didn't know what had just happened.
"You really are losing it man." Joey joked.
"Mandy was going to go visit Ashley, but we all decided that you need that ticket more than she does right now. But Justin, TALK to Ashley. Don't jump down her throat. You know that last time it was a mistake, and you hurt two years of trust with that accusation. Show her what you have first, and ask if she knows anything about it before you go yelling." JC talked quietly and calmly and was surprised to see tears well in his best friends eyes.
"Thanks guys...So much, for being there. I needed that, more than you know." They all smiled and gave him a hug.
"We know man...now get packing and get some sleep so you can go see your lady." Joey chided. He laughed his first real laugh in weeks. It felt good, damn good.
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Jess watched as Ashley walked zombie-like down the stairs. She knew exactly what was wrong because she had just gotten a call from JC telling her to make sure Ashley went to the airport tomorrow. She didn't know if it was going to be that easy.
"Ash? What's wrong?" Jess watched as a pale faced Ashley sat down on the couch.
"Nothing...I'm not feeling so good, that's all. It'll pass." Damn right it will, Jess thought.
"Why don't you get some sleep then. You have to go get Mandy at the airport tomorrow." Jess crossed her fingers behind her back.
"Yea...I think I will go to bed, but I don't know if I'm up to going to the airport." Jess sat down next to her friend and took her hand.
"Ash, whatever happened, it'll be alright. And you told Mandy that you'd pick her up tomorrow, you shouldn't back out on her, I mean, she'd be upset if you did." Jess knew Ashley wouldn't make anyone feel bad, becuase they all knew how tired and sick she'd felt lately, with the baby and all. But she hoped that this time Ashley was too tired to think of that first.
"I guess you're right. I'm going to go to bed, if i'm not up tomorrow, then wake me up at 8:30." And she went up stairs.
~*~
Ashley needn't have worried about not being up, becuase she slept for about an hour and then woke up from a nightmare. She couldn't get back to sleep for the rest of the night. Damn him for being so stubborn.
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The next morning Ashley felt a little better. She still couldn't get Justin's words out of her head. It was impossible he had meant that, maybe he was just tired. She didn't know anymore. She didn't know what to do, all she knew was that she was almost 7 months pregnant, and her boyfriend decides to pull this. She tiredly rubbed her eyes and followed Dre and Toni out to the car. She needed to pull together becuase she knew that Mandy would see right through her front, and if another person asked if she was OK, she was going to snap.
~*~
Mike watched as Justin shifted in his seat for the millionth time. He sighed as he watched his leg start bouncing, over and over and over and over.
"Justin!" He barked slapping his hand onto Justin's knee.
"Sorry."
Tap...tap...tap...tap...tap...tap...tap.
"JUSTIN!" A few people turned their heads as Mike lost his patience. "Stop tapping your damn leg, and sit still. This plane aint going any faster and she's not going anywhere. SIT STILL!!" Justin smiled sheepishly as passengers gave him strange looks and he tried to settle down.
Finally, after what seemed like days, the captain said they would be landing shortly. Justin sighed with relief and closed his eyes, he was almost there.
Chapter 21
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