“Justin, find someone else to love,” she finally said quietly.
“Why? What do you mean?”
“I can’t love you. No matter how much I want to, I just can’t.”
“Why not?!” Justin exclaimed, trying to keep his temper under control. “I don’t understand this. I finally get up the nerve to tell you how I feel, and you tell me to love someone else! I mean, do I hafta tell you again? I…love…you.”
“I understand that Justin. And it’s not that I DON’T love you, it’s just that I CAN’T love you. I mean, you’ve got the worst temper and you let such little things get to you.”
He winced as he remembered Britney saying that to him also. “C’mon, Ash. Please give me another chance-”
“I mean, you didn’t even give me a chance to explain what was going on. I didn’t really mean that I was using you to get even with Jason. It was a heat-of-the-moment thing that I said. And you couldn’t forgive me for saying it. I mean, if I were to give you a chance, what would happen if I screwed up during a relationship?” He stared at her blankly. “You’d leave again, that’s what would happen!” she explained before he could answer.
“That’s not what would happen. I swear Ashleigh! Please, just give me a chance.”
“Justin, I gave you a chance earlier, even though I didn’t want to. And now look where we are. We both blew it. Move on, Justin.” She took her cell phone from his hand and walked away quickly.
Justin went home that night and collapsed in his bed. Tears streamed down his face as he relived what had happened.
“Justin?” Lynn called from outside his door.
“Come in,” he whispered.
“Honey, why are you crying? What happened?” she demanded.
“Nothing Mom, everything’s fine. Nothing happened.” He explained, avoiding eye contact.
“It’s Ashleigh, isn’t it? You told her you had feelings for her and she freaked, right?”
Justin looked at Lynn, curiosity gleaming in his eyes. “How’d you know? Did she come by here?”
“Just to pick up Jessi, but she didn’t tell me anything. I just knew. Justin Randall Timberlake, the only other time you’ve cried since you were 10 was when you and Britney broke up, so obviously you’re crying over a girl.”
“Mom, she told me to move on; that she couldn’t love me. I finally told her, after 10 years of knowing her and loving her, and she blew me off.”
“Well, I don’t know what to tell you to help you, because this is your situation to handle. But just think hard before you do anything to drastic. Promise me you’ll do that?”
Justin nodded his head firmly, but he already had something in mind. It was drastic, but she was the only person who had ever loved him.
“Oh Ash, Chris is the sweetest person!” Jen exclaimed as the two talked on the phone a few days later. “On Saturday, he came over and took me to the lake and we had a picnic, and he fed the ducks…ha, that was funny,” she said to herself. Ashleigh forced out a soft laugh. “Ash, what’s wrong?”
“Huh?”
“I said, what’s wrong?” Jen repeated.
“I’m just kinda distracted, that’s all. Nothing’s wrong, I swear.”
“Yeah? Well you never swear, so obviously something’s wrong. Now please tell me.”
“It’s just something to do with Justin, ok? That’s all you need to know! Now can we please talk about something else?!” Ashleigh screamed, waking Jessica from her sleep on the floor of Ashleigh’s bedroom. Jessi looked at her mom, her eyes puffy from the deep sleep. “Baby, I’m sorry, go back to sleep.” Jessi crawled onto the bed and laid her head down in Ashleigh’s lap.
“Alright, ya wanna talk about something else? Do you want to talk about how you leaving Justin so many times is taking it’s toll on Jessi? ‘Cause it is. She looks up to him, Ash. He’s the only father she’s got. Can you not see how much he loves her; how much she loves him? You can’t keep doing this-” Ashleigh slammed down the phone as tears began streaming down her face. She picked Jessi up and cradled her, holding her as close to her as she could. “I’m sorry,” she whispered over and over. “I’m so sorry.”
Justin quietly opened his window and climbed out onto the roof. He made his way to the tree and slid down carefully. He hadn’t done this since he was 6, but he suddenly felt a rush of adrenaline shoot through his body.
He grabbed his car keys out of his back pocket and jumped in his Benz. He started the car and sped away.
He made his way through the dark back roads and arrived at the airport. He took out his ticket and read it carefully: Gate 47, boarding at 2:30 a.m.
He checked in his bag and went directly to the gate. It was 2:25. He went back a little ways and bought a cup of coffee, which he drank quickly and boarded the plane.
Within hours he was in New York. He caught a cab and told the driver to take him to the Marriott Hotel in downtown New York City.
When they arrived, he paid the driver, got his bag and went to the front desk. He whispered something to the lady behind the desk who stared at him for a minute, then said simply, “Room 648.”
He thanked her and got on the elevator. He took it up to the 6th floor and walked quickly to 648. He knocked quietly on it, hoping that would wake her up.
When the door opened, the blonde stood there, shock on her face. “Justin?” she asked, stunned.
“Britney, we need to talk.” With that, Justin pushed his way into her room and shut the door.
