Chapter Forty-Six

Lauren's arms tightened around Justin and she snuggled closer to his chest for another long moment before nudging him to step back. He looked so lost and so uncertain even though he was trying his best to appear confident and strong. She had known him too long for him to be able to mask it from her, and it worried her more to know that he wasn't sure how well this plan of theirs was going to work. She had said that a lot of times in the last week and now it was time for them to let go and end it, but she wasn't sure if they were ready for what laid ahead.

"Don't lose yourself in the process, Justin. Nothing is worth that." He opened his mouth to answer and she touched his lips with her fingers to stop him. "I know you're doing this for me and I couldn't love you more for doing that, but if something feels wrong to you then stop."

"And what do I do when it all feels wrong, Val?"

Here it all came back to his hatred for feeling used or controlled, and there was nothing she could do to help him this time. This was his idea, this was his plan, and now he was seeing that it might not have been as easy as he had once thought.

She reached up and lightly touched his cheek. "You think about how this will all be over soon, and how when it's finally done…we won't have to fight them anymore."

His forehead furrowed in misery as he leaned forward and touched his lips to hers. After a few healing kisses, he rested his forehead against hers again and sighed. "I'm being a baby."

"You're being true to your beliefs and to your heart. I…I trust you, Justin. I know you're going to get through this, you're going to do what you need to do, and I also know for a fact how much you can't stand the girl. I see the pain in your eyes right now, I see the battle that is raging inside of you, and I want you to know that I will understand whatever you feel you need to do. I might not like it, but I understand."

He gave her a curious look and grinned. "Just what DO you think I'm about to do here?"

"I know what you better NOT do."

He pinched her side and smiled even brighter when she pushed his hands away. When the minor struggle was over, he raised his voice and mimicked her. "I want you to know that I will understand whatever you feel you need to do, Justin. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that include…um…ahem?"

One of her eyebrows raised speculatively. "I want one thing to run through your mind tonight, and one thing only. Remember how creative I said I would get with that spoon if you EVER even THINK of going there. Double homicide with a spoon would be on my papers and how embarrassing would it be to have on your death certificate that you were killed off by a maniac wielding a spoon? Think about it, JuJu. Think REALLY hard."

He groaned and moved to protect himself. "I don't know if I have a strong enough stomach to do something like that, but you do remember…"

"I remember everything you told me and I don't want to hear it again. I don't want to think about it, ok? I trust you, but I…I just don't want to hear it or think about it."

Justin waited until she wiped her lipgloss from his lips before speaking again. "We can't cause too big of a scene here tonight. It needs to be just enough to get Tom interested, but we have to remember that this is all Johnny's night."

"I'll remember that. You probably should keep Shai far away from me though. My fingers and my nails tend to have a mind of their own whenever she's around."

Justin took a deep breath, nodded to her reassuringly, and opened up the door. He walked out quickly and Lauren waited a few seconds before following right behind him. They were both almost jogging because their pace was so angrily fast, but the look people were giving them was enough for Lauren to know that everything was going smoothly so far. Justin walked straight for Shai who was standing in the middle of a few people, and all of their faces lit up when he stopped beside her. She watched as Shai giggled, leaned into Justin's side, and wrapped her arm around his back.

There wasn't a more sickening display than the one Shai was giving at that moment, and she was staking her claim on Justin in front of everyone. It was obvious, it was cheap, and Lauren could barely contain the resentment she had towards the girl. Shai really was digging her own grave because she had made it known to everyone in the room that Justin had asked her to the party, that he had begged her to go, and that they were now officially a couple. There were a few shocked glances, a few uncertain ones, but those words and those lies were going to be so very helpful in the next few days.

Justin tried to discreetly pull her arm from around his back, but she dug her fingers into his side and held on tight. "Shai, I really don't feel like being grabbed at tonight."

She rubbed his arm and looked up with pitiful eyes. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

The girls standing in front of them were giddy and blatantly jealous of Shai's relationship with Justin, and the look in their eyes made him want to throw up. "It's not you. I just don't want to be…to be touched right now."

She turned and her eyes scanned the room until she saw Lauren standing in the middle of the room glaring at them. There was a slight tilt to Shai's lips as she met her eyes full force, and then she turned back around to the group in front of her who was now in the palm of her hand. "Did Lauren do something again?"

He looked away and chewed in his lip. "I don't want to talk about her."

Shai excused herself from the group and pulled on Justin's arm until he followed her to the nearest table. They both sat down and she leaned forward to rub his leg. His head was lowered, his hands were balled into fists, and she was going to get to the bottom of this. "Talk to me, Justin. What did she do now?"

He could hear the whispers of the girls and hear the fascination in their voices as they talked about how close he and Shai were. They whispered about the closeness they shared, the way he was leaning on her, and the way her hand kept running up and down his thigh…not that he need to be reminded of that in any way. "I went back there to wash my hands and I guess she followed me because…nevermind."

"If she did something to hurt you again, I'm going to go over there and…"

"No, Shai. Don't lower yourself to her level." He had to fight hard not to laugh at the idea because if Shai ever got up the nerve to confront Lauren physically, he had no doubt in his mind who would be bleeding and who would remain standing.

"She's trying to scare me with the way she's staring, but I have news for her. I'm not going to leave your side as long as you need me."

His head came up when there was a bright flash in his face, and it didn't surprise him to see Mary Beth standing there. "What are you doing?"

"I just thought this was such a precious moment and I had to get it on film."

Shai leaned over, pressed her cheek to his, and smiled at the camera. "Come on, Justin. Don't be such a party pooper."

He knew that a picture like this would only strengthen his side, so he put his arms around her and smiled at the camera right before it flashed. "Happy now? I didn't know they had the press in here tonight."

Mary Beth shrugged and lowered her camera. "I guess someone made special plans for me. Thank you for the picture, Justin."

Just as she was about to walk away, he called out to her. "Wait a second, you look very familiar."

"There's no reason for you to remember, but I went to school with Lauren. We met at the café one day."

He found out a long time ago that there was nothing more insulting than having a person not remember meeting you, and he played that to his advantage with her. "Hmm…were you wearing glasses that night?"

"No I wasn't."

He scratched his chin and thought for a second. "Oh that's right! You were the girl in Lauren's English class. The one who thought that Moby Dick was a rip-off of JAWS? That was you, right?"

She looked offended and Justin only smiled brighter when her eyes darkened in anger. "I don't expect you to remember me, Justin. You were so preoccupied with Lauren at the time that I doubt you remember much of anything. I was the person you talked to on the phone that day in the park and I was in her photography class. I'm Mary Beth and I know she has told you about me before. I can only imagine the insulting things she has told you about me."

He looked at Shai like she would know the answer, and saw that she was about as clueless as she could be. "No…I don't think that's it. Oh wait a second. I remember seeing your name…it was printed…oh man where did I see that?" He snapped his fingers and grinned brightly. "Now I remember! You followed me around when I was with Lauren and took pictures, and you also took those infamous club pictures of Tristan and I fighting outside. Tell me, were you interested in me or Tristan at the time?"

She looked down and fiddled with her lens cap. Anything was better to look at than his angry eyes. "I was doing my job."

"You were selling out."

Shai looked back and forth between them, and it upset her that he would be defending Lauren like this. "Come on, Justin. If she wouldn't have gone to the club, gotten drunk, and then hung all over every man in the place, then Mary Beth wouldn't have had anything to photograph. Surely you've seen that it takes NO encouragement for Lauren to drape herself all over whatever man is handy."

Justin gave Mary Beth one more look before turning to Shai. "I guess she learned from watching the best."

Shai looked back and forth between his eyes and slowly a smile crept across her face. "Oh no you don't. I'm not going to let you sulk and pick a fight with me because Lauren decided to stalk you tonight. She pushed you away and hurt you, but I'm not going to let you push me away." She grabbed his chin and forced him to look at her. "Don't worry…no matter what you do, no matter what you say, no matter how much you fight against me…I'll be there for you. I won't run away from you like she did."

That would be his cue to vomit, he thought. "Thanks, Shai."

She stood up and pulled on his hand until he walked along with her to the dance floor. "I know a way to make you forget your worries. Well, a way that is suitable for public display."

She pulled on his hand until they were in the middle of the floor, and then yanked him against her. "Shai, I don't think…"

"Don't think tonight, Justin. Let me do the thinking for both of us."

He rolled his eyes and looked over to see that Lauren and Tristan were slowly dancing a few feet away. "I don't like this song very much."

When she saw what he was staring at, she pulled his face around again and groaned. "You need to let go of it. I know you're mad and that you want to rip her head off, but that's exactly what she wants. She wants you to make a scene for her."

"And how do you know that?"

"All girls want a guy to fuss over them, and Lauren is no exception. I bet she followed you to the bathroom just so you would fight with her, she could come out here crying, and everyone would think you're the big bad wolf. Justin hurt poor pitiful Lauren when she was just trying to talk to him. How pathetic is that?"

Justin rested his hand on her back and nodded against the side of her head. "Yeah…you're right."

He knew that Shai was pulling him closer and closer to Lauren on the dance floor, but he moved with her and pretended not to notice. He also knew that Tom was sitting on the side and watching all the action as it unfolded. Hopefully he would see enough of this show to realize a few things and run with them like they wanted him to.

They suddenly slammed into someone and Justin pulled away from Shai to turn and look at Lauren and Tristan. "Watch where you're going."

Lauren gave Justin a look before turning her eyes to Shai. "Maybe if the slutmeister here concentrated more on what direction she was pulling you in instead of how well your hand felt on her ass, this wouldn't have happened."

Tristan touched Lauren's arm and cleared his throat. "This isn't the place to have an argument, Lauren."

"You should listen YOUR man, Lauren."

"He's not my man, Justin."

Justin's arms crossed over his chest and he laughed bitterly. "My mistake, Lauren. I guess I must have completely misread it when his tongue was down your throat the other night. My bad."

Tristan pulled Lauren around behind him and leaned in to whisper to Justin. "You don't deserve her, and you want to know why?"

"Enlighten me."

"You walk around here like you own the place, you have women throwing themselves at you, you act like you're the biggest thing ever to have hit the EARTH, and you tossed aside the only thing in your life that ever cared about you. She didn't care about the hype that surrounded you, she didn't care about the image you have to maintain, all she cared about was you and you were too stupid to hold onto that. Instead, you hurt it and killed it. I'm surprised she managed to tolerate you and your ego this long, Justin."

Justin was really glad that Tristan was in on this little deal, because that was the only thing keeping him from punching the man right there in front of everyone. "You don't know anything about me other than the fact that you have one HELL of a case of jealousy. It wasn't enough that you had to be with Jive, that you had to sing songs like ours, but you also have to get my girl. Let me guess…you'll be curling your hair next? Tristan, you're like a little puppy and…"

Shai touched Justin's arm and shushed him. "Don't fall to their level, remember?"

Tristan looked Shai over and sighed. "You're going to lead her on too, aren't you? You're going to play your mind games with her and when you're tired of her you're going to toss her aside just like you did with Lauren. When she gives you all she can then you're going to forget she even exists."

Shai pushed Justin back and moved up in Tristan's face. "Listen newbie, you need to butt out of this. You don't know anything about what you're talking about."

"I know enough."

She could see that Justin and Lauren were glaring at each other and when a slow song began, an idea popped into her head. "Justin, there are photographers in here and they're going to be all over a fight. Why don't you two show them that everything is fine?"

Lauren humphed and shook her head. "Burn in hell, Shai."

She knew that there was no way they would walk off from each other in the middle of the floor, at least she didn't think they would, so she grabbed Tristan's hand and dragged him away from the pair. "Maybe this is the best thing for you two. Justin can learn for sure that you're nothing he wants, and Lauren you can see that it's hopeless."

Lauren and Justin both watched with amazement as Shai made one of the stupidest moves she could ever make, and left them standing on the dance floor together. They knew what she was up to. She was thinking that they would dance together, argue, cause a HUGE scene, and humiliate each other to the point where they would both finally give up. It took a lot of time and energy to hate someone, and it also took up a part of a person's life to hate. The moment that they stopped caring, the moment that the other person wasn't even worthy of thoughts, was when Shai could really have Justin all to herself.

That's what she thought anyway.

Lauren chewed on her lip and looked away from Justin while he stared down at the floor. She waited until Shai and Tristan were a good distance away before whispering through clinched teeth. "She's more of a moron than I ever thought she was."

"This is better than you think. If we fight publicly then embarrassment is added. She's not stupid, Lauren. She knows that pushing us together this way against our will would be torture."

She rolled her eyes and glared at him for Shai's benefit. "Too bad she doesn't realize what is really going on."

"What's the fun in that?"

His head rolled around on his shoulders a few times before he reached forward and yanked her to his chest. She pushed against him a few times and slapped at his hands like she knew was expected of her and finally rested them against his strong arms. "You're a brute, but…"

"But I'm an adorable one."

She turned away so the spectators wouldn't get suspicious. "She so did this to cause a scene, but at the same time…"

"She's making our job so much easier. Do you know how…"

"Gorgeous you look tonight?" She looked at him and saw that his jaw was tense and strained. "Careful, don't grit those beautiful teeth of yours too much. Remember that it's…"

"All an act."

She looked over and saw that Shai was about ready to hurt herself because she was smiling so brightly, and Lauren rolled her eyes before pulling at Justin's arms to loosen his hold on her. When he didn't release his hold at all, she stomped on his foot and he groaned. "You're going to make me smile."

He jerked her around in a spin. "You're going to make me kiss you."

"I don't think they'd like that too much."

"I would. By the way, you really do look amazing tonight, Val."

She glanced up at him and it almost made her laugh to see the angry look in his eyes that completely went against the sweet words he was saying. "It's rather strange to hear you say that while you're looking at me that way."

"You shouldn't be here with Tristan. You should…"

"Be here with you. Yes I know. Justin please quit with the jealousy stuff. He's helping us out and…"

Justin twirled her around a few more times and she held onto him tightly when she almost fell over. "He's helping out and he better be glad I know this because he was about to get a really good feeling of what my ego is all about. Those words back there were harsh no matter how you look at it."

"I coached him in the car on the way over here."

"YOU told him to say those things? My GOD Lauren, where do you come up with this crap?"

She shrugged innocently. "I asked Miranda what she would say to you if she ever had the chance to REALLY let you have it. Tristan's speech was what she came up with. I am constantly amazed by Miranda's ability to use words to her advantage and…"

"Ok…you…can…shut…up…now!"

"Oh do you realize how sexy you are when you're jealous?"

His jaw was clinched again and he looked around the room for Miranda as he mumbled quietly. "She wants to eat me up with words, well I say bring it on, and don't hide behind JC because he's not going to help you here. You think you're such a know it all and you know all about me, well I'll show you who is a prick and…"

"Justin, you're about to make me laugh. Quit being a baby."

He gave Miranda a knowing look from across the room before rolling his eyes at her. "We're about to have company."

"Shai?"

He nodded slowly and loosened his hands on her waist. "The one and only. We're going to leave here after this little scene and make sure you're at my house in two hours. Do you hear me? Two…hours."

"I will come to your rescue then. What happens if she's not…"

He shrugged and spun her around again. "I'm going to do my best, Val. I will do my best to make sure that everything happens like it should…and nothing more."

He grabbed her arm roughly and dragged her across the room to where Shai was standing. Tristan looked down with anger at Justin's hand on her arm as they neared. "There's no need for that, Justin."

Shai touched his arm and harshly pulled him out of Lauren's arms. "Were you two nice to each other?"

Justin brushed off his clothes. "That was unnecessary and stupid. What were you trying to prove, Shai?"

She petted his arm and leaned in close where her chest could brush against his arm. "I just thought you two could use some time together to make sure you weren't missing anything. Did you miss anything?"

"Did I miss her lies? Not at all."

Tristan reached for Lauren's hand and squeezed it. "I think we need to go. Are you ready?"

"Are you sure we should leave in the middle of a party and…"

Shai picked up Lauren's purse and tossed it to her. "Oh please do. You've worn out your welcome anyway."

Lauren needed to get out of there for many reasons, but the first one that came to mind was being convicted of murder if she didn't get away from Shai. "What goes around, comes around. Remember that, Shai."

She yawned and snuggled closer to Justin's side. "Am I supposed to be frightened?"

Tristan held his hand out to Justin and there was a long pause before he finally reached out to shake his hand. "I want you to watch her as she walks away, and I want you to think about what you COULD have had if you just would have been human, Justin. And Shai…it's only a matter of time before he hurts you too. When he does, don't say you weren't warned."

"Ok, I think you've said enough. Goodbye, Tristan."

Shai was very impressed by Tristan at that moment and she never knew how gallant or attractive he was until he had spoken so passionately about protecting her. "Tristan? Thank you, but your warnings won't be necessary."

He nodded and turned to walk with Lauren. "Then you both enjoy each other, because nobody else will. You've both seen to that."

Justin followed behind him and pushed his shoulder. "I've heard enough from you."

"I'm not going to fight you, Justin. You're not worth it and I refuse to have everyone look at me like I'm mistreating America's golden boy. You're not going to trap me the way you trapped Lauren…the way you'll trap Shai."

Justin's eyebrows raised in challenge. "So you DO want a piece of me? Hell, why wait man?"

Lauren pulled on Tristan's hand but he wouldn't budge. "Tristan, can we please go?"

While the two young men glared at each other, Mike stepped up, carefully pushed his way between them, and grinned. "The steam you two are putting out just straightened out all the wrinkles in my shirt."

"It's called hot air, Mike."

He winked at Lauren and reached up to pull at one of Justin's curls. He straightened it, let it curl back down, straightened it, and let it curl back down. "I hate to spoil all the fun, but this is a party and not a place to release the testosterone. Tristan, you need to back off. Justin, you need to remember why you're here to begin with."

Justin suddenly looked away from Tristan and grabbed Shai's hand. "I'm out of here. I can think of better ways to use this energy than to fight a wannabe who only wants the media attention this would bring."

Lauren's eyes closed and she took several deep breaths when those words hit her ears. "You…you do what you want, Justin. You will anyway."

He paused for a second to look back at Tristan. "We'll take this up later, and you know where to find me."

"Later it is."

Lauren didn't open her eyes until they were both gone and she heard the click of the door as it closed behind them. She was afraid to look around at the crowd to see their reactions, but when she finally did look she saw that nobody was paying them any attention. The words had all been spoken in hushed whispers, but to her they seemed to have been screamed because of the harshness of them. These next two hours were going to be the hardest and the longest two hours she had ever lived, but her faith and her love in him would get her though it. It would have to.

Tristan watched Mary Beth as she walked through the crowd and out the door. "There she goes, just like you said she would."

"There's no way she would miss an opportunity like this. To be the first person to cover the story of Justin Timberlake leaving a party early to take Shai back to his house…she's all over it. I expected nothing less. I also wouldn't expect anything less from Tom who just instructed her to follow Justin and Shai out the door. I can't believe he managed to get to her too."

He touched her shoulder and squeezed it lightly. "Are you sure you're going to be ok?"

"I'll be fine. I want to thank both of you for playing along and for helping us even when you really didn't have to. Tristan, you're putting a lot on the line and I can't thank you enough."

"Just be happy, Lauren. If you're happy then that's all the thanks I'll ever need."

Mike chuckled and patted Tristan roughly on the back a few times before he left to follow behind Justin. "Do you have that written down somewhere in a song or are you just naturally this…girly?"

Tristan ignored his question and looked Lauren over carefully. She looked very small at that moment and it was like all the confidence she had had before was open and exposed for anyone or anything to chip it away. "He loves you. He wouldn't do this if he didn't."

"I know."

"I uh…I sure hope he makes it through this."

She turned away to wipe a tear from her eye and sigh softly. "And I hope all of Shai's hair does."