Chapter 1:


Hayden Charles sighed for the millionth time that night, despite being a twenty-one year old college student; she was at home on a Saturday night curled up on the couch with her books in her lap. She liked going out and partying with friends but lately her mind was focused more on her studies. She was stressed out. It didn’t matter to her that she was graduating in a semester and college would soon be a memory. She was determined to graduate at the top of her class. Hayden was a perfectionist and an overachiever. These traits are what kept her home on the weekends reviewing her notes from the previous week’s class and reading ahead in the textbook.

“Come on Hayden, you’ve reviewed your notes at least twenty times. Please come out with us tonight.” Riley James, Hayden’s roommate and best friend since kindergarten, pleaded while putting on her shoes.

“Riles, you know how much pressure I’m under this semester, I still haven’t come up with a solid idea for my senior project.” Hayden said while flipping through her notes again.

“I just don’t want to see you stress yourself out again.”

“I’m fine...” Hayden managed to smile.

“I don’t believe you, but I’m not going to fight with you.” Riley said while putting her coat on. “We’re heading out to Brother’s, if you decide to change your mind.” Riles said while walking out the door and leaving Hayden alone for the night.

Hayden relaxed at the thought of having the apartment to herself for the entire night, but it quickly passed as the reality of still not having a topic for her senior project loomed over her head. This project meant everything to Hayden. It was the one class that she was given total creative freedom over. The project had neither limitations nor boundaries and it could revolve around any topic she wanted. She wanted to prove to her professors but mostly herself, that she was capable of producing a project on her own terms.

I am getting nowhere on this project, maybe I’ll take a break; Hayden thought to herself and quickly pulled out her cell phone. She dialed the numbers to her brother; he always knew what to say to help her out. Hayden and her brother have always been close, despite the fact that he moved out to California years ago from Minnesota, they always stayed in contact.

“Hey Ty…” Hayden mumbled into the phone.

“Hey Hayden” Tyler replied.

“What are you up to?” Hayden questioned while walking into the kitchen in search of something to munch on. If she was going to stay home tonight at least she was going to find something good to eat.

“Just getting ready to head to work, you know how it goes; I have to work the graveyard shift again.” Tyler said. Tyler worked as a police officer in California and was always working odd shifts.

“Oh that sucks” Hayden said while reaching for a bag of chips.

“Yeah definitely, so what’s going on with you, shouldn’t you be out partying considering it is a Saturday night?” Tyler questioned.

“Nah, I’m not really interested in the whole party scene, besides I still haven’t thought of a topic for my senior project.”

“Well, what’s the problem? Do you have any ideas with what you want to do?” Tyler asked

“Kind of, I just haven’t really thought them all the way out.” Hayden responded while popping a chip into her mouth.

“Well, what have you come up with so far?” Tyler inquired.

“I kind of want to do something with music. Music has always been my solace; it’s always there for me when I need it. I think I could really get into that idea. But I don’t know what aspect of music I want to focus on. Besides I don’t think that’s a good enough idea. I mean, a friend of mine is doing a full business plan for starting up a company. That blows my idea out of the water.” Hayden said with a defeated sigh.

“Hayden, I think music would be great idea! It’s a personal topic for you and that’s what your professors are looking for. They don’t want some cookie-cutter project, they want you to think hard about what is important to you and write on that. Besides, I know a bunch of people out here that work in the music business that would be willing to help.” Tyler offered.

“Thanks, but I don’t want to impose. Besides, why would any big-wig executive want to help out a college student, especially one from Minnesota?”

“Stop right there Hayden…These guys are good friends of mine. They would at least be willing to hear your ideas. If they thought they could help, they will.”

“Thanks Ty! You’re always there to listen…I’ll keep you in mind if I decide to go forward with the music idea.”

“Anything for my little sister, but sorry to cut this short, I really have to get going if I want to be on time for work.” Tyler hurriedly said into the phone. “Love you sis!”

“Love you too Ty!” Hayden said before closing her cell phone and picking her books back up. She must have looked over these notes a million times. Hell, she could tell you what was on every single page before she looked at it.

Hayden contemplated Tyler’s advice. “Music, Merchandising, Touring, Recording…hmm…it would be a fun project. Shit, why am I stressing out so much over this? Music has never led me in the wrong direction before. Besides, Tyler knows a bunch of people that could really help me out with this project. I’m sure I could head out to California and work on it for the semester.

Hayden quickly threw her books off of her lap and grabbed her cell phone, dialing the familiar numbers once again.

“Tyler, let’s do this”

Chapter 2: Old Times


“I still can’t believe you’re going out to California for the rest of the semester.” Riley pouted as Hayden was busy running around collecting everything she would need for her trip.

“I have to, Tyler set up a meeting with Johnny Wright, one of the biggest music managers out there, to help me with my senior project. This is one of the best opportunities I will ever have.” Hayden said while folding her clothes and putting them into her suitcase.

Riley quickly picked up a shirt that fell off of the bed and put it in the suitcase. “I know, but it’s our senior year and I wanted to spend the last semester hanging out with you.”

Hayden stopped packing for a second and sat down on her bed. “Riles, you know I would love to be able to do that for the rest of the semester, but this project is everything to me. I have never been able to pursue anything with the music industry. I mean, Minneapolis is not really the music capital of the world.” Hayden smiled. “Besides, I am only a phone call away and you can come out and visit. Tyler definitely wouldn’t mind to see you.” Hayden always knew Tyler had a crush on Riley but he never pursued anything being that Riley was in fact Hayden’s best friend.

Riley giggled at that and gave Hayden a quick hug. “All right, All right. Let’s get you packed.” The girls quickly resumed putting all of Hayden’s belongings in various suitcases. This was Hayden’s one shot to get her foot in the door when it came to the music industry. The music business is all about who you know and being from a small town, she knew nobody. Therefore, this was a huge opportunity for her. Not only was it important career wise, but this was the final piece to her college career. This was her chance to prove to everybody that she could produce an impressive project on her own terms. Everything was riding on this project and she was damn sure going to give it everything she had.

______________________________________________________________________

(LAX Airport)

Hayden looked throughout the terminal for the infamous black hair and big blue eyes that belonged to her brother, Tyler. She never understood how he had such dark hair and she was the only blonde in the family, yet they both shared those big blue eyes. Hayden and Tyler were always inseparable when they were younger. Nobody understood the bond that Tyler and Hayden shared; even their parents were surprised at how well their children got along. Tyler had been there for Hayden during rough times and for that, they had always been the best of friends. Tyler was her strength. Nobody could ever come between these two.

“Hayden!!” Tyler yelled.

Hayden quickly spun around on her heels at his voice. She quickly scanned the crowd in search of him and finally there were those big blue eyes. “Tyler!!”

Hayden grabbed her bags and quickened her pace towards her brother. Tyler seemed to be running because she didn’t get very far before she was being enveloped in a huge hug.

“It’s about time you come out to California!” Tyler said while hugging his sister.

Hayden pulled away from the hug in order to see him better. “Well you know me, always a little slow to get going! Tyler laughed and gave her another quick hug.

“Are you going to stand there and just hug me or are you going to help me with all of these bags? I think I packed everything I own. Plus, I would like to see more of California than just the Airport.” They both laughed while Tyler grabbed a couple of Hayden’s bags. They quickly fell into step out of the airport and towards his car.

“You’re going to love California. I bet by the end of this whole thing, you’re going to want to move out here too.” Tyler said while lifting all of Hayden’s bags into the car.

“The only reason I would ever want to move out here is to be closer to you.” Hayden said while getting into Tyler’s car. They talked and laughed while reminiscing about old time back in Minnesota the entire time back to Tyler’s house.
__________________________________________________________________


“Wow, this is your house?! I mean I’ve seen the pictures you’ve sent but this is incredible Ty.” Hayden said while looking around Tyler’s gigantic house in Los Angeles. It had a huge open living room with big bay windows overlooking his pool. To her left were the stairs leading both to the basement and to the second level. “Which one is my room?! I want to explore!” Hayden said while walking up the stairs.

“Second door on your right.” Tyler yelled from the kitchen.

Hayden opened the doors to her new bedroom. It was incredible; it was twice as big as her bedroom in Minnesota. Hayden and Tyler were certainly not poor but neither ever flaunted their money. The room had a big bed with lavender sheets and down comforter all ready for her. There were huge windows just like downstairs that overlooked the pool. But the best thing about her new bedroom was the adjoining bathroom. She could definitely get used to living here.

Hayden ran back downstairs in search of Tyler. She found him sitting at the island reading a magazine. “Tyler, are you kidding me?! This house is beautiful!” Hayden said while wrapping her arms around her brother’s neck before she started scrounging around for something to eat.

“Thank you, I like it too!” Tyler said while looking up from his magazine. “So are you excited to talk to Johnny tomorrow? Do you have any questions laid out for him already?”

“I am really excited to talk to him. He’s one of the biggest and most successful music managers out there. He could definitely be able to open my eyes to just exactly what this business entails.” Hayden said while reaching for a can of pop in the refrigerator. “I know I want to ask him about how he got his start, what his day to day duties include, and about some of the artists he manages.”

“Those are all really good places to start. When I called Johnny about meeting with you, he said he would be busy working with a couple of his artists and that hopefully if all goes well, you would be able to join him. He said he would take you with to the studios so you can see how recording is done. I thought that would be excellent for your project.” Tyler said while getting up from his spot on the island and walking into the kitchen.

“Oh wow, that would be awesome!” Hayden said while taking a sip from her pop.

“Yeah that’s what I thought. A little off topic here, but what do you want for dinner? I’m hungry and it’s getting late. I was thinking about just ordering a pizza, how does that sound?” Tyler said while reaching for his phonebook.

“Yeah that’d be fine.” Hayden said while walking into the living room and plopping down on the couch.

“It should be here in 30-40 minutes.” Tyler said while joining Hayden on the couch. “So tell me about what’s been going on back in Minnesota?”

“Not a whole lot. Everything’s been good. Mom and Dad are doing fine and Riley says hello.” Tyler blushed and Hayden was quick to notice but just let it go for the time being. “School’s been going well, I’ve been pretty stressed out over this project but now that I have an idea, I’m trying to relax a little.” Hayden said while putting her pop on the table next to her.

“Well you covered the basics, but what about you; I want to know how you are doing?” Tyler said while looking Hayden right in her eyes. He always could tell when she was lying by her eyes.

“I’m fine.” Hayden said while looking down sharply.

“I don’t believe you, Hayden.” Tyler said while scooting closer to her on the couch. “I know the last two years have been really hard and I haven’t been there as much as I should have.” Tyler said while putting his arm around his sister.

“Tyler, you’re the only person that really has been there for me. I’m trying hard to move on and get past everything because that’s basically all I can do. But that doesn’t mean I don’t think about him at night or I don’t miss him uncontrollably.” Hayden said while trying to hold back the tears that threatened to emerge.

“Hayden, I’m not going to tell you that I understand because truthfully, I don’t. Nobody knows the pain that you’ve had to go through. But now that you’re out here, I want to talk more with you about everything. I’m sick of talking over the phone and getting the “I’m fine” when I know you’re not. I really want to know how YOU are doing.” Tyler said before the doorbell rang.

“I know. Tyler, I’d like to be able to sit down and actually talk about it with you.” Hayden said while keeping her head down.

Tyler got up from the couch and answered the door. He paid the deliveryman and sat back down on the couch with the pizza. “Well I hope you’re hungry, I ordered your favorite. Just Cheese.” Tyler said while opening the box and grabbing a piece.

“Yum!” Hayden managed to say before taking a big bite into the pizza. They continued to talk about Hayden’s school and Tyler’s job, but neither brought up the previous conversation again that night. They had months to talk about it and neither Hayden nor Tyler wanted to get into it just yet. They would rather enjoy the pizza and laugh; just like old times. It was about time they got back into being the big brother and little sister. This was their night to just be best friends again.

Chapter 4: Lunch


The sun was breaking through the sheer curtains and slowly creeping its way towards the bed. The blankets were haphazardly strewn about and it was clear that whoever slept in the bed tossed and turned the entire night. Before the sun could fully capture the sleeping form, the covers were whipped off and tossed to the floor. Hayden opened her eyes and scanned the room, it was truly beautiful. The crème colored walls and carpet blended perfectly with the light lavender colors on the bed. The rustic furniture adorning the room brought about warmth that Hayden missed; it was the warmth of home.

Finally, Hayden began to stir and make her way into the bathroom. Her meeting with Johnny Wright was in a couple of hours and she was trying her best to keep her nerves under control. This meeting would either open doors or shut them for her. She was determined to do everything she could to prove to Johnny how much she loved this business. Nobody ever understood Hayden’s fascination with the music industry, it’s not like she could sing or really dance for that matter, but Hayden didn’t care. Music was always there for her, no matter what mood she was in, there was always a song that matched what she was feeling. She was able to relate to music and for that reason it rapidly became her passion.

“Hayden, are you up?” Tyler said as he knocked on her door.

“Yeah, I’m just getting out of the shower.” Hayden yelled as she wrapped herself in a towel.

“All right, well I’ll be downstairs making breakfast.” Tyler said before walking away from the door.

Hayden continued getting ready, throwing clothes out of her suitcase in search of the perfect outfit. After deciding on a pair of black pin-stripe pants and light pink button-up shirt, she was off to the bathroom again. She dried and straightened her hair and finally put on a light amount of make-up. To finish her outfit, she put a necklace with a ring on it around her neck. After giving herself the once over she made her way downstairs and into the kitchen.

“Good morning!” Hayden said as she walked by her brother and opened the refrigerator in search of orange juice. After grabbing the carton, she poured herself a glass and sat down next to the island. She scanned the newspaper and quickly discarded it next to her.

“How’d you sleep?” Tyler asked as he continued cooking eggs and bacon.

“As best as I could.”

“Yeah, I bet you’re pretty nervous about the meeting, huh?” Tyler asked while setting Hayden’s plate in front of her.

“Definitely, I’m trying my best to stay calm.” Hayden responded, thankful that Tyler assumed the reason behind her not sleeping well were her nerves. Ever since the accident, Hayden has never slept well at night anymore. It’s not like she wanted to hide her feelings from her brother, but now was not the time to delve into that part of her life.

“Do you have everything you need ready to go for the meeting?” Tyler asked as he cleaned off both their plates.

“Yeah, I just need to grab my bag and then I’m ready to go.” Hayden responded.

“Ok, well I’m sorry I can’t go with you, but I have to work the day shift. But you can use my other car and I’ll get you directions to Johnny’s office.”

“That sounds good to me!” Hayden said as she jogged off to go retrieve everything she would need for the meeting.

Five minutes later they were both walking out the door to the cars. “I know you’ll do great! Johnny’s a good guy and he’s willing to help you out any way that he can, so don’t be afraid to ask questions.” Tyler said as he gave Hayden a quick hug.

“I know, thank you again Tyler! This is an amazing opportunity.” Hayden said before getting into the car.

“Anything for my little sis.” Tyler said before Hayden backed out of the driveway and was on her way to the meeting of a lifetime.
______________________________________________________________________

(Johnny Wright’s Office)

Hayden pulled the car into a parking spot and shut it off. Her stomach was officially doing flip flops and her hands were shaking. "I really need to get a hold of myself"Hayden thought to herself. She took a couple of deep breaths which seemed to help settle her stomach before grabbing her bag and walking towards the door. Once inside, Hayden was blown away with all of the plaques and posters adorning the walls, everything from Janet Jackson, to his new group Danity Kane, were covering the walls.

“May I help you, Miss?” A secretary called to her.

“Oh yes, I’m sorry, I have a 10:00 appointment with Mr. Wright.”

“Your name please?” The secretary asked while pulling up Johnny’s schedule.

“Hayden Charles.”

“Yes, Ms. Charles, I’m supposed to escort you back. Mr. Wright is expecting you, right this way please.” The secretary politely asked while walking down the halls towards Johnny’s office. She knocked gently on the door before opening it slightly. “Mr. Wright, Hayden Charles is here to see you.”

“Great, thank you Anna, please let her in.” Johnny said before he started cleaning the stacks of papers off his desk.

Hayden smiled at the secretary as she walked into Johnny’s office. “Good morning Mr. Wright.” Hayden said as she shook his hand. “Thank you for this wonderful opportunity.”

“Please, call me Johnny; it’s no trouble at all. Tyler’s a good friend and anything I can do to help him out, I’m happy to do so.” Johnny said while he sat back in his chair. “So tell me a little about yourself.”

“Well, as you know my name’s Hayden. I am 21 years old and I’m in my last semester of college at the University of Minnesota. I’m majoring in marketing with a minor in management. I am definitely a Midwestern girl at heart. So being in California is a little bit of a shock.” They both laughed at that and Hayden’s nerves finally subsided. “I have a big fascination with the music industry and music in general, hence, the reason why I want to do my senior project on this industry.”

“Yes, your senior project. Tyler was telling me a bit about it. But I’d like to hear what exactly you are looking to do, that way I can try and better assist you with it.”

“My senior project is basically anything I want it to be. I have complete control over it! I was hoping to chronicle the workings of this industry. From signing the new artists, to recording, and finally promoting their albums. I’d like to look at it from both the management and the artists view point. I’m open to changing and revamping this idea based upon your input as well, Johnny.” Hayden said.

“That definitely sounds like a good idea. My only suggestion would be to stick to one artist, rather than try and cover everyone. Otherwise, the project might turn out a little scattered, like it did not have a clear focus. One thing to keep in mind is that depending on the genre of music the artist records, the steps they go through vary. For example, the pop artists go through more promotion than say the hard rock bands. It all depends.” Johnny said as Hayden was scribbling notes in her notebook.

“I think focusing on just one artist would be a really great idea. It would definitely produce a more in-depth project, rather than just generalizing everything.” Hayden said.

“Before we head down the hall to a recording studio, I wanted to give you my cell phone number. I will be in L.A. most of the time but sometimes I head out to New York or Orlando, if I’m needed. Please give me a call whenever you need something; otherwise feel free to come to the office anytime.” Johnny said while handing Hayden his business card with his cell phone number written clearly on it. “We can sit down later and go through some management questions as well. But before he heads out to lunch, I wanted to take you down to the recording studio so you could listen in on a session.” Johnny said while getting up from his chair and walking to the door.

“That’d be wonderful. Thank you again Johnny for everything.” Hayden said as she grabbed her things and walked out of Johnny’s office. Johnny knocked on the door and walked in with Hayden following closely behind. Hayden’s eyes grew wide at all of the machines that were wrapped around the room, thousands of buttons on each board and only one guy controlling it. There were huge plush couches along the side of the wall and stools sporadically placed throughout the room. Hayden was snapped out of her daze when she heard Johnny speak up.

“Hey Justin, come out here, I want to introduce you to someone.” Johnny said.

“Hey Johnny, what’s up man?” Justin said while walking out of the recording booth.

“Justin, this is Hayden Charles, she will be hanging around here quite a bit working on a project. I was also hoping you would be able to let her listen in on your recording session today.” Johnny said.

Justin reached his hand out and proceeded to shake her hand. “Nice to meet you Hayden, I’m Justin Timberlake.”

“Nice to meet you too.” Hayden said before letting go of his hand.

“Well now that the introductions are done, I’ll let you get back to recording. Hayden, feel free to take notes and ask questions. Mike, one of Justin’s producers should be coming back shortly.” Johnny said before walking out of the room, leaving Hayden and Justin by themselves.

“So, do you mind if I ask what project you’re doing for Johnny?” Justin said while taking a seat on the couch.

“It’s more like Johnny is helping me out with a project.” Hayden said after taking a seat on one of the stools.

“Oh yeah, what’s it about?” Justin asked.

“It’s my senior project for college. I wanted to do an industry analysis of the music business. Turned out Johnny is a good friend of my brother’s, so he set up a meeting and here I am.” Hayden said while shifting uncomfortably in her seat. Being alone in the room with Justin Timberlake was making Hayden’s nerves come back and in full force. Johnny was well aware of the situation regarding this project, but she felt like Justin was just thrown into it. Hayden was feeling like an intruder. “I can head back to Johnny’s office to go over some more questions and let you get back to whatever it is you were doing.” Hayden said while she stood up from her chair.

“No, it’s fine. Johnny actually talked to me earlier about the possibility of someone watching the recording session today. I’m cool with it. But Mike had to head out for a little bit, he won’t be back ‘till about 1:00, so do you want to go and get lunch?” Justin asked as he threw on his hoodie.

“Umm…I guess that’d be cool. Are you sure Johnny won’t mind?”

Justin looked at her strangely and busted out laughing. “Hayden, one thing that you’ll learn after spending time here, Johnny is one of the most laid back guys out there.”

Hayden felt a small blush creep into her cheeks. “I’m just so grateful for this opportunity; I don’t want to screw anything up.”

“Don’t worry, if there’s a problem, which there won’t be, I’ll take the heat.” Justin said after walking through the recording studio towards the doors. Hayden couldn’t help but check him out as he walked in front of her, he was very good looking, but he never acted like he knew it. He was confident, but at the same time down to earth and a genuinely nice person. She was definitely going to have to thank Tyler again!

“So where are we going to lunch?” Hayden asked.

“I know this café a couple of blocks away. It’s pretty low key and they have great food.” Justin said while getting into his car.

“Sounds good. I love café’s, they remind me of home.” Hayden said

“Where’s home?” Justin asked while he started up the car and drove off.

“Minnesota, I’m definitely a Midwestern girl. Ever been there?” Hayden asked.

“I’ve been there on tours, but never just to go there on vacation or anything.” Justin said after taking a back road to the café.

“Yeah, I suppose a big superstar like you going to Minnesota would be a little weird.” Hayden joked.

Justin smiled at that comment. “Well maybe someday you can take me to Minnesota.”

“You wish I would bring you there.” Hayden said while winking at Justin.

Justin laughed and with that he knew she would definitely be cool to hang out with. There was an innocence and lightheartedness to her. He was looking forward to getting to know her better and help her with her project.

Chapter 4: Cell phones


(Lunch at Rosie’s Café)

“So, what’s good here?” Hayden asked while briefly looking over the menu.

“Pretty much everything!” Justin said with a smile before putting his menu back down on the table. The car ride over to the café was quick and consisted of non-stop laughter. Justin was enjoying being around Hayden; despite the two just meeting she was quick to let him in and treat him like a friend, rather than a superstar.

“Are you both ready to order or would you like a couple minutes to decide?” The waitress asked.

“I think we’re ready, I’ll have the grilled chicken sandwich with a side salad and ranch dressing, please.” Hayden said.

The waitress quickly scribbled down the order before turning to Justin. “I’m going to have the cheeseburger with french fries. Thank you.” Justin said before the waitress disappeared in the back to get their order started.

Justin and Hayden both looked at each other with blank expressions; neither knew what to say at that moment. The car ride had been so care free and now lunch was starting to feel a bit awkward. Finally, Hayden broke the tension by laughing so hard, that Justin couldn’t help but smile with her.

“I’m sorry; I just had to break the tension somehow.”

“Don’t worry about it…so, let’s talk about the whole reason you’re here, your senior project. All you’ve told me is that it’s on the music business, that’s a little vague and if you’re going to be hanging around; I’d like to know what I’m getting myself into.” Justin said before displaying a huge grin. His smile and playfulness helped put Hayden at ease; she never wanted him to feel like he was being forced into helping her.

“Well, my project is basically anything I want it to be. I chose to do it on the music industry because it’s a business that fascinates me. Its workings are complicated and yet simple, it all boils down to who you know. After talking to Johnny more about it, I want to chronicle the steps that go into signing an artist, recording the album, promoting it, and finally reaping the benefits of all the hard work. Preferably, I want to focus on either one genre of music or specifically one artist, in order to have a more detailed and focused project.”

“Wow, you’ve really thought this through.” Justin said before taking a sip of his water.

“Yeah, I have to submit a proposal to my professor next week, so I need to have a clear vision for the project or he won’t approve it.” Hayden said.

“Well, I think you’ve definitely got it figured it.” Justin said smiling at Hayden. “Earlier today, Johnny asked if I would be willing to help you out with the artist’s viewpoint and let you hang around with me, basically let you see what I go through on a daily basis. Since I’m in the process of recording my new album; it would be a good opportunity for you to see what goes into that stage and all the promotions that I will be doing to get the album’s name out there.”

“I don’t want you to feel like you have to. You must be crazy busy with all of that, I don’t want to be a hassle…”

“I already told Johnny that it’s no problem for you to hang around and watch the process. Besides, it will be fun having a new person to hang out with.” Justin said as the waitress brought their food back.

“I really appreciate everything you and Johnny are doing for me. This has to be the coolest thing to ever happen to me. Living in Minnesota, you don’t get many chances like this.” Hayden said as she took a bite of her sandwich.

“Will you do me one favor though?!” Justin asked.

“Yeah absolutely.”

“You better produce one hell of a project; I mean you’re going to be representing me!” Justin laughed and the rest of their lunch continued with small talk regarding Justin’s schedule and what Hayden should expect for the next couple of months.

“Well we should probably head back to the studio. Mike’s probably wondering where I’m at.” Justin said after paying for the bill.

“Yeah, sounds like a good idea.” Hayden said following Justin back to his car.

The car ride back to the studio was pretty quiet; the only sound that could be heard was the soft melody from the radio. Neither Justin nor Hayden said much, it was like there was a calm aura surrounding them. Hayden was busy reflecting on how much her life has changed in the matter of a couple days. She was being given the opportunity to shadow Justin Timberlake, one of the most successful artist’s out there. Plus, she would be able to talk with Johnny Wright and get his input when it came to all of the management decisions surrounding Justin’s career. Her senior project was quickly falling into place, thanks to Johnny and Justin. Hayden briefly grabbed her necklace with the ring on it and gave it a slight tug, silently thanking Josh for everything he was sending her way.

Justin noticed Hayden reach for her necklace and hold it protectively in her hand. He was quick to notice how her expression took on a distraught and sad look. He was well aware that the necklace was something very important to Hayden.

Once they arrived back at the recording studio, Justin was quick to jump back into the swing of things, running back and forth between the control board and the recording booth. Hayden sat comfortably on the couch with her legs crossed, taking notes about how the process worked. Justin would talk to Mike about adding certain riffs and beats, and then he would proceed to record it, come back out and listen to it back. Justin must’ve gone back and forth a hundred times, tweaking the littlest things. Justin was passionate about his work and he was a perfectionist, just like herself.

“What are ya writing?” Justin asked before sitting down next to Hayden on the couch.

“I’m taking notes on how you go about recording a song. I’m surprised you guys haven’t had to replace the carpet, considering you’re running back and forth every two seconds.” Hayden joked.

“You know, you spend one day with me and now you think you can give me shit.” Justin said looking her straight in the eyes.

“I…uhh…I’m sorry, I was…” Hayden stuttered.

It was now Justin’s turn to burst out laughing at how flustered Hayden became. “Chill out, I’m just giving you a hard time.”

“Not funny Justin.” Hayden pouted before turning it into a smile and laughing along with him. “So what’s next?” Hayden said while closing her notebook and packing everything back into her bag.

“Well Mike’s got to head out early today, so I’m done for the day.” Justin said.

“Oh all right, I should be getting home too. I should start going through all of my notes, so that I can start writing up the proposal for my professor.” Hayden said while getting up from the couch and collecting her things.

“Sounds good. Just so you know we’re not going to be recording tomorrow, it’s my day off. So, do you want to hang out? I could show you around California and we could maybe go over some other stuff for the project?” Justin asked while grabbing his hoodie once again and walking towards the door.

“Definitely, that’d be cool.” Hayden said while reaching for her cell phone. “What’s your number?”

“Wow Hayden, I would’ve never guessed you to be so forward.” Justin joked as he reached for a pen and paper to scribble his number down.

“Ha ha!” Hayden said dryly. She quickly entered his number into her phone and hit send.

“What are you doing?” Justin asked as his phone started ringing.

“Now you have my number. Give me a call sometime tomorrow and we’ll meet up.” Hayden said as she was walking to her car.

“Sounds good. It was nice hanging out with you today. By the way, you owe me lunch!” Justin laughed as he got into his car and drove off.

Hayden got into her car and started the drive back to Tyler’s house. She was in awe of how the day had turned out. Not only did Johnny allow her full access to his office, but she was going to be hanging out with Justin Timberlake and learning about the music business through him. This project was seriously shaping out to be the best experience of her life. Hayden’s thoughts were quickly interrupted when her phone started ringing.

“Hey Ty!” Hayden said into the phone. “I’m on my way home right now, what do you want to do tonight?”

“Sorry Hayden, I’ve got to work a double, I won’t be home till late.” Tyler sighed into the phone.

“Oh that’s all right, duty calls.”

“Yeah, but how did everything go today?” Tyler asked.

“It was wonderful Tyler! Johnny is awesome! He wants me to come in whenever I need anything or just want to talk. I’m actually going to be working with one of his artists through the recording and promotion of his new album.” Hayden said happily.

“Oh yeah, who?” Tyler asked.

“Justin Timberlake.”

“Really?! That’s pretty cool! You’ll definitely get first hand experience with how the business works by hanging around him.” Tyler said.

“Yeah, he’s a pretty cool guy. We’re getting together tomorrow to just hang out and get to know each other better. I should probably get a sense of who he is as a person, in order to better understand how he does all of his music.” Hayden said while getting off of the freeway.

“Yeah, if you’re going to be spending time together, you’ll want to be comfortable with each other. Well, I’m glad you had a good day! I’m sorry to bail on you tonight, but just make yourself comfortable. I have a bunch of movies in the living room that you can watch.” Tyler said.

“Don’t worry Ty, I’ll find something to do.” Hayden said while turning into Tyler’s driveway.

“Ok, if you need anything my cell phone is always with me. Have a good night Hayden. I’ll see ya later.”

“You too, Bye Tyler.” Hayden said before closing her cell phone and walking into the house.

Hayden was actually looking forward to having the house to herself. She would be able to really get a jump on her proposal and hopefully finish it that night. After changing into a t-shirt and lounge pants, she plopped down on the couch with her laptop on her lap and her notes sprawled out around her. After deciding on where to start her proposal Hayden began to furiously type everything out.

Introduction

The music industry has always interested me and coming from a small town this business has been difficult to learn about. Unless you live in Los Angeles or New York, this business is guarded and secretive about its true nature. The music business is mysterious because they do not release information about how to make it in the business, but rather they expect a potential client to figure it out on their own. The goal of my research project is to uncover just how this industry works both from a management and artists standpoint.

I wanted to do my senior project on the music…

Before Hayden could get any further into the proposal she was interrupted by her phone ringing again.

“Hello?” Hayden said while balancing her phone between her ear and shoulder in order to continue typing her proposal.

“Long time no talk…”

“Who is this?” Hayden asked.

“I guess I didn’t make that great of an impression if you’ve already forgotten me.”

Hayden was slightly irritated playing this guessing game and took her phone in her hand to check her caller id. Justin.

“Sorry Justin, I was just getting started on my proposal.” Hayden said. “What’s up?”

“I’m bored.” Justin sighed into the phone.

“You can’t be serious! You spend all day working your ass off in the studio and when you get home, you’re bored?” Hayden asked as she put her laptop on the couch.

“Yeah, I need constant stimulation.” Justin laughed at what he just said.

“Wow…I’m going to umm…ignore what you just said.” Hayden blushed at that thought. “Don’t you have friends to hang out with?”

“Ouch, that hurt…why? Aren’t you a friend?” Justin asked.

“Well I guess so, but we just met today…”

“True, but I thought I would bother you some more.”

“Gee thanks, you’re going to be able to bother me all day tomorrow.” Hayden laughed. “Besides, I should really get back to this proposal. If I finish it I’ll bring it with tomorrow and you can read it, let me know what you think.” Hayden said.

“That sounds good. Well I suppose I’ll let you get back to that. Have fun!”

“Will do, thanks Justin. I’ll talk to you later. Bye!” Hayden said.

“Later Hayden.” Justin said before hanging up.

He is seriously crazy. Hayden thought to herself before busting out laughing again. That guy was definitely going to be fun to hang out with for the next couple of months. She was in for an interesting ride that’s for sure.

Chapter 5: Questions


Hayden was suddenly awoken by the shrieking sound of her cell phone going off next to her bed. She grabbed the phone fully intending on giving whoever was calling her at the odd hour a tongue lashing, but decided against it and just silenced the phone. After rolling back over and burying herself in her sheets, the phone started ringing again. Hayden whipped the covers off finally and reached for her cell phone once again.

“Hello?” Hayden groggily said.

“Well good morning Ms. Charles!” The voice happily greeted her.

“Too early, call back later.” Hayden said before hanging up the phone and getting back under the covers. Not even a minute passed before the phone started ringing again. Hayden seized the phone in her hands and answered it once again.

“I’m not kidding, it’s too early.” Hayden said now completely frustrated with this intrusion on her sleep.

“You know, you’re a real crab in the morning, but I’ll let it go just this once.”

“What time is it anyway?” Hayden asked.

“Nine o’clock.”

“I guess I didn’t sleep very well…by the way who is this?” Hayden asked.

“I guess I am forgettable in your book, that’s twice now, Hayden.”

“Hey Justin.” Hayden laughed. She knew it was him since she glanced at the caller id before answering it, but she liked get him riled up and ruffle his feathers a bit.

“Hello to you too, so what’s the plan for today?” Justin asked.

“You are the one who wanted to hang out, so you should make the decisions.” Hayden said while getting out of bed and walking into the bathroom. She glanced at her reflection and it was clear she did not get enough sleep the night before. She had bags underneath her bloodshot eyes. Truth be told, Hayden finished the proposal early and was in bed before midnight, but she had a hard time both falling and staying asleep.

“Well where do you live, I’ll swing by and pick you up.” Justin’s voice snapped Hayden out of her daze.

“Umm…right now? I just woke up.” Hayden said while walking out of her bedroom and into the kitchen.

“Well you better hurry up and get ready. I’ve been awake for a couple of hours and I’m bored. So tell me where you live and I’ll come get you.” Justin said.

“All right, I’m at 5436 Stadium St.” Hayden said while pouring herself a glass of orange juice and sitting at the island content on reading the paper. “Give me at least an hour before you come so I can actually get moving.”

“Yeah, Yeah, Hayden I’ll see you soon.” Justin said before hanging up the phone and heading over to her place. He didn’t care that she already warned him to give her time to go through her morning routine, he was bored and ready to bother Hayden all day.
_______________________________________________________________________


Hayden managed to finish reading over her proposal once more before there was a knock on the door. She was a little confused considering Tyler was upstairs sleeping and she wasn’t expecting Justin for at least another hour. She put her papers down and went to answer the door. Hayden was shell shocked seeing Justin outside of her door already.

“What in the hell are you doing here already?” Hayden said after whipping the door open.

“Nice to see you too…nice PJ’s Hayden.” Justin said winking at her.

Hayden immediately started blushing once she realized she was standing at the door with a pair of lounge pants, a gray t-shirt, and her hair in a ponytail. “Thanks…I guess come in, but be quiet, my brother worked late last night so he’s still sleeping. Give me a second to go upstairs shower and change. Make yourself comfortable in the living room; I’ll be back down in a bit.”

Hayden rushed up to her bedroom to get ready for her day out with Justin. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t nervous, she just wanted to get to know Justin Timberlake the person, rather than the artist. She was even more nervous to show Justin her proposal. She’d never admit it to him, but she wanted his approval more than anything because this project was focused on his career. After taking the fastest shower of her life and throwing on a shirt and jeans, Hayden ran back downstairs to find Justin already reading her proposal.

“What are you doing?” Hayden asked as she stopped suddenly at the bottom of the stairs.

“I saw your proposal lying out; I hope you don’t mind that I read it.” Justin said sheepishly.

“I guess not, I mean this whole project is about you…I just wanted to proof read it a little more before I let you read it.”

“Hayden, I think this is great, I’m not used to someone writing about my career and honestly be interested in my career, rather than my personal life.” Justin said as he walked up to her on the stairs. “I’m really looking forward to showing you the business side of everything…I think you’re going to learn a lot about this industry. You definitely impressed me; I can’t wait for the whole project.”

Hayden blushed at that compliment. “Wow that means a lot to me. I’m glad you liked it.”

“Definitely…so now that you’ve had time to get ready, are you ready to go?” Justin asked.

“Yeah, what are we doing?”

“You’ll see, let’s go.” Justin grabbed Hayden’s hand and the two of them were out the door in a flash.

______________________________________________________________________

“You have the day off and you want to go shopping?” Hayden asked after Justin pulled into the parking lot of a mall. The truth of the matter was Hayden loved to shop but she was looking forward to spending the day getting to know him, not running away from people. “Isn’t that going to be a little dangerous, you in a shopping mall with no security?”

“Yes it could be my dear.” Justin said before reaching in the backseat of his car to pull out his hoodie, baseball cap, and sunglasses. “But this usually deters people for awhile; I just wanted to pick up a few things.”

“All right, that’s cool but if I get attacked by anyone saying they love you, I’m out.” Hayden started laughing as they got out of the car and headed into the mall.

Justin and Hayden walked throughout the mall for a couple of hours, randomly stopping to look at things. Hayden was pleasantly surprised that people either never recognized Justin or if they did, they left him alone. However, she was shocked by Justin’s ability to shop. He had at least ten bags full of clothes.

“So, I think I have you all figured out. You love to write, sing, and play music. You get bored easily and you love to shop. Where was the mystery in that?” Hayden laughed as they entered a gag gift store.

“Basically, I’m pretty boring once you get to know me.” Justin said while looking at some shirts.

Hayden laughed and then started to yawn. She was having a really difficult time sleeping at night and being in California away from her comfort zone was only amplifying everything. “Hey Justin, I’m getting a little burnt out from all this, do you want to maybe head back to my house maybe watch a movie and get some lunch.”

“Yeah, that’d be cool. I think I got everything I came here for.” Justin said while walking out of the stores. “Well, I hope you had fun shopping at least, next time we’ll actually go see things in California.”

“I had a good time shopping with you; besides you’re talking to the girl who lives in the same city as the Mall of America. I love to shop; I just didn’t get enough sleep last night.

“Why’s that?” Justin asked while starting up his car and driving back towards Hayden’s house.

“I was up late writing the proposal.” Hayden lied. She didn’t want to lie to him, but she had a hard time talking to her brother about everything, how would Justin understand it?

“I see…well that’s understandable.” Justin said. He wasn’t convinced at her answer because just like last time, she touched the ring around her necklace and the same sad features overtook her face. He chose to leave it alone and just concentrate on having a good rest of the day with Hayden. The rest of the drive home to Hayden’s went fast and was relatively quiet.

Hayden led the way back into her house and immediately called out for Tyler. When she didn’t get a response she went into the kitchen to see if he left her a note. Her instincts were right and there tacked to the refrigerator was a note from Tyler.

Hey Sis-
I got called back into work…
I’m really sorry. I’ll call you later!
Love, Ty

p.s. Hope you have a good day with Justin!

Hayden read the note and sighed. She missed talking to her brother last night and she was looking forward to seeing him when she got home.

“Where’s your brother?” Justin asked as he entered the kitchen and sat at the island.

“He had to work again…” Hayden said while opening the refrigerator.

“I see…”

“Yeah, it sucks…I wanted him to meet you. He was really happy for me.” Hayden said after grabbing Justin and herself a pop before heading into the living room. Justin was quick to follow behind her and sit down on the couch.

“So what do you want to do?” Justin asked.

“Let’s watch a movie, how about Pirates of the Carribean?” Hayden said while getting up to retrieve the movie and put it in.

“Yeah, that’s cool.”

They settled into the couch fully intending to watch the movie but their attention was diverted elsewhere. They didn’t even get ten minutes into the movie before Hayden started asking Justin questions.

“I was thinking, let’s play a game. Today is all about getting to know one another so I’ll ask you three questions and you have to answer truthfully! Then it’s your turn and you can ask me any three questions back.” Hayden said while tucking her legs underneath her and turning to face Justin.

“All right, fire away Ms. Charles.” Justin said

“Are you truly happy with your life?” Hayden asked.

"Wow, she doesn’t waste anytime." Justin thought to himself and prepared himself for some heavy questions. “Yes, to an extent. I love what I do and wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. But that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have its downsides too. I don’t have privacy and everybody knows what I’m doing even before I do. It comes with the territory though, so yes overall I’m truly happy.”

“Good answer.” Hayden said. “All right, next question, what is your favorite thing to do on your downtime?”

“I love to go back home to Memphis. There’s nothing that even comes close to the feeling of being home.” Justin said while smiling at Hayden.

“All right, final question…what do you honestly think about the project and having me hang around for the next couple of months?” Hayden said while tilting her head to get a better looking into Justin’s eyes. This was the one question she wanted to ask him since day one.

“I think you’ve been given a great opportunity by Johnny. I’m happy to show you around and let you in on my career. Most importantly, I’m excited to have you hang around because you have a passion for the business side of the music industry. That’s rare to find. Finally though, I’m excited to just get to know you as a person. You’ve been really laid back and go with the flow, so I think you and I are going to hit it off great.” Justin said smiling at her and letting her know everything was going to be fine between them.

“Thanks Justin…that’s the one thing I wanted to know!” Hayden said.

“All right, my turn to ask you questions.” Justin playfully wiggled his eyebrows at her and thought about his first question. “What do you want to do once you graduate college?”

“I really want to get a job doing what Johnny does. I want to work behind the scenes of the music business, you know, the managing and promoting side of everything. That’s my dream, whether or not I pursue it, is still up in the air.”

“Nice, well I hope you do go for it.” Justin reassuringly rubbed her hand and continued on with his questions. “What is the one thing you miss while being out in California?”

“My family and friends. I have Tyler out here and trust me, I miss him dearly when I’m in Minnesota…but I’m missing out on my last semester of college with my friends and that’s a bit of a bummer. But this opportunity to work with you and Johnny was something I just couldn’t pass up.” Hayden said truthfully.

“Final question, tell me about the necklace you’re wearing, I know it’s special to you because I see the way you hold onto it. So why is it so important? What’s the story behind it?” Justin asked.

Hayden’s eyes started to fill up with tears and she quickly looked away from Justin. She wasn’t ready to divulge that part of her life to him, at least not tonight. Thinking about Josh was never easy for Hayden anymore. “I would rather not talk about it.” Hayden managed to choke out. “Let’s just watch the movie.”

With that, the Justin dropped the question and they both turned their attention back to the movie.

Chapter 6: Apologies

Too many shadows in my room
Too many hours in this midnight
Too many corners in my mind
So much to do to set my heart right
Oh, it’s taking so long
I could be wrong, I could be ready…
Oh, but if I take my heart’s advice
I should assume it’s still unsteady
I am in repair, I am in repair

It’s been weeks since Hayden and Justin spent the day together and weeks since his question has been haunting her, “What’s the story behind your necklace?” Hayden has been stopping at Johnny’s office periodically, but she’s spending minimal time with Justin and avoiding any situation where they are alone together. She knows she should be moving on with her life and a simple question shouldn’t throw her into a tail spin, but it’s just she has never been asked to explain “it”. Family and friends understand the situation surrounding the necklace and don’t bring it up, for Hayden’s sake. But to Justin, he just doesn’t know about Josh and Hayden, what life is like for Hayden without Josh.

Hayden had decided to forgo Johnny’s office today and just take the time to spend it with Tyler. Her project has been her main focus since she arrived in California and she’s been neglecting any quality time with her big brother.

“So what’s the plan for today Ty?” Hayden asked while strolling into the living room and sitting down on the couch.

“I’m not really up for much, I’ve been working doubles lately and I’m looking forward to just relaxing most of the day.” Tyler said as he flipped through the channels on the television.

“Alright, well I think I’m going to lay out by the pool then. Come outside, it’s beautiful.” Hayden said before disappearing upstairs to put on her swimsuit.

Not even ten minutes later, Hayden and Tyler were outside involved in an intense game of pool basketball. Hayden was absolutely terrible at basketball but she was having fun goofing around with her brother anyways.

“It’s 10-1 Hayden, I’m killing you.” Tyler said throwing the ball at her.

Hayden caught it and started her approach towards the basketball. “I’ve just started my comeback.” Hayden managed to weave around Tyler and made it to the basketball hoop easily letting the ball fall through the rim. “Like I said, I’m catching up!”

That last score was the extent of Hayden comeback as Tyler easily walked away with a 20-2 victory. It didn’t matter who won, Hayden was just enjoying the time with her brother. Once the game was done, they decided to get out of the pool and just lay out for awhile. After getting their towels situated on the ground, Hayden and Tyler laid down preparing to bask in the sun’s warm rays.

“So how is everything going at Johnny’s? You’ve been there a lot lately.” Tyler asked.

“Yeah, lately I’ve just been interviewing Johnny and asking about what he goes through once he decides to manage an artist. He’s been such a wonderful help. No matter what I ask, he’s always willing to answer or give me things to read. I have so much information, it’s crazy. I started organizing how I’m going to put this whole research project together too.” Hayden said enjoying the warmth of the California sun.

“That’s great. I talked to Johnny the other day, he loves having you around. He says you’re really hardworking and always wanting to learn more about the business. But what about Justin? How’s that been going?”

Hayden tensed when she heard his name and it bothered her. Justin was just a friend and he never intentionally meant to draw up bad memories, he was just curious. Hayden still felt uncomfortable around him now. Justin managed to make her feel vulnerable again. Before, she was able to bury everything deep down because nobody ever asked about Josh. But now, all of the bottled up feelings were slowly making their way to the surface. “He’s been cool.”

“That’s it?” Tyler asked looking at her quizzically.

“Yep, that about sum’s it up.” Hayden said looking up at the sky.

“Hayden, don’t be dumb. What’s going on? Did he do anything to you?” Tyler asked seriously.

“Wow, overprotective brother vibe Tyler. No, he didn’t do anything to me. He’s been cool, letting me tag along and watch everything. It’s just that the other day we were asking each other questions, trying to get to know one another and well…he asked what the story was behind my necklace. I just wasn’t ready to go there with him. I barely talk about it with you, let alone a total stranger.”

“Well, maybe it would be easier to talk to a total stranger about everything.” Tyler said.

Hayden’s eyes nearly bulged out of her head as she sat straight up. “How would telling Justin help in anyway? He doesn’t understand any of it.” Her voice was rising and Tyler could tell she was starting to really get upset.

“I’m just saying that sometimes it’s easier to tell a stranger how you’re feeling because they don’t have any predispositions to the situation. For example, Justin knows nothing about Josh…I, on the other hand, knew Josh since high school. When you talk about Josh, I can picture him holding your hand back in Minnesota. I can see the two of you laughing and goofing around like old times. But for Justin, he doesn’t picture anybody…he’s able to really listen to you and your feelings. I don’t know Hayden. I really think you need to talk to somebody. I am always here for you, but you haven’t come to me since it happened and if Justin’s there to listen and he wants to know…talk to him. Don’t think I don’t hear you at night crying over it. I just want what’s best for you.”

Hayden eyes were brimming with tears and they were starting to spill over onto her cheeks. “Trust me Tyler, if I could go a night without crying, I would…if it was easy to talk about, I would. Do you think I like being this way? A silly question has rocked all the walls I’ve built up.”

“Then tell him about Josh…that’s what’s eating you up inside. You want to tell him, you’re just scared.” With that Hayden stood up and grabbed her towel.

“Listen, I don’t want to fight with you about this. If I want to talk I will. Don’t jump down my throat because it’s still hard to talk about.” Hayden said wiping the tears from her eyes and walking inside.

Tyler was not far behind, inside he was glad they had this discussion, Hayden needed to talk about everything rather than hold it all inside. He knew she was really thinking about everything and debating whether or not to talk to Justin. At least now she was thinking rather than suppressing it. “Come here Hayden.” Tyler walked closer to her and enveloped Hayden in a huge hug. “I’m sorry sis; I just want the best for you.”

“I know, just let me work everything out for myself first.” Hayden said. Finally the conversation was dropped and Hayden felt mentally exhausted. Her heart was telling her to talk to Justin, tell him the truth rather than avoid him, while her head was telling her to just deal with it herself. Her day off was definitely not turning out the way she planned.
________________________________________________________________________

Justin had spent the entire day at the studio writing recording new songs. He was having such a hard time concentrating on anything because all he could think about was apologizing to Hayden. He knew the necklace was important, he just didn’t think it would upset her so much to ask about it. Justin was packing all of his stuff up when his phone rang, before even checking to see who was calling, he flipped it open.

“Hello?”

“Hey Justin.”

“Who is this?” Justin asked while closing the studio door and proceeding out to his car.

“It’s Hayden…”

Justin was shocked that she would actually call him, considering she had been avoiding him for over two weeks, but at least this was a step to getting back on track. “What’s up Hayden? You weren’t at the studio today…”

“Yeah, I decided to take the day off and spend time with Tyler. Plus, I wanted to get everything organized from all my talks with Johnny.”

“Yeah, well that’s cool.” Justin said while throwing his stuff in the car and getting in.

“Listen, the reason I called was I wanted to apologize for avoiding you lately and for my reaction the other day when you asked about my necklace. It’s a really sensitive topic for me and you just caught me really off guard.”

“Don’t apologize, Hayden it was my fault…I shouldn’t have…”

“No, Justin you don’t have to take the blame. The necklace is a part of me and if you still want to understand or know the story behind it, I’ll tell you someday when I feel the time’s right.”

“I’d like that Hayden.”

“Good! So now let’s move forward and keep working on your recording and my project. Sound good?” Hayden asked.

“Absolutely, oh I wanted to know, if you would like to go with me to New York? I have to do some promotional work for MTV next week.”

“I’d love to go. That sounds like fun.”

“Yeah definitely. Well Hayden, I just got back to my house. I’m going to go inside and unwind. Are you going to be in the studio tomorrow?

“Yeah, I’ll be there. Thanks again Justin for being so understanding.”

“No problem. Talk to you later.”

“Bye Justin.”

“Bye Hayden.”

Hayden put her cell phone down and laid down on her bed. She was ready to just curl up and protect herself from the world around her. Truth be told, Hayden wanted and needed to talk to someone she just never felt anyone would understand where she was coming from. Sure there was Tyler and Riley, but they would tell her to pick up the pieces and move on…all she ever wanted was someone to just listen. Hayden was exhausted from all of this mental anguish.

A soft knock interrupted her thoughts and Tyler peeked his head inside. “Hey…do you want to go get something to eat?”

“Yeah that’d be cool, where do you want to go?”

“I don’t care, what do you want to eat?”

“How about this café Justin took me to on my first day? They have great food!”

“Sounds good.” Tyler said before closing the door and walking back to his room to get ready.

Hayden picked up her cell phone and dialed the familiar numbers once again. She was determined to make up for the way she treated him the past couple of days. “Hey Justin…do you have plans right now?”

“Nah, I’m just watching T.V.”

“Want to go out to eat with Tyler and I…I do owe you one.”

“Sure, where should I meet you?”

“Rosie’s Café.”

Chapter 7: TRL


“I can’t believe I’m going to New York with you.” Hayden said sitting down in the plane and buckling her seat belt. “I will be in the MTV studios in a couple of hours…yay…I’m so excited.” Hayden squealed.

Justin laughed at Hayden’s giddiness and sat down next to her. “Haven’t you ever been to New York?”

“umm…no. I’ve always been so caught up in school that taking a vacation was never an option.”

“So you never went on Spring Break?” Justin asked.

“Definitely not.” Hayden said matter-of-factly.

Justin laughed when Hayden turned to look out the window once the plane started to move. He was glad that everything between Hayden and himself was back to normal. The lunch at Rosie’s went smoothly and he enjoyed meeting Tyler. It was clear that Hayden and Tyler were really close. Justin felt a twinge of jealousy at their relationship. Justin was significantly older than his brothers and would never have that confidant type of relationship with them.

“What are you thinking about?” Hayden asked breaking Justin from his thoughts.

“Nothing, why?”

“Well you’ve been starring at the seat in front of you for five minutes and you have this lost puppy dog look on your face. Everything ok?”

Justin laughed at Hayden’s analogy and quickly pushed all his thoughts away. “Yeah…I’m good. Just thinking about some of the stuff I have to do at MTV.”

“Oh yeah, so what’s the plan?”

“Well, once we land we’ll be taken straight to the studios. I have to do an appearance on TRL to let them know when Future Sex/Love Sound will be released and to drop off the video for my next single.”

“What in the hell is Future Sex/Love Sound?”

“Oh that’s right…well since you were avoiding me lately, you don’t know…that is the title for the new album.” Justin said proudly.

“How in the world did you come up with that title…I mean I like it and all, but kind of random, don’t you think?” Hayden asked.

“Yeah, definitely random and different from “Justified” but all the beats to the tracks have a very futuristic sound and most of the songs I’ve wrote and recorded already are about sex and love. Hence the name Future Sex/Love Sound.”

“I like it!” Hayden said giving him a gentle tap on his arm.

Justin felt something surge through his body when Hayden voiced her approval, it was a sense of pride. He wasn’t sure when it happened or how, but he wanted Hayden’s approval. She was quickly becoming someone important in his life, especially when it came to his music. She was so passionate about every facet of this business and he wanted her to believe in what he was doing.

“So where are you at with your project? Justin asked wanting to switch the focus from his music to her project.

“I’ve got everything outlined except for when it comes to you.”

“What do you mean, except me?”

“Well, I’m going to start out talking about the history of the business, the top record labels and artists, and then move into Johnny’s job and everything that entails. But for the part revolving around your career, I’m trying to wait till the end to write it. I really want to soak up every experience with you and we’re just starting the whole promotion thing. I don’t want to jump the gun or anything.”

“I see…well it’s probably a good thing to wait; besides you haven’t even seen the touring process. That’s definitely something I want you to be involved with. It’s my favorite part of the music business.”

“You’re going on tour soon?”

“Yeah, that usually follows the release of a new album. It won’t be for a couple of months though.”

“Oh…well if the tour is in a couple of months, my senior project will be done. I won’t be around…I graduate in December so I’ll be back in Minnesota.”

Justin hadn’t thought about Hayden not being around in a couple of months. He had gotten so used to her being a part of everything that he’d forgotten about her life back in Minnesota. “That’s right…I completely forgot that you have to go back in December.”

The mood on the plane quickly took a solemn turn. Neither Justin nor Hayden thought about where their relationship would go once she returned back to Minnesota. They had become friends so quickly that it would be weird not to have the other around. Justin was really starting to feel like Hayden was a part of his management team and he wanted her to be there to help with his career.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, please buckle your seat belts as we start our approach into JFK.” The captain said, interrupting both Justin and Hayden’s thoughts.

Once the plane landed, Justin and Hayden were rushed off and hopped into a black SUV. The ride over to MTV studios was quiet for the most part; the only noise that could be heard was Johnny answering his cell phone. Hayden was busy looking out the windows at all the skyscrapers. She had never seen anything like New York City before in her life. Minneapolis looked tiny compared to New York.

Justin was too busy thinking about everything from Hayden leaving to the release of his new album to pay any attention to the outside world. He was starting to stress out from all the pressure he was under. He loved his job but he had a lot of things coming up. Now that his new album, Future Sex/Love Sounds, would be released soon there would be hours and hours of promotion and shows to do. This was suppose to be the best part about recording a new album, getting it out to the fans, but he had been out of the game for a couple of years, he wondered if his fans would still care. He always tried to put out a confident aura when it came to his music, but the truth was, he was just as nervous as an artist just starting out.

Hayden had noticed Justin’s mood change and she hated to see him so down. She knew he was stressing out about whether people would still respond to his music the way the used to. He had been putting so much into this album; he just wanted his fans to like it. Trying to calm him down and reassure him it would be ok, Hayden did something she hasn’t done in over two years, she reached for Justin’s hand and intertwined her fingers with his. Justin’s eyes shot up and looked straight at Hayden for an explanation. Hayden leaned in close to him and whispered, “I know you’re freaking out inside, your fans are going to love it and I promise everything will turn out great.” She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and smiled at Justin.

Hayden couldn’t believe where the confidence to grab his hand came from, but inside she was glad she could be there for him. In his own way, he was helping her move on in her own life. Hayden hasn’t been close to any man since Josh and this was a huge step for her. The two enjoyed small talk with Johnny the rest of the way to the MTV studios. Justin’s nerves seemed to subside having Hayden by his side.

“Hey Hayden, it’s probably best to let Justin go in first and then you and I will follow.” Johnny said turning to look at the two of them once they arrived at the studios.

“Yeah, that’s fine…” Hayden said letting go of Justin’s hand.

“I’ll meet you inside…Thanks Hayden.” Justin gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before getting out of the SUV. The fans outside erupted into hysteria once Justin came into view. Everyone was yelling for a picture or an autograph and Justin tried his best to accommodate their requests before security rushed him inside.

Hayden and Johnny sat in the SUV for a couple of minutes, giving the crowd time to calm down. Hayden was still reeling from the touch of Justin’s lips on her cheek. She blushed just thinking about what had happened only a few minutes earlier. This trip was definitely turning out to be a huge step forward for Hayden. However, she was quickly shaken from her daze when Johnny opened his door to get out. Security helped Johnny and Hayden get inside and lead them up to Justin’s dressing room.

“Hey Johnny, how are you doing?” Damien Fahey, the host of TRL, said as he approached Johnny and Hayden in the hallway.

“Hey man, it’s been good…just getting ready to gear up for a lot of big things with Justin.” Johnny said shaking Damien’s hand.

“Yeah, definitely…I’ve been hearing good things about the new album. I can’t wait to see the video for the new single. So, who did you bring along with you today?” Damien asked looking in Hayden’s direction.

“Oh sorry, this is Hayden Charles. She’s a student from the University of Minnesota; she’s doing her senior project on the music business. She’ll be working a lot with Justin and I throughout the release of the new album.” Johnny said.

“Pleasure to meet you Ms. Charles.” Damien said while shaking Hayden’s hand.

“Please, call me Hayden. Pleasure is all mine…Thank you for having me here at MTV.”

“Well, if you’ll be hanging around with Justin a lot…I’m sure we’ll be seeing you again soon. Talk to you later guys, I’ve got to go get ready for the show. Nice to see you Johnny and to meet you Hayden.” Damien said before walking down the hall and into the studio.

Justin appeared seconds later at the door reading over the script of the show. He was dressed in a white collard shirt, gray sweater over it, and dress pants. Hayden couldn’t help but think of how good he looked. Where in the world was all of this coming from? She’d spent the last two years avoiding any type of connection with a man and all of a sudden Justin was all she could really think about.

She snapped out of her thoughts when Johnny started walking down the hall and into the studio. Hayden quickly fell into step behind him trying to shake the feelings Justin was bringing up in her. Instead, she tried to focus on the process that goes into preparing for the show. There was of course making sure the guests had copies of the script, hair and makeup were completed, the audience situated around the host, all the videos was ready to play, and last but certainly not least the energy in the room was high. TRL was the place for fans to be heard and making sure the show was prepared to accommodate their voices were top priority.

Hayden stood next to Johnny off to the side watching as Damien was cued to start the show. He went through his usual spiel about welcoming everyone to TRL and that Justin Timberlake was in the building ready to come out and talk about his new album. With that, the crowd erupted into screams at just the thought that Justin would be gracing the stage soon. Hayden had never witnessed anything like this before. Damien introduced the number ten video and while it played the crew raced around the stage preparing to bring Justin out.

“That was the number 10 video and now I want to bring out a good friend of mine, the real reason the studio is filled with screaming girls…Justin Timberlake.”

The studio shook from the screaming and clapping as Justin appeared from the back. He took his time waving and shaking hands with a bunch of the people in the audience on his way up to meet Damien. Hayden couldn’t help the smile that graced her face when she saw Justin appear. He was smiling from ear to ear; just thankful for the welcoming he was receiving.

“Well…judging by that, I’d say people are ready to hear from Justin.” Damien said.

Justin laughed. “Well man, it’s good to be back and seeing all the fans is incredible. I’ve been out of the mix for so long…what a way to return.”

“Let’s talk about that…so why the hiatus?” Damien asked.

“I just needed a little bit of time to take a break, enjoy what I had worked so hard for, and just re-group all together. I’ve been singing and touring since I was fifteen and I just wanted the chance to enjoy some down time.”

“Well...you deserved the break. But now you’re back and I want to talk about your new album because I know you’ve got a lot of exciting things happening for you. But first let’s get to the number 8 and 9 videos. More with Justin Timberlake coming up.”

While the videos played, Justin and Damien made small talk regarding the upcoming album. Hayden watched as Justin continued to beam with pride. She knew he was finally feeling comfortable again.

“That was videos number 8 and 9…today we have Justin Timberlake joining us. So Justin, everyone’s wondering when are we going to hear the new stuff?” Damien asked.

“Actually, I brought with me the video for the new single…it’s called SexyBack. It’s a fun, club song and I’m hoping everyone will like it. As for the new album, it will be released October 23 and it’s called FutureSex/Love Sounds. Then I’m planning a tour shortly after.”

“Awesome man, I’m looking forward to hearing the new album…I’ve heard it’s crazy. Whose been working on it with you?”

“Timbaland has produced almost the entire album. We clicked so well on Justified; I was hoping to work with him again. He’s an amazing producer and all his beats are insane. Nobody does anything like Timbaland.” Justin said.

“Yeah, he’s great. I’m looking forward to everything you’ve got going on. So I saw you come in with your manager Johnny Wright…but you brought someone else along. You know I gotta ask, what’s going on with that man?”

Justin laughed. “Nothing man, she’s a friend of mine…her name’s Hayden and she’s been working for Johnny on a couple of projects. Thus, she’s been working with me on the new album too.” Justin gave her a quick glance and smiled.

“So you’re still single?”

“One hundred percent.” Justin laughed.

“Well you hear that ladies, he’s a single man.” Damien said into the cameras while the studio exploded into screams again. “Justin it’s been great seeing you again. Wish you nothing but success in the coming months. Come back soon, we all love to have you here.” Damien said while shaking Justin’s hand.

“Thanks man, it’s been fun.”

“Well you want to do the honors and introduce your new video?”

“All right, here it is my new single from my upcoming album FutureSex/Love Sounds, SexyBack. ” With that the video came on and Justin said his goodbyes to Damien. On his way over to Hayden and Johnny, Justin signed a few autographs and shook hands with his fans.

“So what’d you think of TRL?” Justin asked Hayden.

“Wow, you were awesome! I can’t believe you never told me SexyBack was the new single. I love that song.” Hayden said while giving him a quick hug.

Justin was shocked that Hayden gave him a hug. She was always friendly but distant nonetheless. Yet today she had no qualms about holding his hand and now hugging him…he wasn’t complaining because the new change in Hayden was something he could definitely get used to.

“I wanted to surprise you! But now that we’re done with this, you want to go get something to eat?”

“Yeah sounds good.” Hayden said.

“Johnny, you coming man?” Justin asked before following Hayden down the hall.

“Nah…I’ve got some stuff to do here regarding Danity Kane, you guys go…I’ll catch up with you later back at the hotel.” Johnny said before disappearing into another room.

Justin and Hayden continued out of the studios back down to the SUV. Once inside the car, Justin and Hayden decided to go back to the hotel and order room service instead of going out somewhere. He was having such a great day being that his single was finally out and his fans were excited to see him. He just wanted to enjoy the rest of the day hanging out with Hayden and relaxing. The ride to the hotel was quick and they decided to hang out in his room. Hayden plopped down onto one of the beds, positioning the pillows behind her back.

“So, how’d you think it went at MTV?” Hayden asked Justin once he sat down on the bed next to her.

“I thought it went great…honestly in the car I was scared out of my mind that people just wouldn’t care about what I was doing anymore. But when you grabbed my hand…it let me know that I wasn’t going through this alone that you were there to cheer me on.”

“I’ll always be there to cheer you on, even when I’m back in Minnesota, you’ll still hear from me.” Hayden laughed at that.

“I hope so…I want you to know how great it’s been having you around. You keep me sane and offer me a piece of normalcy in this crazy lifestyle. You’re so excited to see everything and at the same time you talk to me like I’m just Justin.”

“Well, I can’t thank you enough for this opportunity you’ve given me. You opened up your life to a complete stranger.”

“I’m just glad you turned out to be normal…I mean you could’ve been a psycho or something.” Justin teased.

Hayden lightly punched him on the arm. “That was mean, I’m trying to be nice and you go ahead and make fun of me.”

“That’s because you deserved it.”

“Did not”

“Did too”

“Not”

“Too and that’s final.” Justin said before turning on the TV.

“So what’s going on tomorrow?” Hayden asked breaking Justin away from the TV.

“Actually, I don’t have anything else planned for New York…so Johnny was going to fly us back to California.”

“Oh ok.” Hayden said softly.

“Why do you have something going on?” Justin asked.

“Nah…I was just hoping to go back to Minnesota for awhile. Now that you single’s out I’m sure there’s going to be a ton of promotion to do, so I wanted to head back home for a little bit before that started. I probably won’t get another chance before I graduate and go back for good.” Hayden said.

Justin couldn’t help but feel bummed that Hayden wanted to head home. He understood how important family was but at the same time they were really starting to get along and being away from her well…sucked.

“I understand…I can talk to Johnny about getting you a flight into Minneapolis instead.” Justin tried his best to keep his tone upbeat.

“Thank you, it would mean a lot to head home and see my family.” Hayden said before turning her attention back to the TV. “Wait, why don’t you come back with me? It would give you a chance to get away before the craziness begins and I can show you around Minnesota.”

“I don’t know…I don’t want to impose on you or your family…maybe you should take the time to just see them.” Justin said.

“Are you kidding me, they’d love to meet you and it would really mean a lot to me to have you see where I’m from.” Hayden said grabbing his hand again. “Please?” She gave him the biggest set of puppy dog eyes he’s ever seen before.

“You sure?” Justin asked.

Hayden’s head bobbed up and down happily. “Yeah absolutely.”

“Yeah, definitely I’d like to go. Let me arrange everything with Johnny when he gets in tonight…but I’m sure it won’t be a problem since I didn’t have anything planned in California either.”

“Awesome…I can’t wait to show you what my life is really like. You’ll love Minnesota.” Hayden continued to plan out what they could do once they got to Minnesota. She was so wrapped up in her excitement she had forgotten that their hands were still intertwined. Justin couldn’t help but smile at Hayden’s giddiness and he was looking forward to spending more time getting to know Hayden better. This day was definitely turning out better than Justin ever imagined.

Chapter 8: A Trip Home!

Hayden could barely contain her excitement once the plane landed in Minneapolis. She was looking forward to seeing her family and friends. It had been over a month since Hayden left for California and she was definitely ready to see everybody again, especially Riley. She had called everyone last night and let them know she would be coming home for at least a week and that Justin would be coming back with her. Everyone was really excited to see her and meet Justin.

“Wake up sleepy.” Hayden said while shaking Justin lightly on the shoulders.

“WHAT!?” Justin yelled, throwing his arms out like someone was attacking him.

“Holy shit…what the hell was that?” Hayden managed to get out through her laughs.

“Fuck…Hayden you scared the living daylights out of me.” Justin said while trying to control his breathing and get it back down to normal.

“Remind me never to shake you when you’re sleeping again.” Hayden laughed while getting out of her seat and grabbing her carry-on.

“Well if we didn’t have to get up at 3 in the morning to catch the flight, I wouldn’t have fallen asleep.” Justin winked at her. “But I’m good now…got my power nap in.” He said following Hayden out of the plane and up the walkway.

Justin was excited to spend the entire week with Hayden; it would help get his mind off of the craziness that would soon envelop his life. Hayden had mentioned the night before that it would probably be cold in Minnesota; therefore Justin chose to wear a sweatshirt and hat. Not only would it help keep him warm but it would help disguise him amongst the people. If the media knew Justin was in Minnesota, this week could definitely be over before it even started. So far Justin and Hayden had been lucky to avoid any media attention in California and they hoped to continue that streak in Minnesota.

Once they got their bags, they started walking through the terminal; it wasn’t long before Hayden spotted Riley outside. Hayden quickened her pace out the door towards the car. The girls nearly knocked one another over when they went to give each other a hug.

“Oh girl, it’s good to see you!” Riley said.

“You too…I’ve missed hanging out with you.” Hayden said before reaching to pick up her bag she dropped to hug Riley.

“Well you haven’t missed much around here…” Riley said trailing off when she noticed Justin standing there.

Hayden finally realized she forgot to introduce Justin. “Oh Riles, this is Justin. Justin, this is my best friend since kindergarten, Riley James.”

Justin extended his hand to Riley. “Nice to meet you Riley.”

“Likewise. Well, how about I get you guys out of the airport.” Riley said while walking around her car to get inside.

Justin had been the gentlemen opening Hayden’s door before getting into the backseat of Riley’s car. Once on the road, Hayden and Riley talked like they had never been apart; Justin was starting to feel a little out of place around these two.

“So what have you been doing out in California?” Riley asked Hayden.

“I’ve basically been following this guy around all the time while he prepares to release his next album.” Hayden said as she turned around and gave Justin a wink.

“I hope she’s not getting on your nerves too much…” Riley said while looking back at Justin in the rearview mirror.

“Nah…she’s been a lot of fun to have around.” Justin said.

“Well I hope you guys don’t mind if we just head back to the apartment…I’ve got night class in a couple of hours. Plus, I figured Hayden; you’d want to show Justin around or something.” Riley said while getting off of the interstate and heading towards their apartment. Hayden was busying glancing around at the houses and buildings flying by. It had been over a month since she started her last semester of college and over a month since she’d been in Minnesota. Damn, she missed this place. Yes, she was extremely thankful for the opportunity she had been given but there was just something about being home that was comforting.

“How’s Tyler?” Riley asked, interrupting Hayden’s peaceful thoughts.

Hayden gave her a knowing look and smiled. “He’s good…why?”

“Oh you know…just wondering...I just know it’s been a long time since you two have seen each other…umm..yeah.” Riley was completely flustered and desperately wanted to change the subject now.

Justin picked up on Riley’s awkward behavior and made a mental note to ask Hayden about that later. Like Hayden, he was enjoying looking out the window at everything passing by, however for Hayden it was the comfort of being home…but for Justin this was the most time he ever spent exploring Minnesota. He could tell you about every nook and cranny of the Xcel Energy Center and the Target Center but being out in the communities, this was definitely new territory and he was enjoying himself.

Suddenly, Riley pulled into the parking lot of a small apartment complex. The building was tiny compared to his house in L.A., but quaint nonetheless. The entire building was made of bricks and Justin had to admit it brought character to the complex. Hayden was already out of the car and collecting all of their bags before Justin finally realized this was their apartment complex…oops.

It wasn’t long before they had made the trek inside the building and were finally entering their apartment. Justin couldn’t help but take it all in, the lavender scent that was all Hayden, the pictures frames of the two girls everywhere, the candles, and beautiful lush couches…it was exactly how he pictured Hayden’s apartment to be.

“I know I just met you Justin…but I really have to get going if I’m going to make it to night class on time.” Riley said interrupting Justin from surveying the room.

“Oh no, I understand…I’m sure I’ll see you later anyways.” Justin said putting his bag on the ground near the couch.

“Hey Hayd…I’ve got class, but I’ll be back later tonight to get some of my stuff.” Riley said collecting all of her books and hoisting her bag to her shoulder.

Hayden came walking out of her bedroom, “What do you mean get some of your stuff?”

“I figured I’d crash at Krystal’s for the week, one because we have to work on a project and I’ll probably be late every night, and two that way Justin can actually sleep in a bed, rather than the couch. It’s no biggie…Krystal’s cool with it.” Riley said.

“I don’t want to put you out Riley…the couch is fine.” Justin piped in.

“Oh you’re not at all…no worries. I’ll see you two later though. Nice to have you here Justin. Bye Hayden…love ya hun!” Riley said before walking out of the apartment and leaving Justin and Hayden alone for the first time since getting into Minnesota.

“I don’t know about you but I’m kinda tired.” Hayden said while sitting on the couch.

“I think the nap I took on the plane helped…although I didn’t enjoy being woken up the way I was.” Justin said while sitting next to Hayden.

Hayden couldn’t help but laugh when she thought about Justin’s freak out on the plane earlier. “You have no idea how funny that was.” Hayden said while shifting her body to lean up against Justin on the couch, his arm instinctively wrapped around her waist. It was in that moment that Justin felt a pull on his heart when she snuggled up close to him. It had been so long since he’d ever felt anything on those terms towards a woman. Justin hadn’t been in a serious relationship ever since everything with Cameron went up in smoke, and let’s not even go back to the destruction Britney caused him. This new feeling scared the life out of him but at the same time he couldn’t get enough of it.

Justin noticed a couple of pictures that were lining the coffee table and he instinctively reached for the frame. Hayden smiled at his interest in the pictures and decided to explain what was going on in each of them.

“This picture was taken, oh lord…about fiver or six years ago when Riley and I were getting ready to go to a concert here in Minneapolis.” Hayden said pointing to the first picture in the frame.

Justin could tell the picture was definitely a long time ago because Hayden looked significantly younger and carefree, there wasn’t that something in her eyes that told the world “I’ve been through a lot...” anymore. Justin was fascinated by the picture, she looked so happy in it.

“What concert were you going to?” Justin asked, still mesmerized by it.

Hayden suddenly got quiet and Justin turned to look at her. Her cheeks were flaring bright red and she was trying her best to hide in his chest. Justin pulled his arm out from her and forced her to look at him, she was definitely cute when she blushed, he thought.

“What concert did you go see?” Justin asked again.

“Umm…you know, it’s not important,” Hayden said while grabbing the frame from his hands and darting off of the couch towards her room. It wasn’t long before Justin caught up to her and tackled her onto the bed. Hayden screamed once she felt herself fall to the bed and a huge grunt escaped her lips when Justin landed on top of her.

“Are you crazy?” Hayden said looking up at him. “I could have hurt myself falling down like that.”

“Nah…I won’t ever let you fall, unless I intend to catch you.” Justin said his gaze a bit more intense than even he wanted and Hayden shifted uncomfortably underneath him.

“All right, get off of me…I can’t breathe.” Hayden said breaking the stare going on and desperately trying to buck Justin off of her.

“Not until you tell me what concert you were going to…why is it such a big deal?” Justin said lifting himself slightly off of her, to allow her room to breathe.

“We went to…umm… (cough) *Nsync (cough).” Hayden said smiling sheepishly up at him.

“What was that? I couldn’t understand you.” Justin grinned evilly at her; in fact he was well aware of what she said.

“Alright damn, we went to watch you, when you were with *Nsync.” Hayden said as she gave Justin a shove and managed to escape from underneath him.

“You went my concerts before and you never said anything until now?!?!” Justin asked while sitting up on her bed.

“Yeah, didn’t want you to think I was some crazed fan that was just looking to get to know you better…I wanted you to trust that the sole reason I was there was to work on my senior project, not because I am, I mean was a fan before.” Hayden said while futzing with her shirt.

“Awe…that’s so cute.” Justin said and Hayden’s head snapped up to look at him like he was crazy.

“What’s so cute?” Hayden asked completely lost.

“You had a crush on me.” Justin said while puffing out his chest.

“I never said I liked you...I went to the concert to see *Nsync, last time I checked that included four other guys, not just you, in fact my heart totally belonged to JC.” Hayden said trying her hardest to keep from laughing hysterically when she saw Justin’s chest deflate at her last comment.

“Ouch, that was harsh Hayden.”

“Awe poor baby, just kidding Justin…you know I love you.” Hayden said brushing her hand through the small curls that adorned his head before getting up and walking back into the living room. Justin was quick to follow behind her and took a seat on the dining room chair.

“I’m kind of hungry...what about you?” Justin asked.

“Yeah, I am…what are you in the mood for?” Hayden asked while rummaging through her cupboards.

“I kind of feel like vegging out in front of the TV and just order a pizza or something.” Justin said while opening his bag and taking off his sweatshirt.

“Yeah me too…besides we’ve got a lot to do tomorrow…I want to go show you the campus, I should probably meet with my professor quick to talk about my project and then I was thinking about going to the Mall of America.” Hayden said while flipping through the phone book in search of the number to a pizza place.

“Umm…all of that sounds good, but the Mall of America might not be the best place if you want to keep a low profile with me around.” Justin said as he went to go sit on the couch again.

“It’ll be fine, besides it’s the middle of the week and we’ll go when most kids are still in school. Just make sure to wear a hat and sweatshirt, it’ll be cool.” Hayden said before dialing Toppers pizza.

“Yeah I’d like to order a large pepperoni pizza and an order of toppers sticks with ranch.” Hayden quickly scribble down the amount and made her way over to sit next to Justin.

“It’ll be here in 30-45 minutes. What do you want to watch?” Hayden said flipping through the channels. Just then a voice broke through on the TV that caught Justin and Hayden’s attention. “Justin Timberlake is preparing to release his new album but sources say he’s been spotted hanging out with a mystery girl lately in Los Angeles, but who is this mystery girl?” Justin could feel Hayden tense up and he grabbed the remote quickly changing the channel. Justin reaching his arm out wrapped it securely around her waist and pulled her close.

“Don’t worry about that…” Justin whispered into her ear while rubbing his hand up and down her back.

Hayden tried her best to just brush it off but at the same time, it bothered her. Hayden was the epitome of a private person and she definitely did not want her friendship with Justin to be broadcast over the world.

“I’ll take care of it and call Ken, my publicist, to take care of it. Don’t let this ruin your time here…it will all blow over, I promise.” Justin said honestly.

Hayden snuggled up close to him and flipped on a movie, she was definitely done with the TV. “If you say so, I trust you.”

Justin felt another pull at his heart when she said those three words,I trust you. He knew how hard it was for Hayden to open up and give her trust and it made him feel wonderful that she was putting it all in his hands. Hayden and Justin were definitely treading in untouched ground when it came to their friendship, hell everything had been so up and down for awhile, but tonight Justin finally felt comfortable in her presence. The two of them enjoyed the night just lounging around, laughing at stupid jokes, watching movies, and eating pizza. It had been a long time since Justin ever felt normal and not a celebrity.

Riley returned to the apartment around midnight to collect some things and when she opened the door she was surprised to find Justin and Hayden fast asleep snuggled up together on the couch. Riley couldn’t believe her eyes at the sight in front of her, it had been over two years since Hayden’s ever gotten close to another man in any way. Quickly, she went into her room and grabbed her camera, snapping a couple of pictures of the two of them; it was definitely the most precious moment Riley’s ever seen. Trying her best not to wake them, she collected everything she’d need and left a note for Hayden. Closing the door softly, Riley left the two alone for the rest of the night knowing that something between those two was definitely starting to brew; she only hoped she’d be around to witness it all.

Chapter 9: A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words


The sun had begun its ascent up towards the entangled sleeping forms on the couch. Its warm rays blanketed the room and it wasn’t long before one of the bodies started to stir. Hayden’s eyes fluttered open and she gently lifted her head up from the pillow. It wasn’t until she started to kick her legs that she realized there was another person holding her down. Her heart jumped into her throat when she realized that it was Justin curled up next to her. Gently prying her limbs free, trying her best not to wake Justin, Hayden managed to remover herself from that situation and made her way into her bedroom.

Once inside the solace of her own room Hayden began to unpack her suitcase, trying her best to sort through everything she was feeling. She was elated when it came to her senior project; everything was falling beautifully into place, thanks to Johnny and Justin. Ahhh…Justin…yeah he was another story. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t have any feelings for him other than friendship, but admitting that to anyone could be dangerous. Everyone has been breathing down her neck to move on from Josh and that she deserves to be happy…but how could she be happy with Justin? In a matter of months, the fairy tale lifestyle would be over and they’d be miles apart. She’s been through so much heartbreak over the last two years, why open herself up to it again? Besides being with Justin would mean she has accepted that she can no longer be with Josh…was she ready to let that go? Instinctively she reached for her necklace, wrapping her fingers around the ring. She let her thoughts travel back to Josh and their life together, back to when she was truly happy. Josh was everything to Hayden and no matter what happened…Justin would never be able to fill that void and Hayden made the decision she didn’t want him too either.

Grabbing her clothes, she headed for the bathroom to get ready for the day. A long hot shower would clear her head, before walking into the bathroom she decided to check on Justin. Poking her head into the living room, she saw he was still sprawled across the couch with the blankets firmly wrapped around him.

“He looks so comfortable; I don’t have the heart to wake him up. Besides he looks so cute laying there…wait not cute, he’s just a friend…ugh…who am I kidding…the man is freakin’ gorgeous. What the hell is my problem? I really need to get a grip and fast!!!” Hayden thought before turning on her heels and heading into the bathroom.

The sound of the bathroom door shutting was enough to wake Justin from his peaceful slumber. Stretching his arms and legs, he let out a sigh. He hasn’t slept that well in a long time, although he could’ve sworn Hayden was laying here with him. The sound of the shower running was enough for Justin to realize Hayden was already up. Thinking back to last night, he had such a great time just relaxing with her and he knew he was definitely starting to have feelings for Hayden. But he didn’t know where Hayden stood with everything?

“Just enjoy the time in Minnesota.” Justin thought to himself. He started to scrounge around for some clothes to wear today when the door to the bathroom opened. Hayden stepped out, wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, her hair curly and wet, but to Justin she looked beautiful.

Coughing loudly, Justin tried to shake those feelings off, “Good morning.”

“Good morning to you too. There’s a towel in the bathroom for you and if you need anything let me know…I left my stuff in the bathroom too.” Hayden said.

“Thank you.” Justin said while walking past her and into the bathroom.

“Well that wasn’t awkward or anything.” Hayden thought to herself as she went into her bedroom to finish getting ready.

After successfully avoiding each other for most of the morning, both Justin and Hayden finally were sitting together in the kitchen. Hayden was busy cleaning up all their dishes from breakfast and the night before, while Justin scanned the newspaper. The tension was definitely taking over the room and both of them felt it.

“I had a great time with you last night. Probably one of the best nights in a long time and this awkwardness needs to stop.” Justin finally said while looking at Hayden.

“I ugghh…it’s not awkward.” Hayden lied while concentrating on the dishes in her hands.

“Bull shit, this is the second time now that I’ve felt the cold shoulder from you and trust me…it’s not fun.”

“Look I’m sorry, I didn’t want it to be awkward…to tell you the truth I had a great time last night too and I can’t wait to show you around.” Hayden said pulling her eyes off the dishes to meet his blue ones…yeah definitely a mistake.

Justin stood up from the table and brought his glass over to the kitchen sink, making sure to gently brush Hayden with his arm. Hayden couldn’t take her eyes off him; he definitely had a power over her that no one ever has had for a long time. Once he was dangerously close to her face he bent down and kissed her on the cheek. Hayden froze; this is definitely somewhere she didn’t want to go.

“You should probably get your stuff ready…we’re going to the University first.” Hayden said while scooting away from Justin.
________________________________________________________________________

An hour later, Hayden and Justin were walking through the campus towards the Carlson School of Management. Justin was fully decked out in jeans; a sweatshirt, sunglasses, and a hat, trying his best not get noticed. Most people didn’t even give the two a second look and after five minutes, Justin was finally becoming comfortable in his surroundings.

“Alright we’re here…do you want to come in with me? My professor won’t mind or do you want to just hang around out here?” Hayden asked once they reached the building.

“I’ll go in with you…could get crazy out here if someone recognized me and I’d be by myself.”

“No one will recognize you; they wouldn’t believe that Justin Timberlake would be on the Minneapolis campus.” Hayden said while opening the door.

“Oh please, I remove some of this and they’ll be all over me.” Justin said following Hayden up the stairs.

“Wow conceited much?”

“You betcha baby.” Justin joked.

After climbing three sets of stairs they were finally walking down the hallway towards the marketing offices. Hayden’s professor was expecting her and she couldn’t wait to see Dr. Brokaw. He was definitely one of the hardest professors at the University but he liked to challenge people and she enjoyed that. After making a couple of turns down some hallways, Hayden knocked softly on the door.

“Come in.”

“Hey Dr. Brokaw…” Hayden said pushing the door open.

“Hayden, welcome back to Minnesota, definitely a little colder than California huh?” Dr. Brokaw said while shaking her hand.

Hayden nodded and took a seat next across from Dr. Brokaw while Justin slid into the chair next to her.

“Oh this is Justin Timberlake; he’s the one I’m following around for the 415 project.” Hayden said while motioning to Justin to remove his hat and sunglasses.

“Pleasure to meet you young man. I sure do appreciate you taking the time out of your schedule to allow a student from this University to shadow you.” Dr. Brokaw said while shaking Justin’s hand.

Justin visibly relaxed when Dr. Brokaw started talking. He had never been to college and had no idea what to expect coming here. Hell, he hadn’t been at an actual school since *Nsync started. But this professor was definitely all business when it came to his students, yet at the same time he was a very laid back individual.

“She’s been a real pleasure to have around. She’s always taking notes and giving her two cents in on how to improve things.” Justin answered.

“That’s great to hear…so Hayden you know I like to meet with each student just to get an idea on how the project is going and find out if there’s any way that I could assist you. I’d like to know how you’re coming along with everything.” Dr. Brokaw asked.

Hayden, Justin, and Dr. Brokaw continued to talk for several minutes about the project and ways to improve it. Hayden was really feeling confident about how her project was turning out. This project was still top priority for her and she knew that meeting with Dr. Brokaw, would help answer any of her questions. Justin was definitely a huge part of this process and in the office he was offering his own suggestions for Hayden. She couldn’t help but feel like she was going to turn in one kick ass senior project.

“So what’d you think of my professor?” Hayden asked while Justin and her continued to walk back to the car.

“He’s definitely a great guy, he really wants you to succeed, his a bit intense but I think that’s because he wants to push you to do your best work possible.” Justin said while putting his hat and sunglasses back on.

“Yeah definitely…hey wait here, I want to go get something quick.” Hayden said before disappearing into another building.

Justin tried his best to keep his head down and shield himself from any scrutiny while Hayden was gone. Instead of standing outside the door, where he was sure to get a few questioning looks, he made his way over to a bench and sat down. Just then his cell phone went off.

“What’s up Johnny?” Justin said.

“Hey Justin, how’s Minnesota?” Johnny asked.

“It’s pretty cool, we’re at the campus right now…Hayden had to talk to her professor about the project.”

“Cool…well hey the reason I’m calling is the media has really been hitting you hard with questions about Hayden. I wanted to let you know that we released a statement.” Johnny said.

“What’d you say?”

“That she is a new employee with WEG Entertainment and that she will be working with you on the upcoming release of your new album.”

“All right…yeah we accidentally caught a bit of it on TV last night. I feel bad man, she’s just trying to do her senior project…I don’t want her getting caught up in the media.” Justin said noticing Hayden was coming out of the building now.

“Yeah me too. We’ll stay on top of it. Well have a good time in Minnesota, we’ll see you two when you get back.” Johnny said.

“Sounds good. Thanks Johnny.” Justin said before hanging up the phone.

“Who was that?” Hayden asked while trying her best to hide the bag behind her back.

“Johnny…just checking up on me. What do you have behind your back?” Justin asked noticing the bag protruding out from her sides.

“I wanted to get you something to remember your trip here.” Hayden said while handing the bag over to Justin.

Justin was shocked that she would go out of her way to get him a present. Opening the bag he was surprised to see a picture frame and a Minnesota sweatshirt. The sweatshirt was embroidered and it was in the University’s gold and maroon colors. Justin then grabbed the picture frame and read the words on the outside. “Somebody from the University of Minnesota loves you.”

“I wanted to get you something to remember your trip up here and I know we don’t have any pictures together…so we’ll have to do that too. I hope you like it.”

“I love it…thank you!” Justin said while wrapping Hayden in a big hug.

“You’re welcome.” Hayden said before pulling away from Justin’s grasp. “Well how about some shopping at the mall?”

“That sounds great.” Justin said getting up, making sure to grab Hayden’s gifts. The two started to walk back to the car but Hayden made sure to give him a tour, pointing out different buildings and dorms. Justin was enjoying the tour and getting a chance to see Hayden in her element. Her excitement to share a part of her life with him was contagious and Justin couldn’t help but feel the all too familiar pull on his heart. Instead of fighting it like he was this morning, he reached down and grabbed her hand, surprisingly; Hayden didn’t pull away, but tightened their grasp. ________________________________________________________________________

Before entering the Mall of America, Justin decided to switch sweatshirts into the Minnesota one Hayden had just bought. He figured he’d have less chance standing out wearing Minnesota across his chest, rather than California. He also made sure to secure his hat around his head. They were having such a great day and Justin was enjoying seeing Hayden so happy that he didn’t want it to be ruined if he was noticed in the mall.
Hayden could feel his nervousness and she reached for his hand again. They made their way into the mall and Justin was surprised to see that it wasn’t as busy as he suspected. Now it wasn’t totally dead, it is the Mall of America, but the number of teenage girls was definitely small and he started to relax.

“Ok first thing’s first…we’re going to camp snoopy.”

“What?!”

“Camp snoopy…come on, you can’t go to this mall without riding some of the rides first. Besides I know how you can get when you shop, we should probably get this out of the way before we’re hauling twenty bags around with us.” Hayden laughed leading the way towards to amusement park.

“You know, you definitely talk a lot of shit.”

“Yeah but you love me for it.” Hayden said winking at Justin.

Justin had never been to the Mall of America before and he was surprised at how huge this place really was. This mall put the California ones to shame. All of a sudden there was a huge rumbling come their way and Hayden shouted for him to look up.

“There’s a fucking rollercoaster in here?” Justin’s eyes were wide open in shock.

“Yep and that’s where we’re going right now.” Hayden said dragging him towards the ride.

Luckily, they didn’t have to wait very long before they were seated on the rollercoaster. It wasn’t the scariest rollercoaster Justin has ever been on before but he was having fun nonetheless. Hayden and Justin locked hands again before the ride started and this time Hayden started to feel a tingling travel up her arm.

The rollercoaster whipped around throughout the entire amusement park. They were able to see over all of the activities both inside the mall and throughout the park. Justin couldn’t help but smile when he heard Hayden laugh out loud. Minnesota was quickly turning into one of his favorite places or maybe it was the company he was with, either way he was thoroughly enjoying himself.

After riding the rollercoaster a couple more times, Hayden and Justin started to make their way back into the mall. However, Justin noticed a small photo booth and pulled Hayden into it.

“You said we don’t have any pictures together...well let’s change that.” Justin said pulling Hayden onto his lap. “Ok serious picture first and then let’s get goofy.”

The two of them put their heads together and smiled brightly for the first shot. They continued to do random poses from sticking their tongues out and laughing to Justin kissing Hayden on the cheek. Once the pictures dropped from their slot, Hayden didn’t want to let them go. They were the cutest shots of the two just acting like a couple of teenagers. Justin was pleasantly surprised; they were definitely great shots of the two of them together.

Hayden and Justin managed to spend the rest of the day shopping. True to himself, Justin managed to nearly buy out everything in all the stores. Hayden on the other hand only walked out with a couple of new shirts, a tank top, and two pairs of jeans. It was a very successful shopping trip for both of them, not only in terms of what they bought, but also because nobody recognized Justin.

The ride back home was fairly quiet, both were reflecting on the day. The sun was starting to fade away into the darkness that was rising. They had been gone all day, running around all over Minnesota. Hayden was glad she could show Justin a good time and Justin was busy thinking about how wonderful Hayden had been today. He knew he wouldn’t have another day like today for a very long time. Once they were back in California, both would be busy going through all the different promotions for his new album and he wanted to hold on just a little longer to days like today.

“What are you thinking about?” Hayden asked once they pulled into the apartment complex.

“Just how much I’m going to miss something like this when we get back to California.” Justin said before getting out of the car.

“Me too.” Hayden said.

Once inside the apartment, Hayden noticed a note from Riley and an envelope attached. Justin wasn’t far behind and started reading the note as well.

Hey Hayden & Justin,
I’m over at Krystal’s for the night working on a project; sorry I missed you both today. I hope you had fun exploring Minnesota Justin! I’ll be home tomorrow sometime in the afternoon after class. Have a good night you two! Oh yeah, look in the envelope…I couldn’t help myself, it was too cute. Love ya!
-Riley

Hayden wasn’t sure what Riley was talking about but she cautiously opened the envelope. Starring back at her, were a couple of pictures of herself and Justin snuggled up together on the couch. The picture made Hayden’s heart jump up into her throat. It was truly a beautiful picture and even Hayden couldn’t deny how peaceful they looked.

“Wow…that’s a really good picture.” Justin said. “Can I have one?”

“Oh…yeah, no problem.” Hayden said handing him a picture and taking the other into her bedroom. She couldn’t help but stare at it. Justin’s arms were securely wrapped around her waist like a protector and Hayden was snuggled up into his chest. Carefully she set it up on her nightstand and walked back into the living room where Justin was already putting the picture into the frame Hayden had bought earlier.

“I figured this would be a perfect picture for the frame.” Justin said showing Hayden.

“I think so too.” Hayden said before sitting down on the couch and turned the TV on.

“You want to watch a movie?” Justin asked sitting next to her.

“Yeah sure,” Hayden said before getting up to put in Pirates of the Caribbean 2.

“Do you have a thing for Johnny Depp or Orlando Bloom?” Justin asked. “Because this seems to always find it’s way into the DVD player whenever we decide to watch a movie.”

Hayden laughed at his perceptiveness. “Definitely a Johnny Depp fan, Orlando’s all right too. We can watch something else if you want?”

“No it’s fine…I was just teasing you. Keira is definitely good to look at.” Justin said looking at Hayden from the corner of his eyes.

Hayden’s face crumpled at his comment. “She’s all right.”

Justin reached his arm around Hayden and pulled her close for the movie. The two of them were under the blankets and securely wrapped up in each other. Hayden was trying her best to concentrate on the movie but all she could think about were the feelings she was having towards Justin. Little did Hayden know, but Justin was having the same problem. Hayden was clearly working her way into his heart and it scared him. How would Hayden react to his feelings, would they even have a chance, would she even want to be with him? He could feel she was still hiding a big part of her life from him and he knew it involved that necklace.

“Hey Hayden…” Justin said quietly.

“Yeah?”

“I know I asked you about this before and you weren’t ready to talk about it. But I still would like to know the story behind your necklace.”

Hayden felt the walls around her heart tighten at that last request. It wasn’t like the last time where she was caught off guard but this time they tightened because she was dangerously close to letting him in. “I promise…I’ll tell you soon.”

Chapter 10: Hayden's Necklace

The rest of the time in Minnesota flew by for both Justin and Hayden. The spent their days exploring the city and the evenings cuddle up together on the couch. Hayden even took Justin back to her parent’s house for a day. She never brought anyone back home to meet her parents, ever since everything with Josh happened. It’s not like she was embarrassed or anything, she just never felt the need to introduce her parents to someone, when they weren’t going to be around. But things were different with Justin; he made her feel like no matter where their lives take them, he’ll still be there. That little bit of information there scared her; this was the first man to work his way into her heart in a long time.

Since all good things must come to an end, Hayden, Justin and Riley decided to spend their last night in Minnesota together at the apartment. Riley had been so caught up in all of her schoolwork that she barely had any time to spend it with Justin and Hayden. However, she was not oblivious to what was going on between Justin and Hayden. Finally, Hayden was opening herself up to someone; she just hoped Justin was ready for it. She wanted to get Justin alone and see where he stood when it came to Hayden. Riley really liked Justin but at the same time she had a responsibility as Hayden’s best friend to look out for her.

“Hey Hayden…Justin and I are going to run to the store quick and pick up some food for tonight.” Riley said grabbing her keys. “We’ll be back soon.”

“That sounds good…have fun.” Hayden yelled from her bedroom where she was busy packing all of her stuff up.

Justin was surprised that Riley wanted him to go with considering they’d barely talked and when they did, Hayden was never far away. He could feel the butterflies start in his stomach as they walked out to the car. He knew he was about to get the third degree from Riley.

“So did you have a good time up here?” Riley asked while pulling the car out of the apartment complex and heading towards the store.

“Yeah I did, it was fun to just kick back and relax like a normal twenty-five year old. Thank you again for letting me stay in your apartment.” Justin said while fidgeting with his pants and smoothing his sweatshirt out.

“You’re welcome back here anytime you want, you know that right?” Riley said as she made the turn onto the street heading towards the grocery store.

“Thank you…I appreciate it.”

“I just hope I’ll see you up here again soon.” Riley said.

“What do you mean?” Justin was definitely curious as to where Riley was taking this conversation.

“Listen, I’m going to be totally blunt with you because…well….I just don’t feel like playing stupid games.”

“I’d appreciate the honesty.” Justin could feel his palms start to sweat; this was not how he wanted to spend his last night in Minnesota. Riley pulled into the parking lot of the store, turned the car off, and shifted in her seat to face Justin.

“I love Hayden to death, she’s my best friend and nobody understands me like she does. The same goes for me, I understand her better than anyone else.” Riley looked at Justin making sure he was following along with her. Justin nodded his head slightly encouraging her to go on. “I can see that she’s falling for you, I just want to know how you feel about the situation…Hayden’s been through a lot in her past that you would never be able to understand… it is extremely hard for her to give her heart away and I don’t want to have to help pick up the pieces again.” Riley said.

It took a couple of minutes for Justin to process what Riley was telling him. “She’s falling for you...those words kept replaying in his head and he could feel his pulse speed up when he realized he was falling for Hayden as well.

“I’ll be completely honest…Hayden captivates me. I can’t help the way I’m feeling about her and I want to be there for her. She’s there to hold my hand when I get nervous and she’s there to make me laugh. This trip has only made my feelings for her grow. She’s a genuine person and I love that about her. But to be honest, she still shuts me out when it comes to her past. I’ve asked her about her necklace twice now and she has yet to tell me anything.”

“Her necklace…if she tells you about that, you’ve definitely made your way into her heart. Tyler and I are the only ones that know about it, she hides it whenever she goes home. Justin, her past has scarred her when it comes to love and I don’t blame her. She’s definitely been dealt a rough hand in relationships. Just be patient with her, when you find out the truth you’ll understand why she’s so skeptical about everything. She’s just waiting for the right man to come along, someone who will help rebuild her faith in love.” Riley said looking Justin in the eyes.

Justin tried to digest everything Riley was saying. He couldn’t deny it; his feelings for Hayden were getting stronger. She was always there for him and he wanted to be there for her too. But her past was definitely something they would need to get through and Justin was willing to do whatever it takes to make Hayden trust him. He wanted to protect her. This trip to Minnesota was exactly what he needed to realize how special Hayden was to him.

“Thank Riley…Hayden means a lot to me and I’m not going to hurt her. This past week has been wonderful and I can’t wait to go back to California and have her with me. She’s very important to me and I’ll do whatever it takes to make her trust me. Justin said honestly.

Riley could feel the smile take over her face and she reached out to give him a hug. Hayden has been waiting over two years to find someone like Justin. Riley only hoped that Hayden would wake up soon and let him in. Justin was everything Hayden needed in her life. Hayden just had to trust him with her heart…and that was something Riley knew she kept guarded.

________________________________________________________________________

Riley and Justin had been gone for nearly 45 minutes and Hayden was starting to worry. The grocery store was only five minutes down the road, what in the world could be taking them so long. Just as Hayden picked up her cell phone to call them, the door opened and Justin walked in carrying a couple of bags full of food. Hayden couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face, walking up to him she helped put that bags down and wrapped her arms around him.

“Whoa…what was that for?” Justin asked surprised by Hayden’s gesture.

“I just missed you.” Hayden said as she pulled away from him and started to unload the groceries.

Justin felt the butterflies in his stomach and he knew without a doubt, he had fallen for Hayden. She was nothing like the girls he dated before. Hayden was happy just spending the night at home watching movies; she didn’t need the fancy dinners or the exotic vacations to make her happy. Just being with each other was enough and he loved that.

After unloading all of the groceries Hayden, Justin, and Riley settled into the living room for a night of eating junk food and drinking beer. Their laughter filled the room and they were surprised no one in the complex was complaining about the noise. Not only did they have the music blasting but Riley and Justin decided to make the living room into a dance club for a while. Hayden couldn’t stop laughing at their ridiculous moves; they were officially bringing the eighties back.

“For the love of God, please stop doing the running man…I can’t take it anymore.” Hayden said while wiping the tears away that had formed in her eyes from laughing so hard.

Justin and Riley continued their obnoxious dance moves until they both nearly collapsed from laughing. It wasn’t until they sat back down did Riley realize how tired she really was.

“Are you ditching out on me already?” Justin asked Riley when he noticed a yawn escape her lips.

“Yeah I am…unlike you two weirdoes I have to go to class after I drop you off at the airport. I can’t go relax on a three hour plane ride back to California.” Riley said while picking up a bunch of the garbage and throwing it away.

“Awe…poor Riley, well if you want to, you can come back to California with us.” Justin said.

“Trust me, I wish I could…but unlike some people I still have to go to class to graduate.” Riley said while looking at Hayden.

“Hey you should’ve been a marketing major then…”

“Yeah…yeah…well I’m going to head to bed. Plan on leaving here tomorrow morning around eight. Goodnight guys!” Riley said before heading into her bedroom and closing the door. Truth of the matter, Riley wasn’t all that tired. She just wanted Hayden and Justin to have time alone to figure things out before they headed back to California.

Hayden started to clean up the rest of their mess after Riley had left. Justin quickly grabbed some stuff and helped too. They had the living room back into shape in no time and instead of lying down on the couch like they had previously, Hayden grabbed Justin’s hand and they went into her bedroom.

“I know we usually end up on the couch…but I don’t know…just thought I’d switch it up.” Hayden said sitting down on her bed.

“No problem.” Justin said sliding onto the bed next to Hayden. He gently reached for her hand and brought it up to his lips giving it a quick kiss before letting it go.

Hayden felt her stomach flip with that simple gesture. It was one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done. “So did you have a good time here, honestly?”

“I did…this has been one of the best vacations I’ve ever had. Thank you for showing me around and putting me up in your apartment.”

“It was my pleasure…to be honest with you I’m really glad you came.”

“Oh yeah, why’s that?” Justin asked.

This was it; she could own up to her feelings and let him in or she could blow them off like she had done with every other guy before him. This time was different though; there was something honest and pure about what she felt for Justin. “Because it gave me a chance to really get to know you. We’d spent a lot of time together doing stuff for your album but we never really took the time to just learn about each other. The one thing I worry about is once we get back to California, nights like tonight won’t ever happen again.”

“I can promise you that nights like tonight will definitely continue to happen…” Justin said intertwining their hands. “I promise.”

Hayden smiled at his gesture, this was it…she was going to let him in. “There’s something I wanted to tell you…” Justin nodded his head slightly and squeezed her hand encouraging her to continue. Hayden reached inside her shirt and pulled out her necklace so that it was clearly visible to him. “You wanted to know the story behind my necklace…I’m ready to tell you. That is if you still want to know.” Hayden said looking cautiously into his eyes.

“Of course, Hayden. I want to know anything and everything you want me too.” Justin said trying his best to comfort her. He knew this was difficult for her.

Hayden took a deep breath and proceeded to pour her heart out to him. “The chain itself doesn’t really mean anything…but the ring around it belonged to my boyfriend, Josh Hayes. He was my everything. I had found my soul mate when I was seventeen years old. I know we were young, but that doesn’t take away from the feelings I felt and what our love stood for. He was my high school sweetheart and I knew I wanted to marry him after our first date.”

Justin gently tightened his fingers around hers; he knew he needed to be strong for her. She was having a hard time getting this all out and reassuring her that he would be there was the only thing he could think of to do.

“Josh had a crush on me our entire junior year of high school. To be honest with you, I didn’t give him the time of day. He wasn’t normally who I dated and I tried to just push him away. He was a persistent man though. On our first day of our senior year, he put a pink rose and a card in my locker. Riley actually gave him the combination to my locker. I was so mad at her that day…” Hayden laughed thinking back to that day. “Anyways though, in the card he wrote some of the sweetest things anyone has ever said to me. He told me that I was the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen and that he would be the luckiest man alive if I would go out on a date with him. He promised that if I never wanted to see him again, he’d leave me alone…so I agreed to go out with him. I figured one date and I’d be through with him. That Friday night he picked me up and took me to dinner at one of the fanciest restaurants here. He was dressed to the tee and I could tell he spent hours getting ready. He was definitely on a mission to impress me.”

“Sounds like a good guy…” Justin said softly.

“He was a great guy. That night he knocked me off my feet. The conversation flowed freely between the two of us and he complimented me so much. He made me feel like I was the most breathtaking person out there. After dinner we spent hours just walking downtown talking and laughing. I was actually enjoying my night with him. Once we made it back to my place he did something that no guy has ever done after a date. He gave me a hug and never even tried to kiss me. I knew right then his feelings for me were genuine. He just wanted a chance to show me how he felt.”

Hayden’s eyes started to tear up and Justin was quick to notice. He lifted his hands up to her face and gently brushed away Hayden’s tears.

“If you don’t want to finish…you don’t have too.” Justin said softly.

“No, I want you to know this about me….Needless to say, I was definitely taken with Josh. Riley couldn’t believe it when I told her what a great time I had. Josh was perfect for me. He was always finding ways to make me feel special. Ever since that first date, Josh and I were inseparable. We were voted cutest couple and most likely to get married…he was my first true love…” Hayden trailed off.

“What happened?” Justin asked.

“After high school, we made the decision to stay in Minneapolis and go to college here. It took us over a year to finally realize what we had and we certainly weren’t about to let it go. The next two years flew by blissfully, I knew we were going to get married it was just a matter of time before it happened. Then on February 10th, my life changed forever.” Hayden’s tears were now steadily falling from her eyes, she was trying to push them back, she needed to tell Justin, no…she wanted to tell Justin.

“Josh had spent the night at my apartment and got up early that morning to run a couple of errands in Rochester. Instead of waking me up, he left me a note and that was the last I would ever see or hear from him again. He was driving and he must’ve hit some black ice…his car spun into oncoming traffic and he was hit head-on by a truck.” Hayden was sobbing and trying desperately to finish her story.

“He was killed instantly and I swear my heart died right along with him. I couldn’t believe it when I got the phone call, I mean he was just laying next to me a couple of hours ago…it couldn’t be real. I was in shock and Riley tried her best to comfort me but she was dealing with her own loss too. I had just lost the love of my life…and you know what the worst part about it. When most people were celebrating their love…I buried mine on Valentine’s Day. The ring around my necklace was his…I just haven’t been able to take it off…in some way I feel like he’s still with me when I have it on.”

Justin couldn’t believe everything she was telling him, no wonder Hayden didn’t give her trust or even her heart easily. It was still healing from losing Josh. Justin couldn’t imagine going through what Hayden did, he thought breaking up with Britney was tough…he couldn’t imagine having your love ripped away from you.

“Oh, Hayden…sweetie…” Justin cooed as he pulled her close and started rubbing his hand up and down her back. “I’m so sorry…”

“Please, don’t be sorry…I wanted to tell you because…I feel myself starting to fall for you…and it scares me to the end of the earth to feel that way again. I went through hell losing Josh…I can’t imagine going through it again. I know I’ve been hiding this from you but I want you to know now. I don’t want to feel like I need to hide anything from you…” Hayden said burying her head into Justin’s chest.

“Hayden…you never have to hide anything from me. I will always be here for you…I’m not going anywhere and…I…well…I think I’m falling for you too.” Justin said slipping his finger underneath her chin, lifting her head up.

Hayden felt a sense of relief telling Justin; it was like a burden was finally lifted off her shoulders. It was as if, she finally started to feel herself let go of everything in her past…and of Josh. Hayden watched Justin closely for any sense of doubt in his face but saw none. Getting her courage up she leaned in and pushed her lips against Justin for the first time. It wasn’t a desperate kiss, but one of healing. Their lips moved together in a slow and meticulous way. Justin reached his hand up to hold her face before deepening the kiss and letting his tongue slide into her mouth, playfully brushing against her own.

This night was exactly what Hayden needed. She needed someone to take the pain away and she needed someone to just listen. She never thought it would be Justin, but it didn’t matter anymore. All that mattered was that Justin was kissing her in a way that she never thought she’d experience again. She was allowing herself to open up and love again.

Chapter 11: Moving On

Hayden awoke to the piercing sound of her alarm. She threw her arm out, hitting it repeatedly, trying to stop the loud noise and hang onto a couple more minutes of peaceful slumber. Finally, silencing the damn thing she rolled over, only to be met with those beautiful blue eyes. Instantly, the memories of last night flooded back to her and she felt vulnerable underneath his stare. He knew her most personal secret and whether he would value it or tell his buddies, she would have to wait and see. But something inside told her, he would treasure that night and her ability to let him in. She opened herself up to the possibility of being hurt again, but what would life be without taking a risk?

“Good morning…” Justin said wrapping his arm around Hayden and snuggling up close to her.

“Hey…how’d you sleep?” Hayden said cuddling into his chest, which was quickly becoming her favorite place to be.

“Wonderfully…with you by my side. That couch is definitely comfortable but this bed…it was great.” Justin said gently pushing a stray piece of hair that fell down into Hayden’s eyes.

“Listen, about last night…I’m sorry I got so upset…”

“Please don’t be sorry, Hayden what you went through…I can’t even imagine the pain you felt. There is absolutely no reason to apologize for anything.”

Hayden felt herself relax more in his arms with each passing word. Justin was just thankful she trusted him enough to share a huge part of her life with him. “Thank you, for being there, for listening, for holding me through the night…”

“I wouldn’t have had it any other way Hayden.” Justin said reaching out, pulling her closer, and gently kissed her lips.

This moment, this trip, this man was what Hayden needed. It didn’t matter to Justin that Hayden came with visible baggage. Nobody besides Riley or Tyler understood her and finally, she had found someone to be there and just get it, no questions asked. She couldn’t wait to get back to California; they would be able to spend every day together working towards the release of Future Sex/Love Sounds, and that sounded wonderful to her.

“We should probably get going before Riley comes in here and kicks our ass.” Hayden said throwing the covers off them and making her way out of the bed. Suddenly Justin’s arm reached out for her and pulled her back down.

“Last night…I meant what I said. I really am starting to fall for you…” Justin said searching her eyes for any signs of hesitation, but he found nothing.

“I know…me too.” Hayden said giving him a quick kiss and disappearing out of the room.

Justin rolled onto his back, reliving everything that happened last night. Hayden carried a lot with her still and the fact that she still looked at life positively was amazing to him. He couldn’t imagine losing a first love and never being able to say goodbye or I love you…ever again. He wouldn’t blame her if she was bitter, hell he would be. But she wasn’t…she was still determined to follow her dream and she lived each day trying to be happy. She was hesitant to give her heart away and she never fully let people in, but could you blame her?! Even now though, she was trying…trying to move on and be happy. He smiled remembering their kiss, the one that sent shivers through his body; it was magical to say the least. This trip was exactly what they needed to take the next step as a couple.
________________________________________________________________________

About an hour later Hayden and Justin were all packed and ready to head to the airport. Riley was busying collecting all of her books; she would be cutting it close once she dropped them off to make it to class in time. But she wouldn’t miss seeing them off for anything.

“Are you guys ready to get going?” Riley asked.

“I think so…Hayden you ready?” Justin asked picking up both of their bags.

“Yeah…I have to grab something quick…you guys go ahead, I’ll be right behind you.”

Justin and Riley made their way out of the apartment, carrying all their bags, while Hayden went back into her bedroom. She gave the room a once over, making sure she didn’t forget anything. It was then that she noticed the picture of her and Josh on the desk. It was taken back at their senior prom. Hayden smiled thinking back to that night. She reached for the picture and gently brushed her fingers over the picture.

“Thank you…you taught me how to love and I’ll never forget everything we had. I’ll always love you…but it’s time for me to be happy…it’s time for me to find love again.” Hayden said softly while putting the picture away in a drawer. She was letting go and moving on.

The ride to the airport was silent except for the soft sounds coming from the radio. Riley had pulled up the ramp to drop them off on the curb, she was running short on time and it would have to be a quick goodbye. After unloading all of the bags, Riley hopped out of the car and approached Justin first.

“It was a blast having you here…please come back again! Hopefully, I won’t be so caught up in school and we can hang out more. Take care of my girl.” Riley said as she gave him a hug.

“Thank you so much. I had a great time; I hope to see you out in California soon. By the way…she told me about her necklace last night.” Justin whispered the last statement to Riley, making sure Hayden didn’t hear him.

Riley pulled away giving him a knowing look and smiled. “Come here girl, it was so good to see you and believe me when I say I am thrilled for you, he’s a great guy.” Riley said hugging Hayden.

“Thanks Riles…I agree, he’s definitely a great guy!” Justin blushed.

“Call me when you guys get there…I’ll see you soon. Love you both!” Riley said getting back into her car and pulled out of sight.

Justin secured his hat on his head and made sure to push his sweatshirt up higher around his neck. He had never worn so many sweatshirts before in his life, but if that’s what it took to avoid any media attention, then he’d wear them forever. Hayden gave him the once over and smiled; he was cute when he was in disguise. Reaching for his hand they made their way into the terminal, ready to head back to the craziness in California, but ready to face it together…hand in hand.

________________________________________________________________________

The flight back to California had been pretty uneventful. Hayden and Justin had spent the entire time whispering like two teenagers in love and their hands were never apart…it had taken so much to get to this point, Hayden wasn’t willing to let it go. They talked about Justin’s schedule coming up and Hayden’s project but mostly they talked about everything Hayden went through losing Josh. Justin wanted to understand more and Hayden was willing to share everything with him. He felt privileged to be with someone so strong.

Once the plane landed, Hayden was excited to be back in California. She couldn’t wait to see Tyler and tell him how she felt about Justin.

“Hey…I forgot to tell you, my bodyguard Mike is picking us up. Being in the Los Angeles airport is a little different than Minneapolis/St. Paul’s so it’s just a precaution. He’s a big guy but he’s a teddy bear.”

Hayden nodded and followed him out of the walkway. She scanned the gate and spotted the biggest man she’s ever seen in her life quickly grab Justin, picking him straight off the ground.

“Good to see you J!”

“You too Mike…” Justin barely squeaked out. “Dude…loosen…your…grip…”

Mike gave him one last squeeze and put him back down. It was then that he noticed Hayden; she was definitely a beautiful girl he thought.

“You must be Hayden; I’ve heard a lot about you…pleasure to meet you.” Mike said extending his hand to her.

Hayden shook his hand and smiled. “It’s nice to meet you too, thanks for picking us up.”

“No problem…well let’s get your bags before we draw anymore attention to ourselves.”

Mike, Hayden, and Justin quickly collected everything they’d need and headed out to the black SUV. They had managed to avoid any media attention and both were thankful, they just started dating and neither wanted to explain their relationship to the world. They were still figuring it out themselves.

“Hey J, where am I taking you guys?” Mike asked heading out of the airport.

“Back to Hayden’s place…I’m sure she wants to see her brother.” Justin said smiling at her. He gave Mike the address and Hayden scooted closer to him. She leaned herself against him and Justin wrapped his arm around her.

It wasn’t long before Mike pulled the car into Tyler’s driveway. Sensing that Hayden and Justin wanted to be along, Mike carried Hayden’s bags inside while she said goodbye.

“So what are you doing now?” Hayden asked fidgeting with her shirt.

“Mike’s going to take me home and then I have to go meet Johnny for a bit.” Justin said while reaching out to grab her arms and pull her close.

“All right…well I guess I’ll talk to you later.” Hayden couldn’t hide the disappointment in her voice at not seeing Justin that night.

“Hey…don’t be sad. Besides, you think I’m not going to come back here later…you’re crazy. I’ll call you when I’m done with the meeting, go see Tyler for awhile because when I’m done…it’s you and me time!”

Hayden couldn’t help the smile that overtook her face. He wasn’t kidding when he promised they’d still have their nights together. “That sounds wonderful! Tell Johnny I said hey and that I can’t wait to get back to work…err…whatever you call it that I’m doing here.” Hayden laughed.

Justin chuckled at that and leaned his head down capturing her lips in a slow rhythm. Her lips were amazing and he couldn’t believe how his life has changed in the last week. He pulled away from her and gently brushed his hand across her cheek. “I really had a great time in Minnesota with you…”

“I’m glad…”

“Hey J, you ready to go man…I don’t want Johnny yelling at me.” Mike said reappearing in the doorway.

Justin nodded and kissed Hayden one last time. “Bye Hayden…”

Hayden watched as he got in the car and drove away. This was the first time in over a week that they’d been apart and she missed him already. Telling Justin about Josh was a huge step for her and she couldn’t help but wish he was still there to reassure her that he was ok with her past. Walking back into the house she couldn’t wait to tell Tyler everything, he’d been pushing her to move on and she was doing just that!

“Tyler…we have to talk!!”

Chapter 12: Hot Tub

I’ve been broken, shot down and useless
Feet above me, hands in the air
You’ve got me falling, over and over
You got me twisted, tied up and tangled
I’d do it all for you
You know I’ve been a fool for you…

“All right…what’s the most embarrassing moment of your life?”

“That’s easy…Riley and I had the day off so we decided to go shopping. We’re making our way into the first store…and I have no idea how it happened, but I tripped on something and fell flat on my face in front of about fifty people. Not only did I land on my face, but I managed to take out a bunch of clothes racks in the process. I wanted to die right then and there. Riley couldn’t stop laughing.” Hayden said blushing.

The last month had been crazy for Justin and Hayden. They spent every day being ushered around to radio stations, television appearances, and store signings. Hayden loved to watch him promote his album…it only confirmed that being a part of this industry was exactly what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. Today seemed to be the only day that they had a bit of time to relax and even that wasn’t a lot of time. Both Hayden and Justin were sitting in Johnny’s office, asking silly questions. Johnny had asked them to come in to discuss Justin’s schedule.

“Your turn…favorite thing to do on your downtime?”

“Play basketball without a doubt.” Justin said. “What about you?”

“I can’t play basketball if my life depended on it. I’d rather go skiing.” Hayden said flipping through some notes for her project.

“You ski?”

“Yeah…I used to race all the time. Being from Minnesota…there are definitely places to go. There’s nothing better than just putting your iPod on and cruising. Helps me clear my head…I usually go out by myself since no one I know likes to ski.”

“Well let’s go sometime…I don’t ski…but I can snowboard.” Justin said sitting up in his chair.

“That’d be awesome…but with your schedule the way it is…I doubt we’ll be able to go anytime soon.” Hayden said while putting her notes away.

“I know we can’t right now…but someday I’d like too.”

“Yeah...definitely.”

Just then Johnny opened the door and made his way into the office with hundreds of papers in his hands. Hayden could tell Johnny was under pressure with Justin’s album finally out. The release had gone extremely well and Justin flew to number one on the charts. Needless to say everyone wanted a piece of Justin right now. She was so proud of him and thankful she’d been a part of everything.

“Hey Justin…Hayden…how are you guys doing?” Johnny said sitting down in his chair.

“Pretty well Johnny…how about yourself?” Justin asked.

“Good…” Johnny said flipping through his papers in search of something. “Found it…here’s the newest itinerary for the upcoming weeks. You guys know the VMA’s are next week. What have you guys decided to do about it?”

Johnny knew about the romance going on between Hayden and Justin. He was well aware of their feelings for each other even before they went to Minnesota. He was happy for both of them but he worried about Hayden…the press is something that he didn’t think she’d be ready for.

“I really want Hayden to be there…I think it’d be great for her to see what goes on at the award shows and I want her there for support. But I understand since we’re already getting attention…it might not be a good idea.” Justin said.

Hayden could feel her stomach rolling while she sat in the chair. Everything with Justin had been going so well. It wasn’t fair…she was finally moving on and she wanted to scream it from the top of her lungs. But was she ready for the cameras and questions that would soon follow? She just wanted to be able to walk with him there, hold his hand and kiss him before he performed. She wanted to be the supportive girlfriend and she was realizing just how hard that was going to be when it came to his fame.

“Well you guys know that I don’t have any issue with you dating. I’ll support both of you either way…whether you decide to go public or not.” Johnny said looking at both of them.

Justin looked at Hayden, trying to give her his best reassuring smile that everything would be ok. “Maybe it’d be best if I took my mom…”

“No…well…I mean…if you want to take her that’s ok. But if you want me to go…I’ll be there…” Hayden said softly.

Justin couldn’t believe what she was saying. She wanted to be there for him. “Hayden…you don’t have to…”

“No, I want too…I mean we don’t have to answer any questions about us right?”

“Right…You don’t have to say anything you don’t want too…” Justin said searching Hayden’s eyes for any signs of doubt, he was surprised to see something else…it couldn’t be love, could it?

“Wow…I can’t believe…this is awesome!” Justin excitedly said while getting up and pulling Hayden into a hug.

Hayden’s face erupted into a huge smile and she couldn’t stop laughing at his antics. Johnny just smiled knowingly.

“I didn’t know it’d make you this happy…” Hayden said once Justin finally let her go.

“Are you kidding me…this is going to be great…I can’t wait to be able to have you there with me and not have to hide anything.” Justin gave Hayden a quick kiss before turning back to Johnny.

“Well…now that, that’s settled, I’ll make sure and get everything ready for you two.” Johnny said picking up his phone. “That’s all I had for today…you’re free to do whatever you want the rest of the day…” With that, Johnny had his phone permanently attached to his ear within a matter of seconds.

Hayden and Justin made their way out to their cars. She was trying to calm her nerves, this would be it, and next week she’d be with Justin out in the public eye. Was she really ready for what would soon follow?

“I’ve got to go out to lunch with Tyler…he wants to talk…you know sibling love. But after that…let’s do something.” Hayden said throwing her purse in the car.

“Why don’t you come over to my house…bring your swim suit and a change of clothes.” Justin said wiggling his eyebrows up and down.

Hayden gently shoved him. “You’re sick…I’ll call you later.” She gave him a quick kiss, got into her car and speed off to meet up with Tyler.

Once she was successfully away from Justin she let out a huge sigh of relief. Hayden was officially freaking out about going with him to the VMA’s. She knew it would make him happy to go but she was still scared. She’d be giving up her freedom and anonymity for him. She was even more worried about people digging into her past. She was just coming to grips with it herself and she surely didn’t need it being spread all over the news. Hayden tried to push all those negative thoughts out of her mind and turned on the radio. The smooth sounds of Akon’s “Don’t Matter” came through the speakers. She laughed softly realizing how perfect those lyrics really were when it came to her relationship with Justin.

Nobody wants to see us together
But it don’t matter, no
Cause I got you babe
Nobody wants to see us together
But it don’t matter, no

Cause I got you babe
Cause we’re going to fight
Oh yes, we’re going to fight
Believe, we’re going to fight
Fight for our right to love…

The drive didn’t take long to get back home. Hayden slowly pulled her car into their driveway and made her way into the house. Quickly, she spotted Tyler sitting by their island reading something in a magazine.

“Hey Ty…” Hayden said throwing her purse and keys down onto the table.

“Hey Hayden…how was your meeting?” Tyler said putting the magazine away and turning towards her.

“It went…well. Johnny wanted to talk about the VMA’s coming up and whether I was going to go with or not.”

“Are you?”

“Yeah…” Hayden said pulling some food out of the refrigerator, trying her best to avoid any stares from Tyler.

“Are you sure you’re ready for that?”

“I think so…Justin and I have been together now for over a month and it’s been great. But I’m sick of hiding everything. It’s like if we go to an appearance, he goes in first and I have to wait and walk in with Johnny. I have to keep my distance whenever we’re at public places and I’m tired of it. It sucks even more to hear him lie and say he’s single. I mean, if any other person in the world is dating…nobody has to hide their relationship just to appease others.”

“Yeah…but he’s not like any other guy Hayden. He comes with millions of other girls that would kill to be in your shoes.”

“I know…what do you think I should do?”

“I think you should do whatever you feel in your heart is the right thing. I can’t tell you if you’re ready or not to deal with that side of him. But from everything I’ve seen…and the way he treats you…I know he’ll do anything in his power to protect you and so will I.”

“Thanks Ty…”

They enjoyed the rest of their lunch talking about home and how Tyler’s job was going. In his own way, he was helping Hayden feel better about what she was getting herself into and she couldn’t be more thankful to have such a great big brother to look out for her. ________________________________________________________________________

Hayden knocked on Justin’s door at least twenty times to no avail. Getting fed up with standing outside his house…surely looking like a lunatic to his neighbors, she pulled out her cell phone and quickly dialed the familiar numbers.

“Hey there Hayd…” Justin said before getting cut off.

“Will you answer your goddamn door? The lady next door is looking at me like I’m some obsessed fan.”

“Oh…sorry…I was upstairs and didn’t hear you. I’ll be right there.” Justin said flipping his cell phone off and bounding down the stairs. Once he opened the door Hayden couldn’t help but smile. Damn he looked good in a pair of shorts and just a t-shirt.

Justin walked outside and turned to his neighbor’s house. “Hey there Mrs. Smith…nothing to be alarmed of…she’s my girlfriend. This is Hayden, I’m sure she’ll be around a lot.”

“Nice to meet you dear…I was just a little worried that someone made it through your security gate without your knowledge.” Mrs. Smith said.

“Thank you for looking out for me. Well have a great day!” Justin said before pulling Hayden into his house. “Sorry about that…it’s like having my mother living next door to me. She’s always on the lookout for fans.”

“Nothing to apologize for…” Hayden said laughing while putting her bag down on his couch.

“Did you bring your suit?” Justin said walking into the kitchen and pulling out a water bottle.

“Yeah…isn’t it a little cool to go swimming?” Hayden said.

“Umm…yeah. I thought we’d get in the hot tub later.”

“Are you trying to seduce me…Mr. Timberlake?” Hayden said winking at him.

“Maybe…” Justin said before taking a drink of water.

“You don’t have to get me into a hot tub to seduce me.” Hayden said rubbing her hand across his chest and walking through the sliding doors into his backyard.

Justin nearly choked on the water. Hayden had never been very forward about anything. He knew she was definitely experienced in that department…hell she was with a guy for years and was ready to get married. But they hadn’t taken that step yet; he’d be lying if he said he didn’t think about it. Trying to regain his composure, he followed Hayden out the door.

“That was mean Hayden…”

“What?!” Hayden said batting her eyelashes innocently.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about…”

“I seem to be confused Justin.”

“Whatever…I’ll get you back. Want to play b-ball?” Justin asked picking up his basketball.

“I already told you…I can’t play if my life depended on it. I’m terrible.”

“You can’t be that bad…here…just try…” Justin said putting the ball in her hands and moving Hayden closer to the basket. Hayden pulled the ball back next to her head and threw it up towards the basket. The ball went sailing past the backboard and landed with a thud onto the grass behind it.

“Ok…maybe you are that bad.” Justin said chasing after the ball.

“Gee thanks…I told you, I suck at basketball.” Hayden pouted.

“Yeah…but usually people say they’re bad at something when in reality they’re pretty good. But you…yeah…you are definitely bad at basketball.”

“Gee thanks, I love you too. Do you always treat your girlfriends that way?”

“No…only you!” Justin said leaning in to kiss her.

“Thanks babe…”

“Anytime…” Justin said before shooting the ball for a three pointer. They both watched as the ball effortlessly sailed through the net.

“Where did you learn to play like that?” Hayden asked before turning on her heels and heading back inside.

“My best friend Trace, who you still have to meet, and I always used to play back in Tennessee. It started out as a hobby and kind of turned into an obsession. You know how you said you go skiing when you want to clear your head…well I play basketball.”

Hayden made herself comfy on the couch, listening intently to everything he was saying. “Well if you’re good at it…I can see where it would help you relax.”

“Yeah…it’s like free therapy for me.” Justin said putting a movie on and then cuddling up to Hayden.

“What are we watching?”

“I’m done watching Pirates, so I thought I’d switch it up and put in Wedding Crashers.”

“Ohhh…I love this movie!” Hayden said relaxing into his arms.

________________________________________________________________________

Hayden and Justin had spent the entire afternoon watching movies and vegging out. They finished Wedding Crashers and moved onto Meet the Fockers a little bit later. Today was all about having a good time, kicking back, laughing, and relaxing. Justin knew that once they appeared at the VMA’s together, things would definitely start to get crazy. So today was all about chilling at home.

“What do you want to do now?” Hayden asked once the movie ended.

“Go get your suit on…let’s go sit in the hot tub. It’s such a nice night…what do you want to drink?”

“If you have it, Miller Lite. Just give me a couple of minutes.” Hayden said grabbing her bag and searching for her swim suit. Grabbing it and towel she made her way into the bathroom to change. Justin headed up to his room quick to put his trunks on as well.

A couple of minutes later Justin was back downstairs grabbing the two bottles of Miller Lite. Making his way outside he uncovered the hot tub and turned the jets on, allowing the water to run before stepping in. He was just getting settled in when Hayden appeared in the doorway. Her towel was wrapped snuggly around her body but he could still see the white straps of her swimsuit ties around her neck. Her hair was now pulled up high on her head in a messy bun and Justin couldn’t believe how beautiful she looked just standing there.

Hayden slowly made her way over to the hot tub and put her towel on the chair next to Justin’s. Hesitantly, she put her feet in and gradually submerged the rest of herself in the hot water. Reaching for her beer and taking a drink she allowed herself to fully relax. Their feet tangled underneath the water and Hayden couldn’t imagine anything better than this moment.

“So are you sure you want to go with me to the VMA’s?” Justin asked.

“Yeah, I’m not going to lie to you and tell you I am 100% completely comfortable with the public knowing about me. But that’s a part of you and I’m tired of only getting 50% of you, I’m ready for it all.”

“You know I will do everything in my power to protect you as much as possible but some people just don’t know when to stop. I just want you to be aware of that.” Justin said before taking a drink of his beer.

Hayden felt the butterflies in her stomach at that and she swam over to him, positioning her knees on either side of him. She used her hands to steady herself on his lap and Justin swallowed hard when he felt her hands run over his stomach. This could definitely spin out of control very fast he thought.

“I know that if I truly want to be with you, I’m going to have to accept everything that comes with it. People are always going to talk and I’m ok with that. I haven’t felt this way about anyone since Josh and I will do everything I can to hold onto it.”

Justin couldn’t help but smile, everything about Hayden just felt right to him. He couldn’t wait to be able to take her to dinner and not wonder if anyone saw or be able to hold her hand when they go shopping, he just wanted to have a normal relationship with his girlfriend.

“You know you’re amazing right…” Justin said brushing his hand against her cheek and letting it fall back into the water.

“Nah…I think I’m pretty normal. You, on the other hand, are the amazing one.” Hayden said before touching her lips to his. The kiss started off slow and tender but was quickly becoming one of need and desperation. Hayden felt his hands wrap around her waist and pull her closer to him. His fingers were gently kneading into her sides. Justin’s tongue playfully rolled across her bottom lip, begging her to let him in. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she tilted her head to the side allowing him full access to her mouth. When their tongues met for the first time that night, Justin couldn’t stop the moan that escaped his lips. His need for Hayden was starting to overtake his body and Hayden could feel his growing tension underneath her.

“Come on…” Hayden said standing up and getting out of the hot tub. She grabbed both of their towels and handed Justin his before she made her way back inside. “I don’t think Mrs. Smith would be too fond of what we were doing outside.”

Justin laughed at that and followed Hayden upstairs towards his bedroom. “I think she would freak out.”

“Exactly…so I figured we should probably cool it before we got a bit out of hand.” Hayden said reaching for her bag, pulling out some clothes. “Tyler’s probably wondering where I’m at…I should really get going.”

Justin reached for her arms and pulled her into his chest. “Stay…”

Hayden couldn’t stop the butterflies in her stomach again. He was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen and the look in his eyes was enough to halt her world. “Justin…”

“Please Hayden…”

Hayden didn’t need to hear anything else. She grabbed her cell phone to call Tyler and let him know she wouldn’t be home tonight.

Stay with me
Don’t let me go
Cause I can’t be without you
Just stay with me
Hold me close
Because I’ve built my world around you
And I don’t
Want to know what it’s like without you
So stay with me
_______________________________________________________________________

Song Credits-

Darren Hayes "Like It Or Not"
Akon "Don't Matter"
Danity Kane "Stay With Me"

Chapter 13: The VMA's


The rest of the week passed in a blur, Hayden was busying rushing around trying to get the final pieces of her project put together. It was already the middle of November and she had three weeks before the final project was due. She was very pleased with the progress she’d made on it, but being a perfectionist she was constantly editing it and that was slowing her down. All of the sections were finished except for the first hand experience of promoting with Justin. She had roughly outlined everything and even started to type it together but this section was so important to her, she wanted it to be perfect.

“You know you’re the only person I know that would spend the morning working on homework rather than getting ready for the VMA’s tonight.” Justin said coming up behind Hayden and wrapping his arms around her.

“I know…but I wanted to keep chipping away at it. It’s due in three weeks.”

“Don’t remind me…” Justin said letting go of her and walking into the bedroom of their hotel.

Hayden quickly saved what she was working on and followed him into the bedroom. “What’s that all about?” Hayden asked sitting next to him on the bed.

“It’s just that your project’s going to be over soon and you’ll be back in Minnesota. I don’t want you to leave.” Justin said intertwining their hands.

Hayden felt her heart surge with love for this man. He’d been so wonderful with her, not only did he understand what she went through, he never pushed her to do anything she wasn’t ready for. “Hun…I still have a month left and we have the VMA’s tonight…it’s going to be a great night. Let’s not get down thinking about everything right now. We’ll talk about this later.”

Hayden wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with all the love she was feeling inside. She didn’t want him to start worrying about her leaving soon because she was doing it enough for the both of them. She was looking forward to returning to Minneapolis but she had grown too really like California too. Not to mention, both Justin and Tyler were there as well.

“I should probably start getting ready, tonight’s a big deal for your career and I definitely want to look good.”

“You always look good Hayden.” Justin said before she left the bedroom to go get ready.
________________________________________________________________________

Hayden had spent the rest of the afternoon getting ready at the hotel. Justin had brought in his team of stylists to help Hayden with anything she wanted. Knowing he would probably be in the way, Justin left the hotel early to attend a meeting concerning his new world tour for Future Sex/Love Sounds. Periodically throughout the day, he would call Hayden making sure everything was going well; secretly he just wanted to hear her voice.

It was now nearing five o’clock and Justin was anxiously waiting for Hayden in the living room. He nervously clutched a single red rose in his hands, twirling it around every so often. He had no idea what she was wearing or what she would look like but he could barely contain his excitement of being able to be with her tonight. He’d been looking forward to tonight for a long time and it was finally upon him.

Just then Hayden opened the door to the bedroom and walked out in her black strappy heels. Justin felt his throat constrict and he could barely breathe as his eyes traveled over her. She was wearing a short tight black dress that came to right above her knees, with spaghetti straps adorning her shoulders. It clung to her curves in the best way. Her hair was curled into spirals that lay gently around her face and her makeup was light. The biggest surprise of all was Hayden’s necklace was gone, in its place laid a white gold chain with a small diamond drop.

“So what do you think?” Hayden asked twirling in front of him.

Justin stood up from the chair and pulled her into his arms. Gently laying kisses on her bare shoulder he made his way to her lips. The kiss was small but enough for the two of them. “You look beautiful.” Justin said before handing her the rose.

“Thank you…” Hayden said taking the rose and wrapping her arms around his neck.

Suddenly the door opened and in walked Johnny, again with his cell phone attached to his ear. “Yeah…mmmhmm…we’ll be there soon….ok.” Johnny said before closing the phone and dropping it off onto the table. “So you both ready to head over there…wow Hayden you look great.” Johnny said giving her a quick hug.

“Thank you. I just need to grab my purse and I’m good to go.” Hayden said before walking back into the bedroom.

“Are you sure you want to do this tonight?” Johnny asked quietly to Justin.

“I couldn’t be surer…she makes me so happy…and I want us to have a chance at being a normal couple. No more hiding behind shit.” Justin said.

“All right man…well we’re going to hit the red carpet right away, do a couple of interviews and then head inside. They’ll seat you both, but since you’re opening the show, you’ll be taken backstage. Hayden’s welcome to either sit in the audience with me or go backstage with you.”

“I’ll leave it up to her…”

“Leave what up to me?” Hayden asked returning into the living room with her purse now securely under her arm.

“Since I’m performing first I am going to head backstage right away. You can either come back there with me or you can sit with Johnny in the audience to watch. It’s up to you.”

“I’d rather stay in the audience to watch, I haven’t seen you perform before so it will definitely be a great way to start the night.”

“You’ve seen me perform before…remember the picture of you and Riley getting ready to....” Justin’s sentence was cut off by Hayden’s hand wrapping around his mouth.

“I thought we agreed to leave that in Minnesota.” Hayden said playfully.

Johnny coughed loudly and they both looked at him. “You two are crazy and I don’t even want to know what you’re talking about. But we’ve got to get going if you want to make it there.” Johnny said before walking out of the hotel room with Hayden and Justin following closely behind.

The ride over to Radio City Music Hall went quickly but Hayden felt the nerves rapidly taking over her body. She was scared of what people might say and what if she wasn’t good enough to be with Justin. Was she really ready for all of this?

Justin could tell Hayden was nervous; she had every reason to be. This was their first time coming out as a couple to the public, she didn’t ask for the fame or the attention nor did she want it. But this was a part of Justin’s life and if she wanted to be with him out in the open, this came with the territory. This part of his career was the one thing he wished he didn’t have to do. Nobody else in the world has to defend or put on display their relationships, yet he’s being forced to. He just hoped Hayden would be strong enough to handle all of the attention they would soon be getting.

The limo was quickly approaching the area where Johnny, Hayden and Justin would all be getting out of to walk down the red carpet. Justin instinctively reached over and grabbed Hayden’s hand, gently rubbing his thumb across it. The comfort of his touch and the soothing motion helped calm Hayden’s nerves.

“I’ll be right there with you babe…everything’s going to be great. Remember you don’t have to say anything you don’t want too. Just be yourself.” Justin whispered into her ear.

“I know… I’m just not used to doing this. Thank you for being so great today.” Hayden said while giving his hand soft squeeze.

Finally the limo came to a halt; Johnny was first to get out, while Hayden and Justin remained firmly planted in their seats. Hayden’s head was becoming one jumbled mess. It contained everything from how people were going to perceiver her, to how Justin always managed to make her feel better about the situation. It was like he knew what she was thinking at every moment and she loved that. He was her protector.

“Are you ready to go?” Justin asked kneeling in front of Hayden.

“Give me a second…”

“Ok…take your time, its fine.” Justin said putting his hands on her thighs.

Hayden took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She was trying to remember how she got to this point. Just a couple of months ago she was going to school in Minnesota, just like any other twenty-one year old. She was a regular person about to graduate from college. Now she was about to walk the red carpet at one of music’s biggest award shows; arm in arm with Justin Timberlake. Justin…what could she possibly say about him, other than he makes her heart smile. He’d been nothing but understanding from the moment she met him and even now, she was making him late for his award show and he was patiently waiting for her, with a gentle smile across his face.

Hayden reached her hand out, running her fingers along his cheek and down to his lips. Gently pulling him in, she let her lips run over his. At that moment, she finally felt at ease and the words “I love you” effortlessly roll off her tongue.

You’re my beautiful surprise…
When did you fall in love with me?
Was it out of the blue?
'Cause I swear I never knew it,
When did you let your heart run free?
Have you been waiting long?
When did you fall in love with me?

Justin felt his breath catch in his throat hearing Hayden say “I love you.” Finally, she had opened the last piece of her heart up to him and he couldn’t believe how wonderful it felt. She had given her heart away to him and Justin knew she already had his. “I love you too…Oh baby, I love you so much.” Justin said pulling her close and deepening their kiss.

Before the kiss could get out of control and lead to some fun activity, Hayden pulled away. “We should really be getting out.”

“You’re right…I don’t need Johnny opening that door as I’m devouring you.” Both of them laughed at that.

“Trust me babe, we can do that later tonight.” Hayden said flirtatiously.

“I’ll hold you to that. Let’s get going…” Justin said before opening the door and stepping out. Reaching back for Hayden’s hand, he helped her out of the limo. At the moment they stepped out together, the cameras went crazy. People were shouting Justin’s name everywhere and Hayden could barely see right in front of her. After standing together, they made the trek down the red carpet together holding hands. Graciously Hayden let Justin take pictures alone while she talked with Johnny on the side when he stopped to give interviews. However, most people were more interested in who she was and why she was with Justin in the first place. Justin didn’t stop for many interviews on the red carpet; however they had arrived at the last interview he would be giving, with MTV News’ Suchin Pak.

“So Justin, welcome…you look great.”

“Thank you, as do you.”

“So everyone wants to know…who did you bring with you tonight?” Suchin asked while motioning towards Hayden.

Justin securely wrapped his arm around her before he answered. “My girlfriend, Hayden Charles.”

“Girlfriend huh? Well, Hayden you look fantastic and you’re one lucky girl to be with him tonight.”

“Thank you, I feel really blessed to be at the award show tonight and even more so to be with him.” Hayden said.

“So where did you guys meet?” Suchin asked Hayden.

“I’ve been working for WEG management for a couple months now; Justin’s been great, allowing me to work with him on his new album and everything that comes along with that…”

“Nice, well we certainly wish you two the best. Justin hang onto her, she’s a sweetheart!”

“Trust me, I will.” Justin said as he pulled Hayden closer.

“So Justin, you’re up for quite a few nominations tonight with your new album and you will be performing tonight as well.”

“Yeah, I’m going to be debuting my next single tonight…it should be a good show.”

“Most definitely, everyone is here tonight, who are you most looking forward to seeing?” Suchin asked.

“Ludacris and my girl Christina. They both have hot new albums out. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing them.”

“Yeah definitely! They both have great new CD’s. Well I know you’ve got to get going and get ready to perform. Best of luck tonight. It was a pleasure meeting you Hayden. Have a great time tonight you two!” Suchin said before Justin and Hayden continued the rest of the walk into Radio City Music Hall.

Once inside, security ushered Hayden and Johnny to their seats while Justin was whisked away backstage. Before he disappeared though, Hayden gave him a quick kiss for good luck. Not long after Justin went backstage did the lights go down and all of a sudden the sounds of “My Love” blasted through the speakers. In the middle of the arena, Justin came up from the stage. Opening the song with a dance solo of “My Love” and then transferring into “SexyBack.” Hayden was mesmerized at his ability to entertain. He captivated everyone in the audience with his moves. He had definitely evolved from the *Nsync concert she saw years ago in Minneapolis. He was beautiful in her eyes. After his performance, Justin made his way back to Hayden in the audience.

“You were great. I mean, really great!!” Hayden said once Justin sat back down next to her.

“Thank you. It’s because I had someone I loved watching me.” Justin said reaching over and grabbing her hand.

The rest of the VMA’s went off without a hitch. It was a successful night for both of them, Justin walked away with three new awards and people were commenting on the beautiful young woman he had along. His performance was being talked about the entire night and he had Hayden by his side the entire time. Several people had invited them out for the after parties, but Justin politely turned them down. Hayden was surprised that he would rather go back to the hotel but it was his night, not hers.

“Don’t you want to go to the after parties?” Hayden asked once they were back at their hotel.

“Normally, I would go…but I don’t want to tonight…I’d rather spend the night with the woman I love.” Justin said taking his jacket off.

Hayden couldn’t help but smile at his words. She was truly one hundred percent in love with this man. It was a feeling the scared her but more importantly excited her. She had never been with anyone since Josh and this was finally her chance to let it all go.

“Come here…” Hayden said putting her stuff down and walking into the bedroom.

Justin was quick to follow her inside. Ever since the limo ride, he couldn’t wait to be alone with Hayden. She had finally opened her heart to him and on a special night for him. There was no where else he’d rather be than with her now.

Once inside the bedroom, Hayden wrapped her arms around his neck and laid small kisses all over his cheeks before capturing his lips. Justin felt his body re-act and swiftly wrapped his arms around her. Justin’s tongues slowly slid across Hayden’s bottom lip, begging to enter. Feeling his tongue, Hayden parted her lips giving him full access to her mouth. Their tongues met and both felt a warm sensation surge through their bodies. The kiss continued on until, Justin scooped Hayden up in his arms and gently laid her on the bed.

Gradually, Justin laid down beside her and took her into his arms again. Carefully he ran his hands through her hair as he pulled her closer. At that moment, they couldn’t get enough of each other.

“Oh baby, you’re so beautiful...” Justin said shifting his weight on top of her.

“Justin…please…make love to me.” Hayden said tugging his shirt up over his head.

That was all Justin needed to hear before his lips reclaimed hers. Hayden slid the straps of her dress down over her shoulders and off her body while Justin shed himself of his remaining clothing. Lying there naked, Hayden felt his growing tension on her thighs. The anticipation was killing her and she couldn’t wait to have the man she loved, make love to her. It had been over two years since she had felt this way and it was wonderful.

“Hayden, are you sure?” Justin asked before it went any further.

“Yes…I love you.” Hayden said looking into his clear blue eyes. “I really do love you Justin…”

“Oh Hayden…I love you too.”

The two of them made love for the first time that night. It was a beautiful moment when two hearts finally started to beat together.

When we make love I lose track of time
I can't count all the colors I see in your eyes
And while your heart beats in mine, it's true
I can't ever get enough of you
Now my world is filled with so many things
But nothing compares to the touch of your skin
There's a symphony
And a melody that plays whenever you're around
I think I've been found.

Chapter 14: The Media

It’s been almost two weeks since the VMA’s and those weeks have been hell for Hayden. Once the news broke about her relationship with Justin, she couldn’t escape the paparazzi. No longer is she able to just go out in public without someone taking a picture of her or asking her questions. It broke Justin’s heart to see the media attacking her; this wasn’t supposed to happen to them. She never once complained to him about all of the attention, instead she bottled all of her feelings inside. Hayden was starting to close off what they had worked so hard to open up and it was starting to strain their relationship.

The paparazzi had managed to infiltrate into her past, printing stories about her family, school and even her relationship with Josh. Hayden understood that being with Justin meant she’d sacrifice some privacy but it was as if nothing was off limits. That was what upset Hayden the most. The stories regarding her relationship with Josh were becoming too much for her to handle. Her relationship with Josh was one hundred percent private; it was a part of her life that never even involved Justin, so why do the media feel they can write about it. She knew getting involved with Justin had its downsides, but never did she imagine it would be this bad.

Today, Hayden was at home trying to relax. It was a cool day in California and Hayden was outside enjoying the time alone. The negative press had her so wound up that she just needed to be alone. She didn’t want to talk about it with Riley, Tyler, her parents and especially Justin. She just wanted to be alone, with her own thoughts. Grabbing the notebook she decided to write. She needed to get her feelings out and try and make sense of how much her life changed.

Sometimes I wish I could hide away
Looking for a place to getaway
Getaway from all the heartache and pain that life can bring
I really don't want to sound
Like I can't hold my ground
But everybody needs some time
That they can getaway

Sometimes I wish I was invisible
'Cause then no one will know
Where I am to ask me for anything
'Cause I've given so much of me
When is it a time for me to receive
'Cause I have my needs
Who's going to look out for me?

You know I'm not superwoman
And I'm not made of steel
I try my best to handle
All I have to deal with
It's not as easy as it seems
And to think this was my dream
Now for everything I have I'm grateful
But sometimes I want to get away…

Gradually, a tear escaped Hayden’s eyes, then another and another, and suddenly Hayden was sobbing, confusion engulfing her entire being. For the first time since being with Justin, Hayden was wishing to talk to Josh again. He understood her, he would be able to help her get over this, and he would make everything better. But that was impossible now. After crying tears of pity, anger, confusion and finally sadness, Hayden wiped the tears away and went back inside the house, grabbed her keys as she passed the island and continued out to her car.
________________________________________________________________________

Justin was tapping his pen on the desk trying to concentrate on what Johnny was saying something about his new tour starting in January, but the truth is his mind was with Hayden. He hated seeing her so upset and to know it was his career that was hurting her. The VMA’s had been a turning point in their relationship; he only wished it would’ve lasted longer. That night was beautiful, magical, and wonderful, it was perfect. Neither Hayden nor Justin anticipated the intense backlash the following day. It was always in the cards but the media was especially viscous with Hayden, probably because she was an easy target, she never once fought back. It broke his heart to know that being together was putting Hayden and everyone she held close into the public eye.

His cell phone vibrated in his pocket, pulling Justin from his daze. Needing some air, he excused himself from the room and went outside to take the call.

“Hey mom.” Justin said once he exited the building.

“Hey, how are you doing?”

“I’ve been better.” Justin said walking around the building.

“I know…but you guys will get through this. How’s Hayden handling everything?”

“Not well, they’re printing so much about her mom...it’s like they won’t ever let up. She’s trying to be strong but I know it’s really hurting her.”

“Well, this is definitely something she’s not used to…but it will get better.” Lynn said.

“I don’t know, I can tell she’s pulling away from me and it hurts. It’s like she’s trying to distance us because that’s the only way she can alleviate the pressure from the press.”

“Well don’t let her pull away. Justin, you’ve got to show her that you’re willing to be there even when times are tough. It’s easy to be with someone when everything’s great but being able to get through a rough time shows a lot about your relationship.”

“Thanks mom…how’s everything back home?”

“Same as usual, everyone’s well…we all miss you.”

“I miss you guys too…I’m planning on coming home before the tour starts for a couple weeks.”

“That’d be great…are you going to bring Hayden with?” Lynn asked.

“I don’t know yet…she has graduation in Minnesota on the seventeenth and then I’m sure she wants to be home for Christmas. I’ll ask her about it though.”

“Sounds good. But I’ve got to get going. I’ll talk to you soon. Hang in there. Love you.” Lynn said before hanging up the phone.

“Love you too.” Justin said as he closed his phone.

Before heading back in the building Justin decided to call Hayden quick. He knew she wanted to be alone today but he just couldn’t stop himself. However, the call immediately went to her voicemail. Sighing, Justin decided to head back inside and focus his attention on the upcoming tour maybe that would help clear his head.
_______________________________________________________________________

Hayden had just arrived at Tyler’s police station; luckily she managed to lose the camera man following her as soon as she left their house. She heard her phone ringing and silenced it right away when she saw that it was Justin calling. She just wasn’t in the mood to talk to him right now.

“Hey there…is Tyler Charles in?” Hayden asked one of the policemen walking by.

“Yeah…let me go get him. Just have a seat here.” Hayden did as she was told and sat down patiently waiting for Tyler.

“Hey Hayden…what are you doing here? Is everything ok?” Tyler said when he walked into the room.

“Yeah I’m fine…just needed to get out. Want to go get some lunch?”

“Sure…let me go tell the guys.” Tyler said before disappearing behind the doors. It wasn’t even a minute before he was back and they were walking out to his car.

“Well what do you have in mind for lunch?” Tyler asked once they got inside the car.

“Let’s head over to that café, Rosie’s, which I took you to before.”

“Sounds good.” Tyler said before pulling out into traffic and making the short trek to the café.
Once they were inside the café Hayden felt herself relax for the first time that day. Being with Tyler was comforting; it was her sense of home that she was longing for.

“So I can tell you’re pretty upset…talk to me Hayden…what’s going on?” Tyler asked.

“I don’t know Ty…I really don’t know.” Hayden said sounding so defeated.

“Well…you knew this was a part of Justin’s life and you’d have to deal with it. How’s Justin handling it all?” Tyler said as the waitress handed them their drinks.

“He’s trying to comfort me but it’s almost like it’s not enough. Don’t get me wrong…I love him with everything I have, but is the relationship really worth giving up all my privacy and even sacrificing those I love for it too.”

“Only you can answer that question Hayden…I talked to mom today.”

“Oh yeah, what’d she say?”

“She’s worried about you; you’re not taking her calls.”

“I know…I just don’t know what to say to mom and dad about it.”

“Be honest with them…this is a really hard thing you’re going through Hayden…talk to them. It will make you feel better I promise.”

“Yeah…” Hayden sighed.

“Let’s not talk about all of that crap…how’s your project? Are you excited for graduation next week?”

“My project’s great…I’m done with it and I can’t wait to go back to Minnesota for graduation. Riley and I are having a graduation party at Brother’s. We rented the place out and invited all of our friends. Did you ask your boss if you can come back with me?”

“Yeah I did…he’s letting me have the weekend off…so I’ll be there.”

“That’s great…I’m looking forward to getting out of here and just be normal, college student Hayden. Not the Hayden Charles that is banging Justin Timberlake.”

“So you’ve banged him huh?” Tyler asked amused by Hayden’s slip.

“I…uhh…hmm...yeah…we did.” Hayden blushed.

“About damn time!” Tyler laughed.

Her lunch with Tyler was exactly what Hayden needed to help get her mind off the madness that was enveloping her life. She only had a week left out in California and it was bittersweet for her. She didn’t want to be separated from Justin but for her own sanity maybe it’d be best for them to be apart for awhile. After dropping Tyler back off at work, Hayden decided to head over to Justin’s place. She figured he’d be done with all of his meetings with Johnny and they could be alone for awhile.

Hayden pulled into his driveway and parked behind his Mercedes. She was about to head up to the door but she heard the faint sound of a basketball dribbling out back. That could only mean one thing…he was upset or thinking about something. Making her way through the gates she saw him dripping with sweat and in deep concentration.

Before Justin could turn to shoot another three-pointer, he saw Hayden appear from the gates. Dropping the ball immediately, he ran up to her and scooped her into his arms. Having her close to him, he felt his mind and body relax.

“It’s good to see you too.” Hayden said into his chest.

“I missed you…I haven’t stopped thinking about you all day.”

“Me either…I just needed some time to be alone and get my head in the right spot.” Hayden said pulling away from him.

“Let’s go inside…do you want anything to eat or drink?” Justin asked opening the screen door for her.

“No, I just got back from eating with Tyler.”

“Oh yeah, how’s Tyler?”

“He’s good.” Hayden said sitting down on Justin’s oversized chair in the living room.

Justin slid in next to her and pulled her onto his lap. “Hayden…I never meant for any of this to happen to us. I feel terrible that my career is causing all of these problems.”

“Justin…it’s not your fault that the media is going overboard with me. I wanted to be with you, I chose to make it public. I just didn’t expect everything to be so negative about me. People I don’t even know think they can ask me personal questions and that’s just hard to handle.” Hayden said snuggling into his neck.

“I know baby…I know…I wish I could make it stop…I don’t want to lose you.” Justin said wrapping his arms around her protectively.

Finally, Hayden felt content again being in his arms until…“Justin??” Hayden said lifting her head up from his shoulder.

“Yeah?”

“You stink…you need a shower badly.” Hayden said trying to get up off of him. Justin held Hayden firmly in place and started to wipe his forehead on her arm. “That’s disgusting…Justin Randall…seriously get your ass in the shower.”

“Oh baby…I love it when you talk dirty.” Justin said playfully.

“Get away from me.” Hayden said shoving him off of her.

“All right…I’ll stop but only if you join me.” Justin said grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the bathroom.

Hayden didn’t need much convincing to join him in the shower. Being alone with him whether romantically or just goofing around just felt right to her. The world stopped when they were together and she could forget about everything else.

Hayden was awoken from her thoughts by Justin’s lips on her neck. He was nibbling on her and slowly making his way up to her lips. Once his lips crashed upon hers, it was all the coercing she needed before helping him shed his sweaty clothing. She wanted him, she wanted every part of him right then, and she needed to feel like he was a part of her.

“I love you Justin…” Hayden said in between kisses.

“I love you too Hayden…god, I love you.” Justin said pulling her into the shower and closing the door. He loved Hayden with everything inside of him and he just hoped the media would back off for the sake of their relationship. He didn’t want to lose Hayden but if it didn’t stop, he was afraid it might be a strong possibility.

Chapter 15: A Break

“Hey Hayden…get up, come look at this!!!” Tyler yelled from the stairs.

It was Hayden’s last day in California before she would fly back to Minnesota. Therefore, she was busy packing all of her things upstairs when Tyler’s incessant yelling interrupted her.

“What…what’s going on?” Hayden said bounding down the stairs and into the living room.

“You need to see this…I was at the gas station before coming home…this is all over.” Tyler said handing Hayden the magazine.

Hayden’s eyes became huge after reading the headline, Justin Timberlake’s new girlfriend! Get the facts here about her life in Minnesota, why she’s with Justin, and her ex-boyfriend.

“What the hell is this?” Hayden said looking away from the magazine tears brimming her eyes.

“I don’t know Hayden…” Tyler said completely unsure as to what he could say to his sister to comfort her.

Hayden flipped through the magazine, there were several pictures of her getting out of her car, leaving Tyler’s and Justin’s house, and even several of her eating lunch with Tyler. Under each of the pictures were captions accusing her of cheating on Justin to be with Tyler. The writers conveniently manipulated everything; including leaving out that Tyler was Hayden’s brother. Yet, the most shocking picture was an old one of her and Josh together at a football game in High school. Seeing Josh in the magazine peaked Hayden’s interest. There for everyone to read about were stories about her relationship with Josh and even a detailed summary of the car accident that took his life. Hayden felt her chest constrict and the air rush out of her lungs. The magazine had uncovered every personal story, feeling, and memory Hayden had with Josh. It was too much for her to handle and the tears that were brimming her eyes were now falling faster and faster down her cheeks. Desperately needing to get away from the concerned eyes of Tyler, Hayden grabbed her keys and bolted out the door.
________________________________________________________________________
Knowing this was Hayden’s last day in California, Justin was busy running around picking up things to knock her off her feet tonight. All of the media attention had really strained his relationship with Hayden and tonight he was determined to show her how much he loved her. Tonight was supposed to be all about the two of them, without any interruptions.

Justin knew Hayden was spending the day packing everything and hanging out with her brother but he couldn’t resist stopping over there to see her quick. After turning his Mercedes around he made his way over to Tyler’s. After parking the car, Justin knocked on the door and Tyler opened it, visibly upset about something.

“Hey Justin…come in. Hayden’s not here though.” Tyler said opening the door further to let Justin in.

“Where’s Hayden?” Justin asked as he walked into the house.

“She ran out of here a little bit ago after reading this…” Tyler said tossing the magazine at him.

Justin scanned the magazine quickly and he felt his anger rise up through his body. There in the magazine were numerous pictures of Hayden all around California. “What the fuck?! I’m getting really tired of all this. Can’t they just back off?” Justin yelled.

“I wish they would man…” Tyler said.

“Where did Hayden go?” Justin asked, knowing he needed to find her fast.

“I don’t know…she read it, started crying and grabbed her keys. She needs to be alone right now Justin.” Tyler said putting a hand on Justin’s shoulder.

“I need to talk to her…I’ve got to straighten this stuff out…” Justin said looking at Tyler.

“I know my sister…she needs to be alone right now. The best thing you can do is give her some time to work this stuff out in her head.”

“I don’t know Tyler…things are just getting so out of control with the media. I know Hayden’s been putting up with a lot…I’m worried she’s going to decide it’s not worth it.” Justin said dejectedly.

“I know this is putting some tension on your relationship…but if you really love her, then you got to fight for her. Hayden has a tendency to back down when she gets scared…don’t let her. You’re the best thing that’s happened to her since she lost Josh. I haven’t seen my sister so happy in a long time.”

“Thanks Ty…please tell her to call me, if you talk to her.” Justin said walking back to the door.

“I will…oh hey man, I was going to ask you, are you coming back for Hayden’s graduation?”

“I don’t know…Hayden hasn’t asked me.” Justin said.

“Hmm…all right. Well I’ll tell Hayden to call you. Don’t worry…she just needs some time to herself.” Tyler said before closing the door behind Justin.

Justin’s heart hurt, knowing that Hayden was upset and there was nothing he could do. He tried to call her phone but she had turned it off. There was nothing he could do but wait to hear from her. Justin made his way back to his car and decided to head back home, in case Hayden showed up there.
________________________________________________________________________
The entire day had passed with no word from Hayden. Justin was officially freaking out over Hayden’s safety. After reading that article that exposed every personal story about her, he knew she was really upset and that’s what bothered him. He hated knowing she was upset and there was absolutely nothing he could do but wait. His career had always caused issues with the people he loved. Hayden made him happy and he wished the rest of the world could understand that and leave them alone. Suddenly, his phone began ringing, breaking Justin from his thoughts. Reading the caller id, his heart raced seeing Tyler calling; maybe he heard something from Hayden.

“Hey Tyler…” Justin answered.

“Hey Justin…have you heard anything from Hayden yet?” Tyler asked nervously.

“No, nothing…I keep trying her phone but it’s off.”

“Me too…I’m starting to worry…she’s never disappeared for this long without a phone call at least.” Tyler said.

“I’m worried about…” Justin was cut off by the sound of his front door opening and in walked Hayden.

“Tyler…Hayden just walked in the door…I’ll call you back.” Justin said before hanging up the phone.

“Hey sweetie…how are you doing?” Justin said softly while walking up to Hayden.

“I’ve been better…”

Justin cautiously wrapped his arms around Hayden pulling her close. “I’m sorry babe…I’m really sorry…” Justin cooed into her ear.

“I just don’t know what to do anymore…I can’t deal with this…” Hayden said before breaking down into a new set of tears.

Justin scooped her into his arms protectively and carried her to the couch. He felt his heart break at her defeated state. Hayden had been so strong through all of it. She tried to brush it off, she never fired back with anything and she certainly didn’t ask for any of what she was getting. Justin sat down on the couch and tried to pull Hayden closer to him but she tensed and pulled away.

“We’ve got to talk about some of this…I can’t just brush it off anymore.” Hayden said pulling her legs underneath her.

“I don’t want you to hold everything in anymore…you can talk to me about all of this…” Justin said reaching for Hayden’s hand.

“I know…it’s just today after reading that article about me, you, Tyler and Josh…it was the last straw to all of this. People are going to read that and think I’m cheating on you, that I’ve never gotten over my relationship with Josh and that ever since I came out to California I was only after your fame. You know how hard that is to read lie after lie and not be affected by it anymore.” Hayden said trying to hold back anymore tears; she needed to get this out.

“I know babe…but people are always going to talk…we just have to ignore it. I wish this wasn’t happening and I’d do anything to change it.”

“But the stories aren’t personal attacks about you and your character. I’ve never been in any situation like this before…I’m an extremely private person…it’s like the whole world knows when you and I go somewhere or we have a fight. It’s becoming too much for me to handle.” Hayden said trying to remain strong.

“I’m sorry Hayden…”

“I am too Justin…maybe a different time or place we could make this work between the two of us. But right now, I just don’t have the strength anymore…” Hayden said softly.
Her words hit Justin like a ton of bricks. He hadn’t considered the two of them being apart…he felt his heart breaking after each passing moment. “But I love you Hayden…I know you love me…we can make this work together…”

“I do love you, I love you so much Justin. You opened a part of me that I had closed off a long time ago and you’ll always have a special place in my heart because of that. But sometimes love isn’t enough. I’m not happy in this type of situation…”

Justin felt his heart being ripped out; she no longer wanted to be with him. His career had successfully come between the two of them. “Hayden don’t do this…we’ve come so far together…I don’t want to let you go…I love you…” Justin sputtered.

Hayden reached for his hand and intertwined their fingers. “I love you too…but right now I think its best that I go back to Minnesota alone and just get a break from all of this. Don’t think this doesn’t hurt me, because it’s killing me...”

“Then don’t do this…we can make it through…”

“No we can’t…I don’t have the strength or energy to put into it. I just need a break.” Hayden said.

Finally, Justin didn’t know what to say...this was it. The media had driven them apart and tomorrow morning she’d be thousands of miles away. “I’ll miss you Hayden…”

Hayden felt the tears start to fall down her eyes. “I’ll miss you too Justin. You’ve taught me a lot about myself.”

He felt empty inside…this wasn’t suppose to happen to them. “I love you…I really do.” Justin choked out.

Hayden stood up from the couch and enveloped Justin in a hug. “I love you too…you can always call me you know?” Hayden said before pulling away from Justin.

“I know…” Justin said following Hayden towards the door. “Have a great graduation next week…I’m proud of you.”

“Thank you. Well…this is it…” Hayden said lingering at the door.

“I guess it is. I love you Hayden.” Justin said kissing her softly on the lips.

“I love you too Justin.” Hayden said before walking out the door to her car.

Justin watched her retreating form before the tears started to cloud his vision. Closing the door, he went up to his room, sat down on his bed and cried into his hands. Everything within their relationship was perfect except for the media. He loved her and there was nothing he could do to stop the attention. He couldn’t protect her from them anymore. He felt so helpless, so defeated and so lost. His Hayden would be flying out of his life tomorrow morning for good and he couldn’t stop her. He had lost her.

Chapter 16: Letting Go

After breaking up with Justin, Hayden fled his house and made her way to the beach. She needed to just relax and be alone; the beach seemed like the most peaceful place she could think of. Tyler would be all over her when he found out about the break up and Hayden wasn’t ready to talk about it. In fact, Hayden was just as upset about it as Justin was. Needing space, she took her shoes off and decided to walk to the beach near the water. In less than 24 hours, she’d leave California and be back in Minnesota…back to her old life, what she thought she wanted…or was it? Right now, she wasn’t really sure who she was anymore. Justin had rocked her entire being…before him she was certain that she was destined to be with Josh. That no matter what, she’d never find someone to fill that hole she felt since he died. However, Justin entered the picture and it was as if she felt herself slowly being put back together. Yet, all of the attention that came along with him was too much for her to withstand with a new relationship. She was certain she loved Justin but the attention made her doubt whether she loved herself. Every move she made was put under a microscope and analyzed. The pressure got to her and she broke, she felt weak, helpless and completely lost in this entire mess. Being in Minnesota with away from all of this, away from the mess she created and away from Justin was the only thing she needed now. After walking the beach several times, Hayden decided to head home and finish packing…maybe Tyler would’ve already gone to work and she wouldn’t have to face the disapproving looks.

________________________________________________________________________

Hayden and Tyler got up early the next morning to catch their flight out of Los Angeles back to Minneapolis. Hayden told Tyler about everything that happened between Justin and her that morning and he tried his best to play the big brother role. Hayden was still upset about everything and he was too, he really liked having Justin around and he especially liked what Justin brought out in Hayden.

“Hey you ok?” Tyler said nudging Hayden on the plane.

“Yeah…” Hayden said quietly turning back to look out the window.

Tyler knew this was hard on Hayden but he also knew she was never one to give up when she wanted something. Right now, she was just confused.

The flight back to Minneapolis was relatively quick and quiet. Hayden didn’t say much and Tyler didn’t ask anymore. Once they arrived in Minneapolis Riley met them at the baggage claim.

“Hayden!!! Tyler!!! Oh wow, it’s been a long time.” Riley said hugging Hayden and then Tyler.

Tyler always had a little thing for Riley and seeing her was definitely a pleasant surprise. “Hey Riles…long time no see.” Tyler said pulling away from the hug.

Riley felt the butterflies in her stomach being this close to Tyler again. “Definitely…well now that you’re back here, we should definitely do something. Hey Hayden…how you doing? You excited for Graduation? How’s Justin?”

“Too many questions at one time Riles…” Hayden said lifting her bag from the carousel.

“Sorry…it’s just been a while.” Riley laughed.

“Well let’s get out of the airport…I want to head home…I haven’t been there forever.” Tyler said leading the way out of the airport towards Riley’s car. The drive back to Hayden and Tyler’s parent’s house was short and most of the talking was between Riley and Tyler. Hayden remained firmly planted in the backseat with her head out the window.

“Well we’re here…Hayden what’s the plan for the week?” Riley said getting out of her car.

“I don’t know…I give my presentation Friday morning, Graduation at Mitchell on Saturday and Brothers Saturday night. That’s all I have planned right now.” Hayden said before grabbing her bags and heading into the house leaving Tyler and Riley outside.

“What is her deal?” Riley asked Tyler once Hayden was inside.

“She broke up with Justin last night.”

“WHAT? Why?” Riley asked completely shocked by this news.

“You know about all the media attention she’s been getting right?” Tyler said.

“Yeah…but she knew that was going to happen when she started dating him.”

“I know…she knows that too…but Riles it was really bad, they were camped outside the house, they had pictures of her and I together and I think the part that really hit her was the story about her and Josh.”

“I didn’t see the story on Josh…they really printed that?”

“Yeah, she’s really upset. She’s just lost right now and being with Justin was wearing her down. She just needs time to just be Hayden right now.”

“Well…how’s Justin doing?” Riley asked.

“I don’t know…”

“All right…well thanks for telling me. That explains her mood then. Tell her if she needs anything to just let me know. I’ll be there in a heartbeat.”

“Will do…umm…I was wondering….since I’m back in town…would…would you want to go out to dinner tonight?” Tyler stammered.

Riley giggled at his nervousness and happily accepted. She gave Tyler a hug before getting back in her car and driving away. Riley couldn’t stop the nagging feeling that Hayden definitely made a mistake when it came to her relationship with Justin. She only wished Justin would fight to keep Hayden because right now Riley knew Hayden had thrown the towel in.

________________________________________________________________________


Justin had managed to get a few hours of sleep but the only thing that kept plaguing him were Hayden’s words. Knowing he needed to get away from the source of their breakup he booked a flight to Memphis. Being in Memphis would allow him to regain some anonymity.

“Mom…I’m home.” Justin said as he opened the door to his mom, Lynn’s house.

Lynn appeared from the kitchen drying her hands on a towel. “Oh my…what are you doing here? I thought you were coming home after Hayden’s graduation.” Lynn said embracing Justin into a hug.

“Change of plans…” Justin said into his mom’s shoulder.

“What happened?” Lynn asked. She always knew when her son was upset.

“Hayden broke up with me yesterday…” Justin said quietly.

“Ok…why?” Lynn said pulling away from Justin to look at him.

“She just couldn’t take the media attention anymore…”

“How are you handling it?” Lynn asked concern evident in her voice. He had been through so many bad relationships and it seemed like this one was different.

“I’m crushed…I just didn’t see this one coming. I knew things were tough but I thought she’d turned to me for help not just run away.”

“Well, give her some time…I’m sure she’ll come around. Are you going to her graduation at least?”

“I don’t think so…she wanted her space and if I show up I’m not really giving her what she asked for. I want to do something for her though…I still love her.”

“I know you do hun. We’ll figure something out. Now go put your bags upstairs. Are you hungry?” Lynn asked walking back into the kitchen.

“Yeah…I’m starved.” Justin said before disappearing upstairs. Being home was exactly what he needed to soothe a broken heart. He still couldn’t help but think of Hayden back in Minnesota.

________________________________________________________________________

Hayden needed some time to just relax and be with her family so she decided to spend the night at her parent’s house. She had spent most of the day putting together her presentation for her senior project she would be giving on Friday and that only caused her to drudge up more memories of Justin. She knew giving the presentation would be hard but this was everything she had been working for, this was the culmination of her college career and she’d be damned if a break up would stop her from fulfilling the one thing she set out to do when she went to California.

“Hey Hayden...” Her mom said while knocking on the door.

“Yeah?”

“Telephone.”

“Who is it?” Hayden asked.

“It’s…Mary Hayes.”

“All right…I got it.” Hayden said picking up the phone. It’d been a long time since she had talked to Josh’s mom, Hayden only hoped Mary hadn’t seen the article in the magazine about Josh.

“Hey Mrs. Hayes…how are you doing?” Hayden asked.

“I’m doing well sweetie…how about you?”

“I’m stressed out but otherwise all right.”

“I was wondering if you’d have time to stop over tonight. I wanted to give you your graduation present.” Mary said.

“Sure…I can come over now. Does that work?”

“Yeah absolutely…I’ll see you in a bit dear.” Mary said before hanging up the phone.

Hayden took a deep breath and in that moment all of her feeling for Josh rushed over her. She would be going back to his house, his room and his family. She would be going back to his house knowing her heart belonged to another man.

After cleaning some of her stuff up, Hayden changed into a Minnesota sweatshirt and pulled her jacket on. Before heading out the door she let her parents know she’d be gone for a while and then she’d be back home to finish her presentation.

Hayden’s heart raced once she made it to Josh’s house. Yeah, she’d been back here since his death but not since everything with Justin. She felt guilty going back into his house knowing she had feelings for someone else now. Josh wasn’t the only person anymore to occupy her heart. After nervously tugging on her jacket she rang the doorbell.

“Hayden…oh my…you look beautiful.” Mary said ushering Hayden inside and giving her a quick hug.

“Thank you Mrs. Hayes…you do too.” Hayden said before looking around at the familiar house. The memories flooded back to her in an instant and she felt her heart ache. It ached because this time Josh wasn’t the only man she was thinking about.

“I’m sure he misses you too.” Mrs. Hayes said. Hayden looked surprise at that; she didn’t have the heart to tell Mary that she was actually missing Justin. “I was talking about that nice young man you’ve been seeing, Justin.”

“You know about him?” Hayden asked confused.

“Yeah…I still care about you dear, your mom and I talk often. I just want you to be happy. I’ve seen some of the things they’ve been printing about you.”

Hayden cringed at that. “Did you see the stuff about Josh?”

“Yeah…I can’t say that it didn’t hurt but there’s nothing either of us could do.”

“Yeah…”

Mrs. Hayes ushered Hayden into the living room and told her to sit down while she went into the kitchen and grabbed them hot chocolate. After returning with two steaming cups of hot chocolate they both settled in for a long talk.

“So what are your plans after graduation?” Mrs. Hayes asked while sipping her drink.

“I’m not really sure…I was offered a position with Justin’s management team in California anytime I want it…but I’m thinking about looking for jobs around here.”

“But isn’t the music industry your dream job?”

“Yeah…I just think right now…I need some time to get my life back in order.” Hayden said wrapping her hands around the drink.

“Hayden…there’s something I always wanted to talk to you about…we just never really had the chance.” Mrs. Hayes said putting her drink down.

“Ok…”

“When Josh passed away, I know how hard that was on you and to be honest you were so strong throughout it all. But sometimes it’s ok to be vulnerable; it’s ok to rely on someone for strength and its ok to fall in love again.”

“I did…I mean I am in love again. It’s just hard to let my guard down because it’s not just him I’m letting in…it’s the world.” Hayden said while tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

“Well honey…you love him…love is all about risks. You’ll never know what could’ve been if you don’t try. The stories they write about you don’t matter to those who love you.”

“Thanks Mrs. Hayes…”

“I want you to know that Josh really did love you and he would want you to be happy…if Justin is where your heart is then don’t let him get away.”

“I don’t know where my heart is right now.” Hayden said.

“You’ll figure it out…I know you will...”

Hayden and Mrs. Hayes continued to talk for another hour about anything and everything before Hayden went home. It had been a long time since Hayden visited Josh’s family and going there today was what she needed to really close that chapter in her life. She needed to know that his family was ok with her moving on and that they didn’t feel betrayed by her sudden move into the public eye. Hayden lost the love of her life that day but they lost a son and they certainly didn’t ask for his death to become public knowledge. Having Mrs. Hayes comfort her and support her decisions was enough for Hayden to finally be at ease with her decisions. Even though everything with Justin was still screwed up, in that moment she was doing this for her. She was taking care of herself and accepting her past. This was a step in the right direction for her.

Once back home, Hayden continued to work on her presentation before exhaustion took over. The last couple of days had drained her emotions and sleeping in her own bed sounded wonderful. After getting ready for bed, Hayden pulled out her scrapbook of pictures, notes and mementos from her relationship with Josh. She needed to add one more piece to this book and Hayden wrote her feelings furiously on a piece of paper.

I've dealt with my ghosts and I've faced all my demons
Finally content with a past I regret
I've found you find strength in your moments of weakness
For once I'm at peace with myself
I've been burdened with blame, trapped in the past for too long
I'm movin' on

I've lived in this place and I know all the faces
Each one is different but they're always the same
They mean me no harm but it's time that I face it
They'll never allow me to change
But I never dreamed home would end up where I don't belong
I'm movin' on

I'm movin' on
At last I can see life has been patiently waiting for me
And I know there's no guarantees, but I'm not alone
There comes a time in everyone's life
When all you can see are the years passing by
And I have made up my mind that those days are gone
I’m movin’ on

Hayden silently cried herself to sleep that night. She had let go of her past and she had lost her present at the same time. She was truly alone for the first time in years and she felt complete just being Hayden.

Chapter 17:Graudation Day


Finally the day Hayden had been waiting for was upon her, it was Graduation day. Her entire family was there to witness her crowning achievement and she couldn’t be happier. This was what she had been working towards for the last four years. She woke up early to work out and now Hayden was in the process of getting ready. Riley would be over soon to take pictures and Hayden knew she’d be looking her best. After curling every piece of hair into a small tendril, Hayden secured her cap on her head.

“Hey GRADUATE!!!” Riley said busting through Hayden’s bedroom door.

“Holy shit you scared the crap out of me!!” Hayden yelled.

“Sorry, I’m just so excited to graduate finally!”

“Me too!!” Hayden said putting her gown on over her black pants and sweater.

“How’d the presentation go yesterday?” Riley asked sitting down on Hayden’s bed.

“Really good…I got an A! Plus, Dr. Brokaw is taking it to a publisher in New York. I’ve never had any of my work published before!!” Hayden said fixing her gown one last time.

“That’s awesome…congrats! Since we’re on the topic, have you heard anything from Justin?” Riley asked slyly.

“Nice change of subject Riles! Nope, he hasn’t called me. When we broke up, I wanted time to just be me. When Justin and I started dating…I wasn’t fully over Josh. My feelings for Justin were masking the pain I still felt for Josh. But for the first time Riles…I’m ok with my life. I’ve accepted what happened and I’m moving on from it. But when it comes to Justin…yeah I still love him.”

“Good…cause I liked Justin! Now let’s go graduate and start celebrating!!!” Riley said wrapping her arm around Hayden and walking outside to take pictures.

________________________________________________________________________

“Justin…are you up?!” Lynn yelled from the stairs.

Justin’s head throbbed at the piercing sound of his mother’s voice breaking him from his slumber. As soon as he sat up, he felt the blood rush from his head only to be replaced with a headache. He had one…no make that five drinks too much last night. Trace had flown back to try and cheer Justin up and took him out to the bars. Honestly he couldn’t remember much of the night, it was good for him to just go out and get his mind off missing Hayden. He hadn’t tried calling her simply because he didn’t know what to say. Therefore, he just avoided the situation all together. Yeah…he knew that wasn’t the manliest thing to do…but hey, at least his pride wouldn’t be crushed if she shot him down again. After regaining some sort of grip on his whereabouts he made his way into the bathroom to shower. Twenty minutes later, Justin was heading down the stairs in search of some aspirin.

“Hey Ma…” Justin said opening the cabinet and grabbing two pills.

“How are you feeling?” Lynn asked handing Justin a bowl and some cereal.

“I’m all right…just got a bit of a headache.”

“That’s what you get for staying out so late…anyways though, Trace called, he wants you to call him back. I’ve got some errands to run, you want to come with?” Lynn asked while grabbing her car keys.

“Nah, I’m going to call Trace quickly. I’ll see you later though.” Justin said giving her a quick kiss on the cheek and heading back upstairs to call Trace.

After grabbing his cell phone, he preceded to dial the familiar numbers. A couple of rings later, Trace answered.

“Hey man, how are you feeling?” Justin asked.

“I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck…you?”

“I felt that way this morning…but I’m feeling better now that I ate something. What happened last night?! I don’t remember a lot of it.” Justin asked while turning the TV on.

“Tell me you’re joking…come on…you don’t remember running into Nichole and Brooke?”

“We did?!” Justin asked hastily trying to remember the previous night’s events.

“Yeah…you and Nichole definitely got a reacquainted.” Trace said laughing.

“What?!?!” Justin felt his heart rate quicken at that news. “What happened?”

“You were bumming pretty bad last night about Hayden, and then Nichole and Brooke showed up at the bar, you invited them over and we all started drinking. Things must’ve gotten out of control with the drinks because by the end of the night Nichole was practically down your throat. So we left the bar to come back to my place, I don’t know what all happened because you two disappeared into a bedroom for a while, but it doesn’t take a genius to guess what was going on.”

Justin felt his heart sink when the memories of last night flooded back to him. He didn’t even like Nichole, it was a total mistake. “Trace…why didn’t you stop me?”

“I tried…I kept saying, what about Hayden…but you weren’t having it.” Trace said.

“Fuck man…what am I going to do?” Justin said exasperatedly

“Technically you didn’t do anything wrong Justin…you guys aren’t together.” Trace offered.

“I know…but that doesn’t matter, I love her and I don’t want her to think otherwise.”

“All right man…well I suggest you tell her or something before she reads it in the papers. The paparazzi were out last night. I’m sure there will be headlines that you left with Nichole.” Trace said.

“Thanks man…I’ll call you later though.”

“All right, later.” Trace said before hanging up the phone.

Justin threw his phone to the side and contemplated what to tell Hayden. He knew technically he didn’t do anything wrong but that was beside the point. He was still very much in love with her. He didn’t need her to see him making out with another girl in magazines, the very thing that broke them apart, when all he could think about was how to get her back. He certainly didn’t need her to read that he slept with someone last night either. He had royally fucked up.

________________________________________________________________________

The graduation ceremony was coming to a close and all Hayden could think about was the party tonight. She couldn’t wait to go out with Riley again and see all of her friends she’d missed over the semester. Tonight was definitely all about the two of them and she was definitely going to let loose. Once the ceremony concluded, Hayden and Riley preceded to take hundreds of more pictures with their diplomas in hand.

“We’re so proud of you honey!!” Hayden’s mom said hugging her daughter again.

“Thanks mom!”

“So what are you and Riley going to do now?”

“Head back to the apartment to change and then head down to Brothers. Are you guys coming?” Hayden asked.

“Tyler’s going to go…but your father and I are going to let you guys have fun tonight. You deserve it!”

“Sounds good…well mom, Riley’s waiting for me. I’ll call you guys later. Thank you! Love you!” Hayden said before walking out the doors towards Riley’s car.

Hayden and Riley made the short drive back to their apartment where they preceded to blast music while getting ready for the night. Everything from Ludacris, to Christina Aguilera, to Rascal Flatts adorned the speakers. However the mood definitely took a solemn turn when Justin’s “My Love” started playing. Riley quickly made her way to the computer and changed the song.

“Don’t let that get you down…” Riley said walking back into the bathroom.

“It’s not…I guess, I just thought he’d call at least for my Graduation. He knew how important this day was.”

“Well, you told him you wanted space. He’s doing what you asked for…keep that in mind. Besides I’m sure he’s thinking about you.” Riley said putting the finishing touches to her make-up.

“I guess you’re right…you ready to get going?” Hayden asked grabbing her purse.

“Yep…let’s get our sexy on…” Riley said laughing.

“Go head, be gone with it…” Hayden finished, while the two of them left the apartment arm in arm. Today was definitely shaping out to be a great night for Hayden.

________________________________________________________________________

Tyler was just about to leave the house to head to Brothers when something caught his eye on the TV. His parents were avid news watchers and the entertainment section was currently playing on the TV.

“Justin Timberlake was spotted last night at a bar in Memphis with a mystery girl. Sources say she was definitely not Timberlake’s girlfriend, Hayden Charles, and that the pair were seen kissing all night before leaving together around bar time. Hmm…seems Mr. Timberlake’s going to have some explaining to do to Hayden, who is apparently home in Minneapolis for Graduation.” The news anchor said.

Tyler felt his anger rising…all of the secret phone calls Justin’s been making to him, all of his checking up on Hayden, Justin saying how much he missed her. It was all a lie. Tyler was definitely pissed and he needed an answer now. Grabbing his cell phone he made his way out to the car and started the drive downtown, not before making a much needed phone call to a certain pop star that was about to feel the wrath of an older brother.

“Hello?” Justin answered.

“Tell me what I’m hearing on the television is not true…” Tyler said into the phone.

Justin felt his stomach drop. If Tyler knew, he was certain it wouldn’t be long before Hayden knew.

“Tyler…I can explain.” Justin stammered.

“Fuck man…start explaining…” Tyler said making the turn to head downtown.

“It was a mistake…a drunken stupid mistake. I went out with Trace and I was missing Hayden…well some friends from a long time ago showed up…I’ve known that girl since I was little and she was hanging out with us...”

“Did you sleep with her?” Tyler asked.

“Does it matter?” Justin said trying to avoid the question.

“It does…yes or no…” Tyler persisted.

“Yeah…but it didn’t mean anything…I was stupid.”

“You’re damn right you’re stupid. Listen man, I really liked you…I liked what you brought out in Hayden. I was willing to help you out the best I could, that’s why I answered the calls from you. But I’ve seen something in Hayden this past week, she’s getting over everything, she’s learning to just be happy with herself and I’m not going to stand by and let you bring her down from that.”

“I still love her Tyler…you got to believe me, it was a mistake.” Justin said desperately, his last connection to Hayden was closing and he felt helpless. He made a stupid mistake and he was about to pay for that.

“If you loved her man, if you truly loved her…you would’ve called her on the most important day of her life, you would’ve made some kind of effort to fight for her and you certainly wouldn’t have gotten drunk only to end up sleeping with another girl. Hayden’s a very loyal person and she’s going to be hurt that so quickly after a break up, you’re out healing yourself through someone else. Hayden’s going to know about this and be damn sure I’ll be there to help her pick up the pieces because I know deep down she still loves you. Congrats man…you just crushed any chance of getting her back. Leave me alone and leave Hayden the hell alone.” Tyler said before hanging the phone up.

He was furious with Justin. He hated that he was so stupid and careless with his actions. Tyler really liked Justin and he was going to do whatever he could to get them back together. But not after that, Hayden was definitely going to be hurt when she found out. In Tyler’s eyes, Justin didn’t even deserve Hayden’s love anymore.
________________________________________________________________________

Upon arriving at Brother’s, Tyler took a second to get his emotions in check before heading inside. This was Hayden’s night and he was definitely not going to let Justin ruin it. He would talk to Hayden in the morning, right now he was ready to buy her a drink and let her have fun tonight.

“Tyler!!!!” Riley said running up to him and wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Hey Riles, how are you doing?” Tyler said returning the hug.

“I’m great…Hayden’s been looking for you. Come on, she’s over here.” Riley said grabbing his hand and dragging to where Hayden was sitting.

“Look who I found…” Riley said walking up towards Hayden.

“Hey Ty!” Hayden said, grabbing him a beer.

“Hey Hayden…” Tyler said taking a drink.

“Are you ok? You look upset?” Hayden asked.

“Nah…just got behind some slow driver down here.” Tyler lied. He couldn’t tell her right now…it just wasn’t the time.

The party continued on for hours all the way until bar time. Hayden and Riley got free drinks all night and they danced until they could barely walk. Her graduation night was definitely everything she’d hoped for…the only piece missing was Justin. She couldn’t help but miss him and she was bummed he didn’t even call to say congratulations.

Since the party was coming to an end Tyler helped Riley to a friend’s car before heading back inside to get Hayden. After searching the bar for a bit, he found Hayden sitting on a bar stool with her cell phone out, that could only mean she was definitely drunk dialing.

“Hayden who are you calling?” Tyler said walking up to her.

“Justin…I miss him Ty.” Hayden pouted.

“We need to talk about that…but we can do it tomorrow. You’ve been drinking and it’s late.” Tyler said closing her phone and helping her up from the stool.

Hayden pushed him away slightly and stood on her own. “I’m fine, I’m not drunk…what do you mean we need to talk about Justin?” Hayden’s interest was definitely peaked.

“Nothing…we’ll deal with it tomorrow.” Tyler said firmly.

“No…tell me, what’s going on?” Hayden asked.

Just then the TV in the bar decided to replay the story Tyler had previously caught earlier in the night. Justin’s face flashed across the screen and Hayden asked the bartender to turn it up. After listening to the report, Hayden felt her body go numb. Her heart ached and tears clouded her eyes. How could he do this to her? How could he make her look like a fool?

“Let’s go!!!” Hayden yelled before stomping out of the bar. Grabbing her cell phone she dialed his number, not carrying that it was nearing four in the morning there, she was ready to give him a tongue lashing, she was ready to let the pain in her heart out.

“Hello?” Justin said groggily into the phone.

“Good morning…are you alone? Or did you decide to take someone home with you tonight too?” Hayden said sarcastically into the phone. Everyone knew Hayden could be a real bitch when people hurt her and tonight was definitely not any different, not even Justin Timberlake was going to avoid her wrath.

“Hayden…let me explain…” Justin said, trying to wake up more.

“No…let me explain something. Breaking up with you was one of the hardest thing’s I’ve ever done. I gave you my heart a long time ago and just because we aren’t together doesn’t mean you still don’t have it. All day I spent waiting for at least a phone call from you to say congratulations, just something to let me know you were still thinking about me.” Hayden felt the tears start to fall from her eyes and she pushed them angrily out of the way.

“Hayden…I think about you all day, every day. I still love you and I’d give anything to change what happened.”

“You don’t still love me because if you did…you wouldn’t have slept with someone else. I haven’t even thought about anyone besides you. I couldn’t imagine going there with anyone, because I really do still love you. I don’t give my heart away that easily and it’s good to know that it didn’t matter to you.”

Justin felt his world crashing around him. “Hayden…I screwed up…I screwed up really bad.” Justin said defeated.

“You did…you screwed up any relationship with me and now I don’t even want a friendship with you. Bye Justin.” Hayden said before hanging up the phone and collapsing into Tyler’s arms.

Tyler was listening to the whole conversation. He was proud of his sister for sticking up for herself but at the same time he knew this was definitely going to shake the walls she’d built up around her.

“Come on Hayden…let’s go home.”

“How could he do that to me? How could he sleep with someone else? It hurts so bad Tyler…”

“I know Hayden…come on sis…” Tyler said scooping Hayden into his arms and carrying her to his car. Hayden’s sobs wracked her body and he could feel her heart breaking all over again. The ride home was filled with Hayden’s cries and he tried his best to rub her back and drive.

Once inside the house, he helped Hayden to her bedroom where she collapsed onto her bed. Her cries still shaking her entire body.

“Tyler…” Hayden said softly.

“Yeah?”

“My heart hurts…it’s like it’s been ripped out and stomped on. When we slept together it was special to me, it was the first time I’d given my heart away again and to know he just jumped into bed with someone else…it kills me.” Hayden whimpered.

“It’ll get better Hayden…I promise and if it doesn’t, I’ll hunt him down…” Tyler tried to lighten the mood a little and Hayden cracked a small smile.

“Thanks Tyler…” Hayden said before closing her eyes and drifting off to a restless sleep.

Tyler pulled the covers up over Hayden before giving her a kiss on the forehead and closing her door on his way out. His heart hurt for Hayden, this was definitely going to test her strength…silently he made a vow to be there for her whenever she needed from here on out.

Chapter 18: Reconnected

It had been over three months since the dreaded phone call that broke any and all ties between Hayden and Justin. Hayden had picked up the pieces of her shattered heart with the help of Tyler and Riley, while Justin on the other hand continued to beat himself down for screwing things up. Tyler had returned to California shortly after Hayden’s graduation, while Riley and Hayden moved into an upscale apartment in the suburbs of Minneapolis. Hayden had gotten a job with a prestigious marketing firm doing event promotions while Riley worked at an accounting firm. Both girls had secured successful careers and although Riley was now dating Tyler, Hayden had yet to take the plunge with anyone since Justin.

“Hey Hayden, what’s going on?” Riley said entering the kitchen and setting her portfolio on the counter.

“Nothing…I’m running late. I have a meeting at 9:30 to go over new events at the Xcel Energy Center.” Hayden said collecting all of her things before saying goodbye to Riley.

The drive into Minneapolis went quick, thankfully traffic had already lightened up and she was in the office twenty minutes later. After setting everything down at her desk, she grabbed her notepad and headed into the boardroom for the daily status meeting.

“Good morning everyone…” Jim, Hayden’s boss, said ushering everyone to take their seats. “As you know, we secured promotions for two of the biggest grossing entertainment tours of 2007. I know we’ve been keeping the artists under wraps, but I’m happy to tell you we will be sharing this information later today with those of you that have been selected to accompany the tour throughout the U.S.”

Hayden felt butterflies in her stomach at the mention of this news. These two tours were major accounts and she was willing to do anything to secure her position as one of the account managers.

“We’ll be holding meetings with two of you to discuss the tour and what we need from each of you. That’s all I have for now…” Jim said before dismissing everyone from the meeting.

Hayden made her way back to her office and nervously shuffled through some papers. She had submitted reports earlier in the week regarding some new promotional ideas for some of her accounts and today was her day to play catch up. However, it wasn’t long before Hayden heard a knock on her door and Jim walked in.

“Hey Hayden…you have a minute?” Jim asked sitting in a chair.

“Absolutely.” Hayden said putting her papers aside.

“I wanted to talk to you about the two tours we’re doing promotions for.” Jim said before handing a packet over to Hayden. “I’m happy to tell you, we have chosen you to work on one of the tours. I know you’re still considered new here, but we’ve been pleasantly surprised with your work and we would love for you to represent the company to the clients.

Hayden was elated with the news. This was everything she had been working for. “Wow…thank you for this opportunity. I would love to do it.” Hayden said excitedly.

“Great…well inside the packet is some information regarding the artist you’ll be working with. What we’re looking for is making sure our company is doing whatever it takes to get the artists’ name out, promote sales of merchandise and tickets, and overall the artist is satisfied.”

“That sounds great…” Hayden said before opening the packet.

“Great…well have you heard of Justin Timberlake?” Jim asked, just as Hayden’s eyes landed on his picture inside the packet.

Hayden felt her throat go dry and suddenly the room was burning hot. “Yeah…” Hayden managed to squeak out.

“Good…you’ll be joining his tour tomorrow night when it stops in Minneapolis. The tour has been getting fabulous reviews and Mr. Timberlake is very excited to have you help out on the tour.”

“He knows I’m coming?” Hayden asked nervously.

“Not you exactly…but he knows one of our employees will be joining the tour.” Jim said before standing up. “Look over the packet tonight…it has everything you will need for the tour. Also, your passes for tomorrow night are in the back sleeve. I talked to Melissa; she will be taking over your accounts from March-July. After Justin finishes the U.S. part of the tour, he will be doing a European leg as well. I’d like you to accompany him on that part as well.”

“Sounds good.” Hayden managed to say. The truth was she was extremely excited to be heading up this account but the fact that it was Justin was something all on its own. Jim knew she wanted this more than anything and she certainly couldn’t turn him down now.

“All right…well his manager Johnny Wright is being informed about you, I believe he will be calling you tonight to discuss the schedule for tomorrow night. Have a good afternoon Hayden and can’t wait to see how the tour goes.” Jim said before exiting Hayden’s office and leaving her to her thoughts.

Hayden’s head was spinning, her heart was beating out of her chest and suddenly she didn’t feel well. Something inside of her told her this was definitely going to be a disaster.

________________________________________________________________________

Justin had been lounging around the bus all afternoon, trying his best to seem interested in what Johnny was saying, but his head was somewhere else. In a few hours he’d be back in Minneapolis, the same city that he fell in love with Hayden. He hadn’t spoken to her since she told him off but he knew he had it coming. He did the one thing he told her he wouldn’t, he hurt her. That night was a huge mistake and Justin would have to live with it, but he’d do anything to see Hayden again.

“Hmmm…” Johnny said closing his cell phone while writing something down on a piece of paper.

“What?” Justin said turning his attention from the road to Johnny.

“Oh, I just got off the phone with the Entertainment Promotions Company (EPC) we’ve hired to help with the tour. Their employee will be joining us tomorrow for the rest of the tour.”

“Oh yeah…who is it?” Justin asked, not really caring.

Although Jim had told Johnny it would be Hayden, he wasn’t willing to divulge that information yet to Justin. Johnny definitely wanted to speak to Hayden before letting Justin in on the surprise. “He said she was a new employee but one with experience. I’m supposed to call her later to discuss the schedule for tomorrow and get to know her a little bit.” Johnny said while continuing to take notes.

“Cool…” Justin said. Uninterested in the new employee he put his iPod on and drifted off to sleep.

Johnny just shook his head at the man’s antics. Justin was definitely in for a huge surprise tomorrow.

________________________________________________________________________

After the initial shock of her assignment wore off, Hayden managed to get most of her things done before heading home for the night. Knowing she would be gone for four months, Hayden had a lot of packing to do. She would also have to drop the bomb on Riley that she’d be gone again.

“Hey Hayden…I’m home.” Riley yelled when she walked into their apartment.

Throwing some of her clothes on the bed, Hayden walked out of her room to greet Riley. “Hey…how was work?” Hayden said opening the fridge and grabbing a bottle of water.

“It was pretty good…you?” Riley said while hanging her jacket up.

“Oh well you know…the same…oh did I mention I’m going on tour with Justin.” Hayden said with her back towards Riley.

Riley erupted into laughter. “I thought you just said you were going on tour with Justin…that’s funny.”

“I did…and I am.” Hayden said turning to look at Riley.

Riley stood there shocked at the news. “But…what…how…why?” Riley stammered.

“Remember when I told you about the tours our company was looking to land…yeah one of the tours is Justin’s. My boss came in today and offered me the position.” Hayden said trying to explain the bizarre situation.

“You accepted it…knowing you’d be with Justin again?” Riley asked.

“He kind of backdoored me into it Riles. He offered me the position and I accepted it before revealing that I’d be working with Justin again.”

“I see…well are you sure you’re ready for this?” Riley asked before walking towards their bedrooms.

“I think so…I mean this is a huge account for me to take on...but a great opportunity to prove myself.” Hayden said walking into her bedroom.

A few minutes later Riley appeared in a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. “Does Justin know you’re going to be there?”

“Not yet…Johnny is supposed to call me tonight to talk about it.” Hayden said folding her clothes and putting them into her suitcase.

“Well since you’re packing…I’m assuming you’re leaving soon?” Riley asked grabbing a shirt and helping fold it.

“Yeah…his tour is coming to the Xcel Energy Center tomorrow night and I’ll join him there. I’ll be gone till sometime in July. I’ll go with on his European leg as well.” Hayden said.

“Wow…well I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into. I’m happy for you though. It is a great opportunity for you.”

“I hope I know what I’m doing too Riles…I really do.” Hayden said zipping one of her suitcases closed.

Hayden and Riley continued to pack most of her belongings into three suitcases before Hayden’s phone rang. Knowing she was going to need some privacy, Riley got up and went into her bedroom leaving Hayden to deal with this mess.

“Hello?” Hayden said after flipping her phone open.

“Well, it’s damn good to hear from you.” Johnny said happily.

“Hey Johnny…it’s been a long time. How’s it going?” Hayden asked while sitting at her desk.

“It’s been good…I never got to thank you for the tape of your presentation. Your senior project turned out great. Thank you!”

“Good…I’m glad you liked it.”

“Definitely…well it seems you will be joining our little team here again.” Johnny chuckled.

“Yeah…funny how things turn out.” Hayden said while rolling her eyes. “Hey Johnny…does Justin know yet?”

“Sort of…he knows someone is joining the tour…but he doesn’t know it’s you.”

“Good. I guess I wanted to be the one to tell him...” Hayden said softly.

“Listen…I don’t know the extent of whatever happened between the two of you but I will tell you one thing. This tour has been going well so far but there’s just something missing in Justin. I hope you’re able to bring that spark back into his life.”

Hayden gulped; she definitely didn’t want to be Justin’s spark again. “I’ll try…” Hayden lied. Johnny was just trying to be nice and she didn’t need to alienate probably her only ally on the tour.

“Good…well we’re going to be at the arena around 9 in the morning. I’ll expect you to be there no later than 10. Just bring your passes with and you shouldn’t have trouble getting backstage. But you have my number, call me when you’re there and we’ll meet up and get everything set up. I can’t wait to see you again and I’m sure Justin will be thrilled.” Johnny said.

“Me too Johnny…I’ll see you tomorrow.” Hayden said before hanging up the phone. Her mind was racing with different scenarios, but she was more concerned with how she would feel seeing Justin again.

_______________________________________________________________________

After a mere four hours of sleep, Hayden had arrived at the Xcel Energy Center the following morning. Knowing her life was about to take a drastic change, she started making her way through all of the security check points. Finally, she had arrived by the buses underneath the arena. Grabbing her cell phone, she dialed Johnny’s number and let him know where she was at. A few people walking by gave her strange looks but Hayden tried to keep her eyes peeled for Justin. She knew he’d find out eventually but selfishly she wanted to remain anonymous on the tour for as long as possible.

“Hayden!!! You look great.” Johnny said walking up to her and giving her a hug.

“Hey Johnny! Good to see you.” Hayden said once she pulled back from his hug.

“Same to you…here let’s get your things on your bus…” Johnny said walking up to one of the parked buses.

“You’ll be on bus number 2. This is the guest bus. Whenever Justin has friends along or his mom comes out, they’ll stay here. Right now, it’s all yours.” Johnny said helping carry some of her bags on board.

After getting her things on the bus, Hayden decided to explore the arena and look at things for work. She was here to work not play around all day. “Thanks Johnny for all your help…I’m going to look around at some of the signing, since that was a concern from EPC.”

“Sounds great Hayden…just so you know…Justin’s around here somewhere. Usually once we arrive he walks around to get a feel for the arena and just stretch his legs since he was cramped up on a bus all night.” Johnny said while closing her bus and locking the doors.

“Thanks for the warning Johnny…I’ll see you later.” Hayden said laughing before disappearing into the hallways.

Hayden brought her camera and took pictures of all of the signs, the merchandise displays, and even ventured out to take pictures of fans hoping to catch a glimpse of Justin. She was enjoying getting to work on a tour, even though it was Justin’s, this was still her dream job.

Once back inside the arena Hayden decided to head back to the busses. She wanted to upload some of the pictures and send them back to her office. Jim would be pleased to see she had already started working on the tour. However on her way back, she ran into Johnny.

“Hey Johnny…” Hayden said.

“Hey Hayden…so what do you think?” Johnny asked.

“It looks really good; especially the merchandise displays…my only suggestion for now would be to add more posters of Justin near the entrance. You want to draw attention to this tour and that will definitely help. Plus, fans usually pull those down and take them home so it won’t be a big clean-up issue.” Hayden said confidently.

“Hmm…never thought about that. I’ll have Keith get right on that. Thanks Hayden…” Johnny said before getting on his cell phone and communicating the news to Keith.

After giving her suggestion to Johnny, Hayden continued on her way back to busses. Not really paying much attention to where she was going she rounded a corner and slammed into a hard chest, landing on the cold concrete.

“Jesus!!!!!!!!!” Hayden said sitting up.

“Watch it!!!!!!!” The voice yelled back.

Once she regained her composure her eyes met the same blue ones she had been hoping to avoid.

“Hayden…” Justin said softly.

“Justin.”

Chapter 19: Songs & Roses

Justin couldn’t believe what just happened. It felt like a dream to see Hayden right in front of his eyes. He felt like his head was playing games with his heart…with no warning she just shows up back into his life. He couldn’t stop the feeling in his heart to be near her again and at the same time he could see the pain in her eyes.

“Hayden…what are you doing here?” Justin said extending his hand to help her up.

Hayden picked up her fallen camera and cautiously slipped her hand in his. Immediately she felt a spark ignite between their hands and it scared her. She had spent months picking up the pieces to her heart and out of nowhere; Justin re-appears and manages to crack the walls she had built around herself with just a touch. For her own good, she needed to get out of this situation and fast.

“Ask Johnny…I…I gotta go.” Hayden said before running down the hallway and disappearing behind the doors that led back to the busses.

Justin contemplated running after her but instead he headed in the opposite direction intent on finding Johnny. Hayden was the last person he thought would show up again in his life. The truth was he was elated to see her again and get a chance to patch everything up between them but he couldn’t deny the anger and pain he saw in her eyes the moment she saw him. It hurt to know that he had caused that reaction for her. After making a couple of quick turns down the back halls, Justin finally found Johnny going over some paperwork with Keith.

“Johnny, man, we got to talk!” Justin said upon approaching the two of them.

“Alright…Keith, give this to the day crew and check on the merchandise guys to make sure they have in stocks on everything. Oh and let everyone know that we’re having a status meeting at 4:00 back here.” Johnny said to Keith before turning his attention to an anxious Justin. “J…what’d you need?”

“I just ran into Hayden…why didn’t you tell me she was going to be here?” Justin said crossing his arms over his chest.

“I didn’t find out Hayden was coming until last night. I thought you’d like to hear everything from her rather than me.” Johnny said flipping through some more notes for the show.

“Yeah, well…she basically ran off once she saw me, she told me to ask you about her reason for being here.” Justin said shifting his weight from one leg to the other.

“Look J…we hired EPC to do promotions for the tour, which just so happens to be Hayden’s company. Jim Smith, Hayden’s boss, was pleased with Hayden’s work thus far and he sent her to accompany the tour and help out. Hayden had no idea she would be back on tour with you; in fact, she accepted the position before knowing who the artist was. She looked so freaked out this morning when I took her to her bus, that she probably never would’ve agreed to it…had she known it would entail working with you.”

“Why didn’t anyone let me in on all of this? This is my tour and damnit I’d like to know if my ex-girlfriend is going to be showing up all of a sudden. Shit Johnny…you know how much she means to me and you didn’t think, hey maybe Justin should know this stuff?” Justin’s arms were now flailing around and his voice was getting louder with each passing second.

“Don’t get all pissed off with me because she’s here. She’s here to do a job Justin. Give her a break…this can’t be easy for her.”

“Yeah well…news flash, this isn’t easy for me either.” Justin shouted back before heading into his dressing room and slamming the door.

”Oh he’s definitely got it bad for her still…” Johnny thought to himself as he walked away from the tornado that was Justin.
________________________________________________________________________

After fleeing the hallway, Hayden ran back into her bus and collapsed onto the couch. Every emotion possible was flowing through her body and it was screwing with her head. Before seeing Justin, Hayden felt content with her life and with her choices she’d made. However, seeing him again brought back the memories and as much as she wanted to deny it, the feelings. How in the hell am I going to be able to spend the next couple of months on tour with him? What did I get myself into?

Hayden sighed and rolled her neck to try and release some tension. Knowing her boss was probably expecting an update soon, she decided to clear her head and engross herself in her work. After turning the computer on, Hayden started uploading the pictures she took earlier. Quickly, she organized them into a PowerPoint presentation and sent them away to Jim. However, she started to type up some notes regarding merchandise displays and some ideas to try for the next arena, when suddenly there was a knock on her door.

Hayden saved her work before heading down the stairs to open the door. Thankfully, it was just Johnny checking up on her.

“Hey Hayden…how’s it going?” Johnny said.

“I’m good…I just sent all of my stuff off to Jim so I’m done with everything until show time.” Hayden said proudly.

“Good to hear…well you’re free to do anything you want. However, we’re having a status meeting at 4:00 near the dressing rooms. Make sure you’re back before then. Oh, one more thing Hayden. Don’t worry about Justin…he’s just a little shocked right now.” Johnny said while winking at her.

“Thanks Johnny…” Hayden said trying to laugh it off. After closing the door, Hayden decided she needed some time to just get away. Grabbing her purse and her passes, she started to make her way out of the arena.

“Hey…wait up…” An unfamiliar voice called out to Hayden.

Quickly turning around, Hayden was face to face with someone about the same age as her with dark brown curls framing her face. “You’re Hayden right?” The girl asked.

“Yeah…that’s me.” Hayden said uncomfortably.

“Sorry…didn’t mean to freak you out of anything. I’m Dana, one of Justin’s back-up dancers. I saw you leaving your bus and wanted to introduce myself quick.” Dana extended her hand.

Hayden visibly relaxed and shook the woman’s hand. “Pleasure to meet you. I was just about to head out and walk around. I was getting a little claustrophobic being contained to just the arena.”

Dana giggled. “Yeah, I know what you mean…”

“Well, if you’re not busy…you’re welcome to join me. I wasn’t going to do much, maybe grab something to eat too.” Hayden offered.

“Yeah…I’d love to.” Dana said before falling into step next to Hayden. The two of them made their way out of the arena and past a few fans that recognized Hayden immediately. Hayden signed autographs and even took a few pictures with them.

“So Hayden, I heard you’re here working on promotions for the tour…I know it’s your first day, but how’s it going so far?” Dana asked as they walked down the sidewalk.

“It’s good so far. I love my job and getting to work on a tour is my dream.” Hayden said while putting her sunglasses on.

“How’s being back with Justin?” Dana asked. Hayden tensed immediately at that question. “I didn’t mean to be to forward…never mind…let’s pretend that I never even asked that.” Dana said trying to back peddle.

“No…it’s all right. It’s definitely weird being on tour with him especially since the last time I was with him, we were together. So it’s different, but it’s my job…so what can I really do about it?”

“True…well listen here, if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. I’m always around.”

“Thanks Dana...I really appreciate that. Trust me…I think you and I will definitely be hanging around a lot more.” Hayden said as she hooked elbows with Dana and continued to walk around downtown St. Paul. Dana was genuine with her friendship and Hayden was glad to have someone on the tour to hang out with.

Four o’clock seemed to roll around quick for Hayden and Dana. They had spent the entire afternoon shopping and talking like old friends. It was exactly what Hayden needed to get her mind off of Justin. Upon returning to the arena, the girls swiftly unloaded their bags and made their way towards the dressing rooms for the meeting. Hayden felt the butterflies in her stomach, knowing she was about to come face to face with Justin again.

She had successfully avoided her thoughts of him the rest of the afternoon and now she was about to face them head on again. This tour might be the longest couple of months in her entire life.

“Hey girls…so nice of you to join us. Where have you been Dana? We’ve been looking for you everywhere.” Luke, another back-up dancer, asked.

Hayden felt a pair of eyes boring into her and she tried desperately to keep her eyes focused on Dana and Luke. She didn’t have to look up to know whose eyes it was. Ever since their run-in earlier, Hayden did everything possible to avoid Justin the rest of the day. However, there was no avoiding this meeting and she’d just have to deal with the awkward glares.

“We decided to head out for some girl time…” Dana said nudging Luke while Hayden scooted in next to her.

“Hey Hayden…I’m Luke, nice to meet you.” Luke said offering his hand.

“Pleasure’s mine!” Hayden said winking at him.

Once the entire crew had been summoned Johnny immerged in the middle of everyone. “First, thank you to everyone for being her tonight. The reason I am holding a meeting is just to give you a basic update about the tour. Everything’s been going really well in terms of the actual show. Biggest thing I need from everyone…please make sure you have your passes on you at all times. There have been some issues with fans getting a hold of passes and we cannot be compromising security. Second, I wanted to introduce a new member of the crew. Come here Hayden.” Johnny said while waving her over.

Hayden felt her stomach drop when all eyes turned on her. Dana literally pushed her into the center of the group and Hayden clung to Johnny’s side.

“This is Hayden; she will be helping with the promotion for the tour so you might see her walking around taking pictures or hanging posters. She actually worked for Justin and I a couple of months ago so it’s great to have her back on the team. Right, Justin?” Johnny asked knowing the question would get under Justin’s skin.

“Yeah…definitely.” Justin murmured.

“All right…well that’s all I have for right now. Have fun tonight and let’s look forward to another great show.” Johnny clapped his hands together and the crew started to disperse.

Hayden needed to get out of that huddle fast; being near Justin again was really starting to tug on her heart and her emotions. She was confused about where they stood, what she felt for him, and even if he wanted her there. The last time she had talked to him, they parted on extremely bad terms, but it’s been months and she was trying desperately to hold onto the strength she found after him. Luckily, she had managed to sneak away into the crowd without any incident and was safely tucked away into her bus.

Once inside, she made her way into the back of the bus and brought out her journal. Ever since California, Hayden found it easier to write her feelings out rather than bottle them up. Furiously, the pen started to take on a life of its own and the words just flowed out better than she could speak them at that moment. Her head was so consumed with her feelings and words she never even heard someone get on the bus. Completely oblivious to the intruder, Hayden continued to let the emotions fall from the tip of the pen. She felt free and in control again and it was exactly what she needed.

“Hayden…”

“What are you doing here Justin?” Hayden said without even taking her eyes off the piece of paper.

“I…we really need to talk.” Justin said sitting down on the couch beside her.

“What about?” Hayden said coolly. She wasn’t about to let him take over heart again and she would fight with all of her strength to keep him at bay. The months following their break-up allowed Hayden to just be herself again. She was able to hang out with her friends and family again without all of the questions and pictures. She never worried about what the press would say anymore and she was learning to just be happy being herself. Throwing Justin back into her world was testing her resolve.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about.” Justin persisted.

“What if I don’t want to talk about it?” Hayden said meeting his eyes for the first time with a fire behind them that he’d never seen before.

“Look…I’m sorry about how everything ended between us.”

“Please tell me you didn’t come on here to apologize. Justin, that was over four months ago…its fine.”

“Don’t lie to me…I can see it in your eyes and I saw it this afternoon when we ran into each other. You still hold it against me and I don’t blame you…but I don’t want this tour to be awkward between us.”

“Surprise…it’s going to be awkward. Justin we were dating before and it’s always uncomfortable to be around your ex again, especially since we were intimate with each other.” Hayden said throwing her journal down beside her.

“I know I hurt you and I’d give anything to go back and change what happened on your graduation and I certainly would like to change what the media did to us…but I can’t. I just want a chance to make things better between us…” Justin said reaching for Hayden’s hand but she was quick to retract it before he could intertwine their fingers.

“I’m sorry Justin…right now it’s just too hard for us to be anything other than employer and employee. I’m here to do a job and I plan on doing it to the best of my ability. I will do whatever you ask me to do, in terms of the tour. But as for us…I just can’t give you what you want, I don’t even know if I want that.” Hayden said softly.

“Hayden…I can see it in your eyes and I can feel it. You have feelings for me, just like I do for you. I’m not willing to give up on us this time. Tyler told me that if I want to make things work between us…I better be ready to fight. This time…I’m going to fight for myself, for you, and for us.” Justin said before standing up and making his way off of her bus, leaving Hayden to be stunned by his words. This was exactly what she didn’t need right now.

Once the door shut, Hayden was left to sift through their entire conversation alone. Justin made it clear of his feelings but Hayden wasn’t even sure what she was feeling. I’m screwed! Hayden said out loud.

________________________________________________________________________

Finally, show time had arrived and Hayden was busy running around the arena, making sure that all the merchandise was out, the wristbands were ready, and most importantly the fans were hyped. Justin’s fans were everything to him and although he’s not able to connect one on one with each of them, he wants all of them to have a great time at his shows. Once the gates opened at the Xcel Energy Center, it was a mad rush of people and Hayden was quick to get out of the way. Fans were running to the merchandise tables, some ran to get drinks, while most ran down the stairs to make it to the floor. This was everything she hoped it would be and she was proud to be a part of the tour.

Once the fans were seated and the initial rush died down, the sounds of P!nk blasted through the speakers. Hayden knew this would be the time to get all of her last minute details done before heading down to watch the show. Quickly she whipped out her camera to take pictures of some signing and even the stage from different sections of the arena. After finishing some little things, Hayden headed down to the VIP section to watch the show with Johnny.

Once inside the gates, she felt the energy of the crowd sweeping through the arena. Some fans were quick to recognize her and asked for pictures, Hayden was happy to oblige but it still made her uncomfortable. After finding a place on the side, the lights went down and the screams were so loud she had to cover her ears.

“Is it always this loud?” Hayden yelled to Johnny.

“Definitely…I’ve gotten used to it though.” Johnny said calmly.

Minutes later Justin was finally up on stage. If possible, the screams got louder and Hayden could barely hear herself think. As much as she wanted to say it was the screaming, she knew seeing him on that stage, with the passion for music written clearly across his face, was enough to crack her walls and the feelings she’d been holding inside came rushing to the surface.

Maybe this was a bad idea? Hayden thought to herself but she couldn’t seem to get her feet to carry her away from the stage. It was like he pulled her in and all she could focus on was him.

Justin was well aware of Hayden’s presence on the side of the stage. It was exciting to know she was there and watching him. This show was definitely all about her and he was going to make her see, that he wasn’t going anywhere.

Justin’s show continued on for two hours and Hayden felt emotionally drained by the end of it. Each song brought about memories of her time working with him in California, from recording to promoting the CD. It was definitely rocking her resolve and she couldn’t wait for it all to end and get away from all of these feelings.

Finally it was the last song of the night and Justin took his time to address his crowd before starting. “Minnesota!!!! I wanted to take the time to just say thank you, for everything you guys do. You’re the reason I am where I am today, so thank you from the bottom of my heart.” The screams erupted again and Justin couldn’t stop the smile that overtook his face. “I have one last song and I wanted to dedicate it to someone very special to me. I said I would fight for everything I wanted and needed…this is my first step.” Justin said softly before strumming the piano keys to “(Another Song) All Over Again.”

Hayden felt her throat go dry and her heart tightened in her chest. Justin’s sweet voice came over the microphone and it rocked her to the core.

You've been alone, you've been afraid
I've been a fool
In so many ways
But I would change my life
If you thought you, might try to love me
So please give me another chance
To write you another song
And take back those things I've done
Cause I'll give you my heart
If you would let me start all over,
Again

I'm not a saint
I'm just a man
Who had heaven and Earth
In the palm of his hand
But I threw it away
So now I stand here today asking forgiveness and if you could just please
Give me another chance
To write you another song
And take back those thing's I've done
Cause I'll give you my heart
If you would let me start all over
Again

Little girl you're all I've got
Don’t you leave me standing here once again
Cause I'll give you my life
Yes I would
If you would let me try to let me love you

Hayden could barely see straight, the tears had managed to cloud her vision. She felt every word deep within her heart and she knew that he was singing that song for her. It was his way of letting her know; he was going to do whatever it takes to fix their relationship. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him, yet her head was screaming to get the hell out of the arena.

So please
Give me another chance
To write you another song
And take back those thing's I've done
Cause I'll give you my heart
If you would let me start all over
Again
You know I love you, yeah
Give me one more chance

Once Justin got to the end of the song, Hayden fled the VIP area. She needed to get away from his gaze, his voice, and the emotions of that song. Hastily, she wiped the tears away that threatened to spill over onto her cheeks and she ran through the backstage area, in desperate need of her bus. It was her solitude and it was the one place she could be alone.

Whipping the door open, Hayden rushed up the stairs and headed to the back couch area. She needed to sit down; she needed to get her emotions in check. However, when she opened the door to the backroom she was surprised to find a bouquet of red and pink roses in the center of the room. Carefully, a card was protruding out and Hayden reached for it and opened it.

Hayden,

There are no words to say how sorry I am for what happened in the past. But I meant what I said earlier. I am going to fight for us because I can’t stop the feelings I have for you. I hope you enjoy the show tonight.

Love,
Justin

Chapter 20: Drinks & Dancing

Hayden awoke to the grating sound of tires rolling over the hard concrete highway. It had been over a month of being on the road and Hayden was still adjusting to sleeping in a moving vehicle each night. She missed her luscious bed, comforter, pillows and the all around warmth of home.

The tour itself had been going fantastic and Hayden’s boss was extremely pleased with her work. Justin’s merchandise and ticket sales had increased and she was proud to be a part of this team. Johnny had also approached Hayden about working exclusively for him in California and although she told him she’d think about it, she knew this was exactly what she wanted to do with her life. However, that would mean working with Justin as well and she wasn’t really sure where she stood with Justin.

He had rung true to his promise, everywhere she went, he wasn’t far behind. The one thing about his persistence was Hayden found it harder and harder not to enjoy his company. He never mentioned their past anymore but he focused more on rebuilding their friendship. It was something Hayden was grateful for and yet she still was confused by it. He never hid his feelings from her but he never pressured her to address her own feelings.

Hayden threw the covers back and carefully made her way out of her bunk. Her feet landed with a thud and she stretched her arms above her head. Slowly, she made her way through the hallway and into the large front room.

“Well good morning sunshine!” Justin said when Hayden opened the door to the living room.

Hayden let out a yelp and stumbled back into the door. “What are you doing here? It’s seven in the morning Justin…plus it’s not cool to scare the living daylights out of me.” Hayden said throwing herself down onto the couch and tucking her feet underneath her. She was exhausted and all she wanted to do was get some sleep.

“Sorry babe…we stopped a little bit ago and I was kinda bored on my bus. So I decided to hop onto yours and wait till you got up.”

“You were bored?! What are you doing up at seven in the morning? Plus, who said I wanted you on my bus?” Hayden said picking up some of her stuff she had strewn about the night before and putting it on the floor.

“I couldn’t really sleep and I know no one else would put up with me this early.” Justin said getting up from his chair and sitting down next to Hayden. “Don’t be made babe…I was just lonely…” Justin said laying his head on her shoulder and protruding his lip out.

Hayden gently pushed his head off. “That look should be illegal Timberlake.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about?” Justin said while innocently batting his eyelashes at her.

“Whatever…it’s too early to argue. Since I can’t really throw you off a moving bus, scoot down because you’re cramping my routine.” Hayden said trying to stretch out.

“What routine?” Justin asked suspiciously as Hayden threw her legs over his lap and laid down.

“Every morning…I get up around six or seven and then come out her to lie back down. I can’t sleep for a long time in that bunk, I sort of freak out in the small space.” Hayden said throwing a blanket across herself.

“So you’re going back to bed?” Justin asked.

“Yep! Goodnight Justin.” She said as she closed her eyes and curled herself up into the corner.

Justin stared mystified at her. He had the biggest urge to reach out and touch her face. She looked beautiful with her hair pulled back, her lips a little swollen, and her cheeks rosy from sleep. He missed her and it was in these times that he longed to have her in his arms. Justin gently nudged Hayden over and over until she opened her eyes.

“What?”

“What am I suppose to do if you’re sleeping?” Justin pouted.

“I don’t care…watch TV, read a book, or go to sleep.” Hayden said.

“I can’t sleep sitting up and you’re taking over the entire couch.”

“You’re a big baby Justin!” Hayden said lifting the covers up and motioning for him to lie down next to her. “Come on…”

Justin quickly obliged and situated himself next to Hayden. He draped the blanket around them and cautiously wrapped his arms around her waist.

“You’re on my bus, taking over my space, and interrupting my routine…” Hayden said before Justin’s hand wrapped around her mouth.

“Night Hayden…” Justin said nuzzling his head into the crook of her neck.

“Goodnight Justin.” It was the first time in over a month that Hayden would sleep peacefully again.

________________________________________________________________________

The tour had made its stop in Chicago for the next couple of days and Hayden was thrilled to be in the same city for more than a couple of hours. She felt energized and alive especially after getting some much needed rest in the morning with Justin. Although, she probably shouldn’t have cuddled with him, she didn’t really regret it either. She couldn’t…it was the first time she felt at home in months.

Since the tour would be stopped here for three days, the entire crew was being booked into a hotel. Once everyone had their room assignments, a couple of people had congregated back in Hayden’s room. Everyone was ready to go out and enjoy their first night of partying since Hayden had come aboard.

“Hayden…are you ready yet?” Dana said knocking on the bathroom door.

“Almost…” Hayden yelled through the door.

“What is she doing?” Luke asked while flipping through the TV channels.

“Not a hundred percent sure. She said she was going to change quickly before we went out.” Dana said sitting on the couch.

“Is Justin coming out?” Luke asked.

“I don’t know. The only person he really talks to is Hayden.” Dana answered just as there was a knock on the door. “I’ll get it.”

Dana opened the door surprised to see a freshly showered Justin standing at the door clad in pajama pants and a grey t-shirt. “Hey…” Dana said opening the door further for him to walk in.

“Hey everyone! Where’s Hayden?” Justin asked as he walked in and greeted all of them.

“Right here…” Hayden said as she walked out of the bathroom. Hayden looked amazing. She had curled every piece of her hair into small tendrils and put on a light amount of makeup to highlight her eyes and lips. She was wearing a tight pair of jeans with a shimmery black tank top that left her back completely exposed, except for the small string that tied it together. Lastly, her feet were clad with a pair of heels to top off the outfit.

Justin felt his throat go dry and he couldn’t stop staring at her. She looked beautiful and he felt that pang in his chest knowing she wasn’t his. He tried his best to control his beating heart rate and desperately he tore his eyes off of her. “Where are you guys going?”

“I’m not sure…there are a couple of clubs a few miles away from here. We figured since we had the night off, we’d go out and celebrate.” Dana answered.

“Cool…sounds like fun.” Justin said nervously. He was starting to feel uncomfortable, especially since Hayden was sauntering around the room completely clueless to what she was doing to him.

“Are you going to come with?” Hayden asked picking up her purse.

“Umm…I was actually thinking about staying in tonight.”

“Well since you crashed my morning routine…I’m crashing your night. Get dressed Justin you’re coming out.” Hayden said pushing him towards the door. “We’re leaving in like twenty minutes.”

With that, Justin was already out the door and making his way back into his room to get ready for the night. He wasn’t really in the mood to go out but if Hayden wanted him to go, he sure as hell would get in the mood.

About a half hour later Justin, Hayden, Luke, Dana, Marty, and Stacy were entering the club ready to let loose and have a good time. The entire group had separated within minutes of entering; some went straight for the dance floor as the music pulsated through the room while Hayden decided she needed a drink before strutting her stuff out there.

“What do you want?” Justin asked when they reached the bar and pulled out some money.

“I want to buy you a shot first and then you can get me a drink.” Hayden said while motioning to the bartender. “Can I get two shots of Doctor and then 2 Miller Lites please?”

“So, are you planning on getting drunk tonight Ms. Charles?” Justin said picking up his shot.

“Only if you do Mr. Timberlake.” Hayden said picking up her shot and tapping it against his before throwing it back. The alcohol burned the back of her throat and she laughed when Justin displayed the same pained expression. The two of them grabbed their beers and made their way back away from the bar towards a table in the corner.

“So are you having fun on the tour?” Justin asked while taking a drink of his beer.

“Yeah definitely. I won’t lie to you, when I first found out that it was your tour…I wanted to run away and hide.” Hayden said laughing. “But…I think this tour was something we needed if we were ever going to be friends again.”

“I completely agree.” Justin said knocking his drink against hers. “I’m really glad you came on the tour Hayden.”

“Me too…you want to dance?” Hayden asked but didn’t wait for an answer as she grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the floor. She needed to get away from that type of conversation and dancing would definitely distract them.

As the two approached the floor the club started blasting Ying Yang Twins through the speakers and Hayden’s hands immediately went around Justin’s neck as the two of them grinded in tune to the music. Hayden normally wouldn’t be found dead grinding with someone but tonight she was ready to just let loose and have fun. Justin was having a hard time controlling himself as Hayden worked her hips into his. The lack of clothing, the drinking, and now the dancing…she was teasing him and he knew it. His hands grazed the skin on her lower back as he worked them down her sides and onto her hips. Before he could fully get his hands settled, Hayden turned around, dropped it down and playfully shook her ass into his hips on the way up. Justin could feel himself getting harder watching her ass bounce around in the jeans and he needed a drink or something to cool down.

“Hayden…I need another drink. I’ll be right back.” Justin said before walking away, leaving a grinning Hayden to dance with Luke.

Justin motioned to the bartender and ordered another beer. “Make that two.” Dana said while standing next to Justin.

“So…are you having a good time?” Dana asked.

“Yeah! I’m glad I came out tonight.” Justin said while paying for both of the drinks.

“So you’ve been pretty wrapped up in Hayden lately...” Dana said as they walked over to a table.

“We’re just friends if that’s what you’re hinting at.” Justin said a little annoyed that she was asking questions.

“I know that…I guess I just wanted to give you my opinion on it all.”

“Please enlighten me.” Justin said sarcastically. He never really talked to Dana besides tour stuff and having this conversation, in a club nonetheless, was definitely a little awkward.

“I think you two are perfect for each other and whatever you need…I’m here to help. I think Hayden’s awesome and since she came on the tour, she’s pretty much my best friend here. I just want to see her happy and I can see the way she looks at you; she definitely still has feelings for you.” Dana said honestly.

“Wow…I never thought you’d say something like that.” Justin said taking a drink.

“I know you and I haven’t ever been really close or anything. I’m not saying that we have to be. But I just wanted you to know I’m rooting for you!” Dana said laughing.

“Thanks Dana…I appreciate it.” Justin said.

“What are you two doing over here?!” Luke said pulling Hayden along with him.

“Just talking.” Dana answered.

“Cool.” Luke said nonchalantly.

“Hayden…want to finish our dance?” Justin asked standing up.

“I don’t know Timberlake. I don’t think you can handle me tonight.” Hayden said wrapping her arm around his waist.

“I think I’ll do just fine.” Justin said pulling her close to him and they continued right where they had left off earlier in the night.

________________________________________________________________________

After a couple of hours of dancing and drinking, the entire group was definitely wiped out and ready to head back to the hotel. Hayden and Justin were in the backseat and she was cuddled up into his side while Justin’s arm was wrapped protectively around her. Hayden had definitely way too much to drink and Justin was there to take care of her.

“Hayden…we’re back. Come on. Let’s get you inside.” Justin said nudging her awake.

Hayden stumbled outside of the car and Justin scooped her into his arms, carrying her inside the hotel and onto the elevator. Thankfully the media hadn’t gotten word of what hotel they were staying at and no one was in the lobby to bother them. Hayden wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes again. After getting to their floor Justin said his goodbye’s to everyone and carried Hayden the rest of the way to her room. Once inside, he set her down gently on the bed.

“Hayden…come on let’s get you in your pajamas.” Justin said helping take off her shoes.

Hayden slipped her jeans off and Justin handed her a pair of shorts and a t-shirt to change into while he went to the bathroom. A couple of minutes later, Justin reappeared to find Hayden snuggled under the covers and in her pajamas.

Justin kneeled down beside the bed and brushed a piece of hair away from her eyes. “Are you ok Hayden? Do you need anything?” Justin asked.

“Yeah…you.” Hayden mumbled as she pushed the covers back and motioned for him to join her in the bed.

“Hayden…you’re drunk. I don’t think…” Justin tried to say before Hayden’s lips crashed upon his. Justin’s eyes widened at her bold move and he brought his hands to her face. He had been waiting for the moment to taste her lips again.

However, Hayden pulled back just as quickly as she had kissed him. “Don’t talk…just get in.”

Justin took his shoes, shirts, and jeans off. Gently, he climbed into bed with just his boxers on and snuggled up next to Hayden. “Are you sure?” Justin asked.

“Absolutely. Good night Justin.” Hayden said pulling him closer to her and she quickly fell into a peaceful slumber.

Justin rubbed his hands soothingly down her back and enjoyed being back in her arms. At least for tonight, he would get his wish and maybe he’d never get a chance to feel this way again…but right now, it was what he needed. Kissing Hayden on the forehead he tightened his hold on her and closed his eyes.

Chapter 21: I Never


Hayden’s eyes fluttered open and immediately she felt a heavy throbbing in her head. Carefully, she lifted the covers back and swung her legs around. Instantly, she regretted the movement and laid back down when the pain rushed through her body.

“I am never drinking again…” Hayden groaned as she rolled onto her side.

Before she closed her eyes, she caught sight of something on her nightstand. Carefully she reached her hand out and grabbed the basket, pulling it onto the bed with her. Inside, were a couple of bottles of water, some Tylenol, and a letter with her name on it. Hayden warily pushed herself up and sat with her back against the headboard. Opening a bottle of water, she took a drink and washed down a couple of Tylenol to help ease her headache before opening the letter.

Hayden,

Good Morning Beautiful! I hope this basket helps cure any pain you’re feeling after last night. You were in rough shape when we left and I thought this might help.

All my love,
Justin

Hayden felt a small smile overtake her face at his thoughtfulness. She had a great time last night and drank probably way more than she should have. But Justin was there to take care of her and it felt good to know that he cared. Everything was a little hazy in her memory when she tried to recall the exact events of last night. Knowing she needed to thank Justin, Hayden found the strength to get out of bed and make her way down to his room.

Cautiously, she knocked on the door. Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, she waited until he opened the door. His bright smile overtook his face when he saw who it was at the door.

“Come in…how are you feeling?” Justin said while opening the door wider for Hayden.

“I feel like a bus ran over my head…” Hayden groaned while walking in and sitting down on his bed. She noticed the bed was already made, which was a little strange this early in the morning.

“I bet…you were wasted by the time we all left the club. Did you have fun at least?” Justin asked sitting on the couch.

“Yeah I did…Justin, how come your bed is still made?” Hayden interrupted herself, she couldn’t get past the fact that his bed was still made.

Justin felt the nervousness in his stomach with her question. She obviously didn’t remember asking him to sleep with her and she probably didn’t remember the kiss they shared. “You don’t remember, do you?” Justin asked.

“Remember what?” Hayden inquired.

Justin started to squirm under her gaze and he knew he’d have to be careful with his words. “By the time we got back to the hotel, you were in no shape to even walk inside. I carried you to your room, got you ready for bed, and then when I was leaving you asked if I would stay with you. I tried to object…but you were pouting and I wanted to make sure you were ok, so I stayed in your room last night.”

Hayden was a little embarrassed by her actions and even more so that she couldn’t remember last night. “Why weren’t you there when I woke up then?”

“I told you…I stayed with you last night to make sure you were ok. When I woke up, I knew you were ok and that’s when I went and made that little basket for you. After that, I came in here to get ready.”

“Oh…I see…did umm…did anything happen? Hayden blushed and covered her face with her hands. “I’m sorry Justin…I’m trying to remember.”

Justin laughed at her bashfulness. “Nothing happened Hayden. We just slept.” He knew he was leaving out the kiss but right now, it was for the best.

“Alright…” Hayden said relieved that they only slept in the same bed. Her friendship with Justin was just developing again and she didn’t need to throw sex into the mix. That could only complicate things even more and Hayden was sure she didn’t need any more complications. “I’ll let you finish getting ready…I just wanted to say thanks for taking care of me last night and for the basket. It was really sweet.”

“You’re welcome Hayden.” Justin said getting up and pulling her into a hug.

The two of them stood their just enjoying being in each other’s arms again. Each day that passed, Hayden found it harder and harder to be angry with him anymore. It was true that he had hurt her, he had crushed her heart but she also knew no one had ever brought out the best in her, like he did. It was like being in his arms made everything better…it was easy to get caught up in everything and forget what happened.

Hayden gently released her grip and turned to leave his room. Last night just proved to her even more that he was willing to do whatever it took to win her back. He took care of her, he made sure she was safe and he stayed by her side when she was vulnerable. It meant a lot to her and she was going to show him that she could be there for him in return. Hey, that’s what friends do…right?
________________________________________________________________________

Hayden had spent the majority of the day nursing her hangover. After leaving Justin’s room, she decided to go back to sleep in hopes of sleeping off her headache. Luckily, when she woke up again she was already feeling a hundred times better. Hayden took a quick shower before she sat down and pulled out her laptop to type up some more notes for the tour. Tonight she was planning on staying at the hotel and getting caught up on her work, rather than go over to the arena. She was definitely behind and she needed to get some updates out to her boss. Suddenly, her cell phone started ringing. Hayden reached for it and tucked it under her chin and shoulder.

“Hey Tyler!” Hayden greeted her brother on the phone.

“Hey sis…how’s the tour going?” Tyler said excitedly.

“It’s good. We’re in Chicago tonight and I’m just typing up some notes at the hotel before we go over to the arena. What’s going on in California?” Hayden asked as she finished her work and closed her laptop.

“Not a whole lot. I’ve been pretty busy with work. I’m working on a big case here in Los Angeles with some other detectives, so that’s why I haven’t been around lately.”

“I see…well be careful. I don’t need anything happening to you.” Hayden said in her best protective voice.

“I know…don’t worry about me Hayden. I can take care of myself. I’ve been worried about you…how’s everything going with Justin?” Tyler questioned.

“Things have been interesting…when I first got on the tour I avoided him like the plague. But he just kept showing up everywhere I was. I don’t know Tyler…everything’s been kind of fun…if that makes sense.”

“What do you mean fun Hayden?” Tyler persisted.

“I came on the tour, knowing I was going to stay away from him and just do my job. But he’s doing little things here and there to let me know that he still cares. He’s always around and it’s like we’re finally figuring out how to be friends again after all this time. It feels good to have him back in my life. I’m still nervous and cautious because he hurt me but each day that passes it gets a little easier to let the pain go.”

“Just be careful Hayden. The media is always going to be a part of Justin’s life…there’s no escaping that. I just don’t want to see that happen to you again.” Tyler cautioned.

“I know Tyler…we’re just…I don’t really know how to explain it.”

“Do you love him?” Tyler blurted out.

Hayden was taken off guard by that question because she honestly hadn’t thought about it. “I don’t know Ty…”

“I see. Well make sure you tell Justin that if he fucks with my sister again…I will be paying him a visit.”

Hayden erupted into laughter with that. “I’ll make sure and pass that along Ty.”

“Good! Well Hayden…I’ll let you get back to work stuff. I’ve got to head back to the station.”

“Sounds good Ty. Thanks for calling and I’ll talk to you later! Love ya!” Hayden said.

“Bye Sis.”

Hayden closed her phone and put it into her pocket. It was good to talk to Tyler again but their conversation was plaguing her mind. Did she love Justin? She wasn’t really sure if she ever even fell out of love with him. She was certain about one thing, she enjoyed having him around again and she was going to hold onto that. Right now, it was easy to examine everything and look at all the positives because the media wasn’t a problem. Yet, she knew that wouldn’t last for much longer and once that started…she had no idea what would happen between them.

Abruptly there was a knock on her door and she made her way over to answer it. Swinging it open she was glad to see the man she was just thinking about.

“Hey J. What’s up?”

“You ready to head over to the arena?”

“Umm…actually I talked to Johnny the other day. I’m going to stay here and get caught up on some work. I need to submit a bunch of reports today and since everyone will be at the arena, I should get caught up pretty quick.”

Justin’s face fell. He never thought about Hayden not being at his shows, knowing she was watching helped get him through it each night. “Oh…I didn’t know. Alright then, I guess I’ll catch ya later.” Justin turned on his heel and started to head down the hallway.

“Hey…come back.” Hayden yelled. “Don’t be mad. I’ve got to get this stuff done…I’ll be at the next show.”

“I know…it’s ok Hayden. Don’t worry.” Justin said trying to hide the disappointment in his voice.

“I’m sorry Justin, but hey…when you guys get back to the hotel, come to my room and we can hang out. I should’ve gotten all of my work done, so we can just chill. How does that sound?” Hayden offered.

Justin couldn’t stop the smile that spread over his face. “I’d like that. I’ll come over as soon as I’m back.” Justin gave Hayden a quick hug before turning on his heels and ran to catch up with everyone. Hayden smiled knowingly and walked back inside her room. She was determined to finish her work because tonight she was actually looking forward to hanging out with him alone.
________________________________________________________________________

Hayden managed to finish her work around ten and now was just lounging around waiting for Justin to get back. Some of her reports took her longer than anticipated and she was definitely glad she took the night off to get caught up. Earlier she had changed into a pair of pajama pants and a sweatshirt…she figured they’d just be watching a movie. Hayden was flipping through the channels until finally there was a knock at her door. Excitedly, she got up and answered the door.

“Hey Hayden…” Justin said exhaustedly. The crew had arrived back at the hotel a littler earlier and he decided to take a shower first. After changing into a pair of rip-aways and a sweatshirt Justin headed over to her room for the rest of the night.

“Hey J…how was the show?” Hayden asked as she opened the door for him.

“It went well…I missed you though.” Justin said as he plopped down on her bed.

“Trust me…I would’ve rather been there then be stuck here doing work. It’s been a pretty boring night.” Hayden said grabbing him a water bottle and tossing it to him.

“Did you get caught up?” Justin asked while twisting the cap off and taking a drink. The cool water was exactly what he needed after exhausting himself on stage for the last two hours.

“Yeah I did…so what do you want to do? Watch a movie?” Hayden asked as she sat down next to him.

“Yeah that’s cool…but I’m not watching any Pirates of the Caribbean, so don’t even try it Hayden!”

Hayden innocently batted her eyelashes at him. “Justin…they’re good movies. They just happen to have the sexy Johnny Depp. Don’t be jealous!” Hayden said gently hitting him in the stomach.

“I’m not jealous!” Justin countered as he puffed out his chest a little more. “It’s just we always watch those movies when we hang out. My copy at home skips because you’ve played it so much Hayden.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Hayden said innocently. “Fine…you put something in.” Hayden said throwing him the remote.

A few minutes later, The Departed came on the screen and the two of them settled in for a nice relaxing evening together. There was a certain aura in the room and it was comforting to just sit with each other, enjoying one another’s company.

Although, about an hour into the movie, Justin was getting antsy. “Hayden…I’m bored.” Justin pouted.

“What do you mean you’re bored? Watch the movie Justin.” Hayden said while turning her attention back to the screen.

“I can’t…let’s play a game.” Justin suggested.

“Why is that whenever we sit down to watch a movie, we end up playing a game?” Hayden questioned while looking at his outstretched lip and puppy dog eyes.

“Because you love me.”

“I wouldn’t go that far Timberlake. Alright, what do you want to play?” Hayden said while turning the TV down.

“Let’s play I Never .” Justin suggested sitting up and facing Hayden with hands up.

“I don’t know how to play.” Hayden answered truthfully.

“Ok, put your hands up and keep all your fingers up. I’ll go first…I’ll say something that I’ve never done and if you have done it, then you have to put a finger down. The person who puts all their fingers down first looses.” Justin explained and Hayden nodded that she understood. “Ok…I’ve never skydived.”

Hayden confidently left all her fingers up. “Me either. All right…I’ve never had a one night stand.” Hayden said evilly.

Justin reluctantly put a finger down and blushed immediately. “I was young and stupid when it happened, Hayden.” Justin tried to explain it and Hayden just laughed. She wasn’t mad at all; she was just looking to get certain things out in the open.

“Don’t worry Justin…it’s your turn.” Hayden said nudging him to continue.

“I’ve never been on a blind date.”

Hayden sadly put a finger down. “Riley set me up with this guy after Josh’s death, that I could’ve killed her for. She was just trying to help…but it was a disaster. All right…umm…I’ve never said I love you and didn’t mean it.” Hayden said confidently.

Justin left all of his fingers up. He felt a warm sensation run through his heart, remembering the first time she said “I love You” in the limo before the VMA’s. “Me either…umm…I’ve never walked in on my parents having sex.”

Hayden nearly spit the water out that she was drinking. “Where in the hell did that come from?” Hayden said wiping at her mouth.

“What?! It’s something I’ve never seen…thank God!” Justin laughed.

Hayden unwillingly put another finger down.

“You’ve walked in on your parents?!” Justin yelled when she revealed that news.

“Please, don’t remind me. Tyler and I both did. It was awful. Sex is a beautiful thing…but there is nothing beautiful about seeing your parents doing it.” Hayden cringed.

“Oh man…that is hilarious!!! I would die if anyone walked in on me having sex.” Justin said reaching for his water.

“You’re telling me! Ok, let’s change the subject please!” Hayden contemplated her next question, but something inside of her needed to know the answer. “I’ve never kissed and or been with anyone since you.”

Justin confidently left all of his fingers up. He knew that was difficult for her to ask and he was proud to be able to answer her truthfully. “I haven’t either...” Justin said dropping his hands and reaching for hers. “There’s no one I’d rather be with than you and I know it’s not that simple but I told you…I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make you see that I really do love you.”

Hayden felt her cheeks burning and her heart felt like it was going to explode out of her chest. This game definitely took a serious turn and she was looking for any kind of escape. “Justin…maybe we…” Hayden tried but she was interrupted when his lips crashed upon hers. Hayden was stunned and shell shocked but something inside her clicked and she started to move her lips along with his. Justin brought his hands up to her face and pulled her closer to him. Hayden’s hands automatically went around his neck and entangled in the small curls at the nape of his neck.

Gently, Justin shifted his weight on top of her and laid them down gently. Not willing to break the contact of their lips, he maneuvered his hands down her body and wrapped them around her waist, pulling her flush against his body. It felt so good to feel her close to him again. Softly, he began to run his fingers down her back, not missing an inch of skin.

Suddenly, there was a piercing ringing that interrupted their thoughts. Justin groaned when Hayden broke their contact and reached for her cell phone. She was surprised that someone was calling her, considering it was really late but she was also thankful for the interruption. Justin had ignited something deep inside of her and she knew things could’ve definitely gotten out of hand.

“Hello?” Hayden said opening her phone.

“Hayden…” A tearful voice called through the phone.

“Mom...what’s going on?” Hayden said panicked. Justin immediately adjusted his position when he heard the panic in her voice. Concern flooded his body and he reached out to put his hand on her back.

“It’s Tyler…”

“Mom…what happened to Tyler? Is he ok? What’s going on?” Hayden said frightened as the tears clouded her eyes.

“He’s been shot…he’s in the hospital. Can you come out to California?” Hayden’s mom managed to squeak out through her tears.

“Yeah…I’m heading to the airport right now. Tell Tyler to hang in there and I love him. I’ll call you as soon as I get a flight.” Hayden said jumping out of bed and throwing her phone down. The tears were falling freely from her eyes now as she grabbed her bag and started throwing her belongings into it.

Justin was scared when he saw the look on her face. “Hayden…what’s going on?” Justin asked concern filling his voice.

“It’s Tyler…Justin, he’s been shot.” Hayden said while turning around and looking at him. Speaking those words made it all so clear and Hayden collapsed to the floor in a sea of tears. Her body was shaking and she couldn’t find the strength to stand anymore. Immediately, Justin rushed to her side and wrapped her in his arms. He rocked her back and forth while rubbing her back.

“Shh...it’ll be ok.” Justin cooed into her ear. “We need to get going…come on let’s get packed and I’ll call Johnny.” Justin said lifting Hayden to her feet and throwing her bag over his shoulder.

“What do you mean “we”, Justin?” Hayden said through her tears.

“I’m going with…” Justin said lifting her chin to look into her eyes. There was no way he was going to let her go through this alone. He loved this woman and right now she needed him and like hell he would let her down.

Chapter 22: Comfort & Strength

Hayden couldn’t stop the tears from falling the entire plane ride out to California. Luckily, Hayden and Justin were able to catch the red eye flight out of Chicago with no problems. Justin had called Johnny earlier to let him know what was going on and they agreed it would be best for Justin to go along. Thankfully, he had a few days off before he needed to be back for the tour and he was going to spend every minute by her side. Justin had arranged a car for the two of them once they reached Los Angeles, that way they would be able to head straight to the hospital.

Hayden was in complete shock and her body was working on auto-pilot. She felt numb and totally lost. Her brother was everything to her and she didn’t know what she would do if anything ever happened to him. Once, they had booked their flight Hayden called her mom to let her know when she would get in to California. She was thankful to have Justin coming with her because she felt like any minute she was going to breakdown.

“Hayden…we’re here. You ok babe?” Justin said once he put the car in park outside of the hospital.

“No I’m not…I need to see him.” Hayden said whipping the car door open and slamming it shut.

Justin had to run to catch up to her and he found her leaning over the nurse’s station as she talked to the lady behind the desk. “I need to know what room Tyler Charles is in.”

“What relation are you?” The lady asked as she typed his name into the computer.

“I’m his sister…please.” Hayden said desperately. She just wanted to see her brother, she needed to know if he was going to be ok and she was wasting time with this lady.

“He’s in room 615, miss.” But before the lady could say anything else, Hayden was already halfway down the hallway in search of Tyler’s room. Justin started running after her as soon as she took off. He could feel his heart pounding against his chest. Hayden was extremely upset and it killed him to just watch her go through these emotions and know there’s nothing he could do.

Hayden spun around the corner and finally came upon his room. Immediately, she froze when she read her brother’s name across the charts and a new batch of tears sprung to her eyes. Justin cautiously pulled Hayden to his chest and he stroked his hand down her back. “I’ll be right here…” He cooed into her ear.

“Hold my hand Justin.” Hayden said while reaching for his hand and clasping onto it with a death grip. Hayden walked in first with Justin following closely behind. The beeps of the machines filled the room and Hayden immediately caught sight of her mom and dad huddled in the corner.

“Mom…Dad…” Hayden said softly.

“Hayden…sweetie.” Kathy Charles whispered and enveloped Hayden into her arms. Justin took a step back and let Hayden grieve with her parents; however, he did glance over at Tyler lying in the bed. The steady beeping of the machines, the tubes, the bandages and the bruises, Tyler was almost unrecognizable.

Hayden slowly approached Tyler’s sleeping form and reached for his hand. Softly, she raised it to her lips and gave it a kiss. Hayden couldn’t stop the sobs that were now wracking her body. She collapsed over his bed and let the tears flow from here eyes. All the fear, the sadness and the worry escaped through her body. Justin felt a burning sensation on his eyes when he saw the pain Hayden was going through. He felt like a bit of an outsider, watching a very private moment.

Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder. “Hey Son…thank you for coming with her. We’re going to give her some time and head downstairs to get something to drink.” Paul, Hayden’s father said softly to Justin.

“Ok…You know Mr. Charles; I’d do anything she asked me.” Justin said honestly.

“I know…” Paul said before walking out of the room with Kathy tucked under his arm.

Justin continued to stand away from the bed. He knew this was Hayden’s moment to let her brother know she was there. He felt terrible watching her breakdown but all he could think of doing is holding her in his arms.

“Justin…come here…” Hayden said looking up from the bed and motioning to the chair beside her. Carefully, Justin approached the chair and sat down wrapping his arm around her back. “My mom said that he’s in a coma right now. The doctors won’t know if there’s any brain damage.”

Justin knew it was best not to say anything and let her get it all out. Instinctively, he started to rub her back as the words flowed out of her mouth. “He was working undercover when a bunch of guys jumped him. They beat him and shot him…oh my god…they shot my brother.” Hayden cried. “How could anyone do that?” Hayden asked looking Justin in the eyes.

Her eyes were swollen and glossed over, it broke his heart. “I don’t know sweetie…I don’t know.” Justin soothed.

“Justin…I don’t know what I would do if anything happens to him. He’s always been there for me.” Hayden whimpered.

“He’s strong Hayden…he knows you’re here. Tyler’s going to make it through this. He’ll fight.” Justin said trying his best to comfort her.

“I’m just so scared Justin…”

“I know babe…I’m right here for you.” Justin said rubbing his hand on her back.

Hayden and Justin stayed at Tyler’s bedside for a couple of hours. Hayden’s parents returned about an hour after they left and the four of them were glued to Tyler’s side. Hayden told stories about the tour and her job, trying to register any kind of reaction from Tyler. Periodically through the night, the doctor would come in and check Tyler’s condition but hardly anything changed.

Justin and Hayden were emotionally, mentally and physically exhausted after everything that had happened. Hayden was having a hard time keeping her eyes open at the hospital and her parent’s told her to go and get some rest. Justin decided to take her back to his house and watch her while her parents stayed at the hospital.

The drive back to Justin’s house was completely silent. Hayden didn’t know what to say and all she could think about was sleeping. Justin carried all of their bags into his house and Hayden followed behind with her shoulders slumped. Automatically, Hayden started her trek up the stairs towards Justin’s bedroom. Once inside, she shed herself from her clothes and put on shorts and a tank top. Immediately, she hopped into his bed and snuggled deep into the covers. A few minutes later, Justin made his way into the bedroom and crawled into bed with her. Hayden was already fast asleep and Justin molded his body to hers, wrapping her protectively in his arms. Within seconds, Justin was drifting off to sleep too.
_______________________________________________________________________

The events of the previous night had exhausted both Hayden and Justin that neither woke up until the following day. Hayden’s parents knew she was drained and wanted her to get some rest, since there was no change in Tyler, there was no need for Hayden to continue to wear herself down. Finally, Hayden stirred in the bed and her eyes fluttered open. She felt the weight of Justin pinning her to the bed and she shifted slightly so that she was facing him. Her sudden shift in the bed woke Justin from his slumber.

“Good morning Beautiful.” Justin said sleep laced in his voice.

“Hi…” Hayden said softly while snuggling closer to his chest.

“How are you doing?” Justin said pulling her closer to him.

“I’m ok…”

“Yeah…everything’s going to be ok sweetie. Do you want to take a shower and then we can head over to the hospital?” Justin said lifting her chin up to meet her eyes.

“Yeah…” Hayden said looking into his soft blue ones. His eyes reflected his concern and even more so the love he felt for her. “Thank you Justin…for everything. I know you don’t need to be here, especially in the middle of a tour, but it really means a lot to me. You don’t even know how much it means.”

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but right here with you.”

Hayden felt those words deep inside her soul and she slowly kissed him. It wasn’t a passionate kiss or one of lust but it was out of gratitude and friendship. He was there for her every step of the way and she would never forget what he did for her.

“What was that for?” Justin said when she pulled away.

“It was my way of saying thanks.” Hayden answered before getting out of bed and heading into the bathroom. Once she closed the door, Justin headed downstairs into the kitchen to see if there was anything he could get her for breakfast. Since he was on tour right now, there wasn’t really anything in the fridge to make. Frustrated, he shut the door and figured he’d grab something on the way to hospital.

After some much needed rest, showers and food, Hayden and Justin were making their way down the hall towards Tyler’s room. Hayden quietly pushed the door open and walked towards her brother. Softly, she kissed him on the cheek and squeezed his hand. Justin greeted her parents while Hayden continued to talk to her brother.

“How’s he doing?” Justin asked Paul.

“Still no change. The doctors say it could be a matter of days or weeks before he comes out of the coma. They can’t really do anything until then though. So we’re stuck hoping and praying that everything will be all right.

“I see…well I’m definitely praying for a safe recovery.”

“Me too Son…” Paul said in the fatherly tone and as much as Justin hated being called Son. Something about Hayden’s dad using it felt right. It was like he was part of the family and they accepted him with open arms. “So how long do you have off from your tour? I would assume you have to go back soon?” Paul asked.

“I have a week left before I need to meet back up with everyone in New York. I plan on staying till the very last second though.” Justin said turning to look at Hayden.

“I can see you care deeply for my daughter. She’s lucky to have someone like you around.” Paul said genuinely.

“I’m lucky to have her around, Sir. She’s everything to me and I’d do anything she asked.” Justin said as a small smile crossed his face when he saw Hayden laughing with her mom about something they were telling Tyler.

“Well let’s hope Tyler gets through this because those two are so close…I can’t watch my daughter lose someone she loves again.” Paul said putting his hand on Justin’s shoulder. No more words were exchanged; it was as if everything was spoken in the silence. Paul respected everything Justin was doing and he was thankful someone was there to watch over Hayden, especially right now.

The morning rolled on into the afternoon and soon nighttime was setting in. Hayden was now sitting next to Tyler with his hand firmly in her grasp as she told him about all of the things she’s been doing on Justin’s tour. Justin had decided to take a trip down to the cafeteria and get something to drink quickly, while Hayden talked to Tyler.

“I love going out and taking pictures with his fans. They’re all so sweet Ty. I usually set up the merchandise tables before the show and then once Justin gets on stage, I head down to watch. It’s fun to see him perform every night. He’s here with me too Ty. He’s worried about you and wants to see you pull through this. He’s been wonderful…I think he would pass your liking again. Oh, I forgot…I never passed along that threat of yours. I’ll make sure and do that.”

Softly, there was a knock at the door and Justin peaked his head in. “I brought you some water.” He said handing her the bottle of water.

“Thanks. I was just telling him about the tour.” Hayden took a drink of the cool liquid.

“Oh yeah…Tyler, when you get better I hope to see you at one of the shows.” Justin said sitting down next to Hayden. “How are you doing sweetie?”

“I’m all right. I’m actually starting to get tired.” Hayden yawned as if on cue.

“Me too…”

“Why don’t you two head home for the night?” Kathy said from a chair across the room. “Your father and I got plenty of rest while you two were here. Go home and try and relax. Hayden we’ll call you if there’s any change.”

“Are you sure Mom?” Hayden asked as she stood up.

“Yes absolutely. Now go…” Kathy said ushering them out the door but not before getting in a few hugs and well wishes.

Hayden and Justin decided to go directly back to his place. They weren’t really in the mood to go out and do anything. They just wanted to get back home and be with each other right now. Once they arrived back at his place, Hayden asked if he wanted to go sit outside in the hot tub and talk. Justin obliged and handed Hayden some clothes to change into since she didn’t have a bathing suit with.

After changing into his clothes, Hayden was outside and relaxing in the hot tub. It felt good to have the hot water massaging her body. She needed something to take her mind off of everything and this was exactly what she needed. Soon, Justin joined her outside and the two of them were just enjoying one another.

“Justin, why did you come with? I mean this was your week to relax during the tour and I feel bad you’re all the way back in California running back and forth between your house and the hospital.”

“Hayden…there’s no way I could’ve stayed on that tour knowing what you were going through. I wanted to be here. Not just for you but also for Tyler. I know he probably wants to kill me after what happened between us. But he’s still a friend.”

“I never told you…actually, earlier in the day before everything happened, Tyler called me. He asked about you and how things were going. I told him that everything was going great and you and I were having fun together.” Hayden said smiling. “But he wanted me to tell you that if you fuck with me, he’s going to pay you a visit.”

Justin started to chuckle when she finished. “I can guarantee I’m not going to fuck with you…so there’s no need for a visit.”

“Good…” Hayden said sliding over next to Justin and snuggling closer to his side. Being near him brought a sense of warmth and security for Hayden. He always knew what to say to calm her fears or when to grab her hand when she needed that extra bit of strength. “Thank you Justin…”

“Anytime Beautiful…anytime.”

Chapter 23: One Word

The days seemed to roll together for Hayden. Every morning she would wake up and head straight to the hospital. Prop herself up in the chair beside Tyler’s bed for the entire day and then drag herself back to Justin’s for the night. It had been a week since the shooting and there was still no change in Tyler. Hayden was becoming even more and more neurotic as time went on. She felt on edge every second of every day and the more days that passed; little by little her hope was diminishing.

Justin continued to lend his support but Hayden found herself pulling away from him. Watching Tyler go through this and seeing how quickly life can change, Hayden felt a need to protect herself…starting with her heart. She was so confused when it came to her feelings for Justin, and the truth of the matter was, she wasn’t concerned about figuring it out. She just wanted her brother back. She’d give up any and everything to talk to him and know he’d be all right.

“How’s he doing?” Hayden said while walking into the room from lunch.

“The same…” Kathy said regretfully.

“I brought you something to eat.” Hayden lifted the bag up and set it down on the table.

“Thanks sweetie. Where’s Justin and when do you have to take him to the airport?” Kathy asked while opening the bag.

“He should be right up to say goodbye. We should be leaving in a couple of minutes if he wants to catch his plane.” Hayden walked over to Tyler’s side and reached for his hand. Gently she stroked her fingers across his arm.

“He’s a great young man, Hayden…” Kathy said knowingly.

“I know he is Mom. I just don’t know how I feel about everything…”

“Well sweetie…listen to your heart, it’ll never lead you wrong.”

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and Justin peaked his head inside. Kathy immediately ushered him inside and enveloped him in a hug. “Justin, it means a lot to all of us that you’ve been here everyday. I know Hayden really appreciates it but I’m sure Tyler does as well.”

“I’m just sorry I have to leave.” Justin said pulling away from Kathy.

“Don’t be…we understand you have to get back to the tour. We’ll keep you posted.”

“Thanks Mrs. Charles…”

“No, thank you. I’ll let you two say goodbye to Tyler quick. Hayden drive safe and I’ll see you later tonight.” Kathy said before disappearing from the room. Hayden nervously looked at Justin and she could tell he was hurting. He didn’t want to leave her here but there was no way Hayden was going to go back to the tour while her brother remained in the hospital.

Justin apprehensively approached Tyler’s bed and held onto his other hand, giving it a squeeze. Hayden softly released her brother’s hand and started to leave the room.

“Where are you going?” Justin asked when he noticed her retreating form.

“I’ll give you some time alone to say goodbye. I’ll be outside the door when you’re ready.” Hayden said before turning on her heel and leaving Justin alone for the first time with Tyler since he’d been there.

“I know it’s been a while man. I’m sorry we’re meeting again under these circumstances but I’m praying for you. Your family needs you, especially Hayden. Tyler…I think about what you said to me when Hayden and I broke up…about fighting for her. I’m trying man…I really am. I can honestly say that I love her with everything inside of me and I’d do anything for her, but I know right now she just needs her brother. Hang in there man. I’m still fighting for her…I hope you are too.” Justin said before letting go of Tyler’s hand and giving him one last look before joining Hayden in the hallway.

The two of them silently made their way out of the hospital. However, as soon as they were outside they were bombarded with photographers. Justin instinctively wrapped his arm around Hayden, trying to shield their faces as they walked towards the car. People were everywhere and shouting ridiculous accusations. Justin, are you and Hayden together again? Why are you at the hospital? Is Hayden pregnant? Justin felt his blood pressure rising and anger forming in the pit of his stomach. He was infuriated that they found out where he was, but even more so because Hayden didn’t deserve any of this. She was hurting and going through a very difficult, private time, she didn’t need any of the added pressure from the media.

Once they were a safe distance away from the hospital and en route to the airport, Justin reached for her hand. “I’m sorry about that Hayden…” Justin said regrettably.

“It’s not your fault…” Hayden said limply holding his hand. Right now, she wasn’t sure what she felt for Justin…if it was more than friendship, if she was looking to him for comfort and nothing else. She couldn’t focus on anything regarding Justin, since her head and heart was lying in that hospital bed.

“Just don’t pay attention to any of it. It’s all lies.” Justin tried to rationalize with her, but he could sense in her voice that she was closed off.

“Justin, right now my only concern is my brother. I don’t give a shit what they print about me…” Hayden said forcefully. “I don’t care about anything other than Tyler getting better.”

“I know babe…I know.” Justin felt a pain in his chest at her words. He understood it but it still hurt.

The rest of the ride to the airport was relatively silent. Hayden’s mind was back with her brother. Justin understood how close they were and how hard this was for Hayden. Selfishly, he wanted her to come with him to New York. He wanted her on the tour with him but he knew that’s not what she wanted. They had made so much progress in their relationship and he was scared it would all fall apart. Justin replayed thousands of different scenarios in his head, until they finally arrived at the airport.

“Come here Beautiful!” Justin said pulling her into his chest and wrapping his arms securely around her waist.

Hayden relaxed in his arms and inhaled his scent. She felt like every fiber of her being had been fried from this past week. “Thank you Justin for coming…I’m lucky to have a friend like you.”

A friend? Justin thought to himself. He tried his best to hide his disappointment at her words but obviously he didn’t do a good enough job.

“What’s wrong?” Hayden asked when Justin didn’t say anything.

“We’re just friends? Even after everything that’s happened?” Justin questioned.

Hayden sighed. “Justin…I don’t really know what’s going on. I can’t tell you that we can be together again because I don’t know.”

“Hayden…I love you and nothing’s going to change that. I want to be there for you more than just a friend…I want to be the one you run to when you’re scared. I want to be the one to hold you when you’re sad. I want to be the one who you share all your happiness with. I want to be the guy who gets to see those big blue eyes, everyday. I want to be with you.” Justin confessed looking her square in the eye.

Hayden released herself from his arms and nervously shifted her weight on her feet. “Justin…I can’t give you what you want right now. It wouldn’t be fair to you or me. We tried before and it didn’t work…and right now, I’m not ready to put the effort into a relationship…especially with Tyler in the hospital. Who knows how long he’ll be there or what will happen? I just can’t…I’m so sorry.” Hayden said trying her best to sound sure of her answers. The truth was, she didn’t really know where she stood with Justin and if she couldn’t make sense of her feelings, how could she be in a relationship with him?

Justin felt his shoulders slump and he felt like he’d been punched in the stomach. “If that’s what you want Hayden…just friends.”

“It’s not what I want Justin. It’s all that I can give. Please tell me you understand?” Hayden asked searching his eyes for some kind of understanding. However, all she saw was hurt and rejection.

“I can’t say that I understand it Hayden. But I’ll respect your choice.” Justin said as the ticket agent announced final boarding for his flight to New York.

Hayden felt the tears stinging her eyes. “Justin…you’ll always have my heart. I want you to know that…but right now I just can’t make that type of commitment. I’m so sorry.” Hayden said wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him gently on the cheek, as the tears slipped from her eyes.

Hesitantly, Justin wrapped his arms around her. He buried his hands in her hair and slowly rocked them back and forth. His heart belonged to Hayden and it was killing him to watch her push him away. They had come so far together and now she was just letting him walk away. He tried to fight for her but obviously that wasn’t enough. “Be strong Beautiful. Your brother needs you.” Justin said before walking towards the gate.

Hayden could feel the wetness on her cheeks but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from his retreating form. She watched him walk with his head hung low and sunglasses covering his eyes, until she could no longer see anything.

Needing to get out of there, Hayden practically ran through the terminal and out to the car. She wasn’t ready to go to the hospital and instead decided to take a drive. She needed to clear her head. No, what she needed was her brother back.
________________________________________________________________________

Hayden had been gone now for over five hours. She had called her parents to let them know she’d be at the hospital tonight but that she needed some time to be alone. She felt awful for the way she left things with Justin and then everything with Tyler. It was like she was being pulled in a thousand different directions and she didn’t know what to do. Times like these, she needed her brother. He’d understand everything she was going through and help her make sense of it all.

Knowing she needed to be near Tyler, Hayden turned the car around and drove back to the hospital. She brought with her a sweatshirt, blanket and a pillow fully intending on staying there tonight while her parents took the night off. Hayden softly made her way into the room, set her things down and sat down in the chair next to his bed. Tyler still lay peacefully asleep, not moving one bit and something inside Hayden snapped. Everything she’d been holding inside her came rushing to the surface and Hayden laid her head down on the bed and wept. She felt so weak and so alone.

“Ty…I need you. God, please wake up…I feel like I’m falling apart.” Hayden’s shoulders shook violently as the emotions poured through her body. “I love you…please pull through this. God, I need my big brother…help him.” Hayden whispered into the bed. Suddenly, Hayden felt something brush the top of her head. Swiftly, she looked up and into the open eyes of her brother. He smiled tenderly at her and gently laid his hand back down on the bed before closing his eyes once again.

Hayden reached for his hand and held onto it tightly. “Tyler…can you hear me? Squeeze my hand if you can.” Hayden waited for a response, but nothing happened…believing it was her imagination getting the best of her, Hayden was about to let go of his hand when Tyler softly squeezed it.

Hayden’s eyes lit up and she reached for the nurse’s button. She gently stroked his face trying to get him to open his eyes again.

“Miss, what’s going on?” The nurse said rushing into the room.

“He’s awake…get the doctor. He’s starting to open his eyes and he’s been squeezing my hand.” The nurse flew out of the room and a few seconds later, Tyler’s doctor came barreling through the door. Hayden reached for her phone to call her parents and let them know while the doctor examined him.

“Is he ok? What’s going on?” Hayden asked.

“He’s starting to come out of the coma. His pupils are responsive and his reflexes are good. I want to run some tests on him but he needs to be fully conscious. Stay with him and keep trying to get a response. I’ll be back in about an hour to check on his progress.” The doctor said while writing something down on Tyler’s chart.

Hayden rushed to his side and stroked his hand. “Tyler…I know you can hear me. I need you to fight right now. I need you to be strong.” Hayden repeated over and over while rubbing his arm, hoping to trigger something.

Finally, after about thirty minutes of rambling, Tyler opened his eyes. Clearly disoriented, he rapidly blinked his eyes, trying to focus on his sister. Slowly, he groaned and tried to shift his body but there was an immediate rush of pain in doing so and he hissed.

“Tyler stay still…” Hayden warned while she softly rubbed his head.

“What’s…going…on?” Tyler whispered looking to Hayden for some answers.

“Something at work went wrong Ty. You were shot while working undercover and you’ve been in a coma now for about a week. I’m going to get the doctor. Don’t move.” Hayden said before running outside and yelling for the doctor.

The doctor spent a majority of the night running tests on Tyler now that he had come out of the coma. They did an MRI and some more X-rays…however everything seemed to be healing well and there didn’t appear to be any brain damage. It was now early afternoon, Hayden and her parents were elated that Tyler was awake and responsive. The doctor had informed them that Tyler probably had no recollection of the shooting and that he’d be a little disoriented. However, that would wear off with time.

Hayden contemplated calling Justin and letting him know that Tyler was awake but she hesitated every time she pulled her phone out. Instead, she stayed by Tyler’s side talking to him about little things hoping to help clear his mind of the haziness.

“Have you been here the whole time Hayden?” Tyler asked sitting up in the bed.

“Yeah…I caught a flight out Chicago and been here ever since. Actually, Justin was here with me but he left yesterday to go back to the tour.”

“Tell him I said thank you for coming, even though I didn’t know he was here.” Tyler smiled softly and laid his head back down. “I’m kind of tired Hayden. I was up all night getting all those tests. I think I’m going to take a nap. Go home and get some sleep Hayden.” Tyler said before closing his eyes and drifting off into a peaceful slumber.

Hayden considered staying at the hospital but she was exhausted from the night’s events. Realizing she needed to get some sleep, Hayden decided to leave and come back later. She told her parents she was going to go back to Justin’s house and sleep. Before Justin left, he offered his place to her and told her the pass codes to get into the house. Knowing she could’ve easily gone back to Tyler’s, she still chose to seek refuge at Justin’s house. Chalking it up to a comfort thing, she headed over there. She couldn’t wait to slip into his bed and get some rest.

Once inside, Hayden couldn’t help but look around like it was her first time ever being there. It was different to be in his house without him but she still felt safe here. Slowly, she made her way up the stairs to his room. Opening the door, Hayden caught sight of an envelope on the bed with her name on it. She changed into pajamas and hopped into bed before opening it and reading its contents.

Hayden,
If you’re reading this, that means you’ve decided to take me up on my offer and use my house to stay in while Tyler is in the hospital. You better not mess it up! No I’m just kidding, make yourself comfortable. I wish I could be there with you to hold you at night, but know that I’m thinking about you. You’re so important to me Hayden and I’d do anything for you. I know we’ve gone through some rough times but I feel like we’ve come out stronger than ever. Use the remote on the bed stand to hit play. I wrote this song one night while I was thinking about you. I recorded it on the bus, sorry if the quality is a little rough, but this is my song for you. I hope you like it.

Justin

p.s. Oh, one more thing…I love you

Hayden reached over and pressed play on the remote. Promptly the sweet strumming of a guitar filled the room and Hayden laid down. Justin’s voice filled the room and Hayden felt her heart smile at his words. Immediately, she snuggled deep into the covers and closed her eyes. It wasn’t long before she was drifting off to sleep.

One

I'm so into what you’re giving and it feel so good to me
You're beautiful and critical it's hard to live without you, baby
When I wake up in the morning all I want to see is you
Heaven's blessing that he sent me unconditional and true
Girl you mean the world to me and I hope you understand
I will give you anything and I'll do the best I can to make you see what I see

One word
Is all I need to say exactly how I feel
One word
A single word that's from the heart and keeps it real
One word
And baby I know this one fits you to a tee
One word
All I can say is amazing

Always there when I was going through all kinds of changes
You kept me lifted, said I'm gifted and you know I'm gonna make it
So when you're tired and frustrated you can always count on me
Girl I love ya and I want ya to know I'll be all you need
Girl you gave the world to me and you made me understand
You would give me anything and you do the best you can
You are what I hope to be

One word
Is all I need to say exactly how I feel
One word
A single word that's from the heart and keeps it real
One word
And baby I know this one fits you to a tee
One word
All I can say is amazing

One word
I just want to celebrate you, baby
And thank the Lord for sending you down to me
And your love is the reason why I believe
You're amazing
So amazing
Just amazing to me

One word
Is all I need to say exactly how I feel
One word
A single word that's from the heart and keeps it real
One word
And baby I know this one fits you to a tee
One word
All I can say is amazing

Chapter 24: Big Brother's Advice

It has been nearly six months since the shooting. Once Tyler came out of the coma, he spent an additional month under supervision, but ever since then he’s been back home resting and recuperating. Hayden’s been right by his side throughout this whole ordeal and now she’s been living in California taking care of him. Their parents stayed out in California about a month while Tyler recovered in the hospital, but flew back to Minnesota since Hayden was there to watch over him.

Knowing her brother would need all the help he could get in the next couple of months; Hayden quit her job in Minnesota and moved out to California. Even though, she loved her job it couldn’t compare to her love for her brother.

Tyler’s condition was steadily improving each day. He was up walking around again; however he still needed the support of crutches. The bruises on his face had faded and he was starting to look like her older brother again. Although, he wasn’t quite ready to go back to field work anytime soon, the police force often visited and sent their well wishes. Once a week, Tyler would head to the station to do paperwork, but those days usually drained him and then he’d spend the rest of the week recuperating from his exertion.

As for Justin, Hayden hasn’t seen him since he left the hospital six months ago. Although, she had broken-down and called him to let him know Tyler was out of the coma that day. Since then though, she hasn’t called and Justin finally stopped trying to reach her. She couldn’t blame him for giving up; she never put in the effort needed and as time passed her pride got in the way of it. She figured she was too late to patch anything up.

Instead of addressing her broken heart, Hayden engrossed herself in helping her brother. From taking care of the house, to his needs, to working…Hayden did it all. Tyler incessantly asked her to slow down and take some time for herself…but Hayden always refused. She put her smile on everyday and masked her feelings from the world. It wasn’t until nighttime, when she was alone, did the tears come.

Today was Hayden’s day off and she planned on spending the day inside watching movies with her brother. It was another rainy day in California and the weather was starting to match her moods lately.

“Hayden hurry up…I put in Elf.” Tyler yelled from the couch.

“Why are we watching a Christmas movie already…it’s only November.” Hayden said while sitting down next to Tyler. Hayden instantly pulled her feet up and tucked them underneath her. Setting the bowl of popcorn in between them, she settled in for a sure laugh. Hopefully the movie would take her mind off Justin; it seemed lately he was consuming her mind.

“Well…it’s almost Christmas and I don’t know…it looked good.” Tyler said while shoving a fist full popcorn into his mouth.

Hayden scoffed at his antics. “You know, the popcorn’s not going anywhere. You don’t have to shove it all in your mouth at once. Damn Ty.”

Tyler laughed at his sister, deciding not to pick a fight with her he turned his attention back to the movie. The two of them sat on the couch for most of the afternoon, laughing, joking and reminiscing about old times. It felt good to get her mind off of things although once the fun stopped; it was like her head immediately went back to Justin. It scarred her that he had so much control of her.

“So what do you want to do now?” Hayden asked once the movie was done.

“I’m kind of tired…I’m thinking about taking a nap.” Tyler said grabbing his crutches and hobbling over to the stairs.

“All right…I guess…I’ll find something to do.” Hayden said walking into the kitchen and pushing herself up onto the island.

“Why don’t you do everyone a favor and just call Justin?” Tyler said halfway up the stairs.

“What makes you think I want to talk to Justin?” Hayden tried her best to make herself sound nonchalant about the whole thing.

“It doesn’t take a genius to figure out you’re miserable without him. Hayden you’re a pain in the ass lately with your mood swings. You know I love you…but you are. Just call him.” Tyler said before disappearing up the rest of the stairs and into his bedroom.

Hayden continued to sit on the counter and think about what Tyler said. I’m not miserable without him! Hayden felt the anger rise in her stomach and she shot off the counter. Feeling the need to defend herself, she flew up the stairs and stormed into Tyler’s bedroom just as he was getting situated in his bed.

“You’re lucky I wasn’t naked or anything…busting in her like that.” Tyler said situating the pillows behind his neck.

Hayden chose to ignore that comment and go after the real issue instead. “I’m not miserable without Justin!” She pouted at the door.

“You are…I’m your brother. I know these things.”

“You don’t know that. Plus, where do you get off telling me how I should live my life?” Hayden said stomping her foot on the ground

“Are you done throwing your tantrum?” Tyler asked, completely unaffected by Hayden’s mood. Once Hayden nodded Tyler patted the spot next to him on the bed. Hayden reluctantly obliged and sat down on his bed. “Hayden, I’ve known you your entire life. We’ve been best friends…well since forever. I know when you’re happy, I know when you’re sad and I know when you’re hurting. Just like you can do the same for me. We’re always going to understand each other better than anyone else. I know right now your pride is what’s preventing you from calling Justin and apologizing for everything.” Tyler finished before repositioning the pillows once more when he started to feel a shooting pain in his back. The physical limitations from the accident were still a constant day to day struggle.

“Tyler…I’m not miserable without him. It’s for the better that we’re apart.” Hayden said trying to convince her brother, but more so herself.

“Oh one more thing…I also know when you’re lying. And that was a lie!” Tyler pointed out matter-of-factly.

Hayden felt a small smirk take over her face. He always understood, even when she couldn’t find the words to explain. “Tyler it’s been six months since I last saw him or even talked to him. I don’t even know where he’s at, what he’s doing, if he’s seeing anyone else. I think I’ve passed the point where I can just call him up and expect things to be the same.”

“You’re right…I highly doubt things will just fall into place. You guys have been through a lot together. But he put himself out there for you…he even came with when I was in a coma. He didn’t have to, it wasn’t like you guys were dating, but he wanted to be there for you Hayden, when I couldn’t be. Don’t you think you owe him that same kind of effort back? That is if you even want to work things out?” Tyler questioned.

Hayden felt his eyes on her and she knew if she tried to deny everything, he would see right through her anyways. “Yeah…I want to work things out. At the very least, I want his friendship. I miss talking to him. I miss seeing him when he gets done with a show and his eyes are lit up like the fourth of July. I miss hearing him say good morning Beautiful. I miss his kiss and I miss his touch. I miss being the one he runs to. Tyler, I hate everything about the way we are right now.” Hayden sighed when she finished. It felt good to get everything off her chest. She had been holding everything in for six months and releasing it made it all so much clearer to her.

“Hayden…you’re head over heels in love with him.” Tyler sighed and gave her hand a quick squeeze.

“I know Ty…I guess it took saying it out loud to really register in my head.”

“Only you can fix this…Justin’s put himself out there for you and you pushed it away. You can’t change what happened. But you can change what’s going to happen. Listen to your heart and for one time in your life take a risk, sometimes they actually pay off.” Tyler said before a yawn escaped his lips.

Hayden took that as her cue to leave him alone. “Thanks Ty.” Hayden said while wrapping him in a hug and tucking the covers up around him.

“That’s why I’m your big brother…I’ll always be around to knock some sense into you.” Tyler joked before closing his eyes in hopes of getting some much needed rest.

Hayden closed Tyler’s bedroom door and walked into her room. She needed to do something and it started with a long overdue phone call. Grabbing her phone she dialed the numbers and hit send before she could turn back, the phone started ringing.

“Hello?” The familiar voice answered.

“Hey…Johnny…It’s me, Hayden.”

“Hey sweetie. Long time no talk. How have you been? How’s your brother doing?”

“He’s doing well. He’s still recovering but he’s almost back to his old self.” Hayden laughed.

“That’s good to hear. Well, what can I do for you? I haven’t heard from you for what…five, six months?”

“It’s been about six months now…The reason I’m calling is I need a favor.” Hayden hesitantly asked.

“All right…shoot.”

“Please, don’t tell Justin you talked to me or that I called you. I wanted to know what his schedule is like in the upcoming weeks. I have some apologizing to do and I need to know where I can find him.” Hayden sighed; today she was definitely taking a step in the right direction.

“Well, we’re actually in London right now. He’s doing some promotion for his movie Alpha Dog. But we’ll be back in Los Angeles next week on Monday night. Then, he has December off for the holidays. I know he’s planning on heading to Memphis for Christmas but otherwise…he should be around.” Johnny said while looking at his calendar for Justin.

“Thank you Johnny! I really appreciate it!” Hayden said excitedly. She had a week to plan something for Justin and it had to be the mother of all apologies.

“You’re welcome. Give me a call if you need anything else.”

“Will do. Talk to you later Johnny.”

“Bye Hayden.”

Hayden threw her phone down and sat down at her desk, immediately opening her laptop. Rapidly, she started looking at different pages…she had an idea of what to do; now all she had to do was plan it. Hayden realized for the first time, she was about to fight for the man she loved.
________________________________________________________________________

It had been a week of steady promotional work for Alpha Dog and Justin was exhausted. As soon as his tour wrapped, he went straight into promoting his movies. Damn, he was looking forward to the upcoming weeks off. He planned on doing absolutely nothing and it sounded wonderful. After a ridiculously long flight back to Los Angeles from London, his bed sounded heavenly.

Wearily, Justin dragged his bags along with himself up the driveway and punched in his codes for his house. Desperately wanting to get into his bed, he threw everything down by the door and started for the bedroom. Not paying much attention to what he was doing, Justin swung the door open, fully intending on falling into his bed and succumbing to the sand man. However, he was shocked when he found a basket sitting on the middle of his bed with an envelope propped up beside it. His interest peaked; he examined the contents of the basket and smiled when he saw bottles of water, Tylenol, and brand new copies of Pirates of the Carribean 1 & 2. Opening the envelope, he immediately recognized the handwriting.

Justin,

Where do I even begin? I guess I’ll start with hey. I can’t believe it’s been six months since we last saw each other. Time sure has flown by. Congratulations on a widely successful tour. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there to watch you finish it. Just know that I was thinking about you. Ok, enough babbling. I thought I’d return the favor and bring you a basket full of goodies. I know you just got back from London and I’m sure you’re exhausted, so here’s some stuff to take any pain from your travels away. Oh, the copies of Pirates…well you said your copies were skipping and I know how much you love my Johnny Depp fascination so I wanted to get you some new ones. Anyways, there’s so much I want to talk to you about and I don’t blame you if you never want to talk to me again. But I’m hoping you’ll give me a second chance. However, it can wait till the morning. Get some rest babe. Call me whenever you wake up. I have some things planned. I miss you!

Hayden

Justin felt a small smile on his lips at her thoughtfulness. He was still hurt by what had transpired between the two of them but this was definitely a step in the right direction. Tiredly, he lifted the basket from his bed and put it on his nightstand with her letter in plain view. Once he crawled into bed, he felt every muscle in his body relax and he shut the lights off. Swiftly, he reached for his cell phone and dialed the numbers that had practically become ingrained in his head.

“Hello?” A sleep filled voice answered.

“Thanks Hayden…” Justin whispered into the phone.

Hayden felt a smile take over her face once she heard his voice. Damn, it’s been a long time. “You’re welcome Justin. I told you to get some sleep though.”

“Trust me, I’m going to bed…I just wanted to say thanks.”

“Oh all right. Call me tomorrow morning. Goodnight Justin.”

“Goodnight Beautiful.” Justin said before closing his phone and rolling himself deep within the covers. Almost instantly, sleep overcame his body. As tired as he was, he couldn’t wait for the morning…to talk to Hayden.

Chapter 25: Surprise

Hayden awoke to the incessant buzzing of her alarm clock. A soft groan escaped her lips when she flipped the covers back and the sun made its attack on her eyes. Quickly she turned her alarm clock off and dragged herself out of bed. There’s no way in hell she would be up at seven in the morning any other time, but she desperately needed to get everything together before Justin called. The fact that he called to say thanks for the basket last night was motivation for Hayden to continue with her plan. The truth was, she was freaking out inside. This was her one chance to show him that he means the world to her and she just wanted everything to go well. Thankfully, Riley agreed to help her out and came to stay with Tyler on short notice. There’s no way Hayden would’ve gone through with all of this, knowing Tyler was alone…so she definitely owed her best friend.

Hayden hopped into the shower, hoping it would wash away her nerves and somehow calm her insides. However, a half an hour later, she was still standing there wishing everything away. Realizing her attempt to relax was becoming futile, Hayden shut the water off and wrapped herself in a towel.

Once she was back into her room, she proceeded to get dressed into a pair of jeans and sweatshirt. Knowing she was going to need warm clothes, she started packing her suitcase full of sweaters, mittens, hats, gloves, and of course sweatshirts. This was definitely going to be a change of pace from seventy degree weather in California.

After spending nearly an hour packing, Hayden lugged her stuff down the stairs, making sure to grab the envelope with everything they’d need. Thankfully, Tyler and Riley were still asleep, she was hoping to just get everything ready and go. She needed to get their first meeting over with before she backed down and ran. Now all she could do was wait for him to call. This was going to be the longest hour of her life.
________________________________________________________________________

Finally, Justin began to stir and he could feel all his muscles tense up once he shifted in the bed. For the last couple of weeks, his life was all about go-go-go and he just wanted some time for himself and take a deep breath. Snuggling deep into the covers, he bravely opened his eyes and immediately shut them when the sun practically blinded him. That was stupid Justin thought to himself. It wasn’t until he remembered the events of last night did he attempt to open them again and saw the basket. He felt a small smile creep over his face and he reached for his cell phone. He needed some kind of explanation as to what was going on. Hayden has played the hot and cold game almost the entire time they’ve known each other and he’s worried this is just another attempt to draw him in.

“About time sleepy…” Hayden teased.

“I didn’t know you were waiting for me.”

“I…umm…wasn’t. Well…actually yeah I was.” Hayden stammered.

“So what’s going on here?” Justin said lifting the covers up and making his way out bed.

“Before I tell you anything…I need to know if you’re willing to trust me.” Hayden asked.

“Of course, I trust you.” Justin reassured while making his way into the bathroom. He grimaced when he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, damn he looked tired.

“Ok…I’ll be over at your house in twenty minutes. Be ready.” Hayden commanded before closing her phone.

Justin looked at his phone speechless. He hasn’t spoken to Hayden in more than six months and all of a sudden she’s ordering him around. What’s worse is he starts shedding his clothes and climbs in the shower. Damn her!
_______________________________________________________________________

Hayden rang true to her words and appeared on his doorstep twenty minutes later, with two cups of coffee in her hand. She looked cute standing there with a pair of sunglasses perched on top of her head.

“Hey come in…” Justin offered while taking the cup of coffee from her hand.

Hayden cautiously walked inside, she was hoping there wouldn’t be this awkward tension but of course it was filling the room.

“So can you tell me now what’s going on?” Justin asked while picking up his car keys.

Hayden set her coffee down, grabbed his hand and dragged him up the stairs. “First…you need to change.” Hayden said when they walked into his bedroom. Quickly she scanned the room and was thrilled to see her basket and note sitting by his bed. At least he kept everything.

“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” Justin said scanning himself in the mirror. He was wearing a pair of khaki cargo shorts, a green hoodie with William Rast scrawled across the front, a white baseball cap and a pair of sneakers adorning his feet.

“Trust me…you need to change. I suggest jeans and a sweatshirt.”

“Hayden…its seventy-five degrees. Why in the hell would I wear jeans and sweatshirt?” Justin asked reaching for the clothes.

“Because it won’t be seventy-five where we’re going.” Hayden explained while grabbing his duffel bag and opening it.

Justin reached for her hand to stop her progress. “What is going on? I’m so confused! You basically shut me out of your life for the last six months and now you show up out of nowhere and won’t tell me what is going on. But you just expect me to go along without protest.”

“Justin, I asked you to trust me. Please believe that I’m doing this in your best interest and I’m not telling you because I want it to be a surprise.” Hayden pleaded with her eyes to just go along with everything. “I promise I won’t let you down…” She whispered.

Those words caught his attention. It was hard for him to believe it, after all she had come and gone from his life like it was nothing and he couldn’t keep this cycle up. “I hope you don’t.” Justin said before closing the bathroom door to change into an appropriate outfit.

Hayden continued to pack his bag full of warm clothes. Once she had filled the bag to its capacity and fought to get the zipper shut, she tried lugging it down the stairs. Instead, the bag basically threw her down the stairs and Justin couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped his lips watching her struggle.

“A little help?” Hayden said exasperatedly when she noticed him watching her.

“I got it.” Justin came and lifted the bag with ease, tossing it over his shoulder. “So I’m assuming we’re going somewhere…”

“What gave you that idea?” Hayden joked before grabbing her cup of coffee and walking out the door behind him. They locked his house and loaded everything into Hayden’s car before getting in themselves.

Hayden pulled out of his neighborhood and got on the interstate. It wasn’t long before she took the exit towards the airport and Justin’s interest was peaked. “Where are we going? For how long? Do I need security? Why do I have a bad feeling about this?” Justin fired off the questions, one by one as she pulled into a parking spot.

“We’re going to Colorado. We’ll be there for a week. You don’t need security and quit being pessimistic.” Hayden answered all of his annoying questions as they gathered their bags and made their way inside the terminal. Hayden approached the ticket counter and arranged everything while Justin stayed back. He was a little uneasy with everything that was going on…he had no clue why they were going to Colorado or even how Hayden planned all of this. Right now, he was going along with everything because of his stupid curiosity.

“We’re all set…come on let’s go to the gate. Do you want anything?” Hayden asked.

“Yeah…a clue as to what you’re doing!” He whispered before they made their way through security and headed towards the gate. Not before long, the two of them were secured in the airplane and en route to Colorado Springs.
________________________________________________________________________

Their plane landed about three hours later and Hayden had arranged a rental car for them to use while they were in Colorado. After driving for about an hour through the mountains and curvy roads, Hayden finally reached their destination. Justin was floored at the site before him. The pine trees adorned the outside of a wooden cabin and the snow was piled high all around the place.

“How did you find this place?” Justin asked once she stopped the car.

“I did some re-search on-line and it looked so pretty and it was private.” Hayden answered.

Justin helped carry the bags from the car up to the cabin and Hayden inserted the key. They opened the doors only to be blown away by the décor and overall feel of the cabin. The first things they notice were the high wooden beams holding up a loft above the living room. Justin dropped their bags immediately and started to look around. The living room was filled with huge plush couches and thick carpeting. There was a stone fireplace in the corner and his eyes traveled up to the loft. He took the stairs two at a time and once up top he found a huge king size bed overlooking the entire cabin. Noticeably, there were huge bay windows behind the headboard which faced the snow covered mountains. This place was absolutely breathtaking.

“Wow…Hayden…I don’t know what to say.” Justin said looking down at her from the loft.

“I’m glad you like it.” Hayden threw her purse down on the counter and walked into the living room. She was still exhausted from getting up early and traveling, the couches sounded so inviting. Practically falling into its warmth, she stretched out. Justin was quick to join her back in the living room when he saw her lay down. He lifted her legs up and sat down before pulling her legs back onto his lap.

“So why are you doing all of this?” Justin asked as he laid his head on the cushion.

“Justin, there’s so much I need to tell you but more importantly I want you to just relax and have fun this week. I’m doing all of this for you because I want to, not because I have to, but I truly want to.” Hayden answered genuinely. “How about we make a deal…”

“Ok…” Justin said wearily.

“There’s a lot we need to talk about, well more so that I want to say. But I really want to just hang out with you. I’ve missed you and I plan to enjoy this week alone with you. I know your schedule’s been crazy and I wanted to give you a week to just forget about all that other stuff and enjoy life. But I promise before we leave, we’ll have that talk. Ok?”

Justin tried to push the questions out of his head and focus on just having fun with her. He needed an explanation out of her as to why she disappeared and then reappeared but it could wait a couple of days. Right now, he just wanted to be with Hayden.

“Thank you Hayden. This place is beautiful.”

“You’re welcome.” Hayden said while sitting up and running her hand atop his curls. “You’re growing your hair back out?”

“I haven’t decided yet. You like the curls?”

“I love the curls.” Hayden said before getting up from the couch. “Let’s go get some food…I’m starving.”

“Me too.” Justin said getting up and rubbing his belly for exaggeration.

Hayden couldn’t stop laughing at his antics and she grabbed her purse. “Come on J…” Just like that, as if nothing happened, they fell back into their friendship. Finally, they could just be Hayden and Justin again.

Chapter 26: Confessions

The first night in the cabin was pretty uneventful, but it was a time for the two of them to heal and repair the damage to their relationship. Although, there was a lot to talk about, Hayden was just glad he agreed to take the trip with her. He could’ve easily turned her away, the same way she had done to him previously…but he didn’t. That meant more to her than he’d ever know.

Justin was surprised at how relaxing it was, being in the mountains away from all the hype of Los Angeles. This trip couldn’t have come at a better time. He desperately needed time away.

“Justin, let’s go!!” Hayden yelled from the kitchen. She had been waiting for the past twenty minutes for Justin to finish getting ready. Hastily, she whipped off her hat and sat down on one of the stools. A few minutes later, Justin came hobbling down the stairs completely decked out in his snow gear.

“Ok, I’m ready…” Justin proclaimed while casually reaching for his gloves and hat which sat right in front of Hayden.

“About damn time…I’m sweating in all of this.” Hayden grumbled. She had been waiting on him, completely bundled from head to toe and was now officially burning up.

Justin laughed at her disgruntled state and continued walking past her out to the car. Hayden had planned an all day skiing trip for the two of them. She figured since they’d always talked about going, this trip would be perfect to just cut loose and cruise the slopes.

“So where to?” Justin asked getting into the car.

“Get back onto the interstate and drive north. It’s not far…” Hayden instructed. About twenty minutes later, the two of them pulled up to the Colorado Springs Ski Resort. Justin stood looking up at the vast mountains in shock. She had really pulled out all the stops on this vacation and he couldn’t wait to get out there.

Hayden previously had arranged everything therefore they quickly made their way past the shops and onto the hills. Justin chose to snowboard while Hayden popped on her skis. A few minutes later, they were secured on the chair lift enjoying the breathtaking views.

“So you want to race?” Hayden challenged once they reached the top of the hill.

Justin secured his feet in the board and stood up. “You don’t want to race me Beautiful. I’ll beat you any day.” He said cockily.

“Ok…smart ass. Let’s make this interesting. Fifty bucks, I beat you.” Hayden stretched her hand out.

“You got yourself a deal.” Justin said taking her hand in his.

The two of them cautiously approached the edge of the hill and looked down. Hayden felt her adrenaline kick in and her competitive nature take over. Justin jumped and kicked his board forward. “On three…1…2…3!!!”

In a flash, Hayden dug her poles into the ground and kicked her ski’s forward. They started off together and Hayden broke away to the right, when she felt the hill take the turn. Justin was quick to follow but she was breaking away ahead of him. He chose to take smaller turns, in hopes to gain some speed. Hayden felt him right on her ass and she tucked her poles under her arms and let the skis run the hill. Seconds later, Hayden was skidding to a victorious stop at the bottom. Not long after, Justin slid to a stop showering Hayden with snow from his board.

“Pay up Timberlake!” Hayden said brushing the snow off.

“You cheated…you knew the hill was going to take the curve.” Justin grumbled.

“This is the first time that I’ve skied here. I can’t help that I’m a better skier and felt the turn coming.” Hayden gloated.

“Whatever…you’ll get your money later.” Justin said before taking off towards the lift again. Hayden laughed at his childish behavior and followed in behind him. The two of them spent most of the afternoon enjoying the hills. They even stopped at the train parks for Justin to enjoy some jumps. Although, Hayden often skied through, she did watch him do some tricks.

Finally, Hayden was starting to get cold and suggested that they go inside the chalet for some hot chocolate. Hayden immersed herself in the plush couches and started unraveling herself from her layers. Justin brought over two steaming cups of hot chocolate and sat down next to her.

Hayden felt herself shiver once she took a drink of the hot liquid and felt it warm her insides. “So are you having fun today?”

“Yeah definitely…I couldn’t even tell you the last time I got to enjoy a day out on the slopes. It’s great, thanks Hayden.” Justin said before taking a drink.

“You’re welcome.” She smiled at him.

Justin peered out the windows at the snow covered mountains and took a minute to just appreciate the beauty of the scenery. “Hayden…” Justin whispered so softly that Hayden wasn’t even sure if it came from his lips.

Gently, she let her eyes travel over him and take in his face. “Yes?”

“Why are you doing all of this, especially after all the time that’s gone by?” His eyes were searching hers, desperately needing an answer.

Although, she wanted to wait till the end of the trip to have this talk, she knew he needed answers. She was just hoping she’d be strong enough to give it to him straight. “I guess I wanted to do something nice for you. I mean…you hopped on the red eye when my brother was in the hospital with no questions asked and I just never got the chance to say thanks. This is my way to say thanks for always being there for me.” Hayden finished.

Justin took in everything she had to say, part of him wanted to believe her…but there was still that nagging feeling that she was hiding something. “So…six months later this is how you say thanks.” Justin felt his voice getting louder.

“I guess…”

“Hayden, I can’t and don’t want to be bought.” Justin stood up from the couch and put his cup down. Quickly, he put his jacket back on and started to head back outside. “I’m going to go back on the hills. Take the car back…I’ll get a ride later.” And with that, Justin disappeared out the door.

Hayden sat there, stunned. This was exactly what she didn’t want to happen. Several people had turned their attention towards her. Hastily, she stood up and made her way through the doors. Scanning the slopes, she looked for any sign of Justin…but he was already gone. Knowing he wanted to be alone, she did the only thing she could think of…she got in the car and drove back to the cabin. Hayden felt the tears sting the back of her eyes and she pushed them back down. She wasn’t trying to buy back his affection...she wanted to come clean and tell him she was still in love with him. Now, it had spun completely out of control.
________________________________________________________________________

Hayden spent the evening pacing the floor, waiting for Justin to come back. She’d been home now for nearly five hours and it was pitch black outside. Every single different scenario went through her head, what if he was hurt or someone recognized him? What if he was lost? She couldn’t stop her wandering mind from thinking the worst. This trip was supposed to be her chance to come clean with everything and now she’d screwed it up.

Slowly, she decided to make something to eat. Although, she wasn’t hungry she figured Justin might be when he got back, whenever that was. Reaching for different ingredients she decided to throw something together quick. About a half hour later, her pasta was baking in the oven and she sat back down on the couches. Turning the fireplace on, it created shadows that danced across the walls. Sighing heavily, she laid her head back against the couch and closed her eyes.

Suddenly, there was a creaking sound and the door opened. Hayden’s head sprung up and she watched Justin enter the cabin. He didn’t even glance her direction while he took his jacket off and hung it up. Slowly, he started to remove his boots and other layers before venturing any further inside.

“Justin…can we talk?” Hayden asked softly. Justin met her eyes and his expression nearly broke her heart in two. He looked lost, distraught and she patted the spot next to her. “Please?”

Justin made his way into the living room and sat down on the couch making sure to put enough distance between them. He looked at her expectantly.

Ok, he’s not going to make this easy for me. “I’m really sorry for this afternoon…”

“I don’t understand it Hayden. What would make you think you had to do all of this just to say thanks?! None of this stuff matters to me…”

“Justin, I wanted to do this for you. To show you…” Hayden felt the words get caught in the back of her throat and Justin’s eyes continued to penetrate her. “I wanted to show you that you mean everything to me.”

Justin felt his breath catch. “What?”

“I know that I’ve made things hard on you…on us. I’ve been so wrapped up in my own feelings that I forgot about yours. I’m sorry for basically shutting you out after everything with Tyler.”

“Why did you? What did I do wrong? I mean, when I left…I wanted to be with you. But I understood that you just needed a friend and I was ok with that. I still called and tried to get you to visit but you were basically MIA for six months. Then out of nowhere I come home and there’s a note from you and then this trip. I just don’t get it…” Justin sighed after confessing his thoughts.

“The honest to God truth is I couldn’t handle everything. I completely broke down when you left.” Hayden felt the tears spring to her eyes and just as quickly as they came, they slid down her cheeks. “There was so much pressure on me to take care of Tyler and I watched him suffer through all the pain. It broke my heart, I watched while he went through physical therapy. I was there when he would fall down and I was there to be his strength when he felt like giving up. But I didn’t have anyone to turn to…to be my strength. I just shut down.”

Justin watched as she cried but he couldn’t bring himself to do anything about it. Why didn’t she tell him this before? Why now? “I don’t understand why you didn’t come to me?”

“I had convinced myself that I needed to distance myself from you. That was the only way to protect myself.” Hayden wiped the tears away and she looked at Justin. “As I sat near Tyler’s bedside all I could think about was…what if I lose him? Justin, it scarred me. I shut off my emotions. I pushed you away to protect my heart.”

“How could pushing me away protect you?” Justin asked as he rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. There was definitely something she was hiding.

“I lost Josh…and I nearly lost Tyler. I don’t know what I would do…if I lost you.” Hayden felt the tears make a steady stream down her face. Every emotion and memory came flooding back to her.

Justin watched as she cried. The words started to sink in and he gently reached out and pulled her against his chest. “Hayden…I promise you, you are not going to lose me.” He whispered.

Hayden’s cries shook her body. “I can’t Justin…I’m not strong enough…”

“Shh…” Justin cooed as he pulled her onto his lap. He gently tucked a piece of hair behind her ear when she looked up at him. “Hayden…you’ve got to learn to talk to me when you feel overwhelmed. You can’t keep bottling these things up and shutting yourself off to the world.”

Hayden snuggled into the crook of his neck and felt his warmth when he wrapped his arms securely around her. “I love you…” Hayden softly whispered.

Justin felt her words deep within his heart. He continued to rub his hand up and down her back soothingly and she snuggled closer to him. Softly, he laid his head against hers and closed his eyes. He could stay in this moment forever.

“Beep…Beep…Beep!!!!!” The screeching echoed through the cabin. Justin flew off the couch in the process dumped Hayden onto the ground with a thud.

“What the hell is that?!?!” Justin yelled.

“Fuck…my pasta!!!!!” Hayden screamed and sprinted into the kitchen. Quickly she whipped open the oven door and smoke barreled out, nearly choking her. She grabbed the dish and threw it on the stove, slamming the door shut again. Justin frantically grabbed a towel and started fanning the smoke detectors while Hayden dealt with the burning food.

Finally, the beeping subsided and Justin walked up behind her. “Let me guess…that was supper?”

Hayden turned ten shades of red and started to laugh. Justin wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her neck. “Come on Emeril…I think we’ve had enough excitement for tonight. Let’s go lay down.” Hayden leaned back into his embrace before walking up the stairs.

“You want to watch a movie?” Justin asked as they made their way upstairs.

Hayden quickly changed into a pair of pajama pants and a tank top before climbing into bed. “Sure…you pick.”

Justin put in a movie and slipped off his pants. With only his boxers on he got into bed next to Hayden. Pulling her close, he wrapped his body around hers before the movie started.

“You didn’t have to put this in you know?” Hayden said when she recognized the movie.

“I know…but after the incident in the kitchen. I figured this would cheer you up.” Justin answered as Pirates of the Caribbean started playing.

“I’m sorry Justin…” Hayden said softly.

“Don’t be Beautiful…” Justin said as she snuggled closer to him. Sleep soon overtook their exhausted bodies and for the first time in a long time…neither woke up until the next morning.

Chapter 27: A Gift

Unfortunately their trip to Colorado had to come to an end and today was their last day at the cabin. Although, there had been some rocky moments Hayden was happy she took him out here. Being isolated from the world was allowing Hayden to really think clearly about her feelings for Justin. She was absolutely sure about what she felt for him and there was something she needed to do tonight, to make sure he understood it without a doubt.

Tonight, Justin had planned to take her to dinner back in the city and Hayden was really looking forward to it. Ever since the night Hayden confessed everything on the couch it was like a weight had been lifted off her. She no longer had to hide anything from him and she could be completely open and honest.

During the afternoon, Hayden had slipped away to finish off another surprise for Justin. There was something she needed to do tonight to let him know where she stood. Their relationship had been put through several ups and downs and she was definitely tired of those. Tonight was all about each other.

“Hayden…are you ready?” Justin asked while walking up the stairs to the loft.

“Yeah…” Hayden said immerging from the bathroom. She was wearing a simple, strapless black dress, nothing fancy or flashy just very elegant. Her hair was straightened and lay wispily on her shoulders. Justin felt his breath catch in his throat watching Hayden walk towards him. He stood there frozen, not taking his eyes off her face. She looked absolutely beautiful. Swiftly, she approached him and leaned in touching her lips sweetly to his cheek. Hayden let a small smile play at her lips when she pulled away and continued to walk around him, reaching behind she intertwined their fingers. “So where are we going to dinner?”

“I know we usually go to small cafes…but there’s this place downtown called Diggers. I heard they’ve got great food and it’s a quiet.” He said laying his hand gently against the small of her back

Once they reached the kitchen, Hayden grabbed her purse making sure her gift was secured inside and threw a jacket on over her dress. Not long after, Justin was driving them into town with her hand resting on his leg. There was a calm aura surrounding them and both could feel it. For the first time in a long time, nothing was forced; there was no tension and definitely no nerves taking control.

After a short drive into town Hayden and Justin were being seated in a quiet corner of the restaurant. There were flowers on the table and candles lighting the room. It was romantic but calming at the same time. She felt completely comfortable with him by her side.

Hayden scanned the menu quick while Justin continued to take her in with his eyes. There was something different about her tonight and he couldn’t quite place it. Hayden felt his stares and gently kicked his leg under the table. “Are you going to order something or stare at me the whole night?” She said winking at him.

Justin blushed slightly and opened his menu. Shortly after, the waiter came through and took their order. He was polite when he recognized Justin and made sure not to draw any unwanted attention. After taking a sip of water, Justin leaned back in his chair.

“What?” Hayden asked when she felt those familiar eyes staring at her again.

“Something’s different…I haven’t figured it out yet. But you seem…I don’t know…calm.”

“Thanks…I think. Don’t know if that was a compliment or a backwards way of saying I’m uptight the rest of the time.” Hayden joked.

“I meant it as a good thing…” He said leaning forward and grabbing a hold of her hands. Soothingly, he ran his thumb across her palms and it caused a tingling sensation within Hayden. “Thank you for this trip. I know we didn’t get off on the right foot when we got here but I hope you believe me when I say I had a great time.”

Hayden felt a smile tug at her lips. “Well, hopefully we can do this again sometime.”

Justin smiled at her open invitation. He wanted things to work out between them. He was just looking to Hayden to make the move. He’d already been the pursuer and that obviously didn’t turn out right so if anything was to happen…it was all on her. He couldn’t deny that she occupied his mind 99.9% of the time and when they were apart he was counting down till they could be together again. He certainly didn’t want the trip to come to an end because part of him worried she would run away again. He couldn’t take that on his heart anymore. Every time he felt himself opening up again and letting her into his heart, she’d turn away and slam the door shut.

But something about tonight just felt different. From her outfit, to her looks, to her calm nature. She was absolutely glowing in the restaurant and Justin felt his heart swell thinking about what could be. “However, next time it’ll be my turn to surprise you.”

“I could definitely enjoy that.” Hayden said before pulling her hands free when the waiter approached with their food. Dinner was relatively quiet as both were enjoying their food. Justin was right, it was definitely quiet here but the food was delicious. There was nothing quite like this in California.

“Wow…I’m stuffed.” Justin said leaning back in his chair and rubbing his stomach for effect.

“Me too. Thank you for supper. It was wonderful.” Hayden said reaching for her jacket and placing it around her arms.

“You’re welcome. You want to take a walk before we head back to the cabin?” Justin asked as he stood up.

“I’d love to.” Hayden reached for his hand and intertwined their fingers as they walked out of the restaurant. No one seemed to notice Justin and it was definitely comforting to know that tonight was just the two of them without any bystanders.

The cool wind whipped at Hayden’s face as soon as they walked outside. She snuggled deeper into her coat trying to warm up. Feeling Hayden shiver, Justin wrapped his arm protectively around her as they walked towards the square. Enjoying being in his arm, Hayden laid her head against his shoulder.

“Let’s sit over there on that bench.” Hayden said when they approached the middle of downtown Colorado Springs. Sporadically placed were stone benches overlooking a lighted fountain in the middle of the park. There were street lamps lining the sidewalks which cast shadows throughout the park. It was definitely breathtaking.

As they got comfortable on the bench, Hayden turned to Justin making sure to face him. “There’s something else I wanted to do tonight…” Hayden started.

Immediately, Justin’s mind went to the gutter with that and he smiled. “Oh, really? I can think of a few things too…” Justin played.

Hayden smiled and softly pushed him. “I’m being serious.”

“I know you are…sorry, continue.” Justin persuaded.

Hayden took a deep breath. This was what she had been preparing to do all day. This was the reason she made a trip to town earlier and this was a huge step. Surprisingly though she wasn’t scared, it just felt right. “I know we’ve been through a lot together. I can’t thank you enough for being there when I needed a friend and when I needed a boyfriend. You’ve filled every role I ever asked you to and no words could ever express what you mean to me.” Hayden smiled up at him and reached into her purse, pulling out a small box.

She held it for a second before placing it in Justin’s hand. Gently she squeezed his hand around the box. Justin looked at her, silently asking for an explanation on the gift.

“I can’t possibly explain in words what you’ve done for me or how you make me feel. No one, and I mean no one, has ever made me feel the way you do. Justin, I’ve loved you ever since our first trip to Minnesota. When I opened my life to you…there was no turning back. You’ve had my heart ever since and I can honestly say I don’t want anyone else to have it.” Hayden softly smiled up at him. “I hope you understand this gift…open it.”

Carefully, Justin unwrapped the box from its paper and slowly opened it. Inside the velvet box, positioned between to white cushion shone a simple gold ring. Justin recognized it immediately…it was the ring from Hayden’s necklace.

“Hayden…I can’t take this…” Justin instantly said.

“Yes you can. My necklace was my safety net. It was my comfort. When everything seemed to be going wrong…I could hold onto it and know Josh would be looking down on me.” Hayden tried to explain but Justin cut her off.

“Exactly…this is yours. There’s no way I can take this.”

“Just listen please…and if you don’t want it, I’ll take it back.” Hayden interjected. “That ring was my only connection Josh. That ring was what I used to be my strength. But I realized something…I don’t need it anymore. I don’t need it because you have filled that role in my life. Justin, you’ve been my comfort and my strength for so long now…I don’t need Josh to do it anymore. The reason I am giving this to you is because you’re the one who has my heart. I don’t want you to think otherwise. Your love has set me free of my past.” Hayden finished and she brushed the tears away that sprung forward.

Justin sat there shocked at her confession. She had given him something extremely special to her and she trusted this to him. He understood the importance of her gesture and he was touched deep within his soul. “Hayden…”

“Justin…I love you. I love you so much it hurts at times. I can’t imagine my life without you in it.”

“Beautiful…come here.” Justin said opening his arms up to her and pulling her against his chest. Softly, he kissed her temple and whispered into her ear the words Hayden had longed to hear. “I love you too.”

Gently, Justin rubbed his hand up and down her back. He reached his hand under her chin and turned her towards him. “Hayden, this means a lot to me and I promise I’ll look over it. Thank you.” Softly, Justin brought his lips to hers. Hayden felt like fireworks were going off all around them when she felt their lips meet. She’d longed to feel his touch again and it was everything she’d dreamed about. Feeling his tongue graze her lips, she opened her mouth and allowed their tongues to dance. She felt his arms wrap around her waist and pulled her flush against him. Desperately needing air, she broke their kiss and both were left breathless.

“Justin…let’s go back to the cabin.” Hayden suggested. She knew things could definitely get out of hand and being in a very public place was probably not the best idea. Quickly, Justin got up from the bench and they made their way back to the car. Not long after getting into the car and driving away, were they kissing and groping each other up the walk way to their cabin.

Hayden couldn’t get enough of his lips and feeling his hands all over her body was electrifying. She’d waited so long to feel this way again with him and it was everything she’d hoped for.

Justin fumbled with the keys, while Hayden sucked on his neck and they stumbled through the door. Quickly, clothes were being undone and throne about as they maneuvered their way up the steps towards their bed. Trying not to break the contact of their lips, Hayden managed to get his shirt off and he’d already started unzipping her dress.

Justin picked her up and laid her gently down on the bed. Hovering over her, he started kissing and sucking on her neck. Hayden let out a whimper and she wrapped her legs securely around Justin’s waist. Grinding her hips into him, she could feel his tension and she shimmied her hands down to hold him. Justin gasped for breath when he felt Hayden’s hand wrap entirely around him and start stroking. Hearing his moans of pleasure, she longed to feel him inside her.

“I need you inside of me…Justin…please.” Hayden whispered through her kisses.

Justin quickly shed himself of his boxers and positioned himself between her legs. Gently, he pushed himself inside of her and they gasped in pleasure. It had been almost a year since they’d been together physically and something about this moment was even more beautiful than their first time. Justin began to pulse in and out of her and he was bringing Hayden close to the edge.

“I love you…you’re so beautiful.” Justin whispered between his thrusts and Hayden felt her heart burst with love. He was everything she’d ever wanted.

“Justin…I’m close…” Hayden cried out before she felt a thunderous explosion inside. Her body shook and Justin could feel her walls tighten around him and it was enough to send him over the edge. Looking into each others eyes, they watched each other climax. Justin laid his head on her chest, trying to catch his breath, when he came down. Instinctively, Hayden brought her hands to his head and ran her fingers through the soft curls.

Justin lovingly looked up at Hayden and positioned himself next to her. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled the blanket up around them tightly. “I love you Beautiful. I always have.”

“I love you too Justin. You’re everything to me.”

Sometimes I sit and I wonder
And I just can't seem to believe
What a blessing it's been to be loved
You're an angel sent to me

You're the star who lights up my sky
You're the one who made me see
That you don't need wings to fly
Your love has set me free

Cause you are the one who makes me whole
In my heart and in my soul
And just like the sun you showed me the light
I'm amazed and you're the reason why

Before you I was so blind
I didn't know which path to choose
You poured all of this love in my heart
And there's no way that I can lose

And when I have no faith in myself
You're the one who makes me strong
I wouldn't have a story to tell
Or an ending to my song

Cause you are the one who makes me whole
In my heart and in my soul
And just like the sun you showed my the light
I'm amazed and you're the reason why