“Have you called her?” Chris questioned his younger bandmate as they sat at breakfast early that morning in San Diego. The JC shrugged a shoulder, and chewed his waffle before responding. 

“Nah,” he mumbled and took another mouthful of waffle, dripping with syrup. Chris shook his head and sighed, watching JC nonchalantly continue to eat. 

“Don’t you think you should? She was really hurt, Jace,” Chris pressed on. He hated seeing his friends argue this one, especially when he knew that they belonged together. And, something as petty as jealousy and stupid blindness should not be their demise. 

“Chris, I didn’t do anything wrong. And if these gossip shows have caught wind, it wasn’t because of me. I didn’t let the entire hotel know about it,” JC became defensive, and Chris laughed. Shaking his head in disbelief, Chris leaned back in his chair just watching JC’s face. 

“What?” the younger man asked, irritation lacing his voice. 

“You truly are blind, JC. You really don’t know what you did wrong. Jace, man, you ignored her for 8 days. You guys hadn’t seen one another in weeks. She’s been touring the WORLD for weeks, and hadn’t seen her family or anyone in weeks. She flies for hours to come spend nearly a month with us, and what do you do? You bring Tara around, and ignore Ana. Tara was a snob and a bitch the entire time, and she clung to you at every second. And Ana, well, she bit her tongue just to be around you. And then, she asks you to go meet her godfather and you ditch her. Are you really that stupid?” Chris bitterly laughed, JC stared blankly. 

“Yeah, you are. Her godfather is the only father she has left! Did you not think that she’d want him to meet you? To give her his blessing? It’s been a year, man. She’s been hurt in the past, and you’re only replaying her past,” Chris sat looking as a slow realization crept across JC’s face. Shaking his head, he gathered his plate and stood up. 

“We have a couple days off after Phoenix, think about it,” he stated, patting JC on the shoulder and walking away. Dropping off his plates, Chris turned back to see JC hang his head and run his fingers through his hair. Sending up a silent prayer, he left the breakfast area that’d been set up for them at the hotel and headed back to his room. They had a full day ahead of them, and he needed to finish getting ready. 

#### 

"And in celebrity gossip today: a member of NSYNC may be back on the market.  That's right, ladies, JC Chasez --the soulful crooner of the group-- and R&B singer Ana Mora seem to have called it quits over the weekend. Mora had recently joined the boyband’s summer tour after wrapping up her own world tour. She was spotted exiting a Denver hotel, where JC and the guys were staying in lieu of their show, looking tearful and upset. The usually cheery singer bypassed fans and was heard requesting a trip to the airport. Here at E! News, we love JC and Ana together, and we’d love for this to be false, but sources reveal that that there’s friction between both chart-toppers caused by a female companion of JC’s that also recently joined the tour. Could the sexy Ana really be jealous? Is there anyone hotter than her? We tried reaching both JC and Ana for comment but none of our calls were returned which leaves us to wonder: is it true? For E! News, I'm Trent Rogers..."   

“It’s 11 in the morning, for God’s sake. Isn’t it too early for gossip?” Ana sighed, watching images of her and JC dancing across the television screen in her living room. 

Clicking the television set off, Ana sighed and let her head fall back onto the couch. Her loyal Tajo lay across her lap, and her fingers ran through his shiny coat. It’d been three days since she’d arrived from Denver and Orlando, and JC had yet to call her up. She knew that he was upset with her; they both hated public quarrels, and unfortunately, everyone on the tour probably knew about their argument at the hotel. And despite him being upset, she was far more upset to call him first. And maybe she was being selfish, but she thought she had every right to be selfish. 

After being in different countries and on different sides of the globe for weeks, she deserved some time with her boyfriend. For God’s sake, she’d opted to go spend time with him first before going to see her sisters. It’d been far longer since she’d seen them. And after visiting her godfather, she’d realized that what she was doing was unfair. They were both in the same business, the same commitments, the same restrictions, the same sacrifices, and the same relationship. 

And that’s why she was on the East Coast, enjoying her home and her hometown, and he was touring the West Coast. 

Landing in Orlando, Johnny had provided her with transportation from the airport to the complex. She’d tied some loose ends, and then picked up Tajo from Roy and Karen before heading back out. Glad that she’d left her car at JC’s house, she drove back to Atlanta the same day. And now, here she was with not much to do. All this time off, she had been planned to be on tour with JC, so all her commitments were postponed. The guys’ album dropped in a week or so, and they would celebrate in California. 

“Maybe I should go, what do you think Tajo?” she spoke aloud, looking down at her companion. His large chocolate eyes looked up at her, droopy and confused. 

“Yeah, I’m confused too,” she sighed before easing out from underneath him. Patting across the hardwood floors of her living room, she climbed the stairs to her bedroom. Quickly changing her sweats for a more street-appropriate outfit, she pulled her restless curls into a low ponytail before slipping it through the back of a cap. Grabbing her shades and purse, she jogged back down the stairs, and into the kitchen. 

“Be good,” she playfully warned Tajo, wagging a finger at him. He barked his response, and she giggled before stooping down to kiss his nose. Making her way out her house, she set the alarm and locked the door behind her. Climbing into her car, she prepared herself to make the 35 minute drive to the local studios that she usually used when at home. She liked going in to the studio to just mess around, and sometimes she ran into so many people. It was a good distraction for her, that’s why she refused to get a studio put in her house. She needed a reason to leave home. 

“Aló,” she answered her ringing cell phone without taking her eyes off the road, driving up I-85. 

“Hermanita, where you hiding?” her sister’s voice invaded her eardrum, bringing a smile to her face. 

“Ay Myra, I was never too good and hiding. Don’t you remember?” Ana retorted, switching lanes to avoid the I-285 exit. 

“So true, so true, you poor thing. ¿Que haces?,” Myra questioned, hearing the rumble of tires and highway through the line. 

“Driving to Flyte Tyme, are you in town?” 

“Yeah, I’m down at the fields finishing up a training session. You want to meet up for lunch?” Myra replied, looking around at the players running around the soccer fields. 

“Yeah, te miro at South City at 2. Be careful, besitos,” they hung up, and Ana approached the downtown studio parking lot. Easing her car into the small side lot, she found an open space in the far back corner. Grabbing her purse and setting her car alarm, she walked across the small lot and towards the glass double doors that led to the inside. Pulling them open, she stepped into building and was greeted by elevator doors on both sides. Pushing the button for an elevator cart, she tapped her toe on the marble floors. Finally, Ana climbed into the elevator cart and rode it up to the second floor lobby. 

“Ms. Mora, what a pleasant surprise! How are you?” the young receptionist greeted her from behind her large, black desk to her right. Smiling at her, Ana strode over to the desk. 

“I’m good Alana, and please, it’s Ana. How are you doing?” Ana walked around the desk, and offered the young girl a warm hug. It’d been a while since she’d seen her, and she was glad to see her doing fine. 

“I’m doing alright, just keeping busy. School will start up soon, and with work, it’ll take up a lot of my time,” Alana replied, nervously tucking a stand of hair behind her ear. 

“You’ll graduate in May, right?” Ana took a seat on the girl’s desk, wanting to catch up with her. 

“Yes ma’am, May 24th,” she proudly replied, a wide smile on her face. 

“Well, I’ll keep my eye out for that invitation,” Ana smiled, patting the girls arm, hoping to settle her nerves. She never understood why Alana always seemed so nervous whenever she was around, especially after knowing her for so long. 

“Really? You’d come to my graduation?” the disbelief in Alana’s voice was comical, and Ana shook her head. 

“Of course, you’re gonna be valedictorian! I wouldn’t miss it for anything,” Ana reassured her before standing back up. 

“Oh thank you, Ana! It means a lot to me,” Alana gushed, clasping her hands together, presumably to keep them from shaking. 

“No need to thank me, now, do you have a free studio? Just until like 1:30 or so,” Ana asked, looking at the calendar on the wall that listed artists coming in for the week. 

“Yeah, I think so. Let me check,” Alana spoke, twisting her chair around to bring up studio’s schedule on the computer. Scouring the schedule, she turned back. 

“Studio 3B is open until 2, so I think that should be fine. Do you need me to bring you anything? Snacks, water…anything?” Alana offered, rummaging through the top drawer for the key to Studio 3B. 

“I’ll grab a bottle of water before heading in there, but thank you. If anyone needs me, feel free to go in there. I’ll just be messing around,” Ana replied, smiling warmly at the girl before turning away. Walking down the appropriate hallway, she made her way down towards the assigned studio. Opening the door, a feeling of calmness swept over her as she stepped into the room. To her, any studio was home. Shutting the door behind her, she walked over to the piano that sat in the back corner. 

Taking a seat on the black bench, her manicured fingers ran over the ivory keys. Occasionally, her fingers would press down on one, two keys; a strangled and foreign sound would fill the small room. Placing both hands on the keys, she closed her eyes and let her fingers take over. She didn’t have a melody without sound or words without music; she was just tinkling. 

“I heard it, but I couldn’t believe it,” a voice spoke from behind her, causing her to jump in fright and twist around in surprise. 

“My goodness! Did you really have to?” she questioned, a hand to her racing heart and her body doubled over laughing. The culprit of her fright stood in the doorway, laughing right along with her. 

“I couldn’t help myself. I heard you were in the studio, and I was in disbelief. Ms. Ana, superstar and mega-awesome girlfriend, cannot be around here,” her companion teased, and Ana laughed along. Standing up from the piano bench, she walked over to her visitor and wrapped her slender arms tightly around her. 

“I’ve missed you, Li,” she sighed, embracing her friend of many years. It’d been a good while since they’d seen each other, but they always kept in touch. Having friends in the industry was equally hard as having a relationship, the distance and the schedule conflicts made it so difficult to get together and hang out. 

“Oh, honey, me too. But, tell me, you’ve been everywhere. How are you doing?” her close friend silky, soothing voice made her warm inside. Still embracing, Ana pulled away and wiped away the tears from her eyes before they fell. 

“I’ve been alright, making it,” Ana confessed, not able to lie to her friend of so many years. Aaliyah could always get the truth out of her, and always knew what to say to make her feel better. 

“Any truth in what I’ve been hearing about you and JC?” she asked, leading them over to the chairs in front of the soundboard.

Taking a seat, Aaliyah kept a hold of Ana’s hand, bringing her comfort. Drawing her bottom lip between her teeth, Ana nervously chewed on it, hoping to keep a grasp of her feelings. She hadn’t spoken to anyone about her and JC, even though the other guys knew what was going on. She’d always been so against talking to others about her relationships, when relationships were between two people. 

“You know gossip, they always exaggerate everything,” she spoke, bringing her golden eyes to meet beautiful brown and green eyes. 

“In order to exaggerate, there’s got to be some truth there,” her sultry voice soothed Ana, and she soon found herself spilling every detail. She described every single thing that JC would do and not do, and everything that she would do or not do. And Aaliyah, listened to everything before lending her sound advice. All And truly wanted to hear was that she was wrong, and that she needed to fly back to JC. But, instead Aaliyah told her the opposite. 

“Bias aside, I think you’re doing more for the both than he is. And he’s such a great and sweet guy and I love him, but I also know how he is about his work. That boy can blow the roof off any joint, and he’s an incredible musician, and when it comes to his craft, he’s blind. He’s completely committed to it, so I think what you both need is this time apart. You need to reconnect with your family and friends after being gone for so long, and he needs to realize that if he wants this to work, he’s gonna have to sacrifice as well,” Aaliyah advised, and Ana sighed. This is exactly what she didn’t want to hear, because, well, she missed him. She missed him so much, and all she wanted to do was to be held by him. 

“Li, I miss him,” Ana softly confessed, feeling weak and helpless – a feeling that she was not all too familiar with. 

“I know, babygirl, but it’s a lesson both of you have to learn. You should still talk, but resist going to see him. Let him come to you,” Aaliyah reasoned, smiling gently as she wiped away a tear from Ana’s eyes. Bringing her in for a hug again, she patted her thigh. 

“Come on, I got some time free, let’s go to lunch,” Aaliyah invited her, pulling her up. 

“I’m meeting Myra for lunch at 2, want to join us?” Ana replied, wiping at the few stray tears. 

“Oh, that’s crazy thing! Of course I will, I haven’t seen her in forever. Is she still playing?” she questioned, watching Ana gather her purse. 

“She’s helping train the Dawgs right now since she hurt her ankle, but yeah, she’s still playing,” Ana replied, leading her friend out of the studio and back towards the lobby to turn in the key. Smiling at Alana, the duo waved goodbye and rode down to the entrance and out to the parking lot. 

“You two should come to NYC with me tomorrow. The album drops and there’s a release party tomorrow night at Quo,” Aaliyah climbed into the passenger seat of Ana’s car, and waited for Ana to climb in on the other side. 

“Well, you can ask Myra later, but I’m down. You were there for me, and I’ll sure as hell be there for you. Album is too damn good,” Ana replied, smiling over at her friend. Both singers pulled their shades over their eyes, and settled in for the trip to the midtown restaurant to meet Myra for lunch. 

#### 

“Yo Johnny! Can I talk to you for a second?” JC called out to his manager, as he walked down the corridors of the stadium in Phoenix. He’d been walked with Lance towards craft services when they’d spotted Johnny walking up ahead. 

“Hey Jace, Lance, what’s going on boys?” Johnny asked, after greeting two-fifths of his money-makers. 

“I need a flight to Atlanta after the show tonight,” JC stated, not missing the look of surprise on Johnny’s face. The older man was a bit taken aback, but he quickly recovered. 

“Alright, what for may I ask?” Johnny replied, even though he had a suspicion that it involved a certain sultry R&B singer. 

“Well, without going into detail, I need to go see Ana and make some wrong, right,” JC explained, nervously scratching at the back of his neck. Lance stood quietly beside him, happy to see JC finally taking responsibility with Ana. 

“That’s sounds like the right thing to do, but you’re gonna fail miserably,” Johnny’s voice seemed to taunt JC, and this quickly bothered him. 

“Look Johnny, we have nearly three days off before the Oakland show and either you book me the flight or I book it on my own. I just figured you could get it done and through security faster than I could. But, don’t worry about it. I’ll do it myself,” JC angrily spat before turning on his heel and walking away, leaving a shocked Lance and an amused Johnny. 

“I have no problem with you going to Atlanta for Ana, JC. But, if I let you go to Atlanta, I’d be letting you fail,” Johnny continued his cryptic talk, enjoying too much messing with JC. He’d seen what his actions had down to Ana when she’d passed through Orlando, and Justin had filled him in on what had happened on the tour. Johnny had been truly surprised at JC’s blindness and stupidity. 

“How would that happen, Johnny? Have you talked to her? Did she tell you something? What?” JC stopped and turned back towards Johnny. 

“I've spoken to her, and she’s not in Atlanta. She’s in New York City,” Johnny explained, and he saw JC’s tense jaw relax a bit. 

“What’s in New York?” JC asked, confused. Ana had said she’d be going home, and that’d meant Atlanta. 

“Aaliyah’s release party, Ana and Myra were both there last night,” Johnny explained. 

“And she’ll still be there today?” JC asked, wanting to make sure that he was flying across the country to the right city. 

“Yeah, I spoke with her earlier and they’re staying there for some other events,” Johnny detailed, and JC nodded. 

“Alright then, get me the first flight there,” JC nodded, and shook Johnny’s hand before turning around and walking off. Lance stayed behind with Johnny, and they both watched him stalk down the hallway. 

“He hates not knowing where she is,” Lance commented, looking back at Johnny. 

“It’s as easy as picking up the phone, Lance,” Johnny shrugged, truthfulness in his words. 

“Why’d you have to talk to Ana?” small details like these never went unnoticed by Lance. Johnny shook his head, a tense smile on his lips. 

“Damage control,” Johnny tensely revealed, and Lance’s eyebrows raised in question. “Hard partying last night, they’ve got video and photos.” 

“Oh no, how bad?” Lance sighed, he could feel a headache coming on for his friend. 

“Nothing too bad, no underage drinking caught, but it definitely fuels the breakup rumors,” Johnny said, and Lance felt some relief. With no hard evidence, the rumors could be brushed off and explained with a simple ‘She’s a young girl having fun’ excuse. 

“JC being there will settle the rumors,” Johnny concluded, and Lance agreed. With JC back in the same city as Ana, the rumors would placate. Or at least, they hoped. 

#### 

“Back for Round 2, ladies!” Ana exclaimed, as she walked into the VIP section at Quo for the second night. Last night, the nightclub had been exclusive to Aaliyah’s album release party, and tonight, Ana had invited her back out to celebrate the good reviews and the good sales numbers. 

“Such a relief to have the album out,” Aaliyah clinked her shot glass with Myra’s and Ana’s. Each tipped their drink back in celebration. 

“So, let’s celebrate!” Ana exclaimed, earning cheers from both her companions. After two more shots, the three walked out of VIP down to the dance floor below. Jay-Z’s “Izzo” was playing, and the girls goofed off. They declined dancing with anyone else, staying only with each other. One song rolled into another one, and so on. 

Only stopping to take drink or restroom breaks, the trio danced the night away. As the time neared the early morning hours, they agreed to one more song. Like icing on a cake, the last song to play was a current favorite of Ana’s. At times, it felt autobiographical, like right now. 

Hey j-j-jaded, you got your mama's style
But you're yesterday's child to me
So jaded
You think that's where it's at
But is that where it's supposed to be
You're gettin' it all over me X-Rated

My my baby blue
Yeah I been thinkin' about you
My my baby blue
Yeah you're so jaded
And I'm the one that jaded you

Hey j-j-jaded
In all it's misery
It will always be what I love and hated
And maybe take a ride to the other side
We're thinkin' of
We'll slip into the velvet glove
And be jaded

My my baby blue
Yeah I'm thinkin about you
My my baby blue
Yeah I'm so jaded
And baby I'm afraid of you

Your thinking's so complicated
I've had it all up to here
But it's so overrated
Love and hated
Wouldn't trade it
Love me jaded

“No, thank you,” she said, a bit more forceful this time. 

“Don’t you want to relax and have fun with me, maybe we can get out of here. Go elsewhere,” the tall guy she was dancing with continued, and she shook her head again. 

“No, I’m not going anywhere with you. I have a boyfriend, thank you. So, either you can deal with dancing with me or I’ll find someone else,” Ana declared, her eyes hard as steel. The guys sighed in disappointment and disappeared. Ana chuckled before turning to find another guys dancing close by.

Hey j-j-jaded
There ain't no baby please
When I'm shootin the breeze with her
When everything you see is a blur
And ectasy's what you prefer

Deciding to join him, she took the two steps to him and began dancing with him. Quickly, he wrapped an arm around her midsection and pulled him flush against him. His movements were slow, deliberate, yet smooth. Looking around, Ana saw Aaliyah and Myra each dancing with a guy close by. They had a smile on their face and would occasionally laugh at something their partner would say. Smiling, she focused back on the music, the beat, and her dance partner.

#### 

“Y’all have a good night! See you in the morning!” Ana drunkenly exclaimed as she pushed opened the door to her hotel room. She waved to Myra and Aaliyah, as they each disappeared into their rooms. Without bothering to turn on the lights, she kicked off her pumps and wander further into the room. 

Her fingers clumsily released the button on her jeans, and pulled down on the zipper. Pushing them off her hips, she reached down to pull the legs down. Bent over and pulling at the leg of her jeans, her body froze. Her senses sobered, and her nose perked. 

That smell. She knew it. It belonged to him. 

Pulling her jeans off, she felt around for a lamp and found one for to her. Flicking it on, her breath caught in her throat. There, lying on one side of her bed, JC was curled up. He was asleep and oblivious to her presence. 

“Oh Jace, you came…” she tearfully gasped, before covering her mouth. She didn’t think it prudent to wake him up, but she wanted to. He’d had a show that night, and he’d flown here. Tossing her jeans on the chair in the corner, she quietly walked over to him. Settling on her knees on the carpet close to his head, she reached out a hand. Soothing back his hair, she smiled when he didn’t move. 

“You sleep like a rock,” she bemused, before deciding to peck his pouty lips. One peck, nothing. Two pecks, nothing. Three pecks and some pressure, she felt his long lashes brush against the top of her cheek bones. Pulling away, she watched his eyes blink before settling his beautiful shades of blue on her face. A small smile tugged at his lips as his large hands reached out for her. 

“I’m so sorry,” his voice broke from the sleep, and he cleared his throat before trying it one more time. She smiled, and nuzzled her cheek into his hand. Closing her eyes at the feel of his warmth, she smiled and felt a tear moisten her cheek. 

“It’s ok, it’s all ok. You’re here, and that’s all I wanted,” she confessed, leaning back to kiss his lips. Rolling onto his back, he wrapped an arm around back and brought her body to rest atop his. Pulling away from her lips, he looked ready to dive into a speech. But, her finger shushing his lips stopped him. 

“We’ll talk in the morning. Let me just have tonight,” she pleaded, and he breathed deeply. Giving into her request, he silenced any more chatter with his lips. His hands smoothed down her sides, over her hips, across her panty-clad bottom, and over her bare, smooth thighs. Chill bumps raised over her skin and beneath his fingers. With a need to protect her, he stood with her still in his arms, and pulled the covers down on the bed. Her arms wrapped around his neck, she watched with wide eyes as he eased back onto the bed and pull the covers over them. 

“I love you,” he mumbled, his lips connected to hers. 

“I love you, too,” she replied, giving in to the synchronized sweet torture of his lips, his hands, and his body. This was all she’d ever begged for, just to feel with him and for him.