In one instant Justin’s world had crashed down all around him. One moment he was on top of the world and the next he was at rock bottom. He ignored the news speculation over his relationship with Britney for months. They were paparazzi, what did they know? Justin was in the relationship with her, not them. They could make up stories all they wanted and they wouldn’t be true.

But it did bug him to see their faces plastered on the cover of every magazine in the US. He knew it was a gamble he was taking with her once they came out with their relationship, but he didn’t want to keep it private. He wanted the world to know he was dating the most wonderful girl in the world; he wanted everyone to know about the special girl who captured his heart. Part of him wanted to brag too, that he was the lucky guy she chose to be with.

But that was the curse he decided to deal with and it ended up biting him in the butt.

Justin didn’t know how long it was exactly that he had been staring up at the ceiling but time had flew judging by the red numbers on the clock. Thankfully they didn’t have a show that day. His heart wasn’t in it and he knew his fans would be able to tell that something was wrong. Hell, he wouldn’t put it past his fans to know what had happened already. He couldn’t give them 50%, he owed them 100% but he didn’t feel like he could give it at that moment.

He sat up and ran his hands over his head, letting out a sigh. He needed to talk to someone or else he’d explode, but he couldn’t talk to the guys. They’ve been giving him looks of pity since they found out and he hated them. The looks made him feel worse about the whole situation. The last thing he needed was to be told “everything would be alright, you’ll see”.

Rolling his eyes at the thought, Justin got off his bed and knocked on the door that connected his room to the one next to it. “Hey Mack, can we talk?” He called through the door. He rested his forehead against it and listened. He frowned when he didn’t hear a noise and knocked again. “Mack?” He twisted the knob and lifted his eyebrows when it opened. He stepped inside the room, surprised to see how clean it was. So clean that it was as if no one had been in the room.

Justin had moved to go back to his room when something caught his eye. Or when something didn’t catch his eye, rather. There weren’t any bags on the floor and a quick check in the bathroom came up empty.

He dove for the phone and quickly dialed JC’s room number. His pulse quickened and he could feel adrenaline running though his body. What if something happened to her? What if she was hurt?

“What?” JC asked as soon as he picked up.

“C, she’s gone,” Justin panted.

“Wait, what? Justin, why’re you using Mack’s phone.

“She’s gone, C, gone,” he repeated.

“What do you mean gone? Justin, calm down and tell it to me straight.”

“She’s not here. Her stuff’s gone, the room’s totally empty,” Justin managed to get out as he sat down on the bed. His fingers curled in with the spiral of the phone cord as he listened to JC’s breathing on the other end.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure!” Justin all but barked at JC. “I think I know when my friends is missing and she’s gone!”

“Calm down, she must still be in the hotel somewhere. Maybe she switched rooms. I’ll check with security, try her phone, while the others look for her. You stay there in case she comes back. OK?” JC said, instantly jumping into action. Justin couldn’t find the words to respond. “J, stay with me here. I need you to relax.”

“I’m relaxed, I’m fine,” Justin mumbled.

“OK, now stay there. Alright?”

“Alright.”

“I’ll check back in with you in a bit, bud. Don’t freak out.”

The dial tone buzz filled Justin’s ear and he set the phone back down. His fingers drummed against his knees. He got up and started pacing rapidly. JC should’ve known not to ask Justin to stay put. Justin’s never been able to sit down and relax on his days off, he always has to do something.

He suddenly stopped in the middle of the room. Did he just see…? He turned his head and saw a lone piece of paper sitting on the pillow. Diving forward, he snatched for the paper, almost bashing his head against the bed’s headboard. His eyes skimmed over the few words that detailed her departure and crumpled it up in his fist.

Where could she have gone? Just whipped out his cell phone, trying to think of who to call first. He tried her parents’ house but no one answered, nor at his place, so he decided to call Trace. He forced a couple of deep breaths as he waited for Trace to pick up.

“Hey Justin,” Trace said, finally picking up the phone..

“She’s gone!” Justin blurted out.

 “Calm down, J. What’re you freaking out about?” Trace asked. Justin could practically see the confusion etched on his friend’s face.

“She’s gone, Trace,” Justin replied, breathlessly. “Mack’s gone. She left a note about saying she needed to leave or something. We tried calling her phone but she’s not picking up. Is she with you?”

“Uhhh…”

Justin’s ears started to ring. He knew right away that he was hiding something. “Trace, come on. You know something, right? Is she safe?”

“Uh, yeah, man. She’s safe. She’s back here in Tennessee, actually,” Trace said slowly.

Justin let out a huge sigh of relief, “Oh thank God.” The relief was quickly replaced by anger. “Is she crazy!? We’ve been running all over this damn hotel trying to find her! Why’d she go back?”

“I don’t know, she hasn’t said anything to me,” Trace replied. “What’d the note say?”

“Just some bullshit about her having to go home.” Justin’s eyes widened. “Is anyone sick?” He asked desperately. “Dead? Dying?”

“No, everyone’s fine as far as I know.”

“Good,” Justin sighed and sat back down. He twisted his mouth to the side and ran a hand over his short hair. “Is she there? Can I talk to her?” He asked.

It took a second before Trace replied. “Uh, no she’s busy doing something.”

Justin rolled his eyes. Trace sucked at lying and Justin had enough of it. “Well, I’m going to fly out and get her,” he decided, jumping up.

“Are you crazy?” Trace yelled through the line so loud that Justin had to jerk the phone away from his ear. “You have a tour and four other guys to worry about, J, she’s fine here,” Trace told him.

“But she’s not fine there because she’s not with me,” Justin wanted to say but Trace cut him off.

“Look, something obviously upset her. I mean, she was crying about something but she didn’t say what. I know you all are worried but she wouldn’t want to be the reason you guys cancel shows just to come get her. I mean, you don’t really need her at the end of a tour, right?”

“…right,” Justin grumbled. He hated it when Trace was right.

“So, you guys can do your shows while I keep an eye on her. You have a show here soon, right? By the time you get here I’ll try and get everything I can out of her and then you all can talk and work things out. Something upset her out there and if one of you guys tried to force her back she’d dig her heels into the ground.”

“You have a point,” Justin sighed. “Just…call me back with updates, ok?”

“Will do.”

“Thanks, T. Look, I have to go—radio interview. Call you later.”

“Alright, bye man.”

“Later.”

Justin hung up the phone and collapsed on the bed, suddenly drained. He didn’t know why that lie came out, they didn’t have anything to do the rest of the night. Deep down he knew that it was better that Trace think that he actually had something to do instead of sit around the rest of the night wondering why he drove away girls that he cared about.