=Chapter Thirteen=Tennessee Lullaby=

I rolled over and didn’t feel Justin lying next to me.  I opened my eyes and saw his side of the bed was empty.  I sighed and rolled onto my back.  I stared up at the white ceiling.  After lying there for a few minutes I finally decided to get out of bed.  I threw the covers off of myself and set my feet down on the carpet.  A yawn escaped as I stood up and stretched.  Before I headed down stairs I changed my clothes.

I looked around the room then walked downstairs.  I reached the bottom floor and didn’t hear anyone.  I looked around the living room and spotted a baby grand piano.  I slowly walked over toward it and smiled as I ran my fingers along the black surface.  It had been years since I’d played.  I’d taken lessons when I was younger but had given it up once I’d reached my teenage years.  I was more interested in becoming a doctor than a pianist, like I had when I was younger.

I slowly sat down and stared down at the keys.  I glanced around the room one last time to make sure that no one was in the room.  The keys were cold against my fingertips.  As soon as I heard the first note my hands fell into place playing a song that I’d learned.  It didn’t really take that much effort.  After several minutes I finished the song and smiled.

“I didn’t know you played the piano,” I heard Justin say.  I quickly turned around and looked at him.  I could feel my cheeks getting hot.

“I haven’t played in years…probably ten years,” I said as Justin walked over toward me.  He sat down next to me and kissed me on the forehead.

“Ten years, really?  Wow, then you’ve got some major talent.  I have trouble when I go a few months without playing,” Justin chuckled. “How’d it feel?”

“Really good,” I answered with a big smile.  I hadn’t realized that I’d missed it that much.  I looked down at the ivory.  Justin laid his hands on the keys and began playing a song.  I instantly knew the song.  It was one that Kenzie and I had played together when we were younger.  I joined in and played my part to the song.  After a few moments Justin stopped all of a sudden.  I noticed that he had and I looked over at him.  When I did he was staring at me with a goofy smile on his face. “What?  Did I do something wrong?”

“No, I was just thinking about how beautiful you are.” I felt my cheeks getting hot and instantly looked down at the keys on the piano.  I looked back up at him a few moments later.

“You know, you say that a lot,” I said as I gave him a small nudge.

“I can’t help it.  You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” Justin said with a smile.  He leaned over and kissed me lightly on the lips.

“Well stop, you’re embarrassing me,” I said as I blushed again and playfully push him.  He just laughed and put his arms around me. “And since when did you become so affectionate?”

“When I met you.  You’re the reason I do a lot of things I never used to do.” I smiled and nodded.

=

“You want to go for a walk with me?” Justin asked as he grabbed my hand.  I looked up at him and nodded.

“Sure, why not?” I said with a shrug.  We stepped out onto the front porch of his parents’ house.  The smell of a fresh rain filled the air.  Justin lead the way down the walkway and down the sidewalk.

I looked up at the clouds above us.  They were dark and looked like they could burst into a down pour at any second.  We walked for several minutes without speaking.  Just enjoying each other’s company.

“Do you think it’s going to rain?” I asked as I looked over at Justin.  He looked up at the sky and studied it for a few moments.  Then he looked down at me.

“It’s possible but I think we’re fine.  We’ll be back home before it does.” We continued to walk without talking again.  Several minutes later we walked into a park.  It was deserted because of the impending rain.  Justin lead me over toward one of the benches and sat down.  I sat down next to him and looked up at the sky again.

The clouds were getting darker and it looked like it could rain at any second.  I looked back at the playground.  It was your typical playground, with a swing set, monkey bars, a slide and a few other play structures.  Justin slipped his arm around my shoulder.  I laid my head on his shoulder.

“So, what are you thinking about right now?” I asked as I looked up at Justin.  He smiled.  I knew that look.  I knew what his answer was going to be. “And don’t say, you’re thinking about how beautiful I am.  You’ve said that too many times.” I playfully nudged him in the side.

“You know me too well.  Now I have to think about something else,” Justin said as he reached over and poked me in the side a couple of times.  I squirmed as he did so.  I was ticklish on my sides and he knew that.  Which was probably why he was poking me there.  The smile on his face grew as he continued to poke me.

“Stop that,” I said between laughs but he didn’t.  I wiggled and squirmed enough that I got out of his grasp and stood up.  I looked down at him.  He stood up and stared at me not saying a word but I could see the evil look in his eyes.  I slowly began to back up as a smile crept across my face. “What is that look for?”

“What look?  I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Justin said with a devilish grin on his face.  I shook my head and continued to back away.  Once I was a safe distance from him and turned and began to run.  I glanced over my shoulder to see if he was behind me, which he was. “Get back here.”

“No, you’re going to tickle me to death!” I yelled over my shoulder.  I ran over toward the play structure and began to climbed the steps.  Justin was quickly approaching.  I laughed and scrambled toward the tube slide.  When Justin reached the top step I threw myself down the slide and rode it all the way to the bottom.  I reached the bottom and climbed out.  I looked up at Justin and stuck out my tongue.

“I’m going to get you for that,” Justin said as his smile grew.  He jumped into the slide.  I didn’t make any effort to run.  I was tired.  He reached the bottom and stood up. “You didn’t run.  No fun.” I laughed.

“What you want me to run?” I asked as I rested my hands on my hips.

“That’s what I thought we were doing,” Justin answered then shrugged.  He wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed me lightly on the lips.

A roll of thunder made it’s way across the dark sky.  I looked up as the rain began to fall on my face.  I couldn’t help but smile.

“I thought you said it wasn’t going to rain?” I teased as I looked at Justin.  He shook his head.

“So I was wrong, sue me.” Justin grabbed my hand and started walking back toward the house.  I shrugged. “Come on, let’s get home before we get too wet and one of us gets sick.”

“You’re no fun.” Justin just laughed at me and continued walking away with me behind him.  We were almost half way home when I decided that I didn’t want to go back to the house yet.  I stopped walking and looked up and down the street.  No cars were coming.  Justin stopped and looked at me.  I smiled and grabbed both of his hands. “Dance with me.  You have to dance in the rain.” I pulled him out into the street.

“Kenzie, cars could come at any second.  We could get hurt,” Justin said as he fought with me as I pulled him into the street.

“Oh don’t be such a baby.  Is Justin Timberlake afraid of being caught dancing in the middle of the street in the rain?” I asked as a big smile made its way across my face.

“There’s no music.”

“Who cares?  You don’t need music to dance.  Stop being a baby,” I said.  Justin continued to fight me on dancing in the street. “Fine then, I’ll dance with myself.” I let go of his hands and walked into the middle of the street and began twirling around.  I held out my arms and continued to spin.

“McKenzie, you’re going to hurt yourself,” Justin said as he stepped out into the street and grabbed me by the waist.  I looked up at him and smiled.

“I will not and don’t call me McKenzie.  You know I hate that,” I said as I poked him in the chest.

“If you hate it so much then why does my mother call you McKenzie?”

“I don’t know.  I guess it doesn’t bother me when she does.” I shrugged.  I grabbed one of Justin’s hands and interlocked our fingers together.  I let the other stay on my waist.  I began to twirl around with him.

“What are you doing?” Justin asked with a smile.

“I’m being the man, since you’re too much of a girl to do it.”

“Well someone has to be the woman around here.  You’re more of a guy than me sometimes,” Justin said with a straight face.  I just rolled my eyes and shook my head.  We danced like that for a few moments then Justin stopped. “All right, I can’t handle you leading anymore.  You can’t lead at all.”

“What do you expect, I am a girl.” I shrugged and laughed.  Justin placed both of his hands on my hips and I slipped mine behind his neck.  I laid my head on his chest.

I sighed.  This was going to be one of those moments that I was going to regret.  I was having so much fun with Justin.  I didn’t want to let go of this moment and get back to reality but the car coming down the road didn’t ask me what I wanted.  I heard a car honking and lifted my head and looked to my left.  A car was coming straight for us.  I sort of froze.  I felt Justin yank me out of the way and onto the sidewalk.  I began laughing.

“Kenzie, are you all right?” Justin asked as he placed his hands on the side of me face.  I continued to laugh and nodded. “I told you a car was going to come.  Luckily we got out of the way in time.”  After a few minutes I finally stopped laughing and sighed.  I looked up at Justin and smiled.  He was looking down at me with a smile on his face.

He reached down and brushed some hair out of my face.  His hand lingered and then made its way to the back of my neck.  Justin leaned down and kissed me.  The kiss lasted a few moments but Justin slowly pulled away.

“Kenzie, there’s something that I need to tell you...” Justin whispered softly as he kissed me on the forehead.

My heart began to race.  What was he going to tell me?  I hoped to god that it wasn’t what I thought he was going to tell me.  I wasn’t ready to hear those words.  I wasn’t ready for any of this.  None of this was supposed to be happening this fast.  Things were getting out of my control.  I was losing my grip on things.

“I’ll race you back to the house,” I yelled as I turned and began to run.  As I ran I heard Justin yelling at me but I didn’t stop.  I couldn’t stop myself from running.  This was not supposed to be happening.  I wasn’t ready for any of this.  This was getting too complicated.  I have to find a way to get out of this.  Before I get hurt or before he gets hurt.  That’s what will hurt the most.  Knowing that I was the one that cause all of the pain.

By time I reached the steps of the front porch my shoes and pants were soaking wet and covered in mud from running through the puddles.  I sat down on the steps and buried my head in my hands.  I began to cry.  Within seconds Justin was standing in front of me.

“What the hell was that?  I was trying to tell you something and you just turn around and run off,” Justin said angrily.  I looked up at him as the tears continued to fall.  The angry melted off his face once he saw me crying. “What’s wrong, baby?  Is something wrong?” Justin lowered himself on the step next to me.  I didn’t say anything as he wrapped his arms around me.  I just continued to cry.