“J-josh?” Hailey stammered. “W-what are you doing here?” She asked. Panic, shock, confusion; these were all emotions that were coursing through her body simultaneously. This cannot be happening, this cannot be happening, this cannot be happening! Hailey looked from the employee’s office behind the front desk to the bathrooms across the foyer, trying to conjure up a quick way to plan her escape. Was out the window a viable option?

“Actually I had booked an appearance to perform at Brad Pitt’s party.” JC explained. “And hello to you to Hailey.”

Hailey tried to look anywhere but at JC, but she couldn’t resist. One look at him, and she saw that his icy blue eyes were piercing into her. She quickly turned away. Why was this happening to her?”But what are you doing here?” She asked, pointing to the ground, referring to the resort.

“We need a place to crash.” Jay replied.

“So why can’t you stay at your place?” Hailey snapped. JC was taken aback by her abruptness. Not the sweet Hailey that he used to know.

“My pipe burst in my apartment this morning, and all of the hotels in town are booked.” Jay explained. “Are you okay?” He asked.

No. Hailey wanted to say. How could you bring him here? “Yeah, I’m fine.” She replied icily. The tension in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

“Umm, you know what? I think we have a few rooms available.” Rebecca spoke up, typing into the computer.

Is everyone conspiring against me? Hailey thought.

“Oh well take a look at that! We have exactly two suites left!” Rebecca said, handing the guys their key cards. “Have a nice stay!”

“Thanks, Becca.” Jay said, before he and JC both headed towards the elevators.

Once the guys were out of sight, Hailey turned toward her sister. “Becca!” She whisper screamed. “What the hell are you doing?”

“What do you mean?” Rebecca asked. “You want me to just leave them freezing in the garage?”

“I cannot believe this is happening to me.” Hailey stated in complete disbelief.

“Ah, so this is what you were hiding from.” Rebecca said.

“Technically I wasn’t hiding from the situation; it’s not like I knew he would be in town tonight.” Hailey replied.

“But the point is that you’re afraid to move on, and that’s why you’re working here tonight, instead of at Ice, with Jenn and that Abercrombie model.”

“He’s a Calvin Klein model.” Hailey corrected her. “And besides, you’re working here tonight too.” She pointed out.

“That’s because I’m saving up for a trip to Japan, and I need all the extra hours I can get.” Rebecca replied. “But you my friend are using this as an excuse to hide from the world.”

True. Hailey thought. But so what if she was? It’s not like Rebecca had any right to call her on it. No, actually that’s exactly what sisters were for; calling you on your bullshit. Fuck.

“Look, maybe you guys can talk.” Rebecca suggested.

“Talk?” Hailey repeated. “About what.”

“You need closure Hailey, that’s the only way that you’ll be able to move on.” Rebecca replied.

Just the thought of talking to that man again made her cringe. What was to be said? There was nothing between them anymore. “Wait, did you plan this?” Hailey asked her sister suspiciously, the thought suddenly occurring to her.

“Wait, what?” Rebecca asked, surprised. “That’s ridiculous! Now you’re just being paranoid.”

“I’m totally freaking out here Becca, you’ve gotta help me!”

“How?” Rebecca asked.

“Cover for me in the morning. Please!” Hailey pleaded. “At least until he leaves.”

Rebecca contemplated this for a moment. If she took on Hailey’s shift, she would have to wake up three hours earlier, and she wasn’t exactly looking forward to that, considering that she hadn’t even finished closing up for the night. “Okay.” She said finally. “But, only if you finish closing up for me tonight.”

“Deal!” Hailey agreed. Knowing JC, he was probably asleep by now anyway. “Becca thanks so much. I owe you big time for this.”

“No shit Sherlock!” Rebecca replied. “Well, since my shift is officially over, I’m retiring to my room.” She said, going up the back steps that led to the overhead apartments.

Once Hailey was alone, she continued to close up. She locked the doors, put the money in the safe, locked up the cash register, and powered down the computers. Tired and exhausted, instead of going back up to her room, Hailey had decided to stay up the foyer for a little while, at least until she got a little of her energy back. She grabbed an electric blanket from the supply closet and, and a bottle of wine that she had found in the refrigerator in the employees’ kitchen (thank you Mom and Dad!), she kicked off her shoes, took off her green uniform vest, and curled up on the couch.

Glass in hand, sipping on the chilled red wine, Hailey had done something that she hadn’t done in what felt like forever; Just relax, and enjoy the scenery. From where she was sitting on the couch, she had the perfect view of the perfect snow topped covered mountains. The sky was black, and despite all of the New Years Eve parties being thrown all over town, the stars in the sky outshone every streetlight. Hailey could never imagine living in a big city, like JC had asked her to. You could never get a view like this from Los Angeles or New York City. Everyone was always so busy, and in a hurry. Hailey was much more accustomed to a slower paced life.

Hailey smiled lightly to herself as childhood memories slowly crept back into her mind; Memories of hiking up to the top of the mountains with her dad and Rebecca in the summertime, looking down on Aspen from the mountain tops. “People pay good money to vacation here, and you girls have it in your own backyard.” He used to say. Something that Hailey could never appreciate until much later in life. Hailey checked the time on her watch. It was only 11:15, but it felt much later. She didn’t need to be at Ice, and she didn’t need to be on a date right now. This was the perfect way to ring in the New Year. She wasn’t a party girl, and she wasn’t someone who dated either. She was just a girl who loved nature, and the simple things. This: the scenery, the peaceful and quietness, the simplicity was all she needed.

Hailey sank deeper into the couch, and hugged her knees to her chest. She took a deep breath, and enjoyed the feeling of being alone.

Ding.

Or maybe not. Upon hearing the ding of the elevator door, Hailey looked up to see the very man that she was trying to avoid. Okay, maybe I should have just taken my ass upstairs. She thought regretfully.

“Sorry, am I interrupting something?” JC asked.

“No.” Hailey lied. He was interrupting everything.

“Sorry, I just figured no one would be around.” JC replied before turning back around.

“Wait.” Hailey called after him. “You don’t have to leave.” She said without thinking. It’s not like she exactly wanted company, but part of her did feel bad for being so rude to him earlier.

“You’re sure?” JC asked hesitantly. This was the same girl who almost bit his head off less than an hour ago.

“Yes, Josh, I’m sure.” She said, reassuring him.

She still called him Josh. Just like she used to when they were together. Okay, maybe she hadn’t changed that much after all. JC thought, before walking toward the couch, and sitting down at the end of her feet. The exes sat in awkward silence for what felt like an eternity.

Hailey could feel his gaze on her, and it made her heart flutter. “So, you’re not at some party right now?” She spoke up, attempting to break the ice.

“I got on stage, did my thing, and left.” He replied. “It seems like I’ve been partying nonstop lately, and I think I’m getting a little burnt out.” The truth was he was tired of drunken hookups and meaningless sex, and trying to fill the void in his heart that Hailey had once occupied. He fucked up, he knew that, and him being in Colorado tonight was a little more than just a coincidence. “So in a way, this is kind of what I need right now.”

Hailey stared down into her glass of wine, not really sure of what to say. Why couldn’t he be more like this when they were together? “It is pretty peaceful, huh?”

“Yeah, now I can see why you love it so much.” JC replied.

11:30 pm

“Okay, now that was totally your fault.” Hailey recalled. JC was now on his second glass of wine, and the two had warmed up towards each other.

“Yeah, sure blame it on me!”

“Of course I’m blaming it on you!” Hailey exclaimed. “I spent forty minutes trying to wake your ass up JC! Had it not been for your oversleeping, we wouldn’t have missed our flight.” She giggled, remembering the time that she and JC had showed up at a venue a day later than the rest of the guys, because JC had refused to wake up.

“Okay, fine.” JC surrendered. “I’ll take the blame for that.”

11:45 pm

“Hey Jace, do you remember Christmas of 2000?” Hailey asked.

“How could I forget?” JC smiled to himself. That year, JC had invited Hailey to Orlando so that he wouldn’t have to spend the holiday alone. She had flown down to be with him, and it had been Hailey’s first Christmas away from home. He felt so touched that she had just picked up and left Aspen at a moment’s notice just to be with him. “You decorated the inside of my entire house.”

“Angels, wreaths, garland…” Hailey said, listing off the decorations. “…Lights, Christmas music, poinsettias, a Nativity scene.”

“And you were constantly baking.” He replied. Hailey had done everything she could to make him feel like he wasn’t missing out. The only thing that had been missing was snow. “You even did a snow dance.” He laughed.

“And it worked.” She reminded him.

“Hales, what are you doing?” JC asked Hailey. They were standing in his kitchen, in front of the sliding glass doors. The sky was bright, and the sun was shining.

“It’s gonna snow, I can feel it!” She replied, while taking off her shoes. She was now barefoot.

“I hate to break it to you Honey, but it’s 82 degrees outside, it’s not gonna snow.”

“Tell that to someone who doesn’t believe in miracles.” Hailey said, before sliding back the glass door, and walking barefoot out onto the patio, and into the backyard. JC followed her.

“Hailey, come back here!” He called after her. “You’re barefoot.”

She turned to him, and gave him a simple look. “Hush Chasez, and let me work my magic.” Was all she said, and with that she began dancing.

“Hailey Elizabeth Bowden what are you doing?” JC asked astounded. His twenty-three year old girlfriend was barefoot in the middle of his backyard, pirouetting, shimmying, and doing turns in leaps in his backyard, dancing as if no one was watching.”

“I’m doing a snow dance.” She replied, prancing around him.

“A snow dance?” He repeated, fighting the urge to laugh. Hailey continued to dance some more. She was acting so, so childish.

“Ugh! It’s not working.” Hailey sighed.

“Because we’re in Orlando Hailey.” JC replied.

“I need more power. C’mon JC.” She demanded, pulling him by the hand.

“No! I am not doing this out here!” JC said, standing his ground.

“Haven’t you ever heard of the Law of Attraction?” She asked him.

“What?” JC asked confused.

“Like attracts like.” Hailey said. When JC still had that confused look on his face, she elaborated. “The Law of Attraction is the belief that whatever we give a lot of attention to, will become part of our lives. AKA, if the both of us together focus all of our energy on snow at the same time, it will start to snow.”

“You have got to be kidding me!” JC chuckled. He had no idea where Hailey was going with this.

“Do not mock the Law of Attraction, Josh.” Hailey said seriously. “Remember how you told me, that when you were little that every night you prayed to God to be able to perform in front of thousands and to create music that will live on forever?”

“Yeah.” JC replied.

“And then your mom stumbled across that ad in the newspaper for the Mickey Mouse Club. And there you met Justin, and became part of one of the biggest music acts in the world.” Hailey said. “And now you perform in front of thousands, and sing songs that will absolutely leave your mark on the world. That didn’t just happen by chance Josh. You helped make that happen. You focused all of your energy on making your dreams come true, and you attracted it, and now you’re living it.”

JC stared at her stunned.

“If you can attract that, then you can attract snow. C’mon Chasez, move your buns!” Hailey demanded before slapping him on the ass.

He couldn’t believe what he was about to do. But he danced. He and Hailey danced all around the yard for an hour straight, before they were exhausted and collapsed on the grass. Breathlessly they lay on the grass. Snow or not, this was the happiest that he had been in a while. Carefree, blissful, and childlike, he felt light and free. “I cannot believe I just did that.” He panted, before feeling a cold plop on his face. “Hey did you feel that?” He asked.

“Feel what?” Hailey asked breathlessly.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t feel that.” JC replied, feeling it again.

“What? Did a bird poop on you?” Hailey asked, rolling over so it wouldn’t hit her too.

“No.” JC said. “It’s snowing.” JC was in utter disbelief. It was actually snowing in Orlando. Impossible.

“Ahhh!” Hailey screeched, jumping up. “It worked! It actually worked! See, I told you our snow dance would work!” Hailey stood, taking in the first few snowflakes. She stuck her tongue out and tasted a few. It was almost like being back in Aspen.

JC looked at his girlfriend astounded. He never knew if he believed in miracles before then, but he knew that he definitely believed in them now.

“That was definitely one of the best Christmases ever.” JC confessed. Hailey looked at him with those piercing brown eyes that always had the power to make him feel vulnerable. No, tonight was definitely not a mistake; he knew that much for sure.

11:59 pm

Hailey checked her watch. “So, it’s almost midnight.” She said.

“Yeah.” JC replied back. He couldn’t think of a better way to ring in the New Year. “Ten.” He started the countdown, his voice raspy.

“Nine.” Hailey replied.

“Eight.” JC grew closer to her.

“Seven.” Hailey inched in a little closer as well

“Six.” They were now face to face, merely inches apart.

“Five.” Hailey breathed.

“Four.” He panted.

“Three.” Their lips just inches apart.

“Two.” They said in unison.

On one, their lips crashed passionately into each other’s. JC brought his hands up to the base of Hailey’s neck to bring her closer to him. Their lips moved feverishly moved against each others. His tongue pushed passed her lips, and their tongues furiously collided. As they were going at it back and forth, kissing each other harder and harder- nothing or no one there to stop them- Hailey could feel those butterfly wings fluttering  in the pit of her stomach, a feeling that she hadn’t felt in well over a year. She didn’t know if it was because of JC or the fireplace that she had began to grow warm and started to feel hazy. She was lost in the moment, wanting so badly to completely surrender to him. As JC’s hands began to move up and down her body, she could feel goosebumps arising on her skin. The touch of his hand on her lower back, the familiar smell of his skin, the taste of his lips had all of her senses on overload. She had become quickly intoxicated by his touch, his feel, and it was all beginning to be a bit too much to handle all at once.

“Wait, Josh! Stop!” Hailey panted, breaking the kiss. He had left her breathless.

“What’s wrong?” JC asked, reluctantly pulling away. He hadn’t wanted to stop.

“We can’t do this.” Hailey said regretfully.

“Why?” JC asked confused. Could she really just stop like that?

“I’m sorry.” Hailey apologized. “I just can’t.” She said, pushing him away. She tried to push back all of the feelings and emotions that had suddenly arisen back to the surface. Everything that she had been trying to forget over the past year, had now all of sudden been shoved right in her face, and she just couldn’t handle it.

“Why are you fighting this?” JC asked. He wanted answers. “You can’t tell me that you didn’t feel anything just now.” He said angrily.

“Jace…” Was all that she could say. What could she say?

“Look at me.” JC demanded, cupping her face, so that they were now eye to eye. “Tell me that you felt nothing.” He said.

Hailey looked back at him, she said nothing. She couldn’t tell him that she felt nothing. She’d be lying if she did. “Why are you doing this to me?” She asked, getting up from her place on the couch. JC got up too. She tried to walk away, but she was stopped, when JC gently grabbed her by the arm, and turned her towards him.

“Me doing this to you?” JC asked. “You were kissing me back Hailey, and for a while there you showed no signs of stopping.” He reminded her.

“What do you think you can just come back here and make everything okay?” Hailey asked, now growing angry.  How dare he? How dare he just come waltzing back into her life after a year, and try to pick up where they left off? When JC didn’t answer her, and looked everywhere but at her, she definitely knew that something was up. “Oh my God!” She exclaimed. “You planned this!”

“So I want my girlfriend back, sue me!” He replied.

“You can’t just come here, and declare that you want me back.” Hailey yelled.

“Hailey, you’re gonna wake people up.” He warned.

“I’m not your property.” She said angrily. “How do you know that I haven’t moved on?” She challenged.

“You haven’t.” He said. “I know you. I can see it in your eyes; I felt it in your kiss.” He breathed. They were now standing closer to each other, face to face.

This time it was Hailey who refused to look at JC. He had read her like a book. She wasn’t over him, and she didn’t want to be over him either. She wanted him more than anything, but at the same time she didn’t want to just let him back in so easily. What if he decided to just leave her again? It would kill her.

“You’re still in love with me Hailey, don’t lie to yourself.” JC said just above a whisper.

His words cut deep into her. “I can’t go there with you again Josh.”

“Why? Was I that horrible to you?” JC asked.

“You left me!” Hailey could barely get the words out. She tried hard to force the lump in her throat back down. “After I gave my everything trying to make us work, you just left me.” She cried.

“That’s not fair Hailey.” JC said angrily through gritted teeth. “I asked you, no, practically begged you to move to LA with me.”

“You expected me to just pick up and leave everything for you!” Hailey sobbed. “You were barely even there for me in the first place.”

“How could I be there for you, when you never let me in?” JC asked, his words ringing through the lobby of the resort. “Every time I tried to get closer to you, you just shut me out.”

“Oh, so now it’s my fault? Like you could really settle down with the career you have?”

“Look,” JC said. “I know that it must have been hard for you to be with me, I know that you had to deal with a lot, and I know that I wasn’t the perfect boyfriend. But if you just give me one more chance, Baby, I promise to make things right between us.” JC said, taking Hailey by the hand.

“Josh, I’m sorry.” Hailey said her voice hoarse. She just couldn’t do it. She couldn’t take herself back down that road again.

“You’re afraid.” JC accused.

“Excuse me?” She asked.

“You’re afraid to be with me. You’re afraid of me. You’re afraid to take a chance.” JC said. “That’s not the Hailey that I used to know.”

“The Hailey that you used to know left when you did.” She said coldly.

“Then let me make things right. Let me be the one to heal you Baby.” JC whispered, holding her close.

“But-“

“You can’t fight the Law of Attraction.” He said, cutting her off.

“What?”

“When you give a lot of attention to something until it becomes part of your life,” JC explained. He held her close to him, and gently placed a kiss on top of her head. “I’ve been thinking about you nonstop for a year now. I’m not over you, and I made a major mistake by just leaving. I’m not myself with you Hailey, you complete me, and I can’t be without you.”

Hailey, her head against JC’s chest, took in his words. This was all too much to take on at once. “I can’t be without you either Josh.” Hailey confessed. There. It was finally out there. He was right; there was no point in fighting The Law of Attraction. She wasn’t over him, and she didn’t want to be. He loved her, and she loved him. Whatever is meant to be will be, and it took too much energy to fight against that. Why should she submit herself to a life of misery without love, when love was right in front of her with arms wide open? “I love you Josh.” She said, looking up into his eyes.

“I love you too Hailey.” JC said, before gently placing a kiss on her lips.

“Jace.” Hailey said.

“Yeah, Babe?”

“Happy New Year!”

And so you have it; like attracts like, or in this case, love attracts love. When you’re heart feels a gravitational pull, it’s best not to fight against it, because chances are you’re heart’s right, you’re heads wrong, and in that sort of situation you probably won’t win anyway!