Justin had read the article 12 times already. The part that annoyed him the most was the fact that they knew what street he lived on. He could thank the paparazzi for that one. Even at his low stand point they still lurked around his building from time to time. It was funny how when you're at the top no one seems to bother you, but once you take that fall they are all over you like a fly to manure.
Holding the magazine out in front of him, he slowly tore the pages out that Neil Owens contributed. The 80% false story about Justin was printed and praised for the in depth look at his career and how it all went ‘wrong.' It amused him how much buzz the 4,500 words of pure shit was getting. Neil made him out to look like a money hungry teenager who only wanted fame and fortune.
He ripped the pages down the middle and tossed them into the fire pit. The flames engulfed them in an instant. He wished he could do it to every issue of that magazine out there. In earlier years, he would have called the magazine up and given them a piece of his mind. He would have accused Neil of being nothing but a talentless journalist whose only sources he could credit were the bouncers, cocktail waitresses, and hotel associates. None of those people had a name or face that Justin could even recall. Everyone was just a blur and acquaintance.
The 10% part of the article that was true was fabricated. Justin had a lot of regrets in his short life. He may only be 33, but in the business he was really 50 and considered a veteran. Anyone over the age of 18 in Hollywood was declared ‘Over the Hill.' Justin was no acceptation. He had countless tours and 3 platinum albums under his belt already. Hollywood had claimed him, sculpted and molded him, cared for him, and then abandoned him.

The view from the 717 Olympic building always managed to distract Justin from his self loathing. It didn't matter how much resentment he felt for the city that once owned him, he still loved it. He loved the energy that flowed through the streets, and the music that poured out of the clubs all along Sunset. His favorite sound, and feeling out of it all though was the sound of the crowd from the Staples Center. It traveled down the street, and on nights that the Lakers were playing, the sound easily made its way to Justin's building.The sound of thousands of people applauding and cheering still made him smile. It was still amazing to him how quickly he went from being the source of that applause and cheer, to only being able to hear it from outside his luxury apartment building.

Four years of not performing on a stage was hard. After the lights dimmed on him with angry boos, plastic cups and water bottles being thrown at him in Detroit, he knew his career had hit a stand still. He saw no way he could recover from the disappointment he had caused these people he once called his fans. His house in the hills downgraded to the one bedroom apartment he now rented. His Mercedes turned into a Honda, and his entourage went from a crew of 20 to 2. His name was tarnished and used in every late night talk show opening joke session. His music questioned, probed, and accused of being nothing but stolen tracks from real artists.

He pulled out one of the chairs that sat around the fire pit and dropped down into it. The fire continued to burn in front of him, and he picked up the poker to break apart the ash remains of the magazine article. Justin was tired of being discredited for his original work. He was human, and humans made mistakes. Redemption was something he wanted more than anything. He wanted a clean slate, and his name removed from the joke pool. The only problem he was now facing was finding a break or opportunity to get there. He was desperate and eager to be in the mainstream again. The industry had acted like a parental figure to him, without its guidance and acceptance he was nothing. His identity and true self was bought and sold many years ago. The only way he could regain it was to get back in the game and redeem himself.

He dumped the remaining water from his water bottle onto the fire. The Lakers game had ended now, and the crowds roar had died down. Justin had sat outside many times before, but tonight was the first time he'd had an epiphany. Existing and living in the past was not how he wanted to be remembered. He was a musician through and through and he belonged in the limelight. The stage WAS his home, and as much as he hated the Neil Owens article, he came to realize that the reason he hated it so much, was because he'd made him feel vulnerable and exposed. Justin didn't belong on the bleachers or on the outside looking in, he was made to be the main act, and that was exactly what he was going to be again. The scary thing about his determination was that he was willing to do whatever he had to do to get there once more. He just hoped that this time it wouldn't be exposed.

Chapter 2

Justin had promised Reggie he'd be on his best behavior tonight. He swore to him up and down when they entered 3-Thirty-3 that he'd not cause trouble. He also swore that he'd only have a 'couple drinks' as well. That of course was a couple times a couple more.

Reggie had been Justin's manager since the beginning of his career, but over the course of the last few years he'd been neglecting him. Neglect was not something Justin took kindly to. He was desperate and knew his once faithful manager and friend was the only person on the Earth who could pull him out of the deep hole he'd dug for himself.

Justin was completely in the dark about Reggie's plan to get him back in the spotlight. He trusted the man wholeheartedly and let him take the wheel like he'd done for years. When Reggie drove them out of the heart of LA and into the somewhat small reserved beach town of Newport Beach. Justin could only assume that Reggie was trying to make him get back on the stage. He hated the idea of starting small again. He was no small stage performer. The very thought of being on stage sent waves of anxiety through his body. The more he thought about it, the more he asked the bartender at the bar to fill up his glass again. "Don't you think you've had enough?" The extremely muscular bartender questioned as he free poured the remainder of Jack Daniels into Justin's glass. "You finished off a good half of this bottle." He shook his head. Justin squinted at him, his fingers drummed on the wood of the bar top as he watched this above average looking guy, who more than likely spent all his free time at the gym, question him on how much booze he'd consumed. "I'm immune to it. Just open another bottle for me." Justin encouraged as he took the refilled glass.

The atmosphere of the place was loud and vibrant. Various men and women happily move about on the dance floor, the bar was filled to it's max capacity, and all around Justin people were hooking up and having a good time. Most of them around his age group. It made him feel old and abnormal. He'd played in clubs since he was 16. The idea of doing it now was far from interesting to him.

He watched with now glazed eyes as two girls approached the bar beside him. They were fit and beautiful, and a perfect example of 'California girls'. Katy Perry's song really painted the picture for everyone on that. Turning his attention back to his glass, Justin let out a small laugh of amusement. The fact that the drink in front of him gave him more satisfaction than either of the two girls could was a sad and pathetic realization.

"Put this down." Reggie encouraged as he cam up behind Justin. The middle aged man easily grabbed the glass from Justin's grip. "What are you doing man? I'm good, I've only had three." Justin held up his finger to emphasize his point. Looking into the glass, Reggie brought it up to his nose and quickly scrunched it up in disgust. "Jesus Justin, three glasses of pure liquor you mean. Hold it together for me for one night. I'm here for you. You want my help you have got to start meeting me half way." He set the glass back down. Justin quickly went back to cradling it again before Reggie could even remove his hand completely from it. "I'm not preforming tonight Reg. I don't know why you brought me to this cop out club aside from the fact that I'm going to end up intoxicated by the end of the night. Possibly sooner." He smiled while returning the glass to his lips. Reggie stared at him in bewilderment. " You're not preforming, especially not like this. I brought you here to see something you stubborn ass." He spun Justin's chair around, forcing him to now face the small stage a few feet away. He watched as the stage crew set up mics and a drum set. "I thought you said I wasn't performing!?" Justin argued while motioning to the set up going on right before his very eyes. "That's not for you. I need to go take care of something, stay here. Got it?" It was ridiculous to Reggie that Justin was 33 years old and he still had to babysit him,as well as treat him like an adolescent.

"Sure I'll be here." Justin responded; his tone was full of sarcasm. Reggie gave him a once over before moving through the crowd of people and towards the backstage area.

Justin was completely oblivious, and he hated that in every way. It made him paranoid and uneasy. The anxiety returned, but this time he reached into his jean pocket and expelled a prescription bottle. His fingers twisted the cap off, and he eagerly dispensed two Ativan into his mouth. Reaching for his glass, he more than happily washed them down with the remainder of alcohol in his glass. He waited for the buzz to set in, and was starting to relax a bit until an unfamiliar voice was suddenly addressing him. "Hey! I know you!" She insisted directly into his ear. He turned quickly to face the source of the voice. His vision blurred for just a moment as his eyes landed on one of the girls from earlier. "No you don't." Justin responded. It annoyed him when people claimed to know him, yet they'd never even spent 5 minutes with him.

"Yes I do. You're that singer that um stole music right?"

Justin felt himself physically tense at her description of him. The one thing people remembered him for was not his other countless achievements. It was simply the one and only mistake he'd made in his career.

His eyes met hers and he quickly downed the rest of his drink. Justin refused to sit there another minute and be ridiculed and reminded of the things he was trying to get away from. Whatever Reggie had planned was not worth the wait.

"Listen sweetheart..." Justin slurred. "You got the wrong guy alright?" She gave him a confused look, but before she could question him anymore, he slipped out of his chair and began to walk away from the bar. It was then in that moment when his feet touched the ground that he realized he possibly had more drinks than he accounted himself for. Walking was a bit of struggle for Justin at the moment, and he knew that the warning on the bottle of Ativan that stated to not drink or operate heavy machinery was no fucking joke. His head spun a bit, and he lowered the ball cap over his eyes as he managed to squeeze his way through the over crowded dance floor. The exit was in plain view, and if he could reach it without another annoying encounter then it'd be the best accomplishment of the night. Justin didn't seem to have that kind of luck though. Before he could reach the double doors, Reggie grabbed him by the sleeve and pulled him into the backstage area.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Justin shouted towards him, but the older man wasn't looking at him or paying much attention for that matter. Reggie's gaze and focus was on the much younger man who had just taken the stage. He turned Justin's face to face the same scene he was transfixed on. Justin watched Reggie's expression and realized the look of fascination and admiration was the same look he once gave Justin. Unfortunately that look was now gone when it came to him.

"His name is Gavin. He's never done any sort of clubs just local garage band stuff. His family owns a boating rental company. See the kid has got the money but no experience,references, or guidance." Reggie explained as Gavin began to move into his first song. Justin gave Reggie a skeptical look. He was still very much intoxicated, but some of the words he was saying seemed to make a bit of sense. "What's your point?" Justin questioned. He didn't care about Reggie's desire and want for fresh meat. The only thing Justin wanted to do was go home and continue his drinking binge in the privacy of his bedroom.

"It has everything to do with you. I want you to be his mentor. You want back in the business you need this kid to carry you there." Reggie smiled from ear to ear as he fed Justin this information. Justin on the other hand was far from amused. "Are you serious? Reg, I am the last person anyone wants to be fucking mentored by. What do you want me to do for him?" Reggie gave Justin a disapproving glance as Gavin finished his first song. It was no surprise to him when the crowd responded positively towards it. Gavin was a genuine talent that much was obvious, but he was completely clueless about the business.

"Justin you want to un-tarnish your name and redeem yourself right? Teach this kid something good. If you fuck him up with girls and drugs you're basically fucking yourself all over again."
Reggie's words were far worse than any physical slap or punch. "Grow up." He added as the song finished once more and Gavin finally made his way over to them.

He'd played a few shows here and there but hadn't ever been noticed by a record producer type, or a celebrity for that matter. Gavin was a humble person, and though he lived in a conservative popular beach town, he rarely strayed too far from it. Seeing Justin Timberlake in person was an experience he'd never been over come with. As he drew closer to them though he didn't see much of an expression or impression in Justin's face. This discouraged Gavin for some reason, and he didn't really know why.

"Gavin!" Reggie called out before quickly embracing him as if they had been old friends. "Beautiful performance. Amazing even. Let me get you a drink. What will you have? Gin tonic? Bourbon? Whiskey? Tequila.. You name it."

"Oh just a beer is fine." Gavin answered.
"I'll have another Jack and Coke thanks." Justin chimed with a slight hint of a smile on his face. Reggie gave him a bit of a glare before shooting him down. "No. I'll be back, you two converse." He encouraged towards both of them.
"Jesus." Justin sighed as he ran a hand over the top of his head. His gaze landed on Gavin and he was nothing but amused by him. It was humorous how "untouched" he seemed.
Gavin shifted a bit and accidentally made eye contact with Justin. He was beginning to feel a bit uneasy because of the way he was looking at him. Biting his bottom lip a moment, he quickly opted to break the awkward tension by trying to at least talk to the other male. "I liked your album. The last one. Even after that whole controversy you went through I still thought it was pretty amazing." Gavin held an honest look on his face as he told Justin this. Justin didn't however respond in the way Gavin assumed he would.

"Are you fishing from an appreciative response from me? Listen, I don't know what Reggie wants me to do with you, or teach you, but I can tell you right now that ass kissing gets you no where but on your knees." He emphasized his point by shoving him in the center of the chest.

"Justin!"
Reggie caught Gavin as he fell into him from the force.
"Reggie it's cool, I'm good." Gavin insisted. He refused to be mortified or embarrassed. Managing a smile, Gavin simply kept his gaze on the other male who had unexpectedly shoved him.

The over dramatic look of concern on Reggie's face sickened Justin to the point where he physically
had to leave. "This was a waste of my damn time." He shot before making a quick exit out the side door.
Reggie shook his head in a disapproving way. "Don't talk about the past with Justin kid. I know he's acting like a dick but when he's sober he can really be useful." So far Gavin's first impression of Justin Timberlake was anything but useful to him.

 

 

 

The previous nights events had definitely taken a toll on Justin. He was thankful for his tinted windows and aviator sunglasses as he sat in his car in front of the Mc Donalds on Wilshire. It was sunrise, but despite the alcohol and pill consumption , Justin was still conscious and running dangerously low on sleep. He was upset with Reggie, that was a given, but at the same time how could he blame him for just trying to make ends meat? The Gavin kid was a joke, everyone including Justin could see it. The industry would eat him whole and not give him a single chance in hell to even make a dent in the business.

 

Shaking his head some at his thoughts, Justin gazed down into his coffee cup. It still amazed him where he was now. All the downgrades he'd accepted. He liked to say he accepted them since there was no way he'd ever have taken them willingly.

 

Reaching into his pocket, he slowly extracted his cell phone and scanned through the texts messages. The last one he found was from Reggie. Justin was stubborn and hard headed. He could blame the way he grew up, rarely being told no or given any type of direction, but he knew that wasn't much of an excuse to use.

 

The Ringing of his cellphone pulled him out of his thoughts as he quickly answered it without much hesitation. "I just read your text." He sighed into the phone, while watching two girls in work out gear make their way into the Mc Donalds.

 

"You want me to meet him at Starbucks? Why?" Justin pinched the bridge of his nose. He wasn't in any mood to deal with anyone at all, but he had to remind himself of his desperation and his own selfish need and reason he'd gone to Reggie for help in the first place. Drumming his fingers against the steering wheel, he then let out a sigh of defeat. "Fine. I'm on my way then."

 

Gavin wasn't much of a coffee drinker, but he was all for sugar infused frap's. He grabbed the grande cup off the counter after the barista called his name. Shooting her an appreciative smile, he grabbed a straw and made his way over to a table near one of the windows. Reggie had suggested Gavin meet Justin when he was sober. The previous nights meeting was not what he had expected at all. The experience and the crowd was amazing, but his impression of Justin was very tainted. Gavin was young, he was still only 17 but had told a small fib and led Reggie to believe he was really 18. He didn't want his parents to know about his late night music adventures in 18 + clubs, or that he had a fake ID.

 

Glancing out the window, he watched as Justin pulled into a parking space directly in front of the building. He braced himself as the older man seemed anything but excited to be there. Gavin didn't really understand why Justin seemed so quick to write him off. It was a bit insulting since he hadn't even given him a fair chance. Shifting in his seat some, Gavin continued to watch as Justin made his way inside.

 

Justin kept his sunglasses on and looked around for a moment before spotting Gavin sitting at a table looking like a 10 year old with his frap. Letting out a tired sigh Justin made his way over to him and pulled out the chair across from him. He didn't bother to take his sunglasses off either. "Is that a Java chip?" Justin motioned towards Gavin's drink. The younger man looked down at it then back up at Justin. "It's Double Chocolaty Chip. You going to get one?" He took a long drink from the straw. "It doesn't have caffeine. What is the purpose of it?" He asked before sitting down in the chair. He stared at Gavin a moment before sitting back and crossing his arms over his chest. Gavin shrugged at his question and gazed out the window once more. For some reason this irritated Justin. "So how old are you? 16?" He still couldn't believe Reggie's idea of shooting him back into the lime light was babysitting. "No I'm 18." Gavin corrected. Justin was very intimating and he had the feeling the older male just wasn't very fond of him. "I'm sorry for what I said last night. About your music. I won't bring that up again. Reggie thinks that we should jam together."

 

Justin let out a sarcastic laugh before shaking his head some. Really, Reggie had a lot of nerve. "You wanna jam together? Gavin listen..." He sighed while pushing his sunglasses up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Listen ok?" He leaned forward a bit so that his point was clear. "I'm not here to be your 'buddy' or your 'pal' or your 'bff' or any of those other stupid ass terms. I'm here to guide you and keep you on the happy train to success. To be quite honest I don't think you're going to make it. You're clueless to the business and you have no experience either. Yes you can sing, yes you have great stage presence, but so do half the people on YouTube. Reggie sees something in you though so ok. I will ride the wave with you, but we are not friends."

 

Gavin cocked an eyebrow at Justin and stared at him for longer than he probably should. "Wow. Has anyone ever told you that you sound like an asshole?" Justin side smiled before responding. "More times than I can count. Lets get the facts out of the way. You are a young, good looking kid. You have talent, but you're kind of awkward -" Gavin cut in. "I'm not awkward. This is stupid. You can't just write me off and make judgments when you haven't even tried to get to know me. If you don't want to do this why are you doing it?"

It took a lot more than Justin thought it would to keep his cool. Impulsively he wanted to reach over and punch the kid in the face, but being that they were in a public place that didn't seem like a good idea. "Ok I'm sorry. You're not awkward you just look like you are." He smirked. Gavin did not find this amusing though. "Like I said this is stupid. It's a joke to you because you've already done all this shit before, but I haven't. I thought you were going to be cool and help me out not act like a dick. You're no better sober than when you're drunk so I have no idea why Reggie thought this was a good idea." He pushed his chair out and stood up, hurriedly making his way out the door. He felt his cheeks burn as he pulled instead of pushed the door before quickly correcting himself. Justin left a bad taste in his mouth, and his egotistical stuck up ways was anything but appealing. He was just going to call Reggie and tell him that it wasn't going to work between them. Reaching into his pocket, Gavin pulled out his cell phone and began searching for Reggie's number.

 

"God dammit." Justin cursed before quickly getting up out of his seat and following Gavin out the door. He knew he came on pretty strong sometimes. He couldn't help it. "Hey! Hey kid wait!" He called out before catching up to him. "I'm not a kid." Gavin argued. "You're a kid to me so respect your elders. Look, you wanna jam ok. Lets jam." He pat him on the back a lot harder than Gavin was expecting, causing him to lurch forward and almost lose his footing. Cocking a curious eyebrow towards Justin, the younger man slowly slide his cell phone back into his pocket. "When? Now?"

 

Justin tried to fight the urge to roll his eyes but failed. "No next year, of course now. You got other plans or something?" He pulled out his car keys as Gavin slowly shook his head no in response. "Great. Then follow me." Gavin watched as Justin made his way over to his own car. "Wait where are we going?" He fished out his own car keys.

Justin pulled open his car door and yelled over his shoulder. "To 'jam'. Just like you wanted so stop asking so many damn questions and just follow me." With that he got into the car and shut the door, leaving Gavin curious, and very interested in what was going to go down.

The ride up the elevator seemed like it would go on forever. Gavin lived in a beach town, it didn't supply many towering buildings. He was pretty intrigued by how many floors the one building had. He watched as the numbers climbed, and carefully stole a glance towards Justin. The older male stood leaning against the wall of the elevator. His eyes were fixated on the numbers as well, and he lightly hummed the classic Stevie Wonder song Isn't She Lovely. Gavin hadn't realized he was staring until Justin made eye contact with him. "What? You don't like classics?"

The younger male shook his head no in disagreement. "No no I actually do. My mom used to play all those songs when I was younger. She is really into music too. She played actual records you know. She still does." Gavin smiled at the thought of his mother. He knew exactly where his musical roots came from. Justin remained quiet for a moment. His expression was unreadable to Gavin. He was becoming a bit uneasy now that Justin was the one staring at him.

 

"Your mom's into Stevie ?" Justi nquestioned, standing up right as the elevator chimed and the metal doors began to open. "My mom is very into Jazz and soul music. She used to be a background singer for a lot of artists." He shuffled quickly out of the elevator, keeping in time with Justin as they made their way down a wide hallway. "This is where you live? It's like a hotel." Justin fought the urge to roll his eyes again as he toyed with his keys. He felt something in the pit of his stomach as Gavin went on about his background singer mom. Licking his lips, he finally stopped in front of his door and easily unlocked it. Gavin made the motion to walk on in, but Justin quickly put his hand up and stopped him. "Whoa, not so fast. Don't touch anything ok? I mean you can sit on the couch and shit, but just try not to get grabby."

 

It was Gavin's turn to roll his eyes then push Justin's arm aside so he could enter the apartment. It was very open, and clean. The thing that surprised him the most though was that it seemed kind of small, even if it was well kept and modern, it just wasn't glamorous, or at all what he imagined Justin Timberlake to live in. "This is it?" He questioned out loud.

 

Justin tossed his keys on a side table and moved towards the kitchen. "Yep. All 1,300 square feet. At least its considered luxurious, and everything is new..." He pulled open the fridge and rummaged through it. "You want something to drink?" He called over his shoulder.

 

Gavin eyed the line of awards in wonderment. They sat on the mantel above the fire place, along with three platinum records on the wall. He was transfixed in that moment. The things he would give to be able to hang his own records on the wall like that.

 

"Gavin..."

 

Snapping out of it, he turned and faced Justin once more. "What? Oh whatever you got I'll take..."

Justin stared blankly into his fridge. It wasn't exactly 'teenager' proof. The only food that sat in his fridge was left over take out containers, beer, a bottle of vodka, and a bottle of pricey wine. Scratching the back of his head, he peered a bit more and smiled when he spotted the carton of orange juice hiding behind a few take out containers. "All I got for you is OJ." He shook it a few times before finally realizing that Gavin was oogling at his awards. "I earned every one of those you know." Justin didn't mean to sound bitter when he said that. He couldn't help that being defensive had become part of his nature. So many people ridiculed him over the years, that his natural response became rather unsettling.

 

Feeling a bit uneasy, Gavin shoved his hands deep into his jean pockets as he made his way towards the kitchen. He could tell that staring at something for longer than he should was frowned up. Moving his hand over the quartz counter top, he watched as Justin pulled out few glasses. They were shaped oddly, probably because they were wine and margarita glasses. "Don't you have regular glasses?" Gavin was really beginning to wonder who it was Reggie was trying to 'help' when it came to all this.

 

"Of course I do." Justin shot back, not 100% sure he actually did have regular cups or glasses. Letting out an irritated sigh, he then poured the orange juice into a wine glass and handed it over to Gavin. "Why do you want to be in this business Gavin?" Justin questioned. He kept his eyes on the younger male in front of him as he sipped on the OJ. Gavin was quiet for a long moment. It was a very good question. He wasn't sure he had a good answer for that. "Back at the club, the way the crowd got all excited, and cheered - it just did something to me. I felt it all through my body. Their energy." He stole a glance towards Justin, who surprisingly seemed to be hanging on to every word. Nodding some, he then pulled open his fridge and grabbed the bottle of vodka. Twisting the cap off, Justin was quick to pour it into a similar wine glass. Gavin watched as he went just above the half way mark and then added a splash of orange juice. "How can you drink that?" He asked, sounding a bit concerned. Shrugging some, Justin opted not to respond and instead took a very long drink. "So you are in the business for the crowd reaction." He stated.

 

Gavin shook his head no and let out a frustrated sigh before messing up his hair in frustration. "Its more than that. Come on Justin you know what it feels like. That feeling... it's everything." His tone was quiet, and he stole a glance towards the window. His eyes widened a bit as he got a clear view of the Staples Center. "That must look pretty amazing on game nights."

 

Justin peered down into his glass then polished off more than half of it in a matter of two swigs. He knew exactly what Gavin was talking about. He knew the feeling as it vibrated through his body, starting at his toes and all the way up to his ears and nose, making them itch from the vibration. He felt the bass from the speakers in his chest and sometimes he could still hear the white noise that rang loudly after every show. He knew it all too well.

 

"It's kind of an annoyance when I am trying to entertain someone." He commented before moving over to the window and pulling the blinds. Turning his body he looked Gavin up and down. "You lack a lot of stamina. You need to work your stage more, not just stand in one spot the entire time. Do you know what I mean?" He raised his eyebrows before finally finishing off the last of vodka and orange juice. Setting the glass down with a 'clank' he quickly moved over to Gavin and stood directly in front of him. A bit taken back by Justin's sudden movements, the younger male instinctively took a step back. Justin widened his eyes in surprise and then let out a laugh. "What? Did you think I was going to shove you again?"

 

Eying Justin a moment, Gavin couldn't help the uneasy feeling he got from the other man. He didn't know Justin, and so far all he saw was that he was obviously some type of alcoholic. He wasn't even sure what they were going to be doing, even though Justin had suggested they'd be 'jamming' it was probably not the smartest thing to do. He was still very much under age, and his mothers voice was already nagging in his ear. He looked up at Justin and tried not to make a face as the smell of alcohol stayed potent on his breath, mixed with just a hint of the orange juice. Was it too late to bail? "I don't know? Were you?" He lowered his head a bit, waiting for Justin to shove him right out the door this time.

 

"Like I said kid, you lack stamina. When you're on stage you need to move your ass. You got it? You work one end to the other, you make eye contact, you make them believe you. Mean what you sing." He took a few steps back from Gavin and then clicked the stereo on. It took just a few moments before the room filled with the opening notes to The All American Rejects song Gives You Hell. Justin made a bit of a face, not expecting the song to come on. He blamed the brunette he had over the other night, shrugging he then decided to just work with it. "Do you know this song?" Gavin nodded slowly, and Justin took the opportunity to toss the remote at him. "Show me that you do."

 

Gavin stood like a deer in headlights as the song made it's way into the chorus. He knew it, he just wasn't sure what Justin wanted him to do. It was then that he realized that Justin had been right all along. He really was awkward. Licking his lips, he slowly started shuffling his feet and bobbing his head to the music. It was really a pathetic attempt, and he could feel his face getting hot with embarrassment.

Justin wasn't sure if what he was seeing was real life or not. The buzz he was getting off the alcohol could be screwing with his accuracy. Shaking his head some, he quickly grabbed the remote from Gavin's limp hand and had no problem getting in his face. It was an easy transition for him, and felt just like riding a bike. The chorus kicked in and he easily worked the small space he had between his coffee table and sofa.

 

There really was no time for Gavin to react. One minute he was dragging his way through an awkward situation, and the next Justin Timberlake was 'on' and giving him an actual 'show' in his living room. The realization of this was taking a moment to sink in. There was no doubt that Justin was a performer. He easily transfixed Gavin and owned the song, just like he had told him to do. He accentuated on all the right words, and the emotion was on every point. He might have just been in a 1,300 sq ft apartment, but it didn't matter, this man was a natural. It even embarrassed Gavin a bit that he had just given the worst attempt in his life. It was also in this moment that Gavin completely understood why Reggie had paired them off.

 

Justin swore he blacked out after he grabbed the remote from Gavin. Once the song ended he let the remote microphone drop from his fingers and blinked a few times only to see Gavin clapping with much enthusiasm. Looking around some, Justin quickly retreated into his kitchen in search of his bottle again. "Justin. That was fucking awesome. How did you do that spin thing on your heel? I want to be able to do that! All of that. I want to be great." He hurried after him and leaned on the island in the kitchen. His eyes were filled with so much excitement. Justin's on the other hand were wild and his hand shook a bit as he poured more vodka into his glass. Gavin frowned at this. "What's wrong? You fucking owned it! Ok you're right I'm awkward, but I want to work on that."

 

Drumming his fingers on the counter top, Justin was quiet as Gavin continued to ass kiss and swoon like some teenage fan girl. He took a lengthy drink and made a face as he forced himself to swallow the amount in his mouth. "I can't teach you that shit. You have to do it on your own." He coughed out. He didn't bother adding the orange juice this time. There really was no point. "No no Justin listen! I want to learn. I get it now."

 

Justin let out a loud laugh and shook his head. His eyes were glassy and he side smiled before pointing an accusing finger towards Gavin. "You... come with me." He refilled the glass once more then began to walk out of the kitchen, bumping into the fridge as he did so, he acted unphased and then moved down the short hallway.

 

Gavin hesitated in his motions to follow Justin. The older male was definitely drunk now. He wondered why the conversations concerning music seemed to bring out this side of him. Maybe that was why Reggie had told him not to bring up the past with Justin. It appeared to be some sort of 'trigger' for him. He bit his bottom lip, and hesitantly followed Justin down the hallway. He paused just at the entrance of his bedroom door. "What are we doing?" He questioned in a less than confident voice.

 

Justin moved about his room and quickly hurried over to his keyboard. He plugged it in with a bit of a struggle but still managed to get it functioning. He shoved the clothing off the bench and sat down in front of it. The feeling rushed through him like adrenaline, and his fingers found the keys. They moved over them with ease, and he closed his eyes allowing himself to play. He hadn't played in years. He didn't even think he still remembered how, but to his surprise, just like the stage presence some things just never left you completely. He stole a glance at Gavin and gave him a genuine smile. "Jamming. Remember?" He motioned for him to come further into his room. "Come on Gavin. Give it to me." He encouraged, and continued to play an uptempo song. Gavin returned the smile, and for the first time that night he felt completely relaxed and at ease.  

The loud sound of pounding echoed through the apartment. It grew louder and more potent each time, till it finally woke Gavin from the deep sleep he had fallen into. He sat up quickly, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, as the realization of where he was began to come over him. "Shit." He mumbled, before looking around the room. There wasn't much to see, since the room was still pitch black due to the dark curtains. The pounding continued, and Gavin hurriedly slid off the bed, and patted himself down for his cellphone. His fingers found the bedside lamp, and he quickly turned it on. His eyes widened a bit as he noticed Justin laying face down in bed. Blinking a few times, Gavin quickly shook him. "Justin. Justin get up I need to go, and there's someone at your door." Much to Gavin's surprise the older male didn't make any movement. Frustrated, he shook him again and then noticed the pill bottle clasped tightly in his hand."Justin!" He shook him more desperately, and then watched as his chest rose and fell. He was alive, but out cold. "Fuck." Gavin pulled at his hair and then retrieved his cellphone from his pocket. He had 23 missed calls and numerous texts from his mother and Reggie. He didn't remember falling asleep, and he also didn't remember crawling into Justin's bed either.

 

The pounding on the door showed no signs of seizing. Hurrying out of the room, Gavin felt physically sick as he made his way to the door. He had no idea who would even be coming to visit Justin, nor was it any of his business, but he was without a doubt in an uncomfortable and awkward situation. He also wasn't sure if Justin needed some type of medical attention after consuming an unknown amount of anxiety pills. Once he reached the door, he let out a sigh and pulled it open just enough to peer into the hallway. His eyes widened in surprise when the door was shoved open full force, causing him to jump back and away from it. "What in the fuck is going on?!" Reggie demanded. He looked exhausted, as if he too had been up all night. Gavin stared blankly at him, he wasn't even sure why Reggie was upset. "I have been trying to get a hold of the two of you for the last 5 hours. It seems you forgot to mention to your parents that you were going to be sleeping over at a washed up musicians house."

 

Gavin shifted his gaze towards the floor. "Reggie I need to tell you something..." Reggie held up his hand to stop him from continuing. "Save it kid. Your mom already filled me in." Gavin finally made eye contact and gave the much older man a confused look. "Wait, how did my mom even get in contact with you?" Reggie shook his head and then looked around the silent apartment. "That's something you should ask her, not me. Where's Justin?"

"Oh shit Justin, he's still in bed, but I don't know he drank a lot and took some type of medication..."

"Not again." Reggie sighed, and then made his way down the hallway toward Justin's bedroom. Gavin followed behind him, but Reggie was quick to object. "Get out of here Gavin. Go home please. I wanted you and Justin to learn a few things from each other, not get fucking high and wasted. This is exactly what I didn't want to happen." Gavin shook his head no. "I didn't drink, and we were ... we were making music. We started a song. It's on the keyboard. It's not all what you're thinking..."

Reggie narrowed his eyes at Gavin. "You're not 18. Your mom can turn this into the biggest lawsuit if she wanted to. Go home."

 

"I'll be 18 in a few months. I'm sorry I lied, but.."

 

Reggie cut him off again. "Enough Gavin. Just go. Tell your mom to get in touch with me if she'd like, but from now on any motion to move forward will be with her consent."

It puzzled Gavin why Reggie was suddenly talking about his mom. "Do you know.." He began but was suddenly being dragged down the hallway towards the door. "I'm not answering anymore shit. Go home please." He pulled open the front door again and ushered Gavin out. Before he could even say another word, the door was shut on him and the sound of it locking took him by surprise.

 

Reggie listened for a moment once he shut the door on Gavin's face. He didn't mean to bark at him the way he did, but he was just livid that he had lied to him. If he had known Gavin wasn't 18 there was no way he would have encouraged him to spend alone time with Justin. Turning quickly he made his way down the hallway once more and into the bedroom. Glaring at Justin's motionless body on the bed, the older man began pulling open curtains and letting every ounce of light into the room. Seeing that the light had no effect on him, he then walked into the en-suite and turned the shower on. Rolling up his white dress shirt sleeves to his elbows, Reggie made sure the water was nice and cold before making his way back over to the king size bed. He had no problem dragging Justin from the bed and into the awaiting shower.

 

The cold water proved to be a success. Within moments Justin was up and wide eyed as the cold water hit him. He struggled desperately to get out of the shower. The water beat on him like needles and he managed to crawl out and onto the large plush rug. He looked up at Reggie and gave him a solid shove out of anger, before grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his shoulders. "What the fuck man? You don't come in here and drag me into a cold ass shower like that!" He shouted. Reggie crossed his arms over his chest. "You are a fucking idiot Justin." His tone was level, and calm. It took everything in him to keep calm and cool when all he wanted to do was punch Justin in the face. "Why am I an idiot? You're the one in my fucking apartment right now trying to drown me in my own shower."

 

"Save the drama queen act. What were you even thinking? You can't even stay on track the first day. I give you a prodigy and you get drunk and high on him the first fucking night."

"He's not a fucking prodigy." Justin laughed, and then proceeded to dry himself off. "He's just a kid he still has a lot of shit to learn. I don't know if he's cut out for this anyways."

"You weren't cut out for this either Justin. When I met you you were just as clueless and fresh as Gavin. You seem to forget that you weren't just born into all this." Reggie argued.

Justin cocked an eyebrow then looked around the room. "Where is the kid anyways?" He ran his fingers through his wet hair before attempting to dry it as well. "I sent him home. There's an issue with him anyways. A big one. You don't need to worry about it anymore. He's not your problem. This project is over."

Justin cocked an eyebrow at Reggie. "Wait, no no no. You said I needed the kid to get back in the game. What do you mean it's over?"

"I mean you fucking blew it. Both of you. He's 17, not 18 and his mom is Reign Kingston. "

The look of pure shock was evident on Justin's face. He wasn't sure he had heard Reggie correctly, because the coincidence was just too uncanny. "Reign is his mom? Are you sure?" He rubbed his face, starting to feel the effects of the hangover fall into place. "Yeah I'm 100% sure. She is not happy at all."

Justin slowly sat down on the closed toilet seat. He felt dizzy and slightly overwhelmed. It was bad enough that Gavin had lied about his age, but it was even worse where his roots stemmed from. He slowly lifted his head up and made eye contact with Reggie. "Does he know then?"

Reggie shook his head no. "He is clueless I told you. I'm sure he will be filled in soon. As for you, clean up. I don't want you around the kid anymore. It was a bad idea, and now Reign is all pissed off. You get me? You are done."

Justin nodded his head slowly. Reggie was a bit surprised to not receive any come back from him. "Good. Clean yourself up Justin. I mean it this time. It is pathetic I have to come in here preparing to find you dead one day. It's even more pathetic I already know what I am going to do and what story I will tell the media." Justin stayed quiet as Reggie made his way out of the en-suite. He listened as his footsteps disappeared down the hall followed by the opening and closing of the front door.

-

Gavin gripped the steering wheel a moment as he sat in silence in his car. He was parked outside of his house, but still hadn't bothered going inside. He knew his parents were more than likely pissed off at him. He had kept the whole music pursuing thing under lock and key. He knew that if he'd told them it would turn into a huge fiasco, but surprisingly not telling them turned into a fiasco just the same.

 

Letting out a long winded sigh, Gavin finally unlocked his door and got out of the car. He was still trying to grasp the fact that he and Justin had started composing music together. He didn't want to stop working with him, and he surely didn't want to stop pursuing in his music career. He had waited a long time, and there was no way he was going to let anyone get in the way of paving out his career.

 

Toying with his keys, Gavin began trying to figure out what he was going to say to his parents. He would argue that Justin wasn't all that bad, and would leave out the alcoholic,pill consuming part. It wasn't something they really needed to know about anyways. Before he could unlock the door himself, it was quickly pulled open for him. He suddenly lost his nerve to argue anything as he made eye contact with a very upset mom.

 

Swallowing hard, Gavin managed to choke something out, "Mm..mom. I just... I was...I went..." She slowly crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a look that made him want to coward into a corner. The mom glare was not something to be reckoned with, especially the one she was giving him now. "You said you were going to meet friends for coffee, and I find out you are not with your friends, but instead a dirty scheming ex-musician." Gavin blinked in surprise at his mother's description of Justin. The way Reggie had talked about her, it seemed like there were many things that were not being said. "You know him." Gavin stated. He didn't need to question her, it was apparent by the tone of her voice. He heard pure venom, and he just knew. "I knew him. I don't know him anymore, and neither do you."

 

Gavin stayed quiet, trying desperately to piece things together. His mom had never talked about Justin. She did have her time on the stage, but as far as Gavin knew she never worked with Justin. "Mom you have to tell me how - " "I don't have to tell you Gavin." Gavin let out a bit of a laugh and shook his head. "Ok, then I'll just ask Justin." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. His mother shook her head no then took the phone out of his hand. "You're grounded. No phone and no damn internet for the rest of the month. I already changed the wireless password." She smiled a small smile as she dropped his phone into her purse. "What the hell? You're grounding me? What am I 12? Where are you going??" He motioned to his mothers purse as she pulled her sunglasses down over her eyes. "I have an appointment. Your father will be home in an hour, and I am sure you and him have a lot to talk about."

 

He rubbed his hands over his face in aggravation. It was really annoying that everyone kept treating him like some sort of infant. He didn't think what had happened was entirely bad by any means. He wasn't drinking or doing drugs, or getting into any kind of trouble. The only thing Gavin was guilty of was losing track of time and falling asleep by accident. "So you ground me and take my phone, then run off to an appointment?"

Reign pretended to be thinking about his question, before smiling and giving him a nod. "Yes, that is exactly what just happened. I love you, see you soon." She gave him a wave before making her way down the walkway and toward her car. Things for Reign had been going amazing. She lived in a quiet beach town, she owned her own business, and had an amazing little family. The last thing Reign wanted was to dip back into the world she swore off of for the rest of her life. It was the reason she moved out of LA, but still liked knowing it was there, and not too far away. Her life as a background singer had ended, and she had no interest in going back, at least she didn't think she would need to.  

The term the freaks come out at night was not something to be taken lightly in LA. Though it was just an expression it still rang loud and true when the sun went down over Tinsel Town. Justin watched from his seat at the bar, as a cross dresser by the name of Coco danced shamelessly on the floor. The lights hit her royal blue sequined dress, causing prism's to illuminate on the walls, giving off a disco ball effect. Justin shook his head and glanced down into his now empty glass. Pressing his lips together he considered just calling it a night. He had only had two drinks so far, and leaving now would be some sort of achievement for him, being as he always left shit faced and needing a cab.

 

"Hello handsome." A low, and far from feminine voice whispered near his ear. Justin cocked his head slightly only to be met with a wide red lipstick smile from Coco. He made eye contact with her obvious green colored contacts. "I saw you sitting over here watching me groove. I thought maybe you wanted to join me?" She encouraged while placing her oversized hand on his shoulder. His body tensed involuntarily. "Flattered, but not tonight." He quickly waved the bartender over and motioned down to his empty glass. No achievements would be made tonight.

 

Coco pouted a bit before shrugging her shoulders and motioning to her own empty martini glass once the bartender came over. "If you get lonely, you know where to find me Justin Timberlake. "She smiled once more before giving him a suggestive motion. "Oh I know exactly where to find you." He laughed.

"Yes you do. You surely do." Coco gave him a wink and small wave before taking herself and freshly filled martini glass back out onto the dance floor. Shaking his head, Justin made a mental note to not glance in Coco's way for the rest of the evening. He had tried some crazy shit, but Coco was definitely not one of them. "One day she is going to get you to dance." The bartender, who went by the name of Brian, stated as he filled Justin's glass with Crown Royal. Justin gave him a light glare, before snatching the drink up and pressing it to his lips. "I've been beyond coherent before and still have managed to avoid such a scenario."

Brian shrugged innocently as he began taking out what he needed for a long island iced tea. Justin went quiet as he consumed his double shot on the rocks. There really was no purpose for a mixer, but Brian always threw in a squirt of sprite anyways. Justin frequented the small club so often that he felt like he was living a real life version of The Piano Man. A classic Billy Joel song, except he wasn't playing the piano for anyone. He was a regular without a doubt, and so were many of the others there. Justin was a creature of habit, and sitting there drinking on a Tuesday night had become the ordinary.

Justin did not adapt to change well, and the events that had happened over the last few days had proved to be very overwhelming. Reggie had without a doubt caused Justin's life to turn upside down in just a few short days. Of course he had no one to blame but himself since he reached out to Reggie to get him back into the lime light. Sitting and thinking about it now Justin was beginning to accept the fact that maybe his time had expired. Though he left the business with a tarnished name, the thought of getting on big stages in arenas full of people was something he wasn't confident he was ready for. The incident that happened in just his living room with Gavin had proved that he was no where near ready to storm stages again.

Letting out an aggravated sigh, Justin tried to not think about that shit. It was over anyways. Reggie had pulled the plug before they could even start it. Again, Justin knew he had brought that upon himself with his actions. He didn't think he had a problem, and couldn't see what the big deal was. He liked to drink from time to time, maybe a little more than he should, but he could stop if he wanted to, he just didn't feel like it.

As Justin continued to sit and reflect, or sulk whatever it was, he caught someone sit directly next to him out of the corner of his eye. He assumed it was Coco again and was not in the mood to turn her down for the 100th time that week. "I told you I don't wanna dance tonight..." He stated, not even bothering to look over at her as he swirled the now melting ice around in his drink. "I don't want to dance with you either." She shot back. Justin sat up straight when he realized that the voice did not belong to Coco. Turning quickly, he widened his eyes some when he realized that his assumption of who the voice belonged to instead, had been accurate. "What are you doing here?" He questioned in a low tone. She met his gaze then carefully took the drink away from him. He watched with curious eyes as she placed the glass to her lips and took a lengthy drink. Her face scrunched up and she coughed while hitting her hand off the bar top. Justin let his mouth curve into a smile as he fought to keep the laughter in.

 

"Reggie told me you would be here." She choked out, still trying to recover from the alcohol. Justin made a displeased face immediately. "I don't know why he would do that. You have nothing to worry about Reign." Spinning her chair a bit, she studied Justin's profile before giving him a stern look. "You know, for so many years I listened to you say that Justin. 'You have nothing to worry about Reign.' You told me that over and over so many times that I actually started to believe it, and when I finally did everything came undone. You never even said you were sorry."

His leg began bouncing as she started to air out old dirty laundry. Justin hated talking about the past. He despised when people constantly reminded him of all the wrong choices he'd made when he was younger. "Is that what you came all the way down here for? You want me to say I'm sorry?" She shook her head no. "I don't need your apology anymore, what I need from you is to stay away from my son now."

Justin gave her a bewildered look followed by a loud laugh. "You came here to tell me that? How did you even know he was involved with me?"

Reign was not laughing, in fact she was trying very hard to trigger telekinetic powers in order to kill him with just her mind. "There's this thing, called the internet, maybe you've heard of it. People like to record videos on their phones and then put them all over this internet thing. Surprisingly it works really well."

Justin rolled his eyes then finished off the last bit of alcohol in his glass. "So you saw a video someone posted of Gavin on youtube and linked it back to me?"

She shook her head no. "No I saw a video of you at the little show he did. It doesn't matter how I saw it Justin, what matters is that I don't want to see you around him."

He rubbed his palms over his knees. "Listen, Reggie already pulled the plug because you chewed him out. Don't deny that you did because I know you did. You have nothing to worry about."

Reign stood up from the chair quickly and had no problem getting in Justin's face. Her nose touched his and she looked directly into his eyes. "Stop saying that. It's a lie. Ever since I met you I have had nothing but worries. Don't ever say that to me again unless you can prove it."

He made no motion once she got in his face. He blinked a few times, but he felt no real threat from her. It had been a long time since Reign disappeared out of his life just like everyone else. When the weight of the world came down, she ran off, and it made him realize that she was no different from the rest. He slowly moved his face away from hers so he could look into her eyes better. The fact that he wasn't making any movement to back off was only infuriating her more. "Why are you so afraid of Gavin spending time with me?" He questioned in almost a whispered tone.

Reign took the opportunity to move away from him. Her attempt at being intimidating did not go well. She shifted her eyes away from him and slowly sat back down on the chair. Justin watched her contently before motioning for Brian to come over and refill his drink. "Get her a vodka cranberry too yeah?" Brian nodded while taking out a new glass for Reign. "Because you'll ruin his life Justin. He's still only 17 I don't want him to get pushed into the industry yet. He's not ready." She shook her head then quietly thanked Brian for the drink. "I'm not going to ruin his life. I'm just acting as a mentor. Helping him learn the ropes so he doesn't get fucked. I'm trying to do some good for once." He argued. Reign had a lot of nerve accusing him of ruining peoples lives. More people had ruined his life over the course of the years, but it didn't seem to really matter.

"What are you getting out of it?" She asked. Her eyes studied his, and he felt his body tense again. "What makes you think I'm getting anything out of it?" Reign let out a laugh and sipped on her drink. "You don't do charity work. Reggie offered you something in exchange to 'mentor' Gavin. Tell me what it was."

Feeling defeated, Justin sighed heavily before sitting back in his chair some. "He said mentoring Gavin and helping him with his career while attaching my name to his would help me ease back into my own career again." He looked away from her, a bit afraid to see her reaction to what he'd just confessed. Much to his surprise, Reign did not react negatively. She remained quiet, and even seemed intrigued as she continued to consume her vodka-cranberry. "You really think you can help him instead of just turn him into another you part two?"

Justin rolled his eyes once more and then reached into his back pocket to extract his wallet. He was tired, and he was mostly done reliving old times. "It doesn't matter anymore Reign. It's over. I get it. You want me to stay away from the kid fine. Let me tell you something though. Gavin wants it. He is determined and he will do it with or without me. He's not going to sit back and let it go he's already had a taste and I know for a fact he wants more." With that Justin handed his credit card over to Brian and closed out his tab. Reign stayed quiet and lowered her gaze. She knew Justin was right. She might have been letting her own personal vendetta with him get in the way of seeing clearly. The only thing she wanted was to protect her son. She had worked hard to give him a practically perfect life. She'd sheltered him from the hardships and swept many secrets under the rug. Her gaze lifted, and she felt her heart sink when she realized Justin was gone. Grabbing her bag, she went to pay for her drink but Brian waved her off. "Justin paid for it, he went out this door." He pointed to the side door that led into the alley way. Reign offered him a warm smile before whispering a thank you.

 

Justin definitely needed to clear his head now, and the best way for him to do that was to take a long walk. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his bottle of Ativan. Old faces from the past was not something that excited him at all. Reign had stirred the pot more than ever, and all Justin wanted was to erase it. He had met Reign at a small venue when she worked for jazz artist. At the time Justin was well on his way to the top. He was young, and only 15, while Reign was 17 and far more experienced than him in every way. He had her to thank for many first time experiences. Unfortunately he had to go on the road, and lost contact with her over the years. When he finally got in touch with her again she was heavy in a new relationship, and had a baby. Despite his better judgment to just let her go, he continued to write and call her. She was always good for lonely nights, and being a musician caused him to have many of those.

"Justin wait up!"

He stopped abruptly and looked up towards the sky before silently cursing to himself. "Go away Reign." He called out, before dispensing 4 pills into his mouth. "No, look I know I was a bitch back there." She caught up to him and slowed her jog down to meet his pace. "No shit." He sighed. "Justin, you're right okay? I know you are, about Gavin. I know you and I have a pretty fucked up past and I shouldn't let that get in the way of things for him." He stopped walking and faced her fully. "How is Shawn anyways? You're still married right?" He smirked and rocked on his heels some. Reign gave him a confused look before pushing him in the arm. "Don't change the subject. Shawn is fine. No he doesn't know I am here, but he knows Gavin has been talking to you." Justin pressed his lips together and nodded. "I'm sure he is thrilled." Reign gave him a glare. "I know Gavin is headstrong, and I know he will find his way to make it if he wants it bad enough. If you can promise me that he will be okay with you then...you don't have to pull the plug." She shifted her gaze away from him. Reign knew that the fate of her son depended on the type of people he sought to help him make it to the top. As much as she knew Justin was a destruction all in himself, she wanted to believe that if his own shot at reclaiming his dignity relied on Gavin, then maybe it would be good for both of them.

Justin squinted his eyes at her. He wasn't sure he had heard her right. "Wait, so now you want me to help him?" She nodded. "Only if you promise he will be okay with you. I want to be involved though. I don't want any shit going on behind my back." He let out a long sigh and ran his hand over the top of his head. Their eyes met, and for a long moment he stayed quiet before surrendering. "Yeah, I promise. You have nothing to worry about Reign." She studied his eyes for a moment before finally exposing a small smile. "I'll see you soon then."