I ease into my seat and pull my beanie a little lower on my head, trying to avoid the curious stares coming at me from every direction.     

I thought a Fleetwood Mac concert was the last place anyone would recognize me. I fully expected a crowd of people closer to my parents age, rather than mine. Apparently, I was wrong.    

The arena is packed to the rafters with people of every age and race. Needless to say, I'm more than a little surprised to see so many people around my age and younger.    

I knew I shouldn't have come here alone, but oh no...I just had to let Justin plan the evening.    

Originally, it didn't sound so bad. He had interviews and meetings filling his entire day, so he thought it would be easier for him to just meet me at the venue after his last meeting. I was ok with that, so I agreed. I just didn't plan on having most of Chicago staring at me, wondering why I showed up to a concert alone.    

I'm actually beginning to wonder that myself. I've been here for a good 20 minutes or so. Justin should have been here by now.    

I dig my phone out of my purse to call him, but stop when I see a tall figure, baseball cap pulled low over his eyes, heading down the aisle toward me. It's about damn time.    

He shoots me an easy smile as he takes his seat, and whips his hat off.    

What the hell?!?!    

"Hey...Justin was supposed to call you." His smile falls at the confused look on my face. "He's stuck in a meeting and couldn't make it. He asked me to come so you wouldn't be alone. And...who could honestly pass up a free front row ticket for Fleetwood Mac?" He chuckles softly and shrugs.     

"Th..thanks." I stutter, still shocked by his presence.     

"It's nothing." He shakes his head and the lights dim.    

In an instant, I'm on my feet with the rest of the crowd, screaming at the top of my lungs and anxiously awaiting the arrival of my all time favorite band.    

A heavy cloud of smoke fills the stage and the opening strands of "The Chain" pour from the speakers.     

I wanted so badly to enjoy this night. I wanted Justin here with me. I wanted him to see how truly amazing this band this. I wanted him to see the reason I started performing, but mostly...I wanted him to finally be able to understand me.    

Music is my life, not just in the sense that my career is centered around it. I'm a huge fan of all types of music, from country to pop, oldies to rap. I've always believed that the type of music a person listens to, says a lot about who they are.    

It may sound strange, but Fleetwood Mac has kind of been the soundtrack to my life.    

They were my very first concert. I learned to play guitar to the chords of "Landslide." I had my first kiss while "Say You Love Me" boomed out of my car stereo. I played "The Chain" as part of my set the night I met Jc. When I signed my record deal, I blared "Don't Stop" the whole way home.     

I have so many memories that have been shaped by the music of Fleetwood Mac, and for some unknown reason, I wanted to share that with Justin. I wanted him to see a side of me that no one but my family and Chelsea has ever seen.     

And I haven't got a clue why.    

I just...I want Justin to know me, the real me. Not the musician. Not the girl faking a marriage. Not the pathetic, guarded person I've become because of what Beth did to me.     

I want him to really see me, and tonight would have been his first glimpse.    

Instead, I'm here with my manager.     

I guess I shouldn't complain too much. I love Jace and always have a good time with him, but he isn't Justin.     

I'm so damn mad at him, I can't hardly see straight. He promised he'd be here. He knew this was important to me, but he ditched me anyway.     

When I opened that envelope on Christmas and saw the tickets, I thought that was my sign that things had finally changed. I thought maybe I was getting to see the real Justin, but now I'm wondering...did he even get the tickets himself? Hell...he probably had Jc buy them and out of guilt, he sent Jc here in his place.    

Bastard.    

He completely disregarded me and my feelings, just like he's done since the day we met. He doesn't care about me in any way, shape or form. He can claim that we're friends as much as he wants, the truth is...he's always going to let me down.   

But, I'm not going to dwell on it.     

For the next two hours, I'm going to watch my favorite band perform my favorite songs, and I'm sure as hell not going to worry about Justin Timberlake.

***************************************    

I look down at the business card in my hands and grin. I don't think you could wipe this stupid smile off of my face, even if you tried.     

Stevie Nicks actually knows who I am! Better yet...she wants to work with me!    

I swear, I thought I dreamed the whole thing, but the pictures stored in my digital camera and the business card with her personal phone number scrawled on the back are proof enough.    

I finally met my idol!    

To say I'm giddy, would be a gross understatement.     

I don't think it's even completely set in yet. I mean, I can't believe I got to actually meet her, let alone hear her say she's a fan of mine. And she was so sweet, she greeted everyone backstage with the same enthusiasm. That just gave me one more reason to idolize her. She's absolutely amazing.    

"So, can you die happy now or what?" Jc asks with a laugh as we head for my car. Luckily, the crowd is too busy trying to maintain their post-concert high to pay any attention to us. Which makes the fact that we have no security a non-issue.    

"Totally!" I shout excitedly. "I just...I still can't believe it, ya know? I mean, she's my hero!"    

"So I've heard." He chuckles and shakes his head at my sillyness.     

Sometimes, it's hard to believe that Jc is just a few years older than me. I guess he's kind of an old soul or something.    

Which, is actually a good thing when it comes to business. He looks at things the same way a much older, more experienced person would, and that's been a huge help in getting people to take him seriously. The old men who practically run the industry get the feel that Jace is on their maturity level and that has definitely benefited me.    

Nobody wanted anything to do with me until he came along. I really do owe everything to him.     

"You wanna grab something to eat?"    

"Nah. We've got an early fight. We better just go back to the hotel. When we get home, you've got studio time scheduled."    

"Hooray." I mutter sarcastically and roll my eyes.    

"Goodnight Madison." He smirks and goes to search the parking lot for his own rental car.     

Early flight and studio time be damned. I'm freakin starving. As soon as I get to the hotel, I'm getting room service.    

I know it sounds bad, but I'm already contemplating ways to skip out on going to the studio tomorrow. It's bad enough that I'll be seated next to Justin on our flight. I really don't want to spend the entire day in the confines of a small recording studio with him.     

As far as I'm concerned, the less time I spend around Justin, the better.    

I sit in concert traffic for almost two hours before I finally make it back to the hotel. Besides the valet, there isn't a single person in sight. I toss him the keys and for the first time since we arrived late last night, I walk right through the front doors.    

It sounds stupid, but it's actually kind of liberating. I really do miss the freedom of doing whatever the hell I want.    

I don't want to be the type who whines about their fame, but sometimes...it really fucking sucks. All of these people intrude on your life and there isn't a thing you can do about it. It's not fun...but you just have to deal with it.    

I chose this life, there's no point in crying about it, when I've got exactly what I spent so much time working for.     

I make it up to my room quickly, nodding at Mike, who's stationed by the elevators. Could they make it any more obvious that we're staying on this floor? The huge men wandering the halls are a dead giveaway. I mean, seriously!    

Before I even kick off my shoes, I grab the room service menu. Pretty much everything looks amazing, but I decide on chicken tenders and fries.    

After placing my order, I reach for my notebook but stop when there's a soft knock on the door.   

 There's no way they got my food up here that quick.     

I pad over to the door cautiously and take a quick glance out of the peephole. His image is a little distorted, but it's not hard to see who it is.     

Great. Just the person I wanted to see. Not.    

I pull the door open and glare at him. He shifts awkwardly before pushing past me into the room and planting himself on the couch. For a split second, I wonder how long it would take to smother him with a pillow.    

"So, how was the show?"    

"Amazing. Except for the part where you ditched me!" I yell angrily and slap the back of his head.    

"I'm sorry, alright?" He pouts and rubs the now tender spot on his head. "Damn, that fucking hurt."    

"Good." I roll my eyes at him. "We were supposed to go together. That was my Christmas present Justin. For some strange reason...I actually wanted you there."    

"I had meetings. I'm sorry Madison, but work is more important than some concert."    

We both fall silent as a loud knock sounds on the door. I let the young man enter and watch as he rolls the cart into the room, before nodding at both of us and leaving quickly.    

"Besides, Jace was there with you." Justin continues, like we'd never been interrupted. "It wasn't like I left you alone."    

Ok, he does have a point there. He could have very well not sent anyone in his place, and I would have looked like a complete jackass. But still...   

"That's not the point. You were supposed to be there."    

"Madison...chill the fuck out. It was one concert. It's not that big of a deal."    

"It's a big deal to me!"    

"Oh my god...do you hear yourself right now? Madison, we aren't a real couple, so stop acting like it! It doesn't fucking matter if I ditch you!" He roars, his face turning an unnatural shade of red.    

Looks like the old Justin has returned full force.    

"You're damn right. Because I'd never be stupid enough to be with a bastard like you!" I scream and shove him harder than I intended.     

He hops off the couch and I'm just waiting for him to take a swing at me. Instead, he grabs me by the waist and pulls me against him, his mouth landing on mine a second later.     

Shit.    

How the hell does he do that?    

One minute, I'm contemplating various ways to kill him and dump the body, but the next I can't keep my hands off of him. He makes me absolutely crazy, but I love every second of it.    

His mouth trails across my jaw and down my neck, while his hands quickly undo the button of my jeans and slide them down my legs.     

My head is screaming at me to stop, but my body and my heart have plans of their own and I'm afraid they might actually win this time.    

I mean hey...it's two against one. Totally fair, right?    

He quickly backs me into the bedroom before we both fall onto the bed. He sits up a little, resting his hands on either side of my head.     

I swear to God...I've never seen such a beautiful man in my life. From those dark to blue eyes, to that crooked cocky smile, he's perfection.     

He pulls his T-shirt over his head, tossing it to the floor and my hands instinctively move to the waistband of his sweatpants. In one swift move, I could have them off, but I'll let him wait it out a little.     

The tent in his pants seems to be getting bigger by the second and suddenly, the reality of what's happening hits me.  This is really going to happen. After dreaming and fantasizing for months, the moment is finally here.     

There's no going back from this.     

I quickly slip my hand inside his pants and he hisses when my fingers skim up the length of him, my thumb swiping across the tip.    

Oh, this is definitely going to be a good night.     

I wrap my fingers around his shaft and smile when he bites down on his bottom lip, his eyes sliding shut. I begin to pump him slowly and I can feel my want for him building in the pit of my stomach.    

This is really happening. Holy shit.    

"Fuck...Madison..." He grits out and I can't help but grin at the way my name rolls off of his tongue. That alone is almost enough to get me off.   

"Mad..Madison...St-stop." He stutters and I halt all movement.    

Oh God. Did I do something wrong? Did he finally realize how incredibly stupid this is? Maybe he's going to put a stop to this.    

After all, it shouldn't be happening anyway.     

But, it feels so fucking good.    

Ever notice how the worst things always seem to feel the best? It's so not fair.   

He presses his lips to mine sweetly before he pulls off my shirt and throws it next to his. His appreciative smile makes me so damn glad I didn't wear a bra tonight. I'd give anything to have him look at me like that, every day for the rest of my life.    

He hooks his thumbs into my panties and he pulls them off with a quick tug, leaving me completely exposed to him. His eyes travel up my body, then down again and he licks his lips seductively.    

"Damn Maddie." He smiles at me before wiggling out of his sweats and kicking them to the floor. "I know I got to see all this in Vegas...I just wish I remembered it."   

Oh Jesus Christ. This is it. We're both naked and more than ready to go. If I'm dreaming, I never want to wake up.    

He settles himself between my legs and I can feel him pressing into me. All it would take is one quick move and he could be inside of me, but...I'll restrain myself.     

I've waited six months. I'm sure a few more minutes won't kill me.    

Or maybe it will.    

"Justin...come on." I whine and rub myself against him, hoping he'll see just how badly I need him, and take pity on me.    

"Not yet." He mumbles before his lips come to rest against mine again.    

We lay like that for awhile, just kissing while his hands wander over my entire body. Never in a million years did I expect him to be so sweet with me.     

Just when I've cooled down and think maybe the magic of the moment has passed, he surges inside of me, plunging deeper than I could have ever imagined. He holds himself there for several minutes, giving me time to get used to the feel of him. He pulls out so slow it feels like torture before slamming back in and I immediately see stars.    

He continues the motions and I quickly find myself raising my hips to meet his. I wrap my legs around his waist, allowing him to hit that spot inside of me that makes my body tremble.    

"Justin...don't stop." I cry out and dig my nails into the smooth skin of his back. I have never had sex that felt even half as incredible as this does.    

We have this almost animalistic need for each other and neither of us is going to stop until we get what we want from the other. I can't even remember why I fought him off for so long.        

I was so stupid to let myself miss out on this.    

He picks up his pace and his breath is coming out in short, quick pants, his breath fanning across my skin. Each time he grunts out my name I can feel myself getting closer to the edge. My walls begin to tighten around him and his lips crash against mine.     

He pulls away quickly and smiles down at me. Before I know it, I clamp down on him and an explosion courses through my body. My toes curl, my legs shake and I have this tingling sensation all over.    

I practically scream his name as he comes inside of me and collapses, his head falling on my chest.  He plants a few soft kisses on my collarbone before he rolls over to the other side of the bed.    

Just like that, it's over.    

He doesn't say a word as he turns his back to me, fluffs his pillow and settles in.    

I know I'm going to regret this in the morning. We're barely even friends, much less anything more. There's just no way this should have happened.     How could I be so stupid?    

I'm still angry with him because of the concert, but now...I'm even more mad at myself.     

I've held back on these feelings for six months and no matter how good it felt...I don't think it was worth it.     

I've just dug myself into an even deeper hole, and this time...I don't know how the hell I'll get out of it.

******************************    

My eyes snap open and I look around the room, not surprised at the fact that I'm alone. I guess it's a good thing I was expecting this.     

All of the times he kissed me or tried to make a move, were for one reason and one reason only. And, I was dumb enough to give him exactly what he wanted.    I let my feelings for him cloud my judgement and yet again...I've made a massive mistake.     

When did I become such a fuck up?    

I want to be mad at him for leaving, but really...I can't blame him. Had we been in his room, I probably would have left the second he fell asleep.     

There's a loud knock on my door and I freeze. Please dear God, don't let that be him. I haven't had time to fully process last night and I'm so not ready to deal with the awkwardness that I'm sure will take place between us.     

I throw on a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt, then head for the door. I yank it open and breathe a sigh of relief when I see Jc and Chelsea standing there.    

There is a God after all.     

"Morning sunshine." Chelsea smiles brightly as I stand back to let the two of them enter. "Need help packing or anything?"    

"Umm...no..I don't think so." I mumble.    

"We just came by to let you know that Chelsea has accepted the job. She's going to head back to L.A with us today."

"Really? That's...that's great."    

I'd completely forgotten about Jc wanting to hire Chelsea.     

Deep down, I knew she'd take the job. Chelsea loves Chicago, but I think she's always wanted to get out. Not to mention the fact that every time I did get to see her, she complained about my lack of spare time.    

This way, I'll have my best friend with me pretty much 24/7, and that's definitely a good thing.     

Unfortunately, there's also a downside. She is one of the many who believe that Justin and I really are together.     

Either, I tell her the truth or I keep up the act while she's around. After last night, I think telling her the truth might be the easiest of the two.     

I wish I knew what the hell was going to happen. Justin runs so hot and cold with everything, there's really no way to tell how he's going to act.     

But, I'm afraid it definitely won't be good.     

He appears in the doorway a second later and smiles brightly. "Morning all." He strolls over to me and plants a kiss on my forehead before throwing himself down onto the couch and flipping on the TV.    

"Alright...we need to be out of here in 20 minutes. Madison...you should probably change." Jc gives me a short nod and disappears into the hallway.    

"And why are you in such a good mood popstar?" Chelsea eyes Justin suspiciously.   

I guess she has every reason to be curious. I don't think she's ever seen Justin in a good mood, with the exception of Christmas.     

Maybe having her as my assistant isn't such a good idea after all.    

"It's a good day." He shrugs before glancing at me and looking away just as quickly.     

"Chels...why don't you go get us some coffee or something?"    

"Sounds like a plan boss." She giggles before saluting me and heading out the door.     

Once Justin and I are alone, an awkward silence falls over the room. He continues to flip channels and I toss the rest of my things into my suitcase.     

One of us has to say something. We can't just ignore this. Last night was a big deal, whether we want to believe it or not.    

"So..." I drawl out and he finally turns to look at me.    

"Don't tell me you want to analyze last night to death." He frowns and rolls his eyes. "Look...we both needed to get laid. End of story. Besides...you're the party girl, remember? This should be normal for you."    

And just like that...we're right back where we started six months ago.