Justin unlocks the door to his house and pushes the door open so Cierra could walk in first. She had taken her heels off in the limo so she sat them at the door way and stepped into the living room giggling at what she saw. AJ and Brandi were both curled up on opposite ends of the couch; the television playing The Cosby Show softly in the background. She turns when she saw Justin walk around her to cut the television off, “Should we wake them? It’s almost 4 and I doubt the couch is that comfortable.”

    Justin nods his head at Tony who walked around and pick Brandi off the couch, Justin following with AJ in his arms, “I’ll be right back.”

     She laughs as she watched them walk up the steps. Moving towards the kitchen, she grabs a glass and opens the refrigerator. After pouring herself a glass of water she sits down on the stool at his island. Sitting her glass down, she lays her forehead against the cool marble surface. I need to get out of this dress, she thinks, adjusting the front. After going back into the club, the rest of the night was uneventful. She and Justin drank, danced and had a good time. They saw Danny and Jessica only once more when they were leaving. Justin had her go on to the limo while he stayed back to say a few more goodbyes but when she peaked out the window, he was in deep conversation with Danny. When he finally made it to the limo some twenty minutes later, she tried to question him but he wouldn’t answer any of them.

          A noise behind her makes her sit up. Justin was standing in the doorway, “Are you drunk?”

          She giggles and shakes her head, “No, I’m good. I had maybe four drinks but if I remember you finished my last one. Are you drunk?”

          He steps towards her, grinning and shaking his head ‘no’, “You should really get out of that dress,” He has already taken off his tie and was in the process of unbuttoning his shirt, “It can’t be that comfortable anymore.”

          She stands up, placing her glass in the sink and walks back to him. They head up the staircase to Justin’s room, “Where is your mom’s room?”

          He shuts the door and locks it before answering, “She’s on the other end of the hall. AJ is in the room on the right and Brandi is on the room on the left. Tony stays in the basement if we get home too late.”

          She pulls the hair clip out of her hair, letting her natural curly hair to fall to her shoulders. Moving to stand in front of Justin, Cierra lifts her hair so he could remove the necklace. When he finished she asks, “Can you unzip me please? You put Tony in the basement? That doesn’t sound very nice.” She shivers as Justin lets his finger run down her spine as he unzips her dress.

          She steps out of the dress, leaving on her strapless bra and underwear. Justin walks over to his dresser and pulls out an old shirt of his. He throws it over to Cierra, laughing when it lands on her head. He takes off his own shirt and starts to unbutton his slacks when Cierra covers his hands with hers. He looks up and grins. She was still in her bra and underwear, “So, just how slow are we taking this?”

          He bends down and captures her lips with his, “As slow as you want but just so you know, the basement is furnished,” he mumbles. He wrapped his arms around her waist, his hands sliding down to cup her butt. Pulling up, he lifted her until her legs wrap around his waist and walks towards the bed, “Or as fast as you want.” He lays her gently on the bed, crawling to rest carefully on top of her, “Can I ask you a question? If it ruins the mood, I apologize.”

          She giggles running her finger across his chest, “Ask away.”

          Justin hisses when her finger brushes his nipple, “Um, when was the last time you…” He made a gesture with his hand which only made Cierra laugh harder.

          “It’s been awhile. Almost three years, actually…I still have scars in some places so I’ve avoided being intimate with people but I can’t with you any longer…” She leans her head up to kiss a trail from his ear, down his neck, to his Adam’s apple. She smiles against his neck when he moans, his hand running down her side, “Is that a problem?”

          She kisses her way back up to his mouth, letting their tongues play before he pulls back, “No, no no, but are you sure? I mean I don’t… I’m scared I’m going to hurt you or something. I don’t … I don’t see scars.”

          She glares at him, locking her legs around his waist, “Justin, make love to me. I have to be naked, and then you will see the scars.” 

         He chuckles, his voice harsh and laced with lust, “Yes, ma’am and I bet you’re still just as beautiful.”

             Cierra woke up the next morning with a groan. She hurts in places she didn’t realize she had. Can’t tell Justin that, he’ll freak, She thinks rolling over, expecting to collide with another body but she kept rolling until she was flat on her stomach. Opening one eye and then the other, she pushes herself into a sitting position, keeping the sheet tucked under her neck and looked around. Justin’s room was empty, except for her of course. “To get up or not to get up, that is the question,” She mumbles to herself. She pushes her legs from under the covers first, looking around the floor for her clothes. Her head snaps up when she hears the door creak open, Justin sticks his head inside. She smiles at him, “I’m awake. You don’t have to be quiet.”

          His grin widens as he slips his body into the room, shutting the door behind him, “Just making sure. How are you… doing?” He walks over towards her, sitting down.

          Shrugging, she reaches down to grab the night shirt Justin lent her, “I’m fine, Silly. How are you?” Cierra pulls the shirt over her head, trying not to show any pain. Keeping the covers around her waist, “Have you seen my underwear lately?”

          “Not since I took them off of you last night,” He responds, leaning forward to kiss her neck. “I’m doing rather fantastic actually.”

          She giggles, pulling away, “I’m serious. I can’t walk out of here half naked! What would your mother think?”

          Justin places his hands gently on her shoulders, forcing her to lie back down. Pulling the covers down, he spreads her legs and lies softly between them. Using his arms to keep himself lifted, not putting too much weight on her, he leans down to kiss the caramel skin exposed to him and says “That her son made amazing love to a beautiful woman last night.”

          She smacks his arm laughing along with him, “You’re such a horny little shit. I need to use the restroom and I am hungry.” She sticks out her bottom lip in a pout but moans instead. Justin takes her bottom lip in his mouth, sucking gently before capturing her lips entirely. She runs her hands up his arms until they wrap around his neck, pulling him closer. He thrusts forward letting her feel what she’s doing to him causing her to inhale sharply. A knock at the door and Justin lays his head on her collar bone, groaning, “I should’ve locked that.”

          Brandi pushes the door open, without waiting for the okay, blushes at the sight, “Huh, sorry about that but I figured if the door wasn’t locked… Anyway, your mother says breakfast is ready and to wake Cierra up but apparently, she’s not the only thing wide awake right now.” She pulls the door shut and her laughter can still be heard in the room.

          Justin narrows his eyes at Cierra, “Would you notice if she went missing?”

          Giggling, Cierra pushes him off of her. He rolls over and grabs something off the floor from the other side. Throwing Cierra a pair of his shorts, “I really have no idea where your underwear went.” 

         She stands up, ignoring the groan from Justin and pulls the shorts on, “Can you hand me my toothbrush out of my bag?” He does as she asks, pouting as he hands her the object,

         “This is not fair. You look really fucking hot in my clothes.”

         She cocks her head to the side and grins widely, “Well, you can keep on thinking that because these clothes are staying on until I go to take a shower after breakfast.”

         She walks into the bathroom, turning the faucet on and Justin follows, “Can I take a shower with you?”Brushing her teeth she nods. She makes a motion for Justin to turn around and he raises his eyebrows. Standing still, she places her hands on her hips, making the motion again. He does and she finishes brushing her teeth in the sink.

        Turning back around, Justin laughs, “You don’t want me watching you brush your teeth?”

         She walks back into the bedroom and over to her bag which sits in his window seat, shaking her head, “No, I don’t want you watching me spit.” Justin opens his mouth to respond but she cuts him off, “And if you say the perverted thought that I think is going through your head you can forget about that duo shower.”

         He shuts his mouth, still smilingShe pulls out her hair brush, running it through her hair a few times before pulling it back into a pony tail. Sitting the brush back in the bag, she turns around to see Justin still staring at her. She bounces over to him, “What?”

          “I have to leave in the morning again. We didn’t finish the shows overseas yet. I won’t be back until right before Thanksgiving.” He looks down at his feet, “ Um, did I hurt you last night? You’re moving … weird.”

          She places her hands on his chest, “No, I’m fine, I promise. It had just been three years, you know? Some things… weren’t as used to it but it’s nothing, I promise.”

          He kisses her lightly, “I want you to come with me, so I know you’ll be safe.”

         Cierra crosses her arms over her chest, “Justin, I work. I can’t just up and leave not to mention I’ve only been with the company a couple months, I can’t just ask for a month off. I will be fine. I have AJ and Brandi. I will let the authorities know. I doubt he’ll even try anything.”

         Clearing his throat, he looks her in the eye, “I’m not exactly asking here, Cierra. I will talk with your bosses or you could just quit and work for me. I am not leaving you here with him near by.”

         Narrowing her eyes, she steps around Justin, heading for the door, “Then I guess you’ll have to cancel your shows because I am not quitting my job and I am not going with you.”

         Opening the door, she steps into the hallway slamming the door behind her before walking downstairs. Cierra enters into the kitchen, ignoring the looks Lynn, Brandi and AJ are giving her. Sitting at the table she looks up and smiles, “Smells good in here. Good morning.”

         Lynn sits a plate of eggs, bacon and two waffles in front of her, “What’s going on with you two?”

         Cierra shifts uncomfortably then looks at Lynn then Brandi then AJ and finally back to Lynn, “He decided that I was going with him overseas for the remainder of his press thing and I said no. He didn’t like that.”

         Cutting her waffle in half, she held the fork in her left hand and the knife in the other, “I mean really. Does he not grasp that I have a job? Oh but he offers a job with him. I didn’t go to school to work for a pop star or musician or whatever. I went for Criminal Justice and gosh darn it, that’s what I am going to do! I’ve worked too damn hard to get where I am to just up and drop it like that.” She shoves a piece of waffle in her mouth, chewing slowly.

         Brandi looks at her, amusement bouncing in her eyes, “Well, someone needs to arrest these miniature Britney’s for improper thoughts and whorish attire.”

         AJ looks over at Brandi, shooting her a look then turns back to Cierra, “He’s worried. You can’t blame him for trying, Honey. Plus, it doesn’t sound like too bad of an idea, could be fun really. Think of all the places you’ll be visiting!”Cierra narrows her eyes,

         “Are you really taking his side right now?” AJ stares at the knife in her hand and shakes her head ‘no’.

         Lynn watched the interaction from the kitchen and makes her way back in, “He told me, you know, about Danny. I don’t think it’s such a bad idea. I mean, your bosses would understand if you explained the situation to them right?”

         Cierra sits the silverware down and lowers her eyes, “He told you? I can not let him win. I’m not running any more than I already have otherwise I’ll be running for the rest of my life and I can’t be with Justin if that’s the case. I understand what all of you are saying, I really am but will you listen to me? My dream has always been to work in the Justice system; to stop scum like Danny. Justin’s dream is performing. Why is that he can have his but I can’t have mine?” She sips her orange juice,

         “Besides… just because I would be gone doesn’t mean he wouldn’t go after you guys.” She looks up at AJ and Brandi, “And I will never forgive myself if something happens to ya’ll.”

         She leans back in the chair, sighing.Lynn pulls a free chair closer to Cierra, sitting down. She places her hand on her leg and smiles softly, “Honey, nothing is going to happen to anyone wither you go with Justin or not. He can’t get away with anything out here, especially since the authorities know and so does Tony’s friends –“

         “I’m sorry, what? I never told the cops nor did I know Tony had ‘friends’” She looked around the table. AJ suddenly became very interested in her apple and Brandi was enjoying her bacon too much.

         Lynn grimaced, like she let the cat out the bag, “I wish my son would start telling me what I can and can not say.”

         “JUSTIN!” Cierra yelled as she placed her hand over Lynn’s, “It’s not your fault. You didn’t know I wasn’t aware that my boyfriend went behind my back.”

         Everyone looked up at the sound of footsteps and Justin stops at the doorway. He looks around the table, “What did I do now?”

         Cierra stands up, hands on her hips, “You went to the authorities without my permission. You got Tony’s ‘friends’ involved?!”

         Justin looks at his mom who simply shrugs and he grabs Cierra’s hand, pulling her through the kitchen and out the sliding glass door. Once the door shuts behind him, she says, “Why? I told you I would do it. Why is it that you do not trust me to take care of this myself? He hasn’t even attempted anything yet!”

         “Cierra it’s not that I –“ He starts.

         “No! This is my problem, Justin. MINE. I told you I would go to the cops but no, you did on your own. Actually, when did you even have time to do that? It doesn’t matter. How could you? You didn’t even ask nor did you tell me!” She was pacing.

         “Will you just listen –“

         “I can’t believe you. I’ve told you time and time again, I don’t think he’s out to hurt me anymore! Yeah, he’s pissed, so the fuck what! He hasn’t even DONE anything yet!” She stops in front of him, anger written across her face, “You told your mother. I told you I didn’t want her to know just yet and you told her, too. You told Tony’s friends! What the hell –“

         “HE TRIED TO FUCKING KILL YOU, CIERRA!” He yells before turning away from her, walking towards the pool.

         After a few moments of silence he speaks roughly, “You can not expect me to sit back and wait until he kills my girlfriend.”

         Cierra looks over her shoulder, the women in the kitchen have left and she sits on the lawn chair, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees, she places her head in her hands. When she doesn’t respond Justin turns around and his heart breaks, “I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I’m sorry but I didn’t know how else to make you listen to me.”

         She shakes her head but doesn’t lift it up. He moves away from the pool, towards her. He lets out a deep breath and kneels in front of her, “Please look at me.”

         She shakes her head again. With no other option, he grabs her wrists, gently as not to scare her. Pulling her hands away from her face, he takes his index finger to lift her chin, “Hey, why are you crying?”She shrugs,

         “I didn’t mean to make you mad.” She whispers, "I'm sorry"

         Kissing her forehead, he sits back on his knees, “I’m not mad, I’m frustrated. I just want you to understand where I am coming from. I told the cops because they need to know. I actually had Tony call them last night while we were inside. I knew you’d fight me on going overseas and I am not about to wait until something happens for them to find out. I told Tony’s ‘friends’ so that they can watch you while I am gone and I told my mother because she’s my mother and she loves you and if you need to get out of town you can go to stay with her.”

         The sound of the sliding glass door made them break their gaze, AJ stepped out, Cierra’s cell phone in her hand, “Sorry but it’s your mom.”

         Cierra takes the phone, mouth thanks before putting it up to her ear, “Hey mom.” 

         Forty minutes later, Cierra walks back into the living room. Everyone, now including Tony was sitting on the couches watching a rerun of Oprah, “Stimulation for the brain at 11 o’clock in the morning.”

         Everyone turns and Lynn smiles, “How is your mother? Oh! I can’t wait to meet your parents.”

         Cierra laughs, trying to sit beside Justin but he pulls her down on his lap instead. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he leans his head against her back. She says, “She’s doing well, actually. She wanted to comment on my dress from last night as well as some lovely pictures that were in her entertainment section of the newspaper this morning.”

         She blinks hard a few times, “I think we should get ready to go. I need to finish some paperwork for the office and clean that apartment.”

         Justin presses his lips against her back, “Don’t go yet. We need to finish –“

         “We did.” She wiggles out of his embrace, heading towards the stairs, “But if you guys want to hang out for a bit longer, we can. I’m just going to take a quick shower,” She stands on the bottom staircase, both AJ and Brandi nod.

         Lynn turns around from her spot on the love seat, “Would you like to join me for lunch? AJ and Brandi are more than welcome, too.”

         Cierra nodded, “I would love to.”

         She climbs up the staircase going back to Justin’s room. She didn’t notice Justin following her until she heard the click of the lock in his room. She faced him, crossing her arms defiantly over her chest, “I have nothing else to say on the subject.”

         He uncrosses her arms, pulling her sit on the bed with him, “Then listen. I realized something while you were talking to your mom. I wanted to say it when I first saw you before the show last night. I wanted to say it when we were cuddling last night. I wanted to say it when we were fighting this morning. I’m going to tell you something, something big for me. We’ve been together for a couple weeks but I’ve wanted to be with you since we met two months ago so you might as well say we’ve been together that long. I can’t help how I feel and I am not going to apologize for it, okay?”

         Her brow creases in confusion, “What are you talking about?”

         “I love you,” He whispers searching her face for a reaction but its blank and his heart sinks. “And I'm not just saying it because of Danny so stop looking at me like that. I don’t want to see you hurt. I don’t want you taken away from me. I just … want this to all go away. I don’t want you hurting anymore or for him to have this power over you. Ever since you saw him you’ve been jumpy and nervous. You thought I was going to hit you, baby. I love you and I want to keep you safe.”

         “Justin … I – You… This,” She stops, takes a deep breath and continues, “You don’t love me.”

         He unlaces their fingers, embarrassment in his voice when he speaks, “I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t. You can not deny that you don’t feel the same, Cierra. I felt it when we were at the award show, I felt when we were making love last night and I feel it now. What are you so afraid of?”

         She blinks repeatedly, her voice choking up, “This is hard for me, okay? I can’t … I can’t. Justin, the last time I was in love I was beaten to a pulp and left for dead. I’m not … not exactly ready to jump on that ship again. I love being with you and around you and I hate it when we are apart, do not get me wrong, okay? I just … find it hard to say and it shouldn’t be hard. I tell it to myself all the time, how I feel about you but saying it makes it even more real. I am putting you, your mother, and your friends in danger. I do not believe he wants to hurt me but that could change and I don’t want him to hurt any of you either. If I … if I say it, there is no going back and I want you to be able to leave if things get worse.”

         He looks at her, the hurt in his eyes and she wishes she hadn’t said anything, “You honestly think I’d beat you? You think I’d leave you? Cierra -”

         She shakes her head adamantly, “No, no! I would never think you would hit me, believe me… I know you wouldn’t leave me either but I want that door to always be open for you. You’ve been nothing but fantastic to me. I’m just saying that this is the kind of love someone should have you know? I’ve never had it. I don’t … know how to deal with it.”

         He cups her face in his hands, “Do you feel it?”

         Closing her eyes briefly, “Justin –“

         “Do you?”

         She nods her head and he presses his lips to hers, “Say it.”

         Opening her eyes, She bits her bottom lip to keep from crying, “Ju –“

         “Say it,”

         “I love you, too.”