Chapter 15

Later on (8:06 pm)

An hour had passed and Justin finally decided to make it back home. He entered the dimmed mansion, hearing the sound of a television. His eyes immediately focused on Brooke who was sitting next to Beyonce. She skimmed her back soothingly as she sobbed faintly. "Miss Knowles, I can assure you..."

"What's going on?" he asked, getting their attention.

"Um..." Brooke quickly stood to her feet, fiddling with her fingers nervously. "I was just...trying to console Miss Knowles here. I'll be getting back to work now." he kept his eyes on the individual.

"Uh actually...you can call it a night. Why don't you head to your room. Thanks."

"Sure." she left their sight, ambling up the curved stairs to the second floor. He on the other hand, kept his distance from her -- debating on whether to start a conversation.

"What's going on? Why are you...crying?" she kept her head down the whole time, wiping at her face with a Kleenex.

"I don't think I can do this anymore." he flashed her a confused look.

"Do what? What are you..."

"This! This whole...thing with you." he then knew what she was referring to. "It's just making me think too much. My head's starting to hurt and..."

"I can't believe this." he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "You're breaking up with me? And for what? Over a lousy picture?!"

"Oh so that's what you think it is?" she shot up. "It's not just a lousy picture. It's a picture of your fomer ex-girlfriend. And...you parading around here acting as if you don't care isn't making things better!" she brushed pass him, proceeding up the stairs.

"This isn't fair. How are you gonna break up with me because I don't wanna take down my ex's picture?" he followed behind her.

"Exactly! It's something you..." she looked back at him, nudging him in the shoulder with her finger. "...won't do. It's not like you can't you just choose NOT too."

"Bee..." he exhaled heavily. "Can we just talk about this?"

"No. I think I've said all that I had to say. At least I know where we stand. And who was more important in your life."

"Hey..." he grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks. "Don't say that. You know what's important in my life. And that's making sure you and my baby is okay. You know I'll give you the world. Anything you ask for..." he trailed off, realizing how stupid he was behaving.

"What was that? Anything I ask for..." she persuaded him to continue.

"Nevermind. I'm going to bed." she stood there, her hand on her hip and a stunned look on her face. "Oh and don't bother rubbing it in. I know I'm being a...an asshole. And I don't need you to make it obvious."

"What? The only person who's making it obvious is you." he entered the room, shutting the door behind him. "Dick." she spat out.

Meanwhile, Brooke prepared the dinner table for Beyonce and Justin. She happened to look up, watching a familiar person enter the room. "Mister Timberlake?" he quickly met her gaze with a questioning look on his face. From his posture and the way he eyed her, she could tell he wasn't in a good mood.

"Yes, Miss Stanley." he answered with no energy whatsoever.

"Um, dinner is ready. I was going to fix your plate if you were ready to eat."

"Sure." he took a seat at the long rectangular table. "I'll eat. I'm starving." she smiled warmly.

He watched her every move as she walked around in the kitchen, preparing him a delicious plate of food. As he did this, all he could think about was the her and Beyonce and how close they became. When he caught them in the living room talking, he didn't know what to think. For one, he knew they had to been talking about him. Just what?

She finally sat his plate in front of him with a glass of passion fruit aside. "There you go, Mister Timberlake. Anything else?" he gazed in on the food, immediately recognizing the contents. There was a portion of creamy corn, mash potatoes, new york stripped steak and a muffin all there on one plate. Where did she learn how to coordinate? Not only that, everything seem well done. Nothing too over cooked or half done. Just perfect.

He then met her gaze, never breaking a smile. This look of his begin to make her nervous. She had no idea what was up his sleeve but she did know that he had something to say.

"Why don't you sit down. Right over there." he pointed to a seat across from him. She hesitantly took his offer, her heart skipping a beat. She watched closely as he took a bite out of the steak, moaning afterwards. "Hmm, pretty good. Where did you learn how to cook like this? No offense, I've never met a white woman who knew how to cook like this. This looks like something a black woman would hook up." she flashed him a confused look.

"Well um, ahem...I uh happened to learn from a black woman. I'm adopted." his eyes raised interestingly.

"Oh really? And why haven't you told me this?"

"I didn't think it was important." he peered in her eyes as he took a bite out of the muffin. "Is there something on your mind?"

"Actually, no. Well yeah." he wiped at his mouth with a napkin. "I wanna know what you and my girlfriend was talking about earlier. You know, when she was crying an ocean to you." she looked away, having no idea what to say.

"I...I don't know what you're trying to say. Maybe I should get back to work."

"No!" he slammed his fist on the table, startling her completely. "I wanna know exactly what happened. Because from there on, all she kept doing was crying and just...crying her eyes out. I've never seen her like this and I know..."

"No offense, Mister Timberlake but you and her problems is none of my concern."

"You're right. So why the hell were you sitting there trying to console her when you should've been doing your job!"

"I was doing my job!" she snapped back. "You wanna know what happened? Fine! I was in the middle of cleaning your dirty clothes when I found her in the living room sobbing like some...brutally beaten child or something. I tried to leave before she saw me, but as you can see...I didn't succeed. She asked me to sit down so I did. She then started to ask my questions that I...that was hard for me to answer, but I did the best way I could. And that's when you caught us while I was in the middle of comforting her. I tried to get her to stop crying but she wouldn't." he gritted his teeth heatedly as he could slowly feel his eyes burning from his tears.

"All right. You're excused." he spoke faintly.

"Thank you." she stood up, quickly departing the kitchen.

Moments later, Beyonce entered the kitchen -- her smile quickly fading when she noticed Justin sitting at the table. He locked eyes with hers, feeling sick to his stomach all of a sudden.

"I'm not hungry." he mumbled, making his way out of the dining room.

"Hmm." Beyonce followed the way that he went. "Is this what we're doing now? Playing games?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." he took a seat on the sofa in the living room, grabbing the remote with him.

"Don't play stupid! You see, I was gonna try to forget about this whole situation since I figured out how you truly felt about me. But I changed my mind. I'm gonna do what I wanted to do from the get go."

"And what is that?" he asked, watching her freeze by the stairs.

"Move out." his eyebrows raised in surprise.

"You're..." for one, he didn't want to reveal how shocked he was. So he had to pretend like it didn't affect him, which on the other hand -- it did. "What do you mean you're moving out? Isn't that like another way of saying you're breaking up with me?" she shrugged her shoulders.

"I dunno. You figure it out." she attempted to proceed up the stairs when a hand grabbed her.

"Bee..." she yanked her arm away.

"Don't touch me." she spat out. "I don't get you. Before we got together, you were bitchin' about moving on and being happy again but when you get that opportunity, you ruin it. You take it for granted. I tried to be patient with you. I listened to your stories about how much you miss her and wish to see her again. And no matter how much I tell you she's never coming back, you just don't wanna see it." his eyes slowly watered up with tears. "I don't wanna be competing with her. Do you even know how it feels to be second in line? I understand it's gonna take some time for you to completely get over her, but that doesn't mean you're supposed to make it obvious how much she means to you. That makes me wonder if there's a place in your heart for me. You don't even have pictures of me up on the wall. What's up with that? Do I even exist to you? Huh?" he looked away, sniffling inaudibly. "Or am I just here to...make your dream come reality? You have your baby on the way. You don't need me."

"That's not true." his voice cracked from the tears slowly taking control of him.

"Then what's true? Tell me!" he locked eyes with hers, realizing how much this affected her.

"Me wanting to be with you and having a family with you. That's true. And my love for you." he paused a good second, taking in the silence around them. "I don't just invite anybody to live with me. I don't buy expensive fur coats for the heck of it. I don't...I don't get on my knees..." she watched in confusion as he knelt down on one knee. "...and ask for your hand in marriage...if I don't really love you and want you. And need you."

"Oh my god." she mumbled. "Justin don't..." she spoke teary-eyed.

"I wanna be with you." he held her hand. "I wanna marry you and have a family together." her bottom lip trembled emotionally. "Just say yes." she shook her head.

"I...of coarse I wanna marry you, but..."

"But what?"

"Prove to me I'm all you need. Take her picture down. If you can make that sacrifice for me, then I'll marry you. I won't hesitate to walk down the aisle with you."

"That's all I have to do?"

"That's all I'm asking for. Unless you wanna do something else." he bit his lip in thought.

"Okay." he stood to his feet. "I'll do it." she watched him walk towards their bedroom which seemed like a mile away. He then entered the master bedroom, his eyes immediately focusing on the picture hanging over the bed. He took a minute to admire it before removing it off the wall.

"I appreciate you doing this for me." she spoke, standing in the door way. "Don't do this if you feel pressured to. It's not worth you being unhappy. You have to do what makes you feel happy."

"I think taking this down will make it easier for me to...really move on." she watched him drop it in the waste basket. "There. It's done." he leisurely looked up at her with this hurt in his eyes. She didn't think he actually cared that much about her till now. But for some reason, she felt a little guilty about making him do something he was hesitant of.

"Baby..." she approached him, pulling him closer by his hands. "Everything's gonna be okay." she assured, rubbing his back soothingly.

"I know. I just..." he kept back his emotions bottled up inside him. "I don't want history to repeat itself. For some reason, I'm scared of moving on to the future because...just being with you for these past few months have made me stronger. And happier." she pulled back, gazing in his diluted eyes.

"Me too. You're like the other part of me. Why do you think I got so upset when I saw her picture. I didn't wanna lose you. To your ex."

"I'm sorry. I know..."

"Don't. You're just gonna make me cry even more. Okay?" she embraced him in a hug. "I love you." he gradually met lips with hers. "Mmm." she moaned, running her hand over his hair. He quickly kicked the door closed, never parting lips. She backed up into the bed, falling on top of it and pulling him with her. "Why do we always come to this conclusion after a fight?"

"Mmm I dunno. You'll see why after I'm finished with you. Haha."