In my hands I hold the key to Justin's forgiveness. Sure we talked last night and agreed to put the past in the past and move on, but the tension was still there even after he gave me a hug and went to bed. I couldn't sleep, so after a couple of hours of tossing and turning I decided to get up and go for a run. I grabbed a coffee on my way back at the General Store and picked up the newspaper on my way out. I was scanning the pages as I walked back home, but once I got to the last page my eyes bugged out of my head and I stopped to read the whole article. Without giving it much thought I threw my coffee in the nearest trashcan and sprinted back home before barging into Justin's room.

"JUSTIN RANDALL WAKE UP!!!!" I screamed while jumping on his bed. I should mention that he really is not a morning person, but I knew this information was critical for him to hear right then and there. He threw the covers over his head and turned over on his stomach in an attempt to drown me out. "Get up, get up, get up," I plopped down on the bed next to him and started poking at his shoulder, "PUHLEASE GET UP!"

"Do you want me to stab you?" said a muffled voice from under a stack of pillows, "Because I will if you don't quit poking me."

"Justin please...please, please, please. I promise you won't regret it. Just look at the back page of the newspaper and then I'll leave you alone I promise."

An arm shot out from underneath the covers after he let out a huge sigh and I put the newspaper in his hand. He carefully lifted the pillow that was over his head just enough to let a small amount of light in so that he could see the page. I sat there holding my breath as he struggled to read the huge headline. After no more then 3 seconds he flung the newspaper back at me spraying the black and white pages across the bed. "I don't do auctions Emily. If your friend wants a date with me all she has to do is ask..."

"You didn't read any of it did you Mr. Ego?"

"Sure I did. I read the word auction, now can you please leave me alone so that I can go back to sleep?"

"It's for Big Creek Justin."

"What is?"

"The auction you idiot. They're auctioning off Big Creek..."

He threw the pillows off of his head and sat up in a matter of seconds, ripping the back page out of my hand so that he could read the entire article. His face made about 30 expressions in the 5 minutes it took him to read, and re-read the printing on the page about 5 times. "Get me my phone," he said not looking up from the newspaper.

"I'm not your personal assis-"

"I'm naked-"

"Okay, okay. Getting your phone," I replied reaching over to the nightstand to grab his blackberry. I placed it in his hand and watched him scroll down his list of contacts before quickly pressing the green send button.

His finger was tapping the paper and he was mumbling something under his breath while he waited for whoever he was calling to answer the phone. "Come on...come on..." he whispered, before his eyes finally came off of the paper in front of him with a mix of excitement and fear in his eyes, "Ma...Dad, I need Dad. I'm fine, I just need to talk to Dad...Yes...No...MAMA! Put Dad on the phone!" I've never in the 23 years that I've known him, heard him yell at his mother like that. I knew he'd be excited about this, but I've never seen him act like this. He's like a little kid in a candy shop with the look of hunger in his eyes. "Dad! Did you read the Star? Go get it...Last page..." He looked up at me nervously while he waited for his father to read about the auction, and I knew in that moment that we'd made it through the storm and everything was going to be okay.

A mere 8 hours after Justin finally decided to listen to me and read the last page of that newspaper, he and his parents were just one step away from being the owners of there very own golf course. Everything after the phone call happened so fast I could barely keep up, which was partially due to the fact that I didn't really want to. I've known Lynn and Paul practically my entire life, and the dynamic that that family has is something that any person would wish for for there own family. The fact that I didn't really have that always made me feel just a little uncomfortable, but Justin insisted that I went with them to pitch an offer to the bank, and he held onto the bottom of my shirt while the big wigs ran some numbers and came back in the room with there decision. I watched his eyes scan each person as they sat back down at the conference table and tried to mentally tell him to calm down but his leg kept shaking and his fingers kept tapping the arm of the chair. He was understandably nervous; a dream that he didn't know he had until a few hours ago now lied in the hands of the 4 people in front of him. For some reason instinct took over and I reached over to him holding his leg down, and his eyes darted over to look at me. A moment later he placed his free hand on top of mine and we waited for what seemed like forever for their decision.

"Mr. Timberlake...Mr. and Mrs. Harless," his hand squeezed mine enough for me to start losing feeling in it. I wiggled it out of his grasp and locked my fingers with his, in hopes I'd be able to save my hand from possible amputation. "We've run a credit check on all of you, and had a talk about your offer. There are many pro's and con's we had to discuss, but we've come to a conclusion." I looked quickly over at Justin and for  the first time in my life saw fear of the unknown splashed across his face. "As you know the auction for Big Creek is tonight, but we know that we won't get an offer like yours or even anything close to it. However, the money isn't what really matters here." Suddenly I was filled with nerves, if they weren't going to let him have it for the money then they weren't going to let him have it at all, and I knew somehow it would be turned into my fault if he didn't walk out of this building with the title of Golf Course Owner after his name on a business card. "Having the name Justin Timberlake associated with the course is something that can be a bit scary for us because we know that it will draw some unwanted attention to not only the course but to Millington itself. Now don't get me wrong, the extra revenue would be great for the town, but along with the extra revenue comes extra Police details and security so some if not all of the extra would go towards that."

"The bottom line here is Mr. Timberlake," the second woman started, "Big Creek means a lot to the people of Millington. Like yourself many people took their first swing at that course, and as of the last couple of years it's just gone downhill. We know that you have the contacts and resources to restore Big Creek to the way it use to be, or maybe even something better. Ultimately that is what we want for the course, and we are all in agreeance that even though it may cause a few problems here and there, you are the right person to buy it," she finished with a huge smile on her face.

My free hand went over my mouth to hold in the squeal of excitement that was about to come out of it, and Justin let out the breath he had been holding in since we sat down and began the meeting. I turned my head to the right and saw Lynn and Paul give each other a quick hug before we all shook hands with the people on the opposite end of the conference table. They all walked out of the room to draw up the paperwork and the minute we all heard the door click behind them we all jumped up and let out the excitement we had been holding in. Almost as if he'd been doing it for years, Justin wrapped his arms around my waist, picked me up and spun me around while giving me the tightest hug I've ever felt in my life. He placed me back on the ground and put his hands on each side of my face. A chill went down my spine almost instantaneously, and I closed my eyes to shake the feeling away. "This never would have happened without you Emmy, thank you so much!"

"I just found an article Justin, you did the...wait did you just...don't..." I took a step back when I felt his mother come up next to me and watched her wrap her arms around his neck. Did he just call me Emmy? He did, he said 'This never could have happened without you Emmy,' and I didn't feel the sudden urge to burst out in to tears. He wouldn't call me Emmy though, he knows. I must have just been imagining it, because if he did there's no doubt in my mind I would have slapped him.

"...EM!" I felt tapping on my shoulder and I snapped out of my daze looking up at Justin, "Call Trace we're going out for drinks."

I pointed my finger at him in thought, "Did you just...before when you said..."

"What? What's the matter?"

I shook my head, "Nothing...I'll call Trace."

***

Three hours later, after all of the paperwork was signed we arrived at Morrie's Tavern. It was a small bar in Millington that I'd been going to since before I turned 21. See Morrie has owned this bar for over 60 years, and even though he knew everyone in Millington he never seemed to check ID's or remember exactly how old we were before serving us. He was so old that he probably forgot that he had just been at our house to celebrate Trace's 18th when we had gone in the next day for some shots.

I watched Justin and Trace from my seat at the bar walk over to the Jukebox and laugh before they hit a couple of button's and Kool and the Gang started filling the somewhat silent bar. By the time Justin got on the dance floor a few hours later and started doing "The Hustle" we had all managed to get highly intoxicated. My glazed eyes were watching as he stood on the dance floor by himself, unknowingly entertaining everyone sitting in the bar when Trace finally decided to stop dry humping Bri in the corner by the bathroom and let her come sit with me. "Looks like you two finally made up."

"Finally is right," I replied hooking the neck of a beer bottle in between my pointer and middle finger and taking a sip. "You know...sometimes I feel bad for you Bri."

"Why is that?"

I pointed to the dance floor with the bottle of Corona, "That's why," I said watching Trace attempt to do the Macarena. "If you two ever get married, let me give you one piece of advice." I took another swig of beer and pounded the empty bottle down on the bar getting the attention of the bartender to get another one, "Do NOT have music at your reception."

"Hey!" She yelled punching me in the shoulder, "I think he's pretty sexy when he dances, plus...he's your brother."

"Not by blood sweetie. Trust me, I may not be a fabulous dancer but at least I have some rhythm."

"Well, they can't all be like your man Em..."

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked turning quickly to face her, but was met with her face spinning in front of me. I closed my eyes and tried to focus so that when I reopened them there would just be one of her.

"Oh come on Emily, do you really think I'm that stupid? Anyone with a pair of working eyes can tell that you guys are dating."

"You have lost your damn mind girl. We absolutely are not dating."

"Say what you want, but I see right through you. The way you fight, the way you two look at each other. I saw you guys brush hands a million times tonight, and you don't just live with America's Most Wanted Bachelor for seven months and at least not try something with him."

"Maybe you don't, but I do. Justin and I are friends Bri."

"Sure...Friends," she said putting air quotes around the word. "Because I would totally bring my friend with me to buy a golf course, and employ her as the President of my Record Label," she laughed.

The minute she finished her sentence I was immediately sober, and I was fuming. I looked over to the dance floor attempting to make eye contact with either Justin or Trace before I went off on this girl but was unsuccessful. "Look," I started calmly, "The only thing that is keeping me from punching you in the face right now is the fact that you are my brothers girlfriend, and you're drunk. We're not dating, we never will be dating, and the fact that you seem to think you know us when in reality the only thing you really know is what you hear from my brother makes me want to do physical harm to you. So I would appreciate it, if you'd stop insinuating that Justin and I are dating."

"Whatever you say," she replied rolling her eyes at me before turning to face the bar. I looked back out on the dance floor and managed to make eye contact with Justin who was on the floor doing the worm. Suddenly it wasn't so entertaining anymore and I was annoyed because Bri totally killed my buzz. "There's no shame in dating him Emily, I don't know why you won't just admit it."

I stood up behind her and put my face right to her ear, "Say it one more time sweetheart..."

"What is your problem?"

"My problem is that you don't know me, and you don't know Justin. I'm letting you live in my fucking house and you have some balls to come up to me and question the things that I'm saying. You're my brothers girlfriend, so I'm suppose to like you but that's all gone down the drain now."

"You should probably be more specific. I live in the house that you shared with your dead fiancée. You know the one that you can't stand to be in..."

I told myself over and over again not to hit her. We were out celebrating. It was Justin's night and I've done enough shit to him in the past 7 months and I shouldn't add onto it. But the minute she use the dead fiancée thing it was over for me. "You're going to be dead in a minute if you don't shut your botox filled mouth you dumb bitch."

"Any girl would kill to date him. I don't know-"

"Would you? Huh? Would you rather be dating Justin then my brother?" I asked raising my voice just a little bit.

"Is he really your brother? You're not blood right? And I mean..."

I grabbed a chunk of her nasty ratty hair in my hand and tugged on it just hard enough to make it sting. "You are a gold digging slut and I hope you rot in hell."

"Oh like Jake?"

With that comment I balled my fingers into a fist and raised my hand to punch her in the mouth. However, the dumb bitch punched me right in the eye before I was able to make contact. Next thing I knew we were rolling around out the ground, punching and slapping each other anywhere we could get a hold of. The music came to a sudden halt and I could hear people screaming around us. Every now and then she was able to get a jab in, and I was quite shocked at how hard the girl could actually throw a punch. I could taste blood in my mouth and figured I should just spit it out at her which is exactly what I did the minute I felt someone pull me off of her. Since I saw her being lifted up off of the ground by her arms by Trace I could only assume that Justin was the one that had me by the elbows. I drew my hand up to my lips and saw blood all over my fingers when I took them off, she however looked like she was just run over by a Mac Truck and for that I was quite proud.

"What the fuck!" I heard Trace yell over all the commotion going on around us.

"Your sister has anger management problems baby," Bri replied on the verge of fake tears.

"I have anger management problems? You are a menace to society sweetheart," I said feeling a burst of energy hit me and I managed to get out of Justin's grasp and go at her, but he grabbed me by the back of my shirt just as I was about to make contact with her face again and pulled me back.

"Let's go Emily...It's time to get you home," I heard Justin say calmly in my ear as he began to pull me towards the door.

"Don't listen to a word she says to you Trace. The gold digging slut is only dating you to get closer to Justin!" I yelled before the door to the bar closed shut behind me.

It wasn't until I was actually sitting in the car that I realized how badly I was hurt. My face felt like it was blowing up like a balloon and every time I moved or blinked it was like knives going in and out me. Justin sat in the drivers seat next to me, and took a deep breath throwing his keys in the cup holder next to us. "I'm sorry I ruined your night," I said now feeling 100 times worse then I did before I got into a bar room bitch fight. "You can hate me again, I totally deserve it."

"I don't hate you," he replied looking at me with nothing but concern in his eyes, "I can't hate you Emmy."

"Emmy..."

"Sorry I-"

"No," I replied without an hesitation, "You don't have to be sorry."

I watched him lift his hand off of the steering wheel and wipe blood off of my lip, "Lets go home..."