Sheridan often thought about what Justin was like before his accident. Not Justin the celebrity…not the Justin that Marcy rambled on and on about, but the real Justin. Justin, the talented young man from a small town in Tennessee. The Justin who had a close knit family…and life long best friends. She wondered what Justin’s hobbies had been…what he had done on Friday nights when he hadn’t been at some ceremony, concert, or event. She smiled, picturing him inside that gigantic house of his, having some childlike water gun battle with Trace…just because they couldn’t come up with anything better to do…or because they weren’t able to act like idiots any other time.

Of course, she couldn’t help but be curious about Trace as well. She pictured him being a lot like Justin, simply because they were together every day. She knew he was probably charming, sweet talking, and immature…but could change into that businesslike, mature individual that Justin needed him to be at any given moment. Justin was the same way, even though he was more playful here because he didn’t have to be ‘on’. She knew he could go see his manager today and still be the same professional man he had always been. Only…his confidence level wouldn’t be the same.

At times, she wished she could have met Trace, just once…just to know the kind of person he was. She knew that if she had even a small inkling to what the real Trace had been like, she could have talked about him with Justin, and known what to say to make him feel a little better about Trace’s death. But she didn’t know Trace…she didn’t know a thing about him. She didn’t even know what he looked like. All she could do was recall what she felt after her father died, and try to make Justin see that his friend’s death wasn’t his fault.

She was having a hard time telling Marcy the same thing….that it wasn’t her fault that Justin snapped at her. It had been a little more than a week since Marcy went home and even though she sounded like her old self over the phone, Sheridan could tell that she was still upset about Justin yelling at her. She understood. It was an intense situation, after all. Justin was the celebrity that Marcy had been fantasizing about for years. For her to spend a weekend with him, only to be ‘yelled’ at the night before she left must have been terribly traumatizing for her. But Sheridan was sure, that if Marcy knew the real reason that Justin had lashed out at her, she probably wouldn’t dwell on it as much.

It still upset her that Marcy’s visit ended on a sour note. Marcy’s visit was supposed to have been a positive thing for the both of them. It was supposed to get Marcy’s mind off of her parents divorce, and her own mind off the overwhelming burden of a new semester on the rise. But the visit hadn’t been anything like that. All Marcy thought about was Justin, not that Sheridan could blame her. Marcy didn’t see Justin like she saw him. All she saw was that name…that famous name, and image. She couldn’t see inside him…the pain that he carried with him everyday of his life.

And as bad as it sounded, she had never been more thankful when she ran into Juan at the airport that day. At the time she hadn’t thought about it, but now she realized how badly she needed to run off to the beach with him. It had been nice to sit on the beach, and talk to somebody besides Marcy, and Justin for a change. Juan seemed to understand her situation, even though he didn’t know her well. It drew her to him, more so than she wanted. She had been thrilled to be kissed by him, but at the same time she had been afraid. She didn’t know Juan…and Justin well, she knew he would wait for her for as long as it took for her to come around. Unfortunately , she didn’t know when that time would come…or if it ever would.

Maybe that was why she never had a steady relationship before. She was always so shy, so ashamed of her virginity, that she refused to let anybody take her to that next level. Sure she would go on a date, the guy would want more than she was prepared to let him have, and she would push him away. Of course he wouldn’t call…and her next Friday evening would be spent alone in her dorm room. Juan was no different. Yes, he treated her with the respect she deserved, but that meant nothing. She gave him her number that day they went to the beach. He promised to call, and his expression had been so sincere that she believed him. But more than a week had passed now. Juan hadn’t called….and Sheridan was sure he wasn’t going to bother. She figured he probably forgot all about her by now. He had moved on to Philadelphia, New York…or wherever his work had taken him. Onto bigger and better things…better women.

He didn’t need her.

Voices echoed somewhere outside the room she was changing in. She recognized her mother’s voice after a moment, followed by the familiar sound of Justin’s laughter. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing a bikini. She hadn’t even thought about it. She bit her bottom lip, and debated about whether or not it was a good idea. True, she would be a lot more comfortable helping Justin with his exercises this way. But that was just it. It was Justin she was helping. She wasn’t sure how she felt about being so scantily clad in front of him. She never wore anything appealing in front of him, specifically for this reason. Actually, she was pretty sure the only time he had seen her dressed up was the night she and Marcy went to Silver. Even then…her outfit hadn’t been very revealing.

Juan seemed to like it though.

Sheridan shook her head vigorously. She wanted to forget about Juan. She needed to focus, she needed to be professional for both herself and for Justin. In a flash, she grabbed the one piece suit she brought with her and changed into it. She looked at herself again and scrunched up her nose in disgust. She looked so…old. Part of her wanted to forget her insecurities and change back, but then she thought about it…knew that Justin wouldn’t be able to keep his eyes off of her, and decided she had made the right decision.

Grabbing a towel, and giving herself one last look in the mirror she plodded out to the pool area. Her mother was crouched in front of Justin, attaching braces to his legs. Sheridan knew he was probably nervous. It was his first aqua therapy session, and Sheridan knew that taking on new and different things wasn’t Justin’s favorite past time. She slowly approached the pair, and has she drew closer she could tell that her assumptions about Justin’s nerves were correct. He was talking a mile a minute, asking her mother every question under the sun. Was the pool deep? Was he going to go under and look ‘like a fool’? Was this really going to help? Why couldn’t he do something easier?

“Justin,” her mother laughed, cutting Justin’s speech short. “Give this a chance, okay?”

Justin sighed loudly. “Where’s Sheridan?”

Sheridan smiled a little. “Hey.”

He looked up just then, and all of the fear that had been apparent on his face a moment ago vanished. “Hey.”

“You got your swimmies on?,“ she asked.

"You bet!" He lifted the towel off of his lap, to reveal a pair of bright yellow Spongebob Squarepants swim trunks. "You like em? They made `em for me," he informed her.

"What don't they make for you?," she laughed.

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

The therapy session went better than expected. Sheridan really seemed to know what she was doing, and he learned a lot from her. The two specialized braces attached to his legs allowed him to stand, without much of a struggle. Still, it was strange, scary, crazy even. Justin didn’t remember the last time he was able to stand on his own two feet without some sort of struggle. The upper portion of his body swayed from side to side at first, forcing Sheridan to stand behind him at times to steady him. He wasn’t used to standing in an upright position, without the support of the standing board Karen put him on every morning. But after the initial awkwardness of the water subsided, he was able to relax and settle into the environment. In the end, he decided he enjoyed aqua therapy, and was glad Karen convinced him that he should give it a try.

“So…do you like this better than the other stuff my mom makes you do?” Sheridan gave the float that Justin was holding onto a little push, sending him out into the middle of the pool.

Justin turned his head toward her. “Yes,” he said, shooting her a lazy smile. “It’s not so much work…and I get to be in the pool. I feel like I haven’t been in a pool in years. It’s really sad that I’m getting my kicks out of getting into a pool,” he laughed sadly. “Before I’d get my kicks out of doing a show…or going to a club or whatever. I must be pathetic…yeah.”

““Hey grumpy bear,” Sheridan giggled, splashing him a bit. “Snap out of it would you? You’re not pathetic.”

He looked at her. “But I feel pathetic Sher,” he whispered. “Maybe…I’ve always felt this way. Maybe it just took something as big as this to make me realize it. You know, when you live like I do…it‘s hard to come to terms with your own emotions. Everybody is always throwing themselves at your feet, telling you how great you are. You don’t even realize how easy it is to wake up everyday, smile at yourself, and believe that you’re the God’s gift to humanity. But then something happens…you get screwed over…and you realize that you’re not as special as you thought. You’re just this pathetic excuse for an individual, who thought they were somebody.”

She waded over to him. “What makes you think that you‘re pathetic?” she asked. “Justin, you…you’re so talented…and such a good person inside.” She paused and smiled a little. “Can’t you see that?”

He shrugged. “Sometimes I don’t even think I know who I really am. I mean, I know the person everybody has made me out to be. I know the person that they all want me to be. But Sher…I don’t think that’s me,” he shook his head. “It’s like…I’m just starting to realize who I really am. It’s so damn scary Sheridan,” he said, his voice cracking a little. “I don‘t know…me at all.” He looked into her eyes, searching them for an answer…any answer. He was so lost. It had just dawned on him now…He had no idea who he was. Because if he wasn’t that celebrity anymore…if he was just ‘normal’ so to speak…then what was left?

Nothing.

He never had to deal with ‘himself’ before. Trace was the only one who had treated him like a normal human being. But that hadn’t phased him. Of course it hadn’t. One person out of a million couldn’t do much damage to his ego. At the time Justin thought he was untouchable…that he would be the way he was for the rest of his life. He hadn’t counted on Trace getting killed. He hadn’t counted on losing everything he worked so hard to gain.

He hadn’t counted on being the cause of it all either.

“But you can get to know you,” Sheridan replied. “That’s part of the reason you’re here Justin. To find yourself again.” She grasped his hand. “You’re not some…lost soul. You’re Justin Randall Timberlake from Millington, Tennessee. You’re good at music, and charming the pants off of girls like myself. You have a great sense of humor, and you make the best omelets I’ve ever tasted.” She pinched his nose. “And you’re cute too.”

He smiled. “You think I’m cute,” he said. “Like cute…as in ‘aww look at the cute little freak’ or cute as in ‘t-t-t-take me now’,” he sang.

She slapped him on the arm playfully. “Neither, you dope. I mean cute as in ‘aww we are friends‘.”

“Damn,” he pouted. “For a second there…I thought I was finally gonna get my way with you.”

“I’m not that easy,” Sheridan said, giving him a reassuring wink. “How about we get out…you know…maybe you can find yourself somewhere in the house.”

“That was cold, Sheridan,” he said, trying to hide his smile.

She splashed him. “So was that.”

“You’re lucky I can’t let go of this thing,” he told her. “Or I would have dunked you awhile ago.”

“Oh please. You wouldn’t dare.”

“Like hell I wouldn’t. I used to do it to Elisha all the time,” he blurted out, not thinking about what he was saying. His eyes widened.

“Elisha?,” Sheridan asked him. “Who’s she…an old girlfriend?”

He figured it was okay to talk about this particular subject with her. Elisha wasn’t Trace, after all. “No,” he replied. “Trace‘s fiancé.”

Trace appeared at the opposite end of the pool. He was wearing those stupid Scooby Doo swim trunks. The one‘s that Elisha had been embarrassed to see him in. That was why he wore them though. Something about Elisha becoming annoyed, always used to turn Trace on. “I don’t think I’m comfortable with this conversation,” Trace decided. “Stop talking about my girl, it’s none of Sheridan’s business.”

“Go away,” he whispered.

“Justin?”

He looked at her. Her expression was full of concern. “He’s here,” Justin confessed. “I…I want him to go away.”

Sheridan glanced around the room. “Where is he?”

“There,” he pointed.

“You dumb ass,” Trace sneered. “She can’t see me. Do you want her to give you more happy pills?”

“If it will get rid of you,” Justin snapped.

“I can’t see him,” Sheridan said. “Tell him I told him to get out.”

Justin laughed. “You don‘t have to play along. Go ahead, you can tell me I‘m crazy.”

“You’re crazy!” Trace exclaimed.

He glared at him. “I wasn’t asking you.”

“So?” Trace shrugged. He back up a bit, and rubbed his hands together. “Hey…remember when we were kids J? We used to go to Nanna’s house and go swimming. What was that dive we made up…the fireball?”

“Justin,” Sheridan said. “You’re not crazy. Maybe…the chlorine is just going to your head,” she giggled. “Do you want to get out?”

“It was the comet,” he informed Trace.

“You know, I think you’re right…it was the comet,” Trace nodded. “Wanna see me do it?”

Sheridan shot him a confused glance. “The comet?”

“No,” he told him. He reverted his gaze back to Sheridan. “Let’s get out Sher,” he said quickly. “I think you’re right about the chlorine thing.”

“Well…tough,” Trace grunted. “I’m doing it.” Without another word, he ran forward and jumped cannon-ball style into the pool.

The water surged upward, and crashed down upon Justin. He was startled…so much that he let go of the float he was holding onto. Then he felt it, water all around him. In his eyes, his ears…his mouth. He was sinking, drowning. He moved his arms about wildly, desperately trying to pull himself back to the surface. It wasn’t working. He needed his legs to do some of the work too…but they were dead weight, like two eighty pound sacks of sand that were dangling from his body.

The drain at the bottom of the pool was getting closer, larger, and wider. It was going to swallow him up. Then he was falling through the darkness, and just as suddenly he was standing on solid ground. No longer were his legs two useless appendages attached to his body. He was standing on his own two feet. He walked forward, and laughed a little, amazed at himself. Just to be sure that he wasn’t being fooled again, he did a little spin, followed by a two step routine that had been part of his choreography. “It works!” he yelled. His voice echoed into the distance, and for the first time he realized that he was outside.

It was a nice place. It reminded him of the country club he belonged to out in Malibu. They had a great golf course there, and as he gazed around he noticed that was exactly where he was…on a golf course. He was confused. How could he have gone from being in a pool with Sheridan, to some random golf course?

“You game?” Trace came up from behind him, and set his clubs down on the green. He bent down and stuck his peg into the soft ground, planting the ball on top of it. “Great day for it.”

“Huh?’ For a moment, Justin thought he was caught up in a memory again. He searched his mind for any sort of significant moment he and Trace shared out on the golf course in the past. He couldn’t think of any, and let out a long sigh. “What is this?” he asked, hoping that Trace would be able to give him an answer.

“Don’t look so confused,” Trace chuckled. He pulled a club out of his bag, and after studying it for a moment, stepped up to the peg. “It’s just golf. You always kick my ass in golf, Justin.” He peered into the distance, and thrust out a few practice swings before giving the golf ball a hard whack that sent it flying out into the distance. “Ha,” he smiled, giving Justin a small wink. “I got lucky for once. That might have ended up near the hole.”

He gasped. Had he drowned? Was this heaven? Was this where Trace went after he disappeared? “Trace…” he began.

“Hurry up and tee off man,” Trace whined. “I want to finish this game before the sun goes down.”

“But…Trace…”

“Hey boys.”

Justin turned around. What he saw…or who he saw for that matter, made him forget what he was about to say to Trace. He blinked once…twice…she was still there. Halle Berry. She was standing before him, completely naked, holding a tray of cold beers. He shook his head. It couldn’t be.

“Hey you.” Trace swaggered over to her, and took a beer from the tray she held. He gave her a small kiss on the cheek before taking a swing from the bottle. “Justin, where are your manners? Say hello.”

“Uh…” he shifted his gaze from Halle to Trace and back again. “Hi.”

“I was wondering when we’d get you down here,” Halle smiled, swaying her hips in a way that would drive any man wild. She sauntered up to him, and popped open a bottle of beer for him. “How ‘bout a cold one,” she whispered in his ear.

He licked his lips. He wanted her. He could feel it…everywhere. He remembered the conversations he and Trace held about her. They used to say that when they died…they wanted to have her all to themselves, in their own private heaven. Of course this heaven would be complete with a twenty four hour bar…and a golf course. He gasped.

Maybe he did die.

“I…,” he whispered. “Yes please.”

She smiled her perfect, sexy smile and handed him the beer. “I never told anybody this…” she said, glancing at Trace quickly. She leaned in closer to him, and laughed a little bit. “But that day I was on TRL with you…I was so horny.”

Justin felt his face turn a deep shade of crimson. He remembered that day well. Trace had gotten her to come on the show, as a surprise. He never thought it was possible to get so horny so quickly. But he had. After the show was over, he was never more thankful to be able to jack off. “You…you like me?” he gasped.

“Oh yeah, honey,” she smiled. She dropped the tray and it vanished upon making contact with the ground. She pursed her lips together. “I want you baby.”

The beer slid out of his hand. He didn’t care. She was all he could see at the moment. She was all he wanted. He felt his package tighten, and he cleared his throat a little. Then she pressed her lips lightly against his. He moaned. “Oh God.”

“Mmm,” Halle laughed. “I like this.”

“Justin…”

He knew the voice well. It was Sheridan’s. He ignored it. Halle was kissing him again, and he wasn’t about to stop her.

“Justin, please come back,” Sheridan said. “I…I don’t want you to leave me.”

He sighed, and broke the kiss.

“Justin?” Halle said. “What’s wrong?”

“You hear that?” he asked her.

She ran her hands through his hair. “Hear what baby?”

“Come back Justin,” Sheridan repeated.

“Trace,” Justin yelled out. “Do you hear that?”

Trace looked at him. “You have to decide,” he informed him, seriously.

“Decide? Decide what?”

“Honey,” Halle said, turning his head toward her with a single finger. “Don’t worry about it. You’re fine right here with me.”

“No…” Justin persisted. He pulled away from her, as much as it pained him to do so. “Tell me…what I have to decide, Trace.”

“I don’t need to tell you. You already know what this is about.” Trace nodded, sticking his golf club back in his bag. He lifted the bag off the ground and slung it over his shoulder. “Either you’re gonna stay here…fuck Halle and play golf. Or you’re gonna go back to her.”

Justin shrugged. “I don’t get it.”

“I made a decision,” Trace said, pointing at his chest. “That’s why I’m here.”

“A decision? What the hell are you talking about Trace?”

He laughed out loud. “Justin, for the moment…let’s think about what it would be like if I hadn‘t died.”

“Uh, okay.” He looked at Halle. She was still standing before him, smiling as if she had no idea what was going on.

“If I lived…do you honestly believe that I would be the same person?,” Trace asked.

“I…” he began. “I would have made sure you received the best care, Trace.”

“Nah,” he shook his head. “It wouldn’t have mattered Justin. Don’t you see that? I would have been like…this vegetable. I mean, who knows if I ever would have come out of that coma? I was given the option, and I chose to come here…I guess I thought it would be easier for you…for everybody. I know I made the right choice…and you should be smart enough to know that too.”

“How is this easier!” he exclaimed. “You’re dead…and you keep coming back for no fucking reason. I mean sure, it would be easier if you had just died, and I didn’t hear from you at all. But that’s not the case, is it Trace?”

“I’m doing this for you,” Trace grumbled. “I told you that…god…I don’t even know how many times. If you don‘t want me around then that‘s fine. I think you’re ready to make that decision on your own,” he nodded.

“What decision?,” Justin grunted. “Are you telling me that you‘re not in my head? That you‘re a ghost…that I‘m not crazy?”

“I’m telling you that if you think you’re ready…I won’t come around anymore. I really don’t mind Justin. I mean, I’d like to get some peace too ya know?“ He glanced at his wrist watch. “You don’t have much time. If you really feel that you can‘t move on…if you want to stay here…then just say the word. It‘s the only way you‘re gonna get me back Justin. Decide now.”

“Justin…” Sheridan’s voice echoed in the distance. She sounded like she was crying. “Justin…come on!”

“Come on,” Halle spoke up, pulling him close to her naked form. “Don’t you want to stay here and kick it? I know I’m better than that pasty white girl,” she smiled. “You know I am.”

Trace was nuts. How could Trace expect him to make a decision like this? Maybe in the beginning he would have chosen to stay here…he had wanted to die then. But now things were changing. For the first time since the accident, he saw hope for himself. He saw himself walking again…going home and starting his life over again. He saw himself performing again. He saw himself with his friends…with his family.

He saw himself with Sheridan.

“Don’t leave me Justin,” Sheridan said.

With a regretful sigh, he pulled away from Halle. “I can’t stay,” he admitted. He looked at Trace. “You’re really not coming back again…are you?”

Trace shook his head. “Not without a powerful reason.”

Justin looked at the ground, and felt a few tears make their way down his face. “I don‘t know how I‘m supposed to get by without you,” he got out. “Look, maybe I haven’t been the easiest person to deal with, Trace. But that doesn’t mean you have to stop coming around. I…I sorta like it now, you know? I was getting used to having you around. It was like I had you back you know?”

“You’re gonna be fine J,” Trace reassured him. “I know you. I know that…you needed me up until now. But now…you’ve got Sheridan. You trust her…hell, maybe you even love her. Take that Justin…take it and move on. She’s a great girl.”

Justin scoffed. “I thought you hated Sheridan.”

“I don’t hate her, now that I‘ve got her figured out,” Trace whispered. “Now go on,” he smiled. “Get outta here…before I get stupid and convince you to stay. I‘ll be watching you,” he nodded. “Know that.”

Justin watched him walk off down the golf course, getting farther away until he was no more than a dot in the distance. Then he was gone.

“Justin,” Halle smiled. She caressed his face with her hand. “You can stay,” she nodded. “You can stay and be with me forever.” She swept him into a passionate kiss.

He couldn’t do it. As much as he would have liked to stay here, and make love to her for the rest of eternity…he knew he had to go. He had responsibilities. He had to focus on getting better. He had to get back to his life. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, breaking the kiss. “I just can’t.”

She pulled away from him. A look of sadness was spread across her face. “I understand,” she nodded.

“Justin,” Sheridan called out again. “Over here!”

He looked into Halle’s eyes one last time. He couldn’t help himself. He kissed her, and in that moment everything changed. It was dark, and he realized his eyes were closed…but he could still feel Halle’s lips pressing against his. He opened his eyes.

But it wasn’t Halle who was kissing him. It was Sheridan now. But he wasn’t nervous…or scared…or uneasy. He didn’t think Sheridan was either. He kissed her harder, pulling her down on top of him.

“Justin!” she exclaimed. She pulled away from him, and stood up.

He tried to do the same, but found that he couldn’t move his legs once again. He groaned, disappointed by this. He shivered a little. He was cold…wet. Like he had just gotten out of the pool. He coughed, and nearly choked on the mouthful of water that rose out of his throat. “God,” he gasped. “What’s going on?”

“I…I didn’t know what to do,” Sheridan got out. “You…I didn’t think you were breathing. Thank God you’re okay. Omigod…” she cried, snatching the terrycloth robe off a hook on the wall.. “How could I let this happen?” She began to pace back and forth nervously.

“Sheridan,” he managed. “Stop.”

She paused, mid-stride and stared at him.

“I’m okay,” he told her.

“I…I was so afraid. I thought that you were dead,” she sobbed. “I was giving you CPR, and oh god…you kissed me.” She ran a hand through her hair. “Didn’t you?”

He smiled a little, and nodded. “I thought…I thought you were kissing me,” he confessed.

She crouched down beside him, and helped him slip into the robe. “Let’s get you back to the house.”

“Just…wait,” he persisted. He tugged on her hand, and pulled her toward him. She obeyed, and that surprised him because she was normally so insistent that they keep their distance. “I want to kiss you Sheridan.”

Sheridan gasped. “No.”

He propped himself up on his elbows. “You know we can be together Sheridan. I know you believe that…in your heart. You know that I’m not just some patient. This is…maybe this is love Sher. Did you ever think about that before?”

“You’re crazy,” she told him. “This isn’t love…you can’t just…fall in love Justin. It takes time…it takes patience. Love is so extreme,” she shook her head. “And it’s a commitment that you and I can’t handle.”

He didn’t care what Sheridan had to say this time. He kissed her anyway, to get his point across…fully expecting her to pull away from him. But she didn’t. Their kissing became more intense after a moment. More intense than it had ever been before. He pulled her down on top of him. She didn’t seem to notice. Then his hands were on her…traveling up and down her body. Exploring it for the first time.

“We shouldn’t,” she said, breaking their kiss moments later. “I’m scared Justin.”

He brushed the hair out of her face and behind her ears. He was captivated by her…he wanted to take in every feature, every little freckle and dimple. “But you don’t have to be,” he said. “I’ll never hurt you Sheridan.”

“There’s so much to think about,” she said. “You know that as well as I do.”

“But we can do it,” he persisted. “Look at us…we’re like this team. I couldn’t have gotten through half of this shit without you Sheridan. I’m not just saying that. Nobody else has been able to get through to me like you have…you know that. You don’t know what it was like before I met you. I had to deal with everything myself…I couldn’t talk to anybody. I couldn’t tell them about Trace, about how he comes around. Christ, my own mother doesn’t even know that. You have to realize Sheridan…you get me,” he nodded. “You always have…from the first day I met you. Can you blame me for falling for you?”

“Okay, I understand that you almost drowned just now…I know that our emotions are all out of sync…” Sheridan said. “But it doesn’t give us the excuse, or the right to just forget about our morals and make out like a couple of animals. Justin, come on…be logical. I’m not saying I don’t have those kind of feelings for you. Christ, you know I do…you know I wish we could be together. But we just can’t. Not now.”

“Because you’re helping with my therapy,” he stated.

“Mostly, yes.”

“Then stop helping me,” Justin smiled. “Then you won’t have an excuse. Then we can do whatever we want.”

She folded her arms under her breasts. “This is my internship, Justin. Doesn’t that matter to you?”

“Of course it does. But haven’t you done enough with me to receive credit for it?”

Sheridan was silent.

He knew there was something she wasn’t telling him. “Sheridan?” he said.

“I…I get the credit by being here,” she confessed. “Whatever happens…happens. They don’t research it. But that’s not the point. I know it’s wrong, and mom would never go for it anyway. I have way too much going on…”

“You have an excuse for everything don’t you?,” he smiled. “Sheridan, if you want to do something…you do it. I know you. If you really wanted to be with me, you wouldn’t let anything, or anybody stop you. Is that it…do you not want to be with me?”

She shook her head. “You know I do.”

“Then let’s try,” he said. “If I can be like this…in that wheelchair and still want to try…then so can you.”

“There’s things…” she began. “There’s things you don’t know about me, Justin. I’m not like the girls you’re used to.”

He sighed. The girls he was used to. More like the girls everybody wanted him to be with. There had been one that stood out from the rest of course. Britney. But that relationship had ended abruptly…too abruptly. Up until the accident…up until Sheridan came along, he dwelled on it often. Britney was his first real, true, undeniable love. He would never fully recover from what she had done…or what they had lost when their relationship ended. But that was the past. This was now. And Sheridan felt like she didn’t compare to the sluts he used to sleep with. She was right. She didn’t compare to them.

Because she was better.

“Don’t say that,” he said. “That doesn’t even matter to me. Those girls…they…when you live the kind of lifestyle I do, you don’t really care who you date. You just pick and choose from a giant pool of beautiful women that want you. Sheridan,” he said, caressing her face. “I could look through that pool until the day I die…I know, I’ll never find another girl like you.” He kissed her on the forehead. “I know that sounds cheesy,” he laughed. “I just don’t know how else to get through to you. It’s like…you wish I didn’t feel this away about you. It’s like, you think I’m going to find some defect in you…and not like you anymore.”

“But you will,” she whispered. “You just can’t see it now.”

“The other me would,” he said. “This me…the one I don’t know. I really don’t think he would do that.”

“How do you know?”

He kissed her again. “Because I’m willing to take that chance.”

She moved off of him, and laid down next to him. His robe fell open, and she rested one of her hands on his bare chest. “I don’t know if I can handle something going wrong between us. I still have another semester of school…and then probably grad school. What are we going to do then?”

He toyed with her fingers. “We’ll just do it.” The subject of Sheridan leaving for school was something Justin had been avoiding for some time. But he knew if he wanted to be with her, he would have to deal with it. He figured he could though. When he was with Britney, they would sometimes go for nearly a month without physically seeing one another. But for four years, they managed to stay together. He knew he could do the same thing with Sheridan. “I’m used to separation Sher. Look at my life.”

“Then…” she said after a moment. “If you really feel that we can do this Justin, I’ll tell my mom that I can’t help you anymore. I know that it’s crazy, but I also know that we can’t just randomly make out now and then and not try to have a relationship. I care about you…and I want to do this.”

He smiled. Finally, finally he was going to get a chance to prove himself to her. He pulled her to him again, and planted a long, sensual kiss on her lips. He felt her smile, and he continued what he started.

“Sheridan.”

He gasped, and he heard Sheridan do the same. He looked behind him, just in time to make eye contact with Karen. He was nauseous.

“What in the world is going on?” Karen demanded.