JC sat on the edge of his bed, his hands locked and his forehead rested against them. It was his first quiet moment he had to himself for the last few days.

That day Chris had suggested moving out, and the topic of their paychecks arose, the boys had decided to go see Lou the next day just to have a casual talk about what was going on with them financially. One thing turned to another and the five guys and their manager were practically screaming at each other in the office while Johnny tried to calm them down. The boys had decided to take a good look at the agreements in their contracts and realized, well, they were in the worst deal in history!  Their manager was practically ‘stealing’ money from them. Money they took almost four to five years busting their asses to earn. The next thing they knew, the boys decided right then and there, demanding that Johnny get them out of their contract with Lou and RCA. Again, one thing led to another and NSYNC learned they had been slapped with a $150 million lawsuit. The guys at that point had gone numb. Neither of them had been able to reveal their true feelings to each other or anyone else, as they were so mixed between controlling their anger and keeping themselves together, emotionally and physically.

For one, they were broke. Two, their names were on the contracts that entitled their dumb ass of a finance manager to a too large amount of their earnings. Three, their record label wasn’t paying them the sufficient amount they thought they were promised. Four, they were beginning what they knew was going to be a heavily publicized lawsuit with their still dumbass manager that refused to let them go. Five, their group name, the one they had spent almost five years building, was in jeopardy. And six, recording the tracks for what they planned on being their second album was still indecisive seeing that they were still legally under the regulations of RCA, though they were determined to switch to Jive Records.

JC felt his blood boiling, but his body felt so numb and tired that he didn’t even have the energy to cry, or even hit the wall. The house was quiet. Justin had spent all day in his room on the phone with his mom who planned on flying out in a few weeks to ensure that the boys didn’t have to go through this alone. Someone needed to stand up to Lou, and in the past few years, Lynn had been the only one to get through to him and win. Chris didn’t want to talk to anyone, period, and Joey and Lance were in the living room quietly playing a video game, not really conversing. JC had just been sitting there in the same position for the past half hour, staring at nothing in particular, just letting his mind stray. Unfortunately, it didn’t stray very far since it just seemed to remain on the same subject.

He hadn’t even talked to Liz for a while, so he wasn’t sure if she was aware of anything that had been going on.

He raised his head, and his eyes landed on the framed picture of the group with Lou in the middle at Universal Studios. He got up, and as though it was just instinct to let out all the anger he had been holding in, he picked it up and threw it against the wall, shattering the glass all over the carpet and leaving a couple marks on the wallpaper. He heard a soft gasp and looked to where it came from.

“Wow”

He sighed. “Hey” he said, his voice low and unenthusiastic.

“Hi” she greeted softly, stepping into the room and bending over to pick up the picture carefully. JC took another seat on his bed and shook his head.

“Son of a bitch” he muttered.

“I heard” she nodded, taking a seat next to him. “It’s all over the entertainment news”

“I just can’t believe it” he stated softly. “I mean, you think you know someone, and then they pull a fast one behind your back when you’re too busy to look. Someone you trust, someone you considered a dad to you, and this is where it gets us”

Liz sighed, throwing the picture back down to the ground.

“I’m so sorry Josh” she told him empathetically.

He nodded, managing what Liz hoped was supposed to be a smile.

“What’re you doing here?” he asked, taking her hand and intertwining their fingers.

“I wanted to check on you, I haven’t spoken to you for a few days. The place is so… quiet and…”

“Not lively?” JC finished for her.

She nodded.

“I can’t believe this is happening to us” he said, looking down to the ground.

She squeezed his hand turned her head to kiss his shoulder. “It’s going to be okay Jace”

He shook his head. “You don’t know that”

“How’re they doing?” Emma asked, taking a sip of her diet Coke as she sat by the kitchen table.

Liz sighed and sat down to join her, taking the Coke and taking a gulp herself. “They guys are a mess”

“Damn, I could just imagine. This whole thing isn’t fair to them”

“Lou should fall in a fucking ditch and be left there” Liz muttered.

Emma nodded. “Did he tell you what’s going to be happening in terms of court appearances and such?”

Liz shook her head. “If he knows, then he didn’t say anything”

Emma nodded. “Hey, I got some news for you”

Liz looked up. “What’s that?”

Emma smiled. “You are never going to guess who was at the Burkley wedding we planned last month”

“Who?”

“Remember my cousin Lana who works for that top planning agency in New York?”

“Sure, she helped us out when we got started”

“Right, well her boss was one of the guests at the wedding and she wants you to fly to New York and be a part of their team to plan Alicia Jackson’s wedding!”

Liz was wide eyed, and her heart rate increased. Alicia Jackson was one of, if not the most high classed fashion designers involved in creating some of New York’s most memorable fashion week shows. Liz knew of her because Emma was obsessed with reading all those magazines that she flawlessly graced the covers of.

“Me?” Liz squeaked. “Wh-… How?”

Emma grinned at her friend. “She saw the formation designs you had with the setting, the flowers, everything. She wants you on their team!”

“But we did those things together”

“Hey, they didn’t ask for me, and I’m fine with that. You have to take this job Lizzie! This is a huge step in our careers! Do you know the kind of reputation L&E Planning would have if we were able to say one of us were a part of planning Alicia Jackson’s wedding?! We’d have people calling us up nonstop to plan their events! You’d be representing our entire business! Plus, we’d make a fortune!”

Liz smiled, and shook her head in amazement. “You’re kidding”

“No, I’m really not!”

“They really want me on the team?”

Her friend nodded. “They don’t start planning for about three more weeks but they want their team members confirmed first. Lana’s boss wants us to keep sending her pictures from our portfolio so that she could see some of our work before she could fly you out”

“Fly me out to New York?” Liz’s eyes twinkled.

“Yes!” Emma squealed.

“Oh my God” Liz whispered. “But, I’d be leaving you here for-”

“Just a couple months” she shrugged. “And someone’s going to have to handle business here, so I’m staying”

Liz grinned.

“So I can call Lana and tell her you’re taking it?!” Emma said excitedly, getting up from the table.

Liz smiled and was about to respond ‘Yes’ until a thought crossed her mind and she sighed.

“What’s wrong?”

“Josh” Liz said, running a hand through her hair. “What’s he going to think? He’s going through a rough time right now Em. He needs me”

Emma sighed, and looked her friend in the eye. “I’m going to say this as both your business partner, and your best friend. Joshua is you boyfriend, and yea, he’s not having the time of his life at this point. But Lizzie, he’s going through this with four other guys who’re like his brothers. They’ve got each other to lean on. You need to do what’s best for yourself right now, without worrying about what he’s going to think of it. You guys aren’t married, so every little decision you make doesn’t have to be taken into his consideration. He always does what’s best for his career, and you’ve been supportive of him since the day you guys met. Now, this is your turn to take your, well, our business to a different level. It’s his turn to support you! It’s not like you’re leaving him, you’re just concerning yourself in an amazing business venture that’s going to benefit us. He could understand that”

Liz sighed as she absorbed the words she had just been told. She knew Emma was right, but part of her still cared about what Josh thought. There was nothing wrong with it, and she was completely honored ad ecstatic that one of the country’s classiest women wanted her to be a part of such a social yet personal event.

Liz nodded. “Let me just see how the weeks go by, and if I think I could actually do this, and if we can add some more stuff to our portfolio that Lana’s boss likes, then I guess I’m going to New York” she smiled.

Emma squealed. “Oh, you are so going!”

Liz smiled and got up. “Thanks but if you talk to him, don’t tell Josh anything yet, alright?”

Her friend frowned, but nodded. “Okay, but don’t make this decision based on his opinion Lizzie”

Liz nodded. “I know he’ll be supportive, but I’ll wait until these few weeks are up and to see how his lawsuit goes before I put any more weight on his shoulders”

“Like I said, this is your decision. The only other thing that should get any backlash from what you decide is me and or our business. Not your boyfriend”

*NSYNC’s situation with Lou hadn’t gotten any better in the midst of those weeks that had passed along dreadfully. L&E Planning was booming, but Liz’s focus remained on keeping JC together. She and he fans plus the guys’ parents seemed to be the only people on their sides. People in the industry had even more or less turned on them, insisting that they should just enjoy the success of the first record, and go back to how they were.

Liz couldn’t turn on a news channel or entertainment channel without seeing her boyfriend’s face on it. The fans and press had at this point involved themselves in what was going on with the boy band making it their duty to make sure NSYNC was ahead of Pearlman in terms of settlement benefiting them more that it would benefit him. They had slowed down recording tremendously, but they continued reviewing tracks, determined that their follow-up album that had been postponed several times due to the lack of recording and lawsuit, would be released by Jive.  

Liz barely saw JC, but he tried calling her whenever he could though sometimes she’d have to resist the urge of picking up the phone knowing how much work she had to get done on her portfolio. She had dropped by a couple times, just for a while to see how the guys were doing, giving JC the full on face lock whenever he needed comfort. She ensured him countless times that things would turn around, and now, things were looking up. Sort of.  NSYNC had been able to win over some of the money they’d been owed, but the suit was far from over.

She had yet to tell him about the offer she got, fearing that it’d break his focus away from what really mattered to him and group. That is, until her deadline came to make her decision that she was still slightly indecisive about. She was intent on going, but now all she had to get past was telling JC the news before she could go home and give Lana her final answer.

This was perfect timing, seeing that JC had sent her an email saying he had news for her, that he wanted to talk, and she had replied that she had news of her own as well. He responded with a ‘Great! So I’ll see you after work” to which she replied with an ‘OK’.

***

“Josh?” she called out, opening the front door. The house was fairly quiet, except for the TV sounding in the living room.

“In here babe” he called out, answering her.

She smiled, entering the room. He sat on alone on the couch, muttering to himself as he turned off the TV.

“You okay there?” she asked.

He nodded, getting up. “Just bullshit” he mumbled. “The media is just…. Nevermind”

She gave him an apologetic shrug and hugged him.

“Whatever happens to you guys, you know I love you” she smiled.

He smiled softly and nodded. “I love you too”

She grinned and pulled away. “So, you have news?”

He nodded. “So do you I hear”

She giggled. “Yea, so… Who’s going first?”

“I will” he volunteered with a smile and took her hand as he sat down on the couch.

She nodded. “Okay, go”

“Lizzie, just to start, I wanted to thank you for being so supportive of me and the guys during this hell of a time. I don’t think I’d be able to go through this without knowing you were here for me.”

She smiled.

“You know I love you right?” he asked, before continuing.

She nodded slowly. “Yea”

“And you love me?”

“Of course”

He exhaled softly. “When this lawsuit is over, and when we win, I don’t think I want to stay here when we make our switch to Jive. When our album comes out, if it ever comes out, me and the guys want to get out of here”

She crinkled her eyebrows. “So you’re moving out, in other words?”

He nodded.

“You’re moving into, what? A bigger place or…”

He shook his head. “I found this house, in L.A. Me and the guys have all agreed that we want to move out, now that we’ve started getting back some of our money”

“When are you moving?” she asked softly.

“The day this suit is settled, I’m going to try to get of here as soon as possible. I mean, I’ll be with the guys 90% of the time if we go on a tour if our album ever gets released, but you know. I just want a place to call mine”

She wasn’t sure what to think at this point. Much like this conversation,she wasn’t sure of the direction in which this lawsuit was going, but he was already planning on moving out of state!?

“Lizzie” he said to her softly, noticing she had become silent. “I want you to come with me baby”

Her eyes shot up to stare into his. “What?”

He grinned. “I want you to come to LA with me”

“As in, move in together?”

He nodded. “I figured it’d be the next step in our relationship”

She didn’t know how to respond.

She shook her head slowly. “Josh” she said quietly. “I can’t”

He frowned, sitting up straight. “What’d you mean you can’t?”

She ran a hand through her hair, and the sides of her mouth twitched. “I got a job offer”

He became wide eyed, a small smile crossing his face. “Like, a promotion? But you’re your own boss”

She nodded. “Yea, I know but someone saw my work and wants me to be a part of their business team to plan this huge wedding”

“Well, babe that’s awesome but what does that have to do with me?”

She sighed and managed a small smile. “It’s in New York Jace”

He pulled back, a little taken aback. “Wait, in New York?”

She nodded. “Yea, for Alicia Jackson. That designer that’s on the cover of most magazines, she hosts the New York fashion shows during fashion week. She’s getting married to some CEO and I’m wanted on the planning team! Isn’t that great!?”

“Yea, but Lizzie, you know you can’t take it, right?”

Now it was her turn to pull away. “What’d you mean I can’t take it? This is a huge opportunity for me”

“I get that, but I need you here right now. You can’t go to New York, not when I’m going through something like this. Hell, I just asked you to move in with me!”

She frowned. “Excuse me, for one, you do not own me. Who the fuck do you think you are telling me I can’t take a job that was offered to me.”

“You are my girlfriend, and you’re supposed to stay here”

“I don’t have to do anything!”

“Yea, you do. Look,” he said getting up. “Just turn down the offer, and be done with it. You don’t need anything in New York anyways”

She got up, looking him in the eye. “I am not turning down this offer, and I didn’t come here to ask for your permission Chasez. From the time I met you to this day I have been nothing but supportive of your career, and now that I’m getting a little push in mine you think you could restrict me!? If you do then you you got another thing coming buddy!”

By this time, they were both angered by the other, trying to control them-selves.

“Liz, I get that your job is important to you, but when we move out to LA you can just start up another business there which in a way is better ‘cause you could expand”

“I didn’t say I was going to move to LA with you Josh” she said, her voice raising slightly. “And even if I was considering it, what makes you think that I’d want to leave my life behind in Orlando just so what, I could move to LA with you and help you build your career!? What about my job JC? I don’t want to branch out in LA. I’m fine right here in Orlando”

“If you’re so fine then why are you going to New York, huh?”

“I was offered a huge opportunity and you expect me not to take it? An opportunity that could make my business better that it ever was and help me?”

“I just told you that you could set up another one in LA!” he practically shouted.

“And I said I’m not leaving my life behind just so that you could live up your life in another state!” she fired back. “I’m not your puppet Chasez. You can’t just string me around and expect me to answer whenever you call!”

“Lizzie, could just hold your pride and stop being a selfish bitch right now!?” he fumed. “If you loved me you’d stay here and we could move in together, and forget about all this New York drama”

She gasped. “If you think that I’m one of those girls who’s going to give up everything I care about for a guy then your perspective of me better change damn fast”

“Oh, so now I’m just some guy? Because the last time I checked I was the guy you were in love with five minutes ago”

“Five minutes ago I intended on telling the guy I loved about this great opportunity I have in front of me in hopes that he’d be supportive but I got the exact opposite. Instead, I got a response from a guy who thought he could control his girl and get his way without compromise”

“What about compromising Lizzie?!” he yelled. “’Cause I’m trying to fucking compromise with you here and you’re not working with me!”

“Do you think it’s right to leave behind everything just so that I could go stay alone in some house, in a state I know nothing about, just so that you could leave me for months on end whenever you go on a tour?! I have a life you know, and I’m not willing to give it up! It’s not even like we’d be sleeping together Joshua!”

“I wonder whose fault that is” he scoffed under his breath.

She too was now fuming, more than she was ten seconds before. “Well I fucking apologize if I’m not one of those chicks who’re just willing to give up everything to sleep with JC fucking Chasez! What, you thought that if I moved in with you, you’d get in my pants?”

He ran a hand through his hair, tightening his grip almost pulling out a few short strands. “Fuck, Lizzie I asked you to move in with me because I love you! But obviously, you’re not where I am in this relationship. You’re not willing to make the sacrifice”

She laughed. She wasn’t sure why, but it was all she could have done besides breaking down into tears or cursing the living shit out of him.

“I’ve made every sacrifice there is in the book when I got into this relationship with you! Not seeing you for weeks on end, having to settle with a few minute phone calls, seeing your face surrounded by screaming women on a television screen more than I get to see you! Josh, I have sacrificed being in a normal relationship with someone just so that we could have a chance together. Now that I want to better an area of my life you’re mad because you’re not a part of it?”

“You know what? If you don’t want me to be in that part of your life, then fine. Go to New York, I don’t care. But when you get back and this lawsuit is done, don’t expect me to be waiting here for you”

“It’s your choice. Me, or New York. Talk fast”

She picked up her purse from the couch and walked up to him slowly. “If you think you could control me and make me choose between bettering myself for a few months and sticking with my dumb ass, selfish boyfriend who doesn’t care about my needs in this relationship, don’t expect me to pick the latter”

He frowned, realizing what she was saying, and he realized what he was making her do.

“Lizzie,” he started off, his voice soft, but she shook her head.

“I’m not sticking around just to keep up with your career. I can do that by sitting in my living room and flipping on the TV”

He stared at her.

“Thanks for letting me know what you think of me and my career after all the support I gave you during yours”

“Liz if you just stop being so stubborn and listen to me!” his voice raising once again.

“I’m not giving up everything for you Joshua” she glared into his blue orbs. “Don’t expect me to be one of those girls who waits around on hand and foot for her selfish boyfriend, because that isn’t me”

She gave him one last glare, practically seeing the steam coming out of his ears and his fists were clenched. She knew her words were getting to him.

“Have fun with your lawsuit Josh. I hope the judge sees past the arrogance and pig-headedness in your damn head and things work out. If you don’t want to wait on me, then fine. I don’t need you anyway”

And with that, she fought back tears and slammed the door leaving him standing infuriated.

***

Seeing her disappear out the door, JC  could barely comprehend what had just gone on. His mind was clouded by the mixed emotions racing trough his system. He needed to calm down, and maybe hit something. He snatched up his phone, cursing every indecent word there was in the book waiting for the person to pick up.

“Hello?”

“Justin” he growled.

“Woah, what up C?”

“What time are you guys coming home?”

“We’re on our way now, Joey just wanted to pick up some food. Why?”

“We’re clubbing tonight, all night. Turn around and I’ll meet you guys there”

“Wait, seriously? What’s the occasion?”

“I need to get stoned. Tonight. I’ll see you guys there in twenty. Don’t ask questions”

He heard Justin mumble off the plan to the other guys in the car and responded. “Cool, see you then Jace”

****

Liz stumbled into her house, up the stairs and into her room. She walked, slowly feeling as though her nerves were numb. She shut the door behind her, took off the jacket she wore, and crawled up on her bed in a fetal position and clutched a white pillow to her chest before breaking down in sob and after sob, almost not being able to catch her breath.

“Oh God” she sobbed into the pillow, staining the material with her tears.

She heard footsteps nearing her room, and Emma burst through the door.

“Hey, I saw your keys on the table and I realized-”

Her heart broke at the sight of her best friend. “Lizzie what’s wrong?” she asked, running to sit near her on the bed. “Lizzie, talk to me”

Liz sat up, her mascara leaving black blotches on her cheeks. “I-I can’t go to New York E-Emma” she got out. “He’ll hate me, I made a mistake. I can’t g-go”

“Lizzie what are you talking about?” her friend asked, wiping some of the hair out of her tear-stained face. “Who’ll hate you?”

“Josh!”

Emma frowned, the wheels turning in her head, trying to make sense of what Liz was saying. “He doesn’t want you to go or…?”

Liz shook her head, sniffling. “He wants me to go to LA with him, and stay here to support him or whatever during the suit, b-but I don’t want to leave everything behind j-just for him”

Emma sighed, shaking her head. “Lizzie, he doesn’t own you! If he can’t accept the fact that you’re only doing what you think is best for yourself, then his opinion shouldn’t matter!”

“But I love him! And how can I leave now knowing we’re on b-bad terms?”

Emma looked at her friend sympathetically.

“Em, just tell me what to do” Liz groaned.

“I can’t Lizzie” she said softly. “All I could do is support you at this point”

“Some best friend you are” Liz mumbled, resting her head against the headboard.

Emma smiled softly. “What’re you going to do?”

“What’d you think?”

“I think your boyfriend’s being a big fat jerk”

“I want to work things out with him. I don’t want to leave like this” She sighed, wiping under her eyes with the back of her palm. “I don’t want him to think he has control over me but I don’t want to leave”

Emma winced. “Lizzie don’t let one fight keep you from taking this job”

Liz nodded. “I know, but… Would it be so bad if I didn’t take this job Em? What if I just stayed here, I mean, business is booming right?”

“Lizzie…” Emma said, disapprovingly.

“I just need to talk to him” Liz said, reaching for her phone but Emma grabbed it and kept it in her grasp.

“Lizzie, I don’t want you to regret this in the long run. Look, you and JC seemed to have a pretty big fight, don’t you want to take some time away?”

Liz shut her eyes, a tear trickling down her cheek. She shook her head. “I’m not going until I talk to him. I have to talk to him. I want to see him”

Emma sighed, and got up. “So… What now?”

Liz lay down flat, taking a breath and turning her head to face her friend that was looking down at her. “Can you drive me over there in the morning to talk to him? Please?”

Emma nodded. “Sure. We’ll see them in the morning”

“Thanks Em”

“Are you okay now?”

Liz shrugged. “I’m not sure”

****

“C, slow down!” Chris advised, watching JC shot the four glasses of alcohol they had on their table, one by one, not taking a second to breathe between the drinks.

“What the fuck is wrong with you? You’re getting drunk!”

JC growled. “I hate relationships”

“Damn, Lizzie got you pretty mad, didn’t she” Justin remarked.

“She’s being completely irrational!” JC cried out above the pounding music. “She’s choosing her fucking job over me”

“JC, you do know that one of the rules we made when we started this gig was that sometimes we wouldn’t have time for a girlfriend? That we’d put this group first? Liz is just doing the same thing with her career” Chris pointed out.

“Whose side are you guys on?” JC asked angrily.

“Look, all we’re saying, is that put yourself in her shoes” Lance told him, the four friends getting up. “We got to get home Jace”

“Go ahead, I’m staying”

“It’s pretty late C. Sure you don’t want to leave with us?” Joey asked.

“I’m fine here. I’ll come home when I feel like it” he said firmly.

The guys looked at each other and shrugged.

“Just… Call us if you need us to pick you up, alright?” Justin offered.

JC shot them a look, then grabbed another glass. “Whatever” he muttered, taking the shot, watching his friends leave.

He winced, feeling the lingering burn on his throat. He looked up, but his vision was blurred and the music pounded in his head. He groaned, running a hand through his hair. He knew he was already pretty much drunk. How he had managed to keep his emotions tamed, he didn’t know.

He looked around, scanning the upstairs area. He was stoned at this point, but he wasn’t leaving here tonight without getting some. If Liz wasn’t willing to give it to him, he was going to find it himself.

He stood up but kept his hands on the table to keep his balance. He looked around smirked, eyeing the brunette in the tight mini skirt and bustier and the 4inch heels. She stood there, her back to him as she stared out over the banister, her beer bottle in her hand. Her hips rocked to the beat of the music and JC licked his lips. Drunk, and completely out of his mind, he sauntered over to her slowly, his eyes focused on her behind as she moved to the beat.

“Hey baby” he said huskily into her ear. “You and me, tonight?”

She spun around on her heel and glared into his familiar eyes.

Smirking, she answered. “Let’s go”

He swallowed, his heart racing. “My place or yours?”

“Yours”

***

They stumbled into the house a half hour later. It was quiet, and JC assumed the guys were asleep.

She sucked on his lips, moving from his lips to Adam’s apple, her soft lips caressing the skin.

He held her up against him, his hands holding her under the thighs and so that they were hip to hip. Staggering, they knocked over a couple frames on the walls trying to get to his room. Opening and shutting the door, he threw her down on the bed, breathing heavily. Lifting his t-shirt over his head, he pulled down her skirt, ripping the zip at the back while she unhooked her bustier. He buried his face in the crevice of her breasts, causing them both to moan. She flipped them over, so that now she was straddling him. With his pants still on, she could feel how aroused he was.

Giving him a smirk, she slowly dragged her tongue along the side of his neck and behind his ear, kissing his softly.

“Ready big boy?” she winked.

He shut his eyes and moaned, feeling her hot breath against his skin. “Awe, fuck me Allison”