Just A Memory

Chapter Five

Madison almost died when she opened her front door two days after Justin proceeded to take her daughter out on the town, there on the front cover of the gossip news paper was her daughter and him. Of course there was about twenty different pictures of them together that day; at McDonalds, the mall and with his mom. Madison could feel her anger rise seeing Lynn and Amanda together, he thought he could just take her daughter to see his mom. She grabbed the papers and slammed the door shut; she didn’t know what to do. Ignore it, but she knew some how the paparazzi would find out who the little girl was.

She had avoided him ten times the day before, he had called and left messages every time, wanting to know if she wanted to go out to dinner, if the three of them could hang out. She didn’t answer the phone, she knew he would call he was persistent at getting what he wanted.

“Mommy, I don’t want to go to Grandma’s.” Amanda whined causing Madison to roll her eyes as she tried to fix the little girls hair.

“Only two more weeks and I’m finished with school, after that you won’t be going to Grandma’s house. You’ll be going to work and being at the day care there.” Madison stated pulling Amanda’s curls into a ponytail.

“NO! I want Grandma Lynn to watch me!” Amanda whined moving causing her hair to fall everywhere.

Madison took a deep breath; she knew Justin hanging around was going to be a bad idea. Now Amanda was calling her Grandma and didn’t want to go anywhere but to Lynn’s.

“I’m sure Justin’s mom is busy today, and I don’t have her number. Why don’t you go there some other time?” Madison suggested

“NO! Call him; he’ll come pick me… please Mommy, please! She said I look just like Justin, Aint she funny, huh mommy… how I look like Justin.” Amanda laughed at the thought of looking like her favorite NSYNC member.

“She’s a clown.” Madison sighed picking up the phone and scrolling through the caller ID. She found his number and dialed it quickly, hoping he wouldn’t answer the phone.

“Hi Madison, I see you aren’t avoiding me any longer.” His voice was cocky with his answer. “How can I help you?” He asked

“I just want to let you know, that if you ever take my daughter again, you will not take her places unless you clear it through me. Have you seen the news paper?” Madison asked as she finished her daughters’ hair.

“Oh yeah, I saw them it ain’t that big of a deal….” His smirk was evident and so was the fact that he was eating chips

He popped another chip in to his mouth and ignored the looks of JC and Jayne who were over visiting. He told them he wanted to hook up with Madison, JC was all for it, Jayne was iffy about it but said if anything at least they would be a family. Which neither of the guys got, she wasn’t clear about it but she held off telling him Amanda was his child.

“It is a big deal to me, my daughter is crying wanting to be with your mother. What are you doing Justin? You think if my daughter falls in love with your family that I’ll do the same? Think again!” Madison snapped into the phone

Madison could hear him sigh, then the phone being messed with, she heard laughter in the background loud TV, Lynn asking him if he was alright then his breathing and the sound of a door shutting.

“If you are worried that more photos of her are going to get out they aren’t. I took care of it the moment my friend Trace called me up asking about it. I’m not trying to get to you through your daughter, I had to stop by my mothers and your daughter happens to be with me, my mom took to her loved her asked me to settle down for one.” He sighed into the phone picking at lint that wasn’t even on his shirt. “I want to get to know you more, and you keep avoiding me. Jayne has always talked nothing but good things about you the past three years, and I’ve always wanted…”

“Stop… I don’t care what Jayne has said about me. I don’t need some pop star in my life trying to make things better for me. If you think for one second that getting my daughter to fall in love with you will lure me in, it’s not going to happen. I’ve gone six years of my life with out her father I don’t need you now.” Madison cut him off, “You need to find someone who wants to be with a pop star. I don’t want the fame that comes with your name, and I will not bring my daughter to that. Stop trying to get me, I’m not a prize I’m not a trophy.” She added giving Amanda a look causing her to stop crying for her grandma Lynn.

Justin sighed again into the phone, moved off the bed and left the room he was in. “I’m coming over.” And with that he hung up on her

Madison knew it was a 15 minute drive from his place to her place. When he got the house a few years back she would have to drive by it every once in a while when something happened on the high way causing her to take the back roads. She finished Amanda’s hair and pulled her jacket on her.

“Please mommy, please let me go to Grandma Lynn’s please.” Amanda cried as Madison pulled her own coat on and started out the front door. “He’s my daddy huh?” She asked causing Madison to stop dead in her tracks.

Madison turned and looked at Amanda, tears still running down her small face, her hair was slightly messy from her putting up a fuss. She started to kneel down so she could be eye level when Amanda’s face turned into a smile and she ran past her. Madison turned around and saw Amanda jump into Justin’s arms. She sighed and started to walk towards them.

Justin was rambling on about something, but all Madison was able to do was stare as her mother’s car pulling up behind Justin’s. She knew that with her mother there her whole world was going to spin out of control. She saw the expression on Justin’s face with Grace walked up to them, she watched him put Amanda down and take her mother into a tight hug. She closed her eyes tightly feeling woozy, and reopened them to be lying on her couch.

“How could you not know she was your Riley?” Grace asked Justin the two of them were standing towards the kitchen.

“She doesn’t look the same. Last time I saw her she had short red hair and wore black makeup.” Justin shrugged his shoulders slightly he looked over at Amanda who was coloring at the kitchen table. “She looks just like Madison.” He added causing Grace to turn slightly and look towards the little girl. “Who is her father? Madison was going off about how she hadn’t had her father around for the past six years, she don’t need one now.” He asked looking back at Grace.

“Honestly she won’t tell me, she just says that it was a mistake to sleep with him. That she thought she loved him, when she found out she was pregnant he was gone.” Grace sighed turning her head to look back at Justin.

He stood there with a lost expression on his face; he blinked a few times and took a few steps back. He ran his hand over his head and looked over Graces shoulder to where Madison had sat up on the couch looking slightly confused.

“I’ve gotta go.” He rushed as he tried to get out the front door.

“Randall wait!” Madison called after him grabbing his arm before he could get out of the house. Justin gave her a hurt look, and she knew he knew what she didn’t want him to know.

“I… I knew it was you the moment I saw you with Jayne, but I didn’t want to believe it. She went off about how you had this angel for a daughter, I didn’t want it to be you but it was.” He gave a slight glare shrugging off her arm and walking towards the door.

“Please don’t go.” Madison sighed grabbing his arm again.

Justin took a deep breath and turned, he looked Madison hard in the eyes. “Amanda’s coming with me.” He half yelled walking back towards the front door

“What? No… she is not!” Madison yelled out after him

“She is mine as much as she is yours!” Justin glared turning and running into Grace, who was shocked at the news she just heard. “Yes, MINE.” He snapped pushing passed Grace and walking into the kitchen to talk to Amanda.

Grace looked at a shaken up Madison.

“Jus…”

Madison broke down and started to cry causing her mother to take her into a tight hug.

“He just entered my life again; Jayne is dating one of his band members and tried hooking us up. She…. Mama, he wasn’t supposed to come back into my life. I tried keeping him out.” She sobbed as Grace walked her towards her bed room.

Grace calmed Madison down as much as she could and went into the kitchen were Justin asking Amanda how she would like to stay the week with him.

“Randy can I talk to you?” Grace asked, he gave her a nod and told Amanda he’d be right back, they sat in the front room. “I’m so sorry she never told you.” Was the first thing she said giving him a hug.

“I was blind, my heart and gut told me Amanda was mine the moment she opened the door the other day, but my mind played it off as it being Madison’s curls not mine. Then my mom, she commented on how Amanda looked just like me, but I ignored the gut feeling. I’m dumb Grace, It all makes sense, Madison was being a rude bitch the moment she met me.” Justin rambled on rubbing the back of his neck.

Justin looked into the kitchen at Amanda who was talking with Madison now. He stood up and walked to the front door. “I’ve… I’m… I’ll… I have to think about some things.” He gave a defeated look and walked out the door.