I'm going to start with the day that begun with dumb decisions. "Ange, you know how I see both of them," I remind Angel Carter, my best friend since we were little. Who am I? I always forget to intro myself.

I'll let Ange tell you. "Athena Jessi McLean! Those are my brothers! EW!"

I giggle like a school girl. "I know they are and Nick has been with Lauren how long?"

"Almost 3 years and he's really happy."

"Airboy?"

"Alone and happy to play the field."
"How old is that boy again?"

She laughs for a moment. "He's my age."
"Yeah, yeah. I'm three years older than you."

"Which makes you three years older than my twin brother," she quips.

I chuckle, waltzing into the kitchen from the back patio. "I get it, I do. Come on, I'm only an Aries!"

"Oh, shit! That's tonight, too! Explains why Nick and Aaron are hosting this party." I know she smacked her forehead.

It's April 13, 2013 and I'm turning 29, but Aaron has never found out my age. He's convinced that I'm within a year of them. I'm only three years younger than Justin, four years under Nick and eight years younger than my cousin. Who's my cousin? JC, you know him.

Now I have to explain how AJ and JC are related because of me. We're both adopted. Mom adopted me when I was three or four months old and Karen adopted JC when he was five, both at the same time. I was born in Palm Beach and he was Born in DC, his mom and my dad were cousins. Bob and Denise decided AJ needed a sibling and that I was the best choice. JC lucked out because he's the oldest. JC and AJ are related only by adoption to sum it up. When I was two, mom and pop got a divorce and AJ's already told the rest of the story. When I first met JC in 1996, I sat for hours with AJ in the hotel room afterwards. I found out from Denise and AJ that I was adopted and all they had was my original birth certificate with my parents' names on it. I noticed that it said 'Robbins', making me wonder if I could find any information on my biological family. It took until 2001 to track down my mom, who happened to be a family friend since I was a toddler. Her name is Cassandra Moralez and I've gotten close to her since. In summer 2001, I found out everything I needed and more when his group made it to Chicago. It was interesting when he greeted me as 'Thene', hugging me tightly. He'd known and had agreed with his parents and my immediate family that he'd wait until I found out to tell me, when I showed to his house or his parents' with questions. He'd known since he was on MMC, the punk. Now you know how AJ and JC are related through adoption thanks to me.

Back to the tale at hand, how I lost Justin Timberlake because of a dipshit move on my part. "Most likely."

"I still haven't told anyone that you're with Justin, not yet," she quietly reminds me.

"I plan on gathering everyone next month to celebrate James' birthday and I'll spill he beans then."

She huffs. "You told AJ?"

"I also made him promise not to tell Nick or Howie."

"Nick's suspicious, typical."

I hear he and Aaron laugh in the background. "Nah, I want AJ's sister to be mine."

Nick laughs even harder. "If you can manage to get through his 5 million questions first and even then I doubt he'd allow it. Who you on the phone with, Ange?"

"Aaron's cruuuuuuussssshhhhh," she teases, no question about him blushing.

"She didn't hear that, did she?" he worriedly asks.

Ange and I laugh, Nick joining in. "Oh, she more than heard it," Nick taunts.

"So Ange, what's the plan for tonight?"

"We're going to hit up Mood and dance our butts off after the reception BBQ at Nick's."

"What time is my presence requested?" I joke.

"About 7:30, you got time."

"Guess I should start getting ready," I say, clicking my tongue.

We hung up and I turn on my iPod deck, Mariah Carey's 'Fantasy (Remix)' ringing through the speakers. I hum along, twirling around the room and getting everything ready so I can shower. I know I shouldn't do this, not with Justin in Memphis. Oh, fuck it! It's my birthday and my one day of total freedom within certain boundaries.

I have 20 minutes to zip to Ange's to meet her there and I just need to get my sexy rocker chick heels on, the ones AJ had helped me pick out a couple years back. See, you need to understand that every one of my exes has been a celebrity or somehow involved in the Hollywood scene. Hell, Justin doesn't know this, but I've even been with Wade and it wasn't even worth the failed sex excursions. I fluff my hair again in the mirror in the front hall by the door, thinking about how vain Justin can be sometimes. I chuckle and head out, making sure the alarm is set and the door is locked. I hop into my Mercedes S Class, powder blue and hot as shit. I plug my iPod onto the auxillary port for my radio, attaching the car charger for it and play Joe's 'Table For Two'. I sing with it, smiling. It's blaring as I pull up to her place and get out, throwing my device into my back pocket with my cell in the other. My credit card in my front right pocket. She comes out in a similar get up, her hair in a ponytail in the back of her head. I hear a car pull up behind me, hugging Ange like I always do and she returns it.

"Now only if I get a tighter hug than that," he chuckles.

Ange and I stand side by side and grin, shaking our heads. "You're sick!" Ange fires off.

He waves her off and walks over to me, pulling me into his hard body. I can feel the muscles of his torso through our shirts and I stand there, one of the dopiest grins sliding across my face. "How about that hug, baby?"

Every time he's ever called me that, I've pretty much become the putty he can mold. I wrap my arms around his neck and stand on tiptoes, his arms going around my body to embrace each other. I take in his scent. "Girl, behave."

"Shut up, Angie!" Aaron growls as I think it. Giggling, I slowly lower my body so that my feet are flat on the floor again. "What's so funny?"

"You saying what I was thinking."

We get into his car and Ange informs us that she's going to crash at Nick's, Aaron and I exchanging a glance. Nickelback's 'Animals' plays back to back with 'S.E.X.', he and I laughing about it. We pull up to Nick's and I walk into his house, stopping at the living room entrance. "Nickerlass! I'm home, lovah!" I shout, giggling after.

Lauren comes out laughing a little, hugs me and smiles. "How are you, 'Thene?"

"Good. Why did you laugh?"

"Nick turned about 15 shades of red when you did that."

"I bet. You know the history, right?"

"Yeah, he told me and AJ rubbed salt in that wound for breaking your heart."
"AJ will get his chance."

"Or you will," Ange whispers in my ear, passing by into the backyard.

"Let's get this shit started!" I yell, fist pumping. "Cue the music!"

I see Nick come in and press play on his iPod dock remote, 'Shake Your Ass' playing a moment later. I pull Aaron into the backyard and dance as dirty as I can with him, knowing I have just so much freedom. I walk around and AJ spots me, grabbing me by the shoulder. "I need to talk to you... Alone."

I don't like how stern his tone was just now. "Nick, is there a room we can talk in private?"

"Uhhh..." he thinks, watching something behind us.

"You can go to your usual guest room," Lauren supplies.
"Thanks." I lead the way to my usual room and sit on the bed.

"Does Justin know you're here? Does he know what could happen? Does anyone other than me know?"

"I plan on telling JC and he's gonna join us at Mood."

"You know that neither you nor Justin have the best luck with relationships."

"I know. That's why you set us up." I huff a rebellious sigh, rolling my eyes behind my midnight blue designer shades. I hate when AJ goes all big brother on me, overprotective and shit just like JC does when he's around.

"You start with that shit and I can cancel this adventure, you damn well know that." I look up at him and he's pointing at the window. He means the whole night, not just right now.

"Alright, I think you should just talk to Nick or something and cool down. I'll try to be a good girl for Justin."

"Good, I'm counting on it."

I cross the room and open the door, heading back to my little shindig. The doorbell rings and Nick bulls into me, grabbing me before I fall. "Watch it, Klutzie," he teases.

"No, you watch it, Kaos."

"It's what I cause." He manuvers around me and answers the door, his hand clapping to JC's hand to initiate their ridiculous 'manly' handshake. "You're early, man."

"Yeah, how could I pass up a chance to harass my cousin?" he jokes, looking at me over Nick's shoulder.

"Fuck you, Josh," I growl, flipping him the bird.

"Not my job."

"Oh, lawdy," I mumble, walking away from him and toward my own party.

I grab a winecooler from the drink cooler and pop it open, taking a sip of it as I turn to see what could be taking JC and AJ so fucking long to get out here. Dammit, they're talking and that is hardly ever a good thing for me. "What did AJ want, babe?"

I jump 15 feet in the air when that sexy voice whispers that in my ear and presses up his fine body against me, interrupting my thoughts. I turn and let out a huff of air. "You scared me a bit."

"To talk about the little one."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, she's getting so big and he wanted to let me know that Roche asked for me to stop by to help with some things."

"Why?"

"I work in the pediatric wing," I tell him.

"Oh, yeah, AJ had said something about that last year and that you're head peds nurse at Sinai."

I smile at the fact that AJ brags about it. It took me years to study for it and in the past 2 years alone, I've been promoted four times. "Yeah, you saw me bust my ass in school for that position."

"For sure, I remember that."

"Behave yourself," JC tells me, patting my head as he passes me with AJ close behind. AJ gives me a warning glance and points at me.

"I'm old enough to deal with the consequences!" I yell after them.

"Nick still does that to me," he groans.

"Maybe it's an older cousin/sibling thing."

"He's not-"

"Don't do anything I wouldn't or haven't," someone tells Aaron, passing behind me. I roll my eyes. This is what happens when Aaron and I are in the building.

We pull up to Mood and I hop out of one of the rented cars for the night, heading right for the bar to get a shot and a Corona. I get Aaron the same and he accepts it happily. "I should be catering to you tonight, not you cater to me."

"What? Pssssshhhhhh! It's a one time thing, I'm done for the night."

He downs the shot in the VIP room and pulls me to the floor, pushing me in front of him when it begins to get crowded. "What's on your mind?"

"A penny won't get you access to my thoughts, boy."

"You tease."

"Of course."

"Got a man?"

"What do you think?"

"No."

I smile, knowing the opposite is true. "Who are you seeing?"

"I have no chains."

We laugh, dance, drink and talk for a couple hours. I get restless and start feeling my eyelids droop, exhaustion threatening to take over. "I'm ready to head out," I tell Aaron, pulling his head by mine.

"Let's go."

He leads me to the car, his over shirt covering my head to protect my identity and once inside, we speed off wherever he has in mind. "Where are we headed?"
"My house, we can curl up in my bed and fall asleep."
"How much did you have?"

"Just that one shot and beer you gave me two and a half hours ago."

"I'm tired."

"No, you're wasted."

"Whatever."

"Do you have work tomorrow?"

"Not for two more days."

"Good."

Can I say I'm happy to have her gone? In some ways I am, but I loved her and she slept with one of my friends. I was willing to let it go at first, hope it wouldn't happen again until JC told me otherwise. Nobody but AJ knew about her true history and he told me she cheats once and that's it, it just keeps going on. She's done it to Lance, Brian, Nick, Jesse, Wade, and now me. Nick's known since 2007 when he caught her in bed with someone he thought was his friend, ending it with her and killing that friendship. I learned it too late for it to matter.

I'll start off with what happened after her birthday, the day Nick told me. We were hanging out with AJ and JC, having a guys' day while our women were having their own day. "We had a killer party and went to the club for 'Thene's birthday," AJ informs me.

"Was she having fun?" I ask, smirking.

"Yeah, she had a blast."

"Just a heads up, J-she left the club with Aaron," Nick informs me.

"Why?"

"Why am I telling you this?"

"Yeah."

"JC and AJ told me. I'm going to warn you that she has a huge problem with being committed to one guy." He emphasizes this with his hands.

I scoff at the idea. "Right," I laugh. "How would you fucking know?"

"I dated her a few years ago before Lauren."

"When?"

"Back in 07, we got together after flirting on and off after a long flirting session with her."

"Yeah, 14 or 15 years' worth," AJ grumbles.

"Wasn't she with...?"

"She was single, something she hardly ever is."

"Why?"

AJ explains everything. "But she never claims to really be in love, just that she might like someone."

"Do you think she slept with him?" I'm worried because I love her.

"Most likely," Nick says. "But, remember that I took her back and held on until a month before I met Lauren."

"How long were you with her?"

"On and off, with or without AJ's knowledge?"

"All together," I demand.

"Uhm, something like five years on and off."

AJ shouts. "You dated her behind my back? That's my sister!"

"We slept together, too."

"When did that happen?"

"When we were left on the bus alone," he confesses, looking at AJ and quickly texts someone. He locks his phone and places it in his pocket.

"What fucking tours?"

"From the 'Black & Blue' one until the one for 'Unbreakable', the end of the tour in 09 marked the end of our trysts and we're just friends now."

"You and I have some shit to hash out with 'Thenie," AJ growls with his jaw clenched.

"Sorry." Nick shrugs, smirking. "Mexico will never be the same to me."

I look at JC, who's giving Nick a death glare worse than what I'd ever seen. "So she can't remain faithful?"

"Nope," Nick confirms.

"What's the longest she has been?" I question, pushing food around on my plate.

"Three years. How long have you been with her?"

"This time, it's about 3 months."

"On and off?"

"Two years."

"Totaling it up, might be like 9 or 10 months," JC comments, shaking his head.

I went home with a heavy heart and a stomach that won't stop flip-flopping, a mind filled with worry. I call out for Trace and follow his voice to the kitchen. "You seem befuddled, dude."

"I am. How could I go into a relationship blinded?" I cover my face with my hands.

"You mean with Athena?" he guesses, sipping on his grape Goya soda.

"Yes. Did you know she's a chronic cheater?"

He stops all movement, the soda bottle halfway to his lips and looks surprised. "No fucking way, man!"

"She dated Nick and he dealt with her infidelity for two years before ending it," I admit.

"That's fucked up."

"With a friend of his and then he took her back a week later."

"Oh, shit." He falls silent again and spins the bottle on the marble counter.

"How does she hide it?"

"Dude, I have to tell you something about her and it happened while you were gone," he confesses, looking behind me. I'm not sure I want to know, but I look at him. "She was gone for two days after her birthday."

"Do you think she was..?"

"Trace, you asshole!" Athena screams, storming upstairs.

"When did you get in?" I ask.

"Just a minute ago. I'm going to pack my shit and head to AJ's for a few days, I need to clear my head." She pulls out her phone and dials his number. "Alexander, can I crash at your place?"

She left, took all her clothes and I'm left wondering. I hear a knock at the door and look at the security camera to find Aaron standing there in the rain, two weeks later. I went to Lance's birthday bash, but left before she could spot me. I open the door and he looks scared, as if I'm going to be pissed. "What's up?"

"Can I come in?" he requests.

"Sure," I reply, stepping aside to allow him in.

He goes into the kitchen and stops, backtracks into the living room. "I have to confess this to you, Justin. I know it's not right and completely unfair, but I had no clue she has been seeing you for the past 3 months before it happened."

"What's your point?"

"I slept with 'Thene."

I feel my blood turning to magma, rage taking over my body and I fight the urge to beat the life out of him. "When?"

"Her birthday and the two days after. As soon as Nick told me tonight, I zipped right over here to tell you."

He turns his back and I quickly get to my feet, punching him in the face when he turns to look at me. His body drops to the floor, slamming his head on the corner of the coffee table. His brown eyes eminate his fear and he sits there for a minute, looking at me. He gets up, swings his fist and connects with my jaw before leaving without another word.

I smash the cracked glass top coffee table with a vase she had left on the mahogany table behind the couch, smashing everyting that I can only because it reminds me of her. "Bitch. How could you?!" I scream in my fit of rage, crying out of anger and frustration.

"Put it down, Justin!" Rachel yells, standing behind me.

"She cheated on me, slept with Aaron fucking Carter!" I scream, puting my fist through a wall and grabbing her favorite picture of us, breaking the glass and frame against the doorframe to the kitchen.

"LOOK AT YOURSELF!" she screams at me.

I look at myself. I see bare and bloody feet, jeans and a baby blue wife beater on. I turn to the mirror by the door and see my dirtied tear trails, looking heartbroken. I'm hurt and mad. I drop to my knees. "Why? Why did she do that to me? Why with him? Who knew? Why?" I ramble, pain stabbing my heart.

"I don't know, but you should head home."

"I am home."
"I meant Millington."

"No, I want to stay here."

She makes me some food and I hear my cellphone signal a text message from her. I read it and throw my phone. How could she want to 'fix' this? There's no going back. I watch my phone shatter, the screen in pieces on the floor and the entire thing is destroyed. Rachel stands there and watches the whole scene, everything in the living room is smashed and I stand in the middle just to answer a cell phone that I'd smash because of Athena. "You're going to see your mom."

I'm pulling into my mom's driveway and my heart is shattering. I sigh and get out, grabbing my bag. I knock on the door and Paul opens it. "It's going to be alright," he tells me, embracing me.

"How do you know?"

"Justin, baby," mom says, pulling me out of Paul's arms. "Rachel told me."

I sigh and drop my bag, knowing I have to let her go. I lie on my bed and think of getting my number changed, pulling my cell phone out of my pocket to look at old pictures of us. It rings as I look at one and it pops up with her information. "Hey," I answer brokenheartedly.

"Baby, please, give us one more try," she pleads.

"I ain't gonna take no more, how could you? The only option I have is to leave you." I hang up and erase her number.