Alexandria Timberlake walked into the front door of the tiny one bedroom apartment home, that she shared with her husband of four years, Justin Timberlake.

"God, it reeks in here." She whispered harshly to herself, taking in a big whiff of the air.  It smelt like a bad mixture of cigarettes, alcohol and weed. She obviously knew what her husband had been up to today. 
Sighing to herself, she continued to make her way through the foyer, looking through the pile of mail, she had picked up on the way in.  "Junk, junk, junk. Bill, bill, bill." 

Throwing the mail, her keys, and purse down on the dining room table, she looked out onto the living room to see her husband passed out on the couch, with a half of bottle of Jack Daniels in one hand, and an unlit cigarette in the other.  Looking all around the room, there were dirty plates and cups, and garbage all over the floor.

Letting out a deep breath, Alexandria walked over to her husband.  "Justin?"  She gently shook his leg. He stirred, but didn’t wake. "Justin?" She shook a little harder. He then stirred again and his eyes began to flutter open.  She was then staring into the beautiful blue eyes that she fell in love with, that were now filled with so much sorrow.

"Hey, baby." He said groggily, yawning.  He sat up, placed the bottle of alcohol down, and stretched.

"Hey."  She said beginning to pick up the mess that her husband had caused.

"How was work?" He asked rubbing his hand over his scruffy beard.
"It was ok." She said still picking up the garbage from the floor. 
She tried to head for the kitchen, but a pair of hands gripped her curvy hips.

"Hey," Justin said pulling her body into his, "can I get a kiss? I’ve missed you." He nuzzled his nose into her neck, and kissed the exposed skin between her neck and shoulder.  She turned around and gave him a quick peck on the lips and then continued her task at hand. "That’s all I get."

She sighed heavily.  "Justin, I don’t have time for this.  I have to clean this place up and get dinner ready. My parents are coming over tonight."  She picked up a cup and a plate, and headed into the kitchen.

Justin groaned. That’s one thing that he hated. His in-laws. They always had something to say. Whether it was the fact that he had no job or that he was too lazy.  Well, he really didn’t hate them. It was the other way around. They hated him. They were disappointed that their daughter married some loser, whose glory days peeked in high school, and now couldn't hold a steady job to save his life.

"Lexi," he sighed and followed her into the kitchen, "why do they have to come tonight?"

"Because," she responded placing the dirty dishes in the sink, and prepared to wash them, "I invited them, Justin."

"Why?" He said walking over to the refrigerator. "All they are going to do is pick me a part," he opened the door and grabbed a beer, "and call me a bum ass loser, who can’t find a job.  That you could find someone better.  Like one of those fuckers who work at your dad's firm, that they are alway trying to set you up with." He twisted the cap off and chugged it down.

Alex then turned to her husband and watched as he quickly finished his beer and fished for another one.  "Can you not do that tonight?"

He placed his new beer bottle on the counter. "Do what?"

"Get drunk, Justin. Just not tonight. I need you to be on your best behavior. Don’t forget the last time my parents had dinner over here." She turned back to the sink and continued to wash the dishes.

"Hey, your dad deserved what he got. He kept trying to push that asshole, Ryan, on you, in front of me!"

She turned back around again. "And I get that, Justin.  It was wrong of my father.  But I had to beg and plead with him to not press charges against you. You broke his nose!" She exclaimed.

He sighed, running his fingers through his growing curls. "Whatever."  He said taking another swig of his beer.  He couldn't believe that she was actually defending that bastard.

"Please," she whispered, turning yo face him, "just do it for me."  She pleaded.

He licked his lips. "Fine." He walked over to the sink and poured out the rest of his beer down the drain. "Happy?"
She nodded. "Thank you." She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.
"M-hmm." He said tossing the bottle into the garbage before heading out of the kitchen.

--

Dinner was extremely quiet and awkward, as both couples sat in uncomfortable silence while eating their food.

"So, Alexandria, darling," Alice Brown, Alex’s mother, broke the silence, "this dinner is delicious. What is it?"

"It’s chicken Parmesan. I got the recipe from a co-worker."  She smiled gently at her mother.

"It’s delish." Alice said taking another bite.

"Thank you."

Things had gotten quiet again. But…

"Speaking of work," Alexandria's father, Alexander Brown, broke the silence again, "have you found any, Justin?"

Justin groaned in frustration, and dropped his fork.

"Daddy!" Alexandria seethed. "I thought we agreed that tonight was gonna be different."

Alexander wiped his mouth with his napkin. "No, you agreed, sweetheart, daddy just made you believe he did." He then turned his attention back to Justin. "So, have you?"

Justin then wiped his mouth with his napkin as well. "I don’t think that is any of your business."  He snapped at his father in law.

"Well, you’re married to my daughter, and that makes her my business." Alexander spat back. "How are you expecting to be able to take care of my daughter and my unborn grandchild if you don’t have a job?"

"Daddy, please." Alexandria begged her father.

"Yes, Alexander, dear, just leave it alone." Alice tried to intervene.
Alexander shook his head. "No, he needs to hear this. He needs to learn how to be a man."

"I am a man." Justin spoke up. "Just ask your daughter." He smirked, throwing his napkin down on his plate.

Alexander sat there flabbergasted. "How dare you talk about my little girl like that?  Especially in front us."  He threw his napkin down also. "You must be outcho mind, boy!"

"I’m done." Justin looked at his wife, before getting up from the table. "I need a drink." He grumbled walking into the kitchen.

"Justin." Alexandria had gotten up from her chair to follow her husband into the kitchen. She walked into to see him with a glass and same bottle of Jack Daniels he had earlier. "You promised."

Justin looked at his wife's eyes, seeing the disappointment. "I’m sorry."  He said downing the hard substance, flinching as it stung the back of his throat.  He then proceeded to pour himself another glass.

"I guess boozy is at it again." Both Justin and Alexandria turned to see Alexander leaning on the doorframe of the kitchen. Justin just glared at his father in law, before downing his drink. "Only a worthless ass bum would drown his sorrows at the bottom of a bottle.  I should have never let you marry my daughter. You’re a fuckin’ loser."

Justin’s eyes began to boil over with anger. And without thinking, he picked up his glass, held it tightly in his hands, and slung it as hard as he could at his father in law.  But he missed Alexander’s head by a few inches, and glass hit the kitchen wall, shattering into tiny pieces.

"Justin!"  Alexandria screamed, jumping in fright.

Justin then turned to his wife to see the fear in her beautiful hazel eyes. The sign of regret was written all over his face.  He then took a deep breath, and walked out of the kitchen.  He needed to get out if here.  He needed to get away.

"Justin!" Alexandria began to follow her husband. "Justin, please wait!"
Justin walked to the front door.  

He grabbed his jacket from the coat rack, and proceeded to make his exit.

"Justin, please…" Alexandria cried, and stopped Justin in his tracks.

He turned to look at his wife, one last time, as the tears fell from her eyes. He sucked in a deep breath, turned around, and walked out, slamming the door shut.

Alexandria's eyes continued to rim over with tears as she began to cry hysterically.

"Baby." Alice walked over to her daughter’s aid. She embraced Alexandria as she cried on her shoulders.

"I’m sorry." 

Alexandria looked up to see her father standing in front of her.  The sign of regret was written all over his face.  He had went too far.  But she was more concerned about her husband at this point, as she just nodded and continued to cry on her mother’s shoulder.

--

Justin had arrived at another apartment complex twenty minutes later. He shut off the engine to his car, and got out. His heavy boots tracked up to the building, as he began to walk up the two flights of stairs. Once reaching his final destination, he walked up to the door, and knocked twice. The person answered the door right away.

She smiled wide when she saw Justin standing at her door. "I knew you’d be back." She stepped aside and let him walk in. Once closing the door to her apartment, she stood on her tiptoes to kiss him passionately. "Come on, baby.  I’ve got that good shit." She grabbed Justin by his hand as they continued to walk into her apartment.