Justin was fuming. He'd hung up with JC not too long after dropping Johanna off at the airport.  Now he knew this was about Cameron.  JC had called looking for Johanna because something was up with Mollie.  Johanna never got a call from Mollie.  She was running away.  He scheduled himself on the next flight he could, packed his bags and took off.  If she was going to run, he'd chase her.  He was done with this game they were playing and it was going to end now, one way or the other.

He touched down in Orlando and took a cab to his house.  After throwing his bags inside and grabbing his keys, he drove to Mollie's.  JC knew he was coming and by now Johanna, no doubt, knew as well.  He pulled up and knocked on the door, let in by JC.  He ran up to Mollie's room and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" came Mollie's voice. 

"Justin.  I know she's in there.  Johanna open the door."

"No," Johanna replied.  "Just go home Justin." 

"Dammit Joey.  Open the door and look at me.  I'm not leaving until you talk to me."

"Fine, move on in.  I'll stay right here with my bestie."

And so he sat.  On the floor, leaning against the wall.  JC kept the girls updated via text and when he would drop off more food.  Johanna built herself a little bed in Mollie's massive walk in closet out of blankets and slept there that night.  The next day was spent much the same as the first, and another after that.  Finally, fed up that her house was being used as a warzone, Mollie encouraged a truce.

"Jo, you can't hide from him forever.  Just get it over with.  Whatever the decision is going to be, just make it."

Johanna begrudgingly got up, lingering with her hand on the doorknob.  She took a deep breath and swung it open, finding Justin sitting on the floor.  She marched right past him and down the stairs, out into the chilly February air.  Walking out to the dock, she leaned against one of the posts, bracing herself as Justin followed behind.

"So I'm here, what do you want?" 

"Joey," he started.

"Don't call me that."  She hated that nickname at first, growing to love it because he was the only one who called her that. 

"Stop it Joey.  What you're upset about is completely not what it looks like.  Cameron had a script for me, the new Shrek movie.  She wanted me to voice a character.  It was just business."

"You don't have to explain yourself to me." 

"Then why are you so pissed off?  I thought we were in a good place."

"I'm angry at myself Justin," she said calmly.  "And looking at you now makes it worse.  When I saw that news report about you and her...the first thing I felt was jealousy.  I was jealous of her.  That she got to have you in a way I didn't." 

"But Joey you’ve had me right where you wanted me from day one.  The ball has always been in your court."

"Just let me finish.  Being with you, working with you, living with you...it's been the best time of my life.  I know I wasn't looking for a relationship when this started but that's what it's become whether we meant it to or not.  I thought the last few days had changed something.  They changed my feelings.  I love you Justin…there, I said it.  And the worst part of all of this is that I thought you loved me back." 

"I do love you.  I've been trying to tell you that for months.  I just didn't want to push you away because of your rules!"

"You don't love me.  You love the idea of me.  The idea of a girl who will be with you all the time, to accommodate your every whim.  The girl who is hopelessly in love..." Johanna wiped her eyes, smearing tears on her cheeks.  "You want that and I was there." 

"How could you think that?" Justin asked, his voice low.  "After everything, after London...how could you think it wasn't you I wanted."

"If you wanted me there would be no other.  I know you say it was just business.  But you don't hang out with your ex without some feelings lingering.  I don't know what to say Jus.  It's probably easier this way.  It never would have lasted." 

"I can't even process this right now.  You're putting words in my mouth, you're jumping to the end of something that hasn't even started."

She shook her head and started walking away.

"Johanna fucking Ramos!  Don't walk away from me!" he yelled, panicking.  "You're killing me," his voice cracked. 

She turned back, a glance over her shoulder.  She watched as the sun dipped down behind him, the shadows showing off the contours of his face, which was streaked with tears. 

"I'm sorry," she began.  "You were right, Mollie was right...everyone was right.  I couldn't resist you.  I fell in love and now I'm getting burned.  I love you Justin and I think I loved you all along.  Remember that."

She turned and walked quickly towards the house.  She ignored his pained screams; the shouting of her name.  He screamed until his voice was raw.  And she cried, willing herself not to turn around and run to him.  At the last minute she turned away from Mollie's, and took the path back to JC's house.  She wanted to be alone with this.  She needed to let it sink in.  

She wasn't sure of her decision but she wasn't sure of the alternatives either.  She was hurt and she didn't know how long it would take for her to get over it.  She knew that when she did, it may be a steep climb back to him but if Justin loved her like he said he did, they'd find their way back.  They had to find their way back...didn't they?

Hours later, there was a soft rap on the bedroom door and JC came in. She was sitting up, hugging her knees, no more sobs, just silent tears. Her breathing was still ragged but not like it was before.  He sat gently on the edge of the bed.  They were silent for a while.  JC grabbed her and pulled her in for a hug. 

"For what it's worth, I'm sure whatever happened, you made the right decision.  But he's on my couch, almost catatonic.  When I finally got him to stop screaming, he just fell completely silent."

"I can't C.  I can't just let it all go.  I need to figure me out, without him.  I can't let myself become so attached to one person that it crushes me like this." 

"Sorry babe, but that's called love."

“I didn’t want to love him,” she said. 

“Nobody does, but he sucks you in,” he said, getting a chuckle out of her.  “I may be the last to know about this but if you ask me, you two could be pretty good together. Take your time and figure it out but don’t count him out completely.  I’ve never seen him like he is now.  Not even when he broke up with Britney.  You must have done a number on him.”

“It’s a long story.” 

“You don’t have to tell me.  I just want you to know that I’m here for you.”

She lay in bed for hours, not wanting to move.  She was almost happy that Mollie was on bed rest.  It meant nobody would bother her.  Or so she thought.  The word must have spread because Lance showed up the next morning, coffee in hand.  He climbed in next to her and held her hand.  They just lay, mostly silently for a good chunk of the day.

"He's still out there?" Lance commented, gazing out the window after coming out of the bathroom. 

"What?"

"Justin's been sitting out there, facing your window for hours.  Since last night if I recall what JC said."

She crawled out of bed and walked over to the window.  There he sat, Justin in a lawn chair, facing her window.  He had almost a blank expression on his face, but when he saw her he sat up.  She covered her mouth, hiding her face.  She turned abruptly and headed downstairs.  Padding lightly out onto the grass, she stopped a few feet short of the chair.  She was nervous.  Their words had time to settle and now there was something between them.  You couldn't see it but you could feel it.  She continued over to the chair, sitting down on the edge, her body perpendicular to him.

"I told you I'm not leaving.  I'm not giving up on us that easily.  This is insane.  If Cameron meant anything to me, I wouldn't have rushed across the country to declare my love for you." 

"It's not about that Justin and you know it.  Did it hurt to see? Yes.  Did I wish that it hadn't happened and triggered this series of unfortunate events?  Yes.  But in the end, this is about you and me."

"You and me are perfect.  I've never had someone so in tune with me." 

"But that's the problem.  I didn't have time to heal from my last messed up relationship.  The next thing I know, there you are.  Giving me everything I thought I wanted, no questions asked.  My life became all about yours.  What you needed, your schedule, protecting you from everything, giving you everything even when it wasn't work.  I lost who I am.  It's not that I don't love you.  I do, so much that my life has become dependent on you and your happiness.  I let you dictate what made me happy and I got insanely jealous anytime another girl had any access to you at all, platonic or not.  That's not me."

He leaned forward and put a hand on her thigh.  She wanted to brush it off but she knew he was hurting too.

"I don't think we had enough time to get to know each other beyond our physical connection.  I've been through a lot of trauma that is still scarring me.  I need to be alone.  To find out who Johanna is without Justin.  I don't want to depend on you for everything.  Please try to understand."

She took a deep breath and blinked back tears.  She rubbed her already swollen eyes and looked at him.

"Maybe I need this too," he replied.  "I've never been one to keep a secret from a girlfriend.  I don't know why I didn't just say I was going to see her.  This arrangement has got me totally screwed up.  I've been in love with you since I saw you.  I wasn't prepared for what it became. I don't want to let you go though."

"Please Justin..." 

"I don't want to but I will.  When you love someone set them free, right?"

She nodded sadly.  She stood up, facing him.  He did the same and they both just stared for a moment.  He pulled her in for a hug and Johanna could swear she heard her heart break.  He gave her a sweet, slow kiss.  Cradling her head, he kissed her forehead one last time.  

"I can't make myself move," he said, quietly.

"Rip it off.  Like a band-aid.  Besides, it's not forever.  Tell me it's not forever.  Tell me you don't hate me."  She was starting to panic now, her heart racing, knowing they were really over. 

"I don't hate you.  And we can't avoid each other forever, even if we wanted to.  I'm always going to love you and if you need me, you call me and I'll be here."

She nodded against his chest, squeezing tight once more.  She let go, taking a step back.  He took two steps backwards, not wanting to take his eyes off of her.  Finally he turned and she walked towards the back door.  Stepping inside she collapsed to the ground.  It was real now.  She'd just let him go, and it was killing her more than she ever thought it would.

Picking herself up, she swallowed her cries.  She took deep breaths and put one foot in front of the other.  She had today to be sad, tomorrow to start living.

He had to force himself not to turn around.  If this was what she wanted, she could have it.  He walked straight to his car, getting in and turning the key in the ignition.  He punched the gas and peeled out.  If he didn't run now, he may not get the strength to again.  He called his agent, telling him to book the Shrek movie and the other one he'd been eyeing.  He needed to occupy his time.