“Oh thank God!” Matthew shouted as he opened Colleen’s front door. “You sing to her. JC has the voice of an angel but if I have to hear “Dear Goodbye” one more time, I’m going to go visit the angels myself, if you get my drift.”

“You must be Matthew,” Justin laughed as he entered.

“Please forgive me. She’s got me all discombobulated and I forgot to bow,” Matthew said, giving a deep bow as Justin closed the door behind him.

“Matthew, who is it?” Justin heard a voice say that he didn’t recognize.

“Oh, you know, just Justin Timberlake. Showing up like this is everyday life,” Matthew shouted back, leading Justin to the living room. Justin didn’t see Colleen but saw a tall blonde woman stand up from the couch to greet him.

“Hi, I’m Kyle. It’s nice to meet you, though I wish it were under better circumstances. Big fan,” she said, shaking his hand.

“Thanks, that’s very kind of you,” Justin smiled.

“I mean, I am too!” Matthew spoke up from beside them. “I just thought it might be rude to bring it up now considering our friend is a crying pile of goo because of his friend.”

“I still have ears, you know,” Colleen yelled from the couch.

“You know, JC has way more depressing songs then this one,” Justin joked as he made his way over to the couch. He stopped short of gasping when he saw Colleen laying there. The normally well put together woman looked up at him with red eyes that revealed dark circles underneath. Her hair was a mess and she wore a pair of grey joggers with some paint splashes on them and one of JC’s white Des Ex Machina t-shirts.

“Yeah but those are about Eva. This one I don’t know who it’s about so it’s all I can really stomach right now,” she replied.

“Can you try stomaching some actual food?” Kyle asked, coming around to join Justin.

“I’m not hungry,” Colleen protested, trying to see through them to the Below Deck marathon she had on mute on the tv.

“Is this…normal?” Justin whispered to Kyle. 

“No, I’ve never seen her this bent out of shape over a guy in the whole time I’ve known her,” Kyle told him. “She normally doesn’t even need to bounce back, she just moves on. This one really got her. She loves him though so I get it.”

“Yeah, I know,” Justin frowned. “He does too, he’s just a colossal idiot about it.”

“No offense, but crossing state lines and cheating on your girlfriend on your anniversary with a woman who looks like your ex is a bit bigger than “colossal idiot” I would say,” Matthew chimed in.

“Fair,” Justin agreed, staring down at Colleen. She’d said she hadn’t been sleeping great but he didn’t expect all this. He’d been there, trying to distract yourself from your pain while still wanting to wallow in it. He’d understood why JC needed to see Raina in those moments but he also knew why JC couldn’t keep doing it.

“Colleen, honey, we’re gonna get going,” Kyle knelt down and told her. “This way you and Justin can chat.”

“Ok,” Colleen told her, reaching over and pulling her friend into a hug. “Thanks for checking in on me.”

“Of course,” Kyle gave a soft smile in return, brushing a bit of Colleen’s hair out of her face.

“Girl, get your shit together because if this is the only time I get to meet Justin Timberlake, I will send you every variety of animal feces I can find,” Matthew threatened as he gave Colleen a hug.

“I still like Justin so I’m sure we can arrange a better second meeting at some point,” Colleen reassured him.

“Try to get her to eat,” Kyle said to Justin, “or maybe even sleep a little. Mostly, get this song off replay.”

“I’ll do what I can,” Justin replied as the two friends gathered their things and left. Justin picked Colleen’s head up and sat down on the couch, putting it back on his lap and rubbing a hand over her shoulder. He thought back to a few months ago when he had watched her curl into JC on his couch like the contented kitty she was. “You wanna talk?” he asked.

“What’s there to talk about? We talked when we got back. I’m sure you’ve talked to JC since. It is what it is.”

“Colleen, this is not the woman I know speaking. Tell me what’s going on in your head.”

“I knew he’d cheat,” Colleen sighed. “I knew it going in, that’s why I always imagined a fling with him. Yet I still was foolhardy enough to have hope it wouldn’t happen. It’s weirdly not even about the cheating; they made out and played some grab ass, it wasn’t that bad…”

“It would have been,” Justin interjected. “I’m not trying to throw him under the bus but let’s just be honest about it.”

“I know,” Colleen said softly. “I guess I’m saying the cheating is on the low end of the spectrum of bullshit with him. He’s got this Eva sized hole in his heart that I’m never going to be able to fill and I don’t even really want to. I’m not her. I’m not a replacement for her. He has got to figure out a way to put that woman behind him once and for all. I’m not trying to say completely forget about her but he’s the only one that can deal with his hurt and move on. He still hasn’t.”

“He knows. He more than knows, he’s trying to do something about it. Like, actually something.”

“Like what? Hang out with Chris and Joey?”

“Like talking to his therapist everyday. Apparently he really did try to call when everything went down but they were out of town so now he’s going or calling at least once a day since coming back from Florida. He also, ummmm, he’s on some meds, for right now at least. That’s a first for him. JC doesn’t fuck with chemicals in his body so he’s been adamantly against them for years. This time he’s giving it a try.”

“Good for him,” Colleen said flatly, making Justin unsure if she genuinely felt that way or she was being sarcastic.

“What else?” Justin asked.

“You’re going to think I’m being stupid,” Colleen pouted.

“If it’s upsetting you, it’s not stupid,” Justin told her. Colleen reached over to the coffee table and grabbed her phone, pulling up her pictures. She selected one then handed it to Justin. “What am I looking at?” Justin asked as he inspected the photo.

“A receipt for a returned engagement ring I found in his pocket,” Colleen clarified. “The receipt shows 11:32am that morning, meaning hours before he saw Julie. It wasn’t just her that set him off. It was me, the idea of being with me exclusively or committing or something. I did something and I don’t know what,” Colleen began to cry.

“Honey, no, no, this isn’t your fault. I know you know that,” Justin pulled her tighter. He remembered JC saying he had planned to do something for their anniversary to show his commitment to Colleen but even the impulse of a ring seemed too far fetched.

“I know and I don’t all at the same time. I’ve never been one to chase a man down for commitment but I…I thought…” Colleen breathed for a moment, trying to calm herself down. “I dated a guy a couple years back. Wasn’t crazy serious but we had good chemistry. He asked me one day to grab a box from under the bed and I grabbed the wrong one at first and found an engagement ring. I kept my mouth shut and shoved it back, not wanting him to know I ruined the surprise. Weeks went by, then months. I got curious and looked for it again and it was gone. I thought maybe he just moved it.”

“He returned it, I take it.”

“No, turns out it was never mine to begin with. I searched for where it could be, just to put my mind at ease and found evidence of another girlfriend who lived up in Sacramento. It was her ring, that’s who he proposed to.”

“Ouch!” Justin exclaimed. “What did you do?”

“Tailed him up to Sacramento one evening and interrupted them at dinner. Turned out it was the celebratory dinner with her parents for their engagement. Oops.”

“I weirdly pray there was video.”

“I felt bad I crushed her dream but I’m glad we both figured out what a slimeball he was before it was too late. I got cheated on in law school and I vowed never to let another man make me feel unworthy and I haven’t…until now.”

Something was starting to click in Justin’s head as he looked back at the picture on Colleen’s phone. “She didn’t marry the guy, did she?”

“No, she threw the ring right back at him in the middle of the restaurant. Again, felt bad for her but very self satisfying to watch him suffer.”

“Fuck me,” Justin breathed, finding the description of the ring that had been returned on the receipt. “Have you talked to JC at all about this?”

“No, just took the picture for my own reminder of what could have been.”

“Jesus, now you sound like JC,” Justin shook his head. “If I call him and have him explain, will you listen?”

“There’s nothing to explain.”

“There is, there actually really is.”

“I’m not in the mood to hear his voice right now.” Justin looked at Colleen sarcastically then got up and turned off her Bluetooth speaker that had still been playing in the background. “Touché,” Colleen admitted, not arguing with Justin as he sat back down.

Justin sighed, yet again hating to be the one to explain his friend’s past when he was too cowardly to do it but he couldn’t let Colleen keep believing this lie she was telling herself. “Colleen, I truly don’t know how to tell you this but…this isn’t your ring either.”

Colleen blinked up at him, her already pale face beginning to drain further of color. “I…I don’t understand.”

“This…is Eva’s ring. JC proposed to her and she…she turned him down. That detail never made it to the press. He’s had it ever since because, just like you said, it was a painful reminder of what could have been. This is the receipt of him finally selling it, of him getting at least a small piece of her out of his life for good.”

Colleen stared at Justin in shock. She still wasn’t sure she’d understood exactly what he was saying. “He…proposed?”

“He did,” Justin confirmed. Justin watched as it all started to register to Colleen as she curled her knees into her chest and started crying. Justin pulled her closer still and kissed the top of her head, just letting her go for the time being.

“Justin, what am I supposed to do?” Colleen finally squeaked out. “I love him. I want to help, I truly truly do, but I can’t be one of those people who gets trampled all over in the name of love. I won’t do it.”

“You shouldn’t do it,” Justin told her. “A good partner holds the other accountable…at least that’s what my marriage counselor is telling me.”

“I haven’t been doing that. I felt like I knew about his past because I watched it unfold but obviously I’m missing a lot of the story,” she said, gesturing at her phone. “I knew he carried so much hurt and I didn’t want to make him relive it. I let him get away with too much. If I had just…”

“Hey, again, you are not to blame,” Justin interrupted. “He should have been more forthright with his past. He took advantage of you already knowing parts so he didn’t have to explain.”

“Admittedly, I did a bit of the same,” Colleen confessed. “We haven’t really talked much about my past either.”

“Maybe start there and put everything out in the open, warts and all, as they say.” Colleen was silent at Justin’s remark. “Colleen, are you even open to giving him a second chance?”

“I don’t know,” she almost whispered. “I promised to always be by his side and I feel like he probably really needs me to be right now but I…I can’t do it. I can barely function myself. I had to take the rest of the week off just to try to get back to some semblance of normalcy. I can’t sleep, my anxiety is through the roof…”

“Have you called Piper?” Justin asked.

“Raina told her what’s going on and she called. I can’t…I know it’ll help but I just know I’m instantly going to think of JC and that’s not what I need right now.”

“We got him for the time being, you concentrate on you. Please promise me you’ll call Piper tomorrow and arrange to see her?”

“Since when did you become an advocate?” Colleen gave a tiny smile.

“Let’s just say there’s a reason you are the best negotiator in town,” he smiled back.

“We’ve been talking all about me, I haven’t asked how your situation is going,” Colleen suddenly realized.

“Slowly but I suppose it’s at least going,” Justin told her. “We’ve started having what our therapist calls “brave conversations” with each other. We pick a topic and let each other speak their mind, uninterrupted. It’s harder than it sounds.”

“Do you think it’s helping?”

“Somewhere along the way we both built up resentment towards the other. It’s not pretty watching it all come out but it’s good it finally is at least.”

“Sounds like what you're asking JC and I to do.”

“You said you don’t want to get walked all over. Going back without having something like it is setting you up to be in an even worse position.”

“I don’t want to say he has to “prove” anything but he’s got a lot of work to do before I can really consider it.”

“Well, maybe this will help,” Justin said, pulling a thumb drive out of his pocket. He got up and found a port in Colleen’s tv to plug it in.

“I swear, if the next words I hear come out of your mouth are “relax and stare at the pretty colors”, I will rip out your larynx.”

“After hearing the story about the two timing slimeball, I don’t doubt it,” Justin chuckled, grabbing Colleen’s tv remote. “Though if JC were to make this a music video, it certainly would fit.”

“What are you talking about?”

“JC wrote you a song. It’s only a demo, so be generous with the quality. That’s why I wanted to come by instead of just chat on the phone. He figured if he dropped it off, you’d just destroy it.”

“Still debating it,” Colleen deadpanned but let Justin proceed. The song started with a slow synth quality or maybe an effect on a guitar, or both for all she knew. It sounded light but still in like a slow electronica sort of vibe. JC’s upper register soon flowed out of her speakers.

Comatose her eyes have faded into sleep

Falling away into the dead of the night 

All alone the silence echoes endlessly 

On and again we settle into the high

JC’s voice dipped low suddenly, as close to a bass that he could probably pull off comfortably.

Will you say

Something

Can you show me

I need you to calm the senses

Make me

Colleen nearly wasn’t prepared for the chorus to sweep up in speed as the song enveloped her, JC’s voice restrained and intimate.

Comatose

Tell me lies

Fool my mind

I’m under your control 

Comatose

‘Til I’m blind

Make my eyes

See through kaleidoscopes

So the same imagery continued throughout the second and third verses. Colleen sat there in awe at JC’s accomplishment. It didn’t need to be about her, she knew it would be an instant hit. She also knew it was JC so it would never see the light of day.

“He did a good job,” Colleen said as she wiped away her tears. 

“He’s trying, Colleen. Really truly trying. I can’t ask you to take him back just…give him some time to get himself together and maybe see where you both are then.”

“He’s had a decade and a half to get himself together,” Colleen responded back.

“Better exceedingly late than never,” Justin shrugged.

Justin unplugged the USB and put it on a nearby shelf. He sat back down and gave Colleen the remote as she put back on Bravo and relaxed against Justin once more. Justin had no idea what he was watching or how this was even a show but left it be as Colleen finally dozed off for a bit. He was trying his best to follow along but eventually sleep caught up with him as well.

“Justin…Justin,” he barely heard as he blinked his eyes open. Colleen was gently rubbing his stomach to coax him awake. “It’s almost 1am, Jess is probably getting worried where you are.”

“I doubt she’s even noticed,” Justin said groggily, pulling out his phone and seeing no missed calls or texts. He lay his head back down for a moment, half relieved and half pissed she wasn’t checking on him.

“You ok?” Colleen asked, sitting up to let him get up himself.

“Yeah, just, trying to wake up,” Justin lied, not wanting to give Colleen something else to worry about. He didn’t move though, not wanting to leave the comfort of the couch, having missed the feeling of a woman in his arms these past many months.

Justin shook his head at the thought and forced himself to his feet. He looked down at Colleen, who looked sad but understanding that he had to go. Her eyes seemed more rested now that she had gotten some sleep and she was beginning to look like the beautiful woman he knew once again.

Colleen stood up as well and walked Justin to the front door. “Thanks for coming over, I really appreciate it,” she gave him a soft smile before wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace.

“Of course,” Justin squeezed her back then pulled away. “You know you can call me if you need anything, anything at all.”

“I do, thanks Justin.” Justin stared at her a moment longer. “What?” she asked.

“Nothing, I just…nothing, still getting the fog out of my brain,” he stuttered.

“I actually wish I had some fog in my brain,” Colleen gave a small laugh. “I’d prefer a little respite from all these shitty thoughts.”

“I told you, call Piper, she can help.”

“I know, I promise I will.”

“Maybe I could…” Justin stopped himself, shaking his head again, needing to leave.

“What?” Colleen whispered.

“I just want to help,” he whispered back, running his palm up along her face to cup her cheek.

“You are,” she smiled at him. “You came to check on me, to make sure I was ok.”

“He doesn’t deserve you, Colleen,” Justin told her. “I shouldn’t say it, cuz he’s my friend but it’s true.”

“I know,” she admitted, so soft Justin could barely hear it. She looked so sad and he knew the feeling all too well, wondering why the person you loved suddenly no longer loved you back.

Before he knew what he was doing, Justin leaned down and kissed Colleen softly. He was almost shocked when she didn’t slap him or push him away, instead parting her lips slightly to kiss him back. They stayed like that for a moment or two, lips barely touching but kissing just the same.

Eventually Justin pulled back and looked down at Colleen once more. “I wish I could make you feel better, Kitty.”

“You are,” she said, tilting her head up to kiss him once more. Justin felt the tip of her tongue on his lips and parted them to let her enter. He couldn’t remember the last kiss he’d had like this. He felt so wanted and desired, he didn’t want it to stop.

He backed Colleen against the hallway wall and kissed her harder, the pair now thoroughly making out as their tongues danced together. Justin shuddered against her as he lifted her shirt slightly and ran his hand over the bare skin of her waist.

“What do you want?” Justin asked as he broke the kiss and began to kiss her neck.

“Make me…not think about him…for a while,” Colleen panted as Justin pressed his growing hardness against her.

Justin wrapped his hand into Colleen’s hair and held her head tight as he stared down at her, his breath ragged and urgent. “That’s it, pretty Kitty. Just look at me and let go. I got you.” Justin grinned as he watched Colleen’s face go slack, her lips part, her eyes ever so slightly dilate. She looked just the way he had seen her tied up at JC’s and from the moment he saw her, he knew he wanted that for himself. A woman that would let him be in charge, would do what he wanted, who would love him without any complaints or reservations.

“Tell me you want me,” Justin commanded.

“I want you,” Colleen responded, still looking up at him. Justin momentarily shut his eyes and moaned, his cock over the foreplay already. Justin reached down and pulled Colleen’s sweats down, happy to see she wasn’t wearing any underwear as she was wet and ready for him. Justin stepped her out of her pants and quickly disposed of his own as he kissed her roughly again, pinning her against the wall. He wrapped an arm around her waist while the other moved beneath her ass as he lifted her up to slide onto his cock, moving her to cross her legs around him.

Justin made sure not to rush this, wanting to savor the feeling of finally having her, of being with someone who wanted him. “Say my name,” Justin instructed her.

“Justin…” Colleen breathed.

“Again.”

“Justin…”

“Don’t stop.”

“Justin…Justin…Justin…” she moaned in his ear as he started to speed up. This is what he needed, what he was missing. He’d been craving her for far too long and now she was his, for one night at least. Maybe more…maybe he could get her to…

“Justin,” he heard her say more forcefully. He blinked and turned to face her, suddenly very confused and disoriented.

“Sorry but your phone’s been ringing non-stop. I thought it might be important,” Colleen told him. It took Justin a minute to realize he was suddenly sitting on the couch again. He pulled out his phone and saw the time as 11:32pm, with a multitude of missed calls and texts from his wife demanding to know what was taking him so long to return from dropping off JC’s song to Colleen.

“Shit,” Justin said, shooting a quick text to explain he had fallen asleep and was heading to the car now.

“You ok?” Colleen asked, sitting up to let him get up himself.

“Yeah, just, trying to wake up,” Justin lied, not wanting to give Colleen something else to worry about. The sense of deja vu shot Justin off the couch, wincing slightly at his hard cock. He looked down at Colleen and she looked just as tired as before despite her nap. He’d dreamt the whole thing, he realized with mild horror. He’d imagined fucking his friend’s girlfriend, taking advantage of her, making her… “I gotta go,” he said hurriedly, turning quickly towards the door so Colleen didn’t see the state of his crotch.

Colleen stood up as well and followed Justin to the front door. “Thanks for coming over, I really appreciate it,” she gave him a soft smile as she went to wrap her arms around him in a tight embrace.

“Of course,” Justin said hastily, giving her a quick hug then pulling away. “Call me if you need anything, anything at all.”

“I will, thanks Justin.” Justin stared at her a moment longer. “What?” she asked.

“Nothing, I just…Jesus Christ,” Justin shook his head, trying not to freak out at how similar this was playing to his dream. He needed to go…now. “Sorry, I just need to get home.”

“Ok, drive safe,” Colleen said as she opened the door to let him out.

Justin was just short of running to his car, a cold sweat forming on his brow. He slid into the driver’s seat and sat for a moment as the realization hit him: JC had been right, he was attracted to Colleen.

“Shit shit shit shit shit!” he shouted. Suddenly seeing his friend’s girl’s Mistress as his therapist got a lot more complicated.