I blinked and I woke up to Bryan kissing my cheek as I heard a knock on the door.

Looking up at the TV I saw them showing Justin with Cameron as I heard the knock again.

“Hey Rachel,” I smiled as I opened the door.

“Hey,” she said back as she walked in.

Thinking about the dream for a second I smirked when I heard Rachel’s voice.

“You're not watching this are you,” she questioned.

“I thought it would be interesting but I guess not because I fell asleep till you stopped by,” I smiled making her laugh.

Muting it I offered her a drink as I went and got myself a bottle of water and Rachel, a glass of ice tea.

“So what made you stop by,” I asked.

“These,” she said pulling magazines up with my face and different guys on the covers of each.

“What the hell,” I asked.

One read, Tyra show a lie, paid to cover up the truth of an affair.

“Who are these guys Christine,” she asked.

“Wait you don’t seriously believe,” I asked her and she just looked at me.

“Rachel, these guys are past friends from college, that one right there is my first ex, he broke up with me for my cousin,” I said and crossed my arms over my chest.

“Well,” She said looking them over again.

“Come on Rachel, I was a fucking virgin before I met Justin,” I screamed but got quite when she looked up at me in shock.

“Maybe that was too much information,” I said and pursed my lips together.

“Relax honey, I’m just looking out for Justin, he is family you know,” she said placing a hand on my knee.

I closed my eyes and ran a hand against the bridge of my nose.

“I have been nothing but honest Rachel, and I’ll have gotten back is people questioning my relationship, MY REALTIONSHIP,” I said looking up at her.

“What are you trying to say,” she asked.

“Justin’s gone for a week right,” I asked and she nodded.

“Tell him I’m sorry and that I’m alright, but I just I can’t talk to him till he comes home,” I said and got up to go towards my room.

“Christine wait, why,” She asked.

“ I just told you, I try to live my life, I try to even explain myself because I want people to know I’m nice, and I’m not out to hurt no body, but all I get back is that,” I said pointing towards the magazines she placed in front of me earlier.

“Then maybe you shouldn’t,” she started.

“Be with Justin, that’s what this week is gonna prove,” I said and told her she could find her own way out as I walked towards my bedroom and shut my door and turned the radio on.

I didn’t want to sound like a bitch, but after that dream and after being questioned about something over and over again it got old, and I needed to see if it was worth it; the only way I knew how.

To see what it would be like without Justin for awhile.

--

The next day wasn’t any better, my phones where blinking, both the apartment and cell phone, told me my inbox was full, missed calls all from the same number, he knew and it was expected.

It was so hard not to call him after his last message on the house phone, “Chrissie baby, come on I love you, why do you think being without me will prove something they’ll talk all they want to baby, please call me.”

I had listened to that message six times since ten this morning and it was only going on ten thirty now.

Tyra was on at eleven and as much as I told myself I was gonna sleep through it since I was off and didn’t have to do anything, my body wouldn’t let me, I woke up with a cold because the weather was being funky, and that somehow always caused me to get a sinus cold; breathing out of your nose is a key part to my sleep I found out this morning.

I took a cold tablet and brought a blanket around my shoulder I hadn’t turned the heat on since New Year’s due to the bill and I would be damn if I did it now due to a stupid cold.

Watching the show I smirked at how I came a crossed, just like I thought I would, my own independent person, but with the love of a guy who just happened to have the name Justin Timberlake, and he was famous.

Licking my lips I tasted the tears that fell down my cheeks as my part of the show ended and went to commercial, as Justin’s voicemail went through my head.

It was then I heard the door slam against the wall making me jump and fall off the couch I had been laying on landing to face the door way which Justin had opened the door with using his key I made him and was standing there looking like he was gonna rise hell.

“I knew I shouldn’t have given you that key,” I told him getting up and then started to sneeze about five times into my shoulder.

“You're sick,” he said coming over to me but I stopped him as I placed a hand out and sneezed again than said.

“NO shit Sherlock,” I took a tissue from the box on the dining room table and whipped at my nose which I’m sure but now was red.

“You're not supposed to be here till next week,” I said sitting down at the table.

“And you haven’t answered your phone in the past day in a half and I can’t leave anymore messages,” he said looking at me.

“Kinda the point,” I said looking up at him.

“What the hell Christine,” he asked sitting down and looking at me.

“Justin, I really don’t want to discuss this right now,” I said and sneezed again making me groan.

“Come on,” he said pulling the chair out and picking me up and carrying me to my bed.

“Why do you think, being away from me is gonna solve all your problems,” he asked.

“It won’t, but it will help me decide if you’re worth them all,” I said cringing at the way it came out.

“I’ll let the tone slip because of the cold but, you of all people should know that people talk, no matter what you say or don’t say,” he said reminding me of the times that we had read about us on the covers of magazines when we flew out or when we simply went to the store.

“That’s the thing, I use to be in the one looking at the magazines knowing how dumb they are, and now I’m in them knowing how dumb they are, but then they’re another ten people in the check out behind me wondering if that is true or not about me, when it doesn’t fucking concern them,” I said.

“Then why does it matter, as long as I know the truth and you know the truth, “he asked.

I shook my head as he rubbed my hair looking over at me.

“I don’t know why, but it just, it does,” I said trying to look away when Justin grasped my chin.

“You’ve been crying huh,” he asked me making me look up at him.

“Don’t lie,” he said with a slight smile.

“I saw my Tyra episode,” I said.

“And,” he asked.

“You made me happy, and yet I’m not happy right now,” I said.

“Tell daddy what he can do to make you happy,” he said with a cherish grin.

“Eh, Justin no, I’m not in the mood for that,” I said and he started to laugh.

“Chrissie, I wouldn’t even think about it, you’re sick and that’s just gross, I was thinking about giving you a bath maybe a back rub,” he said.

“What about New York,” I asked.

“Radio shows, I can call in,” Justin told me as he then went to the bathroom and pulled back the shower curtain and pushing the plug down so the water would fill up I heard it run as I sat on the toilet lid having followed him in there.

“Stand up,” he said and doing so he pulled my shirt over my head as well as my tank top I always wore under it, turning me around he rubbed my back than the spine in my neck, making me relax into him till he whispered into my neck.

“I’m gonna go to Ralph’s and get some sinus stuff, go ahead and add your Mr. Bubbles. I’ll be back to give you your bath,” kissing my cheek he moved away from me.

“Justin,” I said as he went to walk out the door but he put a finger to my lips.

“Don’t you’ll ruin it,” he said then walked away as I heard the door shut I added the bubble mixture and pulling my bottoms off I slid into the warm water and placed my head against the shower wall the heat of the water making my sinuses feel a little relief.