I love being at home. I don’t mean home as in LA or even Florida, but home as in good ole Tennessee. Anais, Trace and I came back home for my cousin Rachel’s wedding. We’re all sitting outside at my mom’s house. Actually Trace and I are sitting around, Anais and my mom are getting things ready for the barbeque that my mom is hosting.

“You know you two lazy bums could get up and help us!” Anais says.

“We could but what fun would that be?” Trace asks

“How about I make sure you guys don’t get any peach cobbler?” Anais challenges.

I look up at her shocked. “How are you gonna keep my grandma from giving me some of her cobbler?”

Anais squats down next to where I am sitting. “Don’t doubt my feminine powers Mr. Timberlake.”

I watch her walk away and I wanna run up and shower her with kisses. I love her so much. Hell I would tell her all of that but it’s only been two weeks since that whole incident with Devon. I don’t want to just be some rebound or jeopardize our friendship. She turns around and looks at me.

“Are you really just gonna sit there or are you gonna help me set up these tables?” She asks with her hands on her hips.

I laugh at her and start heading over to where she is standing. “What if I help by standing here watching you and Trace?”

Anais rolled her eyes. “Oh you got jokes huh? I see how funny you wanna be!” She turns and starts walking towards the house. “Nana Boomer, Justin won’t help me set up the tables.”

I stood there in shock. I could not believe she was telling on me. What are we like 6? How could she go telling on me like that? Suddenly I see my grandmother walking out the house as well as my mom and Anais mom following behind. Oh great I’m in for the lecture of my life.

“Justin why are you being a lazy little stump?’ My grandma asks.

“Man Nana I was gonna help Anais, she just hates me joking with her.” I say in my defense.

“Well how about you and Trace set up the tables and Anais you come in and help us finish up some of the food?” Her mom suggests.

“Sure, I don’t have a problem with that.” Anais replies.

“I’m sure you wouldn’t.” I say.

I start helping Trace set up the tables and turn to watch her walk back in the house with the other ladies. As if she knows I’m watching her she turns around and sticks her tongue out at me and I laugh. Then she shakes her head and smiles while I throw her a wink. How in the hell am I suppose to be able to contain myself this whole weekend?

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Justin is such a dork. How could he think I wouldn’t get him to do anything? I think he just honestly enjoys torturing me. I start making the spaghetti when I hear some little feet-walking trough the front door. When they finally make it to the kitchen I realizes it’s Justin’s little brothers.

“Hey Jonathan, hey Steven!” I say while bending down to give them both a hug.

“Nay Nay!” They both yell in unison.

“How you guys doing? Man you’re getting so big!”

“We’re fine. Nay are you gonna play basketball with us while you’re here?” Steven asks.

“Yes I will play basketball with you. Listen why don’t we go out and see your brother. Make sure he is doing his job.” I suggest just so they won’t be in the way.

Jonathan starts heading towards the backdoor while Steven waits for me to take off my apron. I think Steven has a crush on me cuz no matter what whenever I’m around he is right up under me. I think it’s so adorable. I take Stevens hand and we head out to the backyard where Trace, Justin, and Jonathan are already horsing around. Steven waits till everyone’s back is turned and he looks up at me to make sure it’s ok to go for it. I give him the okay he charges for Justin’s back and jumps him.

“Hey ya little runt you trying to catch me off guard?” Justin swings Steven around and starts tickling him.

“Get off my lil man, Timberlake!” I say walking over to the group of boys.

“Oh I see how it is you dissing me for my little brother!”

“Well he is cuter.”

“Yea Justin I’m cuter!” Steven says proudly.

We both laugh at him and Justin turns back around to look at me. It’s like suddenly I’m lost in his eyes. I can’t even begin to explain what I’m feeling right now but I want to kiss him so bad, it’s driving me crazy. Soon I am broken out of my trance by my mother calling me back into the house so that I could finish cooking. I turned back to Justin and excused myself. As I walking back to the house I was thinking this could be one of the longest weekends of my life.

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A few hours later….

So I’m standing around my mom’s backyard looking at all these faces. Some that I haven’t even seen in years. Interestingly enough the face that I want to see I haven’t seen in a couple of hours. I see Trace talking to a girl we went to school with and I make my way over to him.

“Hey what’s up man?” Trace asks as I stand next to him. “You remember Sara?” He asks referring to the girl he is talking to.

“Oh hey Sara I haven’t seen you in ages.” I say as I give her a small hug.

“Hey Justin. It’s really good to see you.” She says returning the hug.

I turn to Trace. “Have you seen Na anywhere?”

“Nope, not since she helped mom bring the food out earlier.”

“Ok. Well it was good seeing you again Sara.” I say as I turn and try to find Anais.

Something told me to go around to the side of the house where Anais use to love to sit.  So I walk around to the side of the house where we have a tire swing and I spot her swinging slowly back and forth with something in her hand.

“I should have known you were hiding.” I say walking up behind her.

“I’m not hiding. If I was you wouldn’t have been able to find me.” She replies not even bothering to turn around.

“Ah so that’s why you’re over here away from everyone. You’re sneaking peach cobbler!”

She swallows the bite of cobbler she has just taken and laughs at me. “I don’t have to sneak it. It’s mine to have you punk.” She says sticking her tongue out at me.

“What do you mean it’s yours to have?”

“Nana made it all for me and I don’t have to sneak it.”

“Hey that’s not fair how come you get your own but I don’t?”

Anais laughs and waves the plate around. “Ah Justy you want some of your own?”

“You know I’m really tired of my family loving you more!” I say trying to act hurt.

“Oh chill J. Nana made you one too. I just wanted to mess with you.”

I laugh and sit in the grass in front of her. “So why are you all the way over here? Getting tired of partying?”

“I just needed some me time. Besides that I have to go home with my parents tonight.” She sighs.

“You make that sound like one of the worst things in the world to happen. You usually get along with your parents.” I say.

“Yea we do, but they want to know why Devon isn’t with me.”

“You haven’t told them what happened with Devon?” I say a little shocked.

“Oh yea cuz it’s the easiest thing to tell my mother and father that this guy that they really liked and thought was just oh so great for their daughter hit her!” Anais replies sarcastically.

I sigh and think back to that night. I really wanted to beat the crap out of Devon that night and damn it if Anais didn’t need me to keep her clam I would have laid his ass out right were he stood. I never understood how guys could ever lay their hands on a woman. We were laughing when Anais stopped and looked at me.

“You think we should go back to the party before everyone thinks we are being very anti social?” Anais asked me.

“Do we really have to?” I whine

Anais laughs and stands up reaching out for me. “Yes we should really get back. Besides our moms and your grandma will kill us if we stay away to long.”

We start heading back to the party, but I would much rather keep her all to myself.

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We got back to the party just in time. The best man was making a toast to the bride and groom to be. This was almost like a rehearsal dinner just Tennessee style. Out of the corner of my eye I see my parents coming up toward me.

My mother leans over and whispers. “I hope that is you one day soon.”

I roll my eyes because every time something about a wedding comes up my mother is the first one trying to marry me off.

“Well maybe one day it will be mom.” I say trying not to sound annoyed.

“Debra leave our little girl alone. She will get married when she knows the time is right.” My dad says.

“Thank you daddy.”

Trace comes over after the toast is made and he Justin and I just start talking about random stuff. It kinda reminds me of when we were younger and we had big gatherings like this. It was fun and I miss it so much. Before I know it time has passed us by and people are leaving. It’s almost time to face the dreaded going home with my parents.

I love them I do and I don’t think it’s so much me staying with them as it is me telling them about me and Devon. My mother adores him and my dad thinks he is a very good businessman. Well that’s all fine and dandy but I will never be in an abusive relationship. On the other hand I’m worried about my father going to LA to kill Devon. I sit in the car thinking about all these different things when my dad breaks me of my thoughts.

“So sunshine how is working going? I know things must be more busy for you because of your new promotion.” My dad asks.

“Things are good. I’m finally settled in so things are running smoothly and I have a team that works with me.”

“Oh that’s good so all the works not put on you.” My dad says with a hint of joking.

“No daddy. I wouldn’t let them work me that hard.” I laugh.

“So how are things with you and Devon?” My mother asks as we are pulling into the driveway.

I sigh cuz I knew this was coming. “Well I kinda wanna talk to you guys about that, but can we do it when we get in the house?”

I see my mom and dad look at each other. Then she replies. “Honey Devon called us and let us know you two are having problems but we can talk about it more when we get inside.”

I feel my anger boiling as I get out the car. How dare he call my parents and tell them we are having problems. We don’t have problems, he has problems! I bet you there is no way in hell he told them what he did to me. Now that I think about it when could he have called my parents? I mean he had to have thought that I would call and tell them. Then again he probably knew I was too chicken to say anything.

Oh this is going to be such a long night and I know it. My dad opens the front door and we walk in. I feel the need to take a nice hot shower and get into my PJ’s before I start talking to them. As I start walking up to my bedroom I hear something that makes me sick to my stomach.

“Oh Devon I’m so glad you made it here safely” My mother says