" Mr. Washington?" Kendall turned at the sound of his name and came face to face with a short balding man. The look on his face, however, contradicting his small presence. His dark features were scrunched together in an ugly and intimidating demeanor. Kendall didn’t think people walked around like that in Orlando.

" Yeah." Kendall watched him sit down, smoothing out his tailored suit and looking him square in the eye. He wondered how this cat knew anything about Maia or Jocelyn.

" I’m Charlie Merrimack, Justin Timberlake’s publicist." he paused for effect while Kendall expressed his confusion and shock. What did Justin Timberlake’s publicist have to with the bitch Maia and his girlfriend. Pulling out a magazine, Charlie pushed it towards Kendall. Looking down, in sheer amazement, Maia was sprawled out over the cover of Sports Illustrated in a string bikini. The sub heading read, America’s Next Sweetheart: Maia Manadelno. Choking back his shock, Kendall looked up and met Charlie’s eyes.

" She’s dating, or trying to at least date, Justin Timberlake. Now as we both no Maia is no model..."

" She’s a whoring tramp for Secrets." Kendall smirked glancing back down at the magazine. How had she gotten here? Where the hell was Jocelyn, was she even with Maia?

" Exactly." Charlie smiled and leaned forward. " I want her out of his life." Kendall gulped down, looking blankly at the man. Obviously he had his dose of Maia and had been ready to dispose of her. Looking around, he wondered exactly what this clean cut man had in mind.

" How much we talkin?" Kendall finally asked, hoping that in someway this would lead him to Jocelyn. Charlie sighed happily leaning in to finalize a deal.

Justin ran his tongue over his lips, not caring to control the rise in the seat of his pants as he sat staring at the Tv screen that flashed scenes of ‘Cry Me A River’. He couldn’t even get excited over the fact that it had reached #1 on TRL, he was already riled up from Maia’s kiss. Or maybe it was her confession of love that had him going. It really didn’t matter anymore, he thought smiling to himself, both were just as special to him. They were also both a shock to him. Just then the bedroom scene came up and he sat up looking intently into the television set. His mouth watering for the taste of her once again. Hie heart picked up an unpatterned rhythm and suddelyn the palm of his hand began to sweat. Biting onto his lip, he realized what he had known all this time. It wasn’t him going insane that drove him to the point of madness, it was him falling in love. He hadn’t acknowledged it himself until she spoke the words to him, for some reason everything suddenly made sense.

" Now all you need is a warm apple pie." Chris teased walking in an sitting on the arm of the love sofa Justin occupied. Justin smiled, it didn’t matter how dry Chris’ humor was, it always came at the right time.

" I’ve got something better." Justin smiled and winked up towards Chris.

" Better than what?" Joey asked walking in , as usual during the middle of a closing conversation, and jumping right into the mist of it all as if he was the sugar the water and the kool aid need to mix.

" Apple pie." Chris offered looking to see how Joey was going to take the whole entire conversation he knew nothing about out of context.

" You tell me what’s better than apple pie?!" he asked adamantly and the two young men laughed knowingly.

" I guess if that’s how you feel Joe, Gina got a lot of explaining to do." Justin laughed and began to cry with laughter alongside Chris when Joey finally understood what he hadn’t before.

" You two are sick, man." he sighed and shook his head. Standing in the doorway Joey watched the TV screen until the video went off, struck all over again by Maia’s beauty. Suddenly he realized what he had interrupted them in the first place.

" Oh yeah." he cleared his throat, not sure if he should even mention it now. " Maia’s on the phone for you J."

Placing the receiver down, Maia looked across the room at Raven who watched her carefully. She had just decided to call Justin and lay on him, on top of the fact that she loved him and had for all this time, that she had also been lying about everything she’d ever told him. There was never another man, she was never a model, and that she was in fact the girl he thought her to be when they first met. She was ready to admit that she was the woman who danced for him at Secrets Unfolded several months before. She was ready to tell him everything, afterall she’d rather him hear it from her than Charlie. She was sure he’d say it in a way that wouldn’t even allow her to have any self respect left. She knew that after she left to New York, it was all over. She could go there, settle everything and return back to the life that she had started in Miami. It would have been much easier to do this and never mention this to Justin, only she knew it would haunt her. She knew there was no way of him never finding out. A tear fell down, her eyes clousing over with more to come. Would he still love her, even after he knew? Raven moved to comfort her friend, her heart heavy with just the sight of her. She vowed to kill Charlie whenever the opportunity was provided.

" Don’t cry honey, what happened? Did he even answer the phone?" Maia shook her head no burying her face in her hands. It was just as well, she doubt she would have gone through with it anyway. Raven lowered her head, knowing that had he answered Maia probably wouldn’t have said what was meant to be said. She felt a tear fall down the side of her own face, hating to see her friend go through this all. In fact, she hated to see both Kendall and Maia going through everything they had been for the past few days. It wasn’t fair, it wasn’t fair at all when of them all the sun seemed to be shining it’s brightest on her. True she deserved happiness, but it just wasn’t the same when she couldn’t share her happiness with the both of her friends. When would she have time in between consoling Jocelyn and keeping Maia strong that JC had asked her to be with him, he had finally left his girlfriend. She bit her tongue everytime, there was a right time for everything and while she would be joyous in her heart she would wait until she nursed both her friends back to happiness before she celebrated. Afterall, whenever they were hurt- she was in pain.

" I can’t do this Rave, I mean I can’t do this to him." Maia sighed, the tears drying up, as they always did when she realized there was nothing to cry for. Tears would never correct whatever wrong had been. She wished it was that easy to wash this all away, but as it stood nothing in her life ever really worked out in her favor. Except him, and even now there was something threatening to destroy it. Her own dishonesty. She should have followed through with her original plan and just leave him alone. Would it have been so bad just to stick with Caleb? Would it have been so horrible to suck it up every time you saw him and forget about the way he touched you, looked at you, held you, kissed you.....

" Yes it would have been fucking horrible!" she finally yelled out in anguish surprising both Raven and Jocelyn who had just stepped into the bedroom moments before.

" That’s why momma always said it was never good to have secret conversations." Jocelyn smiled pitifully and climbed into Maia’s lap to comfort her. Maia wrapped her arms around her best friend and sighed sadly, her head laying gently against Jocelyn’s chest. Patting her hair, Jocelyn wondered how hard it would be to convince her friend that she was going with her to New York. Maia had always been the one to clean things up, to make everything right- even if it only lasted for the few moments before Jocelyn messed it all up again. This time, she would do right by Maia. She would settle it once and for all with Kendall, afterall he was her problem- not Maia’s. It wasn’t fair for Maia to fight this last battle, not when she had done so for so long before. This time Jocelyn had to fix it.

" She’s going to ask you to go." Raven informed Maia before Jocelyn could even speak. Ignoring Jocelyn’s betrayed look, Raven continued on. " I’m going too."

" What?!" Maia exclaimed raising her head up. There was no way Jocelyn was stepping foot back in New York with Kendall on the loose. Furthermore, there was no way Raven was following after her either, Maia was called on to handle this score and as she saw it she would be the only one to go down if any of them were going to be put at risk. There was nothing in New York for them but trouble, and Maia knew that she’d handle everything alone better. She was the one they were after anyway, they’d only be a means of an end. Maia didn’t know what she would do if anything happened to them.

" No." she stated abruptly standing up to finish packing.

" Yes." they both chimed and Maia looked pointedly at them.

" No. I have to settle this myself. They called on me, I can’t risk anything happening to you okay?" she sighed and both women looked at her sadly. She knew just as much as she didn’t want anything to happen to them, they didn’t want anything to happen to her.

" I’ll be good, afterall Caleb is going to be there." she wasn’t sure if she wanted him there either, but he had insisted. And unlike Raven and Jocelyn, he didn’t follow her lead. She decided that maybe it would be good to have him there. Just in case she couldn’t handle it on her own.

" Hey, you ready." Caleb walked into the room, his strong presence becoming the atmosphere surrounding them. All three women looked at him with a look of adoration and he looked down shyly.

" Thank you Caleb." Maia sighed placing her suitcase on the floor.

" You don’t have to thank me, I’d do anything for you girl." he smiled his charming smile. Maia looked down, she couldn’t believe him. She had summoned enough guts to explain to him how she truly felt about Justin. It had been harder to tell him than Justin, she watched his heart break with everyword and yet at the end he leaned in, kissed her cheek softly, then told her he’d always be there for her. Staying true to his word, he arranged for two tickets to new york and reservations at a hotel when they got there. She didn’t even ask him to.

" You’re the best C." Raven sighed before turning to hug her best friend, she didn’t know how she was going to manage while Maia was in New York. She already knew she’d breath, eat and sleep with her worried thoughts until Maia made it back safely. Maia kissed her friend and leaned down to hug Jocelyn - who sat on the bed.

" I won’t stop worrying til you come back Mai." Jocelyn looked up sadly, her eyes tearing over. Maia bit back her own tears and stood to join Caleb out the door. She wouldn’t stop worrying either, she thought following Caleb down the stairs on their way to New York.

" J, wait up!" Charlie rushed up to his window before he could pull off. Justin screeched his car to a halt and wondered what it was that had Charlie showing up at his house. He turned and looked expectantly at Charlie, he had been in a bit of a hurry. Shortly after Joey informed him that Maia had been on the phone, Justin found himself suddenly worried about her. By the time he got to the phone she had hung up, when he tried to call her back, the number he had before had been disconnected and changed to a private number. He wondered when that change had taken place, and a wave of worry washed over him. He instinctively knew something was wrong with Maia, but what? He couldn’t wait for answers so decided to take the initiative and go to her, only now he was being held up whatever Charlie was about to bother him with.

" C, what is it? I gotta get somewhere." Justin noticed the rush in his voice and even the hint of anger. The red mark around her neck flashed in his brain and his hand gripped the steering wheel. He knew it was wrong for him to even think she would, but Justin believed that story about a damn piece of candy was a lie. In fact he knew deep down inside there was something wrong with Charlie when it came to Maia, he had known all along.

" J, where you in a rush too?" Charlie said lightly, a smile spread across his face.

" Maia." he said flatly and watch Charlie’s face fall.

" Justin get out of the car." he spoke sternly and Justin’s brow gathered together. Who the hell did he think he was? Justin thought angrily, what the hell did it matter anyway. He had to get to Maia. He ignored Charlie and started his engine once again.

" Justin she’s a whore! She’s a whore from Secrets Unfolded." Justin felt the calm before the storm pass over him as he stopped his car at Charlie’s words. He was just about to get angry when he called her a whore, but felt a new wave of anger when he said she was from Secrets Unfolded. Realizing he had gotten his attention, Charlie continued.

" Her stage name was Billy Jackson, she lived in a shabby apartment for three years after running away from a farm in Minnesota at age 16. She wasn’t only a stripper J, she turned tricks too." Justin’s heart broke at his words. What the hell was Charlie talking about? Billy Jackson? He knew a fucking Billy Jackson? She was the one that had him hypnotized at the club that night! Maia had been Billy, Billy was Maia. Why hadn’t he recognized her! He shook his head, no this couldn’t be happening, Maia couldn’t be the same person. Charlie was lying.

" Don’t fucking lie to me Charlie."

" I’m not, J. I’m trying to protect you. She’s been lying to you all along." Charlie threw a naked picture of Maia at him. She looked younger, but it was definitely her sprawled out on the stage in a split, holding onto a pole, the fold of her elbows barely covering her nipples. He felt his heart thunder, and he threw the picture down starting the car. Who the hell was the person he had fallen in love with? Who the hell was Maia Manadelno?