Justin navigated the long hallway of the Ritz Carlton in search of Nichole’s room. He’d arrived in New York a mere thirty minutes earlier and had rushed to her hotel. He’d spoken with Luke and checked Nichole’s schedule. She had the whole afternoon and evening off, leaving him plenty of time to sit down and talk things out with her.
He made his way to room 1520 and inserted the key Luke had left at the desk for him. The light green signaled his entrance and he pushed the door open. Upon entering the hotel suite, he heard the unmistakable sounds of his girlfriend in a state that only he should put her in. He stopped dead in his tracks. How could this possibly be happening to him again? His mind and heart wagered a momentary battle about whether or not to enter the bedroom. In the end, his heart won out. He had to see it for himself, as painful as it would be. He knew if he didn’t see it, his mind would try to convince him it wasn’t actually happening, which would only lead him down a road of more pain.
Justin reached for the doorknob and turned, pushing the door open. His eyes fell upon a site he’d seen twice before in his life: his girlfriend with another man. His eyes searched the two bodies in front of him. His girlfriend’s hands buried in this other man’s hair the same way she did with him; that completely sated and pleased look on her face that she got with him; the way her slim frame moved in perfect motion with this other body… a perfect motion that he thought was only created when he and Nichole were together. The visual onslaught broke his heart. He felt the tears spring to his eyes, but fought to keep them from falling. His sadness was washed away the second he heard Nichole, his Nichole, call out this other man’s name.
Anger overtook Justin as he threw the bedroom door open, causing the couple on the bed to freeze and turn their heads toward the offending noise. Nichole’s eyes widened in horror. Justin remained in the doorway of the bedroom as the couple scrambled to cover themselves with any available bed sheets.
“Looks like you’re doing just fine there Nichole,” Justin spat once Nichole had situated herself on the bed, her partner in crime next to her.
“Baby, I….” Nichole began.
“I don’t ****ing want to hear it. I can’t believe you.”
“Please J, let me explain,” Nichole said, moving to get out of bed.
Justin raised his hand to stop her. “Explain? What the hell is there to explain? I spent the past few days worrying about you and if you were working too hard, not getting enough rest. I was so damned worried that I flew all the way up here to check on you, my girlfriend, only to find you in bed ****ing someone else.”
“Justin, listen, I’m sor…”
“You’re sorry? You’re sorry?” Justin stammered. “Nichole, you’re in bed, with another man. And it’s pretty obvious this isn’t the first time you’ve slept with this man. Sorry doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface.” Justin paused as if to gather his thoughts. “I hope this was worth what you’re losing Nic.” He gave his now ex-girlfriend one last look before slamming the door to the bedroom and making his way back out into the hallway. Arriving at the elevator, he heard his name being called down the hallway.
“Justin! Justin wait! Please!” Nichole came running down the hallway, the bedsheet wrapped tightly around her. “Please, just let me explain Justin. I’m sorry. Please!”
“I have nothing to say to you Nic,” Justin replied, turning to face her, “you know my history. You know what I’ve been through and you have the ****ing audacity to do the same thing? I thought you were different. I was obviously wrong.”
“No, Justin. No you weren’t,” Nichole said, tears streaming down her face. “Please, just come back inside and let’s talk about this,” she pleaded, reaching for his hand.
Yanking his hand from her grasp, Justin glared at her. “Nichole, there’s nothing to talk about. I loved you and gave you my heart and look at what you did to it. This is it,” he said as the doors to the elevator slid open and Justin stepped inside. “Goodbye Nichole.”
The doors to the elevator closed and Nichole dropped to the floor in tears.
***
Justin stepped out of the Ritz and hailed a cab. He didn’t know where to go, what to do. He hadn’t booked a hotel room because he was sure he wouldn’t need one; he was supposed to be staying with Nichole. He didn’t have a flight out until Sunday evening and it was now Friday afternoon. He sighed heavily and glanced out of the window at the New York City skyline. The last time he’d been here things had been perfect: He’d been in town with the guys for interviews on the Today Show and Regis and Kelly. Nichole had flown in from LA to surprise him. They hadn’t seen each other in weeks and it had all been so invigorating and relaxing. They’d had romantic dinners out, a stroll in Central Park… He’d even made a last minute call to arrange a carriage ride as night was falling. They’d curled up in the back of the carriage, a blanket wrapped rightly around them and Nichole tucked in next to Justin. He’d been so in love with her; so sure of her and of her love for him that he’d taken her to Tiffany’s the very next day. He knew they weren’t ready to be engaged, but he’d wanted her to see where his thoughts were; how serious he was; where he really saw this relationship going. And then two months later, he’d returned to that very city where he’d found her screwing some other guy. Justin couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped his throat. Life really was ironic, wasn’t it? On the outside he appeared to have everything: money, a career he loved, a great and supportive family, a beautiful and loving girlfriend. But what the public didn’t see was how hard he worked, how much of his privacy was lost, how people threw themselves at him simply because of who he was and how he’d had three, yes three, women cheat on him. His life wasn’t as perfect as the public believed it was.
“Sir, do you have a destination?” the cabbie questioned as the cab pulled up to a stoplight across from MTV Studios.
Justin exhaled the breath he hadn’t been aware he was holding. He knew he didn’t have anywhere else to go. “Could you take me to JFK, please?”
“Yes sir.” The light turned green and the cab driver directed the car to the airport.
He needed to talk to someone. Someone who would understand or at least sympathize with him. “Riley,” he mumbled to himself. He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed Riley’s number hoping to at least get something good out of his day.
***
“Hey Ry! I’m going out with my friends, I’ll be home later!” Brynn called into the living room.
“Okay! Be careful! Bye!”
“Bye sis!”
Just as the door slammed shut, Riley’s cell phone began to ring. She paused the movie she’d been watching and went searching for her phone. “Where the hell did I leave it?” she mumbled, tossing pillows to the floor. She reached between the cushions and located it. Without even checking the caller ID, she flipped her phone open. “Hello?”
“Hey you,” the soft southern voice came down the line.
Riley smiled, placing the last pillow back on the couch and falling onto it. “Hey Justin.”
“You sound out of breath. Did I catch you at a bad time?”
“No, no. I couldn’t find my phone so I was tearing apart the couch looking for it. And besides, I’ve always got time for you Justin,” she grinned. “What’s up?”
“I just needed someone to talk to, that’s all.”
Despite the fact that she hadn’t known him long, she knew that tone. Something had happened. “Justin, what’s wrong?”
“That obvious, huh?”
“Quit stalling Timberlake, what happened?”
“It’s Nic.”
“What is it? Is she okay? Is she sick? Justin what?”
“We broke up,” Justin said.
“But… Justin… what happened?” Riley fell back into the pillows in shock. Justin and Nichole broke up? But they’d been so happy in Miami; they’d seemed so in love.
“She… umm… I kind of… she was…” Justin stumbled over his words. He couldn’t quite manage to get it out. It almost seemed like telling someone else was going to make it that much more real.
“Justin, please, what happened?”
“I caught her in bed with someone else,” Justin said softly, the tears he’d been fighting finally falling from his eyes.
“Oh god,” Riley gasped. “Oh Justin, I… I don’t even know what to say.” And she didn’t. What did you tell someone who’d just caught the person they loved in bed with someone else? “Where are you?”
“New York City. I came up to check on her; make sure she was okay. She sounded so worn out, so tired. I guess I know why,” he said bitterly.
“Are you headed back to Orlando?” she questioned as a thought formulated in her head.
“Honestly, I don’t really feel like going back there. But I don’t know where else to go. I can’t go home. My momma will know something’s up and I’m not ready to face her yet. If I go back to Orlando, the guys are going to bug me about Nichole and I just…”
“Why don’t you come visit me?” The words were out before Riley could even think them through. What was she doing, inviting a popstar to come stay with her in small town New York? What would her parents say? What would her sister say? And then she realized she didn’t care. Her friend was hurting and all she wanted to do was comfort him.
“What?” Justin questioned.
“I’m serious. Come visit me for a few days. You’re not due back in Orlando until what, Monday? Change your flight and come hang out with me. You can relax, get away from the cameras and the guys and the interviews. No one will bother you up here Justin. Well, except for my sister. She might hang all over you and ask you tons of questions,” Riley chuckled.
A smile moved over Justin’s lips for the first time in hours. “She’s a fan?”
“There’s a very large poster of you in her bedroom and the background of her computer’s you as well. But I’m serious Justin. I’ll show you around, you can clear your head. It’ll be great.”
Justin didn’t have to think twice. Visiting Riley was exactly what he needed. “It sounds great. You’re sure you don’t…”
“Just let me know what time you’re arriving and I’ll come get you,” Riley interrupted.
“You’re the best Ry. You have no idea how much I appreciate this.”
“What are friends for?” Riley replied. “Fly safely and I’ll see you when you get here, okay?”
“Okay. Thanks Ry. I’ll call you when I get to the airport.”
“Sounds good. Bye Justin.”
“Bye girl,” Justin said, closing his phone and settling back into the seat of the cab. He had no idea how he was going to thank her for this, but he’d find a way.
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