I would just like to thank ya'll for all of the reviews for that last chapter. That was just overwhelming for me to recieve so many reviews (that was a record for me). I haven't had the time to respond to them, but I promise I will and soon. I've just been sort of busy with my sister's wedding and such AND writing this update. So thanks again and I cannot wait to read what you think about this update. :)
P.S. Ya'll are awesome!
Chapter 29: Responding
Jesus f**king Christ! I cannot f**king believe this shit is really happening…. again. I really cannot, for the life of me, figure out what the hell Justin’s problem is. I mean I know he likes Elli and he’s freakin’ jealous as shit, but come on. Elli and I just recently forgave him doing this exact same thing. And you know I think I’m more pissed at him for upsetting Elli then accusing me of using her like that. He knows better than anyone how sensitive she is, yet he just keeps on with this shit. Did he honestly think he would get away with this?”having Elisha do his dirty work?
I should have known something was up when he told me he invited Elisha to go out with us. I thought maybe she decided she wanted to try the friends thing or by some miracle wanted to get back together. I never even wanted to break up with her. She just came to me one afternoon and told me that I was never there for her and she couldn’t take me being away so much. I was devastated to say the least, but I understood where she was coming from. At that time I couldn’t be the boyfriend she need and deserved. God I miss her so f**king much….
I’m getting of the subject aren’t I?
Anyway, after Elisha’s confession Elli when flying upstairs and hasn’t been down for about five minutes. She’s crying I’m sure; for the second time tonight. After she left we all just sort of stood there, staring after her. We all seemed to be in some sort of trance. I guess we’re all still taking this evening in. I probably should have followed Elli right up those stairs. I should be just as hurt and pissed as I’m sure she is. But like I said, I’m more worried about her right now.
“Trace,” Justin mutters, his voice not much louder than a whisper. I turn my body towards my best friend. He’s sitting, slumped on the couch with his head resting in his hands. I hope he feels like an f**king piece of shit. “I never told Elisha I thought you and Elli were….were being intimate.”
“You know, you’re a real piece of work Justin.” I reply, ignoring the pathetic sound of his voice. I don’t think there is any amount of apologizing that could possibly get me to forgive him right now. I know I’ll get over it eventually but it won’t be as quickly as last time. “Do you really expect me to believe that shit? I don’t believe an f**king word that comes out of your mouth!”
“Trace”” Elisha tries to interrupt but there’s no way I’m stopping now.
“Elli is upstairs crying her f**king eyes out because of what an insensitive bastard you are! What has she ever done to you to deserve this kind of treatment? Huh?” I yell, but he continues to hold his head in his hands. “Look at me you son-of-a-bitch!”
He finally lifts his heavy head and I’m surprised to see tears in his eyes. So at least he’s remorseful. Too little too late though. Like I said, it’s too early for forgiveness yet. Feeling my anger bubbling further inside me I grab him by the collar and yank his sorry ass off the couch.
“You think just because you’re Justin f**king Timberlake and women all over the world worship you, you can just walk all over people? Put them through hell just for some sick amusement?”
“I just wanted to know if you were dating her.” He mumbles, frustration and anger evident in his tone. Releasing my grip on his collar, I roughly push him away from me. He falls back on the couch, sending his head to hit the wall behind him violently. He hisses in pain and grabs the base of his skull.
“Why didn’t you just f**king ask me?” I plead, trying to understand. It just seems like common sense to me to just ask instead of sneaking around behind my back. “I don’t know what goes through that head of yours.” I say more to myself than to him.
“Don’t be mad at him Trace.” I breathe deeply, trying to control my anger before turning to Elisha. “He never asked me to find out if you were sleeping with her. That was all me.”
My eyes shift back and forth between the two of them, not knowing what to believe. I’m really still too angry to trust my judgment. And I’m too tired to deal with all this drama tonight. I turn back to Justin.
“Just go talk to Elli.” I plan to deal with Elisha alone. Or maybe I’ll just kick her out.
“Let me go,” Elisha’s voice stops Justin in mid-step. Oh, yeah that sound like a really great idea considering she’s the reason Elli is locked herself upstairs. She looks towards me as she begins moving towards the stairs. “She’ll be more likey to believe Justin if I tell her.”
I just shake my head and throw my hands up in surrender. I could f**king care less right now.
~*~*~*~
Everyone must think I’m just one big cry baby. I feel like that’s all I’ve done tonight”cry. Come to think of it, it feels like all I do when I’m around Justin, in general, is cry. This is why I’m seriously questioning why I continually put myself through this. I should just stop returning Justin and Trace’s calls and stop going out with them and hanging out with them at their house. It just all needs to stop.
I just realized I’m in Justin’s room again. The last time I was in here was the night I met Steve. And I if I remember correctly….I was crying…..over Justin. Fancy that, huh?
A sharp knock at the door startles me. I sit up on Justin’s bed, moving to hang my legs over the edge. My whole body aches from all this stress I’ve been through tonight. All I want to do is curl up in my bed a sleep for a week. I lift the hem of the t-shirt I’m wearing and wipe under my eyes, trying to at least make myself look somewhat decent. I get a whiff of Justin’s scent and the next thing I know more tears are falling. The door squeaks open and Elisha sticks her head inside. Oh no. Did she come to give me more dirty looks? Or perhaps to yell at me some more and accuse me of things she knows nothing about?
I wipe at my eyes again but it’s really now use. She slips the rest of her body into the room and closes the door snuggly behind her. Offering a tight lipped and dare I say embarrassed smile, she comes to join me on the bed. I make sure not to look at her but happen to notice she’s doing the same thing. I hope she feels bad for what she and Justin have put me and Trace through.
“I just came up here to apologize,” She mutters quietly, “and to explain.”
Right now I don’t really care what she has to say. I just want to go home and forget this night ever happened and maybe just forget I ever met one Justin Timberlake. I shift uncomfortablely and pull my legs up to my chest, tucking my chin to rest on my knees.
“Justin did ask me to go out with you all tonight to get some information from you,” Why is she bothering to tell me this? I already know enough details. “He never asked me to find out if you were sleeping with Trace though. He just wanted to know if you all were dating.”
I burry my face in my knees, willing her to stop talking and just leave me alone. I don’t care what he wanted to know. He shouldn’t have been sneaking around and scheming behind my back.
“He likes you Elli,” She blurts out in a rush of breath. “That’s why he wanted to know. He didn’t want to tell you how he feels if Trace liked you.”
Is this some sort of sick joke? Does she really find this funny? To mess with my emotions like this? I turn my head to the side but continue to rest them on my knees. I expect to see an evil smile painted on her face but I find myself completely caught off guard by the sincere look I’m seeing now. She can’t be telling me the truth. There is no way Justin could find someone like me attractive….right?
“I’m sorry I treated you like shit.” She interrupts my rapid and jumbled thoughts, “I guess I was just jealous of the thought of Trace with someone else. I still love him I guess.” She shrugs.
Sniffing, I lift my head to really look at her. She runs a hand through her short blonde hair and turns to me, staring at me through piercing green eyes. She doesn’t seem quite so bad right now. I actually feel kind of sorry for her. She’s in love with Trace and for some reason can’t or won’t be with him. I guess, in a way I understand why she treated me like she did and I feel like I can’t be upset with her for that.
“Thank you,” I whisper. She smiles the first genuine smile I’ve seen from her all night. Just as I gain enough courage to ask her about Trace, there is another knock at the door. I’m sure I know who it is, but I’m not too sure I’m ready to face him just yet.
~*~*~*~
“I’ll leave you two alone.” Elisha offers me an encouraging smile as she passes me to leave. I wait until the door is closed before I focus my attention on the only other person in the room. She’s huddled on my bed, still in my sweats. Her cheeks are stained with tears I know I’ve caused. Realizing this I feel my own tears approaching and I’m afraid to speak for fear they will fall.
Her eyes follow me as I walk from the door across the room to her. Hesitantly, I lower myself next to her”her eyes stay focused on me. The mattress dips, sending her body upwards and nearly knocking her over. She quickly lowers her legs to hang over the edge of the bed as I fight to hold back a chuckle.
“Look,” I begin. I pause to clear my throat”a nervous habit my mom always gives me flax about. “About what Elisha said””
“I know,” She interrupts me before I can even really begin my explanation. “She told me….everything.”
I swallow thickly and look down at my hands for a moment. “Everything?” I whisper back. I see her head bob up and down out ofthe corner of my eye. Wow, she told her everything. I guess I thought that if Elli ever found out about my feelings I would at least be the one to tell her. Then again I’m not too sure I would have ever told her. When my gaze falls back to her she is no longer looking at me. Her head is lowered but not low enough to hide the tears that are slipping down her flushed cheeks.
“I hate it when you cry.” I whisper, leaning in to cup both sides of her jaw. She swallows thickly, her nerves surfacing. When I begin running my thumbs over her cheeks her eyes gently flutter shut. For a moment I’m struck by the thought to go check to make sure the door is locked”I don’t want anything to mess up this moment, but if I pull away so will she”both emotionally and physically. I don’t want to rush this though. I’m pretty sure that this will be her first kiss. A first kiss is something you never forget and I don’t want her first time to be awkward like most peoples are.
Shifting one of my hands, I ever so lightly skim my fingertips over her awaiting lips. Her breath hitches and for a moment I’m scared she’s not going to start breathing again. I lick my own lips when hers part slightly as she exhales shakily. Not wasting another moment, I replace my fingers with my lips. We both inhale sharply. I’m not sure if it’s from the surprise that this is actually happening this time or the shock of the spark that we both feel from just the smallest touch. My lips begin to massage her unmoving ones. I capture her top lip first before moving down to her lower and then taking them both together. I increase the pressure of the kiss, nudging lips with mine trying to coerce some kind of reaction out of her. I pull back when I still get no response from her, but when she clutches the underside of my elbows I move back in and drop three more kisses on her somewhat swollen lips”two small pecks and on longer one.
“So we’re okay now?” I ask breathlessly, our lips still brushing as I speak. She lets out a breath I hadn’t even realized she was holding and I notice her breathing is just as ragged as mine. Our hot puffs of breath crash against each other over and over as I wait for her answer.
With eyes still closed, she finally nods her head, “Uh-huh.”
“Good,” I barely whisper before crashing my lips back to hers and this time…..she responds.
TBC....
Number of reviews: 478
Print:
Chapter or Story