"Wow...you let her do this to you?" Justin remarkedas he lay the ice pack against her bruised cheek.
Skylar cringed at the chilling sensation.
"Sorry."
"You know you don't have to do this."
Whispering in her ear,"If we're gonna keep this charade up I do."
"You mean the loving, caring boyfriend?"
"That would be it."
"Why?"
"You know I don't like Nick."
"But I do."
"Doesn't matter. I don't care what happens once they split up. We don't like each other but if the bum makes you happy then that's what you should do."
"I don't know about you Timberlake but thank you."
"Now that's something new on you too."
"I have my moments."
"Now there's the girl I know. So what exactly did you do to piss her off this much?"
"Nick was just coming out of the shower when I got on the bus so I draped myself all over him."
"I'm surprised she didn't take you out right then and there."
"The only way she'd do that is if I were fucking him."
"You do want her out of the picture don't you?"
"Yeah."
"I'm surprised you didn't come up with it yourself. They may be fighting but he'll be here with her tonight. Wait til her set's almost over, make sure he's in her dressing room alone, then go in for the kill."
"But what's gonna set him off?"
"Just let me take care of that one sweetness," he replied with a sly wink."I've got an interview in a couple of hours."
"I know. So does she. How do I explain this away?"
"Tell 'em you ran into a door instead of your popstar beating the holy hell out of you for hitting on her fiance."
"Thank you."
"No sweat my pet," he leaned over and kissed her on the unbruised cheek."We both get we want if this works."
"I have a feeling it will."
"So is this silent treatment a permanent thing?"Nick commented that evening as he absently looked through his daily tweets.
She turned as she put an earring on."Like you care." Her voice filled with venom.
"Oh good. You do have a voice."
"I was saving it for somebody else but since you've decided to be an ass."
He knew he had to choose his words carefully but he had to speak the truth as well."You're letting her win Shel."
"Win what?! I didn't know there was a contest going on."
"It's not but she likes pushing your buttons and you keep letting her."
"I forget. This is my fault."
Ugh! "You are so damn stubborn Shelly!"
"Well excuse me the hell out of me for caring aobut another woman hanging all over you. I'm in love with you for cryin' out loud! Shouldn't I care?"
"I'm not saying you shouldn't Shel but it was only an physical reaction. I'm not in love with her. I love you."
I'll give him physical!"How silly of me. I didn't know that it was okay that way."
"This is coming from a woman that draped herself all over one of my best friends when we first started seeing each other."
She rolled her eyes." You and I were not officially dating then you asshole and I'm not talking to you anymore tonight!" She said as she slammed the dressing room door. She needed to breathe. She was on in fifteen and she needed to calm down before she went on. She had learned from the previous A-hole that she had to push this aside for the next forty five minutes. She knew she was being childish but dammit! She was in love with him. Hopelessly devoted and all that crap. He had her heart. What happened on the bus wasn't that dreamy eyed fan encounter she knew was part of his life everyday. And she'd never been suspicious of anybody in her life until Skylar came along. She needed fresh air. She slipped out the backstage door. She took a deep breath and exhaled. She was starting to feel better when she heard the door whoosh open. "You okay?"
Justin. She needed this like she needed a hole in the head."What do you want?"
"Well they're looking for you being as you're the opening act and all. For some silly reason they thought you'd be in your dressing room."
"That's the last place I wanna be."
They fought. Good. Play it cool."Anything I can help with?"
"Keep your skanky ass girlfriend away from Nick for starters."
"Trouble in paradise?"
"Not that I want to tell you but where do you think she got the can of whoop ass from?"
"That was you?"
"Why does everybody find it so hard to believe?"
"I can but I don't understand the rest."
Shelly smiled."At least you learned your lesson."
"What? Loverboy in there didn't come running after you?"
"No. Thinks I'm stubborn."
"Are you?"
"Sometimes but don't I have a right to be pissed off about your girlfriend hanging all over my fiance that was half naked at time?" She sighed frustratedly as she paced.
"I can see where there could be issue there."
"Why am I even talking to you? It's not like you even care that she was draped all over another man."
"Now hold on just a minute. I do care but I'm really not in the mood to deal with her myself. I mean after she told me how she got that bruise....." He trailed off.
"You mean she actually told you the truth?" Shelly responded disbelievingly.
"I know right?"
"I'm sorry Justin."
"Don't be. We've both got the right to be frustrated as hell."
"I might have got the wrong idea about you. I should get going right?"
"Yeah. Might be a good idea. Don't want to get the reputation for being late on stage."
"For what it's worth, you can do a lot better than her."
"You think so?"
"Yeah. Thank you."
"Shel?" He grabbed her free hand as she opened the door.
She turned back to look at him and met chest. Very nice chest. Fuck Shel! get a grip! you just had a fight with Nick. It's not like you won't make up. He lifted her chin to meet his eyes. Damn blue eyed men! Temptation staring her right in the face.
"You gonna be okay?"
She nodded.
"It's not worth the aggrevation Shel." Women love this.
"Justin."
"Yeah?"
"I should really get going."
"I know."
"Then why can't I move my feet?"
"Don't know." His hands surfaced on her cheeks.
She should have been repulsed but she found herself being drawn in."Don't care do you?"
He shook his head and put on that slick grin he wore. It should have been 'Danger! Will Robinson!' but her free hand landed on his arm as his lips softly met hers.
As he met with no resistance,he pursued the entanglement of their lips. She even seemed eager at one point but he could feel her pulling away.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let you do that ."
"You're right. You shouldn't have."
That was Nick. How much had he seen? It really didn't matter because he HAD seen it. She pulled away from Justin."What? It was just physical right?"
Chapter End Notes:
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