Chapter 39: Chapter 39

: The Message

Clair dragged Justin away from the people and up to the balcony where they could talk.

she looked out on the villas vast gardens and tenis court as well as a golf course. she could see the pool just below them.

" It's really good to see you again, Justin"

Clair smiled pulling back a lock from her hair.

"I really thought I'd never see you again. I used to worry about you," Justin continued.

"used to?" Clair  asked still smiling.

Justin blushed a little, "it's really good to see you," he was still a little surprised and shocked at the same time.

"So what happened to you?" he asked as she leaned over the balcony, her beautiful blond hair glistening as it rose up in the wind.

"screw that, what happened to you? you're a big shot now," she said turning to him still grinning.

"yeah well, my story's pretty public, but you, you look like a million bucks," he replied putting his hands in his pocket, moving closer to her. He breathed in deeply catching her lilac fragrance as he stood beside her, stunned by how she had grown, young beautiful and fiercely  attractive.

"well, do you remember the last time we saw each other?" she asked timidly, a hint of red, dancing across her flawless skin.

"how could I forget? In the bus, in Chicago, on the way back to the orphanage."

She smiled again, "sharp memory, you've grown!" she teased

Justin laughed lightly, still waiting for an answer.

"well," she begun, "after our last encounter I headed over to a store nearby, not really knowing where to go, or what to do, when this man stopped me.

He told me I was the perfect face and body type for modeling and he gave me his card.

I kept the card, and good him I would call him, just in case, because you know make up and heels weren't really my thing back then."

Justin laughed, "true, you were more of a tom boy," he corrected

"and the best one," she defended playfully, "let me continue, "

"go ahead, " Justin grinned, she was still the bossy Claire he remembered. In a good way.

She smiled, "for the next month I stayed in the streets, spending as little money as I could, just..well thinking.

I was thinking about what I should do with my life when it hit me. I got the card out of my jacket and told myself just because I had no one I shouldn't feel sorry for myself.

The world doesn't stop for anyone and I wasn't about to become one of its victims, so in the end I took the offer. His name was Philip, he was a nice guy, he taught me everything I needed to know about the industry, fashion, looks, glamour, all that. With my beauty and obvious talent, " she struded causing Justin to chuckle, "I became who I am today, "

"and who is that?" Justin asked quietly

"a confident, established, secure, improved, and six figure earning typhoon....CEO of my own Fashion company, " Vlair."

Justin looked at her surprised, "you've accomplished so much but you're ounger than me!" he exclaimed

"well I was always smarter," she replied which was not fa from the truth

"true..you were...." Justin trailed off as he looked into the sky his smile fading

"I'm sorry," he said softly.

"sorry? what have you done?" she asked, with a short giggle?

"you were always there for me and I can't imagine what you must have been through that month I last saw you in. With you losing The wolves, and your only brother, I should have been there, supporting you like you always did for me." he said.

She lifted his chin up, "no need to apologize," she said smiling,

"forget about the past, Justin, always look to the future, " she said with a bright smile, "and also look at the bright side. if we hadn't separated maybe we would never accomplished what we have now. We both came from the same street in the ghetto but we are living proof that even the worst type of art can become a master piece, all you need is perstitsance." she took his hand in hers

"I know you have a family here and I'm happy for you. Unfortunately for me, life took me another direction."

She sighed, pushing away a curl of her hair, "You're the only family I can say I have. Your the only one that really knows me. Who knows where I started, how it was. You're my only family, I know that your happy here and I respect that. I just ask that you allow me to be a part of your family, to get closer to you like we once were, " she eased.

He smiled cupping his other hand over hers,  "you don't have to ask, you are first first family I ever had, first true friend and first person after my dad passed away that I felt truly cared for me. You are family and I want us to be close too and I promise you, you are a part of me."

she smiled sniffing a little then hugged  him. they hugged for a minute tightly, "I missed you," she said

"you won't believe how much I missed you," justin replied.

.

Meanwhile Britney was already tucked in bed. She lay there beside Mckayla.

"You know, you don't have to baby sit me, I said I'm okay," Britney pouted.

"Who said I'm babysitting you? I just want to make sure you don't do anything stupid, "

"exactly, you're babysitting."

"I won't argue with you over this, I'm sleeping in your room and on your bed today, take it or leave it," Mckayla  scoffed.

Britney rolled her eyes in the darkness

"what do you think he is doing right now?" Britney whispered

"oh God!" Makayla groaned, " I knew you were thinking about him. Why do keep asking that question? I'm getting tired"

"well, you wanted to sleep here, so you'll have to listen me babble," Britney responded.

Mckayla groaned, "judging by the time, it's almost midnight, he's probably asleep like you and I should be doing right now, "

Britney sighed, "I really miss him, this suspense is killing me! Not knowing what he is doing, who he is with," she said sitting up.

"Oh c'mon! you can't just sleep?" Mckayla groaned.

Britney switched on the lamp by the bedside

"were really doing this, huh?" Mckayla asked, trying to shield her eyes from the bright light.

"I mean it, I don't know how much longer I can go, hiding that I'm taking this break up pretty well, "

"Hiding? well that's an understatement, everyone can see you're breaking,"Mckayla scoffed as she sat up. Britney punched her arm harshly.

"I'm really serious about this, I can't even sleep or close my eyes without thinking about him, " she explained.

"give it time, you'll forget," Mckayla whined as she yawned.

Britney looked at her stressed cousin. Mckayla glanced at her cousins  face the light, "have you been crying?" She asked noticing Britney's blotched face and red eyes.

"how can you be sleeping next to me and not hear me cry?" Britney asked sniffing.

Mckayla looked at her surprised. She stood up and went to switch on the bedroom light.

She stared at Britney for a moment, no doubt she had been crying and from the looks of her swollen face, she had been crying for a while.

"That's it!" Mckayla yelled, angrily walking over to Britney and grabbing her phone that was by her bedside. She handed it over to her, "call him, tell him this whole break up thing is too much for you to deal with. Tell him how you feel so you two can move on! for the love of god!" she pleaded.

Britney stared at her phone that Mckayla held to her.

"why are you hesitating? You've been whining all day saying you miss him, jealous of that girl Anna,  so just call him up and tell him what you tell me,"

"it's late he's  probably sleeping," Britney defended, blowing a hair out of her face.

"I don't think so, he'll wake up for you," Mckayla persuaded, "just sort it out now, "

"what if he doesn't want me back? or doesn't love me any more?" she asked still staring at the phone.

"Britney stop being so paranoid! It's been three days since you two broke up, he can't replace you that fast, it's logically impossible, plus Chris is a great guy. He has his issues, sure, but he isn't like that."

Britney looked away,

Mckayla sighed, "you've been pouting for the last three days and Mom is soon going to be more strict about her dating a celeb rule. You're making her win, this was what she wanted you to avoid. If you take longer you can say bye bye to Chris and we both know you don't really want that!" Mckayla clumped next to her, sitting in the bed.

"Just call him," she said stretching the phone out to her.

Britney stared at it for a moment. she swallowed hard.

"I need..I need to go to the bathroom," she said rolling off the bed.

" Britney!" mckayla called after her.

Britney didn't look back at all as she disappeared out the door, her night gown trailing behind her.

Mckayla sighed, "and they ask me why I'm still single," she muttered underneath her breath. Just then the phone vibrated in her hand. She switched it on.

"who could be texting Britney at this hour?" Mckayla said aloud to herself.

She checked, "Chris?" she smiled, she knew Chris wouldn't forget about Britney like that. It was nice of him to make the first move, she thought to herself as she opened the message.

"a video? should I? shouldn't I?" she debated to herself.

Reading Britney's private text message was being invasive but wasn't she a journalist?

It was her job to be invasive and she was curious about what Chris had to say, so she shrugged and played the video.

Her mouth dropped open as she watched it. Anna and Chris..she felt like throwing up.

She paused it quickly, standing up and checking to see if Britney was comming. then she closed the door.

"what the hell is he trying to do?" she asked herself. Was he crazy? How could he send this to Britney?

Mckayla heard the sounds of footsteps coming toward the door.

Mckayla rushed back to the bed.

She decided she couldn't let Britney see the video. She would be devastated and heartbroken.

Plus wasn't she the one who had been praising Chris and saying Chris was a good guy and would never replace her?

What would happen if Britney saw the video? If she was bad now she would only become worse.

Her poor heart would shatter. Mckayla looked up at the ceiling with the phone clamped to her chest as the footsteps came closer and closer.

She prayed silently and looked back at the video.

"oh god I know I shouldn't but I won't see her suffer," she said as she deleted the video.

The door opened and Britney walked in.

"what's wrong?" she asked, noticing the density in the air.

"Nothing," Mckayla replied straightening her hair and nightie, "why..why do you ask?" she asked trying very hard to smile.

" You look petrified, "

"nonsense, just scared of being alone, I'll be okay now that your back, "

"your scared of being left alone?" Britney asked approaching her, a worried expression on her face, "is this like when it rains? Should I call mom?" She asked almost in a panic."

"No! Chill it's not like that. And it only happens when there's lightening" Mckayla whispered the last part

"why  are you scare of lightening ?" She asked.

Mckayla sighed, "I just had a bad experience I never want to talk about," she replied.

Britney nodded, a silence spreading about them, she breathed out. "I'm ready, give me the phone, "

"w-wait what?" mckayla asked, moving the phone from her grasp.

"I can't fool myself anymore, I want to call Chris and tell him I made a mistake and I want him back. E-evn if he has already moved on, "

"he hasn't moved on!"

Britney jumped back a little frightened,

"I'm sorry, just a little emotional," Mckayla replied.

"I should be the emotional one, now give me the phone, "

"uh..I don't think you should," Mckayla suggested

"what's this now?"

"Maybe it's best you wait for him to call you, he was the one that made all the mistakes. Let him apologise. if you do , he may take advantage of you again and then you will be back to square one, "

"you've never once said that side of the story,"Britney pointed out.

"well since you left for the bathroom it had me thinking, just try and cope with it, Maybe it's best your single right now. Better hurt now than be destroyed in the future."

"where is that comming from?" Britney said surprised.

Mckayla put her to sleep, "let's think about this first,  thing in the morning we will sort things out, "

"you really think so?"

" i think you need all the rest you can get. and so do I. We can talk about Chris tomorrow. For now just rest," she said as Britney lay in the bed.

She stroked her cousins hair until she fell asleep.

Should she tell her what she saw? poor little Britney was going to get really hurt if she eve found out the truth, Mckayla thought to herself.

This time Chris had taken it to far and she wasn't going to allow him to play with her cousins feelings anymore.