As Long as there is Love- Chapter 22
Deciding he had endured Ronnie’s teasing long enough, Justin stepped out into the wintry air, onto the porch, hoping he could wait in peace until Nina joined him. However, his anticipation diminished once Michelle exited the car, quickly yet, skillfully approaching him in a pair of two-inch heels.
Justin anxiously glanced at the closed door behind him. “What are you doing?” He grasped Michelle’s elbow, leading her in the direction of the car, which she immediately snatched away.
“I should be asking you the same question, and what is taking you so long? Oh and one more, how much longer am I going to have to wait for you?” She swatted her blonde hair away from her shoulder.
“Shelly you don’t want Nina to come out and see you, do you?” He paused briefly, “Unless you plan on breaking her heart right here, right now?”
“Why do you care anyway?” Michelle nearly shrieked, releasing all of her emotions at once. “Better yet, why should she care? She’s your ex-girlfriend Justin. Why should it matter to her that you’re marrying me? She doesn’t love you anymore.” She bit her lip, almost regretting her outburst.
Justin on the other hand was instantly reminded of the time Nina subtly admitted to still being in love with him. “Sure she doesn’t.” He muttered.
“What was that? Did she say something to you? Oh this is just great.” Frustrated, Michelle tossed her arms into the air.
She had finally reached her breaking point. Justin dividing his affections between her and the twins was acceptable; being that he was their father, except, handing them out to Nina was not. Then to hear that Nina might still be in love with Justin pushed her over the deep edge.
“Now, I know why you don’t want to get married.” Michelle assumed, hurrying to the car.
Justin stretch to grab her again, she jerked away, opting for the comfort and warmth of the car. In contrast, Justin chose to remain outside against the passenger side door facing her. “Baby, I never said I didn’t want to get married.”
“Okay.” Michelle sat upright, “When are we getting married Justin?”
“Uh, January?”
“Wrong.” She frowned, “Try February.”
“Sorry, it’s just that time has escaped me with all of the adjustments I’ve had to make in my life.” He raked his fingers through his hair.
“Yeah, okay.” Michelle replied dryly. His explanation didn’t faze her. “Go finish your conversation with Nina so we can head out...please.” She added; a miserable attempt at not seeming rude.
Once Michelle scooted inside, a confused and exhausted Justin slowly shut the car door. Following Michelle’s orders to wrap up his conversation with Nina, he wandered towards her house.
Nina opened the door before he could knock. “I’m not going anymore.”
Justin’s eyes widened. He didn’t know if he should be relieved or disappointed. If Nina didn’t attend the reunion, he could continue to keep Michelle a secret. Yet, if she did, he would risk losing her trust again and the bond they had renewed.
Justin sighed. Neither option made him feel less guilty. In the end, he decided it was time for Nina to know the truth. He would tell her at the reunion.
“You have to go.” Justin abruptly insisted stepping inside.
As she closed the door, Nina watched him suspiciously. “It would be nice to relive high school again…” She stared off longingly while Justin smiled as she thought fondly of her high school years.
“…but, I don’t have anyone to watch the twins. I’m leaving, you’re leaving. I can’t have Ronnie watching four kids. She’ll never forgive me, even though she did it to me once.”
“I know someone who’ll watch them for as long as we need.” His offer earned another hesitant stare.
“Who?”
“My mom, I could drop them off just in time to catch my flight.” Justin grinned boyishly.
“Without warning her first?”
“Oh she won’t mind. She’s dying to meet them.”
“I don’t know, I’ll think about it.” Nina rushed into the room. Justin chased after her. He had been doing a lot of that lately.
“You don’t have time to think about it your flight leaves tonight.”
“Okay.” Nina agreed. “But they don’t even know I’m leaving so who’s going to tell them?” She had barely finished her question before Justin dashed for the door.
“Coward!”
“Not after today though.” Justin admitted.
“I’ma hold you to that. Oh can we ride with you to the airport?”
His hand halted on the doorknob. “You and who else?”
“Quincy.”
Justin immediately stiffened and followed with a firm, “Hell no.”
Nina gasped. “Why not?”
“You can go but brawny dude can not.” Justin retorted, in spite of Quincy being in the next room.
“Why not, you jealous?” Nina fixed him with a knowing glare.
He fumbled for a response. “No. It’ll be too crowded with him taking up all the space.”
Nina stomped her foot against the tile. “Justin you’re being ridiculous!”
“No I ain’t.” Justin replied childishly, looking everywhere except at Nina. Suddenly, he clapped his hands together. “Get the twins ready, would you? I gotta get out of here. And tell Travis I’ll pay him if he takes you and what’s his face to the airport.”
“You mean Quincy.” Nina stopped him as he opened the door.
“No I meant Travis.” Justin replied smugly before calling for the twins. “Come on we’re going to Grandma’s!” Walking out onto the porch, he turned to Nina, “I’ll be waiting in the car.”
Nina smiled to herself as he finally made to his car. “Good he’s gone. He was working my last nerve with that arrogant shit.” In seconds, she felt a hand smack hers. Nikki was reprimanding her for her foul language.
“Mommy, daddy say we going to Gramma’s.”
“Not my grandma, daddy’s mommy. You’re going to stay with her while mommy goes away for a little while.” She lowered to her knees awaiting her daughter’s reaction.
“Mommy, we don’t know daddy’s mommy?” Nikki rested her head against her mother’s shoulder. She lifted Nikki into her arms, sauntering into the living room.
“No short stuff, you don’t know her, but don’t you wanna meet her at least?” Nina reached to grab Nikki’s coat off the arm of the couch.
“I guess. Ya met her before mommy?”
“Yes I’ve met your daddy’s mommy before, her name is Lynn and she’s very nice. You’ll love her.” Nina didn’t have any doubts about her daughters meeting Lynn, in fact she knew that having Lynn in their life would be important for them.
She finished buttoning Nikki’s coat. “Okay, now go tell ya sister to put her coat on and I’ll be up in a few minutes to pack y’alls stuff.” Nikki nodded as her mother lowered her to the ground. She ran upstairs.
Nina sighed. First, Justin and now Lynn, one more person she had to share her daughters with, but despite the apprehension, she was happy with the new change.
“Hey Nino! Ya sister wants you.” Travis entered the room with a beer in his right hand as usual.
“Where’d ya get that T?” She narrowed her eyes at him.
“From the store duh? Did you not here me say Ronnie wanted you?”
“Yeah I heard you, what she want?”
“I don’t know…” He looked around for any sign of the twins before he continued, “I just relay what I hear, shit.”
“I ought to hit ya for that, but-” She quieted when she caught Quincy’s gaze on her.
“Never mind, um can you take me and Quincy to the airport…please.”
“What I look like Nino? Don’t answer that.”
“Justin said he’ll pay you.” Nina smirked at his wide grin
“Word? That’s what’s up. Let me go put my shoes on then.”
Nina had never seen Travis move that fast before at an offer to drop her off.
“Hey…Nina you okay?”
“Yeah I’m fine. You ready to go?” Nina tried to walk off, but Quincy grabbed her arm.
What now? Nina could tell by the look of determination in his eyes that he was about to ask her about the one man she would rather not speak of. Why did he always want to know her personal business? If this man had one flaw that was definitely it.
“Why didn’t you tell me that Justin Timberlake was the father of your daughters?”
“I didn’t know I was supposed to tell you Quincy.” The last time she had checked they were only on a need to know basis.
Nina placed her hand on hip and continued, “The last time I had checked we weren’t a couple Quincy.”
“You don’t have to go into defensive mode Nina.”
“I’m not getting defensive yet.” She rolled her neck with an assurance meant to tell him that they should not go any further with this conversation, but when he moved closer, it didn’t appear as if he was going to let the conversation drop.
“Don’t you think this is something that I should have known about though?”
Wow. His head must be really far up his ass right now. Nina couldn’t believe that he had the audacity to act like he was actually someone of importance in her life. Quincy was only here because Ronnie forced his companionship on her. She wouldn’t have offered to take him along on her own.
“Justin is my business, so no I didn’t think it was something you should have known about. But if you really wanna know, I’ll give it to you in 10 seconds. He and I dated when I was young, I got pregnant, and he became famous, end of story.” Nina didn’t even wait for his response before leaving the room and starting up the stairs. She bumped into Travis when she reached the top.
“Hey Nino, where’s the fire?”
“Move out my way.” Nina shoved him aside and knocked on Ronnie’s bedroom door, “Hey Ronnie you wanted to talk to me?”
“No, not anymore. Are you okay?” Ronnie looked up to observe the torn expression on her younger sister’s face as she placed little Travis on the bed.
“Why did you want Quincy to go with me to this reunion again?”
“Huh?”
“He asked me why I didn’t tell him that Justin was the twins’ father and all this other shit about why he should have known about him.” Nina cradled her head in her hands out of frustration; she suddenly had a big headache.
“Word? Why he all up in your business like that?” Travis spoke loud enough that Nina was sure that Quincy had heard him.
“Shut up T.” Ronnie whispered sternly.
“It’s ya fault anyway Ronnie. You-” Nina covered her hand over his mouth before he could say anymore as she saw the twins leave their rooms.
“Mommy we packed our stuff because you took too long, but Nikki can’t find her shoes.”
“Okay here I come.”
The horn sounded loudly outside. She had forgotten that Justin was outside waiting for the twins. “Travis can you go tell Justin to give me a few more minutes?”
“Sure. I need to get my money anyway. I’ll be waiting for you and know-it-all in the car.” Travis whispered that last part before walking off and laughing loudly.
~*~*~*~
“Mom was so happy to meet the twins, wasn’t she?” Justin tore his eyes away from the road to smile at Michelle. “And the twins didn’t seem as scared as I thought they would be. Shit, Neece practically ran into her arms, for a minute I thought she was Nikki. I wish I could have stayed longer, don’t you?” He glanced at Michelle once more.
She frowned. “If you don’t want to go the reunion, just say so.”
“Why do you keep twisting my words?”
Michelle ignored him. “I’ll just drive myself to the airport and hire someone to bring the car back. I’m sure you want to stay here with Nina and the twins and be a happy little family.” She snapped insensitively.
“Shelly.” Justin warned through tight lips. She was making him lose control of the wheel.
“Nina is going to the reunion, which I told you, but you were probably ignoring me due to the fact that you’re acting like the spoil brat you are.”
“You know my parents never spoiled me.”
“Okay I’ll drop the spoiled part, but that doesn’t mean you’re not a brat. I thought you would grow out of it. Nina was so-” Justin clenched the wheel so that he wouldn’t continue. They had an argument earlier, and he was hoping that the ride to the airport would be a smooth one; however, he was sadly mistaken.
It didn’t take Michelle long to get offended. She and Nina were more alike than he thought. “Nina what? Tell me what’s on your mind? What were you about to say before you stopped yourself Justin?”
He didn’t want to overstep his boundaries by mentioning Nina, but Michelle had brought him to this point. “Nina was mature. That’s all I was going to say.” He wanted to end it there.
“More mature than me? She always was.” Michelle admitted. “Is that why you chose her over me when we were younger?”
“I didn’t have any real feelings for you back then Shelly.” It didn’t matter what happened between them when they were fourteen. Why was she bringing this up all of the sudden?
“You sure had some for Nina though. Hmm maybe you still do.” Justin groaned as Michelle continued to test him. “Why did you breakup with her then if that is the case?”
Justin had a moment to think when he reached a red light. He and Nina had never officially broken up in his eyes. Their relationship had ended with no serious effort to keep it together. Something had separated them; caused them to drift apart from each other.
“That isn’t the case Michelle.” He replied after his brief moment of silence.
“You are honestly telling me that you feel nothing for Nina? Then why are you always so concerned about her personal affairs? I mean just earlier you were talking about how much you do not like her boyfriend.”
“He’s not her boyfriend.”
“See why are you getting angry about it baby?
Justin pounded on the steering wheel. “Because you’re trying to make a big deal out of everything. You want to put the blame for whatever problems we’re having right now on other people, but yourself.”
“You are right. I am the one to blame. I should have never gone after you when you obviously still belonged to Nina.”
~*~*~*~*~
Nina called Quincy to help her lift the suitcase onto the bed and then she sent him down the hall to where he would be staying. Once she closed the door behind him, she glanced around the bedroom. Her grandmother hadn’t change it a bit. She kept the pale rose color scheme that Nina adored until she moved out of Memphis.
Nina lightly caressed the bedspread, which had remained as well. She dropped down on the bed and snuggled into the cushiony pillows. Her grandmother had kept everything in excellent condition just for her, even when she never knew if she was coming back. Nina was thankful for that. And although she didn’t want to admit it, this bedroom held some significance.
Once she graduated and soon accepted the reality that she was pregnant, she moved into her grandmother’s house. In this bedroom is where Justin had visited her one last time before going away to college. They spent the night together, but she didn’t have the heart, the courage actually, to tell him about the pregnancy before he left. That was the last real conversation she had had with him, aside from the brief telephone calls they shared until it all ended.
Suddenly, Nina pushed herself up so that she could continue unpacking. She retrieved the dress that she was planning to wear tonight. She pulled out her hair products and began tending to her hair. She wanted no excuse to be late.
As she lifted the comb to her head, there was a knock on the door. “Come in.” It was her grandmother. “Hi Gramma.”
“Hey baby.” She ran a wrinkle hand over her hair. “How are my babies?”
“They’re fine, staying with their grandmother.”
Her grandmother’s eyes widened in surprise. “You sent them to your mama’s and didn’t bring them over here first? How dare-”
“Gramma they’re not here. They are with their other grandmother.” The surprised expression never left her grandmother’s face.
“Oh really? When did that happen? How did Justin find you?”
“Gramma!” Nina gasped, dropping the comb onto the dresser. “You knew about Justin and me?”
“Of course. See your parents were unaware, but your Gramma knew better. And your grandfather said he saw him sneaking into your bedroom window once.” Nina looked down sheepishly at being caught by her grandmother.
“I don’t know why your parents never figured it out. I mean the boy had it bad for you then. He came here one day whining about you so I told him to go after you.”
“You shouldn’t have done that; my life would have been a lot easier if I never got involved with him.” Nina paused as a thought entered her mind. “Gramma did you tell him that we moved out of Memphis?”
Gramma tapped her finger against her chin while mulling it over. “Hmm…he came to visit me once and I told him, why?”
“Because he had run into Ronnie at a McDonald’s and that’s why we met up again. I wonder if he planned that.” Gramma shrugged in response.
“Anyway,” Gramma put one hand against her hip and the other on the door to support her weight. “Who’s that young fellow ya brought into my house?”
“Just a friend I work with.” Nina replied as she began to part her hair into sections.
“Only a friend, huh? Then why is he here?”
Staring at the mirror, Nina understood exactly why her grandmother had asked that question. Her grandmother knew that she wouldn’t have brought him here unless it meant something.
“Because Ronnie made me. She couldn’t come with me so she told-I mean forced me to bring him.” Her grandmother found her explanation confusing.
“Why couldn’t Justin come with ya?”
Nina rolled her eyes with a sigh. “Gramma Justin is getting married soon.”
Gramma tossed her hands into the air. “What he gonna go and do that for?”
“Maybe because he’s in love.” Nina replied sarcastically and later received a glare from her grandmother.
“He don’t love that girl.” Gramma sucked her teeth, dismissing Nina’s response.
“You don’t know that Gramma.”
“Yes I do child. I even know the girl.” Nina gasped. How did her grandmother know information that she didn’t.
“Who is she Gramma?”
Gramma began shaking her head. “Unh uh, don’t put me in the middle. Justin will tell you.”
“But Gramma-”
“No. I’ll come back to help you get ready, but right now I’m gonna see what that brawny fellow is doing in my room. Good Lord he’s huge almost gave me a heart attack when he hugged me.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“We should try to be civil in here at least.” Michelle mentioned as Justin hesitated at the entrance of the reunion hall.
During the entire ride, he had been dreading going inside. He was apprehensive about seeing old friends that he hadn’t spoken to in over five years. He didn’t want to discuss his rise to fame and fortune with them. More importantly, he didn’t want to explain himself to Nina. He had made a promise that he would tell her the truth tonight, however, there was a certain way the situation had to be handle.
He wanted to have a moment away from Michelle, take Nina to an isolated corner, and tell her the news without any interference. He would rather her not go off on him until they were truly alone and could talk in private. At that time, she could curse him out, feel betrayed, and even take a hit at him if she wanted to. Until then, he would prefer not to make a scene.
In the midst of his thoughts, Michelle had abandoned him at the entrance, preferring to mingle with old girlfriends. Justin followed behind her, going unnoticed until an old male classmate spotted him.
“Hey, if it isn’t Mr. JT, himself. I never thought you would attend one of these things.”
“What’s up Ryan?” Justin shook his former classmate’s hand. “I hadn’t planned on it, but Michelle dragged me to it.”
“Oh y’all still cool? That’s great.” They had moved from the cool stage a long time ago.
“Whatever happened to Nina? You two didn’t get married and have kids?”
“No we didn’t get married, we broke up after graduation.”
“Really?” His eyes widened. “I’m glad I never made that bet that you two would tie the knot. I mean everyone thought y’all would.”
Justin sighed staring down at his dress shoes. “Yeah, it’s funny how things change.”
“Well, I know you’re not single, so who are you with?”
Justin hesitated for the second time that night. “Shelly.”
“Really!” He would have never imagined that. “You just kept it all within the group huh? Move from one friend to other? I feel you.” Ryan chuckled.
Justin laughed lightly in spite of himself. “Nah it wasn’t like that.” Although, that was what everyone had thought.
"Hmm, if you say so. Anyway, I’ll see you around, I’ma go check out some of these honeys.” Ryan patted Justin on the back.
"Still the ladies man.”
“You know it. Good luck to you and Michelle.” Justin nodded in reply as Ryan walked away.
Soon Michelle was dragging him off to brag to some of her old girlfriends. Out of the corner of his eye, his gaze clashed with Nina’s. She didn’t look too happy to see him, not even the usual playful smirk graced her face. In fact, she appeared heartbroken. At that moment, he knew she had heard everything.
Not being able to control herself any longer, Nina hurried from the reunion hall with Quincy following behind her.