Back to Your Heart
Oh yes, this was a bad idea. This was a very bad idea. How on earth did I let them talk me into this? Annelise felt extremely out of place in the midst of the biggest party Justin had ever thrown. She�d managed to find a hiding spot in the corner of the room, where she could see the party-goers, but they couldn�t really see her. Most of the people milling about the house were strangers to her--she�d have been willing to bet some of them were even strangers to the guys--but it didn�t matter. The guys had always had the belief of "the more the merrier," and this party definitely fit that description. Her sapphire eyes darted around the room, looking for the host of the show, as well as his cohorts who had talked her into coming in the first place. Finally, she spotted them coming into the room from the kitchen. Justin�s arms were loaded down with half a dozen bags of chips, and Chris followed behind him with several two liters of various soft drinks. She stepped forward to talk to Justin privately when she saw that Lance was bringing up the rear with a couple of six-packs of beer. Thinking quickly, she jumped back into the shadows where she could watch unnoticed.
After a few minutes of studying them, Annelise felt a small smile flicker across her face. There were no signs that any of them had brought dates to the party. Maybe there was still hope for them. Maybe he hadn�t moved on yet. Maybe he still loved her, and he could forgive her for the things she�d said to him that day.
"My God, Lance! Can you not take one night out of your life to spend with me?"
"Lise, you know if it were at all possible me to go out with you tonight I would. I have to finish up this paperwork for FreeLance tonight so Stacy and Mom can finish what they�re doing tomorrow. I�m sorry, sweetie, but it has to be done, and it has to be done tonight."
"I just don�t understand why you have to do this on the one night that you actually don�t have to be anywhere for the group. Can�t you just take a couple of hours to go to dinner with me? You have to eat, right?�
�Lise, I can�t take two hours off to go to a fancy restaurant with you, okay? I�d planned on doing this stuff tonight because we don�t have anything to do for the group. If I take a break, I may not finish, and then Merideth will lose some important performances. I wouldn�t be a very good manager if I let that happen. You knew I had to work tonight. I told you when you called that I wouldn't be able to do anything with you.�
�Please, Lance. It�s just dinner. We don�t even have to go to a restaurant; we can just run by the drive-thru at McDonald�s and bring it back here. It wouldn�t take but thirty minutes at most. Please?�
�No! Look, Annelise, you knew when we started dating that I wouldn�t be able to spend as much time with you as I�d like. You knew I wouldn�t have much time outside of my work, and that our relationship wouldn�t be like normal people�s. You knew that! I don�t know what�s gotten into you lately, but I do know I�m getting really sick of it!�
Her heart stopped at his words. Her first reaction was that he couldn�t possibly be serious. Her second, that he had no right to be yelling at her. Her second seemed to take over her mouth before the first could stop it. �You�re sick of it, or me?� she yelled, �I�m sorry, but I enjoy spending time with my boyfriend, and lately it seems like all I spend time with is the phone. Hell, even then I talk to JC and Justin more than I talk to you. All you care about anymore is your career. What happened to you, Lance? You always used to say that your family was more important that your work. What happened to that? Or was that just a bunch of talk? You never have time for any of us anymore; all you care about is making money! You've turned into "Mr. Big-Shot Pop Star" and I don't even know you anymore!�
His green eyes were dark with anger when he�d focused on her. �That is not true. My family and friends will always be more important than anything I may be doing with *N Sync or FreeLance, and they know it.�
�I see. So since I feel like I�m getting put second here, I�m not part of your family anymore? You don�t want me around anymore?�
�I didn�t say that, Annelise.�
�You didn�t have to, Lance. Your eyes said it all.�
Annelise still flinched when she thought of the scene she�d made. She�d been totally unfair to Lance, and now she was ashamed of how she�d treated him. She�d grabbed her purse and stalked out, not listening to anything else he�d tried to say. In the three weeks since then, she�d thought a little about where he was coming from and cooled off a lot. And she missed him. She missed him a lot.
From her place in the corner, she studied him carefully. He hadn�t changed at all. His blond hair still stuck up in the �just out of bed� spikes that she�d loved to mess with when they were together. He was joking around with Chris and Joey, who had entered the room while she�d been daydreaming. She smiled softly as he leaned his head back and laughed at something Joey had said. She remembered that laugh well; it was one of her favorite things about him. The way his eyes would light up and his dimples would appear when something really tickled him. Annelise was so caught up in watching Lance that she hadn�t noticed a slender blond woman approaching the group until she wrapped her arms around him. Her breath caught in her throat, waiting to see how he would react. Was this a new girlfriend? Her heart broke when she saw him hug the woman tightly to his chest, just as he�d used to do to her. With her assumptions confirmed, she quickly turned and walked to the entryway to get her coat.
�Annelise, you finally made it! Girl, we�ve been waiting on you to get here.�
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then turned to face JC. �Hey Jace. Um...actually, I�m just leaving.�
He frowned. �Leaving? But you just got here.�
�I�ve been here for a while, JC, and I�m getting tired. I�m going to go on home.�
�Whoa, hold up.� His eyes searched hers carefully. �Lise, what�s wrong?�
�Nothing, Jace, I�m just tired.�
Shaking his head, he took her arm and began to lead her up the stairs. �I�m not buying that, Lise. I�ve known you for too long not to see when something is bothering you.� Once they were safely inside one of Justin�s guest rooms, he sat her down and gently took her hand in his. �What�s bothering you, Annelise? Besides the obvious, I mean?�
�I shouldn�t have come tonight. It was a mistake, and I don�t know what you and Justin were thinking when you insisted I come.�
�You saw Laureli, didn�t you?�
Her eyes flew up to meet his, and she was shocked to see amusement dancing there. �Laureli,� she spat, �what kind of a name is Laureli? And did you see her hair? If that didn�t come from a bottle, I�m a fan of Marilyn Manson!�
JC�s gleeful laugh echoed in the still room. �Jealous much, Annelise?�
�Why would I be jealous?�
�For the same reason he was jealous when he saw you with a...oh, how did he put it? Oh yes, a �steroid-ridden ugly jock.�
�A what?� Annelise was thoroughly confused. She thought back over the past few days and realized that he must have been talking about her cousin Derek, who had visited her family the week before. �Oh my gosh! Are you talking about Derek?�
�Well, I don�t know,� JC answered, �is Derek about six three, two hundred fifty pounds, with dark skin and hair?�
She smiled. �That would be my cousin Derek. He�s quarterback for his high school football team. He came up to see the family for Gram�s birthday last week.� She thought about what he�d said. �Lance was jealous of Derek?�
By now, JC�s eyes were positively glowing with delight. �That�s what it looked like to me. And he had the same look in his eyes as you did when I mentioned Laureli.� He paused to laugh for a moment while she made another face. �Annelise, does the name Laureli ring any bells for you?�
�No.�
�Are you sure about that? Think hard now.�
�No, Jace, I don�t know anyone named Laureli.�
�Oh, I think you might.�
She was beginning to get irritated. �Do you have a point to make, JC?�
�A point?� he shrugged, �I don�t know...maybe it�s that you need to think about who it is you�re jealous of.�
�Okay, Mr. Smart Guy, since you just seem to have all the answers tonight, who is Laureli?�
Taking his time to answer her question, JC leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest, acting like he was thinking very hard about his answer. �Well, since you asked...perhaps you would recognize her easier by her middle name.�
�Which is?�
�Nicole.�
Annelise closed her eyes in embarrassment, feeling the heat rush to her face. �Oh, I cannot believe this,� she muttered. The irony of the situation hit her full on, and she began to laugh. �Nicole, as in Nicole Williamson? As in Lance�s all-time favorite cousin, Nicole Williamson?�
�That would be correct, yes ma�am.�
One look at him and Annelise knew she�d been set up. �You planned that, didn�t you?�
�I may have mentioned something to Nicole about your break-up with Lance. And perhaps I pointed out to her that you were hiding in the corner staring at him like you couldn�t get enough of him. And it may have slipped out that you didn�t happen to know what she looked like, not recently anyway.�
�You�re evil,� she said, sticking her tongue out at him. �Um, Jace, sweetheart, I don�t supposed you could not mention the whole hair-coloring-Marilyn-Manson comment, could you?�
He laughed. �So, is that all that was bothering you?�
�It�s not that easy, Jace.� Sighing, she got up and walked to the window. �I don�t know if Lance told you everything I said, but it was...it was unbelievable. I went so far out of line, I�m surprised the police didn�t show up. The things I said, well, I don�t think I can forgive myself, let alone ask him to.�
�I think you�re underestimating him, Lise. I know the fight was big, and that it got out of hand very quickly, but I also know that Lance loves you more than life itself. You guys have a bond that I don�t think even you two can understand.�
That was true, and Annelise could not even think of denying it. There had been too many times when they�d been able to really connect in a way that scared even her. The most extraordinary of which had happened just before their last tour, when Lance had been hurt during a full-stage dress rehearsal.
Annelise and the guys walked into the arena and gasped at what they saw. The stage was set up completely for their concert, and they were awestruck at the sheer size of it. None of them had seen the full set-up before and seeing it for the first time triggered tour fever in all the guys.
�Oh my gosh,� JC said softly, �that thing is huge!�
�This is gonna be fun!� Justin yelled before jumping up onto the stage for the first time.
The others watched him run around for a few seconds before they all looked at each other and followed him. Annelise laughed as she watched, once again thanking God that they�d been given the opportunity to show the world their talents. She knew that this tour was going to be the biggest yet, and she couldn�t wait to see it. Her eyes found Lance, who was goofing off with Joey on the far corner of the stage, and she felt a strange twinge in her stomach. She shook it off when Wade entered the room.
�All right, guys!� he yelled, �time to work on the choreography and get used to doing it on the stage. Come down here for a little meeting really quick, and then we�ll get started.� He spotted her and smiled. �How are you doing today, Annelise?�
�I�m good, Wade, how are you?�
He grinned at her. �No complaints...well, other than the fact that Lance can never seem to concentrate on the dance steps when a certain brown-haired, blue-eyed girl is around. Any ideas on that one?�
�Hmmm...not a clue.�
�How�d you get wrapped up with these morons anyway, Lise?�
�I�ve been best friends with JC since we were in diapers; it just comes with the territory, I guess,� she laughed.
The guys joined them on the floor and listened attentively as Wade discussed a few minor choreography changes they�d need to do to make �Bye, Bye, Bye� look bigger onstage, then they headed to the stage to try it out. Lance hugged her quickly before walking away from her, and she called out after him.
�Be careful, Lance!�
He nodded and jumped up to join his friends, and Annelise made her way to the hospitality room to wait for the rehearsal to end. She was talking to the guys� web site manager, Melinda, when the twinge she�d felt earlier hit her again. Melinda reached out and put a hand on her arm.
�Lise, are you all right? You�re really pale all of the sudden.�
Visions of Lance lying on the stage flashed through her mind, and her head hurt. She looked at Melinda with unfocused eyes. �I have to get back to the stage.� She said, standing up so fast that her chair tipped over. Melinda stood up with her, helping her to walk. Annelise was shaking badly.
�Annelise, what�s wrong?�
�I have to get to Lance, Melinda. I have to make sure he�s all right.�
The two quickly made their way back to the stage. Entering from the side, they ran around to the front. Annelise felt her legs weaken and reached out to grab hold of the rail for support. Lance lay on the floor, as he had in her mind, with Justin and JC kneeling down next to him. Wade stood nearby and shouted for Joey and Chris to get help.
�Lance!� The three conscious men whipped around, seeing her for the first time. JC said something quietly to Justin before running to her and holding her back gently. �Jace, let me go! I have to get to him!�
His strong arms held her firmly. �Annelise, you need to stay here.�
�No! I need to be with him.�
The paramedics arrived, and Annelise continued to fight to free herself from JC�s grip. She watched, frantic, as they worked over her boyfriend. Finally, she saw some movement from Lance and sagged into JC�s arms with relief. The paramedics helped Lance to sit up and she could make out a trail of bright red blood on the side of his face. Stifling a sob, she buried her face in JC�s shoulder and cried. She rode with the guys to the hospital, waiting impatiently for permission to see Lance. At last the doctor came out to talk to them.
�Friends of Mr. Bass?�
�Over here.� JC answered.
The young doctor walked to them and sat down in a nearby chair. �He�s going to be all right, but he�ll have a headache for a while. He doesn�t have a cracked skull as we originally thought, but he does have a slight concussion, so he needs to take it easy. What exactly happened?�
�We were rehearsing for our tour, and a light fell from one of the overhead grids and hit him.� Chris answered.
�Oh. I see.� He looked down at the clipboard in his hands. �Okay, well, like I said he�s going to be all right. I�d check those lighting fixtures before rehearsing again, though. You guys can see him now. He�s in room 316.�
�Thank you, doctor.�
JC took her arm and led her to the elevator. They all silently walked into his room and found him reclining in his bed with a bandage at his left temple. Annelise covered her mouth with her hand to keep from crying out, and JC helped her sit down in the chair next to his bed. Lance could see the fear in her eyes and took her hand, squeezing tightly.
�I�m all right, Lise.�
�I know.�
�I just have a headache, I�ll be all right.�
�I know.�
He stared at her silently for a moment before looking at his friends. �Who had to tell her?�
Justin shrugged. �No one, she showed up a few seconds after the light hit you.�
�Lise?�
�I had a bad feeling that something was going to happen to you, Lance. So I got back to the stage as quick as I could. I wasn�t fast enough, and it hit you anyway.�
Lance was the only one who didn�t look shocked. �Lise, I�ve told you before, you can�t blame yourself when stuff like this happens.�
�That didn�t stop you from it when I had that rollerblading accident.� she retorted.
�No, but as I recall, you gave me the same speech.�
�Yeah, well...what�s your point?�
Lance laughed at her then glanced up at his bewildered friends. �What?�
�Does this little ESP thing you seem to have happen often?� Chris asked.
They both shrugged. �Every now and then,� he said, �no big deal.�
The look on the guys� faces caused both Lance and Annelise to break out in laughter, then Lance groaned pathetically when his head began to hurt.
JC watched Annelise�s eyes grow unfocused and knew he�d lost her to memories. He reached out and lightly touched her hand. �Lise?�
A knock at the door startled her back into the present. They looked over to see Justin and Chris slip into the room. Their eyes twinkled with some secret joke the two shared, and Annelise could practically see the horns growing out of their heads. The two glanced at each other once more before giving Annelise a once-over. She could tell just by looking at them that they were up to something�something big.
�It�s time, C, everything�s ready downstairs.� Chris said gleefully, clapping his hands together like an overexcited child.
�Calm down, Kirkpatrick,� Annelise laughed, �what on earth is going on?�
�That would be for us to know and you...not to find out.� He gestured to Justin. �Go for it, J.�
She turned to see a devilish smile play across Justin�s face for a split second before he leaned over and hefted her over his shoulder. Immediately, she started screaming. �Justin, put me down!�
�Nope!�
�Justin! Come on, we�re buddies, we�re pals...please put me down.�
�Nope!�
�Justin Randall! Put me down this instant! Your bony shoulder is bruising my internal organs!� His only reaction was to bounce her up and down rapidly, causing her to groan as his shoulder dug even further into her stomach. �Just, if you don�t put me down, I�m calling your mother! I don�t think Momma Harless will be too happy when she hears you�ve abused your best friend!�
That made him stop. He lifted her a little higher to look at her face, and just when she thought she�d won, he grinned at her and plopped her back down onto his shoulder. �My mom would be cheering me on, if she knew the whole story.�
�Justin!�
He began laughing when she started pounding her fists against his backside. �Whoa, there! Lise, baby, I didn�t think you cared!�
�Very funny. Put me down, Timbersnake!�
�Is that the best you can do?�
�Justin Randall Timberlake, put me down!�
�If you say so!�
His abrupt change of attitude confused her as she felt herself being dropped onto something warm and hard. She closed her eyes and prayed that she wasn�t sitting on what she thought. Opening them, she groaned when she found herself staring straight into the meadow green eyes of her ex-boyfriend. Hurriedly, Annelise tried to get up, only to find both Lance�s arms wrapped firmly around her, preventing her from moving. She jerked her head up to see his four friends slinking out of the room, shutting the door behind them. When they were gone, she moved to get up again. Again, his arms tightened around her to stop her from leaving.
�Lance, let me go.�
�Not until we�ve had time to talk about this.� His breath was warm against her neck, and she shivered. Her brain and her heart fought for some sense of logic in this new twist of events. What did it mean? Did he want to give her a second chance or a sense of closure? She tried not to hope for anything and prepared for the worst.
�What is left for us to talk about?� she asked tiredly. �Did you want to arrange a time for me to bring you your things?�
He turned her around in his arms until she was facing him. His eyes weren�t the same as she remembered. They were filled with sadness and at the same time, hope. �Is that what you really want?� he whispered.
She found that she couldn�t look at him anymore and dropped her eyes. �No.�
�Me neither.�
Her shocked eyes found his once more. �Come again?�
She heard his deep chuckle, and her heart soared. �I said, I don�t want us to give up on our relationship just yet. I think we�ve got what it takes to really make it, provided we try not to let our tempers get the better of us again.�
�I can�t believe this,� Annelise muttered. �After everything I said to you, everything I did...how can you just forgive me that easily? I was horrible to you!�
�Yup. You didn�t give me a chance to explain anything. But I wasn�t fair to you either. It wouldn�t have killed me to take thirty minutes out of my day to take you to McDonald�s. We both overreacted. Then you stormed out and refused to take my calls for the next two days. JC finally talked me into giving up for a while to give you space. He said you�d come around.� His normally sure bass voice suddenly sounded nervous. �Um, Lise?�
�Yeah?�
�Did you?�
�Did I what?�
�Did you come around?�
Annelise couldn�t help but smile at the hopeful tone in his voice. �Yeah, Lance, I came around. I�m sorry I acted so childishly. I promise I won�t go off like that again.�
�Promise?�
�I Promise.�
She was rewarded with his million dollar grin and a tight bear hug. �Okay. What do you say we get back to the party?�
Nodding her head in agreement, she took his hand and stood up. �All right, I was wanting to meet Nicole anyway.�
"Sure.� Lance led the way back downstairs. �So, Lise, what have you been up to the past couple of weeks?�
There was a tense undertone to his question, and Annelise fought not to laugh when she realized what he was really asking about. �Not much. My aunt and cousin came down for Gram�s birthday last week. I was sorry you weren�t there. Derek would have liked to meet you.�
�Derek?�
�My cousin.� She snuck a glance at him before adding, �He plays football for his high school.�
Understanding dawned on him, and Lance began laughing aloud. One look at Annelise, and he knew JC had told her about his reaction to her cousin and laughed harder. �JC told you!�
She giggled. �I can�t believe you were jealous of my cousin! That�s too funny!� She conveniently left out her earlier jealousy of Nicole.
�Can we keep that between us, please?�
Justin and Chris jumped in front of them at that instant, their mischievous smiles showing and horns forming already. �Sure thing, Lance, baby!� Chris called loudly, �We�d never tell anyone you were jealous of your girlfriend�s cousin!�
Lance�s face turned fiery red when he realized the whole of the party had heard Chris, and the couple watched the two troublemakers sprint away. Annelise couldn�t help but laugh as she heard several threats against Chris and Justin being muttered under Lance�s breath and knew that the night was going to be very interesting. She giggled as Lance took off after his friends, shouting threats the entire time of what he�d do when he finally caught them. Annelise was happy to see things had quickly gotten back to normal and hoped that it would never change. There was going to be quite a show as Lance tried to get his friends back, and she was thrilled to have regained the privilege of a front row seat. She saw JC laughing at his friends� antics as he leaned against a nearby doorway and walked over to him.
�So did all your carefully laid plans work out the way they were supposed to?�
He smiled brightly at her. �Set �em up, set �em down. Right on schedule, baby.� He reached out to hug her gently. �It�s good to have you back.�
�It�s good to be back,� she said, laughing as she watched her friends tormenting each other. �It�s really good to be back.