| Sharing Secrets |
| �Hey Justin?� �Yeah?� Justin replied, pausing the video game he was playing to look over at JC. JC motioned to the magazine he was reading. �Did you know Nelly has two kids?� �What?� �He has two kids. It says here that they�re 6 and 3. Their names are Chanel and Tre,� JC explained, handing the magazine to Justin to prove it. �Woah. Why the hell didn�t he tell me?� Justin asked, mostly to himself. �I don�t know, maybe he wasn�t sure you�d approve,� JC commented, shrugging. �But, we�re like, good friends. He�d told me about all his relationships and stuff, so why wouldn�t he mention that he happens to have two kids?� Justin questioned again, frustrated. �Why don�t you call and ask him?� JC suggested. �Or maybe I should just go visit him. I�m sure they�re with him since he�s on vacation. That way, he has to let me see them and explain,� Justin replied. �All right, if that�s what you want to do,� JC told his friend, taking the magazine back from Justin�s hands and beginning to read it again. �Wish me luck,� Justin said softly. JC looked up from reading. �Good luck,� he responded with an encouraging smile. �Thanks. I�ll call you later and let you know what happened, ok?� �Sure.� �Bye!� Justin called, making his way out to his car, and hoping that Nelly wouldn�t care when he randomly dropped by. He parked his car outside of Nelly�s house and smiled when he saw only familiar cars there. He figured it would be better if none of Nelly�s posse was there. He sighed and got out of the car, still hurt that Nelly hadn�t told him about something so important in his life. He knocked on the door, and Nelly answered quickly, holding a little boy in his arms. His eyes widened when he saw Justin standing there, and he backed up to let him into the house. �Hey, J, wasn�t expecting you,� Nelly said softly, placing the boy on the floor and patting his butt as he toddled down the hallway. �Um, I know, but, you see. JC was reading the new People magazine. And, well, you have kids?� Justin asked, stumbling over his words a little. �Yeah,� Nelly admitted, inviting Justin in by stepping back. Justin followed him as Nelly went into the living room where his little boy had just gone. �Why didn�t you tell me?� Justin asked, his voice emotional, and Nelly could tell he was hurt. �I�m sorry, J, I just, I� I don�t know. I didn�t think you�d care to know. I mean, we�re music partners, right?� Nelly asked. �I thought we were friends, man, and friends tell each other about their *children,*� Justin replied, frowning. �I�m so sorry, J. I honestly didn�t think it was a big deal. Do you want to meet them?� he asked. When Justin nodded, he went over and picked the boy up from his place on the floor playing with toys and then yelled for Chanel, who Justin knew from the article, was his other child. Justin smiled as the boy struggled in Nelly�s arms and reached out towards him. �He�s very friendly,� Nelly said, a proud smile on his face. �This is Tre. He just turned three.� Justin�s attention was on the toddler. �Hey there,� he cooed. �Hi,� the boy said, sticking his fingers out to touch Justin�s face. He smiled at the boy and looked up at Nelly and said, �Man, he�s got gorgeous eyes. He looks just like you.� �Thanks man,� Nelly replied as his daughter came into the room. �Hey there sweetie,� he greeted her. �Hey daddy,� she replied. Then she turned her attention over to Justin, �hi.� �Justin, this is my daughter Chanel. Chanel, this is my friend Justin,� Nelly introduced them. �Hey, I�m Justin,� he said, introducing himself to the girl, and she smiled. She gave him a quick hug before hugging her dad and asking, �Can I go play upstairs again? Is he going to stay for dinner?� �Oh, um, I don�t have to stay if you had plans. I just wanted to come by and see what was up,� Justin responded. �Please daddy?� Chanel begged, pouting a little. �If he wants to stay, it would be all right,� Nelly told her, looking up at Justin. �Sure, I�ll stay.� �Cool,� Chanel said before going back upstairs to play again. Nelly watched her go, and then turned his attention back to Justin. �I-� he started, but stopped when he saw Justin sitting on the floor with Tre, playing with the few toys there. Justin was making one of the stuffed animals dance while singing softly to Tre, and Nelly had to admit that it was one of the sweetest things he�d ever seen. He walked over and took a seat next to Justin on the floor. Justin didn�t even seem to notice his presence as he continued to play with Tre. Tre burst into laughter as Justin did something that he found particularly funny, and Nelly hadn�t seen his baby boy so happy in a long time. �I�m gonna start dinner, ok dirty?� he mumbled softly, and Justin finally looked up. He seemed a little shocked that Nelly was so close. But he smiled and nodded. �Sounds good. I�ll watch this little guy,� Justin offered. �All right. If you need me I�m in the kitchen,� Nelly told him, leaving the room. He went into the kitchen to start dinner, but just stood in from of the stove for a minute, unable to get Justin out of his head. He looked so damn cute with his kids. Nelly couldn�t get over it. And he�d only been there for a few minutes. �Shit,� he muttered to himself. �Daddy!� Chanel yelled, hearing her father swearing. �Sorry baby,� he replied, picking her up and hugging her tight. �I thought you were playing upstairs.� �I got bored,� she explained. �All right. Why don�t you go play with Justin while I make dinner, ok?� �Ok daddy,� she responded, skipping out of the kitchen. When Nelly had finished cooking dinner � hot dogs and hamburgers and salad, he put it all on the table and went to tell Justin and the kids that dinner was ready. He entered the living room and smiled softly. Justin was sitting with his back against the couch, holding Tre, who was sleeping soundly in his arms. He was also playing Barbies with Chanel while trying not to wake the three-year-old up. �Dinner�s ready,� Nelly said softly, attempting not to wake Tre up. �He didn�t have his nap today, that�s why he�s so tired,� Nelly explained. �You two go ahead and start, I�ll put him down upstairs.� �Ok,� Justin agreed, getting up and heading into the dining room with Chanel right behind him. �Do you like daddy?� Chanel asked as soon as they were seated at the table. �Yeah, he�s my friend,� Justin replied. �No, silly, do you *like* him?� she asked again, a smile on her sweet little face. �Woah, she can�t know, can she?� Justin asked himself, but he figured it wouldn�t hurt to tell the truth. �Can you keep a secret?� She nodded quickly. �Yeah, I do,� he admitted softly. She squealed with delight. �He likes you too,� she whispered. Justin couldn�t stop himself from grinning, even if the information was coming from a six-year-old. Nelly entered the room then and sat down. �What are you grinning like a fool for?� he asked, laughing a little. �I told him a secret and he told me one,� Chanel replied for Justin. �And what was that?� Nelly asked. �Daddy! It�s a secret, I can�t tell you!� she exclaimed, giggling. Justin smiled at her, and Nelly smiled at Justin. They ate the rest of their dinner in silence except for a few outbursts from Chanel. Justin was really enjoying himself. He loved both of Nelly�s kids. And, well, he loved Nelly too, whether Nelly would ever feel the same way or not. After dinner, Justin, Nelly, and Chanel settled in on the couch to watch a movie. Little Mermaid to be exact. Chanel had insisted on sitting on the end of the couch, so Justin and Nelly were sitting next to each other. Justin was somewhat tense because he was trying to make sure his leg didn�t touch Nelly�s. Nelly didn�t seem to notice. �I love this movie!� Chanel exclaimed about halfway through. Nelly laughed. �Me too,� Justin admitted quietly. �Really?� Nelly teased, �I never would�ve guessed.� �Yeah, well, I�ve never told anyone that before so feel special,� Justin replied, laughing. �I do,� Nelly said softly, and Justin didn�t miss the change in his tone. Apparently, Chanel didn�t either. �Daddy, I�m tired,� she said. �Ok, I�ll help you get ready, baby,� he replied, standing up and turning back to Justin. �Be back in a few. Don�t enjoy the movie too much.� Justin stuck out his tongue, and Nelly laughed at him. Nelly came back down a few minutes later, carrying a tired-looking Tre. �He woke up when I was up there, wanted to say goodnight to you,� Nelly explained, and Justin�s heart nearly exploded. �Night big guy,� Justin said softly to the tired boy, and Tre held his arms out to Justin saying �J.� Justin took him from Nelly�s arms with a huge smile and gave him a big hug. He kissed his cheek before handing him back to Nelly. �He already knows my name,� Justin stated happily. Nelly just smiled. �Be back again.� Justin nodded, lost in his thoughts. The next time he looked up, Nelly was standing in front of him. �Are you still mad at me?� he asked softly, sitting down next to Justin. �I wasn�t mad, just hurt. I mean, I thought we were close enough to tell each other stuff like that. Kids are a big thing, you know?� Justin replied. �Yeah, I�m really sorry. I should�ve told you,� Nelly admitted. �You were so great with them. They both love you already.� �Yeah, I love them too. They�re sweet kids,� Justin responded. �Thanks. Oh, Chanel wanted me to tell you something.� �Ok?� �She told me to tell you to go for it, whatever that means,� Nelly told Justin, and Justin�s eyes widened. �She�s a smart little girl,� Justin commented. �Mind telling me what she meant?� Nelly asked. �No, but I can show you,� Justin replied. Nelly was about to say, �ok,� but Justin cut him off. He gasped as Justin�s lips met his in a soft, cautious kiss. �Well damn, she is smart,� Nelly said, and they both laughed. Then they kissed again. And again. THE END |