The first time I had any contact with Justin in the following week, he completely blew my off. I was getting into my car after seeing Grams and Oliver and Justin was locking his front door to get into his own car. I called out his name and he looked up like a deer in headlights.

"Are you avoiding me or something?" I said half-jokingly. I knew he was, I wasn't stupid. "Where have you been?"

"Nowhere, just..." He shrugged.

"Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine, Ana." He snapped. "So we kissed. No big deal. Stop being so damn concerned and reading into every little thing."

I was taken aback. "I'm not a moron, don't you dare treat me like one. Why don't you grow the hell up, Justin?" I shook my head, slamming my car door without another word.

It was my turn to make dinner that night and I took my annoyance out on chopping vegetables. Gavin watched me with raised eyebrows. "What did the carrots ever do to you?"

"I'm pissed as shit." I replied, slamming the knife down again.

"Clearly. Wanna talk about it?"

"No."

"Alright."

I sighed, spinning around anyway. "When's the last time you talked to Justin?"

"Yesterday afternoon, he came over while you were working."

I groaned. "He's such an asshole."

"You don't mean that." Gavin said.

"You're an asshole too."

"Hey! I can talk to him for you if you want."

I snorted. "You've done enough, Gavin. I mean, it's not even like I kissed him. He initiated it. Twice. It's childish to avoid problems rather than handling them like an adult."

"So you mean like you did with Justin for months. And what you're doing with your dad."

I was silent for a moment. "If you're going to act like a therapist, you should really charge for your services."

Gavin grinned, patting my head. "Your company is enough for me." He said sarcastically, stealing a pepper from the bowl next to me.

--

Dimitri texted me with an address and a time. Nothing else. He was really adamant about getting me to work with him. Seemed like he was almost obsessed with it. I just stared at the text, knowing I should have just deleted the text. But I also knew better. Dimitri was not a man to piss off.

It was pouring rain when I pulled up to the gate right outside of the huge house. This can't be real, I thought.

The intercom crackled. "Yes?"

"Uh, yeah hi, I'm Justin...Justin Bieber. I got a-"

"Pull right through, Mr. Bieber." The monotonous voice guided me as the gate slowly slid open. I considered saying something else, like thank you, but I just rolled the window up and drove.

Dimitri stood on the doorstep when I pulled around the horseshoe driveway. He was smiling big and triumphantly. "Come in, Justin." He said. "I knew you wouldn't let me down."

I kept my hood on, even when I got into the house. Dimitri offered me something to drink. "No," I shook my head. "Spare me the bullshit. What did you want me here for?"

Dimitri's smile remained. "Come, my son's in the kitchen."

I could read Nate the second I laid eyes on him. His chest was purposely puffed out and he walked with a stance that dared people to mess with him. He was taller than me but scrawny. There was no way he fit in with Dimitri and his business, though he probably tried hard. Even in his handshake, he tried so hard to seem intimidating but fell short.

"So you're the one Gianna's got a huge crush on." Nate looked me up and down.

"Um, she's really nice." Was all I could think to say. "Is this your place?"

"One of my dad's." He shrugged. "But it's my favorite so he lets me stay here."

"You manage a store right?" I managed not to laugh.

"Yeah, I do. What do you do with your life, exactly?"

I crossed my arms over my chest as Dimitri came back into the room, Anthony and Henry trailing behind him. Anthony had a duffle bag in his hand.

"So Justin, have you considered my offer?"

I nodded. "Yes, I have. And I really appreciate how nice you and Gianna have been to me these last few weeks. I understand the respect you and Richard built. But I'm sure you understand that I have to decline."

"That's too bad, Justin, but there's something you have to understand too. Richard and I did have a profound trust. That's why when he stole something that belonged to me so many years ago, I was destroyed. I was lenient, and for years he tried to repay me. But then we cut a deal."

"What are you talking about?"

"He knew he was sick for about a year. And he told me that if something were to happen to him, I'd be able to take something of his."

"What's that?"

"You."

I took a hasty step back but Henry stormed to cover the door. "You're a whackjob." I snapped.

"I was hoping you'd make the right decision on your own, Justin." Dimtri circled the table. "But it looks like I'm going to have to make the decision for you, kid."

Anthony stepped forward with the bag held up. "This was Richard's last earning. By rule, it's yours now."

I grabbed the bag, zipping it open. Wads and wads of fifties were piled into it. More money than I knew what to do with. I looked up at Dimitri. "Shouldn't this be yours? If he owed you."

He shook his head. "Richard took something much more valuable than money from me."

"There's a lot more where that's from if you're smart." Anthony said.

Dimitri placed a hand on my shoulder. "Richard always took, took, took, only worrying about what he wanted."

I looked up.

"Now I'm taking what I want."

--

I worked a full shift from one until closing and I was exhausted. Gavin was out when I got back so I grabbed the full carton of chocolate ice cream from the kitchen and retired straight to my room.

A body was sprawled out on my bed and groaned when I turned the lights on. "What are you doing here?" I asked Justin, not even bothering to glance at him. "Close your eyes, I need to change."

Justin stuck a pillow over his face. "Gavin told me you're pissed at me." The words were muffled.

"I'm sure Gavin's told you a lot since you've only talked to him and have been ignoring me for the past week. I told you I'm not a moron."

Justin took the pillow off of his face, sitting straight up. We both ignored the fact that I was in just a bra and pajama pants. "I know you're not. I've never thought that, ever."

"Then stop treating me like it. I'm sick of working on your time, Justin. It's always how you want to act and I have to shift around it. I've done that enough and I really can't anymore. I can't do it."

He pressed his palms into his eyes. "I'm sorry, Ana."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Because I need an answer, a real, solid answer. I'm sick of this back and forth."

He pulled his hands into his lap. "Okay."

"Do you want to be with me, Justin? Really be with me."

There was silence. Justin stared at the floor, as if I hadn't even asked anything to begin with. That was answer enough.

I tugged my t-shirt over my head, turning for the door. "Alright then." I wasn't sure where I'd go, this was my apartment. Probably to the bathroom to sit under freezing water and cry. I wasn't good enough anymore. For anyone.

Justin grabbed my hand before I could go, pulling me into the V of his legs. He cupped my cheek with a warm palm. His other hand traveled up the back of my shirt, thumb rubbing circles just above the waistband of my pants. We kissed like we need it to breathe. Like we'd suffocate without each other.

This was real. This was permanent. This was everything.

Justin pulled away, running his hand through my hair and pulling it into a knot around his hand behind my head. He knocked his head into mine.

"Does that answer your question?"

--