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CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

❝I LAID EVERYTHING I NEED TO SAY ON THE TABLE, WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT FROM ME?❞

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Justin sighed softly as he watched Jade sit down in across from him in the booth seat at the coffee shop she always came to.

As Jade sat there, he explained himself and explained everything that's happened in the past few days with Winnie and how he's trying to adjust and he even told her about how he loves her but doesn't want that to affect her dreams.

Jade took Justin's pause as an opportunity to speak. "Justin. . .I'm sorry. . ."

"She leaves today."

"Well. . .you know what they say. . .if you love something, let it go."

Justin huffed. "I don't want to let her go."

"Justin—"

"Winnie's been this part of me that I've always needed but never knew I needed. . .losing her would be like letting a part of my heart disappear."

"Then tell her."

Justin shook his head. "Jade. . .I can't."

Jade scoffed and reached across the table and smacked Justin upside the head making him groan and grab his head. "What the hell?!"

"Justin Bieber you are the most stubborn human being I've met besides. . .besides Winnie."

"Was there a reason to hit me though?"

Jade shrugged. "Probably not. . .but you need to let her know, Justin!"

"But—"

"There's that other saying. . ."

"Which is?"

"You never know what you have until it's gone."

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Winnie watched as the papers rolled out of the printer of the library, she looked over her shoulder and saw the librarian staring at the printer herself.

"Yes ma'am?"

"You've been at this printer for about 20 minutes, you know?"

Winnie laughed softly. "Yes I know. . .I'm printing my first novel—"

"Do you realize we might need a new ink cartridge after this?"

"I'm. . .sorry?"

"Are you sure you're sorry?"

"Listen ma'am, I'm almost done here. . .so can I finish up in peace?"

The librarian scoffed and shook her head as she walked away and headed back to her office making Winnie scoff and shake her head.

Winnie lifted up the last printed sheet and saw it was apart of chapter 28 making her hum and place it back down and wait for the rest of the papers to roll out.

Winnie puffed out a breath when suddenly her phone dinged in her jacket pocket, she pulled it out and saw it was a text from Jade.

i know it's your last day and all, but you're not spending it ALONE

ok ok, we can hang at your place

duh, see you at 4?

why that late? i leave an hour after that

cause i said so! just be there!

ok ok 😂

Winnie giggled softly and placed her phone back into the pocket of her jacket and lifted up the last printed sheet and saw it was almost at chapter 30.

Printing is too time consuming, Winnie thought.

Winnie huffed and leaned back in her chair when she heard someone shush her making her crease her eyebrows and turn around to see the librarian.

Winnie scoffed and rolled as she turned back around to the printer and let her mind drift off as she waited for the printing to end.

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Justin walked out of the bathroom when the sound of his phone ringing made him pause and walk over to the nightstand and take it off the charger.

Looking at the caller ID, he smiled when he saw it was Elijah making him smile and press the green button and press the phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Justin? How are you, brother?"

Justin chuckled. "Great, how are you? How's the work coming for your VISA?"

"Amazing, I've been studying like crazy! I can't wait to see what the hype is about America. . .your movies make it seem so interesting!"

"Well don't be fooled by all those Hollywood personas of what America really is."

"Well, as long as our business works out, we'll be alright! I can't believe you want to make a business with me! Hell, I barely know anything about business."

"Don't worry, that's where I come in and we'll make this work. . .everything will be 50/50."

Justin was interrupted by the sound of a knock at his door, he turned around and saw Winnie at the door frame making him smile softly.

"Winnie. . ."

"Winnie? No, it's Elijah."

Justin laughed softly and creased his eyebrows. "No. . .not you. . .Elijah, can I call you back?"

"Of course."

Justin nodded even though he couldn't see him and hung up the phone and slid it into the pocket of his sweatpants and walked over to Winnie.

"Hi."

"Hey. . .so I came to ask what you're doing later."

"Helping you pack."

Winnie smiled softly. "I meant besides the obvious."

"Nothing."

"Jade wants to hang. . .but I'm sure she won't mind if you tag along, right?"

Justin let out a huff. "Maybe. . .I'll see what I can do."

"Great."

Winnie smiled wide and walked away from Justin and headed to her bedroom and shut the door behind her making Justin lick his lips slowly and run a hand through his hair.

Meanwhile, one Winnie was inside her bedroom, she looked around at the now almost empty room and saw that she had a few more things to pack up.

Sighing heavily, she walked over to her bed and plopped down onto the edge and looked around the room.

She suddenly paused when she heard the sound of FaceTime ringing from her laptop making her jump up and walk over to it and see it was a call from Sydney.

"Hey, Sydney."

"Winnie. . .I have something to tell you."

"Okay?"

"You have to leave and head back to California in about an hour tops."

Winnie creased her eyebrows. "I don't understand. . ."

"Mrs. Henderson read your manuscript on the ride home and she fell in love and said she needed you on a plane asap. . .so she's giving you a private jet ride, but you have to be back here by 3."

Winnie let out a shaky breath and looked down at her phone and saw that it was 1:20, she shook her head and licked her lips slowly.

"I-I'll see what I can do."

"Okay. . .see you soon, Winnie."

Winnie smiled and watched Sydney fade from the screen and take it back to her wallpaper making her shut her laptop back and run her hands down her face.

Winnie hopped up from the seat and walked over to the bedroom door and went to open it — only to see Justin as the door with his eyebrows creased.

"Justin. . ."

"Hey."

"How. . .how much did you—"

"All of it. . .," Justin interrupted as he crossed his arms over his chest and cleared his throat while looking behind Winnie. "I just wish I didn't."

"Justin—"

"So I guess you'll need a cab?"

"What?"

"A cab. To come pick you up, right?"

Winnie blinked a couple of times. "Y-Yeah. . ."

Justin licked his lips and nodded as he turned around and walked away from Winnie's bedroom door making her heart thud.

Winnie watched Justin shut his door making her breathing start to pick up, her chest rose up and down as she shook her head and shut the door behind her.

Winnie walked over to her phone and pulled it out and went to Jade's contact name and went to give her a call about the news.

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Justin stepped out of the shower and wrapped the white towel around his waist and walked over to his bed where his clothes sat on the edge of the mattress.

Drying himself off, he tossed the towel to the side and slipped his boxers up his legs and his slacks, just when the door to his bedroom opened.

Creasing his eyebrows, he turned around to see Winnie coming inside the bedroom.

"Winnie, what the hell—"

"I'm leaving in less than an hour. . .now I know we usually don't speak on what's on our minds until something blows up in our faces. . .but, Jay, if there's anything you want to tell me. . .please say it."

And for a moment, Justin let himself take in what Winnie said — even what Jade said as he looked Winnie in the eyes and saw the desperation in them.

But he could manage to form one sentence.

"I don't have anything I need to say. . ."

Winnie exhaled a shaky breath and looked Justin in the eyes and blinked back some tears that were starting to form.

"That's it?"

"Winnie. . .I've laid everything I need to say on the table. . .what more do you want from me?!"

Winnie sharply inhaled a breath. "Honestly at this point. . .nothing."

"Winnie. . ."

Winnie shook her head and turned around and walked out of Justin's bedroom with her arms crossed over her chest as she went to finish getting ready.

Justin puffed out a breath and ran his hands through his damp hair, just then, the sound of his phone dinging made him pick it up from the edge of the bed and check it seeing it was Frank saying he was 10 minutes away.

Justin shook his head and tossed his phone back onto his mattress and went to finish getting dressed with the feeling of a pang in his chest.

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"I'm sorry, Jade. . ."

"It's fine. . .I just wish I could hug you right now, girl. . .I'm seriously going to miss you."

"I can always come visit you in Texas."

"And I can come visit you in New York."

Winnie giggled softly into the phone. "You know I can't believe my mom was okay with all this sudden moving."

"What do you mean? She's proud of you."

"Yeah. . .I know."

"And your dad, Winnie."

Winnie felt her heart thud a bit faster at those words making her remember all the special moments she had with her Papa.

"Yeah. . .thank you, Jade. I needed to hear that."

Winnie heard Jade laugh softly through the phone and then say something to someone and then sigh into the phone.

"Winnie I have to go, the realtor just pulled up. . .but hey, lemme know when you land?"

"You got it."

Winnie smiled and hung up the phone and saw that it was 2:44, she puffed out a breath and took her bag into her hand and rolled her last two suitcases with her toward the staircase to take it downstairs.

Once she was downstairs, she saw Justin standing in front of the front door making her pause and purse her lips as she looked down at her feet.

"Justin. . ."

"Have a nice trip, Winnie. . .and good luck with your book."

Winnie nodded slowly. "Thank you. . .good luck with your business."

Justin's nodded slowly and cleared his throat as the sound his phone dinging made him look down at it and see it was a text from Frank saying he was outside.

Justin scratched the back of his neck and opened the door and as if on queue, Winnie's taxi had pulled up in the driveway across from Justin's limousine.

Winnie rolled her suitcases outside with her as Justin got down to the last step and watched Winnie come down and head over to the taxi.

Once she did, she asked him to pop the trunk making him nod, Winnie thanked him and stopped herself when she saw Justin walking over to her.

"Justin, what now?"

"I'm. . .I'm sorry, I shouldn't have cracked on you like that. . ."

Winnie sighed softly. "It's okay."

"Winnie?"

Winnie looked up at Justin through her long black eyelashes that Justin had grown to love every time their eyes locked with each other's. He didn't know what he liked more about her, it was too hard, she was a walking masterpiece.

With a small hesitation and a strong gut feeling if he didn't do it, he'd regret it, Justin placed his palm onto Winnie's soft cheek as she hummed softly as she leaned her head into the euphoric touch.

"I don't know what to say, Winnie. . ."

"Goodbye, Jay."

"No. . .I hate goodbyes." Justin speaks in a whisper and before he knows it, his other palm is touching Winnie's other cheek and cupping her beautifully sculpted jaw.

"Well how about see you later?"

Justin realized ever since his hands had touched Winnie's face, she didn't bother to make eye contact with him again — it hurt. But she wouldn't let Justin know that.

He'd only ask her to stay.

"Yeah. . .I-I like that."

Winnie smiled softly with Justin feeling her dimple form an indent in her cheeks in the process as her small hands made their way to his to rub softly.

"Jay—"

"Yes?"

In that moment, Winnie finally took the opportunity to let her beautiful brown colored eyes meet Justin's hazel ones in awe making his heart thud.

He hoped she'd say something that could make her stay, something that could change her mind, anything.

"I. . .I—"

Before Winnie knew it, her taxi had pulled up into the driveway of the beach house just a few centimeters away from Justin and Winnie.

Justin cleared his throat and regrettably dropped his palms from Winnie's face as she bit her bottom lip softly and grabbed her two black suitcases with the help of Justin getting her bags.

Once they loaded the taxi drivers trunk, Winnie walked over to the taxi driver and told him to wait a moment, he agreed with a nod as Winnie went to her bag and searched through her things.

Justin watched from afar until Winnie finally grabbed what she needed, she closed her bag back, and turned around to face Justin with a stack of papers in her grasp.

"I want you to have this."

Winnie gently placed the stack of papers into Justin's hands and watched his thick eyebrows crease and meet her eye contact.

"Your manuscript?"

Winnie smiled and nodded as she watched the corner of Justin's lips curl upwards when he looked from her to the first page of the manuscript to read the title.

Ocean Eyes

Justin's smile suddenly got wider with a small chuckle following behind it and before he knew it, he had his arms wrapped around Winnie's waist.

Of course she hugged him back — she even closed her eyes tight to prevent a tear to slip out and pray that it would last her.

It was her last time smelling Justin's great smelling cologne he wears, the last time messing with the ends of his dirty blonde hair, the last time for everything.

The two let go of each other finally and Winnie waved to Justin one last time as he watched her from somewhat of a distance back as she jumped into the taxi.

Just as the engine began to start, Winnie scooted over to the window and leaned her hands into the window and pursed her lips momentarily. "Let me know how it is?"

"Of course."

Winnie smiled wide with that beautiful smile that drove Justin crazy every time he saw it as the taxi drove off and Winnie removed herself from the window and rolled it up.

Scooting back over to her seat, she plopped down in a comfortable position as she pulled her dress down a bit and looked at her extra copy of her manuscript.

She smiled softly and rubbed her thumb over the title and bit her bottom lip softly, enjoying the silence, until the taxi driver spoke up.

"Boyfriend?"

"Excuse me?"

"Was that your boyfriend?" He asks as he gives Winnie a side glance through the mirror and turning his attention back to the road with one arm out the window.

"I'm not really sure how to answer that."

"Ah, complicated relationship, I get it."

Winnie kept quiet and bit the inside of her cheek as she rolled down the window to the right of her and stuck her arm out and made waves with it as the air touched it with no effort.

She leaned her head back and let her lips go into a thin line with her arm still out of the window as she waited for the taxi ride to end.

Meanwhile, Justin watched the taxi leave the long dirt pathway with one of his hands in the pocket of his slacks and the other holding Winnie's manuscript protectively and wary look on his face.

He just let her go.

Justin felt a pang in his chest as he creased his eyebrows and turned around to see his chauffeur, Frank, standing at the door waiting patiently for Justin to get inside.

He puffed out a breath and climbed inside while he thanked Frank making him nod and shut the door and make his way into the driver's seat and buckle up when he heard the sound of the window roll down from behind him.

"Ms. Stone seemed to be very important to you, no?"

Justin chuckled to himself as he poured himself a glass of vodka into a small glass and gulped it down quickly — not caring about the burning sensation he created in his throat.

"More like. . .the one that got away."

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