If I Was Your Boyfriend

I stumble onto my feet to meet the eyes of the friendly stranger. He simply smiles warmly running a hand through his crow-like hair.

‘I’m sorry.’ I apologize stepping aside with the stranger, ‘Those bikers can be brutal.’

‘Yeah, I’ve been knocked a few blocks by my fair share of bike messengers. I’m Aiden.’

‘It’s good to meet you, Aiden. I’m Chrissy.’

‘Believe me – I know exactly who you are. I just didn’t think that I’d be meeting my costar like this.’

‘Excuse me?’

‘Come on, it’s getting pretty crowded around here.’ He gestures to the paparazzi capturing the whole thing.

Aiden and I head back into the building leaving all of the people with cameras behind. I wipe my eyes following him to an empty wooden bench.

‘Did I hear you say costar?’

‘You did,’ he grins with a nod, ‘we’ve been waiting for a few weeks now for the perfect leading girl. They told me that they were trying to get you on board a couple of days ago, not gonna lie I was pretty excited.’

‘That’s very nice of you.’

‘Hey – I’m just being honest. I was actually coming down here to meet with the director so we could discuss filming.’

‘Do you live in New York?’

‘I do.’ He nods with a dimply smile, ‘Do you have a pen and paper?’

‘Yeah, here.’ I reply digging in my bag to get an old receipt from my purse.

‘This – is my address. You should come by while you’re in town.’

‘I should really get going. I’ll see you around.’ I say standing to my feet to catch the blacked out SUV waiting out front.

‘See you Chrissy.’

My phone buzzes in my bag, a missed call from Justin. My heart drops and my stomach churns as I stare at the screen. Fresh tears cloud my vision as I push the glass door open. My temporary bodyguard, Randall extends his large arm keeping the paps back. I slide into the back of the car and he quickly closes the door behind me. A few moments later I had a new voicemail from Justin. I delete it without bothering to listen to it as Randall drives away.

‘Where to now?’

‘I don’t know.’ I swallow with a simple shrug.

Justin and I were supposed to enjoy this time in New York but instead he drops an atom bomb on me right after I got the part for this movie. He took one of the best days of my life and stepped on it. After all we were put through he still had to risk everything we’ve worked so hard for again. With Selena – again. I could never look at him the same.

Justin’s Point of View

I literally had to pry my body from the bathroom’s stall before someone called security. I call Chrissy again for the tenth time in twenty minutes but she doesn’t answer. I just wish she gave me the chance to explain things before she rushed out but I don’t blame her. I would’ve left too. Hell, I would’ve let me months ago and never looked back. But not Chrissy, she stayed through all of my mistakes and flaws and she loved them with every part of her. I walk lost through this unfamiliar building searching for Chrissy. I finally find Chloe but she tells me that Chrissy already left. I didn’t know if she was staying in New York for the night or was she going straight back to LA. I get a cab to the hotel that I booked for us in hopes of finding her there.

‘Hey, has Chrissy Thorton checked in yet?’ I ask the man behind the counter.

‘No, not that I see sir. Sorry.’ He answers pushing the thick glasses further on the bridge of his nose. ‘Would you like to check in now?’

‘Sure. I guess I can wait and see if she’ll come here.’

‘Your bags have already made it and they have been put in your room.’

‘Thanks.’

Part of me knew that Chrissy wouldn’t be showing up at the hotel any time soon but I didn’t want to miss her if she did. I ask the manager to call me if she comes in the hotel for anything. I sit by the window looking down at the busy city with wet eyes. I could never forget the look on her face. She looked so broken and betrayed. She just stared at me with so much disbelief like she was waiting for someone to jump out and yell “you’ve been punk’d”. I should’ve gone after her as soon as she left. I would’ve caught up to her before I lost her. I pull out my phone again and dial her number up, it goes straight to voicemail.

‘Hey, Chrissy. It’s me. I know that I’m that last person you want to hear from right now but I’m just trying to make sure that you’re okay. I know that I screwed up and nothing I can say will make it better. I just want you to know that I meant every single word that I said to you on the plane ride earlier. You are my everything. I really don’t want to lose you, if I haven’t already. You’ve given more chances than I deserve but I’m begging you for just one more. I love you so much. I don’t deserve you- and I know that. I just don’t want to be without you. Please, call me. Please.’

I angrily wipe away the salty tears that rushed down my cheeks. I wanted to send my phone colliding into the wall as I did before but I was praying for Chrissy’s call. A full three and a half hours later the hotel room’s phone sends out a loud ring in the silent air. I fall onto my knees making it to the phone.

‘Hello?’

‘Mr. Bieber, you have a visitor.’

‘Is it Chrissy?’ I say too eagerly but I didn’t care, ‘Is she here?’

‘No, sir. It’s another visitor.’

‘All right – I’ll come down.’ I hang up the phone and go to the lobby.

I search around looking for any familiar face amongst those checking in and passing through. Finally my eyes fall on Selena. The one and only. What on earth was she doing here? She stands near the check in desk with her arms folded across her chest glancing around.

‘Selena, this really isn’t a good time. I have a lot going on.’

‘Look, I really need to talk to you.’

‘What is it?’

‘I’m not saying it here. What room are you in?’

‘Fine.’ I gave in throwing my head back with frustration, ‘come on.’

‘Have you been crying?’ she squints her eyes at me in the elevator, ‘Where’s Chrissy?’

‘She left me. Again.’

‘Wait, why?’

‘I told her the truth about you and me.’

‘You what?!’ she gasps as I push the door to the room open.

‘I. Told. Her. The. Truth.’ I speak slowly clenching my jaw, ‘Look, Selena. I really don’t feel like going over this with you right no-…’

‘I lied.’ She blurts out cutting me off midsentence.

‘What did you just say?’

Chrissy’s Point of View

I look at the paper in my hands as the cab comes to a slow stop.

‘Here we are.’ The driver announces from the front seat.

‘Thanks.’ I slide from the cab handing him several bills as I go.

I go up the short four steps and knock on the dark red door. I didn’t really know what I was doing here but I didn’t want to be alone and I didn’t want to leave New York just yet. I needed anything to keep my mind off of Justin and anything to keep me from calling him. I had so much that I wanted to say but there were so many words I was sure I’d regret later. I wanted to cool off before I even stood in front of him again.

‘Chrissy, hey.’ Aiden appears shocked but smiles anyway, ‘come in.’

‘Hey, I hope I’m not intruding. I wanted to see if you were up to do a bit of sightseeing while I’m in town for the night.’

‘I’m afraid that it won’t be much sightseeing for me,’ he responds closing the door, ‘I can, however, show you some of the best food in town if you’re hungry.’

‘I haven’t eaten all day.’ I nod readjusting my bag on my shoulder.

‘Let’s go.’ He grabs his coat and leads the way out the door, ‘Don’t worry – I live pretty close to some of the best food trucks you will ever run into.’

‘Nice.’

‘Excuse me if I’m being too forward but I can’t help but notice that you’ve seemed a bit upset since earlier. At first I thought it was just the careless bike messenger than nearly flattened you like a flapjack but now I’m not so sure.’

‘I heard some not so good news today. That’s all.’

‘And that’s why you have a boyfriend, right? Someone that can make you forget all about the not so good news.’

‘Not when he’s the one you hear from.’

‘Ah, that’s no good. I wish that I could give you some sort of advice that would make you feel better about whatever went wrong but I hate seeing someone with something they don’t deserve.’

‘No, Justin’s a good guy. Really.’

‘I didn’t say he wasn’t a good guy. I’m sure he’s nice and all that on most occasions. Don't get me wrong: he seems like a pretty charitable, friendly person but maybe he doesn’t know when he has it good. I just think he doesn’t appreciate the fact that he has a good girl in front of him.’ I look up to see Aiden’s captivating eyes glowering over me and I couldn’t help but break a smile for the first time since Justin’s atom bomb.