If I Was Your Boyfriend

‘Admit it!’ I cheer as Justin slowly chews my pizza creation, ‘I win.’ He decided to challenge me to a pizza-off and soon he’d regret it. He shakes his head holding up his finger, going in for another bite, ‘No, no, don’t be a sore loser.’

‘I’m not convinced.’ Justin finally chimes in, ‘You do not put spinach on pizza. That is right up there with the pineapple on pizza lovers, actually I think you might be worse than them.’ He teases with an oncoming smile. ‘Try mine.’ Justin slides over an uneven slice eagerly, ‘I might even put Pizza Hut out of business with that.’

I slowly chew swaying my head side to side dramatically. Justin sneaks another piece of his own, devouring it in seconds. Rocky stares back and forth at each of us, begging for the toppings dripping from Justin’s pizza. Justin didn’t think I noticed but from the corner of my eye I spot him slip Rocky a few pepperonis under the table. He swears that Rocky’s a momma’s boy – he’s definitely a daddy’s boy. Justin gave in to him constantly and fed him table food. A few days with Justin, he would come back and stare at the dog food in his dish like it was some sort of foreign object.

‘Alright you tasted long enough, let’s hear it.’ Justin excitedly slaps his hands against the table, ‘Justin is the champ of the pizza-off.’

‘No, no, no. Justin was being impatient and decided to take his pizza out the oven to quick. I deduct points for the crust not being crisp!’

‘Aw, who doesn’t love a little chewy crust.’

‘Me. Therefore, Chrissy is the champion of the pizza-off.’

‘I will name you champion, only because I love you.’ Justin laughs pulling the foil crown from the stove, ‘Here you are my pizza queen.’

‘I just want to thank my parents for my love of pizza. My boyfriend for being so supportive.’ I tease as he places the crown on my head. Justin pulls out his phone taking a picture of me as I hold my pizza up proudly.

‘I am definitely putting this on Instagram.’ Justin smiles after taking the picture.

JustinBieber: This one killed me in a pizza-off. I can’t be mad, just look at that face.

The two of us finish eating then decide to wash the dishes together. I wash, he dries. I sit on Justin’s lap as we watch Rocky run back and forth through the yard. I rest my head on his chest staring up at the sky.

‘He gets to tell “his story” tomorrow.’ I point out, dreading the fact that Carter was actually given a platform.

‘Yeah, I know what you mean. Every time he opens his mouth I just want to hit him right in his smug face.’ Justin’s jaw tightens at the mere thought of Carter. ‘On the bright side, tomorrow’s the last day of testimony for us.’ Justin soothes running his hand up and down my back. ‘C’mon let’s get to bed. Time to come in Rocky!’

Rocky sprints into the house and up the staircase as Justin locks the doors then sets the security system. After all the money Justin spent on his state-of-the-art system, you’d get notified that there’s a fly landing on the window. I steal one of his shirts from his dresser after my shower.

‘You smell good.’ Justin muses, his fingers drawing small circles in my skin. ‘You always feel so soft too.’ Justin pulls me on top of him with a short laugh. ‘My shirt looks really good on you – but I’m betting it’ll look even better there.’ He points to the floor with a smirk.

‘I think you might be on to something.’ I glance at the floor and back at him, ‘Pretty sure that your pants would look pretty good down there with them. Do you want to see if we’re right?’

Justin’s Point of View

I raise my legs up kicking out of my sweats, never taking my eyes off of the girl in front of me. She eagerly watches me with every move I make. She stifles out a giggle as she raises her arms up so I can remove my shirt, which she claimed as hers. She folds her arms across her bare chest, suddenly shy. I take her hands in mine kissing each of them repeatedly.

‘If only you can see yourself the way I see you.’ I murmur shaking my head in disbelief, stunned as always looking at Chrissy. ‘You would definitely not be shy, not in front of me.’

She simply smiles dropping her hands, feeling more at ease. My fingers trace the outline of her body slowly and surely. ‘You’re going too slow.’ She almost frowns causing me to laugh.

‘I thought you liked that.’ I speak, nearly offended, ‘you’ve never complained before.’

‘I want you, right now.’ She confesses poking at my many tattoos across that covered my skin.

‘Right now?’ I raise an eyebrow towards her, wanting to drag this out as long as possible. I was loving that Chrissy was begging for me. Wait, I don’t think loving covered it. It drove me crazy. In the best way possible.

‘Right now. Like right now.’

‘Okay, right now.’ I agree, pulling her down towards me, not wanting to make her wait any longer.

The next morning, I roll out of bed and decide to take a shower in order to wake myself up. When I come back Chrissy is sitting up in the bed staring at her phone. She gives me a weak smile and a look that I couldn’t decipher.

‘Everything okay?’ I wonder drying off my wet hair with the towel.

‘I got an email for Chloe and Nikki, they want to honor me with some sort of award.’ She informs me handing over her phone.

My eyes quickly scan through the email that Chrissy got late last night. It was something about her being presented with an honorary award from a Los Angeles support group. They were inviting her to meet with women who’ve been through traumatic experiences, like Chrissy. The group wanted to make Chrissy an honorary member. It was a few weeks away and would only last most of the morning.

‘This is good, right?’

‘I just don’t know what I could say to them.’ She shrugs looking at me.

‘You don’t have to decide right now, just think about it. I will definitely be there to support you, front row.’

‘I love you.’ Chrissy wraps her arms around my neck, ‘I’m going to get dressed, be right back.’

Once the two of us are dressed and Rocky is fed, we head out to the courthouse. Instead of getting a driver, we go in my car. I type in the address to the court house as we pull out of the drive way.

Chrissy’s Point of View

Head North towards La Salle Avenue

Justin’s GPS signals calls out. Isabella. I fold my arms over one another listening to Justin’s flirtatious GPS. He loved taking his Range Rover just to hear Isabella talk. A small smirk plays on his face as he pretends to turn it up before she speaks again.

Make a right turn in 300 feet.

‘You have had this beef with Isabella for two years now.’ Justin tilts his head back with laughter while we wait at the red light. ‘I want two of my favorite girls to get along. I think it’s time.’

‘I can read directions just as sexy as she can.’ I defend from the passenger seat as she reads off another set of directions.

‘Now you and I both now that you are terrible at directions.’ Justin taunts, interlacing his fingers with mine.

‘I hope that you and Isabella have a nice, long life together.’

‘If only.’ He dramatically pretends to reminisce.

‘You are the worst.’ I laugh giving his hand a tight squeeze.

Once we make it to the court house, with the help of Isabella, we meet up with Mark to talk strategy. Today would be easy for the most part. All we had to do was listen to Carter dig his own grave, sharing his side of history. My mom, dad, and Jeff are all there together. I smile thinking back to my dad’s diagnosis of ten months to live – he’s surpassed every expectation set by the experts. I didn’t want to question it, I just wanted to enjoy him. Pattie and Jeremy stand close to Scooter offering smiles as we walk to join everyone. Danielle and Garrett hadn’t missed a day of the trial yet even though they had jobs as well as their baby Bonnie. I slide in tight between Justin and Danielle as Carter is escorted towards the front.

‘Here he goes.’ Justin mutters under his slipping his fingers in between mine.

Unfortunately, Carter’s lawyer got to go first with the line of questioning. Carter sat back calmly, almost as if he wasn’t on trial for the rest of his life in prison. He extends his large arms behind his head, relaxing.

‘Mr. Carter, can you describe to the jury about your life growing up?’

‘Well, dad was a drunk, an angry drunk. If he wasn’t out sleeping with hookers in sleazy motels, he was punching holes in walls. My mom, she lost any effort she had since he was cheating on her. Some nights I would go to bed without eating, on a good night I would swipe something from my neighbors’ house. So, my home life wasn’t so hot but school wasn’t better. I was 5’3 and 100 pounds wet so the perfect size punching bag for the jocks at school. I’m pretty sure I got pounded on, pushed over, thrown in a toilet every day of high school.’ Carter explains causing Justin to scoff. I glance over at the jury to see if anyone was buying this story Carter concocted by his lawyer.

‘Then you went into the police force, where you served Los Angeles for seventeen years honorably. During your seventeen years, were you ever excused of misconduct by citizens or fellow officers?’

‘Never, I took my job very seriously. I worked my way up the ranks and earned respect. I loved every minute on the job. Helping people is so rewarding.’

His lawyer drags on and on about Carter’s childhood as well as his time with the LAPD. Finally, the questions started about me. Justin sits up against the bench, paying attention to Carter’s every word.

‘In your mind, do you believe that Chrissy Thorton has ever reciprocated your feelings?’

‘I do.’

‘Why is that?’

‘Well, the first day I met her, after I talked to her mother. I interviewed her for a bit, I’m pretty sure she smiled at me when she said goodbye. I thought that she felt the same way towards me. Almost like a spark. Something clicked. Like in those movies she likes so much. That’s when I got addicted. I wanted to be with her by any means necessary.’

‘Can you describe your relationship with Miss. Thorton?’

‘I believe that if it wasn’t for him, that we would be together. Every time we got closer to our happily ever after, there he was. Always in the way.’

‘Can you tell the jury how you treated Miss. Thorton will she was with you in the shed?’

‘I treated her like a queen. I went out and bought all the products she had in her bathroom at home so she could feel comfortable with me. I knew just how much she loves Thai food so I went to her favorite restaurant and found out what she likes to eat. I know that it looks bad with the pictures and the chain, but I would never hurt Chrissy – I love her too much.’

The more Carter talked, the sicker I felt. If I moved any closer to Justin I would be on top of him. My dad walks out of the court room for air as Carter continues to confess his unwavering love for me.

‘Over the last few days, you have heard several people describe you to a room full of strangers. Is there anything that you want to tell the court today that they did not mention?’

‘Only my love for her.’ He points a finger towards me sending chills down my spine.

Once we were dismissed for the day, I practically ran out of the court house and to Justin’s Range Rover. I sit there silently as he says goodbye to everyone on my behalf. Listening to Carter ramble on about his love for me for hours actually made me start to believe in his insanity plea. I just hope the jury didn’t.