Recovery (Sequel to Been You)

Chapter 58: Check In With Me

JUSTIN'S POV:

In the shed, I'm blowing o's with what's left of my blunt, no longer angry that Ryan scared Ely off. Now, I'm just numb and fascinated with the shapes I'm making with the smoke. That is, until Za bursts in. He hasn't spoken to me since Ely and I broke up. What's he doing here?

"What'd you do to her?" Za demands.

"Huh?" I ask, sure that I'm high as a kite and didn't hear him properly.

"Cut the shit. Why did Ely leave here crying hysterically?" Za reinforces. Huh? I try my best to focus on remembering what happened earlier. We were hooking up, Ryan interrupted, she left, I got mad. Cmon, Justin think harder. She did look pretty traumatized when she left. Did I do something? Say something?

"She was crying? Hysterically?" I confirm.

"Atifa couldn't even figure out what happened because she was crying so hard," Za answers. I put out my blunt, and pull out my phone, dialing her number. "What are you doing?" Za scolds. "You're just making things worse."

The phone rings and rings, and for a moment I think she's not gonna answer. But when the ringing stops, there's silence. She picked up! "Elysandra? Are you okay?" I ask worriedly.

"What do you want, Bieber?" asks a voice that's not Ely's.

"Atifa?"

"Damn, straight. What do you want?" She maintains.

"Let me speak to Ely," I request.

"Not gonna happen," she asserts.

"Please?"

"No, you've done enough alr -" she starts, but is cut off mid-word.

"Justin?" asks the most angelic, beautiful voice I'd ever heard. Wow.

"Your voice is so pretty," I marvel. I can practically hear her rolling her eyes.

"Justin, why are you calling?" She asks tiredly.

"I, um, heard you were crying. I wanted to check on you. I want to know that you're okay."

"That's... sweet of you, Justin. Yeah, I'm okay, now. Just tired," she answers.

"I don't want to pry or anything, but... why? Did I do something wrong?" I ask. She's quiet for a moment.

"It's just, when we were... making out, earlier," I smirk at the memory. Having her tongue in my mouth felt so good, I can't explain it. "It felt like before, when we were happy together, when you were you. When Ryan interrupted us, it shattered that daydream, and being reminded that things are the way they are... it hurt me, Justin. I felt so alone and sad. I feel so alone and sad. I just need the real you back," she weeps.

"Babe, I am the real me. I still love you just the same. I'm the same person I've always been," I explain.

"No, you're not, Justin. Ask anyone. You're mean to almost everyone. You're always high," she lists. I look down at my blunt. "You're never happy. You just... I haven't seen you like this since..."

"Yeah. Since high school, when you were with Tyler. I know. I guess, you're right. Look, I swear, I'm gonna try to get better for you, okay? Please don't cry," I plead.

"I can't help it, Justin. I cry myself to sleep every night, thinking about what we had," she reveals. My heart sinks.

"Would it... could it help if you slept over?" I offer. "I wouldn't try to do anything, I swear. It doesn't have to mean anything, either. If you don't want to, that's fine. I'm just -" I ramble before she cuts me off.

"Yes," she says before hanging up. I look up at Za with large eyes.

"She said yes!" I celebrate, getting up to hug him before running off into the house. I hurry to finish the decorating job she and I started earlier today. I hang garlands and tinsel and stockings and wreaths. Lastly, I hang mistletoe over the doorway to the kitchen. I can't believe she's sleeping over. I haven't slept peacefully in weeks without her, and now...

There's a knock at the door. I run to it, pulling it open before she can get in another knock. "Hi, baby," I greet, forgetting that I can't really call her that anymore.

"Hi, Justin," she yawns. I scoop her up into a bridal hold, carrying her inside.

"Somebody's sleepy," I muse as I carry her upstairs. She nods.

"I had practice this morning," she mumbles, her eyes already closed.

"Aww, well lets get some rest, yeah?" I soothe, climbing into my bed with her, careful not to jostle her around too much. She doesn't answer, but climbs on top of me, holding me tightly. I feel warm and comfortable inside. I feel like I can finally rest.