Broken
SS by Amanda

“Justin, do you want to make the rounds with us,” I hear Britney yell as Jamie Lynn pulls her through the crowd of people and they head toward a table a few yards away. 

“No, I’ll just stay here and wait on you,” I say with a laugh.

I smile brightly as I watch her grab a slice of watermelon and then make her way to a group of people at a picnic table and start talking.  I love coming back to Kentwood with her.  There’s no place on earth that makes her this happy.  She’s truly in her element when she’s here.  Though she doesn’t get to come here as often as she’d like, when she is here, she completely blissful.  So, you can imagine how excited she was when she found out that Kentwood was having this huge celebration in her honor.  She’s been looking forward to this for weeks and I was more than happy to tag along.

She’s still wearing the smile that’s been plastered on her face all day as she takes Jamie Lynn’s hand and they start running toward the pond in the middle of the park.  I laugh to myself as I stare in awe at the woman that I love so very much.  I would give anything in the world to keep her this happy.

I’m watching Britney intently when an all too familiar voice breaks me from my concentration.  A voice that I would rather never hear again in my life.

“Well, if it isn’t the golden boy himself.”

I turn slightly and look at the tall man now standing to my side.  I’ve never met him face to face before, but I’ve saw him on television on numerous occasions blasting the girl that he claims to have loved.

My girl. 

“What can I do for you Reg?” I ask as I raise an eyebrow at him.

“Care if I sit here?” he asks.

“It’s a free country,” I say as I turn my gaze back to the pond as Britney and Jamie Lynn ride around in a paddleboat.

“She’s beautiful, isn’t she,” he says and I turn to find him staring at the same thing I am.

“That she is,” I reply with a smile. 

We sit in silence for what seems like forever before he starts to speak again.

“You know, I always thought that I would have a ring on that girl’s finger by now,” he says softly and I know that he is envisioning what could have been between him and Britney.

“Things change Reg, people change,” I say, my gaze never leaving the love of my life across the way.

“No, people make things change,” he says coldly.

I look over at him with confusion.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask, with a little harsher tone than I anticipated.

He laughs sarcastically and looks over at me.

“You know what I mean Timberlake.  Let’s face it, had you and your little guys not took Britney on tour with you that summer, she would still be on my arm and I would be the one sitting there staring at my girl out there on the pond.”

I can feel my face getter red and my jaw clench as I stare at him coldly.

“If you’re implying that I had anything to do with Britney realizing that she deserved better than you, you’re wrong.  The truth is I wanted her to kick you to the curb from day one, but it was her decision.  She did it all on her own.”

“And you we’re just conveniently there to pick up the pieces, huh?” he says as he shakes his head.

God, please grant me the strength to not kill this man sitting beside me.

“I was there for Brit when she needed me and I always will be,” I say as the anger builds inside me,  “Tell me something Reg, where were you when she first started that tour and she was so homesick?  Where were you when she injured her knee and thought her career was over?  Tell me, where were you because you sure of hell weren’t there for her.  You never called, you never came to see her, you just left her there.  But she wasn’t alone.  She wasn’t alone because she had people who actually did care about her and moved heaven and earth to make her feel better.  You didn’t care about her at all.”

“You have no right to talk about how I felt for Britney.  I loved her.  Hell, I still do,” he says and I can tell that he didn’t want to actually say the last part.  His revelation only makes me more furious.

“You love her.  How can you actually say that?  You’re using your relationship with her to get your fifteen minutes of fame.  Do you have any idea how it makes her feel when you show up on Inside Edition or something like that and tell the world about your relationship,” I say as I look as I look over at him, “You never deserved her.  You tried to control her and you tried to ruin her.  But you didn’t succeed.”

He stands up quickly and looks over at me, his jaw clenched from anger.

“You don’t know anything about our relationship.  She loved me.  She was happy with me and then you all destroyed us.”

Ok, now I think he’s delusional.  I shake my head and laugh at him.

“You forget Reg, I was there.  I saw it all.  I was the one who comforted Britney when you told her that she had not talent and that she would never make it in this business.  I was the one who held her in my arms as she cried when you threatened to break up with her if she continued to tour with us.  I was the one who told her what a beautiful and wonderful person she was after you called her a slut and told her that no one would want her but you.”

I get up and stand a few feet away from him as I continue to yell at him.

“But how does it feel now.  How does it feel to see her where she is today?  How does it feel to see that beautiful woman over there,” I yell as I point to Britney, still on the paddle boat, oblivious to what’s going on, “who is strong and passionate and talented and absolutely amazing and to know that you almost took that all away.”

He’s silent as he continues to stare at me with anger in his eyes.  I know that I’ve struck a chord with him.  He is well aware that I am right.  I know that deep down, it’s killing him to see her with the success and happiness that she has today and he not be a part of it.

“I love her.  I love her with all of my heart,” I say calmly as I think about the girl who holds my heart, “I would do anything for her.  And I tell her everyday how beautiful she is and how wonderful she is and how talented she.  And I tell her how proud I am of her.”

I look deep into his eyes and I can see that he is pained as he realizes what he has lost. 

“You left her broken,” I say as I stare at the lost man standing across from me, “and I put her back together.”