Rock Me

Answer

"Clara?" Justin called up the stairs. He'd been checking his Twitter account and come across a series of questions from his fans asking if Clara was in rehab. Justin hadn't answered but he'd found more than one article online that said she was going into a treatment facility.

It was funny to Justin that this rumor had only shown up now that Clara had successfully completed her full 60 days of treatment. But she'd visited the rehab center to do her final session and be signed off as finished with the program and that was when the pictures started circulating.

Clara appeared at the top of the stairs and started walking down. She was smiling at Justin and he couldn't help but smile back at her.

"What's up?" she asked him. Justin shook his head.

"Did you see the rehab pictures?" he asked. "From your visit last week?"

"No," Clara's eyes widened. "I bet that's causing drama though."

"Yeah, just a bit," Justin laughed. "Have you thought about saying anything?"

"I've been thinking about it for weeks," Clara reached the bottom of the stairs and held her arms open for a hug. "I need to say something but I was trying to think of the best thing to say. I guess I can't wait any longer though."

"Probably not much longer," Justin agreed, hugging her. "But obviously tonight they'll all realize you're not in rehab."

"True," Clara agreed. The VMAs were that night. Both Justin and Clara were up for individual awards, and their video for Worlds Collide was nominated for two other awards. "Are you ready?" Clara asked.

"Yup," Justin said. He pulled her against him and held up his phone to take a picture. "We can hit the road as soon as Kenny gets here."

"Perfect," Clara said. She bent down to kiss Blitz. "Are we going to the after party tonight?"

"I want to," Justin said. "But we don't have to stay long if you're not ready for that."

"I think it'll be okay," Clara shrugged. "I can always just come home on my own, that's not a big deal to me."

"It is to me," Justin countered. "We're in this together."

"I know, but I want you to be able to have fun with your friends and not have to worry about me," Clara protested. "So let's just see how it goes, I guess."

"I don't have to drink," Justin suggested. Clara smiled.

"You should drink if you want to drink," Clara said. "I really appreciate the offer, I do, but I have to get used to being around you when you've been drinking and I haven't. You have to go on with your life just like you would if I didn't have a problem," Clara insisted. "Just do whatever you want. I'll tell you if I'm having a hard time."

"Okay," Justin sighed. They'd had several versions of this conversation over the past two weeks but this would be the first time they had to put it into practice. Justin wanted to show his support by not drinking but Clara kept pointing out that he couldn't just quit drinking forever because she had a problem.

And forever was sounding more and more like a possibility. Now that Clara was done with rehab they were spending most of their nights at each other's houses. It made Justin give serious thought to the marriage question. He had every intention of proposing but he wasn't sure exactly when would be the right time.

Finally he'd turned to Scooter for advice. Though Scooter hadn't been even a little surprised to hear that Justin was thinking of marriage, he had pointed out the obvious.

"Justin, you're nineteen years old," Scooter had said. "I know this is what you want and if anyone can make it work, I know it's you. But just stop and think about it for a little while. If it were anyone else, wouldn't you think maybe you're still too young?"