FRACTURES (The Lake House #3) *REUPLOADED*

Chapter Nine

                   

Ana

Justin clutched my arm as we walked through the busy streets of New York City on a Monday afternoon. People cluttered the sidewalks holding cell phones in one hand and briefcases in the other. No one looked up from what they were doing as they sped up the street, heading wherever they needed to go.

It was damn good to be home.

Justin had sunglasses and a cap on as we walked down the sidewalk. He had told me that he'd had a security detail that we couldn't see but they could see us clear as day. Apparently there had been several situations where women would throw themselves at Justin convinced that they were meant to be the future Mrs. Biebers. Ever since then, Justin hired a small team to make sure things like that stopped.

"Justin," I lightly shook his hand off of me. "I lived here for sixteen years, walked these streets every day. I don't need a bodyguard."

He didn't budge. "You never know, the city's crazy and you're carrying precious cargo."

I rolled my eyes and sighed, choosing to ignore the fact that he just called our baby "cargo". I grabbed his hand so his whole arm lifted and I was able to loop my arm around his. "Is this better?"

"I guess."

We finally made it to an old brick building in a quiet neighborhood that looked like it was built fifty years ago. However, I knew from the tabloids, that you only lived there if your paycheck was pretty big. This part of the city had been taken over by celebrities and rich hipsters.

The lobby was big and as we walked to the elevator, an older man passed us with a mop and a bucket. He greeted us with a big smile.

"Good afternoon, Justin. How was your trip?"

Justin held out his hand. "It was great, thanks. Everything okay while I was gone?"

The man nodded, "Nina would lose a limb before anything out of the ordinary happened."

"Of course how could I forget?" Justin chuckled. "I'll see you later alright?"

When we stepped into the elevator, he turned to me. "I feel bad because the cleaning guys are always so nice but I can never remember their names. Out of all the people that live in this neighborhood, I'm probably the only one who pays them any attention. That one brings his kid sometimes with him even though he's not supposed to, but I'm not gonna rat him out. We all got shit to sort out. His son's a fan so I let him see my training room once and signed some stuff for him. He's a cute kid."

I nodded, watching him hit the button for the fifth floor. It was weird to think that the guy standing next to me that I'd known all those years ago was not the guy the rest of the world saw. On TV, Justin was this angry fighter with a constant look that said not to fuck with him. But most of that was an act. And I had a front row seat.

Justin's loft was nicer than any place I'd ever lived in when I was in New York. He had a whole floor to himself, the elevator leaving you right at the door. The walls were all brick, giving the place an old school feel. There was a round sectional in the living room plopped right in front of a huge TV, surrounded by shelves of various video games for various consoles.

"You're late." A woman's voiceechoed from the hall. Footsteps clacked against the wood floors.

"I know; our flight was delayed I'm sorry." Justin walked over to the older woman, putting an arm around her shoulder and a kiss on her cheek.

"How was the wedding?"

"Tiring, but nice. Gavin and Gianna are very happy together."

"Good, that's what marriage should be. Ruby tells me she met a boy at school, two months later she plans to live with him." She put her hands on her hips, shaking her head in disappointment. Then she eyed me up and down. "I've known you a long time Justin. So when you call and tell me to set up room for a 'girl friend', I was convinced the world was coming to an end. This has never happened."