Justin's POV:

A huge grin took over Selena's face and, absentmindedly, my lips mirrored it. This has to be the most romantic moment I've shared with a girl. I'm not quite the romantic type if you haven't noticed, but with her.. I don't know, it's just different. "C'mon, let's get you back to the party. You're missing your own birthday." I took her hand and led her to the stairs we had previously descended, ignoring her frown. Had she really liked the present that much? A sensation of pride shot through me. I thought she would have preferred some jewelry or clothes but it seems like she actually isn't as shallow as I first thought. Well, never judge a book by its cover. We got to the car after she managed to climb the stone stairs in those killer heels – I actually think they could kill. "I hate stairs." she muttered, once we were inside the car. I chuckled, remembering how she had complained about my house not having an elevator that night when she was drunk. "But I loved the surprise." she sent me a shy smile. "It brightened my night." she added. "I'm glad it did." I grinned back.
-
On the way back to the hotel, we talked about random stuff and sang to the songs that were playing on the radio. I had to give my car to that hotel valet who parked it before again and we took the elevator to the 46th floor. The pile of presents had grown taller and there was a couple making out next to it, oblivious to our arrival. Selena made a disgusted scowl at them before shaking her head and taking my hand to lead me inside the party room. As soon as we opened the door, Kelsey threw herself at Selena like she hadn't seen her in years. "Thank God you're okay, Sel. Where the hell were you?" she scolded her before taking in my presence behind. A knowing look crossed her features, leaving a trace of a smirk on her lips. "Oh, I should've known you'd be with Justin." I could almost see Selena blushing even under the disco lights. "Don't worry Kelsey, I took care of her." I casually threw my arm around Selena's shoulder, making Kelsey's smirk grow bigger. "Sure." she laughed. "Anyways, the karaoke just started. You have to sing, Sel." she took her hand and tried to drag her to the little stage where a tipsy-looking blonde boy was singing Single Ladies by Beyoncé in a squeaky, unbearable voice. I freed Selena from my arm so Kelsey could bring her on stage. "What? I'm not singing in front of all these people." she panicked. "I can't sing." her feet glued to the floor, her arms opposing resistence. "Aw c'mon, it'll be fun." Kelsey nagged her. "Only if you sing too." she said, directing her words to me. "Me?" I asked perplexed. "Uh huh. At least you can sing." I hesitated for a second but decided it would be fun watching Selena sing and it's not like I haven't sung in public before. "Okay." I agreed. "Ladies first." I motioned for her to walk to the stage with my hand, trying to hide my amusement. She bit her lip and let Kelsey drag her in front of the screen that was displaying the ending lyrics to Single Ladies. Kelsey snatched the microphone from the boy's hand and ushered him to leave. "Okay, we had enough. Thank you, Jack." she fake smiled as I chuckled amused at her sincerity. "Now, the birthday girl is gonna sing for us." she beamed while Selena went scarlet and hid her face with her hair. She was so cute. People started cheering and shouting flattering comments at her. I rolled my eyes at them as I waited for her to choose a song and start singing. The first notes of the melody were unknown to me but, again, we don't have the same musical taste so I knew I wouldn't recognize the song. At the beginning, her voice was small and shaky but it didn't sound as bad as it had that day in the car.

'The day I first met you,
You told me you'd never fall in love,
But now that I get you,
I know fear is what it really was,
Now here we are,
So close yet so far,
Haven't I passed the test,
When will you realize,
Baby, I'm not like the rest.

Her eyes stopped looking shyly at the screen and turned to the crowd, posing on mine, just like she was directing the sentence to me. Although, I still didn't know the song, I must confess it was catchy and she wasn't such a bad singer now that she had recovered her self-confidence.

'Don't wanna break your heart,
Wanna give your heart a break,
I know you're scared it's wrong,
Like you might make a mistake,
There's just one life to live,
And there's no time to wait, to waste,
So let me give your heart a break.

I stopped listening when someone tapped my shoulder. I turned around only to be met with a pair of eyes that were exactly like Selena's but that, obviously, didn't belong to her. "What the fuck are you doing here, Bieber?" Ryan, her brother, hissed. "Your sister invited me." I shrugged, giving him a sly smirk, I knew would piss him off. "I already told her to stay away from you but since she didn't listen, I'll tell you." he pointed his finger, warningly, at me. "Don't go near her again." he warned. "Hey, chill." I lifted my arms in fake surrender, amusement dancing in my words, making it hard for me not to laugh. "We're just friends." I say. "Do you really expect me to believe that, Bieber? You were gone with her for a fucking hour." he yelled but it wasn't perceptible because of the loud music. And he timed it! Controller much? "What me and your sister do is none of your fucking business, Gomez." I spat in annoyance, crossing my arms above my chest. "Of course it is! I know the douche bag you are and if my sister gets hurt because of you, you're not gonna live through it." he threatened, anger flashing through his eyes but he didn't scare me. "Uh, I'm shaking." I laughed in his face. "I can't promise anything." I said just to bother him. I wasn't planning on hurting Selena at all, but Ryan is too much fun to mess with. "Be careful, dickhead." he warned and I resisted an incredible urge to punch him square in the nose. With one last full-of-hatred glance at me, he walked away.

'The day I first met you,
You told me you'd never fall in love.

I turned around to see Selena's confused stare as she finished the song. I missed most of it and she clearly noticed, but that last sentence lingered in my mind. I actually told her I'd never fall in love that day at Betty's. It was like the songs applied to our lives more than I would have thought. My mind vaguely wondered whether it was possible she had chosen it purposely. She handed the micro back to Kelsey and walked off the stage, brushing past my shoulder as she muttered bitterly. "Your turn." I sighed.

Selena's POV:

I stood in the spot Justin had previously occupied after my 'performance'. It was embarrassing to sing in front of everyone but I think I managed to sound acceptable. It was while I was singing it that I realized how the song related to Justin and me in some kind of way. But he wasn't paying attention to me half of the time because he was talking with someone whose face I couldn't see. I should be thankful for that because I didn't want him to hear me but, at the same time, it made me upset. I had no idea of who it could be, who else besides Tyson can he know here? Currently, Justin was on the stage choosing a song from the menu with Kelsey. He didn't look too fazed by the fact that there were around 100 people – yes, Kelsey invited everyone – waiting to hear him and probably wondering who he was. I could hear some murmurs like 'damn he's hot' or 'who's the hottie'; making me want to scream back at them.. the hottie is mine, bitch. He wasn't really mine but he had indeed kissed me before. My anger drifted away as I remembered our kiss under the bridge. It had been very movie-like and amazing.Very amazing. Justin's smooth voice brought me back to the now as he started singing, hitting – how not – every note perfectly and making me and the rest of the people who had sung before, look like total losers.

'I dreamed I was missing,
You were so scared,
But no one would listen,
'Cause no one else cared.

I recognized the song from the Twilight movie, though I doubt Justin knows it because of that. I think it's Linkin Park who sings it but, whoever does, Justin does it better, that's for sure.

'After my dreaming,
I woke with this fear,
What am I leaving,
When I'm done here?
So if you're asking me,
I want you to know,
When my time comes,
Forget the wrong that I've done,
Help me leave behind some,
Reasons to be missed,
And don't resent me,
And when you're feeling empty,
Keep me in your memory,
Leave out all the rest,
Leave out all the rest,
Don't be afraid,
I've taken my beating,
I've shared what I've made,
I'm strong on the surface,
Not all the way through,
I've never been perfect,
But neither have you,
So if you're asking me,
I want you to know,
When my time comes,
Forget the wrong that I've done,
Help me leave behind some,
Reasons to be missed,
Don't resent me,
And when you're feeling empty,
Keep me in your memory,
Leave out all the rest,
Leave out all the rest,
Forgetting all the hurt inside,
You've learned to hide so well,
Pretending someone else can come,
And save me from myself,
I can't be who you are,
When my time comes,
Forget the wrong that I've done,
Help me leave behind some,
Reasons to be missed,
Don't resent me,
And when you're feeling empty,
Keep me in your memory,
Leave out all the rest,
Leave out all the rest,
Forgetting all the hurt inside,
You've learned to hide so well,
Pretending someone else can come,
And save me from myself,
I can't be who you are,
I can't be who you are.

His voice didn't break or croake once through the whole song and the applaud he received at the end was proof of that. Justin's eyes were fixed on me the whole time and they seemed to be boring into my soul. I swallowed hard a couple of times from the intensity. This boy is so mysterious.. and, right now, I'm determined to reveal all those mysteries he's hiding. Whatever it takes.
-
I stretched out in my bed, untangling the sheets from my legs and blinking my eyes to pry them open. I took a glance at the clock on my nightstand. 1:43PM. "Hm." I moaned, sitting upright and dangling my feet from the bed. When they touched the floor, pain coursed through my soles, reminding me of last night.

Flashback

"I'll drive you home." Justin offered after the party had finished. "Haven't you drunk?" I creased a brow. "Only the beer before and it has no effect on me." he shrugged and led me to the elevator. "My feet hurt like hell." I whimpered, limping in an attempt to ease the ache. "Take your shoes off." he suggested, pressing the button to the lobby. In any other situation, I would have found walking barefoot disgusting but the pain was so unbearable that I reached down and slipped off my nude pumps. I moaned in relief as my feet were set free and wiggled my toes making Justin laugh. Kelsey and Tyson were in the elevator with us but they were too wrapped up in their own bubble to take any notice of us. Kelsey had confessed to me before that they kissed the other day when she came with me to pick Tommy up. My mouth would still be hanging open from the shock if I hadn't suspected they had kissed even before that. When we reached the first floor, my aching feet welcomed the cold marble tiles, although, I earned weird glares from the hotel staff. "Get on." Justin motioned for me to climb on his back so he would be carrying me, well piggybacking me. "Really? I'm too heavy." he rolled his eyes and gently grabbed one of my thighs so that I would be forced to climb. I squealed once I was up. He was holding my thighs with his hands, careful not to over-touch my skin but where he did, it tingled and burnt. "Light as a feather." he informed, making me giggle, and carried me to the car.
-
I winced all the way to the bathroom. I'm never wearing high-heels again. Yeah, that's what you always say. I washed my face and brushed my teeth. My mouth was dry but my lips were still tingly and, as I reached to touch them with my fingertips, I found myself smiling like a fool.
-
"We're here." Justin announced, pulling up in a parking spot in front of my building. "Thanks for the ride, Sir." I mocked him, opening the back door of the car to exit it. The prospect of stepping barefoot on the dirty street pavement didn't sound too appealing but putting on those shoes again seemed even worse. "Need some help?" he offered, suddenly standing by my door. "Please." I replied, successfully climbing on his back again. He carried me to the lobby, my heels dangling from one of my hands. "I might hire you as a walking chauffeur." I joked, making him laugh, his body vibrating in consequence. "Thank you." Kissing his cheek sweetly, I hopped off him once there was clean floor around us. "Anytime." he sent me his infamous breathtaking smile, making me melt. "I had fun and I loved your present." I tucked a lost strand of hair behind my ear and looked up at him through my lashes. "I'll see you on Monday." he said, leaning down to give me a swift but sweet kiss on the lips. "And I'm glad you liked it. I enjoyed the night too. Happy Birthday, Selena." I didn't have time to articulate a reply before he was crossing the doors to the street again and, for a minute, I stood there, in the middle of the hall, awestruck.

End of Flashback

I walked out of my room to get something to eat. Mum and Dad weren't home; they were probably at one of their brunches. Tommy was playing with his toys in his room and Blake was doing homework in the living room. "Good Morning." I cheerfully greeted Ryan, who was sitting on a stool by the kitchen bar, eating bacon. I grimaced at the sight. "Why so happy?" he inquired and I shrugged, giving him my back to grab some items from the fridge. "Who took you home yesterday?" he inquired, his voice suspicious. "A friend." I replied nonchalantly, pouring orange juice in a glass. "Does that friend casually go by the name of Justin Bieber?" I felt like I had been caught stealing money from the church's collection. I thanked God that I had my back to him while I stood on my tiptoes to get the box of granola cereals on the top shelf. When I didn't reply, he continued. "I thought I had told you not to go near him and now he's your friend or who knows what else." I turned around to see him shaking his head with a scowl. "You can't control who I hang out with." I said with a small voice, afraid of where this discussion would take us. Meanwhile, I poured the granola on a bowl and added some yogurt before taking a seat on a stool across from him. "I can when it's a problematic boy that will only get you in trouble and break your heart." he scoffed, talking while his mouth was full of bacon. "You know nothing about him." I muttered, narrowing my eyes at him. He snorted loudly. "And you do? Selena, I know things about Justin that would make you run away from him in a second." he said. "Then, tell me." I challenged, digging a spoon in my breakfast, although I had lost my appetite. "I can't." he sighed, running his hand through his dark hair. "See? You can't tell me to stay away from someone but not give me a valid reason to do it." I snorted, the spoon in my hand drawing circles in the air. "Yesterday, I talked to him at the party. " he said. Oh, so it was Ryan who Justin was talking to while I sang? Why didn't he tell me? "I warned him that if he hurt you, I would personally kill him." his voice darkened in an instant. "And do you want to know what he said?" he laughed humorlessly. "He said he can't promise anything." his voice turned into a lame impersonation of Justin's. My mouth opened in shock. Did he really say that? Is that what he wants, to make me fall in love with him and then break my heart? That would explain why he was so romantic yesterday.. Yeah, it seemed too good to be true. "I just want to protect you, Selena. He's an asshole." Ryan continued and his tone sounded sincere. I nodded, still in shock. "Okay." I said. "Will you stop seeing him now?" he asked, concerned. "Hmm." I lied just to shut him up. I still have too much to find out but I must confess that it hurt hearing that. "Good." he smiled, and brought his dishes to the sink. "When are you going back to Uni?" I asked, finally chewing on my food. "This evening." he said, before leaving the kitchen. I finished my cereal reluctantly, an odd feeling settled in my stomach, and walked to the living room. I was greeted with a huge heap of presents waiting to be opened but I wasn't really in the mood to do that at the moment. Then, I had an idea. Running across the corridor until I reached my little brother's room, I exclaimed. "Tommy! Do you wanna play a game? It's called 'unwrap as fast as you can!' You'll love it!" I said.
-
"Are you being serious, Sel?" Kelsey gaped at me when I finished telling her about Justin's graffiti and our kiss. I closed the door to my locker and smiled dreamily at her, confirming I was most definitely not making anything up. "That has to be the most romantic thing you've ever experienced." she cooed, cupping her mouth with a hand. I laughed, it's not like I've had boys doing romantic things for me before. I waited for Kelsey to take her Maths book from her locker before we both began our way to class. It was unnerving having everyone staring at me and whispering. Damn gossips. "But I don't know, Kels." I frowned and told her about yesterday's conversation with my brother Ryan. "Justin doesn't seem like the type of guy that would do those things. In fact, I think he likes you a lot. Tyson says he's never seen him acting like this for a girl." she said, trying to cheer me up; and actually she did. "I hope so.." I sighed. I guess I can't really trust Ryan's word anymore, not when it comes to Justin anyway. "By the way, how are things with Tyson?" I elbowed her in the ribs playfully. She immediately blushed. "They're good. We're good. I mean, we're taking it slow but I really like him, Selena." she beamed happily and I side-hugged her, genuinely happy for my bestfriend. "I'm glad to hear that. I do think he's crazy for you." I winked. "Selena." A male's voice made me stop dead in my tracks and curse my life. Kelsey and I turned around to be met with a sad-looking Nate. "I'll wait for you in class, Sel." she said, giving me an encouraging look before walking away and leaving us alone. This was the moment I had been dreading since Saturday night; facing the boy that cheated on me with my best friend. Well.. ex-best friend. "Shall we go somewhere more private to talk?" Nate looked around him at the hordes of students crowding the hallway. "There's nothing to talk about, Nathaniel." I replied coolly, using his full name. He took a deep breath, grimacing at his name. He never liked it. "Selena, it's not what it looked like, I promise. I didn't want to kiss her, she just threw herself at me, I swear." his voice came out desperate. I snorted bitterly. "Two people don't kiss if one of them doesn't want to." I stated. "Please, believe me. I don't like Natasha. I like you, Selena. I like you a lot." his tone was agonizing and for a second, I felt bad.. but I quickly recovered myself. He cheated on you, stand your ground. "That's why you never asked me to be your girlfriend?" I asked, accusingly. "What are you talking about? You were my girlfriend, I thought it was understood." he shook his head, furrowing his bushy eyebrows. Crap. "Well not to me.. but it doesn't matter because I want nothing to do with you. Nate, you kissed my best friend on my birthday." I emphasized the words and fought to keep the tears pricking at the back of my eyes from falling. No, I won't show him any emotion. "Sel, please.." he tried to speak but I held my hand up to silence him. "Don't." I closed my eyes briefly. "And don't call me Sel because that's not my name. Call me Selena. Or even better, don't call me at all!" I shouted before disappearing from there, all eyes on me. Natasha had better not come to school today because, God forbid me, I'll strangle her with my own hands the moment I see her. Wow, Justin's Bronx ways are really rubbing off on you, Selena.
-
I got off my car and closed the door shut behind me, making my way to the bench where Justin was already sitting. The clicking sound of my boots against the pavement startled him, causing him to look up at me. When he saw me, a smile etched across his face. "Hey." he saluted. I had to remind myself that I was mad at him, but because his smile is so breathtaking.. I almost forgave him right there. I didn't answer as I took a seat next to him, leaving some distance between us. "You okay?" he questioned, creasing his eyebrows. I nodded but remained silent. From my peripheral vision, I saw him eye me carefully, trying to decipher what was wrong with me. I bit my tongue but, eventually, I'd have to tell him. "Why didn't you tell me that you talked with my brother at the party?" I kept staring ahead but after a moment of him not responding, I turned to face him. "Well?" I raised a brow, expectantly. He sighed. "I don't know. We didn't talk about anything important." he slumped back on the wooden bench. Is he lying to me straight in my face? "Oh, but I think you did. Something about you not promising anything. Rings a bell to you?" his eyes widened and I saw his Adam apple move because he swallowed hard. "What did he tell you?" he asked, tentatively. "Enough to make me wonder if I should really listen to him and stay away from you." I confessed. It wasn't on my plans to stop seeing the boy I'm beginning to feel something for but.. "Look, Selena. Whatever I said, I did it to piss him off. I didn't mean any of it." he said. The expression on his eyes seemed truthful but I was still unsure. "So you're not really planning to hurt me?" I ask. Hope laced in my words. "Why would I want to hurt you? I thought the other day I showed you that I cared for you." he whispered, darting his eyes away from me, like it was embarrassing for him to admit that. A smile sketched on my face. He cares for me? "You're right." I sighed as he smiled a cheeky smile back at me. "So will you tell me what the problem between you and Ryan is?" I ask. His features hardened and his smile vanished in an instant. "I'm sure one day you'll find out but not now okay? It's not something you need to know anyway." he became serious and dark all of a sudden.. Boy, can he be scary when he gets like that. "You wanna know something?" I asked, rhetorically after a minute. "I wasn't gonna stop seeing you anyway. You intrigue me, Bieber. And I'm willing to get to know you better, even if it's a dangerous task." And there it was, his infamous smirk lightening his face again.