Created By
Rate this Story
Embed
|
I'll Be There For You: Chapters 51 - 55
Romance
 Created on 12-4-07
 Views(76)
 Story Rating G
|
The plane landed on the runway of the airport in L.A. Nick and Kristin hastily made their way out of the way to meet his parents. Nick glanced around the airport and spotted his mom and dad a few feet away waving to get their attention. Nick smiled widely as he ran over to them.
"Mom! Dad!" he shouted as he ran to them.
"Nick!" his mom cried with her arms open wide.
Nick hugged his mother tight. "It's so good to see you. I've missed you so much."
"It's good to see you too Nick," his mom replied with a smile.
Nick glanced over at his dad. "Hey dad," he said as he hugged him.
"We're glad you're home," he replied.
"Ahem," said Kristin.
Nick gave her an irritated look then faced his parents. "Mom, Dad this is Kristin."
"Ah, this is the famous Kristin I've been hearing so much about," Bob replied.
Kristin laughed and shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you too."
"So nice of you to come," Jane said in a soft tone.
"Well, are we ready to go?" Bob asked.
"Yeah, I think so," Nick replied as he followed his dad out to the van.
They drove out of the airport and went to Nick's parents' house. Nick's eyes grew wide as he looked at the outside of the house.
"Wow! This looks great!"
Jane laughed. "Nick, why do you sound so surprised? You're the one who helped up get this house."
"I know, I just forgot what it looked like. It's been too long since I've been here."
"Well, who's fault is that?" Bob teased.
"Dad!"
Bob laughed. "I'm sorry, I just had to give you a hard time about that. Your brother and sisters will be really excited to see you. They've been talking about it all week. Especially Aaron."
"I'll be glad to see them too. I've missed everyone."
Bob pulled into the garage and everyone got out. Nick could hear the sound of Aaron running through the house. He laughed as he saw Aaron bust through the door and speed toward Nick.
"Nick!" he shouted as he hugged him tight.
"Hey, there, little man!"
"Nick, come play N64 with me. I wanna show you something. Then when we're done with that we'll go swimming. Then we'll play some basketball and then--"
"Whoa, whoa! Slow down, A.C. I'm going to be here for a whole week. We've got plenty of time to do all of that stuff."
"Okay," Aaron said excitedly.
"Help me with my stuff and I'll play N64 with you."
"Okay," Aaron said as he grabbed one of Nick's bags and headed inside.
Nick carried all the bags upstairs to his room and placed them on the bed. Kristin followed him and stood in the doorway.
"Where do I put my stuff?" she asked.
"In B.J.'s room. Come with me I'll show you where it is," Nick replied as he walked down the hall to B.J.'s room. The sound of NSYNC was blaring through the door. Nick rolled his eyes and opened the door. "Yo, Sis! What do you think you're doing? You traitor!" he teased.
B.J. laughed and turned down the stereo. "I knew you were standing outside my door," she said as she got up and hugged Nick. "God damn, boy you've gotten taller. You gotta stop growing or else I can't beat you up anymore."
"Oh, yeah right. You couldn't beat me up even if I had both my hands tied behind my back."
B.J. stuck her tongue out at Nick and laughed. "Who asked you anyway?"
Nick laughed and grabbed one of Kristin's bag. "B.J., this is my girlfriend Kristin. She's going to sleeping in here for the week."
"Nice to meet you," B.J. said as she shook Kristin's hand. "You can sleep on the spare bed over here. Don't mind the mess, I'm still getting everything organized in here."
"Oh, that's okay. I'm sure I won't be in here much anyway," Kristin said as she laid her suitcase on top of the bed.
Nick placed the other bag on the bed. "Well, I'm going to play some N64 with Aaron. You two have fun," Nick said as he gave Kristin a quick kiss on the cheek then left.
"Well, I hate to leave you alone, but I'm getting ready to meet some friends at the mall. Do you wanna come?"
"Oh, no thanks. I'll just start unpacking my things."
"Okay, well, see you later then," B.J. said as she left.
"Yeah, okay," Kristin mumbled.
Kristin finished putting away her things then walked down the hallway to find Nick. She heard his voice coming from a room so she peeked inside. There he was, sitting on the floor with Aaron playing N64.
"Hahahahaha! I won again!" Nick said as he did a little dance.
"No fair! You can't do that!"
"Oh, but I can," Nick said as he lightly pushed Aaron.
Kristin took a seat next to Nick. He looked over at her and smiled.
"Hey!" he said with a grin. "Get bored with B.J. already?"
"No, she left to meet some friends at the mall."
"Oh...she didn't invite you?"
"No, she did, but I said I wanted to stay here."
"Suit yourself," Nick said as he continued to play the game.
A few hours later, after dinner, Nick was sitting on a stool talking to his dad while he did dishes. Kristin came up behind him and put her arms around his waist. Nick smiled and kissed her. She grabbed his hand and pulled him outside by the pool.
"Lets go swimming," she said.
"Not right now I'm talking to my dad. We can go swimming tomorrow."
"Why not tonight?"
"I just wanna spend some time with my family tonight. I haven't seen them in forever."
"Nick, we're going to be here all week. You've got enough time to spend with your family."
"And we've got enough time to go swimming. We'll do it tomorrow, I promise."
"Fine whatever," Kristin said in an irritated tone. "I'm going to bed then."
"Okay, good night," he said as he reached for a kiss.
Kristin ignored him and walked upstairs. Nick let out a sigh and shook his head. He went back inside and sat on the stool. His dad had finished the dishes and was making himself a drink.
"Kristin seems like a nice young lady," Bob said.
"Yeah I guess," Nick said nonchalantly.
"You don't sound too sure about that. Are you okay?" he asked.
"No, I'm fine. Kristin and I are just having a few problems. She's been really irritable and impatient lately. I don't understand what her problem is. We fought the entire way here. We're just not as happy as we used to be. I dunno what to do about it."
Bob laughed and walked over to his son. He placed his arms around him and gave him a small hug. "It's just a phase. Every couple goes through it. Just give her time. You just keep doing what you know is right. She'll come along soon."
“It’s more than just the moodiness, Dad.”
Bob walked over to the back door. “Lets sit on the deck have a man to man talk,” he said as he opened the glass door.
Nick stepped outside with him and sat in a lawn chair next to his dad. He sighed and looked out at the pool. The wind was calmly blowing ripples across the water.
“So, what else is happening in paradise?” Bob asked while taking a sip of his scotch.
“Dad, she’s not the same person she was when I met her. She’s slowing turning into this monster. I don’t know if I like it.”
“Why do you think she’s behaving this way?”
“If I knew, I wouldn’t be talking about this with you.”
“Okay, here’s a question for you. Do you trust her?” Bob asked.
“Trust her? What do you mean?”
“You want to know what a woman’s true colors are? Put her in a situation where she has to fulfill your trust. If she betrays you, you know she’s not the one for you,” he said then took another sip of his drink.
“Isn’t that like playing games?” Nick asked.
“Sometimes you have to do that in order to find the truth. Seriously, give her something to feed off of. It works every time.”
“I’ll think about it,” Nick said with a yawn.
"You look tired. Why don't you get some sleep?"
"I think I will," Nick said as he stood up. He reached down and hugged his dad. "Good night, Dad."
"Good night," he replied.
Nick walked up the stairs to his room. He passed the hall bathroom on the way, just as Kristin came out. He glanced at her for a moment.
"I'm going to sleep now," he said softly.
"Good for you," she said as she started to walked back to B.J.'s room.
Nick grabbed her by the arm. "Why are you being so moody toward me? What did I do?"
Kristin jerked her arm away. "I knew it was a mistake to come here with you. You're going to be spending all your time with your family."
"Kristin, I see you everyday. It's been almost six months since I've seen my family. What is so wrong with wanting to spend time with them while I'm here?"
"Nothing, except when you ignore your girlfriend while doing it."
Nick rolled his eyes. "You think I'm ignoring you? You're being paranoid."
"Yeah, well, whatever," Kristin said as she walked into the room.
Nick groaned in frustration and went to his own room. He stripped down to his boxers and settled himself under the covers. Still angry at Kristin he tucked the covers under his chin and closed his eyes.
"She's so irritable," Nick mumbled to himself. "I wish she'd stop."
Nick let out a yawn and tried to relax. Before he knew it, his thoughts had faded into a haze and he was sound asleep.
Chapter 52
A.J. stood with Amanda at the doorway of his mom's house. He knocked on the door and waited for his mom to answer. The door opened and the smiling face of Denise appeared.
"Alex!" she said as she reached over and hugged him.
"Hey, Mom," A.J. said as he hugged her back.
Denise let go of A.J. and looked over at Amanda. "It‘s so good to see you," she said as she placed her hand on her stomach.
"Thanks," Amanda said with a laugh.
"Well, come on in. Everyone's here," Denise said as she led them inside.
A.J. and Amanda walked into the living room to be greeted by A.J.'s grandparents. They all exchanged hugs and went into the kitchen for Christmas dinner. A.J. pulled Amanda's chair out for her the sat in the seat next to her. They said grace and began to eat the delicious dinner. Amanda laughed at A.J. was enjoying every bite of his food.
"Mmmm, Mom you make the best Christmas dinners," A.J. said as he leaned back in his chair.
Amanda laughed and placed her hand in A.J's. "I agree with A.J. It was really good, Denise."
Denise smiled as she cleared away the table. "I don't know why Alex likes my dinners so much. I make the same thing every year., but he always loves them."
"That's because they're good," he said as he patted his stomach.
Denise laughed. "From the looks of you, it wouldn't hurt you to gain some weight," she said as she pinched his arm.
"Ow! Mom, that hurt!" he whined.
Amanda laughed. "He's such a wimp, isn't he?"
Denise nodded. "He's always has been."
"Aw man! I've got my mom and my girlfriend attacking me! How fair is this?" A.J. said.
Amanda laughed and grabbed A.J's arm. "Help me up. We're going to open presents soon."
A.J. got out of his seat and helped Amanda pull out her seat. They went into the living room and sat down on the couch. Soon, Denise finished with the dishes and join everyone in the living room. She sat under the tree and began handing out the wrapped presents. She handed Amanda her first one. Amanda starting ripping it open when A.J stopped her.
"Don't open it yet. Our family has a tradition. My mom hands everyone all their presents then we all open them at the same time."
"Oh, sorry," Amanda said, embarrassed.
A.J. laughed. "It's okay. You didn't know."
Once everyone received all their presents, they all began to quickly rip open the paper. Amanda laughed as she opened her first present. It was a kit of baby bottles and rattles given to her by all of A.J.'s family.
"Aww this is so cute! Thank you!"
"You're welcome," Denise said. "We thought you would need it when the baby came."
"It's wonderful I love it," Amanda said as she set it aside.
"Oh, my God!" A.J. exclaimed as he saw his present from Amanda. It was a framed collage of Frank Sinatra. "Where did you get this?"
"I found it at a flea marker a few months back. Do you like it?"
"I love it! This will go great in my game room. Thank you!" he said as he hugged her tight.
"You're welcome," Amanda replied then kissed him.
The rest of the afternoon, they all talked in the living room. Denise brought in freshly baked cookies and eggnog. The house was filled with Christmas cheer. Amanda couldn't help but laugh as she watched Denise run around the house taking pictures of everyone. It was a fun day for her.
Later that night, A.J. and Amanda were lying in bed at their own home. A.J. was watching television while Amanda was reading a book and eating a bowl of popcorn. She finished the last chapter and set the book down. Amanda kissed A.J. on the cheek and cuddled up next to him.
"Did you have fun today?" A.J. asked as he reached into her popcorn bowl.
"Yeah, I did. I'm glad I came."
A.J. smiled and kissed her on top of her head. "Oh, I almost forgot. I'll be right back," he said as he got out of bed. He went into the next room and came back with his hands behind his back. "I didn't give you your last Christmas present."
Amanda laughed. "You didn't think the mall gift card, leather purse, and perfume was enough?"
A.J. shook his head. "This one is much more important," he said as he laid back down on the bed. He handed her a small rectangular box. "Open it."
Amanda carefully unwrapped the paper and then opened the box. Inside was a beautiful gold heart shaped locket.
"Oh, my God! A.J., it's gorgeous!"
"Open it up."
Amanda opened it up and inside was a picture. One side had a picture of her and A.J. together.
The other side was empty. "Awww, A.J!"
"See, on the other side you can put a picture of the baby."
Amanda smiled widely as she hugged A.J. "Thank you. I love it," she said then kissed him.
"You're welcome," A.J. replied. "Anything to see the love of my life smile."
Amanda looked at A.J. with loving eyes. "I love you too. More than you will ever know," she replied then kissed him.
Chapter 53
It was Christmas morning and Rachel was still fast asleep in Brian's bed. She was awoken by the sound of children giggling and running. She opened her eyes and looked around. She noticed that Brian was gone. Rachel grabbed Brian's pillow and snuggled up next to it and tried to fall back asleep. She was slowly drifting off to dream land when she heard the sound of the door opening. She opened her eyes to see Brian coming into the room. He smiled at her and hopped onto the bed.
"Wake up sleeping beauty. It's Christmas morning!" he said with a glimmer of excitement in his eyes.
Rachel wrinkled her nose and groaned. "It's too early."
Brian laughed and pulled the blankets off of her. "Nope, you can't go back to sleep. No one in this house sleeps past 6 AM on Christmas morning. It's a tradition."
"Brian, I'm so nice and warm under the covers. I don't wanna get up."
Brian wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her on the cheek. "You can wear my sweatshirt and sweatpants. Come on, get up."
Rachel sat up and stretched out her stiff muscles. She let out a yawn as she waited for Brian to hand her his sweatshirt and sweatpants. He handed them to her and Rachel went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and get changed. When she finished she came out of the bathroom and took Brian's hand. They walked out of the room and headed downstairs. They arrived downstairs and Rachel immediately smelled the scent of freshly brewed coffee.
"Ooh, is that coffee I smell?"
Brian laughed. "Yeah, do you want some?"
"Yes, please."
"Okay I'll get you some. Why don't you take a seat on the couch?"
"Okay," Rachel said as she laid down on the couch.
She looked around the living room. Harold and his wife were playing with their two daughters, who were excited to find out what Santa had brought them. Rachel let out a yawn and looked over to the other side of the room and saw Brian coming back with two mugs filled with coffee. Rachel smiled and sat up.
"Here you go," Brian said as he handed her the coffee. "I put in sugar and milk, just the way you like it," he said as he sat down next to her.
Rachel smiled. "Thank you, baby," she said then kissed him on the cheek.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Rachel and Brian looked over at the door and saw Kevin, his family, and Sarah coming into the door. They all exchanged hellos and congregated into the living room. Rachel smiled and walked up to Sarah.
"Hey, girl! You look so pretty!" Rachel commented as she admired Sarah's new dress.
"Thank you. Kevin picked it out and gave it to me this morning. I decided to wear it for Christmas Day."
"Well, it looks very cute on you. Especially with your stomach," she teased.
Sarah laughed and rubbed her hand over her pregnant stomach. "I wouldn't go that far, but I do like the dress."
"Have you gotten all your Christmas presents yet?"
"No, Kevin said he has one more for me, but he won't let me see it until later. He says it's something the whole family needs to see. I have no idea what it could be."
Rachel shrugged. "I'm clueless myself."
"I guess we'll find out later."
"Yeah, we will. Well, I'm going to sit back on the couch. I'll talk to you later," she said.
"Okay," Sarah replied then walked back over to Kevin.
The day went on and everyone had unwrapped their presents. Rachel was happy when she saw that Brian had gotten her the giant pooh bear that she wanted. She couldn't help but smile when she saw Brian showing off his new watch that she had bought him to everyone. It had been a good day. After everyone was dressed and cleaned up, they had a big Christmas dinner. Once everyone had stuffed themselves full of food, they all went back into the living room to visit for a while. Rachel relaxed on the couch with Brian and looked around the room. She noticed Kevin stood up and looked around the room.
"Okay, everyone I have something I want you all to see," he said in a loud voice. The room grew quiet, and all attention was drawn to Kevin. He glanced over at Sarah and grabbed her hand. "Sarah, you remember this morning I told you I had a present I wanted to give you, but I had to do it in front of my family?"
Sarah nodded. "Yes, I do remember."
Kevin nervously cleared his throat and drew in a deep breath. "Sarah, you know I love you with all my heart, right?"
"Yes, Kevin, I do."
"And you know I would do anything for you, right?"
"Yes," Sarah said softly.
"And you love me too, am I right?"
"Of course."
Kevin laughed to himself and shook his head. "You know, I had this whole thing planned, but now I'm too nervous to remember what I had rehearsed so I'm just gonna wing it," he replied. Kevin got down on one knee and looked into Sarah's eyes. "Sarah, I have been in love with you since the day I laid eyes on you. I'm crazy about you, and it would mean the world to me if you would marry me." Kevin took out a small black box and opened it up. "Would you do me the honor and become my wife?"
Sarah gasped in surprise. "Yes," she said in between tears. "Yes, Kevin, I will marry you."
Everyone in the room clapped as Kevin slid the ring onto her finger and kissed her. Christmas Day was finally complete. Rachel looked over at Brian and smiled. Brian smiled back and put his arm around her shoulders. Rachel patted him on the leg and stood up. She walked over to Sarah and hugged her tight.
"Aw, I'm so happy for you!"
"Thanks," she said as she wiped away her tears. "I'm so happy I don't know what to think," she said with a laugh.
Rachel laughed along with her. "All I have to say is it's about to time, Kev!" she joked as she punched him on the arm.
"Hey, I was just waiting for the right time," he said with a smile.
"Aw, look at you! You're glowing! That's so cute!"
Kevin laughed and hugged Rachel. "Don't ever change, Rach."
"Just for you, I won't."
Kevin laughed and shook his head. "You're too much."
"I know," Rachel said as she turned around. She ran into Brian who was right behind her.
"Hey, Cuz, congratulations to you both," he said as he hugged Kevin and Sarah.
"Thanks Brian," replied Kevin. "Well, we're going to say good night to your mom and head on back to my house. We'll see you two later."
"Okay, take care," Brian replied then drew his attention back to Rachel.
Rachel sighed and leaned up against Brian. "I'm so glad those two found each other, aren't you?"
Brian nodded and wrapped his arms around Rachel's waist. "Yeah, it's great to see Kevin so happy."
Rachel smiled and turned around. She wrapped her arms around him and looked into his blue eyes. "You know, today was fun."
"Yes, but the day's not over yet. There's still one more tradition you haven't completed.
"And what would that be?"
Brian smiled and pointed to the ceiling. Rachel looked up and saw that they were standing under the mistletoe. She smiled and looked at him.
"You little sneak."
Brian smirked kissed her passionately. "Merry Christmas," he replied in a soft voice.
Rachel smiled and hugged him tight. "Merry Christmas," she replied then kissed him again.
Chapter 54
Nick woke up to the sound of Aaron running around the house. He snickered to himself as he listened to what Aaron was saying.
“It’s Christmas morning! Everyone up! Rise and shine! I can’t open my presents until everyone is downstairs!”
Nick yawned and got out of bed. He slowly crept down the hallway to B.J.’s room. The door was open and he could see Kristin was still in bed. He walked in and laid on the bed and planted kisses on her neck. Kristin stirred and looked up at him.
“What time is it?” she asked.
“It’s almost seven,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her.
Kristin groaned and buried her head in Nick’s chest. “I seriously don’t have to wake up, do I?”
Nick laughed. “Well, no, but if you want your presents, you better get up.”
Kristin sat up and rubbed her sleep out of her eye. “Okay, let me get dressed and I’ll meet you down there.”
Nick smiled and leaned in for a kiss. She pulled away from him. “Not with that dragon breath,” she said then stood up.
Nick stared at her from the bed and shut his eyes for a moment. She was going through her suitcase and pulled some clothes out. Kristin looked at Nick, who was still sitting on the bed.
“Well, are you going downstairs, or what?”
“I thought we’d go down together,” Nick replied.
“You can make yourself useful and get me a cup of coffee while I’m getting ready,” she snapped.
Nick sucked in a breath and walked out of the room. She barely waited for him to get out of the room before shutting the door behind him. He counted to ten before walking downstairs and planting a fake smile for his family to see. Aaron ran to the stairs and jumped up and down.
“Nick’s up!” he said as he dashed into the living room.
“Aaron, we have to wait for Kristin,” Nick said. “Five more minutes, bud. It won’t kill you,” Nick said as he walked into the kitchen.
His dad was standing by the stove making coffee. “Morning,” he said.
“Morning,” Nick said as he reached for a coffee cup.
“Since when did you drink coffee?” his mom asked as she walked into the kitchen.
“It’s for Kristin,” Nick said as he poured the coffee into the mug.
Just then, Kristin came downstairs. He looked up at her and handed her the coffee when she walked over to him. Without saying a word, she took the mug from him and took a sip. Her nose crinkled and she handed it back to him.
“Not sweet enough,” she said then walked into the living room.
Nick slowly put the cup on the counter and balled his fists. He looked to his right and saw his dad standing there. Nick shook his head and poured an obscene amount of sugar into the cup.
“Think that’ll be sweet enough?” he said with a snicker.
Bon chuckled and patted his son on the back. “Chip off the old block,” he said then went into the living room.
Nick stirred the coffee and went to the couch where Kristin was seated. He handed her the cup, but she didn’t take a drink right away. He became distracted by Aaron going through presents and handing them out. He laughed as Aaron talking out loud to himself.
“Mine, mine, mine…Nick…mine, mine…Mom.,” Aaron said as he handed out presents.
Nick picked up one of the boxes that Aaron had given him. He smiled as he opened it up. It was a box set of Journey CD’s. He couldn’t help but jump up and hug his parents.
“I love this!” he exclaimed.
“Oh, God! Nick, how much sugar did you put in this?” Kristin said in a loud voice.
Nick turned around and hid his grin as he noticed Kristin putting her cup back down. “You said you wanted it sweet,” he said as he sat back down. “Did I put too much?” he said innocently.
“Yeah, Nick, it’s practically all sugar.
“I can make you another cup,” he said.
“No, I”ll get it myself,” she said in a huffy tone.
Sorry,” Nick said as he walked away.
He silently laughed to himself and looked over at his dad who was laughing too. Jane looked at them both and shook her head.
“That wasn’t very nice, Nick,” she said.
“Hey, she started it,” Nick defended. “Trust me, she deserved it.”
Jane ignored her son and went back to opening her presents. Kristin had come back with a fresh cup of coffee and looked at Nick. Nick put his hand on her leg then handed her a small box.
“Merry Christmas,” he said with a smile.
Kristin eyed the box and opened it up. He waited to see the reaction on her face, but it wasn’t the reaction he was hoping for. As she opened the box, she pulled out a small picture of the two of them on the bus. It was taken during the tour. Nick picked the picture because it was one of the few pictures they had taken together. He had it blown up and put into a fancy silver frame. Kristin picked up the picture and looked at him.
“Well?”
“It’s nice,” Kristin said as she put it back in the box.
“What, you don’t like it?” Nick asked.
“No, it’s nice,” she said then kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”
Nick hid his feelings from his family, but inside he was furious. Nick decided to let it go and enjoy his holiday with his family. That afternoon, Nick helped his mom make the Christmas dinner. His sisters were making cookies and Aaron was chatting it up with his dad. Nick noticed Kristin sitting at the kitchen table off to herself. He looked over at Leslie and caught his glance in Kristin’s direction. Leslie turned around and handed Kristin a cookie.
“You wanna help decorate the gingerbread men?” she asked.
“No, thanks,” she said. “Excuse me, I need to make a phone call,” she said then disappeared upstairs.
“Well, can’t say I didn’t offer,” Leslie said as she sat back on her stool. “What’s her deal anyway?”
“I don’t know,” Nick said as he dipped his finger in the mixing bowl. “She’s been moody lately,” he said then licked his finger. “Oh, well. I’m not letting it ruin my holiday.”
After dinner, everyone went their separate ways. Nick wandered around the house and found Kristin sitting outside on the deck. He grabbed his windbreaker and went outside. Kristin was sipping on hot chocolate and gazing out at the pool. He drug a chair next to her and sat down.
“Hey,” she said then put her cup down.
“Hey,” he replied.
“I figured you’d be doing something with Aaron.”
Nick shook his head. “I decided to spend some time with you.”
“Why? I mean, isn’t your family more important?” she said in obvious sarcasm.
“Okay, that’s it. What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you being like this?”
“Nick, you’ve changed,” she said.
“I’ve changed? What about you? You used to be so nice to me and now you’re this woman I don’t even know. What happened to the Kristin I fell in love with? Where did she go?”
“She left when her boyfriend starting ignoring her,” she spat out.
“For the last time, I’m not ignoring you. Look, you have to understand that no one will ever come before my family. They’re my number one priority. If I don’t have them in my life, I’m nothing. If you want to be with me, you’re going to have get used to that fact.”
Kristin sat up and looked at him. “You wanna know why this all started?” she asked.
“Yes, tell me.”
“When you started yelling at me about me being too smothering.”
Nick’s mouth dropped. “Did I not apologize for that? What the fuck is the matter with you?”
“You apologized, but that’s all I got out of it. It was just words, Nick. You haven’t proven to me how sorry you really were.”
“Oh, so I’m supposed to kiss your ass. Is that it?”
“You don’t have to be so pissy about it. I’m just stating my opinion.”
Nick stood up and ran his fingers through his hair. “You know what? I don’t even want to discuss this right now. I’m going back in there and I’m going to have a wonderful time with my family. If you want to sit here and mope over something not worth it then be my guest. When we get back to Florida…you and I are going to have a talk and get this all out in the open,” he said then angrily walked into the house.
He slammed the door shut walked upstairs. His dad walked into his room and sat on his bed. “Another fight?”
“Dad, she’s driving me crazy.”
“Remember what I told you?”
“Yes,” Nick said with a sigh.
“Take my advice, Nick. You’ll thank me for it later,” he said then patted Nick on the back. “Good night,” he said then left the room.
“Good night,” Nick called back.
He let out another sigh and got up to turn off the light. He laid in his bed for a while and thought about things. An hour had passed and he heard the door creaking open. Nick looked over at the shadow figure walking toward him, it was Kristin. She laid on his bed next to him. Nick didn’t say a word to her, he closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep.
“Nick?” she said in a soft voice. “Are you awake?”
Nick stayed silent, fighting the urge to push her off the bed. Kristin snuggled closer and kissed him the cheek.
“I love you,” she said.
Something about the way she said those three words made Nick’s heart melt. He opened his eyes back up and put his arms around her.
“I love you too,” he whispered.
Kristin sat up. “You’re awake.”
Nick placed his fingers on her lips. “Shh,” he said as he sat up and kissed her. “Did you lock the door?” he asked.
Kristin nodded and cupped her hands around his face. She kissed him again more passionately. Nick held her close and roamed his hands around her body. Before he knew it, they were naked on his bed. Nick continued kissing her as she climbed on top of him. They made sweet love until they grew tired. She looked him in his eyes and kissed him on the tip of his nose. Nick felt her emotions through her eyes. He sincerely believe that they were meant to be together and this would pass and maybe already has.
Chapter 55
Nikki looked herself in the mirror. She was disgusted of how she looked. Ever since the boys had been off tour, she’d neglected her visits to the gym and it was starting to show. Nikki made a mental note herself to hit the gym first thing in the morning. There was one thing she hated about the holidays…the food. Food was her enemy, but she rarely found a way to get around eating on Christmas. She continued to study herself as she smoothed out her sweater. She saw Howie walk into the room and wrap his arms around her.
“You look beautiful,” he said as he kissed her neck. “Are you ready to go?”
“I guess so,” Nikki said softly.
“What’s wrong?” Howie asked.
Nikki turned around and faced him. “Nothing,” she said then kissed her cheek. “Just feeling a little under the weather.”
“Really?” he asked in concern. “Are you gonna feel up to going?” he said with a little disappointment.
Nikki was tempted to lie, but she couldn’t help but feel guilty when he gave her the puppy dog eyes. “I’m fine,” she said. “Lets get over there before they start dinner without us.”
Dinner with Dorough family was just as to be expected. She sat at the table with Howie and began cutting her food in small pieces. She took small bites and tried to pretend as if she was enjoying her food. Nikki had finished her plate and before she could protest, Howie had set a plate of dessert in front of her.
“You have to try my grandma’s pumpkin pie. It’s like eating a slice of heaven,” he said with a grin.
“Howie, I really couldn’t eat another bite,” she said.
“Come on, just try it. You don’t have to eat it all, but try it. You won’t regret it.”
Nikki hesitated for a moment then gave in. She took a bite of the pumpkin pie and was amazed of the taste.
“Oh, wow!” she said with a grin.
Howie smiled. “I told you .”
“This is really good,” Nikki said as she scarfed down the rest.
“Whoa, slow dow, baby. Don’t choke yourself,” Howie said with a laugh.
“Sorry,” Nikki said as she covered her mouth and chewed. “It’s so good.”
Later that night, Howie came into their bedroom and Nikki was observing the sweater she had gotten from him. He put his arms around her and Nikki smiled.
“You like it?” he asked.
“I love it,” she said then kissed him. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Howie said.
“I’m going to get ready for bed. I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Okay,” Howie said as he pulled off his shirt and pants. “I’m going to watch a little TV,” he said while crawling into bed.
Nikki went into the bathroom and did her usual routine of observing her body. She studied everything about herself. She walked over to the scale and weighed herself.
“One hundred fifteen,” Nikki grumbled. “Ugh, so gross!”
She grabbed her toothbrush and rammed it down her throat as she leaned over the toilet. Immediately, she began to vomit. She dropped her toothbrush and held onto the sides of the toilet. When she finished, she flushed the toilet. She stood up and was startled by the sight of Howie. He was staring at her blankly.
“Howie…”
“What was that?” he asked.
“I wasn’t feeling well,” Nikki said as she pushed past him to the sink.
She looked in the mirror and Howie was staring at her. Nikki turned on the faucet and began washing her face. She sighed and stared back at Howie.
“What?”
“Are you okay?” he asked gently.
Nikki turned around and looked at him. “I’ll be fine,” she said. “I told you I wasn’t feel well earlier. Maybe I’m getting the flu or something. Don’t worry so much.”
“Okay,” Howie said with hesitation. “Are you coming to bed?”
“Yeah, I’ll be right there,” she said as she reached for her toothbrush and began brushing her teeth.
When she finished, she put on her pajamas and crawled into bed with Howie. He snuggled close to her and began kissing her neck.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked.
Nikki sucked in a deep breath. “I’m fine. A little queasy, but I’m fine,” she said then kissed him. “Good night.”
“Good night,” Howie said as he put his arms around her.
Nikki rubbed her hand on Howie’s arm and stared blankly at the wall. Tears formed in her eyes. She was feeling mixed emotions of what she was doing to herself. As much as she loved Howie, she couldn’t help but feel that she needed to look perfect. If starving herself, exercising obsessively, and forced vomiting was what it took…that’s what she was committed to do. Nikki wiped the silent tears from off her face and closed her eyes. She knew she couldn’t talk to Howie about this and she was determined to keep it a secret.
Comments
Please Login to post comments| On December 5th 2007 necrosiss Said : | |
|
dude. i'm gonna smack nick and kristin upside their heads kay? as for nikki,omg. i'm going to hurt her too !
|
| On December 4th 2007 WaitingAlone Said : | |
|
awww omg...thats really WOW! plz keep me posted |
