Nick drove home feeling more positive than he had the previous day. He’d reacted badly to Kevin’s announcement when he had no right to do so. If Kevin wanted to go his own way, then so be it. Who was he to stop him? So what if the band fell apart? There were worse things in life weren’t there? It’s not like he was living his old life. Nick had his health and he had money, he also had fame - he could do whatever he wanted with his future.

He turned into his driveway and noticed Kevin’s car sitting in his usual parking spot.

“Wondered where you’d got to” Kevin said as he got out of the car.

“What’s it to you?” Nick replied sullenly.

“Come on Nicky, don’t be like that”

“Like what?” Nick asked, knowing that he sounded childish.

“Do we really have to carry on the conversation like this?” Kevin’s eyebrows came together in annoyance.

“I wasn’t aware that we were having a conversation, I thought you were done with me and the rest of the boys” Nick folded his arms across his chest and huffed.

“Nick you know that’s not true” Kevin said and Nick just glared at him in response “if you’re going to act like a five year old then…whatever…I don’t even know why I bothered coming over”. Kevin opened the car door and started climbing in, thinking that he should’ve just listened and left Nick alone.

“Wait!” Nick called out before Kevin could close the car door.

Kevin pushed the car door open again and climbed back out “are we going to talk like adults?”

“Yeah, I’m sorry” Nick replied.

“Me too” Kevin agreed and they went inside Nick’s house.

Even though Nick wasn’t happy with Kevin’s decision to leave, he understood why. After talking for a little while, it was clear to see that Kevin wasn’t abandoning the friendships he’d formed, and he’d always be there for the boys in a non-work related way, he just wanted something different.

“At least I won’t you have giving me a hard time about timekeeping, dance moves and shit like that anymore” Nick teased.

“No…but I’m sure one of the others will!” Kevin grinned.

“Yeah right!” Nick laughed, imagining Howie trying to fill Kevin’s shoes.

“Well, anyway, I better be going, but you know where I am if you need me. Don’t be a stranger OK?” Kevin ruffled Nick’s hair just like he used to when Nick was just a kid.

Nick pulled Kevin into a brotherly hug and then they said goodbye. He watched as Kevin drove away and then sat down on the sofa and ran his hand across his hair.

“If I’m not here to stop Kevin from leaving the band, then what am I here for?” he asked himself.

~*~

It took a while, and was definitely a whole new recording experience without Kevin, but in October 2007, the Backstreet Boys released ‘Unbreakable’. The album title said it all, that the band was indeed unbreakable. They had survived the loss of a member, the negativity of the music industry, lack of air time, but nothing could keep them down for long. They were back and functioning just fine, if not better, as a four piece.

Kevin kept in touch and even liked the new album, but wasn’t tempted to return, even though he was assured the door was always open. He’d moved on in his life and left the music industry well and truly behind.

Promotion work took them all over the world, and for the first time in a long time, it was fun. Now that everyone was happy and in a good place in their lives, it didn’t seem such a chore to put in the hard work. The fans were still there for them and even though they didn’t come out in force like they had back in the days of Millennium and Black & Blue, they still showed their support and there were always some hoping to catch a glimpse of them at TV and radio studios.

It was just before one of those promotional radio interviews that Nick came face to face with someone he never expected to see again.

“Dude, I’m just gonna run across to Starbucks” he told AJ as they climbed out of the car at the studio. The pair of them were in Greeneville, Tennessee, touring the southern states whilst Howie and Brian were up in Boston. There were no fans around that he could see, and he desperately needed a cappuccino.

“Grab me one too” AJ said as he lit up a cigarette and leaned against the outside of the studio “with an extra shot in it“. After being cooped up inside a non-smoking car for the last hour or so, he needed a nicotine hit before venturing into another non-smoking place.

Even though it was October, the weather was warm and Nick liked the feeling of the sun on his face as he walked across the road. He ordered coffee and grabbed a couple of donuts too, thinking that he’d just do an extra ten minutes in the gym to work it off.

It was as he was stood waiting to cross the road that he saw her.

“Mandy?” he said to himself and then called out her name across the street. She turned to see who had called her name and then carried on, obviously not recognising anyone.

“Mandy!” Nick called out again and then did something incredibly stupid. He stepped out into the road without a thought to oncoming traffic.

“Nick!” he heard AJ call out, as if miles away, but it was too late. The driver didn’t have time to react and hit Nick full force, sending him flying over the front of the car and then landing in a crumpled heap on the road.