Can last night last?

“So, are you gonna tell me why you and Amanda fought?” 

The night was already on its footsteps, creeping up between the last sunrise that still were shining although they were only a diminished orange.

Brian and Nick were in the family room, after they made a hot lasagna – well, after Brian made it and Nick stayed out from everything that could catch fire – and they settled down on the big sofa in front of the fireplace. On a little table they put down their plates and a bottle of red wine; least, Brian had turned on the stereo but took the volume down so they would be able to chat without being interrupted.

Brian had waited for Nick to start the conversation about the reason he came to him without any apparent reason but Nick had gone rambling about how much he wanted to learn to cook but knew that he was a complete failure and would end up food poisoning every one or set fire to his house.

Then, when Brian tried to change subject, Nick had started talking about his desire to make an album on his own and asked him his opinion. Was he ready to make that step?

Brian had tried to reassure him that he could do it, he believed so much in Nick’s talent and promised him that he would be at his side when the time to talk about it with the others would come.

“It’s over.” Nick replied while slipping some wine from his glass. “I told her that when I would be back I didn’t want to see her or her things.”

“It’s pretty final.” Brian commented. “Are you sure it’s the right decision to make?”

“Are you already in your psychologist role?” joked Nick. But that was one of the reasons he came to Brian: talking to him had always been the way to clean his vision from clouds of doubt. Brian managed always to show him if he was making a mistake or if he was right. “I don’t know. For weeks, we’ve been doing nothing but fight over the same old things. I was fed up with everything and... I can’t literally stand her anymore.”

Brian couldn’t help the little laugh that escaped from him. “I thought you loved the “I’m the queen” type of girl.”

“Why do I always end up with those kinda of girls?”

“Because they are the easiest. Especially for you. You have only to wink, use your charming and killer smile and every girl is on your feet. They adore you and they would do like everything just to get in your bed. You can play along and protect your heart because you already knew that they don’t want it. It’s safer. Still, you treat them like princess, even if they don’t deserve you.”

“And Amanda was one of those?”

“I don’t doubt that she loved you.”

“But...”

“But I think she loved more the “Nick star” and your glamour life.”

“Well...” Nick started to say while looking at his fingertips. “She would be a terrific soap – opera actress. The stunt she pulled out today... gosh! I only saw it in those low cost soap aired in the middle of the night.”

“Now if you tell me she throw you dishes...”

Nick nodded vigorously. “She did! And let’s not talk about the things she screamed! Absolutely insane!”

“Did she accuse you of cheating?”

“Worse! I think she believed that you and I had this secret relationship since I kept talking about you and always compared you two.”

Brian almost chocked himself with the bite of lasagna he was chewing. “What?”

“Yeah. Like the fact that I prefer playing basket with you instead that going shopping with her.”

“Look, I wouldn’t be offended if you went with her.” Said Brian faking being serious. Nick, just like him, hated going shopping and do it only when they were dragged around by Howie or Aj.

“That’s bullshit and you know it! I’m not Jay that he’s going to end up like having a whole clothes store in his house at the rate he’s going with his shopping!” exclaimed Nick, playing off like Brian and tried to sound rathely offended by that insinuation. “The fact is that... you’re right. I didn’t love her. It went to the point that I was waiting for the moment to jump back in the tour so I wouldn’t be with her constantly. Shouldn’t be the other way round?”

“Yes.”

“Believe me, Bri. It’s the best for everyone, especially me. I just want to find the right one, you know? The one who you can spend you night like us, simply eating something and chat for hours about everything. The one that would make me feel complete.”

Brian put down on the coffee table his plate and reached out for Nick’s hand, resting on it his palm. “Listen, Nick. One day you’re gonna find that special person... better, she would find you and you know why? Because you’re so special...” Brian stopped, he couldn’t go on talking about the little things that made Nick so special to him. On the other hand, he just wanted to take and shake Nick to make him see that he was the one he was looking for.

“You’re special too, Brian.” Said Nick with the same soft tone Brian had used before. “I still don’t understand why Leighanne had let you go.”

Nick knew he was stepping in a subject that screaming “attention, danger!” all over itself. Even though him and Leighanne never get along very well, he always believed that if a relationship surpassed the first year, that meant that they were destined to be together.

Brian and Leighanne stayed together for a whole period of four years and always seemed the perfect ideal couple. Suddenly, just like a storm in the hottest day of the summer, Brian came and told them that they weren’t anymore an item without adding an explanation or whose fault were.

If someone asked him further, Brian just closed himself in total silence, most of the time storming off the room with a stern stare in his eyes. Just like that moment. Brian tensed up almost immediately, taking back his hand. 

“It’s over.”

“Brian.”

“I don’t want to talk about it. I’m okay.”

“Brian.”

The point was that Nick could have called back Brian a thousand times and still the guy would have brushed him off. He would never let his guard down neither let him see the devastation that broken relationship had left in his soul.

“Have you finished? You can watch some TV while I clean over.”

Nick kept his gaze on the disappearing form of Brian, after he gathered the dishes and went to the kitchen. He didn’t follow him though. Because he knew when to push him and when just stay on his place. Sadly, that was the moment to let him be alone.

So Nick grabbed the remote and turned on the television but he didn’t really pay attention to the images on the screen, even though it was his favorite TV show. His mind was still wrapped around the sudden change in Brian and he kept wonder what he could do to bring back that smile Brian was so famous for.

Nick kept wondering why he feel the unexplainable urge to be the one who could make Brian smile like the sun was in his eyes.