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June helped Nick take the guys to the airport Thrusday morning, offering up her car as well as his rental. While in town, they grabbed brunch at a small deli.

"You're inlove with my best friend."

He laughed and looked down at her as they waited for their drinks, "What?"

She squinted her eyes and smiled, "Don't play dumb, I saw it. It's obvious."

He licked his lips, then the corner of his lip curved up, "I don't know what you're talking about."

She laughed, throwing her head back to exaggerate a little, "Nick, I saw it. Last Night. When you were singing Rhythm of Love." They took their food to a little table in the corner of the room. "Does she know?"

He signed and nodded, "Yea she knows."

"So why aren't y'all together? There's definitely something there on her end."

He perked up, "Did she say something?"

"No but I looked at her when you were singing and she had this look in her eyes that just screamed love. I swear if it was a cartoon she would have had little heart bubbles coming out of her head."

He sighed and leaned back in his chair, "Yea but she has already told me she is giving Max a try."

June smiled evily, "Maybe we can take advantage of our last night without Max. Rekindle some feelings?"

He raised an eyebrow, "What do you have in mind?"

June rolled her eyes, "Could you BE more cheesy Nick?" He laughed.

That evening, Delilah dropped her purse on the table and plopped down on the couch exhausted. She had invited the girls to her house that night for girls night, and had promised she would cook but now she didn't feel like it. She texted June.

So tired. Don't want to cook.

Her response was almost instant.

Don't cook. Let's order in. Will ask Trish what we should get when she picks me up. Will be there in about 30 minutes.

Delilah smiled and got up to shower real quick. When she got out, she put on some yoga pants, and a loose top that hung off her shoulder. She threw her hair up in a sloppy bun. She went in to the living room and started a fire in the chimney

Shortly after there was a knock on her door followed by the girls walking in, "Delilah?"

She walked out and plopped back on the couch. "Hey".

Trish joined her on the other couch equally as exhausted.

June went in to the kitchen to get some wine, "Good Lord ladies, what happened?"

Delilah shook her head, "It seems that since the guys performed at the bakery last night, everyone wants to eat where they performed. We had people from inland coming in today. We were busy all day."

Trish groaned, "I am starving. What are we eating? Let's order Chinese."

"I don't care what we order, I just want food."

June groaned as she came back with the glasses and the bottle about to serve them some, "I don't want Chinese."

"Then what do you want?"

June thought for a while, "I don't know. What sounds good?"

Trish glared at her, "You are so difficult."

"I know I am I'm sorry! Let's look on UrbanSpoon to see what sounds good!"

"Dammit June, that takes forever for you to decide!"

There was a knock at the door, so Delilah dragged herself up and walked over. When she opened it, she was surprised to see Nick at the door with 3 medium pizza's and a case of beer. "Hey", he grinned.

Confused, "Hi. What are you doing here?"

"Well I can't get ahold of June, and I was bored so I kinda hoped she was here and that we could hang out. I brought pizza."

Trish pushed her way through, letting him in. "He brought food, that's all that matters."

June jumped up from the couch and took the wine back in the kitchen, "Oh Nick you are a life saver! I love you right now!"

He laughed, "Geez ladies, calm down."

Delilah closed the door and shook her head. "Did you at least bring pineapple and canadian bacon?"

He smiled at her as he opened one of the pizzas, "Of course I did." They sat around in the living room, on the floor around the fire and ate their pizza in silence. Once they were done, Nick cleaned up the pizza boxes and came back to sit on the floor. June layed down, with her head on Delilah's lap, "Oh I am so full. That was wonderful. Thanks Nick."

Delilah nodded as she put her head back on the couch seat, "Mmhmm this is just what I needed today."

Trish rubbed her feet, "My feet are killing me."

June turned lazily towards her, "Nick gives the best foot massages. Seriously amazing, you should have him do you Delilah."

Nick was drinking his beer, and almost spit it out. Delilah raised an eyebrow.

June rolled her eyes, "Euw not like that you guys."

He shurgged still laughing,"Hey I didn't say anything. But yea Trish come here I don't mind." Trish was not even shy about it as she scooted over to him and put her feet in his lap. He laughed and turned to Delilah, "I can do yours next if you want."

She shook her head and laughed, "No its ok, but thanks."

Trish let out a loud moan making Nick blush. Delilah's eyes widened, "Trish!"

She laughed embarrassed, "I'm sorry but you have no idea how good that feels. My feet have been so swollen lately!" She quickly tried to change the subject, "So what are y'all doing next week for Thanskgiving? I'm going to New York, Jeremy's family is meeting up there for the parade and dinner. Are you coming Delilah?"

Nick looked over at her. She chewed on the inside of her lip, "Um, Max hasn't asked me. Besides I don't know if I would go. The bakery and all." She glanced at Nick, then looked away.

Trish brushed it off, "Oh he probably will. Or he'll come down here with you. No worries. June? Nick?"

June shurgged, "I will probably go out into town, I like having Thanksgiving at a restaurant, you can come with me Nick, since these heiffers may abandon us." He just smiled and nodded.

Trish switched feet, "So Nick, tell us some scoop. Why is this Lauren girl your EX-fiance?"

June frowned, "Who cares, let's not talk about that." Let's talk about Delilah and Nick instead.

Delilah started braiding June's hair, "No, thats a good question. I want to know too."

He kept rubbing Trish's feet, "I think I led her on?"

"You think?"

"Yea well I know I led her on, but it wasn't on purpose. I proposed to her to get her off my back about it, but I never actually sat down and planned the wedding. I always had something else going on, like our new album, and then the tour. So maybe I just didn't want to get married. She got tired of waiting and assumed I would beg her to stay, but when she broke off the engagement I was ok with it."

June quickly took that as a sign of that conversation ending and spokeup, "See dull conversation. Let's hear some happy times. How did y'all meet? I've been dying to know."

Delilah laughed at her eagerness and looked up at Nick who was also smiling. He tilted his head towards her, signaling for her to lead off.

She took a deep breath as she dug deep in her memory. "My dad was really good friends with Brian and Kevin's dads when they were young, all the way in to college. The didn't keep in touch once my dad moved but he was always looking for them. In 2000 he found Brian's dad, and found out about Kevin's dad's passing. The Littrells were going to have this huge week long family get together at a lake house and invited our family out to rent one of the cabins. My dad jumped on that opportunity since he hadn't see Mr. Littrell in forever. So he loaded is up that summer and we headed out. I was excited because dad said Brian was bringing one of the guys from the group, and I was hoping it was AJ because he was hot." She laughed as Nick shook his head, "Sorry. Anyway, I was disappointed when we got there and it wasn't AJ instead it was Nick. Most of the week the younger kids, mind you I was 16 at the time so I was considered a younger kid."

Nick interrupted, "Yea but she was like 16 going on 30. Way too mature for her age."

Delilah laughed, "That's what I was getting at Nick. I was 16, with the mentality of a 25 year old, not 30. Nick on the other hand was 21 with the mentality of a 15 year old boy. He didn't want to go hang out with the grown ups, he rather play in the lake with the kids. So he spent a lot of time with us. I couldn't get over how immautre he was, and I was very verbal about it. I thought it was weird that the 21 guy was not drinking and grilling with the others." She laughed, "We fought a lot actually about that. We didn't get along. I think I was just mad at him for not being AJ."

Nick nodded, "Until that night when I came out around 11 to smoke and saw you on the picnic table."

June and Trish both looked at Delilah, "Oh yea, I was sitting out there after all the lights had been turned off staring at the stars. I was in my pj shorts and t-shirt with this blanket on my legs."
"So I walked up and asked her what the hell she was doing out here in the middle of the night. She just looked up at me and told me to shush and lay down. I told her no, and she interrupted me and told me to shut up for once in my life and just lay down. She patted the table next to her. So I did, and I was amazed at what I was looking at. It was just beautiful. That night changed everything for me, we stayed there and talked for hours. After that all I wanted to do was talk to her all the time. When that week ended we exchanged numbers and I called her the minute I got home. We talked almost everynight for 6 months."

Delilah smiled as she rememebred that night, "Yea that night was nice. After 6 months of phone conversations and e-mails, he asked me to be his girlfriend. I was scared because this 21 year old wanted me, but he made it clear it wasn't about sex. It was about me. So I said yes, and he would come to Houston to visit as much as he could. Literally any break they had he flew down. My parents loved him, mainly because Brian and Kevin vouched for him. In 2001 I went on tour with them as you know, and in 2002 we got married. It wasn't a ceremony, it was just the courhouse, and a gathering at my house. We just wanted to be married, we were so inlove."

June watched them look at each other as they remembered. Yeeees this is working perfectly.

Trish broke the silence, "So what happened? Why did y'all split up?"

June frowned again. Dammit Trish who cares! Don't bring that up. She looked at Nick begging him with her eyes not to answer.

Delilah was the one to speak first, "Oh you know, couples that young hardly last."

"I cheated on her."

June sighed. Dammit Nick.

Delilah shook her head, "Nick, you don't have to."

He was looking at the fire when he interrupted her, "I cheated on her after she had a miscarriage."

June and Trish gasped in unison. Trish pulled her foot away and stared wide eyed, "You did what? Delilah? You didn't tell me about this!"

June's eyebrows creased and she shook her head, "You ass."

Delilah was in shock. She stared at him with tears filling her eyes, "You knew?"

He nodded slowly, watching her chin tremble."Yea your sister told me. You started acting weird and you wouldn't talk to me, so I asked Cassidy. I swore I wouldn't say anything. Once she told me I was relieved. I had thought something worse, I didn't want a baby at that time so it didn't bother me. But when I would try to touch you and get intimate with you, you wouldn't want to. You always had some excuse, so I went looking for it else where. Delilah I am so sorry. That has been eating me inside for ever."

Trish was furious by now, "You asshole!"

June was sitting up, "You pig!"

Delilah gasped and looked down at her hands. Then she took a deep breath, wiped her tears, and shook her head, "Girls. Come on, he was so young and immature. You can't be so harsh on him." Nick looked at her surprised. June and Trish started to argue but she held her hand up, "Come on, he clearly feels bad." She looked at her phone, "Its getting pretty late, I have an early morning at the bakery."

The two girls looked at Nick, then at Delilah. They got up and said their good byes and headed out.

Nick walked with Delilah to the door, "Delilah, talk to me."

She shook her head, "Don't worry about it." She smiled warily at him, even reached up to hug him goodbye.

She made her way into her room and went to laid down, too exhausted to even think.

The next morning she noticed something on the bakery door. A notice and a huge lock on the door. Mr. Tennison walked up behind her, "Ah you're here." She spun around startled. He continued, "See you thought you and your little boyfriend were so clever in postponing my plans? Well two can play at that game. There you see a notice that says until the property dispute is resolved neither party will be able to use the land. It's only fair. Have a nice day."

She gasped as he walked away. She took her phone out and dialed Max, sending him a picture of the notice.

"I'm afraid that is legal. Dammit that scumbag. I didn't think he would think of that. He really is at this point just trying to make your life difficult! Let me call you back, I need to call my assistant on this case. Don't worry Delilah."

Shortly after, Delilah was back in her bed crying. June, Trish, and Nick burst through the door to find her curled up huggin a pillow."What am I suppose to do now? That place is my life?"

"Lilah I am so sorry." June crawled on the bed behind her and hugged her.

Trish moved infront of her and pet her head."That dickhead is going to get what's coming to him."

Nick sat at the edge of the bed, "What did Max say?"

"He said it was all legal. That asshat has a right to do this until the issue gets resolved. I've worked so hard for that place!" She sobbed into her pillow as her friends sat around, now knowing what to say. Dobby laugh on the floor by the bed with his head down as well. After about an hour, she asked them to leave as she wanted to just be alone.

She must have drifted off to sleep and was startled when her phone woke her. "hello?"
"Hey babe, I've been thinking about a way to cheer you up. Come to New York for the week with me?"

"Max I don't know."

"No hear me out. You deserve it. I want you to be here with me. We can do Thanksgiving with my family, or just on our own if you prefer. I can put you and Dobby in the nicest hotel, you don't even have to stay at my place if you don't want to.

She smiled as she realized he mentioned Dobby. "I don't know."
His voice softened, "Babe, let me take care of you. Please." The lump in her throat threatened her again.

She nodded, "Okay. I'll go."

He set up his ticket to be transferred to her and to depart that evening.

She took out her large suitcase and started filling in with all different styles of clothes. She felt a tinge of excitement as she perpared her luggage. She took out a smaller one for her make up and hair products. Around 45 minutes later, she heard her front door open and Nick call out to her. "Delilah?"
"In here."

He walked in holding sunflowers, "Hey, I brought you these."

She walked over and took them, "Sunflowers?"

He laughed, "Yea you mentioned once that you could never be sad around these flowers because they were so bright. So I thought they could cheer you up a bit."

"Aw that's sweet."

He looked over her shoulder at the luggage on her bed. "What's all this?"

She turned to what he was looking at after putting the flowers in a vase,"oh I'm going to New York."

"Why?"

"To spend the week with my boyfriend."

He looked confused,"But what about us?"

Now she was confused,"What?"

He pushe a strand of her hair behind her ear, "Well I was hoping that we could talk so more about what happened yesterday. I didn't think you were upset about last night."
"What does that have to do with me going to New York?"

"I refuse to believe that you'd want to go to New York if you weren't mad at me."

Disbelief clear on her face, "You think I'm going to New York because of what happened last night?"

"Yea you said you didn't want to go last night."

"No, last night I said he hadn't asked me, and that I wouldn't go because of the bakery." He started to talk but she put her finger up, "Nick, first off my decisions are not based on you. I decided to go to New York because my boyfriend asked me to go so he could cheer me up because I lost my bakery. Second of all, just because I didn't flip out last night doesn't mean I wasn't upset." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a second. "Nick, for the past ten years, there has been a question lingering in the back of my mind. Lately this question has been coming up a lot. What if?"

His face turned serious, "Delilah-"

She shook her head, "No let me finish. What if, I had just told him what happened. What if you knew what was going on back then? Would we have talked it out, could we have been okay? What if he knew that I had a miscarriage and I didn't want to have sex because I was afraid of getting pregnant again because my husband hates condoms and I am terrified of birth control." She let out a short sad laugh, "It turns out you did know...and it is actually the reason you left."

He cut her off, "Thats not why I left."

She shook her head, "It kind of is Nick. I needed time and you couldn't wait."

"You didn't tell me!"

She scoffed, "So it's my fault? You knew, and had you been thinking with your head instead of your dick you would have known that what I had just gone through was the most terrible thing imaginable for a woman. I was 19 Nick, I was scared." Her voice broke. She bit the inside of her cheek, "Actually I'm a little relieved, because now I don't have to think about it anymore. You gave me the closure I needed."

His eyes filled with tears, "Delilah I'm sorry. Please." He stepped forward, reaching out to her.

She stepped back and looked down, "No Nick, please just let it go."

He nodded, "So that's it then?"

She wiped her tear, "Yea that's it." She looked up at him.

For the first time he could see pain in her eyes. Pain he had caused her. What was worst is that he could see disappointment too. He dropped his shoulders and walked out of the house.