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Author's note: Alright, so it took me a while to update, but that's what happens when you get to go to a BSB-concert.. way too nervous (even though it was my 4th show, not from the Never Gone Tour though), and excited! So here's the update. And I promise, things will finally be explained in the next chapter. PLEASE review! Alright, now sit back, relax and find out how Nick responds when he spots Kevin in room 263!

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“Hi Rok, how is she do-... Kev??” he said when he noticed him holding her hand. And Brian, who was sitting next to him, he didn’t even look near angry, instead, the both looked like they had been crying. The eldest seemed to be in an even worse state than when he last saw him, he had lost even more weight and his body was trembling as if it was freezing in room 263, but it was probably about 75 degrees in there. A.J. didn’t quite understand the situation, so he glanced at Howie, who looked just as puzzled. The two cousins didn’t respond, instead Kevin kept his gaze at Wendy, and Brian kept his gaze on his cousin.

“Guys?” Howie walked over to Brian, placing a hand on his shoulder, which caused the man to turn his head and look at him. “Don’t ask.” He whispered. “As for Wendy, she can breathe on her own again.” Howie nodded, not knowing what to say or do next. A.J. walked up to the bed and gently sat down on it, then put his hand on her knee. “That’s good news, Bri. Really good news.” The three men just sat there in silence. Brian was trying to comprehend everything Kevin had told him. A.J. and Howie wondered what had happened before they entered the room, but knew now was not the time to ask. And Kevin, he just sat there, thinking of what could’ve been.

About half an hour later, the one guy missing slowly opened the door and stepped in, calm at first, but then.. “What the HELL is HE doing here?!” Nick exclaimed as he noticed Kevin in the room next to Wendy, holding her hand. His face turned red and he lunged forward, ready to attack the oldest man in the room, who didn’t even lift his head as he heard these words. He had expected them to come up, eventually, and since he was in no shape to argue, he decided to just let Nick rant.
“Nick, calm down.” Howie firmly said as he walked up to his younger friend. But Nick didn’t pay any attention to him, passed Brian who was still staring at his cousin, not seeing the seriousness of the situation. Nick walked up to Kevin, yanking his shirt and forcing him to stand up. Kevin didn’t even bother to move or say anything as he looked his friend in the eyes. He just wanted to get this over with. Howie and A.J. were now trying to get Nick to let go, yelling and pulling him back, but they couldn’t prevent him from punching Kevin in the stomach, causing the older man to fall to his knees, gasping for air, clutching his stomach and with shock written all over his face.

Nick was about to kick Kevin, when Howie and A.J. were finally able to push him to the other side of the room. “LET ME GO!!” He yelled as he tried to break free from their firm grasp. A.J. grabbed him by the shoulders even tighter, probably causing bruises. “DAMN Carter, control yourself!!”
In the meantime, Brian knelt next to Kevin, who was still trying to catch his breath. “Are you alright?”
“WHY do you even care?! Did all of you FORGET what he did to her?!!!!” Nick yelled from the other side of the room, still struggling to break free. “Carter, SHUT IT!” Brian shot a glare at him, immediately causing Nick to stop fighting and yelling. To Kevin, all of this seemed to be surreal. Did the youngest really punch him? And was he really about to kick his ass even more after that? He didn’t hear Brian’s question as he repeated it. Then out of nowhere, or so it seemed, there were two sets of arms pulling him up, then slowly Brian and Howie sat him down on the chair that was his before Nick’s little outburst. Howie sat down next to him to make sure he was okay, while Brian walked up to Nick.

“What the HELL is wrong with you, Brian?! Why are you so caring all of a sudden?!” Nick looked down at his best friend, whom he now considered to have gone crazy since the last time he saw him. “YOU were the one who told us he no longer existed and now you ask him if he’s freaking alright?!!!”
Brian simply nodded, too tired to explain the whole situation at this point. “He had his reasons, Nick.”
“His reasons, my ass..” Nick rolled his eyes, thinking there was no reason good enough to act like Kevin had in the weeks before. No reason at all to hurt the girl Nick still had a soft spot for.
“Just LOOK at him, Nick. Doesn’t that tell you something?!” Brian pointed at Kevin, once again noticing his thinning frame, the way his shoulders hang down, the hands that were rubbing his face in exhaustion and the tears that were rolling down his cheeks as Howie tried to soothe him. Nick quickly looked at Kevin before he returned his gaze back to Brian, his eyes still spatting fire, his body trembling with anger and hatred. “He looks like shit, so what else is new?! Really Rok, I think you might have lost it. Sanity that is. Look at WENDY, look at HER! She is the one you should be all worried about, not that THING over there holding her hand.”

“That THING, is your brother, Nick.” A.J. yelled as he stood before him, planting his finger on the other man’s chest. “Have you EVER thought about the reasons he might have for his behavior? That FOR ONCE he WASN’T the strong one?! The one who always saved our asses?!”
“He no longer is my brother, he’s a total stranger to me..” Nick calmed somewhat down, realising that those words hurt, a lot. He didn’t want to feel this way, but felt like there was nothing he could do. Kevin WAS a stranger, for he didn’t look like the strong man he once was, the one who did always save their asses when either of them were in trouble. He always stood by them, no matter what, and now.. now no one had stood by him. Silence came over the five men as Nick’s words sank in. He was right about that one thing. Kevin was a stranger to them, for the most part. Even now he had opened up to Brian, he didn’t understand his reasons. He could understand why he had run off, after that nightmare, but all of his following actions still didn’t make any sense.

“Can all of you stop talking about me.. as if I’m not here?” a tired voice whispered. “You’re right. I am a total stranger to you, Nick. To all of you, even you Brian. I...” His voice trailed off, watching the other men shift on their feet, feeling uncomfortable. “I think I owe you an explanation. That is, if you want to hear it.. if you don’t, I understand.. it’s not like I deser-”
“I’d like to hear it..” Howie said as he placed his hand on Kevin’s back. He really wanted to understand the how and why, especially the why. “So would I.” A.J. turned around and started walking over to her bed, again sitting down gently. Brian nodded as he followed, looking at the youngest as he sat down. “Nick?”
“I really couldn’t care less.” He was lying and he knew it was obvious, but he was just too stubborn to give in that easily. “NICK..” A.J. shot him a warning glare, telling him he should really not be a smartass right now otherwise he was the one who’d get his ass whipped, so the youngest shrugged as he walked over to the bed, grabbed a chair and sat across from Kevin, trying not to see the way he was holding Wendy’s hand.

Kevin took a deep, long breath as he closed his eyes, trying of a way to say all this, without giving in to the nausea he was feeling once again, partly caused by the tension, partly caused by Nick’s punch. “The night.. Stacey.. she-she died.. it wasn’t just a carcrash.. There was so much more to it.. I-I caused it.”