"I don't know," Nick answered morosely, shoulders jerking into a shrug.
"How can you not know where your fiancée is? You were supposed to wine and dine her tonight and then get some good sex without the kid sleeping in his carrier. Which, I've come to return. So, kiss all that sex shit goodbye," AJ announced as he gently laid Zachary on the bed, blocking both of his sides with pillows. "…What did you fuck up with now?"
"That Whore of Georgia that Brian's married to told him about what happened with me and Nat," Nick sighed, turning to make sure AJ had placed Zachary on his back. When he was assured that his son was sleeping peacefully, he moved to his open suitcase, carelessly tossing items inside. "And I let my anger talk for me, which I always do, and said some things… And Brian's kicking me out. And Beautiful hasn't come back to the room since--"
"What did you say?" AJ queried with a sadistic curiosity, taking a seat at the desk in the hotel room, pushing Alana's books and things further to the top of the desk. He then shifted to straddle the chair, leaning on its back to stare at Nick. "Y'know, it was only a matter of time before Brian figured out that you two got down and dirty… But this anger thing. God, I love when you get pissed off."
"It doesn't matter what I said," Nick muttered with a scowl. "And why do you care when I get pissed off? Oh, I forgot! This means you get to fuck around with Beautiful, 'cause I won't be around to keep you away--"
"I am appalled that you would think that I would relish in your misfortune!" AJ exclaimed, though he was unable to keep the smirk of satisfaction crossing his face. "And Al has never once taken my offer for 'fucking around,' though now…"
"Go to Hell," Nick snarled, jerking his suitcase closed with a growl of irritation.
"So, you're really leaving?"
"I don’t have much of a choice, do I? Holier-Than-Everyone Littrell put his corn covered foot down--"
"Since when did you listen to that Bible Thumper?" AJ interjected with a smirk. "…Are you leaving Zach behind? Seems like a shame to tear him from his mother when you're the fuck up."
"Not that this is any of your fucking business, but I'm taking him with me," Nick informed, letting his foot shoot out to connect with AJ's shin as he walked past to retrieve Zachary's diaper bag.
"Bastard," AJ hissed, immediately yanking his leg up to protect it from further lashings. "Your kid is going to be fucking miserable because you're a jackass… Not that you care, right? You were only laid twice, which means you'll just have to run back and slam a few porkers into Nat while sending flowers to Al--"
"Fuck off," Nick interrupted, seething. "You're nothing but a troublemaking cocksucker, you know that? Get the fuck out--"
"Have a nice flight home, Nicky-Dicky," AJ whistled as he hopped off the chair, sauntering out of the room unfazed by the man's vile words. "I'll let Al know you went home with your cock flying full mast."
Ducking when he heard Nick's furious growl, he whistled loudly when a shoe whizzed past his head. Rolling his eyes, he continued down the hall, wondering where he would be able to find Alana. It wasn't right, he decided, figuring it would be best to check the beach first. Nick always messed things up, no matter what was going on. Yet Alana continued to love him. Fools, both of them.
Sauntering off the elevator when it reached the main floor, he tipped his hat down over his face to conceal himself from the fans loitering in the lobby. Sneaking out the back, he hopped off the path leading to the beach, knowing Alana would want a private section of beach. Why she wanted to be miserable with a fuck up like Nick, he would never know. Slipping out his phone from his back pocket, he dialed Alana's number and waiting patiently for the pick up, noticing her sitting on one of the dunes.
"I know I have to be up early for the bus tomorrow, Alex," she answered softly.
"You up to some company?" he questioned, heading over towards her already.
"If you can find me, I sure as Hell won't refuse you."
Smirking as he ended the call, he climbed up the dune, flopping down next to her. "Hey, Babe."
"You knew exactly where I was before you even made that call," Alana decided with a sigh, tossing her cell phone toward her sandals which she had kicked off before even making it to the top of the dune. Shifting, she tucked her feet beneath her once more and made sure to delicately stretch her flowing turquoise skirt over her bare legs. So much for wanting to look nice for an evening alone with her fiancé. But, who was she to care in the first place. He was far more enchanted with the thoughts of what he did with Natalie to care about getting anywhere near her. Growling at the mere though, she reached to rub her bare arms, hoping to cause a friction of warmth.
"Actually, I saw you right after I dialed," AJ corrected softly, shrugging out of his black hooded sweatshirt before reaching to drape it over her shoulders. Hoping to affect an expression of concern, he glanced over his shoulder at the hotel. "…I take it you're not going to tell Nicky-Dicky bye?"
"Is he leaving now?" she asked, following the trail of his gaze, hoping she didn't sound so optimistic by the thought of him leaving. Nick was supposed to have made the tour easier with his visit. Made it bearable until she was able to return home to his arms. Now, she was consumed with the thoughts of what he was doing with Natalie. And if he was so convinced that he had taught Natalie the miracles of sex, then he should just hurry back to her anyway.
"He was packing when I dropped Zach off--"
"So another two hours out here and he'll be gone."
"I take it whatever happened wasn't a good thing," AJ sighed, turning his gaze towards the ocean.
"Oh, no, it was really great, Alex. Y'see, the Pus-colored-cream-of-a-cunt told Brian that Nick and Natalie slept together. Then Nick goes in the room and admits to it. Then the cum-catching-wench proceeds to say that the two were together several times during the night. That it wasn't just a one time sex then fall asleep drunk thing. Then Brian flipped out on Nick, who wanted to lash back, and told everyone that the blow-job Natalie gave Brian in Kentucky was something that he taught her to do. And nowhere in a million years will Brian ever see everything that Nick taught Natalie in that orgasmic night," Alana recounted as she drew her legs up to her chest, clasping her arms around them.
"Holy Hell… And then Brian told him to get lost?" AJ questioned for clarification.
"Somewhere around the middle of that, Brian told him and whoremonger to get lost."
"I see," AJ murmured, reaching for her hands as he scrambled to his feet. "C'mon, Babe."
"C'mon where?" Alana asked, reaching for her flip-flops before she was pulled to her feet.
"We're going out. I'm taking you to dinner, then we're going dancing, then we're going for a slow walk on the beach and eating ice cream until our stomachs hurt," AJ explained, reaching to dust the sand from her backside. Offering her a quick kiss on the cheek, he squeezed her hands.
"Why are you doing all this for me?" Alana questioned warily as she slipped on her flip-flops, allowing him to lead her toward the hotel by the hand. Feeling her other hand start to vibrate, she scowled as she flipped it over to rip the battery out of the back. Stopping, she slipped the pieces into either of his pockets, then reached for his hand once more.
"Because I want to see that gorgeous smile on your face," AJ answered easily, allowing their fingers to twine as he ushered her towards the restaurant beside the hotel.
"It's hardly gorgeous," Alana sighed, nodding toward AJ as he opened the door for her to step through, though he was quick to catch her hand once more. "I'm nothing compared to Natalie, remember?"
"To me, she's nothing compared to you," AJ corrected, placing his hand on the small of her back as he led her towards the private dining room of the restaurant. Nodding his thanks to the waiter who rushed ahead to clear a table by the large window looking out over the beach, he turned to Alana. "You're gorgeous, Babe. She's just a wannabe…"
"She's not a wannabe," Alana disagreed, shifting to pull AJ's hoodie over her body for warmth. Allowing the sleeves to fall over her hands, she leaned closer to AJ as he playfully pulled the hood over her locks. "She's a damn Playmate. Brian loves her. Howie has a crush on her. Nick's had her. And that's just in this group of friends. Hell, JC's crazy about her and he's known her for only, like, two days?
"What's all that matter?" AJ inquired softly, reaching to smooth her hair from her cheeks as the waiter pulled out a chair. "I like you."
"Thanks, Alex," Alana whispered, leaning in to kiss his cheek softly before she noticed Nick stalking in the lobby of the hotel. Pulling back from AJ, she ignored him completely, moving to tuck herself into the seat that the waiter had pulled out. Reaching to press her napkin into her lap, she nodded a soft thanks to the waiter with a small smile.
Settling in the seat next to her, AJ reached for the menu as he requested water for them both. Turning slightly so he was facing Alana, he rested one elbow on the table as he perused the menu. "What are you hungry for, Babe?"
"I'm not hungry for anything," Alana admitted as she dropped a hand to her stomach, feeling the smallest of protrusions that were her children. Exhaling a hard breath, she realized she had to eat even if she wasn't hungry. The weight she was losing was unhealthy for the twins. She could only imagine what the OBGYN would say when he came to check on her during the tour. "Y'think they're going to be squealing to the magazines that I'm completely juvenile when I ask for chicken tenders and fries with vinegar and ketchup?"
"That doesn't sound juvenile. Just sounds like you're pregnant," AJ murmured with a chuckle. "And a big, icy, bubbly Pepsi to wash it all down?"
"Sounds really good," Alana agreed, chewing on her bottom lip for a moment. "Get mozzarella sticks to share?"
"You've got it, Babe. And for dessert we can split a cheesecake?" he suggested, nodding towards the waiter, who was hurriedly writing down their order.
"Extra cherries and some whip cream on it," she agreed, taking his menu to slide under hers before giving them to the waiter, who scurried away to place the order.
Smiling, AJ leaned back in his seat, glancing around. Seeing Nick lingering in the lobby of the hotel, he quickly turned back to Alana, casually reaching to cup the back of her neck. Making sure to slide his fingers beneath the hood as well as her hair, he pulled her head towards him. "Have I mentioned how fabulous you look in this color?" he murmured, lightly tracing the length of her neck with his fingers.
"Black?" she questioned, glancing down to the hoodie to assess the color against her caramelized skin. "You really like black on me?"
"I like anything on you," AJ corrected softly. "But I was talking about the turquoise…"
"It's a gorgeous color," Alana agreed with a nod, looking up to his rust colored eyes.
"Not as gorgeous as--"
"Here is the drink," the waiter announced, placing a large glass on the table between their settings. Offering them both a quick smile, he breezed away.
"I guess I should have specified a Pepsi for each of us," AJ murmured with a rueful smirk, eyeing the two straws in the drink.
"We've been morphed back to the fifties," Alana suggested with a small laugh, bunching up the sleeve to her wrist so she could retrieve the lemon on the rim of the soda. Pinching it slightly to spread a few drops of lemon into the drink, she then brought it to her lips for a small lick. Immediately, her face scrunched up at the overwhelming bitterness, puckering her lips as she held it away in offense.
Gently tangling his fingers in the hair at the nape of her neck, AJ impulsively leaned close, covering her lips with his for a soft kiss. Reaching with his free hand to pluck the lemon away, he brought her arm over his shoulder, his tongue sweeping between her lips with one gentle thrust. Moaning softly as he sucked her tongue between his teeth, drawing the lemon essence from her mouth as his hand fell to her waist in a gentle caress.
At first, Alana was oblivious to what AJ's intentions were. The slide of his lips over hers had been startling, causing her heart to jump to her throat in a flutter of anticipation. She wanted to throw a fist into the side of his face for taking advantage of the situation, but warmth flooded her system as he sucked on her tongue. He tasted like a mixture of cool mint infused with lemon. Letting her inhibitions fly, she wrapped her arms around his neck to bring herself closer, coaxing his tongue into a wave of passion as she kissed back harder than he ever anticipated.
Slipping his arm around her waist, AJ drew her closer, ignoring the precarious rattle of silverware as his elbow bumped against the table. Blown away by the fervor of her kiss, he released a low moan of appreciation, paying no attention to the waiter when he returned to serve their mozzarella sticks. The only thing that he could focus on was Alana. The way her lips melted against his, the feel of her fingers tangling in his hair. Gasping softly when she drew his lip into her teeth for several quick nips, he trailed his hand down to the hem of her skirt, fingers lightly stroking the soft skin of her thigh as he pulled it over his lap.
Whimpering slightly when their lips broke apart slightly for him to transfer her to his lap, Alana felt the sleeves of his hoodie slip over her hands as she straddled his lap. Leaning forward, she found his lips once more and framed his face with her hidden hands. Faintly, she outlined his lips with the very tip of her tongue, waiting for him to tremble beneath her before she drew his top lip into a slow kiss. Hearing him grunt, she smirked and brought both lips into a full kiss, coaxing his tongue to hers once more.
"Fuck, Babe," he whined softly into her mouth, fingers gently digging into her thigh as he pulled her closer to him, wanting to feel as much of her as possible. Memorizing every detail of their embrace as their tongues danced in erotic movements, he let his hand slowly slide upwards. His thumb moved in slow circles against her inner thigh as he shifted beneath her, hoping she could feel what their kiss was doing to him.
"Sorry," she whispered when she felt the hard bulge of his jeans pressing against her. Breaking the smoldering kiss, she sat back on his lap, immediately cupping both of her sleeve covered hands over her kiss-swollen lips. Glancing around, she noted the satisfied smirks of customers and knew they had recognized them for celebrities. Blushing terribly, she pulled the hoodie down further to conceal her face, wondering how she could have been so foolish.
"It's okay," he promised with a ragged breath, slowly pulling his hand from her thigh. Clearing his throat, he gently smoothed the turquoise material over her thighs again, lifting his head to gaze into her eyes. Reaching up, he traced one flushed cheek with the backs of his fingers, catching her hands and pulling them down into her lap. Trying his best to avoid the heat of her fingers against the denim of his jeans, he offered her a tentative smile. "What do you say we eat, Babe? Then we can go for that walk…"
"Eating would be good…" she agreed with a shy nod, furrowing her brows at what looked like a pained expression on his face. Carefully moving back to her seat, she realized that she always seemed to do this to him. Push him to the point of eruption only to pull back just as fast. It wasn't fair to him and she surely wasn't a tease. "I am so sorry, Alex--"
"It's okay, really," AJ interrupted with a smile. "I'll just slip off to my room later and--"
"I am such a damn tease it's unbelievable," Alana groaned at the thought he was leading to, draining the water from her glass so she could pour some Pepsi into it, sliding the rest over for AJ to have. She shouldn't be drinking that much caffeine anyways.
"No you're not. It's not like you were on the table doing a strip tease and wouldn't let me touch--"
"I am so very sorry, Alex, I really shouldn't have reciprocated--"
"I shouldn't have kissed you to begin with--"
"I enjoyed it too much--"
"I did too. It won't happen again--"
"Didn't we say the same thing at the lake?" Alana interrupted, turning to look at AJ with a small smile.
"Did we? All I can remember is being informed that if I told Nick, I was dead…"
"I thought we did…" she trailed, struggling to remember the specifics of their conversation. Though, all she could really conjure was the teasing, the loss of her bikini bottom, then the removal of her bikini top, and one smoldering kiss. "Damn…"
"I sure as Hell ain't complaining--"
"But you're insisting that it'll never happen again?"
"Only if you ask me to, Babe."
"Never," Alana decided as she leaned over to steal the pickles from his plate. "I might get pissed at Nick again and need a good person to release it with."
Chuckling, AJ leaned close, gently nibbling on her ear before she could pull away. "Sounds like a plan to me, Babe."
Dancing barefoot across the hardwood floor of Nick's living room, Natalie sang along to the dance song pounding from the stereo speakers as she folded the laundry. Draping a still-damp bra over the banister, she was oblivious to the car pulling into the driveway, immersed in the music and her chore. Running a hand through her tousled locks, she twisted them into a loose bun, whining softly when the song ended. Skipping across the room to change CDs, she glanced at the clock, deciding she had plenty of time to goof off until JC's flight came in later in the evening. Bending over in front of the stereo, she pulled out the CD and reached for another, pausing when she heard a car door slam.
Assuming it was one of the Carter siblings, Natalie continued with her task at hand. Bent over in front of the stereo, she thumbed through her thick stack of CDs, not knowing which to choose. She had several more tasks ahead of her for the day, so she wanted to keep upbeat. But, that plan seemed to go to ruin when she heard the sharp wail of an infant following the opening and slamming of the front door.
"Would you put some fucking clothes on?!"
Dropping her CDs to the floor, Natalie whirled around, staring at Nick as he threw the bags he was carrying to the floor. Heart hammering with surprise, she jerked a t-shirt from the laundry basket, quickly pulling it on over her sports bra and boy cut panties. Stepping over the CDs, she moved forward, taking Zachary's carrier from Nick when he looked ready to scream at the child to stop screaming. "What are you doing home? You're supposed to be gone for two more days--"
"It's my fucking house and I can come home whenever the fuck I please," Nick growled, snatching a pair of baggy sweatpants from the basket to thrust in Natalie's direction. Running his hands through his growing locks, he offered a hard tug as if he might rip them from the roots, just wanting to focus on something other than the migraine starting to pulsate in the center of his forehead and spread to his temples. Zachary had done nothing but scream since he had awoke and realized that he was no longer near his mother. His voice was a hoarse rattle of the shrill scream it had been in the plane, so Nick started to hope the child would lose his voice.
"Would you calm the Hell down? You're scaring Zachary," Natalie chided. Ignoring the sweatpants, she unbuckled Zachary from the carrier, pulling him into her embrace. "Hey little man, it's alright," she murmured, smoothing his raven locks from his forehead. "Your Auntie Nat got you a little something yesterday at the store…" her voice trailed as she headed into the kitchen.
"You can keep him," Nick murmured, furiously rubbing his aching temples while collapsing onto the couch. He didn't pay heed to the folded clothes beneath him, simply staring up at the ceiling in disbelief. He didn't understand how things could have gotten so horribly bad so fast. The only image seemingly burning into his mind was the way AJ had been leaning in close to Alana in the dining room before he had left in the taxi. He wanted to burn his eyes with Clorox.
Natalie returned a few moments later, a sniffling Zachary nestled against her shoulder, listlessly chewing on a frozen teething ring she had bought him the day before. Softly kissing his cheeks, she moved to sit in the rocking chair, pausing when she saw Nick's slumped form on the couch. "Nicky? What happened?"
"Do you want the long version or the short version?" Nick grumbled as the sharp edge of his cell phone poked him in the back. Shifting, he freed the phone from his pocket and threw it onto his stomach, covering his face with his hands once more. He just needed some darkness to keep the throbbing pain away. It wasn't as if he'd be receiving a text message from Alana or a phone call. That much had been apparent after his twenty plus text messages to her that were unanswered.
"It doesn't matter…" Natalie murmured.
"Good news is that Brian kicked Leighanne off the tour. Sent her ass packing so fast that she got some rug-burn on that plastic nose of hers," Nick murmured, deciding not to mention who he had sat by on the ride home to Los Angeles. Those stories were better left for around the campfire with children who were terrified of the dark.
Natalie bit back a smile as she settled into the rocking chair. "…And the bad news?"
"Leighanne told Brian about us."
"Us?" Natalie repeated in confusion, her smile dying as she glanced up from Zachary's face. "What do you mean, she told Brian about us?"
"Our one fucking night together. She told him about that."
"And… He…" Natalie faltered for a moment, nervous guilt twisting her stomach and heart simultaneously. Brian knew. He knew that she had been lying to him for years, now. Slowly glancing towards Nick, she cleared her throat in hopes of masking the pain in her voice. "That doesn't explain why you're here--"
"He tried to kick my ass for sleeping with you when it wasn't exactly like an enjoyable event in my life anyway. But no, I deflowered you or some fucking bullshit and he wigs out. So I get pissed and say shit that I shouldn't have said with Beautiful in the room--" Nick jerked in surprise when he felt the rumble of vibration against his stomach. Hurriedly lurching for his phone, he threw it open without even bothering to see who the message was from. At first, he was surprised to see a photograph waiting for him. Tears gathered to his eyes when he realized it was a picture of Alana sleeping. She was curled on her side with the pillows tucked under her head, her legs drawn slightly upward. She looked gorgeous with her long curls fanned out amongst her pillow, dressed in a flimsy purple camisole and boy-cut panties. But the words - Thanks Buddy - beneath the picture caused him to choke. It was from AJ. "Damnit, Nat! Why the fuck did you even tell Leighanne about our business in the first fucking place?!"
"She was my best friend," Natalie murmured in reply, getting to her feet so she could place Zachary in the playpen. He whimpered softly at the lack of body warmth, quickly curling against the t-shirt of Alana's that she draped over him before drifting off to sleep. Turning to face Nick, she brushed the tears from her cheeks, knowing he would only scorn her for doing so. "At least, I thought she was… And how can you sit there and bitch at me for doing so, when you turned around and told everyone?!"
"I didn't fucking tell everyone! What the Hell was I supposed to do when I walked into that room and Leighanne told Brian point blank! He already knew the answer before I could even manage to get the words out! Told me that I had to get back here as soon as fucking possible. That he didn't even want to see me! In front of my damn fiancée he said this! And she wouldn't even stick up for me! Then, I'm getting ready to leave and she doesn't even come to say goodbye to me. Instead, I see her in the dining room, slobbering over AJ like I was some piece of trash that she just threw away! Look at this fucking picture! What do you think they did last night?!"
"You know how Leighanne is, you could have laughed it off. Goddamnit Nick, I--" Natalie halted when Nick threw the phone into her hands. Glancing down at the picture of Alana sleeping so peacefully, she sighed. "God, Nick, she's dressed. Unless you're thinking she gave him a blowjob--"
"She never gives me those! Do you think that's how she's getting back at me for sleeping with her best friend? To give one of my best friends a blowjob? Because I'll go ram my dick down AJ's throat if he thinks--"
"Would you listen to yourself?! Alana is not like that, Nick, and you know it!"
"It was hard enough trying to get her mind off all those fucking photographs of us, then I go and say something so fucking stupid," Nick seethed as he hung his head within his hands, ripping at his locks once more, fighting a thick batch of salty tears. The pain of his headache accompanied with the turmoil of his heart was just too much. "Why am I such a fuck-up, Nat?"
"You're not a fuck-up, Nicky," she promised, jerking when she heard the shrill ring of her cell phone from the kitchen. Ignoring it, she flopped down in the recliner, drawing her knees to her chest. "You're just too honest… And… I should have told Brian all of this years ago, instead of hiding it like it was something I'm… Well, I am ashamed of it--"
"Thanks, Nat," Nick snorted with pain.
"Aren't you?"
"I think it would have been better if you didn't insist on being Beautiful's best friend…"
"I didn't insist on it, it just happened… What, you want me to call her up and tell her I can't be her friend anymore--"
"You wouldn't do that even if I asked, so don't insult me."
"What do you want me to do, Nicky?"
"What does it matter?"
"I hate seeing you like this… You want me to leave?"
"I'm not kicking you out."
"But…" Natalie sighed, reaching for the sweatpants he'd tossed to the floor.
"Just… Please, when you talk to her, tell her how much I love her? And how I didn't want to leave? And how very sorry I am for what I said?"
"…What'd you say?" Natalie questioned as she wriggled into the sweatpants. Seeing him swallow nervously, she bit back a groan, knowing that whatever it was, it had been bad. "Nicky…"
"I don't want to be bitch-slapped."
"I won't bitch-slap you…"
"I told them that the blow-job you gave to Brian in the car was something that you learned from me and no matter how many years he's with you, that he'd never be able to see everything that I taught you in that one night," Nick breathed hurriedly, squeezing his eyes shut and clenching in preparation for the attack.
But it never came. Tentatively lowering his hands from in front of his face, Nick glanced up to see Natalie half-sprawled on the recliner, sweatpants dangling from her legs as she simply gaped at him. The outraged horror in her eyes caused him to gulp nervously, certain she was simply gearing up for the beating he knew he deserved.
Natalie calmly got to her feet, biting the tip of her tongue as she wrestled the sweatpants from her legs. Kicking them under the coffee table, she glared at Nick for a long moment, her attention diverted when her cell phone once again began to ring. Cursing whoever was calling her, she balled her hands into fists, ready to launch on the man and release all the pent-up frustration from the past weeks. Instead, she took a deep breath, her lips tilting into a shaky smile. "Nicky?"
"…Yeah?"
"Go answer my phone, and if it's JC tell him I'll be waiting for him. And after that? Finish folding my clothes and take them upstairs for me."
"No problem," Nick hurriedly agreed in a rushed breath, deciding being put to work was far better than being beaten to a pulp by a petite woman.
"You fucking owe me, Carter," she warned before turning to head up the stairs.
"The story of my life, Hayes," he sighed, pushing himself off the couch to retrieve the cell phone.
Turning to look at him, Natalie sighed, unable to bear the gloomy cloud that seemed to hover around him. Impulsively, she darted across the room, throwing her arms around him in a quick hug. "If Alana'll talk to me, I'll tell her what you told me, okay?"
"Thanks, Nat," Nick whispered, returning a meek squeeze of a hug as he kissed the top of her head.
"If you want me to, I'll cancel JC tonight and stay here with you… Or have him come over and we can all just hang out…" Natalie suggested softly.
"How about just you and me?"
Natalie nodded, leaning back to offer him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "I'll go call JC and you can go unpack or whatever…"
"Thanks, Natalie."
"Anytime," she promised, squeezing him gently. She had already lost everyone else, with the possible exception of Alana. She didn't want to lose Nick, too. "You kind of have to let go before I can do anything, Nicky…"
"And I guess I have to answer that phone…" Nick murmured, kissing the top of her head once more before allowing her to leave his embrace. Watching her hurry up the stairs for whatever she had originally wanted, he turned to locate her phone amongst the magazines featuring Alana.
Sighing as the smiling face of his fiancée gazed at him from every cover, he finally found Natalie's phone, hiding under a pack of gum and a set of keys. Unconsciously he reached to straighten the magazines, a fresh wave of pain washing through his heart when he saw the most recent cover of People, groaning at the grainy picture of himself and Natalie on the cover. Deciding it best to ignore the devil horns Natalie had drawn over his head, he tossed it aside. Barely glancing at the screen to see who was calling, he flipped the phone open, reaching for the next magazine. "Yeah, what do you want?"
"I want to know why everyone but Natalie seems to answer her phone…" JC returned quickly.
"Because she's never around to answer it when someone so damn important calls?" Nick suggested. "She's upstairs… I think she's getting naked-I mean, I can hear the shower running, so she's probably--"
"Do you have something going on with her, Nick? 'Cause, I ain't a fool and I saw all the magazine articles coming out and around. And, of course, I'm not one to believe them at first, but you two looked pretty cozy in those pictures and now you're answering her phone, saying she's naked--"
"For fuck's sake, I just got home from Atlantic City," Nick interrupted with a scowl. "I'm not even remotely interested in that scrawny toothpick, okay? You're welcome to her-Wait… She said she had to talk to you. Hang on, okay?" Without bothering to hear the man's reply, he turned to run up the stairs, skidding to a stop just outside of Natalie's bedroom. Knocking on the door, he held the phone out. "Nat? JC's on the phone! He thinks we're having hot pig sex--"
"Jesus Christ, Nick! Tell the whole fucking world!" Natalie growled, yanking open the door to her room, never expecting Nick to have the phone pressed to the door. Growing ashen, she ripped the phone from his hand and slammed the door. "Joshua? Shit! I'm so sorry!"
"Is he always like that?" JC questioned warily.
Grinning mischievously, Nick was unable to resist torturing her a bit more. Pushing the door open wide enough to peer inside, he cleared his throat to catch her attention. "Hey, Nat? Hurry up and break your date with him so me and you can spend our quality time tonight!"
"And you wonder why Brian and Alana kicked out early?!" Natalie exclaimed with a screech, throwing the nearest objects she could find toward the man.
