There was no way I was going to leave them alone. Who knew what Jedi mind tricks she was going to pull on Nick, and I didn’t want him hurt anymore than he’d already been hurt.
Jamie sat in armchair, and Nick sat across from her. I decided to post myself next to Nick on the couch, so I could see Jamie’s face. One wrong move, I thought protectively, and she was gone.
“Nick, I really am sorry about what happened,” she began, and I just wanted to roll my eyes. I was not doing well here. “I didn’t mean to sleep with someone else. I was just so upset and angered by that fight we’d had, and, before I knew it, I’d done it.”
Nick didn’t say anything. With his hands folded in his lap, he just watched her quietly. His eyes, even with the dark circles under them, were clearer than they’d been in the past two days.
When he didn’t speak, Jamie started to look more nervous. “Nick, I know we can’t go back and undo the past, but I don’t want to give up on the future. Our future.” Her hands were fisted in her lap. “I know what I said last week, but I didn’t mean it. Please, if we can forgive each other, we can be happy again. We can get married.”
If Nick realized that her words were practically identical to the ones he’d yelled at me before, he didn’t mention it. Clearly, Jamie was still stuck on the bargaining portion of her grief. I wondered what Nick would do.
“I’m sorry, too, Jamie. I really do love you, and I really want to marry you, too.” Oh, for the sake of the sweet baby Jesus! Don’t do this, Nick, I thought. Don’t ruin your life. “But I don’t think we can.”
I think I was just as surprised as Jamie at Nick’s words.
“Nick, please.”
He shook his head and cut off her pleas. “No, Jamie. It’s taken me a while to get it, but I know what’s best for me. And it’s not you. Not anymore.” He glanced at me and smiled a little. “I miss you so much, but I think we’ll just hurt each other more by being together.”
Jamie stood up then, fresh tears trickling down her face. “Are you sure, Nick? Are you so sure that you want to throw us away?”
“I didn’t throw us away,” he said gently. “You did. If you really loved me, you wouldn’t be pregnant with someone else’s kid. I’m sorry, but the answer’s no.”
She didn’t hang around for too much longer after that. We stood by the living room window and watched her go. When her car turned at the corner and disappeared, Nick sighed and sank onto the couch.
“I did the right thing.” His voice was no longer sure. “I did the right thing, didn’t I? Tell me I did.”
I sat next to him. “You did. I’m proud of you, Nick. You’re going to be just fine.”
“I hope so.” He stared at his hands for several moments of silence before he looked up again. “Brian, you said something the other day. It made me think.”
“I said a lot of things,” I tried to joke, but I knew it had fallen flat. “What is it?”
His expression was so serious that it scared me a little. “You said that I wasn’t the only one who didn’t get what I wanted out of life. That everyone went through hard times.” He sighed. “In my heart, I know you’re right. My head just needs to catch up.”
I patted his shoulder, glad that some of my words had gotten through. “Nick, you’re going to be okay.”
“I’m glad you came, Brian. I’m really glad you came.” His hand gripped mine hard. “You didn’t have to, and I’m sure Leighanne wasn’t happy about it.”
I shrugged. “I know how to get around her. And, of course, I had to come. I couldn’t just abandon you, could I? We’ve been friends for more than half our lives, and it’s a little late for me to just forget about you.”
“Have you been sending Kevin daily reports about me?” he asked. There was a small smile on his face, since he already knew the answer. My cousin is nothing if not predictable when it comes to taking care of the people he cares about.
“Yes, I have. AJ and Howie know, too.”
“AJ’s too busy having sex on his honeymoon to worry about me.”
I shook my head. “Nuh-uh. That’s where you’re wrong, oh young one. All of us care, and you know it. We’re a team. All for one and one for all.”
“That’s the Three Musketeers,” he said. “And it’s cheesy.”
“I like cheese. What’s wrong with cheese?”
He threw a pillow at me, but, what I’ll remember, is that he was smiling when he did. Oh, yes. Nick Carter was going to be just fine.
***
I stayed for two more days, and, while there were more unhappy moments than happy ones, Nick was getting himself through the pain. I wasn’t worried about the ending anymore because he’d made the right decision for himself and knew it, too.
While we didn’t exactly get back to the way we’d been when we were younger, helping him through his pain definitely brought Nick and I closer. I really did love the kid, as angry as he could make me. I figured I probably did the same to him, too, but it made me feel good to be the rock he held onto in his dark moments.
The day of my flight back, we ate lunch out on his deck and watched all the people on the beach. With our feet propped up on the table, we were pretty peaceful.
“I wish you didn’t have to leave,” Nick said at one point.
I actually felt the same way and was surprised. “Me, too,” I answered honestly. “But I have to get home. You could come with me, you know. Leighanne won’t mind. Baylee’ll go through the roof.”
He smiled at that but shook his head. “Thanks for the offer, but I think I’m just gonna hang out here. Maybe play around in the studio a little. You know, to get ready for when we go back in the studio in a couple months.”
“True.”
A few more minutes passed before he spoke up again. “Why did you come, Brian?”
I knew the question was bound to come up sooner or later. “Because I wanted to. Because none of us wanted you left alone.”
“If one of the others could have come, would you have shown up anyway?” He looked right at me as he waited for my answer, and I knew I couldn’t lie.
“Probably not,” I told him. He nodded, and I wasn’t sure if he was bothered by it or not. “I think I would’ve missed out on a lot,” I added honestly. “Seriously, Nick. I am glad that I came. Maybe I wasn’t in the beginning, but I’m glad it was me and not one of the others.”
“Me, too.” He looked back out at the ocean again. “You know, you guys are going to have to stop treating me like a baby one of these days.”
I snorted. “Yeah right. That’ll be the day.”
“No, seriously. Some day, you won’t be able to drop everything and come to my rescue. You gotta let me stand on my own feet.”
“I’d say you’re doing an okay job of that all on your own.” I reached for a can of soda and popped it open as I studied his profile. “Look at how you were when Jamie stopped by.”
He shook his head. “I would have said yes, Brian. If you hadn’t talked to me, I would’ve said yes and made the biggest mistake of my life.”
“But you didn’t, and that’s the important thing.” I checked my watch and realized the time had come to leave. “I should get going, Nick. I’ve only got an hour and a half before my flight leaves.”
We cleared the table in silence. I picked up my bag from where it sat at the bottom of the stairs and turned to him.
“Take care of yourself, okay? And, remember, I’m just a phone call away.” I hugged him hard and smiled when he held on just a little longer.
Nick was smiling as I pushed open the door. “Thanks for everything, Brian. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”
“Crashed and burned,” I joked and grinned when he chuckled.
“Seriously. Have a safe trip.”
I looked at him for another second, and, suddenly, a song popped into my head. Random, I know, but it seemed perfect at this moment. “Hey, Nick?”
“Yeah?”
“I’ll be there for you! These five words I swear to you,” I sang, and, when he recognized the tune, he started to laugh. It felt great hearing that laugh, and, cheesy at it was, he joined me to finish out the lyrics.
“I’ll be there for you.”
Author's Chapter Notes:
Thanks for the reviews! Here's the last chapter! Enjoy!
