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“So…” Sam started, after Jordan had disappeared into her room.

“About this singing thing,” Drew leaned forward looking at me intently. “Jordan said you were a Backroad Boy?”

“Um…Backstreet Boy, actually,” I corrected, taking a swallow of my fresh beer. Was I supposed to be this nervous? I had, like, four or five beers in me now.

“Musicians never make any money,” Ky cocked an eyebrow at me.

“Actually…” I started but was cut off.

“Here…” Jordan stalked out of her room and dropped a large stack of magazines on the coffee table. “You’ll find, just about, anything you need or want to know about Nick in these.” She sighed as she opened the cabinet on her entertainment center. “and, here, are all the Backstreet Boys albums, along with his solo one. Now, could you guys please keep it down and leave Nick alone, so I can sleep? I do have to work in the morning.”

“Sorry, sis,” all five brothers chimed together.

“Now, when you are done, put the CD’s back in the cabinet and the magazines go back in that box. I’ll put the box back in my closet tomorrow. Now, good night.” Jordan turned on her heel and headed back down the hallway.

“Um…why did she give us these old photos? Who are these guys?” Drew questioned, looking at a magazine from the mid-nineties. I cleared my throat and moved to take it from him. I held it up and pointed to each of us.

“That’s Kevin, AJ, my best friend Brian, Howie…and that’s me. This was taken back when we first started getting famous in the US.” I explained.

“Alright. Then let’s get down to the real nitty gritty. What are your intentions with our sister?” Mikey asked, standing up.

“I…I…I…uh…I don’t really have any intentions…” I stuttered, blushing.

“He’s just in love,” Sam shrugged. “No real intentions. He hasn’t tried anything. Why would he be so damn flustered over everything, if he had?”

“Have you kissed her?” Ben was staring right into me.

“Um…well…on the cheek…and forehead…but that’s it,” I fidgeted with my hands, in my lap. I couldn’t stand to look up at them. Drawing in a deep, shaky breath, I tried to calm myself.

“Sleep with her yet?” Drew smirked as my head popped up and my eyes, almost, flew out of my head.

“U…u…uh…once…bu…but clothed…” my voice was barely audible and cracked severely.

“Why do you even like her so much?” Ky pushed.

“Yeah, what is it about her that makes her so special?” Ty cut in before I could answer the first question. My eyes shot back and forth between all of the other men. This was getting to be a little much!

“I…uh…I like everything about her,” I choked. “She’s just…amazing…” my mind wandered, briefly, thinking about her. I could see her smile, the way she moved, and smell the scent of her hair.

“Well, did you know that she will cuss a man out if he folds her towels wrong?” Mikey leaned forward, staring me down.

“I can learn to fold them right,” I defended. I really was beginning to feel as if I were being attacked.

“She snores,” Drew raised an eyebrow at me.

“So do I,” I shrugged. I had already figured this out, from the nights, in the hotels, that I stayed up and watched her sleep. Occasionally she even talks in her sleep!

“What if I told you that she has to go out with her friends every Friday night, without exception?” Sam questioned.

“Um…isn’t it a good thing for her to go out with her friends?” I rubbed the back of my neck. “She has every right to hang out with her girl friends.”

“Alright, Mr. Hot Shot, enough with the easy questions,” Drew, now, stood in front of me. Easy? Who was this guy kidding? I’m completely flustered over these questions and he is calling them easy?!? “What would you say if she told you that you had to give up your career, singing?” Okay, maybe the others were easier.

“I already told her I didn’t want to go back to my old life. I, kind of, lied to her when she asked why, though. But, on the other hand, I have found myself coming up with a lot of good lyrics, lately…but, I’m sure the other guys would, still, sing them, even without me. Do you think writing lyrics would fall under that? I mean, maybe, I could just e-mail ‘em to Aje. He could take the credit and royalties.”

“Okay, so if you’ve been coming up with loads of new material…sing us something.” Sam was challenging me! NICE! As if my night couldn’t get any worse.

“What? Now? I haven’t…I mean they aren’t…well, see…”

“Who cares if they’re not finished or whatever…sing us a verse or chorus or something,” Drew urged as all of them looked at me, expectantly.

“Ok…uh…oh boy,” I took in a deep breath and stood up. I cleared my throat and hummed a few bars before starting to sing. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and allowed my voice to sing the words, letting the emotions take over my body.

“Maybe I'd fight if I could
It hurts so bad, but feels so good
She opens up just like, a rose to me
When she's close to me
Anything she'd ask me to, I would

It's out of control, but I can't let go
I'm a house of cards, in a hurricane
A reckless ride, in the pouring rain
She cuts me and the pain, is all I wanna feel
She'll dance away just like a child
She drives me crazy, drives me wild
But I'm helpless when she smiles
When she looks at me
I get so weak…”


I trailed off, not really wanting to sing any more than that. Taking in a deep breath, I looked around at the other men, afraid of their reactions. Now what were they going to think?

“Okay, I’m convinced,” Drew shrugged his shoulders. The other brothers nodded in agreement. Wow, that was easier than I thought! Maybe I should have broken out, into song, at the beginning.

“Sounds, to me, like my little girl has found herself, quite the young man,” Ben stood and walked over to me. He patted my shoulder blade and handed me a fresh beer.

“So Nick, tell these guys, what you told me in the office,” Sam smiled, “about Jordan’s crazy antics. You guys have got to hear this.” I chuckled and began to retell the stories about the adventures I had with her. It was a few hours later, and we were still chatting away, when we were interrupted.

“You guys are still up?” Jordan, groggily, walked past us and into the kitchen. I had to smile, as I looked at her hair. Her pajamas were all wrinkled, she had cute little pillow creases on her cheek, and her hair was sticking up and out in all sorts of directions.

“Oh yeah,” Ty grinned. “Nick, here, sung us a song he wrote.”

“Well,” she came back in, eyes only half open, with a cup of coffee. “He is a talented man.”

“Yeah, then Nick told us all about your stunts in saving the guys,” Ky pretended to sniffle, “I’m so proud.” He got up and latched onto her, in a hug, while continuing his fake cries. The rest of us laughed as Jordan just shoved her brother away.

“Well, I have got to get ready for work, and Nick, you have to get yourself ready, too. You guys have to be at the airport by 10, to catch your plane.” Jordan started walking out of the room, which had become dead silent.

“PLANE?!?! Wha…what plane?” My jaw was hanging open, so far, that I was sure to get rug burn on my chin.

“Um, the plane that’s going to take you guys back to Florida. Howie and Kevin will be picking you up, in Orlando.”

“N n n n n no, there will be no plane. I am not getting on any plane. I told you that,” I was, now, standing directly in front of her. The other men were silent and, no doubt, watching the scene unfold.

“Nick, it’s normal to be nervous about picking up your old life, again. But, don’t worry, everything will fall right into place and it will be like none of this ever happened,” her voice was soft. I knew she was trying to make me feel better, as if she could calm my nerves. Too bad, nerves weren’t the problem.

“Jordan, listen to me…I don’t….want…to go back.”

“What are you so worried about? I don’t understand why you are so upset over this. You wanted to go back, before…nothing has changed Nick. It’s just nerves.”

“You’re wrong, it’s not nerves, you don’t get it,” I sighed, running a hand through my hair.

“Obviously, I don’t. Whatever it is…get over it. You are getting on that plane, you are going to go back to being Nick Carter, you’re going to be fine, and you’ll be thankful that you did. Now get yourself ready,” Jordan rolled her eyes and walked back down the hall, towards her room.

“So, are you going to tell her? It looks like it’s your only option.”

“Huh?” I squeaked, looking over my shoulder at Ben.

“I asked you, if you were going to tell my little girl that you are in love with her,” Ben repeated, looking at me, intently. It was clear, that if I didn’t grow a set of balls, really quickly, and tell her….I would be finding myself on a plane back to Florida. I had to come up with a game plan, but I had no idea how to tell her about my feelings.
Chapter End Notes:


As you all should already know, the lyrics are from a Backstreet Boys song called 'Helpless When She Smiles' they are not mine...blah blah blah. All copyrights and whatnot belong to thier rightful owners...not me...blah blah blah...blah blah!