Adie heard him yell at his Mother in the hallway as she herself sat down on the bed, she heard his thunderous footsteps hammer down the stairs at such speed it made her worry he had fallen down them but then she heard the front door slam with such force it made the bedroom window rattle. Adie craned her neck so she could look out of the window just in time to see Nick stride across the street in just a t-shirt and jeans, with the freezing temperature outside it wouldn’t take him long to regret his decision.
“Stupid asshole,” she muttered to herself as she wiped her eyes, her back semi stiffening when she heard a voice from the doorway.
“If I said he gets all that from his Father I’d be lying.”
Adie turned slowly, resting her head on her left hand when she spotted Jane.
“I must be making such a good first impression on you,” she said sarcastically, relaxing a little when Jane smiled and made her way into the room.
“I don’t care much for first thoughts or impressions, they are always generally wrong.”
“Thank God for that,” Adie chuckled slightly before bursting into tears, covering her face with her hands as she sat down on the bed. “Sorry,” She mumbled as she felt the bed dip underneath Jane’s weight as she to sat down on the bed.
“Don’t be. It’s been a rough year huh?” She asked.
Adie chuckled again as she wiped the tears from her eyes, “You could say that. Is it wrong to want this year to be over with already?”
“Not at all.”
“I feel like I’m completely ruining this week for everybody,” Adie vocalised as she looked to Jane who gave her a reassuring smile.
“Adie trust me we would have found something else to argue about. For what it’s worth I think you’re very brave for coming up here I think after the year you’ve had if it were me, I’d want to stay under the covers and never come out,” Jane told her.
“That’s more of a bad Molly day, today is more a bad Nick and Adie day,” she replied softly.
“So what happens on those days?” Jane asked.
“Usually one of us wanting to strangle the other, today it’s Nick’s turn to want to strangle me.”
“I don’t think it would take a lot for him to want to strangle anybody today, especially his sister. I’m kind of hoping they don’t run into each other out there because it will not be pretty,” Jane laughed.
“Nick will probably freeze to death before he reaches the end of the road anyway,” Adie said shaking her head.
“He won’t come back to get a coat though, he’d rather sit in the cold and freeze. I can safely say he gets his stubbornness from his Father.”
“I really love him you know,” Adie threw out randomly as she brushed a stray tear from her cheek.
“I can see that,” Jane softly replied throwing Adie a small smile. “He really loves you too, unfortunately this is just what he does to protect himself. He distances himself, he lets things brew and then he lashes out in an argument before he thinks. I’m particially to blame for that, I lost sight of what was important for a long time Adie and for a while I thought Nick had too. Watching him on the show, seeing how he bought everybody together made me see that he did know what was important, it made me realise what a mess my life actually was. When he turned up at my door he was the last person I ever expected to see. I know how much he loves you because he told me you were the one to make him see what a mess his life was, he wanted to make a change so that he could be better for you, so that he wouldn’t loose you.”
Adie took a shaky breath, wiping at her eyes before saying, “He didn’t need to be better for me. I need to be better for him, you don’t walk away from someone you love, from the only person who knows how you feel and can relate to hurt that you feel everyday.”
“Nobody’s perfect. Everybody has their own issues its what makes us all human. You guys have the upper hand though because you both know what those issues are, you just need to talk them out, work on them.”
“We don’t seem to be talking them out as much as we are arguing them out,” Adie sighed as her gaze fell back out of the window.
“I think that’s quite normal too. I think you’re giving yourself too much of a hard time, I mean how long has it been since you got back from Nepal?” Jane asked.
“A week, god that seems like a lifetime ago,” Adie replied with a shake of her head.
“See, you’re not ever going to be able to sort through everything in a week, things like this take time, a lifetime. Add the fact that neither of you are in the privacy of your own home, you’ve got the rest of this crazy family to contend with as well,” Jane joked which made a small laugh escape Adie’s lips. “You just have to remember what’s important to you. I have a list that I keep in my wallet that I get out when I’m having a tough day, top thing on my list is my kids. You two will get through this, you’re already halfway there because you’re together,” Jane said giving Adie’s knee a reassuring pat before she stood from the bed and made her way to the door.
“Thanks Jane,” Adie smiled to her.
“You’re welcome.”
***
What an amazing week this was turning out to be. Weren’t reunions meant to be tearful? Full of emotion? Full of love? To Nick it was just how his life was, a mess. A complete mess and no matter how hard he tried he just couldn’t seem to sort it out. It was at times like these when he would happily give up the fame and fortune in favour of an uncomplicated life. Then again if he never had this life and the mess that went with it the guys who were more like brothers wouldn’t be in his life and even though at that minute, Adie was the cause of his anger, it was his job, a fight with his big brother, that had led to their meeting.
It wasn’t until he got to the end of the road that he actually realised how cold it was, but even with a shiver he didn’t turn back, his stubbornness reigning through and he continued on to the one place he remembered how to get to in this town. That was if it was still there anyway, after all it had been six years since he had been there. That said a lot about him, some people didn’t get to see their grandparents because they couldn’t, he on the other hand had more then enough opportunity to visit, hell how many times had he been in New York City in those six years? More then he could remember that was for sure.
Why did he suck at life so much?
He was thankful when he reached the park to find it deserted. Then again it was hardly ever going to be full of kids with the weather the way it was. Swiping off the mounting snow another shiver overcame him, but still he sat on the swing and began to rock lightly back an forth, their whole argument swirling inside of his head. More secrets, more betrayal, would life ever get better for them?
Time ran away from him as he sat and ponder unanswerable questions but he was interrupted by the sound of snow crunching underneath boots and when his gaze followed the sound he saw his Mother walking towards him. Not a word was uttered as she handed him his coat, and before he even had it zipped all the way up she was handing him a hat and gloves to put on.
“I never expected to have to follow you with a coat and hat when you were almost thirty,” Jane said with a small smile as she wiped off the swing beside him before perching on it.
“How did you know where to find me?” He asked as he continued his gently swinging.
“Oh please, do you know how long it used to take me to get you and Beej away from here when you were younger?” She asked.
A small chuckle escaped his lips before he focused on the white field in front of him.
“So what was that about earlier?” Jane probed a few minutes later just like Nick knew she would.
“Just another argument to add to our huge, growing list,” He scoffed.
“You’ve been together a few years, I’d be worried if you weren’t arguing,” Jane said, Nick just huffed and fell back into silence. “She’s nice, I like her,” Jane added.
He huffed again before adding, “Yeah apart from her being a liar.”
“What’s she lied about?” Jane inquired.
“Nothing, doesn’t matter,” Nick replied sharply.
“Nick.”
“I don’t want to talk about it alright?” He snapped.
“No not alright. I’m not going to let you sit in the cold and dwell on whatever you argued about, I’m not going to sit here and let you get angrier and angrier over something that I might be able to help you with,” Jane replied equally as sharply as her son had been towards her.
He was silent for a few minutes, his gaze purposely focused away from his Mother’s in the hopes that he would be able to stop the tears before they started. Yet the more silence there was between them, the harder it was to keep his emotions at bay and in the end he had to take a shaky breath as the first tears fell.
“I just don’t know what I’m doing Mom,” he admitted as he wiped at his eyes.
“With what?” She asked.
“With everything, one minute we’re good and the next minute…I have no idea what’s going on in her head and I want to…I need to know she wants the same things I do, cause if she doesn’t then what’s the point? I thought life was supposed to get easier as you grew up?” He sighed.
“Who told you that?” Jane asked with a smile, “I’d say it just gets harder and more complicated.”
“Then I’m royally screwed,” He mumbled.
“I’m going to tell you the same thing I told Adie. You are putting way too much pressure on yourself. Things like this can’t be sorted out in a matter of days Nick. You may always have unresolved issues from this time in your life and sometimes you just have to let go of it, you move on, make a fresh start. I know you love her, you wouldn’t be this confused if you didn’t.”
“Love isn’t always enough, I mean look at you and Dad,” Nick shrugged.
“That was a completely different situation Nicky. We got married way to quickly.”
“Because Dad knocked you up with me,” He joked lightly, making Jane laugh along with him.
“We may have done things unconventionally but I don’t have any regrets,” Jane told him.
“Nicely worded their Ma, Gramps will be proud.”
They fell back into silence was again, but this time it was comfortable, and even Nick had to admit that he was feeling slightly better then when he had first stormed out of the house.
“I’m going to say something now, and I’m only going to say it once and then I’ll drop it but just hear me out okay? And you don’t have to say anything after, you don’t have to justify yourself.” Jane said, interrupting the silence.
“What the hell are you gona say Mom?” Nick asked looking to her questioningly.
“I just don’t want you to base your decision to not marry Adie on your Father and Is marriage. She’s a lovely girl Nick, I know I’ve only really seen you when you’ve been arguing but I think you two are really suited and if you can make it through this, I think you can make it through anything,” Jane told him as she stood from the swing. “Now I’m going in because I can no longer feel my nose, feet or hands, you coming?”
Nick looked at her outstretched hand but shook his head, “I just need to clear my head a little.”
“Don’t stay out here for too much longer, I don’t think it would be fair to make Adie see a New York ER when you get hypothermia,” she told him gently patting his cheek.
He watched her walk a few steps towards the house before calling her name as he stood from his swing. She turned, smiling when she was wrapped in a bear hug.
“I’ve missed you Momma,” He whispered.
“I’ve missed you too Nicky.”
***
Adie could feel the tension headache building. Actually she couldn’t remember a time when she didn’t feel a headache coming on, the hypochondriac inside of her would have normally made a convincing argument about the signs of a brain tumour by now, she however, knew it had to be stress related, after all a brain tumour on top of everything else would just be the icing on the cake.
She took a long sip of the water that had been sat in front of her, and quickly glanced at her watch, ten thirty, hopefully they would be leaving soon. The dinner at Doug’s social club had been a little fun and she was enjoying the live band but it had been over seven hours since Nick had stormed off and neither had really spoken more then two words to each other since then.
After her conversation with Jane, Adie had felt slightly better. She called her Dad, who by all accounts was doing well, even trying to get Adie to convince Izzy to let him have some bacon for breakfast. Both she and her Mother had firmly told him it was muesli or going hungry, reluctantly he choose the option that would leave him at least partially full. The conversation had then turned to Nick and herself, the story of their argument flooding out quickly. All Stuart did was reiterate what Jane had said and Adie ended the phone call, calm and collected.
She knew Jane had gone after Nick but she wasn’t surprised when she returned alone and it was then she had decided that she wasn’t going to stay in all day and wait around for him and so had joined the rest of family, barring Nick and Angel of course, and had headed towards the tyre runs.
By the time they had returned to the house, they only had an hour to get showered and dressed for the dinner, Nick had been absent from their room by that point, his earlier arrival back than the rest of them, meaning he was already ready. They rode in separate cabs to the venue but what was worse still was that he had chosen to sit next to Angel instead of her without so much of a second glance. Now all she felt was awkward.
A large sigh escaped her lips just as Aaron sat down beside her.
“You almost blew me to the emerald city with that sigh,” He joked, even managing to make Adie crack a small smile. “Wanna dance?”
“It’s slow dancing A,” Adie pointed out as she looked to the dance floor.
“Yeah, I know how to slow dance A, I’d whip Nick’s butt on dancing with the stars and he knows it. I’ve got moves you’ve never seen!”
Adie laughed and stood up before saying, “Well show me these moves then!”
As they reached the dance floor the song changed to one Adie instantly recognised, it was her parents song and as cheesy as it was, it always bought a smile to her face.
She hummed the first few bars of Me and Mrs Jones but it was only when Aaron asked her, “Did you parents meet in a café?” She realised that he understood the significance too.
“Nope. My Mom knocked my Dad out with a baseball bat.”
“What? And he still went back for more, I mean if I ever got hit in the head by a baseball bat I’d take that as the girl really wasn’t interested.”
“He was the catcher and she was batting, she hit a home run and got a bit excited and threw the bat back with a lot of force before she took of running. He stupidly took his helmet off as he wasn’t expecting anything to hit him. He was out cold for about five minutes,” Adie explained.
Aaron cracked up laughing but quickly stopped making Adie try and turn to see what or whom was in his line of sight but he pulled her in another direction.
“Looks like ass face is getting jealous,” He muttered.
“He looking?” Adie asked.
“Yep and oh we’re out of the seat and walking over.”
Adie took a deep breath in, this was either going to end nicely or very, very badly.
***
Nick watched Adie take a large sip from her glass of water. She looked stressed and tired, that usually added up to a headache for her and he knew from experience that if she didn’t get the pain killers in quick enough, it would just linger on, making her miserable and not that nice to be around. Then again he hadn’t really been around her a lot today anyway. How childish was that? Avoiding someone due to an argument, he had even tried to stand away from her when the pictures were taken but his Mother had glared at him and so reluctantly he had moved to be next to her.
“Are you even listening to a word I’m saying?” Leslie asked.
“Huh?” He muttered turning to her.
“Wrong answer dude,” Mike said making a face.
“Will you just go and apologise to her already,” Leslie prompted.
“I don’t want to apologise to her here.”
“Well then make your excuses, and take her back to Gramps and apologise before we all get home,” Leslie suggested exasperated.
Nick sighed, it wasn’t a bad idea and he was just about to get up from his chair and suggest leaving to Adie, when both Aaron and her walked towards the dance floor. He made himself comfy in his chair again, frowning when Leslie glared at him.
“What?” He asked defensively.
“Go and get her.”
“She’s dancing with Aaron,” Nick pointed out.
“She’s your girlfriend Nick, go and get her.”
He watched as she danced with Aaron, whatever she had just said making him burst out laughing but when he caught his elder brother watching his face almost screwed up into a scowl, making Nick roll his eyes before looking to Leslie, who had an equally pissed of look on her face.
“Alright okay, I’ll go talk to her,” He said as he got up and walked over to where she was dancing. He poked Aaron gently on the shoulder as he asked, “Can I cut in?”
Aaron looked him up and down before turning to Adie and asking “You okay with that?”
“Yeah. I promise at least one more dance with you before we leave though,” she said, stepping back slightly when Aaron released his hold. Nick’s eyes followed Aaron as he stalked off the dance floor and it wasn’t until Adie cleared her throat that he turned to face her.
“I was enjoying myself dancing, you said cut in which in essence means you wanted to dance with me.”
Nick chuckled before opening his arms, a sigh of relief escaping when she wrapped her arms around his middle. He leant down and whispered an “I’m sorry,” as he placed a kiss to the top of her head.
“I didn’t intentionally keep it from you,” Adie told him as they began to slowly move around the floor.
“I know, I was just being an ass.”
“No you weren’t. It’s completely reasonable for you to think that I would want to try again now, its reasonable for you to want to try again but-”
Nick cut her off, “Can we not talk about this here?”
Adie sighed before conceding, “Okay.”
“You look really pretty tonight.”
Adie pulled back from his tight embrace and looked up to him questioningly before looking down at her black skinny jeans, emerald green halter and brown boots.
“You’ve said you’re sorry, you don’t have to lie to me about how I look to get in my good books Nick. I had fifteen minutes to get showered and dressed thanks to your brother and Mike,” she said before she snuggled back into his chest.
“Well I think you look nice,” he said before placing another kiss to her head. He felt more at ease with her quick acceptance of his apology and he did want to hear her explanation about why she wasn’t ready to try again but right then just wasn’t the right time. It was a conversation they needed to have alone, in private and that was when a flashbulb went off in Nick’s head and he wasn’t sure why neither of them had thought of it earlier.
“I’ve had an idea about Christmas,” He blurted out.
“Now I don’t want to talk about it,” She mumbled.
He lifted her chin with his left hand so she was looking at him before continuing, “Just hear me out okay?”
“Alright,” she conceded.
“Why don’t we go away?”
“Away?” She asked.
“Yeah,” he nodded. “I understand why you don’t want to spend it with your folks but I can’t just stay at home. I think it would do us good, get away from everything and everyone, just have some us time, time to talk, time to find ourselves again. I mean when was the last time we had a proper vacation?”
“Ages ago. You’re okay with going away?” She asked.
“Yeah. We could go just before Christmas and come back in the New Year. New Year, new start.”
“So where are we going to go?” She asked a big smile spreading across her face.
“I’m thinking somewhere hot, with a great beach,” Nick offered up not missing Adie roll her eyes. “What?” He questioned.
“Well I already knew that, I’m going with a self professed beach lover.”
“Well where do you want to go?” He asked.
She thought for a few moments before replying, “Somewhere you’ve never been, other than that surprise me.”
“You want me to surprise you?” He asked.
“Yep. Nowhere tacky though,” She warned.
“There goes Benidorm then, shucks!”
She laughed slightly before looking up at him again and whispering “New Year, new start.”
He leant down and kissed her, hoping that some time away together would be just what they needed to overcome all the pain of the past year.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Yes I am still alive! Sorry it has taken me so long to post a new chapter but I have just completed my dissertation! I am aiming to get this story completed by the end of the year and I am hoping to udapte at least once a month now.
Thanks for being patient guys. Hope you enjoy it!
Thanks for being patient guys. Hope you enjoy it!
Chapter End Notes:
Let me know what you think!
