-AJ-
“Where are you going?”I asked walking into our bedroom as she was pulling up her boots onto her feet.
“Get my nails done…”she said looking up at me zipping up one of the sides. “They look like shit.”
“Maybe I’ll come with you.”I said looking at my own nails. The paint was super chipped on almost all of them. Touring doesn’t do much for your hygiene.
“To get my nails done?”she asked narrowing her eyebrows at me. I know it’s weird, but it feels good. It’s not like I get them painted pink…it’s always black. I think that’s kinda manly…right?
“Yea dude.”I said holding out my hands to her so she could see mine. “Mine look like shit.”I said and she smiled slightly and shook her head.
“You’re such a girl.”she said standing up as I pulled my black pants on to go with her.
“I am not.”I said laughing. “I just like to look pretty.”
“Oh my.”she said walking towards the door as I followed behind her. “If you wanna come let’s go then.”she said sighing as she pulled her pocketbook over her shoulder. I kind of got the impression she didn’t really want me there. Something was weird with her today.
-Caroline-
So Nick texted me this morning to see if I wanted to go to lunch, I should have said no because my excuse was to get my nails done and for him to meet me there, but now I have Mr. Tag A Long so I don’t know what I’m going to do. I can’t text him and tell him not to come because AJ is going to ask who I’m talking to and gosh I can’t do this. I should have never went on his boat with him last night. It’s just things have gotten so ridiculous between well really all of us that my head is literally spinning in a thousand directions. I love AJ, I do, but his alcohol thing is just taking its toll on me and Nick is there when I need him. I know I keep saying that…maybe its just because he is so damn hot. When he smiles…I can’t help myself. I’m only human.
“You want pedicure?”the Vietnamese lady said as we walked into the nail salon, apparently AJ frequented there before and they remembered him because he was already sitting getting his shit done by the time they even noticed me. I can’t believe he made me wait and he needed to take those sunglasses off his face. I know he can’t see anything in here, it’s dark anyways.
“Yea and if I have time acrylic nails.”I said following her to the chair beside AJ. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and saw Nick’s name on the caller ID. I ignored the phone call and a text from him arrived short after.
Carter: You there yet?
I hesitated on whether or not to even text him back, but AJ has his head leaned back and through the side of his glasses I could see his eyes were closed.
Reply: AJ’s with me…but I’m here.
Carter: Are you serious? Do you still want me to come?
Reply: I don’t know how you’re going to pull that off…you just randomly show up at a nail salon. That’s a little gay.
Carter: Maybe I like to get them done.
Reply: Maybe you should just call him and see where he is and say your stopping by to hang out with him…
Carter: Yea okay. See you soon babe.
Really though? Why with the babe? I don’t understand why he was not getting that we couldn’t do this. This was his career. This was his brother. This was his life. If AJ found out anything had happened, which nothing serious had happened yet, he would be devastated. Just out of my simple love for him, I shouldn’t be even talking to Nick this way.
“What’s up man?”AJ said picking up his phone. “Oh yea man, we are right by there. Stop in we’ll get lunch before we head to the studio…no really it’ll be good that way I can ride with you and Caroline can go home when we go.” Great I get to go home, exactly what I wanted my day to be. Another boring day in the apartment, I can only go shopping so much before it gets boring…maybe that’s what it was. I was bored.
“Nick’s going to stop by and wait on us to get done.”he said rubbing his hand up my leg.
“This your girlfriend.”the lady doing his toes said pointing to me.
“Yea. She’s beautiful right?”he said squeezing my thigh which was uncovered because I was wearing a sun dress.
“Yes, very beautiful.”the lady said as the door opened and Nick walked in. So I’m not gonna lie, he looked pretty fucking hot in his white long sleeved striped shirt and blue jeans. The Hurley belt buckle was a little big, but other than that…STOP IT! As you can see I am wrestling with this in my head.
“How’s it going man?”he said as he did his handshake with AJ. “And you?”he said pulling me into a hug as he kissed me on the cheek. I knew my face would be red and I knew AJ would see it.
“We got maybe like twenty minutes left.”AJ said and Nick took a seat at the front to wait. We kept making eye contact through out the rest of the nail visit. It was a bit uncomfortable.
“So did you vote man?”Nick asked as we sat down at the outside terrace café. Today was Voter’s Day. AJ and myself had sent in absentee ballots earlier in the month.
“Yea I sent in my ballot a few weeks ago.”he said pulling his chair up closer to the table. “Obama 08!”he said raising his arm in victory.
“Hell yea!”Nick said pounding his fist into AJ’s as they laughed.
“You see that’s what I don’t get, why do you rich people vote Democratic? You know you fall into that 1% that’s going to get taxed outrageously!”I said. I was really passionate about this election.
“Oh here we go with Miss Republican.”AJ said rolling his eyes. We had had many a discussion about this issue.
“I’m not a Republican. I just don’t understand why you vote for something that would directly affect you.”I said leaning back in my chair huffing as I crossed my arms.
“God don’t get all upset about it.”AJ said laughing along with Nick at how upset I was getting.
“I’m not it just pisses me off when you say shit like that.”I said looking away from him. He laughed a little bit more as the waitress came to get our drink order.
“Let me get Coke.”Nick said looking up at her. Randomly Nick’s foot had made it over to mine and he looked over at me as he rubbed his sandled foot up my leg and then quickly moved it away.
“I’ll have the same add a shot of Rum.”AJ said and my head shot over to him.
“No rum.”I said looking back at him. He looked away from the waitress back at me and then back to the waitress.
“With.”he said and I rolled my eyes.
“Nothing for me. I lost my appetite.”I said looking away from everyone as the waitress walked away.
“Are you gonna act like a bitch the whole day or just at lunch?”AJ said after a few minutes of silence.
“Dude come on.”Nick said trying to ease the tension.
“I’m just gonna go.”I said standing up. I was sick of this shit. He was being a super asshole today and I wasn’t going to take it. “Give me they keys. Ride with him.”I said as he pulled the keys out of his pocket.
“Later Nick.”I said looking past them. I heard Nick mumble something about the bathroom and he was soon fast on my tail.
“I’m not in the mood right now Nick.”I said turning back around to him as I approached AJ’s Range Rover.
“Hey, don’t be at me I didn’t do anything.”Nick said leaning himself up on the car by his hand as he leaned closer to me.
“I didn’t say that you did. I just am not going to be talked to like that and sit there and watch him drink you know?”I said breathing in deep.
“I know.”he said looking down at me. “Listen I gotta go get my new puppy tonight, I thought maybe you could come. It’d be a valid excuse to hang out with me.”
“I don’t know Nick.”I said thinking of how I would play this off.
“I’ll tell him your coming. Pleeeeaseee.”he said begging putting on a little boy smile.
“Fine.”I said crossing my arms. “But I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into with all of this Carter. You really need to think about it.”
“I know. See you tonight.”he said and leaned down to kiss me on the cheek as he pulled me into a hug.
-AJ-
“So what’s going on with you and her?”Nick asked as he sat back down after going to the bathroom.
“Nothing.”I said shrugging. “I guess she’s on her period.”He chuckled and then sighed.
“Well dude maybe it’s the drinking. I mean you are on a program to quit and you’re doing it in front of her you know?”he said and he was right. I just couldn’t help it. I don’t know why I ordered it. It just became habit.
“I know. What am I gonna do Nick? If I lose her I’ll die man.”I said putting his head in his hands as our food arrived. The smell of the burger I ordered made me want to puke at the moment. I had felt so sick lately. I dunno what it was.
“I’m going to take her with me tonight to pick up my new puppy because I think you guys just need a night apart.”Nick said and he was right. We were spending entirely to much time together.
“Thanks man.”I said watching him pull out his cell phone as I agreed to let it happen.
-Nick-
As I was driving to meet her at Taco Bell, I know corny but AJ hates the place so he would never come by there, I began to feel a little bit of remorse. I should have never asked AJ about their relationship, now I feel like the biggest asshole in the world. I just couldn’t stop myself. I know it will ruin my career and my relationship with him, but something is so real about her. I dunno. As I pulled up next to the Range Rover in the parking lot she climbed out of her car and locked it as she got into mine. She let out a deep breath, must have been nervous, and looked over at me.
“You okay?”I asked patting my hand on her leg.
“Will be.”she said swallowing deep. I hope she wasn’t going to puke or something.
“It’s just up the street here.”I said as we pulled onto a side street. I was going to get a playmate for my pitbull Layla to play with and the same mother Layla has just had puppies.
“Oh my gosh.”Caroline said smiling as she saw all of the puppies. Girls love puppies. I knew she would love it and that’s why I asked her to come.
“Nick this one is perfect…”she said holding up one of the white and red pits a few minutes later. “She likes you.”she said as I pulled the puppy out of her arms to examine it.
“I wanted to get a black one though.”I said looking around in all of the cages. “I want the puppy and Layla to have the same mom. That’s really important, her puppies are over here.”I spotted the puppy I wanted from a mile away and as Caroline trailed behind me with the white puppy in her arms I ran over to pick it up.
“This is it.”I said picking up the soft ball of fur in my arms and held up the face so she could see her blue eyes.
“Awww.”she said putting the puppies faces together to make them kiss. “Still this one!”she said smiling.
“If you want that one we’ll get both.”I said and she smiled bigger. I don’t know why I said it. I knew it’d make her happy. I guess.
“I can’t take this puppy home. Where would I have gotten it from? AJ already has two dogs.”she said kissing the puppy on the nose.
“It can stay at my house. You just have to promise to come take care of it.”I said as the property owner came by us to see if we were ready.
“That’s nice Nick but these dogs are like four hundred dollars.”she said putting the puppy back in the cage.
“I got this baby.”I said and it came off more cocky than it sounded in my head. I picked up the puppy she had put back down and handed them both to the owner.
“We’ll take both.”I said looking over at her as I put my arm around her. This was weirdly like a family thing we were doing together right? And even though I knew AJ was in her apartment waiting for her, it didn’t feel wrong.
-Caroline –
I can’t believe he just bought me that puppy. I mean I knew four hundred dollars to him was like nothing, but to me that A LOT of money just to spend on someone I wasn’t even dating, not to mention the commitment that was taking to take in two dogs. I was shocked actually, Nick had always seemed so stuck up and selfish, but I was coming around to him. He was changing my view. I looked down at my phone as it began to vibrate with a text from AJ.
Babe: You coming home soon?
Reply: Maybe we’re still at the dog place.
Babe: I’m sorry about earlier.
Reply: That’s what you always say.
Babe: At least I mean it everytime I say it.
Reply: but you don’t and that’s the thing.
“You texting AJ?”Nick asked walking up behind me as we stood in the isle of PetSmart.
“Yea he wants to know when I’m coming home.”I said looking over the different water and food bowls.
“Tell him never.”he said as he wrapped his arms around my shoulders from behind. “I kidnapped you.”I liked how much bigger Nick was than me. He could cover me completed and that made me feel safe.
“What are you going to name him?”he asked as he looked down at the puppy in my arms.
“Ace I think. That’s cute right?”I said pulling two of the bowls off the shelf.
“Yea I like it…I think I’m gonna name her Bella.”he said putting the puppy up on his shoulder. They were both so tired it was so cute.
“That’s really cute.”I said as we made our way to the checkout counter with our purchases.
- Nick –
Today was nice, I thought as we finally made it back to my house to start setting up for the puppies.
“Thank you Nick. This was beyond nice of you.”Caroline said as she pulled me into a hug after we had dropped the puppies down to let them sniff around.
“Give me a kiss on the cheek.”I said smiling. She blushed a little and as she went to kiss my cheek I turned my head quickly to kiss her on the mouth. I could feel her mouth turn into a closed smile as I had my eyes closed.
“You better stop it.”she said pulling away from me as I held onto her tight by her waist.
“Or what?”I said smiling as my forehead was pressed up to hers.
“Or nothing.”she said laughing as I tried to kiss her again and she turned her face away.
“Fine.”I said letting her go as I walked away from her around the bar into the kitchen.
“Nick!”she said putting her hands on her hips. “You better not be mad at me!”
“You better make it up to me.”I said leaning back against the counter. She walked over to me cautiously narrowing her eyebrows. I think for the first time she was going to make a move on me. She leaned into me and kissed me slowly. I rubbed my hand up her back as she continued to kiss me. This was seriously sexy. I know were just kissing, but it was slow and I don’t know, but it was hot. I rubbed my hand over her shirt strap and it slid down to her arm. She pulled away from me and looked up at me.
“You gotta take me home.”she said and I sighed. WTF! I seriously had the biggest boner ever in the world right now. I honestly thought we were going to do it.
“Or you could stay here.”I said leaning in to kiss her again.
“You know I can’t do that.”she said giving me a side smile.
“Maybe one day.”I said as she turned from to pick up her stuff off of the couch.
“Maybe.”she said and I turned to follow her back out to my car.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Random happenings with the BSB....
Chapter End Notes:
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