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Chapter 31: It’s Known That I’m a Coward

“Babe!”Nick said running towards me in his grey sweatpants as I drove up in his driveway. I had nowhere else to go. “Babe just let me -”he started but I put my hand up to stop him as I hopped out of his Tahoe.

“You don’t have to explain.”I said putting my hand in his. He looked down at my hand and then narrowed his eyes as he looked back up at me. “I slept with him.” He jerked his hand back out of mine. My head fell towards the ground and I could hear his breathing getting heavier as he looked up at the sky. “Calm down please.”Nick had a temper, a big temper, and I knew he was about to be outraged. His fist slammed down on the hood of the Tahoe putting an instant dent as he pulled it away.

“How can you ask me to fucking calm down?”he asked as he turned to look at me. His face was as red as I’d ever seen it. “You slept with someone else on my birthday Caroline. I mean any other day...”he said letting his voice trail as he put his hands on his hips.

“He wasn’t just somebody.”I said quietly.

“YOUR NOT WITH THAT SOMEBODY ANYMORE!”Nick yelled getting right in my face. “You choose right now!”

“Don’t make me do this Nick.”I said looking away from him. He was standing so close to me his chest was touching mine. “Don’t make me choose.”

“You choose or hand me my truck keys and get the fuck outta my house.”he said. I had never heard him be this mean.

“Don’t do this Nick. I’ll choose him everytime. You know that.”I said feeling the tears slowly start to come down my face. The next thing I knew the side of my face was stinging worse than I’d ever felt as I realized he had reached his hand out and slapped me across the face. As a reflex my hand went to my cheek and he backed away obviously in shock of what he did.

“I’m - “he stammered. “I - babe.” He reached out to touch me, but I pushed him away.

“How could you -”I started, but I think I was in just as much shock as he was. I fell back into the side of the truck, pressing my back to the metal.

“I’m sorry babe. I didn’t.”he said trying to touch my shoulders.

“Get the fuck off me.”I yelled pushing him away so hard he almost stumbled over and fell.

“What’s going on out here?”Aaron said as he jogged towards us. He looked over at Nick concerned as I was slumped over the floorboard of the truck. “Are you okay?”he asked walking past his brother to me. He touched his hand to my cheek and looked back at Nick. Obviously there was a mark. He shook his head and walked away from us back inside. I suppose Aaron had called Brian because he was there before I knew it. Nick and I had just been standing there awkwardly.

“Oh God.”Nick said sighing as Brian slammed the door to his car.

NICK ---

I don’t know what just came over me. I didn’t even feel like myself. I feel like I just got possessed. I’ve never hit a woman in my life. I just -

“Come on!”Brian said grabbing Caroline’s bag from the ground in front of her. He pulled on her arm for her to follow him as he glared back at me.

“ROK COME ON!”I yelled as I followed him towards his car. He shut the door behind her and walked around to the passenger side.

“You better not ever have Aaron call me and tell me something like this again Nick.”he said getting all up in my face.

“Back off man.”I said bucking up right back at him.

“No you back off! This isn’t anything like with Paris. I didn’t give a shit because I didn’t care about her!”he yelled. “This is my family! This is my niece we’re talking about here man not just a another Hollywood slut. You’re messing with my family now and I won’t let you do that.”he said pushing me off of him as he got back in that car. I felt horrible. I didn’t know what to do. I guess that was the end of me and her. There was no damn way I could make it up to her.

CAROLINE --

“It’s okay.”Brian said patting me on the hand. “Stop shaking.”he said noticing my entire body was hyped up from the event. I said nothing. “He hit you?”

“He slapped me.”I said about to hyperventalate. “He’s got a temper Bri.”

“I know. I’ve known him my whole life. That’s why we told you it wasn’t a good idea, but you don’t listen to me and Leigh ever. We’re just looking out for you.”Brian said. I couldn’t tell if he was about to cry or not, but he sure was blazing mad.

“I didn’t tell Leigh because she would have came over here and castrated him, so just tell her you guys got in a fight when we get to the hotel.”he said focusing intently on the road in front of him. My phone was ringing off the hook. “I just don’t get you. I mean what are you doing? You’re tearing our band apart.”my breathing was fast again and I felt like i might pass out. Brian was disappointed in me and that was like having my own father mad at me.
“I don’t mean to. I love both of them. I just - “I started but stopped as we gave the valet the keys.

“You love AJ Caroline you just think Nick’s hot.”he said. I knew he was right. I was in lust for Nick times a thousand. “Neither one of them are ever going to be good enough for you. You deserve better than either of them could provide for you. Fame has screwed all of us up, just them a little bit more than me.”he said putting his arm around me as we walked to the elevator. “Nick lives in an alternate reality. He doesn’t have a normal life. He never did. He’s always been in the spotlight and I’m not making excuses for him, but he doesn’t know how to deal with situations he’s not use to and sometimes he flips out.”

“Well do you think I should talk to him?”I asked as Brian checked in a room for me.

“It’s up to you. You don’t listen to me anyways. We cant let her see you though, so you gotta stay in your room and don’t answer it for her. She will know what happened in a heartbeat. There is a still a handprint.”he said putting his hand on my cheek as we stood in the elevator. “Just try to get some sleep. I’ll text you when to come out tomorrow.”he said as we approached my door.

“Thank you Bri.”I said pulling him into a hug.

“I love you so much. I don’t want you to get hurt.”he said rubbing his hand up my back.

“I’ll be fine.”I said as he let me go. I shut the door behind me realizing my phone had a different ringtone now.

“Hey beautiful.”AJ said on the other end as I sat down on the bed. I could see the redness on my cheek as I looked in the mirror across from where I was sitting.

“Hey.”I said letting my voice drag.

“Are you okay?”he asked with a sense of concern in his voice.

“I’m okay.”I said sighing.

“You’re lying babe.”he said.

“It’s nothing. It’s good to hear your voice.”I said focusing on how deep and sexy his voice was on the other end. It was the only thing keeping the burning down.

“I just wanted you to know I got in safe. They said I can start having visitors in two weeks so I’ll get you a flight soon here.”he said.

“Good.”I said distracted by the continuous beeping of Nick’s call trying to come through.

“I gotta get going though and get settled in. I’ll text you later.”he said hopeful.
“Alright. I love you.”I said hearing the other line go dead. “WHAT NICK?!?”I yelled as I answered his call.

“Just let me explain and don’t hang up.”he sounded frantic. I could hear the bustle of traffic. He was driving somewhere. I could hear him honking the horn.

“You better not be coming here Carter because there is nothing to explain.”I said and he sighed.

“I’m just driving.”he said.

“Well you shouldn’t be if you’re so pissed.”I said laying back in my bed.

“Are you coming to the studio with them tomorrow?”he asked.

“Probably not. Brian won’t let me leave this room until my face looks better.”I could hear him whince as I said it. “He doesn’t want Leighanne to know. She will kill you Nick.”I said as AJ beeped in again. “Hang on Nick.”

“Why would you lie to me?”AJ asked. His voice had a tint of anger in it. “Aaron called me and I just got the message.”

“It’s not what you think.”I said trying to get him to calm down.

“I’m getting the next flight down there. Somebody needs to teach that fucker a lesson.”he said gritting his teeth together.

“AJ NO!”I yelled. “YOU NEED TO STAY THERE AND GET BETTER!”

“Fuck that! You need me.”he yelled back.

“I don’t need you to take care of this. I need for you to get better AJ! Brian can handle this.”I said and he hung up on me before I could finish. I clicked back over to Nick. “Aaron told AJ.”

“God dammit.”he said quietly. I think he was finally starting to calm down.

“He just hung up on me. He says he’s flying back right now.”I said and he was quiet for a few minutes. “Hello?”

“He’s gonna kill me. He’s gonna fucking kill me.”Nick said quietly. I’m pretty sure he was crying.

“Maybe you should call him, or have Kevin call him or something.”I said sighing.

“Kevin.”he said.

“I’m gonna go. He needs to stay there though Nick and you know that. Make it happen. I’ll talk to you...”I said pausing. “Sometime soon.”I ended the call before he had time to reply and laid back on the bed.