“Oh God.”Caroline said running from the bed into the bathroom. She threw up straight clear liquid and breathed heavily as she leaned back against the bathtub. As she sniffled from her nose running so bad she wanted to cry. What was she thinking? What had she done last night, was the bigger question as she noticed she was wearing next to nothing.
“Babe?”AJ said stumbling into the bathroom where she was. “You okay?”he said rubbing his forehead from his massive headache. You try not drinking for years and see how you feel the next day.
“Fine.”she said and stood up from where she was laying. He reached for her hand but she just looked up at him. “AJ I can’t do this… no matter what I feel I have obligations to someone else.”she said and he looked down.
“Whatever.”he said shaking his head. “Deny this all you want.”
“Don’t be like that.”she said but he put his hand up to stop her.
“Just go watch Baylee or whatever it is you came here to do.”he said in a stern voice.
“AJ come on.”she said walking closer to him. She was so confused, she didn’t know what she was doing. “You can’t expect me to just leave him for you…I’ve known you for what three days?”
“Exactly…I’ve known you for three days so just forget it.”he said pissed off. He started the shower and looked back at her waiting for her to leave the bathroom. She looked back at him as she slowly shut the door behind her. She walked back into the living room where the rest of the boys were getting there stuff ready to take with them to the arena they were playing in that night.
“How was your night?”Nick said laughing insinuating they had done something.
“Probably a lot better than yours.”she said trying to smile.
“OHHHHHH.”Brian yelled cupping his hand over his mouth as Nick play punched him in the stomach. “Wanna come watch soundcheck? I’ll let you sit onstage with Baylee.”Brian said and she smiled.
“I don’t know Bri I don’t really feel well.”she said holding onto her stomach.
“Didn’t you come here to watch my child though?”Brian said nodding his head so she would say yes.
“Okay fine.”she said walking past him to change clothes.
Caroline sat on the stage with Baylee where they had made an upper level for the drums while the boys began their soundcheck. She looked out at all the fans with their adoring eyes…if they only knew how these boys really acted. AJ had not looked or spoken to her once since they arrived at the venue. It was really starting to get to her.
“Okay so what songs do you guys wanna hear…we can play anything off the greatest hits album except Drowning, If You Want It To Be Good Girl, Get Down…ehhhh the band doesn’t know how to play a lot of stuff.”AJ said making the girls laugh. “Keep it on the new album or Never Gone if you can.”
“Unmistakeable.”one of the girls called out.
“Unmistakeable it is then.”Howie said smiling as the band began to play. This was one Caroline hadn’t heard… because as previously mentioned she wasn’t a Backstreet fan anymore. She had really thrown AJ of course today and she could tell. He looked rough.
Maybe you’ll take me by surprise
Will you be the one I had in mind?…
As they continued singing that line replayed in Caroline’s head over and over again. She wasn’t in love with Josh and she knew it. There were so many things keeping them from being in love, but with AJ it was just an instant click, an instant connection even that first night when they met. He looked over at her for a split second and her heart jumped. His eyes looked tired and sad. After playing Unsuspecting Sunday Afternoon and Everybody it was time for questions.
“Does anyone have a question for AJ?”Justin their tour assistant asked walking around with a microphone scanning the fans. He held the microphone up to a tiny blonde.
“This question is from all of the girls at mcleanfans.net we wanted to know since you broke up with Kaci are you still single?”the girl asked and everyone made the stupid ahhhh sounds. AJ looked down at the girl and laughed unsure of how to answer that.
“Me and Nick are riding on the singles bus…yes I am single. I thought something may work out, but I was wrong so unfortunately for me, not for you guys, I am still single.”he said looking back at Caroline as he finished. She turned away from him and shook her head.
“That’s okay because AJ is a good lookin guy right guys?”Nick said walking over to AJ petting his beard. “Besides looking like a grizzly.”Nick said and everyone screamed.
“Nick you can’t even grow facial hair so shut up.”AJ said rubbing Nick’s face to try to find at least some stuble.
“I know I’m jealous!”Nick said laughing.
“Alright how about a question for Brian……………………….
Caroline sat down in the backstage room waiting on Brian to come back in and take Baylee from her. She sat down at Brian’s computer and started surfing youtube. She felt like a stalker but she wanted to see what AJ was all about. She pulled up video after video after video of the boys messing around with each other and found herself laughing hysterically at their crazy antics not even noticing Brian had come in to get Baylee who was asleep on the couch. “What’s so funny?”he asked leaning over the chair to see the computer.
“You are.”she said showing him one of the parts from MTV Diary Funniest Backstreet moments.
“Oh geez…don’t you get enough of us?”he said pushing her out of the chair. “Move I got business to attend to.”
“Whatever have fun jacking off.”she said rolling her eyes as she walked out the door. She wandered her way onto the stage to see what was going on and saw AJ sitting on the edge of the stage with his legs Indian style so they weren’t hanging off the edge. He looked back at her as she walked up behind him. “Hey.”she said quietly giving him a side smile.
“Hey.”he said as she sat down beside him. She knew what she was doing now, today had helped her realize. She put her hands on his chest and pushed him backwards so he was laying on the stage and kissed him as his hands rubbed up her back.
“I’m sorry.”she said pulling away from him. He looked surprised and smiled at her.
“It’s okay…I pushed it. I didn’t ask you to marry me or anything I just want you to hang out with me you know…you don’t have to break up with him right now make sure I’m what you want first. I got a lot of baggage.”he said as she layed on top of him.
“I don’t care about your baggage.”she said as he ran his hands through her hair. “Let’s just see after this week where the world takes us.”
“Sounds good.”he said kissing her again.
Author's Chapter Notes:
This chapter is short... but the next is real long so I figured Id give you readers a break :)
