Day 7...

"Where do you want it?"

"I don’t care…"

"Bullshit, you do too. You’re the big pop star about to go on tour and promote a CD. You do not want a sun tat in the middle of your chest," Kel said with a smirk as she held the sticker up to Nick’s chest.

He rolled his eyes and looked down at his body, "I don’t know… my arm?"

Kel studied him and looked at the shape in her hands. It was a sun, almost like the sun shaped ink tattoo that he had, and the less girlie of the shapes that had come in the package she’d bought the day before. "I could actually put it right under your other sun, that could be kind of a neat effect if you leave it on long enough for it to show up good."

"Works for me…" he said offering her his arm so she could apply the sticker. "Isn’t it going to come off in the pool though? Or the shower?"

"According to the package they’re waterproof, but I suppose we’ll see…"

As she focused on positioning the small sun on his right shoulder just under the other sun Nick watched her and smiled, "You’re way too into this…"

She shrugged and tried to apply the sticker without messing up the design, "Simple things make me happy."

"One of the many things I love about you…"

She smiled as she crumpled the paper backing from the sticker in her hand and threw it in the trash, "I know, I’m such a cheap date. Always have been…"

"That’s true…" Nick chuckled as he cocked his arm to look at the sticker now attached to his arm. "You are the only girl I know who actually accepts a Happy Meal from McDonalds as a suitable dinner."

"How can you beat fast food and a free toy? I mean, really…" she smiled and pulled another sticker out of the pile on the kitchen table. She chose a butterfly and handed it to Nick, "You can do the honors…"

Nick looked at the sticker and made a face, "A butterfly?"

"I know… it’s so girlie. But it’s either the butterfly or the heart. They’re both kind of lame, but I figured the heart was kinda dull."

He shook his head and exchanged the heart for the butterfly, "Nope, I like the heart. And I know where it’s going too. Actually, you have more non tattooed skin to do this on, we’re doing both stickers…"

Kel laughed and shrugged as she held her arms out, "Whatever you want…"

Nick smirked at her and circled her body slowly, "You so shouldn’t say that to me… I might take it the wrong way you know?"

"Uh huh…" she chuckled. "Pervert…"

"Basically…" he said softly with a smile as he searched her body for the two perfect spots for the stickers. She wore a black bikini top and a pair of washed out and well worn denim shorts. "Jesus Kel, how long have you had these shorts?"

Kel laughed, "A long time… but they still fit, they’re not completely falling apart yet, and they make my ass look damn good. So I’m not throwing them out yet."

Nick sighed as he looked down at her ass, "Well you’re right about the ass thing…" he giggled. "I remember when you bought these."

"Get your eyes off of my ass young man," she smiled over her shoulder at him. "Focus on the stickers, and no, we’re not putting them on my ass."

"Damn…" he laughed and traced his finger over the small of her back. "Okay, the heart is going here since you still won’t appease my fantasy by putting a real tattoo here."

Kel smiled, Nick had been begging her for years to get a tattoo on the small of her back, but for one reason or another she hadn’t yet done it. "Maybe if you beg me a little harder I’ll get one there soon…"

"Before AJ gets home…" Nick smiled as he knelt on the kitchen floor so he could place the sticker on her back without it being in a weird position. He purposely turned it slightly to the side but placed it directly in the center of the small of her back with a smile.

"You expect me to get a new tattoo within the next three days?"

"Yup…" he said as he removed the backing on the butterfly after standing back up.

"We’ll see…" she chuckled as he stood in front of her again and looked down at her.

"Hold still…" he said as he reached out and put the second sticker on the top of her left shoulder. After positioning the sticker he smiled and kissed it, "Looks like a butterfly landed on your shoulder." She smiled and he smoothed the sticker once more before his eyes traveled lower on her arm to a scar. His fingertip traced the scar slowly and he raised his eyes to hers again, "Is this what I think it is?"

She nodded and pulled away pretending to be interested in throwing away the sticker papers, "Yup. I barely notice it anymore."

"Kel…" he said carefully as he watched her moving around the kitchen. She paused and her head dropped as she looked at the floor. She shook her head as he stepped closer to her but didn’t fight it when he put his arms around her in a hug.

"I don’t talk about it…" she whispered against his chest. "It’s just too hard. If I talk about it I get angry and I can’t do that anymore."

He pulled back enough to look into her eyes and sighed at her, "You have every right to be angry."

"I didn’t mean…" she sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. "I just mean that…" She sighed once again and ran her fingers through her hair, "You and I both know why the things that happened that night took place. That’s what I’m angry about… about staying in such a shitty situation when I knew it wasn’t safe, I’m angry about what the alcohol turned him into. But I’m not angry with him anymore. I don’t know if I’ll ever fully get over the whole thing…" she shrugged as she looked up into his blue eyes hoping he’d understand. "But I can’t be angry about it anymore Nicky. He’s himself again, and he loves me, and I love him. I love him too much to hate him for that night."

"I know you do…" he said softly and looked at the scar on her arm again, visions from the past flashing in his head like old worn photographs.

She watched his expression as he looked at the scar and touched it gently, "Tell me the truth Nick. Do you think that I should?"

"Should what?" he asked, his eyes never leaving her scar.

"Hate him…"

He sighed and shook his head, "No. But I don’t know what I feel about it all either. I trust that you wouldn’t still be with him if he hadn’t changed and proven his love to you all over again. And I give you credit for being strong enough to go through all of this with him, cause I probably would have walked out on him by now if I were you…" His eyes met hers finally and were bathed in sadness, "I guess I just… well, I remember it all so vividly and god, it was so bad then."

She nodded and took his hands in hers, "Yeah it was…"

"He’s been one of my best friends for half of my life, but I’d kill him before I ever let him hurt you again, Kellie."

She found herself shivering at Nick’s words, not because they shocked her, but because she knew they were absolutely the truth. She knew that had AJ not gone into rehab after what had happened that night on tour, Nick would have seriously hurt AJ. "You won’t have to. I promise you honey, you’ll never have to worry about that again."

He looked into her eyes for any shred of uncertainty in her statement, but there was none. With another sigh he put his hands on either side of her face, kissed her forehead and then pulled her into another long hug, "I guess it’s time for me to start working on letting it go huh?"

She smiled up at him and tiptoed to kiss his cheek, "In your own time sweetheart…"

"It’s going to take a while…"

She nodded, "I know…"

"Be patient with me?" he smiled.

"But of course… Would cookies help?" she asked with a smile.

He let out a happy groan and tipped his head back with a smile, "Oh yes… please make me cookies. You promised you would before the week was over."

"God, you’re easy…" she giggled and hugged him once more.

"Only when it comes to your goodies…" he smirked and wiggled his eyebrows.

They both laughed and she shook her head, "Pervert…"

"Yeah yeah… call me when they’re done," Nick laughed as he headed toward the door that led to the deck on the back of the house.

"Where the hell are you going? You’re not going to help?"

Nick smiled his best smile and pointed to the sticker on his arm as he backed out of the door with his sunglasses in hand, "Gotta work on my sun tat baby… It‘s all about the sun tat…"