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Chapter 36

I felt like I was doing the walk of shame when Principal Conway called me down to his office. I had no idea what I could be in for.

But my fears were calmed when I saw who was in the waiting room, “Alex!” I leapt into his arms and he laughed and nearly stumbled backwards.

“Hi Ally,” he put me down and grinned, “ready to go?” I must’ve looked confused because he clarified, “I’ve come to post bail.”

“Does Nick know?”

Alex laughed, “of course he does, he’s the one who suggested it!” He held out his arm and I hooked mine through his, “shall we?”

I grinned, “We shall!”

“Now, I had a car take me from Orlando to here so you’re driving.” He gave me a pointed look, “just don’t run over my foot this time.” I grinned sheepishly. Last year Alex had broken his foot, because when he took me out for a driving lesson, I had accidentally run over it.

Oops.

“Where are we going?”

“The mall,” he grinned, “I’m starving.”

“You know there are other restaurants not associated with the mall,” I teased him.

“I know,” he laughed, “but I want a sandwich and the food court has them.” Then he pinched my shoulder, “are you really going to argue with a trip to the mall with your favorite Uncle?”

I laughed, “I’ll never argue about you taking me someplace.”

“I ain’t driving baby, you’re taking me.” I rolled my eyes. “You have that credit card Nicky gave you?”

“Yeah.”

“Good,” he snickered, “he’s paying then.” I couldn’t help it; I laughed. “So…any news for me?”

I tried to think, “Uh…no?”

“Really?” I could sense the overly casual tone in his voice, “No new friends I need to know about?”

I chuckled, “Oh, you mean a new friend named Tyler?”

“Oh really? Is that his name?” I just glared at him. “Nick just told me that you came home the other night with stars in your eyes, and I thought it was because you were thinking about me. It makes me sad that it takes another boy to give you that look.”

“Well,” I tried to hide my snicker, “I guess sex does that to a person.”

“WHAT!” His shrill exclamation pierced through my ears and he turned towards me, “Alexandra Nicole, you better not have had sex with him!”

I burst into laughter, “kidding! Your reaction was priceless though.”

He scoffed but relaxed in his seat, “I cannot believe you did that to me.” He was silent for a moment, “I think I’m having a heart attack.”

“Oh whatever old man,” I rolled my eyes, “I can’t believe you believed that I would do that on the first date.”

“How many dates has it been so far?”

I shrugged. “Just two,” I said, “but I see him every day at lunch too.”

“Is he nice?”

“Well I wouldn’t be dating him if he wasn’t now would I?”

“I don’t know,” his face hardened slightly, “you dated that other shithead and he was well, a shithead.” He had me there. “Does Nick like him?”

“He didn’t throw a fit when Tyler came to pick me up on Sunday. And he even shook his hand.”

Alex nodded thoughtfully, “that’s an improvement.”

“Well, he really doesn’t have a say in it…even though he thinks he does.”

“Give him some credit Ally, you’re all he’s got. He doesn’t just want anyone to come in and sweep you off your feet and take you away from him.”

I frowned; I had never questioned why Nick never fell in love again because I was selfish and loved that it was just me and him against the world. And even though Tyler and I were still getting to know each other, the way he made me feel on Sunday when he dropped me off was too hard to ignore, and I wanted more. Why would Nick want to shy away from that? It made me sad, that he has spent the last seventeen years alone, and probably lonely. I wasn’t completely naïve; we had the sex talk for a reason, because I had caught him in the act. Gross.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.” We had gotten to the mall, and I was lucky enough to find a parking space up front. I hooked my arm through his again as he led us to the food court.

“Why hasn’t my Dad fallen in love again?”

Alex looked at me, “again?”

My eyebrows furrowed, “what?”

“You asked why he hasn’t fallen in love again, what makes you think he’s fallen in love before?”

I felt terribly naïve. “You mean he didn’t love Jen?”

He looked pensive, “maybe he thought he did. But could you love someone who would devastate your life like that?”

No, I couldn’t. I wanted to cry suddenly. “Is that why he hasn’t fallen in love? He doesn’t want to risk repeating history?” Alex just shrugged. I’ve never known Nick to be afraid of anything. But he was afraid to fall in love. “That’s so sad,” I whispered.

“You’re telling me,” Alex whispered back. I rested my head on his shoulder and sighed heavily. “Don’t be sad for him baby. He wouldn’t give up the past seventeen years with you for anything.”

“But he stopped living his life for me.”

“No,” he said, “he started living his life for you.” He smiled suddenly, “now, what kind of sandwich is Nick going to buy you?”





After lunch Alex had taken me shopping. I had sent Nick a text, telling him I was with Alex and we were shopping, and he told me to buy a pretty dress, and to head to the newsstand. So I grabbed Alex’s hand and led him to the newsstand, hearing him complain the whole way because he was just about to buy a new pair of shoes. But once we got to the stand, he gasped, and I mirrored it shortly after. It was like an elephant in the room, a large white elephant that was stuck in a tiny room. The Rolling Stone issue was out, and they had put a picture of me on the cover. I was sandwiched between Aaron and Nick. I was facing Aaron with my back against Nick and his arm wrapped around my shoulders protectively. We were all smiling, and I could tell that we had just finished laughing. The picture was perfect but not Rolling Stone cover perfect.

“You’re on the cover of Rolling Stone,” Alex said softly. He turned to me, “Ally, this is huge.”

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from it, “I wasn’t supposed to be on the cover.”

He chuckled, “how could they look at these and not put you on the cover. Jesus Ally, you’re fucking gorgeous. Do you know how many magazines they’re probably going to sell?”

I blushed, “shut up.” I picked up the issue and frowned down at it. The cover boasted about having the first pictures of ‘Nick Carter’s Daughter,’ and how I might just be following in ‘her father’s footsteps.’ Alex and I flipped to the story and I frowned again. I was in all of the pictures except for two solo shots of Nick and Aaron. As Alex read the article, I called Nick. He answered on the first ring and my voice broke when I said, “Dad they put me on the cover.”

“I know baby,” he said softly, “how are you handling it?”

“I don’t understand. I’m not anything special,” I whispered, “I didn’t do anything to warrant a cover. Did you read the article?”

“Yeah,” he said, “you’re in it.”

I closed my eyes, “I don’t want the kids at school to hate me.”

“They won’t hate you Ally. Besides, we’ve already talked about this; they don’t matter in the grand scheme of things. You’re bigger and better than they are if they do hate you, which they won’t.” He sighed, “The pictures turned out great though, you’re beautiful in them.”

I blushed at the compliment, and decided I needed to get over it. He was right; caring about a reaction from people I didn’t care about was stupid. “Yeah well, if I didn’t have such a handsome father, I guess I wouldn’t be in this predicament.”

He laughed, “I know baby. I’m gorgeous, a heartthrob, all the ladies want me.”

“Okay,” I pretended to gag, “you don’t have to remind me that my father is a heartthrob, because you know, I don’t see it.”

“Psht, whatever.”

I smiled coyly, “bring home a girlfriend and then we’ll talk, okay heartthrob?”

I rendered him speechless for just a moment. And when he spoke again, he sounded unsure, “whatever Ally. I need to go, I’ll call you tonight to talk some more okay? I want to hear about the trial and your day with the worst influence in the world.”

I scoffed, “Alex is not a bad influence. If he wasn’t my Uncle, I’d probably swoon after him.”

“I would never allow that to happen,” he snickered. “Bye Ally.”

I was grinning, “bye Dad.” When I hung up the phone I burst into laughter at Alex, “what are you doing?”

He grinned, “Don’t judge. I’m proud!” He had taken all of the magazines that were on the stand and bought them.

“What are you going to do with that many issues?”

He winked, “Well first, I’m going to ask for an autograph, because when you do become famous, I can say I had the first one, and then I can pawn it on eBay for a couple thousand dollars. Then I’m going to frame a copy and hang it in my studio, because it’s your first cover and it’s Rolling fucking Stone magazine. Whether or not you’re embarrassed by the attention, be proud Ally.”

I frowned, “The only reason why I’m on there though is because Nick Carter is my father.”

“The article says that you co-wrote Aaron’s first single. Your name is on the credits.”

I grabbed the magazine from him and turned to the article again. And sure enough, there is was. Aaron was quoted saying, ‘She doesn’t believe that she has any musical ability, and she used to avoid it simply because of what family she comes from. But she sat in on the session, gave a couple of offhand comments about what the lyrics should be on this particular line and how it would be cool what the guitar could sound like on this bridge and on the final cut I ended up using her suggestions. So her name is on the credits as a co-writer.’ I looked up at Alex, “What does this mean?”

Alex grinned, “It means you’ve got yourself a paying gig.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and led me back to the department store that I had dragged him away from. “I’m going to start working on some solo stuff again and right after Christmas, we’re going back in the studio. I expect you to help pen me some hits.”

I rolled my eyes, “whatever. That’s never going to happen.”

He rolled his eyes in response, “whatever. We’re writing a duet together. Final say, end of story kid.”

“I’m not a kid,” I snapped.

He stopped and looked at me, “no, you’re not.” He took a deep breath, “Now that this is out Ally, people are going to start to talk. Men are going to talk, and they’re going to be shallow and superficial like we always are. People are going to ask you questions and they’re going to want certain things from you. You’re not a kid anymore Ally, and this magazine cover proves it not only to me, but to everyone else who doubted you.” He ran his thumb over the apple of my cheek when I blushed, “People are going to expect you to make something of yourself, so you need to stay focused like you always have been, and use the attention you get to your advantage.”

“I don’t want the attention, that’s the thing.”

He nodded, “I know you don’t, but unfortunately, you don’t get a say in that. So use it wisely.”

I frowned; I suddenly didn’t like being a Carter.