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Before: Triangle


Nick

I was standing outside the club, waiting for Ashley to show up for the concert, trying to spot her vibrant red hair in the crowd. Considering how bright it is, and how tall I am, it's usually relatively easy for me to spot. But I hadn't seen her yet, and it was getting close to the time she'd said she would be there.

My phone vibed, and I pulled it out of my pocket.

"Hey," I said, answering it, "Where you at?" I craned my neck, certain I'd suddenly see the dot of bright red amongst all the black, brown, and blonde.

"Hey Nick," Ashley's voice was apologetic. "I am sooo sorry I didn't call you sooner... I kind of forgot, there was some crazy stuff going on this morning here... but I figured you wouldn't mind anyway..."

"Mind what?"

"Well Chris is gonna come."

"But I only have two tickets," I objected. I'd only bought two, so yep, only two.

"Yeah, silly, he's coming, like instead of me," Ashley said. "Actually he must be held up in traffic or something, he should've been there by now."
"He could be here already and I wouldn't know," I said. But what I thought was that Chris wasn't gonna waste his time actually coming. Hell, he probably hoped that I'd think Ashley was standing me up or something. I had a feeling I knew where he was. "I actually see him," I lied, "I'll talk to you later," I said. I hung up the phone and hailed a cab.

Fifteen minutes later, I slid into the booth across from Chris at the bar where Ashley and I used to hang out regularly. He was sitting there on what used to be my side of the booth, sipping a drink and looking like he'd expected me to come find him. "So she called you," he said.

"Yep."

Chris set his drink down with a sigh, "You know why I did this, don't you?"

"Yes," I said with a nod, "Because you're an asshole."

"I'm the asshole?" he asked, seeming genuinely surprised. "Nick, which one of us is being really inappropriate with whose fiance?" I didn't answer. Because yeah that was true, but she was totally mine first. "Look, Nick," he said, "This triangle between you, me and Ashley... it's gotta stop, man."

"Yes," I agreed, "It does."

Though we were both probably thinking of different resolutions for it.

"Okay then. I'm glad you agree," Chris said. "Look, straight up man, and I won her fair and square. She loves me."

"Oh? Did she tell you that?" I asked.

Chris's face was unexpectedly smug, "Yes," he said, "As a matter of a fact, she did tell me that. She tells me she loves me all the time."

"That's funny," I said, and I leaned forward, taunting him, "Because this weekend when I was laying in bed with her in Kansas, she said that she ain't never said it to you."

The color in Chris's face drained. "You didn't sleep with her," he said.

"Or did I?"

Chris looked extremely unsure.

"Let's face it. If I asked her to, she would."

Chris downed the rest of his drink. His voice had a new, nervous quality to it when he spoke, "Look, I'm gonna level with you."

"Okay."

"I get it. You're Nick Carter. No woman in their right mind is gonna say no to you. You're like a fucking god, okay? I get it. But here's my deal... Women frequently say no to me. And when they say yes, it's because they feel sorry for me, or they wanna get closer to you, or they're so assfuck ugly themselves that they make me look good."

I studied Chris.

"But Ashley's way out of my league and I know this. Ashley's like a goddess. And yet, somehow, beyond all fucking odds and laws of the universe and everything, somehow she still said yes to me." Chris's eyes met mine. "And I love her, I love her like she's the only one on the planet. You could find a girl in like ten minutes, Nick. Any girl in this room is gonna go with you if you ask her to. But me, I have Ashley. She's all I have. She also just happens to be all I want."

I looked down at the table.

"My point is, Nick, please understand why I'm getting so protective. Please understand why this matters so much to me. You've got the world... and I have Ashley."

I swallowed and I looked up at him. "Chris... To me, Ashley is the world."




Ashley

I was asleep on the couch when Chris came home. I struggled to sit up and looked over the back of it at him. He was enveloped in shadows. "Hey," I said groggily, "How was the concert?"

Chris came out to the living room and sat down on the couch across from me. I snuggled into the pillow and stared up at him. He had his hands pitched between his knees like he was praying or something. "It was good," he said.

I smiled, "I'm glad. Did you and Nick have fun?"

Chris nodded.

"I love my two boys hanging out together," I said.

Chris took a deep breath. "Ashley."

"Yes?"

"I know you weren't in Tampa."

I felt my stomach churn.

"I know you were in Kansas with Nick."

I swallowed.

"I'm not mad. I just... I need you to tell me the truth, and I will believe you and I'll never ask this again, okay?"

"Okay..."

"Did you sleep with Nick?"

I hesitated. "I didn't have sex with Nick," I said truthfully.

Chris looked confused.

"I had trouble falling asleep..." I said, "Because I couldn't hear your heart beat, and Nick hugged me so I could hear his. I felt so alone without you beside me, it's like I don't know how to sleep alone anymore. But Chris, Nick and I... it's platonic. Really."

"Would you have had sex with him?" he asked, "If Nick had suggested it?"

I shook my head.

Chris let out a low breath. "Okay."

"Okay."

"Question time over," he declared.

"You don't have to worry about it, Chris," I said, "Even if my answer had been yes, Nick would never suggest it." I laughed.

Chris didn't say anything.