“Hello?”
“Veronica? It’s Nick.”
Her heart did a little drop, a smile spreading over her lips. She couldn’t believe he was actually calling her again.
“Nick, hey! What’s up?”
“Not much, I thought I’d give you a call before I went to bed.”
“Great, I’m glad you did. So, how you feeling? Better than last night I hope.”
“Yeah, I’m doing a lot better. Was kinda sick and all, but it’s better.”
“I hope you’re not getting sick.”
“Nah, it wasn’t that kinda sickness.”
“Oh?”
“Nah, I was…a little hung-over.”
“Oh!” Veronica couldn’t help but chuckle. “For some reason, I don’t picture you the type to get hung over.”
“I don’t usually, I can hold my liquor, but I went a little overboard last night. It happens every so often.”
He didn’t tell her it happened every time he tried to forget his life.
“That’s what I hear.”
“You’ve never been drunk?”
“Nope, I don’t drink.”
“Ever?”
“Ever.”
“Why?”
“I dunno, I just don’t. I don’t feel the need to.”
“Oh…so, have you ever had a drink before?”
“Well sure, but I mean, I didn’t go out and get plastered on my twenty first birthday or anything like that.”
“Wow,” Nick breathed. It seemed a bit odd to him, most people waited for that moment their whole teenage lives.
“Shocking I know. It just…never turned me on.”
“Turned you on?”
Veronica was glad he couldn’t see her, she was sure she blushed fifty shades of red.
“Well you know what I mean.”
“Uh huh,” he chuckled.
“ANWAY, so what’s been going on with you? How was your day?”
“It was pretty good, Aaron called me.”
“Oh yeah? How’d that go?”
“It went alright. He just wanted to see how I was.”
“Aww that’s nice of him.”
“Yeah, it was really good to hear from him. It’d been a while ya know.”
“Oh sure, you’re always wondering in the back of your head how he’s doing and all.”
“Yeah…” he hesitated, he was clear this morning. Did he want to continue talking to her about it?
“Nick?”
It’d been so easy last night, his defenses where down, he wasn’t worried. Now he wasn’t so sure. Did he want her to see that vulnerable side of Nick Carter, that non glamorous, human side of him?
“Nick are you there?”
“He said that my Dad’s been doing the same thing to him and Angel that my Mom’s doing to me. Asking him if Mom’s been saying anything to him about her, asking why me, Les or BJ hasn’t called him,” he blurted. Yes he did, he had to stop thinking about it and just say it. He went on, unable to stop himself now that he started.
“He said the reason he never called Mom is that he doesn’t feel like hearing her bad mouth our Dad.”
Veronica sighed, “That sucks Nick that it has to be like that. You said it’d been awhile since you heard from him. How often do you get to talk to him?”
“Not often, I’m busy a lot and so is he.”
“How bout your Sisters?”
“Hardly ever to be honest,” he felt like an ass just admitting it.
“Ohhh…” not that she was one to talk, she didn’t talk to her Brothers all that often, but she didn’t avoid them either.
“So how are things going with James?” Nick asked suddenly, desperate to get the topic off of him.
“Same, nothing really going on.”
“Alright, it’s settled then.”
“What? What‘s settled?”
“I’ve decided I’m gonna help you to ask him out,” Nick announced.
She stilled on the couch, he was gonna what?
“Huh?”
“I’m gonna help you ask him out, I am. You can do this Veronica.”
“It’s not gonna work Nick, I’m telling you.”
“You haven’t even tried, you don’t know it’s not gonna work.”
“Yes I do.”
“Veronica, honey you can’t keep being afraid of rejection. I know it’s hard and it hurts, but ya gotta try, you‘re not gonna get anywhere if you don‘t,” he finished softly.
She knew all this, she did. People had been telling her it forever, but it didn’t matter. Nothing helped.
“I know Nick, but I hate the feeling. I hate that feeling of…not being good enough or whatever.”
“Well that’s natural, everyone does. You’ll never know if you have a chance unless you give it a shot. You don’t know for sure he’s gonna reject you.”
“Yeah…”
“C’mon, will you at least try for me?”
“Nick…”Veronica whimpered.
“Pleeeease?”
She sighed, “Ok, I’ll try.”
“Really? Don’t just say that cause I’m asking you to. I want you to WANT to.”
Veronica hesitated a moment, realizing that she did want to, desperately. “I do want to Nick, I swear.”
“Alright good. So…I want you to ask him out next time you see him.”
“But…what do I say?”
“Just ya know, casually ask him out to the movies or something. Don‘t make it a big production or let on that you‘re nervous. Just…be cool.”
“Yeah, easier said than done. But yeah, I think I can handle that.”
“Good! I want you to call me as soon as you can and let me know how it goes. I want all the details.”
“I will.”
“And if I don’t pick up, which is most likely what’ll happen, leave me a message, but don’t tell me on there, just ya know let me know what you’re calling about and I won‘t forget to call back. I wanna be surprised.”
Veronica chuckled, “You’re like a little kid.”
“I can’t help it, I’m excited for you. I want this to work,” Nick said sincerely.
“Thank you Nick,” she whispered.
“No problem honey. I’m gonna get going. Don’t forget to call me though!”
“I won’t, I promise.”
“Great. Have a good night Veronica.”
“You too, bye Nick.”
“Bye.”
