Over the last three days Leigh-Anna remained at Gabriella’s and A.J’s home, not even bothering to spend an hour in her own. And over that three day period, her mind stayed on Nick, his face stuck in her mind like glue. Every chance they got, to be alone to talk, they took. Weather if it was just for ten measly minutes, every minute would count. She felt so connected with him, he was such a great guy, so kind, funny, smart, good looking, and he was defiantly someone she could see herself dating, much to A.J’s and the others dismay.
She was in a peaceful sleep for once in long time, until her phone rang underneath her pillow, she grumbled her face into her pillow and dug her hand into the fluffy head protector. “Hello?” She said groggily, looking at the glowing digits of the clock that read exactly five minutes after four.
“Leigh-Anna, he’s gone.” Her heart nearly pounded out of her chest when she heard the weeps of her little sister, Daisy. “He’s gone and he’s not coming back.”
This alone was enough to wake her up, she sprang up into the Indian style position and put a hand on her forehead, hoping nothing got out of hand when she wasn’t there to protect her younger siblings. “Daisy, honey, listen to me, what happened?”
Leigh-Anna heard little Daisy sniff back tears over the phone, it broke her heart to know she was the only Roberts in the house who wasn’t there, other than her two older brothers who were busy with university. “It was a little after midnight, I woke up when I heard yelling coming from their bedroom, I crept over to their door that was almost closed and saw the usual bicker, but this time it was worse, mom threw her ring in dads face, the next thing he did was stomp out the door and leave the house with a slam. Mom won’t leave the room, Leigh-Anna, please come home, we need you here!” She pleaded over the phone.
She could hear the overwhelming desperation in her ten year old little sister’s voice, she closed her eyes for moment and sighed, her breath shaky and scared. “Alright, Daisy, stay calm, ok? I’ll be there as soon as I can, ok? Just stay calm and tell Liam, Andy, Cici and Marsh the same thing alright?”
“Ok, but please hurry!”
“I’m on my way.” She assured the desperate girl, she sprang off the bed and jogged into A.J and Gabriella’s room, her heart pounding against her chest as she abruptly shook her older cousin awake.
“Leigh-Anna?! What the hell is going on?!” Alex asked, still trying to wake up, he turned the lamp on and seen the look of worry and guilt in Leigh-Anna’s face.
“We need to go down to the house, I’ll explain on the way! Come on we gotta go!”
About twenty minutes later they finally reached the Roberts house, nice house, two story, big and expensive, nice front and back yard, hedges, and a stone walk way leading up to the front patio. The two cousins ran into the home and looked around, sitting on the couch were all of Leigh-Anna’s siblings, her twin sister Cici, her two little siblings Marsha and Daisy, and the two little trouble makers, the youngest two brothers, Liam and Andy. As soon as Daisy saw Leigh-Anna burst through the door she stood up and ran into her, wrapping her arms around her older sisters waist, crying into her chest as she sank down to the floor, holding the young crying ten year old.
“Guys, what happened?!” A.J asked, half of the Roberts siblings ran over to them, while the other half went over to Leigh-Anna.
“Dad left, he’s not coming back.” Cici explained short and sweet, her arms crossed and her face hard. She always did care about their marriage, but over all her siblings she was the most rational.
Leigh-Anna looked up and her and shook her head. “We don’t know that yet, ok guys, I want all the little ones in bed and asleep alright? Four o’clock in the morning is no time for kids to be awake.” She instructed, the younger ones put up a little fight at first, but eventually sleep won the battle and they trudged into bed, briefly giving Leigh-Anna a loving hug and kiss before going into their sleep chambers. The people who were left in the living room was Cici, A.J, Leigh-Anna and a sleeping Daisy, who was sound to the world in Leigh-Anna’s arms, Daisy always sought out to Leigh-Anna for everything she did, her big sister was her confidant, and Leigh-Anna took extreme pride in that.
“Ok, um, you guys try talking to dad, I’m going to send this little one off to dream land. I’ll join you in a few minutes.” She said quietly , walking silently out of the room, and into the hall, in sight her little sisters dimly lit bedroom. Leigh-Anna knew the night was going to be vary long, but she did have the slightest shred of hope that her parent may work out their issues, but unfortunately, she was sadly mistaken.
Eleven excruciating hours passed. Eleven filled with intense emotion, filled with sad tears, harsh words and many sighs of worriment. It was now three in the afternoon on a Friday, the sun was shining bright, the sky was that cheery blue color that everyone loves seeing, but for Leigh-Anna, it might as well be dark black clouds, thunder and lightning.
“How is she?” A.J asked, studying Gabriella’s face as she gently walked out of the room that Leigh-Anna automatically claimed every time she stayed there.
“The same. She won’t say word, won’t drink anything, eat anything, she won’t leave the room. Wow, this divorce must really be affecting her.” Gabriella responded, remorsefully, saddened by her friend’s want of aloneness at this time, but deep down, both A.J and Gabriella knew that if there was anybody in the world that could get Leigh-Anna to open up, it was Nick.
As if on cue the sharp zing of the doorbell split their thoughts and rang all through the house. “Is that Nick?”
“Yeah, he’s coming over so we can write some stuff for the album, will you keep checking up on Leigh-Anna?”
“Of course I will.” Gabriella promised, determined to get Leigh-Anna’s spirits brighter and back to her usual self. They were half way down the stairs when Gabi spoke again. “Hey, maybe it wouldn’t be so horrible if maybe, Nick speaks to Leigh-Anna about this, she seems to be fancying him plenty.”
A.J shook his head, the determination was clear in his dark brown eyes. “There’s no way in hell that Nick’s returning the fancy.” He said lowly.
“We’ll chat about this again later.” Gabriella shot back quietly as they opened the door, letting Nick inside their home. “Hey Nick!” Maybe he’s just what she needs?
“Hey guys, what’s up?” He asked casually, walking through the hall and into the kitchen, Gabriella shot him a ‘there’s something you should know’ look. Gabi had to do something, she knew deep down in the pit of her stomach that the only person that could get Leigh-Anna to talk was Nick, and she always talked about him, much to A.J’s constant rolls of his eyes and his snorts. He was always a good friend to Nick, but why he was so dead set against Nick and Leigh-Anna even being friend, she had no idea.
So she took action, ‘accidently’ knocking over a big twenty-four case of canned coke, making most of them explode onto the floor, Nick and A.J’s mouths gaped open, trying they’re vary hardest not to burst out in a fit of laughter. “You shut up, and you! Mr. Mclean go to the store and get more coke, we need that here for your survival! Nick and I will clean this mess up.”
Alex nodded, still trying hard not to laugh, and completely blindsided to Gabriella’s plan, he nodded to Nick and fetched his keys, walking quickly out the door, so his laughter wouldn’t be heard. Gabriella turned to a laughing Nick, as soon as he saw the look on her face it was an absolute giveaway. “Gab, what’s wrong?”
“Leigh-Anna’s upstairs, she’s not the best right now and she’s not talking to anyone, would you mind going up there. I really think you have a good chance of getting her to open up to you, I really do.”
Nick’s eyes turned from a concerned color of blue and a sigh escaped his lips, nodding his head and spinning around.
“Nick!”
“Yeah?”
“You really care about her don’t you?” Gabriella asked tenderly, beginning throwing cans in the trash.
He didn’t answer, just turned around and walked up the stairs, wanting desperately to comfort Leigh-Anna and tell her whatever the problem is, she could count on him.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Ok, this chapter is more of Leigh-Anna/A.J but Nick makes a really strong apperence!
