Chapter 35
Brian sat in his living room with the lights off feeling the worst he had felt in a long time. Wiping his eyes, he couldn't help but wonder why Amanda had broken up with him. He had been a good boyfriend, why didn't she love him back? Fresh tears welled in his eyes as a knock came on his door. Wiping his eyes once more, Brian found Nick standing on his doorstep. Nick. That was it.....she was in love with Nick. How could he have been so selfish to think Amanda could be his when Nick loved her? Brian smiled weakly at his friend and let him into the house.
"You all right?" Nick asked softly after a few moments.
"Not really..." Brian replied, sniffling. Nick searched for something to say, but did not want to pry.
"I know what you need." Nick grinned. He took Brian over to his house where they opened a few beers and hung out like they used to do. Brian was Nick's best friend but they hadn't been hanging out as much since Nick got married. Katie did not like him to have friends over or any company for that matter.
"Thanks for the beer." Brian said as he downed his second bottle.
"What happened? You wanna talk about it?" Nick said as he drank his third. AJ was sitting with them but he was not drinking, he was there to supervise mostly. Plus, there was a 12 year old in the house that could not be unsupervised.
"Not really."
"Hey, want to watch a movie?" Nick suggested, holding up a DVD.
"Star Wars? Really?" AJ teased, laughing. Brian grinned and finished his beer as Nick put the movie in and they started to watch.
"Where ya going, AJ?" Nick asked as AJ left the room. AJ did not answer, he went downstairs to call Amanda. She answered after a few rings sounding down.
"Hey, are you okay?" he wondered when he noticed she sounded upset.
"I broke up with Brian tonight." she explained tearfully.
"No wonder he has been drinking.....he looked pretty depressed when Nick brought him over." AJ said. He was happy in a way that they had broken up, because Nick did not know they were dating and considering how things were going with Katie, he was planning on dumping her real quick.
"Brian's drinking?"
"Yeah, he's over here with Nick watching Star Wars....Nick's on his fourth beer already." AJ said with a chuckle. Amanda paused for a while, thinking.
"How did Brian look when he came over?" she asked.
"He was crying...his eyes were all red." AJ said. Amanda knew it, Brian couldn't cry in front of a woman....his one flaw. She knew there was one....no man could be totally perfect.
"Dear lord....they are having a lightsaber fight. Why am I always the sober one?" AJ asked as Nick and Brian were standing on the couch playing with plastic swords and making lightsaber noises. Brian pretended to stab Nick and he fell over dramatically, clutching his side and moaning in pain.
"You've killed me!!!" Nick shouted drunkenly.
"Hold on, I will save you!" Brian said, but tripped and fell on top of Nick, the two of them giggling.
"Can I come to your house?" AJ begged Amanda, who was laughing. After a while AJ hung up the phone and the movie ended, Nick and Brian were laying on the couches eating popcorn.
"Dude! Throw it into....my mouth and I will do....I will catch it!" Nick said. Brian laughed and tossed the popcorn but it missed and bounced off of Nick's forehead.
"You totally missed!" he giggled, the alcohol flowing through him.
"I know!" Nick laughed, punching him playfully in the arm and drinking another beer.
"I think you two have had enough." AJ said, shaking his head at them.
"Frack..." Brian said suddenly, looking Nick in the eye.
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
"I know." Nick said. The two of
them laughed hysterically and continued their party, Brian was laughing and smiling as he drank....trying to erase the pain filling the hole where his heart once was. Nick did not know why Brian had been upset, but was glad to cheer him up for a while.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Hopefully this chapter will lighten the mood a little! The real drama is about to begin surrounding Nick's birthday! Enjoy!
