chapter twenty-sevenLauren walked down the hall, looking at the gold numbers on each door. Room B362, Samantha had said. She had asked Lauren to go up to the room and grab her camera for her.
Lauren unlocked the door, stepped in the dark room and let the door click close behind her. She blindly fumbled for a lightswitch. She found it and flipped it on. She gasped.
"Nick," she whispered.
There he was on the edge of the hotel bed. He had been waiting for her. He stood up and walked a few steps closer to her. Lauren backed up against the door and looked him over quickly. He had a black suit on that made him so much older-looking. At first she hardly recognized him.
"Before you run away from me for the third time, hear me out, okay?" he said. She nodded quickly. "Lauren Previns, I am in love with you. I have been since the first day I met you. I have been the most miserable man on this Earth without you. Since you left, all I can think about is you. I know I've messed up -"
"Twice," she reminded him.
"Twice...but I've learned from my mistakes. I want us to be together."
Lauren closed her eyes, waiting for him to continue on. Nick took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He ran this hand through his blond hair.
"Lauren, I want to be in your arms. I want to be able to kiss you and know that you and I are happy together. And I know we fight. Everyone has something they need to improve on.
"What I'm really trying to say is this: I am sorry for making you run away. I'm sorry that I made you cry and I'm sorry I haven't been the man I should've been. But I am here now, and I'm begging for you to forgive me for everything I've done."
Lauren opened her eyes to look at him. His face was pathetic. He looked so desperate and honest. Lauren didn't know what to do. She wanted to just throw her arms around Nick and hold him in a hug. She wanted to kiss him everywhere and tell him that she was sorry, too and she had missed him.
"I don't know what to say," she said hoarsely.
"Say that you forgive me, then."
"I cannot forgive and forget that easily, Nick. What we said back there at the hospital is definitely not something I can forget."
"Lauren, I was mad. I wasn't thinking straight. I didn't mean it at all."
"Whether you meant it or not doesn't matter, Nick. It still hurt."
"I know," he said quietly, "But I want to do this once more. I wouldn't have traveled all this way if I didn't mean it."
"It's one big fucking cycle. We will break up and get back together until the end of time."
"So be it. Lauren, I know we can do this. We just need to ---"
"To what? To try? I have tried, Nick. It didn't work. It will never work."
"Stop looking at what we've done before. We start fresh. We think of now and the future." Nick looked at her desperately. He was losing her. "What about those kids you promised me?"
She smiled weakly. "You know that'll never happen..."
"A boy and a girl. And we'd kiss up their little cheeks and hands. Don't you see that?"
"You're talking crazy talk..."
"Am I really? Or am I talking about something we both want? Together."
"Now you're just scaring me."
Nick sighed and ran his hand through his hair again. "I can't lose you, Lauren. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I can't imagine living my life with anyone else but you."
Lauren didn't answer. She couldn't think. A few renegade tears fell down her cheek. On an instinct, Nick walked up to her and wiped them away. She looked away and started to whimper a little.
"I know you still care," he said quietly. "Give into me, Lauren. Don't think, just do." He put his hand on her cheek.
She closed her eyes. Her skin felt so alive under his touch. She wanted to not respond, to feel nothing for him, but her body betrayed her. She took a breath and let it out slowly. She reached for the doorknob and turned it.
"I have to go. I - I can't stay," she stammered.
Nick took his hand away from her face. Defeated, he stepped back and let her open the door. Nick looked down, feeling tears prick his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Nick," she said. She shut the door behind her.
Nick couldn't believe it. It was over. It was really over. She really was leaving and not coming back. Nick felt like someone ripped his heart out and stomped on it. Nick sat down on the end of the bed numbly.
The door flung opened and Lauren walked in. "I forgot something." She put her hands on his face and pressed her lips against him.
-------------------------------------- Samantha was getting worried. It'd almost been two hours and no sign of either Nick or Lauren. That couldn't mean anything good.
Samantha, Cicely, Alex, Kevin, Howie and Brian all sat at a round table nervously. They were all anxiously waiting. They had forgotten about the party surrounding them, including the hostess herself.
"Where are they?" Cicely asked, looking at the clock. Eleven thirty.
"Oh my God, I see them! Look y'all!" AJ exclaimed. He pointed to the entrance.
There they were. Nick had his arm slung around Lauren's shoulder as they stepped in. Lauren and he both were grinning like mad. Nick searched the room and ofund his friends' table. He gave them a thumbs-up and they all cheered.
Samantha got up first and ran in her high heels to them. She pulled them both into a hug and laughed.
"God, you had us so worried! Please, don't let it happen again."
Lauren glanced at Nick and grinned. "Trust me, it won't ever again. We promise."