"Ok Nick, call me as soon as you walk through the doors of your parents house, Ok?" Whit asked as she hugged him tightly, the two standing outside the terminal of his flight. It was Valentine's Day, the day of lovers, but the guys were off for two weeks before going overseas to write and record, they were doing a double album, which meant a longer time apart. Nick had spent the first week in Orlando, with Whit, they'd celebrated Valentine's day early and now he was flying to California for the remaining of his break. She would have joined him in Cali, but she looked at it as a time for him to spend with his family, she didn't want to be in the way. The guys would come home until mid November, then they'd go back overseas to complete the album and start touring.
"I will, love ya" Nick answered as he kissed her quickly and looked at her.
"Love ya too, have a good trip, tell everyone I said hey" Whit added as she pushed him towards his terminal, the last call for the flight following. He waved and gave her one of his many faces as he turned back standing in the terminal, Whit just laughed and waved back.
"What are we doing tonight?" Lauren asked as she looked at AJ.
"Oh, I got something planned" AJ answered, flashing her a grin, he loved to leave her hanging.
"Like what?" Lauren asked, leaning over and resting her head on his shoulder.
"You'll see" AJ teased.
"Just tell me" Lauren whined.
"Nope, you'll find out tonight" AJ argued.
"Oh alright....." Lauren sighed.
At ten that night Amber and Brian were making their way into 'their' resturant. Amber ready for dinner to be over so she could get back home, she needed to talk to Brian, she bit her bottom lip and nervously smiled at him.
Nick sighed as he made his way into his family's home, it was close to eight o'clock there. He picked up the phone and as he dialed Whit's number he configured in his mind where everyone was. His parents were out for dinner, both BJ and Leslie were out with their boyfriends. Angel was hanging out with friends, Aaron he wasn't sure about. "Hey, just letting you know I got here.." Nick began as Whit answered the phone and as he made his way upstairs, where his brother's room was located, only music was heard from outside. He opened the door and found more than he expected, "Aaron put on some damn clothes.." he yelled as he turned his attention back to the phone, "Whit, I gotta go, I'll call you back soon and explain, bye" Nick quickly explained as he turned his attention back to his brother's bedroom. Blocking the view with his hand, not wanting to see what was going on inside of it.
"So this is what you had planned?" Lauren asked as she laid with AJ in his back yard, looking up at the stars. They'd shared a candle lit dinner on the deck, then this had followed.
"Yea, I try to be romantic..." AJ answered as he looked over at her.
"Try, you are AJ.." Lauren stated as she glanced back over him, feeling his heartbeat as she laid against his chest.
"You think so?" AJ asked as the moonlight flashed across her face, revealing sincere honesty.
"Yea, I do, I love you" Lauren answered.
"I love you too" AJ replied as rolled over, kissing her in the process.
"What is going on?" Whitney asked herself as she sighed and laid back on Nick's bed. She was alone, when she'd arrived at the girls house everyone was gone, so she'd drove to Nick's. Looking up at her ceiling she exhaled and closed her eyes, wishing Nick was there with her now. She let the scent of his cologne take over her memory as she curled up in his bed, she was dressed in his baggy plaid pajama pants and over sized cotton long sleeve t-shirt. She loved wearing his clothes, they were so comfortable. Closing her eyes, her mind went back to the night before.
"Damnit Nick, why did you have to ruin that?" Aaron yelled after the front door had slammed shut, implying that the girl had left and the two brothers were alone. Aaron stood in the hallway, buckling his belt as he looked at Nick who stood across from him.
"Ruin it Aaron, you are fourteen years old, still a child, you have no business having sex" Nick yelled back as he threw his hands up in the air, biting his lip to keep from going off on his brother.
"I'm not a child and I wasn't having sex" Aaron stated as he sighed and rolled his eyes, leaning against the wall and shooting his brother a go to hell look.
"Well then what were you doing, usually two people of the opposite sex, naked in a bed implys one thing" Nick replied.
"We were going to, but somebody had to walk in" Aaron shot back, crossing his arms over his chest as he exhaled deeply.
"Well excuse me Aaron, if I'd have knew you'd been fucking when I got home I'd have came earlier so you wouldn't have gotten as far as you did, or you know what, maybe I shoud have just let you have sex, let you learn the hard way..." Nick said, frustrated, memories of his own sexual experiences flashing before his eyes. Aaron didn't say anything so he continued, "I was eighteen when I had sex the first time and my god I've been through things with it that I don't want you to have to go through.." Nick got quieter at the end.
"Eighteen, damn Nick, I thought you were younger than that and what have you been through thats been so bad, got a girl pregnant or something?" Aaron asked, cockily.
Nick didn't say anything, just let his eyes meet with his brothers, "Nevermind, theres no use in trying to explain anything to you, just go ahead and screw up your life" Nick murmered as he shook his head and made his way back downstairs.
"I'm not going to screw up my life" Aaron began as he followed behind, knowing something was wrong. He caught the 'wanna bet' look Nick gave him and asked another question, "What happened Nick?".
"Nothing Aaron, I don't wanna talk about it, nobody knows, except her of course.." Nick began as he leaned against the kitchen counter and ran his hands down his face, rubbing his eyes as if he was in a sleepy state.
"I won't say anything Nick, you can tell me, all jokes aside" Aaron intently replied, leaning on the counter across from Nick.
"Aaron, you can't say anything, I mean nothing at all, I've never told this to anyone, not even Brian. Not mom, nobody. Only I know and only she knows. We sworn into secrecy after it happened, after she had her abortion..." Nick whispered.
"Whit?" Aaron asked. Nick only nodded, "Whit had an abortion, when?" Aaron asked.
"About a year and a half ago, Aaron that was one of the worst decisions of my life" Nick answered.
"Why, I mean didn't you know whether you wanted kids or not?" Aaron pushed the issue.
"I wasn't positive, it wasn't planned, it wasn't planned at all. There we were, I was twenty one, she'd just turned twenty, we didn't want kids. I mean I told her I didn't want a child, she didn't want one, but no matter what either one of us said, there was this little peice of our minds wanting to back out of the whole abortion thing..." Nick began as he scratched his forehead. "I mean Aaron, it's just something thats hard to go through, when your faced with decisions like those.." he stated as he bit his bottom lip and looked over at his brother.
"Brian, you remember how that time you told me you had everything you'd ever wanted, but you only had one more wish....." Amber began, nervously as the two laid in their bed, in the darkness.
"Yea..." Brian began as he glanced over at her, wondering where she was getting at.
"And that was..." Amber stated, wanting Brian to finish the sentence.
"To be a father" Brian finished as he propped himself up on his elbows.
"Well, your not wishing anymore.." Amber whispered as she placed Brian's hand on her stomach. Biting her lip as she awaited his reaction.
"Are you serious, your not joking with me?" Brian asked, his mouth gaped open and his eyes wide. They'd been trying for three months, finally it'd worked.
"Yes I'm serious, I'm not joking Brian, I mean is this what you wanted, are you happy?" Amber rambled.
"Happy, happy isn't the word Am, overwhelmed, damn words don't describe it.." Brian smiled as Amber crawled on top of him, Brian wrapping his arms around her. "I'm gonna be a daddy" he whispered to himself as he kissed Amber's forehead and both fell asleep, smiling.
"Goodnight mom, dad" Nick said as he entered the livingroom where his parents now sat. It was close to two AM. All of his sibilings had already went to their rooms, his parents said their goodnights and as he climbed the stairs to his room, he passed Aaron's door. "Air, just becareful, and think Aaron, think..." he said, opening the door to find Aaron still awake.
"I will, thanks Nick" Aaron said back. "Oh and Nick, I'm here if you ever need to talk" he added as Nick started to close the door.
"Ok, same goes for me, goodnight bro" Nick stated as he closed the door behind him, laughing to himself, he never thought the day would come he'd actually have conversations about his sex life with his brother.
"Goodnight" Aaron called back as he turned on his stero.
Nick laid down across his bed, calling Whit, he needed to talk to her, it was five in the morning there, but she'd probably be awake, she always was. After they had a brief conversation he hung the phone up, got under the covers and closed his eyes, letting a picture of Whit occupy his mind, it was the only way he could sleep.