Chapter 26
Adam Cavett was looking over his wife�s shoulder into the living room. They were watching the lump on the couch sleep. Nick lay on his stomach with one leg and one arm off the couch. In an attempt to straighten out during the night, he had somehow managed to wedge his head so that back of it now rested against the arm instead of the top of his head. This resulted in loud snoring.
�Are you sure she loves this one?�
�I'm sure,� replied Barbara. A smile played at the corners of her mouth.
�I�m going to put a stop to it,� he said through clenched teeth.
Taking her husband�s arms and wrapping them around her waist, she stated, �Like that�s gonna work.�
He growled. She chuckled.
�She�s as stubborn as me.�
�Yes, but she ran last night, which is a good sign.�
�She�s scared, but bottom line is she loves him.�
�Look at him, Barb. I never thought she would go for a drunken, tattooed, singer with a piss-poor attitude.�
�My parents couldn�t believe I would go for a cocky ex-college jock, but I love you more every day.� She turned in his arms and smiled up at him.
After placing a gentle kiss on her lips, he said, �But tattoos?�
�I suppose so.� She glanced back at the boy on the couch. �I get the feeling he�s a little lost. He plays tough, but when we talked, I could tell he was a softy.�
�Does he love her enough?�
�I believe he does though he�s scared, too.�
�This will never work.�
�It might,� she countered.
�You gonna tell him she�s gone?�
�I�ll leave that to you.�
He thought for a moment. Ducking his head like a little boy, he asked, �Can I wake him up?�
�I planned on it.�
�Do I have to be nice?�
Laughing, she replied, �Absolutely not. If he�s in this for the long haul, he might as well get the father treatment.�
Kissing her more soundly, he headed for the kitchen. She snickered as she heard him preparing his wake up surprise. He moved past her to stand over the sleeping figure on the couch. To be fair to the boy he said his name once, quietly. This prompted Nick to flip onto his back and throw a leg up on the back of the couch. Adam winked at his wife, before he poured the ice onto him.
�Fuck, Abe,� he bellowed, standing up on the couch. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he focused on two very unhappy faces.
�Do you talk to my daughter that way?�
�Sometimes.� It was out before he could stop it.
�Son, you need to rethink your language and how you talk to my daughter.�
Dejected, Nick said, �Yes sir.�
�Nick.�
�Yeah.�
�Get down off the couch.�
�Huh?� He looked from Abe�s mother to the couch. �Oh, Sorry.�
�Come into the kitchen and I will fix you some breakfast.�
Stepping off the couch, Nick felt his stomach lurch. �No thanks.�
�Wrong answer. Come on son and don�t throw up my wife�s good cookin�.�
********
A few hours later he was on his way to the Cavett house. He stomach was full and he was no longer sick. Abe�s dad scared the crap out of him, when he first woke up. Now he realized his wasn�t that bad. Just so long as you didn�t mess with his family. He now knew where Abe got it from. Of course, her mother was no less protective.
They had surprised him, because they treated him like family. Sure, they gave him a hard time about drinking too much, but they did it in a way that didn�t put him down and make him feel like a complete loser.
It was so different with his parents. His dad never really made a big deal out of his drinking. When he messed around with drugs, sure, but not with drinking. It could have had something to do with the fact they sometimes drank together. His mother would yell at him for wasting money, but then that was all she cared about.
No, Abe�s parents were very different. Mr. Cavett gave him aspirin and lots of water to drink. When he�d kept that down, Mrs. Cavett fixed him an omelet and toast. It filled him up, but didn�t make him sick.
He also couldn�t believe they had not only told him Abe had left, but told him where she was. They had told him to go after her, but not before he had spilled his guts about how he loved her.
Mrs. Cavett had sent him to shower and given him some of Andy�s clothes, then sent him on his way.
Now he was turning into her neighborhood. It felt like Abe. Trees lined the street and kids were playing street hockey. He slowed as he passed. He wished he had a place like this to come home to. A place where he was rooted and belonged.
Butterflies went crazy in his stomach when he turned on her street. For some reason, the song from the night before started running though his mind. As much as he hated to admit it, the song was him. He had spent most of his life running. Only Abe had ever run after him, to save him from himself. He didn�t have everything figured out, but he hoped Abe wouldn�t turn him away. He didn�t blame her if she did. Though he didn�t think his heart could take it. He sure as hell didn�t know what he would do if she didn�t want to be in his life. Shaking his head to clear the thoughts, he parked in front of her house.
Singing the chorus softly as he used the key her father had given him to go inside. After checking the house, he headed for the backyard and the garage. He was quiet as he pulled the ladder from its spot in the garage.
He really hoped she was in her thinking spot and not out. Half expecting to hear sirens and police telling him to drop the ladder and hit the ground, he could imagine the headlines, �Backstreet Boy Arrested for the Second Time. Crying in the Backseat of the Patrol Car Won�t Get Him Out of Trouble This Time.� In spite of himself, he chuckled. He�d been around AJ too long.
Adjusting his hold on the ladder, he left the garage and headed for Abe.
He was softly singing, �And the best is yet to come. Baby you're the one I run to.�
He rounded the back of the garage and his heart began to hammer in his chest. Abe was swinging her feet off the roof of the garage.
Under his breath, Nick said, �Bella, I�m runnin� to you.�
Chapter 27
|
Who needs the world when I got you
Switch off the sun the stars and the moon
I have all I need inside of this room
Who needs the world when I got you
Who needs the world when I got you
Switch off the sun the stars and the moon
I have all I need inside of this room
Who needs the world when I got you
Who needs the world when I got you
|
Abe stopped the CD and pulled the headphones off as the music faded. �Why wasn�t I enough?� She asked the wind and was answered with the reason she expected, silence. Looking at her watch, she began a mental inventory of the last 26 hours.
Her best friend married the love of her life�good.
She called the cops on paparazzi�bad.
Wedding was beautiful anyway�good.
Had a fight with Nick�s girlfriend�bad.
Broke up Nick and his girlfriend�worse.
Found out she had a boyfriend�surprise.
Broke-up with boyfriend�insane?
Hurt Bear�very bad.
Sent Nick away�insane?
Sent her best friend and new husband off on honeymoon�thank God!
Realized she was still in love with Nick�totally insane?
Ran home�chicken shit!
Wiping tears from her cheeks, she sniffled. Suddenly the ladder thumped against the roof. �I thought you all weren�t coming back until tomorrow.� A frown creased her brow when she received no response. �Dad?�
�Not Dad,� said Nick, his head appearing above the roof. He watched color drain from her face. Swallowing hard, he finished climbing up the ladder and stepped on the roof. He debated for a moment on where to sit. He decided to sit next her and figured she let him know if he was too close. She did push him away, but he felt her stiffen. It broke his heart, but he remained rooted to the spot. Clearing his throat, he attempted to break through the silence. �I finally get to see your spot.�
�Yeah.�
�I like it.�
�Okay.�
This wasn�t working. He tried another tactic. �I figured out where you learned the wake up someone with ice trick.�
A smile played at her mouth. �Dad?�
�Yeah.�
�Did you cuss?�
�Yeah.� He felt the wall start to come down.
She caught his chin with her finger and turned his head so she could see the other side of his head.
�What?�
�You still have both of your ears,� she noted, amusement dancing in her eyes.
He pulled his head away while his cheeks flamed. She was still smiling as her eyes came to rest on the ladder.
�Hey, how did you get into the garage?�
�Your dad.�
�But you said they weren�t here.� The frown was back.
�He gave me his keys.�
Her eyes widen in surprise. She studied him for a moment.
�That looks like a shirt I got Alan for his last birthday.�
�Yeah it is. Your mom let me borrow them. My clothes were wrecked.�
�Oh.� The voice was quiet and the wall was back.
�She�s a good cook. She made me an omelet thing and toast this morning. After all the water and aspirin, your dad poured down me helped me keep it down. I�m talking too much. I�ll shut up now.�
He started swinging his legs like she was. Now he felt sick. He wanted to grab her and not let go until she gave in, but he felt like if he reached for his hands would pass through her like some illusion. How could she be there beside him and so far away?
She started to pick up her CD player.
�What were you listening to?�
�You,� she replied, pulling her hand away from the little machine.
He was terrified, but he had to ask, �What do you think?�
�You really want to know,� she countered, looking at him.
He swallowed hard. �Yes.�
�Some of it is eh. Some of it is pretty good. Some of it breaks my heart. Are you happy with it?�
�Some of it yes. Some of it no. I didn�t have a choice. The record company has me by the balls the guys are all pissed.�
�Did you really expect them to reach any other ways?�
�Ye-ah.�
Shaking her head. �Nick.�
�So, I didn�t think, but they said it wouldn�t hurt Backstreet.�
�And these people have always had the best interest of their acts over money.� The sarcasm was dripping off her voice.
He dropped his head and instantly looked twelve years old.
She continued. �Look if you are going to continue in the business, you need to surround yourself with good people.�
�Like you,� he interrupted.
�No.� she said, her face becoming hard.
�Yes. You could be my assistant again.� This wasn�t something he had planned, but now could see it all and was getting excited. �It would like before.�
�Whoa! No, it wouldn�t. We can�t�I can�t go back to before.�
�Why not?�
�Nick it all fell apart. You don�t know how bad it hurt.�
�Yes, I do! It just about killed me.�
�Exactly and you can�t tell me you want to take a chance on that happening again. I mean. My God! We were a freakin� secret and we could survive. How do you think we could survive now? Or is that it?�
�What it?� Exasperation creeping into his tone.
�You want to continue the secret.�
�No! God why are you doing this?�
�Doing what?� Her volume rising to match his.
�Make it all so hard. You can work for me. Take care of me. We can be together. I don�t have anyone.�
�You did that all on your own. And whose fault is that! You have to take responsibility for your decisions.�
�I�m tryin�.� He cried. �I know I fucked up with you. I�m sorry. I wish I could take it all back. I can�t, but Bella I still love you.�
�Don�t say that,� she said, tears instantly swimming in her eyes.
�It�s true.�
She shook her head.
�Yes. Do you even care about me a little?� He held his breath waiting for her answer.
�You can�t ask me that. Please.� A tear escaped down her cheek.
Catching the tear with this thumb, he whispered, �I have to.�
She was surprised to see tears in his eyes too. Biting her lip, she nodded.
�I need to hear you say it.�
�I still love you.�
He leaned in to kiss her, but she pulled back. �Bella?�
�I love you, but can�t pick up where we left off.�
�Then what do we do?�
�We have back up.�
�To the beginning.� He looked so worried.
She chuckled. �No. I don�t think we have to go back to hating each other, but we need to start over.�
�Will you be my assistant,� he asked, hopefully.
�No,� she admonished. �I really like what I�m doing now and I�m not ready to hit the road right now.�
�So, I guess road manager is out?�
�Yes,� she said, smiling her first full smile all day.
�Damn.� He muttered. A smile was firmly in place, but it quickly faded. �Then how do we do this?�
�You are going to go do your thing and I�m going to do my thing.�
�But what about our thing,� he asked, his lip beginning to stick out.
�Our thing will go slow. There are phones and text messaging and visiting.�
�Visiting?�
�Yes visiting.�
�Well, I finally get to see where you grew up.�
�This is it.�
�I like it.�
�Good.�
�Bella?�
�Nick?�
�My butt is tired.�
Laughing, she said, �All right. How you going to get down?�
�Ladder?�
�Fine. I�ll meet you at the bottom.� She leaned over and kissed him quickly before pushing off and slipping over the side of the garage.
�Bella!� Nick leaned forward to see Abe drop and roll on the ground.
Taking a deep breath, he followed.
�Nick!�
�Woo Hoo! That was cool!�
�I can�t believe you did that.�
�You did it.�
�I know, but I�ve been doing it for years.�
�Bella haven�t you figured it out?� He asked, rolling to his side and brushing a wisp of hair from her face.
�Apparently not.�
He started to sing, �Whenever I run/Instead of running into the blue/I follow my heart/And there in your arms/Is where I find the love I need/And the best is yet to come/Baby you're the only one I run to� That means you jump. I jump.�
Epilogue
Abe took the hand Nick offered and allowed him to pull her up off the ground. Their fingers naturally laced.
�So did you look around the house before you headed out here?�
�Nope. I came straight for you.�
�Good. I�ll give you the tour. Grab the ladder.� She saw the worry in his eyes. �Nick, I�m not going anywhere.�
�I know,� he stated, but still his cheeks shaded pink.
�This is the kitchen.� Abe waved her arm like a game show model.
�Shit!�
�What?� She watched as he rummaged around in his pockets. She couldn�t see what he pulled out, until he opened his hand. He sighed and she gasped.
�I�ve kept him with me since�that night. God, I was so stupid for not coming to ask you about the bonus. Then I was a complete fuck up for making out with Angelica, but I swear nothing else happened. I saw what you did in the room and stopped it right there. I�m so sorry I gave you back the other one. I wish I could take it all back��
Abe brushed her finger against his lips to quiet him.
He was surprised when she pulled the other little dragon out of her pocket.
�We seem to be a lot a like,� she whispered.
�I can�t believe you have that.�
�You gave it back,� she said, a trace of sadness in her eyes.
�Yeah well, I�m an idiot.�
�No you were hurt and I caused it.�
�Shhh. Bella, I�m not going to ask for it back.� He saw her tense. �You will give it back to me when and if you want.�
�Okay.�
He hesitated, then asked, �D-Do you want this one back?�
�No. It is right where it needs to be.� She chuckled.
�What?�
Holding up the little dragon holding the heart, she said, �Heart without a home.�
�You are home.�
�I guess I am,� she replied, looking around the kitchen.
�No Bella,� he said, pulling her into his arms. She relaxed in to him and felt so right.
�Now, you�re home.�
~~ The End ~~
"Heartbreak's Interlude" is a work of fiction.
The characters and events portrayed are fictitious,
and any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental.
Used with Permission
Copyright ©2003-2004
All Rights Reserved
No part of this text may be copied or reprinted
without the author's permission.
Lyric's Home Page I Felfic Table of Contents
|
