She was watching E! News Week in Review when he walked out of the bathroom, she made plans with Amber the night before to go to the beach with a few of their friends. He sat down next to her as they waited for Amber to pick them up,
"So what are we doing today exactly?" She smiled as she put the TV on mute,
"We get together on Sundays and hang at the beach sometimes. I think it's volleyball today and a barbeque at our friend Derek's house." He nodded as he looked at the TV to see his picture on the screen. She turned the sound up to hear the report,
"Nick Carter was partying it up in New York. It was good-bye pop hello rock as the Backstreet hottie sang 70s and 80s rock for about half an hour. We're thinking Tommy Lee is his idol because in true rocker form he left the club and went back to his hotel soon after with a Pamela Lee look-a-like, complete with the boobs and all." He held his breath as the photos that were taken that night were flashed across the screen. The reporter reappeared on the screen,
"I know what you're thinking...and you're right...that's NOT his long time live-in girlfriend Shayna. Someone's been a bad, bad boy." He played with his hands in his lap, unable to look at her,
"Look, that's not what happened ok." He could see her whole body turn towards him out of the corner of his eye, he still couldn't bring himself to look at her. How did this happen? No one ever cares what he does and who he does it with,
"Well, what happened? And can you look at me...please." He took a deep breath and looked at her briefly before turning his attention back to the television,
"We were partying, that was while I was in New York recording. She came over and wanted an autograph and she had been there for like two minutes before the photographer came over and wanted to take pictures. He took the pictures then she left and I never saw her again, I promise." She sighed and ran her hand through her hair,
"And you didn't go home with her?" He shook his head,
"Well, why did they say that? Where'd that come from?" He looked at her and placed his hand on her knee,
"People trying to get a story, if they want a story bad enough they'll make it up. Hell, they were talking abut Shayna, we broke up six months ago. You'll see if you're around me enough. You'll be with me and know what happened and see them say something totally different." They sat there is silence for what seemed like forever. This was not how he wanted to live his life, worrying about people being all in his business. Fans were one thing but the press, no way. He wasn't as good as his image led people to believe for the press to start nosing around. He wasn't some out of control guy, just a regular kid trying to live life but his career and his group didn't allow him to be regular, that wasn't good enough, perfect enough. Either you were an angel like Brian or the wild one, but AJ already had that position of the group sewn up. If you were going to do something bad it would have to be like AJ becoming an alcoholic where it was considered a disease and people prayed for you. Fans couldn't understand and wouldn't support a casual sex having, cursing, pot-smoking Nick Carter. When it boiled down to it, that's all he did, didn't seem too bad to him. He had said many times he wasn't as good as people thought he was but he was sure people thought that meant he pulled the tag off the pillow or drank out of the milk carton. Funny, he thought, no one knew or seemed to care what Howie was really like and God knows he wasn't an angel like Brian. She bit her lip,
"I guess this is where the trust comes in huh?" He nodded,
"Yes baby, you have to trust me." She nodded as she threw the remote in his lap and stood up,
"I'm gonna go tie my hair back." He grabbed her hand as she walked by and pulled her down and kissed her; as she walked off he swatted her on her butt and she smiled. Damn, that was close, he thought.
Lexi introduced Nick to her friends and they separated into two teams and played four on four volleyball, two guys and two girls on each team. All her girl friends were beautiful with nice bodies and they loved showing them off in tiny bikinis including Lexi. They were like stereotypical California girls with no ugly friend in the group. They were taking a break when he watched her friend Nikki rubbing suntan lotion on,
"You know most people wear sun block." She smiled seductively,
"Well, I'm different." She handed the lotion to him,
"Oh no thanks, I have on sun block." She laughed,
"I wasn't offering...I want you to put it on my back." He smiled nervously, feeling stupid as he watched her turn over on her stomach and untie her bikini top,
"Are you going to help me or am I going to have to play Gumby?" He cleared his throat,
"Sorry." He started off simply rubbing suntan lotion on her but somehow it turned into a massage and the more she moaned the more his ego wanted to hear it. They were laughing and talking when he looked up to see Lexi,
"Can I talk to you for a minute." He hopped up,
"Sure, be back Nikki." They began to walk down the beach, he watched as she kicked the volleyball,
"What's up?" She stopped and looked at him,
"No, what's up with you and Nikki?" He frowned at her,
"What are you talking about?" She put her hands on her hips,
"Maybe you did fuck that girl in New York. If you can flirt with my friend in my face like that...." He threw up his hands,
"Oh what the fuck? What about seeing me flirt turned you on?" She snorted,
"Please, that wasn't for my sake just then. You didn't even know I existed while you were groping her." Nick went to pick the volleyball off the ground,
"You're crazy." Before he could get a firm grip on the ball she kicked it out of his hands and it rolled into the water,
"Don't...don't call me crazy because I call you on your shit." She turned to walk away and he grabbed her arm and swung her back around. She was nearly bent over from the force and looked up at him,
"You're hurting me." He yelled,
"And you're pissing me off." He pushed her away from him and walked over to the group who obviously saw everything,
"Hey, Amber can you give me a ride?" She nodded and looked over to see Lexi walking in the water towards the ball,
"Tell her I'll be right back. I'll meet you guys at Derek's." They nodded and said their good-byes and nice to meet you's to Nick. As they were walking towards her truck she looked over at him,
"I have a key to Lexi's place, you want to go there?" He nodded and sighed,
"Yeah, sure."
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Chapter 70