How did she get here?
�Uh.. Kar?�
��Yeah?�
Her voice had been hesitant, the look on her face a little scared.
Don�t be scared. I�m just a little confused. How�d you find out?
Oh wait, maybe because your face is plastered all over the internet and in music stores?
�If you�re here� that means you either are really confused or you��
Resting her head on my chest, I felt her sigh.
�I�m sorry Nick.�
Sorry? For what?
�For what? I� how long?�
Separating from me, she pulled from my arms and ran a hand through her hair nervously before speaking softly.
�I�ve been a fan for seven years.�
Seven� years? WHAT?
*
This is where he starts yelling at me for lying to him and using him and� all that stuff that Marcus bitched about to get me here.
�Years? But� that� why��
Lost for words Nick?
Stepping back from him, I felt the tears well in my eyes as I looked away, not wanting to see his face when he told me to leave.
The bus however, had other plans as we finally began moving, throwing me backwards. Nick, I guess used to riding in the bus, didn�t seem affected and caught me in his arms instead. He placed me back on my feet, but held on tightly so I couldn�t try to move away again. Pulling me against him again, I felt my heart race, not wanting to hear whatever he had to say to me.
�Why didn�t you tell me?�
�I wanted you to feel normal. I didn�t want the label �world-renown pop star� written over your head. Honestly, if I had made a big deal about it, would you have wanted me to hang around?�
�Well, no, but it would have made things a lot easier.�
�Yes, you would have sent me away, thinking I was an obsessed fan. I� I wanted you to give me a chance, just like I wanted to give you a chance.�
He stared at me, through me, for a moment.
�Nick� why did you send Marcus after me in the first place?�
*
Because you were beautiful. I was bored.
And you didn�t look like someone who�d come in making a big deal that I was a celebrity.
I rolled my eyes.
�You looked like someone who wouldn�t make a big deal about who I am.�
�How was I supposed to? I didn�t know you. I knew what your job was, and I didn�t plan on making a big deal over that either.�
Isn�t that what I just said?
She smiled at me.
�Nick, you�re not your job. I knew that before I even met you, and I know that even more now.�
Whoa�
�Do you remember when we were going downstairs at the races and I told you that if you were important enough to start a riot, I should already know who you are?�
I nodded, pieces of a drawn out puzzle finally falling into place.
�Well, I did. Just like I knew Kevin is from Kentucky.�
�But I thought you figured that out because of his shirt.�
Laughing, she rested her head against me again.
�Sheer luck. It was a slip of the tongue that I managed to weasel out of with a little observation. Just like you guys. You were falling all over yourselves trying to cover things up. Especially Brian.�
�We were?�
Kara laughed again, pulling away, leaving my arms empty.
Nooo� I don�t like that feeling anymore.
�Oh yea. �This is the first time since we started the tou� left home that��. �Those are his two favorite songs that he sings in c� all the time�. And I gave you tons of chances to tell me in conversation.�
I replayed all our conversations on fast-forward in my head.
�No you didn�t.�
�Oh yes I did. How about the entire �oh there was this really cute blonde kid that raps�� conversation?!�
She started cracking up as I felt my face go blank.
�You knew that was Aaron! You were trying to bait me!�
*
Fast one this Carter boy is.
�I wasn�t trying. I was baiting you. So was Brian it seemed. And no, he wasn�t in on it. I just��
I sighed. Came this far, didn�t I?
�That�s why I didn�t mention that I knew who you were. Why I complied so willingly with hiding your face outside. Why I ignored and didn�t call any of y�all on your slip ups. Oh and today! I kept diverting our path so fans wouldn�t see you, and also why I told you it�d probably be best to take a taxi. But then you whistled so loud that every girl in DFW with a Nick radar had you on their map!�
*
She was cracking up.
Nick radar?
Girls have a radar for me? That does make some things more explainable.
Calming down, she shrugged her shoulders and looked me in the eyes.
�Nick, I knew. I didn�t think it mattered. Or at least it didn�t to me. I didn�t know if you�d be angry if you found out I�ve known� I still� don�t know.�
Angry? What?
I looked at her like she was nuts. Angry?
�Kar� why in the world would I be angry? You just told me that you don�t think my job is who I am.�
Seven
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