AN: A HUGE thank you to Jess for always writing me such encouraging emails for this story. They totally keep me going, especially since NO ONE ELSE EVER EMAILS. *sniffles* LOL All right, check out chapter three, written in record time. inspiredthoughts@hotmail.com *********************** The Only Girl: Chapter Three ************************ “Alex, go home and sleep it off sweetie. I’m trying to work and I don’t need your sorry ass sitting on my couch and whining.” I sidestep his outstretched arms, snort and finish tying my smock over my already paint splattered clothes. I stare at the lumpy, unadorned sculpture before me and resist the urge to reach for red or black paint. I really need to lay off the depressing colors. After two years I’m so past the phase stage. Maybe some green. Green and blue and just a little bit of black. Just a tiny bit. I mean, art is a reflection of self and its only to be expected that I have some black in there. A streak or two. Maybe some black feathers and beads. It could be a multi media piece. I can feel AJ’s too intent eyes watching me from his dramatically draped position on my couch in the middle of my living room/ studio. He partied too hard last night when I couldn’t go out and consequently woke up with a migraine and blood shot eyes. He may not have had alcohol last night but he had certainly had something. Its part of being a star though. Nick went through his own phase or two in time, usually when we were broken up. I’m disappointed in Aje, and I want to, am itching to, lecture him, but won’t. That isn’t my place. The guys will rip him a new one, and management, and all the fans watch him like a hawk anyways. And I’m supposed to feel guilty I guess, but I don’t. AJ is a grown man and he has to make his own decisions. I’m not his mother or keeper, just his friend. Few people understand that. Fewer people realize how rare and special that makes me to AJ McLean. Aside from his real mother I’m one of the only people in the world that refuses to judge him. Denise and I might still slap him upside the head if he’s being especially stupid but overall I’m there to be there for him when I can and when he needs me. I’m the closest thing to a partner AJ McLean has ever found. Minus the whole physical benefit thing. “AJ, honey, stop STARING.” “Why are you and Nick fighting?” I flinch. Shit, not in the mood to delve into my personal problems today, especially when the root of the said problem happens to include Mr. Starey. But I tell the truth. “I don’t want to talk about it.” AJ stands and saunters over to me, sunglasses firmly on and in place. I hate those stupid sunglasses. They hide AJ’s pretty, pretty eyes. And what’s up with the whole saunter thing? He can’t remember twelve hours from last night but still manages to saunter? So, so unfair. “Corrie…” Oh man, not the soft, sensitive voice. I detest that voice. The voice that makes me melt and all of my defenses break away. All he has to do is… Alex reaches up and brushes my cheek with rough, tan fingers, his touch intimate and familiar and achingly distant all at the same time. He is so much better at mind games than I am. “Tell me Corrie.” He could have said “screw me Corrie” and I probably would have done it. Nick’s like a big cuddly teddy bear. Kevin has this whole lumberjack, man’s man appeal that scares the crap out of me, even if he’s attractive as sin. Brian relies on the whole good ole southern gentleman appeal, manners and all, while Howie plays off the exotic, sleek jungle cat thing he has going on. AJ, AJ is so much more complicated. He’s, obviously, the “bad boy”, but he isn’t. He has the whole sensitive, caring and gentle side and it makes him this perfect blend of dangerous and irresistible. Not that he has an affect on me. Oh nooo, not at ALL. I suck at lying, even to myself. “We, we just had words. Its nothing big Alex.” “It’s big if he’s been sulking for a week, despite Tiffany’s efforts to cheer him up, not to mention sate his libido.” Oh, BAD mental images with that one. “Alex!” I stop and consider his words for a minute, letting them sink more fully in. “He’s been sulking?” “Honey, if he sulked any more his brows would fuse together and form one big Carter unibrow.” I can’t block that mental image either and start to giggle uncontrollably. After a minute of watching me AJ joins in until we sink to the floor together, lying on our respective backs, breathing hard and still chuckling. My unadorned sculpture looms white and unfinished above us. “You just so totally ruined Nicky’s eyebrows for me Aje.” “I didn’t know Carter’s eyebrows were a private Eden for you Corrie.” “Shut up McLean. Just shut up.” I see him grin at me out of the corner of my eye as he pops himself up on his elbow to look at me, face sober and serious once more. “Come on Corinne, what happened between you two?” I bite my lip and consider things thoughtfully. “You really want to know?” A frown flickers across AJ’s face. “You… you didn’t sleep with him, did you Corrie?” There’s a moment of utter silence between us before I spring up in a surge of anger, face purple, small fists clenched as Alex scrambles to his feet. “Are you serious?” I demand, outraged, shocked, and betrayed all at once. He takes a step forward, then back when he gets a good luck at my flaming granite eyes. “Corrie, it’s a valid question…” “You actually think that I would… That I could. AJ, he’s married! Do you think that I have no morals at all?! Jesus Alex…” I’m so angry I can hardly speak and my glare narrows into violent slits as he dares another step closer. “Alex…” I warn with a hiss. His feet bring him closer and closer to me and it takes every ounce of my will power not to hit him while my Italian temper is flaring. And then he’s directly before me, looking down at my red face and his fingers are taking off his sunglasses and I’m lost in pretty, pretty AJ eyes. Lost enough that my fists stop shaking, not lost enough that I can unclench them. “I didn’t sleep with Nick Alex.” “All right,” he responds softly. “But let me ask you this. If he stood before you, right here, and cupped your face with his hands,” warm palms rose and cradled my face, “would you say no to him Corrie? Would you turn him away?” My eyes close against their will as I let AJ’s warmth spread through me like a wave of fire. And I hate the answer I find at my heart. “No.” And that’s where my anger comes from. From the fact that Nick Carter still has such a powerful hold on my heart. “I, I don’t want to be this way Alex. I… I’m tired of feeling like a part of me has been taken away and I’ll never get it back again.” “I know baby, I know.” He wraps me in arms so different from Nick’s and yet… As much as I loved Nick Carter, as much as I love him still, I love AJ’s arms around me, holding me, just as much. He tucks my head under his chin, so that his head rests atop mine as we stand in the middle of my apartment. “He told me I should date other people. I asked him what he would think if I started to date you.” AJ sucks in a deep breath at my words and I can feel him tense. “We haven’t spoken since.” “He’s sulking because of me.” “He’s sulking because he’s a spoiled child.” AJ laughs ruefully. “I’ll never understand how you could worship Nick and make fun of him in one breath.” “People don’t have to be perfect for someone to love them Aje.” He pulls back enough so that I can look up at him, and him down at me. “Good thing for me, huh Corrie?” I chuckle manically. “Yeah, no kidding. Have you seen your hair in the morning?!” He makes a face at me and proceeds to pinch my sides as I squeal with laughter. “No but I know you have, right Corinne?” “AJ!” I scream and try to scramble away. He grabs his head in mock agony and collapses to the floor dramatically. “Pain Corrie! Pain! Can I please have an aspirin?” AJ stares up at me through thick, dark lashes, chocolate eyes peeking out. I roll my eyes and sigh theatrically. “Come on baby. If you’re good and don’t whine you can have two before I send you home for your tongue whipping from the gang.” He follows me eagerly to the kitchen and neither one of us mentions the fact that both of us were very, very close to kissing not a full minute ago. Its one of those mutual, silently agreed to things. Sometimes its just not worth opening Pandora’s Box, even if the box comes beautifully wrapped in the tattooed form of AJ McLean. Of course, that’s the theory.