Snow Lodge
Chapter 49
Howie paced outside of Brian's room, desperately wishing he was inside. He could hear Brian and Leighanne's voices, but he could not make out the words. All he knew was that Brian sounded angry and hurt, and that Leighanne sounded desperate.
He looked up as Nick came into his line of sight, with Jonesy following behind him and he stopped. Nick saw him and spoke to Jonesy for a moment, before immediately rushing over, his face a mask of worry.
"Howie?"
"What?"
"What's wrong, why are you out here, you're supposed to be inside looking after Brian." Nick asked, his voice panicked.
"I was. I got kicked out." Howie replied distractedly, he was still trying to listen to the voices inside the room.
"Brian didn't want to listen?" Nick guessed.
"Huh? No. He did. We're fine, I think. But Leigh's here."
"Who called her?" Nick asked; his voice suddenly hard. He had never really got on with Leighanne. He blamed her for taking his best friend away from him, and also for breaking up Brian and AJ. She didn't know about them, but she had come on the scene and then Brian had broken it off with AJ, sending him into his depression.
"I don't know how she knew Nick. All I know is she got here and Brian kicked me out."
"He probably wants to be alone so the two of them can make up for lost time." Nick snorted.
"I don't think so." Howie replied, making Nick look up. "He sounded anything but happy to see her. In fact I'd say he was mad that she had shown up here. I haven't been able to hear what they're saying, but he doesn't sound happy, and she�"
Howie didn't get a chance to finish his sentence, because at that moment the door to Brian's room opened, and Leighanne rushed out of the room. Her eyes were red and shining with tears, and she looked distraught.
She stopped abruptly when she saw Nick and Howie, and glared at them.
"I hope you're happy now." She spat at Nick.
"What?" Nick asked, surprised.
"You've got what you wanted, you can have your precious Frick back now."
With that she spun around on her heel and rushed down the corridor, out of sight.
Howie and Nick looked at each other in shock for a moment, before turning back to Brian's door. Nick rushed into the room, closely followed by Howie. Brian was sagging in the bed, sitting up, but only barely. It seemed all his strength had left him, and he looked about ready to collapse once more. Nick wasted no time in reaching Brian, climbing up on the bed with him and laying him gently down on the pillows.
"Frick?" Nick whispered the name softly, almost scared of receiving a reply.
Brian opened his eyes and looked at his best friend, and it was all Nick could do not to gasp. Brian's eyes looked dead, as if all the fight had left his body, and he was in a bottomless pit of despair.
"Oh Brian. What happened?" Nick asked, pulling Brian close as if trying to protect him with his own body.
"She� she� she cheated on me." Brian managed to choke the words out. Now Leighanne had gone, all the strength and anger had left his body, leaving him feeling empty and alone.
"She came here to tell you that!" Nick's voice rose in anger, he couldn't believe the nerve of that woman.
"No. No. I saw her. Before. In our bed. She told him� she told him she loved him. And I heard her. And I left, and I drove away, and I� I�" Brian couldn't get any further before breaking down in tears again.
Nick looked up at Howie who was standing at Brian's bedside, with tears in his own eyes.
"That must be why he was up at the lodge." Nick whispered softly to Howie.
Howie nodded. "That's why she wouldn't tell you where Brian was, or what was going on." He told Nick.
"Yeah. But AJ figured out where he'd gone and followed him up there."
At Nick's mention of AJ's name, Brian's cries once again became louder, and Nick pulled him closer, trying to reassure him.
