Chapter 29

"You don't understand," Gwen said as she walked across the living room of her apartment and plopped down on her over-stuffed beige couch.  It was obvious by her appearance that she had been crying since she had left Nick the night before at the hotel.  She had a look about her that Nick had never seen before, she was vulnerable.

"Make me understand, I want to know what is going on with you because I care about you Gwen, you can't keep it inside," Nick said.

"OK - I will try to tell you but you are going to think that I am stupid."

"Baby, you know I would never think that of you."

"You haven't heard me yet.  I am so scared Nick, I don't know what to do.  This is the first time in my life I have ever felt this way," she said with tears as he took the seat next to her on the couch.

"Tell me what you are afraid of..."

"Well, everything, at least that is the way I feel right now.  I am scared that we can't make this work because of the world around us.  I don't want someone knowing everything about me and our relationship.  Nick, I am a private person, for reasons that I have never told you. But yes, I do want to marry you.  I know it is soon but it is so right, which scares me too.  The past six months with you have been the most amazing in my life.  I am afraid that I can't function without you, and believe me I don't want to but your celebrity scares me."

"You don't have to worry about that anymore."

"What are you talking about?"

"I quit the group today."

"You did what?  WHY?" she asked, raising her voice.

"This whole thing is just too much.  We have been making music together for eight years, and while I love the guys, it hasn't seemed to matter as much since I met you.  I am tired of the press, the schedule, the lifestyle in general - I want more than that and I want it with you.  We had talked about calling it quits after this album anyway..."

"You didn't do this because of me did you?"

"Being with you made me see that there is more to life than being famous.  Although, I would have never met you had a not been singing that night in Dallas, but anyway...I have always dreamed of having a normal life.  I want us to have a normal life together."

"I do too."

"So maybe I should try this again," Nick said as he knelt down in front of Gwen, holding the same ring he had proposed to her with the night before in his hand, "Maybe the second time is a charm...would you do me the honor of being my wife and partner for life?"

"Yes," she said as he slowly slipped the ring on her left hand and kissed it, she smiled down at him and asked, "Can we still keep a place in San Francisco?"

"Of course we can, I know how much you love it here.  We will live here, I have always liked the bay.  We can start house hunting whenever you like, when is the lease on this place up."

"It isn't," Nick looked at her with a confused look on his face, "all I have to do is find a new tenant."

"Let the landlord do that."

"Well, you see Nick, I am the landlord, I own this whole building and the two white ones across the street."

"They must pay you pretty well at the GAP if you own property on Lombard."

Gwen stood there for a minute before she said, "That isn't where my money comes from, I like my job."

Still confused, Nick asked, "Where does your money come from?"

"Well, lots of places - for one - my Grandfather was an oil man and when he died, he left everything to me and my brother, Max, instead of my daddy because he had already made his millions."

"Millions?"

"Yes, that is where most of the money comes from.  I never talk about it because it is embarrassing, we have always been pretty discreet about it."

"I would have never guessed that you came from a wealthy family."

"Good, that is how I want people to see me.  I did make some money on my own though, I started modeling when I was 12 and quit just before I finished college."

"Wait a second, maybe that was why you looked so familiar when I met you - you were on the cover of Sports Illustrated a couple of years ago."

"That was me, my last job."

"WOW !  And you think I am a celebrity?"

"I always worked when I had time off from school because I had to travel, I just lived in Dallas - pretty low key life for a model.  I kind of fell into it, but it was a way to make my own money which was important to me."

"We are quite a pair.  Well, at least we won't ever fight about money."

"I just thought I should tell you because it will come out when we announce our engagement," Gwen started as Nick looked at her oddly, "When I modeled, I used the name Victoria Lacey, which is my grandmother's first name and my mom's maiden name.  I was afraid if people knew I was Harrison Latham's daughter and Blair Latham's granddaughter it would cause problems.  Very few people know the extent of my family's financial holdings.  Forbes has tried to do stories on me and Max ever since we inherited the money.  My friends back home knew about my dad but not the rest,  While we were minors we could fight them publishing our names, but it has become more difficult over the years, we have had to go to court and pay them a settlement in order for them not to publish anything many times.  Once they look into my background all of that will come out."

"OK - why didn't it come out when you got engaged to Collin?  And exactly what kind of money are we talking here?"

"Collin wasn't famous.  And as far as the ammount, lets just say it is more than me, you and both of our families could ever spend in their existences."

"OK - I get the idea."

"You don't care about that?"

"Well, at least I know you aren't marrying me for money."

They both laughed, "I love you Nick"

He pulled her close to him, "I love you - I can't wait for you to be my Mrs. Carter."

Chapter 30
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