Chapter 34

Gwen had a hard day at work.  She just wanted to go home and fall into Nick's arms.  As she walked into the candlelit house she smiled, Nick always seemed to know exactly what she needed.  Her eyes lit up as she walked into the formal dining room to find Nick waiting for at the table with a gourmet meal prepared.  He had started taking cooking classes and he had been the designated cook.  Her smile faded as she approached Nick, wrapping her arms around his neck as she sat on his lap, noticing the troubled look in his eyes she asked, "Baby, what's wrong?"

"It's not over," he replied as he put his head on her chest.

"What are you talking about?"

"The Backstreet Boys," he stated emotionless as Gwen looked at him with confusion.

"What happened?  I thought that it was over after the..."

Nick cut her off, "Yeah, well so did I.  But apparently, Jive slipped an option into our last contract that gave them another two albums."

Gwen sat there for a minute, trying to register everything that was coming out of his mouth, she couldn't believe it.

"But I thought -"

Cutting her off again, Nick said, "Well you thought wrong, I did too.  I knew this seemed too easy.  You might as well kiss all of our plans goodbye because I have two more years of this shit."

"Why are they doing this to us?"

"Because when they look at me and the other guys all they see is a dollar sign."

"Can't we pay Jive off?"

"No, we can't.  I talked to our lawyers after we met with the management team today.  The whole thing would turn into a huge media circus.  They would sue us for a breach of contract and we would be put in a position to lose everything.  You and I have more unlimited funds than the other guys and I can't do that to them, they could lose everything.  And even if we did it, we would be thrown into the press and you don't want that.  Let's face it - there is nothing we can do about it."

"This is bad Nick - I can't do this," Gwen said as she got up from his lap, "I told you we wouldn't make it."

"Baby we can make it," he said as he stood and walked towards her, "we can do anything together.  I am not happy about this either but we're stuck."

"WE aren't stuck, YOU are stuck," she said in a sad tone.

"What do you mean I am stuck?  We are in this together."

"I can't do this, you are going to have to face this without me.  Maybe one day they won't own you anymore, but until that day I can't go through this.  Nick, this is bigger than me and you."

"What are you trying to say?"

"You know my reasons for not wanting to be involved in the press are not just because of me.  It effects my whole family and I can't drag them through that again.  You know how they reacted that whole Globe thing and I can't chance hurting them, especially Cree."  She paused before saying her final words, "I'm leaving."

"You are doing what?" Nick yelled, seeming to only register her last comment.

"Nick - I am sorry," she said as tears began to fall from her eyes.

"Your damn right you are sorry.  I can't fucking believe you Gwen, you tell me you love and want to spend the rest of our lives together, you let me believe that we are starting it, we buy a house together, we started planning our wedding, shit, we have talked about starting a family - and then at the first sign of a rough time you want to run away."

"I do love you Nick - you have to believe that."

"Maybe you should go..."

"I want you to understand."

"Honestly Gwen, I don't want to understand....I don't know how you can leave me because of something like this after all we have been through, I have been supportive of your career, I even moved here to make you happy, not that I don't love it but still, I have trouble believing you when you say you love me but you can't even stand by me...you know, this isn't what I want either and it is hard for me too...I don't know if I will ever understand you or be able to forgive you if you walk out that door - if you are going to go just go - don't drag it out."

With tears in her eyes, Gwen walked to Nick and cupped his face in her hands, lifting his head so his tear-filled eyes were level with hers, "I love you..." she said thru tears as she a gentle kiss on his lips, "Goodbye."

She walked to the door, picking up her purse and briefcase on the way and walked out of Nick's life.

Chapter 35
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