Danielle walked down the street after work and thought about Brian. Both of them were single and he had asked her out before the Boys went on tour. She didn�t know what to say at the time so she told him she would give him a call with an answer. Danielle did find him cute. Very cute actually. She found his smile sexy and it made her smile every time she saw it. She knew there was something about him she liked so much, but wasn�t sure what it was.
She continued walking and thinking about Brian, but stopped when she heard, �Danielle Morgan Horowitz!� She looked up and saw one of her oldest and dearest friends coming towards her. �I can�t believe its you.�
�Madeline!� Danielle yelled and they ran to each other and hugged. �It�s great to see you again.�
�Same here,� Madeline said. �It seems like forever since I�ve seen you.�
�I know,� Danielle said looking her friend over. �You look amazing.�
�So do you, girl,� Madeline said.
�Your face is glowing,� Danielle said. �Why�s that?�
�First, I want you to meet Nick Lachey,� Madeline said sticking her arm in his and smiling.
�We already met,� Danielle said smiling. �How ya doing?�
�I�m great,� Nicholas said hugging her. �And you?�
�Good,� Danielle said returning the hug. �Now why are you glowing?�
�Well, Nick and I have been dating for the past three years,� Madeline began, as Danielle looked at them in shock, �and back in June Nick asked me to marry him and of course I said yes. Ain�t that fantastic?�
�You�re engaged?� Danielle said making it a statement instead of a question. �Oh my God.� She hugged the two at the same time. �I�m so happy for you both. When are you getting married?�
�Next October,� Nicholas replied. �I got the solo tour coming up and then I�m doing something�s with the group so we just agreed on October 2004.�
�Where are you having the wedding?� Danielle asked.
�We�re not sure yet,� Madeline replied.
�I�m so happy,� Danielle gushed. �I better be a bride�s maid.�
�Of course you are,� Madeline said. �You�ll stand next to my maid-of-honor, Sunshine.�
�Groovy,� Danielle said.
�Also I�m pregnant,� Madeline said. �Five months along.�
�Holy shit,� Danielle said. �I thought there was something different. When are you due?�
�February 19,� Madeline said. �According to the doc�s estimate anyway.�
�That�s way groovy,� Danielle said and they all smiled.
�Speaking of Sunshine,� Madeline started, �have you seen my little sister? We went by the condo and she wasn�t there.�
�She�s in South Dakota filming a new movie with Ryan Phillippe,� Danielle reminded her.
�Oh, that�s right,� Madeline said. �I can never keep track of her.� They laughed. �Did her and Nickolas hook up yet?�
�Not yet,� Danielle said. �She just recently broke up with Brad Fischetti of LFO and then skipped town.�
�Right,� Madeline said.
�Honestly I have no clue what Nick and Sunnie Jo are doing,� Danielle said. �He�s with my sister right now so�He and Sunn are hot for each other one minute and can�t keep their hands off each other then the next Sunshine�s totally brushing him off and confusing the hell out of him.�
�But he keeps going back right?� Nicholas asked.
Danielle nodded and added, �He�s in love with her and he told her that in front of everyone. She�s in love with him, but she refuses to tell him. So Nick�s trying to figure out where he stands in her life.�
�She�s so stubborn,� Madeline said. �Always has been.�
�So Nick�s with my sister at the moment until Sunn gets that stick out of her ass,� Danielle stated.
�Wouldn�t that put a strain on their friendship?� Nicholas asked.
�Yeah, but Josephine�s too stupid to realize how much Sunn�s hating her right now,� Danielle said. �She knows how Sunshine feels about him and shit, but she just doesn�t seem to care.�
�I thought Josie wanted Howie?� Madeline asked.
�I have no clue what�s going on anymore,� Danielle replied. �I just live in this world. I have my own problems to worry about.�
�Right,� Nicholas said.
�Is there anything else that you need to tell me about my little sister?� Madeline questioned.
Danielle just looked at her then said, �Not that I can think of.�
�Why does it seem you�re hiding something from me?� Madeline inquired.
�I�m not,� Danielle lied looking at her watch. �Look at the time. I have to go.�
She started walking away and Madeline said, �Danielle Morgan Horowitz!� Danielle stopped and turned around. Madeline looked at her and asked, �What has Sunshine done this time??�
�I don�t know what you�re talking about.�
�Don�t lie to me.�
�I�m not. I ain�t hiding anything.�
�Am I supposed to believe that?�
�Yeah.� Madeline just looked at her and Danielle looked at her and Nickolas then really fast said, �She�d kill me if I told anyone that her and Nick had sex on the beach back in July when the night after the day she came back from Australia. I�ll see ya guys around. Bye.� Danielle walked away really fast, but Madeline caught up with her before she turned the corner.
�What do you mean Sunshine and Nickolas had sex?� Madeline questioned.
�Did I say Sunn and Nick?� Danielle asked playing dumb. �I meant V and Al.�
�You know exactly what you said,� Madeline replied, as Danielle just smirked and Nicholas joined them. �How could she be so stupid?�
�The mood was right, love was in the air, and she was tired of fighting her temptations for the guy,� Danielle said. �It was really romantic.�
�When does she get back?� Madeline asked. �And where does he live?�
�Sunn will be back for Christmas and Nick�s on tour right now,� Danielle answered. �Let me mention one thing before you go homicidal on someone.� Madeline looked at her. �They are 23 and very mature adults. What they did was out of love for each other. They know they belong together and just couldn�t fight those sexual temptations that surrounded them.�
�Sunn�s 22,� Madeline corrected her. �And what it was was that Nickolas was horny that night and he sweet talked Sunshine into it, taking away her innocence. Or perhaps it was that he was horny and he decided to get her drunk and when she was he took advantage of her.�
�How about this,� Danielle began, �you ask Nick and Sunn yourself. Nick, will you calm your girlfriend down before she has a miscarriage.�
�Yeah,� Nicholas said. �Ok, Mad, let�s go back to the hotel so you can relax.�
�I am relaxed,� Madeline said.
�No you�re not,� Nicholas said. �We�re going.�
�Fine,� Madeline said. �I need to think.�
�Then you can do that in a nice warm relaxing bath,� Danielle said. �You have my number so call me.�
�I will,� Madeline said. �We�ll have to get together sometime.�
�Yeah,� Danielle said, as they hugged. �Now get going. See ya, Nick.�
�See ya,� Nicholas said, as he and Madeline walked away.
Danielle stood there watching them and then suddenly slapped her head saying, �You�re such an idiot, Danielle. Sunshine and Nickolas are going to kill you.� She quickly walked back to her apartment to call Sunshine and Nickolas.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
�You did what!� Sunshine yelled over the phone and Danielle took it away from her ear. �I am so going to kill you when I get back, Dani! I told you that in confidence!�
�I know and I�m sorry,� Danielle apologized.
�You have no idea how much my sister is going to skitz out on me. I hope you�re happy for making my life more miserable.�
�I�m sorry.�
�Saying you�re sorry ain�t going to take back what you told Madeline. She�s not going to let this go�ever. It doesn�t matter if I�m in love with Nickolas and that�s why I slept with him. Dani, she wanted me to join a convent for crying out loud. You of all people know how she is when it comes to me. I�m not allowed to do anything without her permission or else she drags it out for life.�
�I�m sorry.�
�I trusted you to not say anything to anyone. I don�t care if it just came out. You broke that trust between us just like everyone else did. I thought that out of all you that trust I have for you wasn�t going to be ever broken, but I was wrong. We were friends for the longest and I can�t even count on you anymore. I hope you didn�t call Nick and tell him what you did.�
�Yeah.�
�You what?�
�I told him.�
�Danielle, he didn�t even know I told you and Kev. Thanks a lot. Now he�s going to be pissed.�
�He already is pissed.�
�Why?�
�Because you left without saying a word to him.�
�I told Josephine to tell ya�ll where I was going.�
�She did a few days after you left. You should know all the important things leave Josephine�s mind before anything else does.�
�I don�t even know why I bother with any of you. You�re all the same. I can�t trust you for anything.�
�Sunnie Jo��
�I have to go, D.�
�Bye.� Danielle heard a click then hung up her phone and sighed.
CHAPTER 27
HOME