�Maybe I should go check on Sunn,� Josephine suggested. �Make sure she�s all right. This party was for her and Nick. It was rude of Alex and Des to ruin it for them. If you�ll excuse me.�
�Jo, sit,� Kevin said. �Leave them to theirselves. I�m sure they want to be alone.�
�Nicky does,� Sunshine said finally speaking and they looked. �Not me.� Sunshine walked out of view and the others just waited. She walked into the kitchen and sat beside Kevin and Brian.
�Where�s Nick?� Kevin asked.
�He left like fifteen minutes ago,� Sunshine replied.
�Why?� Howard asked and Sunshine shrugged. �He didn�t give a reason?�
�No,� Sunshine said. �There�s something wrong with him.�
�How do ya know?� Kevin asked.
�I kissed him and he didn�t return the kiss.�
�That�s unusual,� Danielle said. �He loves kissing you.�
�He even called me �Sunn� and didn�t kiss me when he left. I�m afraid I did something wrong.�
�I�m sure it�s nothing,� Brian tried to assure her.
�One minute he�s all over me and then the next he was so heartless.�
�Is history repeating itself?� Kevin wondered and everyone just looked at him confused. �Sunn did the same thing to Nick before she admitted to him she was in love with him.�
�That�s different from this. We�re engaged to be married�unless Nicky has his way there won�t be a wedding.�
�What?� everyone asked simultaneously.
�He suggested that we shouldn�t get married.�
�Why?� Danielle questioned.
�Just because I said he makes me mad at times, but I think it�s more than that. My finger�s pointing to Brad.�
�He knows you guys are best friends,� Kevin stated. �And he knows you only love him.�
�Try telling Nicky that. He�s jealous of Brad.�
�Why?� Josephine asked.
�How the hell should I know? He lies about it when I confront him.�
�Did you try to stop him when he left?� Venus asked.
�He just ignored me. How am I supposed to take that?�
�I�m sorry, Sunn,� Howard said.
�He�s been acting like this since May. I don�t know what to do anymore. Ya can�t talk to him about it, because he changes the subject right away.�
�I�m sure he�ll come around,� Kevin said. �He�s stubborn just like you.� Sunshine glared at him. �Don�t give me that look either.�
�I know I shouldn�t be worried, but I have a bad feeling about this.�
�You�re overreacting,� Josephine said. �Nothing bad is going to happen.�
�Easy for you to say. You and D have no problems.� Kevin and Howard just looked at her. �Nick and I had problems since the day we met.� She just stared at them then buried her face in her arms. �We�re not good for each other.� She started crying softly.
�Yes you are,� Kevin said comforting her. �You know you are and so does everyone else.�
�Why are you always right?�
�Not always.�
�Why does Nickolas make me so mad?�
�Because you love him and he loves you. All couples fight and get mad, but then they make up.�
�Making up is the best part,� Josephine said and everyone laughed at her.
�She�s right about that,� Danielle agreed. �But don�t go to Nick; make him come to you.�
�Why?� Sunshine asked.
�You don�t want to seem too pushy.�
�But he likes it when I�m pushy and demanding.�
�But don�t,� Venus said. �He�ll come crawling back on his hands and knees begging for you to be pushy and demanding.�
�I can�t believe I�m listening to you guys.� She got up. �Excuse me.�
�We handled that well,� Josephine said, as Sunshine walked from the kitchen.
�Just leave her go,� Kevin said. �She�ll figure out what to do.�
�I�m glad we�re honest with each other, Howie,� Josephine said as Kevin just looked at Howard. �That�s why we have no problems.�
�What if there was something he never told you,� Brian began, as Kevin shot him a warning look, �and you found out on your own. What would you do?�
�Depends on what it was.�
�Let�s say he was still in love with an ex-girlfriend.� Howard, Kevin, and Danielle looked at him. �And he kissed her while still with you.�
�If I found out on my own I�d be extremely pissed. But if he told me himself I probably wouldn�t be upset. Actually if I didn�t know the girl and he hasn�t seen her in a very long time it wouldn�t matter, but if the girl happened to be a very good friend then I�d be totally pissed and go after him and the good friend. But you need not worry, because we don�t have that problem�yet.�
�Lucky for you,� Kevin said glaring at Howard.
�Howie loves only me.� She put her arms around Howard. �Ain�t that right, Babe?�
�Uh�yeah,� Howard said, as Kevin and Brian shook their heads in disgust. �There�s only you.� Josephine gave him a kiss as the others just watched.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Sunshine laid on the bed, in Apollo Beach, and looked at the picture of her and Nickolas on the nightstand; crying. She hadn�t seen Nickolas since he left the condo and couldn�t figure out what was wrong with him�minus his jealousy of Bradley. She was afraid she did something wrong and he was just afraid to confront her about it. She wanted him to if it was that so she could make it up to him.
She couldn�t find him anywhere and was ready to report him missing. He wouldn�t answer his phone and the first couple of times she was pissed then that turned into anger. She wasn�t sure if he was trying to push her away or playing some stupid game. He had to be upset about something. He wouldn�t just leave if he wasn�t. He would tell her he was going and kiss her or take her with him like he always did. But it was different this time; no explanation, no kiss, and no taking her along. That just made her believe more that she did something wrong.
What could she have possibly done though? Especially in a few minutes. They were happy. She satisfied him and he was ready to satisfy her. Bradley came to say goodbye and Nickolas did a one eighty. He gave her the cold shoulder and left with no reason. He�Bradley was the reason. Nickolas� jealousy got the better of him and he took off. He knew he had no reason to be jealous of Bradley. Nickolas had Sunshine and not vice versa. She wasn�t about to dump Nickolas for Bradley. She loved Nickolas more than she ever loved anybody in her life. Nickolas was her life. She told Howard the same thing a few months ago and it was the truth. She would die without Nickolas.
�Yo, Nick, are ya here?� she heard Aaron�s voice from the hall and she sat up; quickly wiping her eyes. She looked at the door, as Aaron walked in. �Sunn�hey.� He smiled.
�Hey, Aaron,� Sunshine said getting off the bed.
�Is my brother here?�
�Um�no. I haven�t seen him since he left the condo this afternoon.�
�Is everything all right?� She just looked at him and walked from the room. The last thing she wanted to do was bother her future brother-in-law with her and Nickolas� problems. If there even was a problem. �Sunnie, what�s going on?�
�I don�t know, Aaron.� She started downstairs and Aaron followed her. �He just left without saying anything. How am I supposed to handle that?�
�Did ya guys have a fight?�
�No; everything was fine. We were getting along great and he comes out of the bathroom in a bad mood. I think it has something to do with Brad.�
�Why?�
�Because your brother hates the fact that he�s my best friend. Brad came to the room this afternoon to say bye and Nick was pissy ass right away. Nick knows I love him and Brad knows I�m not going to dump Nick for him, because I love him too much. I know Nick loves me, but his jealousy of Brad is taking over and I hate it.�
�Do ya want me to beat the shit out of him for ya?�
�It sounds so tempting, but no. I�ll do it myself.� She walked into the kitchen with Aaron behind her. �We just need to sit down and talk about it before we get married, ya know. Right now he�s being an ass and doesn�t want to listen.�
�He�ll come around. You�re the first person he�s ever loved this way and you�re the first person that�s ever loved him this way. He�s probably just scared he�ll screw it up and is thinking the worse that can happen. He probably thinks you�re going to leave him for Brad and that scares him.�
�Did he tell you this?�
�No; I just know my brother better than anyone else does. He�s mentioned your relationship with Brad a few times and I read between the lines. He hated when you guys dated and he hates the fact that you maintain a great friendship afterwards. Nick loves you and doesn�t want another guy to come between.�
�I just wish he would talk to me. That�s all I want. We used to always talk and it seemed to make him happy. But now that we�re together and getting married it seems he doesn�t want to talk anymore. It hurts me, ya know, because I want to help and he won�t leave me.�
Aaron stood in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders saying, �Nick doesn�t really talk about his problems. He keeps things bottled up inside and then it builds up and he ends up doing something crazy.�
�Like walking out without an explanation yesterday.�
�That�s an example.�
�I wish he would just talk to me and not keep it bottled up.�
�Just be happy with the fact that Nick loves you. Just because he�s not opening up to you like you want him to doesn�t mean he doesn�t love you.�
�I don�t doubt that, because I know he loves me. I see it in his eyes all the time when he looks at me. There�s no denying that fact.�
�And you love him?�
�More than anything.�
�Then don�t push him to open up to you. It�s just going to push him away and I know neither of you want that.� She just looked at him. �Be there for him when he�s ready. My brother�s complicated.�
�Ain�t that the truth? I just want��
�I understand, Sunn.� He hugged her. �If I see him I�ll talk to him.�
�You�ll do that for me?�
�We�re going to be family in a few months. It�s what the Carter family does.�
She looked at him and smiled. �Thanks.�
�You�re welcome.�
�Is there something I can help ya with? Or is it just for Nick?�
�It�s a guy thing so I don�t think you could really help.�
�Probably not.�
�I�ll just come by later then�unless you want company.�
�No; I�ll be fine by myself.�
�Are ya sure?�
�Yeah.�
�Alright. I�ll see ya later then.� She just grinned and watched Aaron leave.
CHAPTER 8
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