�I�m fine, Sweetie,� Howard said. �Mama�s taking care of my boo boos.�
�Alright. I could kill Carter right now.�
�You and me both.�
�He just makes me so angry anymore. I don�t know why Sunn�s staying with him.�
�Who knows? I just want you to know though that I�m not marrying you because I can�t have Sunshine. I�m marrying you because I love you. If I didn�t I wouldn�t have proposed.�
�I know, Baby, and I love you. I just ignored Nick when he said you were only marrying me, because you can�t have Sunn. Maybe he�s just mad, because we�re getting married before him.�
�Really, I don�t care what his problem is anymore. I�m just so sick of his angry behavior. He takes his problems out on everyone instead of sitting down and thinking about it. I really don�t care if he comes to the wedding or not.�
�I�m hoping he doesn�t It�s our wedding and I don�t want anything bad to happen to ruin it or anyone, namely, Nickolas Gene Carter, to ruin it.�
�He won�t I promise.�
�I don�t want him at the wedding or reception. If Sunshine doesn�t like it then she can leave.�
�What about the rest of the Carter Clan?�
�I have no problem with them; it�s just Nickolas.�
�I understand. After all you did tell him he wasn�t invited.�
�Which I�m glad I did after what he did.�
�I can�t believe it actually came down to this. We�ve been friends for thirteen years and it ends like this. I feel bad in a way, because I lost one of the bestest friends I could ever have. But then again I�m glad, because I don�t have to worry about him ruining our wedding tomorrow.�
�Nothing�s going to ruin it. If we have to we can put a guard out front to keep Nick away.�
�Is that what you want?�
�If it keeps him away. If we need to put the army outside to keep him away then so be it we will. I don�t want him ruining my day.�
�We can put a couple guards out front if you really want it, but ya have to realize Sunn won�t be too happy with you.�
�I don�t care what Sunn�s going to think. It�s my wedding and I don�t want Nick there. After what happened tonight Nick is no longer my friend.�
�Ya can�t think like that considering your best friend is marrying the guy�unfortunately.�
�It�s the way I feel. If I have my way Sunn won�t be marrying the guy. Now or in the future. He totally ruined our friendship tonight. I don�t care if I ever see him again. As far as I�m concerned, Nickolas can take a long walk off a short pier. I wouldn�t miss him one bit. I�d probably be happier.�
�Ya shouldn�t talk like that, Sweetie, even if you do hate the guy. It could come back to haunt you one day.�
�I know, but I�m just so angry.�
�We both are.�
�Lately I�ve been wishing Sunn didn�t meet Nick. I mean he�s done so much to hurt her and I hate him for it.� She heard yelling in the background.
�I understand, but I have to go. Mama�s calling me.�
�Alright. I�ll see ya tomorrow. I love you.�
�I love you and I can�t wait. Bye.� Josephine hung up the phone and started thinking.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Sunshine woke up to a banging sound and started cursing. She just laid there and looked at the clock; only 1:30 a.m. She didn�t hear it again and figured it was her imagination. She closed her eyes again and heard the noise a second time. It sounded like it was coming from the front door, but she ignored it. She wasn�t going to get out of bed for anybody. What if it was Nickolas though? Doubt it. He was angry with her for some reason and she probably wouldn�t see him until the wedding.
She heard the banging noise again and it was definitely coming from the front door. She moaned, realizing they weren�t going to go away, and slowly got out of bed. She went to the bathroom first then walked from her room as there was another bang. When she got to the parlor she didn�t bother turning on the light and walked to the door. She looked through the peephole and left out a sigh. She started unlocking the door, as the person knocked continuously.
She opened the door and with a tired voice said, �Nick, what are you doing?�
�I came to visit.� He smiled.
�Do you even know what time it is?� He continued smiling at her. �It�s after 1:30 in the morning.�
�May I come in?�
�I could be mean and say no, but since I love ya you may come in.� Nickolas walked inside and Sunshine shut the door.
�What took ya so long?� They walked to the sofa.
�I was ignoring you.�
�I would�ve banged on the door all night.�
�I know. What are you doing here?� They sat on the sofa and Nickolas turned on the lamp and they looked at each other. �Nicky, what happened? Were you in a fight?� She touched the cut at the side of his left eye. �Wait right here.� She quickly got up and ran back the hall. Nickolas just sat there and tried to ignore the pain in his head. He started thinking, but stopped when he heard Sunshine coming. She sat beside him and put the first aid kit on the coffee table. They looked at each other and Nickolas kissed her. �Are you trying to get out of telling me what happened?�
�Did it work?� He smiled.
�No, so what happened?�
�Howie and I got into a fight after you left.�
�Howie did this?�
�Yeah.�
�Why? Does he want me to kick his ass then?�
�You don�t need to kick his ass, because I�m fine.�
�Why would he do this?� Nickolas looked at her then told her what happened as she cleaned his cut. Nickolas finished before Sunshine and she didn�t know what to say.
�The ring Howie wears got my eye.� Sunshine put a band-aid over the cut and closed the first aid kit, but said nothing. She shook her head and stood up. �Say something please.�
�You both disgust me, Nick.�
�Sweets��
�Don�t �Sweets� me. You both were stupid.�
�All I did was state a fact to both Howie and Jo and Howie decks me. It was like he got mad, because I figured out the truth of why he�s marrying Josephine.� Sunshine looked at him. �Maybe it is the truth.�
�Howie loves Josie.�
�Think about it, Sunnie. If he wasn�t marrying Jo, because he can�t have you he wouldn�t have gotten pissed like he did.� Sunshine just looked at Nickolas, as he stood in front of her. �You know I have a good point.� He smiled.
�Alright you do, but Howie still loves Jo.�
�But not like he loves you.�
Sunshine shrugged. �I don�t care, because I love you and no one else.� She kissed him. �So what really brings you here at this hour?�
�I�ve been thinking about us.� Sunshine just looked at him as he said those words and walked away. �What�s wrong?�
�Just a case of deja vu.� They looked at each other. �Don�t do this again, Nick, because if you do it�s over for good.�
�Sweets, calm down.� He walked over to her and lifted her head. �Don�t worry. I was thinking good thoughts.� Sunshine left out a sigh. �After what happened between me and D I drove around thinking. I�m sorry for snapping at you when you called me �Nicky�. It was wrong of me. I don�t care if you call me �Nicky�, but only you.� She smiled. �Kevin just made me angry when he started to correct my grammar then Alex started talking about our sex life and called me �Nicky�. It just pissed me off. I didn�t mean to take it out on you.�
�Don�t worry about it.�
�No, I�m sorry.�
�Forget it, Honey, because you�re always apologizing to me.� She smiled.
�I ain�t good at this romantic love stuff.�
�Could have fooled me, because you�re doing a great job.� Nickolas smiled and pulled Sunshine to the sofa. He sat down and pulled her onto his lap.
�There�s also something else.� He wrapped his arms around her, as she looked at him. �I was uninvited to the wedding by Jo and I quit BSB.� She went to speak, but Nickolas stopped her. �I know what you�re going to say and in a way it was the right decision, but it was also the wrong decision. I decided to leave though after Howie said it was the end of our friendship.�
�I�m sorry, Nicky.�
�Don�t worry about it too much, because I still got you�my Sweets.�
�And you�ll always have me.� They kissed. �So this means I won�t get a chance to dance with you tomorrow.�
�Nope.�
�I�ll save ya a dance though.�
�Sounds good.� They kissed again.
�Were you drinking?�
�Just a couple.�
�Uh-huh.� He kissed her again. �Stay the night?�
�I guess it can be arranged.�
�Good.� She kissed him then laid her head down.
�The bed�s probably more comfy.�
�So; I like this better though.�
�Alright.� He kissed her forehead then turned off the lamp.
CHAPTER 10 CHAPTER 12
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