�It�ll be alright, Sweets, I promise.�
�I can�t do this, Nick. I ain�t ready like I thought I was.�
�It�s alright.�
�This is just too much.�
�We�ll get through it. We just need each other.�
�It�s not fair that all our friends are having children and we can�t.�
�We will someday. When you�re healthy again we can try. We just have to take it one day at a time and hope for the best.�
�It still won�t be fair.�
�Of course not, but by helping each other we�ll be fine.� She didn�t say anything. �I got the next month off until the tour so we can be together everyday. Even when the tour starts you can come with you don�t want to go back to Texas right away.�
�I don�t want to do anything.�
�In a couple days you�ll feel different.�
�No I won�t.�
�Sure you will. We�re going to work on getting you healthy again so we can have the children we both want.�
�After what I said how can you stay by my side?� She lifted her head and looked at him.
�You�re just upset and didn�t mean it. I�ll love you no matter what.�
�Well ya shouldn�t, Nick.� He cupped her face in his hands and wiped away her tears. �Look at all I do.�
�I�ll decide what I should and shouldn�t do, ok?� She just looked at him. �As long as we�re together we�ll be fine.�
�You have a lot of faith.�
�Because I love you.�
She hugged him. �I don�t want us to ever end.�
�And we won�t. We got each other for eternity.�
�Good.� She looked at him. �I didn�t mean to make it sound like I ain�t happy with you, because I am. More than you know.�
�It�s ok so don�t worry about it. All that matters is that we�re here and still together.�
�I guess so.�
�It does and I ain�t going anywhere.�
�I�ve realized that, like, six years ago.� She smiled and so did he.
�I missed that smile.� She continued smiling. �And I missed you. I�d come home at night and just sit our here for hours. I would think back to all those moments we spent on this beach and how much they meant to you. Do you remember our first time on this beach together?�
�Which first?�
�Not the first time we made love; although ya can�t forget that.�
�Of course not.� They smiled.
�The very first time I brought ya here.�
�My first time I was in Florida after meeting you.�
�Yep.�
�How could I forget? We sat here for, like, three hours while you fed me strawberries and drank champagne.�
�And got some use out of our lips.� She smiled. �That was the best three hours of my life; and I think they still are. That was the moment I realized I was falling in love with you.�
�Same here.�
�Remember how everyone asked what took us so long when we got back to Orlando?� She nodded. �We told them that traffic was bad and it was taking us forever to get through it.�
�They never knew the truth.�
�Nope.� She looked out to the ocean. �They�re the moments I want you to remember; not the bad ones like the past few months.�
�I can�t forget right away, Nicky; if at all.�
�Sunnie, I�m just trying to make you feel better.�
�I know. I just�� She sighed. �I appreciate what you�re trying to do; really I am. It�s harder on a woman when something like this happens because it�s her body. I just can�t go back to the way my life was right now. I just can�t do it.� She got up and walked away.
�Sunnie, please don�t do this. Don�t put yourself through this.� She stopped, but didn�t look at him.
�What else can I do, Nick?� She started crying again and he walked over to her. �This is my fault and it hurts.� He embraced her. �If I went to the doc the first time you asked me we wouldn�t be in this situation. I�d probably be healthy and we�d be having our baby.�
�This ain�t your fault, Sweets, because I�m just as much to blame. You left me have the choice and I chose you. If I didn�t love you and want to be with you I wouldn�t have given up my chance to be a father.�
�But you may never be a father.�
�That doesn�t matter. As long as I have you I�ll be happy. Like Dani said, if you�d die after the baby was born I�d die with you. I wouldn�t be able to leave my children without either parent. I just did what I thought was best.�
�I can�t do this now, Baby.� She pushed him away. �I just want to be left alone.� She ran off.
�Sunnie.� He watched her run, but didn�t run after her. �Ugh!� He kicked the sand and walked back to the house.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
�Any sign of her?� Drake asked as she and Aaron joined Jane and Robert in Nickolas� parlor later that night. It was almost midnight and everyone was out looking for a missing Sunshine. No one saw her since she ran from the house and Nickolas was worried. He got every available person to go out looking for her and he went himself. He has his mom and dad stay at the house in case she returned on her own.
�None,� Robert said. �We called some of her friends here in Florida and they haven�t seen her.�
�We went everywhere to the places she likes hanging out and nothing,� Aaron stated.
�I hope nothing happened to her,� Jane said.
�I�m sure she�s fine,� Robert assured her.
�She has to be fine,� Aaron replied. �She�s my future wife.�
�Don�t start now, Aaron,� Jane said. �Now is not the time for jokes.�
�When Nick gets done with you,� Drake started, �you won�t have a future anything.� Aaron just looked at her as the phone rang and Jane answered it.
�Hello?� Jane said into the phone. �Oh, hey�anything yet?� They looked at her. �None here either�Nick�s still looking�as far as I know�he said that�s where she was last�I�m sure she�ll turn up�I�ll tell him�thanks, Kevin�goodnight.� She hung up the phone.
�Nothing?� Aaron said.
�No,� Jane said. �He went to some clubs and asked around, but nobody�s seen her.�
�Where in the world could she have gone?� Josephine asked.
�Maybe she left town again,� Aaron suggested. �She did that once before when she couldn�t handle what was going on.�
�Why?� Drake asked.
�Because Jo told Howie she loved him and then he broke up with Sunn,� Aaron explained. �Then she wanted to get back with Nick, but he was seeing Des; although she told Sunn she�d never date Nick. That�s when she went and filmed her first movie. She felt betrayed and couldn�t handle it. She didn�t want to see Nick and Destiny together and she didn�t want to face D and Jo.�
�That�s horrible.�
�Nobody knew where she went,� Jane added. �Until a couple months later. Nick was upset over what happened and wanted to find her so they could talk.�
�Poor guy.�
�Then she came back and they made love for the first time,� Aaron pointed out and Drake just looked at him not really caring. �That should have been me though.�
�Of course,� Drake said rolling her eyes.�
�Aaron, Sweetie,� Jane began, �you were fifteen.�
�S,� Aaron said as there was a knock at the patio door and they looked. �Nick!� He ran over and opened the door. Nickolas walked in holding Sunshine in his arms. �Thank goodness you found her.�
�Yeah,� Nickolas said walking over to the sofa and laying Sunshine down.
�Why is she soaked?� Jane asked.
�She was by the water,� Nickolas replied covering her up. �She was just lying there while the water covered her.�
�Maybe we should call an ambulance,� Robert said.
�No!� Nickolas snapped and they all looked at him. �She ain�t going back to the hospital. They�ll just treat it as a suicide attempt and keep her there until they see fit to release her. She just got out of the hospital and she ain�t going back. I had to fight with them to let her out. I won�t go through it again.�
�But, Nick, she most likely needs medical attention,� Robert said.
�Mom, will you hand me that extra blanket,� Nickolas asked as Jane got the blanket off the chair and put it over Sunshine. �Thanks.� He pushed the wet hair from her face and kissed her forehead. �It�s going to be ok, Sweets. I�m right here.�
�Nick, ya really should get her to the hospital,� Robert said. �There could be things wrong you don�t know and no one knows how long she�s been in that water. And you need to get out of those wet clothes.� He was trying to make his son see reason.
�No, dad!� Nickolas snapped jumping up. �She just needs me and she ain�t going back to any fucking hospital!�
�Are you even thinking about what you�re saying? It�s crazy talk. You�re putting her life at risk.� Nickolas just looked at his father. �I thought you didn�t want that.�
�I don�t.�
�Then get her the medical attention she needs.�
�I can�t put her in the hospital again, Dad. It�s not what she wants. If she dies I�m going to be with her when she does. We�re going to die together and no hospital is stopping that.� They just looked at him. �Just get out of here alright?�
�Nickolas, please listen to your father,� Jane pleaded.
�Just go,� Nickolas said kneeling beside Sunshine. �Leave us alone.�
�Honey,� Jane said and Robert stopped her.
�Don�t Jane,� Robert said shaking his head. �Let�s just go. He�s already upset.�
�Alright,� Jane said. �We�ll come by in the morning, Nick.� He didn�t say anything and Jane and Robert left.
�Why is it so hard to understand how much I love Sunnie?� Nickolas wanted to know.
�I don�t know,� Aaron said.
�Neither do I. I�ll do anything to protect her including keeping her out of the hospital.�
�Where did you find her?� Drake asked.
�At the waterfall. I didn�t think she�d go back there.�
�Why not?� Aaron asked. �She loves that place.�
�Because that�s where she figures the babies were made. She calculated back and that�s what she came up with.�
�What made ya go there?�
�I don�t know. I was just pulled there.�
�Luckily you were,� Drake said and Nickolas nodded.
�Why don�t you guys go upstairs and get extra blankets. I want to get Sunnie out of these wet clothes.�
�Alright,� Drake said grabbing Aaron�s hand and pulling him along before he could protest.
�Ok, Sweets.� He took the covers off. �Ya have to work with me here.� He started undressing her as she left out a low moan. �It�s all right, Sweets. I�m going to take care of you.� He continued undressing her.
�Nicky,� Sunshine whispered.
�Shh!� He finished undressing her and covered her back up as Drake and Aaron rejoined him.
�Nicky.�
�It�s all right.�
�Here ya go, Nick,� Aaron said handing Nickolas the blankets.
�Thanks, guys,� Nickolas said putting the extra blankets on Sunshine.
�I�m going to go,� Drake said. �I have a couple auditions in the morning.�
�Ok. You guys go ahead, because I got everything under control here.�
�Ya sure?� Aaron asked.
�Yeah. Go home.�
�Alright. See ya later.�
�See ya.� He watched them walk out and stood there a moment. When he heard the front door shut he got out of his wet clothes and got under the covers with his wife.
CHAPTER 37 CHAPTER 39
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