�Hey, lil� man,� I said walking into the parlor with Leighanne and spying Aaron.
�Hey, ladies,� Aaron said and I just ignored his comment. �What are you doing here?�
�I wanted to come check on Eve,� Leighanne said putting Quinn on the couch by Aaron.
�She�s upstairs,� Aaron said. �Nick and Gabi are trying to get her in the tub, but she won�t budge off the bed.�
�I�ll go try,� Leighanne said going upstairs.
�So how�s it going?� Aaron asked.
�Good; got my little family going.�
�Such a beautiful family it is.�
�Thank you.�
�You�re welcome.� I sat on the sofa beside my daughter. �Quinn�s getting so big.�
�She�ll be three in a couple months.�
�Yeah; November�22?�
�Twenty; same day as Ev�s.�
�Right.�
�Hey, Rok,� Nickolas said and we looked, as he joined us.
�Hey, Frack.�
�My beautiful Quinnie,� Nickolas said standing behind the sofa and picking her up. �Do I get a kiss?� I shook my head as Quinn kissed Nickolas. �I still got it.�
�You only wish,� Aaron said and I laughed.
�Do you want to beat up Uncle Aaron for me?� Nickolas asked Quinn and she laughed. �That�s what I thought.� He put her back on the sofa and looked at me. �Let�s go talk.�
�Yeah.� I got up. �Aaron, watch my daughter.�
�No problem,� Aaron said and me and Nickolas walked outside. We walked down to the beach and stood there.
�So what�s up?�
�I just need to talk to someone before I bust,� Nickolas said.
�So why me and not Evan?�
�I can�t tell Evan, because it�ll change everything between us.�
�What will?� He just looked at me then out to the ocean. I looked at him closely. �What can�t you tell her?�
�A lot.�
�Like what?�
�Many things.�
�What many things?� He sighed and got closer to the water. �Nick, what are you holding inside?�
�So much; it�s been inside me for the past five years.�
�You�re not helping. What has? What did you do?�
�The one thing neither of us wanted to happen, but it did. Well actually two things happened and I can�t change either.� He left out a disgusted sigh. �I don�t know where to begin.�
�From the beginning. Tell me what happened five years ago.� He looked at me and sighed again. I was going to get it out of him even if it killed me.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
�Nickolas�
I looked away from Brian and out to the ocean. There was no backing out now. We got this far and Brian wasn�t going to leave until I told him what was going on. I couldn�t do this though. When I called him I could, but now I can�t. I had to though or else he wouldn�t leave me alone. He would never understand me being in love with my best friend. No one would.
�Nick, why don�t ya just tell me,� Brian demanded. �Ya mentioned it so now ya got to talk. What happened five years ago?� Alright, I had to do this or else I wouldn�t be fine. I got out my wallet and took out a picture of Evangelique. I looked at it a moment then handed it to Brian. He had to know by then. �So this deals with Evan also. Tell me what�s going on.�
I took a deep breath and said, �Remember back in 2000 during our Millennium tour when we were in New York during Valentine�s?�
�Yeah.�
�Remember how Ev and I just disappeared those couple of days we had off and we never told ya where we went?�
�Yeah; you left Horizon alone in NYC on the most romantic day of the year.�
�Yeah, well, um�I took Evvie to Paris for those couple of days.�
�Why?�
�Well for one she was all alone and depressed. All her friends where sharing the holiday with someone special and she was going to spend it alone. I wanted her to have a special romantic V-Day and plus I really didn�t want to spend V-Day with Horizon.�
�I think I understand.�
�No one liked Horizon anyway so why not give her a reason to break up with me.� Brian nodded.
�Ev hated her.�
�She hated everyone I dated and she�s having a fit because I can�t stand CJ.�
�You guys always knew who and what was best for each other.�
�Yeah we do.�
�Go on.�
�Right; anyway that Valentine�s Day we did the whole holiday together�movie, dinner, dancing, and then back to the hotel�to celebrate it the old fashioned way.�
�Come again?�
�Yeah.�
�You guys slept together?�
�Yeah.�
�You slept with your best friend?�
�Yeah.�
�What were you thinking? Were ya�s drunk?�
�I don�t know what we were thinking at the time and we were completely sober.� Brian sighed and looked at me.
�She�s your best friend.�
�I know that.�
�You guys got skinned knees together and made mud pies.�
�Yeah.� I took the picture from him and looked at it. �For four years I tried to come up with a good reason of why that night happened and nothing came to mind�except one thing.�
�And what�s that?�
�I�m in love with her, Brian.�
�With Evan?�
�Yeah.�
�The best friend?�
�Yes.�
�Ok, um��
�I don�t know what to do. She�s my best friend and two things happened we promised each other wouldn�t.�
�When did ya realize this?�
�Like a year and a half ago. I was having dinner with Fallon and it just hit me. That�s why I haven�t dated anyone since her. I can�t do it, because I want to be with Evvie.�
�So tell her what�s going on.�
�I can�t. She�ll hate me for waiting to tell her. If I tell her it�s going to change everything we have together. It�s going to alter our friendship and I don�t want that. I cherish her friendship and ain�t going to ruin it. She�s getting married and there ain�t a damn thing I can do to stop it.�
�Yes there is.� I looked at him. �Tell her ya love her.�
�What good would that do?�
�Well there�s a possible chance she loves you in return.�
�One in a katrillion.� I sighed. �I thought that if you love someone so much you let them go so they can be happy?�
�Yeah, but do you think Ev�s going to be happy with this guy?�
�No.�
�Alright then, tell her.� I shook my head. �Why not?�
�I can�t and she�ll hate me.� I looked at her picture. �She�s getting married and won�t tell me what I got to do to stop her.�
�Then tell her before she takes that walk down the aisle. If you tell her and she cancels the wedding then you�ll know she loves you in return. But if she doesn�t cancel then she just wants to be your friend or she doesn�t know what she wants.�
�So my chances are still one in three.�
�Nickolas, just tell her for crying out loud.�
�I don�t know how or else I would.� It was the truth. If I knew how to tell her I would. I just hope it wasn�t too late when I did.
CHAPTER 16
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