�Well I guess last night didn�t mean anything to her.� I was trying to keep control of my temper. �Nothing between us ever does. It�s all the same shit everyday.� I started walking from the office.
�Yo, Nick, hold up,� my brother said and I stopped at the elevator.
�What?�
�Why don�t ya just tell her you love her?� How the hell does he know?
�How the hell do you know?�
�Any fool can see it.� I just looked at him. �It�s obvious Evan ain�t going to make the first move so you might as well. Who cares if it�s her wedding day, she has a right to know.�
�It�s not that simple, Aaron. I just can�t tell her, because she�s my best friend.�
�You love her though.� I didn�t say anything. �It ain�t hard to tell the person you love that ya love them.�
�How do you know?�
�Because I told Gabi.� I just looked at him.
�He�s right,� the other guy said and I looked at him. �Riley Mulcahy.�
�Nick Carter.� We shook hands.
�Terrilynn and I were, like, best friends for ten years before I told her that I was in love with her,� Riley said. �Before I did it I thought it�d be the most difficult thing. It wasn�t though and it turned out to be the easiest and best decision in my life.�
�With me and Evvie though it�s different; we got eleven years on you and Terrilynn.�
�That doesn�t matter,� Riley said. �You love her and you should let her know. She has that right and you don�t deserve to live with that secret the rest of your life and her never knowing.�
�Gabi was happy when I told her,� Aaron said. �I�m sure Ev will be too.�
�I just can�t do it, guys. You�re not best friend with someone for 21 years and then fall in love with them.�
�Sure ya can,� Riley said.
�I want to tell her. I honestly do, but I ain�t sure how she�s going to take it. She�ll wonder why I waited this long to tell her how I feel.�
�She�ll be happy,� Riley said.
�She feels the same, Nick,� Aaron said. �You can see it when you look at her while she�s looking at you.�
�I saw it and I told her she�s in love with me, but she denied it like everything else.�
�Why didn�t ya just tell her ya love her?� Aaron asked. �It would�ve been easier.�
�I couldn�t. I didn�t have the courage.�
�But ya got to do it,� Riley said. �Unless ya never want to see her again.� I didn�t say anything and hit the elevator button. �Ya can�t ignore it.�
�I know, but a part of me wants to.� I sighed. �Last night she told me to give her a perfectly good reason to stop her from marrying CJ�even if it is that I love her. I wanted to, but I didn�t. It was like something had stopped me.�
�Like what?� Aaron asked.
�I don�t know, but it was something.�
�Maybe you�re waiting until the wedding,� Riley suggested and I looked at him.
�But why?� The elevator opened and the three of us got on.
�I guess to see if you really do love her,� Riley said.
�But I know I do. I never felt this way before�not about anyone.�
�We know what ya mean,� Riley said.
�I want to tell her, but I don�t want to ruin out friendship. It means too much to me.�
�That�s understandable,� Riley said. �I�m sure lots of people out there feel like you do right now.�
�I highly doubt it.� I did. No one could possibly understand. This was just too impossible to deal with. Today was the day Evangelique takes that walk and I still didn�t tell her how I felt. I just might never do it. �How could this happen? How did I let myself fall in love with Evan?�
�Things happen for a reason, Nick,� Aaron said.
�Perhaps God had plans for you and Eve when he introduced ya,� Riley said.
�These plans? Why�d he wait 21 years?�
�I don�t know,� Riley said. �But he�s doing it for a reason.�
�A reason I want to know.�
�And you will,� Aaron said. �Before ya know it.�
�I hope so. But it won�t be soon enough.�
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
�Evangelique�
I sat in the church dressing room and looked at myself in the mirror. I was all dressed and ready. I was wearing just a simple white silk dress. It sort of resembled the one Kristin wore at her wedding to Kevin. My hair was all curled and put up with some curls hanging down. I had some dangly diamond earrings in my ears with a matching necklace and bracelet. Something Nickolas had gotten me for Christmas a few years back. I left out a heavy sigh. In about 45 minutes I would be taking that walk into a ruined life. Damn what was I doing? I could not do this. Not after what happened with Nickolas last night and not after Gabrielle, Aaron, Terrilynn, and Riley found us. It wasn�t right. I cheated last night and I couldn�t take it back. I didn�t want to take it back anyway. If Nickolas was sitting in this room with me then I�d be fine�I think anyway. I sighed as the door opened and I looked to see Gabrielle, Terrilynn, Amanda, Kristin, and Leighanne with Quinn.
�Hey.� Amanda shut the door.
�Hey,� they all said.
�Are ya nervous?� Leighanne asked.
�Nope.� I took Quinn from her.
�I think she�s having second thoughts,� Gabrielle said and I looked at her. �All brides are excited and happy, but Ev�s just�blah.�
�I�m �blah�?�
�Yeah,� Gabrielle answered. �You�re not a blushing bride like Leigh, Kris, and Amanda were.�
�Well I�m different.� I looked at Kristin. �Where�s little Kevin?�
�He�s with his daddy,� Kristin said. �He didn�t want to be around a bunch of women.�
�Plus Nick has him outside,� Amanda said. �Teaching him to spit like a real man.� I shook my head.
�And Kevin doesn�t care?�
�He doesn�t know,� Kristin replied.
�I want my own family someday,� I looked at Quinn. �In a couple years though.�
�Are you sure it�s with my brother?� Terrilynn asked. �You know how he feels.�
�I don�t know anymore. He doesn�t even want Frick and Frack at the new house. He called them mutts and said they�re dirty.�
�They�re the cleanest animals I�ve ever seen,� Gabrielle pointed out. �She bathes them every other day.�
�They deserve to be clean and healthy just like people.�
�Yes they do,� Amanda agreed.
�Are you having second thoughts?� Leighanne asked.
�After what happened last night I am now.�
�What happened?� Kristin asked.
�I don�t want to talk about it; not now.�
�You have like a half hour,� Terrilynn said. �If you don�t want to marry CJ I�ll go get him right now.�
�No.�
�So you want to marry him?� Gabrielle said.
�No.�
�Then you don�t,� Leighanne said.
�No.�
�And now you have me confused,� Kristin stated.
�I�m confused myself.� I put Quinn on her feet.
�Either ya do or ya don�t, Ev,� Amanda said. �CJ�s out there waiting.�
�I know.� I sat there a few minutes just thinking and not saying anything. I had to make up my mind right now. It couldn�t wait any longer. It was now or never. It was the final stand between me and my decision. I leaned back and closed my eyes.
February 14, 2000
�Wow, Nicky, today has been the best day of my life.�
�I�m glad you enjoyed yourself, Sugar Bear.� I hugged him.
�I can�t believe you did this for me.�
�You�re welcome, but I also did it for me.�
�Why?�
�Well Horizon�s been talking about getting really serious and I don�t want that yet. I figured tonight would�ve been it.�
�So you decided to fly us to Paris and leave her in New York alone.� He smiled and I stood on the bed. �I like the way you think.� He continued smiling while looking at me. �Today�s been fun.� He stood in front of me.
�The fun hasn�t even started yet.� He grabbed my legs and pulled them from underneath me.
�Ah!� I fell back on the bed and he laughed.
�Now it has.� He smiled and walked over to the mini bar. I got off the bed and went after him, as he turned around and got me with whipped cream. �Hehe!�
�You�re dead.� I ran by him and got my own whipped cream from the mini bar. �My turn!� I turned around and sprayed him with it. We had a whipped cream battle for almost two hours straight and after we were done we laid on the bed. �Now I got to shower again.� Nickolas laughed.
�You look good enough to eat.� I looked at him and raised an eyebrow. �I�m serious.�
�For some reason I believe that.�
�Good.� He laid on his side and rested his head in his hand. �That was the fun part of tonight.�
�Yeah.� I looked at him and took my finger over his cheek and got some whipped cream. �Got a sweet tooth now.�
�Yeah, so do I.�
�There�s plenty to go around.�
�I know, but I got something else in mind.� He licked the cream from my neck.
�What are you doing?�
�Having more fun.� He got on top of me and kissed me, as he put his arms underneath me. I just looked at him, as he unzipped my dress then push it down to my waist.
�Nicky�� He just smiled and pulled my dress off then got the whipped cream. I continued looking at him and he put his arms underneath me. This time he unhooked my brassiere and I didn�t even stop him from taking it off. He made a whipped cream trail from my belly button to my mouth and I just looked at him, as he smiled and licked his lips then lowered his head. �Nick, I don�t want ya to�� I trailed off after feeling his tongue on me and following the trail of whipped cream�
�Evan?� I heard Leighanne say and opened my eyes. �Sleeping?�
�No.� I got up. �Thinking and I made up my mind. Can ya go get Nick for me? Please?� Nickolas would be the first one I told.
CHAPTER 24
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