�Changing into some dry clothes,� Angel replied.
�Oh.� He grinned.
�Don�t even think about it, Nickolas.�
�Think about what?�
�You know what.� He just looked at her still grinning. �You�re not going in there while she�s changing.�
�I wasn�t thinking that.�
�Whatever, just because I�m 14 doesn�t mean I don�t know how a guys brain works. I have a twin brother remember?�
�Where is he anyway?�
�Who knows?� Nickolas sighed. �DJ�s nice.�
�Yeah.� He smiled. �So ya like her?�
�Yeah I do.� Nickolas continued smiling. �Definitely not Mandah.�
�She�s far from it.�
�That�s good. How comes you never told us about her?�
�We just met.�
�Oh, when?�
�Yesterday.� Angel looked at him surprised. �I thought you guys should get a chance to meet her before we�re farther into the relationship and then introduce ya�s and ya not like her. I don�t want a big fight to deal with.�
�I understand so don�t worry.� She gave her brother a reassuring smile. �So I�m taking you want things to work with DJ?�
�Yes. She�s got something special about her.�
�That�s cool. I�ll be happy for ya then.� Nickolas gave her a hug. �So when did the hickey come into play?� Nickolas looked down at her and she smirked. Nickolas just looked at her. �You didn�t sleep with her already did you?�
�No, of course not, we just met.� The thought did cross his mind though and he smiled at the thought of making her scream.
�Nickolas, you�re pathetic.� Nickolas just shrugged and the bedroom door opened. Dakota walked out and saw the two smiling siblings, as they looked at her. �How do they fit?�
�Good,� Dakota said.
�You look good too,� Nickolas stated.
�Thanks,� Dakota said shyly.
�I�ll go put your clothes in the dryer,� Angel said taking them from Dakota and walking away, as Nickolas continued looking at Dakota.
�Your sisters are nice,� Dakota said and Nickolas nodded.
�We have, like, a half hour yet until dinner,� Nickolas said. �What would you like to do?� She shrugged. �Video games?� He smiled and she made a face.
�I�ll just watch you if you really must play.� He shrugged. �Why don�t you show me the rest of your house? I saw the downstairs and Angel�s room, but I didn�t see the rest.� She smiled and he raised an eyebrow.
�Well, um�� He took her hand. �To the right of Angel�s room is BJ�s room and across from BJ�s is my parents and beside there is Aaron�s.� Dogs barked. �Dude, where are my doggies?� He looked and listened, as they barked again. He walked to Aaron�s room, as the dogs continued to bark. �I bet they�re in with Aaron and MyKenna.� Dakota just shrugged and Nickolas opened the door and they looked in. The dogs ran out and Nickolas went to shut the door the fully opened it again. He looked at his brother and MyKenna on the bed. �What in the hell?� Aaron and MyKenna jumped up at the sound of Nickolas� angered voice. �What in the�� He looked at Dakota and she quickly shut the door before he said anything else.
�Nick, calm down please.� He looked at her and she smiled. �Please?�
�He�s only 14.�
�I know, but you�re not his father.� He just looked at her. �He�s a teenager, Nick, and all teenagers do it.�
�Well he shouldn�t. What if mom was the one that opened the door to leave the dogs out and saw them on the bed doing only God knows what? She�d probably have a heart attack.�
�But she didn�t open the door and she ain�t going to have a heart attack. It�s not like they were having sex. They had all their clothes on.� She smirked and he just looked at her. �Nick, ya know it could�ve been worse than what ya opened the door on. They�re teenagers�with raging hormones.� He shook his head. �Are you going to hate me now for sticking up for them? Well I ain�t sticking up for them. You were that age once.�
�But I never got the chance to do stuff like that.� She shook her head and didn�t say anything. She looked away from him and still didn�t say anything. �I�m sorry, DJ.� She looked at him. �I�m just being a big brother.�
�But ya can�t stop him from doing something ya know he�s going to do eventually. Yes he is 14, but you have to let him learn his mistakes on his own.� Nickolas looked at her with a look that he knew she was right. �You�re not the parent. Let your parents deal with it when the time comes. There�s nothing you can do about it. They were just making out like everyone else does, it�s no biggy. They saw us in the truck.�
�But we�re older than them.�
�That doesn�t matter, just be glad he ain�t 10 and making out with some girl.� He grinned and shook his head. �I wasn�t trying to be funny.�
�Well I found it funny.�
�I�m glad you did.� They smiled and Nickolas sighed.
�So where�s your room?� He gave his side smile and raised an eyebrow. �Just curious.� She grinned.
�Right this way.� He took her hand and led her down the hall. �I have to warn ya though, it�s a mess.�
�Can�t be any worse than mine.� He opened the door and they walked in. She looked around in shock. �Only worse.� She chuckled. �Men are so lazy.�
�I ain�t lazy. If I was lazy I wouldn�t be a singer.� She just smiled and he closed the door and she looked at him. �What? I like my privacy.� She didn�t say anything and he cleaned off a chair for her to sit down. She just looked at it then walked around the room, looking at his stuff. �I�m sorry for the mess.�
�It�s all right.�
�It�s easier for me to find things this way.� She shook her head.
�Don�t worry about it, there�s walking room.� She gave a low chuckle and picked up a CD to look at.
�Mom hates the mess and is always yelling about it.�
�All parents do. You�ll probably do the same thing with your children.�
�If I have any.�
�I�m sure you will.� He cleaned up some of the mess, as Dakota looked at his CD�s. She looked at him and smiled. �You don�t have to clean up, because I�m here.� He looked at her.
�It�s only right.� She shrugged and picked up a picture.
�You look young in this�really young.�
�Huh?�
�In this picture.� She showed it to him.
�Oh, right, it was, like, the first picture taken of me and the guys when we got together. I was about 13.� Dakota nodded and put it down. �Mom took it to remember the day.�
�Oh.� She looked at the other pictures and wondered if her picture would ever be among them. If Nickolas was really serious about wanting to make it work then she was bound and determined to make it work. Not for her, but for him. She wanted to make him happy and show him what true love really was. She sighed and looked at Nickolas, as he looked at her. He watched her closely and she walked over to him, as he sat on the bed. �A water bed�nice.� She smiled. �Did ya pay $50 for it?�
�Nah, full price. I wasn�t lucky like Brian.�
�Too bad. You can afford full price anyway.�
�I guess so.� He looked her over then took her hands. He pulled her towards him and almost fell back on the bed. He put his arms around her waist and looked up at her. �I�m really serious about wanting us to work.� She just looked at him. �I can honestly say that I have never been so certain about something like I am right now�outside my music of course. I just hope my family will like you almost as much as I do.� She gave a grin.
�What if they don�t? I know what happened with�and I wouldn�t want to come between you and your family like she did.� He sighed.
�I guess we�ll just have to deal with that if/when the time comes. I really hope it doesn�t though. I hope they forget about what happened and go on to bigger and better things�you and me.� He smiled. �Angel already likes you, as does Aaron.�
�That�s good.�
�Yes it is. We just have to work on the rest.�
�I hope Aaron likes me or else he ain�t going to be seeing Kenna anymore.�
�But I�ll see you right?�
�If ya want, I don�t mind.�
�Good.� He brought her face down to his and kissed her. �You�re a great girl.�
�Thanks.� He kissed her again.
�You�re also a great kisser for never doing it.� She laughed, as he kissed her again. �I mean a really great kisser.� He leaned back on the bed, taking Dakota with, as they continued kissing.
�Nick��
�Hmm?�
�I don�t think we should be doing this.�
�Why not? Didn�t you ever do it on a water bed?�
�I never did it period.� They continued kissing and he brought her legs up to straddle him. They kept kissing a few more minutes then he rolled them over, as there was a knock on the door.
�Ugh! Always interrupted.� Dakota smiled. �What?�
�Suppers done,� came Jane�s voice.
�Thanks, mom,� Nickolas said. �We�ll be down in a minute.� He looked at Dakota. �I guess we�ll have to save desert for later.�
�Yeah, later.� He kissed her.
�Mom�s a really good cook and you�ll love it.� He kissed her again.
�I�m sure I will.� They kept kissing and he pulled her up off the bed.
�Let�s go eat.� He stopped the kiss and dragged her out. CHAPTER 13