�Sorry that took so long,� Aaron apologized. �I was on the phone.� He walked over to the bed and sat next to MyKenna.
�That shower was refreshing,� Nickolas said. �I feel better.� He sat on the bed next to Dakota and kissed her cheek. He waited for her to look at him and that�s when he noticed his sisters in the room and Bobbie Jean looking at Dakota. �Now what�s going on?�
�Huh?� Aaron said and looked at the girls.
�Do you mind sharing?� Nickolas asked.
�Ask your sister,� Dakota finally said. �She hasn�t spoken yet.�
�I was waiting for Nick,� Bobbie Jean replied.
�I really ain�t in the mood to listen to you accusing DJ of things she hasn�t even done,� Nickolas stated. �She�s nothing like Mandah and I�m glad of that.�
�Just hear me out,� Bobbie Jean said. �Please?� She looked at Nickolas then at Dakota.
�Please? This won�t even take five minutes.�
�Alright,� Dakota said leaving out a sigh. �Say what ya have to say, but it better not be accusing me of something.�
�It�s not,� Bobbie Jean said. �I just want to apologize for last night.� Dakota looked at her. �I realize now that I was way out of line. I should get to know you before I start accusing you of anything. I don�t want my brother to hate me so I�m willing to give you a chance. If you can prove to me that you�re not just using Nick then I�ll change my attitude, but if I ever find out that you are using him I�ll make you sorry. It�s as simple as that.�
�Deal, but I ain�t using Nick and I never will. You have my word.�
�I need more than your word. If I ever find out that you�re using him I swear I�ll make you sorry.� Dakota just nodded and Bobbie Jean left the room.
�That went well,� Angel said and they looked at her.
�Don�t worry about BJ,� Nickolas said noticing Dakota�s worried look. �All that matters is that I know you�re not using me.�
�I never would,� Dakota said shaking her head.
�Are you ok?�
�Maybe�maybe we shouldn�t do this.� She got off the bed. �Maybe it�s a bad idea.� She got her clothes and went in the bathroom.
�I can�t believe this; she�s trying to ruin my life.�
�Who?� Aaron asked.
�Our sister,� Nickolas replied. �Well I ain�t going to let her. I want to be with DJ and she�s going to accept that. The rest of you like DJ so why can�t she?�
�So Mandah did a lot of damage, huh?� MyKenna asked.
�Too much,� Nickolas said. �She ain�t going to ruin it for me and DJ though. I guarantee you that.� Dakota walked out of the bathroom and Nickolas looked at her. �What is it?�
�I can�t�� Dakota started, as she closed her eyes a second then opened them to look at Nickolas. �I-I-I can�t do this. I can�t live with this.�
�Live with what?�
�I can�t live with your sister accusing me every passing hour of just using you. I won�t be able to do it.� She quickly wiped her eyes. �Even though I want to be with you so much I won�t be able to do it.� Nickolas didn�t say anything, as he looked at her in disbelief. �I�m sorry, Nick. Believe me, because I really am. Things would be ok if Mandah never came into your life and made things difficult with you and your family, but she did.�
�I don�t�I don�t understand.� He was ready to cry, but he didn�t.
�These two days were great, Nick, but it ain�t going to work. It ain�t going to be fine. Not as long as your sister has a problem with me. It�ll come between us eventually and I don�t want to be the one that comes between you and your sister or your whole family. It won�t be fair to anyone.�
�We can make it work, Deej. I know we can.�
�But for how long?� They looked at each other, as Angel, MyKenna, and Aaron looked at them. �Oh God, Nick, I�m so sorry.� He went towards her. �Don�t�just don�t come any closer. I hate doing this to you, but it has to be done. I�ll just take a cab back to the hotel.� She picked up her stuff. �Please don�t come after me either.� She ran out of the room and Nickolas just stood there for the longest time before turning to look at the others.
�Are you all right?� MyKenna asked. He just looked at them a moment.
�My heart was just broken into a katrillion pieces for the first time in my life,� Nickolas replied. �All because of my sister.�
�I don�t think that was BJ�s intentions,� Angel said. �She�s just being a sister.�
�And she ruined it,� Aaron said. �She ruined a good thing Nick would�ve had with DJ. Am I right, MyKenna?�
�Of course,� MyKenna said. �Kota�s a great girl.�
�Beej, didn�t ruin it,� Nickolas said, as they looked at him.
�What are you talking about?� Aaron asked. �DJ walked out and I don�t think she�s coming back.�
�You have to help me get her back,� Nickolas said.
�And how do we do that?� Angel asked.
�I�m not sure yet,� Nickolas said. �But we�ll figure out something.�
�What do you mean �we�?� MyKenna asked.
�You guys are going to help me,� Nickolas said. �I�ll be damned if I let her walk out of my life just like that.� They looked at him, as they heard the serious tone in his voice and the look on his face.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Dakota walked into her hotel room and slammed the door. She dropped herself on the one bed and cried into the pillow. She just cried for the longest time and thought about what she just did to Nickolas�and to herself. She couldn�t undo what was already done, she knew that much. She rolled over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling, as the door opened. She looked and saw MyKenna walk in.
�Hey, girl,� MyKenna said, but Dakota didn�t say anything. MyKenna walked over to the bed and sat beside her. �Have you been crying?�
�No,� Dakota lied angrily.
�Nick�s really upset.� Dakota didn�t say anything. �He misses you already and hates what BJ did.� She still didn�t speak. �He wants to make it up to you if he can. He wants to take you to the finest restaurant in Florida tonight.� She still didn�t say anything and turned away from her. �Don�t even think about taking it out on me for what you did to Nick. It was your choice to break his heart and not mine.�
�What would you have done? What would you have done if it was BJ accusing you every hour of just using Aaron?�
�Not walk out on him that�s for sure. Why would I leave her win?� Dakota got off the bed. �I wouldn�t have hurt Aaron for what his sister did to me. It wouldn�t be fair to him just like it ain�t fair to Nick.� Dakota walked into the bathroom and slammed the door shut. MyKenna shook her head, as the phone rang and she picked it up. �Hello?�
�How�s it going?�
�It�s only been 5 minutes, Nick. Give me time here.�
�I really want this to work.�
�I know you do.�
�Let me know what happens.�
�I will. Bye.� She hung up the phone, as Dakota walked out of the bathroom. �Will you please talk to Nick?�
�Why? I made up my mind.�
�A decision you�re not happy with.� Dakota just stood there. �Are you afraid he might start thinking like BJ?� She just shrugged. �I don�t think he will. If you saw how upset her was after you left you�d think differently.�
�I can�t stand being accused of something I didn�t do. I know that if I stay with Nick, BJ will never stop with the accusations towards me. All because of that little slutty bitch called Mandah.�
�DJ, you can�t let her or BJ, or anyone for that matter, come between you and Nick. I thought you said if you ever got with Nick you wouldn�t be doing the dumping?� Dakota just looked at her. �You did the exact opposite of what you said.�
�I can�t change it.� She got some clothes and walked to the bathroom.
�Yes you can.� Dakota went in the bathroom and slammed the door shut. �You�ll do it if I have to make you do it.�
�Try it!�
�I will!� The phone rang and she picked it up. �Hello?�
�It�s me.�
�You just called.�
�I know. How�s it going?�
�No luck.�
�What if this doesn�t work?�
�It will if you believe.�
�Should I?�
�If ya really want to be with her.�
�I do.�
�Then believe it will work.� She heard Nickolas sigh.
�Well I got this feeling that it ain�t going to work.�
�I don�t know what to tell ya about that.� She heard Aaron start yelling at Nickolas then Nickolas mumbled something.
�Anyhow,� Nickolas said back into the phone. �This has to really work.�
�Why?�
�Cause it has to.�
�What for?�
�Because.�
�That�s no answer.�
�Why ain�t it?�
�Cause it ain�t.�
�Quit flirting with my girlfriend!� Aaron yelled in the background.
�Shut your damn mouth!� Nickolas yelled at his brother. �OR I�ll throw you out on the highway and you can walk to Orlando by yourself.� MyKenna waited to hear Aaron, but she heard nothing from him. �Sorry about that, MyKenna.�
�It�s all right,� MyKenna said. �Because ain�t an answer, Nick. You can be honest with me.�
�Well it�s too embarrassing.�
�It can�t be that embarrassing.�
�It is.�
�What is it? You got my interest peaked now.�
�It�s nothing.�
�Nickolas is in love with Dakota,� Aaron sang repeatedly in the background.
�What was that?� MyKenna asked.
�Nothing,� Nickolas said. �Aaron�s just being loud as usual.�
�I won�t tell anyone.�
�It�s nothing.�
�Yes it is. It involves Kota so it involves me also.�
�How comes?�
�Because I�m her best friend. You tell her, she�ll tell me, and it�ll affect me.�
�I�m sure it will.�
�You either tell me or I�ll get Dakota out of the shower and put her on the phone. She�ll demand you tell her even if you ain�t ready t.� Nickolas didn�t say anything. �I won�t tell her. You have my word. If I tell her then you can stop me from seeing Aaron.�
�Well��
�Which is it? Me or her?� She heard Nickolas sigh and got up off the bed. �I�m walking towards the bathroom. Make up your mind quickly�I�m almost there.�
�Ok.�
��Ok� what?�
�I�ll tell ya.�
�What is it?� She waited a moment.
�I think I�m falling in love with DJ,� Nickolas mumbled, but MyKenna couldn�t understand him.
�What was that?�
�I think I�m falling in love with DJ.�
�Excuse me? I thought I just heard you say something about love. IS that correct? Or are my ears deceiving me?�
�That�s correct. I think I�m falling in love with DJ.�
�What?� Aaron exclaimed and MyKenna has no idea what to say.
CHAPTER 16