"Oh my God" Jane repeated.
AJ and Rachel were speechless. Aaron was looking at Nick with a what-are-you-going-to-do-next look. Nick started leaving the room when Rachel stood up and followed him.
"Nickolas" she managed to get out.
Nick raised his hand, motioning her to shut up and leave him alone. Rachel put a hand on his shoulder and he shoved it off abruptly. Rachel sighed and stayed where she was, glancing at Nick as he got into one of the guestrooms. She turned around where AJ, Jane, and Aaron were still standing. AJ was trying to explain to them what they saw, but they were so mad, they didn't even listen.
Rachel took a deep breath and walked inside.
"Look, it's not what you saw... I love Nick"
Aaron was the first one to talk. "How can you love my brother when you're doing this behind his back, let alone with one of his closest friends?" he said, as he gave AJ a dirty look.
Rachel closed her eyes and sighed softly. "Aaron, I know this hurts you because Nick's your brother... but there are so many things behind what you saw... please, just don't get into it, and don't judge for what you don't know"
"So that's what Nick was trying to tell me the other day" Jane said thinking out loud.
"What did Nick tell you?" Rachel asked, looking directly into her eyes.
"He told me that he was happy with you... but he was hiding something from me"
"Jane... it was not meant to be that way. We've had a lot of problems and we've gone through a lot of difficult circumstances which I don't plan on talking about right now. I have amnesia too. I don't know everything that happened before all this"
"You sure didn't have amnesia to kiss AJ"
Rachel stood silent.
"I kissed her" AJ said looking at Rachel and giving her an apologetic look. "I have the fault. I kissed her" he repeated, walking out of the room and going downstairs.
Jane followed him.
Rachel sat down on the bed and Aaron sat next to her. "I can't believe you" he muttered.
"Aaron, I'm going to tell you something, but you got to promise me that you are not going to tell anyone, not even your mom... nobody can find out... and I trust you"
"Are you going to tell me some bullshit lie to free yourself from being guilty?" Aaron asked stubbornly. In that sense, he was just like Nick. When it came to taking care of his family especially his brother, he was extremely protective and 'jealous' of his brother. It killed Rachel to see that Aaron was being this way towards her. Nick told her that she and Aaron were close friends plus he was her brother - in - law.
Rachel put her arm around Aaron. "I'm not going to lie to you" she whispered.
There was something about Rachel that made Aaron believe in her. He loved her a lot. She was the one, along with Nick, who helped him go through his hard times, through the problems regarding his love life, through everything that he went through with his parents. They were the ones who kept him going. They were there for him whenever he needed him. Aaron thought that he would be there for them right now; with Nick and also with Rachel.
"What is it that you're going to tell me?" Aaron asked, curious about whatever she was going to tell him.
***************************************************
With a lot of patience, Rachel started telling Aaron the whole story; the whole story about Nick and Patricia, the whole deal with her and AJ and the whole story about AJ being in jail. He interrupted her sometimes, hardly believing what she had to say, but she continued, regardless of what he told her. When she finished, she looked at Aaron one more time and noticed that he had a blank look on his face.
"Aaron tell me something" Rachel begged.
Aaron sighed. "I-I don't know what to say"
Rachel diverted her eyes from Aaron's eyes to the floor. "Aaron, I love you with all my heart... I love your brother so much, but I was so confused. I don't remember all the experiences I've had with Nick or with you guys. I've had to restart my life from scratch... I live by what I remember... I can't live by anything else. I know I've screwed up a lot but I also know that it is not my intention to hurt anybody" she explained, as tears started running down her cheeks.
Aaron took her hand as she continued talking.
"I was talking to AJ to tell him that I wasn't in love with him. That's when you entered and I couldn't tell him anything. I know I shouldn't have kissed him back, but I had this weird flashback about how I met your brother and I found out I liked AJ first, and that confused me even more... that's why I did what I did" Rachel replied, running her hands through her light brown hair.
"Nick doesn't know about this right?"
She shook her head. "He doesn't know all the story"
"You should tell him"
"I was going to tell him, Aaron. I was going to tell him when all this happened... shit" she cursed under her breath.
"Talk to him" Aaron smiled lightly.
"I don't know if this is the right time" she doubted.
"It is... go on" he encouraged.
Rachel cracked up a smile. "Thanks Aaron... thanks for understanding"
"It's hard you know... but I love you and I love Nick. I want you guys to get through with all this and finally be happy. You're hurting each other with all this and you deserve to be the happiest couple. I'm not going to be the one who's going to oppose. You're right for each other"
Rachel smiled as a single tear ran down her cheek. "Thank you... I love you too"
Aaron grinned and extended his arms towards her embracing her tightly.
"Don't tell this to anyone" Rachel said, her voice muffled by Aaron's shirt.
"I won't, bitch" Aaron grinned, as she pushed him playfully. Nick had always told her that Aaron called her some peculiar names.
"I'm going to talk to Nick"
"You go ahead... if you need anything, I'll be downstairs"
"Thanks" she grinned, wiping the tears off from her eyes.
After Aaron left the room, Rachel took a deep breath and walked to the guestroom where Nick was locked in. She tapped the door softly. Silence. She tapped a little bit harder and louder.
"What do you want?!?" she heard Nick shout from inside.
"Nick, open up" Rachel said with a little apprehension.
"Get lost, I don't want to talk to you"
"Please, Nick" Rachel begged. "Open up, sweetie"
After a couple of minutes which seemed like hours for Rachel, the door opened slowly. Nick moved aside, letting Rachel in. She quickly observed that Nick's eyes were swollen and that he had a runny nose. She felt extremely bad and guilty. He was crying because of what she did. She closed her eyes, fighting back tears and sat on the bed. Looking to her side, she saw that Nick's wedding band was on the night table, which made her think about what Nick was thinking. Nick went towards the door and closed it, locking it in the process. Then, he glanced back at Rachel.
"That was what you should have done while you were kissing AJ. You should have locked the damn door"
Rachel sighed. "I know... I shouldn't have kissed AJ back... it was a mistake"
"A mistake that happened for two times already" he answered bitterly.
"Nick, you don't understand"
"I don't understand? I don't understand?!? I think that with that kiss I understood enough" Nick shouted.
"Nick! You don't understand. That kiss wasn't supposed to happen"
"But it happened" he answered in a dark tone.
"Nickolas, I love you... you don't even know what's wrong with me and this whole situation"
"Oh well... come on. You know what the hell is wrong with you. Enlighten me" he said sarcastically.
"I don’t love AJ. I love you and only you. And I'm so sorry that you had to see what you saw... I love you, and I've never been so sure of something, until now. Sometimes, after you go to sleep, I cry myself to sleep thinking that I will never remember what I've gone through in my life, or whatever I know about it. I know I've lost myself and you have no idea how much I want to recover myself" she said with a lump on her throat. She then grabbed his hand and continued.
"I'm so sorry about everything that I made you go through, but I know in my heart that I didn't do it to hurt you or anyone." Rachel said, as Nick looked down. She stood up from the bed and put her hand under his chin making him look at her. "Look at me... I love you. I don't want this to end. Hell, I am in a constant conflict with my parents because I want to be with you. I didn't mean to do it and I didn't mean to hurt you. I know it's hard for you to understand my situation... but please, try... please... I'm so sincerely sorry about everything" she said, wiping off the tears and going straight to the door.
Suddenly, she felt Nick grab her arm and bring her close to him. She looked straight into his hurt, watery blue eyes and she couldn't help but to cry herself.
"I just want to ask you one thing"
"Go ahead"
"Do you still love me? Or are you with me because I found you that day in the restaurant and told you that I was your husband?"
"I love you with all my heart. It is something that I can't explain. But I knew I loved you. I knew it."
"I love you too baby" he said, with tears in his eyes.
"I'm sorry" she whispered.
Nick hugged her tightly, smelling her hair. "I'm sorry too. I'm sorry for not being there for you when you needed me"
"You don't have to be sorry. You're the greatest person that I've met. I love you"
"I love you. But what you did hurt me a lot"
"I know" she said, as she proceeded to tell Nick the whole story about the flashback and her conversations with AJ while he was in jail and the conversation that they had a couple of hours ago. Rachel took his hand. "Can you ever forgive me?"
"I already forgave you, sweetie... from now on we will make this work for our sake and for the sake of our kids"
Rachel smiled and hugged him. "I adore you"
Nick kissed her neck and whispered, "Not as much as I love you"
"I've missed you" she said, as she leaned over and kissed him softly.
"Me too... I'm sorry"
"You don't have to be, Nicky.."
"Let's just forget about all this and be happy... for once and for all"
"Deal" she whispered, caressing his cheek.
"Come on" Nick said taking Rachel's hand and intertwining his fingers with her. "Let's go downstairs and enjoy the party" he smiled.