“What happened in there?” JC asked Lance and Joey who were seated as far a part as the hall would allow.
“Nicole is gonna break up with me because of Joey!” Lance fumed angrily.
“It’s not my fault! It’s all YOU! You’re the one that hit her! You’re the one that’s been screwing around with Mary behind her back! Not me! I only helped her realize how badly she been being treated.” Joey defended himself.
“You’ve been trying to break us up for the longest time! You always wanted Nicole, but I was the one she liked! She didn’t want you in the beginning and you’re just mad because she still doesn’t’ want you. She'll always love me. She could never love you, Joey. Face the facts.”
“Yes she could. I remember making out with her lots of times before you two got together. Besides, I was about to kiss her before you walked in today.”
The door to Nicole’s room was open and she could hear everything that was being said outside of her door.
“Now Nicole hates me because she thinks I was trying to take her away from you.”
“You were!”
“Yeah! But she doesn’t know that!”
“She does now.” A female voice broke into the conversation. The guys looked to see Leslie standing in the doorway to Nicole’s room. “The door was open and well- we could hear everything you were saying.”
“Oh God!” Joey ran into the hospital room. “Nicole!”
The girl was crumpled into a ball on the stiff hospital bed, sobbing uncontrollably.
“I’m sorry Nicole.”
“I trusted you Joey. You were my friend, my confidant. I told you everything! But you, you were using me. You didn’t REALLY care about me! You were worse then Lance! You just wanted to get in my pants too! Didn’t you! At least I know Lance loved me at one point in time!” She screamed. “How could you do that to me? He hit me because he thought I was cheating on him! And that’s exactly what you wanted him to think!”
“He was hitting you before I even came into the picture, Nicole, so don’t blame any of this on me! Plus! He’s the one that’s been screwing Mary this whole time! Or did you just happen to forget that?”
Nicole didn’t speak a word, his words only made her cry harder.
“What did I ever do to deserve this? I’ve been nothing but a good person, and my life gets totally fucked up! I don’t deserve this! I don’t deserve ANY of this!”
Joey embraced her.
“Get off of me!” She pushed him away violently. “I NEVER want to see you or Lance EVER again.”
“Nicole…”
“Security! Nurse! Anybody!”
“Alright! I’m goin’.”
One Week Later
After Nicole was released, she had to go back to her and Lance’s place to get her things. Leslie, JC, Justin, and Chris helped her pack everything up while Lance was out.
Now she sat in her temporary room at Justin’s. She hadn’t wanted to stay with any of them, but Justin refused to let her say no. So, she just lay there staring up at the ceiling fan as it spun. She suddenly felt Kierra jump onto her stomach. Nicole picked the little cat up and pulled her up to her face.
“What went wrong, Kierra?” Nicole asked, remembering back to the day Lance gave her the little kitten.
FLASHBACK
It was Christmas and they were both staying at Justin’s house.
Lance grabbed Nicole by the arm, keeping her from leaving the room. “Wait.”
“What?” She asked curiously.
“Wait here. I’ll be right back.” Lance got up and disappeared from the room for a few moments. When he returned, he was carrying a medium sized gift box. “Here. I got you a present.”
“You didn’t have to Lance.”
“I know. I wanted to.”
“You can be really sweet if you want to be.”
“Hurry and open it.”
“Okay.”
Nicole lifted the lid off the box and pulled out a tiny ball of black fluff that was inside. It uncurled as she picked it up.
"Meow," the little kitten’s tiny voice called out.
“Oh, Lance! It’s so cute! Thank you so much! Why did you do this for me?”
“I remembered how upset you were so upset when your cat died. I know that this cat will never replace her, but I figured maybe she could fill a part of that void. I also remembered when I comforted you after upsetting you… and how it felt so good… So right just to hold you in my arms.” He paused. “Will you be my girlfriend, Nicole?”
END OF FLASHBACK
3AM The Next Morning/Night
Lance turned over in the king size bed, flopping an arm over where Nicole WOULD be, if they were still together that is. But they weren’t.
She’s not here anymore. Remember, Lance? It’s your fault she’s gone. Only yours. All the blame is on you this time. The love of your life is gone… Because of you.
1 and ½ Months Later
”OK. You guys have a ten minute break now.” Darren said to the guys.
“Hey Justin.” Lance called to the younger man.
“Yeah, Hollywood?”
“Can I talk to you?”
“Sure. I’m goin’ to go get a snack from the machine from down the hall. Come with me.”
“Ok.” They walked out of the dance studio and into the hallway.
“You seen Riley lately?”
“No, not really. I don’t think Leslie really trusts me around children these days, especially hers.” Lance replied.
“Oh.” Justin said quietly.
“Um… How is she Justin?” Lance blurted out.
“How is who?”
Lance didn’t answer; he just looked at his feet.
“Oh! Nicole! I don’t know if I’m allowed to tell you. She might get mad at me.”
“Please Justin. She won’t talk to me, the guys won’t tell me anything, and I can’t even get a hello out of Leslie. You’re my last hope. I need to know what’s going on with the woman I love.” He was now desperately pleading. “C’mon. You know the most. She’s living with YOU!”
Justin just stared at him.
“Despite what you all think I do love her, ya know? I really do. I really, really do, Justin. So please…”
“She just started talking to Joey again about a week a go. Her room is right next mine. She stays there a lot. Kierra keeps her company, I guess. But at night, I hear things. So I go in there to see what’s wrong. Usually, she’s having a nightmare. She cries without knowing it at night. Leslie brings Riley over a lot and they visit… Almost every day. Sometimes more then once day and sometimes JC comes too.” He paused. “No one else knows about her nightmares though. She doesn’t even know I know.”
“I did this to her.”
“I know. You don’t have to tell me twice.”
“Thanks Justin… For telling me.”
“No problem.”
Later That Night
Riley was asleep in a pullout crib in Nicole’s room. She was keeping her for the night to give her parents a much-needed break. Justin walked into her room and saw Nicole on her bed, holding Kierra like she usually did.
“Hey Nicole.”
“Hi Justin.” She replied unemotionally.
“You know…” He started, sitting down on the bed, next to her. “He asked about you today.”
“That’s great.”
“He really misses you.”
“Wonderful.”
“A lot.”
“Good for him.”
“He referred to you as the woman he loves.”
No response.
“Talk to him.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“You know what I don’t miss? I don’t miss being the perfect little cleaning, cooking, at his beck and call girlfriend that gets abused just because he feels like it. I don’t miss the bruises and the cuts. I don’t miss being afraid in my own home.” She said looking at Justin. “If I talk to him or see him, look into those eyes, hear his voice… I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from falling for him again. And then I would be right back to where I started… Which is a place I don’t miss.”
“Just talk to him Nicole. You don’t have to see him. Call him or email him or something.”
“JUSTIN!!!” A voice screamed from somewhere in the house.
“Coming Jon!” Justin yelled back, waking Riley. The baby started to cry, so Nicole went and picked her up. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. Go see what Jon wants.”
“Sorry again.” He left the room cling the door behind him.
Twenty minutes later, she finally got Riley back to sleep. Which is when she picked up the phone, and with shaky fingers, she dialed the number of her old home.
Meanwhile; At The Chasez Penthouse
JC led the blindfolded Leslie into the room where his carefully planned surprise was waiting for her.
“Okay, Leslie.” He removed the piece of cloth from her eyes. He was standing directly behind her and leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Do you like it?”
She stood in awe, just taking in the sight before her. The glow of the ivory candles on the table set for two, the delectable smell of food. She turned to face JC, hugging him close. The scent of his cologne invaded her senses and made her dizzy and weak in the knees.
She pulled away.