Two months later:

“Hi. I’m looking for Nicole Sanders,” Kayleigh said into the telephone.

“This is Nicole,” the girl on the other end said.

“My name is Kayleigh..uh..Anderson and I was calling about the add in the paper for a roommate,” Kayleigh explained. She had changed her last name, making it that much more difficult for anyone to find her. So far, it had worked. If someone was looking for her, they hadn’t had any success in finding where she had been hiding out.

Kayleigh and Nicole had talked for a few more minutes. Nicole lived out in Malibu, right on the water, in a townhouse. Her roommate had moved out right after Christmas and she was desperately seeking a new one. The rent wasn’t a problem since her parents owned the place but she really needed someone to split all of the other bills with. She gave Kayleigh directions to her house and a few minutes later, Kayleigh was in her car, making the drive from the hotel in Santa Monica to Malibu.

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

“It’s tour time!” AJ yelled from his seat in the row in front of Nick and Brian. Nick looked at Brian and rolled his eyes, causing Brian to laugh. AJ turned around in his seat and looked at the two of them. “Are you guys laughing at me?”

Nick shook his head innocently. “Of course not, Bone. Just wondering how you can be so excited about not knowing what city we’re in. Getting up at the crack of dawn. Being out until all hours of the night.”

“Being away from Amanda,” Brian supplied. The guys were just getting ready to kick off the last leg of their ‘Millennium’ tour. They were on a flight from Orlando to Harrisburg, PA, where they would begin the tour at Penn State on Friday.

“What about you, Bri?” AJ asked. “Aren’t you gonna miss Leigh?”

Brian nodded. “You have no idea. I can’t believe we just got engaged and now I have to leave her.”

“She’s going to be with us in a few weeks, right?” AJ questioned. Brian nodded. They both looked at Nick and noticed him staring out the window, trying desperately not to listen to their conversations about their girlfriends. AJ noticed and tried to make light of the situation. “First things first. On this tour, we will find Nicky a new woman.”

“Yes we will,” Brian added.

Nick glared at the two of them. “I don’t want a new woman.”

“Why not, Nicky?” AJ asked, not picking up on Nick’s meaning.

“Don’t you know when to quit, AJ?” Nick snapped. “I don’t want a damn girlfriend. I’m sick of hearing this shit from you.” AJ held up his hands in surrender:

“Sorry Nicky.” He turned back around and slumped down in his seat. Brian turned to Nick and saw the sadness in his eyes.

“It’s okay to cry man,” he said quietly.

“I’m not going to cry,” Nick replied, tearfully. Before he could stop them, though, the tears that he had tried so hard to keep at bay, spilled down his cheeks. Brian’s heart broke at the look in his best friend’s eyes.

“Why won’t she just come home?” Nick asked, wiping his eyes. “Doesn’t she realize how much we miss her? How much I miss her?”

Brian patted Nick on the shoulder, comfortingly. “Have you heard anything lately?”

Nick shook his head, sadly. “Not since the letter I got from her right after she left. It gave me absolutely no clue to where she was.”

“Have you thought about hiring anyone to find her?” Brian questioned. “I mean, Nick, that could be considered kidnapping. She’d have to come home.”

“I couldn’t do that to her,” Nick answered. “I hired a private investigator to look for her. He looked in New York because that was where the letter was mailed from. But he said that most likely, she’s far from there now. It’s going to be next to impossible to find her. Her credit cards have been cancelled. Her bank account’s been cleared out. I mean, I’m running out of ideas. I just want her back.”

“How far a long is she?” Brian asked, carefully.

Nick sighed. “Three months. She was four weeks along when she left. What do I do, Brian? I want a chance to be a father. I want to be with Kayles.”

Brian watched, sadly, as Nick buried his face in his hands and cried. He had no idea what else to say to him. Nothing was going to make this easier for him until Kayleigh came home. And the more time that went by, Brian wasn’t so sure she ever would.

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

“The place is gorgeous,” Kayleigh commented, after Nicole had given her the grand tour. It was right on the water, which was Kayleigh’s favorite part. If anything, it gave her comfort in knowing that it was similar to her house in Florida. She remembered when she first moved there and how much she hated Florida. How much she hated the fact that there were no seasons. No snow. No leaves changing color. She remembered how much Nick couldn’t understand how no one could like Florida. He had teased her endlessly about it, imitating her stating how much better Connecticut was than Florida.

“I’m glad you like it,” Nicole responded. The two girls walked into the living room and sat down. “I think it would be perfect for you. How soon can you move in?” Nicole asked, excitedly. She had really taken a liking to Kayleigh. They were close to the same age. Kayleigh was about a year younger. They seemed to have similar likes and dislikes. Nicole had thought that she would be the perfect roommate.

“Uh, I don’t know,” Kayleigh said, laughing. “I have something to tell you that might completely change your mind, though.”

“Girl, as long as you’re not a lunatic, I don’t think anything could change my mind,” Nicole told her.

Kayleigh giggled. “No, that I’m not. But there is something. Actually, I’m pregnant.”

Nicole’s eyes widened. That was something she wasn’t expecting. “Really?” she asked. “How long?”

“Three months,” Kayleigh answered. “I would completely understand if you wanted to change your mind now. I know you weren’t exactly planning to have a baby around.”

“I have six younger brothers and sisters,” Nicole responded. “Believe me, I love kids. This honestly isn’t a problem for me. In fact, I think it would be great.”

“Are you sure?” Kayleigh asked, hopefully.

Nicole nodded, smiling. “Positive. This is going to be so much fun.”

Kayleigh jumped up and hugged her. “Oh my god. You’re the best. I honestly had no where else to turn. I couldn’t exactly live out of a hotel for the rest of my life.”

“No problem. Do you need any help with your stuff?” Nicole questioned.

Kayleigh shook her head. “Not at all. I don’t have much with me anyway. Just clothes and stuff. Some boxes that have been in my car for two months now.” Nicole nodded, wanting to ask why that was all she had and where she had come from but felt like she’d be intruding so she decided against it.

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow then,” Nicole said.

Kayleigh nodded. “Yup. And again. Thank you so much.”

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