The next morning, Nick's cell phone rang. He got up quickly to answer it so it didn't wake up Cassandra. "Hello?"
"Hey Nick!" a voice said.
"Howie?"
"Yeah! Angel and I are over at the house with everyone else, and we want to see you guys-" Nick heard Howie being cut off.
"Nick? It's Angel. Howie is too slow. Get your butts over here right now! Dude, I haven't seen you guys in so long! I'm not going to ask you how you guys are because I know that you two are going to be over here within a matter of seconds," Angel said with a hint in her voice.
"Okay, okay. We'll be over as soon as I wake Cassandra."
"Great! See you then!" Nick hung up his phone and sighed.
"That Angel-" He looked over at Cassandra who was waking up. "Hey hun. Angel just called. Her and Howie are over at the other house and they want us over there right now."
"Oh," Cassandra whined, dragging herself out of the bed.
"Maybe we shoudn't-"
"No, I'm fine. Come on, let's go." Nick put his arm around her waist to steady her and they headed over to her house.
As soon as the two of them walked in the house, they were greeted.
"Cassandra!" Angel screeched from the living room. "Hey!"
"Hey Angel, hey Howie! Haven't seen you guys in a while!" said Cassandra as her and Nick walked down into the living room. She sat down on Nick's lap, seeing as how the rest of the couch was taken up by Kevin and Emalia. Nicole and Jonathan sat on the floor, and Angel and Howie sat on the love seat.
"Cassandra! What's with the huge bruise on you head?" Angel asked looking at Nick.
"No, no! Angel, don't even think about looking at Nick! No! I just fainted yesterday and I hit my head on the edge of a bed!" Cassandra tried to clarify.
"Yeah, I would never hurt Cassandra!" Nick said.
"I know, I know! Freak out you guys, I was just kidding!" said Angel holding her hands up.
"Ow," Cassandra said pressing the palm of her hand to her forehead.
"What's wrong?" Nick asked her.
"My head hurts a little-"
"You want something for it?" She didn't answer. Still on his lap, she put her arm around his neck. She leaned her head down on his shoulder, and suddenly fell asleep.
"What's wrong with her?" Howie asked concerned.
"We'll take this one," Kevin said referring to him and Emalia. Nick nodded his head and put his arms around Cassandra to hug her, but he didn't let go.
Later on that afternoon, everyone was in the pool at Jonathan's house swimming, except Cassandra and Nick. She didn't feel up to it, she was still having pain in her head. They weren't swimming in the girls' pool, because Nick had suggested that they drain the pool and get it cleaned out after Adrian-James had drown, and they hadn't gotten around to it yet.
Just then, the doorbell rang. Cassandra jumped up to get it, figuring that someone had forgotten something. She opened the door and saw a rather beautiful girl standing there with a band aid just above her right eye. She looked so familiar to Cassandra, but she couldn't quite figure out who it was.
"Yes?" Cassandra said, but before the girl could answer, Nick came up to the door.
"Kimmy?" he said.
"Nicky!" the girl shrieked and dropped the bag that was over her shoulder, and ran to Nick's arms.
"Great," Cassandra thought to herself, and shut the door. She leaned against the door.
"How have you been?" Nick asked her and gave her a friendly peck on her lips. "Hey, what's with the band aid?"
"It happened again," Kimberly said, her voice low.
"Oh my God, you're kidding! He hit you again?"
She slowly nodded. "He came after me."
"I'll kill him!"
"Nick-"
"No, you're going to stay with us for a while."
"Nick are you sure?" Cassandra asked.
"Yeah, I dunno know," Kimberly said. "Maybe-"
"No," Nick said. "Since Mercedes moved out, there's an extra bed in Cassandra's room." He turned to Cassandra. "You don't mind, do you?" He looked so pleadingly into Cassandra's eyes, and no matter how much it angered her, she nodded her head in agreement. He went over to her and gave her a hug.
When he tried to give her a kiss, she held up her hands and took a step back. "Honey, we have company-"
"Yeah," he said, and went and put his arm around Kimberly's shoulder. "Come on, let's talk in the kitchen. You want something to drink?"
"Sure," Kimberly said, and Cassandra watched them disappear into the kitchen. She was filled with rage and anger for some reason. She walked into the kitchen and saw that Nick was changing the bandage on Kimberly's forehead. When he finished, he gently leaned down and kissed it.
"Um," Cassandra said breaking the silence, "Kim, the bed on the left is yours." Then she glared at Nick. "I'm sure that Nick knows which room it's in." With that, she turned around and walked out of the door, not knowing how hard she had slammed the door. She stormed into the guys' house, and slammed their door, too.
"Cassandra?" Brian asked.
"Oh, hey Brian," she replied.
"Hey, what's-"
"I don't want to talk about it. If loser boy shows up, tell him that he's staying in my room tonight, and he knows why. I'll be in his room and tell him that some clothes for tomorrow will be sitting outside his door." With that, she ran up the stairs to Nick's room, once again, slamming the door.
"What's up?" Kimberly asked Nick, still in the kitchen.
"I think I'm in trouble," Nick replied.
"What did you do this time?" she teased him.
He shrugged. "I dunno."
"Hey, just show me to my room, and you can go after her, okay?"
He smiled and took her hand and led her upstairs. Opening the door to Cassandra's room, he led her in and pointed out Mercedes' old bed.
"Thanks Nick. You don't know how much this means to me."
"Anything for my best friend. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go find Cassie."
"Okay, hurry back!" He smiled again and ran out of the house and over to the other house, figuring that Cassandra would probably be over there.
Kimberly stood up and jumped onto Cassandra's bed. "So Sweetie he was right about you," Kimberly said out loud. "Nick is too good for you. Well since Mariah and Andrew failed, it's up to me." She knocked the picture of Nick and Cassandra off of the nightstand. Crashing on the floor, the glass smashed to a million pieces.
As soon as Nick entered the house, he was confronted by Brian and Kevin.
"What happened?" Brian asked his best friend.
"Yeah what did you do?" Kevin asked.
"What are you talking about?" Nick asked, confused.
"What we mean," Brian started, "is that when Cassandra came here she told me to tell loser boy, which would be you, that when you got over here, to tell you that you're staying in her room tonight, and clothes for tomorrow will be sitting outside your door."
"What-"
"She also said that you'd know why."
"Go talk to her," said Kevin. "Man, are you in trouble. She's pissed!"
Nick only gave him a look, and ran upstairs. Sure enough, there were a pair of his jeans and two of his t-shirts in a pile outside of his door. He gently tapped on the door.
"Cassie?" he said. "Sweetie-"
"Go away," he heard Cassandra say.
"Can't I even come into my own room?" He had a slight point. She slowly opened the door and he walked in. The first thing he did was lean in to give her a kiss, but she pulled away.
"Don't kiss me," she said.
He sighed. "Cassandra, what's wrong?"
"Don't touch me with those lips that touched someone else."
"Oh, is this what you're all messed up about? Jealousy?"
"I am not jealous!"
"You sure act like it!" She pushed him out of the room and locked the door. "Cassia-"
"Don't call me that! Go over to the other house, it's late."
"No. I'm going to stay out here all night. Whatever it takes until you get over this jealousy thing!"
"Shut up!" Just then, Brian and Kevin walked up the stairs and saw Nick sitting on the floor in front of the door to his room.
"Didn't work, did it?" Brian asked him. Nick shook his head. "Let us talk to her. Maybe she'll talk to us."
Nick stood up and presented his door. "Go for it," he said. Brian gently tapped on the door.
"Nick, go away!" she screamed.
"Geez Nick," said Kevin, "what did you do this time?"
"Now, wait-"
"Shh!" Brian commanded. "Cassandra, it's me. It's Brian. A-and Kevin. Can we come in?" "Is Nick with you?" Brian turned around and pushed Nick to the side.
"Nope," he said. Cassandra opened the door and Kevin and Brian walked in. Nick sat back down on the ground, and waited. "What's wrong Cassandra?"
"Yeah, what did that mean old Nick do this time?" Kevin teased.
"He kinda kissed another girl," Cassandra replied.
"Kinda?" Brian asked shocked.
"Well, you know Kimberly? And the stories behind her?" Brian and Kevin nodded. "She showed up at our house a few minutes ago. She had a band aid on her head and she said that it happened again. That her boyfriend had come after her. I know that it was a friendly peck, but on the lips. And he kissed her forehead after he fixed her forehead." She sat down on the bed, while Brian and Kevin could say nothing. "I dunno what it is but I feel filled with anger, and rage, and maybe Nick's right. Maybe I do have a touch of jealously. I don't know. But she's known him for so much longer than I have-"
"Yes, but I've known him longer," Brian interrupted. "And I know that he loves you. She's only a good friend."
"I know, but I don't like her."
"He's your husband-"
"But she almost broke up our marriage once. What if she's back to do it again?"
"Cassie, listen, she's not. She's only his good friend, but I'm his best friend. His absolute best friend, and he loves you and no one else."
Cassandra smiled at Brian and hugged him. "Thank you Brian. Oh, and you too Kevin."
"Anytime," said Kevin.
"Whoa, look at the time," Brian said. "It's eleven! I gotta get home. Mercedes and I have an hour drive back. Later, Cassandra."
"I'll be right downstairs, okay Cass?" Kevin said.
"Thanks you guys." Brian and Kevin opened the door and almost ran into Nick who was lying on the floor asleep.
"She'll find him eventually," Kevin said. Brian agreed and they went downstairs and Brian and Mercedes left.
Cassandra opened the door and looked down at Nick, still asleep. She gently tapped him with her foot, and he rolled over.
He got to his feet and walked into his room. "Are you still pissed at me?" he asked her.
"Nick, you were right-"
"You were jealous! I don't believe it!"
"Yes, don't rub it in, or anything."
"God, it's eleven. Let me go check on Kimberly and tell her that I'm staying over here tonight."
"I'll go with you." Cassandra and Nick walked over to the other house. She went into the kitchen and he ran upstairs to her room.
"Kim, I-" started Nick. He stopped when he saw Kimberly standing in front of the mirror looking at herself. She was wearing Cassandra's tight, black dress. His favorite.
"Oh, Nick," said Kimberly. "You like? Do I look as beautiful as Cassandra?"
He looked at the floor by the bedside and saw the broken glass and the picture of him and Cassandra. The picture appeared to be fine.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Oh, I got dizzy and fell over and I accidentally knocked it of. I'm sorry-"
"What's-" Cassandra started walking into the room, but stopped when she saw Kimberly wearing her black dress.
"Oh, hi Cassandra. Do you like? Oh I hope that you don't mind."
"No, I don't mind. In fact, keep it. It's Nick's favorite. I'm sure he'd love to see you in it."
"Cassandra-"
"Good night, you two," she said closing the door and walking out of the house and back over to the guys' house.
"Cassandra?" Kevin asked.
"Hey guys," Cassandra said to Emalia and Kevin.
"Where's Nick?"
"In my room."
"Why aren't you with him."
"Because I don't want to be. Hey is A.J.'s room still pretty much in tact?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Because I'm going to bed." Saying nothing more to the two of them, she ran upstairs into A.J.'s old room and slammed the door.
"It's okay Nick," Kimberly said. "You can stay in here tonight."
"No," he said. "I'm going to go see what's wrong with my wife this time. Now get out of that dress and put it back, and don't ever go through her stuff again."
"Nick-"
"Good night," he said and walked out of the door, gently closing it behind him. Kimberly smiled to herself.
"It begins," she whispered.
Nick slowly walked towards the other house.
"What is wrong with Cassandra?" Nick thought. "What is her problem this time?" He walked in the house.
"Hey, what'd you do to Cass?" Emalia asked as soon as Nick walked through the door.
"Oh, are you guys in on this too? She's just mad for some reason."
"Yeah, we concluded that," Kevin said. "She's up in A.J.'s old room, if you wanted to know."
"Gee thanks, so much," Nick said. He ran up the stairs and knocked on the door. "Cassie?"
"What?" she replied.
"Look," Nick said, "I know what she did was-"
"Nick, save it." She opened the door, and walked right past him, but he grabbed her arm. "Let go of me." He shook his head and grabbed her other arm. "Nick-"
"Listen to me." Her eyes dropped to the floor. Reaching up to her face, he made her look at him. "Come on, you know that you're not mad at me." Yeah, she knew that he was right.
"Why can't I ever stay mad at you?"
"Because I'm so hard to resist." He smiled.
"You may just have a point there, for once." He leaned in to kiss her, but she put her hands on his chest and pushed him back. "Not until you disinfect those lips."
"Can't I disinfect them with your lips?"
"No, soap." He softly laughed and they walked into the bathroom. He splashed his face with water, not wanting to use soap, so he just dried his face off.
"Okay?"
"Yeah." He leaned down and kissed her passionately. "What have I done?" she thought. "I have probably made one of the biggest mistakes of my life!" She quickly pulled away from Nick and stared at him. "My marriage is over." A tear fell from her eye.
"What's wrong? Are you still upset? Please tell me that you aren't."
"Yes and no, but not about Kim."
"Then what?"
"Oh, it's nothing."
"Are you sure?" She smiled, but behind her smile, was total fear.
"Positive. Now can we please go to bed? I'm really tired."
"Oh, you are?" he whined and pouted, but then smiled. "Just kidding. Which room?"
"Definitely yours."
"You got it."
They walked into Nick's room and jumped onto the bed. He looked at her through the darkness, then gently stroked her nose.
"Nick, A.J. and Isabella used to do that," was all Cassandra said before immediately falling asleep.
"Isabella?" Cassandra asked.
"Cassandra. You know that little nose thing that A.J. and I used to do? You guys can have it. Let's just say that I'm passing it on to you. Now, you know that you have made a terrible mistake."
"What-"
"You know that you have made a terrible mistake."
The next morning when Cassandra opened her eyes, she realized that she was in Nick's room and he was still asleep. Remembering her dream last night of Isabella, she shook her head. "It was too real to be a dream." Then she remembered Isabella's words. Jumping out of the bed, she ran to her cellular phone.
"Hello?"
"Bobby, it's me. You can't do this."
"Oh hi Cassandra. It's too late. He's here, now. And actually, he's on his way over."
"No! I'm telling you, get him back! He's gonna kill her!"
"I thought that's what you wanted?"
"No, it's not! I was just mad! You can't let this happen-"
"Cassandra, you asked me to get him, and I did. No questions asked. It's up to you to do what you want with him."
Cassandra slammed her phone shut. "Shit!" she yelled.
"Cass, what's wrong?" Cassandra grabbed his arm and yanked on him so he got out of bed. "What?"
"Nick, we gotta go get Kim! Come on, before it's too late!"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"It's her ex-boyfriend. He's on his way over there right now, and-"
"Oh my God, how did he find her? He'll kill her!"
"Nick, I-"
"Come on Cassandra," he said grabbing her arm. "Before it's too late."
Nick and Cassandra ran down the stairs in t-shirts and shorts and ran out the door, but saw that it was too late. A guy raised a crow bar over his head and swung it down like a golf club, connecting it with Kimberly's stomach. She dropped to the ground in shear pain, but the man grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet.
"No!" Nick cried.
"Don't move," the guy said, but Nick took a step forward.
"Nick," Cassandra said.
"Cassandra, go in the house and call the police. Now!"
"But-"
"Just do it!" Reluctantly, she turned and ran inside the house.
Grabbing Kimberly's arm with one hand and twisting it behind her back, John pulled her close to him and raised the crow bar in the other hand. Nick stopped dead in his tracks.
"Don't come any closer pretty boy, or she gets it again."
Kimberly was struggling against his arms, her eyes wide with fear. He twisted her arm hard and she yelped in pain. When she cried out, Nick took another step forward to help her.
"Don't move!" John screamed. Out of the corner of his eye, Nick saw Kevin sneaking around the back of the house towards John.
"Nick-" Kimberly started sobbing. "I'm so sorry."
"Kim, it's okay," Nick said. "It's not your fault. I won't let him hurt you."
"But it is my fault that-"
John backed up dragging Kimberly with him. He slammed her against the hood of his truck so that she was facing him.
"You though that you could get away you little bitch. You thought coming here would keep you safe. Don't you realize that no one wants you? You're a slut, and trash. You think he really wants you? You know he wants the same thing I wanted. He knows that you are a slut, you are nothing."
Kimberly was crying and Nick felt his heart break. He stepped forward again.
"You want her dead, then take another step!" John turned back to Kimberly. "You know he can't take care of you." He kissed her hard. "You little bitch! You bit me!" He hit her again with the crow bar.
Kimberly coughed up blood, and Nick got a surge of anger and adrenaline. Before John got a chance to hit her again, Kevin tackled him from behind and Nick punched him. Kimberly dropped to the ground.
"Kevin," Nick said in a panicked tone, "I've got to get her to the hospital. Kick his ass when the police get here." Kevin nodded and Nick leaned down and ever so carefully picked her up in his arms. He felt a hand touch his shoulder.
"I'll drive," Cassandra said, and the three of them hurriedly got into Nick's car and floored it to the hospital.
About an hour later, Nick and Cassandra were still sitting in the waiting room. Nick's face was pasty white and his eyes were glazed over as he continued to stare at the wall. As soon as they had gotten there, they had rushed Kimberly into the emergency room, and the two of them were still waiting for any word on her.
Nick hadn't said a word in over an hour. He just kept staring at the wall. Cassandra could see his thoughts racing. She had tried to put her arm around him, to try to comfort him in some way, but he had just pushed her away every time. And she was really worried about him now.
"Cassandra?" he finally spoke, still staring at the wall.
"Yeah?"
"All I could think about was, what if that had been you? What if Bobby was the one that was doing that to you?"
She felt her heart break into a million tiny pieces. What had she done?
"Nick, it wasn't, but I-" Just then the doctor came up to them. They both stood up, praying for good news.
"We don't know how much longer she has," the doctor said.
"What? What are you talking about?" Nick said panicked. The doctor paused for a second, then took a deep breath, and continued.
"She's bleeding internally. We can't stop it."
"No!" Nick cried, breaking subtly into tears.
"You can go see her now."
Nick slowly followed the doctor into Kimberly's room. Cassandra didn't follow. She sat back down.
"How am I going to tell him?" Cassandra said to herself. "How can I possibly tell the man that I love so much, that his own wife is responsible for his best friend's death?"
"Kimberly?" Nick whispered, walking into the room. He gently took her hand in his, and stood up over her. A tear falling from his eye, onto her arm.
She moved and looked weakly up at him. "Hey," she said, barely above a whisper.
"Shh, don't talk. I can't believe he did this to you. Don't you worry, I'll get him."
"Nick, listen. It's not Cassandra's fault."
"What? What are you talking about?"
"No, it's just that, it's.....it's-" Before she could finish, her hand slipped out of Nick's, her eyes slowly closed, and her head rolled over to the side.
"Kim? Kimmy? It's what? No-" He leaned over and gently kissed the top of her forehead. He didn't cry out, nor did he feel any particular emotion.
Cassandra stood up as soon as she saw Nick.
"Nick?" she asked him quietly. He didn't say anything to her. "It's now or never," she thought. "Nick, I have to tell you something."
"Yeah, what?" he said, seemingly uninterested.
"Nick, I'm responsible for Kim's.....death."
"Yeah, okay."
"I don't think that you're listening to me. I'm the reason that John, Kimberly's ex-boyfriend, found her."
Nick looked at her wide eyed. It seemed that her words had gotten through to him. "Whatever." He turned and walked out of the hospital. She followed close behind him, though not saying anything to him the whole way home.