Say my name, say my name
If no one is around you, say baby I love you
If you ain't runnin' game
Say my name, say my name
You actin' kinda shady, ain't callin' me baby
Better say my name

After hearing him call me Katie I momentarily froze, my brain not yet comprehending what had just happened. Had I really heard it? Or was my mind just playing tricks on me? Finally, it began to sink in, and I was positive that he definitely did NOT say Melissa. It was then that I jumped up like he was contagious with some awful disease or something. All I knew was that I wanted to get away from him. Just the thought that he might have been with some other girl physically made me sick.

"What's wrong?" Nick asked me, not even realizing what he had just said. Or maybe he did and was just trying to pretend that it didn't happen.

"What's wrong?!" I nearly screamed at him. "You just called me by some other girls name and you ask me what's wrong?! Who the fuck is Katie anyway?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he answered me, trying to play dumb.

"Don't bullshit me Nick. You know damn well what you said and I'm waiting for some kind of explanation here!" I demanded, my foot tapping impatiently, waiting for a response. When he just sat there dumbfounded trying to figure out what to say I just spun around and grabbed my purse, knowing that if I stayed one more minute I'd break down in tears. He obviously wasn't volunteering an explanation and it didn't take a rocket scientist to put two and two together and figure out what happened. I didn't have to stick around and be lied to. "Wait! Where are you going?" Nick called after me finally finding the power to speak once again. "Why should I stick around? I think I can figure out what happened between you and 'Katie' whoever she is. You know if you wanted to go out and see other girls all you had to was tell me! Instead you had to go behind my back and make me believe that you actually cared about me!" Nick sighed before he started to speak again. "I'm sorry Melissa. I didn't mean for it to happen. Honest, I didn't!"

"That's what they all say," I coldly replied, one foot already out the door.

Just as I stepped outside I felt him roughly grab my elbow, preventing me from leaving. "Stop it! Let me go! You're hurting me!" I protested trying to pull away.

"Not until you listen to me," he insisted. "I owe you the whole story."

"No shit sherlock," I muttered sarcastically under my breath.

Nick just gave me a LOOK. "Katie's a girl I met in a club in Sweden. AJ dragged me out one night after a show because I was miserable and missing you because I hadn't heard from you in a while. She approached me and I only had every intention of just talking with her, but then we started to have a few drinks and before I knew it ... we were back at my hotel room. I'm serious when I mean I didn't mean for it to happen! I just missed you so much and I was so lonely-"

"Cut the crap Nick," I interrupted not being able to stomach much more of his "I'm SO sorry. PLEASE forgive me" story. How the hell am I supposed to buy that he missed me SO much that he went out and fucked another girl? God, he could have called me. I wouldn't have cared even if it was 4:00am here. "This only makes me wonder... How many other fans have you slept with? Just how many 'Katie's' were there on this tour? I thought I could trust you. Apparently I was mistaken." With that I pulled away ignoring his pleading calls, begging me to stay. I jumped into my car and sped out of his driveway as quickly as possible.

I drove aimlessly for a few minutes trying not to cry. I knew I didn't want to go home and be all by myself right now but I didn't know where else to go. I didn't want to mess up anyone's reunion but I knew I couldn't be alone right now.

Maybe some music will help, I thought as I reached for the radio dial on my car, but the song that came pouring out only made me feel worse. I actually had to pull off the road because I was crying so hard. The song just said it all:

How do you cool your lips?
After a summers kiss
How do you rid the sweat?
After the body bliss

How do you turn your eyes?
From the romantic glare
How do you block the sound of the voice?
You'd know anywhere

Oh, I really should've known
By the time you drove me home
By the vagueness in your eyes
Your casual goodbyes

By the chill in your embrace
The expression on your face
That told me maybe you might have
Some advice to give on how to be insensitive

It was at then that I decided that I didn't care if I was being selfish or not. All I knew was that I couldn't be alone right now, and if I was interrupting a happy reunion I honestly didn't give a damn. I needed to be around friends.

With that in mind I sniffed back my tears, turned off the radio, and continued on my way.

________________________________________________________________

As much as Melanie wanted to freeze time and bask in the moment that Kevin proposed to her, she also could not wait to get home and tell everybody she knew. She had zillions of phone calls to make and well... she did want to show off that ring a little.

But before she could make her phone calls, both she and Kevin agreed that there was one person that they had to tell first, and if they didn't tell her the second they walked in the door she'd make both their lives miserable.

That person was Kevin's cousin, (and my best friend) Isabelle Richardson. Izzy had been living with them for almost a year now when she moved to Orlando for college. Kevin was more than happy to provide her a place to stay and Melanie has admitted to me that at first, she was not to happy with the arrangement. Not that she disliked Izzy. It was just that she was afraid that with Izzy in the house, her and Kevin would lose some of their privacy if you understand what I'm getting at. Kevin assured her that Izzy wouldn't be a nuisance. From what Izzy has told me, she has never had a very good relationship with her parents. Kevin had been sort of her second father all throughout her childhood, so he did feel some sort of obligation to look after her.

When they stepped inside they found Izzy sitting at the kitchen table, nursing a cup of coffee. Alongside her sat her boyfriend of a few months Ashley Angel (yes THE Ashley from O-town) They'd started dating not too long after she moved in with Kevin and Melanie. She had literally "bumped" into him while she was visiting Kevin at the very same recording studio that O-town happened to be recording in. The rest was history!

Across from them sat an unfamiliar looking girl, nervously playing with her coffee cup. Her long blonde hair was secured tightly back with a barrette and her eyes shifted around quickly, a sure indicator that this was her first time here. Melanie wondered exactly where Izzy and Ashley had picked her up.

No sooner had they gotten through the door when Izzy leaped from her chair and ran straight for Kevin, embracing him in a bear hug. "I'm so glad you're home!" she cried out gleefully. "How was the tour? Did you enjoy Europe? How are Nick and the rest of the guys?"

"Whoa now!" he said with a laugh as he finally managed to wriggle out of her grasp. "One question at a time." He paused to look around the table at Ashley and the mystery girl. "Hey, I thought I told you not to have any wild parties while I was away," he joked

Izzy just laughed. Kevin would've killed Melanie if he'd known just how many nights Ashley had been spending at their apartment. The two of them had sure had some "wild parties" indeed; the kind that are meant for only two people. "I just invited Ashley and Chantal over for some coffee. We met Ashley's parents for dinner earlier tonight," she explained to him.

"Oh, that's nice," Kevin told her as he glanced towards Melanie. Their eyes locked for a second or two in a silent agreement that now was the time to break the news. "Melanie and I also have had an exciting evening," he started off with a proud grin on his face.

"Uh huh," Melanie continued. "And we have some wonderful news to share with you guys." She paused, taking a deep breath. "We're getting married!" she blurted out, not able to contain herself any longer.

"Oh, my God!" Izzy squealed with excitement as she stood there unsure of who to hug first. She finally jumped on Melanie since she was the closest and grabbed her hand to examine the ring on her finger. "Kevin Richardson!" she scolded. "How long have you been planning this and how come you didn't tell me?"

"Maybe because you have a big mouth," he teased her.

"I do not! Do I?" she turned around to ask Ashley.

"I think I better stay quiet and keep myself out of trouble," Ashley answered her. Smart guy. "Congratulations to the both of you by the way," he said, addressing both Kevin and Melanie.

"Why thank you," Melanie told him, enveloping him in a hug. "Maybe someday soon we'll be able to congratulate you and Izzy on an engagement."

"Maybe..." he replied with a grin, ignoring both Kevin's disapproving look and Izzy's stunned yet hopeful expression.

Melanie's attention focused back on mystery girl. Their eyes met and she took it as a cue to speak up and break the awkward moment. "I really don't know you guys but congratulations anyway," she shyly said.

"Oh my God, I'm sorry!" Izzy apologized, snapping out of her reverie of her and Ashley walking down the aisle themselves. "I was so excited about your news that I totally forgot my manners. Kevin, Melanie, this is Chantal. Chantal, Kevin my cousin and surrogate father and his now fiancee Melanie."

"Pleased to meet you Chantal," Kevin greeted, extending his hand in a sign of welcome. "How did you meet my crazy cousin anyway?"

"It's actually quite a funny story," Izzy interrupted before Chantal could answer. "See, Chantal and I used to go to school together when I was living in Montreal with my Mom. She was probably one of the only girls that were actually nice to me. Anyway when I moved to Kentucky we lost touch and as ironic as it may sound who winds up being our waitress tonight but Chantal herself!"

"Wait? What is she doing in Orlando?" Kevin asked sounding a little confused. "Montreal is a long way away from here. It seems like you're leaving a lot out."

"Yeah, she is," Chantal admitted, quietly speaking up for the second time that night. "You see I've always kind of been one of those wandering souls who knew that their destiny was many miles away. I was never happy in Montreal so, the moment I graduated high school I got on a plane to Orlando with just a small suitcase and my guitar and set out for a new life. I actually have this stupid dream of becoming a singer and I heard that Orlando is the place to be for aspiring young hopefuls like myself."

"Your dream is NOT stupid," Izzy insisted. "You've got an awesome voice. You should have heard this girl singing along to the radio on the way here," she told Kevin and I. "The girl has a set of pipes! When she wasn't singing she was having a very intense conversation with Ashley about different kind of guitars."

"Aww, poor Izzy," Melanie sympathized. "You had to sit through the whole thing."

"Anyway for the past 3-4 years I've basically been living the stereotypical starving artist's life. I work 40 hours a week as a waitress, live in a cheap, crammed apartment which I can barely afford, and write music when I have the time. Occasionally I get a small gig at a coffeehouse or something and once in a while I play on the street corner just for fun but, it doesn't make much money," Chantal continued. "I don't even have a car! I just keep hoping that someday someone will discover me, but so far I've had no luck."

A warning bell sounded in Melanie's head. She never was one to judge people when she barely knew them, but she was curious to know if Izzy had ever clued her in on exactly who her cousin was. Was it possible that Chantal jumped at this opportunity to meet Kevin and let him hear her sob story, thinking that maybe he had some pull with some record companies?

Her observation was quickly interrupted by the sound of their doorbell ringing. More guests. Great, she thought.

"Who the hell can that be?" Kevin wondered a loud.

"I dunno but I'll get it," Izzy quickly volunteered and ran to the door. She opened it, to a find me standing on the other side very distraught looking I imagine. I was standing there shivering with dark circles underneath my eyes from where my eye makeup had run which I assumed was from all the crying I'd been doing.

"Melissa! What happened?" Izzy cried, immediately embracing me in a much needed hug. "What are you doing here? Where's Nick? I thought that you'd want to spend the whole night with him since he just got home and all."

At the mention of Nick's name, my body automatically stiffened. It didn't take a rocket scientist for the others to figure out that we'd definitely had a fight or something.

"Come on Lis," Izzy urged as she led me inside. "Calm down and tell me what happened.

She led me over to a chair and immediately sat me down, waiting patiently for me to blink back my tears and finally find the ability to speak. Finally I managed to blurt out, "He cheated on me!"

Izzy, Kevin and Melanie all exchanged a shocked three way glance. Kevin seemed just as surprised as everybody else so I assumed this was something that he had not known about. All of a sudden Melanie and Kevin's happy news didn't seem all that important anymore...