Isabelle asked me as soon as the words left my mouth. I could tell by the look on her face she was definitely pissed and I couldn't blame her. I doubted that she ever thought that Nick would do something like this but evidently he had even her fooled. It's funny how you think you know someone so well, but in reality it's scary how wrong you can be. That's how Izzy felt. I just hoped that she didn't feel like this was her fault for hooking the two of us up in the first place.

"Ugh," she held back a scream. "I have a good mind to go over there right now and pull a Lorena Bobitt on him!" OK, yea ... she was definitely pissed.

"Whoa Iz! Chill out a second. Calm down and breathe," Chantal interrupted her before she could go into anymore graphic detail. "If I were you I wouldn't even look at another girl if I were you Ash," she warned.

"Oh, don't worry. I know better than that. Besides I kind of want to have kids someday," he assured her.

"Chantal is right Iz," Melanie agreed. "You do need to calm yourself. Threatening Nick is not going to help Melissa at this point."

"I guess you're right," she grumbled, but I could tell she was still fuming. Izzy has quite a temper for someone who is only 5'2 especially when you hurt someone she cares about. She's certainly spunky all right.

"Let's go sit in the living room and then Melissa can tell us the whole story and then we can decide whether or not to let Nick live, OK?" Melanie suggested.

I just nodded and let them lead me into the living room and sit me on the couch. Izzy sat directly next to me with Melanie kneeling in front of her and Chantal next 2 Melanie, so we formed a tight little circle. Ashley and Kevin hovered in the doorway, knowing that they really weren't included, but eager to hear all about the gossip.

"You two can go now," Melanie told them, trying to shoo them away. "This is girl talk and as far as I know you two don't classify as girls unless you are hiding something from us."

"Aww man," Kevin groaned. "Why can't we stay? Nick is like my little brother! I should know what's going on."

"Melanie's right," Izzy agreed. "Get lost. Go upstairs and play video games or whatever you guys do. We'll come and get you when you can come back down."

With much reluctance they both retreated up the stairs, grumbling and groaning the whole way up. "Men," Melanie said with a laugh. "You can't live with them but you can't live without them."

"Amen to that," Izzy replied, tossing her reddish blonde hair over her shoulder. "Now do you want to tell us about what happened with you and Nick tonight?" she asked me.

I sighed. No, I didn't feel like going through the horrid tale again, but I knew that they wouldn't let me up from the couch until they got the full scoop. "Well, I went to go pick Nick up at the airport today and I thought he was acting a little strange, but I just tried to ignore it," I began. "Afterwards I dropped him off at his place and we ordered Chinese food and watched a movie and then we started making out and he just called me Katie out of the blue like that."

"Katie? Who the fuck's Katie?" Izzy asked, her anger beginning to show through again.

"Some Swedish chick he met in Europe at this club. I finally got him to admit that he slept with her," I explained.

"What was his excuse?" Melanie asked.

"He claims that he was drunk and he only did it because he missed me so much," I sniffled as I rolled my eyes.

"What utter bullshit," Izzy mumbled. "If he missed you so much he could've called you and if he was that horny why didn't he just go up to his room and masturbate or something."

"Izzy..." Melanie said with a warning glance. Izzy can be a pretty impulsive person. She says what's on her mind and sometimes she says things that doesn't necessarily remedy the situation.

"Sorry, but it's true," she apologized. "So, what are you going to do?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. All I knew at the time was that I had to get out of there. I just grabbed my purse and left. I drove around a little bit and contemplated going home but I didn't want to be alone," I admitted.

"Of course you didn't," Melanie assured me. "If you want, feel free to spend the night here."

"Yea," Izzy agreed. "You can stay in my room with me and we can have a little sleep over. We'll stay up all night and talk about how guys suck."

"Thanks guys. I don't know what I'd do without friends like you guys," I confessed my eyes brimming with tears. Before I knew it the four of us were collapsed in one big, jolly, group hug.

It wasn't until I was pulling away that I noticed the large, glittering diamond ring that laid on Melanie's finger. "Melanie Roberts!" I gasped. "What is THAT?"

Melanie looked down and blushed. "Well, I didn't want to tell you right away because you were so upset... But Kevin and I are getting married!" she blurted out barely able to contain herself.

"That's awesome!" I managed to congratulate her despite how horrible I felt just then. I really was sincerely happy for her and Kevin. Before I knew it we were tangled up in another group hug. I just couldn't believe that Melanie was going to be a married woman.

"I hate to be a party pooper," Chantal spoke up after we pulled out of the hug. "But I have the breakfast shift tomorrow so I should go home and get to bed. Sorry for ruining the moment Iz."

"No, it's perfectly all right," Izzy assured her. "Besides I have to get Ashley back to his place anyway before the other guys start thinking I kidnapped him or something. Are you going to be all right here by yourself?" she asked me.

"She won't be by herself," Melanie answered for me. "Kevin and I will be here."

"I'll be fine," I told her with a weak smile. "Really."

"OK, I'll be back soon," she promised as she headed upstairs to collect Ashley and within a few minutes the two of them and Chantal were gone.

After they left I heard Kevin come down the stairs to interrogate Melanie all about what had happened. "Why don't you just lay down and make yourself comfy on the couch and I'll make you some tea?" Melanie offered. I just nodded and snuggled into the couch, closing my eyes and wishing that I could fall into a deep sleep and that when I woke up everything would be fine.

I was just drifting off to sleep when I heard a knock on the door. Curiously my eyes popped open and I turned my head so that I could see who it was.

Melanie hurried over to the door and opened it. I could not yet see who it was but from the look on her face I could tell that she was not pleased. "What are you doing here?" she asked in an icy voice.

"Is Melissa there? I want to talk to her," the voice demanded. Not just any voice but Nick's voice.

"I seriously doubt that after what you did to her she wants to talk to you," Melanie sneered. "How do you know she's here anyway?"

"I don't," he answered. "I tried her apartment but she wasn't there so I just figured that maybe if she was upset she'd be here."

"Well, I suggest you leave," she said in a rude tone, practically shutting the door in his face.

Kevin interrupted just then. "Baby, I think you should ask Melissa what she wants. It should be her decision."

Taking a deep breath I rolled off the couch and made my way into the kitchen. "I'm right here," I tried to say as calmly as I could, all the while looking away from Nick as much as possible.

"Nick wants to talk to you," Melanie informed me. "You don't have to if you don't want to."

"It's all right," I told her trying to be strong. "We need to talk."

"Fine," Melanie agreed, giving me a dirty look. "Why don't you sit outside on the porch. If you need us we'll be right here."

I just nodded and followed Nick outside plopping myself on the porch swing, slowly rocking myself back and forth with my feet. He sat down beside me and we were quiet for a moment or two until I finally found my courage to speak.

"You know you have nerve," I started off. "Going crazy trying to hunt me down for what? To hear you apologize another 50 million times?"

Nick just sighed. "I know apologizing isn't going to help-"

"You're damn right it's not!" I interrupted him.

"But," he continued. "I am sorry for what I did to you and I honestly regret doing it. You have to believe me Mel. I never intended on hurting you."

Never intended on hurting me? My mind raced with a million unasked questions. If he missed me that much why go out and have a one night stand with some Swedish whore? How was that supposed to make things better? How could he think for just one-second that I wouldn't be hurt? Did he expect me to be happy for him or something?

"Well, you did Nick," I said in a stone cold voice finally managing to speak. "You lost my trust and I'm not sure if that's something that you can win back that easily. Maybe it was only one time, but now I'm paranoid. With all your fans and everything I don't think that I can completely trust you. Maybe never again. I don't see how we could have any kind of relationship where I have to watch you like a hawk all because I'm afraid that you'll cheat on me again."

Nick sighed. "Look at me Melissa. Please," he begged grabbing my hands and turning me towards him so that I had no choice but to look him in his eyes. It was the first time that I really looked at him since we started talking and I couldn't help but notice that he honestly looked upset by all this. His eyes were bloodshot and red rimmed like he had been crying and the expression on his face was 100% serious. (A rarity for Nick) He really seemed sincere. "If you can't forgive me right now I understand but I want to make this up to you. I want a chance to prove that I do care about you and that Katie meant nothing to me. It's you I love." He stopped to take a deep breath. "Let me take you out tomorrow night and let's try to start over. I swear to you that I'll treat you like a princess and if after that you want nothing to do with me I'll understand."

I sighed. How much I wanted to tell him to fuck off, but he did seem sincere and I never could say no to him when he was like this. "Fine," I agreed. "Tomorrow night we'll go out, but this better be good Carter. You better be ready to perform a miracle or something because if I were you I wouldn't get my hopes up too high."

"Too late for that," he said with a grin and deep down I could swear I saw his trademark smirk that just got me every time. I quickly turned away before I turned into a total marshmallow. "I'll call you tomorrow afternoon when I decide what we're going to do OK?"

"OK," I answered. He stood there for a moment a little awkwardly then finally dropped a light kiss on my cheek. I watched him as he got into his Durango and drove away.

With a sigh I realized that I had to go inside and update Melanie on the latest update in my romantic life. She was not going to happy.

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While I was outside talking to Nick, Kevin seized the opportunity to find out what exactly was going on from Melanie.

They were sitting at the table sipping the tea that Melanie had supposedly made for me while she spilled the whole story out to him. "You're sure you had no idea about this?" she asked him when she was finished.

"I'm being totally honest when I say that I had no clue that Nick had gotten himself involved in something like this," he answered. "I mean I did notice he was acting a little strangely, particularly after we left Sweden, but then again we're talking about Nick."

"So, you never saw this Katie person?" she further interrogated.

"Nope and as far as I know none of the other guys knew about her except maybe AJ." He paused to think about it some more. "Yea, AJ probably did see her. I remember them hitting the clubs while we were in Sweden but the rest of us were too tired to go with them. I myself have never been very big on the club scene."

"I see," Melanie said, but then getting very quiet.

"What's wrong baby?" Kevin asked noticing her quiet moment.

Melanie sighed. "It's really stupid, but I have to know," she started off. "You never did anything like that while you were in Europe did you?" she asked her eyes begging him to say no.

"Of course not," he answered honestly. "I'm not like that and I'd never cheat on you."

"I know it sounds paranoid but I mean look at Nick and Mel. They were so happy together right before the tour and now look at them! What if something like that happens to us?"

"It's not going to," he assured her. "Because I would never do that to you. I don't know what came over Nick. Thank God when I was his age we were only just getting started and things were different. Nobody knew our names back then. Not that there's any excuse for what he did but there is a lot of pressure on him."

"I understand what you're saying," Melanie assured him, laying her head on his shoulder. "God, I don't deserve you."

Neither do I, Kevin thought to himself as he stroked her hair, wondering what she'd think of him if she knew about his past...

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"I can't believe you forgave him. You're crazy," Izzy criticized from her spot on the floor later on that night. We were up in Izzy's room and we had just shut the light off to go to bed when I told her about Nick's visit.

"I didn't forgive him," I insisted, rolling over on my side to face her. Izzy had been gracious enough to forfeit her bed for the night and now I was grateful because with the night I just had I think I needed a good nights sleep. "I'm just giving him one last chance."

"One chance to many," she grumbled. "It was good thing he left before I came back because-"

"Yea, I know you would have cut off his testicles and handed them to him in a plastic bag as a gift," I finished for her.

"Damn right! So where is he taking you for this hot romantic date?"

I shrugged. "I have no clue. He just said he'd call me tomorrow afternoon to tell me how to dress. He's supposed to be planning something romantic."

Izzy just burst out laughing after I finished my sentence. "What's so funny ?" I demanded.

"I'm sorry it's just really hard for me to picture Nick being romantic," she said gasping for air.

"What makes you say that?" I asked clearly offended.

"Well, we're talking about the same guy who put itching powder in my training bra as a practical joke. Doesn't quite strike me as romantic," she reported laughing at the memory.

"Oh, go to sleep already," I told her, throwing my pillow at her head. Next thing I knew we were having an all out pillow fight. Yeah, we were acting like little kids, but sometimes it's nice to feel like a kid again.