I know that we have been through so much pain
But I still need you in my life!
I need you tonight, I need you in my life
I know deep within my heart it doesn't matter if it's wrong or right
All the days
When I've been tryin'
To make it just for ever more
It's easy I know
I need you
I know deep within my heart
It doesn't matter if it's wrong or right
I see Heaven
I need you tonight, I need you in my life
I know deep within my heart it doesn't matter if it's wrong or right
I see Heaven In your eyes," Nick sang.
Brooke, instead of watching the concert, watched her best friend, which was much more interesting than to watch the show
anyway. Cari was enraptured with the show. Nick saw her and smiled at her. She smiled back. Now Brooke was more intrigued
than ever. The Boys did their final song, "Everybody".
"Good Night Orlando!" Brian said.
"See 'ya soon!" Nick yelled while waving his hand to the fans. The fans screamed in response. Nick always had a kick when he
saw their reaction.
"It's good to be back, Orlando. G'night!" Kevin said.
"Yo keep 'ya cool!" AJ yelled.
"Keep the Backstret Pride Alive!" Howie said.
Brooke stood up and went backstage. They showed the passes and were admitted in. They saw them signing autographs and posing
for pictures. Nick saw them and waved "hi".
Brooke smiled and Cari waved back.
After the autograph signing, the quintet approached them.
They were still pumped up with the andrenaline from their porformance. Nick hugged a surprised Cari, "Did you like it?"
"Hi to you too Nick," Brooke said teasingly.
"Oh hi Brooke, sorry." Nick said sheepishly.
"Hello Milady," AJ said as he picked up Cari's hand to kiss it.
"Hello to you too, and your?"
"Ouch," AJ said smiling.
"This male cassanova is AJ," Nick said laughingly.
"I thought his name was "Ouch"." Cari joked.
"So did you guys enjoy the show?" Brian asked excitedly.
"It was better that I expected." Cari said.
"Yeah, you guys were good," Brooke lied.
Brian saw her not watching the show and caught her eye then winked at her. Brooke blushed then shrugged.
"I dunno about you guys but I'm starving, how bout something to eat?" Kevin said.
"Me too," Howie quipped.
"Well we have to go now anyway," Brooke interjected.
"Aw, come on, you two can go with us. Please?" Brian said.
"What do you say Brooke?" Cari silently pleading for her best friend to come.
Sensing it, Brooke agreed. The Boys, Cari and Brooke all went for pizza. Cari inwardly groaned. She hated pizza.
"I forgot that you hated pizza. Sorry," Nick said apologetically.
"It's okay. You're lucky that there was a deli or I would have wrung your neck the next time I see you." she said jokingly.
"Oooohhh, I'm scared!" Nick said teasing her.
"She would really wring Nick's neck. She's a brown belt in judo and black belt in karate." Brooke whispered to Brian and
Leighanne, who also joined them for dinner. Brian laughed, almost choking on his food.
Howie, hearing what Brooke said, "Careful with what you say Kaos, she's a Karate freak!"
"Really?" Nick said surprised.
"Want a demo?"
"Yeah,"
"But your gonna be my target," the guys laughed at this. Brooke watched all of this with combined confusion and amusement.
"Will you guys excuse me for a moment? I need to go to the bathroom." Cari said as she stood up.
"I need to go to the bathroom too," Brooke said as she followed Cari's retreating back.
When the two girls were out of hearing range, Brian and the guys cornered Nick with dozens of questions about Cari.
"What's going on between you and Cari," Brian asked straightforwardly.
"I like her, got a problem with that?" Nick said, hurt by the way his bestfriend was reacting to him liking Cari.
"Well if you hadn't noticed Nick, she's a busy girl! She handles a billion-dollar company and has no time to date same as you."
Kevin said.
"She's still an normal girl to me," Nick defended.
"That's one helluva girl, if you ask me," AJ said. Nick's eyes narrowed. "Hey Kaos, no competition here."
"Nick, our world tour is starting in 10 moths. I know it's still a long way but what if she falls for you and
then forgets about you when you come back? That's gonna hurt. We also have to record our new album in 2 months." Howie said.
"I know you guys are very concerned about me but I can handle it. I'm 21 years old not the gullible sixteen year old that you
used to know. I can handle this, believe me." Nick said.
"I only want the truth and nothing but the truth, got it?" Brooke said a bit frustrated.
"What's this, litigation?" Cari said lamely.
"I'm waiting..." Brooke said as she was tapping her right foot.
"Okay fine, I like Nick, better than the others, satisfied?"
"And.."
"I haven't had my usual dreams of my mom making me promise that I will hurt them, just as my dad had hurt her. So I guess
this will be different. But I'm not sure, I don't know! He's so nice, so real, and so open. I just open up to him and I feel
like I've known him forever. I just don't think this will last you know? I mean I've only known him for less than a month.
Besides my dreams haven't been plauging me for the past month but it comes usually the day before they say the four letter
word. I think my mom's watching my every move. I just don't know, it's making me confused more than ever." Cari said running
her hand on her hair.
"Whoa, this is something," Brooke thought. "Okay, let's just wait and see okay? But don't close yourself on him.
Maybe your dreams haven't been plauging you because you mom thinks it's about time or maybe she has forgiven your father for
what he had done. Just give him a chance and this time no masks, and be yourself. Try not to drop this one, okay?" Brooke said
as she hugged her dejected bestfriend.
"Okay," Cari answered sadly.
"So it is possible she could be falling for that blond teeney-bopper pop-star. She has never fallen in love before, I
thought it can never happen, but it has. Trouble, I just hope he can handle her." Brooke thought.
Unkown to them that Leighanne was in one of the bathroom stalls listening, and had already crept quietly from the bathroom.
"What?" Brian mouthed at Leighanne.
"Later." she mouther back.
"We're sorry Frack, just take care okay?" Brian said.
They continued to eat and after a few minutes, Brooke and Cari went back from the bathroom.
Brooke and Cari had stayed for a few more minute and said their goodbyes.
"Bye Nick," Cari said.
"Bye" he said as he hugged her.
"Take care little moma" AJ said.
"See ya" Brian said.
"I'll call you later, Brooke. Bye!" Leighanne said.
"Thanks for coming to the concert, Bye!" Kevin said.
"Bye!" Howie said.
"Bye guys, see ya." Brooke said. And with a wave, Cari and Brooke went inside Cari's car.
Leighanne sighed and told Brian everything she had heard in the bathroom. "I don't have a good feeling about Cari's relationship
with him. I don't think she's serious about Nick. I don't want him to be hurt. What happened to her parents anyway? I know
her mom's dead from what I've heard at the bathroom but I don't understand the dreams."
Brian was quiet for a moment then finally sighed, deciding to tell his girlfriend, "From what Nick told me the other day,
Cari's father is in jail for homicide,"
Leighanne gasped, "Is what I'm thinking right?" Brian nodded stiffly. "Oh my God!"
"Cari's dad killed his wife in the prescence of Cari. He was charged with homicide and abusing Cari's mom when she was still
alive. He also verbally abused Cari. The night Cari's mom was killed, her father knocked Cari out of her senses with a liqour
bottle which landed her 3 weeks in the hospital. Not to mention a million psychiatric visits for the trauma she experience. I
guess that's why she has this steel that protects her from the outside world. I presume that what she told Nick about herself,
was the first time she had ever told a guy she dated. I think she does those thing to get revenge for her mother." Brian explained.
"My God, this girl has an iron will." Leighanne commented.
"Her IQ is in the genius level. And I still cannot get over the fact that she is a CEO at twenty years old!" Brian said
as he shook his head.
"Still, I don't want her to hurt Nicky." Leighanne said firmly.
"Protective aren't we?" teased Brian.
"I just don't want to see him mope for six months again!" defended Leighanne. She was speaking about what Nick's ex-girlfriend,
Mandy, did to Nick. She left him after she got a recording deal. Leighanne sighed.
"What are we going to do? Are you going to tell Nick about this?" Leighanne asked.
"I will, but just the obtuse parts. Maybe Cari will eventually love Nick." Brian said quietly.
"I hope he doesn't get hurt. I care a lot for that "fat lump of a male"," she said with her eyes twinkling.
Brian laughed.
**Heaven In you Eyes by Nick Carter**
"Open up your heart please and say what's on your mind
"C'mon let's go backstage." Cari said motioning to her bestfriend.
The guys and Brooke all had pizza, except Cari who ordered Chef's salad. Luckily there was a deli next to the pizza place.
In the Bathroom...
Cari leaned on the counter knowing that Brooke will come in to lecture her about Nick. She sighed, then Brooke came in.
Leighanne sat beside Brian after coming from the bathroom befor Cari and Brooke went. She looked troubled though only Brian
noticed this.
Inside Brian's car...
"So what's bothering you?" Brian asked his girlfriend casually.
