Sarah, Vanessa, and Alison sat in the waiting area while the guys finished getting ready. They were all in fairly good moods and were poking fun at the other acts as they pranced around the backstage area.
Ali pointed at Brittany. "Oh, what a tramp….and she so can not sing!"
Sarah laughed, "She’s just riding Justin’s coat tails to fame."
Nessa said, "You should do that with Howie! You’re WAY better than
her."
As Howie, Kevin, and AJ joined the girls, AJ cracked, "I know what she wants to ride and it’s NOT Howie’s coat tails."
"Bone! I worry about you," laughed Sarah. "Are you getting enough?"
Wrapping his arms around Ali, AJ shot back, "I’m getting plenty! How about you?"
Kevin shook his head, "I swear! You two need SERIOUS help for your sex life!"
Howie said quietly, "Speak for yourself! Our sex life it FINE."
Everyone laughed and when Brian and Nick came out, it was almost time to go on. The girls were escorted to the skybox that had been reserved for the whole group for the game. They watched as the guys made their way to the stage. All three girls were extremely proud of them and as Howie began to sing, Sarah’s heart soared. His voice was so magical, mesmerizing her. All five voices had the entire stadium in a dead hush and at the end, they received a standing ovation.
When the guys joined Sarah, Ali, and Nessa, the girls greeted each of them with hugs.
"You were FANTASTIC!" said Sarah as she wrapped her arms around Howie’s neck.
Holding Sarah close, Howie smiled, "Thanks, Angel."
Kevin looked at her longingly and thought, ‘Why can’t she give ME that kind of congratulations? Shit! She treats me like one of the roadies…friendly but aloof. What the hell have I done? It can’t be because of the sex. She and AJ still have the same relationship they’ve always had.’
The guys all settled into their seats to watch the football game, laughing and joking the whole time. It was an enjoyable afternoon together and when the game was over, they all headed to Club Fun. Nick had reserved a table for them for dinner and then they’d hit the bar afterwards for his birthday party.
Sonja and Becca were suppose to meet them there but when they arrived, Becca was no where to be found.
All through dinner, Nick kept checking his watch. At point, he reached over to Sarah sitting beside him and check her watch too.
Sarah pulled her arm away. "Stop it, Nick. Checking the time every two minutes is NOT going to make her get here any sooner."
A couple minutes later, Nick reached for Kevin’s arm and he snapped, "Sarah just told you to stop! She’ll be here!"
Sonja said, "I don’t know what could be keeping her. She was getting ready to leave when I left."
Sarah asked, "Why didn’t you two ride together?"
Nick grinned, "She’s spending the night with me."
"Stupid question. You know it’s their last night before the tour leaves the state for good," cracked AJ.
"Bone, does EVERYTHING boil down to sex with you?" shot Sarah.
"You know it, baby!"
"Ali, I am SO SORRY!" laughed Sarah.
"Oh, I DEFINITELY don’t mind."
"Let’s move this party to the bar," said Nick. "It’s time to par-tay!"
Sarah kissed Howie and said, "I’ll be there in a minute, ‘D’. I need to use the bathroom."
Howie looked at her knowing full well what she was going to do but knew he couldn’t stop her. "Don’t be too long."
Howie watched as Sarah headed to the restroom alone and then followed the others. He didn’t notice Kevin hanging back to follow Sarah.
Kevin hesitated at the door and a lady came out. He said, "My girlfriend wasn’t feeling well. Did you see someone in there getting sick?"
"There’s a beautiful young lady wearing a purple and black outfit throwing up."
"That’s her. Is she alone?"
"Yes."
The lady stepped out of the way and Kevin slipped in, closing and locking the door behind him. Sarah was standing at the sink now splashing cold water on her face.
"What the hell are you doing in here?" asked Sarah when she spotted him in the mirror.
"The question is…What are you doing?"
"None of your business. Let me out of here," said Sarah as she started for the door but Kevin stood in her way.
"No! I want to know why all of a sudden, you won’t speak to me. Ever since the night of the storm, you’ve avoided me, or at least made sure that we weren’t alone. What did I do?"
Sarah thought fast. There was no way she could tell Kevin the truth so she had to think of something he'd believe. "Why don’t you back off, Kevin? Did you ever think that maybe you’re crowding me? I love Howie and I’m with him. Not to mention, you HAVE a girlfriend."
Sarah could see the hurt in his eyes as he said, "But I thought we were friends? We’ve shared too much for you to shut me out like this."
She dropped her eyes from Kevin’s intense gaze. Quietly, "Stop, Kevin."
Kevin saw his chance and he moved to her. He slipped his hands around her waist and leaned to her ear. He whispered, "Baby, please, don’t shut me out."
His hot breath on her ear sent chills down her spine and she let out a soft whimper. She put her hands on his chest to push him away. "Please, Kevin. Don’t do this!"
"I want to know what I did wrong, Sarah," said Kevin as he lifted her chin to look into her eyes. He placed a feathery kiss on her lips and she practically melted in his arms. "I can see there’s something wrong by the look in your eyes," he said softly against her skin.
Sarah’s mind was a whirlwind as she closed her eyes in an effort to shut out the pain. All she could see was Howie. ‘God, why’s he doing this?’ she thought. She pushed him back, "I love Howie! Don’t do this to me…to us!"
"Us? There is no ‘us’, Sarah. You’ve shut me out and I don’t know why."
Sarah had tears streaming down her cheeks. "You didn’t do anything, Kevin, except be a wonderful friend."
"Then tell me what’s wrong."
"I can’t, Kevin," she said as she pushed past Kevin to the locked door. "Damnit!" she cursed realizing he’d locked the door. Quickly she unlocked it and ran out.
Kevin hit the wall with his fist. "Damnit!" he growled.
Knowing full well that Sarah would tell Howie what had happened and that he’d be pissed, Kevin followed Sarah to the bar to do damage control. As he walked in, he spotted Sarah in Howie’s arms and Howie shot him a dirty look.
Going over to the couple, Kevin said, "I’m sorry, ‘D’. I didn’t mean to upset her."
"What the hell did you think you’d do, cornering her like that?" said Howie through clenched teeth. He was using every ounce of control he could manage to keep from hitting Kevin. "I’m really grateful to you for looking out for her while we were having problems but she’s my girlfriend. I’ll take care of her."
"You’re doing a shitty job of it!" growled Kevin. "She’s losing weight again and she was throwing up again. I also know for a fact that you have NOT talked to Billy about Raoul staying with her when we leave. Are you going to leave her here alone and let Russell really hurt her next time?"
From out of the blue, Sarah slapped Kevin. "Go to hell, Kevin Scott Richardson! It’s not your place to decide if Howie is taking care of me or not."
The slap rung out and stunned everyone, especially Kevin. He stared at her in bewilderment, one lone tear sliding down his cheek.
By now, Ali, Nessa, AJ, and Brian were there with the three. Brian took Kevin by the arm saying, "Let it go, Kev."
Ali said softly, "It’s Nick’s birthday and you two are ruining it by arguing."
Sarah was in tears and Howie said gently, "Angel, go with Ali and Nessa and watch your face." Ali and Nessa led Sarah to the bathroom leaving the guys alone. When they were gone, Howie looked at Kevin and said calmly, "Kevin, I love Sarah with all my heart and I’m not going to let anything happen to her. I know exactly what she’s doing but I can’t do anything to help until she admits there’s a problem."
Kevin knew he’d let his anger and frustration get the better of him. "I’m sorry, Howie. I’m just worried about her and I can’t understand why she’s shutting me out."
"Look, you haven’t done anything. It’s just everything that’s going on right now with Russell. I know ALL of you are worried about her. Before we leave for Philadelphia, I’m going to talk to her about getting help."
AJ asked, "You mean the treatment center?"
"Yeah," nodded Howie sadly. "It’s a thirty day program and I think I’ve got someone to cover for her with work."
"Do you think she’ll listen?" asked Nick who had now joined the group.
"I hope so," said Howie. "Guys, I’m scared of losing her…no, terrified would be a better word to describe how I feel. I’ve read stories of how this can kill a person."
The guys saw Sarah with Ali and Nessa coming back as AJ said, "We’re behind you, ‘D’, whatever it takes."
Sarah joined Howie and he put his arms around her. The guys looked on as Howie held her close and they wanted to help.
Without saying a word, the party began, the music pumping a hard beat and the couples moved out onto the dance floor. That is, all but Nick. He went back to their table where he sat staring at the door, waiting for Becca.
As they danced, Sarah glanced over at Nick. "D, something’s wrong. Becca should have been here by now."
"Stop worrying about everyone else. You’ve got enough on you."
"I can’t help it."
"I know. She’s your best friend but you can’t worry about her too."
"What if something’s wrong?"
"Then let Nick worry. Angel, this is our last night and we’ve already got enough on us. Let it go."
Sarah looked into Howie’s eyes and knew he was right. She settled her head on his shoulder and they continued dancing.
It wasn’t more than an hour after the confrontation between Kevin and Howie that Kevin and Vanessa got into an argument. Kevin kept staring at Sarah as she danced with Howie and it ticked Vanessa off to no end. She was tired of Kevin’s attention being directed at Sarah whenever they were together so she made it known. Then she walked out. Kevin followed knowing she was right and knowing he couldn’t take any more….not knowing why Sarah wouldn’t speak to him.
The rest of the night was a complete bust as well. No matter how hard they all tried, the group couldn’t get Nick’s mind off Becca. Sarah and Ali tried dancing with him and it worked for as long as they were on the dance floor but then he’d go back to his place and stare at the door as if he could will her to come through it.
The party broke up around eleven and everyone headed their own direction for their final night at home. Before leaving, Sarah went to check on Nick. She reassured him that it was probably something to do with her job and that she most likely had tried to call him. Nick said he’d go straight home to check his messages and then he was headed to Becca’s to find her.
Walking out to the car, Sarah pulled her cell phone out.
"What ‘cha doin’, Angel?"
"Calling Bec. There’s got to be a …..hmmm, did you hear my phone ring tonight?"
"It was too loud. Why?"
"I’ve got a message."
Sarah pushed the buttons to pull up the message and realized it was from Becca. She listened and stopped in her tracks. Howie looked back and saw her turn pale.
"What is it?"
In a state of shock, Sarah handed him the phone, "Here…you listen to it!"
Howie listened too and asked, "What’s she done to him?"
"I have NO idea. We’ve got to tell Nick."
"What are we going to tell him? All we’ve got is this cryptic message that she loves him but she can’t do this to him. We need to wait before we say anything to Nick."
"What are we going to wait for? You heard him. He’s headed to Orlando after he goes home. I can tell you by the message, she DID NOT call him. She’s a chicken-shit and has turned tail and run. Something happened tonight to scare her and it’s probably the fact that he’s getting ready to go out on tour. DAMN HER!"
Howie could see and hear the growing panic and fear in her voice and in her eyes. He took her hands in his and pulled her to him. Holding her tight, he said, "Stay calm, Angel. Let’s go to Becca’s to see what we can find out. We’ve got about an hour on Nick, maybe more if we leave now."
The two went to the car where Howie helped Sarah in. He circled the car and got into the driver’s seat. He started the car and headed out of the parking lot and Tampa. Howie drove as fast as he could but it wasn’t fast enough for Sarah. She wanted to know what was going on and she was impatient to find out.
All the way to Orlando, her mind raced. What the hell was Becca talking about? Why was she doing this now? Nick didn’t need this now…not getting ready to go out on tour.
At Becca’s, Sarah searched her pocketbook for her key and finally found it. She handed it to Howie as they walked arm-in-arm to the house. He could tell her hands were shaking and he pulled her tighter to him.
"It’s going to be okay."
"You know this is the first time I’ve been back since Halloween? I’m scared, Howie."
"I’m with you, Angel. You’ll be okay."
Inside, it was eerily quiet. They looked around to see that everything was gone; all the pictures, the CDs, and the stuffed dolphin that Nick had given her after their first date. The only thing left was a newspaper article and the diamond ring Nick had given her New Year’s Day.
Howie picked up the article as Sarah looked over his shoulder. "Is this Andrew?" he asked.
"Yeah, it is," choked out Sarah. "Oh god, Howie!! We can’t tell Nick THIS!"
"I agree. It’s not our place but we’ve got to tell him something."
"We’ll just have to tell him she’s gone and we don’t know where or why," said Sarah.
The emotions were dancing around in Sarah’s head. One minute, she was mad as
hell at Becca for being such a coward and the next, her heart was breaking for
her best friend. She could only imagine the pain and confusion Becca was going
through. Then there was Nick. Her heart ached for him right now. He never had
much luck with girls and when she’d told him about Becca, he’d been
skeptical. She’d promised him Becca would be different from all the others
because she was older.
There was herself too! What in the hell was she going to do now that Becca was gone too? Howie was leaving soon, Becca was gone, and she was still dealing with the fact that she had ACTUALLY murdered someone. Her life was falling apart….again…or so it seemed to her.
Howie looked at Sarah and saw the emotions playing out in her eyes. His heart was breaking because he knew he was leaving and wouldn’t be there to help his angel. Now she was going to be all alone and he didn’t know if she would make it.
Taking her in his arms, Howie held Sarah close. "Talk to me. Don’t hold it in."
"I’m scared! I’m mad! I’m hurt! God…I can’t do this, Howie!" she sobbed.
"I know it seems rough now, but Sarah, you can do it. You’re stronger than you give yourself credit. I have faith…."
Howie and Sarah were interrupted by Nick banging on the door and screaming Becca’s name at the top of his lungs. Howie took the article and stuck it in a drawer while Sarah went to get the door.
Nick was still banging on the door as she opened it and practically fell in the house.
"You’re going to wake the neighbors with your bellowing, Nick," chastised Sarah.
"Where is she, Sarah?" demanded Nick as he pushed past her. "BECCA!! Becca!"
Following him into the living room, Sarah said, "I don’t know, Nick."
Nick squared off with Howie. "What’s going on, ‘D’?"
"Sit down," said Howie calmly.
"NO! Just tell me! Where is Becca? Is she okay?"
Howie and Sarah looked at each other and Sarah forced Nick to sit down on the couch with her. She took his hand in hers and began. "Nick, Bec tried to call me sometime during the evening but Howie and I couldn’t hear my phone. When we left, I got the message and all she said was she couldn’t do this to you because she loves you. She’s gone, Nick, and I don’t know where."
Nick was in shock. "Why?’
"I don’t know, Nick," repeated Sarah gently. "She hasn’t given me any signs of being unhappy lately. In fact, she sounded happier than I’ve ever heard her the last time we talked."
Tears began to slide down Nick’s face, falling on Sarah’s hand as she held his. "We were happy," he said quietly.
Howie had the ring in his hand so he handed it back to Nick. "She left
this."
Nick looked at the ring and slipped it onto his pinky. His mood quickly shifted as he stood up and went to stare out the door at the pool. Angrily and without looking at Sarah, he said, "You promised she’d be different."
"I know and she is different, Nick."
"No, she’s not! She’s taken everything I had to give and thrown it away…just like all the others. They take and take but never give back."
Sarah knew Nick was hurting as she said, "Bec wasn’t like that, Nick. She gave all of herself to you and she loved YOU…not because you are Nick Carter, the beautiful, blonde Backstreet Boy. She loved you because you were Nick Carter, a warm, sensitive, and caring guy. That’s where she was different. All the others were after the fame and glory. She HATED the public side, Nick. It terrified her but she faced it because she loves you!"
Nick knew she was right but it didn’t make the hurt go away. He wanted answers but he didn’t know where to find them.
Sarah went to him and he turned around, taking her in his arms and hugging her tight. He whispered into her ear. "I love her, Sarah. I love her so much and it hurts so bad right now."
"I know, Nicky. I’m hurting too. She walked out on BOTH of us."
"What are we going to do?" he asked still holding Sarah, his tears falling into her hair.
"I don’t know, Nick. I guess we wait and see if she contacts us."
Nick let go of Sarah and said, "I need to think."
"Why don’t you stay here?" suggested Howie knowing Nick was too upset to drive.
Nick looked around. "What about you two?"
"If you want us to stay, we will. Otherwise, I’m taking Sarah home."
For the first time since he’d arrived, Nick ACTUALLY looked at Sarah and realized what this must be doing to her too. She’d put up a brave front for him but he could see the hurt. He reached to touch Sarah’s cheek and brushed her hair off her shoulder.
Softly, Nick said, "Take her home, ‘D’. I’ll be okay."
Sarah touched his hand and stood on his toes to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Nicky, I’m so sorry she did this."
"It’s not your fault, Sarah. Go home and get some sleep. We’re leaving today and I know you want to alone with Howie."
Sarah hugged Nick again and went over to where Howie was standing. He wrapped his arms around her as they watched Nick make his way up the stairs to Becca’s room.
Nick closed the door and looked around the room. It was empty save furniture. Nick lay down on the bed suddenly exhausted. He pulled her pillow to him breathing in her scent. The tears began again and he cried himself to sleep.
Back downstairs, Sarah would have collapsed had Howie not had his arms around her. He picked her up carrying her to the couch where he set her down. He looked at her as she began to cry uncontrollably and his own tears began to fall. He gathered her in his arms rocking her gently and not saying a word. His tears fell, mixing with hers and his thoughts raced. ‘I can’t do this…I can’t leave her.’ He felt her whole body shaking as she cried and he held her tight in an effort to make her feel safe again.
As Sarah seemed to be calming down, Howie asked, "Angel, are you ready to go home?’
Sobbing, Sarah managed to say, "Please….I can’t stand this house any more!"
The ride to Cocoa Beach was painfully quiet for Howie. Sarah leaned against him not saying a word but every so often, she’d let out a small sob. His own tears falling silently as he drove. By the time he reached home, Sarah was asleep. Somehow he managed to get out without waking her and the got her out too. He carried her into the apartment and straight to bed.
Howie woke suddenly to Sarah’s screams. He moved quickly to take her in his arms, talking gently to her. "I’m right here, Sarah. You’re safe."
"OH GOD! I can’t take this any more, Howie!" wailed Sarah as he held her to his chest.
"I know, Angel. It’s going to be okay, I promise," reassured Howie. Looking at the clock, Howie realized that he had forgotten to set the alarm and they’d overslept. He was suppose to be in Orlando in thirty minutes for breakfast with the guys before they left on tour. He said softly, "I need to make a phone call, Sarah."
"Don’t let me go!" pleaded Sarah through the tears.
"I’m just going to reach over for the phone."
Howie called Kevin and told him that they’d overslept. They talked for a few minutes and then Howie hung up.
"Do you have to go?" asked Sarah meekly.
"Not just yet. Sarah, we need to have a serious talk. All of this is destroying you and I can’t take it any more. I want you back….healthy in EVERY way….and I think it’s going to take more than the outpatient program to do it. You need more help than you’re getting."
"You want me to check into the clinic?"
"Yeah, I do! It’s a thirty day program and you’ll have someone on call 24/7 when you need to talk. With Becca gone and me on the road, you need to do this. Sarah, I love you and I’m scared of losing you. I’ve been reading what the bulimia is doing to you inside and I SEE what it’s doing to you on the outside. I also see what the guilt is doing to you! I’m terrified that I’m going to be on tour and John or Mama is going to call and tell me that you’ve…."
"Howie, I’d never take the ‘easy’ way out," said Sarah.
"Maybe not but I’m still terrified of what COULD happen."
"Will you go with me?"
"Let me talk to the guys. We’ve got a show tomorrow night but I could fly up and meet them. Are you willing to do this?"
Sarah nodded her head meekly. "Yeah…I can’t do this anymore and I can’t do it to you!"
Howie hugged her close. "I love you, Sarah, very much."
"I love you too, Howie."
"You know, I saw a glimpse of the REAL you last night with Nick. You were strong for him even though I knew inside you were so mixed up. I was proud of you, Sarah, and I have faith that you can do this."
Sarah smiled through the tears. "When it’s over, we’ll be together, right?"
"Without question!"
"What about the youth center and the club and…"
"It’s covered until you are ready to go back. Rachel and Jeff are going
to take care of the youth center. Tito is going to handle the club and John said
he’d check in from time to time when needed and Polly and Angie are going to
handle the foundation. You’ll be able to work on the websites from the
treatment facility after the first week. When you get out, I’ll make
arrangements for you to join me wherever we are."
"Will you be able to visit?"
"I don’t know. It depends on my schedule but I’ll call as often as I can and I’ll even get Nick to teach me how to email you."
Sarah laughed at that. Howie hated messing with the computer; that’s why he had her do everything for him. "I can see Nick teaching you now."
"Hey, I’ll do ANYTHING to keep in touch with my Angel. Now come on, let’s get ready and head to town."
"What if you can’t go with me?"
"I’m sure the guys will agree that it’s more important for me to be with you. Don’t worry about it."
Howie and Sarah got ready to head to town where they were going to meet the others for breakfast. It didn’t take long and they were gone.
At the restaurant, Sarah sat next to Ali in an attempt to avoid Kevin which he noticed. She also saw that Nick wasn’t in much better shape than she was. Not much was said the whole time and when Sarah went to the restroom with Ali and Nessa, Howie took the chance to talk to the guys.
"While Sarah’s gone, I need to tell you she’s agreed to check into the clinic. We still have to talk to her doctor and do whatever they need to do before she can be admitted but she wants me to go with her. Would you guys mind if I flew up to meet you guys?"
Brian spoke first, "Howie, you need to do whatever is necessary to help Sarah. If it means flying up, then by all means, do it!!"
Kevin shook his head in agreement. "Yeah, ‘D’. Sarah needs you and if we could, we’d all hang back."
"AJ?" questioned Howie.
"You know the answer, bro. Sarah means a hell of a lot to ALL of us. Take care of her first and meet us there tomorrow. We’ll save you a room."
"Nick?"
Nick was still reeling from Becca’s disappearance but he managed to say, "Yeah…go for it, Howie. Sarah needs you. God knows, at least she’s willing to FACE her problems."
All four looked at each other but let it slide since Sarah was coming back. Howie told her that the guys had agreed that he should stay with her and she was grateful. They all gave her a hug and wished her all the best before heading to the buses. Howie and Sarah went with them to see them off and to make sure that Howie’s stuff was on his bus.
Howie and Sarah spent the rest of the day getting details taken care of for her to check into the clinic. Her doctor wanted to run tests on her and she had all kinds of paperwork to fill out. Howie stayed with her the whole time and when they toured the clinic, he held her hand tight for reassurance.
That night was rather quiet. While Howie fixed dinner, Sarah changed into sweats and one of his shirts before going out on the balcony to watch the ocean. Howie watched her through the doors thinking how sad she looked. He knew that she was hurting from Becca’s disappearance and he wanted to make things better for her.
After dinner, the couple sat together watching television in bed. Howie was sitting up, leaning against the headboard with Sarah between his legs leaning against his chest. He had his arms around her and ever once in a while, he would nuzzle her neck just to take in her smell. Neither said anything. They didn’t need to. They were so ‘in tune’ with each other that they knew what the other was thinking and feeling.
Sarah fell asleep in Howie’s arms and later he moved her so that they could spoon together. The peacefulness of the whole evening was marred only by Sarah’s nightmare that woke them both in the dawn hours. Howie pulled her close to him and they made love, moving slowly, as if to memorize every minute detail to last them through the coming weeks.
At the clinic, Howie handed Sarah the bear Nick had given her two years ago and said, "Here, it’s not me, but it’ll have to do at nights until we’re together again."
Sarah tried to smile but she lost out to the tears that flooded her eyes. "I’m scared, Howie."
His own eyes moist, Howie leaned his forehead to hers and cupped her face with his hand, "I am too, Angel, but you’ve got A LOT of people in your corner. You have my cell number. Call me when you need me."
Sarah smiled this time. "You’ll never get off the phone if I do that."
Relieved to see her smiling, Howie said, "That’s my girl. Now, I’ve gotta go and you have your first session in fifteen minutes. Hang tight, Sarah. Thirty days will FLY by and we’ll be together."
"Call me after the show tonight?"
"You know it!" said Howie as he hugged her close. He pulled back from the hug to look her in the eyes and then he moved in close, his lips covering hers in a passionate kiss. He pulled away and said, "I stuck a calendar, one of ours, in your stuff. You can use it to count the days."
"Thanks, ‘D’."
Howie looked at his watch. "I have to go, Sarah. I love you."
"I love you too," whispered Sarah afraid she wouldn’t be able to hold it together if she said it any louder.
Howie gave her one last kiss and then headed for the door. Sarah watched as he got into the waiting limo and it pulled away. She couldn’t fight the tears any longer as they spilled out uncontrollably.
In the limo, Howie’s own tears were making their way down his cheeks as well. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the diamond he’d bought in New York only a couple months earlier. Then he took his necklace off, slipped the ring on it, and kissed it before letting it fall to his chest.
"One day, Angel, VERY SOON!"
********************************
Will Howie ever get to propose to Sarah? Does Nick ever find Becca? Read 'Bittersweet Interlude' to see what the two couples are feeling and then go to 'The Dance' to see if everything works out for them.