Part Ten
"E-excuse me?!" Casey stuttered in shock.
"Wait a second--so you have two girlfriends now, Nick?" Jesse asked.
"NO!" Nick cried. "I dunno..."
"Listen, lets just get to the studio and work things out there," Casey suggested.
"Who said you were involved with this?" Caitlin scoffed.
"Well, you shouldn't be involved in the first place," Casey sneered back.
Jesse dragged Casey away and Nick pulled Caitlin away. They walked stiffly out towards the parking lot.
"You don't have a car?" Nick asked the girls solemnly.
"Nope--took a taxi," Jesse answered in the same tone.
Nick opened the back door to the Jeep for them and they got in. Caitlin plopped into the front seat, steaming.
Nick turned up his Nirvana--mainly because the mad tension was becoming unbearable.
++++++++++++++++++++++
"If you want it to be good girl, get your self a--"
"BAD BOY!!!"
"Doop, doo doo doop--yeah--doop doo doo doop..."
Sarah and Megan were happily singing along to the CD as they drove downtown to the recording studio.
"I'm you're bad boy...yeah, I like this..."
"Ooh, ooh, here it comes!" Sarah silenced Megan's humming.
They paused for the end of the song.
"You want it bad, baby? You got it."
The girls burst out laughing and mocked Nick.
"You want it bad, baby?" Sarah asked.
"YOU GOT IT!" Megan finished.
There was another flurry of giggles.
"Here we are!" Sarah announced.
They pulled into a private parking lot, Sarah showing the guard her I.D.
"Parc Studios...Zomba Enterprises, Inc," Megan read from a sign.
They gathered their belongings and hopped out the car, heading through a heavy metal door and up a flight of stairs. They came upon Johnny Wright, who was bustling his way out.
"Sarah! You made it! And Megan!"
"Hiya Johnny!" Sarah chirped.
"I was just on my way out, girls...need help finding the Boys?"
"That'd be perfect!" Megan exclaimed.
Johnny led them into an elevator and punched the third floor button.
"You haven't told the guys, right?" Sarah asked.
"No way!"
"Where's Donna?"
"Resting at home--she's hasn't mentioned a thing, either."
The elevator stopped and Johnny walked up to massive double-doors.
"Here you go, girls. See ya later."
"Thanks Johnny! Take care!"
Johnny left and they looked at each other anxiously.
They pushed open the doors and the sound of guitars warming up was heard. The studio was certainly luxurious. Leather couches lined the walls with plush toss pillows. The actual recording area was behind glass with hardwood floors and bright lights surrounding it. Framed platinum and gold records hung everywhere, including photos of artists such as Imajiin, Solid HarmoniE, 'N Sync, and--of course--Backstreet Boys.
The girls tip-toed hesitantly around a corner and poked their heads to see.
Howie and Brian were the ones warming up the guitars. They were pretty much just fooling around and strumming and few chords. A.J. was talking to the Swedish producers they had invited to produce their third album (once again): Max Martin and Denniz PoP. Kevin was chatting with Bree on a piano bench, his fingers gently plucking a few keys.
"Sarah...who's that girl next to Kev?"
"Where?"
"On the piano bench."
"Oh...I have no clue..."
"Where do you think Nick is?"
"I dunno." Sarah bit her lip, a little disappointed.
"He's probably late or something," Megan quickly said.
They suddenly heard the guitar strumming stop and a pause of silence.
"Hello?"
The girls gasped and ducked, forgetting about their plan of action.
"Is anyone there?"
Megan tried not to laugh from the stupidity of the whole situation.
"Megan!!!" Sarah hissed.
Megan couldn't help herself. She burst out laughing, falling to the ground and holding her stomach. Sarah slapped her hand to her forehead and couldn't help but laugh along with her.
"Megan..." A.J. whispered to himself, and sprinted around the corner.
Megan's laughter stopped as she saw a shadow fall over her.
"I knew it...I knew it all along..."
"AJ...?"
She practically plowed him over as she jumped up and threw her arms around his neck. A.J. tried to steady himself on one of the couches, but ended up falling backwards, Megan on top of him.
"Miss me?" Megan probed, her eyes in puppy dog-mode and lips in an irresistable pout, not bothering to get up.
"So much that it hurt," A.J. replied, eagerly bringing her lips to his.
Sarah finally came into view, laughing at Megan and A.J.
"SARAH!!!" they all gasped.
"Woah...nice seeing you guys, too!" she exclaimed. "Hi Denniz! Hiya Max!"
The producers nodded with a smile, coffee mugs still in hand.
She walked over to Howie and played with his hair while warmly chatting up the guys. If it had been someone else, Howie would've been infuriated, but with Sarah, he didn't mind. She plopped herself on top of Megan and A.J., which cause screaming and pleading for her to get off. She then walked over to Brian, who tilted his head and gave her a loving grin. She was like a sister to him. She laughed, huggin him, and grabbed his basketball and dribbled it a couple times. That was enough to get Brian on his feet to try and steal it from her. They playfully pushed and shoved.
Bree's eyes wandered from Megan to Sarah. She had seen them before...at the Waffle House. They were the pretty girls from the Waffle House. She silently got up to meet them, a shy smile on her face. Kevin quickly got up with her, looking a bit nervous.
"So...what are you doing here, Shorty?" Brian asked, finally letting Sarah take the ball.
"I'm on a break--didn't Nick tell you?"
The Boys looked at each other.
"No, he didn't say anything about it," Howie finally said.
"Oh, well, no biggie...just wanted to drop by," Sarah said with a shrug. She caught eyes with Bree, who was approaching her.
"Hi...I'm Bree."
"Nice to meet ya...I'm Sarah. I guess you're Kev's new girly?"
Bree blushed and slightly nodded.
"Kev, you devil," Sarah teased.
Kevin laughed uncomfortably, wondering when the heck Nick would show up.
"My name's Megan," Megan greeted, getting up from the couch. She felt a twinge of jealousy as her eyes glanced over Bree. She always felt jealousy when coming across an attractive girl--especially one that has been around A.J.
"So you're Megan!" Bree exclaimed.
Megan shot her a quizzical look.
"I'd seen you at Waffle House--"
"SEE?!" A.J. interrupted. "I wasn't crazy!"
"Huh?!" Sarah and Megan cried.
A.J. explained hearing Megan's laugh at Waffle House, but turning to see no one there. Megan burst out laughing and told them about hearing A.J.'s laugh at Waffle House.
Just then, they heard the double doors swing open. Jesse and Casey paraded in. The Boys' mouths dropped open.
"MORE HAPPY CAMPERS!" A.J. exclaimed gleefully.
Jesse and Casey forced a smile at that comment and walked over toward them.
Then came Nick--with Caitlin.
Sarah's head turned at the extra footsteps. She then saw Nick coming towards her and she lept up to embrace him, her face glowing with joy. But she suddenly noticed the girl holding on to his arm. Her smile slowly transformed into a gasp. A look of confusion and anxiety filled her grey eyes.
"Sarah..." Nick neared his girlfriend of 11 months...his loyal best friend for nearly four years...the little sister to his "brothers."
"Nick..?" she managed quietly, eyeing Caitlin.
There was a moment of silence. Denniz and Max slipped into the Mixing Room. Jesse and Casey sat next to Megan and A.J., staring uneasily at the ground. Megan elbowed them with a huge question mark on her face. They said nothing. Bree watched on with confusion and alarm. The Boys were restlessly fidgeting, praying for their Nicky. Kevin squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his temples, knowing that this was going to happen.
"Nicky...who's she?" Sarah raised a finger and pointed at Caitlin.
"Sarah, meet Caitlin. Caitlin...this is Sarah."
Caitlin still hung to his arm, unwilling to let go.
"Hi Caitlin."
"Hi," came the slow reply.
"Tell me what's going on," Sarah pleaded weakly.
Nick cleared his throat and opened his mouth. Nothing came out. He tried again, but this time only supplied a hoarse whisper.
"Nick--" Sarah ran up to him with concern, putting her hand on his chest.
Nick could only stare at her, his eyes apologetic and beseeching.
"I think there's a slight problem, here," Caitlin began, straightning her back and sizing Sarah up.
"Yeah, and I'd like to know what it is," Sarah said, peering obliquely at the pretty blonde.
"You're Nick's girlfriend, right?"
"Yeah...yeah I am."
"Well, I am, too."
Sarah shook her head in denial, backing away. "N-no you aren't."
Megan sprung up in Sarah's defense. "SINCE WHEN?!"
"Maybe a couple days."
This time Sarah had to lean against the wall for support.
"W-why...why did I know this was coming..." She looked up at Nick, her eyes brimming. "Nick? And this is all true?"
Nick forced himself to nod. His face was hidden by his blonde locks.
"Caitlin.."
Everyone turned to see Bree standing up.
"Caitlin let me talk to you, please...in private."
Caitlin slowly slipped her arm out of Nick's, gave him a quick kiss, and followed Bree around the corner. The room was left heavy and depressed.
++++++++++++++++++
"Cait--this isn't like you. What exactly is going on?"
Caitlin shook her head in distress.
"I know, I know...I usually don't act like this! It's just...It's just that I like Nick so, so much. I might even love him."
"WHAT?! It's been...lets see... TWO DAYS?! And you started out liking A.J.!"
"I know...it's all so weird. But the only thing that's coming in clear is that I want Nick. I want him for myself. I want him NOW and FOREVER."
"Cait--this could all just be a silly crush."
"Oh, I see, and Kevin to you is just a silly crush?"
Bree paused painfully.
"Could be." she finally said.
They saw someone run past them and out the doors. They realized it was Sarah, sobbing vehemently. Nick was right behind her, desperately asking her to stop.
"Nick, stay away from me!" Sarah pleaded, running into the elevator. She frantically pushed at the buttons, but Nick got inside just as the doors shut.
"We need to talk--"
"Shut up, Nick...just SHUT UP ONE FUCKING MINUTE!"
The doors opened to the parking lot and she sprinted toward her car. Nick tried grabbing at her arm but she shoved him away.
"Sarah stop--"
She closed the door in his face and frantically started up her car.
Nick began crying as he clawed and pounded on the window.
"DAMNIT, SARAH! GET OUT OF THE CAR!!!!"
That moment, Sarah just lost it. She collapsed on the steering wheel and weeped. Her shoulders heaved. She started banging on the wheel in pure fustration--screaming and cussing. Nick could only watch her in agony. He pressed his face up to the glass, still crying. His fingers slid over the window, as if trying to touch her.
"Sarah...open the door..." he mouthed.
She finally wiped away her tears and looked up at him, simply shaking her head.
"Sorry, Nick."
She stepped on the gas and drove out of the parking lot.
Nick looked after her, and sat down on the concrete. He stopped his crying and hit the ground in anger.
Part Eleven
It was 5:39--nearly eight hours after the incident. When Sarah had left, Nick crawled back up the stairs, greeted by Brian. He was comforted, but even B-rok couldn't make him feel any better. Casey, Jesse, and Megan were very worried about Sarah. All five of the girls were stuck there. Bree and Caitlin huddled on one end--Megan, Casey, and Jesse on another. Neither group attempted to "patch things up." The Boys felt even worse. They watched as Nick slowly went into a breakdown. He looked like he was deathly sick. He refused to go near any of the girls, including Caitlin.
"I didn't know he cared about Sarah so much," Megan said softly.
"But if he cared for her this much, why did he cheat on her?" Jesse asked.
"Maybe Caitlin hypnotized him," Casey suggested, smirking.
The Boys were in the middle of recording their new songs. Nick hadn't been in a good state, so the four remaining recorded their solos. Brian sang "Thats What She Said" with his guitar and an accompaniment. Jesse had walked over and took a seat, staring at him through the glass. Yes, Jesse was the "sort-of" girlfriend. Brian looked at her out of the corner of his eye and smiled.
Next, A.J. sang "Lay Down Beside Me." It was Megan's turn to sit at the glass. Kevin and Howie finished up with "Nobody But You" and "My Heart Stays With You."
During all this, Nick had shrunk away to another room. He had a sketching pad out. He was drawing furiously. His pages were covered in a black mess. He was taking out his fustration through art. He finally calmed down and reached for a smaller note pad, Here, he wrote words, which transformed into poems. The poems, he figured, would probably transform into songs.
When one o'clock came by, they took a lunch break. Johnny had come back with pizza. Nick only ate a couple pieces, which was like a phenomenon. This made the Boys really worried.
"I'm taking a walk," Nick announced, and put down his remaining slice.
Everyone nodded, staring at him with concern.
"I'm coming with you," Caitlin said, standing up.
"I prefer to walk alone."
"Let me walk with you."
Nick was in no mood for any more arguing, so he reluctantly left the studio with Caitlin by his side. They walked in the back lots and down a rugged paved road.
"Caitlin, what do you want?" he finally asked.
"I want to know what YOU want. Me or Sarah?"
"I can't answer that. Not now."
"You've had a while..."
"'A while' isn't enough."
Caitlin got in front of him and stopped him. She grabbed onto his shirt.
"What happened to us? I thought you liked me!"
"I do, Caitlin! I swear! But...but Sarah's my first love..."
"If you started liking me so easily, then that must mean SOMETHING! Something must be wrong with your relationship!"
Nick sighed. "Maybe you're right."
"It must be because of all this touring and her modeling that's been keeping you apart..."
"I guess."
"Nick, I'm here for you."
She gently kissed him. Nick gave in, and kissed her back. He backed away after a minute and continued walking.
"Nick, you could spend a lot more time with me than Sarah."
Nick had his head down. He turned to walk back to the studio. Caitlin awkwardly followed him.
"You like Sarah more than me, don't you?"
Nick looked at her through his strands of hair. He didn't say anything.
They walked back into the studio. The Boys and the producers were waiting for him.
"We're ready to record the new tracks, Nicky," Howie said.
"We gotta do this, Nick. We have a deadline to follow," Kevin added.
Nick nodded and left Caitlin's side to walk into the recording area.
His singing wasn't as great as it should have been. His voice was weak and soft. It didnt' have its prominent edge anymore. They struggled through the first song.
"Uh, Nick, we need more volume here...lets try this one more time," Max said.
They tried again and again.
"Okay, break--you four take a rest. Nick? We gotta start on this solo," Max finally said.
The Boys walked out to rest, but not without giving Nick a pep talk.
"Frack, you can do this, man," Brian assured.
"You can't let this whole deal get to ya...try hard," A.J. said.
Nick only nodded.
This is where we're left off...5:39.
The accompaniment began playing the notes to "Heaven In Your Eyes," the main solo they planned on putting on the new album. It was the power song of the album, according to Jive and TransContinental.
Nick was trying. And the producers could see that. But they had a hard time working with what Nick gave them. He even fell off-key a few times.
Caitlin snuck into the room Nick had been in. She picked up his sketch pad. One showed an angry sea. A lone, battered sailboat drifted upon it. Rain was pouring down. Another one had eyes. Just a pair of eyes and full lips. They had the long lashes of a girl. Caitlin couldn't tell if it was her or not. Maybe Nick couldn't even tell, himself. She moved onto the note pad. His messy handwriting was difficult to read. She saw the words, "confusion," "torn," and "love." This was too much for her. She pushed the papers aside and crouched into a corner of the room, tears running down her face.
"I didn't want this to happen. I didn't want to hurt him or even Sarah..." she whispered.
++++++++++++++++
Dusk came. Everyone had a couch to doze on. They were all so tired for some reason. Even the producers had zonked out in the mixing room after another trial of "Heaven." A.J. and Megan shared a couch, as well as Kevin and Bree. Bree felt Kevin's warm breath on her face. She opened her eyes and smiled. He looked like an angel. Her fingers went over his stubbled cheek.
"What am I going to do..." she murmured.
There was a sudden creak of light as the double-doors opened. Bree quickly put her head back down and opened one eye to see.
It was Sarah.
She wandered in, carefully watching her steps in the darkness. She seemed refreshed. Her hair was shampooed, her face clean of makeup. She wore a baggy Bulls shirt and Umbros.
"Casey? Jess? Megs?"
The girls were sound asleep. They looked so comfortable that she decided to leave them. She took a deep breath and searched for Nick.
She found him still in the recording area. He was working with the pianist, still trying to get the song down. His eyelids drooped from fatigue and he stared at the ground, thinking and thinking. He finally closed his eyes to rest.
Sarah walked in.
"Nick..."
Nick stirred, but nothing else.
She put her hand under his chin and delicately lifted his face. He opened his eyes and stared at her in shock.
"S-Sarah...what are you doing here?"
"The girls need to get home, don't they?"
A flash of disappointment went across his face.
She turned to go back outside.
"Sarah, I love you."
She paused, her heart stopping. Slowly, she turned around.
"I didn't mean for any of this to happen--I just want y-you to know t-that..." he began. "You've always been the love of my life. You're my lil Shorty. I want you to know that, too." He paused and struggled to continue on. "The last thing in the world that I would want to do to you is..is hurt you. Especially like this. But I don't know how to make up for this. I need you to help me, if you can find it in your heart. I understand if you can't. I'll never stop loving you, Sarah. You're my best friend."
They stood looking at each other, tears forming.
"Nick..I..I don't know what to say," Sarah murmured.
Suddenly, the pianist started playing. They looked up in surprised. Denniz and Max were awake, and just nodded, gesturing for Nick to do his thing. He looked over at Sarah. She smiled and nodded, also.
He went up to the mike, heaving in a shaky breath.
His eyes looked at Sarah and never left.
Open up your heart to me
And say whats on your mind
I know that we have been through so much pain
But I still need you in my life
This time...
I need you tonight
I need you right now
I know deep within my heart
It doesn't matter if it's wrong or right.
And I see Heaven in your eyes....
Sarah covered her mouth and sobbed happily. He was singing to her. And the amazing thing was--this time his voice sounded sweeter than ever. Each note was perfect. He sang from his heart. Everyone was waking up. They saw what was happening and crowded into the mixing room to listen. They were all awed. The song had never sounded better. Everyone except Caitlin was in there. She was still in her room. She heard the music because the door was left open. She stared into the darkness, trying to take it all in...
I figured out
What to say to you
Sometimes the words come out
So wrong.
I know in time
That you will understand
That what we have
Is so right this time....
I need you tonight
I need you right now
I know deep within my heart
It doesn't matter if it's wrong or right.
Caitlin had her head down. She knew what was happening. She felt a mixture of pain, loss, regret, and jealousy. But she also knew it was probably the right thing. She hugged her knees to her chest and rocked back and forth, crying silently, trying to comfort herself as she listened to Nick's voice and his words...which were meant for Sarah.
All those endless times
We've tried to make it
Last forever more....
And baby I know
I need you.
He held the note and it sounded throughout the room. His eyes were closed with this expression of bliss washing his face over. Now EVERYONE was crying.
I know deep within my heart
It doesn't matter if it's wrong or right
Cause I see Heaven...
I need you tonight
I need you right now
I know deep within my heart.
It doesn't matter if it's wrong or right.
Cause I see Heaven...
In your Eyes...Nick ended the song beautifully. The producers were practically cheering along with everyone else. He knelt in front of Sarah and took her hands. She knelt also, and they were face-to- face. "Oh, God, Nick...that was the most beautiful thing..." She was interrupted by Nick's kiss. It was the first time they had kissed in a month. She had missed it so much. "AWWWWW!!!" The couple turned to see they had spectators. They rushed into the room to hug and congratulate. Bree, however, was in search of her friend. "Caitlin..?" she called softly, opening the door. The moonlight coming from a window revealed a luster of blonde hair. "Oh, Cait, I'm so sorry," Bree said, wrapping her arms around her. Caitlin sobbed into her shoulder, trying to speak, but was suspended by her trembling and gasping for breath. "I need to get you home, Cait." The light suddenly flicked on. Kevin stood at the doorway. He looked sympathetically at Caitlin. "What is it, Kev?" Bree asked. Kevin held up a phone. "I think it's your grandmother." She took it, and Kevin went over to comfort Caitlin. "Hello? Grandmama?" "Bree! Goodness, child, I'm glad I've reached you." "What's wrong? You sound upset!" "Bree...it's your father..." Bree stopped breathing. "Darling...he's had a heart attack. He's in Intensive Care. They don't think he'll make it..." Bree collapsed to the ground and fainted.
Part Twelve When Bree aroused, the first thing she saw were Kevin's green eyes staring at her with concern. "She's awake!" she heard some cry. She felt a cold, wet cloth on her forehead. Her eyes fluttered as she looked around. They had moved her to the outer room, where she was positioned on one of the couches--several pillows supporting her. She felt a sudden throb coming from her head, and closed her eyes again. "Bree? Are you okay?" Kevin asked, gently removing the cloth. "I guess. My head really, really hurts, though." "Yeah. You hit it hard when you fell to the ground." Brian said. She suddenly realized what had happened before she had fainted. She sat up and looked around for the phone. "Where's my Grandma?! Whats happened to my daddy??!?!" "Bree, shh, it's okay," Caitlin said, rushing to her side. "I talked to your grandma...she said that your mom wants you back home on the next flight outta here. She's already called for tickets--for the both of us. The flight leaves at 7 tomorrow morning...they're all really worried, Bree. Your dad's not doing too well..." Bree shook her head in disbelief. The doctors had always been warning him about his eating habits. But he just never took it seriously. She began crying with everyone watching over her. Kevin wrapped his strong arms around her trembling body and tried his best to comfort her. He was having trouble remaining in composure, himself. A few tears trickled down his face as he remembered the father he had lost to cancer in '91. He knew the pain and sorrow Bree could soon be going through. He didn't want it to happen to her. Or to anyone. The rest stood in respectful silence, wiping away a few of their own tears. Kevin moved away so that Caitlin could have a chance of hugging her friend. "Caitlin, you can stay here if you want. Grandmama and Grandaddy wouldn't mind at all," Bree said through sniffles. "No, I couldn't, Bree. I'm coming back home with you." She wiped away more of Bree's tears and hugged her again. Nothing seemed to be going right, in her view. ++++++++++++++++++ Kevin had driven the two girls back to the estate. They said their solemn goodbyes, and made plans to meet each other at the airport before the departure. Mrs. and Mr. Woodson were both ready with their arms open for Bree. She greatfully collapsed into them and sobbed all over again. Caitlin left them alone and went upstairs. She refreshed herself with a quick shower, changed, and easily fell asleep. Morning came. By six, they left the estate and headed toward the airport with the Woodson's driver shuttling them. "Caitlin, I'm so sorry you had to leave like this--" "Bree, it's okay! I don't care at all! The main issue here is you and your father." "Thanks, Cait." Bree managed a weak smile. "Of course, Bree. You've always been there for me. Now I can be here for you." They arrived at the airport at 6:15. They checked in at the counter and walked over to the Newsstands where they were supposed to meet Kevin. To their surprise, Kevin wasn't the only one waiting for them. EVERYONE was there to greet them--Nick, A.J., Brian, Howie, Sarah, Megan, Casey, and Jesse. "Oh my God..." Bree gasped, tearing up again. Kevin walked up to her with a boquet of red roses and a small, white teddy bear. He kissed her on the cheek as she took them. "Those are from me--and the guys." Nick then walked up to Caitlin. He handed her white roses with a brown teddy bear. Caitlin looked up at him in confusion. "Those are from me. I want to apologize for everything I've put you through. What I did was terrible, and I wish it didn't happen. I'm hoping we can still be close friends. You're a really cool girl, Cait. You made me happy. Maybe...you could call and we could talk sometime?" Caitlin stared down at her presents. A smile faintly appeared on her face. "I would love too, Nick. And I'm sorry about what happened, too." She turned to face Sarah. "Sarah, I can't believe I treated you the way I did. I usually don't act like that. I guess I was paranoid by the fact that he was--well--a BSB. I hope you'll give me one more chance...?" Sarah laughed. "Of course! I'm not a TOTAL bitch!" They ran up to each other and hugged. The tension was gone, and everyone's mood lightened a bit. Megan cleared her throat and nudged Sarah. "Oh yeah!" Sarah exclaimed. She reached into a huge shopping bag and pulled out two nice Bannana Republic shirts. "It's from us girls. We didn't have much time for shopping...it's all we managed to scrape up. You can call them our 'forgive-and-forget' presents." There was another round of hugs and tears. Casey and Caitlin came upon each other and laughed. "I can't believe I was so mean to you," Casey said. "You had every right to be!" "Whatever. I'm just really sorry." "Me too." This time, the guys cleared their throats. "Another one?" Bree exlcaimed. Nick pulled out some kind of cassette. So did Kevin. "These are our rough cuts of the solos we finished yesterday. We thought you might like them." "Oh, this is a wonderful present! Thank you all, SO MUCH!" Bree cried. By the end of that, it was time to go wait for boarding at the gate. Kevin and Bree were left alone as the others goofed off at the other end. Bree was cuddled in Kevin's lap in one of the waiting chairs. The airport was pretty empty, so they had their privacy. "I'm going to miss you," Bree finally said. "Well, we're going to see each other again, aren't we?" "Hopefully." Bree rested her head on his chest, hearing his steady heart beat. "We can always call each other up, or even go online," Kevin said. "Yeah..." "I'll be praying for your dad, Bree." Bree's eyes got a bit misty at this promise. "Thank you, Kev. I'm sure he'll appreciate it." There was another pause. Kevin started softly singing a tune...a tune very familiar to Bree's ears. She then realized it was her favorite song--Sarah McLachlan's "I Will Remember You." "I will re-mem-ber you...Will you re-mem-ber me..." She closed her eyes and focused on his voice, finding it to be soothing. "Don't let your life...pass you by..." "Weep not for...the mem-o-ries." Bree finished with Kevin. "Weep not for...the mem-o-ries......" After going through a painful, long-awaited goodbye, the girls boarded the plane. Caitlin let Bree sit at the window seat. They slowly buckled their safety-belts as the engines started up. They both smiled, thinking of Nick's little problem before. But neither said a word. They were busy collecting memories of their short stay. Bree stared out her window as the plane slowly moved away from the airport and onto the runway. She thought she could see Kevin, still standing at the windows, watching and waiting. Kevin. It's safe. Read it now. Back in the terminal, Kevin was standing at the glass, staring at the plane. The rest waited patiently for him in the seats. It finally took off into the horizon...the sun just rising in the distance. The sky was a beautiful pink. He carefully opened the Bree's letter. She had made him promise to wait until the plane had departed. Kevin: My Kevy-Kev. I'm going to miss you. I wish I could've spent more time with you, but of course, Daddy is the first place in my heart. I had a wonderful stay in Orlando...much thanks to you and the guys. It was very special, and I'll never forget all the memories. Kevin...you are the guy I've always dreamed of. You're so romantic, gentle, handsome, talented... But I wrote this letter to tell you that I don't think we should be seeing each other anymore. I don't think a relationship would be the right step. Especially after seeing what happened to Nick and Sarah. There's so much age difference...it just wouldn't work, Kevin. I know this hurts you...and I'm so sorry. It hurts me, too. I love you so much. I hope to hear from you soon. Bree Kevin took a deep breath and folded it back up and put it in his pocket. He stared back out the window into the horizon. "I love you, too, Bree." EPILOGUE--a final ending Back to Parts 6 through 9 Back to Main
