**Kayci**
It had been three days. Three whole days and Nick hadn't called me yet, but I was totally okay with that. I knew that Nick was busy and that he barely had enough time to do anything else. So it took him a while to call me. I was cool with that.
I stood still in the kitchen for a while just looking at my glass of water when suddenly, the phone rang. I ran into the living room and jumped at the phone before Jess, who was sitting on the couch, could get it. “Hello?”
“Hi Kayci!” I heard Brian say.
I sighed. “Oh, hi Brian.”
“Gee, nice to talk to you, too.”
“I'm sorry. I just...”
“What?”
“I thought that you would be Nick.”
“You mean he hasn't called you for like the fourth time today?” Brian laughed.
**Brian**
I laughed but Kayci wasn't. “Kayci? You there?”
“Yeah. I'm sorry. Brian, Nick hasn't called me.”
“What do you-”
“At all.”
“Oh, he hasn't called you today?”
“At all. Brian, since you guys left he hasn't called me at all.”
“But he always tells us that he's calling you. He even left dinner early the other night saying that he was going upstairs to call you.” What is going on?
**Kayci**
What is going on? Oh God. Did Brian just say that Nick was leaving dinner early? It's not happening again...is it? Please God-
“Kayci, do you want to talk to him? He's right here. He's asleep, but he's right here.”
“No don't wake-” but Brian had already put the phone down. Why was Nick asleep already? Sure it was nine o'clock here but where Nick was, it was near noon. I didn't want Brian to wake Nick up but then again, I really did want to talk to him.
“H...Hello?” a very tired sounding Nick said.
“Hi Sweetie.”
“Oh, hey Kayci.”
“How are you?”
“I'm okay.”
“Good.” I just sat there, waiting for a response but I got none. His breathing was slow and he sounded so tired. “Nick...I'm gonna let you go. You sound really tired.”
“I am.”
“Okay then. I love you. Bye.”
“Yup...me, too. Bye.”
**Nick**
I slowly hung up the phone and looked up to see Brian staring at me. “What?” I asked slightly annoyed.
“What the hell was that?”
“What was what?”
“Okay where shall I begin? One, the fact that you didn't just tell Kayci that you love her a million times.”
“So?”
“And two, the fact that Kayci says that you haven't called her at all since we left. Is that true? What have you been doing every time that you tell us that you're calling Kayci? Nick, look me in the eyes and tell me that you haven't been lying to me.”
I looked at Brian. I couldn't lie to him again. In one incredibly quick movement, I grabbed a notebook and a pen and bolted out of the hotel room before Brian could question me further. I ran out of the hotel and down the road until I reached the park. I slumped down on the grass. What am I going to do now? Wait, I know! I can write Kayci a note! I pulled out my notebook and found a clean sheet of paper.
Dear Kayci
That's all I can think of. Okay Nick. Just stop thinking, that shouldn't be too hard. Just say everything that you feel.
Hey Baby, how are you? Not good, I know. I'm not doing too well either. But Kayci, I love you so much. I know it didn't seem like it right now on the phone and I'm so sorry that I was so cold to you. I know that you must hate me by now because I haven't called you but you have to understand that I couldn't, that I can't. Kayci, I just want to come home. I just want to be with you. I miss you so much and I love you so much. Is there any way that you can come out here sooner? I need you out here now. I look at the sheet of our tour dates and it makes me tired. Just looking at all of those shows I don't know if I can handle it. Kayci, come out here now. Please, please, please. I love you.
I stopped. I was making myself even more homesick. I moved, leaned against a tree and I read over what I had just written. I couldn't send this to her! I just wish that I could call her. When I heard her voice earlier on the phone, I couldn't talk to her. The more that she said, the more that I missed her and all those times that I told the guys that I was calling her, well, that was my intention. I could only stare at the phone and I couldn't call her because I would lose it. I would just lose it. I looked down at my watch. Oh my God! I didn't think that I had been out here that long. I have to go get ready for a concert! I folded the note up and put it in my pocket where Kayci would never read it and ran towards the hotel.
**Jessica**
It had been a week and a half since the guys left and we were leaving to go see the guys in three days. Three days! Oh, I'm so psyched! But I looked over at Kayci, sitting on the end of the couch...staring at the phone, and I got angry. Nick has not called her in a week and a half. She says that she knows he is busy and doesn't have time for much, but that is complete crap. She also says that she's not waiting for him to call but she is. She so is. I watched her as she stood up.
“I'm not going,” she said abruptly.
“Not going where?” She turned and looked at me. “Kayci?”
“In three days...to go see the guys...I've decided. I'm not going.”
Before I could say anything else, she walked away into her room. Oh this wasn't good. I reached over to the phone and dialed a number.
“Hello?”
“What the hell is going on?”
“Jess? I'm fine, thank you for asking.”
“Sorry, A.J. Hi. Now what the hell is going on?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Kayci just informed me that she's not going with me in three days to join you guys.”
“What? Why not?”
“That's what I'd like to know.” I could feel myself getting madder each second. “Maybe it's the fact that Nick hasn't called her since you guys left. Knowing Kayci, she probably thinks that Nick doesn't love her anymore.”
“And you want me to talk to Nick. Right?”
“Yes, but...”
“But?”
“Why don't you have a little fun with him. Torture him a little.”
“Hmm, I like the way that you think.”
“I know you do. Now go torture him and then call me later.”
“All righty. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” I hung up the phone and smiled to myself. Knowing A.J., Nick would be calling any second.
**Nick**
I sat there on my bed staring at the wall and occasionally looking at the clock to make sure that my mental lapses wouldn't make me late for my concert. All of a sudden, A.J. barged into my room. Damn it, I knew I shouldn't have given him a key. “Yes A.J.?”
“Nick, what the fuck is going on with you?”
Well that wasn't the response that I was expecting. I stood up and looked at him. “What are you talking about?”
“I'm talking about the fact that your girlfriend thinks that you don't love her anymore and Jess has just informed me that Kayci isn't coming out here in three days either. What are you doing to her, Nick? What game are you playing with her? Why don't you love her anymore?”
I slumped down on my bed as the room started to spin. She doesn't love me? I don't love her? She's not coming out here? I put my hands over my face to make my thoughts stop and to make the room stop spinning. I was too scared to call her and that was only making things worse. “I'm sorry,” I choked out.
“Don't you apologize to me!” A.J. yelled. He pulled out his yellow cell phone and handed it to me. “Tell her.” A.J. just stood there for a second and then said, “I'll leave you alone for a while but this had better be settled by the time we have to leave for the concert.”
I couldn't find my voice to thank him so I just watched him leave. I stared down at his phone for a minute and then quickly dialed Kayci's number before I changed my mind.
**Kayci**
I was staring at the ceiling when the phone rang next to my bed. It scared the shit out of me and I nearly fell out of my bed. I looked at it, wondering when Jess was going to get it. But after about the millionth ring, I knew she wasn't going to answer it. She probably went somewhere so I picked it up. “Hello?” I said very unenthusiastically.
“Kayci.”
I snapped up. It was Nick and the way he had said my name was more like a statement than anything else. “Nick?”
“Yeah. Hi.”
“Um...hi.” I just sat there waiting for him to say something. I really just wanted to hang the phone up but I looked down at the ring on my finger and hung on. “Nick-”
“Why aren't you coming out here in three days?”
“I-” What, do you want the truth, Nick? You never could handle the truth. “Because I don't want to.”
“But why?” he asked so quietly.
“Because I don't.”
“Kayci, please come out here. I need to see you.”
I could feel my blood boiling for no apparent reason. “Oh so you need to see me but you can't even call me?” Nick I need you.
“Kayci, I...I don't know-”
“What? What don't you know?”
“Kayci, do you want to know why I didn't call you?”
“Yeah, and the truth would be nice, too.”
He sighed. “I was scared. I couldn't call you because I would lose it. I would completely lose it just hearing your voice. I would miss you so badly, and I do, that I would leave here the next second. I do miss you...so much...I just want to leave but I know that I can't so you have to come out here. Please.”
**Nick**
I sat down on the bed and waited for a response. Well, I told her the truth...the complete truth. “Please,” I repeated.
She laughed. “God, Nick. What the fuck is wrong with you?”
I was not ready for that. “What?”
“Okay, Nick. Ha ha. I'm not going to fall for another one of your pathetic, lovesick excuses. You're nineteen years old...why don't you start acting it. If you don't love me anymore, just tell me. If you're scared to marry me then you could at least have enough balls to tell me.”
“But Kayci, I love you-”
“No, Nick. Just don't. I am so fucking sick of crying over you and waiting for you to call. That is not a healthy relationship. All I asked was for you to call and that's all that you promised.”
“But Kayci, forgive me! I-”
“You what? Forgot to call me? Don't love me? What Nick?”
“I...”
She laughed. “I'll call you.” With that, she hung up the phone.
Shit, I am so fucked.
**Kayci**
I slowly hung up the phone and laughed at my last line. “I'll call you,” I repeated. What I had said was the complete truth. I had wanted to say more but I couldn't. Hurting Nick would only hurt me more and I really didn't need that. I do miss him...so much that I don't want to join him on tour. Damn, I don't know! I don't know what I want to do!
I stood up and walked out into the living room. Jessica looked up from the couch and gave me a strange look. “What?”
“Did you work things out with Nick?” she asked.
“Oh you didn't!”
“Oh but I did, sister dear.”
“Jess, why do you have to...”
“Have to what? Fix you and Nick? Get your stupid man to call you? Because you love him and that's what sisters do.”
“Well you shouldn't have to! Nick should not be so fucking irresponsible that he can't even call me on his own accord. That is so pathetic!”
“Uh oh. I'm guessing that things didn't go too well?”
“Gee, you guessed right. I need some water.” I paused. I wanted to apologize to her for yelling but I couldn't get it out. “Excuse me.”
**A.J.**
“Knock, knock!” I said as I opened the door to Nick's room. It wasn't quite time for us to leave for the concert but I wanted to see how things went with Nick and Kayci. I walked in and saw Nick sitting on his bed staring at my phone. “Nick? I'm guessing things didn't go too well.”
“She won't forgive me. She thinks that I don't love her and that I don't want to marry her. I told her that I was too scared to call her and now she thinks all of these things.”
“Oh so she's finally waking up?” Oh, I shouldn't have said that.
“What are you talking about?”
I sat down next to Nick. “Nothing Nick. I'm sorry. I guess you'll have to wait to work things out with her. We have a concert to get ready for.”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“Come on, let's go.” Nick stood up and I followed him out of the hotel room. This was not good.
**Jessica**
After a very long and grueling flight the plane finally landed! And A.J. was meeting me here! Yes! The plane couldn't land fast enough for me but when it did, I grabbed my luggage and ran off the plane. I ran into the terminal and saw A.J. but I bit my tongue to keep from screaming so I wouldn't cause a huge hysteria. He saw me and ran over to me. I dropped my bags and ran into his arms. “A.J.!”
“Jess, I've missed you!” He kissed me and then paused. “I'm hungry!”
I sighed. “God, that figures.”
“Did...did Kayci come?”
“Does it look like she came?”
“Oh,” was all A.J. said.
We walked slowly out of the airport and into the awaiting limo. The ride to the hotel was kinda boring but I was just happy to be with A.J. again. We got to the hotel, A.J. took my luggage and led me up to the fifth floor.
“Wanna see the rest of the guys?” A.J. asked excitedly.
“Sure. Just let me put my things down in our room.” I ran into the room, not bothering to look at anything, and ran out to A.J. He took my hand and led me across the hall and we walked into a room. “Hey guys!” I said as I saw Kevin and Howie sitting on the beds. Nick and Brian were playing Nintendo.
“Damn it!” Nick said. “I screwed up!” Brian reached over and turned the game off. “What did you do that for?”
“Nick, we have a guest,” Brian said and pointed towards me.
Nick looked up at me and smiled. “Hey Jessie!” He jumped up and quickly hugged me. “I missed you!”
A.J. jumped over to me and protectively put his arms around me. “Hey, watch it there, Nicky!” All the guys laughed. “Get your own woman!”
As soon as A.J. said that, Nick's expression just dropped dramatically. I nudged A.J. in the stomach but the other guys seemed to think that it was funny.
“Yeah, Nick,” Kevin spoke up. “Where is your woman?”
A.J. and I exchanged glances and then looked at Nick. Nick gave me a desperate look but I couldn't say anything...I couldn't find anything to say.
Nick turned around to face the guys. “Well...she's...you see, Kayci...she's...”
“Right here.”