Chapter Ten

Gretchen made herself at home in Nick’s huge house. She never understood why celebrities felt the need to buy gigantic houses for one person. It was stupid. Settle for a penthouse or something..but a mansion..waste of money.

She yawned as she made herself comfortable on the couch, readying herself to watch another teen flick involving romance and lust of the adolescent. She had finished cleaning up Nick’s mess from dinner and he had retreated to his office to make some calls for a band he was managing. Gretchen had situated herself in the den, on Nick’s huge forest green leather couch, in front of his gigantic big screen TV. The TV itself could only be describe as...a movie theater screen. Freddie Prinz Jr. popped up before Gretchen. Her face broke out into a smile as she curled under a blanket to swoon the tall dark leading actor. She let out a sigh as Nick’s office door opened across the hall.

“What are you doing?” he asked leaning against the door jam to watch the girl he loved drool over another guy.

“Watching a movie.” Gretchen breathed.

“No..you’re watching that Prinz guy.” Nick said making his way over to the couch. Gretchen saw him coming and she moved her blanket out of the way for him to sit down.

“No difference.” Gretchen said gazing at the screen.

“Please...”

“Hey...I don’t bother you when you are salivating over Christina Ricci.” Gretchen said batting at Nick.

“Okay...look..I do not salivate or have sex dreams about Christina Ricci. Get over it.” Nick muttered as Gretchen sighed deeply when Freddie smiled. “Hey..” Nick said snapping his fingers in front of her face. She blinked momentarily before she glanced over at Nick.

“Yes?” she asked trying to be annoyed. She failed miserably...how could anyone be annoyed with Nick. Especially when he gave the innocent face...big blue eyes..soft, pink pouting lips...

“Why..uh..why don’t you get all mushy when I smile at you?” Nick asked quietly.

“Uh..because you’re not Freddie.” Gretchen stated stupidly.

“Okay..here’s another one.” Nick continued. Gretchen looked at him impatiently. “There is a pause button.” he said grabbing the remote from her to pause her movie. She glanced helplessly at the screen before giving up and turning towards Nick.

“Yes?”

“What kind of guy do you like??”

“Nick..what does that have to do with anything?” Gretchen asked.

“I just want to know. All you and I talk about is friends and music...what about you...what’s here?” Nick asked pointing to her heart.

“Um...” Gretchen stuttered. She wanted to tell him he was in her heart...but her mouth dried. Nick raised an eyebrow. “Nick, why are you asking me this now? All I want to do is watch my movie.” Gretchen mumbled.

“I don’t know. I....” Nick stopped. Why had he asked her that? Proof that she loved him? Why would she tell him she was in love with him?

“Nick?”

“Sorry, nevermind. Here.” he said handing Gretchen the remote. She looked down at it as Nick stood to leave the room.

“Hey.” she said when he reached the door.

“Yeah?”

“Watch it with me?” she asked him. He looked at her and then the screen before moving back to the couch. He sat down and Gretchen smiled over at him. “Thank you.” she said.

“Yeah...hey, I’m sorry.”

“Nick, don’t be sorry...I’ll tell you what’s here soon enough.” Gretchen said moving next to him.

“You don’t have to. It’s okay.” He said giving her a small smile. Gretchen smiled back at him and rested her head on his shoulder. “Hey, she’s kind of hot.” Nick said pointing to the screen.

“Nick...that’s Julia Stiles.”

“Okay...Julia is hot.” Nick said gazing at the screen.

“She is not.”

“Is too!”

“Shut up. She has bad teeth.”

“What movie is this?” Nick asked.

“Down To You.” Gretchen whispered as Freddie came back on the screen.

“I could get into this movie.” Nick said resting his head on Gretchen’s momentarily.

“Yeah.”

The movie ended two hours later with Nick asleep against the arm of the couch.

“Sure you could get into the movie.” Gretchen muttered as she got up and covered Nick’s sleeping form with the blanket. She made her way out of the room and stopped in the hall. She stood trying to decide what to do next. It was only eight at night...early. She made her way up the stairs to her room for the next two weeks. She laid down on her bed and looked at the ceiling. So far her trip was going pretty good. No major moments of nervousness or being uncomfortable. Though that question Nick asked about what kind of guy she wanted was just about one step away from being embarrassing. The phone rang next to her. She quickly answered it so it wouldn’t wake Nick.

“Hello?” she asked.

“Gret?” came a familiar voice.

“Yup..who’s this?”

“It’s me, Brian.”

“Hey Brian. How are you?” Gretchen asked laying back on the bed, pressing the phone to her ear.

“Good, what are you guys up to?”

“Nothing much. Just finished watching a movie with Nick.”

“Oh yeah? What movie?”

“Down To You, a chick flick...he fell asleep.”

“Course he did. If there is no guns or car chases he’s out like a light.” Brian said laughing.

“Typical guy.”

“Not all the time...just when it comes to movies.”

“And when exactly is he not a typical guy?” Gretchen asked smiling.

“Gret..you know Nick. You know he has that...softer side. He doesn’t show it to anyone but me and you. Trust me.”

“I’ve seen a soft side?” Gretchen asked.

“Yup. You’ve seen it and didn’t even realize it.”

“When?” Gretchen asked trying to figure out what softer side thing Nick had done.

“Gretchen, he lets you in. He tells you stuff. Cries in front of you.” Brian explained.

“He doesn’t tell me everything. I asked him today what he was thinking about in the car. Bri, he was smiling like a jack-o-lantern. He wouldn’t tell me. He told me he was confused and lost and had a lot of things going on in his head lately.”

“Yeah, Gretchen, about that. He has been thinking about a lot lately. You need to give him time.”

“Do you know what he’s been thinking about??”

“Yeah.” Brian said carefully.

“Tell me. Bri, I want to help him.”

“I’m sorry Gretchen, I can’t tell you. This is something he has to tell you himself. Just be understanding. Make him comfortable. And please, excuse him if he does something totally unlike himself. He’s changed lately. He’s grown up even more.”

“So, this is like a thing he’s going through because he’s going on 21?” Gretchen asked.

“Not exactly...he’s just made discoveries and has to work through them.”

“Brian you’re scaring me. Just tell me one thing. Is he gay?” Gretchen asked.

“No! No, Gretchen. Oh, God. It did sound like that didn’t it?” Brian asked laughing lightly. “No, he is not gay.”

“Well, what is it??” Gretchen asked again.

“Gret, trust me on this one. Give him time and you’ll know.”

“Brian!!”

“Sorry sweets.” Brian said.

“He’s so weird though. I want to know what’s making him like this.”

“Weird how? I mean, yeah, Nick is weird, nothing new there..but what has he done today that is odd?”

“Well, first off, he was getting jealous of Freddie.”

“Who’s Freddie?” Brian asked surprised.

“Prinz Jr. Bri, he was in the movie. Hello?” Gretchen said rolling her eyes.

“Oh, sorry...keep going.” Brian said laughing.

“Then he paused my movie to ask me what kind of guy I like. Jeez! What a dork.” Gretchen finished giggling.

“What was wrong with that question? Just an “in general” question.”

“You think so? I don’t know, it was unlike him. He’s never been interested in the type of guy I go for. Why now?” Brian sat on the other end listening to Gretchen talk her way through Nick’s actions. She was so close... “Whatever..so Bri? How’s Maddy??”

“She’s good, growing fast. You gonna come and see her tomorrow?”

“You bet. I’m gonna have to drag Nick over there.” Gretchen sighed.

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that. Nick has been over here almost everyday to visit me and Mad.”

“Kidding right?”

“Nick loves Maddy, and she loves him just as much.”

“Really?” Gretchen asked as she broke out into a smile remembering how Nick looked holding Maddy her first day home from the hospital.

“Yep. I swear, Maddy’s first words will be ‘Uncle Nick’.”

“Wow, yeah I’ll be there with Nick tomorrow.”

“Great. I’m sure Mad can’t wait to see you again.”

“Please Bri, I saw her for a matter of five minutes two weeks ago. She probably doesn’t remember me.”

“Sure she does. But hey, I have to get going, Maddy’s crying upstairs. Have Nick give me a call would ya?”

“Sure, Bri. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Have a good night, Gret.”

“You too Bri, bye.”

“Bye.” Brian said before they both hung up. Gretchen laid back on her bed after placing the phone back in the base. After a few minutes of laying there Gretchen got up and headed back downstairs to check on Nick. She entered the den and found Nick curled into a ball on the couch fast asleep. She sat lightly on the edge of the leather couch and gazed down at Nick. He was breathing deeply, and snoring lightly. His eyelids flickered while he dreamed. Gretchen watched as he shifted lightly, a few strands of golden hair falling across his forehead. She smiled slightly, bringing her hand up to brush the strands back in place with her fingers. She let her fingertips glide lightly across Nick’s cheek. He sighed softly in his sleep, a slight smile forming on his lips. Gretchen pulled her hand away from Nick thinking that he was awake but found that he was still sleeping deeply. His smile stayed as his breathing returned to normal again.

Two hours later Gretchen was still awake. She had squeezed on to the couch, sitting in the little room left with Nick sprawled, and had been watching television. She had just gotten involved in a movie showing on USA when Nick woke up.

“Hey.” he whispered when he opened his eyes and saw Gretchen sitting at the end of the couch. He had had the greatest dream about her. The two of them were in his bed, just laying next to each other and she had touched his face. The touch was so light and soft. It felt so real, he could actually feel her fingertips running over his skin. She looked over at him startled but them smiled.

“Hey. You scared me.”

“Sorry.” Nick said sitting up. He wrapped the blanket around him and moved down next to Gretchen. “Whatcha watching?”

“Not sure, but it’s a good movie. It has Mario Lopez in it.” Gretchen answered tugging on the blanket surrounding Nick. He looked down at her before opening the blanket allowing Gretchen to move closer to him to get inside it. He brought the cloth around the their two bodies and sighed. Gretchen made herself comfortable against Nick, resting her head on his upper chest.

“You and your male actors.” Nick said shaking his head slightly. He looked down at Gretchen, seeing her gazing at Mario Lopez. He laughed.

“Shh! I’m trying to watch here.” Gretchen whispered.

“No you are not!”

“What do you call this?” she asked.

“Gawking.”

“Oh shut up.” She said elbowing Nick.

“Hey!” He said squirming against her.

“Shh!”

“My advice? Mute it and just look at the screen. You’re not even interested in the movie...just the actor.”

“And what, may I ask, is the problem with that??” Gretchen asked looking up at Nick with wide eyes.

“I dunno.” Nick said shrugging.

“Yes, you do, there has to be a reason for you saying that. Everytime I watch a guy on tv you get all defensive. What is your problem?” Gretchen asked shaking her head before going back to her movie.

“I don’t have a problem.” Nick said defending himself suddenly.

“Yes you do Nick. I don’t know what it is..but it is still there, just like it was there last time I was here. Nick you better figure it out soon because I’m getting a little fed up.” Gretchen said standing up, leaving Nick sitting speechless on the couch as she left the room. Nick fell back against the arm of the couch and covered his face with his hands.

“What am I gonna do?” he mumbled before reaching for the phone perched on the table next to the couch. He quickly dialed Brian’s number.

“Lo?” Brain answered after a few rings.

“Hey, I didn’t think you were home. What took you so long to answer?” Nick asked as he pulled the blanket around him tighter. He breathed deeply, it smelled like Gretchen.

“I was upstairs taking care of Mad. So, Gret tell you I called??”

“Um, no. You did?”

“Yeah, while you were sleeping, she and I had a nice conversation.”

“Yeah? What did you guys talk about?”

“You.” Brian said smiling. He heard Nick’s intake of breath on the other end.

“Me?”

“Oh yes Nicky, seems you are becoming pretty obvious. You asked her the type of guy she likes?” Brian asked chuckling lightly.

“She told you about that?!” Nick squealed, then cleared his throat realizing he sounded like a girl. He felt himself blush. “I can’t believe she did that.”

“I can’t believe you did that. Nick, why don’t you just tell her? She’s worried about you.”

“I can’t Brian. It’s too much of a risk.”

“Nick.” Brian said in a sigh.

“Brian, you don’t understand. I love her so much, but she is my best friend. If I tell her what I feel and she doesn’t feel the same...I lose her as a friend as well.”

“Nick, you are basically telling her through your actions...why don’t you just get it over with and tell her yourself. She’s beginning to think something is wrong.”

“Nothing is wrong!”

“Nick, you won’t talk to her, you are acting like a jealous boyfriend when she looks at another guy...she thinks something is bothering you and that it has to do with her.”

“She thinks that?”

“Yes, Nick. She does.”

“What am I gonna do??”

“Either act normal, or tell her.” Brian said simply.

“Normal.” Nick said.

“You sure you can pull that off?”

“I’m gonna have to. Brian, you don’t understand the position that I’m in here. I’m stuck. Either I do it one way, or she’s gone.”

“Nick..I am behind you in whatever you choose to do. But, my advice to you is to find a way to tell Gretchen how you feel. That’s all I am saying. That is what I would do.”

“I just don’t know what to do.”

Chapter Eleven
Confessions-Table of Contents
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