“Nick, you really should not have screwed around with that stuff,” AJ was explaining over the phone. “That stuff’s personal.”
“I know Bone but I swear that I’ve just stumbled on to something. The mole thing fits, the description of the baby fits, it’s just unreal. And the feeling that I have about it…”
AJ cut him off. “Even if you are right about everything, how do you expect Devyn to take your news? You are paying for organizations to continue her case and while you do that you’re opening her mail and scouring over paragraphs and then, you finally find something, which very well might be it, and then what? You tell her? Easier said than done Nickers.”
“I’ve tried putting myself in her shoes a hundred times and every time I come back with the same answer. I figure I would be angry that this was all done behind my back but I would be grateful.”
“Why didn’t you just ask her if it was okay?”
“I got to involved first,” Nick answered quickly. “What would you have done?”
“I probably would have minded my own business until I had a chance to really talk it over with the person.”
“But in the end, you would be happy, wouldn’t you?”
“I would be happy, but I’m not Devyn and I’m not used to being on my own and independent like she is. Nick, she’s lived 20 years without her real family and on top of that, she’s rarely had a good experience in foster homes. I think that by now she’s learned to support herself and she’s the guiding light in her life…not you. Now as much as you want to be Superman, you need to lay off.”
“Who knows Bone, maybe I’m completely off. Maybe Professor Lockwood isn’t Devyn’s birth father.”
“If that’s the case, then your ass is saved but I guess your gonna have a fun week waiting for those results, aren’tcha Nick?”
“Thanks Bone, you’re really helpful, you think?” Nick’s sarcasm was hard to miss. “Before I let you go, have a great Valentine’s Day.”
“Oh don’t worry Nick…I’m planning on it.”
“Spare me the details.”
“Like I’d tell you anyway,” AJ laughed. “See ya Nick. I’ll call ya next week.”
When Nick clicked the phone off, his first reaction was to call Kevin and see what he had to say about the whole thing but then he realized that he should probably wait until tomorrow for Kristen’s sake. Same thing went for Brian who was more than likely romancing Leighanne. Because he had already spoken to Howie, Nick regretfully walked over towards Devyn’s room and knocked on the door. “Okay Devyn, you can have the phone.”
Devyn opened the door. “If the batteries aren’t dead Big Mouth.” Devyn took the phone from Nick. “Thanks.”
“Who are you planning on calling?”
“Oh no one…” Devyn said with a smile playing on her lips.
“Okay, okay, I get it…have fun talking to Eric.”
Devyn smiled. “You’re quick. You ever considered trying out for Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”
“Everyday,” Nick said. “Hey, maybe I can make enough to buy an apartment and get out of here early.”
“Ah, come on Nick, you’ve made it half way through Hell, you may as well go the other half, right?”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Okay, well, thanks for the phone,” Devyn said as she started to close the door and Nick began heading for kitchen.
“Just don’t leave lipstick marks on it this time, kay Dev?”
Devyn shut the door without a reply, which Nick took as a reply without words. He smiled a bit as he poured himself a bowl of Cheerios.
Devyn carefully clipped a heart shaped barrette in her hair and rushed for the door. She was incredibly late for dinner because of a physics study session with Nancy and was now off by 20 minutes meeting Eric. She didn’t even bother looking in the mirror before she swung the heavy dorm door open. She gave a loud shriek and clasped her hands over her mouth before she realized that it was just Nick getting his keys out of his pocket. “Jesus Christ Carter.” Devyn laughed, playfully hitting Nick on the arm.
“No, I’m not Jesus but that’s for confusing the two of us.” Nick smiled. “That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said.”
“And may I burn in Hell for that horrible misrepresentation.”
“I wouldn’t mind.”
“Yeah, well…neither would I.” Devyn retorted.
Nick laughed outloud. “For once you don’t have some smart ass remark.”
“No, I don’t,” Devyn agreed. “I’m too late to think up smart ass remarks.”
“Better late than never. Or in your case, better today than tomorrow.”
“Shut up dumbshit. You’re here? Aren’t you just as late?”
“I forgot something.” Nick answered triumphantly. “You on the other hand…”
“Just shut up…please before you drastically impair my IQ.”
Nick grabbed his baseball hat off of the coat rack in the dorm and met Devyn in front of the door. “You want a ride?” he offered.
Devyn looked cautiously at Nick. “You aren’t planning to run the car off the road and into a ditch to get rid of me are you?”
“God!” Nick yelled. “I hate it when people catch on to murder plots.” By now he and Devyn were heading into the parking lot and nearing his dark green Durango. “Well, at least you can live out your last few minutes in style rather than in a 1984 P.O.S.” Nick motioned over towards Devyn’s Jeep while he unlocked the car.
“Oh like I’m looking forward to riding in the Backstreet Mobile. Hey, when you honk the horn does it play “Larger Than Life”?”
“Funny,” Nick sighed shutting his car door and starting the ignition. “I faintly remember hearing someone humming the chorus to “The One” the other day.”
“Momentary lapse of stupidity,” Devyn said, nervously playing with her ring. “It won’t happen again poster boy, I promise.”
“Good because next time, I might have a heart attack.” Nick steered the Durango towards “Le Belle’s Garden.
“Well, in that case…” Devyn smiled mischievously and then began humming the opening to Larger Than Life.
Seven minutes later, Nick was pulling into a parking space at the restaurant and turning the car off. Nick locked his car and turned towards Devyn. "You see them?"
"No, I think we're late enough that they've already eaten," Devyn smiled at Nick. "May as well go and see." All of the sudden someone grabbed Devyn's arm causing her to shreik. Nick turned around ready to defend Devyn against an attacker but it turned out that the person was Eric, who had been waiting outside holding a dozen tulips.
“That movie is great, don’t you think Nick?” Mike turned his head towards Nick only to be met with a blank expression. “Huh? What?”
“Nevermind. We were just talking about Gladiator.” Mike realized that Nick had jealously zoned into Eric and Devyn’s constant flirting for the hundredth time that night.
“Oh, yeah, Gladiator. That’s a great movie…” Nick nodded his baseball-capped head towards Mike and the rest of the group. When conversation resumed around him, Nick escaped yet again into watching Devyn. She and Eric were busy coloring a kid’s menu and feeding each other pieces of breadstick. Nick sighed as he watched Devyn’s eyes light up when Eric cracked a joke. Looking back, Nick realized that he had never been able to do that. Now his chance was disappearing like the ice in his water glass.
“Can I refill that for you?” the waiter asked Nick motioning over to the water glass.
“Oh, sure…” Nick sighed at the irony in his thinking.
“I’ll be right back,” Devyn announced to the table. “I’ve had about 5 glasses of water and I’m feeling it.”
“I’ll go with you,” Alicia chimed in. Both of the girls got up and headed towards the bathroom. As they left, Nick couldn’t help but notice how pretty Devyn looked in that rarely seen, V-necked, figure-fitting, pink dress.
Nick’s concentration was broken by Eric’s voice, “Hey Nick, you all right?”
“Oh great, he’s compassionate,” Nick fumed inwardly. “Yeah, I’m okay, just tired I guess,” he said.
“You sure man?” Eric confirmed.
“I’m fine.” Nick took Eric’s “Okay,” as a chance to sink back into thought. “Of all the people Devyn could find to date, she had to pick the genuinely nice one.” The though bothered him immensely until his meal arrived.
“So what’s up with Nick tonight?” Alicia inquired. “He hasn’t said a word.”
“I don’t know,” Devyn sighed, giving herself a disgusted look in the mirror. She felt horribly ugly today. “I honestly can’t figure it out.”
“Oh, then you’re oblivious.” Alicia said with confidence. “Dev, he hasn’t taken his eyes off of you all night.”
“Somehow I doubt that. Nick’s favorite restaurant past time is checking out girls. I know he wouldn’t give that up for me. He and I are like oil and water. We don’t mix.”
Alicia drew in a breath. “So you don’t like him then?”
The question hit Devyn off guard. “Who, Nick. No, why?”
“You used to, I was just asking.” Alicia smiled. Moments later, Alicia was squeezing into the chair next to Nick’s. “So, how are you?”
Nick’s head swam for the rest of the night while he watched Devyn and Eric and tried desperately to answer Alicia’s questions and comments.
Devyn knocked on Nick’s door an hour after the group had returned from the restaurant. We she heard the “Come in,” she pushed the door open to discover that Nick was packing a suitcase.
“What are you doing?” she asked, more shocked than she realized.
“I’m packing,” Nick said bluntly making sure not to make eye contact with Devyn.
“Why? What for?”
“I have to go to a photo shoot tomorrow in the City with the guys so I figured I may as well pack some stuff in case I get stuck there. Do you have a problem with that?”
“No, I was just asking. What magazine?” Devyn asked, genuinely curious.
“Seventeen I think…maybe YM. I’m not really sure.”
“Good that you know your life so well.” Devyn commented.
“Yeah,” Nick laughed a little. “I guess so.”
“Well, um, I was just checking to make sure that you were okay. You were pretty quiet at dinner. I also wanted to say that I’m sorry for forcing you to go. I shouldn’t have made you, I’m sorry...”
Nick interrupted her. “Devyn, I’m twenty-one years old, as much as you question that, and I knew that I could say no. I was just tired tonight,” Nick lied. “I had a good time, so don’t worry.”
“Oh,” Devyn said, not believing Nick. She decided to change the subject. “So, you’re gonna miss physics tomorrow. You want me to get the notes for you if we take any?”
“From you?!” Nick laughed. “Hell no. I’d rather miss out on the lecture than get notes from you.”
Devyn smiled. “Good, then I can sleep you jackass. Have fun in the City. Oh, and before I go to bed, be sure to pack your ‘Hey I’m Nick Carter’ shirt. I hear that fans are pretty vicious in New York.”
“Sorry Devyn, but your not that lucky.” Nick said, moving towards the door to shut it.
“Hey, wishful thinking. It never hurts. Good night Nick.”
Nick shut the door and leaned up against it. Devyn was the first girl he’d met in a long time that didn’t like him as Nick Carter from the Backstreet Boys and now, he wasn’t sure that he could just like Devyn as Devyn McPhearson, college roommate.
Chapter Seventeen
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