Piece 3: I Surrender
Cuz I'd surrender everything to feel the chance to live again I reach to you, I know you can feel it too I surrender...
Every night's getting longer and this fire is getting stronger, baby I'll swallow my pride and I'll be alive Did you hear my call? I surrender all... I reach to you, I know you can feel it too I surrender
-I Surrender; Kelly Clarkson
(American Idol)
It had happened suddenly. So suddenly it had scared her. One minute, she hated him. The next, she was looking at him with new eyes, as if she had just been born and knew nothing about him. It was three weeks into the tour, things had been going just as poorly as they had started. Kelly had just finished a small interview in the lobby of the hotel and was walking out to the vans that would take everybody involved with the tour to the venue.
Her face was down as she made her way out of the hotel. She looked up to find which van she was supposed to be in and was faced with one of the sweetest moments she'd ever seen. Nick was kneeling in front of a little girl who was crying and asking for her mother.
"It's okay," he was saying soothingly and after a few more moments he scooped her up into his arms and began to carry her to James, the tour manager. "James, this little girl can't find her Mom."
He was like a completely different person as he stood talking to James and rocking the crying child in his arms. To the fans, it would have been normal to see Nick caring so gently for the little girl, but Kelly had never seen him like this. Since she'd been around, he'd been mean, grumpy, and almost vicious. But he'd graciously taken control of the situation and he and James set off into the hotel to see what they should do about the girl.
Kelly stood on the steps dumbfounded and was glad a moment later when she saw a woman leave the hotel with the little girl. Nick and James made their way back onto the street after a few minutes and Nick finally caught site of Kelly standing there. He looked at her like she'd grown another head as she stared at him, open mouthed and close to tears.
Maybe I'm starting my period, Kelly thought as she fought back the instinct to cry. That touched me way too much.
Nick shrugged his shoulders when she didn't speak, only continued to stare, and made his way down the steps and into his van. Kelly watched him walk away and felt her heart thumping against her chest. She'd never realized how incredibly attractive he really was. Sure, he was an asshole to her, but she'd just seen a side of Nick Carter few girls could resist.
And as Kelly made her way to her van she realized she could no longer resist him. She'd seen something in him that afternoon that had moved her and from that moment on her heart ached with a desire she'd never quite known before every time Nick Carter came into a room.
