Separated: The Story

"All I want is to be married," seven year old Camryn sighed dreamily as she laid back against the grass, her best friend Aaliyah laying next to her.

Aaliyah giggled, "We're seven, Cam."

"I know ... but I want a prince charming. When I get a little older, I'm gonna find me one."

~ * ~

Aaliyah grinned joyously at her best friend through her veil. She was getting married and Camryn was her maid of honor. Aaliyah couldn't be any happier, but there was a faint air of sadness and she knew it was coming from Cam. Camryn was always talking about finding a man to marry ... she'd wanted to be married ever since Aaliyah could remember.

"Cam," Aaliyah finally broke the ice and grabbed Camryn's hands, "you'll find him, girl, you will. It took me a while to find AJ. You're only 23, Cam, you'll get a man and you'll fall in love and his one wish will be to marry you ... and you'll get married and live happily ever after."

Camryn sighed before a small smile began to form on her beautiful face, "Thanks, Aali. Now c'mmon, let's get you and Aje married."

Camryn stood at the front of the chapel moments later, her maid of honor's dress hugging her body perfectly. She glanced behind her at the other brides maids before looking over to the groomsmen ... Nick, Howie, Brian, and Kevin. She caught Nick's eye and they both smiled at each other just as the music started and Aaliyah began to make her way down the aisle on her father's arm.

~ * ~

Camryn sighed, strumming her fingernails lazily against the table cloth. She was sitting in Aaliyah and AJ's wedding reception, the music playing loudly all around. There was a huge dance-floor that was being occupied by the majority of the guests ... but not Camryn. She hadn't danced yet, mainly because there had been nobody to dance with. Suddenly there was a tap on her shoulder. Cam turned around and smiled.

"Hey, Nick ... what's up?"

"Well ... it's only tradition that we dance. I mean, you know, the best man and the maid of honor," Nick grinned cheekily and extended his hand to her.

Camryn laughed and accepted the offer, standing, "Nick, you aren't the best man."

"Well I'm one of 'em, so there."

She nodded with a smile as they stepped onto the dance-floor and Nick wrapped his arms around her waist as she in-turn put hers around his neck. They danced for almost an hour before even deciding to take a break.

~ * ~

Camryn sighed happily as she walked up her front porch, Nick's hand still holding hers. After the reception they'd gone to a local cafe for some hot chocolate. They'd talked away most of the night and Nick had of course driven her home. He'd insisted on walking her to her door and Camryn hadn't wanted to protest in the slightest.

"So will you be at the church tomorrow as part of the cleaning crew?" Nick laughed as they stood in front of her door, their fingers entwined and the two of them hardly noticing. Nick was referring to the fact that since AJ and Aaliyah had immediately left after the reception a group of people, including the rest of the Backstreet Boys, would be going to the church and reception hall the next day to clean everything up.

"Yep," Camryn smiled, rolling her eyes a second later, "Aaliyah, of course, signed me up for that one!"

"Without askin' you, right?" Nick laughed. "That's Aaliyah for ya."

Cam smiled and reached over to give Nick a hug, "Thanks for tonight; it was fun. And thanks for the ride home. I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow then."

"'Course."

~ * ~

Over the next month Nick and Camryn grew considerably close. They'd known each other for four years and had always been friends, but since Aaliyah and AJ's wedding they'd been going places together, outside of their group of friends, and though they hadn't yet defined their relationship they knew it was growing into a more-than-friends thing. Camryn was happy ... she'd always wanted a guy who made her feel like she was the only woman on earth, and Nick was extremely good at doing that. Nick was happy too ... he'd been looking for a woman that knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to go and get it ... he was glad that he seemed to be what she wanted.

"Cam ... come in here!" Nick yelled from his living room.

Camryn came in from the kitchen where she'd been making a homemade pizza. "What? What?"

"This is the best part of the movie!! You can't miss this!" Nick exclaimed in excitement, suddenly laughing hysterically at the scene.

Camryn rolled her eyes and plopped down next to him on the couch, Nick still trying to regain his normal breathing. The scene switched to another one as Camryn looked at him in amusement.

"You brought me away from making my delicious pizza to watch a short, not-as-funny-as-you-seem-to-think-it-is scene in a stupid Steve Martin movie?"

Nick gasped and looked at her with wide eyes, "The Jerk is not a stupid movie, Cam!"

"Okay, okay," Camryn laughed, "sorry. It's not stupid, pur sae. Well ... Nick, it's entertaining and amusing, but I wouldn't really call it knee-slapping hilarious."

"I would."

"Okay. I'm glad," she leaned over and kissed his cheek gently before standing up to leave and go back to the kitchen to finish the pizza.

"Wait," Nick stopped her by grabbing her hand and pulling her down into his lap. "This is a very interesting conversation."

Her eyebrows rose, "Oh it is?"

"Yes. What movies ARE hilarious to you?"

Camryn sighed and scrunched her face up in thought. Finally she rattled off her list, "Clifford; Folks; 10 Things I Hate About You had a lot of knee-slapping moments; Big Momma's House; Meet The Parents; Joe Versus The Volcano; My Best Friend's Wedding was pretty funny; A Night Out With The Backstreet Boys-"

"What?!"

"Kidding, Nick," Cam laughed. "Geez, have a cow."

Nick growled and leaned down to kiss her. She smiled, loving when she got him all riled up because it made him the most playful.

"I think we should go and elope," Nick mumbled in-between kisses and Camryn immediately pulled away with a laugh.

"What?!"

"I'm serious."

"You are not."

"I am too."

Camryn just gave him a 'shut-the-heck-up' look and he started laughing.

"Okay, well, maybe I'm not completely serious, but c'mmon, Cam, think about it. It's not the most appalling idea, is it?"

"Well ... no."

Nick grinned, "See! We make an awesome duo. Sure, we may not agree on some movies or video games, but we both like pizza!"

Camryn rolled her eyes, "Oh yay ... let's get married."

"Shuddup," he laughed at her sarcasm, before continuing. "Seriously though ... we're awesome together."

"You really think so?"

"Yep," Nick nodded and held her a little tighter in his arms. "In fact ... I know so."

~ * ~

After that day Nick and Camryn defined their relationship a little more and a month later were engaged. It was something that they hadn't felt they'd rushed into, though everybody was telling them that they had. They ignored their friends and family and went about their business, planning to get married as soon as possible. Two weeks after Nick had proposed things seemed to get tense between the two. They'd been fighting a lot more, though neither really knew why. At times it was over stupid things that didn't matter much, but then there was also the more serious situations. They'd become extremely possessive of each other and were always accusing the other of being with other people.

"I thought we were going to hang out alone tonight," Nick sighed as he flopped down on the couch and laid his head back. He was sick of her always making plans for the two of them without consulting with him first. This time she'd invited all of the guys over with their girlfriends and wives for dinner, and Nick was sick of always having to be with other couples. For some reason, ever since they'd been engaged Camryn always wanted for them to be around other couples. It had been a long time since they'd actually done something, just the two of them.

"Nick, I told you about this a week ago," Camryn sighed and she leaned down to pick up a few magazines off of the floor and toss them onto the coffee table. "Can't you ever remember anything? Write things down for once, Nick."

"Camryn, you didn't tell me sh*t about this. Okay? I think I'd recall you mentioning that we're gonna have a house full of people over on our two month anniversary!"

Camryn stopped cleaning and looked over at him with a look of sheer regret, "Oh ... gosh, Nick. I'm sorry."

Nick sighed. Of course she'd forgotten. It wasn't much of a surprise. "G*d d*mn it, Cam! Can't YOU ever write things down?!"

"Nick, shut the hell up! What is wrong with you lately?!"

"What's wrong with ME?!" Nick's eyes widened. "You can't even spend time alone with me anymore! You CONSTANTLY making plans for us to be with other people and I'm SICK of it! Are we gonna invite our friends on our honeymoon too?!"

Camryn glared, "You can be a real prick sometimes, you know that Nick?! I like our friends, okay?! I like spending time with them! I'm sorry if you feel like we haven't been spending enough alone-time lately, but geez, Nick! Just come and tell me and that! Don't just bite my head off!" She sighed and looked down, "I'll cancel tonight and we'll be alone, okay? I'm sorry."

"No."

"No what?"

"No ... I don't think ... I don't think we should be getting married, baby."

Camryn stared at him in complete shock. Instead of staying calm and rational her pride kicked in and she retaliated in anger, "Then I don't think you should be calling me baby! And I don't think you should be in my house! I don't think I should be wearing this f*cking ring!" she took it off and threw it at him, "I sure as hell don't think your clothes should be in my closet or my drawers! Your shoes shouldn't be at my front door! Get off my d*mn couch right now, 'cause your ass shouldn't be sitting on it!!"

Nick stood slowly, tears building up behind his eyes. He walked over to her, her engagement ring in his hand, and stood in front of her silently for a few moments. "Keep it," he whispered, grabbing her hand and placing the ring in her palm, before going to the door, grabbing his shoes, and leaving.

Camryn burst into tears and collapsed onto the couch, her shoulders and entire body shaking. She knew in a way that Nick had been right ... they shouldn't have been getting married ... but she hadn't wanted to admit that. She'd dreamed of being married since she was a little girl, and she'd finally found somebody that she loved and she'd rushed everything, ruining the relationship. She'd been infatuated by the concept of the companionship that Nick could bring her and she hadn't stopped to realize that she was killing every possible thing that could have been for them.