Nick’s eyes fluttered open to find Christine sitting next to him. Her eyes were as wide as saucers, and he figured that she was realizing what had happened. How could he have been so stupid? He took advantage of a seventeen-year-old who had had terrible experiences with guys in the past.
She looked down at him, her eyes filled with fear. “Did we do what I think we did last night? Nick, please tell me that nothing-”
Nick looked away and nodded. “We had sex,” he mumbled guiltily.
“No, I would remember losing my fucking virginity!” Christine exclaimed. “Please, Nick, we can’t have done anything.”
The panic in her voice made Nick feel worse than ever. As much as he wanted to tell her that nothing had happened, there was no way that he could lie. “I’m so sorry,” he choked.
Christine burst into tears. “Did we use protection?”
“I, uh, don’t really remember. You weren’t the only one who was drunk,” Nick said. He looked around for an empty condom wrapper and found none. He shook his head sadly. “I don’t think we did.”
“Oh, God, Nick, if I’m pregnant, my parents will never, ever, ever forgive me! What am I going to do?” she wailed. “Please, Nick, this can’t have happened. Tell me I’m dreaming, or this is just some sick joke, or-”
Nick pulled her into his arms. “Chris, it will be all right. Everything will be fine. Shhhh,” he soothed. He stroked her hair as a tear fell down his own cheek. What had been going through his mind? “I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.”
“No, it’s not. I-”
“Chris, you can’t even remember what happened.”
“Yeah, but it’s still my fault. If I hadn’t gotten so drunk, then maybe we wouldn’t be here right now.” She paused. “Nick, what happened, anyway?”
He swallowed hard, knowing he had to tell her the truth. “Well, at the club, I kissed you. I couldn’t resist it. Then you kissed me again, and we went back here. We came to your room because Kate and Brian were in mine, and I think you can figure out the rest.”
“Was I being a slut?” Christine sniffled.
“What? Of course not! We were kissing, and one thing led to another, and it was more my fault than yours. I shouldn’t have done anything. I was sober enough to know that I was…I was taking advantage of you. God, what have I done?”
“What do you mean, what have you done? You haven’t done anything! Nick, don’t say it was your fault. It takes two to tango,” Christine insisted. “And we didn’t use protection. If I’m pregnant, what will happen?”
“I’ll be here for you,” Nick promised.
“But we aren’t even together! What will the media say? ‘Nick Carter gets some dancer pregnant that he’s not even in love with.’”
Nick’s heart tore down the middle. “Chris,” he whispered hesitantly.
“What?”
“I-I am in love with you,” he murmured.
Her head shot up. “Nick, don’t say things you don’t mean.”
He tilted her chin and looked deep into her beautiful blue eyes, as his own filled with tears. “I mean it. I love you so much. That’s why all of this happened. I was just too afraid to admit it. I’ve been in love with you since the first day we started getting along.”
“Really?” Christine said. She smiled slightly. “I’m in love with you, too.” He pulled her into a warm embrace, and her tears gradually dried up.
“We’ll be fine, angel, we’ll be fine,” he assured her as she fell asleep in his arms.