Chapter 2



"Nick I love you. Really I do. But this is ridiculous." Jayme told Nick as she sat at the kitchen table with her eyes closed, "can I open my eyes now?" Jayme was awaiting to find out what Nick's big surprise was, she was more than anxious and Nick wasn't helping with as slow as he was going.

"No, now hang on."

Jayme say impatiently awaiting her surprise to be revealed. Nick had left almost immediately after he got out of the shower, nearly forgetting his clothes. He had been gone all day and Jayme was dying to know what he had been up to. "Nick!" She whined.

"Jayme!" He mocked. "Just hold on."

"If you hurry I'll give you something I know you'll love."

"Jayme, trust me. You'll want to give me something I'll love very much when you find out what I have planned for us."

"I'm opening my eyes now..."

"Just one more second." Jayme kept her eyes closed just one minute longer until she heard Nick say, "okay, now you can open your eyes."

But before he could say anything else Jayme's eyes opened and she looked from Nick to the kitchen table. Her body immediately slumping in disappointment. "This is it?" She asked amazed as she stared at newly bought luggage, he had been gone all day buying luggage, for what?

"No, Jayme, I mean yeah this is part of it but the real present is inside one of these suitcases."

And so Jayme jumped from her seat immediately beginning to open suitcases, trying as quickly as possible to find what Nick was hiding. But she found nothing. Until she can across a small bag she opened it quickly only to find a small envelope, she didn't hesitate in grabbing it and ripping it open.

"Be careful!" Nick told her laughing.

The smile left Jayme's face when she saw what the envelope contained, "plane tickets?"

Nick grinned unaware of the confusion and hurt registered on Jayme's face, "yeah. I thought we could both use a vacation. So tonight we are on a plane heading for a small island in the Bahamas. My travel agent said that no one visits there this time of year, we have different vacation time periods then most people, but it will just be the two of us." Nick's smile grew until he took a closer look at Jayme's face noticing she wasn't as happy as he expected.

Jayme tried to smile happily but Nick say what she really felt in her eyes, he could always do that. It was just some connection the two shared.

"What is it baby?" He asked her.

"Nothing this is the best, really." Jayme tried lying knowing that Nick had put a lot of thought and effort into this idea and trip. It meant the world to him to make her happy and she wanted to be. And frankly couldn't understand why she wasn't, this was a sweet idea and great trip. So why was this smile plastered on her face?

"You can't lie to me." He told her evenly brushing the hair from her face. "Be honest and tell me what's wrong. Maybe I can help you."

"I don't know what's wrong with me Nick." She confessed sitting back down, "I don't know what's wrong with us."

Nick's face quickly registered hurt and pain, "what do you mean you don't know what's wrong with us?"

"Everything is so different. I know I love you and want to be with you but I feel like I don't know you that well. Does that make sense at all?"

"I've actually been feeling like that too that's why this trip is just what we need, we can get to know each other better." Nick was now kneeling in front of her.

"Nick, I feel like if we go on this trip we are going to find out things we don't wanna know."

"There's nothing about you I don't wanna know. I love you."

"Ever heard the phrase 'sometimes love isn't enough?"

"Don't say that, with us love is enough."

"What if it cuts us short?"

"I love you Jayme, we will always be together. No matter what."

"Can you promise that?"

"I promise."

"I hope your right Nick, because my heart is telling me your not."

*************************

Later that night the two were boarding a private plane and heading for the Bahamas. Jayme was checking the luggage for the tenth time making sure they had brought everything. When she saw a flight attendant throw one of her bags onto the plane she hollered out, "hey watch what your doing."

Nick wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and pulled her to the plane, "calm down baby, everything is going to be okay."

Jayme stepped onto the plane and sighed finding a seat and sitting down, "that man was being completely careless with our things, and I have the worst feeling that we forgot something, what if we did? You did lock up right? And you made sure AJ was going to watch our dogs, you told him that Carter has to be fed regularly right? And that J has a veterinarian appointment tomorrow? Nick are you hearing this?" Jayme asked watching in amazement as Nick stared back at her with a huge grin on his face apparently on the verge of laughter.

"Your overreacting baby, calm down. Yes, I locked up, the dogs are fine, we have everything, and even if we don't we have each other that's all we need."

"Nick cancel this trip, if you love me please cancel this." Jayme suddenly began pleading with him desperate that he cancel this trip and they go back home where they belonged.

"Jayme what is with you, nothing bad is going to happen on this trip. We are going to be fine. Do you understand that?"

"Nick I can't lose you, I lose my mind when I'm without you. I'm depressed and I drink. You didn't see me and the way I was before I fell in love with you. Nick I was a mess, AJ saw that he knows what I was like. Nick there is no way I can do that again. I can't go back to that."

Nick's heart broke at Jayme's confession and the tears in her eyes, he was quickly by her side holding her and reassured her that everything would be okay, "Jayme I love you, you aren't going to lose me because I won't let you go. But if we don't go on this trip our relationship is going to suffer, I can see that. I know its hard for you because you want to live in this perfect little world of me and you and always be happy but the happiness will fade soon. Jayme I love you everything is going to be okay, I promise you that."

"You can't promise me that Nick, you don't know what the future holds, I'm so afraid Nick. I can't lose you. I can't."

"You won't, an army couldn't keep me away from you. When I was heartbroken when I thought you didn't love me, and I was a mess on tour I prayed to God that he would just give me one chance with you. And the pain that I felt was so awful that I thought I might die, I knew that God wouldn't keep me away from you because he wasn't that cruel. We belong together and we'll be together forever. I promise."

"I hope your right Nick, I really do."

"I am, I am." Nick held Jayme until he heard her breathe deepen and looked down to see her eyes tightly closed, he kissed her forehead and laid her back against her seat. He stood up and made his way to the bathroom washing his face and changing into something more comfortable. He couldn't get the look in Jayme's eyes out of his head, she looked so scared and helpless. Almost like a little girl. What if she was right? What if going on this trip would ultimately ruin their relationship? He shook his head furiously trying to erase those thoughts. He loved Jayme and she loved him. NOTHING would tear them apart, he wouldn't let it. That was just that.

A grueling 12 hours later Nick shifted his weight and yawned, he automatically ran a hand through Jayme's hair who was lying next to him, "hey." She said softly. He looked down to see sad tearful eyes looking up at him. "We're almost there."

Nick bent down and kissed Jayme's nose, "it's okay, everything's going to be okay."

Jayme just nodded as her bottom lip trembled and tears filled her eyes once more. She numbly stood up and walked to the front of the plane trying to ignore Nick, she couldn't look him into the eyes, not when she felt it would be the last time she ever would. That was just too painful. And she couldn't shake this feeling that something was going to happen, it didn't seem right. This trip, the two of them. Practically alone, in the middle of nowhere. Nick's promises weren't much help as she still felt alone and scared that this trip would be the end of their relationship.

"We're gonna land soon." She whispered, not at all liking the feeling her nerves were creating in her stomach. She couldn't handle this, she wasn't strong enough. She never had been, Nick was what made her strong.

"Yeah we are, and trust me this is going to be a great trip, I know it is."

Jayme again just nodded, trying to smile and hide the pain and fear she felt. She had tried to persuade him not to go on this trip. She was so scared for their relationship. She was afraid it was too fragile, too weak. But if so what did that mean for them, for her. She couldn't be as strong as him. She wasn't strong like that.

Nick made her strong. He had been the one to hold her up and never let her go. So what would happen if Nick was no longer in her life?

<< >>