A sudden clapping from the door way cause Nick to snap up quickly.
"Congrats man," a male voice said.
"Huh," Nick squinted.
"You finally bagged her huh," the voice chuckled.
"Who the hell are you," Nick stood up and walked to the door.
"You're worst nightmare," Nick burst out laughing.

"Nick why the hell are you laughing?" Candice called scared. Some strange guy watching them, the thought sickened her.
"You suck man," the voice said laughing. She recognized that voice.
"You dick!" Candice stood up and walked quickly over to the door.
"Hey girl," he hugged her lightly.
"So, ya'll gettin' it on or what?" She hit Aj on the arm and blushed.
"How'd you get in anyway," Nick asked as the three made their way downstairs.
"Next time lock your door blondie," Aj patted Nick's back.
"Opps," Nick sat down.
"That was so not even close to funny Aj," Candice said holding back her laughter.
"Now, what would you guys be right now, if I hadn't walked in?" Nick looked over at her and blushed. She couldn't hold the laughter back anymore.
"You're crazy! Both of you!" Nick declared as he began to laugh himself.

"Well, anyway," Aj cleared his throat. "I just came to welcome you back Nick-ay!"
"Oh," Nick held his face in his hands has he turned red. "Don't call me Nicky."
"Yeah..sorry bout that, forgot that was her job," Aj grinned. Candice couldn't help but laugh at his forwardness. She had almost forgot how much fun it was to hang out with Aj. "I must be going. I have a lot more make-out session's to break up!" Aj cackled standing up and hugging Nick and Candice before heading toward the door.
"Peace Bone," Nick waved shutting the door the minute his friend stepped out of the door. "Sorry bout him."

"Why are you sorry? It's Aj..there's just no excuse for that man." Nick chuckled.
"I think I'm gonna go up to bed, you can stay down here or whatever," Nick mumbled heading out of the foyer. Who ever said friends shouldn't gross that line between friends and lovers was totally right! Candice thought frowning. She could feel the tension between them now and it scared her. Stupid! Stupid! Why the hell did you kiss him? You're stupid! Candice scolded herself as she walked slowly up to her room. The night was filled with little sleep.

Flashbacks from earlier that day kept replaying in her mind and she couldn't help but smile. As much as she wanted and knew she should, she couldn't help but love the feel of his lips on hers. Finally, not wanting to lay around thinking about it for the rest of the night, now early morning of the next day, she decided to go downstairs and get something to drink. Opening the refrigerator, she was expecting to see it loaded down with food, but to her surprise it was almost empty. A not even half gallon of milk, which from the look of it wasn't even close to being drinkable, an egg, and an old box of pizza was all she found.

Placing the last water bottle into the now fully stocked refrigerator, she smiled. She opened the dishwasher and grabbed a glass. pouring some fresh milk into the glass she took a long drink. "Oh.. baby, baby. How was I supposed to know..that something wasn't right here..oh pretty baby. I shouldn't have let you go!" She sang at the top of her lungs taking another drink of her milk. She didn't even here the muffled laughter from behind her. Strong arms wrapped around her waist and she almost screamed. "Holy..Nick.." He silenced her with a light kiss on the lips.
"I was thinking about last night," Nick said grinning down at her.
She blushed, "me too." She could have almost smacked herself for saying that aloud. Nick moved into kiss her again and she pulled his body closer and then pushed him away. "I can't do this," she whispered running out of the kitchen.

Nick stood there hitting his head with his hand over and over again. Stupid! Stupid! Why the hell did you kiss her? You're stupid! His head screamed at him, but his heart told him to follow her and do it again.

Candice ran out of his house and began to walk toward her Durango. She climbed into the drivers seat and started the radio, something she had been doing since she was little. She smiled at the memory of her and her mother going for a late night drive, she told her mother she just wanted to get out of the house, but she really just wanted to calm down. Candice just loved viewing the night life and the music on the radio. Soon her thoughts began to drift back to Nick. She had no clue what she was doing back down in Florida. You're crazy, she told herself turning up the radio. "I need you like water...I need you like breath," she changed the station quickly. Without thinking she had stopped on a familiar song. "I don't know, what he does to make you cry, but I'll be there to make you smile. I don't have a fancy car To get to you I'd walk a thousand miles." If only those words rang true, she thought realizing her phone was ringing. She finally picked it up on she guessed was the fifth or sixth ring. She almost threw it out the window when she looked at the caller ID.

"What Nick?"
"Where are you?"
"You know where I am Nick, you're looking at me through the door." Candice waved at him and he smiled and sent her a small wave.
"You aight?"
"No Nick, I'm not! Why the hell did this happen? Why did Pat die? If there's only one person for everyone..how come he's not here? Why did James say he loved me? Why did you say the same thing? Why the hell did any of you guys say that?!?" Nick had slowly made his way to her car while she was pouring her heart out. He climbed into the passenger seat and clicked his phone off. She imminently fell against his chest and sobbed. "Nick why did I have to fall in love with you?" Nick held her closely. He figured she didn't realize she was talking to him, that this was some sort of dream..or he was someone else. He wish he had all the answers for her, but he didn't.
"I loved Pat so much, I've loved you since the first time I talked to you..is that wrong? I never loved James like I love you or Pat. He was a friend, I don't even know why I kissed him..or even slept with him. I feel like a whore. I doubted love so many times Nick! So many times!"
"Candice I don't know what to say," Nick just held her, not knowing what to say or even how to say it. He wasn't a man-of-wisdom type of guy and he knew it..she knew it.
"I'm such a loser..I turned into a girl who relies on guys! I hate myself!"
"No..don't hate yourself, you're a great friend, kisser and person. Everyone makes mistakes..no one is perfect!"
"Nick," she saw the kiss coming this time and as much as she knew she shouldn't she did anyway and leaned in halfway to meet his lips. "Did you mean it when you said you loved me?" She asked after breaking the kiss.

"Yeah..I did. I knew I loved you from the first day I saw you." His mind flashed back to a little over a year ago when she first moved in. He watched her in her back yard, she didn't even know he existed. He could see how fun loving she was and how down to earth and strong headed she was. "When I first saw you playin' with your cousin in your back yard, I knew I loved you. I didn't even have to talk to ya, meet ya or even see ya. I just knew I loved ya, I could feel it in my heart." She wrinkled her forehead in deep thought. This was NOT Nick Carter. She had never heard him talk like this ever!
"That was a week before I met you! The first day I moved in. I was playing outside with Emma, we had been unpacking all morning, it was so boring." Candice realized has Nick looked at her with this stupid grin on his face. "Do you love me still?"
"Yeah," Nick's voice cracked. He wasn't sure it was even him talking, he knew it wasn't his head. I'M NOT MUSHY DAMMIT! Nick's head screamed. "I told Mandy everything.. Everytime I wished I was kissing you, she held me. Everytime my heart ached because yours wasn't next to it, she told me it was ok and you were thinking of me. Everytime I wanted to call you, she handed me the phone. Everytime I chickened out, she told me it was ok and she called you. I listened to every word you said just to know you were ok."
"Nick..ohmigod! You heard every," he raised his eyebrows up and down suggestively, "thing!"

She found herself on Nick's sofa. She couldn't even remember getting out of her car and walking in here. All she remembered was Nick, telling Nick everything. She knew he thought she was just talking off into space like he wasn't there, but she knew he was and she wanted to tell him everything. Nick walked in and sat down next to her.
"Nick," she started but her cut her off.
"I really mean what I said out there and you broke my heart into a billion pieces when you said you didn't want to date anyone, because you needed to think things out, and then showed up with Pat," she could almost see the tears forming in his eyes. "When I saw you and Pat, I could see that you loved each other very much and wanted you to love me like that."
"Nick..I-I do love you," Candice could feel the pain he felt. She tried to sit up, her head felt so light and she became dizzy. Nick helped her sit up and turned his face away from her. He wasn't any good with words, and he knew it. Until he met her, with all his other relationships, all he had to do was hold a girl and tell her it was fine and that's all it took. Kisses always made things better. Maybe that's why I had on and off relationships, he thought. When he met Candice, everything changed. She taught him that the main thing in any relationship was communication. When he started to talk out things instead of just putting them in the back of his head and then realizing how much it hurt to bring them back up, he felt better. She made him feel better. He had no clue how he could ever tell her this. He never acted like this, this wasn't Nick, not one bit! He wasn't even sure he could get his voice going. He opened his mouth and nothing came out, then the words came out, full of emotion.
"I never went a day without thinking about you..I watched Big Daddy at least once every week because I missed you..you're kiss..the way you smile when you're sleeping..the way you watch yourself in the mirror when you think no one is looking." She knew she had to stop him or he would be blabbing on for hours about nothing that mattered right now.
"Nick, I love the way you watch me sleep. I love the way you just can't sit still during an interview. I love the way your mouth twitches when you're thinking really hard. I love the way you love," Nick cut her off with a kiss and moaned into her mouth. She pulled away from him and ran a hand through her hair.

"What's wrong," Nick asked, knowing he did the same thing when he was either bored or bothered.
"Nick, now we're back to were we started--a place I don't want to be in. I don't even think we could possibly make this work out the way we want it to..or even the way you picture it." Nick searched her eyes seeing only one thing; fear.