Two weeks later in Biloxi, Mississippi, the Back Street Boys tour ended, and everyone went back to Orlando.
Brittny's belly was just beginning to pouch out, but the pregnancy wasn't noticeable yet. She and Brian were working with a contractor, talking about building their dream house.
Nick and Katie were planning the wedding, which they were planning on having on a beach, and looking for a place to live.
AJ had asked Danielle to move in with him, which was a big step in his book. After a huge fight about it with her parents, she finally packed her bags and left.
The past couple weeks had been a field day for the press. It seemed that everything they did, every move they made, was in the paper.
One day, while Danielle and Katie were shopping together, Danielle got a call on her cell phone.
"Hello?"
"Danielle? Where the hell have you been?" Brittny's voice asked, urgently.
"At the mall with Katie. Why?"
"Have you seen today's paper?"
"No."
"There's an article about you and AJ in it. Actually, it's more about you and Carson."
Danielle's eyes widened. "What?!"
"Yeah. Basically, Carson announced on TRL yesterday that you kissed him while you were dating AJ. They call you an innocent looking cheater."
"Oh, my God! I have to go talk to AJ before he reads it! Bye!"
Without waiting for a response, Danielle hung up the phone.
"What's going on?" Katie asked.
"I have to go talk to AJ! Now! Sorry! Bye!" Danielle bolted out of the store, and out of the mall, leaving Katie standing alone in the middle of Charlotte Rousse.
She got into her car, and raced back to her and AJ's home.
"AJ!" she cried, running inside. She got no response as she walked deeper into the house.
She found him in the living room. The curtains were drawn, and he was sitting in almost complete darkness, starring blankly at the wall, a newspaper resting on his lap.
"AJ," she said softly.
"Is it true?" he asked, monotonely, starring straight ahead.
"AJ, let me-"
"Is it true?!" he yelled.
Danielle jumped. "I-yes. It is. But-"
"Why?" AJ finally looked at her. Tears were filling his eyes.
"I can't answer that. But-"
"Get out."
"A-"
"GET OUT!"
"NO!" Danielle shouted. "AJ, please, just listen to me!"
AJ stood up. "I don't wan t to hear your shit! I don't want to listen to your jaded lies. Get out of my house!"
Danielle burst into tears. "PLEASE!"
"Get the fuck out of my face!"
She stood in the same place, watching through her tears as AJ sat back on the couch, sobbing into his hands.
Danielle pushed loose strands of hair out of her face, walked over to the couch, and sat down, facing AJ.
She reached out to wipe the tears from his eyes, but he pushed her away.
"Alex, would you please just let me explain what happened?"
A heavy, thick cloud of silence filled the air, as AJ lifted his head up, and looked Danielle dead in the eye.
"No. You are the last person in the world I want to see right now. So, if you don't get out of my house, I will."
"I'm NOT leaving our home."
"Fine." AJ stood up, and stormed out of the house.
"Katie, c'mere!" Nick cried, pulling up in her driveway. She was sitting on the front porch reading a magazine, but jumped up he second she heard his voice.
"Nick, hey! What's up?" she asked, running over to the car.
"Get in. I have a surprise for you." he said.
"What?" Katie asked.
"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise. Hop in."
Katie shrugged, and got in the car.
They drove for about twenty minutes, before Nick pulled up into a long, winding driveway, to an incredibly huge white mansion.
"Wow! This house is gorgeous!"
"Yeah. Four stories, a HUGE kitchen, Jacuzzi in the bathroom, a pool, pool house, hot tub, sauna, tennis courts, and a basketball court."
"Wow."
"Do you like it?" Nick asked.
"I love it!" she cried.
Nick held up a set of keys. "Surprise!"
Katie's eyes widened. "Oh my God! You bought it?!"
He nodded. "This morning."
"Oh my God!" she squealed, grabbing the keys from his hands, and ran up to the front door, unlocking it.
"KATIE! Wait!" Nick yelled, jogging up beside her, as she pushed open the door. He scooped her up into his arms.
"Nick! What are you doing?"
"Carrying you over the threshold." he grinned, carrying her into the house.
"How sweet!"
Nick slowly let Katie down, but Katie left her arms around Nick's neck.
"I love you," she whispered.
"I love you, too."
They're heads slowly grew closer, until they're lips met in a long, passionate kiss.
Nick wrapped his arms around Katie's body, lying her on the floor, and kissed her every body part, from her head, to her toes.
"Shhh. . . " Brittny whispered, running her hands through Danielle's hair as she cried into the couch. "It'll be all right. I promise. Once AJ finds out what really happened-"
"But, he won't let me tell him what happened." she sobbed. "He hates me!"
"No he doesn't, sweetie. If he hated you he wouldn't care so much."
"He cried, Brittny. He cried! I can't believe I made him hurt so much that he cried!"
Ding-Dong!
"Brian, honey, will you get that?" Brittny asked softly.
"Yeah," Brian got up, walked to the front door, and pulled it open.
"AJ," he said. "Hi. What are you doing here?"
"I need to talk to you." he said, rubbing his eyes, that were read. His face was blotchy and tear stained.
"Sure man, come on it." Brian led him into the kitchen, where they sat down at the table.
"Danielle fuckin cheated on me with that dip Carson Daley." AJ began.
"I know, man, Danielle's here. She's in the living room sobbing her eyes out to Brittny. Thing's didn't happen the way you think they did, Bone."
AJ's eyes narrowed. "Oh yeah? How did they happen?"
"Carson kissed her, and she slapped him. She told him she couldn't believe he would do that after he saw how happy you two were together, and she told him how much she loved you."
AJ starred blankly at the table. "She did?"
"That's what she just told Brittny."
"Shit! I'm such an idiot! I wouldn't let her tell me what happened-"
Brian motioned to the living room. "She's right in there."
AJ nodded, stood up, and slowly walked into the living room.
"Dani?" he asked softly.
Danielle looked up. "Alex?"
Brittny stood up, and headed towards the kitchen. "I'll leave you two alone."
"AJ, I di-"
"I know," he said, hoarsely, walking over and sitting down next to her. "I know. Brian told me."
AJ reached over and wiped the tears from her face.
"AJ," she sniffled. "I love you so much. You have to know I would never do anything to hurt you. Ever."
"I know. I know. I'm sorry I wouldn't listen to you. I didn't want to lose you, and I was so scared it was true, I just didn't want to hear about you kissing that ass."
Danielle nodded. "He is an ass. I can't even begin to tell you how pissed I was when he did that. But, then, I went back to the hotel, and you had candles, and the roses, and you just made my whole day. . . and I totally forgot about it. You have that effect on me, Alex. When I'm with you, I just forget about everything bad in my life."
"Shh. . . Baby, I love you, and that's all that matters."
Cupping her face in his hands, AJ leaned in, and kissed her.
Part Twenty Three
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