AJ gently knocked on Nick's door and didn't hear anything. He cracked open the door.
"Nick?" he called out. There was no answer. He let himself in his guest room and looked at the made bed. There was no sign of Nick. He looked out the window to see Nick's Durango already gone.
"Hmm...what's going on with him?" he asked, aloud to himself.
~~~~~~~~~
Nick had left early that morning for the drive back to Tampa. He pulled into his driveway and felt relieved when he saw Ashleigh's car still there. He walked in the house and set down his keys. He walked upstairs and found Ashleigh zipping her suitcase on the bed. She already had one filled. Nick stood in the doorway and watched her.
"You're leaving," Nick said. He meant to make it sound like a question but it came as a statement. Ashleigh turned around.
"Yes. Where were you last night? Sleeping with that hoe?" she snapped.
"I was at AJ's. I figured you wouldn't let me in," Nick said, still standing in the same spot. He could see Ashleigh holding back the tears that formed in her eyes. He walked over and reached out his hand to brush them off but she turned her head.
"Don't touch me," she barked.
"Ash...I need to talk to you," Nick said.
"About what? More confessions? Any other girls I need to know about?" she said, as she grabbed various things off her dresser. Nick walked over, took her hand and turned her to face him.
"Please," he begged, "hear me out." For a second, Ashleigh looked into his eyes and swore she saw how sorry he really was. But she shook it away and snatched her hand from him.
"I'm sorry Nick, I just can't," she said, sounding exhausted.
"But there's something else," Nick started to say. Ashleigh swirled around to face him. "Not another girl," Nick said. Ashleigh turned around and continued packing.
"I'm sorry Nick," she said, once she had everything in her suitcase. "I just can't forgive you."
Nick stood in silence as he watched her pick up her bags and walk out of their room. He was still standing still when he heard her car start up and he saw her drive out of their driveway from the window.
~~~~~~~~~~~
"Is she sleeping?" Howie asked, looking in his rear-view mirror.
"Yep. She's out. She was so excited last night she couldn't sleep," Regan smiled, looking at the sleeping Savannah in the backseat. They were on their way back from West Virginia to Florida. Howie had one hand on the steering wheel and the other entwined with Regan's. He was ecstatic. He knew this week was going to go perfect. He just knew it. Regan was happy as well. Every day for the past two years, she woke up wishing Howie would come back. And he finally did. Howie looked over at Regan as she looked out the window.
"What'cha thinking?" he asked.
"About you," she confessed.
"Funny, I was thinking about you too," Howie smiled.
"So when did you get your new car?" Regan said, referring to the new Lexus SUV Howie was driving.
"I dunno...I didn't think my convertible was a good car," Howie said.
"Yes you did, you loved that car," Regan said.
"Well, you can't have a convertible for a family car," Howie said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ashleigh drove around for hours around Tampa. For some reason, she couldn't get herself to go on the highway. Where was she going to go? She didn't want to go back to Albany to her parents and she couldn't go to AJ's because that is where Nick was last night. She finally decided where to go and got out her cell phone.
"Hello?" Brian answered.
"Hey Bri, it's me," Ashleigh said.
"Oh hey Ash!! How are you sweetie?"
"I'm fine," she lied, "Is Leigh there?"
"Sure Hun, just a sec."
"Hello?"
"Hey Leigh, it's me."
"Hey! What's up?"
"Do you guys mind if I come over?" Ashleigh asked.
"Is everything okay?" Leighanne asked.
"I'll explain when I get there," Ashleigh said.
"Sure, come on over. Brian's painting the nursery so it might be entertaining," Leighanne said, laughing.
"Thanks. I'll be there in a bit," Ashleigh said, hanging up her phone and getting on the on-ramp to Orlando.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
