Isabel stuck the ring in her shorts pocket and ran to the stairwell, walking down the stairs would give her time to thnk and plus, maybe it'd give Nick some time to cool off. 'I know I like him..but..but..do I like him..like that? He is cute..and he's really funny..but..do I want a relationship with someone who's hundreds of girls' fantasy date? Duh..the answer would be yes..I hope I haven't screwed up..too bad..,' She thought as she finally reached the lobby and alked out.
None of the guys or bodyguards were around so she just walked out of the hotel. "If I was him..where would I go?," She asked herself quietly.
Something clicked in her brain, the park they passed on the way to the mall. She had caught hin looking at it longingly as if he could just run in there and escape. She crossed the street and ran towards the entrance to the park. He had to be there..he just had to be!
She walked through the empty park, her hopes growing less and less. No one was there..it was completely empty. She groaned as she felt it start to sprinkle. She looked up at the gray sky that had once been blue and sunny. "Thanks alot.," She said still looking up at the sky.
She saw a figure out in the distance, sitting on a bench beside the duck pond. She walked a little faster, hoping it was Nick and not some homeless person. It wasn't him. As she got closer, she realized it was a homeless person. 'Damn..,' She thought turning around and walking back the way she came.
Back at the hotel, the guys were in the banquet room setting up for Isabel's party they had thrown together. Nick walked in suddenly, soaking wet. "Nick?! Where the hell have you been?," Kevin asked.
"Walking around."
"Is Isabel with you?"
"No..," He answered coolly.
"Where is she then?"
He shrugged, "I don't know..and frankly, don't care."
"If she's not in her room and not with you..where is she?"
"I don't know Kevin and I don't care!," He exclaimed angrily.
"Nick, man, calm down. What happened?," Brian asked calmly.
"Nothing.," He said and turned around and going towards the elevators.
"Whats up his butt?," AJ asked out of nowhere.
Howie sighed, "Come on guys..she might of went out for a walk..she'll show up soon."
The others nodded and went back to working in the banquet room.
Isabel, meanwhile, had managed to get herself lost. She was now drenched from the downpour and was freezing. "Some birthday..," She said to no one in particular.
She was out of the park but had taken a wrong turn somewhere. "Shit..shit..shit..shit..shit! UGH! Where the heck am I?!!"
It was starting to get dark now, and truthfully, she was getting freaked out. She looked at a sign, but it was in another language so it wasn't any use.
Nick went up to his room and had taken a hot shower. He was still very angry with her..but was now much calmer. He towel dried his hair and looked out the window at the pouring rain. Isabel wasn't in the hotel..where was she? 'She wouldn't of gone looking for me..would she? Damnit..,' He thought realizing she had to of gone looking for him.
He grabbed his room key and cell phone and ran out of the room and down to the elevators. He snuck out the backway and out into the rain. He pulled his baseball hat down further and pulled his jacket around him tighter as a cold wind blew through. Maybe she had her cell phone. He pulled his out and dialed the number, he let it ring over and over. Just when he was about to hang up, someone answered.
Isabel was back in the park and was huddling in a picnic shelter when she heard her phone ring. "What the..," She started pulling it out.
"Hello?"
"Isabel? Where are you?!," Nick's frantic voice came over the line.
"Nick?"
"Yeah..where are you?!"
"In..in the park. By the mall..you know..Umm..yeah.."
"K..I'm almost there..where are you at?"
"Underneath a picnic shelter."
"K..you alright?"
Suddenly, her phone went dead. Nick heard the line cut off. "Isabel? Isabel? SHIT!"
Some people looked at him strangely and he smiled before taking off in a run. He found the park fairly quickly and ran down the sidewal, looking for a picnic shelter.
Isabel threw her phone down, "UGH! YOU STUPID THING!"
She heard something behind her and turned around to see some scraggly old man standing there smiling. She shuddered and took a step back. He smiled again, "You're very pretty.."
"Umm..umm..thank you?"
"I like pretty girls."
"Oh..well..thats nice..," She looked over her shoulder to see a drenched Nick running towards her.
The man suddenly grabbed for her and she jumped back. "Get away from me!"
She ran out of the shelter and to Nick and practically jumped him. He fell backwards from her impact and they landed in a puddle. "Damn Isabel!"
"Sorry..that..that.."
"You're so dumb sometimes!! What were you thinking coming out here?!"
"I was looking for you dumbass and got lost!"
"Are you sure you're not a natural blonde?! Its not that hard to get back to the hotel!!"
She stood up, "Ya know what?! I was going to apologize to you about earlier because you know why..huh? I can't be in a freaken relationship with out getting scared to death! You...you..I can't believe you! Now I wish I just stayed lost!"
"Isabel! WAIT!," He yelled after her.
Nick got off the ground and started to run after her. She ran towards the pond and slid in the grass and fell but pulled herself up. "ISABEL! STOP!"
"GO AWAY!"
"NO! COME ON!"
"GO AWAY! Just stay away from me!"
Nick lost his footing and fell in the wet grass. "SHIT!," HE yelled.
She stopped and turned around. "Good! I hope you broke your leg!"
"Quit being such a baby!"
"ME?! WHATEVER! I HATE YOU NICKOLAS GENE CARTER!!!"
"I HATE YOU TOO!"
"GOOD! You wanna know why I can't be in a relationship with you?! HUH?!"
He stood up, "YEAH! WHY?!"
"Because, I'm leaving the tour in two weeks to go back to the U.S. and go to college yuo dumwit!"
He stood there, in shock. "You...you're what?"
"I'm going to college..."
"Why didn't you tell me?!"
"I just did.."
"But..why..why not earlier?"
"I don't know..Nick..how do you feel about me?"
He looked down at his soaked shoes, "I..I like you alot Isabel.."
She walked over to him. "Why?"
"Because..you just..draw me in..I can't explain it.."
She smiled, then reached up and brushed his wet hair back. "I like you too.."
"Really?"
She nodded, "Yeah..thats why..earlier..I said we couldn't work.."
"But it could Isabel.."
"Yeah..you're over here touring in Europe, having hundreds of girls want to sleep with you and I'll be in Kentucky at UK, going to class and wondering what my boyfriend is in to.."
"It would work Isabel.."
She shook her head and smiled slightly, "Always the optimist.."
"Isabel..don't do this.."
He pulled her closer and she buried her face in his shirt, "I'm soo sorry Nick..I..I just can't.."
He wrapped his arms around her protectively, "You're not leaving yet..you know.."
She nodded and pulled away, "I know.."
"We'll always be friends you know.."
She nodded again, "I know.."
He leaned in to kiss her forhead but she pulled him down and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her closer and deepened the kiss. He couldn't believe she was leaving..and didn't even want to give them a chance...not at all.
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