"Kevin...I can't go..you know that!"
"Lila...come on..."
"Kevin! Justin is sick and I can't just leave him here to go trapezing off to LA with you!"
Nick watched, a little amused, from the couch as Kevin stood at the top of the staircase that overlooked the living room while Lila paced from the kitchen to the living room where Justin was sitting on the floor playing with some action figure.
Kevin threw his hands up in frustration, "This is ridiculous! I have to leave in an hour and I'm not even packed!"
"So, GO PACK!"
"I want YOU to come with ME."
Lila sighed, her hands on her hips, "Kevin! I...can't...GO."
Kevin opened his mouth to say something but then closed it and walked into his room and shut the door.
Lila groaned and walked back into the kitchen. Nick sighed, getting up, deciding that Justin would be okay for a few seconds alone. "Lila?"
She turned, "What?"
"Come in here..."
She followed him back into the living room. "Do you know how long I've been sitting there watching you two fight?"
"No. How long?"
"Long enough to see that you two really love one another.."
She stopped what she was doing and looked at him, "Excuse me?"
"You two really love one another."
Her mouth opened but nothing came out and she closed it. Nick smiled, "See? I can be smart when I really wanna.."
Lila smiled, "You are smart Nick..I just...why do I have to go with him to every awards show? I know it's the Grammy's and it's a big deal...but Justin's sick and I can't just leave him here and go to LA with you all...you understand, don't you?"
"I do Lila..but I don't think you should be talking to me about it..."
She sighed, "I know..but..he's impossible when he gets like this."
"He's stubborn..shouldn't you know that by now?"
She smiled, "I guess so."
"So, do you?"
"Do I what?"
"Love him."
She sighed, "That's complicated...because I thought for the longest time that I could only love one man, like I loved Scott..."
"But?"
"Nick! Stop doing that!"
He laughed, "Sorry..go on."
"But..I think since I moved in with Kevin and we decided to try the whole dating thing...I think I do love him."
Nick smiled, "I knew it."
She smiled, "Oh, you did?"
"Of course I did...so, I've got an idea.."
"What's your idea?"
"Why don't you take Justin with you and Kevin...I'm sure you can find someone in our team to watch him for a couple hours while you go with us."
She sighed, "You're right...damnit, how do you do that? I'll be right back..."
He nodded, "I'll just sit here on the floor and keep him occupied."
She kissed Nick on the top of the head, "You're a total sweetheart, thank you Nick."
He grinned, "Go on."
Lila pressed her ear closer to the door and tried to listen to see if she could hear Kevin moving around. She sighed when she couldn't make out anything and pushed the door open. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, his suitcase beside him. He looked up, "What do you want?"
"I want to talk..," She said closing the door.
"I think you've talked enough.."
"Kevin..don't be like this."
"What? Be mad that you don't want to go to the Grammy's with me?"
"It's not that I don't want to go Kev...I just don't want to leave Justin here while I'm all the way on the other side of the country...," She explained sitting next to him, "But..Nick had an idea."
"Nick? Had an idea?"
She nodded with a smile, "Yea...he was actually makin' some sense down there.."
"What'd he say?"
"He said that if I go, maybe I can take Justin with us..and someone in your all's camp would most likely be staying at the hotel could watch him while we were gone for a few hours.."
"So, you'd go?"
She nodded, "I'd go..but we may be late catching our flight.."
He leaned over, kissing her, "I'm sorry for yelling."
"Yea..you'd better be."
He smiled, "So..you're gonna go pack?"
She nodded, "I'll go pack..I'm not sure if I have any Grammy dresses though.."
"Well go see, if you don't, we'll go shopping."
She smiled, "Oooo..money getting spent on me? Yes!"
About five hours later, they were set up in their hotel. The Grammy's were the next night but everyone had to fly out a day early and would be staying until the day after sometime. Lila sat on the floor of the room with Justin, playing, as Kevin paced back and forth while on the phone with someone.
Justin crawled to her, babbling in his babytalk, and held onto her knees while trying to stand up. Lila smiled and held him up. Kevin looked over at the two of them and felt all of his worries and complaints go away. He smiled and put his hand over the mouthpeice, "Is he going to walk?"
She shook her head, "No, not yet. He's gettin' there though..who are you talking to?"
"I'm trying to find someone to watch him tomorrow.."
"Any luck?"
"Well..can he go?"
She laughed, "I think people would wonder why you're with me AND a baby. Plus, do they make tuxes his size?"
He shrugged and uncovered the mouthpeice as whoever he was talking to began to talk again. Lila turned back to Justin and reached over and grabbed him from pulling on the curtain. "No, no Justin."
Justin just laughed and began to try to climb all over her. She smiled and let him; he had been sick with a cold for the past two days and was starting to feel better. It nearly broke her heart to have him crying and miserable, plus she had been up with him each night since he couldn't sleep.
Kevin hung up and threw the cell phone onto the bed before sliding down on the floor beside her. He leaned over and kissed her temple, "He feelin' better?"
"I think so...his doctor said he was okay to fly and that he should be just about over it.."
"That's good.."
She nodded, "Yea...so any luck finding anyone?"
He sighed, "Well..maybe. Lucy was planning on staying here till the after-party..she said if she did stay, she'd watch him till you got back."
"really?"
"Yea."
"She's one of the make-up girls, right?"
He nodded, "Yea..she's real nice..you've met her before, I think.."
Lila nodded, "Yea..yea I have."
He smiled, "So, it looks like you're goin' to the Grammy's."
"It does...don't I need a dress or something?"
"Possibly..come on, let's go."
She let him pull her up, "Go where? And what about Justin?"
He smiled, "He can come and help me judge. Come on, let's go find Billy and go shop."
"Are you sure?"
"of course...grab your purse and stuff.."
She rolled her eyes, "When did you get so damn demanding..GEEZ."
Kevin bent down and picked up Justin off the floor and cradled him on his hip. Lila disappeared for a second and reappeared, "Ok..come on you two."
Kevin sat in the ritzy shop with Justin on his lap in a fluffy chair while Lila was inside a dressing room about five feet from where he was at. The door opened and she poked her head out, "This is not IT."
"Let me see."
"Umm, let me think real quick for ya Kevin, NO."
"Lila, come on, let me see it."
She sighed, "Fine, but don't laugh."
She stepped out and he motioned for her to come closer. "I don't like it Kev.."
"What's wrong with it?"
Her hands went instinctively to her stomach, "It's too clingy and too tight.."
He reached out and pulled her hands away, "You look fine, honey."
She crossed her arms in front of her, "I still don't like it."
"Well, you'll be the one wearing it and if you're not going to be comfortable then you're not going to be comfortable...have any more in there?"
"I have one more, then I'm done."
He nodded, "Ok..we'll be waiting."
She smiled, "Ok..I'll be right back."
Lila walked back into the dressing room, closing and locking the door behind her. She slipped the dress off and hung it back up and then reached for the simple black dress she had saved for last. She slipped it over her head and fixed it so it set right on her body. She sighed, critiquing herself and opened the door, stepping out.
Kevin smiled as he took in Lila. "That looks great.."
"You're sure it's not too casual?"
"No..it looks wonderful on you.."
She smiled, "Really?"
He nodded, "Really..go change and I'll buy it."
"Kev..you don't-"
He nodded, interuppting her, "I know I don't, but I want to. Go on."
She walked back into the dressing room and changed out of the dress, handing it to Kevin over the top of the door. He took it and she changed into her regular clothes.
As they walked, hand-in-hand, back to the car with Billy tailing behind them, Kevin leaned over, kissing her gently, "We're gonna have fun tomorrow.."
Lila nodded, "Yea.."
He smiled, "You know you're gonna be the most gorgeous woman there."
She laughed, which made Justin start to giggle and babble aimlessly, "You have got so many lines...you've been around AJ WAY too much!"
He laughed, "I have not!"
Billy opened the back door and Lila put Justin into the car seat and then sat down next to him. Kevin sat up front in the passenger side while Billy got in the driver's side and started the car.
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