Chapter 30
The tour had ended and everyone flew back to Orlando including Toni, who stayed at Kevin's house while visiting. Toni could not help but be jealous of Kristen since Nick belonged to her. The two of them didn't talk much anymore but they still loved each other with all of their hearts. Nick continued to be there physically for Kristen but when she needed more she would go and talk with AJ. She had forgiven and forgotten about everything that happened. It was as if she were her normal self again but she was still hiding the fact that she was still hurting inside and tried to ignore it. Cassie had become invisible to her. She would go out with Luis whenever she had the chance and barely lived in the apartment any more. The day had finally come for Kristen to go to court and testify against Nate and she was a nervous wreck. Only Toni, AJ, and Nick went with Kristen considering the others didn't know anything about was going on. They were all walking up the courthouse steps, Nick's arms around Kristen, when Kristen saw Nate going into the courthouse.
"Nick...." Kristen whispered.
"Yeah?" Nick asked. Kristen turned facing Nick with tears in her eyes again.
"I can't do this," she said running back down the steps. AJ turned to see what had just happened but Nick looked as confused as he was.
"Are you just going to stand there or go find out what's wrong?" AJ asked with an additude. Every day that went by he began to despise Nick more and more for the way he would act towards Kristen.
"Um... I guess," Nick replied going after her. He caught up with Kristen and grabbed her and pulled her close to him. "What do you mean you can't do this?"
"I mean, I can't go through with it. I saw Nate going into the courthouse and I can't face him."
"You don't have to Kristen," Nick said with his arms wrapped tightly around Kristen.
"What doesn't she have to do?" AJ asked interrupting.
"She doesn't have to go in there and face that bastard in there," Nick said.
"Is that how you feel Kristen?" AJ asked. Kristen nodded her head then spoke.
"I never want to face him again. It hurts me too much so please just understand AJ."
"No, I won't understand. If you face him right now you will win this and will never have to face him again. No matter what you will end up facing him sooner or later somewhere so why not get it over with?"
"AJ, she doesn't have to do it."
"Shut up Nick! I'm so sick and tired of listening to your bull shit! If you loved her you would make her do the right thing like I'm trying to do!"
"So are you saying that you love my girlfriend?" Nick asked breaking away from Kristen glaring at AJ.
"I didn't say anything of the sort. Now you are going in that court room and you are going to testify against Nate and beat him. He will pay for what he has done to you," AJ said grabbing Kristen's hand and pulling her back to the courthouse. Kristen knew AJ wasn't going to let her out of it so she went with it. Kristen was up to testify and tell the jurors what had happened. She looked Nate straight in the eyes and she broke down crying. She had no one to comfort her right then and all she wanted was to feel Nick's arms around her and for AJ to tell her that everything would turn out for the best.
~3 hours later outside the courthouse~
"I'm so happy for you! You beat his ass girl!" Toni said hugging Kristen. Twenty minutes earlier Nate was found guilty and sentenced to 4 years in prison.
"I feel so good now! I don't think I could be any happier! Do you know where AJ is at?" Kristen said looking around.
"He's over there walking towards us." Kristen looked where Toni was pointing to and she spotted AJ. She ran up to him and jumped in his arms hugging him.
"You did it," AJ whispered in her ear. He had his arms around Kristen's waist and was lifting her off of the ground.
"I couldn't have done it without you AJ," Kristen said as AJ set her back on the ground but she continued to hug him.
"Yes you could have."
"No I couldn't. If it wasn't for you I would have never even gone to court but you made me to do it and I love you for that," Kristen said hugging him tighter.
"I wanted to see you happy. You may have been fooling Nick and the others when you were acting happy but I knew you were only pretending."
"You know me too well and that scares me," Kristen said with a laugh.
"It's a good thing too because your happiness means more to me than my own. If I didn't know something was wrong I wouldn't have made you come."
"Thank you AJ."
"Anytime." Kristen and AJ started walking back to Toni who Nick was now with talking to. Kristen went up to Nick and he wrapped his arms around her and gave her the deepest kiss. Both AJ and Toni stood there hurt. AJ was falling more and more in love with Kristen every second that he spent with her. Toni couldn't help but like Nick but she was just glad that Kristen was happy with him. She knew everything that she went through with her last boyfriend and it was good to see her with someone she could trust again.
"Why don't we go back to my place to celebrate your victory," Nick whispered in her ear when they separated. Kristen responded by kissing him again. Nick then took her hand and led her to his car and drove away. AJ stood there watching Kristen and the car until they were out of view.
"Okay I have to ask this," Toni said to AJ.
"What?" AJ asked.
"When I first got here or rather in Canada Kristen told me everything that was going on and when she told me everything that you were doing I came to the conclusion that you were in love with her and I hadn't even really met you. So am I right?" AJ nodded his head.
"I can't help but love her. She's perfect." Toni couldn't help but laugh at that.
"She's far from perfect trust me on that. Why don't you tell her how you feel? I mean, any other guy would try and win Kristen over Nick why aren't you?"
"Because Kristen is no prize to be won. She seems really happy with Nick at times."
"What do you mean by at times?" Toni asked.
"Nothing. But all I want is for her to be happy. If she needs to be with Nick to feel that way then she belongs with him."
"Don't hide your feelings for her forever."
"I don't know. Let's get back and tell everyone what has been going on. Now that's it's over I think they deserve an explanation for all of this chaos." AJ and Toni linked arms walking to his car and they drove to Kristen's apartment.
"Nick....." Kristen whispered softly. They got to Nick's house and were now laying on his bed, Nick on top of Kristen, both shirtless. Nick was kissing Kristen's neck and allowing his hands to roam over her bare skin. "Nick....." Kristen repeated.
"Huh?" Nick asked not looking at her. Kristen lifted his face up to look at her's before she spoke again.
"I don't want to do this." Nick got off of Kristen and lay down next to her looking at her confused. Kristen got off the bed still in her skirt and bra and put her shirt back on.
"What do you mean you don't want to do this?" Nick asked. Kristen laid back down and wrapped her arms around Nick.
"Please don't be mad at me." She gave Nick a kiss but he didn't return it. "What's wrong?" Nick got up off the bed and looked at her still confused.
"Are you a virgin?" Nick flat out asked.
"What?" Kristen asked surprised. "No, I'm not," she responded when she realized that Nick was being serious.
"Then why do you act like you're afraid to have sex?"
"I'm not afraid to. There is a right time and place for everything and now isn't the right time for us."
"I don't get you Kristen. I mean, you have gone farther with AJ then you have your own boyfriend. He's kissed you and seen your naked body."
"Is that all you care about? Is to see me naked? Both of those times with AJ were on a dare and he never touched me like you touch me. Everything that I do with you is willingly. I want to do it."
"Then why don't you want to have sex with me?"
"I can't believe you Carter! Why are you acting like this? I have had so much shit on my mind lately and it's all finally over with and then you have to bring this on me about having sex with you? Think about others instead of just yourself," Kristen said getting up and walking out of the room.
"Good one, Carter," Nick said to himself. He went downstairs and found Kristen sitting on the couch crying. He sat down next to her and wrapped his arms around her while she leaned her head against his chest. "I'm sorry Kristen. I didn't mean it."
"Nick I don't want you to be mad at me. I want our relationship to go back to normal like it was before everything happened before we start growing on it again. But I do love you with all of my heart."
"I love you too."
"Let's forget about this and go back to my place and see what is going on." Nick agreed and they got up and left. When Kristen walked in the door of her apartment Angela came running up to her giving her a hug.
"Kristen! I'm so sorry! You should have told me what was going on! But at least that guy is paying for what he did," she said.
"You guys know?" Kristen asked.
"Yeah, AJ and Toni told us when they got here. It all makes sense now about why all hell was breaking loose on tour," Brian said.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys anything."
"Don't worry about it, you had your reasons," Howie said.
"Thanks Howie," Kristen said walking into the kitchen to get something to drink.
"So are you mad at me?" Kristen jumped a little and turned around in the kitchen.
"Gees AJ, you scared me to death. Don't sneak up on me like that."
"Sorry, are you mad at me for telling them?"
"No, no I'm not. They needed an explanation for all the chaos happening." AJ just nodded his head in agreement.
"What happened between you and Nick?" AJ asked after a couple seconds of silence.
"How do you know anything happened?"
"I could tell by the way the two of you looked when you came in. What's wrong if you don't mind me asking?"
"No, I don't mind. I won't lie to you. He got upset with me because I wouldn't have sex with him. I guess I feel bad about it now."
"Don't feel bad. If you weren't ready then you weren't ready. Don't make him pressure you into anything that you don't want to do because you'll only regret it afterwards. You've been through a lot lately. He can't expect for things to be normal again," AJ explained.
"That's what I told him. I lied to him."
"What do you mean by that?"
"The truth is AJ I'm afraid that if we go at it he will cheat on me just like Jesse did after we had sex."
"You're basing this relationship on past ones again. You shouldn't do that Kristen. Not all guys are jerks you know."
"I know. I guess I'm still afraid of being hurt."
"The only way for you to get over that is if you fully trust the person you are with. Do you trust Nick?" Kristen just looked at AJ for a second before speaking.
"I don't know. I love him but I don't know. I just need to learn to trust again."
"You will sooner or later. Oh I forgot to ask you. Tomorrow night we're performing a concert here in Orlando, the final deal of the tour sort of thing and I was wondering if you want to come?" AJ asked.
"You know I will. I've been to all the other ones recently."
"Yeah but this time, I want you, Toni, and Angela to be in the front row instead of backstage that way I can see you."
"Why the sudden change in location?" Kristen asked.
"We just wanted to do something different."
"That works. You can count on me being there," Kristen said going into the living room and sitting on Nick's lap. Right then AJ felt the pain in his heart of Kristen being with Nick instead of himself. But he knew that if it took to be with Nick to make her happy then she should stick to him.
Chapter 31
