“Hey AJ!” Katelin called the next day, walking into the green room at the arena. “Where’s Krista?”
“I sent her back to Florida?” AJ explained.
“Why?!” Katelin exclaimed. “What’d you do that for?”
“You didn’t hear?” Ang asked, eavesdropping on their conversation.
“Hear what?” Katelin asked.
“Krista and Brooke were attacked last night,” Ang explained. “On their way home from your place. They were roughed up a little bit and Krista was taken to the hospital.”
“Oh my god!” Katelin cried. “Is she okay? Is the baby okay?”
“They’re both fine.” AJ nodded. “I just thought that it would be best for Kris if she went home. She can’t get into too much trouble at home.”
“Why didn’t anyone tell me?” Kate questioned. “I would’ve liked to say goodbye.”
“Sorry,” AJ said, shrugging. “It all happened so fast. I just wanted to get her on a flight as soon as possible.”
“Oh well,” Katelin shrugged. “Well, I’m gonna go get ready. See you guys later.” She walked out of the room just as Howie came in.
“What’s up D?” AJ asked. “And how was Miss Christine?”
Howie grinned. “Surprised and as beautiful as ever.”
“Did you guys have a good time, if you know what I mean?” AJ wondered.
“AJ,” Ang scolded. “Do you always have to have sex on the brain?”
“Can’t help it,” AJ defended. “Anyway, so how was it?”
“It was great,” Howie replied. “Although her father isn’t getting any better. We don’t really think that he has much more time.”
“Well, tell Chrissy that our thoughts are with her,” AJ told him.
“I will,” Howie replied. “Thanks man. Anyway, her ex-boyfriend, Paul, was there.”
“The Paul?” AJ questioned.
“Yup.” Howie nodded. “The one and only. I get the feeling he doesn’t like me very much.”
“Well, if I lost a beautiful girl like Christine to someone else, I wouldn’t like that person either,” AJ stated.
“I mean, I guess I see his point on that,” Howie answered. “But, he pretty much flat out told me that he would do anything to get her back.”
“Ouch,” AJ said. “Well, you and Christine have something really special. I’m sure he’ll realize that and give up. I wouldn’t worry about it too much. She’ll be back by your side sooner than you think.”
Katelin walked lazily down the hallway of the arena to the dancer’s dressing room, cringing as she thought about another run-in with Becca. She had tried to be nice to her at first, for the sake of her own sanity, but Becca just wasn’t going to stop with the nasty comments. She did everything in her power to make sure that Katelin knew that Nick wasn’t hers anymore. That he was Becca’s and that was the way it was always going to be. Katelin couldn’t stand even seeing the two of them together but she knew that it wasn’t anyone’s fault but her own. If only she hadn’t overreacted so much when she found out about the bet, she would still be with the one that she loved. But she couldn’t help it. No one seemed to understand how much that hurt her. To find out that their whole relationship, as short as it was, was based on a lie.
Katelin was brought back to reality by someone grabbing her arm and pulling her into an un-used dressing room. It all happened so fast that she couldn’t see who had her until they let go of her arm. “What the hell are you doing?!” she exclaimed.
Nick just ignored her as he made sure the door to the room was locked. “Answer me, damnit!” Instead, Nick pinned her up against the wall and pressed his lips to hers. Katelin struggled at first but felt soon herself getting lost in the feel of his lips on hers. But, as soon as it had begun, it stopped.
“What was that for?” she asked, breathlessly.
Nick stared into her eyes for a minute before he answered. “I needed to do that.”
“Why?” She questioned. “You can’t just do that, Nick. That’s not fair. You know how I feel. You can’t play with that anymore.”
“I’m not trying to play mind games with you, Kate,” he explained. “I don’t care anymore. I just know that I want you and I want to be with you. No matter what. I love you.”
Katelin just stood there with tears burning her eyelids. She had wanted this for so long. And now that she had it, she couldn’t keep it. All because of her father. “Nick, I…” she began.
“Shh,” he cut her off by pressing his lips to hers once again. “I don’t want to hear it. Please, Katelin, just say yes. Just say you’ll come back to me.”
“I can’t,” Katelin whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek.
Nick’s heart sank to the floor. That was the one thing he didn’t want to hear. “But I thought you said that you still loved me,” he said, quietly, his heart breaking. “I mean, what was all that about yesterday?”
“I do,” Katelin answered. “God, you have no idea. I love you so much. But I can’t do this.”
“Why not?” Nick pleaded, tears beginning to well up in his own eyes. “If you love me, what’s stopping you? You know I’d never hurt you again.”
“I know,” Katelin said, crying. “It’s my father. He threatened you, Nick. He threatened to press charges against you if we got back together.”
“Press charges for what?” Nick asked, confused. “Why the hell would he do that?”
“Statutory rape, Nick,” she answered, tears falling faster. “He knows that we slept together. I don’t know how. I didn’t tell him. But he knows and he will press charges. I know him, Nick. He’s not fucking around. He’ll do it. Do you know what that would do to your career? I won’t let that happen.”
Nick started angrily pacing the room. “He can’t do this. He is not going to keep us apart. Fuck my career. I don’t care anymore. Just as long as I can be with you.”
“You don’t mean that, Nick. And I won’t let your career suffer for this. No way,” she told him. She just watched him, tears falling steadily down her cheeks. She wanted him more than any thing and now that she knew that he wanted her too, it was killing her because they couldn’t be together.
“Can’t you just talk to him?” Nick pleaded. “You’re his only child. He’d listen to you.”
“Nick, you don’t understand my father,” Katelin explained. “He’s serious. He doesn’t care. As soon as his mind is set on something, no one can change it. Not even me.”
Nick slumped into a chair and wiped his eyes. “I need you, Kate. I need to be with you again. It’s killing me.”
Katelin went over, sat on his lap, and wrapped her arms around him. “It’s killing me too, Nicky. I love you so much.” Nick pulled her even closer to him and began placing light kisses all over her face and neck. She knew he wanted her right then. She wanted him too. But that would make this ten times harder. If they gave in and made love, it would be that much harder to stay away from each other.
“We can’t do this,” Katelin whispered, pulling away.
“Why not?” Nick mumbled. “We both want it. Just give in.”
“We can’t, Nick,” Katelin pleaded. “It’s just going to make things so much worse. I mean, what about Becca?”
“What about her?” Nick murmured, his lips moving to her ear lobe. “I’m going to break up with her. I don’t love her. I never have. Just give in, Katelin. I need you. We deserve one more time together.”
“I can’t, Nick,” Katelin whispered, standing up, facing him. “I want to. I really do. But it’s going to make this so much harder. Don’t you understand that?”
Nick wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her towards him, resting his head on her stomach while she played with his hair. “I guess so,” he reluctantly conceded. “But I don’t like it. This is so unfair.”
“This is the way it has to be,” she told him. “My father will stop at nothing and I will not let him hurt you.”
“He already is,” Nick whispered, looking into her blue eyes. “Not letting me be with you is hurting me more than anything else ever could.”
“I love you, Nicky,” Katelin tearfully said.
“I love you, too, Katelin.” He watched, helplessly, as she turned around and walked out the door.