Katelin waited patiently in the lobby of the Women’s Clinic. Ang was in with a nurse where they were running some tests to determine if she was raped or not. And if there were any drugs in her system. Katelin shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. She couldn’t believe her best friend was going through all of this. It just wasn’t fair. One second she’s hanging out, having fun with all of her friends. And the next she’s wondering whether she had been raped and whether she was about to face a murder charge. The door to the examining room opened and Ang and the nurse stepped out.
“Hey,” Katelin greeted, quietly. “How’d it go?” Ang shrugged, but didn’t say anything. The two girls walked outside and back to where Q was waiting for them in a van.
“Hey Ang,” he said as the two girls climbed in. “Everything okay?”
Ang nodded. “Fine.”
“Well?” Katelin asked, impatiently. “Were you or were you not?” Ang shook her head. Katelin threw her arms around her neck. “Oh thank god!”
“It’s not over yet,” Ang whispered. “I still conceivably killed a guy.”
“Actually, I have some news about that,” Q spoke up from the drivers seat as the three of them made there way through the mid-day Los Angeles traffic. “Eric and I went back so we could do something about the body. We took the syringe to a guy that I know who works as a PI here in LA. He tested the fingerprints and yours weren’t the only ones on it. Someone else’s were, Ang. Someone murdered that guy and set you up to take the fall for it.”
Ang leaned her head back on the seat. “How the hell did I get involved in something like this?”
“We’re all here for you, Ang,” Katelin said, grabbing her hand. “Me, Q, Eric, and AJ.”
“And Nick,” Q threw in.
Katelin looked up, sharply. “Nick? How did he get involved?”
“AJ told him,” Q answered. “So now the six of us are involved. It would be best if we kept it that way. I’m sorry, Ang. I know you might want to let Brian know, but I don’t think you should.”
“I don’t want Brian to know,” Ang informed them, as she looked out the window. Q glanced at Katelin through the rearview mirror and Katelin shrugged. The rest of the trip to the arena was spent in silence.
***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****
“Where the hell of you been?” Krista yelled into the phone. “I’ve been calling your cell phone all freaking morning. Are you purposely avoiding me?”
“No baby,” AJ replied. “I’m not avoiding you. I’ve been in the middle of a crisis. I’m sorry.”
“Just as long as you weren’t shacking up with some slut,” Krista warned.
AJ rolled his eyes, trying to keep from laughing. “Krista, I love you and that baby more than anything. Do you think I would throw that away for one meaningless night with some girl I don’t even know?”
“Actually…” Krista began.
“Don’t answer that,” AJ interrupted. He saw the doors open and Q, Katelin, and Ang walk in. “I gotta go baby. There’s someone here I need to talk to.”
“AJ?!” Krista exclaimed. “Don’t you dare hang up that phone!”
“Bye baby. I love you.” He clicked off his phone, leaving Krista fuming on her end. “How’d it go?” he asked, walking up to the three of them.
“I’m fine,” Ang answered, not looking anyone in the eye. “I’m going to go lie down in the dressing room until we have rehearsal. Please don’t let anyone bother me. Especially Brian.” The three others nodded as Ang disappeared into the dancer’s dressing room.
“Is she really okay?” AJ asked Kate.
Katelin shrugged. “She wasn’t raped, if that’s what you mean. Otherwise, I don’t think she’s okay. And I don’t know how to make it better.”
“It’s going to take time,” AJ advised. “Lots and lots of time. This is pretty big.”
“Hey guys,” Nick said softly, approaching them.
Katelin looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “I can’t believe she has to go through this. I mean, she’s my best friend and I feel completely helpless.”
AJ nodded towards the door to his dressing room. “Guys, we should go in here. I don’t want anyone to hear us.” Katelin and Nick nodded and Q went off to find Eric. AJ shut the door behind Kate and Nick and they all sat down on the couches. Nick wrapped his arms around Katelin and kissed the top of her forehead. “Ang is going to be okay,” he whispered. “We’re here for her.” Katelin nodded into his chest as AJ watched, uncomfortably.
“I’ll leave you guys alone,” he stated, moving towards the door. “I gotta go call Kris back before she flies up here and rips my head off. See you guys later.” He disappeared from the room, cell phone in hand.
Nick rubbed Katelin’s back, soothingly, as they both sat there in silence. There was so much he wanted to say to her right at that moment, but he didn’t feel like this was the time. There was so much other stuff going on that was much more important than their secret affair.
“Last night was perfect, Nick,” Katelin whispered a few minutes later, surprising him. He would’ve thought that would’ve been the furthest thing from her mind. She glanced up at him, tracing her finger along his jaw line.
Nick leaned in and kissed her, gently. “I know,” he said, pulling away. “I thought so, too.”
“What do we do now?” Katelin asked.
“We keep it a secret,” Nick told her. “But we definitely don’t stop.”
Katelin grinned, devilishly, moving up to straddle his lap. She began unbuttoning his shirt, one button at a time, placing a kiss as each inch of skin was exposed. “Kate,” Nick moaned. “Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, with everything going on?”
Katelin reached down and pulled her shirt over her head. “I need a distraction.”
"Will you talk to me now?" Brian asked as he walked into the room. He noticed Ang's bags waiting by the door. "Where are you going?" he asked, fearfully.
"I'm staying with Kate tonight," Ang answered, not once looking at him.
"Ang, please talk to me," Brian begged. "I can tell there's more going on with you than you're telling me. This just doesn't have to do with Leighanne being with me last night. What's going on?"
"Nothing else is going on, Brian," Ang lied. "I just can't be here right now. With you."
"When can you?" Brian questioned, his heart breaking. There had to be something else going on. He could tell just by the way she was acting.
"I don't know,” she whispered. She finally looked at him and he was able to see the tears in her eyes. He reached out for her but she reluctantly turned and away and picked up her bags. "I have to go." She reached for the doorknob.
"I love you, Ang," Brian said, tearfully, before the door closed completely.
***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Brooke walked into the bar on the main floor of the hotel they were all staying at. Szhe sat down and ordered a glass of wine, wanting to take her mind off of what had happened the night before. How could she have been so stupid to let something like this happen? Now what was Kevin thinking of her? He already thought of her as a whore. What other names could he come up with?
"May I sit down?" a voice interrupted her thoughts. Brooke glanced up and saw Howie smiling down at her. "Sure," she answered, gesturing to the stool beside her. "Have a seat." Howie sat down and ordered a beer.
"How's Christine doing?" Brooke asked.
Howie shrugged. "She's holding up about as well as anyone can expect. Her mother's a mess and so is her sister. Chris is trying to hold everyone together but I think she's going to snap any second."
"Well tell her we're all thinking about her," Brooke said. "How about you? Are you going to be able to get out there for the funeral?""
"Nope," Howie answered, sadly. "We have a show in Seattle on the day of the funeral. There's no way I'd be able to."
"Aw, I'm sorry, Howie.” Brooke wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “I know how much you want to be with her."
"Yeah," Howie agreed. "Anyway, how about you? How have you been?"
"I'm alright," Brooke replied. "You know how it is. Same ol', same ol'."
"Yeah," Howie laughed. "You're right about that. Anything else going on with you? Anything you want to talk about?"
Brooke rolled her eyes. "Geez Howie. Real subtle. I'm assuming that you know what happened last night. Kevin already told you, huh?"
"Actually no," Howie replied. "I haven't really talked to Kev today."
"Well then who?" Brooke questioned, confused. She hadn't told anyone about what had happened.
"Becca," Howie answered.
"Becca?!" Brooke exclaimed. "How the hell does she know?"
"She saw him come out of your room this morning,"
Howie explained. "I guess she felt the need to tell someone and I was the first person she saw."
"Figures," she mumbled. "No one can ever keep their mouths shut on this tour."
"That's true," Howie laughed. "But seriously, Brooke, what's going on with you guys?"
"Kevin made it very clear that the two of us are never going to work," Brooke told him. "Last night was a mistake. I'm not going to act as his little sex toy."
"Brooke," Howie began. "Kevin would never think of you like that."
"Oh really?" She snorted. "If that's how you really feel, then you don't know him as well as you think you do." Before Howie could reply, Brooke pushed her chair back and stood up. "I'm gonna go back upstairs. You going to the Carter's tomorrow?"
"Yeah," Howie nodded. "I'll be there."
"Bye Howie."
***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****
"I'm sooo excited to meet your parents tomorrow," Becca cooed in Nick's ear as they lay in the dark.
Nick tried his hardest not to throw up. The thought of sleeping with her, of kissing her, of doing anything with her, disgusted him beyond belief. He wanted to be anywhere but here. Two doors down the hall would've been perfect. Katelin in his arms. "I'm sure they can't wait to meet you, either," Nick replied. The truth was, he couldn't wait to introduce her to his mother. He knew that his mother wouldn't be able to stand Becca and that was something he was looking forward to almost more than anything. His mother was so controlling, even when it came to his love life, that this would make her flip.
"Do you think they'll like me?" Becca asked, rolling over and looking into his eyes. Nick didn't hear her. He was too busy remembering the night before. His lips trailing all over Katelin's body. The feeling of absolute euphoria at being with her like that again.
"Nick?!" Becca exclaimed. "Are you even listening to a word I'm saying?"
"Sure I am," Nick said, snapping out of his thoughts.
"Really?" Becca snorted. "Then what did I say?"
"Uh…you said…" he stuttered.
"I swear to God, Nick," she began. "I will go straight to her father."
"What the hell are you talking about, Becca?" Nick exploded. "I'm here right now, aren't I? I'm in bed with you. I'm your boyfriend. I'm not with Katelin. What else do you need?"
"Just want to make sure that you understand how serious this is," she told him. "If I so much as see you look at her off of the stage, Mr. Taylor will know everything. Do we have an understanding?"
Nick sighed. "Yes, Becca."
Later in the night, when he was sure she was asleep, Nick crawled out of bed and crept out of the room and down the hall. He knocked on the door, praying to God that Katelin would open up. A minute later, the door slowly opened and there stood a sleepy-eyed Katelin, in short shorts and a tight little tank top. Before she got a chance to say anything, Nick grabbed her and pulled her towards him, pressing his lips against her. As they were locked in a passionate kiss, Katelin backed up and pulled him into the room, shutting the door behind her. She broke apart and stared at him, a slight smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "What are you doing here?" she whispered.
Nick shrugged. "I missed you." Katelin pushed Nick into the bathroom so that they wouldn't wake Ang up.
"What are you doing?" he asked. "Why are we in the bathroom?"
Katelin flipped on the light. "Because Ang is sleeping," She answered. "She's had a rough day and I don't want to wake her up."
"You look absolutely gorgeous in this outfit," Nick commented.
"These are my pajamas, Nick," she told him, confused.
Nick pulled her towards him. "I know. You look sexy." His lips moved to her neck and began sucking and nibbling lightly.
"Nick," she moaned. "Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, what about Becca?"
"Kate," Nick groaned. "Do you always need to bring her up? Can't it just be you and me? No one else exists for the time being." Katelin nodded and got lost in the feeling of his soft hands slipping up the back of her shirt.
"Are you coming to my house tomorrow?" Nick mumbled against her skin.
"Mmmhmmm…" Katelin answered, her eyes fluttering closed. Nick hoisted her up onto the counter and began inching her shirt over her head.
"Nick, we shouldn't do this right now," Katelin mumbled. "Ang is sleeping."
"So?" Nick questioned. "She won't be able to hear us." He proceeded to slip her shorts down, lifting her slightly off of the counter so he could pull them off. Katelin, in turn, pulled his t-shirt over his head and ran her fingers lightly down his bare chest, causing Nick to groan quietly.
"You drive me crazy, baby," Nick whispered before pulling her into a passionate kiss.
Katelin smiled against his lips before pulling away. "Ditto Carter."