Nine Months Later:

Kayleigh grabbed her head in pain and slowly sank down onto the couch. Nicole frowned, noticing her discomfort.

“Honey, why don’t you go the doctor?” Nicole suggested. “I mean, this has been going on for a while now.”

“It’s just a migraine,” Kayleigh told her. “It’ll pass in a minute. I just need some aspirin.”

“James!” Nicole called. “Bring two Tylenol when you come out!”

A minute later, James appeared in the living room with two aspirin and a glass of water. He handed it to her. “Kayleigh, you need to get that checked out. This is been going on for at least six months.”

“If I make a doctors appointment will you guys stop bothering me?” she questioned, smiling.

“Deal,” Nicole stated, hiding the worried tone in her voice. She couldn’t help but feel that something was really wrong with her best friend. Kayleigh disappeared into the kitchen to make an appointment when the front door flew open and Elizabeth, literally, bounced inside with Nicole’s mom following behind her.

“Hi Aunt Nikki!” Elizabeth cried, jumping into Nicole’s arms.

“Hi honey,” Nicole smiled in return.

“Where’s my mommy?” Elizabeth questioned, her eyes searching the room.

James pointed to the kitchen. “In there, sweets.” Elizabeth squirmed her way out of Nicole’s arms and ran into the kitchen to say hello to her mother. Nicole and James laughed as Ellen Sanders collapsed onto the couch. “That girl has way too much energy,” she commented. “I’m surprised I was able to keep up with her all day.”

Kayleigh came back into the living room, with Elizabeth trailing closely behind. “Thank you so much for taking her for the day.”

“No problem,” Ellen replied. “You know how much I love that girl as if she were my own granddaughter.” Kayleigh forced a smile. It was as if she was Elizabeth’s own granddaughter, since Elizabeth had never met her real grandparents, let alone her own father.

“What’s daddy doing today?” Nicole asked.

Elizabeth glanced up at Kayleigh, thoughtfully. “Mommy, how come I don’t have a daddy?” Kayleigh glanced helplessly around the room, not prepared for that question. What the hell was she supposed to say to that without having to explain things to her that Elizabeth would never understand? How the hell was she supposed to explain all of this without Nicole, James, and Ellen all asking questions that Kayleigh wasn’t prepared to answer. “You have a daddy, sweetheart,” she finally answered, quietly. “I just don’t know where he is.” She scooped Elizabeth up in her arms and started up the stairs. “Let’s go lay down, sweetie.” The two disappeared up the stairs, ignoring the questioning looks that Nicole, James, and Ellen were giving them.

The Next Afternoon:

Kayleigh walked into her house, completely out of it. She was numb. There had to be something else wrong with her. No way was this happening right now. As soon as she opened the door, Nicole, who had been sitting on the couch, reading Elizabeth a story, knew something was wrong.

“Lizzie, why don’t you go upstairs and say hi to Uncle James, okay?” she suggested, nodding towards the stairs. Elizabeth nodded and disappeared upstairs. Nicole turned to Kayleigh. “What’d the doctor say?”

“Do you know where that unopened box of mine is?” Kayleigh asked, ignoring Nicole’s question. “I haven’t seen it since I moved in here.”

Nicole nodded, slowly. “Yeah, it’s down in the basement.”

“Thanks,” Kayleigh mumbled, walking towards the basement door. Nicole, now worried as hell at how out-of-it her best friend was acting, followed her down the stairs and watched as Kayleigh slowly pulled the packing tape off of the box and began pulling things out.

“What’s all that?” Nicole asked, quietly, not wanting to surprise her.

Kayleigh pulled an old photo album out and began leafing through it. “Stuff from before I moved here.” Nicole carefully sat down next to her and glanced at the pictures Kayleigh was looking at.

“That was my best friend,” she stated, pointing to a picture of she and Brooke from the night they went to the BSB concert on New Years Eve. Nicole looked at all of the pictures, silently, not knowing what to make of Kayleigh’s behavior at the moment. Kayleigh just kept flipping through the pictures. “That’s my ex-boyfriend, Tyler.”

“Is that Elizabeth’s father?” Nicole asked, quietly.

Kayleigh shook her head. “No. We broke up about six months before I got pregnant with Lizzie.” She flipped through a couple of more pages and Nicole’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head when Kayleigh stopped on a picture of her and Nick. “That’s him,” Kayleigh whispered, tearfully.

“Elizabeth’s father is Nick Carter?!” Nicole exclaimed. No matter how unbelievable it sounded to her, she knew it was true just by sheer resemblance. Now that she thought about it, Nicole realized that Elizabeth was the spitting image of her father. The hair, the eyes, the shape of her face. Everything was so strikingly similar.

“Yeah,” Kayleigh replied. “I’m sorry I never told you. But if I had just come out and said that her father was Nick Carter, would you have believed me?”

Nicole shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess it would’ve sounded kind of far-fetched. But you need to explain all of this to me because I’m not sure I understand.”

Kayleigh took a deep breath, finally prepared to tell Nicole all of the secrets that she had been keeping. “I met Nick when I was twelve years old….”

“They’re transferring me to Florida.”
“Oh my god. I’m so sorry. I didn’t see him…I didn’t mean to.”
“So, you’re Kayleigh?”
“Yeah. Nick, right?”
“Thank you so much. I don’t know if I would’ve gotten through today if it wasn’t for you.”
“Yes you would have but you’re welcome anyway.”
“Friends?”
“Best friends.”
“Today was that audition I was telling you about.”
“I could never stay mad at you for long, Nicky.”
“Kayles, you’ve been my best friend for almost two years now. I don’t know what I’d do without you. I’ve never had a friend like you”
“I miss you Kayles. I get really homesick sometimes.”
“I wish you were here. I really miss talking to you”
“I missed you, girl.”
“I’ve known your for almost five years, now, Nick. I can tell what you’re thinking half of the time and when you want something.”
“I’m not leaving til we settle this, Kayles,”
“Don’t call me that. Only my best friend calls me that.”
“Don’t really know and don’t really care. She made it very clear that she doesn’t want anything to do with me or our friendship anymore.”
“I can’t believe you’re putting some girl ahead of our friendship. Get the hell out of here. NOW! We are no longer friends.”
“I’m sorry, Nick. I’ve been acting like a complete and total bitch.”
“You’re gonna love her. She’s a lot like you.”
“It’s just that I’ve gotten so used to having you here. I don’t know if I can handle you being gone for so long. I’m really going to miss you.”
“You know I’d stay in a heartbeat if I could.”
“When did you become so damn hot?”
“I was drunk. So was he. We were both so very, very drunk. I remember being at the club and doing shots with Nick. I remember dancing with him. And I remember, well, actually I don’t remember much after that.”
“I’m in love with my best friend.”
“Why are you trying so hard to shut him out of your life? What the hell are you trying to prove?”
“Kayles, you’re my best friend. Nothing you say or do bothers me. I wish I could’ve been here for you.”
“You know I’d do anything for you, Kayles.”
“The way you look at him totally gives it away. You love him.”
“Make it go away, Kayles. It hurts.”
“Just let go. I need you, Kayles. I need you to make it stop.”
“I can’t tie him down like that. Force him to be with me because of a baby.”
“I finally talked to Lauren. She wants to try and work things out.”
“I’m happy for you.”
“Maybe someday we’ll cross paths again. Until then, know that I love you more than anything in this world and that I’ll never forget you.”
“Have you thought of a name?”
“Elizabeth Nicole Carter.”
“He deserves to know his little girl, Leigh. It’s not fair to either one of them!”
“I’m not going back, Brian. And don’t you dare tell him or anyone else that you saw me. I swear to God, if Nick or my mom or Brooke shows up on my doorstep tomorrow morning, I’ll disappear for good. You’ll never see me or hear from me again.”

Nicole sat at her desk with her head in her hands, tears welling up in her eyes. Everything Kayleigh had confessed to her earlier was swirling through her head. Her best friend had been through so much in her young life. More than anyone should ever have to go through. And now it was just going to get harder. After sitting there for a good half an hour, she picked up the phone and started dialing, coming to a decision.

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