Nick's P.O.V.
I woke up the next morning with a huge smile on my face. It faded as I realized that Katelin was not in bed with me. I heard the tv on downstairs and threw on some boxers before walking down there. I saw Katelin standing at the counter buttering a bagel. I walked up to her and slipped my arms around her waist. She shrugged me away and turned around, not looking me in the eye:
"Stop, Nick. Last night was a mistake. I was tired and I didn't feel like fighting you. It shouldn't have happened." My eyes widened:
"You're kidding me, right?" She still wouldn't look at me:
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have led you on like that. But it didn't mean anything. Just a moment of weakness for me." I got really angry and started yelling:
"Look me in the eyes and tell me that it was a mistake, Kate! Look me in the god damn eyes and tell me you didn't feel anything for me last night!" She had tears in her eyes but she still didn't look at me:
"I'm sorry, Nick." I watched with tears streaming down my face as she ran out of the room and up the stairs.
***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Kate's P.O.V.
Late the next afternoon I was lying on the couch watching television. Nick and I hadn't spoken since yesterday morning when I broke his heart. What he didn't understand was that mine was broken too. It shattered in a million pieces when I saw the look on his face after I told him that it was a mistake. In my heart, I knew that it wasn't a mistake but I was forcing myself to believe that it was.
The phone rang once and then Nick must have answered it. A minute later, he came and dropped it on my lap:
"It's Brooke." I picked it up:
"Brook-ee! What's up girl?"
"You're certainly chipper today. Did something happen to take you out of your permanent bitter mood?" I laughed lightly:
"Hey! I'm not that bitter."
"Whatever you say, Kate. Anyway, what's going on? Are you and Nick back together?"
"Actually, I think we're farther apart now then we were when he left."
"Why? What happened?" I sighed:
"Oh god, Brooke. I did something really bad."
"What did you do?"
"I slept with him."
"You what?!"
"Yup. And then the next morning I totally freaked out and told him that it was a mistake. He hates me now, Brooke. We haven't spoken to each other since it happened. I want to get out of here so bad. Go back to Baltimore and forget everything but I can't take Aaron away from him. That would just be hurting both of them." We talked a little while a longer and then the doorbell rang:
"Well Brooke, I gotta go. The girls are here and we're having a movie night. I'll talk to you later, okay?"
"Okay, Kate! Think about what I said. You and Nick belong together."
"Yeah yeah yeah. Bye!" I hung up the phone as Leigh, Amanda, Krystal, and Jess walked in. Leigh pushed my legs off the couch and sat down:
"Hey Kate. What's going on? How's the living arrangement going?" I just rolled my eyes at her:
"Don't even ask." Everyone made themselves comfortable and then Nick walked in with Aaron:
"See ya guys later!" I looked up and our eyes met for a brief second before I looked away. I couldn't take it. There was so much hurt there. They were no longer bright blue. They were a clouded-over gray:
"Where do you think you're going with my son?" He rolled his eyes:
"In case you forgot, I was there when he was conceived too." Leighanne snickered and I shot her a look. I mumbled:
"Barely." Nick glared at me:
"I may do some stupid things, Katelin, but I'm not deaf. I heard you loud and clear and what matters is that I'm here now and I want to spend time with my son. We're having a guys night and he's a guy. So, if you don't mind, I'm taking him over to Brian's with me."
"I don't trust you with him," I mumbled.
"What was that?" I looked at him straight in the eye:
"I said, I don't trust you." Nick smirked:
"You trusted me the other night, didn't you?" My jaw dropped to the floor as I watched him turn on his heel and smugly walk out of the house with Aaron. Leighanne looked at me quizzically as Nick slammed the front door:
"What the hell was that all about?" I shook my head quickly:
"Nothing. He's just bitter cause he can't deal with the fact that I don't want him back." Amanda shook her head:
"No no. I don't think that's it. I think there's something else going on." I cringed, scared that they might know our little secret:
"What are you talking about?" Krystal laughed:
"There was so much sexual tension in this room that you could cut it with a knife." My eyes widened in realization that they knew what was going on.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I lied. Leighanne smiled:
"Oh I think you do. We're not stupid, Katelin. Something definitely happened here and I want to know how, why, and when."
"Leighanne, you're married. I'm sure you know how," I giggled. She stuck her tongue out at me:
"Ha ha, smartass. Very funny."
"I try. And anyway, I don't really wanna talk about it."
"Well too bad. Cause we wanna hear about it," Krystal declared, smugly. I sighed and told them the whole story, including what had transpired the following morning. Leighanne shook her head at me, sadly:
"I can't and I won't watch you do this much longer. By alienating yourself from him, you're starting to alienate yourself from the rest of us." I glared at her:
"I can't believe you would even say that. After all of this, everyone takes his side. I'm SO sorry that I'm hurting you're precious Nick. I'm not doing this to hurt him. I'm doing this to prevent me AND my son from getting hurt."
"Katelin-" Amanda began. I stood up, angrily:
"Stop it. I don't want to hear it. I'm glad I know who my real friends are. You know, you all said that you wouldn't pick sides but that's exactly what you're doing and I'm fucking sick of it. I never asked you to do it. I know Nick's your friend and that you've all known him longer than you've known me. But put yourself in my shoes. None of you have had to go through what I have this past year. You've all had your loving boyfriends or husbands beside you the whole time while I have been alone and miserable and having to take care of my 6 month old son by myself. And don't sit there and tell me I could have told him because you all know fully well that I couldn't have. I can't deal with this! I can't take this constant argument anymore!" With that, I stomped up the stairs to my room and slammed the door. The four of them sat there quietly for a second before Jess, who had been quiet the whole time, spoke up:
"She's right guys. That's exactly what we're doing. We're taking Nick's side and she deserves our support so much more than he does." The other three slowly nodded. Leighanne sighed:
"So much for movie night. How about we go back to the guys? She doesn't want us around right now."
Forty five minutes later, the four of them walked through the door at Brian and Leighanne's. All five guys looked up surprised. Brian stood up and kissed his wife:
"What are you guys doing back?" Nick scowled:
"I'm sure Queen Bitch wasn't very welcoming." Leighanne glared at him:
"How dare you? You know how vulnerable she is around you and I can't believe you took advantage of her like that. Which head were you thinking with that night, Nick? Obviously not the right one because if you were, you'd know that it's not about getting her back into bed. It's about getting her to trust you again and I'm sorry to tell you, buddy. You blew that one when you put her in a position that she couldn't say no cause she's so god damn confused and doesn't know what to think! You sweet-talking her just made that even worse. She didn't even know what she was doing! You've done nothing this past year but prove that you don't deserve her. She's scared, Nick. Absolutely terrified that you're going to turn around and run out of her life again and this time, it's not just her. It's Aaron too. I've been supportive of you this whole time, but now. After seeing her like this, I'm beginning to rethink my opinion." Leighanne took a deep breath and collapsed on the couch. Everyone stared at her, wide-eyed. AJ turned his head to Nick:
"You slept with her? Why didn't you tell us?" Nick shrugged:
"Because I got my ego bruised in the process. She told me the next day that it was a mistake."
"Good. You deserved it," Leighanne muttered.