The Gift
Chapter 18
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Lainie woke up the next morning to the sound of something banging down the stairs. She got up and pulled on a robe, then walked out into the hall. AJ was dragging his suitcase down the stairs.
"Going somewhere?" she asked.
"Yeah. Nick, Howie, and I are leaving today. We've gotta get back to Florida. There's some kind of thing we've gotta do in the studio. I don't know the details. Kevin's gettin' out of the hospital this afternoon, and I think Nick wanted to ask you if you'd take care of him for a few days til he's ready to go home," AJ said. "I had a great time, and if you'll let me, I wanna come back soon. I like this place."
"Of course I'll take care of Kevin. And you're welcome here whenever you want to come back," she said, smiling sadly. She knew this day would come, but just hearing AJ say that they were leaving, she felt like someone had just socked her in the stomach. She walked down the stairs behind him and saw the front door was standing open. A cold wind was blowing into the house. She walked over to the door and looked out. Nick and Howie were putting their suitcases in the back of Nick's car. They walked back inside and Howie hugged Lainie.
"Sorry we couldn't stay longer," he said, "but I'm sure you're glad to get rid of us."
"Not at all," Lainie said, hugging him back. "I'm sorry to see you go."
"We'll be back," he laughed.
AJ returned from loading his suitcase and kissed her cheek. "Bye sweetheart," he said softly, hugging her tightly. "I'm sorry about everything. But then again, I'm really not."
"Bye, Alex," she said, smiling. "Come back soon."
AJ and Howie went out to the car and began fighting over who got the front seat.
"So you don't mind watching after Kevin for a few more days?" Nick asked.
"Not at all. I'll make sure he's all better before I send him home," Lainie said, smiling.
Nick stared at Lainie for a few seconds, then hugged her. "I'll miss you," he said. "But I promise I'll call you all the time, and I'll come back as often as I can."
"I know you will," she said, resting her head against his shoulder. "I'll miss you, too."
"Friends?" he asked quietly.
"Always."
Nick kissed her lips softly one last time, and walked out. Lainie hung her head as a few tears rolled down her cheeks. She was really going to miss them.
"What are all the tears for?" Brian asked, hopping down the stairs. "Don't tell me you actually miss those dorks!"
"Yeah, actually I'll miss them a lot," Lainie said, smiling sadly. She wiped the tears off her cheeks and looked up at the ceiling.
"Ahh you'll see them again," Brian said, hugging her. "I think they like you."
Lainie laughed and hugged Brian back. "Let's go get Kevin," she said.
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"Ohhh I hurt," Kevin moaned, as Lainie helped him into the bed.
"I know. baby," she crooned. "You'll be sore for a few more days. We'll just keep you doped up. How does that sound?"
"Sounds heavenly," he said, laughing. "Ooowww it hurts to laugh."
"Well don't laugh, dummy," Lainie giggled. "Ok, it's time for your antibiotics and you pain pill. What would you like to drink? Water? Juice? Coke?"
"Water with lemon," Kevin said, looking up at her with pitiful eyes.
"Oh... gettin' all hoity toity on me, huh?" she laughed. "I'll be back in a few minutes."
She walked downstairs and got Kevin's water with lemon, along with his antibiotics and pain medicine. She bumped into Brian on the way out of the kitchen. Sloshing water all over his shirt.
"Oh MAN!" she exclaimed. "I'm so sorry!"
"It's ok," Brian laughed. "I needed a bath anyway." He pulled his shirt off and draped it over his shoulder. Lainie felt her breath catch as she stared at Brian's naked torso.
"Oh... well... ok," she stammered. She walked past him slowly, allowing her arm to brush against his as she did. She felt a shiver travel through her body from the touch of his bare skin. She walked slowly up the stairs, feeling the tension in her body from seeing Brian like that. Stop it, Lainie... she thought. She went into Kevin's room and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Here you go, sweetie," she said, smiling. Kevin sat up painfully and took his medicine. "Let me check your bandages, ok?"
Kevin nodded and laid back down. Lainie pulled back the sheet and pulled up his t-shirt. Everything was healing properly. She very gently pushed around the incision to make sure there was no infection festering.
"Ooowww," Kevin groaned.
"Sorry," she said. "I won't do that again for a few more hours."
"Please don't," he said. "Lainie, will you scratch my arm?" he asked.
"Scratch your arm? Does it itch?" she laughed.
"No, I mean real light. You know, just with your nails. That always relaxes me. My Mom used to do that when I was sick."
"Oh. Ok," Lainie said, smiling. "Sure." Kevin held out his arm and she scratched very lightly. He closed his eyes and sighed. Within a few minutes, he was sound asleep. She quietly got up and went back downstairs. Brian was sitting shirtless on the couch, flipping through the channels on the television. Lainie fell into the recliner and propped her feet up.
"You know you need groceries," Brian said. "That refrigerator is nasty."
"Don't remind me," she said, laughing. "I guess I'll go in a little while. Shoot, I guess I should go now, since Kevin's asleep."
"I wanna go with you," Brian said.
"Well, ok. Whatever floats your boat," Lainie laughed.
"I hardly ever get to do normal stuff. While I'm here, I want to try," he said.
So Brian and Lainie headed to the grocery store. They had were having so much fun, they lost all track of time. Before they knew it, they had been gone two hours.
"Oh shit!" Lainie exclaimed. "We've got to get home! What if Kevin's awake?"
"Damn," Brian said, "I was having fun."
"Me too. But let's go. I don't want him to wake up alone."
Brian smiled at her concern for Kevin. She was a sweet girl. She really was. And when he was with her, he felt like a normal person. He actually forgot all about being Brian Littrell, Backstreet Boy. He was just Brian, the guy from Kentucky.
They raced home, and Lainie ran upstairs to check on Kevin. She found him sleeping peacefully. She sat down on the bed beside him and placed her hand on his forehead. No fever. Just sleeping like a baby. Brian stopped in the doorway and leaned against the wall. He smiled slightly as he watched Lainie. She was so gentle. And she was truly beautiful on the inside. Not that he hadn't noticed how gorgeous she was on the outside, too, but she had a gentle soul. He appreciated that.
She stood up and straightened Kevin's covers, then kissed his forehead softly. She led Brian out of the room and closed the door behind them.
"Ok, what do we want for dinner?" she asked. "I'm cooking tonight. I've had enough of this nasty diner food."
"Hmmm... How about homemade macaroni and cheese, pinto beans, fried okra, and cornbread?" he said, smiling hopefully.
"Oh you don't ask for a lot, do you?" Lainie laughed. "Ok. I'd better get started."
Brian sat on the counter and watched her wash the pinto beans and throw them into a pot. She then started on the okra. They chatted about life in general as she cooked. Brian found himself realizing that Lainie was everything he had ever looked for in a girl. She was sweet. She was very smart. She could cook. She was a normal person. Not a social climbing bimbo using him to further her career. But there was no way she was interested in him like that...
"You know, you could help me here," she laughed.
"I can't cook!" Brian exclaimed, laughing hard.
"Anybody can make macaroni and cheese," she said, rolling her eyes. "Here's what you do. Put some of this cooked macaroni on the bottom of the baking dish. Put a few pieces of butter all over it. Then put a layer of cheese. Then more macaroni, butter, cheese. Just keep layering til it's full. Then we'll pour some milk and egg over it and put it in the oven."
"Hey, that is easy," Brian said, taking over the macaroni duty. When he finished, he poured the milk/egg mixture over it, and Lainie put a little more cheese on top, then they put it in the oven.
"Now we wait," she said, smiling. They went back into the living room and sat on the couch. Lainie looked out the window. It was cloudy and windy. Very cold, too. It had to be in the low 30's. Unusual for south Alabama in February.
"How about a fire?" Brian asked. "Now I do know how to build a fire."
"Sounds good to me," Lainie replied. Brian built a roaring fire and returned to the couch. He put his arm around her and she leaned in, resting her head on his shoulder, as they watched the flames. Brian kissed her forehead and she wrapped her arm around his slender waist.
"You're too skinny," she laughed. " We need to fatten you up a little."
"I know, I know. I think I just have a high metabolism or something," Brian laughed. "But am I really that skinny?"
"No. I'm kidding. You're perfect," she said quietly.
"No," Brian, said, lifting her chin, "You are." He kissed her softly, and she felt that same overwhelming feeling that she had experienced at the ice rink... the feeling that she was meant to be there with Brian... She fit into his arms perfectly. She felt absolutely comfortable there. When she was with him, she didn't feel intimidated or out of place... like she had with Nick and AJ. They were "Backstreet Boys". Brian was just Brian.
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That night, Lainie sat up late with Kevin. He was in a lot of pain, and the pain meds didn't seem to be helping much at all. She laid down beside him and scratched his arm lightly. He moaned and would cry periodically.
"It's ok, sweetheart," Lainie said softly. "Just a little longer, and we'll get you some more medicine."
"Just don't tell anybody I cried," Kevin said, closing his eyes.
"I won't," she said, laughing a little. A few minutes later, she gave him another pain pill to try to calm the pain. It seemed to work, and he fell asleep. Lainie went downstairs and sat in front of the fire. Brian joined her, sitting on the floor beside her.
"You look tired," he said.
"I am."
"Let's get some pillows and just camp out down here," Brian said, pulling some pillows off the couch. They laid back and stared up at the ceiling. They talked all through the night about their lives. Lainie told him everything. All the horrible things that had happened that she was too embarrassed to tell anyone in her whole life. All the nasty things Jan and her friends had done to her. But she also told him about the good things. The summers at her grandmother's house. The clubhouse that she and sister had built by cutting holes in their grandfather's hedges. Brian told her about growing up in Kentucky. About being a goofy kid. About the pressures of being a Backstreet Boy. Lainie glanced up and saw that it was dawn.
"My gosh! We've talked all night," she laughed.
"Oh wow. I haven't done that in a long time," Brian said, brushing her hair out of her face. "You're beautiful. Did you know that?"
"I've been told that more in the last week than in my whole life," she laughed. "But thank you."
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When the day came for Kevin and Brian to head back to Florida, Lainie thought she would break down. She watched Brian loading their suitcases in the car, then help Kevin into the car, and she had to swallow the lump that was forming in her throat. She thought it was bad when AJ and Nick had left, but it was nothing compared to this... How could she say goodbye to Brian? Brian... he was like... her soulmate. He was the sweetest guy she had ever met in her life. She had never felt so close to anyone.
Brian walked up onto the porch and took her face in his hands. He kissed her softly, but deeply. His kiss lingered for so long, but Lainie didn't ever want it to end. She knew as soon as it did, he'd be gone. Maybe forever. Brian broke the kiss and looked into her eyes. She could see them shining with emotion.
"Well, I guess I've gotta go," he said quietly. "I'll see you again, though. I promise."
Lainie nodded, knowing that if she spoke, she would sob. A tear rolled down her cheek, and Brian gently wiped it away with his thumb.
"Hey, none of that," he said, smiling sadly. "I'll be back. I promise."
Lainie nodded again, and Brian pulled her to him in a crushing hug. She cried on his chest, sobs wracking her body. "I'm gonna miss you, Brian."
"I know, baby. I'm gonna miss you, too." he whispered, feeling his own tears welling up. He sniffed them back and shook his head to clear it of the emotions he was feeling. He let go of her and walked down the stairs. As he backed out of the driveway, Lainie leaned against the railing of the front porch, clutching her sweater around her shoulders. She stood there until she couldn't see the car anymore, then turned and went back into the house. It was empty. And quiet. She sat on the couch and looked around. She had never felt so alone in her life.
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19