"What took you so long?" Carolyn asks.
"Just had some stuff to do."
"More like some Nick to do," Leighanne jokes.
"Yeah Leigh, we just snuck a quicky in before I came here," I say sarcastically.
They laugh.
"Anyway, we ordered some ice cream from room service," Jess informs me with a smile.
"Yum!" I jump onto the bed next to Carolyn.
"Don't forget the jelly beans," Carolyn adds.
"You ordered jelly beans from room service? I didn't know you could order candy!"
"Yup. I just asked and the lady said she'd have someone bring some up. Cool huh?" she smiles.
"Yeah. I'm gonna order me some M&M's next time," I laugh.
"What are you talking about, 'next time'?" Carolyn smirks as she picks up the phone and dials room service. "Hi, I'd like some M&M's sent up to my room if possible?" she asks politely. "Thank you," she says as she hangs up. "They'll be up with the jellybeans, ice cream and M&M's in a couple minutes," she smiles.
"Thanks, C!" I laugh.
We watch MTV for the few minutes before the food arrives.
"Yum," Carolyn says excitedly as someone knocks on the door. "Our junk food is here." She hops off the bed and looks in the peep hole. She opens the door and a man in a uniform comes in with a silver tray filled with five bowls of vanilla ice cream and two other bowls with the jellybeans and M&M's. "Thank you," she smiles at him. "Anyone got tip money?" She looks over at us. Leighanne grabs her purse and gets out a bill. She stands up and hands it to the room service guy.
"Thank you," he says, making his way out. "You ladies have a nice night now," he smiles before leaving. Leighanne closes the door behind him, then resumes her spot on the couch.
"This ice cream is soooo good," Jessica says happily as she eats another spoon full.
"You should try it with jellybeans," Carolyn suggests.
"No thanks," Jess laughs.
"So Leigh," Carolyn begins. "What's up with you not wanting to spend the night with Brian?" she asks in her usual nosy manner. "I mean I would have thought since you haven't seen each other in a while that you'd be all over him."
I laugh quietly at Carolyn's bluntness.
"Umm..." Leighanne sighs. "It's probably totally bitchy of me to tell you guys this before I tell Brian," she pauses for a moment, "but I'm going to break up with him," she says regretfully.
"What?!" we all say in unison, rather surprised by the news.
"What happened? I thought you two were happy together. I mean I was expecting an invitation to your wedding soon," Alissa says, totally shocked.
"I met someone else," Leighnanne states simply.
"Someone better than Brian? Leigh, you can't break up with him, it'll break his heart," I say thoughtlessly.
"Thanks for the support, Ally," she replies, sounding hurt.
"I'm sorry," I sigh. "It's your relationship and if you think that you two should break up then it's probably best. I'm just a little surprised is all."
"So who's the new guy?" Carolyn asks.
"His name is Sean. I met him at work." She takes another spoonful of ice cream. "You guys have to understand that I still love Brian, and I don't want to hurt him. But when I met Sean, it was like love at first sight. He's like my soulmate," she says, as if trying to convince us.
"You don't have to explain anything to us, Leighanne. We're behind you 100%. I'm sure everything is going to work out for the best," Jessica says, leaning over to give her a hug.
"Thanks Jess."
"So when are you going to do it?" Carolyn asks.
"Do what? Break up with him?"
"Yeah."
"Tomorrow."
"Do you know what's going on at this very moment as you enjoy your day off?" I ask Nick, who is sitting next to me playing video games.
"Huh?" he asks, concentrating on the screen.
"I said: Do you know what's going on at this very moment as you enjoy your day off?"
"Ummm, I dunno, children in poor countries are starving?" he replies, trying to guess the answer.
"Hmm...That too... But that's not what I was going for..."
"Then what were you going for?" he asks as the little man on the screen stumbles onto a fire ball and dies. "Damn." He puts the controller on the floor and turns off the game system.
"At this very moment, Leighanne is breaking Brian's heart," I sigh.
"Huh?"
"She's breaking up with him, Nick."
"What? Why?" he asks, shocked.
"She met someone else."
"Oh man, Brian is not going to take this well." He runs his hands through his hair.
"I know, that's why I told you - So that he'll have your shoulder to cry on after Leighanne leaves."
He nods. "I think I just heard a door close."
I get up and open our door. "You're leaving already?" I ask, as I see Leighanne waiting by the elevator with her suitcase.
She turns around. "Yeah. I've got to catch my flight home," she says, seeming sad. Her cheeks are tear stained and her eyes are still watery.
I go out into the hall and give her a hug. "You OK?"
"I will be. It's gonna be weird not being with Brian, but I had to do it," she explains.
"Keep in touch, OK?" I smile sympathetically.
"I will," she forces a smile. "We'll still see each other. We can all hang out once you guys get back to Florida... Maybe you could meet Sean sometime."
"Yeah, maybe."
The elevator dings and the doors open.
"I've gotta go. Tell the others that I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye. I wasn't really in the mood to see anyone."
"Of course," I smile.
"Thanks Ally." She hugs me then gets in the elevator and waves as the doors close.
I go back into the hotel room. "Leighanne's gone," I say, closing the door behind me.
"Yeah, you left the door open so I heard."
I sigh as I wrap him in a hug. "I hate breakups... Even when it's not my relationship that's ending."
"Me too," he agrees and kisses my forehead. "I'm gonna go see how Brian's doing."
"OK." I break away from the hug.
"You wanna have dinner in an hour?" he asks, walking toward the door.
"You sure Brian won't want you to stick around?"
"Nah, he usually likes to be alone at times like this."
"OK. See you in an hour."
He nods and leaves the room, closing the door behind him. He walks down the hall to Brian's room and knocks on the door.
"What?" a mumbling voice answers.
"It's Nick. Can I come in?" Nick asks through the door.
"Fine."
Nick opens the door and goes inside, to find Brian sitting in a chair by the window, staring outside.
"I heard about you and Leigh. You OK man?" he asks, placing a hand on Brian's shoulder.
"No," Brian answers honestly.
"You wanna talk about it?"
"Not really," he replies, turning away from Nick as tears roll down his face.
"You sure?" Nick asks with concern for his friend.
"What am I going to do without her?" Brian says, as if thinking out loud.
"Man, I know it hurts now. But in time it won't hurt so much, and you'll find someone new," Nick says as his eyes begin to water at the sight of his friend in so much pain.
Brian shakes his head. "I won't find someone new."
"Of course you will, man."
"No Nick, I won't. She was my everything."