*~anytime~*

[Kristen07]

Hey y'all,
This is a Nick and Jess story i started a couple months ago, but then got sidetracked from writing it. So, I have started to write it again. Here's the summary:
Nick has been seriously burned by someone he really loved. But then He meets Jess... and slowly but surely he begins to fall in love with her. But so many things stand in the way... will they end up together?
I hope y'all enjoy :)

~Chapter 1~

Nick Lachey sighed heavily as he drove home form another day in the studio. It was a gloomy night, with raindrops gently beating on the windshield. But Nick wasn’t concentrating on the road as much as he should be. And one woman claimed responsibility for that. BreAnn Hayden.

Their relationship went pretty smoothly for about 3 years, until Nick started to suspect that something wasn’t right. When they were together, she didn’t seem as interested in them, her mind was always wondering. It seemed as though she was hiding something, though Nick didn’t think much of it till a phone call a couple months later, when he heard a male voice in the background that he hadn’t heard before, and she sounded like it was a bad time to call. Now Nick was really suspicious that she cheating. Then the next night he caught BreAnn making out with her new beau at their favorite bar.
That night, BreAnn’s younger sister had told Nick truth about what had been happening. BreAnn had been seeing this guy for the last 5 months of their relationship, and she was definitely ready to move on from Nick.
Tears threatened to spill out of Nick’s eyes, but he fought them back, he wasn’t home yet. This was 4 months ago, but it still stung as much as it did the night he caught her cheating and learned the truth.
Since the break up, Nick had been putting his energy into making a solo record. Writing songs and making music helped, but the pain was still there despite.
He pulled his driveway, and headed in the house. He decided top check his cell phone messages, since he’d had it off all day, there were two: One from his manager, Larry, regarding business, and his younger brother, Drew, checking up on him.
Drew had been the one most there for him in the aftermath of the breakup. He would listen as Nick vented or give him a shoulder to cry on if he needed one. The brothers were closer than close; they would do anything for each other.

He decided to call him.

“Hello?�

“Hey Sprout� Nick said.

“Hey. How was working the studio today?�

“All right, nothing to write home about. Yours?�
(Drew worked at the record company where Nick was an artist)

“We have a couple artists coming tomorrow to meet with us. “

“Oh? Like who?�

“Jessica Simpson, she’s just transferred to our label from another one, and two new people, Lyndsey Calhoun and Evan Garret�

“Sounds good�

“Yeah, we’ll help Jessica start on her album, and then give Lyndsey and Evan an introductory session on what to expect and such. So, have you thought about Bree much today?�

“Well, I got a little teary-eyed on the way home a bit ago, but other than that, no�

“Glad to hear it, but you still have aways to go. You know you need to be looking for a girl who could be dating material, I hate to see you so sad�

Nick rolled his eyes. They had been through this conversation already. “Drew, I’ve told you already, I’m not going to start looking till I feel I can give all the love I have to that person again�

“Well, it doesn’t hurt to start looking�

“I know, but….� Nick really didn’t know what add after that. “Just drop it for now, ok?�

“Ok, whatever you say� A beep came on the end of his line. “Nick, I need to go. Business call.�

“All right little brother, talk to you later�

“Bye�

After that phone call, Nick flopped on his bed and thought. Everyone was telling him to move on, but he still couldn’t. It wasn’t just the pain from BreAnn, but it was also... the fear that he would have to repeat the experience again, and he surely didn’t want to put his heart through what it was going through now, again. Yet there was a tiny part of him that was hopeful that He would find someone that would treat him right, but for now, he was just going to steer clear of dating till he could finds the person he really felt he could connect with, and heal the pain.

[littleprincessj]

Hey it's great so far, good start can't wait to see more of it! Great job but poor Nick having his heart broken... :cries: who'd be dumb enough to cheat on that sweet man?? :ohwell:

[Kristen07]

Thank you for the feedback :) I should have a chapter by Tuesday, I promise, it's just that I'm so busy.
~Kris

[nslsexy]

sounds really good so far

[Kristen07]

Ok, I'm sorry I'm so late, I'm just really busy with a lot of things. I am working on the update, and I promise I will have a updatew sometime this week. Thank you for being so patient :)

[Kristen07]

~Chapter 2~

Nick returned to the studio the next day, ready for another long, average day at work, though he was not so keen on facing his producers, Stephen and Will, because they had gotten in a fight the day before and then had adjourned work because they couldn’t get along at the moment.
He greeted Stephen and Will, and when he started to apologize, Will held up a hand and said “It’s ok, Nick. We all were having an emotional day yesterday and it happened. Let’s just finish up this up, ok?�
Nick nodded and the threesome worked for several hours.

At lunch break, Nick was walking out of the studio, when he saw a woman he hadn’t seen before walk the other way. And damn, was she beautiful, Nick had to look twice as she p[arse]ed. She was petite; 5’3 per say, long blonde straight hair, bright brown eyes and had a great figure. “Wow� he thought, “Who was that woman? I have to meet her when I get back�
“But you shouldn’t really be noticing other women, you’re still hurting from Bree.� A voice from inside of seemed to be saying.
He shook his head. “When will this ever go away�

After lunch, Nick arrived back at the studio, and they worked on a song for a couple more hours. And it actually helped, because he had this unknown inspiration from a woman that he didn’t even know. “I have to meet her sometime� Nick told himself.

After they were all done, Nick walked out the studio, didn’t really see her, and giving up on it for the day, started towards the car. But one voice made him stop. “Wait�
He turned. It was the woman, smiling at him. She must have noticed him too! “Oh, hi! Didn’t suspect I’d see you again�
She chuckled “Yeah, well, I’m here� She extended her hand “I’m Jessica Simpson�
Jessica Simpson… where had he heard that name? Yes, she was the artist who had transferred from another label that Drew was helping. “I’m Nick Lachey.� Then, totally spontaneous came to his mind “Say, how long are you working here?�
Jessica thought for a moment “Here… about a week for now. Why?�
“So am I. How about we have lunch together tomorrow during break?�
Jessica smiled. Boy, did she have a beautiful smile. “I’d love too. 2:00?�
“Excellent. Well, goodnight, Jessica�
“Goodnight Nick� Nick got in his car and started it. Wow, he had scored a date with this woman. She seemed really intelligent, and fun to be around. He couldn’t wait till tomorrow.
“But you barely know this girl� His defenses seemed to be saying, “What if she turns out to hurt you again�
“It’s just a date� He told himself “It’s not like I’m committing myself to a relationship. If we don’t click, it’s ok. I’ll move on to the next person. But if we do… “ That could pose a problem.
“Oh well, we’ll just go on the date, and we’ll see what happens

~The next day~

Nick came into the studio, really excited. He was going to have lunch Jessica, and was just a good mood all around.
Just Stephen was in there today. “Hey, Steph, just you today?�
“Yep. Forgive if I snap at you, last night was really rough and I’m operating on 4 hours sleep.�
“Want to talk about it?� Nick asked.
Stephen waved it off “Nah, I’m fine. Ready to work on “On and On� some more?�
�I guess� Nick stepped into the record booth. He had written this song himself, and whenever he sang it, he was flooded with sad memories, like when his grandfather had p[arse]ed away, and the night he had found out about BreAnn’s unfaithfulness.
Nick began to sing:

When the darkness finds the night
My heart still beats for you
In your wyes I see the lie
But what can I do, I tired my best to walk away
So I don’t have to feel the pain

Stephen stopped him “Ok, we have to work on that in a couple places�
So, Nick and Stephen started to work on that and then Nick began to zone out… so much that he was in flashback to that fateful night.

~Begin Flashback~

Nick walked into the bar, wondering if maybe he would run into BreAnn here. He was beginning to be suspicious about her since the phone call the previous night, but hoped it was nothing.

He sat down with a gl[arse] of his favorite beer, just chilling for a while, drinking that. Then, he saw the most horrible sight in the world. BreAnn had walked in, and she sure wasn’t alone. There was another man, a tall, muscular man with dark hair and eyes. He looked pretty intimidating. Then, they started making out in front of everyone. It was actions that screamed “GET A ROOM!�

It was all too much for Nick. He put down his drink and walked out of the bar, tears in his eyes.
Once he had gotten in the car, the sight he had just witnessed sunk in. How could she have done this to him? And she was usually honest with him if she wasn’t happy. It was if she didn’t recognize him anymore.
Just then, his cell went off.

“Hello?� Nick tried to sound strong.

“Nick?� It was BreAnn’s sister Leigh. “I have something to tell you�

“Hi Leigh. I already know what it is. I have just witnessed it�

“Was she all over him, totally making out and doing things that say, “Get a room?�

“Yep� Nick told her. “How long has she been with him?�

Leigh hesitated. “I hate to tell you this, but 5 months. She’s been sneaking around majorly to see this guy but try to be with you too, without you trying to figure out what she was up to�

This angered Nick. “What the hell does she think I am, stupid? After all we’ve had together and all I’ve done for her, this is how I get repaid?�

“Unfortunately so� Leigh said sadly. “I hate to break it to you, but y’all are definitely over in her mind�

“Yeah, and in mine too� Nick hung up.

~End Flashback~

“Nick, are you feeling ok?�
Nick snapped out of his trance. “I’m sorry, just got out of it for a bit. Let’s keep working�

About 2:00, Jessica came in the studio. “Hi Nick� she greeted in her perky manner.
“Hey Jessica, we were just about to close up shop for now.� He turned to Stephen “Stephen, this is Jessica, she’s a new artist to the label. Jessica this is Stephen, one of my producers.�
“Nice to meet ya!�
“Likewise�
“So, you ready to go?� Nick asked Jessica.
Jessica nodded “Uh huh�
“See you two lovebirds later� Stephen told them with a chuckle.

They went to Nick’s car, and he opened her door for her.
“Thank you, you’re such a gentlemen� Jessica remarked.
Nick smiled “Your welcome�
Nick got as well, and Jessica questioned “So, where you want to go?�
He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter to me, you get to pick the place�
“Allrighty. There’s this deli place a little ways form here I’ve been wanting to try for a couple weeks.�
“Whatever you say, Miss Jessica, just lead the way�
Jessica laughed and so did he. Nick had a feeling that he and Jessica were gonna hit it off just fine.

So, how will the date go? Find out in chapter 3! I hope y'all have enjoyed this chapter :)

[orlyscaligrl]

I love it can't wait for more!

[littleprincessj]

Aw I loved it so far I can't wait for the next chapter!

[Kristen07]

I hope to have an update for y'all by the end of the weekend, cause Friday and Saturday i'll be busy, then i'll have Sunday to write. So, if I don't update tomorrow, it'll be Sunday.
**And a note for ahead of time: I will be gone to visit family in Atlanta from October 28th to Nov 1st. They have a computer there, but I highly doubt i'll be able to update.**

Have a good day and thank you for reading :)

~Kris

[Kristen07]

Hey ya'll, i know, you're anixously awaiting that next update, but i have been so busy, i haven't gotten the time. I promise to have it this weekend :) Thanks for the patience! :)

[StargateGirl]

Take your time girl. :) I'll just skip while I wait.

:^:

[Kristen07]

*Comes in whistling* Look what i have, y'all! An actual update!!! :) I apologize for its shortness, i couldn't think of anything else to put in it. So, I hope you all enjoy it and i promise Chapter 4 will come sooner and be longer!

~Kris

~Chapter 3~

They arrived at the deli, and went inside. After getting their food, and being seated, they engaged in impersonal small talk till they got a little more comfortable.
“So, Jess, where are you from?�
“Can’t you tell from my accent?� She asked, laughing, “I’m the South! Dallas, Texas!�
Nick chuckled as well. “I guess I can’t tell. So, what was it like growing up there?�
“It was great! I had my daddy, Joe, mama Tina, and younger sister Ashlee. We’re a closer than close family� She paused. “I sang all the time as a child, and I knew that it was what I wanted to do as a career. So I got signed at 19, did two albums and then I felt that my other label was controlling me too much, so I left and happened to get signed with this one. How did you start singing, Nick?�
Nick thought for a few minutes. “I sang around the house a lot, and did a few things here there. My mom thought I was really talented, so I enrolled in the local performing arts high school. It was like your regular high school, except we didn’t have sports and the curriculum was more focused on the arts. I was in a lot of groups in there and got some solos. But, after high school, I wasn’t so sure I would be lucky enough to be a professional singer, so I went to college�
“What was your major?� Jessica asked.
“Something really far from music. Sports medicine. Besides music, sports are my biggest love. So, I graduated college, but then I decided that I couldn’t give up on music. My friend Justin and I went out to L.A., and met two other guys, Jeff and Ryan. Ryan wasn’t committed, so he quit. Then, I brought my younger brother Drew, into the mix, and we had a little bit of success. Now, we are on break. But I’m not sure if we’ll get together, though�
“Wow, that’s really great. You’ve got a lot accomplished already.�
“Yeah, I do. So, so you like it here better than your other label?�
Jessica shrugged. “I haven’t really been here long enough to make a decision. But, so far, everyone has been really nice and I don’t think they’ll be as controlling. I’ll probably be able to do more than I could, say 2 years ago…� she sighed heavily, signaling that she didn’t want to go into the subject any further. And Nick respected that.

They talked for a little while longer, and then Nick suggested that they go back into the studio.
“Sure� Jessica replied. “We have to, unless we want to get our butts yelled at!�
They both laughed really hard “True�
“But I would like to do this again� She told him.
“So would I. I really enjoyed talking to you� And Nick meant it. “How about we exchange numbers, and keep talking till we can get that 2nd date worked in�
“All right� Jessica got out a pad of paper and wrote down her number in pretty pink ink, and then handed it to him. Nick did the same with a pen he had in his pocket.
They drove back to the studio; and then they got out of the car and hugged. Nick had admit, it felt good to hold Jessica close.
“I’ll see ya later Nicholas�
“All righty, Miss Jessica�
They let go, and then walked back into the studio.

~Later that day~

Nick and Drew had agreed to meet for a late dinner after a long day working.
“Well, have you met either of the new artists yet?� Drew asked.
Nick shook his head “Not yet. But I did meet Jessica�
Drew raised his eyebrows. “And?�
“Well, we went to lunch today during break�
“How was it?�
“It was fun. Jess is a really nice and funny girl. We will probably go out again… not real sure when though�
Drew had a really weird look on his face. “Why are you looking at me like that?� Nick inquired.
Drew smirked. “You really like her, don’t you?�
“I like her, but I don’t really like her. I mean, I don’t even really know her that well�
“But you’re willing to get to know her and that’s a good sign� Drew pointed out.
He finally figured out what his little brother was trying to get at. “Drew! Just because I’m going to go on a 2nd date with her doesn’t mean I’m gonna marry her or have a long term relationship with her�
“I know you want to, though�
“Maybe� The truth was that Nick wasn’t really sure about it. He’d had a good time with Jessica, and he wanted to go out on a second date with her, didn’t automatically mean that they were gonna have a long term relationship, did it? Some couples failed on the 2nd or 3rd date.
“Just look out of yourself. I didn’t want you to get burned again so soon�
“Believe me, I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen. I don’t want to put my heart through it again� Nick re[arse]ured him.

[littleprincessj]

Awww...can't wait for more! And I should have your blend AND story up hoepfully this weekend on my site...I have a busy weekend so I'll try! Please update soon, I love this story!

[orlyscaligrl]

Wow Awesome chapter! Keep adding more!

Iyleen

[LovingAngels07]

WOW I loved it... keep it up... :wub: :popcorn:

[Kristen07]

Hi y'all

Chapter 4 is now in handwrittenm form. I'm working on typing up right now, and if I get it finished, you'll see an update later tonight. If not, it won't be till Friday or Saturday, because tomorrow is Thanksgiving and i'll busy, and we're staying over night Thursday night out of town till Friday. So, just thought i'd let y'all know :)

[Kristen07]

Hope y'all had a good Turkey Day :) Anyway, here's Chapter 4 :)

~Chapter 4~

A few weeks began to p[arse], and Nick and Jessica kept on talking. However, despite their conflicting and busy schedules they still hadn’t been able to work in that second date yet. Which was ok… for now. But they had to do it soon, because the more they talked… the more he wanted to get to know her better.

But in Nick’s professional life, things were getting a bit shaky. People were a little hush hush about things, especially Larry, his manager. But having the nature that he does, Nick didn’t confront him, for now. He just hoped that it wasn’t anything major.

Nick walked into his house after another long day, this time in meetings. He didn’t like record executives; they could be fully behind you one minute, and then the next minute putting on the fake smiles and pretending to support you, while they plot to drop you or something else horrible like that. Especially Jon Ashton, the CEO of Universal. That guy just gave Nick the creeps and he had the feeling that Jon was a very devious person. But on the other hand, Nick was brothers with one of them, so he shouldn’t be talking. But that was his opinion on them.

He decided to call Jessica; she could help him get out of this bad mood.
Unfortunately, he got her voicemail.
“Hi, you reached the phone of Miss Jessica Simpson. I either am unable to answer at this time, or my cell is on the charger. Just leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.�
“Hey Jess, It’s Nick. I just wanted to call you and say hi and see what you are doing. I’ll talk to you later, bye�

He hung up. That was ok that he couldn’t reach her. He could just spend the night alone, and think about things… just drown into his depression as he had done on so many occasions.

His thoughts turned to BreeAnn. He was still deeply hurting from her. He still couldn’t believe she did what she did. Their relationship had been so honest and open. If one of them wasn’t happy, they could express it and they would talk about it and work it out. And to cheat on him she HAD to be unhappy with him, didn’t she? It confused him. How could she do this?

Hot tears began to sting into his eyes. He still missed her even though it had been over 5 months ago. He missed holding her close, the love that they made, the times they had together, just everything, just everything. Soon it was just oo much. He began to cry, and did so for awhile.

After his little cry, he wiped away his tears, and decided to get in the shower. That could make him feel better.

After he got out, he felt better. He put on some comfortable flannel pants and tank top. He laid down the couch, and watched TV aimlessly for a bit. Then his cell went off.

“Hello?�

“Hey friend!� It was Jessica. Nick was actually glad to hear her perky voice.
“Hi Jess. How are you?�

“Pretty good, how about you?�

“All right, I guess�

“You sound depressed. Do you want to talk about it?� Jessica seemed genuinely concerned about him.

Nick considered her offer. He had known her for a few weeks, but as the reason he was depressed was BreeAnn…. He didn’t feel ready to talk to Jessica about her. “No, I’m ok�

“Are you sure?�

“If I want to talk about it, I’ll let you know, ok?�

“Ok. Are you free for a day anytime soon?�

Nick thought for a minute. “Actually, I am. Things are starting to get a little rough at the studio. So Stephen called Saturday a ‘cool off day’�

“Cool off day?� Jessica asked. She seemed confused.

“Yeah, just to have a day away from each other and see if it helps the creative process along any�

“ I see. I have to work till about noon, but then it’s fair game for me. You wanna do something then?�

“Certainly. But what?�

Something fun. So we can get our minds off our careers. And where the paparazzi won’t bombard us and everyone will think we are a couple or something.�

It was weird that Jessica said that. Weren’t they kinda on their way to being one? Without even really knowing it? “How about Six Flags?�

“That sounds like a lot of fun. I’m game�

“Can I pick you up instead of meeting there?�

“Certainly. How about one o’clock?�

“Sounds great.� Nick yawned. “I’m going to head up to bed. I’m really tired.�
“OK. Cheer up, hun�

“Thank you� Nick said. “Goodnight�

“Goodnight�

After that phone call, Nick felt better, but more confused. He was still hurt, but when Jessica asked him if he wanted to talk about it, that made him feel as if she truly cared about him. But he was still nowhere near sure if thewy would get together as a couple.

~The next night~

Nick was out alone, just to clear his head and get some quiet time. The summer evening was still, and the air was still warm for the hot air earlier in the day. The sky was a beautiful painting of orange, pink, red, gold, and purple form the sunset.. “The sky looks so beautiful. BreeAnn always loved sunsets� He sighed “Come on, Nick don’t get depressed about her for a second night in a row. Be happy�

He walked around till he noticed a familiar woman. She was sitting on a bench near the playground watching a friend push a little girl on the swing. She was about 5’6’ in height with gray eyes and blondish brown hair. It was BreeAnn’s sister Leigh. Nick considered going up to her and saying hello, but decided against it. It might be too awkward of a situation As he turned to go, he heard his name called.
“Nick!�
Crap, Leigh noticed him. Oh well, might as well go up and talk to her. Maybe he would even find out how BreeAnn was doing. But maybe that wasn’t such a good idea.
He sat down next to Leigh “Hello�
“Hi, how are you doing?�
“All right. What brings you here?�
“With my friend, Marissa, and her little girl Chloe. How about yourself?�
“Just wanted to walk and think� He sighed.
“So, how have you been since what Bree did to you?�
“Ok. The pain is definitely still there. She has no idea how much she hurt me. I don’t get why she did it… it just doesn’t make any sense
“I don’t get it either. I have never asked her about that, because it’s her business and I don’t care to know. I think she made a mistake, though she begs to differ.�
Nick asked the question that he knew it would hurt him if he knew the truth, but he asked anyway. “Is she… still with him?�
Leigh nodded “Sadly enough. She seems love him, even though I don’t. He is such a jerk, and nothing like you.�
Nick sighed a heavy sigh. “You know what really makes me mad, Leigh?�
“What?� She asked.
“That if she wasn’t happy with the way we were, she could have told me and we could have talked it out. But if that wasn’t the case, she could have told me, ands saved me the heartache of knowing she was sneaking around behind my back� Angry tears threatened spill out of Nick’s eyes again.
“I hate to be the damper, that’s the way it is. Listen to me; you need to get over her. You deserve me than what you got from her. I’m sure you’ll find another woman who will treat you right, because you are a great guy�
Nick thought about Jessica. She could be the mending of his broken heart. But he still wasn’t sure
“I hpe I do, too. I can’t take this pain much longer� Nick looked at his watch. “Well, I think I’ll be going. It was nice to see you Leigh�
“Same to you, Nick. Take care of yourself�
“You too. And I will�

[littleprincessj]

Aweeee I want more more! Great add! Poor Nick though!

[StargateGirl]

Poor Nick.

[Biondo Sorto]

Aww, poor Nick
Poor man needs some :wub: , lol.

[LovingAngels07]

aww how sad... I loved it... I hope you update soon...

[Kristen07]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/filippa/baby.jpg

Here's a blend that someone on another board made for this story! I hope y'all like it :)

[StargateGirl]

that's cute.

What does the last part say I can't read it?

[Kristen07]

It's lyrics from "Anytime" by Kelly Clarkson,

Anytime you need love...
Baby i'm on your side

[orlyscaligrl]

It's beautiful.

[Kristen07]

Hi y'all :)

I'm sorry to keep everyone waiting, high school keeps you busy. But I hope to have this updated by the end of the week! :thanx: for your patience!

Have a great day :)

~Kris

[Kristen07]

<span style="font-family:Geneva">~Chapter 5~

Nick was now panicking. He was definitely going to be late for his date with Jessica. It was all ready 12:45 and he had just left his condo. He hoped she wouldn’t freak out on him, as some girls did when guys were late on dates. But he’d lost track of time.

He arrived at her condo at about 1:15. He knocked on her door. Jessica answered it. Her expression on her face was happy, and she had a big smile on her face. Nick inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. “Good, she isn’t mad�
�Hi Nick� she greeted warmly. She was dressed in a black tank top, cute little jean shorts and tennis shoes. “Man� Nick thought, “She really looks cute�
“Hi. I’m sorry I’m late�
“Don’t worry about it. I had to work a little over and just got done getting ready anyway� She shut and locked her door. “Let’s go�
“All right. You look really cute today�
Jessica blushed slightly. “Thank you, I’m glad you think so� They walked to his car.

On the way over, they just listened to the radio. Once they got there, they aid admission and Jessica asked, “So, what do you want to do first?�
“I’m on adrenaline, how about a big roller caster?�
She flinched. “I’m not so fond of them… but if I think if I sit beside you it’ll make the ride easier.�
Nick jumped inside. Was she getting more attracted to him? Nah, he told himself “She was probably just saying that as a friend�
“Don’t worry, Jess, they are fun, once you get over the heights�

They got in line for one of those coasters where your feet dangle and twists and turns all over the place. Surprisingly, even though it was an early summer afternoon, the line really wasn’t that long. And Jessica didn’t freak out… until they got on the ride and were getting themselves in their seats! “I don’t know if I can do this Nick! I’m really scared!�
“Don’t worry about it Jess, being scared and screaming is part of the fun in roller coasters!� Nick [arse]ured her.
The rides started, and they both screamed and laughed a lot.
After they got off Jessica admitted, “That actually was kinda fun! Let’s go on a couple more!�
“Allrighty� Nick was glad he had converted her to roller coasters.

2 more adrenaline filled rides later, they got some lunch and sat down. “So, having fun so far?� Nick asked her.
Jessica nodded “This is the most fun I’ve had on a date in awhile. I’m being more spontaneous and doing things I wouldn’t do as if I was with my friends Those kinds of rides used to really scare me, but I don’t know. I trust you more than I have with other guys recently�
All this talk was kind of making him uncomfortable. He wanted to know more about Jessica’s romantic past, but if she told him, she would want to know about his… and he wasn’t exactly ready for that. Just think about the emotional day he had yesterday. And where they were wasn’t exactly the ideal surroundings for that type of talk either.
They sat in silence, eating their meals “Nick, Are you ok? Did I say something?�
Nick shook his head “No, I’m fine, just thinking about things. Nothing I wanna talk about now� He added, seeing the concern on her face. He then paused.“So, what do you wanna do now?�
Jessica thought for a second “You know those game where you shoot a basketball and if you get it in the hoop, you get a stuffed animal?�
“Uh huh, you want to do that�
“Yep�

They found one of those games, and Jessica tried first. She wasn’t too good, but it was cute and hilarious to watch her try. Nick just found her all the more attractive, by the way she was laughing when she missed and how she was just trying.
Eventually she gave him and Nick stepped up to the plate. It only took him two tries and he got Jessica a stuffed platypus, even though she called it a “plata-ma-pus�

They browsed around the park and went on a few more rides. But the time they were done, it was about 7:10. “I’m really to go home� Jessica said, “It’s been a long, but fun day�
“I know, I am as well� Nick said.
They drove back to Jessica’s condo and then got of his car. “So, are we up for a third date?� she asked that with that cute little smile she had.
Nick thought for a moment. They definitely were, because today had been so much fun. And the more time he had been spending with Jessica… the more he wanted to be with her and the pain from BreeAnn was healing. But he still wasn’t ready for love…at least not yet. But he wasn’t sure how much longer this opportunity with Jessica was gonna be there. It could easily slip through his fingers. But for now, they were just seeing each other, getting to know each other a bit to know if they wanted to have a long-term relationship. And that was the way that it was gonna stay, at least for now.
“I think so. We’ll work it out soon, ok?�
“Ok, Nick� They hugged. Nick liked hugging Jessica, because it felt good. Yet he still couldn’t bring himself to kiss her. “Oh well, maybe on the third date� He thought

He drove home and found a message from his manager, Larry. “Hmm… that’s weird� Nick thought, “Today’s my day off. Why would he want to call me? Well, might as well see what he wants�

He dialed Larry’s number and it took several rings, but then he finally answered.

“Hello?�

“Hi Larry, it’s Nick. You called me earlier�

“Oh� Larry seemed startled, appearing not to remember that he did. “Yeah I did� Nick then heard a person in the background. “Nick, it’s a bad time to call. I’m talking to a client�

“Ok. Talk to you later�

“Bye�

“Geez, this is really weird, Larry isn’t in the office at this time, on a Saturday no less. Oh well, hopefully it’s nothing�

He then called Drew and they had a normal conversation until Nick brought up Larry’s behavior with him.

“Well, he’s probably just busy with another project.� He suggested.

“He would usually tell me if he was busy if with other things… and as far as I know, he doesn’t have anything else big lined up right now�

Drew seemed awkward. “I wouldn’t worry anything about it, Nick. I’m sure it’ll work out and blow over�

Nick wanted to ask more, but didn’t. Drew changed the subject. “So, how was your day with Jessica?�

Nick smiled thinking about Jessica. “We had a lot of fun. I made her get over her fear of roller coasters and I won her a stuffed platypus at one of those hotshot games. Even though she pronounced the word funny. But it was a good day�

“Going on a third date?�

“Yep, we are.�

“Kissed her yet?�

“Drew!� Nick scolded “No I haven’t yet�

“Are you crazy? Most guys kiss girls on the first dates, especially a vixen like her!� Nick could see Drew’s eyebrows bouncing up and down.

Nick rolled his eyes. “Shut up. I’m being cautious. For a ton of reasons� \

“I told you to be cautious, but not THAT cautious! “

“Look, I don’t even know what she feels about me. Sure, there are the few subtle flirting details, but I still can’t tell if she really wants to be with me or not. And the pain is still healing; I had a real emotional day yesterday. So, I’m still not ready�

“Aww… I’m sorry. But eventually you’re gonna have to have yourself open and put your heart out there for her, you know?�

“I know I do, Drew. I just don’t know when it is gonna be yet�

There was a beep on Drew’s end of the line. “Gotta go, Nick. Talk to ya later�

He still had a lingering suspicion. Larry was acting all weird, and Drew was a little bit, too. Did they know something that he didn’t that he should know about? “Oh well, I’m gonna take a shower and watch some sports� And then he proceeded upstairs to do just that. </span>

[littleprincessj]

Uh uh uh....what's Larry and Drew up too???? This chapter was great, poor Nick but hopefully he'll get over it in time! Great add can't wait for more!!

[orlyscaligrl]

please add more! the suspense is killing me!

Iyleen

[StargateGirl]

Good Add! :)

[Kristen07]

Hi y'all,

I won't be able to update till early next week. This is so because I'm leaving for Atlanta, Georgia tomorrow for Christmas and I won't be back till Monday or Tuesday. so look for an update early next week :) Have a fanstic holiday :)

~Kris

[Kristen07]

Here's the next chapter, y'all! I hope you enjoy! :)

~Chapter 6~

Things at the company got more suspicious as time went on. There whispered conversations, abrupt endings, sharp changes of subject, and fake smiles pretending everything was all right. But, Nick still stood back, wondering what this might mean for him.

He and Stephen were working on a song one day when Nick decided to bring it up.
“I’m feeling that there is something going on as well�. Record companies are shady, they can stab people in the back, drop talented acts at the drop of a hat and ruin potential for great careers� Stephen shook his head. “Recently, I worked with a young singer named Britnee Jones. And she was really talented, one of the best voices I have heard in awhile. But the execs wanted to make her into this sex symbol that dressed in really sexy clothes and had a diva type persona, which was far from what she was. All she wanted to do was sing. But when she put an idea for her career on the table, they shot her down.�
“Then, if they were gonna do that to her, why did they sign her in the first place?� Nick asked.
Stephen shrugged. “It beats me, really. But it got so much to her that she backed out and just went back to living normal life. And it’s a real shame, too. She was one of those true, rare, talents, like you Nick. I hope that, if there is something bad brewing, it doesn’t involve you�
“Thank you, Steph. But I still believe there is something�
“Just try to be careful. Watch your back, buddy�
“I’m trying�

The next night, Nick and Drew were talking.

“Drew, I think the record company is planning something bad that I am involved in�

“Why do you feel that way?� There was uneasiness in Drew’s voice.

“Because of a lot of things. There are a lot of abrupt endings, sharp changes in subject… just things like that. Maybe I’m being too paranoid, but it’s the way I feel right now.�

“I’m sure they aren’t Nick. The company has been under a lot of stress lately� Drew told him.

“Why?� Nick inquired.

“Just… financial things. Look, let’s just drop it right now, ok?�

This really frustrated him. Why couldn’t they just give him straight answers? If they truly didn’t want him to be in the company, they could just say so and he could be on his way.

“All right.�

“So, how’s things going with Jessica?�

“Pretty good, I guess. We haven’t gone on the 3rd date, but things are smooth right now.�

“Do you know what she feels for you?�
“Not really. I mean, she’s been giving subtle flirty hints, but she really hasn’t straight out told me yet. I guess she will soon�

“And what do you feel for her?�

Nick rolled his eyes “I don’t know, Drew. I think I’m starting to fall, but I’m still not sure…�

“Dammit, Nick, It’s not a crime to be in love, you know?�

This kind of ticked Nick off. “Drew, what the [bad word] has gotten into your attitude lately? You used to be so supportive, and say to take my time with falling in love again. But now, you pressure me all the time. These things take time� He paused “I’m gonna go� He hung up, now in a even worse mood.
A few seconds later, his cell went off again.

“What do you want?� His tone was really harsh.

“Nick? Are you ok?� It was Jessica.

“Oh, hi, Jess. I didn’t realize it was you�

“It’s ok. What’s wrong?�

“I’m just in a bad mood. I don’t want to talk right now� He hung up, immediately regretting it for being so mean, but he couldn’t help it.

He sighed heavily. The truth was, he had been so preoccupied with what could be happening at his job he hadn’t had enough time to talk to think about Jessica. He knew he shouldn’t push her away so much, because this opportunity could slip through his fingers real easy. And he was still holding back, because he was still not sure if he was completely over BreeAnn yet. But maybe… if he opened up about BreeAnn… he could ease the pain and be able to be a couple with Jessica.

But neither of them new what the other’s true feelings were for each other. Obviously, they liked each other, otherwise they wouldn’t have gotten this far, but he was still unsure it was enough to be a serious relationship.

~The next morning~

Nick called Jessica because he felt guilty about being so mean the night previous.

“Hello?� Her tone seemed a little sleepy.

“Hi Jess. I just wanted to call and say I’m sorry for being such an [arse]hole last night.�

“It’s ok, I understand. Are you in a good mood today?�

He shrugged “Better, but not great�

“Good. I was gonna call you anyway, so I’m glad you called�

“And why is that?� Nick asked.

“Are you free tonight?�

Nick did a mental run-through of the day’s schedule. “I have to work till eight, but after that is fair game�

“I want to talk to you about a couple things�

Nick got a little panicked. “Is there anything wrong?�

“No, I just need to talk to you about them. There is nothing wrong� She [arse]ured him. “Can I come over to your house?�

“Sure. Get out some pen and paper and I’ll give you directions� She did so and Nick gave her the directions.

“Thank you. What time would be good to come over?� She asked.

“8:45 or 9, but I’ll call you if that changes, ok?�

“Ok. See you then, Nick�

“Bye� Nick found himself wishing he could talk to her longer because he didn’t really want to go to work. At all.

He went to Larry’s office because he had been summoned there. The door was closed at the moment, but he still heard voices coming form that door. Against his better judgment, he stood by that door to listen in on what they were saying.

“So, you’re meaning to tell me that you are just going to drop those people like that? How could you?� It was Larry

“Well Mr. Rudolph, we feel that we don’t have enough budget to cover them and they can just make on their own someplace else� It was Jon Ashton, the exec Nick hated. His stomach took a huge plunge.

“But you can’t just do that�

“I’m the CEO, so I can do whatever the [bad word] I please� He snapped and said it in a real stuck up tone. He then slipped out the office without a p[arse]ing glance at Nick.

Nick went in the office and asked “what the hell is going on, Larry?�

So, what is going on? find out in Chapter 7!

[orlyscaligrl]

The suspense is killing me! Add more!

Iyleen

[JeSsNnIcK1026]

update please!!!!

[Kristen07]

Hey

I promise to have Chapter 7 up later tonight, I'm wroking on it as we speak.

quick question for y'all: Would you read a sequel of this story if I wrote it? I'm thinking that I might, but i'm not sure yet. Let me know if you want to :)

~Kris

[orlyscaligrl]

Of course I'll read the sequel. That'll be awesome.

[CeeCee]

I would definitly read a sequel. I'm loving this story. Please add soon! :wink:

[Kristen07]

Here's the next chapter, y'all :) Thank you so much foir reading this story and all the feedback,it means a lot :) I hope y'all enjoy :)

~Chapter 7~

Larry looked up at Nick with pleading eyes. “Nick, sit down� He said a calm tone.
Though Nick was full of pure rage he did what his manager told him to do. “Again, I ask, what the hell is going on?� He asked, trying to keep his tone calmer.
“I understand why you are upset, I am too and no I am not involved. But if you sit still and let me explain, I will tell you all about it�
“It’s about damn time someone began giving me some answers,� Nick thought bitterly. “Ok, go on�
“Well, the record company wants to… reorganize is what they call it. Supposedly there are some financial problems and things like that going on, but I don’t know for sure. They want to cut some artists budgets and drop some artists in order to give their primary focus to other artists. If that makes any sense�
Nick nodded. So this was why everyone at the label had been acting so weird lately. “How does this involve me?�
“Ashton said that you are probably one of the artists that is likely to be dropped�
“WHAT?� The rage was now coming back “Why?�
“It’s not official yet, but...he seems to think that you will bring in as much profit as they would like and they don’t seem to want to take much money out of their own pockets for you.�
“Am I the only want they want to drop?�
Larry shook his head. “No, Sarah Hill is the other one�
Nick knew Sarah, but not that well. She was nice and fairly talented. But, form what he heard; her record sales weren’t so hot.
“Who ARE the artists the record company wants to put the big bucks behind?� He inquired.
“That I don’t know either, but I am more than determined to find out, and I sure as hell ain’t gonna let them drop you without trying to get you’re a chance or just without a fight�
“Now I know why I didn’t like that [arse]hole� Nick cussed under his breath.
“I know, I don’t either. Deceitful man, that Ashton, but don’t worry, we are gonna fight his band of stuck-up record exec goons together�
But all Nick could do was worry. If he was going to be dropped, when was it going to happen? And though Larry had given him an explanation, he still wanted to hear from one of the high-ups own lips. He sighed heavily.
Drew knew about this. Drew knew about this all along. Even though nothing was official yet, Nick was still hurt that Drew had sat back and did nothing. But then again, Drew had to choose between job loyalty and personal relationship… but it still stung… it really stung. He felt so betrayed.
“Nick, are you feeling ok? I know this is a lot to take in.� Larry looked at his client and friend concernedly
He nodded “Just thinking�

The rest of the day went by in blur for Nick. All he could really think about was what possibly could happen. He thought about why and hoe they could have done this and what this might mean for his future. He would probably just pick up the pieces and just go on to another company. “Damn, I hate record execs� He thought bitterly.

When he entered his condo, and sat down for a very late dinner, it hit him that Jessica was supposed to come over in 15 minutes to talk to him! He certainly wasn’t in the mood to talk, but he couldn’t exactly call her and say at the last minute he couldn’t. He would just let her get off her chest, whatever it was.

At about ten minutes past nine, Jessica arrived. “Hi� He said, letting her in
“Hi�
“Can I get you anything to drink?’
She shook her head “I’m good�
He led her to the living room and they sat down and began to talk a little bit of small talk to get the conversation going. After awhile, Nick asked “So, what did you REALLY come over here to talk about?�
Jessica sighed. “Us. It’s my dad�
“What about him?�
“Well, my mom and I were talking the other day, and we were talking about you and the dates we have been on, when he decides to but in on the conversation. I told him a little bit about you and how old you were, and he raised his eyebrows�
“How can he judge me when he really doesn’t even know me? And come on, 6 six years ain’t that big of an age difference, look at Ashton and Demi! And we aren’t even technically dating, so why is he getting so worked up?� Nick asked her.
Jessica shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. He’s just very moral and very protective of Ashlee and I, but especially me since I’m the older one. He gave me a bit of a lecture, about not getting into trouble with you and things like that. I’m like, “Dad, clam down, we are just going out on dates, we aren’t really even a couple yet� He said “I know, I just want you to be careful� I told him and mom that I would bring you to meet them sometime when we both get free time in our schedules. Are you ok with that?�
Nick wasn’t too sure. Meeting the parents was usually the start of something serious, which was he wasn’t sure he was ready for yet. But she really wanted him to meet them, he was ok with it. “I’m fine with it, if you really want me to meet them, I will�
Jessica looked at him inquisitively “Are you sure?�
He nodded “Yeah, I’m fine�
“And there’s another thing too� She said.
Hmm… this could be interesting. “Ok, what is it?�
She took a deep breath. “I really don’t know how to start this, but here it goes. I really like you, and I would like to pursue our relationship even more than friends. You make me feel something that I haven’t felt before. There’s just something there that makes me go “wow, he’s a great guy and I want to get to know him better. I was just wondering if you feel the same�
He sighed. How could he do this? Jessica had just basically said that she wanted to have a serious relationship, but on top of what he had found out today…and he still wasn’t sure if he wanted to pursuer the relationship.
He could feel her eyes on him, anticipating his answer. “I don’t know. Don’t get me wrong, I think you’re a great friend, but I’m not sure if I want a relationship. When I date a girl, I put all my heart and soul into it and I really think about if I’m ready and if I really and truly want to have a relationship with them, you know what I mean?�
She nodded, trying to hide the disappointment. “I see what you mean. I understand. I’ll give you as much time as you need� She paused. “Just try not to keep me waiting too long, ok?� She smiled, that cute smile that attracted him so much to her.
He smiled. “I’ll try not to� trying to hide the uncertainty in his voice.
Jessica then stood up. “I’m ready to go�
Nick escorted her to her car and opened the door for her. “I’ll see you later, ok?�
“Ok, bye� She got in, shut the door and started the car. Nick watched her pull away.
“Man� he thought, “Today sure has been an emotional day.�
He wanted to call Drew and ask him what else he knew about what was going on art the company, but he decided not to, since it was late and nothing was really official yet, anyway. “These coming days and months will definitely be an emotional roller coaster�

[littleprincessj]

Hey this part was great, I really can't wait for more! Poor Jessica but poor Nick too! She finally gets the courage to ask him and he says no....poor Jess! Keep it coming please!

[JeSsNnIcK1026]

great update!more!

[orlyscaligrl]

I hope Nick doesn't get dropped and he decides to have a relationship with Jessica. update soon!

[Kristen07]

Hey y'all

I'm kinda on writers block on this story at the moment, so I don't know when the next update will be. But I promise it'll be as soon as I can :)

[StargateGirl]

Take you time. :D Hopefully it'll be soon.
:^:

[Biondo Sorto]

Its all right Kris......we all go through that, lol :P
We'll be waiting :popcorn:

[littleprincessj]

Hey Kris...just letting you know I PMed you back about the story a little bit ago. (Sorry it took so long...American Idol night) :D Anyways, take your time and it'll be great...I know how you feel with the writer's block thing. :)

Britts--Ima PM ya tonight...I didn't forget about you! :wink:

[Kristen07]

Y'all will be happy to know that I'm unblocked now on this story :D :yay: So I hope to update it soon :)

[StargateGirl]

yay! I can't wait. :)

[nickandjessica]

i love your story so far.

[katelyn11c]

I love this story, can't wait for an update!

[Kristen07]

*Walks in whistling* Hey y'all lookie what I got! An update! I hope y'all enjoy :)

*This story is getting close to 1000 views. That's pretty cool*

~Chapter 8~

~A few days later~

Nick was back in the studio with Stephen. But his heart was not in it at all. All he could think about was what Larry had told him and the things that went along with it. He had analyzed it to the core and what could have happen and what would happen. And because he was focused more on this, he kept messing up on the new song they were working on, “Falling Apart�.
After messing up for about the millionth time, Stephen said calmly but firmly, “Nick, take off your headphones, and come down and sit beside me�
Nick did what he was told. “Man, what it is going on?� It’s obvious that you’re not in this. Is there anything you want to talk about?�
He sighed. “Remember how I was telling you a few days ago that I thought something might be happening at the label?�
Stephen nodded. “Go on�
“Well, something has. They want to cut artists budgets and drop a couple people, and I’m on the list to be dropped?�
His eyes filled with shock. “No! Are you serious?�
Nick nodded “I wish I wasn’t but I am. I really didn’t know that this would happen to me. And it pisses me off because they are just writing me off and not giving me a chance as a solo artist because I was in a boyband� Nick sighed.
“I told you, execs can be shady people� Stephen told him.
“I know, but there’s something else that really hurts with it�
“And what is that?�
“Drew, my brother, is one of those higher-ups.�
“Well, he probably has a lot of conflict going in him. Does he sit back and not say anything, or sit up ands say something. There are conflicting loyalties there. Does he stay loyal to his job, or stand up and let his personal life in the way of business? Some people don’t like it when that happens, Nick.�
“I know, but I still wished he had given me fair warning without totally giving it away.�
“He probably would have gotten his [arse] fired in a heartbeat.� Stephan said. “Look, I’m not trying to side with him or you, but I’m just saying what I know.�
Nick nodded “It’s ok.�
“Anything else you want to vent out before we get back to work�
“No� Nick regarded Stephen as a friend, but not a really close one so he couldn’t tell him about Jessica and what he felt about that.

The next night, Nick was nervous as he drove. Jessica had invited him over to have dinner but he wasn’t sure it was going to be a pleasant experience. She had just laid her heart out there on the line for him, and he had turned it down, for the time being. But he had at least said that he was unsure and not just a flat out no. But he could still see why she would be so hurt. So tonight was going to be really interesting.

He pulled in front of her condo, taking a deep breath. He then walked up to the door and knocked. She answered a few minutes later “Hi� she said, smiling, though he could tell it was a little bit forced.
“Hey� They hugged for a minute.
“Come in�

“So, what on the menu for tonight?� Nick asked her.
“Well� Jessica said. “I hope you like Chinese because I cheated and got that so I didn’t have to cook�
“That’s fine. Do you know how to cook�
She shook her head. “No. I guess you could say I’m a very spoiled brat.�

They sat down the table, sitting in a very awkward. Nick could already tell she was unhappy with him. And he didn’t blame her. He would feel the same way if a girl did that to him. Come to think of it, BreeAnn kind of pushed his advances away before finally agreeing to be with him.
“OH come on� He told himself. “Why are you still thinking of her? You’re with Jessica right now�
But finally, Nick couldn’t stand the awkwardness. “What have you been doing today?�
“Not much, long boring business meetings�

After a little longer of absolutely forced conversation, Nick couldn’t take it anymore. “Jess, why are you so cold?�
“I can’t help it Nick. I’m not exactly happy with you right now because I gave you my heart and you kinda just pushed it away, you know?� She told him.
�And for that I apologize, but I’m just not sure about things right now. But I didn’t really tell you a flat out no�
Jessica shrugged “That’s true�
“Tell me though, would it make you happy if I came with you to meet your parents the next time you see them?�
She thought for a few moments. “Yes it would� she replied finally. “Very. But you really have to want to go, and that says to me, maybe you are ready to have a relationship. I don’t want you to go, but then decide you don’t want this in the end. You have to really want it.�
Geez, she had really put him on the spot. He really wasn’t sure what he wanted from Jessica. And he really didn’t want to lead her on to think he did want it, but then hurt her, as she just said. “Well….†�

[JeSsNnIcK1026]

good

[littleprincessj]

Awesome! I loved it and cannot wait for more but grr...cliffhangers! lol hopefully Nick will open his eyes!!!

[orlyscaligrl]

I love it! Can't wait for more! The suspense is killing me!

[booyou]

Please write more your a amazing author

[Biondo Sorto]

Me wants more Kris!!!
The suspense is killing me :P

[Kristen07]

:D Thanks everyone :D However, you probably won't see a new chapter till Sunday, because the next two days will be a lil bit busy for me.

[Kristen07]

Don't worry y'all, I have not forgotten about this story! I also have a 4 day weekend ahead of me, staring Friday, so I hope you'll see one by the end of the week. i'm sorry to keep you waiting :)

[jtsui]

love your story! i'll be looking forward to your update! :hehe:

Jen

[Kristen07]

Hey people, here is an actual update :D I hope you enjoy muchos :D I'm so sorry I hasd to make y'all wait so long.

~Chapter 9~

“I’ll go,� He said.
Jessica raised her eyebrows. “Are you sure?�
He nodded “Yes. I’m positive�
“Ok. I’m supposed to be at their house on Saturday, and my sister Ashlee is going to be there too. We’re just going to have dinner and hang around. Even though I’m sure my dad will want to talk to you�
“The way you talk about your dad, it scares me a little bit. “ Nick said. “Seems like he’s mean or something�
“He’s really not, Nick. He just happens to be really protective of his daughters. Don’t let him intimidate you, ok?�
Nick sighed, “I’ll try not to.�
Then the mood relaxed a little bit and the duo had a good time for the rest of the night.

Later that night, he was lying awake, wondering. Maybe Jessica was worth pursuing. Things were about to get really crappy in the next months or so and it would be nice to have someone next to him to vent about it and try to take his mind of off it. And he was probably was going to go to a new label too, so that wouldn’t be much of a problem. And BreeAnn hadn’t really crossed his mind as much recently either. But he wasn’t going to be totally sure till he met her family and see what they thought about him and what he thought about them. So this was going to be interesting.

The day arrived. Jessica was supposed to come over at about 4, and they were going to go to the house from there. Nick wanted to make a good impression on everyone so he decided to go for a dressy causal. He put on a polo shirt, khaki shorts and flip flops. He also shaved and fixed up his hair up a bit.

Jessica arrived on time. “Hey there, handsome� she said, hugging him.
“Hey� He returned the gesture. He was actually halfway tempted to kiss her. But it wasn’t time for that, not yet. That would come when he was ready for a relationship and he had told her so.
“You ready to go?�
He nodded “If you are. Are you driving?�
“Yep� she said.
“Oh great this will be a wild ride,� Nick said under his breath.
Jessica cast a hurt look at him “I am not a bad driver!�
“I’m just kidding, Jess. Let’s go�

The ride over was fun. They talked and listened to the radio. One of Jessica’s songs even came on and they jammed to that. It was funny to watch Jessica sing to it.

They arrived at a nice looking but a little upscale house. “Don’t be nervous Nick. Just be yourself and I’m sure they’ll like you� Jessica told him.
He nodded “I’ll try� They got out of the car and headed in the house.

The first person that met them in the house was a very attractive woman. She was petite like Jessica, with friendly brown eyes and brown hair with a bit of blond highlights in it. Nick wasn’t sure if she was her sister or her mom. “Jess!� The woman hugged her.
“Hi mama!� She hugged and kissed her mom.
“I’m, glad you here, been awhile since we seen you!�
“I know, I’ve been busy!� Jessica then turned to Nick. “Mama, this is my friend, Nick, the one I told you about. Nick, this is my mama, Tina�
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Simpson�
“Oh please, call me Tina. Mrs. Simpson makes me feel so old!� She hugged him as well. “Glad you could come join us!�
“Well, I’m glad to be here�
“Is Ashlee here yet?� Jessica asked Tina.
Tina nodded. “Upstairs, should be down here in a minute. Why don’t we sit on the patio? Joe is out there�
Nick gulped inwardly. This was his chance for him to make a good first impression on him.
Just then, another blonde, taller than Jessica and Tina by a few inches came bounding down the stairs. Nick automatically knew that this was her younger sister, Ashlee.
“Hey Jess� The sisters hugged. Ashlee turned to Nick. “And you must be Nick, I’m Ashlee� She extended her hand in friendly greeting.
Nick wasn’t really surprised that Ashlee already knew about him, Jessica and Ashlee probably talked about almost everything. Nick shook her hand and then they went out on the patio.

Joe was sitting on the picnic table. He was a nice looking man, with blond hair and green eyes, and he didn’t look too intimidating, much less than what Nick thought he would be. Jessica went over and greeted her father and then called Nick over to them. “Dad, this is my friend, Nick. Nick, this is my daddy, Joe�
Nick shook Joe’s hand. “How are you doing, sir?�
“Just fine, son. Glad you could join us�

They hung around for a little bit and had dinner. And Nick liked Jessica’s family and he thought they liked him. He noticed that Jessica was definitely very close to them. And he could see himself hanging out with them, too.

After dinner, Joe said he wanted to talk to Nick. “Shoot, this is the grilling Jessica was talking about. I hope he doesn’t chew me out�

[orlyscaligrl]

OHH I can't wait for more!

[jnd98forever]

More!More!More!More!More!
More i say!!!

add soon pweety pweety pwease with Jeff on top :Angel:
now i noe you can't resist that so add!!!

[katelyn11c]

ohhh this is soo good! can't wait for another update :)

[jtsui]

great update... can't wait for more!!!
:hehe:
Jen

[jsnlbibby]

I love this story! Update soon!

Kimmie

[Stacey]

What an absolute CLIFF HANGER of a story *lol :hehe: Fantastic mate!!! Two thumbs up.....WOW! :D I hope verything works out for Nick and Jess and that Nick doesn't get dropped from the record label!

Keep up the great work!!! :P

[jnd98forever]

i'm still waiting here girl
:popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:
the next time you hear from me i will probably be trying to burn off all this popcorn i have been eating while i wait lol :hehe:

[Kristen07]

Thank you so much for the feed back, ya'll :) I'm gonna work on stories toinght, so I hope to have another one maybe toinght or tomorrow. and i promise this chapter will be longer than the last one :)

[LovingAngels07]

Hey Kris, your fic is now up to date on Lachey Portal... thanks so much again for allowing me to host it.

-Ashley

[Kristen07]

Hry y'all

I just want you to know that I have NOT forgotten this story. I worked on and got a lot of the chapter done tonight, so I am hoping that you all will see an update tomorrow. Thanks for waiting so patiently, I'm sorry to keep y'all waiting!

[Kristen07]

Here it is :D The long awaited Chapter 10! I hope y'all enjoy :D

Chapter 10~

Nick and Joe went downstairs to the den. Nick couldn’t help but be a little nervous because the way Joe was looking at him just scared him.
“Don’t be nervous, Nick� Joe told him. “I just want to as you a couple questions�
Nick sighed. “Ok. Ask away, Joe�
“Well, I just want to know what your intentions are with my daughter and if you plan to be good to her.�
“Yes, sir. I would never do anything to hurt her or push her into anything she would not want to do. But we’re not officially dating, not yet anyway�
Joe raised an eyebrow “And why is that?�
“Well, not too long ago, I broke up with someone and that break up hurt pretty bad. So there’s that aspect. And there’s also the factor of that I’m not so steady at the record label and could get dropped at any time. So if we started dating, that might make things pretty awkward and all that. But I’m still pretty serious about her, because she told me that if I wasn’t serious about her, I shouldn’t have come with her today�
“But you are not completely sure about this relationship?� Joe asked him.
Nick nodded “Exactly. She will know when I make my final decision�
“I understand that, but I want to you to be careful and not hurt her�
“I’m going to try not to� Nick said.
“I like you Nick. You seem like a good guy and you really to seem to like my daughter. So, if you were to go on to have a relationship with her, I wouldn’t have a problem with it. I give you my blessing.�
Nick felt tremendous relief fill his body. “Really?�
Joe nodded “None whatsoever. Good luck� Then they talked about lighter stuff for a while, and then they rejoined the girls.

It was almost half past 11 when Nick and Jessica began heading back to Nick’s condo.
“So, what do you think of them?� she asked him.
Nick nodded “I like them a lot. Your mom and sister are cool and fun, and your dad’s really nice too. He didn’t scare me too much�
“Oh really, what did he want to know?� Jessica asked him.
“Just that if I had good intentions in the relationship and I do.�
“So, has tonight made you want to make up your mind?� she questioned with a smile.
Nick shook his head. “Not yet. Believe me, once I do decide, you will be the first to know, ok? I promise. Just be patient�
“Ok� She said her expression dropping slightly. “I’m just not too patient sometimes. I will not ask you any more until you are ready to tell me�
Nick nodded “It’s ok.� But the truth was, Nick was now more leaning toward having a relationship with her. But the deal wasn’t sealed yet. “What did they think of me, Jessica?�
“Well, Mama said she liked you a lot, more than some of my pervious boyfriends, actually. Ashlee said you were a cool guy and we would make a cute couple. And all Daddy would offer me was the “I like him� and nothing else.
“Well, he said that he liked me, so I guess we should take that as a good sign, right Jess?�
“Uh huh� Jessica said.
They talked the rest of the way and then said goodnight when they got to his condo. And something about the way she said it tonight really made him swoon inwardly. Seemed like every minute that went by made him get closer to fall in love with her. This was prefect inspiration for him to write a song about. Maybe within the next few days he would start doing that.

He was working with Stephen and another producer, Jared Smith, on Monday when Larry called him unexpectedly.

“Hello?�

“Hi Nick, it’s Larry. Where are you at this moment?�

This confused Nick, Larry had said nothing about this before. “I’m working in the studio with Stephen and Jared Smith. Why?�

“I need you to come down to the label right now.� He said, with a certain tone of urgency.

“Ok, what for?� Nick asked. He wasn’t liking this one bit.

“I’ll tell you when you get here, you just need to get down here as soon as you can. Tell Stephen and Mr. Smith that session is cancelled for the rest of the day�

“Ok, I’ll see you when I get there. Bye�

“Bye� Nick hung up.

Mr. Smith was looking at him with a curious look “Who was that, Nick?�
“Larry, my manager. Emergency meeting down at the label and it sounds like I need to be there.� Nick told them.
“Why? Nick, we really need to get this song almost done today to be on schedule,� Stephen said.
“He refused to tell me, but it sounds really urgent. I’m sorry, but I guess we’re done for the day�
Stephen looked pretty displeased “Don’t blame me on this Stephen, I wasn’t expecting this to happen�
“Go on, if it’s that important�
Man, what had put him in such a bad mood? Stephen was usually pretty cheery, even when you made him mad. He usually just hid it from you. But Nick just decided to head on over, he had no time to agonize or argue. Stephen was just going to have to get over them not getting as much done today because this could mean something about his career.

As he drove, Nick’s heart began to sink. It probably did have something to do with his career. This might be the day that he would be dropped form the label. Oh no, he hoped that Jessica wouldn’t be there to see this because as far as he knew, she didn’t know about his status with the label. He personally had never told her. But then maybe she had been hearing some hearsay going around. He didn’t know. But he definitely hoped she didn’t see him.

Nick walked into Larry’s office. What is going on here, Larry?� Nick asked him.
Larry had signs of worry on his face. “There’s going to be a big meeting in about 10minutes and this big ‘reconstruction� thing is going to be discussed, including the possible drooping of you and Sarah Hill. And Jon Ashton requested that you and her be in presence.�
“Gosh, I hate that….� Nick felt like saying the bad word, but couldn’t bring himself to do it. “Who else is going to be in attendance?�
“Well, almost all the executives and all the new people, Jessica, Lindsey, and Evan, because they are a big part of this equation.�
Nick’s heart sank even further. So Jessica was going to see probably one of the lowest parts of his career. He wasn’t sure if he wanted that.
“Nick are you feeling ok?�
“Yes, Larry, I’m fine� He paused “Stephen was pretty mad at me because session was ended so early. He wanted to get a lot done and obviously, now, it won’t be and he’ll be freaking out because we’ll be behind schedule�
“He’s got to get over it for now. This might affect his job too, so he shouldn’t get too mad� Larry looked at his watch. “Well, let’s head down to the boardroom�
Nick looked down at his Cincinnati t-shirt and jeans. “I’m going to look pretty much underdressed�
“Don’t worry about it, you weren’t informed� Larry re[arse]ured him. “Let’s go�

The boardroom was decently crowded when they got there. Among the crowd were Drew and Jessica. Nick avoided both of their eyes.
Nick and Larry took their seats as everyone around them did the same. Then Jon Ashton called order to the meeting. Nick looked at the man with a looking of loathing. He was so devious and stuck up. He was probably behind Nick’s possible dropping because they had both started on the wrong foot with each other and never got on the right one. But Mr. Ashton was oblivious to that look, making sure that all eyes were on him, and ONLY him.
“Good afternoon� He said in his slimy voice. “We are here to discuss all the changes that are going to be taking place. There are going to be many. Some budgets many be cut, some may be raised, and some people may be even… sob, have to leave us� His eyes were on Nick in particular. Nick ignored him.
He first discussed the reorganization as a whole and saying that some of the lower people might also lose their jobs as well as some of the artists. “BS� Larry whispered under his breath. “He’s firing everyone he has a grudge against and cutting people’s budgets just because he doesn’t like them�
Nick thought Larry was taking a risk by actually saying that instead of thinking it, but thankfully Ashton didn’t hear them, going on with his spiel.
Then he talked about how some artists were going receive cuts and some receiving raises. He did this by using all these fancy charts and things like that to demonstrate them.
Finally, he got to the droppings. After explaining some more things, he said, “So, unfortunately, due to budget concerns, we are going to have to let go Nick Lachey, Sarah Hill and Hunter Chapman�
“Yeah right, you just don’t like us, there’s a fricking 20 million dollar surplus� Nick thought angrily. “I hate that bastard� He avoided Drew and Jessica’s eyes, because he knew that they had cast glances at him.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the meeting ended. Nick headed out of there as quick as he could. He knew Jessica and Drew would probably want to talk to him, but he didn’t want to.
“You can go home, Nick. I don’t have anything else scheduled for today. But do you want to go back to Stephen and tell him what has happened?�
Nick shook his head. “No, I just want to go home. I’ll tell him tomorrow�
“Ok. I’m sorry this has happened, I tried the best I could to fight for you, I really did. It’s just a shame Ashton doesn’t like you and see the potential like I do�
“Yeah. Have a good night, Larry.�
“Same to you, Nick. Keep your chin up�
“I’ll try� Nick told him, and headed into his car.

He got home and collapsed on his bed. He should have seen this coming. He should have been paying attention closer to what was going on. Then he could have just left cleanly and started all over. But no, he had to be humiliated in front of everyone, including Jessica. He had made the same mistake like he did with BreAnn. He didn’t read the warning signs and he was hurt by it. But in a way he was glad that they dropped him because he could move on to another company where they would give him a chance and not write him off as a ‘boy-bad by-product’. And he didn’t have to be in Ashton’s presence anymore. It still stung, though. It really stung.

He just laid there for a long time, immersed in his own hurt and thoughts. The phone rang a couple times but he ignored it, because he knew who it was and he was in no mood to face either of them.
Later he checked the messages to see who they were.

Hey Nick, it’s Drew. I’m really sorry about what happened today. I hope you’re doing ok. Talk to you later, bye.

Hey Nick, it’s Jessica. I’m so sorry about what happened today. I had absolutely no idea you were in such bad shape at the label. I feel so bad right now. Call me if you need someone, ok, sweetie? Bye�

Nick felt a little better after hearing Jessica’s voice. She cared so much about him and it was getting closer for him about her. But he still wasn’t completely sure.

He knew it was time to confront Drew about this and see if the knew the ACTUAL reason Nick was dropped. It wasn’t going to be pretty, but it needed to happen.

[orlyscaligrl]

ohh that's so sad that Nick got dropped. I hope he and Jessica get together.

Iyleen

[littleprincessj]

that was so sad but so good! glad to see the story going again, can't wait for more!

[nickandjessica]

i like this story please updtae soon.

[jtsui]

great add! can't wait to see what happens next!

[Stacey]

Poor Nick... :( I hope it all works out in the end!! It's getting really really good now mate...SUSPENSE! I LIKE IT! :D

[Kristen07]

I know, it's been another month since i have posted a chapter. But I [arse]ure you, the chapter is written out and i am hoping to get it typed up this weekend :)

[littleprincessj]

wooohooo! can't wait for more!!

[Kristen07]

This is the next to the last chapter, y'all! I know, you're sad, but don't worry, I am doing a sequel for this! Y'all will like the ending, too! And I promise I won't make you wait a month for the final chapter :)

~Chapter 11~

He dialed that familiar number, holding his breath and trying to keep his temper in check.

“Hello?� Drew answered.

“Why didn’t you tell me?� Nick’s anger was apparent in his voice, no matter how hard he tried to keep it back.

“What, what do you mean?� Drew asked. He seemed really confused.

“About everything that was happening at the label. That I was going to get dropped! Why did you at least warn me that something was going to happen?�

Drew sighed heavily. It was obvious that he was expecting Nick to feel the way he did. “Look, Nick, it was a really sticky situation. We were sworn to secrecy not to tell ANYONE what was going to happen, not even family members. And Ashton kept an annoyingly close watch on me to make sure that I didn’t tell you. He told me that if one word got back to you and he heard about it, my [arse] was going to be fired in a heartbeat�

“So?� Nick said in a really sarcastic tone “You could have and I would have kept it secret�

“Haven’t you figured out by now how perceptive those execs are? They would have figured it out somehow, trust me. I know it�

Nick was silent. “I know you’re hurt right now, but please try to hear me out. You have no idea how much I wanted to tell you about everything. But I didn’t want to risk my job and Ashton finding out. It wouldn’t have been pretty if he did. There are definitely some conflicting loyalties.�

That angered Nick even more “So I’m not as important to you now? Your job is more important than our bond as BROTHERS? God, Drew…�

“Nick, please, listen.� Drew said in a clam tone.

Nick was so pissed off that there was no way he was going to listen. “NO! I AM NOT GOING TO LISTEN! I SWEAR DREW YOU HAVE BECOME JUST LIKE THEM!!!�

“Like who?� Drew asked.

“THOSE RECORD EXECS! THERE ARE DECITFUL, GREEDY FIENDS WHO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ARTISTS!� Nick took a deep breath, tired form the shouting. “I never thought my own brother would turn on me…�

“I never meant to mean it like that.�

“Why did Ashton drop me? Truly�

Drew was silent for a moment. “Because he doesn’t like you as a person, thinks you’re totally stuck up. And there was no way that he was going to waste his precious money on someone like that, and has zero talent whatsoever�

That only added fuel to the fire. “HE SHOULD TALK!!!! He’s the one who’s so damn full of himself. Now I know why I never liked him� Nick hung up, unable to talk anymore.

Nick knew he was probably being unreasonable, but he was just so hurt and full of emotion that he didn’t care. He could understand why Drew had to keep it secret, but the way he worded it, it made it seem that he cared more about his job than their bond as brothers. And because of that, Nick felt really betrayed. He never thought Drew would become like one of those execs and he could always count on him. “I don’t know if I can ever talk to him again,� Nick thought sadly. “It’s been such an up and down day, I need to get some rest� Then he curled under his covers, determined to block the whole world out.

The next morning, just Stephen was in the studio. “Why did you have to leave so early yesterday?� He said in a tone that said he was still holding a grudge from yesterday.
“There was an emergency meeting at the label and now I have no [freak'n]ing record label, that’s what� Nick shot back. He wasn’t about to take any crap from anyone today.
Stephen’s face fell flat immediately. Evidently he had forgotten about their conversation about Nick thinking he was in bad shape with the label. “Oh. So are you going to work on the album still?�
“Yeah. “ Nick had to get something off his chest. “Steph, you have been acting a lot more arrogant lately.�
Stephen looked really offended. “Me? Arrogant? When I have I been acting like that?�
“Recently. You have wanted me to do what you to do and you snap at me if I say anything against it. I don’t like it at all�
“Nick, you’re lying�
“No I am not. At the beginning, you would let me do what I wanted to do. And now you have been a lot more stuck up and controlling lately. I don’t know what your problem is, but I would like to see it resolved�
“Lies, all of it. I have let you have creative control from Day 1. You know it. You and your representation as an artist have been my number one priority and I will keep it that way� Stephen paused, anger in his eyes. “Does this have anything to do with yesterday?�
Nick nodded “Why yes it does. The tone you had yesterday told me you only cared about yourself and your job�
“You misinterpreted it. I was mad that you had to leave so suddenly, there was deadlines to meet to be on schedule�
“There are things called setbacks, Stephen. Something’s changed in you. I don’t know what it is, but it has.� Nick walked the other way and out the door. As far as he was concerned, the album was on hold; he didn’t want to deal with it. He didn’t want to deal with work, period.

He went back to his condo and locked himself in isolation for a while. He hated some people right now, and he wanted to spend some time away from them. He had to admit, it was nice to be by himself. He could think about some other things, like if he should with Jessica. Jessica. Just the thought of her made him smile. He could picture her right now, with her long blond hair and bright brown eyes. He was falling in love with her more by the minute. But why couldn’t he be with her? There hadn’t been a justification moment that directly told him she was the one for him. Actually, there was a chance that that he could have that moment right now if he called her. So he decided to do so.

“Hello?� Jessica’s voice was cheery as always.

“Hey Jess� Nick said.

“Hey Nick! How are you?� Jessica sounded really concerned about him.

“I’m all right. Do you have some time because I need to vent�

“Sure. What’s on your mind?�

“Well, things have gone downhill since I found out I was dropped from the label. I got in a fight with my producer because I felt he was being too controlling. And he was also really mad because I had to leave early yesterday. Then
I got in a fight with Drew because I felt that he betrayed me�

“Why?� Jessica asked.

“He is one of those higher up execs and he knew this was coming all along. He said they were sworn to secrecy, but he could have at least warned me that it was coming.� Nick sighed.

“Well, it was probably really hard for him not to. I’m sure he wanted to tell you. Serious consequences would have happened if he did, though�

“Like what?’ Nick asked.

“I heard a rumor that that nobody wanted to go along with Ashton’s plan. They were forced to go along with it. And if anyone protested, even slightly, Ashton would fire them in a heartbeat. So Drew was probably afraid of that�

Nick could see what she was saying but it didn’t help much. “I can see that, but it still hurts though.�

“Don’t get too mad at him, its not his fault�

“I’ll try not to. What you just said about Ashton firing doesn’t surprise me one bit.� Nick said in a bitter tone. “Hopefully he’ll get what he deserves in the end�

“I hope he does too. Everyone lese is really nice, they are just working under a tyrannical CEO�

Nick could agree with that. “Yeah, I definitely agree with that. But no use now, I guess I’ll have to shop around to other record labels. Who would want a dropped former boybander though?�

“I’m sure that there is. I think you are a really talented person, Nick, and someone is bound to see that and want to sign you�

Nick smiled “Thank you Jessica, I’m glad you think so.�

“Your welcome. So why did you get into a fight with your producer?� She asked.

“He seems to have been more controlling lately. We are doing things that he wants to do, not what I want to do. He was a lot more about letting me have control in the beginning�

“Maybe he’s stressed about something in his personal life� Jessica suggested. “Lay off for a few days and then talk to him when the emotions aren’t so high�

“Ok, I think I will� Nick had now made his decision. “Hey are you busy Saturday night?�

“No�

“Do you want to do something together?�

“Sure, like what?�

“Go out for a nice dinner and maybe walk on the beach afterwards?�

“Sounds excellent� There a voice in the background “Nick I need to be going�

“Ok. I’ll call you on Saturday to tell you the exact time I’ll pick you up. Thanks for listening, it helped�

He could see Jessica smiling right now “You’re welcome, glad I could help. Talk to you later, bye�

“Bye�

Nick felt much better after talking to Jessica. It felt as if the world had been lifted on of his shoulders. She had listened to him talk about his problems and offered good advice. It confirmed that he was over BreeAnn and was ready to open his heart for a new relationship. He had a feeling that things were going to look up in the next couple days.

[orlyscaligrl]

Great add! Things are looking good for Nick and Jess! Update soon!

[katelyn11c]

that was really good. i am glad nick has decided to give jessica a chance :) . can't wait for the final chapter!

[Kristen07]

Hey,

I just want to let y'all know what I have not forgotten about this story. It's just in the last few weeks I have been a writing funk... I haven't been able to get inspiration for anything. But i'm gonna try to work on this and hopefully i'll have a chapter in a couple days. Thank you for your patience :)

[littleprincessj]

aw yay! i can't wait for more, I'm glad you're keeping up with it! Sorry you're having a hard time with stories...I know the feeling.

[Kristen07]

Thanks. It's hard with this story especially. I know what I want to do with it. But I can't find the right wording, you know what I mean?

[littleprincessj]

YEP! Know exactly what you mean, I just finished getting a lot of the new forum done for my site so I haven't had any time to write...now i do have the time but I keep using the work i have to do on the board and site as an excuse b/c I cannot get my ideas out!

[Kristen07]

Hey guys,

I decided to go ahead and give the first page since that's completely done. A little bit of teaser. Hope you enjoy :)

~Chapter 12~

*Lyrics that are interlaced with this chapter are from the song “Anytime� by Kelly Clarkson*

Anytime you feel
Like you just can’t hold on

Nick took a deep breath, as he got ready for his date with Jessica. He was nervous about things would go tonight. It hadn’t been that long since Jessica had told him she wanted to pursue the relationship further. But it was enough time for her to decide that he wasn’t worth pursuing after all.

Just hold on to my love
And I’ll help you be strong

Jessica was different than any girl he had ever met in his life. There was just something refreshing and cheerful about her aura. Whenever he talked to her or was with her, even if he was in a bad mood, she could cheer him up and make him forget about his own life and what might be troubling him at the moment. She also seemed like the type who was really sensitive, caring and a good listener.

But you’re so afraid to lose,
And baby I can’t reach your heart

As much as he wanted to love Jessica, he was still scared to open his heart again. BreeAnn had given him a lot of heartache and there was no way he wanted to put his heart through what it had gone through the past several months AGAIN. He felt that he could trust Jessica, but that feeling still lingered in his mind. He had to fight it back now.
There was a knock at the door. “No turning back now,� Nick thought. He walked to the door and answered it. Jessica was standing there and dang, did she look beautiful. She had her hair down and slightly curled, just enough makeup to enhance her looks and had on a pink dress that hugged her in all the right places.
“Hey� she said, smiling.
“Hey� They hugged.

I can’t face this world
That’s keeping us apart

[orlyscaligrl]

oooh! a cliffhanger! pls update!

[marie]

update please! :)

[katelyn11c]

you're right..it was a teaser!

[littleprincessj]

You know I love this story so don't leave us hanging because I can't wait to see what happens next!

[booyou]

update soon please or I'm going to cry :cries:

[Kristen07]

Awwww I'm sorry! I promise I'll update in the next couple days. You all WILL NOT be dissapointed with the ending.

[Kristen07]

Ok, this will be updated tomorrow, I promise :)

[Kristen07]

Hey y’all

Before I get to the last part of the chapter, I want to say THANK YOU. To everyone who took a little bit of your time to read this and give feedback and or just read it. You have no idea how much I appreciate it. It kept me writing this story, even when I was completely stuck on writer’s block, lol. So I hope you like the ending. :)
Also a big shout out to Jess for helping me get out of writer’s block for the last part of this. You’re the best!!!!! :)
There will be a sequel sometime in the future. However, I can’t make any promises on when it’ll be (heck, it took me two months to write the final chapter!). It may be next month, or it could be six months from now, I have no clue at this point.
I’ll shut up and get to the chapter now. Thank you again and enjoy! :)

Much love,
~Kris~

~Chapter 12~

*Lyrics that are interlaced with this chapter are from the song “Anytime� by Kelly Clarkson*

Anytime you feel
Like you just can’t hold on
Nick took a deep breath, as he got ready for his date with Jessica. He was nervous about things would go tonight. It hadn’t been that long since Jessica had told him she wanted to pursue the relationship further. But it was enough time for her to decide that he wasn’t worth pursuing after all.

Just hold on to my love
And I’ll help you be strong
Jessica was different than any girl he had ever met in his life. There was just something refreshing and cheerful about her aura. Whenever he talked to her or was with her, even if he was in a bad mood, she could cheer him up and make him forget about his own life and what might be troubling him at the moment. She also seemed like the type who was really sensitive, caring and a good listener.

But you’re so afraid to lose,
And baby I can’t reach your heart
As much as he wanted to love Jessica, he was still scared to open his heart again. BreeAnn had given him a lot of heartache and there was no way he wanted to put his heart through what it had gone through the past several months AGAIN. He felt that he could trust Jessica, but that feeling still lingered in his mind. He had to fight it back now.
There was a knock at the door. “No turning back now,� Nick thought. He walked to the door and answered it. Jessica was standing there and dang, did she look beautiful. She had her hair down and slightly curled, just enough makeup to enhance her looks and had on a pink dress that hugged her in all the right places.
“Hey� she said, smiling.
“Hey� They hugged.

I can’t face this world
That’s keeping us apart

“You look really beautiful tonight,� Nick said, smiling.
“Thank you. You look really handsome�
“Are you ready to go?�
“If you are� They joined arms and walked to his car.

“Do I get any clue of where we are going tonight?� Jessica asked him as they were driving over.
Nick shook his head. “Nope. All I can promise you is that you’ll love it� His plan was to have a romantic dinner at a restaurant on the patio, all to themselves. Afterwards there would be a walk on the beach.
“I’m sure I will. You seem like a guy that has good taste.�
He chuckled. He hoped so. “Thank you, Jess�. Slowly his nerves were calming down. But he knew that they would escalate later when he had to talk to her.

When I can be the one to show you
Everything you missed before
He pulled into the restaurant. He got out and opened Jessica’s door for her. “Thank you, you are such a gentleman�
“You’re welcome� They joined arms again, like a couple already dating.
A few minutes later they were led onto the patio. A candlelit dinner for two was set up on the table with a couple rose petals scattered over the floor. The clear, starry night, accented the mood.
Jessica was pleasantly surprised. “Wow Nick, this is all for us?�
He nodded. “Yes it is�
They sat down at the table. “Did your previous boyfriends ever treat you this good?�
She shook her head. “Not really. There was romance and all, but it wasn’t as much as this we have here. I’ve never met anyone like you before, Nick�
He raised his eyebrow. “Oh really?�
“Yeah. I dated guys that were nice and caring, but they really didn’t respect what I stood for and my values. And if a guy can’t do that…. Well then I can’t be with them. From what I know about you, you seem like a guy that could do that� She explained.
That was true. Nick always respected a girl’s values, even if he disagreed with them. That was one of the keys in a relationship. He was tempted to tell her right here and now that he wanted to be with her, but now just wasn’t the right time.

Just hold on now,
cause I could be the one to give you more
Let you know

“You’re right. For me, a key in relationship, you have to respect the girl’s values. If you can’t… you shouldn’t be together. I never want to push a woman into do something she is not comfortable doing, especially relationship wise.�
“I know. I’ve had some guys try to do that. I’ve gotten out of it... but still. I’m sick and tired of it. I want a guy who can love me and respect me for who I am. I haven’t had that in the longest time�
“I can definitely do that for you Jessica� Nick thought. “No matter what it is�. He could tell she was trying to get an answer out of him with directly saying it, but he knew that this wasn’t the right time to say. He would know when it was.

Anytime you need love
Baby I’m on your side

�What’s not to like and respect about you, Jess? You’re beautiful, smart, funny, caring and genuine. I don’t see how a guy wouldn’t do that,� Nick asked.
Jessica smiled slightly. “Thank you, Nick. It’s one thing about me that seems to be a big turn off. But they aren’t worth that, I guess.� She paused. “From what I’ve learned in relationships, guys want two things in a relationship. Sex or just someone they can call a girlfriend. It’s never been about the emotional connection that two people share. It’s like, they start out acting like they care about you, but they just dump you on the spot, push you farther than you want to, or you find out that they never cared in the first place.� She sniffled.
He took her hand. “I’m really sorry Jess. Sometimes you just have to get hurt in life. After all those struggles and heartbreaks, Destiny leads you to the one that is really meant for you�

Just let me be the one
I’ll make it all right
She nodded. “I wish he would hurry up and realize what he has in front of him. I just want to be in a relationship where the guy genuinely cares about me. Someone who really means it when he says “I love you�. Does those little sweet things that can mean a lot, such as call me just say I’m thinking about you. I just want to be happy in a relationship for once�
So he wasn’t the only one with heartaches. Nick got up and walked over to her and hugged her. It was best he had felt in months. He wanted to be the best boyfriend she had ever had in her life. He wanted to be the one who wiped away her tears when she was sad, make her laugh, make her swoon with the romance because Jessica seemed like the hopeless romantic type like him. He knew that getting with her would be the best move he had made in his life. Still, he felt it wasn’t the time to talk about it yet.

Anytime you need love
Baby you’re in my heart
I’ll make it all right.

They broke away and the subject diverted to other things for awhile. Nick knew that the subject was nowhere near done with though.

Jessica was really distant for the rest of dinner. Nick felt really bad for making her fell disappointed at the moment. He knew she was thinking they were going to talk about “us�. Which they were. He also knew he was giving her mixed signals, but it would all be resolved. He had decided they would sit down and talk about on the beach. They could talk about everything and hopefully she had still decided he was boyfriend material.
“You want to go for a walk on the beach?� Nick asked her.
“Sure� Her tone was still cold.
“Don’t worry� Nick thought. “Everything is going to look up with in the next few minutes�

The ride over to the beach was very awkward. Once they arrived, Jessica took off her shoes. “Why are you doing that?� Nick asked her.
“Well, for one my feet are killing me from wearing these heels. And I just like to walk the beach barefoot. There’s just something about the way the sand feels on your toes that’s so magical.� She smiled.
Nick smiled back. “Then I’ll do that too� The mood was lightening up. He took off his socks and shoes and they set off together down the beach.

I look into your eyes
And I feel it coming through
Things were really quiet for the first few minutes. All that could be heard was the ocean gently landing on the coast and slowly moving back into itself.
Suddenly, Jessica asked Nick “Do you believe in soul mates, Nick?�
He thought for a moment. Ever since BreAnn had cheated on him, he hadn’t been so sure if he did. “I don’t know. I suppose. It’s one of those things that when you KNOW you have it. I don’t think I’ve found it yet though�
“Do you want to get married?�
“Oh sure. I will when I find my soulmate. I don’t want to marry unless I can find that one special woman that I know I can spend the rest of my life with. It’s hard to do sometimes. I thought I had it…but no such luck� He sighed. He was referring to BreAnn on that note.

And I can’t help but want you
More than I want to

Her eyes got concerned. “Why do you say that?�
It was time. They could now talk about it. “Sit down with me�
“Ok� They sat down together on the beach.
He took a deep breath. “You have probably figured out by now that I have been really hesitant to be in a relationship. And you have been probably been wondering why�
She nodded. “Very much so.�
“Well, it has absolutely nothing to do with you. It’s because…. I was burned severely by my previous love�
“Awww…. I’m sorry Nick. So you want to talk about it?�
“Yes. I haven’t felt ready to talk about it till now�

So baby take all your fears
And cast them all on me “I’m ready to listen� Her eyes were full of sympathy and concern.
So he told her everything. How he and BreAnn had dated for three years and everything seemed perfect. How he began to suspect that things were going downhill with that phone call. How he saw her making out with her new guy at the bar. How he had been trying to cope with his broken heart.
“Oh goodness Nick I didn’t know. I’m sorry I have been so impatient. That really must have hurt you�
�It’s ok, Jess. You have no idea how much it hurt. I was depressed for a long time. I don’t want to put my heart through what it has been through the past 6 months again.� He said.
“She definitely made a big mistake. How could she have cheated on you like that?�
Nick shrugged. “I really have no idea. But it doesn’t matter now�
“I promise I’ll be a lot better than she was. I would never break your heart like that,� Jessica told him.
So she did want to be with him. “You still want to be with me?�
“Of course I do. I’ve wanted to be with you since we first went out together. I just didn’t want to say anything before I did. However, I want to tell you something�

Cause all I ever wanted
Was just to make you see “Ok� He said.
“You know how I was talking about earlier how my previous boyfriends didn’t respect me?�
“Yeah. Why didn’t they?�
“It’s because I’m a virgin. I’ve been brought up that way. I’ve always wanted to wait for my husband because it’s so much more meaningful if you wait for marriage. I’ve always had this vision of my wedding night with the man who turns out to be my husband. Plus you don’t have to worry about everything else [arse]ociated with premarital sex.�
Nick would definitely respect that. Granted, it might be a little hard for him to hold back his feelings sometimes, but it meant a lot to Jessica. It seemed like her strongest held value, and she was going to keep it. “I will never cross the line. I will definitely respect that. It seems to be a really important thing to you�
She nodded “It definitely is. It’s been in me since I was little and I plan to keep it up to that night�

That I could be the one to give you
All that you’ve been searching for
Just hold on to my love, and baby let me give you more
You know, anytime

“Looks like we have the biggest thing off our chests� Nick remarked.
“I would say so.� Jessica paused. “So are we together or not?�
“Let’s see… we have just talked about our heartaches and what’s most important to us in a relationship…. I would say so� Nick chuckled.
“Aren’t you going to kiss me?� The look in her eyes was of p[arse]ion.
Nick decided to answer that question. He leaned in closer to her and then their lips met.

And now there’s no way out
And I can’t help the way I feel
'Cause baby you’re the fire and I’ll be waiting right here
You know my love is real, baby
Yeah yeah yeah
That kiss was amazing. Nick had not felt that good of a kiss for a long time. He was glad he was letting Jessica in. This was just the start of a wonderful relationship.
They broke away. “Wow, you’re such an amazing kisser, Nick� Jessica said, smiling.
“So are you. Are you still mad at me for making you wait so long for the talk?�
She gave him a quizzical look. “I was never mad, just kind of annoyed because you were giving me mixed signals and that you weren’t talking about us when I thought we were supposed to. It’s ok now, we’re together�
Nick breathed a sigh of relief. “Good�
“Nick?�
“Yeah, babe?� It was the first Nick had called her by any of those relationship pet names.
“Do you think this well be a start of beautiful relationship?�
He nodded. “Absolutely. Do you think so?�
“Uh huh. We’ve got a lot of future ahead of us�
The two lovers kissed again and then sat there, watching the waves crash on the beach for a very long time.

Anytime you need love
Baby i'm on your side
Just let me be the one
And i'll make it all right
Anytime you need love
Baby you're in my heart
I can make it all right......

There is the ending. I hope y'all enjoyed reading this story as I have writing it :)

[littleprincessj]

awwww Kris! First of all, you're VERY welcome! Second, I LOVEEEEEEEEEEED it!! So, so romantic! Awwwie, sad to see it end but I absolutely loved it and the sequel sounds like a spantific idea!! You've got great taletn, keep it up!

[britt]

It was absoulty great, but sad that its over though!!! :) I think you should do a sequel i am sure it would be just as good. It was soo sweet. Good Job!

[nslfan4life]

I absolutely loved that story!!! You did an amazing job at writting that!

[Kristen07]

Thnaks everyone :)

I just wanted to let y'all know that a sequel is going to be in the very near future, maybe even this week. I have things planned out but I have not sat down and written the chapter. So be on the lookout! :)