Oreos For Breakfast: Nick Fanfic

Oreos for Breakfast
Chapter 8

By The Paperbag Princess and The Pumpkin Coach

I woke with a start, sitting up and almost hitting my head on the ceiling of the bus. It took a moment for everything to register. I was on the bus. The curtain was drawn across the opening to the bunk and I felt Nick's hand on my shoulder. He didn't open his eyes, but mumbled my name and pulled me back down next to him.

I settled against him and he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me into him, my back flush against his chest. I reached around and ran my hand down his thigh.

"Bad dream?" He whispered in my ear.

I took his hand in mine, kissing his fingers one by one, shaking my head. Then I heard James' voice and opened my eyes, turning to him, "Nick!" I hissed as softly as I could manage. "Shit! How drunk were we last night? We had sex here! In my bus! With everyone…"

My head was spinning and I felt like I was going to throw up. He started to laugh at me, pulling me back down to him, "Rache… no… we were all drunk. Don't you remember? It was late, we climbed in - well, James helped you - and next thing I knew, you were snoring." He tapped my nose lightly with his finger to emphasize his point, grinning at me.

"I was not!" God, that was shrill. I covered my mouth and heard Darien below.

"Oh, yes… Rache! When you are drunk, you snore really loudly!" Darien laughed, kicking our bunk from below. Could they hear everything I was saying?

Then James' disembodied head appeared through the curtains, "You are loud, girlfriend!"

I laughed bringing the covers up to my chest even though I was still wearing my T-shirt and shorts from last night, then pushed his head back.

"No need for modesty, I've seen it all, Rache!" James called back to me.

Everyone laughed and I heard Jeremy's voice, "We've all seen it all, darling!"

I felt Nick stiffen against me at Jeremy's words and I looked back at him, shooting him a warning look. I did remember one thing about last night, Jeremy and Nick screaming at one another. It had all gone so well during the day. The video shoot was a riot and Nick was such a good boy, following Em around and obeying her every command. I think she secretly enjoyed seeing the Backstreet Boy so submissive. But then… who knew a stupid video game could elicit that much hostility. Before I knew it, everyone was drunk and Nick and Jeremy were trying to blow one another up on screen. They had to start getting along or this was never going to work.

I turned back to Nick and kissed him on the forehead, "It's okay, they're just joking around."

He ignored me, instead turning his attention to my neck, quickly finding that spot between my neck and collarbone that made me come unglued. I couldn't stop the low moan that escaped my lips as he sucked on my skin lightly. Did we really just sleep last night? How can I be this close to him and be expected not to ravish him on sight?

I rolled over to face him and ran my fingers through his hair. He sighed as I pushed his hair off his forehead, "How did I possibly sleep right next to you and not have my way with you?" I whispered. He flashed me a cocky grin. I loved his smile and the way his eyes sparkled when he looked at me - that complete look of adoration in his eyes.

"Beats me - let's not make a habit of it, okay?"

"Okay, gang!" Lola hollered in her best teacher voice. Had Em gave her pointers or something? I sat up and Nick pouted up at me. I pulled open the curtain and jumped down as Steven pulled into the hotel parking lot. "We have exactly one hour for showers and changing clothes! That's 60 little minutes, not 65 or even 61. One hour. We're due at the radio station for a drive time show and drive time only lasts so long."

"Ummm… Lola, I think we might need more time," James' voice rose from the front of the bus, "We've got a bunch of girls here and I don't think they care that Darien, Jeremy and I are on this bus."

In an instant, Nick's face fell. He jumped down from the bunk, shielding his eyes from the bright light. "Fans?"

"Jesus Christ, that one's got your boyfriend's name on her forehead!" Darien was laughing hysterically and I joined him at the window, peering out through the curtains. They were right, about five or six girls all outfitted in Backstreet t-shirts, clutching cameras and a couple of them had Nick's name printed in magic marker somewhere on their bodies. A couple others were hanging by the street, trying to look casual, but I could tell they were fans, too.

I closed the curtain quickly, terrified. No one was supposed to know he was here. That was the deal. Just having him here for a couple days was hard enough to get the guys to agree to. They were going to crucify me if we were followed everywhere by Backstreet fans.

"Shit." I heard Nick's voice behind me and turned to him.

"How'd they figure it out?" I asked him and then turned to the boys. "No one knows he's here!"

I caught sight of Jeremy rolling his eyes and I whirled on him, "Just stop it now!"

"I didn't say anything, Rache." He smirked. I could have hit him, but that wouldn't have accomplished anything.

"You don't have to. Wipe that fucking smirk off your face. It's too early to deal with your attitude. I need coffee first."

Lola was standing behind me, "Well, we didn't use fake names."

She directed her comment more to Nick than anyone and the whole bus let out a collective groan.

"Fake names! Ooooh… can we do porn star names, can we?" Darien's face lit up like a Christmas tree at the possibility and he mused aloud about what his porn star name would be. "My first pet was Rocky and my childhood house was on Chambers Street- oooh! Rocky Chambers. That's a very good assumed name, don't you think?"

I threw a pillow at him, missing by a mile, "You are such a freak, D. You need to stop spending so much time on the Internet!"

"Or watching porn films," James deadpanned, making us all laugh.

"Right," Lola interjected trying to be the voice of reason, "Rock star rule number one… From now on, we don't use our real names, kids. Let's try to make it a little challenging for them."

James grabbed his new friend, JC, and held him up, "I'm going to be JC Chasez and you have to pronounce it all French and pretentious, too, or I won't respond!"

We all laughed and I looked over at Nick who was sitting quietly in one of the chairs, just watching us all.

Suddenly everything had changed. I could feel it. I was supposed to be just Nick now. Not Nick of the Backstreet Boys. Yesterday had been great. No one cared who I was, Lola even told me I didn't look like a pop star. I was just here to be with Rachel. It was her time and here I was overshadowing her star already.

I wanted to scream at all the girls to just go home, that I didn't want any fans. But I couldn't do that. I couldn't do anything but be nice to them. Could I ask them to chill and not scream? They were going to freak her out and just give Jeremy more ammunition against me.

We'd been okay last night. Well, there was stupid posturing and I was way too excited that I got to kick his ass at Final Fantasy, but at some point we both got drunk enough that I think he forgot I was a sell out and I forgot he'd fucked my girlfriend.

I stole a quick glance at him. He was glaring at me again. Fuck.

I stood up and went to the back of the bus to find my bag. Rachel followed me and as soon as I could I reached out for her. She stepped away, ducking into the bathroom to splash water on her face and brush her teeth. Damn. She was going to send me home. I could feel it.

"Rache… it'll be okay. I'll do something. Get them to leave."

She shook her head, "We'll deal with it later. Right now, they're going to see you get off my bus. They're going to know you're at my shows and my picture's going to be plastered all over the websites, isn't it?"

It was. In two hours the whole Backstreet Internet community was going to know that Rachel of Sudden Silence was my girlfriend, not AJ's. Sure there was some speculation, especially after that night in Philly, but after that I disappeared and AJ was in rehab so everyone left her alone. AJ's problems took everyone's attention away from my love life.

Lola led them off the bus and Steven stayed behind to act as bodyguard. I watched from the window as they walked quickly into the hotel, not stopping even though some of the girls had their CD.

"Can we go around the block and catch a cab or something?" I looked over at Steven hopefully.

"Dude, your fans are like the secret service. It hasn't been that long since I was your driver! They know you're in here."

The first time I got on this bus, I'd been surprised to see Steven. He used to drive Howie's bus, he was a good guy. I half suspected that Frank had gotten him this job, but Steve wasn't answering any of my questions.

I scowled at him, "They are gonna make me leave."

Rachel was the only thing keeping me from going insane right now; I didn't want this to end. If it hadn't been for her, I would have been home obsessing over AJ and beating myself up that I didn't do more to help him. I loved being here - not just being with Rachel, although that was more amazing than I could have ever imagined - I liked not being the one in the spotlight. For once, I got to sit back and see what it all looked like from the other side.

I slid my backpack onto my shoulders, standing up straight and running my hands through my hair. I was still wearing the same clothes I'd slept in last night and worn yesterday. These were going to be great pictures.

It was only a few girls, right? I could hear cameras clicking and then a scream as I jumped down from the bus. One of them came up to me, tears streaming down her face, "Is AJ okay?" She pleaded at me and I froze.

I didn't know. No one knew. I hadn't heard a word from him since he entered rehab. Maybe I should check in with the fellas? I shook my head and mumbled, "I don't know. I'm sure he's going to be fine."

"You haven't talked to him?" Said a disembodied voice from somewhere on my left.

"Are you going to start the tour in two weeks?" I heard another say.

Fuck. He wasn't dead, girls! I bit my bottom lip to keep from screaming at them and looked over to Steven who took my arm and led me to the front door.

I was almost through the door when I girl reached out and touched my arm. I glanced back and saw she was clutching an envelope. She handed it to me, "You looked so sad on MTV. I just wanted to give you a hug."

My heart melted and I turned around, pulling her into my arms for a moment. Her breath caught in her throat and I whispered in her ear, "Thank you. He's going to be fine and I'm all right. Tell all of your friends that." She nodded against my shoulder and I let her go, turning quickly around and disappearing into the safety of the hotel.

He let the little girl go and his shirt was wet from her tears. I had no idea that they were this hysterical. We'd been so caught up in avoiding the whole thing. When we were in Long Island, Nick talked to their publicist a few times, but he never said much. It was mostly damage control and strategy talk from what I could tell.

I stepped out in front of him and he smiled at me half-heartedly.

"You were good," I wanted to reach for his hand, but something stopped me. I glanced outside. They were all lined up, clicking away as we waited for the elevator. He reached over and I moved away. That's all we needed, right? Pictures of him holding my hand? An awkward silence encircled us as I watched the numbers above the elevator light up as it made its way down to the lobby.

He sighed and whispered, not turning his head to look at me, "I'm sorry, Rache… I'll get them to leave. Promise. I'll tell them you were distraught about AJ and I came as a friend. They don't have to know about us if you don't want them to."

I cocked my head to one side and considered him, "Do you not want anyone to know?"

Jeremy's accusation that I was just Nick's 'flavor of the week' flashed through my head. Sure he needed me now, I was comforting him and fulfilling a need. But when they started touring again, when everything was back to normal in Backstreet Land… what then? Maybe he didn't want anyone to know.

The elevator doors opened and he pushed me inside, pinning me up against the wall of the elevator and hitting the 'door close' button before anyone else could get on. His lips found mine, his tongue forcing my mouth open and his hands found their way underneath my T-shirt and started caressing my back. Just as quickly as he'd pinned me, he let me go and stepped back, smiling.

"Give me the word and I will do that in front of every fan I have, Rache. I don't care if they know I love you."

What did he say? My mind raced backwards. I certainly didn't hear him right, did I?

"Don't…"

He pulled the 'stop' button on the elevator console and I couldn't move, transfixed by his stare, "Rachel Connor, I'm so fucking in love with you I can't see straight and I don't care who knows. You are the only thing that's sane in my life and I won't let them hurt that."

Oh god, if AJ were here he'd so be kicking me right now. Too soon, dude! Slow the fuck down. I could hear his voice in my head, "you gotta take it slow, dawg, she's not like the others." She wasn't, he was right. She was special. Just thinking of being away from her was making my chest ache. I reached out for her and she smiled at me.

She smiled! She smiled! She wasn't laughing at me.

She pulled on my T-shirt until my chest was flush with hers, then ran her hand through my hair and caressed my cheek, "That's the most romantic thing I've every heard,"

I just stared down at her, unable to say anything else or even breathe as I waited for her to respond. Please say it, Rache. I needed to hear her say she loved me. I mean, she did, right? This wasn't all me.

But she didn't say anything, just pulled my head down and kissed me deeply. But that was good, right? The alarm started ringing in the elevator and she laughed. We both looked at the console and I pushed in the stop button. We lurched upward and she screamed, holding onto me tightly.

I kissed her until the elevator stopped at our floor and we stumbled out, running right into Lola. She was not amused.

"Not fuckin' funny!" Lola reprimanded us like we were 8 year olds. Damn, she had learned a lot from Em yesterday.

No, it wasn't funny, it was beautiful and romantic and I thought I was going to burst with joy. Nick fucking Carter just said he loved me. Loved me and didn't care who knew about it. I looked over at him and he pouted to Lola, trying to get her to smile. Like me, she was putty in his hands.

"It was mildly amusing, I suppose." Nick's smile was blinding and she rolled her eyes at me. "Get him away from me before I do something I'll regret! You now have 55 minutes. Move!"

I stood up straight and brought my hand up to my forehead in a mock salute and then pulled Nick into our room. As soon as the door closed, he had me in his arms, running his tongue down my neck, sending shivers down my spine.

"Good lord…" I sighed into him, pulling on his T-shirt and feeling his warm skin underneath my fingers. "How do you go from pouty 12 year old to sexy as fuck in 2 seconds flat?"

He pulled away raising an eyebrow at me, his blond hair falling in his eyes, "Sexy as fuck? Oh… talk dirty to me, Rache."

We both laughed and I pushed him away, "Don't make fun of me, little man! Or I'll send you to the teeny boppers downstairs."

He went to the window and moved the curtain slightly, looking down on the crowd below, "Hey, there are some who are legal down there. Just you watch your step or I'll take one of them home with me."

I know he was joking, but his words echoed in my head. He could.

He could have his pick of the groupies downstairs, why would he choose me? What did Frank say when we were at the Point house about women on the Backstreet buses? Nick had silenced him quickly, I remember that. How many women did Nick have on the bus with him when he toured? Did Frank know all about Nick's other girlfriends or groupies? Of course he did. They all did. No way this was going to last. Once the novelty wears off… I'm just the girl of the moment, right? I know that.

Then what was the elevator? Just Nick being Nick. Being cute and flirty. He did that well, didn't he? He knew I was mad and if there's anything that Nick can't stand it's someone being mad at him.

I unzipped my bag and concentrated on pulling clothes out and putting them in drawers. I hated to live out of suitcases. Nick fell on the bed and smiled over at me. "Why do you always unpack? You just have to pack again in the morning. Besides, we could be making better use of our," He looked over at the clock by the bed, "52 minutes." He raised an eyebrow at me.

I smiled over at him, "Guess I'm not good at the rock star touring thing."

"No, you aren't. You need to live out of the suitcase or just throw everything on the floor." He considered me for a moment, "And room service, more room service! That's key to the rock star lifestyle. Order it at weird hours and send everything back if you decide you don't want it. That's fun!"

"You're insane, pretty boy! Besides I'm not a rock star…"

"Yet!" He corrected me and I had to smile.

"Okay, yet. I certainly don't have boys downstairs writing my name on their foreheads!"

He laughed, rolling off the bed and picking up my makeup bag and taking it with him into the bathroom. He emerged a few minutes later and I screamed.

In scrawled handwriting, he'd tried to write "Rachel" on his forehead with my eyeliner.

"Oh, god, Nick! You are sooooo bad at that!"

"I'm your first obsessed fan! I'm a Rachel groupie!" He screamed and fished in his bag for his video camera, whipping it open and pointing it at me, "Ohmigod!" He squealed in a high-pitched voice, "It's her!!!! I'm in her hotel!!!!"

I grabbed the camera away and pointed it at him, "Oh, this video is so going in my vault at home. Imagine what it will be worth in a year. Nick Carter, obsessed with huge megastar Rachel Connor… next on Backstreet Boys: Behind the Music."

Nick stuck out his tongue at me and started to wipe the eyeliner off his forehead. I put down the camera on the table and grabbed his hand, "No! I like my name tattooed on your forehead. Show all the girls downstairs that you're mine!"

He licked his lips slowly, pulling me into him and walking me over to the bed. We landed with a thud and I smiled at him, running my hands through his hair as he pulled up my shirt and traced my real tattoo with his tongue.

"Maybe we should do that."

"What, baby." I was starting to feel dizzy as his tongue darted in my belly button and his hands slipped my shorts down over my hips slowly.

"Get tattoos. Prove our love."

Say it Rachel. Please. I just laid myself out there and you didn't say you loved me. But she didn't laugh either. That was a good sign, right?

She didn't say it back though, just pushed my head back down, "Talk to me in another year. If you're still doing this to my body, I'll consider it."

I smiled against her stomach, letting my tongue trace a trail down lower. I blew softly on her and she squirmed underneath me, a sigh escaping her lips. I'd make her say she loved me. If not me, she'd love what I did to her. My tongue glided across her clit and she tangled her hands in my hair, holding me there. God she was already so wet. I pushed two fingers inside her and she raised her hips, letting her legs fall open slightly. I moved my fingers inside her and sucked on her clit until she cried my name. I'd definitely be doing this to her in a year.

She pulled me up to her, kissing me deeply and wrapping her legs around my waist, rubbing herself against me. I loved they way she felt in my arms, like she belonged there. I peeled off her shirt and my mouth found her breast as she fumbled with my pants. Finally freeing me, she pulled away, finding a box of condoms in her bag and tossing them to me.

Please let me being doing this in a year.

The phone rang and I groaned, rolling off him as he pouted up at me, "Don't answer it."

I just smiled at him, "Waiting can be good, you know?"

He pounded his fist against the bed without thinking and then winced in pain as he realized it was his right hand.

"Teach you to punch things, won't it?"

He stuck his tongue out, trying to be serious but he just ended up laughing.

"This better be good…" I announced into the phone. And it'd better. I had the pretty one sprawled out naked on my bed and I ached to feel him inside me.

But there was no one there. I pulled the phone away from my ear and considered it.

"No one even there. Fuck me."

He rolled over to me, pulling me down next to him again and hung up the phone, "Your wish is my command."

I smiled turning to him, my mouth covering his as his hands found my center again. My head fell back as I sighed, "And that's not even your good hand, is it? When do you stop wearing the brace?"

He looked down at me, smiling slyly.

Interrupted by the phone. Again.

We both looked over at it. I reached for it and he grabbed my hand.

"Noooooo…." He pouted and I jumped up off the bed, giggling.

"WHAT! I'm busy!" I screamed into the phone.

This time I could hear commotion in the background; giggling and then the phone went dead.

I looked over at him and we had the same thought at the same time, "Fans."

He closed his eyes tightly and screamed.

I crawled back onto the bed and straddled him, running my fingers through his hair until he opened his eyes again, "They'll get tired of calling in a minute. It's not like I'm letting you up again."

"You aren't?" He flirted with me, "Is that a promise?"

I nodded, fuck taking a shower, I'd rather have quick sex with the blond one. I bent my head so I could run my tongue down his chest, stopping to bite at his nipple lightly. He ran his hands up my back, pushing me down to him and his back arched as he tried to enter me, but I moved away quickly.

The phone rang again and he held onto me tightly. "Please don't... Just unplug it."

"What if Lola or the band needs us?"

"Fuck them. We have some time. Besides, your cell is on."

I frowned down at him, "Do they always do this?"

He sighed and the phone rang again. "Not always, but a lot. I don't usually sign the register 'Nick Carter.'"

I reached over to the phone, but Nick beat me to it. He picked the receiver up and slammed it back down, then pulled on the cord until we heard it pop out of the wall.

"No more phone," he smirked at me as his hands positioned my hips above his. Quickly he raised his hips and pulled me down, entering me fully, making me gasp as I adjusted to him inside me.

"Was that another rock star moment?" I mumbled but I'd already forgotten what we were talking about as his finger stroked my clit and he moved inside me.

He didn't answer, just flipped me onto my back and quickened his pace, bringing me back to the edge quickly. I snaked my arms around his neck, I wanted to feel him against me as he came. He covered my ear with his mouth, sending shivers down my spine as he spoke, "I love you, Rache."

That was twice he'd said that. My breath caught in my throat as silence surrounded us and he thrust into me a final time. He didn't pull back from me, though; instead he relaxed in my arms, planting tiny kisses on my shoulder as I held onto him. He pushed my hair off my face and caressed my cheek slowly before reaching down to get rid of the condom, dropping it in the trashcan beside the bed.

I smiled up at him and wrapped my leg around his. Did fans sneak into hotel rooms and steal things he left behind, I wondered. The thought of someone finding his condom tomorrow morning made me laugh.

"What?"

"Think the fans will ravish the room for that?"

He wrinkled his nose at me, "Ewwww! You are a sick woman!"

"Hey! I'm not the one who has your name written on my forehead, little man! I see the level of devotion out there."

He rolled his eyes and I reached up, rubbing what was left of my name off his forehead, "I have had more than one article of clothing go missing from a hotel, yes. But never a condom. Ick. I don't think they're that bad!"

I laughed at him, "Honey, I don't think you have any clue. Do you ever read your message boards?"

He raised an eyebrow at me, "Do you?"

I bit my lip and considered whether to tell him just how often I perused the Internet, trying to piece together his life before I was a part of it. Nah, he didn't need to know that much did he?

My cell phone rang and he let me go with a heavy sigh, "We're coming back to that train of thought, Rache." He smiled at me as I rummaged through my bag, which was still on the edge of the bed, and found my cell.

"Rachel Connor," I smiled over at him as I answered the phone. He reached for his boxer shorts which were lying beside the bed and I ran over, pulling them out of his hands quickly. I wagged my finger at him and shook my head. No, he could stay sprawled out naked on my bed for a few minutes longer. That'd be a good thing.

He raised an eyebrow at me and licked his lips, striking a pose on the bed and making me giggle.

"Rachel, are you listening? It's important!"

"What? Sorry… someone's distracting me."

James signed dramatically, "Please! I don't need to know that. I don't have a fuckbunny on tour with me, Rache!"

I stuck out my tongue even though James couldn't see me, "Don't call him that!"

"Why not…? Are you in lurve now?"

I turned around, "Why are you calling me, you queen? Don't we be have to be downstairs in 20 minutes or something?"

James laughed, "22, according to Lola. I think she has a stopwatch on us. So, was Pumpkin or Buttercup your first pet?"

"What?"

"You heard me, Pumpkin or Buttercup."

"Buttercup. Why?"

"For your porn star name. We have to change the register to thwart any more fans."

"What do you mean?" Nick disappeared into the bathroom and I groaned softly, turning my attention back to James.

"We just saw another group of girls arrive, Rache. Lola thinks if we change the register, at least they can't call and figure out what rooms we are in."

"You all are so fuckin' paranoid."

"Rachel, honey, why didn't you pick up your hotel phone?" I could hear the smirk in his voice.

"I told you, we're busy!" I laughed. "And… he ripped the cord out of the wall."

I could see the 'I told you so' look on James' face just like he was standing in front of me.

I heard the shower come on in the bathroom and smiled, "Colleen Bates, how's that? I think Buttercup will give the game away, James."

He laughed, "True, true. Lola says I can't be JC Chasez, so I'm going with Joshua Hottie."

Laughing, I walked over to the bathroom and opened the door quietly, watching Nick's reflection in the mirror as he stood in the shower. Hurry up, James, I have a back to wash.

"Yeah, well… it's that or be hounded for the rest of the day. Okay, downstairs in 20 minutes. Have you even showered yet?"

"Well, if you'd let me get off the phone, maybe I could!"

"Okay… wait. Lola wants to know if Nick is staying put or coming with?"

I considered his request. Leaving together meant pictures. Lots of them. Nick stuck his head out of the shower and looked at me questioningly. My eyes locked on his. If he stayed here they'd certainly bug him. He could hide on the bus and maybe we'd lie when we came back and tell them he had to catch a flight to Tampa? "Coming with."

I clicked off the phone and threw it behind me onto the bed, closing the door to the bathroom behind me.

God she was beautiful. She climbed into the shower, sliding past me to get to the water, stealing the washcloth from me with a sly smile. I held onto her hips and she arched her back slightly as the water ran over her head. Her eyes were closed and she moaned as I ran my tongue down her exposed neck to her breasts. Taking one of her nipples in my mouth she held onto me to steady herself. After a moment she pulled away and looked down at my growing erection.

She smiled, "We've only got a few minutes, put that thing away."

I pouted down at her, "But Thor wants to play some more!" She loved it when I called it that and I loved to see her smiling, so Thor it was.

She didn't disappoint me, giggling as she ran the washcloth over her body, "Thor can come out and play later. Promise."

She smiled, turning off the water and stepping out of the shower, grabbing a towel and handing one to me. "That was James. They needed a name for me, we're changing the register. Maybe that will fool some of them."

I rolled my eyes, "You are so naïve. If one knows, they all do. But it was just a few girls, right?"

Maybe I could shrug this off as no big deal. Maybe they wouldn't follow us to show tonight and the next city. A guy could hope, right?

"Apparently it's becoming a mad house downstairs, all because of my stupid boyfriend….. "

I didn't even hear the next part of her sentence, "Stupid boyfriend!" I exclaimed, my voice a little more shrill than I expected.

She came over to me and wrapped her towel around my neck, pulling me into her. Her body was still wet and I had a flash of pulling her down to the tile floor and fucking her right here, our wet bodies sliding against one another. A low moan escaped my lips as she kissed me.

"Sorry baby, my incredibly sweet…" I felt her mouth form a smile against my skin before she kissed my neck, "and sexy boyfriend. Is that better?"

I smiled, pulling away so I could see her face, "More accurate, yes."

She laughed and pulled her towel back around her. I frowned but she ignored me, going over to her bag and pulling out a T-shirt. Then she went over to my bag, rummaging through it and pulling out one of my t-shirts, "Wear this, it makes your eyes so blue."

Why was she picking out my clothes? I glanced at my pants and T-shirt still lying on the floor and she shook her head.

"You slept in those last night, bunny. Wear this… and these jeans. I like you in these jeans."

"No, you like me out of those jeans," I corrected her, taking them from her and throwing them down on the bed, "Is there a certain pair of underwear you'd like me to wear, too?"

She considered me, "No, they aren't getting pictures of your underwear. If they do, you are definitely not getting anything more from me!"

I laughed at her, "What are you doing, Rache?"

"It's our coming out party… I want you to be dressed well for the photos!"

I pulled on the first pair of boxers I found in my bag then stepped into my jeans. "Am I going with you? Are we leaving together?"

She took a deep breath, biting on her lower lip the way she does when she's nervous or scared and then she nodded. I went over and pulled her into my arms, smoothing her wet hair down as she leaned her head against my chest, "Oh, baby, it's okay. They're gonna be fine, promise."

Certainly my fans would understand that she was different than my other girlfriends, right? I'd never been this happy, felt this safe with another person. They'd understand that I loved her. Besides, how can anyone not like Rachel? She's the most amazing woman on the planet!

I backed away from him, pulling a T-shirt over my head and stepping into my favorite leather pants, trying to let go of the thoughts of how many girls were going to hate me over the course of the next 24 hours. I gave him a quick twirl, "Will this do?"

He smiled, "You're gorgeous, Rache. You know that."

I shrugged at him. He made me feel gorgeous, that was for sure. No man since my father had made me feel so adored and confident.

"If I was half the woman in reality that I am in your eyes, Nick…" I let my voice trail off and threw my cell phone and Palm Pilot back in to my backpack and slipped it over my shoulder. I glanced back at the clock - 5 whole minutes to spare.

We stood on the elevator in silence for a moment and then I looked up at Nick. He was staring straight ahead and biting on his lower lip. I grabbed his hand, interlacing my fingers in his. He looked down at me and I leaned into him, stepping up on my tiptoes so my mouth was close to his ear, "I love you, too," I whispered.

Oh, god, what did I just say? Maybe I just thought it, I didn't say it… I looked over at him.

No, I said it. He was grinning at me like a fool.

Yeah, I said it, and I meant it, too. He might break my heart later, but right now, who cared?

He turned to me, taking my face in his hands and kissing me deeply. We both felt the elevator stopping and he pulled away, still grinning from ear-to-ear. I felt my heart was going to burst with loving him. Was that how he felt? Is that what he meant when he told me he loved me?

The elevator doors opened and a scream broke through my gooning, and I jumped. I reached down and took his hand in mine again, holding onto him tightly and catching his eye, "Let go of me and I'll kill you."

He nodded, pulling me into him and placing his arm securely around my shoulders, "Sorry, Rache."

I shook my head. "No. Time to face the music." I smiled. "This is what I get, for falling for King Boy Toy."

Laughing, he led me towards the doors. The five girls outside the hotel were now about a dozen, both inside and out. He just kept smiling, signing autographs with the hand that wasn't holding onto me.

They didn't pay much attention to me, they were focused on him. Fine with me. I didn't want the attention. I knew they were going to hate me soon enough. After a few minutes, Steven got to us. "Back off, ladies. We've got a schedule to keep."

A girl pulled on my arm, asking where we were going. Could I do this? I was so bad at lying, "We have a radio interview and Nick's gotta get to the boys in LA, so he has to leave."

There. One lie down. How many of these white lies was I going to have to tell now that Nick was in my life? He looked over at me questioningly and then smiled at the girl without skipping a beat, "Yeah, we've got a tour to rehearse for!" He leaned over and touched her cheek carefully and she nearly fainted at his touch.

Oh, he was good at the lying thing, wasn't he? Best not to think about that too hard.

We climbed onto the bus and I was faced with my boys. "What?" I snapped at their stony expressions.

"The hotel would prefer it if your boyfriend didn't return," Lola told me, trying not to laugh. I cracked up, falling into a seat and pulling Nick down with me.

"Well, the hotel should have better security for their guests," I giggled back at her.

"Or maybe he should just go home," Jeremy snarled. "He's just in the way. Do you really-"

I interrupted him. He was seriously angry, and now so was I. "Fuck off, J. I'm not having this argument with you again."

"None of us have ever had friends on tour that come with an entourage. None of us have ever brought friends that bring bad publicity and screaming fans."

"You're just pissed because those screaming fans want him and not you, you fuck."

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