"Heads up!" a voice called. Nick lifted his head, just in time to have a basketball bounce off it.

"Nick, if you're going to play, at least pay attention. You can't play one on one with only one person. It requires two," Brian said, going after the ball.

"Sorry B, but I just can't seem to pull it together. It's-"

"Cairo," Brian broke in. "Listen man, just tell her how you feel, no matter what. Even if she rejects you, you won't have to be playing the what if game anymore."

"And how exactly do I feel, Mr. Littrell, since you know everything else?" Nick demanded.

"You love her. It's written all over your face. You can't hide it anymore, Nicky. Just tell her and get it over with. It's killing all of us!" Brian said, in a goofy voice, finally managing to get a smile out of Nick.

"Yeah. I guess I'll have to do that. But I'll have to wait until this tour is over. I hate to say it, but as much as I love performing, I just wish that we weren't right here right now!" Nick said, suddenly seizing the ball from Brian's hands and executing the perfect lay-up.

"That's my Nicky-boy!" Brian exclaimed, relieved to at least see some spark of Nick's normal competitiveness resurface.

* * * *

She closed her eyes, gathering courage, and knocked on the door. She heard muffled noises. After waiting a few moments, she figured that he wasn't going to answer. He was obviously home, she could hear him and the TV was on.

Taking a deep breath, she jiggled the key into the lock and turned it. She turned the knob and walked into Brad's apartment.

It was a mess. It was also pretty dark in there. She could see the TV, the picture casting an eerie glow over the place.

"Brad? Are you here?" she called tentatively. She walked around the corner and saw a lump in his bed. She fumbled for the light switch and was completely shocked with what she saw.

"Carrie? Oh my god, Carrie!" exclaimed her sister, Trista. She was in bed with Brad, trying to cover herself with a sheet.

"Trista? Brad? I came in, I wanted to talk to you and…and you? And Trista?" Cairo stuttered, unable to grasp what was happening.

"Carrie! Wait Carrie, let me explain!" Brad called. He made a move to get out of the bed then suddenly remembered where on the floor his clothes had landed. Cairo backed away from the scene.

"I can't believe you. How long?" she whispered, her knees had grown weak as the reality settled in.

"Carrie, let him explain!" Trista pleaded.

"You were my SISTER!" Cairo said, tears of rage and betrayal streaking down her face.

"And I still am."

"No, no. Not anymore. How long?" Cairo said, staring straight ahead.

"Carrie…" Brad began.

"DON'T call me that. Answer my question. Tell me how long," she said.

"Almost a year," he said. Cairo gasped, and started to tremble. She turned around from the horrible scene and ran. She ran out of the building, falling because of the wet floor in the lobby. She stood herself up and continued to run until she reached her mother's car.

She sat in the car, her shaking fingers trying to shove the key into the ignition. Finally she broke down, settled her head on the steering wheel and sobbed.

* * * *

"You can't leave! You've only been here a day!" her mother protested. Cairo was pacing around her old room, throwing all of her unpacked items back into her bag.

"Mother, you don't need to know what happened between me and Brad, but all you need to know is that it's over between us and I can't stay here any longer," Cairo said.

"That's what I mean. Look what this move has cost you already! The man you've been completely devoted to for over three years! Do you want to add your family to the list?" her mother shot back. Cairo turned around and again burst into tears. Her mother walked over to her and hugged her.

"It'll be okay, honey. I just don't want you to leave! Maybe you can fix what happened. There's still hope," was her mother's attempt to reason with Cairo.

"Mother, do you know what I saw? Do you want to know what I saw?" Cairo yelled, dashing madly at her tears. She had cried so many times in the past 48 hours and she normally wasn't a person who gave into tears.

"I don't know what you saw that could be so bad," her mother said.
v "Mom, he was in bed with another girl!" she yelled. Dead silence.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. It's been going on for over a year, he told me so. There's no going back now."

"Let me help you back, honey," her mother offered. Cairo hugged her, grateful her mother's support (for the moment, at least).

Cairo was about to pick up the phone to make her travel arrangements when it suddenly rang.

"Hello?"

"Carrie? Oh my god, I don't know how it happened, but we were in the car and suddenly it swerved and…and Brad's in the hospital. He doesn't look to good," wailed her sister's voice.

"How bad is he?" Cairo asked calmly.

"Really bad. Really, really bad. I don't know what happened, but I think there's something wrong with spinal chord. Something like that. Are you going to come to the hospital?" her sister's voice pleaded.

"I'll be there." No matter what had just transpired, she still had to see that he was okay.