Chapter 30: Is There A Calm AFTER The Storm
That night Nick and I paced back and forth
in our hotel room waiting for Brian to come back. We didn't speak
to each other. What Felicia said had really hit Nick hard, but
there was a reason he was holding back, not yelling at me that it
was true what she had said. He just kept on pretending that
everything was fine when I knew it wasn't. Our door was cracked
open so we'd know when Brian came back. Suddenly there was a
knock.
Nick went to the door and pulled it all the way open.
"Hey do you know where Brian is?" Kevin asked
curiously.
Nick took him out in the hall and explained it to him as I stared
out the window. Across the street from out hotel was a park. The
bright green trees stood tall and proud against the city. On the
side walk just before the park there sat Brian, on a bench, with
his head in his hands. I couldn't make out the expression on his
face from the distance we were apart, but I knew it was him.
"Uh Nick, I'll be back in a few, you want a coffee or
something?" I asked as he and Kevin looked up at me.
"No thanks," he replied.
"Kev?"
"Naa thanks though," he continued to look at Nick with
concern.
I went downstairs and crossed the semi-busy street.
I sat down next to him as he looked up at me. Sorrow and pain in
his eyes. I had caused it and I didn't know what to say.
"I know that I'm the last person you want to see right now,
but-" I started.
"No, you're actually the only person I want to see right
now," he quietly said, his eyes a pool of pain staring back
into mine.
"Are you okay?" I stupidly asked.
"I'll survive, I always do," he mumbled, staring up at
the same trees I had looked at from the room.
"I'm so sorry Brian."
"It takes two Kate. What about Nick, he must have realized
he was being too forgiving after all Felicia said."
"I dunno what he's thinking. I still don't understand why he
forgave me in the first place. But I'll worry about him later.
I'm here to see if you're okay."
~AT THE SAME TIME~
Felicia rode quietly in the cab next to Kaylee. She hated her
guts, but Kaylee was the only one who understood right now.
"So Felicia, care for a drink? There's a bar next to the
hotel I'm going to check into. You don't know how fast I had to
get here," she sighed.
"Yeah sure," Felicia grumbled.
~AT THE SAME TIME~
A.J. peered down at Kate and Brian from his hotel room. What was
happening now?
Suddenly his cell phone rang.
He sighed as he walked to the dresser and picked it up.
"Speak to me," he answered.
"Hello Alexander," the woman seductively replied.
A chill ran down his spine as he recognized the voice.
"I thought I'd avoided you, what the hell do you want?"
He harshly spit into the phone.
"Tisk, tisk, don't be so mean to me, I'm practically family
you know," she confidently said.
"I asked what you wanted," he reminded her.
~AT THE SAME TIME~
"Brian, is there anything I can do?" I pleaded with
him.
Before he could say anything he leaned over and buried his head
into my chest. I put my arms around him as his body began to
shake from emotion. His heart was torn as I sat and rubbed his
back gently. The fabric from his grey sweater warming my hands in
this chilly winter air.
~AT THE SAME TIME~
"Hey guys, what are you doin' in the hall?" Howie
inquired as he strolled down the hall.
"Just chatting, what are you doin'?" Kevin questioned
as Howie approached him and Nick.
"Lookin' for Brian, we're suppose to go over these
lyrics," Howie replied as he peered into Nick's room.
"Where's Kate?"
"She went for coffee. We don't know where Brian is,"
Nick said.
"What happened?" Howie curiously asked.
~AT THE SAME TIME~
"So, you and Brian were together that long aye?" Kaylee
asked sipping on her martini.
"Yeah," Felicia quivered. Tears coming to her eyes as
she recalled the article and the words she had said to Brian.
"And you're a writer?" Kaylee asked, playing with the
olive in her drink.
"Yeah."
"Hmmm...well we're hiring at the Times and trust me, if I
have my way, Kate won't have much longer at that newspaper,"
Kaylee smirked as she began to chuckle.
Felicia looked up at her, questioning her own destruction let
alone Kaylee's.
~AT THE SAME TIME~
"Why don't we meet me somewhere?" The woman asked A.J.
"You're here in town?" He practically yelled into the
phone.
"You're pretty bright McLean. Meet me at the bar on the
corner of 5th and Mason in an hour. Don't be late and don't bring
anyone with you," she ordered.
"I can't believe that woman has the nerve to order me
around!" He yelled as he hit the ‘end' button on his
cell phone.
~AT THE SAME TIME~
Brian sat up and quickly wiped the tears from his face.
"Everyone's worried Bri, please come up with me," I
pleaded.
He looked in my eyes, making sure that there was trust between
us.
"Okay," he replied as we stood up and made our way back
across the street to the hotel.
"Where you been?" Nick questioned as I came out of the
elevator next to Nick's room.
Brian came walking up behind me. He looked up and Nick and then
looked away with guilt.
"Look guys, I'm just going to go to bed, I'll see you all in
the morning," Brian sadly replied as he walked away.
He started walking down the hall when I began to go after him. I
felt a tight grip around my arm, Nick's fingers piercing my skin.
"Don't, just leave him," Nick harshly replied.
"Let go of me," I sternly said as I ripped my arm from
his grip and followed Brian.
Nick ran up to me and spun me around. Howie and Kevin and Brian
all turned around and looked at us.
"Maybe what Felicia said is true," Nick smartly
replied.
"What's your problem?" I asked, looking into his eyes.
"You're following him, that's the problem."
"I thought you were okay with everything?" I
questioned.
He looked away.
"Well then let me go."
He looked at me disgusted.
"Nickolas I am the cause of all of this. I tore at least
three of us apart tonight and I need to be there for him."
"What about me?" Nick whined.
"What about you? You say you're man enough to handle it, if
you are then wait for me and I'll be back in a few minutes,"
I replied.
He grunted as I turned around and followed Brian down the hall.