"Kate, it's not worth a fight with Nick, I'll be fine," Brian insisted as we stood outside his hotel room door.
"Brian, I won't let you go to sleep like this, you're devastated," I pleaded. He opened the door to his room with the electronic key. He turned around in the doorway and looked at me. His face revealed emotional drain; big circles were forming under his perfectly colored eyes.
"Kate..."
"Brian, this is a better time than ever to talk, now listen," I replied as I pressed lightly against his chest until he backed up and let me in the room.

~AT THE SAME TIME~

Nick watched from down the hall as Kevin and Howie chatted next to him.
"God Dammit!" he yelled as he violently kicked the door to his room open. It ricochet off the back of the wall and came powerfully flying back at him. He pushed it even harder as he went inside the room.
Kevin and Howie jumped back as they looked up at each other, startled.

~AT THE SAME TIME~

A.J. walked into the bar, his sunglasses in place even though it was a dark environment. He wore a hat to hide his image as he looked around for the face he knew all too well. She was sitting at the bar, flirting with the bartender.
"Tell me what you want so I can get the hell out of here," he said as he approached her.
"C'mon McLean, I thought out of everyone you liked me the most," she batted her eyelashes.
"No Mandy, I hated you the most," he replied back as he sat down next to her.

~AT THE SAME TIME~

Kaylee sat across from the bar, staring at Mandy and A.J. Felicia sat across from Kaylee, her back to A.J. and Mandy. Kaylee studied them, hoping that Mandy was smart enough to remember what she was suppose to do.
Felicia stared at her drink.
"So, you interested in working for the Times?" Kaylee offered again.
"I dunno, I-"
"Well you can't be writing a book, so why don't you take me up on the offer for a little while until you want to write a book or whatever it is you do again," Kaylee downed the last of her third martini.
"I guess I could try it out, but what about Kate?"
"What about Kate? Trust me Felicia, once my new plan takes action, you'll only see her long enough to pack the rest of her belongings and get the hell out of the New York Times," Kaylee chuckled as she signaled the waitress to bring her another drink. Felicia was a bit unsure, but when she thought about Kate and Brian kissing, it fired her up and there was no way for her to back out.

~AT THE SAME TIME~

"Bri, what's going on here?" I asked as he took off his watch and put it on the nightstand, followed by his wallet and keys.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"You know what I mean, don't play dumb. We walk around here pretending everything is fine Bri, but things aren't always as they seem. At least to me they're not," I replied sternly as I walked over to where he was standing. He looked at me gently.
"I don't know Kate," he admitted. "I really don't know."
"How do you feel right now?"
"Like I've lost the best thing that's ever happened to me," he sadly replied. I looked at him, pity written all over my face.
"Brian what I'm asking here is...is there something here, between us? We need to figure that out before we go any further," I softly said.
He looked up at me, almost wanting me to answer for him.
He looked away and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"I know there's more than just friendship, but I also know that it's not strong enough to fight for it. I don't know why I'm feeling it. I can't come up with any psychological reason or any -"
"Brian you don't need a reason. We're human, remember?" I chuckled a bit.
"What about you?" He quietly asked.
I looked down and thought for a minute.
"It's almost like when I'm not around you I don't feel it. When I'm with Nick I only want to be with Nick and I love him so very much. But when you walk into a room, something inside of me jumps for an instant. It goes away after a while," I admitted.
"What is it that jumps inside of you?"
"I don't know Bri."
"Maybe we just need some time away to figure this all out," he suggested.
"Maybe."

~AT THE SAME TIME~

"Please McLean, you owe me," Mandy pleaded.
A.J. rested his head in his hands.
"Mandy, no, I can't," he insisted.
"You owe me and it's not like it's anything bad, please, pleeeeaaaasssssseeeee," she whined.
"FINE!" A.J. yelled as he stood up from the bar.
Mandy smiled to herself as she glanced at Kaylee who nodded.

~AT THE SAME TIME~

Nick plopped down onto the bed and turned on the television.
I said goodnight to Kevin and Howie, who still stood in the hall as I opened the door to our room.
Nick lay on the bed, one arm behind his head with a tank top on. His arm revealed his toned muscles and his tattoo. He had a look of anger on his face as he switched the channels rapidly - perhaps not even looking at them, but making himself look busy.
"So are you going to pout or what?" I sarcastically replied as I pulled my nightgown out of my suitcase. The teal green silk cloth was cold against my fingers.
He didn't answer.
"Nick we needed to talk, it's over it, okay? Brian's going to wait a few days and then try to talk to Felicia again," I softly said as I sat down on the bed.
He didn't look at me.
"Talk to me, will you!?" I yelled.
"What was so important that you had to make a scene like that in the hall?" He asked.
"I made a scene? YOU made a scene!" I yelled, annoyed.
"Why did you have to go alone?" He mumbled.
"I'm sorry you can't trust us. We needed to talk about some stuff, okay?" I asked.
He grunted to himself.
"Argh!" I yelled as I turned around and walked out of the hotel room. I marched downstairs to the coffee shop.

~AT THE SAME TIME~

"Make it quick," A.J. told Mandy as he took her up the elevator and to Nick's room. "And you promised me it was just to talk. If it's anything else I'll have security throw you out like they would have done if I wasn't with you," A.J. threatened as he went to his room. Mandy smirked at him as she knocked on Nick's door gently.
"God, you can't remember your key either?!" Nick yelled as he yanked the door open.
"I'm sorry, didn't know I needed one," Mandy sweetly replied.
"What do you want?" He asked with disgust.
"We need to talk Carter," she stated as she looked past him to make sure he was alone. She then walked past him and into his room.
"Mandy, it's late, I'm tired. If you're so broke then how the heck do you find money to follow me around like this? Is that a thing with you or something?" He sarcastically replied. She gave him a look of sarcasm in return. He walked away from the door, leaving it open, hoping to escort her out before Kate returned.
"Mandy, leave, there's nothing to discuss," he said as he motioned for her to go towards the door.

~AT THE SAME TIME~

"What the hell kinda coffee shop closes this early?" I mumbled to myself as I walked off the elevator onto our floor. "Ugh."
I walked down the long hall, passing some crew members and muttering a good night to them all.

~AT THE SAME TIME~

"Get out!" Nick shrieked at Mandy, his face red with anger.
"No," she simply replied as she walked up to him and put her arms around his waist. "We have some things to discuss, so I'm gonna stay right here."

~AT THE SAME TIME~

I was about to approach our room when A.J. came out of his room.
"Kate!" He yelled. I laughed a bit at his enthusiasm.
"Hey A.J., are you okay?" I asked, smiling.
"Uh, yeah, fine, I just, umm, I haven't seen you in a while and I wanted to see how you were doing?" He asked as his eyes wandered towards Nick's room.
"So, KATE," he yelled my name even louder. "How's PR going?"
I looked at him curiously, he must of had one too many drinks.

~AT THE SAME TIME~

"Kate?" Nick whispered as he pushed Mandy off him.

~AT THE SAME TIME~

"Fine A.J. thanks, but I think I'll just turn in for the night. We'll chat tomorrow, okay?" I asked sweetly.
"Uh, are you sure, cause I haven't talked to you in a while," he persisted. "Yes, good night A.J."
"GOOD NIGHT K-ATE," A.J. said loudly. My eyebrows curved as I thought about his oddness and approached our room.

~AT THE SAME TIME~

‘Shit, she's coming,' Mandy thought to herself.
Suddenly she pushed Nick with all her power and flung him onto the bed. She gripped onto his tank top and fell down on top of him.

~AT THE SAME TIME~

I went to knock on our door when I noticed it was halfway opened. I walked in.

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