CHAPTER 16: SAY GOODNIGHT


Family and friends wept quietly as the coffin was slowly lowered into the ground. Kevin stood silent, with only Sam by his side, just watching as the wooden home made its way further into the ground. He pushed aside a tear, as he tried to keep a stiff upper lip, that was his life been buried, he would be and was, lost without her.

~ A MONTH LATER ~

Alicia waited patiently in the doctor’s room, Nick clutching tightly onto her hand as he sat, impatient, beside her. The operation had so far been a success, now was when they would find out if the cancer was completely out of her body, or if more needed to be done, Alicia prayed every day and night for this nightmare to be over, she just hoped the prayers would pay off.

“Alicia” the doctor said warmly as he walked into the room
She looked up, unsure tears forming in her eyes.
“It’s good news, you’ve won” he smiled, his own voice choking up
“It’s gone?” she questioned, unsure if she’d heard right
“It’s gone” he repeated, sighing in relief
“Oh my god” Alicia announced as Nick hugged her tightly
It was over, the doctor was right – Alicia had won.

~ A WEEK LATER ~

Kevin paced around the room waiting for just Nick to arrive. Nick walked into the office slamming the door carelessly behind him.
“I'm here” he announced with cocky charm
“Sit down, there’s something I need to tell you all” Kevin announced, clearing his throat slightly
All eyes looked up at him as the sat around a large polished wooden table.
“It’s been just over a month since Kristen died, and its taken me that long to come to this conclusion, I need to be there for my son, and I need to be with him, in which case I cant be with you” he sighed “What I'm trying to say is that its time for me to say goodbye to the Backstreet Boys, I love you all like brothers, but I have to do this” he cried, running a shaking hand through his mop of dark hair

Brian touched his shoulder gently, understanding exactly what he was saying. Howie slouched back in his chair, he knew Kevin well enough to know this was coming anytime soon, he expected it, and he suspected the others did to.

“You sure about this?” AJ questioned, a smoking cigarette in his hand
“I'm positive, I’ve made the decision, its been eight wonderful years, but I need to move on”
“He’s got a point” Nick chimed in, sitting up in his seat “I’ve been thinking too, I’ve been in this band since before I hit puberty, I think Kevin’s right, we gotta move on”
“You saying you want out too?” Howie questioned, leaning forward onto the table
“I'm saying I think we should quit well we’re ahead”
“Nick’s got a point” AJ added “People are always going to say we’ll break up through argument, but you know what? I don’t think it’ll ever be like that, and maybe now is the opportune time to part ways musically”
“Like the Musketeers, we disband?” Brian smiled
“I reckon we’ve done some good shit in our time, what’s say we go out with a fucking bang” AJ announced
“Fireworks, some huge ass stadium, everything, the whole blood works” Nick smirked
“You reckon it’s our time?” AJ questioned quietly looking around the room
“I reckon” Nick spoke up first
“Yeah” Kevin nodded
“I reckon so” Brian smiled softly
“Howie?” AJ questioned turning to him
“I'm with Nick, we do the whole bloody works” Howie laughed
“So, this is it” Nick smiled looking around the room “The boys say goodnight”

Chapter Seventeen

Contents

Email