Catlyn opened the door, slowly peeking inside the room. The dark, stillness of the room confused her. She walked over to the desk, turning on the lamp. Spotting the note sitting next to the telephone, she picked it up.
Hey Cat--AJ and I went out to "The Wave". Be back later. And don't say a word. J--Love, Kyn
Catlyn's eyebrows raised. "Oh really?" she murmured crumpling the note up and tossing it in the garbage can. "Interesting."
"What to do now," she said glancing around. A long hot bath, she thought. Walking into the bathroom, she turned on the water letting it run as she poured some magnolia scented oil into the tub. Turning on the small radio, she flipped through the stations settling on what seemed to be a relatively good one. It was playing K-Ci and JoJo's "Tell Me Its Real", and she was singing along quietly as she got ready to climb in.
o~/Tell me it's real/The feeling that I feel/Tell me that it's real/Don't let love come just to pass us by/Try is all we have to do/It's up to me and you/To make this special love/Last forever more/~o
Catlyn climbed into the warm water, sinking in slowly. She closed her eyes and leaned against the back of the tub. Soon, she was drifting off into a relaxed slumber.
"Crystal, stop being ridiculous," Nick sighed into the phone.
"I'm not," she said. She had taken a cab to a bar not far from the hotel. Sitting at a table in the back, she stirred her drink slowly with the straw, holding her phone in the other hand.
"Crys, come on. Come back to the hotel," he begged.
"Why? So I can listen to you go on and on about Catlyn and how wonderfully perfect she is? Hello Nick. I'm your girlfriend god dammit," Crystal complained.
"I'm sorry. Okay? I'm sorry. We're just friends. Nothing else. I don't want anything else," he said quickly. Liar! the voice inside his head screamed. "I'll…I'll even stop talking to her if that's what you want."
Crystal laughed softly. "You don't get it do you? I can't. Look Nick, I thought I could make this work. I thought I make us work. But you know what? I can't. It's not you. It's not even me. It's just us. This whole relationship is wrong."
"It's NOT wrong," Nick said quickly.
Crystal sighed. "Nick. Ask yourself this question, and I want you to answer it honestly. When was the last time that you thought of me, and your heart started beating wildly, and your thoughts drifted away to some secret place inside you where the sound of my voice, the touch of my hand, the taste of my lips were the only thing that filled your senses?" Nick was quiet for a moment. Closing his eyes tightly, he opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him too it. "Can't bring yourself to answer it? Then that is answer enough for you," she whispered. "Ya know what's the worst about it?"
"What's that?" he asked quietly.
"I'm not even that broken up about it. What does that mean?" she questioned.
"Crystal-"
"Don't Nick," she stopped him. "I'm leaving tomorrow. I think it's best that way."
"Don't I even get to say goodbye?"
"Why? So we can make this harder than it really needs to be? Goodbye Nick," she said clicking her phone off and shoving it back in her purse.
"Dammit," Nick growled slamming the receiver back onto its cradle. Dropping his face into his hands he sighed. Looking around the room, he was overcome by a sudden sense of loneliness. Standing up and stumbling towards the door, Nick made his way down the hall.
"What the hell?" Catlyn asked jumping at the sudden pounding on her door. Shaking the fog of sleep from her head, she stood up slowly. "I remember now why I don't take baths," she complained, climbing out of the tub. "I'M COMING!!" she grumbled loudly grabbing her robe and wrapping herself in it. Opening the door, she was surprised to find Nick standing there with his back to her.
Turning around he smiled sadly. "Hi. I'm…not interrupting anything?" he asked glancing at her robe.
"Uhhh…no. I was just getting out of the bath," she explained opening the door wider so he could come in. Noticing the sadness in his eyes, the stoop of his shoulders, she grew worried. Closing the door, she put her arm on his shoulder. "You okay?"
"No. Crystal left me," he whispered turning to look at her.
Her hand flew to her mouth, eyes wide. "Oh Nick. I'm so sorry," she whispered.
He shrugged. "It's okay. I knew it was coming. I just didn't do anything to stop it." He sat down heavily on the edge of her bed. Catlyn sat down next to him, wrapping her arms around him. He was laying with his head against her chest, leaning into her. "I guess what I feel the most guilty about is that I'm really not as upset about it as I should be," he whispered, placing his hand on her arm. "And neither does she."
"You can't help what you feel," she said softly, resting her lips on the top of her head.
"No, I can't," Nick murmured turning in her arms and kissing her gently on the lips.
"What's taking him so long?" Kyndall asked glancing at the bar. She couldn't see him anywhere.
"I uh…I think he's upset," Howie said softly.
She looked over at him, confused. "Why?"
"Because we…because we get along so well," he shrugged.
"Oh come on. What difference does it make?" Kyndall looked at the dance floor. "Come on," she said grabbing his arm. "I wanna dance."
"I…I don't think," Howie shook his head.
"Oh shut up," Kyndall laughed. "Come on," she said dragging him up and out on the floor.
As they passed the bar, her eyes made contact with AJ's. He was sitting on the far side chatting with one of the girls that had asked him for his autograph. The guilty smile that formed on his lips caused her to laugh. She just shook her head and hooked her arm through Howie's. AJ's eyes narrowed slightly as he turned his attention back towards the girl. From his peripheral vision, he could see her slip her arms around Howie's neck, moving closer to him as they danced. He watched as Howie slid his arms down her back, locking his hands right above her butt. His cheek rested against the side of her hair as they moved slowly to the music. AJ stood up quickly, walking outside leaving the girl he'd been talking to alone and confused, but happy because she'd gotten to spend time with her "one and only true love, AJ McLean".
