Nick walked over to the tour manager,
"Get the cameras out of here. We need to talk, now." The look in Nick's eyes, the set expression on Nick's face let him know this was no joke. Nick leaned against a table and crossed his legs at his ankles as he watched their people usher the camera crew and reporter out of the dressing room. Kevin frowned,
"What's going on?" Their tour manager shrugged and pointed at Nick,
"Ok, why the privacy?" Nick took and deep breath as they all stared at him,
"What is it Nick?" He closed his eyes attemting to find the strength from somewhere to tell them he was about to bail on them just hours before a concert. He opened his eyes once he heard Howie's voice,
"What is it Nicky?" He shrugged and shook his shoulders,
"I don't even know how to say what I'm about to say but I'm so sorry." He watched as they all looked around and he held his head down and stared at his feet,
"I have to leave, leave the tour." When no one said anything he looked up,
"Tonight, right now." It was too quiet, no one was saying anything and he wasn't prepared for that.
"I have to go, I can't help it." The suddenly AJ erupted,
"What the fuck-" Kevin placed his hand on AJ's shoulder and looked around the room,
"Everyone who is not a Backstreet Boy, please leave." Nick closed his eyes and silently groaned then opened his eyes to see Larry staring at him. He nodded at Larry and made a phone signal with his hand to his ear telling him to make the call as Larry exited the room. Once the door was closed Kevin took a deep breath and slowly exhaled,
"What is your problem now?" He played with his hands,
"Family, my family needs me." He looked up and locked eyes with Brian,
"Family that you don't know about." AJ shook his head and lit a cigarette,
"Family we don't know about? What the fuck does that mean? No, no way, you aren't going anywhere." Kevin waved his hand,
"Put that shit out AJ." He then turned his attention to Nick,
"This is the dumbest thing you have ever said. And you've said some dumb shit. There is no way in hell you are leaving this tour, or leaving right before this concert." If he didn't show up at the hospital in Miami and a media frenzy surrounded them because he didn't take care of his responsibility they would hate him for it and they'd hate him for being less than the man he should have been,
"Kevin I have to." He tried to forget Kevin's harsh words but the more he thought about them the more he became angry. Before he could say anything more Howie shook his head and raised his hand,
"Ok Nick. Tell us what this is about and we can figure something out." All Nick heard was AJ, Brian, Howie and Kevin could resolve his problem for him. He didn't need them to resolve this problem, in fact they couldn't. He was the only one that could make things right. This was a problem only he could fix. He shook his head,
"See? That's exactly what I was talking about Howie. Always trying to do it for me. Not letting me do things myself." Kevin rolled his eyes,
"Oh someone get out the damn violins. Nick, you are such a child, grow up. You have a responsibility and what you do affects us. Now, we are not going to change a twenty song set around two hours before a show and especially for no reason." Nick was getting louder,
"We did for you." He knew it was different circumstances and no major changes were needed when Kevin missed the show.
"Don't be an ass. You sing a third of the leads. There is hardly a song on the list that you don't sing lead in. You are a major asshole you know that?" Don't be an ass. Don't be an ass huh? Well, let's see how much of an ass I can be, he thought,
"Well, I'm sorry. Figure it out on your own, I have a life to deal with and if you were me you would do the same thing." He headed for the door and Kevin grabbed him,
"No, you're not going." Nick shook his head,
"Let me go." The others watched as the two struggled for the upper hand as Nick tried to free himself from Kevin's grasp,
"Nick, sit your ass down." He didn't want to punch, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt anyone but if that's what it came to he would,
"Kevin, let me go man. I'm serious." He wouldn't let go and Nick punched him square on the jaw,
"Nick, are you crazy?" Howie walked over and tried to help Kevin up as Nick opened the door,
"Larry." Larry quickly walked over,
"Let's go." He looked inside at the other guys and saw the anger on their faces,
"I'll take care of him." AJ growled,
"Fuck him, no one gives a damn about him. He's leaving us stranded." Kevin shook his head as Brian and Howie worked together to keep him away from Nick,
"It's not about that. It's about him letting us down. He's hurting us." He looked at Nick and pointed,
"For everyday you aren't on tour, you're fined." Nick knew that was a tactic to keep him there but it didn't come close to working,
"Do what you got to do." He turned and walked off, shaking his head as he heard Kevin yelling at him,
"Fuck you Nick. You're going to walk out just like that?"
He and Larry made it back to the hotel, hr threw a few things in a bag then shoved all his other stuff in his suitcase, threw it on the bus and they made their way to the airport. Sitting on the plane on their way to Miami Nick lay with his head against the head rest and his eyes closed reliving the worst fight he had ever had with the guys. The words they said to him had never been so harsh. Unless he really messed up they were always gentle with him. Larry placed his hand on Nick's shoulder,
"You ok?" Nick nodded his head,
"Yeah." He wasn't ok, he wasn't fine, he wasn't normal. He was a complete wreck. He left one awful situation for another. Things weren't good anywhere, not on the road and not in Miami. He shook his head,
"I can't believe they didn't understand. I thought for sure they would be supportive." Nick sighed and turned his head and smiled wryly at Larry,
"They might have if I told them why I left." Larry eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as he stared at Nick,
"You didn't tell them why. Why do they think you left?" He shook his head,
"I didn't really say why. I told them it was family stuff and I needed to go, that I had a no chioce." Larry frowned,
"Why didn't you just tell them? Why are you acting like it's Top Secret information that you have a kid? You're never going to tell anyone? Ever?" He sighed,
"Yeah, I will eventually but I just didn't. And they pissed me off so bad I didn't give a damn I just decided to not tell them so they could be even more pissed." Larry shook his head and Nick nodded,
"I know it wasn't right but that's what I did." The rest of the flight was spent in silence as Nick fell asleep. He didn't know that Larry called Quinn's cel phone and left a message letting her know that they were on their way and would be at the hospital first thing in the morning to see her and MacKenzie.
Chapter 41
Reunited
Stories
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