Epilogue

Annie sat Indian style in the middle of her queen size bed thinking about the past weeks events. Her apartment was furnished rather nicely. It was in uptown Manhattan, when she first saw the apartment she fell in love with it. She wondered how she could afford to pay the rent, it atleast 5,000 dollars a month. There was her massive bedroom, with a walk in closet. The living room was huge and was padded with a fluffy white carpet that also went through the whole apartment. The kitchen was a reasonable size, but had gone unused since she moved in. There was patio deck, it didn't have the greatest view, but it was nice to just stand out there. The question was how did she afford it? That was easy, she found out some of her brother's old friends had moved to New York. Once they found out that she was Chris's sister, they immediately helped her out. Dave, her brother's best friend, got her the apartment, his uncle happened to own the building and who was a friend of his nephew was a friend of his. She only had to pay five hundred a month a BIG discount. She had connections to just about everything. Anything she wanted she got, anywhere she wanted to go, she went. She usually hung out at a local club, Shadow. That was where all the guys were usually. Rick, Dave, Tony, and Joey were 'the guys' there, they would always be found at the back table.
Everyone knew who Annie was, but she went by Kate or Kitty. Even though her 'friends' were either selling or doing drugs she never did, drinking was her thing. She would drink so she wouldn't think about Brian. When she was sober that's all she seemed to do and she couldn't take it. Alex was never far from her mind either. They met on the plane to New York and he intrigued her in a way she never felt before. He had the most amazing eyes, those dark brown eyes. He has short black spiky hair, with blonde tips. She noticed he had two tattoos on his left arm, they looked like Chinese symbols. He wasn't that tall, but compared to her 5 foot 2 inch frame he was pretty tall. The thing that made him look good was his figure, he wasn't a body builder, he was slim, but he had some muscles. It looked like he might've worked out, just not every waking hour. He had this cute little goatee, which she thought looked really good on him.
Annie's eyes grew wide, "Oh my God. Alex is A.J. I love A.J.!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Nick wavered outside Brian's hospital room. This was the first time he had been to see him, he felt horrible for not going sooner, but he wasn't ready to see him. Of course, Brian was going to be Ok, Nick just couldn't imagine that the Backstreet Boys could've been short a member and him a friend for the third time. This was getting a bit ridiculous, it was like the poor guy was cursed.
He knocked pushing open the door a little at the same time.
Brian looked away from the television show he was watching and over to Nick just long enough for him to see the hurt in his eyes then looked back.
Nick breathed in and bit his lip, he had caused that sad look on his friend's face, "Hey, how ya doing?" Nick asked walking further into the room.
Brian kept his eyes on the television, "Oh I'm fine except that I've been shot in the leg, my pain killers are wearing off, Annie left me, Kevin's mad as hell at her, I can't get out of this fucking bed for a month, and my best friend didn't even come visit me. So yeah, I'm just peachy," Brian nodded and looked back at the screen.
"Brian, I know I've been a bad friend --"
"Yeah, I'd say so," Brian mumbled under his breath.
Nick heard him, but decided to ignore it, 'He's been through a lot and I deserve his attitude just let it go,' Nick told himself then continued. "I'm sorry, I just wasn't ready to see you. I mean I almost lost you three times already! I guess it all just caught up to me and made me think. Every time I actually got enough courage to come and see you, I started to cry and I couldn't let you see me. A-and," he stuttered starting to cry again, "Damn it," he cursed turning his back towards Brian.
Brian looked at Nick and saw his body tremble, 'Damn, I made him cry,' he thought. 'He was just trying to make up with me and what do I do? I give him shit.'
"Nick, " Brian started, "Look, I'm sorry, I'm just...frustrated. I have a lot of things on my mind and I didn't mean to take it out on you. You've been a great friend and don't think otherwise. Come on, you're my best friend, I couldn't stay mad at you."
Nick wiped his face and turned around, "I feel terrible I didn't come see you before. How can you forgive me?" he asked.
"It's like a best friend rule or something," Brian said and held out his arms, "now come here and give me a hug."
Nick walked over and hugged Brian, once they pulled back, they realized what had just happened.
"Shit, " Nick started laughing first.
"I can't believe we just did that," Brian said starting to laugh too.
"This never happened, you never saw me cry."
"And I never asked you to hug me."
"What happened stays in this room, got it?"
"Oh definitely, the guys would have a field day with this," Brian said. An awkward silence passed between the two.
"I wish Annie was here," Brian said, his smile disappearing from his face.
Nick reached in his pocket, "Well, I don't know if this will help or not, but I found this in the mail," he said and handed Brian a small folded up envelope.
Brian took it and looked at it, "It doesn't even have a return address," he thought out loud then ripped it open, he took out the letter and straightened it out.
' Dear Brian,
I'm exactly good at saying good-bye, so I'm going to make this short. I loved you, I still do, and I always will. I just can't stay with you, I don't see how you could still want to stay with me after what I did. I want you to know that I didn't mean to shoot you, I never even intended to use the gun. Just forget me, it's for the best if I leave anyway. The police have got to be after me, I don't want to go jail. Please don't hate me. I don't want to hurt you, that's the last thing I want. That's all I can say, just know that I'm sorry.
Love,
Annie'
Brian calmly folded the letter back up and placed it on the table next to him.
Nick watched him and waited for him to say something, "So, what did she say?"
Brian didn't want Nick to read it, since she mentioned she was the one who actually shot him. The only people who knew were him and Kevin and he wanted it to stay that way. Brian said that he called Kevin after he had been shot, but blacked out after that. Since the gun wasn't found the police ruled it as a robbery. The less people who knew, the better it was. "She said...good-bye. She also said that she loves me, what I don't get is if she loves me how can she leave?"
"I don't know what to say. Except that I'm sorry."
"It's Ok, but I need you to do me a favor."
"What?"
"Well, being here this past week it gave me time to think. About Annie and all. I've been thinking that I want to try and find her, " Brian said and saw a look of disapproval on Nick's face, "I know, I know. I just want to see her again and bring her home. She's not thinking straight, you saw her. How she broke down, she still blames herself for Anthony's death. Nick don't say it, I know what you're thinking," Brian warned.
Nick held up hands, "Fine, I won't say it. Just consider this, if she wanted to be found she would've put her address on the envelope."
Brian grabbed the envelope from off the table, "Nick, I love how your mind works!"
"What did I do?"
"Look," Brian pointed to the envelope, "the post mark! It says where the letter was sent from and when. She's in New York and it was dated a few days ago, so she has to still be there!" Brian said happily.
"You know, Kevin's not going to like this," Nick pointed out.
"I know, that's why you're not going to tell him."
"Brian..."
"Nick..."
Nick sighed, "Fine, I won't tell him, but how are you going to even find her? You're in a hospital, remember."
"Oh, I'll find her, don't you worry," Brian said confidently.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~a few days laters~

Annie adjusted her leather tube top in the bathroom of the fourth club she had been to in an hour. She reached in her bag and pulled out her trade mark black lipstick. Her usually auburn hair was dyed black for tonight to match her outfit. She had on black leather pants to match her top and a silver arm band. She pressed her lips together and smiled at her reflection. If she wasn't drunk off her ass, she would be able to see that she looked horrible. She couldn't see the bags under eyes, that were slightly covered by make up now. Her pale skin and her limp hair. She grabbed her bag and walked back out to the club to be greeted with loud music.
"Hey, got any scotch?" she slurred, leaning on the bar.
The bartender looked at her and shook his head.
"Aw, come on! I only want one itty bitty shooter, no prob. Bob," she laughed.
"Kate, you're already drunk, I'm not supposed to give you anymore," the guy said. Everyone knew her at the club, this one was called Breeze.
"Pwease...just this big," she said and put her thumb and fore finger together and looked at him through them.
"No," he said, handing a man next to her a beer.
"Party pooper," she pouted and stuck out her bottom lip. She stumbled onto the dance floor and found a guy to dance with. She rubbed her body against him, turning him on to all extent.
"How do you like this?" she said trying to sound sexy. She rubbed the bulge in his pants, then turned around so her back was to him and he grabbed her waist pulling her close.
"How about we make this a private party?" he whispered huskily in her ear.
She wasted no time grabbing his hand and pulling him out the club. If only she knew this night would affect the rest of her life.

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