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» CHAPTER ELEVEN «

~ 3 1/2 Months Later ~

 "Brrrrriiiinnnnggg!" AJ’s alarm clock sounded a wake-up call. By instinct, Jessica slapped the clock and grumbled. AJ shook Jessica’s arm. "Baby, we gotta get up," he mumbled sleepily to her. He quickly sat up. "OUCH! Oh sh*t!" he muttered, hitting his head on the bunk. Being on tour was rough. AJ was used to it. Jessica, however, wasn’t.

"But Alex..." Jessica muttered turning over. "Jessica dun wanna get up Alex," she said, muffled by the pillow in her face. AJ sighed. His girlfriend definitely wasn’t a morning person. But that’s not why he loved her. He shook her once more, and after another refusal, he just shrugged his shoulders and went to see what the guys were doing.

"SCORE! Haha in your face!" Lauren cheered. She’d just beaten the crap out of Nick, Brian, Howie, and Kevin at Playstation. "Any takers?" she gloated, holding out a controller to anyone who would take it. Everyone knew better though.

"I would swear she’s a female Nick," Howie whispered to Kevin, who nodded.

"No takers? Oh well. Maybe one of you will feel lucky tomorrow," she teased. She went over to Nick and took a seat in his lap. "Will YOU feel lucky tomorrow?" she asked him jokingly.

Nick searched her eyes. "I’m lucky every day that I’m with you," he whispered, and they kissed. Whoops and cheers broke out on the bus.

"Awwwwwww. That’s so sweet I could just-just- BARF!" Brian kidded, then laughed at his own joke. Just then a sleepy AJ walked in.

"What’s goin on in here?" he mumbled.

"Lauren just kicked everyone in here’s tail," Brian explained.

"That’s right. You wanna try to beat me?" Lauren broke away from Nick’s lips long enough to say to AJ. Everyone shook their heads no at AJ, but he accepted anyway.

"You’re on," he grinned wickedly.

Jessica turned on her bunk bed. She couldn’t get back to sleep from this hard, lumpy thing they called a place of rest. Sighing, she hopped off the top and decided to see what everyone was up to.

"AJ, we TOLD you not to!" Jessica heard Howie say. She looked in and saw Lauren grinning triumphantly over AJ.

"What’s up people?" Jessica cut in. AJ looked over and saw his honey. He ran up to her and and gave her a huge hug.

"Swee-ty! Lauren kicked my butt!" he said, fake crying. "Make it all better Jessi. Make it all better." He buried his face in her chest. All the guys broke out in hysterics. Jessica realized that Lauren must’ve beat AJ at PlayStation. She’d never told him, but he totally sucked at Play Station.

"It’s ok baby. Lauren, say you’re sorry for kicking AJ’s ass," she played along, trying not to giggle.

Lauren stifled a laugh. "I’m SO sorry AJ. I’ll NEVER do it again," she said with sympathetic puppy dog eyes. "Unless, of course, you play me again."

Nick gave Lauren a short but sweet congratulatory kiss for whooping AJ at PlayStation. "I guess no one’s very lucky anymore," Lauren whispered in Nick’s ear. Nick smiled.

"Au contraire...I’m the luckiest guy in this room," Nick whispered back as they watched Jessica comfort AJ in his loss.

"Is that so, Carter. And what makes you so sure of that?" Lauren murmured.

"Y-O-U," Nick spelled it out for her.

"Good answer." Lauren licked her lips, then surrendered Nick’s mouth in a ‘You are absolutely right, here’s a million bucks’ kind of kiss.

’Ooh Lauren, quit teasing me,’ Nick thought. Lately something had been on Nick’s mind. In a word... Lauren. After that first date, things had just rolled right along and they had become a couple. So Jessica and Lauren ended up on tour with them. They had been going out about 3 months now, and Nick knew he was falling in love with Lauren. He had never said the words, but they were right on the tip of his tongue. He hoped Lauren felt the same way. And tomorrow night, their anniversary, he hoped to prove it to her.

AJ snuggled up against Jessica, faking heartbreak, but really just wanting to get closer to her...um...chest. ‘I’m sorry, I know, I’m a man,’ AJ thought to himself. He brought his face up closer to her mouth, and let her have one. He just couldn’t resist. Her gorgeous, pouty lips were just right there and so perfect for kissing. AJ couldn’t believe they’d been together all this time. Sure, he’d had longer relationships, but this one...this one he really wanted to last. Every day felt more special than the last when he was with Jessica. In their 3 1/2 months there was no other girl who could make his head turn like Jessica. No other girl who could make him beg just for one little kiss on the lips. No other girl who he would rather wake up next to in the morning.

’Yep,’ AJ decided, ‘I’ve got it BAD.’

On their anniversary a couple of weeks ago, he had gotten Jessica and himself promise rings. AJ recalled what he said that night.

"Jessica, this is for you," AJ said, handing her a small box. Jessica opened it up, revealing 2 platinum rings.

"OH MY GOODNESS!" Jessica gasped, wide-eyed. A smile warmed AJ’s lips.

"They’re promise rings for you and me to wear. A promise that my heart will always belong to you, and your heart will always belong to me, no matter what. A promise that I never plan to break. Ever. ‘Cuz see, a ring is circle. Circles go on forever. And as long as you wear it, the promise will never be broken," AJ explained.

Tears welled up in Jessica’s eyes. "AJ, I promise," were the only words Jessica could think of to describe the way she felt that very moment.

"I love you so much, baby," AJ’s hot breath whispered in her ear.

"I love you more," Jessica whispered back.

Jessica saw the grin on AJ’s handsome face, and wondered what he could possibly be thinking about. ‘I hope it’s me,’ she thought.

The driver of the bus interrupted her thoughts. "All right people, we’re in the town of our next stop. We’ll be arriving at the hotel here shortly, you know what to do," he informed.

Jessica sighed. This tour thing was rough. But it was worth it to spend all her days and nights with AJ and watching every concert. She’d come such a long way since the concert that she and Lauren had first attended about 3 months ago. That day and night that changed her life forever. Smiling thinking of that precious day, she went to her bunk and got a knapsack and some other things ready. AJ was also in there, taking a few things. The couple said not a word to each other for at least five minutes. After Jessica was done packing, she sat down on the bed and watched AJ. Sure, she watched him do everything, but...damn...no words can really explain love, can they?

While Lauren was kissing Nick, she could tell there was something on his mind. Something big. ‘Maybe,’ she thought, ‘It’s about the anniversary. Wonder what plans he’s got for us.’ Nick had been known to go out of his way for Lauren. But while she was wondering about that, something else about Nick was also on her mind. 3 words, to be exact. She wanted to tell Nick she loved him. So bad. But she didn’t know how he would react. She’d never mentioned it to him. Devin of course, said he loved her, but she knew now that he just wanted her in bed. ‘Good thing he never got it,’ Lauren shuddered to think about it.

Lauren hoped that maybe Nick loved her back. She decided that tomorrow night on their anniversary would be as good a time to tell him as any. She knew she had to muster up the courage or she might lose Nick forever. ‘And I’m not gonna let that happen,’ she vowed.

¤ Chapter 12 ¤
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