Chapter 22

The next day, at the hotel, Dawn woke up and went to brush her teeth. When she came out of the bathroom, she saw Theresa sitting on the chair awake looking out the window. She looked like she hadn't gotten any sleep at all and that she had been crying all night long. Dawn walked over to Theresa, "Theresa? Have you been up all night crying?"

Theresa didn't respond, she kept looking out the window.

"Theresa, I'm worried about you, I've never seen you like this before..."

"Dawn, please just leave me alone okay?" she said weakly, "Go! Go hang out with your boyfriend."

"No, I'm not leaving you alone."

"Just go!" Theresa exclaimed.

"Okay." she said quietly. She got her things ready and left to meet up with Aaron.

Theresa continued to sit in the chair she hadn't moved from all night long. All night she had been thinking about Nick and Karen. She was truly hurt from all this whether it was meant to be or not. Right now, she wasn't in the mood to see anybody. Not even her parents. She needed time to be alone and think things through, even if it meant not hanging with the Backstreet Boys.

At the Carter house, Aaron was up getting ready to go meet Dawn, as he was getting ready, he looked at the sleeping Nick Carter. 'Man, I just hope Nick is in a better mood today.' and he left to go meet his girlfriend.

When the door closed, Nick slowly got up. He had pretended to be sleeping because he didn't want Aaron to ask any questions. 'He's off to meet his girlfriend. I'm so glad that he's found someone to make him happy. I just hope that he doesn't get hurt.' he thought to himself. 'Now I won't have anyone to play Mario Kart with when Brian is off with his girlfriend.' he thought sadly.

Nick had been up since 4 in the morning thinking about Karen. That was all he could think about. He felt he should talk to Karen, apologize again for what he had done. This time, try to get to know her better, to know who she really is. He admitted he took advantage of his opportunity the night before, but he had to do something to help make her fit in and to make her see that he knew that what he did was truly wrong.

'I have to do everything in my power to show Karen that I'm not that bad and that last night I really wasn't myself. I just hope she'll forgive me. I'm going to call her right now.'

Meanwhile, Brian had gotten up extra early to head over to Leigh Anne's house, hoping he'll catch her before she went out. They really needed to talk. Before he left he went to Karen's room to check up on her. She was still sleeping. 'Good, she's still sleeping, I have to go talk to Leigh Anne and be back before she wakes up.' he went into the kitchen and asked Kevin to watch over her until he comes back.

Brian got into his jeep and headed over to Leigh Anne's place. As he arrived, he saw that Leigh Anne was just about to leave. He quickly got out of his car and stopped her. "Leigh Anne!" he exclaimed.

"Brian?" Leigh Anne said surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk. About yesterday, about us." Brian said.

"Brian, not now, please." Leigh Anne said uncomfortably.

"Leigh Anne, I want this to work. God, why can't you just sit and talk to me for a couple of minutes, whatever you have to do can't be more important than our relationship." he said hoping she'd stay.

"Okay, I guess what I have to do can wait." she gave in.

They walked over to the front porch and sat down. "Leigh Anne, about yesterday, what was that? Why did you leave without saying a word?" Brian asked curious.

"I.. I can't do this right now," Leigh Anne said.

"What do you mean? You can't do what now? Come on Leigh Anne, how the hell is this going to work if you don't tell me, how can we work this out?" Brian asked. "We had such a great relationship, we were always able to trust each other, how come you can't trust me now?"

"Brian, I don't want to hurt you."

"What's that suppose to mean?" his voice trembling afraid of what she was going to say.

"Brian..." Leigh Anne said. "Brian, I love you.."

"I love you too!" he said and he reached out and embraced her. He looked into her eyes and they kissed. 'Something is up, she's not telling me the whole truth.'

"Brian?" Leigh Anne said with her voice trembling. "We...we can't see each other anymore."

Brian looked up. "What? What'd you say?"

"We can't see each other anymore." Leigh Anne was crying now.

"No, you're lying. Why can't we see each other anymore? If this is about Karen, we aren't...nothing's going on.." he was curious now.

"Brian, it's not her..I can't do this right now.." she got up and she went inside the house.

Brian sat on the porch. 'No, she doesn't mean that. Does she?' he thought. 'Why?' He got up to ring the doorbell. It was Leigh Anne's mom. "Can I please talk with Leigh Anne?"

"Brian, dear, she doesn't want to talk with you right now." replied Mrs. Wallace.

"But, I really need to talk with her."

"I know what just happened dear," she replied with sorrow. "I don't know what got into her. She is very much in love with you."

"Then why? Why would she break it off like that?"

"Brian, honey, just give her some time." Mrs. Wallace explained. "I'm sure she'll explain it all to you when she can."

"But..?"

Mrs. Wallace looked at the confused and hurt Brian. "Let me tell you what. I'll have a talk with her and I'll try to convince her to come down here to talk with you, but no promises alright?"

"Okay, thank you." Brian said.

Ten minutes later, Mrs. Wallace came down. "She'll be down in a couple of minutes."

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Wallace." he said grateful.

"It's not a problem, I love you like my very own son, and I want you two to work this out."

"Thanks." Brian said.

Brian sat down in the living room and waited patiently. Moments later, Leigh Anne appeared. "Brian, please, I can't do this right now."

"Leigh Anne, I can't leave not knowing the reason why you broke it off."

"Bri --"

"No! Leigh Anne, please. Don't do this." Brian pressured. "I love you and you love me, why are you ignoring that fact."

"I'm not ignoring it." Leigh Anne said looking away. "I just can't alright?" she yelled.

"Leigh --"

"No, please, don't pressure me to tell you right now, I can't do this. Not right now."

"You know what? It's fine! Fine with me, I'm not going to pressure you anymore, just please let me know the reason you broke it off! I can't take anymore pressure from this! I know it's not MY fault, because I have tried my best to keep this relationship in tact and it seems to me that YOU don't give a shit about me or my feelings!" Brian yelled angry.

"Brian, I --"

"I'm sorry, I'm not taking this from you anymore! I love you and you don't even give one shit about it, you tell me you love me too and what do you show for it, you break up with me! That's what I don't get!" Brian interrupted. And without letting her say another word he got up and left, slamming the door behind him.

'I can't believe she just broke it off like that, and with no explanation.' Brian kept saying over and over again in his mind. He headed home with a lot of confusion and anger built up in him wanting answers and explanations.