| Nick led Brian back into the hotel, and up to his room. He'd never been in this position before- comfoting his friend while he was crying. But now he was, and he wasn't sure exactly how to handle it. He pushed him through the crowds of photographers, and sat him down on his bed with a bottle of Mountian Dew. Then he waited until Brian had finished crying before he asked what was wrong. "It's over." Brian said hollowly. He opened his hand, and held out a little jewelry box. "She was going to propose. But she didn't. She knows how I feel about Aimee." He let the box fall onto the bed, and he fell back into the pillows. "Sorry about tonight, man. For making you take Aimee, and for, you know, freaking out there." Nick shrugged. He wanted to say that he forgave him, but he couldn't make himself talk. It's now or never. He told himself. If he didn't tell Brian about Aimee now, he may never get up the guts to do it. "Brian, there's something I need to tell you." He blurted out. Brian sat up and looked at him. "Sure. What's up?" He'd recovered pretty quickly from his tears, and he wasn't one of those people whose faces got red and puffy after he was crying, which made it a little easier for Nick. He was still deeply depressed, but Nick knew that only time was going to change that. And time was a luxury he didn't have. "You're my best friend in the whole world, man." Nick started, wondering how exactly he was going to drop the bomb. "And I didn't ever want to hurt you. But there's really something that I've got to admit." Brian looked a little worried. "Okay. . ." "I know you're going to think that I'm the worst friend in the world for this, because you told me how you feel about Aimee and all, but I couldn't help it." He took a deep breath, and closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to see Brian's face. "I'm in love with Aimee." Nick said, all in one breath, as quickly as he could. Brian didn't say anything for a second. Nick didn't open his eyes until he heard him speak. "You love her, too?" Amazingly, he didn't sound mad. "I'm so sorry." Nick said. "Don't be. Look, I know this is going to sound weird. But, I'm in love with her. And I've never felt like this before. But me being with her isn't important to me any more. I just want her to be happy." Nick opened his eyes, and Brian smiled sadly at him. "I saw how she was looking at you. You don't have to tell me what was going on between you. But she loves you, too. But I don't care any more." He laughed a little, though it was a shallow laugh. "I did at first, I mean, why else would I punch Justin like that? But I get it now. I want her to be happy. And if that means that she's going to be with you instead of me, then that's how it's got to be." He sighed. "As long as she's happy." Aimee stared at the phone reciever in her hand for a minute after the line went dead. She sighed, and placed it back in it's cradle. I guess that's how people act when you break up with them. She thought, remembering the vicious names John had called her, and the way he'd slammed the phone down in the middle of her speech. But she couldn't really blame him. After all, she had just told him that she was in love with someone else. It was still hard, though. She and John had been close. Very close. They'd even slept together, and that was big for Aimee. She'd only slept with three guys in her life, well, four, counting Nick. So saying good bye to one of them like that was hard. It would have been harder, though, if she'd still had feelings for him. But she didn't. As much as she hated to admit it, she loved Nick now. Even if he was a colossal jerk who didn't care about his friends. The phone rang again, and Aimee reached over to pick it up. She braced herself for more verbal abuse from John. "Hello?" "Aimee?" She heaved a sigh of releif when she heard Brian's voice. "Brian? What's up?" She was a little timid, wondering whether or not he hated her now. She prayed that he didn't. She couldn't take another person hating her. "I talked to Nick." Brian told her. Aimee closed her eyes, and braced herself for what came next. "I want you to know something." She heard him take a deep breath. "I never stopped loving you, Aimee. But I know that I messed everything up between us, and I don't get another chance. So I just wanted to tell you that if you love Nick, I want you to go for it with him." There was a slight pause. "I want you to be happy." "Brian." Aimee's voice cracked. "Brian, that's the nicest thing I've ever heard." Tears were running down her cheeks. "Thank you so much. But, look, you don't need to do this. If you don't want me to be with Nick, then I won't." "Would being with Nick make you happy?" Brian asked. Aimee thought for a minute. "Yes." She answered softly. "Then I want you to be with Nick." Aimee hung up the phone, and stood up. She ran out of her room and down the hall to Brian's room, where she knocked on his door with both fists until he answered it. Then she threw herself at him, wrapping him in a bear hug. "Thank you." She cried, hugging him with all her might. "I love you, Brian." Brian knew that she didn't mean it the way he wanted her to. He knew he may never hear her say it that way again. But, for now, he didn't need to. All he needed was to know that she was still there, still just a phone call away, and it didn't matter whether or not she was with Nick. All that mattered was that a little part of her still was, and always would be, Brian's. And no other man would ever chance that. And that was all that Brian needed to know. |