Previously...
"No. As I said, you will see me easily enough without anything else. Until tonight then." click
Brian looked at the humming receiver and his heart began to flutter in realisation that everything will soon be okay. He just hoped that Brandon can forgive him for what he did before.
End of Part 8 ******************************************************* ------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimers: This is a PG-13 story, and I hope you all enjoy it the way it is meant to be enjoyed. This is completely a work of fiction, and none of the events in the story necessarily reflect the lifestyles and choices of the parties involved. It is entirely fictional. Enjoy -------------------------------------------------------
Hearts Assunder Part 9 Culmination
[Flashback]
"Nick, someone's at the door baby." Brandon sighed contentedly, squinting at he rays of sunlight that seeped through the cracks between the soft velvet drapes.
Nick moaned in Brandon's arms before turning around to face the other man. "Morning, sexy." Nick kissed Brandon, reveling in the moment despite morning breath.
"Babe, someone's at the door. I don't think they're gonna leave." Brandon smiled lovingly at Nick.
"Maybe it's the cops again, huh?" They had had a good laugh last night. The police had arrived at Nick's door asking if everything was alright. Nick's mom had called them to check on Nick's place in Tampa while she was out of town.
"Maybe they thought your moaning was someone hurting you." Brandon smiled up at Nick who had climbed off the bed and started to put his boxers on.
"Har har, you weren't that good." Nick stuck his tongue out at Brandon and put his robe on. Leaving Brandon still smiling on the bed. ******************************************************* Downstairs....
knock knock knock The knocking grew louder along with the insessent ringing of the doorbell.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Nick hollered as he ran down the stairs.
"Don't hurt yourself down there, luv. I thought that was my job!" Brandon smiled down at Nick from the bedroom.
"Nick, it's mom. Open the door." Mrs. Carter's voice penetrated the door barely audible, but enough to send Nick and Brandon into a panic for their clothes.
"M-m-mom! Hi, what brings you here?" Nick opened the door.
"Are you gonna ask me in?" She raised her one eyebrow with a knowing smile. "Or am I interupting something?"
"No! I mean...no, mom. I was just upstairs getting dressed when I heard the doorbell ring." Nick moved out of the way to allow his mother entry before planted a gentle kiss on her cheek.
"Well I'm glad that you're okay. I got this feeling last night that you were in trouble for some reason." She lied. "You got company, hon?" She motioned to the blanket on the floor by the fire place and the obviously "slept" in couch.
"Yeah, a friend of mine stopped by last night." Nick's eyes got wide when he noticed the mess that was on the blanket. "There were cops here last night too, Mom." Nick scurried ahead of his mom and picked up the "soiled" blanket. "They said you called for them to check on me?" Nick folded the blanket in his arms and turned to face his mother.
"Well, I was just worried about my little baby." She pulled Nick down to her and kissed him. Just in time for Brandon to make his appearance.
"Baby, huh?" Brandon smiled down at the mother and son looking all nice and neat. "Good morning, Mrs. Carter." Brandon smiled at her, offering to shake her hand.
"You must be?" She took his hand and returned the smile.
"Oh yeah, sorry. Mom, this is Brandon. Brandon, this is my mom."
"Well, nice to meet you Brandon. How do you know my son?" As any suspicious mother would do, she immediately went into the interview.
"Um...er...well, I guess you can say that I met him at a club a few nights ago." Brandon's smile never faltered a bit. "I was just roadying up for a local group when I bumped into Nick. A friend of mine had worked for them before, and so I met him in passing a few months ago. I was still getting into the business."
"Yeah, I recognized Brandon so I asked him how Scott was doing and stuff. And we sorta hit it off then and there."
"Nick thought that I would be a pretty valuable asset to the group because of my knowledge in playing the bass, some pyrotechnics, and having been a roadie to bands before. So he got me a job with the boys. In fact, I will be going with them on their next tour in a couple of weeks." Brandon faked excitement, but the joy in his eyes of being with Nick was enough to fool Nick's mom.
"That's nice of you son. I always knew you were a stand up guy. Really Brandon, he's always trying to give back to the community." Nick's mom started to brag about Nick's awesome personality when the phone rang.
"Excuse me, mom. I better answer that. Why don't you make yourself comfortable." Nick took his mom's bag and placed it by the breakfast bar. "Brandon, come with me would ya, this might be Mike."
"Sure, no problem." Brandon turned to Nick's mom. "Excuse me ma'am, duty calls." Brandon winked at her flashing her one of his charming smiles.
[End of flashback] *******************************************************
An Hour before the Concert...
"Make sure you let him in, alright?" Brian instructed the director of security. "He's a VIP, treat him as one."
"You want us to escort him to the VIP box then, Mr. Littrel?" The DOS pulled out his clip board.
"No. He won't want to sit in the VIP box. Just make sure he gets in without any trouble. His name again is Scott McGill. He will most likely be bringing a friend along with him. So make sure they get in comfortably and make sure that they are not bothered. Give him the seats he wants. If those are taken, take the ticket holders to the VIP box instead. Tell them that they can meet us backstage if they give their seats to Scott. Tell them they won a contest or whatever. Just make sure Scott gets what he wants. I don't want him to complain about it after the concert.
This guy is very important to the group." Brian finished the instructions and scampered to catch up with the others in the green room. ******************************************************* Minutes before the end of the show....
'Dammit, I don't see him at all.' Brian cursed softly under his breath trying to look into the crowd as far as his neck could stretch.
"Brian, who you looking for there?" Leigh Ann came up behind her fiancee.
"Noone, luv. Just an old friend." Brian continued to search in vain.
"Well when you're done, Kevin asked me to tell you that he wants you backstage to go over some of the final moments of the thing. Make sure you got every thing down and such." Leign Ann kissed him on the neck. "Good luck, sexy. See you after the show."
"Leigh Ann, wait." Brian got an idea. "Do you remember Brandon?"
"Brandon? You mean Nick's ex?" Leigh Ann whispered making sure no one could over hear. "Is he here?" She tried to look over past the curtains.
"No, listen. His brother is supposed to meet me here tonight, but I can't see him out there. Could you maybe take some of the security and maybe comb the crowd for a couple minutes? I'm trying to set a surprise for Nick." Brian finally confessed.
"Awww, that's so sweet of you babe." Leigh Ann kissed Brian on the lips. "I'll do what I can. I'll take John and Butch with me." She ran over to where the two bodyguards were lounging. Moments later, she waved back at Brian to tell him that everything was set.
Brian heaved a loud sigh and went to Kevin. ******************************************************* later on...
Brian had been upset when Leigh Ann had returned and said that Scott hadn't arrived. She had told him that she still had John scouring the crowd just in case Security missed, but was pretty sure that they had been stood up. Brian was so upset that he had missed the last two cues for their "Don't Want You Back" song. Luckily for him, Aj was quick to take up where he faltered. He knew that he was going to get a lashing afterwards. Kevin was already giving him dirty looks.
Howie had secretly came up to him and asked him if he was alright. Brian had told him he was. But he thought that he'd be damned if he was alright. Scott stood him up! Brian was quickly losing his patience, when he spotted him. There he was, in the thick of the crowd standing out like a sore thumb. Brian could see Scott had gained more muscle since he last saw him. His shirt was straining to stay on his bulging body. 'Well, better late than never.' Brian thought to himself. Disappointedly, Brian sighed when he realised that Scott had come alone. ******************************************************* After the concert....
"What was up with you out there, Brian? Are you out of your mind?!" Kevin glared down at his cousin. He had been stressing at how good they would make the show for their homecrowd in Orlando, but Brian's performance had been less than stellar.
"Kevin, I'm sorry but my mind was on other things." Brian fidgetted anxiously.
"Well d'uh, aren't you the king of the obvious. Anyone with half a brain could tell you were, Bri. The question is what the hell were you thinking about that was so damned important that you would blow the closing song?!" Kevin threw up his hands in surrender.
"I was thinking about Nick's future." That line made Kevin calm down a bit.
"Nick's wha?" Kevin thought he was hearing things.
"I finally found Scott."
"You found Scott?"
"Yes, and he's here."
"He's here?" Kevin looked around. "How? When...where?"
"I talked to him this morning and he said he was coming to the concert. I was looking for him throughout that last song. That's why I was so preoccupied."
"Does Nick know?" Kevin quieted his voice a bit. "Is Brandon with him?"
"No, and I don't know...yet. That's why I need you to wrap this up so I can go talk to him." Brian still had a small faint hope that Brandon had indeed chosen to come see Nick.
"Well what are you waiting for, come on!" Kevin pulled Brian out the door. "Where are we meeting?"
"I'm here." Scott interrupted. "You want to talk to me, make it quick." Scott stepped out from the shadows where he was hiding.
"Scott!" Kevin was surprised. The other man had grown large as a bull. And from what Kevin could see, most -- if not all the bulk -- was muscle.
"Kevin." Scott nodded in Kevin's direction. "Can we go somewhere quieter?"
Brian and Kevin both understood that the other had meant a place where he would not be seen. The green room was the best place. It was quiet as a tomb. ******************************************************* [Flashback]
Two months after Nick and Brandon started going out...
"How much is this one?"
"That one, sir, is just around $5,000."
"May I see it?"
"Of course you may." The clerk pulled out the gold ring with the sapphire fixture. "This is a beautiful setting, sir, if I may. This is definitely worth every penny." The clerk carefully handed over the small ring box to the anxious young man. "The dolphin is hand crafted and the sapphire was picked by the best hands of the business. No young woman can resist its beauty."
The young man looked at it carefully, turning it in every angle there was possible. In his eyes gleamed the illumination of his love that has been burning in him since day one. "I'll take it." He licked his lips, handing the ring back to the clerk.
"A fine choice sir, how would you like to pay for the purchase?" The clerk took it to the register.
"Cash, please."
"A very fine choice indeed, sir." The clerk smiled impressed at the young man. "This young lady must be well worth it. Would you like to have anything inscribed upon it sir? No charge, for such a fine choice."
"Yes, I think I would like that."
The clerk nodded and carefully took out the ring from the case.
"To whom shall I make it out to?" The Jeweler pulled out a pad of paper and a gold stinsilled pen. "What would you like it to say?"
"I want it to say 'I love you'" The young man answered oozing with adoration.
"A fine choice, sir. A very fine choice indeed." The jeweler put up a sign 'Out to Lunch' and went immediately to work. *****************************************************
A few minutes later, the Brandon emerged from the jewelery store, breaking the salty air of the nearby beach with his own air of devotion.
[End of Flashback] ******************************************************* Back to the present...
"Tomorrow, morning. Have Nick meet me at this address. If he really means to see Brandon again, he will meet me there at ten in the morning; no later." Scott handed Brian the note he had scribbled down quickly.
Brian and Kevin looked at the address and somehow they recognized it. However, for the life of them, they just couldn't dig it out of their memory vaults.
"Tomorrow at ten. He'll be there." Kevin answered enough to take his eyes off of the paper while Brian continued to ponder the source of the address.
"Until tomorrow then." Scott put his sunglasses back on and walked out the door. ******************************************************* Later that night...
"Kevin, I'm sure I know this address." Brian couldn't get the address out of his mind.
"Me too, Brian. I've seen it before too. I'm sure of it." Kevin propped open his lap top computer. Let's look it up."
In a flurry of fingers, the search was on its way. But it didn't take long before they got their results.
"Oh God no..." Kevin and Brian whispered in unison as they sat there paralized staring in disbelief at what had popped up on the monitor in response to the search for Brandon McGill and the address Scott had given them.
End of Part 9
What do you think will happen next? Is Scott going to deliver? Will Brandon still be happy to see Nick? Or has Brandon found a new love? What dark revelation did Kevin and Brian find on their search for Brandon to evoke such a grave reaction? What about Brandon's newly purchased ring? Will it finally put to rest his raging emotions? Or is there going to be a deeper, graver design behind it? All of these will be answered in the next installment. The End draws nigh... Next Part 10: Closure...or is it??? The countdown for the end, begins now!!!!