My Everything

I'm back with another chapter of "My Everything."

Thanks for all of your support! Without it, I don't think I could have written this story for this long.

Now on with the story.

First of all, let me just say that this is my first time writing any kind of fiction like this.

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of total fiction and is not meant to imply anything about the sexualities of Nick and Drew Lachey or anyone else mentioned in this story.

If you are too young to read this, or if Homosexuality offends you, then please don't continue any further and leave.

Other 98 Degrees stories I'd like to recommend are.

"Give Me Just One Night" by Unanoche. "69 with Jeff Timmons" by Zachary Scott Pritt "Nick Lachey" by Ken. "98 Degrees Is Hot" by Gay Night "The Reunion" by RinSong. "Loving Nick Lachey" by Jordan "Playing Doctor with 98 Degrees" by Brian "This Gift" by Sprout

and finally:

"What I feel for you" by Thack.

"What I feel for you." is an awesome story and Thack, himself deserves applause for all of his hard work on it.

NEWSFLASH:

It is heard that Nick Lachey has signed a deal with ABC to star in his own comedy or drama series. Lets all keep our fingers crossed and hope that we get to see Nick Lachey do great things as an actor as well.

Before any of that happens, you can still catch Nick Lachey and his brother, Drew, on "Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica." The show airs Wednesdays on MTV at 10:00p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) and 9:00p.m. Central Standard Time. (CST)

Now, I"ll let you get on with the story.

Enjoy.

Previously on "My Everything".....

Nick looked at Drew, sadly.

"You know, I feel sorry for you." Nick said. "I feel sorry for all of us." For you, and for me. And for Mom and Dad, the guys, Kandi, Jessica, and our daughter."

Nick choked up and he couldn't go on.

"I feel sorry for all of us." He whimpered. "I gotta get out of here!"

He grabbed his keys from off the dresser, wiping at his face as his tears continued to fall.

When he'd gotten the rest of his things together, he looked back up at Drew, who hung his head in shame.

"I don't know how I'm ever going to forgive you for this." Nick said to him. "Maybe someday, I will."

Drew turned away, unable to look at his brother. He knew what Nick was saying. Their relationship was over. They would probably never be the same loving brothers ever again. What he had done had destroyed Nick and their brotherly bond forever.

"But I think," Nick continued. "That when it finally sinks in what you've done, you're going to have a hard time forgiving yourself. Good luck."

Drew walked towards the door to leave Nick's room. As he started to pass by Nick, he grabbed him and hugged him tightly.

At first, Nick resisted, but then he threw his arms around his brother and hugged him tightly, as he began to lose control of his emotions.

"I'm sorry, Nick!" Drew cried, as he sobbed into Nick's chest. "Oh God, I'm so sorry!"

Nick also started crying as he held his brother close.

"So am, I." He said, trying to keep his voice steady. "I'm sorry that this is going to be the last brotherly hug that we share."

Drew looked up at Nick, as they pulled back. Drew could see the pain in Nick's eyes.

"Why, Nick?" He wanted to know. But he had a feeling that he knew what Nick was going to say.

"Because, you and I will never be friends again after this." Nick told him. "Now go and pack up your things."

Drew sobbed, as he turned around and started walking out the door. As he did, Nick's voice rang out again.

"You are not my brother!"

Drew froze in his tracks when he heard that, but didn't turn around.

"Not anymore." Nick finished.

Drew slowly turned around and looked into his brother's eyes and what he saw there ripped at his very core: Nick had meant those words.

"I understand." Drew said, his voice barely audible.

Those were his last words before he left Nick's room and went into his to pack up his stuff to leave. He shut Nick's door behind him.

Nick walked over to the dresser where his wedding picture with Jessica was sitting. He looked at it for a moment. Then his anger with Jessica came up again and he threw the picture across the room. It hit the wall and the glass shattered into a million pieces.

"Now, what do I do?" Nick asked, outloud. Just then, his eyes fell onto the phone.

He grabbed it and dialed it. It started ringing and he waited for a response.

"Hello?" He heard a familiar voice say.

"Sean, it's Nick." Nick said, into the phone. "We need to talk."

*********** CHAPTER 67 ***********

ORLANDO..............

I was on the phone with Nick, who had called me. He sounded really upset for some reason. I think I knew why.

"Nick?" I asked him. "What's wrong? You sound terrible. Almost like you've been crying."

Yes, Sean, I have been crying." Nick said. "I'm very upset right now. I just found out that Drew sabotaged our wedding all those years ago. He's the reason that you and I were never legally married."

I felt bad for him, at that moment, knowing what it must have done to him to hear what his brother had done. It was beyond unforgiveable.

"I know, Nick." I whispered, sympathetically. "I found out about it by accident, when I overheard Drew on his cellphone outside, talking to someone."

"Never mind that." Nick suddenly said. "You can tell me all about it in person. I have to come and see you. Do you have any plans for today?"

I frowned as I thought about it. I didn't have anything special planned for the day, but I was surprised that Nick was wanting to come to see me.

"No, Nick, I don't have any plans for today." I said, wondering why that was important.

"Good." Nick said. "I'm going to catch the first flight out of L.A. I should be in Orlando sometime this evening."

"Alright, Nick." I said. "If you feel you have to come, I won't stop you."

"Good." Nick said. "I'm going to head straight there from the airport. You be there."

I frowned, at his tone of voice. He sounded angry all of a sudden, and I don't think it was just directed at Drew."

"Nick, you sound mad." I said, in concern. "Do you care to tell me what this is all about?

I didn't get a response.

"Nick?" I asked again. "Hello?"

Instead of getting an answer, I was met with the dial tone. Nick had hung up on me! But why?

I replaced the phone in it's cradle and got up to grab my keys to leave the house.

When Nick had called, I was actually going to head to the store to buy some groceries, since I was getting low. Now, that I knew that Nick would be joining me, I was going to make sure that I had enough food in the house for all of us.

I left the house and locked up. As I headed for my SUV, I saw Jake coming towards me.

"Hey, buddy." He said, as he walked up to me. "Where are you off to?"

"The supermarket." I said. "Nick's flying in tonight to see me so we can talk about things, and I want to make sure there is enough food in the house for us tonight."

"Cool." Jake said. "I have to go to the supermarket as well to pick up a few things too. Since you're already headed there, do you mind if I come with you?"

I thought that was a great idea. After all, I hadn't really had much time with him, except of course for last night and earlier today..

"Sure." I said, smiling. "I could use the company right now. Are you going to tell Michelle that you're coming with me?"

"I'll call her in the car." Jake said, as he walked with me to my SUV.

"Alright." I said, as I unlocked the doors. "We can't be too long because Nick will be here this evening."

Jake and I got into the SUV and I started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot. We then started driving towards the supermarket.

While I drove, I had alot of time to think about what I was going to do when Nick arrived. A part of me was thrilled that he was coming, and yet, the other part of me was terrified that I would give away my true feelings.

I didn't want Nick to know how I felt about him. I wasn't ready for that, and I don't think Nick was either. Even if he returned my feelings, How did I know that he wasn't just reacting to what Drew had told him?"

But the one thing I did know is that I had to let Nick go. I had to find a way to come to terms with the fact that Nick was with Jessica now, and that there was no way that he and I could ever be together again.

"Sean?" Jake's voice interrupted my thoughts. I turned to look at him.

"What?" I asked, as I blinked a few times, bringing myself back to reality.

Jake was looking at me, closely, with a concerned look on his face. He was obviously worried about me, which made me realize just how lucky I was to have met him.

He was starting to be like a brother to me. He had done nothing but offer me support during my long and hard road to recovery, which proved what a great friend he was. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that I could count on him whenever I needed a friend. I knew that he would be there for me.

"Are you alright?" He asked me. "You look about a million miles away."

"I was." I said, as I drove along the freeway, and stopped at a red light. "I was thinking about how I'm going to handle being around Nick tonight."

"I was wondering about that, too." Jake said, nodding his head. "Are you going to tell Nick that you're in love with him?"

"No." I said. "Which is why I have to come up with a plan as to how I'm going to handle it when he does come to the house. I don't know yet, what to do, but the one thing I do know is that there's no future for Nick and me."

The light turned green and I started driving again. The supermarket was just a few blocks down the road, yet.

"You really shouldn't jump to any conclusions yet, buddy." Jake said, trying to get me to keep an open mind. "At least not until you've talked to Nick and find out where things stand."

I nodded, knowing that he was right. I did have to find that out eventually. But did it have to be right now?"

"I'll think about it, Jake." I said, reaching over and patting his shoulder, thanking him for his support.

I then saw the supermarket ahead.

"Well, buddy, let's get the food and get ready for tonight." I said, as I turned into the parking lot.

******************************************************* BACK IN LOS ANGELES..............

Nick was on the phone, in his room, with the airline. He was booking a flight to Orlando. He was writing down the flight information, when he heard someone knocking on his door.

He turned and saw Jessica, standing in the doorway. He waved his fingers towards him, motioning for her to come into the room.

Jessica sat beside him, on the bed, as he finished his phone call and hung up the phone.

"You're going to see Sean, aren't you?" Jessica asked him.

Nick looked up and looked her in the face. It was at that moment that he saw the hell she was going through. Jessica's eyes were red from crying, and there were still tears, running down her face, even now. Nick felt sorry for hurting her the way he did, earlier.

"Yes, I am." Nick said, as he held her close. "I'm going to see him. We need to talk."

Jessica raised her head and looked at Nick, the hurt obvious on her face.

"Nick, don't go." Jessica begged him. "Please? Stay here. I need you. Our daughter needs you."

Nick looked at her, sadly. He knew it was killing her that he was going to see Sean. He knew how much she disliked him.

"Jessica, I have to go." Nick said. "You and our baby girl will be alright until I get back."

Nick got up and walked over to the closet to get his suitcase. He grabbed it and carried it over to the bed.

"When will you be back?" Jessica asked him, hoping to get a timetable that was to her liking.

"In a few days." Nick said, as he set his suitcase on his bed and opened it up.

He walked over to his closet and grabbed some shirts and clothes out of it and took them to his suitcase and loaded them into it.

"Well, what if I need to get ahold of you while you're gone?" Jessica asked him, as he walked over to his dresser drawers.

"My cellphone will be on when I get to Orlando." Nick said, starting to get annoyed with all of her questions. "If you need to get a hold of me, you only call if it's an emergency, involving our family, or Nicole."

"But, baby-" Jessica started to say, but Nick cut her off.

"No buts, Jessica." Nick said, firmly. "I'm going to see Sean and that's final. There's nothing you can do to change my mind."

Jessica shook her head, in defeat, as she watched Nick pack up his suitcase. She was desperate to get some answers from Nick.

"So, what does this mean, Nick?" Jessica asked him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Are you going to leave me for Sean?"

Nick stopped packing and looked up at her, surprised that she was asking him that question. He sure didn't expect it.

"Jessica, right now, I don't know what I am going to do." Nick said. "As for leaving you, I'm not even thinking about that right now. I just need to get away for awhile. Once I get back, then I'll have a better idea where things stand, but until then, please just stop with the questions, alright?"

Nick finished packing up his suitcase and zipped it up. He picked it up and headed to the door. Once he was there, he turned around and looked at Jessica one last time.

"Take care of yourself." Nick said to her, his eyes filling with tears. "Take care of our baby girl and I'll be back soon."

"I will." She sniffed. "And please, get the answers that you need, so you can come back to our family and we can get on with our lives."

"I'm sure I'll get my answers, babe." Nick said, sadly. "But, I can't promise that those answers will be what you want them to be. I don't even know myself."

Jessica's face contorted in pain. She knew that there was a good chance that she was about to lose everything and she wasn't sure if things would ever be the same again for her and Nick.

"Goodbye, Jessica." Nick said, as he picked up his suitcase and walked out of the room.

Jessica collapsed onto the bed and started sobbing profusely.

"No!" She cried out. "No, Nick, don't leave me. Don't leave our family!"

As Jessica sat there, sobbing, a strange feeling came over her.

******************************************************* DOWNSTAIRS..................

Nick walked into the living room and came face to face with Justin, Kandi, Jeff, and Danny. Kandi was standing over by the playpen, playing with Nicole, who was up and in an energetic mood.

"Nick, are you alright?" Jeff asked, as he walked over to Nick and gave him a hug.

"No, Jeff, I'm not." Nick said, as he accepted Jeff's hug. "How would you feel if you had a brother who could do something so cruel and deceitful to you?"

"I can't really answer that, buddy." Jeff said, as he and Nick pulled back from each other. "I've never had anything like what you're going through, happen to me."

Nick nodded, sadly.

"I hope that none of you guys ever have to go through this." Nick said to Jeff. "I hope you never have to go through this kind of betrayal. You have no idea how much it hurts."

Danny stood up and walked over to where Jeff and Nick were standing. He looked at Nick, feeling sympathetic towards him.

"Is that why you're leaving?" He asked, sadly.

"Yes, Danny." Nick nodded. "I'm going to see Sean and talk with him. Then, once I get my answers and do some soul searching, I'll be home in a few days."

Justin and Kandi then came over to give Nick their support as well.

"Nick, I wish you didn't have to go." Justin said to him. "This little girl needs her Daddy."

Nick's eyes fell on Nicole, who was nestled in Kandi's arms. His heart broke at that moment because he had to say goodbye again.

"Give her to me, please?" He asked, Kandi, holding out his arms.

"Here you go, baby." Kandi said, sweetly, to Nicole as she handed her over to Nick. "Here's your daddy."

Nick cradled the adorable little toddler in his arms and held her close.

"Hey, my little princess." He cooed to her, as he bobbed her up and down gently, while giving her one of his infectious smiles.

"I have to go away for awhile." He said to her. "While I'm gone, I want you to take care of your Mommy for me until I get back. Can you do that for me? Huh, baby?"

Nicole couldn't really understand what he was saying, as she looked around the room at everyone standing nearby, and at different things around the room.

Nick's eyes filled with tears as he hugged his little girl close, his emotions starting to get the better of him.

"I love you more than words can ever describe, little one." Nick said, as he struggled to control his emotions. "I hope you always remember that."

He kissed her on the cheek, as he handed her back to Kandi. Nicole started to fuss a little, which made Nick feel guilty because he was leaving.

"I'll call you guys when I get into Orlando to let you know that I'm alright and had a safe flight." He said, as he picked up his suitcase. "If you need to get ahold of me, only call if it is a family emergency. I will have my cellphone on, day and night. If I don't answer it, leave a message. If I feel it's important, I'll call back, ok?"

"Alright." Kandi said, giving him a quick hug goodbye. Danny and Justin did the same.

After everyone bid him goodbye, Nick left the house and walked to his car, which he unlocked and set his things inside, and then got in.

He started the car and put on his seatbelt. After that, he took one last look at the house, before he drove off for the airport.

Back, inside the house, Kandi was changing Nicole's diaper, since Jessica still hadn't come back downstairs yet. Danny and Jeff were in the kitchen. and Justin went to take a shower.

"Man, I still can't believe that Nick had to leave again." Jeff said, as he held Danny close. "He's only been back for a day and a half and now look what happens. Drew betrays him, with this huge secret, and now he's taking off again."

"But, this time, I don't think Nick is running from anything." Danny replied. "I think he is searching for answers this time. It's not the same as it was before. At least this time, we all know where he will be."

"Yeah, you're right." Jeff said. "It's not like before when we didn't know where Nick was or when he was coming back."

Kandi entered the kitchen at that moment, with the baby in her hands.

"Could you two keep Nicole occupied for awhile?" She asked the two of them. "I'm going to go upstairs and see if Jessica is ok."

"Sure, Kandi." Jeff said, as she handed him the baby.

Jeff took her and he and Danny walked back into the living room to sit down on the couch with her for a while.

Kandi walked upstairs and came to the doorway to Nick and Jessica's room. Jessica wasn't anywhere in sight.

"Jessica?" Kandi called out. "Are you in here?"

At that moment, the bathroom door opened and Jessica came out. She didn't look good.

"Honey, are you alright?" Kandi asked her.

Jessica looked up at Kandi. Once she saw Kandi's concerned look, she shook her head and burst into tears.

"No, I'm not, Kandi." She wailed, just as Kandi went over to her and hugged her. "I feel like I've lost everything."

"You haven't." Kandi said, patting Jessica's back gently, comforting her. "Nick's not going to be gone long. Just a few days. He'll be back."

"Yeah, he'll be back, alright." Jessica sobbed. "He'll be back just in time to find out that he might be becoming a daddy again."

Kandi pulled back, shocked at what Jessica had just said, her eyes wide.

"Jessica, are you saying," She trailed off.

Jessica looked up at her, as she wiped her tears away, and smiled.

"I may be pregnant." She said.

******************************************************* BACK IN ORLANDO, LATER THAT EVENING...........

Jake and I entered my apartment, both of our hands full with shopping bags.

"Boy, I never thought we'd be that long in the supermarket." I said, as I set down some bags onto the kitchen table. As I did, I looked at the time and realized that it was almost 7:00 in the evening. I wondered when Nick's flight would be landing.

Jake sat the rest of the shopping bags down onto the table and then started helping me unpack the groceries to put them away.

"Sean?" I heard Jake's voice ask. I turned around and looked at him.

"What, buddy?" I asked him, curiously, wondering what he had on his mind.

"What are you going to do when Nick arrives, tonight?" He asked me. "Have you thought about that?"

I nodded. I knew exactly what I was going to do. I had been able to do alot of thinking while I was in the supermarket earlier, and I came to a decision that was best for everyone involved in this whole mess.

"Yes, I have." I told Jake, as I started getting out the utensils I needed to start dinner. "I'm going to just go with the flow and listen to what Nick has to say, before I tell him what I've decided."

"Fair enough." Jake said, nodding, then he asked. "Will I get to meet him tonight?"

"Sure." I said. "As far as I know, he's headed straight here from the airport. Although, I have no idea how long he's going to be staying in Orlando."

"Don't you think you should call him and find out?" He asked, as he put away the rest of the groceries.

At that same moment, my house phone started ringing. Jake, who was nearest to it picked it up and answered it.

"Hello?" He said, into the receiver. Then a moment later, he held the phone out to me.

"It's Nick." He said. "He wants to talk to you."

I took the cordless phone from Jake and put it to my ear.

"Hey, Nick." I greeted him. "Where are you?"

"I'm in Orlando right now." Nick said. "I just pulled out of the airport terminal a little while ago. I'll be at your apartment in about fifteen minutes."

"Cool." I said. "You'll be just in time to help me with dinner. I just got back from the supermarket a few minutes ago."

"What are we having?" Nick asked, sounding interested. "I hope it's something good. I'm starving."

Luckily for Nick, I happened to be cooking one of his favorite foods this evening.

"Is steak good enough for you?" I asked, with a grin.

"Hell yeah!" I heard him crow. "Let me at it! Let me at it!"

I laughed at his hungry impression. But of course, I still had to tell him that it wasn't prepared yet.

"Well, Nick, it's not going to be ready when you walk in the door just yet." I told him. "We still have yet to cook it and I thought that maybe you'd like to do the honors tonight."

"You mean cook the steaks for you?" Nick asked, in surprise. "Do you really want me to?"

"Yeah, Nick." I said. "We both know that you're one hell of a cook."

I grinned, as I thought of a funny scenario.

"Well then, Chef Lachey, just don't forget to remind me to get out the apron and chef hat for you."

"Oh, no!" Nick laughed. "There's no way I'm going to be caught dead wearing a chef uniform."

"Nicholas, come on." I giggled. "I think you'd look hot in a chef uniform."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever." Nick laughed. "And thanks for the compliments. I have to hang up now, since I'm driving. I'll be at your place in about ten minutes."

"Alright, Nick." I said. "Jake and I will be waiting here for you."

"Ok." Nick said. "Goodbye."

I hung up the phone and set it back on the console. I then turned to Jake.

"He'll be here in about 10 minutes." I said. "Are you ready to meet him?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Jake said, nodding. Then he looked around. "While we're wating, let's set the table and get the salad made so we can have something to munch on, until dinner is ready."

"Good idea." I said, rubbing my stomach. I'm famished."

Jake grabbed a head of lettuce and started chopping it up, while I grabbed the shredded cheese, the salad dressings, and the rest of the vegtables and sat them on the counter.

I started helping Jake make the salad, when there was a knock on the door. I turned and frowned at Jake.

"I just got off the phone with him." I said, confused. "There's no way Nick could have gotten here that quickly."

I walked over to answer the door. When I opened it, I came face to face with Michelle, who was standing there.

"Hey, Michelle." I greeted her, smiling. "I thought you were Nick."

That raised her eyebrows. She looked like she was about to hyperventilate.

"You mean Nick Lachey is coming tonight?" She asked, her eyes wide in shock. I grinned.

"Yep." I said. "Just make sure you don't drop dead from lack of oxygen when he gets here. Your fiance here wouldn't enjoy that."

"Shut up, asshole." She said, blushing furiously, in embarrassment. I stepped aside to let her in.

"Jake and I are preparing salad until we get dinner made." I told her, then asked, politely. "Would you care to join us?"

Michelle smiled, as the color returned to her face. "I would love to."

She walked over to Jake and gave him a kiss as she got beside him and started helping him with the salad.

"Hey, baby." She said, as she grabbed a knife and started dicing onions. "Did you get everything we needed from the supermarket."

"Yes, babe." Jake told her, as he finished slicing the lettuce. "It's already stocked in the fridge at home."

"Good." Michelle said. "I wasn't looking forward to cooking tonight."

I chose that moment to join them in the kitchen.

"Well, neither are we, girl." I pointed out. She frowned.

"Then, who is going to cook dinner?" She asked.

Before I could answer her, there was another knock on the door.

"Well, it looks like our Chef has arrived." I said, grinning as I walked over to the door and opened it, revealing Nick, standing there with a smile on his face.

"Hey, handsome." I said, ushering him in. "You ready for some salad?"

"Sure." Nick said, as he came in. When he did, he saw Jake and Michelle nearby, in the kitchen.

"Jake, Michelle, come here for a moment." I called out to them.

They came out and stood in front of Nick and I. I introduced them.

Nick, this is my friend, Jake." I said, introducing Jake first. Nick and Jake shook hands and exchanged pleasantries. Then I came to Michelle.

"And this is Michelle, his fiance." I said to him, then looked back at Michelle.

"Michelle, this is Nick Lachey." I said to her, as Nick held out his hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Michelle." Nick said, as he shook her hand, while flashing her his killer smile.

Michelle looked like she was ready to faint when Nick smiled at her. I waved my hand in front of her eyes, to snap her out of her starstruck look.

"Sorry." Michelle apologized, while blushing crimson. "I didn't mean to stare. I've just never seen you, in the flesh, before."

"It's alright." Nick laughed. "I'm used to it by now."

I couldn't resist teasing both Michelle and Nick with my next remark.

"You should see him, without the shirt." I added, with a shit-eating grin on my face.

Jake's jaw dropped in shock, Michelle blushed, and I earned a cuff in the back from Nick, which made me laugh, silently to myself.

"As usual, Mr. smartass here, doesn't know what he's talking about." Nick said, glaring at me, in embarassment.

"Oh, god!" Jake said, sarcastically. "Now, we have two of them."

Michelle held up her hand and she and Nick slapped high five.

"It looks like you and I are going to get along just fine." She said, grinning.

"You bet." Nick said to her. Then he looked back at me.

There was a glint in his eye, which made me wonder what he was up to.

"I'll tell you anything you want to know about Sean." Nick said, grinning like a chesire cat. "That includes his most embarassing stories."

My mouth dropped open in shock and I looked over at Nick, quickly.

"Nicholas Scott Lachey, you wouldn't dare!" I warned him, with an arched eyebrow. Nick just laughed.

"Gotcha." He said, as he ruffled up my hair.

"Hey!" I laughed. "You're messing up my hair."

Jake and Michelle laughed as Nick grabbed me into a headlock and continued to mess it up even more. When Nick was satisfied, he let go of me, as I stood up, trying to fix my entangled hair.

"Well, Nick, now that you're here, let's get dinner going." Jake said, then turned to Michelle.

"Baby, you take Raggedy-Andy over there and go relax in the living room, while Nick and I get accquainted."

I gave Jake a dirty look, trying my best to look seriously insulted. But my smile gave way.

"Oh, that's funny, bitch." I said, sarcastically. "Real funny."

Michelle grabbed my arm, laughing and pulled me into the living room, while Jake and Nick went into the kitchen to cook the steaks and to serve the salad.

Michelle took a seat on the couch and I walked over to the mirror to see Nick's handywork from his assault on my hair. I took a moment to get it under control.

"You and Nick seem like you're really close." Michelle said, as I sat down and took a seat next to her.

"Well, not like we used to be, but we're still good friends." I told her, which was the truth.

"What do you mean by that?" Michelle asked me, looking back towards the kitchen. I turned to see what she was looking at and saw Nick and Jake, putting the steaks in the frying pan. They were making conversation and both of them were laughing about something.

"Who wouldn't want to be Nick's friend?" Michelle asked, in a low voice. "He's so sexy, and such a gentleman, too."

I watched Nick, as he and Jake were moving around the kitchen. I heard something fall and then saw Nick bend over to pick it up.

"Great ass, too." I said, as I stared at his ass. I turned and looked at Michelle.

She was laughing so hard, she had tears in her eyes. I then realized that I'd actually said that outloud. I must have blushed six shades of red at that moment.

"You've really got it bad for him, don't you?" She asked me, in between her laughter.

I was not expecting that and it caught me off guard. I suddenly felt sick. I looked up at Michelle.

"Excuse me, I think I need some air." I said, quickly getting up and running to the door and heading outside.

I ran down into the sand and stood near the water, as darkness started to descend upon the sky. I stood in my usual spot and tried to keep from crying. I guess my plan didn't work out as well as I thought.

I felt someone's hands on my shoulders, massaging them gently. I didn't even need to know who it was. There was only one person who would offer comfort like that.

"Are you ok?" I heard Nick ask me. I turned around and looked at him. His hands left my shoulders when I did.

"Yeah, Nick, I'm fine." I said, as I wiped at my eyes. Nick didn't look convinced.

"You don't look fine." Nick said, looking at me, closely. "Is something bothering you?"

For a split second there, I wanted to tell him everything. About how much I missed him and how much I still loved him. But I didn't.

"I just felt sick all of a sudden and I just wanted to get some air." I told him. I'm fine now."

I then looked back at the house and saw Michelle standing there, in the doorway.

"Shall we go back in, now?" I asked, gesturing to the house.

"Sure." Nick said, and turned to head towards the house. I grabbed his arm at that moment.

"Hey." I said, as he turned around. "First, I want to give you something before we go back in."

"What's that?" Nick asked, with raised eybrows.

I stood there a moment, wondering if I should do it, but in the end, my desire won over and I pulled him close and wrapped my arms around him. I hugged him tightly.

I felt his arms go around me, and breathed a content sigh. I always felt better when I was in his strong arms. Even if he was just my friend.

******************************************************* BACK IN LOS ANGELES.............

Drew was in his car, driving down the streets of Beverly Hills. He was obviously very upset, for he was crying.

"I really fucked up this time." He said to himself. "And now I've lost my brother forever."

He wiped at his eyes and continued.

"There were alot of tough times in our lives. Nick and I always had our disagreements and brotherly quarrels, but in the end, we always knew we would be there for each other, no matter what. There were times when Nick and I didn't think we'd make it, as a family, but we did........"

Drew choked up, unable to go on. He stopped at a traffic light, which had turned red.

"I don't think we're gonna make it this time." He sobbed. "We're not a family anymore."

The light turned green and Drew started driving again. He was almost at his parents' house. But then, he got a very disturbing look on his face.

"I'm sorry, Nick." He said, quietly. "Someday, you will know just how sorry I am for everything."

Drew looked down, at the letter he had written to his parents and decided that he'd just swing by and put it in their mailbox.

He drove down his parents' street and up to the driveway to the mailbox. His parents weren't home yet. Both cars were gone.

Drew slid the letter into the mailbox, with the rest of the mail and drove off again.

"I'm sorry, Mom and Dad." He said, outloud. "I can't face you right now. Maybe, when I come back, we can work this out. But not right now."

As Drew drove, he looked around the city, wondering when he would ever see it again.

"Goodbye, Everyone." Drew whispered.

To Be Continued........?

That's all for this one. Stay tuned for more coming soon.

"Why is Drew leaving? Has he hit rock bottom? How will his parents react when they find out he's left town?"

"Is Jessica pregnant? If she is, was it accidental or deliberate?

"How will Sean feel when he finds out about Drew?"

"What happens next? Oh, if you only knew!"

Stay tuned.

slpwriter@yahoo.com