Chapter Thirty - Dirty Secrets

Nick sat there looking at Caraline as she watched TV, wondering what she was thinking. He wondered if she even realized he cheated on her. She cut her eyes, looking over at him and smiled. Nick smiled back before he could help himself. He couldn’t help himself – her smile drove him crazy. THAT is why he asked her to marry him. He knew that was the real reason.

He had thought about it during the whole flight to Dallas. He couldn’t stop thinking about it. He didn’t know if he should just tell her before she found out on her own by some freak accident, or if he should just keep it to himself and pray to God that it didn’t come out somehow.

”Nick,” Caraline said as he jumped, shaking his head a little, looking at her, “why do you keep staring at me?”

”I’m not staring,” Nick whispered as he looked at the TV realizing he had no idea what they were watching.

”Yeah you were. You were staring.” Caraline whispered as she started to laugh a little. She looked back at the TV and cut her eyes over; looking at him, seeing that he was looking at her again. “Nick, what is it?”

”What are you talking about baby?” Nick asked as he blinked his eyes and looked over at her, “I’m fine,”

”Do you not want to marry me? Do you regret asking me now?”

”God no, I want and need that more than anything,”

”Then what is it?” Caraline asked as she turned around, staring at him. He licked his lips and took a deep breath, looking back at her, “Just tell me,”

”Did you ever think that I was thinking how incredibly lucky I am?” Nick asked as Caraline smiled at him, “Geez, I can be sentimental sometimes you know?”

”I know,” Caraline said as she smiled, looking back at the TV when there was a knock at the door, “Probably Faith,”

”I’ll go get it,” Nick whispered as he got off of the bed and walked over, looking out of the door to see Faith and Gracie standing outside, “Faith and one of the kids.” He reached up, unlocking the door to see Gracie giving him a evil stare, “Hey guys,”

”Hey, can I talk with Caraline for a minute?” Faith asked as Nick nodded his head, opening the door for her to come in.

”Caraline!!” Gracie yelled as she ran over to the bed, jumping up on it and started to hug Caraline who started to laugh, “I missed you so much,”

”Aww, I missed you too,” Caraline said as they stopped hugging and she looked at Gracie’s hair, “Did you get a haircut?”

”Yes,” Gracie said as she pulled her long blonde hair away from her hair as Caraline laughed, “Mommy wants to talk to you,”

”Oh really? Caraline asked as she looked up at Faith and then over at Nick, “What does mommy want to talk to me about?”

”Him,” Gracie whispered as she pointed over at Nick.

”Not shy huh?” Nick asked as Faith started to laugh, “She must get that after Tim?”

”Oh yeah,” Faith said as she crossed her arms, laughing, “Can we have a few minutes alone, just us girls?”

”Okay,” Nick said as he sighed, walking over to the door, “I can sense when I’m not wanted,” he said as Caraline laughed, “I’ll be back in a little bit,” he said as he pointed at Gracie before walking out of the door.

”So what’s up?” Caraline asked as Faith sat down on the edge of the bed and looked down a minute. Caraline just stared at her, “What is it?”

”I’m just worried about you for some odd reason. I’m not sure what it is. It’s kind of like this motherly instinct,” Faith said as Caraline started to laugh a minute, “I’m serious. I don’t know what it is. Are you sure everything is okay?”

”Trust me, it’s perfect,” Caraline said as she smiled, “Really, I don’t think it could be any better,”

”How do you know?”

”Well it can get better but just not yet,”

”Meaning?”

”I told him I loved him night before last. I’m in love with him and he loves me back,” Caraline said as she started to smile even more, “I didn’t think I’d ever, ever feel that way about him but I do. I love him so much,”

”Maybe that’s the weird motherly feeling,” Faith said as she laughed, “I talked to some people that I know –“

”Faith –“

”And I asked about Nick and everybody that I’ve talked to said nothing but nice things about him except for one person.. they said he liked girls a lot –“

”Obviously –“

”And that he could never be satisfied with just one. That he was a player,” Faith said as Caraline looked down, shaking her head no.

”That’s how he was but he’s changed because if I knew he was still like that, he wouldn’t be here with me right now. There’s no way. He’s changed. He told me that he only wants me,” Caraline said as she smiled, looking down at her hands again.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

”Nick Carter?” a tall, blonde girl asked as she walked up to Nick in the hotel gift shop. Nick froze, looking over his shoulder to see a girl standing there, staring at him, “Oh my god I can’t believe it’s you. What are you doing in Dallas?”

”Traveling,” Nick said as he smiled, looking back at the magazines, “And you are?”

”Rebecca. Don’t you remember me? Two years ago.. when the tour was here –“ Rebecca said as Nick froze, cutting his eyes over at her, “Come on, there is NO way that you could forget what happened.

”Yeah,” Nick said as he pressed his lips together, not knowing what the hell she was talking about, “What are you up to?”

”Here visiting a friend that’s staying here. Why are you in Dallas?”

”With my girlfriend,” Nick said as he picked up a magazine, looking at it, “She works for Faith Hill and Tim McGraw,”

”Wow; Nick Carter has a girlfriend now? I don’t believe it,”

”Believe it,”

”You’ll never be a one woman man,” Rebecca said as Nick rolled his eyes, putting the magazine back on the shelf.

”People change,” Nick said as he picked up another one, looking at it, “People change for the better,”

”But not you,” Rebecca said as Nick looked over at her again to see her smiling at him, “I know the kind of person you are. I know you don’t remember a damn thing about me no matter how much you stand there and say you do. But I bet I can guarantee one thing –“

”What?”

”I bet I can help you remember me,” Rebecca said as she smiled, walking away from him. Nick stood there for a minute, closing his eyes and looked over his shoulder, seeing her through the glass window, walking into the lobby. She motioned for him to come with her and he looked around, licking his lips and put the magazine back on the shelf.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

”Really, I love him so much,” Caraline said as she smiled, playing with Gracie’s hair. “You know, I loved Bryan and I think a piece of me will always love Bryan, but Nick’s the one, I know. Everything just happened so perfectly with us.. kind of like with you and Tim. I tried to fight it but it didn’t work and now I’m so glad I didn’t fight it,”

”Yep, you’re in love,” Faith said as Caraline smiled.

”Caraline,” Gracie said as she shook her head a little, “I don’t like your boyfriend,”

”Why not?” Caraline asked as Gracie shrugged her shoulders, “Oh come on,”

”He keeps taking you away,” Gracie said as she started to pout a little.

”But I come back,”

”You never went away before,”

”But I’m not gone for very long,” Caraline said as she hugged her and kissed her on the forehead, “Trust me, I’m never going o stay away for very long,”

”You promise?” Gracie asked as Caraline nodded her head.

”I promise,” Caraline whispered as Gracie hugged her again.

”Aww, now isn’t that cute,” Faith said as Caraline smiled at her, “You’ll make a great mom someday. Not anytime soon I hope,”

”No, not anytime soon,”

”Have you been using protection?” Faith asked as Caraline bit down on her bottom lip, “You haven’t?”

”No, but I’m on the pill,” Caraline said as she shrugged her shoulders, “And I’m clean and Nick’s clean so it’s all good,”

”Yeah I was on the pill too,” Faith said as she nodded her head towards Gracie as Caraline smiled, wrapping her arms around her.

”Well if I were to get knocked up I hope the kid is as cute as her,” Caraline said as Faith laughed, shaking her head at her.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

”Must not love your girlfriend too much,” Rebecca said as she stood up from the ground, wiping her finger around her lips, watching Nick as he zipped his jeans back up.

”Shut up, you don’t know that,” Nick said as he looked up to see that they had stopped the elevator between the third and fourth floor. His and Caraline’s room was on the fifth, “I love her more than anything,”

”Then what are you doing here with me like this?” Rebecca asked as Nick nodded his head, leaning against the wall, rubbing his hands over his face.

”To be honest, I think I’m fucking insane,” Nick said as he looked up at the ceiling and then looked back at her, “But let me tell you – if you say anything about this to Caraline if you see her with me, you’ll regret it. Pretend like you don’t know me,”

”Uh huh,” Rebecca whispered as she reached over, starting the elevator back up again.