Chapter Seven

“Who’s that?” Daisy asked as she looked at her mother and walked up to the door, peeking out of the peephole, “Some guy.”

“Hotel staff probably,” Ms. Collins said as she nodded her head for Daisy to open the door. Daisy reached up, unlocking the door and opened it up slowly, looking at the guy.

“Nichole Collins?” the guy asked as Daisy looked at him questionably.

“Yes.” Daisy said as she looked back at her mother and back at the guy, “Can I help you?”

“This is for you,” the guy said as he handed her a envelope and turned around to walk away.

“What is it?” Ms. Collins asked as Daisy shut and locked the door back. She turned around, walking back over to the bed as she opened the envelope up, looking to see two tickets, “Daisy -”

“Two tickets.” Daisy said as she looked into the envelope and then over at her mother, “For Nick Carter tomorrow night.”

“Who’s Nick Carter?” Ms. Collins asked as Daisy looked at her and then back down at the tickets.

“I don’t know.” Daisy said as she sat down on the edge of the bed, looking at the tickets.

Nick sat there in his hotel suite, looking out the window at the lights of the city still. He had been sitting there a while and just stared at his reflection in the glass.

“Nick,” Tracy said as she walked into the room, “Are you okay?”

“Did you send them?” Nick asked as he looked back at her.

“Yes. They’ve been delivered.” Tracy said as she walked over closer to the window and looked at him, “How do you know if she’s going to come if she has no idea who you are?”

“She just knows me as Nick. Nothing else.” Nick said as he looked over at her, “Maybe she’ll come.”

“You really like her?”

“Yes. I like her a lot. Just trust me on this one.”

“Okay.” Nick said as Tracy turned around to walk out of the room and looked back at him, looking out the window.

“Daisy, why did a limo pick us up from the hotel?” Ms. Collins asked as Daisy sat there in the back of the limo on the way to the arena the next night. She looked down at the jean skirt and top that she had on and then over at her mother, “Did you win something?”

“I don’t know.” Daisy said as she looked back out the window as the limo stopped. The driver got out of the car and walked over to Daisy’s door and opened it up so that her and her mother could get out. She told the driver thank you and they stood there, watching people file into the arena, “I think they sent the people the wrong tickets. That girl had on a Backstreet Boys t-shirt.”, she said pointing to a little girl.

“I thought they broke up?” Ms. Collins asked as Daisy shrugged her shoulders and they walked in, giving the lady at the door their tickets. They walked into the arena and past a merchandise table where Daisy looked up, seeing Nick on a t-shirt and froze.

“Oh my god.” Daisy said as she put her hand over her mouth, staring at the t-shirt.

“Daisy, what is it?” Ms. Collins asked as Daisy stood there in shock, “What?”

“Nothing.” Daisy said as she looked around and then grabbed her mother’s arm, pulling her away from the merchandise table. They walked down the stairs, going down to their seats, which just happened to be in the front row.

“How did we end up with front row?” Ms. Collins asked as Daisy looked around and over to the corner of the stage to see Tracy looking outside and then hide behind the curtains.

“I don’t know.” Daisy said as she looked around at everybody and backs up at the stage.

“Well obviously you have to know something.” Ms. Collins said as Daisy just looked over at her and back up at the stage.

Daisy and her mother sat there in their seats throughout the opening act, which was some local rock group. Everybody must have known who they were because they were cheering but Daisy just sat there, looking off into space the whole time, wondering about Nick and thinking about him.

Intermission began and everybody went to go grab something to drink or go to the bathroom. Her mother left to go get them something to drink but Daisy stayed there, almost in a daze wondering what was going to happen next. She was a little scared of it all. She had no idea that Nick was famous or that he was a Backstreet Boy. Before the opening act, she turned around, asking one of the girls about who Nick was and they told her.

Daisy was just a little in shock. Actually, a little was putting it lightly.

“Here sweetie,” Ms. Collins said as she walked back up to her, handing her a Mountain Dew.

“Thanks.” Daisy said as her mother sat back down in her seat and the lights started to dim. Everybody in the arena started to scream as the band began to play and Nick ran out on stage, performing to the song. He banged his head to the music, screaming and belting out the lyrics until he looked over to see Daisy sitting there looking at him. He smiled in return and continued to sing.

“Daisy, why is he smiling at you?” Ms. Collins asked as Daisy looked back over at her and smiled.

“He’s my destiny.” Daisy said as her mother looked at her weirdly as the song ended. Daisy looked back up at Nick on stage, standing right in front of them and smiled.

“For those who don’t know who I am, well, my name is Nick.” Nick said as he looked around and back down at Daisy, “Nick Carter, and well I’m a Backstreet Boy, but I’m doing this solo thing too.”

The audience cheered in response to him talking and Daisy looked around at everybody and then back at him, seeing a guy walk up to him with an acoustic guitar.

“I don’t usually do this song in my set. It’s not even my song,” Nick said as he sat down on the edge of the stage, with the guitar in his lap, “But tonight I’m doing something special.”, he said as he looked around and back at Daisy, “Why? Because last week I met someone and even though I was only with her for a few days, they had a really big impact on me. And I just want them to know how much they mean to me.”

Nick looked back at his drummer who counted off the song and Nick looked over at his fingers, making the chords on the guitar as the beginning of a slow song began to play.

I never had no one
I could count on
I’ve been let down so many times
I was tired of hurtin’
So tired of searchin’
‘Til you walked into my life
It was a feelin’
I’d never known
And for the first time
I didn’t feel alone

You’re more than a lover
There could never be another
To make me feel the way you do
Oh we just get closer
I fall in love all over
Every time I look at you
And I don’t know where I’d be
Without you here with me
Life with you makes perfect sense
You’re my best friend
You’re my best friend (my best friend)
You’re my best friend (my best friend)

Nick sat there staring at Daisy while singing the last few words, like he did the whole entire song. Daisy stared back at him, crying lightly as Nick finished playing the last few chords on the guitar and everybody stood up applauding him again. Nick moved the guitar from his lap and sat it down on stage, jumping off of it and walked up to the barrier, motioning for Daisy to come up to him.

Daisy smiled at him, standing up and walked up to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. Nick wrapped his arms around her, putting his head in the crook of her neck, mumbling something against it. Daisy moved back a little and Nick did the same until they were looking each other in the eyes while the whole audience was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

“Now you know. Do you still not care?” Nick asked as Daisy smiled at him, “I know I’m not Tim McGraw, but I tried.”

“You don’t have to be Tim McGraw.” Daisy said as she smiled at him, “I’m sorry I was a -”

“No, it’s fine.” Nick whispered as he looked down and back up at her, “I love you, Nichole.”

“I love you too.” Daisy whispered to him as they leaned in to kiss each other while the whole audience busted into applause. Nick and Daisy both cracked up laughing at each other during the kiss because they forgot where they were.

Nick went on to finish the show and met up with Daisy backstage where he met her mother. Nick told her everything about who he was and what he did. He was worried it would change her opinion of him but it didn’t. She didn’t care. She loved him anyway and he loved her.