Nick just stood there, looking around and not knowing what to do.

“Shit… she wanted us to go out as a couple…” Nick said outloud as he walked over to her desk, looking out of the window that overlooked part of the campus to see Aimee standing outside talking to some guy, “Shit……”

“I’m so fucking stupid..” Nick thought as he sat down in her chair at her desk, proping his head up on it.

“Fuck I’m a idiot!!” yelled Nick as he slammed his fist down on the desk and Aimee’s drawer fell out of her desk, with everything falling down on the floor, “Shit…”

Nick leaned down and started picking her papers up when all of a sudden he found a CD case. He unzipped it to see Backstreet Boys’ very first CD, then Millennium, Black & Blue, even a few single CD’s and the CD’s that came from Burger King.

“Oh my god….” Nick thought as he started to laugh, “Aimee is a closet fan… that little…” as he continued to look to see some teenybopper magazines and a couple of posters.”

“She’s a fan… she lied to me so that I couldn’t use that as an advantage…. that little uhhh okay…” he thought as he laughed.

__________________________

“She lied and said she wasn’t a fan?” asked the bartender laughing as Nick laughed.

“Yeah…. she critisized our music.. critiqued it… and then she was a big fan…. that night she came home drunk… oh it was hillarious..” said Nick as he laughed thinking about it.

__________________________

“About time you came home..” said Nick as he layed there on his bed in nothing but his boxers. Aimee just looked over at him as she shut the door, stumbling her way over to her bed, “So where’d you go?”

“Out.” said Aimee as she kicked off her shoes and looked over at him.

“Like what you see?” asked Nick.

“Uh.. not really.” said Aimee as Nick started singing his lines from “The Answer To Our Lives”.

“You see me sittin’ here.. smile upon my face.. the time has come but you know it’s not too late..” Nick shung as he layed there smiling, sitting up a little and looked over at her.

“Could you please stop?” asked Aimee as she slipped off her dress, leaving her in her bra and panties.

“But we… are two worlds apart… can’t reach… to your heart.. when you say…. that I want it that way…. tell me why… ain’t nothing but a heartache.. tell me why.. ain’t nothing but a mistake… tell me why.. I love when I hear you say.. I want it that way…” Nick sung as Aimee walked into the bathroom with her pajama’s in her hand and slammed the door.

“Well…” said Nick as he started to laugh. He sat up on the bed when Aimee came walking ou t of the bathroom in her pajama’s, “Don’t you like my singing?”

“No..” said Aimee.

“I don’t know… what he does.. to make you cry.. but I’ll be there to make you smile.. I don’t have a .. fancy car.. to get to you I’d walk a thousand miles… oh yeah…”

“Shut up.” Aimee said, while practically barking at him.

“I know… so feel free to sing alone..” said Nick as he started to sing the one, “To hold you… and make sure that you’ll be alright.. cuz my fear is gone.. and I want to.. take you from darkness to light…. and there you are.. wild and free… ” as he reached his hand out over to her, “Reachin’ out like ya needed me…”

“Shut up!!!!!!” yelled Aimee as she got in bed and rolled over with her back towards Nick, “Just uhh shut up.”

Nick got off of his bed, walking over to hers. He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek as Aimee closed her eyes.

“It’s okay… I’m not mad. I’m flattered… and I’m sorry about earlier. Happy Valentine’s Day.” Nick whispered as he walked back over and got on his bed. He looked over at Aimee who hadn’t moved and he started to smile.

_______________________

“So she finally fessed up?” asked the bartender as he took Nick’s glass away.

“No… never did. It’s alright though…” said Nick as he smiled.

“Oh.. well excuse me a minute.” said the bartender as he walked down to the other end of the bar. Nick sat there as he put the ring back around his index finger, looking at it when he heard someone calling his name.

“Nick…. what’s up? Why aren’t you at the party?” asked Brian as Nick looked over his shoulder at him.

“I’ll be up in a minute.” said Nick as he held his hand up, “I got her ring.”

“Ohh.. let me see..” said Brian as he walked over and looked at it, “A.C. perfect…” as he smiled, “You’re gonna do a good job.”

“Thanks…” said Nick as he smiled.

“You’re welcome.. so come on up man.” said Brian, “Lord knows AJ’s having a blast up there.”

“I will in a little bit…” said Nick as he smiled.

“Alright man.. don’t you lose that ring now.” said Brian, “You’ll be up a creek without a paddle…” as he laughed and walked up.

“Rok and those damn weird Kentuckism’s of his.” Nick thought as he put the ring back in it’s case and looked at it, “Damn….. I don’t have that much longer..” as he looked around and looked back at the ring while he started to think.

____________________

“Got all of your stuff Nick?” asked Brian as Nick sat there on the corner of his bed, looking around at Aimee’s things still in place, like it had been the past 9 months, “Is that everything?”

“Yeah.. it’s all.” said Nick as he looked down at his hand.

“You alright?” asked Brian.

“I don’t wanna leave….” said Nick as he looked up at him.

“Nick.. you knew that you were going to leave in May… you were coming here two semesters.” said Brian.

“I know… but now… I have a life here.. a normal life. I have friends, just…” said Nick.

“Aimee..” said Brian.

“We’re just friends.” said Nick as he looked over at her poster of Tim McGraw, “I hate that poster…” as Aimee walked in.

“Hey.. hey Brian.” said Aimee as she smiled over at him.

“Hey Aimee, how are you? You look nice today.” said Brian.

“Thanks.” said Aimee as she looked from Brian over to Nick, “Nick.. where’s all your things?”

“Packed up.” said Nick as he looked over at her.

“Packed up.. oh no.. that’s today.” said Aimee.

“Yeah…” said Nick as he looked over at Brian.

“Yeah I’m going to go out, call my lawyer and make sure my divorce is finalized today.. thank you Jesus.. and Aimee…” said Brian as they hugged, “I’ll see ya later.”

“Okay..” said Aimee as Brian walked out of the room and she looked over at Nick.

“I don’t wanna leave.” said Nick.

“Don’t.” said Aimee.

“I have to.” said Nick as he stood up and walked over to her, “I guess you won.”

“Won what?” asked Aimee as she started to cry.

“The dormroom….” said Nick as Aimee started to laugh a little.

“Nick… ” said Aimee as she looked down, “Um.. we’ve been through a lot.. well okay not really.. but you know what I mean.”

“Yeah..” said Nick as he started to cut a little smile, “I’m still sorry about that.”

“I’m not.” said Aimee, “I liked you a lot and I wanted you to like me too.”

“I do like you.” said Nick, “But that night.. you said you loved me.”

“I know I did.” said Aimee, “And I’m sorry about.. not telling you…”

“It’s okay..” said Nick as he smiled, “It’s cool.”

“This place is gonna suck without you.” said Aimee.

“I know… it’s gonna blow.” said Nick as Aimee started to laugh and cry at the same time.

“Okay well go make that next hit album and I’ll buy it.” said Aimee.

“You’ll get a free copy girl.” said Nick as they started to hug.

“Okay..” said Aimee.

“Alright..” said Nick as they stopped hugging and he pushed her bangs out of her eyes, “I’ll call ya sometime okay? Invite ya down or whatever..”

“Okay…” said Aimee as Nick walked over by the door and looked over at her.

“I’m not gonna say goodbye…” said Nick.

“Yeah.. we’ll see each other again.” said Aimee.

“Of course..” said Nick, “So umm.. see ya later.”

“Okay…” said Aimee as Nick walked out of the room, shutting the door. He just stood there, debating whether or not he should go in or not.

“Go on Nick…” Nick thought as he walked away.

____________________________

“I didn’t wanna leave..” Nick thought as he looked back at the ring, “Damn I didn’t wanna leave…”

“You okay sir?” asked the bartender as he walked back up to him.

“Yeah.. just thinkin’ again.” said Nick as he pulled out his wallet to pay the bartender.

“No sir.. it’s on the house. Congrats.” said the bartender as he walked away and Nick put his wallet back in his pocket, shaking his head no.

“Shit..” said Nick as he scratched his head and looked around, “”Going to FSU was the best mistake of my life… Leaving FSU was the worst mistake of my life….” as he put the ring back in the case turned around on his stool and was about to stand up when he saw Aimee walk into the lobby and she looked over at him and waved.

“Aimee.. hold up.” said Nick as Aimee paused and Nick walked up to her.

“Hey.. why aren’t you at the party?” asked Aimee.

“Didn’t want to yet.” said Nick as Aimee smiled.

“Well you’re the best man buddy.. you better go up there and do your best man duties.” said Aimee.

“I need to tell you something first.” said Nick.

“What?” asked Aimee as Nick took her hand, leading her into a empty meeting room, “What is it?”

“Aimee… you can’t marry Brian.” said Nick as Aimee looked at him.

“Why not?” asked Aimee.

“You just can’t okay.” said Nick.

“Nick.. I’m going to marry him, what’s the problem with that?” asked Aimee as Nick looked around and looked back at him.

“It’s kinda complicated.” said Nick.

“So.. Nick the wedding is going to be just fine you’re not going to mess up.” said Aimee.

“Marry me instead.” said Nick as he looked up at her and she looked in shock.

“What?” asked Aimee.

“We’ll leave right now.. marry me. Don’t marry Brian.” said Nick.

“Have you been drinking..” said Aimee as Nick interrupted her by pressing his lips to hers and she pushed him away, “Get off of me.”

“Aimee… don’t do this okay.” said Nick, “Please don’t.”

“I love Brian… what’s wrong with that? Why do you think I’m making a mistake?” asked Aimee.

“Because I love you.” said Nick as Aimee looked at him, “I love you and I want that to be kissing you when the preacher announces us husband and wife. I want to be the husband.. not Brian.”

Aimee just stood there in shock as Nick pulled out the ring he’d been looking at all night from his pocket.

“This is your wedding band for tomorrow.” said Nick as he put it in his other coat pocket, “But this…” as he took out a little ring from an inside pocket of his jacket, “This is for you..” as he held up a little diamond soliatre ring, “You say yes.. and we’ll be out of here and never look back…. will you marry me?”