Chapter Three

[[ Nick Narrating ]]

I can’t get her out of my mind.

Sometimes I just wonder if I had did the very opposite of what I really did, would we still be together? Would we still be in love with each other? Would she not hate me as much as she does right now.

But I did the very opposite of what I should have and here I am, reminiscing about how things were. I’ve been thinking about it for the past two years and I thought that I would never have another chance with her. I thought that I’d never see her again if that, and today - I did. I saw her.

I saw her and she’s changed. She’s not the same girl she was two years ago. She grew up. I’ve grown up too, but just something about her. Just seeing her today made me miss her more. It made me want her back more.

And this time I’m going to try to do something about it.

[[ End Narrating ]]

Nick sat there on his bed, with his back up against the headboard and his knees up in the air. He kept flipping channels on the TV in front of him, but nothing was on. He kept flipping channels until he stopped on the Weather Channel, looking at the California weather report.

Ring Ring

“Hello?” Nick asked, opening up his cell phone, answering it.

“Hey man. What’s up?”

“Hey. What are you doing?”

“Nothing. What’s up? Who did you see today?”

“Jamie.” Nick said as he sat up more, smiling a little, “I saw her at the airport.”

“Okay.”

“And I want her back.”

“Okay.”

“Yeah, I want her back.”

“Good luck man because she somewhat hates your ass.”

“Ugh, “Nick growled as he put his hand over his face, “Listen Mike, I want her back.”

“After what you did to her?” Mike said, as he laughed, “No way. Forget about her.”

“I can’t forget about her. You know that man and seeing her today, it hasn’t helped. I can’t help it. I need her back.” Nick said as Mike laughed at him again, “I need your help.”

“No.”

“Come on man. You love me.” Nick pleaded as Mike laughed at him again.

“No.” Mike said, “No man. She actually talks to me sometimes when I see her. I’m not getting on her bad side man. She’s a little bitch when she wants to be.”

“I know that but I love that little bitch.” Nick said as he laughed, “Listen, just call someone and find out how long she’s going to be in LA and when she’s leaving.”

“No.”

“Oh come on.” Nick said, “Please.”

“Fine. Alright. I’ll see what I can do.” Mike said as Nick smiled, “I can feel you smiling through the damn phone. You know she’s not going to take you back.”

“Uh, I know. It’s worth a shot.” Nick said as he stopped smiling, “Thanks.”

“Welcome. Bye.” Mike said as he hung up. Nick shut his cell phone, throwing it on the bed beside him and leaned back against the headboard again smiling. He looked back at the TV, to see the weatherman still talking about the California weather and he smiled as he closed his eyes thinking about her.

[[ 1998 ]]

“AH!” Jamie screamed as she walked into the room and Nick jumped, clutching his chest. Jamie stood there laughing at the scared look on his face.

“God damn woman what are you screaming about?” Nick asked as he was looking through some CD’s.

“I’m a high school graduate! I’m out of that fucking place.” Jamie said as she started to spin around the living room and Nick cut his eyes over at her.

“Are you drunk?”

“Me? Never!”

“Yeah right.” Nick said laughing as Jamie stopped spinning and looked around.

“Whoa, I’m dizzy.” Jamie said as she put her hands on her head and Nick walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist, “Hey boyfriend.”

“Well hey girlfriend.” Nick said as they both smiled, “Can I tell you a secret?”

“You have secrets that you’re keeping from me?”

“Yes.”

“Tsk tsk.” Jamie said as Nick started to laugh, “And I thought you told me everything.”

“Well there’s one thing I’ve been keeping from you.” Nick said as Jamie looked at him with a concerned look on her face.

“What?” Jamie asked as Nick looked around and back at her.

“I love you.” Nick whispered as Jamie started to smile a little, “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Jamie whispered back to him as she leaned up, giving him a little kiss on the lips.

“You do?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Don’t ask me why.” Jamie said as Nick started to laugh as he leaned over, kissing her deeply as she wrapped her arms around his neck tighter. They continued to kiss each other slowly and deeply until finally they both stopped to catch their breath, “Umm..”

“Umm..” Nick said as they held their heads together.

“I wanna be with you.” Jamie whispered as Nick looked up at her.

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.” Nick whispered as he leaned over, giving her a little kiss on the lips.

Ring Ring

“Damn.” Nick muttered as he ran his hands back over his face and opened up his cell phone, answering it, “Hello?”

“Hey man.”

“Mike, what did ya find out?”

“She’s in LA for a week. She leaves Saturday.” Mike said, “So what are you gonna do? Fly to LA and find her and make a fool out of yourself?”

“No.” Nick said, “I’m not gonna do that.”

“Yeah right.” Mike said laughing, “I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into.”

“Nope, but I’ll find out.” Nick said, “Thanks man.”

“You’re welcome.” Mike said as Nick closed his cell phone and smiled again.

_____________________________________

Jamie laid there in a bubble bath in her hotel room with her hair pulled up on top of her head, listening to the radio. She mouthed the words to the song as she kept lifting her hands out of the water, looking at them as the bubbles ran down her hands and back into the water.

Darlin’ I can’t explain

Where did we lose our way

Girl it’s drivin’ me insane

And I know I just need one more chance

“Oh no.” Jamie whispered as she listened to the song on the radio. She laid her head back on the back of the tub and closed her eyes, imagining her and Nick dancing to the song.

Can we go back to the days our love was strong

Can you tell me how a perfect love goes wrong

Can somebody tell me how you get things back

The way they use to be

Oh God give me a reason

I’m down on bended knee

I’ll never walk again until you come back to me

I’m down on bended knee

Ring Ring

“Uhh.” Jamie said as she opened her eyes, wetting her hands and wiped a few tears away. She reached up on the counter, grabbing her cell phone and opened it up, “Hello?”

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Oh hey. Nothing. Just taking a bubble bath.”

“How was your flight to LA?”

“Oh it was good.” Jamie said as she reached over, turning the radio down.

“Did I hear ‘On Bended Knee’?”

“Yeah, it was on the radio.”

“Ohhh..”

“Yeah, and the weird thing is, I saw him today too.”

“Who?”

“Nick.”

“Lachey?”

“Carter you dumbass. Yeah, I ran into him at the airport before I got on my flight here.”

“Whack. What did he say?”

“Nothing much. He just kept looking at me.” Jamie said, “Like, he was in shock to see me.”

“Well he hasn’t seen you in a while.”

“Yeah I know. I haven’t seen him in a while either.”

“So…”

“So what?” Jamie asked, “What are you trying to ask Mike, spit it out?”