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Chapter 35
"Cora
watched the scene unfolding between Howie and Danni with a smile on her face.
She nudged Kevin, who had an arm wrapped around her and the other holding a
hot dog.
"Check it out," she said, pointing. Kevin's eyes widened and, after
he swallowed, he whistled.
"Go Sweet D! Who's the girl?" Cora smacked him on the chest.
"Ow! Hey, sorry hon! Didn't mean it that way," he apologized, kissing her lightly and squeezing her close.
"That's
Na's older sister, Danni. If I remember correctly, she's into modeling or something
of the like. She's very nice, but I haven't seen her in a long time." Kevin
grinned at the look on Howie's face as the girls approached him, it was priceless.
*
AJ flipped on the basement light as he walked down the carpeted stairs into
the finished room. Actually, rooms. Since the house was huge, the basement was
no exception. Kevin had a whole recording studio set up in one soundproof room,
another filled with workout equipment and the third was Kevin's study, sort
of. It was a small, cozy room with a couch fireplace and a hammock hanging from
the ceiling in a corner. It was carpeted with a thick, deep blue color and tastefully
decorated. (Which means you can bet it wasn't the guys who decorated! We call
them interior decorators.) This was the first place AJ checked.
"Krissy? Babe, are you down here?" he called.
"Alex?" a soft voice called back. He flipped on a light and saw her in the hammock, swinging back and forth slightly.
"It's lunch time, you up to it?" he asked, walking over to her and lightly brushing her cheek with his hand.
"I guess. How did you find me?" AJ smiled as he lifted her out of the hammock with his strong arms.
"You and me kid, we have a connection. I just knew, just like I know when you are hurting. Like you are right now." Kris avoided his gaze and stared at her feet, not wanting to give up any information.
"I'll let it pass, for now. . But it looks like Na decided to bring a phat lady with her today!" Kris laughed, a beautiful, musical sound that he hadn't heard for a long time.
"You mean Danni is here?"
"You better believe it! And boy, did I get dissed! Too young for her!"
"That sounds like Danni, all right!" AJ gave her a puppy dog look and begged, "Krissy, if you have any other gorgeous friends hiding somewhere, tell me next time!"
"No problem, Alex. Maybe I'll have Danni bring some of her friends next time," Kris giggled, her spirits lifted from being around one of her best friends. She kissed his cheek lightly, a smile on her face.
"And that was for?" AJ questioned, a grinning.
"It says kiss the cook, assuming you're the cook," Kris said, pointing to his apron as she pulled him up the stairs.
"Hmm,
I could get used to this," AJ murmured, ignoring Kris' glare. *
Danni watched the dark, built man, hardly taller than she, approach with a grin
on his face. He gave Na a hug and a soft, "How are you feeling?" Na
smiled at Howie, a mischievous look on her face.
"As good as can be expected, D." He glanced at Danni and his grin grew wider.
"And who is this lovely woman you brought with you? I don't think I've had the pleasure of meeting her, yet."
"Howie, this is my older sister, Danni. Danni, this is Howie, or Sweet D." Howie took her offered hand and kissed it.
"Como estas? I'm Howie." Danni felt her skin tingle under his soft lips and a shock at the light touch of his hand, and it took her breath away. After staring into his soulful, chocolate brown eyes for a full five seconds, she managed, "Sorry, my Spanish is a little rusty, but I'm good Howie." She smiled at him and Howie felt when she did so that he'd been given a precious gift.
"I can see why they call you Sweet D. Happy Birthday!" Danni said lightly, startling Howie with her tight, warm hug. All of a sudden, he heard whistles and wild calls from behind him.
"Go Howie D.! That's my man!"
"Holy shit D, how did you manage to hook up with such a gorgeous female!"
"Happy
Birthday, Howie D.!" Howie turned red but just grinned and laughed as Mrs.
Carter yelled warningly from the kitchen, "Nickolas Gene Carter, that better
not have been you swearing!" Nick turned pink and everyone laughed as he
yelled back, "Of course not, mum!" *
Brian sat watching sullenly as the others swam in the pool, laughing and splashing.
Their parents had wanted to go into Orlando for a little bit before they went
to dinner, so they were alone for a while. Brian sighed and sank back in his
lawn chair, miserable and unhappy about the whole thing with Kris. He hadn't
seen her since the fight and AJ had only appeared long enough to grab two plates
of food and some drinks. Brian was startled from his thoughts by a familiar
voice.
"B-Rok, quit sulking and come join us! You're starting to act like Kevin and not have any fun!" Nick called, ignoring the wave of water the older man sent his way.
"No
thanks, Frack! Did you ever think maybe I like sulking?" Brian called back,
trying to smile. Nick tried to answer but all that came out was a yell as Howie
dunked him. *
"Alex, no. This is a bad idea. Alex, I said- ALEXANDER JAMES!" Brian
was once more startled out of his thoughts, a few minutes later, by Kris' protesting
and giggles, mingled with Bone's crazy laughter. The screen door slid open as
AJ replied, devilishly, "Oh, I think so, Krissy. You don't melt in water!"
Brian stared as AJ came running out the door, Kris in his arms, a smile on her
face. She didn't have much chance to protest as AJ leaped into the deep end,
sending up a huge wave of water and splashing everyone, in or out of the pool.
Danni, in a gorgeous blue one piece, whispered to Howie, "Who is Krissy?"
Danni didn't recognize her as AJ swam over, Kris hanging on to his neck with
a huge grin on her face. She stood up, wearing a black, very skimpy bikini and
Howie realized why Danni didn't recognize Kris.
She had lost a lot of weight and she could've passed for a model on any of the
covers of the fashion magazines. Danni said to AJ before Howie could reply,
"AJ, I didn't know you had a model for a girlfriend! I thought you were
serious when you started flirting with me!" Kris and AJ stared at each
other, then at Danni.
"Danni, I haven't changed that much, but, uh, thank you for the compliment! AJ isn't my boyfriend, either." Danni stared for a moment, her brown eyes widening.
"Kris? Oh my gosh, how are you?" she asked, embracing her friend. "You should come work with me, Kris! You'd be famous in no time flat! I didn't even recognize you." Kris shifted uncomfortably, avoiding AJ's piercing, questioning eyes as he looked her up and down and realized Danni wasn't far off the mark.
"Thanks Danni, I'll think about it. Anyway, my boyfriend is over there," she pointed to the empty seat, then frowned as a brief flash of pain crossed her face and was gone.
"Or at least, he was. His name is Brian, if you didn't meet him already." Danni turned bright red.
"Oops, sorry Kris! You do look good, though." Kris could feel everyone's eyes on her body and knew what they were thinking. What happened?
"Um,
excuse me," she said, quickly climbing out of the pool and grabbing a beach
towel, her feet slapping against the cement as she practically ran away. The
uncomfortable silence she left behind was soon replaced by yelling and laughter
as someone started up another water fight. *
Kris walked in the house, her head hanging and deeply shaken. The fact that
her best friend's sister, someone she'd known as long as and almost as well
as Na, didn't recognize her was scary. She was so lost in thought she didn't
see Brian until she ran into him. Kris froze, his bright blue eyes inches from
her.
"Brian, um..look-"
"Please, don't. Not now, I can't." Kris pleaded with her eyes as he tried to brush past her.
"Brian, please. Can't we discuss this like adults? I don't want..need, this right now! I need your support! Please, Rok?" Brian shook his head slowly, brushing Kris' hands off his chest.
"Don't you remember? No less than two hours ago you said you didn't need anything from me, if I remember correctly." Kris groaned in frustration, trying to keep her unruly temper in check.
"I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry, Brian! You have enough problems and pressure right now with the tour, new management, not to mention a new album! You weren't supposed to find out!"
"But I did!"
"Well, maybe if you hadn't gone through that box you wouldn't have!" Kris snapped, flinging her hair over her shoulder, her eyes flashing.
"Maybe you shouldn't have left it laying open!" Brian yelled back, his muscular body tensing. "I didn't! It was closed and in the corner of my closet!" Brian froze, remembering the sealed envelope.
"That wasn't where I found it! Oh, Kris, you should've said something! Those letters were.. awful," Brian said, his voice lowered, hurt for her in his eyes.
"You read them all, Brian? How dare you invade my privacy?" Kris shouted, fury filling every inch of her lean body.
"How dare you hold back the information that you knew something bad was going to happen to Nick and Nina! You knew and said nothing. A d*mn good reason to be upset!" Brian threw at her. "It's all your fault!" Kris froze, staring at Brian. She could've taken anything, anything that he threw at her- except that. It was the same thing Josh had told her and nothing could've hurt her more. Brian didn't even realize what he'd said until the color drained from her face. Before he could say anything, Kevin stormed in the door, his dark face serious and upset.
"What the h*ll is the matter with you two? You do know that the everyone in the backyard, not to mention the whole neighborhood, can hear you quite clearly, don't you?" He thrust a long, slender finger in the direction of the pool. Na, not swimming because of her stitches, was sitting open mouthed in a chair, her glass shattered on the ground where it had slipped from her hand. Nick was paralyzed, his eyes on Nina. Everyone else looked shocked, no one uttering a word.
"Now, can you two either take it somewhere else or cut it out? Today is supposed to be a happy day," Kevin growled quietly. Kris looked up at him slowly.
"Yes, father," Brian muttered, earning a sharp glance from his older cousin that made him wince. He knew Kevin could beat the crap out of him, no contest.
"Kevin," Kris said, quietly.
"What?" She paused, waiting until he looked her straight in the eyes.
"Go
to h*ll." Kris turned on her heel and walked away, seething with anger.
*
*Brian's POV*
Even though I was so incredibly mad at Kris, the look on Kevin's face when she
told him to go to h*ll was priceless! That was probably the first time in years
anyone had said it to him. He just stared as Kris disappeared down the hall.
I heard the door slam right before I burst out laughing. I couldn't help it.
The fact that my girlfriend and I had just had another huge fight, that my best
friend was probably going to kill me, if my much-bigger-than-me cousin didn't
first, didn't matter in the least. I was laughing so hard I didn't notice AJ
running after my girlfriend, which was what I should've been doing. It might
have altered everything that happened afterwards.
"Kev," I laughed, "I wish I had a Polaroid of your face right now." Everything suddenly stopped being funny when I caught the glare Kevin was sending me.
"I hope you know you probably just hurt her for the last time, Brian. Even if what you said is true, that was the stupidest f*cking thing you've ever said!" I stared after him as he walked out the door, realizing the extent of the problem I'd just caused. *
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