Chapter 28
Nick sat quietly staring out of the window of the moving van, watching the world whizzing past him. Everybody else was chatting away excitedly but Nick continued to let their conversations sail over his head.
He looked up to the sky, there was a dark cloud hanging over the city of Tokyo, pretty much like the one that had been sitting heavy over his heart since that last day of the tour.
Tokyo was one of Nick’s most favourite places to visit, rich with culture and not to mention some of the most craziest horror films he’d ever come across, so why did it feel like it was the last place on earth he wanted to be?
“You Ok baby?”
Nick snapped back to reality as the soothing tones of his new companion reached his ear.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine honey. Just getting ready in my mind, you know.” Nick smiled as he linked hands with his latest squeeze.
Nick’s eyes slowly left her gaze and retreated to the window, he began to replay the last few months repeatedly in his mind.
*********FLASHBACK*************
BUZZ, BUZZ, BUZZ BUZZ.
Nick opened a sticky eye to see his phone going off yet again, his dry lips cracked as he tried to open his even dryer mouth. Swinging his legs out of the bed, he sat up and winced at the pain in his head, this was becoming a regular occurrence for Nick as he spent most of his time shut away from the world, drowning his sorrows.
He stood up and entered the bathroom, letting the cold water run he rummaged around in the medicine cabinet looking for some kind of painkiller. Nick pulled out a box of Tylenol then found himself a glass and filled it with water.
Nick sighed as the phone began to buzz again, he gripped the basin tightly as he fort with himself not to scream out.
The noise soon subsided and he slowly let go of the sink.
Heading back into the bedroom he grabbed the cleanest T-shirt he could find from under the rubble of dirty clothes left in the corner, then made his way down stairs to fight another day.
As he reached the bottom step there was an almighty thud at the front door, Nick could see through the frosted glass in the doors the outline of a man that resembled AJ’s stature.
Nick rolled his eyes as he pondered the idea of just ignoring the door and going back up to bed.
BANG, BANG, BANG.
“I know you’re there Nicky, I can see your shadow on the stairs.” AJ hollered through the doors as he pressed his face up against the glass panels.
Nick exhaled a long breath as he reluctantly made his way to door knowing the best way to get rid of AJ would be to act as if he wanted to see him.
“Hey, s’up?” Nick tried his hardest to smile as he opened the door.
“What’s up?” AJ announced as he quickly barged past Nick to get in before being shut out.
“What’s up, the boy asks me what’s up?” AJ continued to mumble as he scanned the house looking for any clue as to what Nick had been up to over the past 3 weeks.
“Come on in.” Nick sighed as he began to shut the door.
AJ made his way into the kitchen area, his eyes still frantically scanning everywhere.
“So, you gunna tell me what the hell’s goin on Nick?” AJ pulled a half-empty carton of juice out of the fridge and began to pour himself a drink.
“Well?” AJ paused again and cocked an eyebrow to let Nick know he would not be giving up.
“Nicky no one has seen or heard from you in nearly three weeks, you look like shit, you smell like ass, and your house is a state, so talk to me bro.” AJ took a sip of juice but started again before Nick could even begin to gather an answer.
“Oh and don’t even get me started on Kim, why are you ignoring her? The poor girl is leaving message after message with Ro trying to get in contact with you, apparently she has something really important she needs to talk to you about, but she won’t tell us till she’s told you.”
Nick rolled his eyes and screwed his face up at the sound of her name.
She only wants to tell me it is over between us and that she is into Ash. Nick said to himself.
“Well? What are we meant to say to her? Do you even know why you are not talking to her? Nicky if you don’t want her the least you can do is let her know, it’s out of order if you’re just leaving her hangin cuz your to chicken shit to tell her the truth. Don’t forget you gotta see her again in a couple of months when we’re back on the road.”
Nick’s eyes fell to the floor, unable to look at AJ. The pain in his heart returned with a vengeance.
“Dude, talk to me. Tell me what is going on in your head. I’m worried about you; we’re all worried about you.”
“Nothing AJ, there’s nothing to tell and there’s nothing I wanna talk about OK, Sometimes in life things just don’t work out and you have to get on with it.” Nick coldly snapped.
AJ eyeballed Nick. “I know only too well how something’s just don’t work out, but Nicky your really not coping with whatever it is, so just let me help you.”
Nick shook his head, “Bro, this is not something I want us to fall out over but if you keep pushing me then were gunna, so just let it go. Please!”
Seeing Nick’s eye’s fill up, AJ agreed to back off.
“Ok bro I’ll back off, but you gotta show me that whatever it is that’s gone on, or going on between you two, you can handle it. So go get yourself a hot shower and fix up, then tell me that your gunna come out tonight with me and Ro.”
Nick looked over at AJ pulling an ‘I’m not impressed face’.
“I dunno man; I’m not feeling a night out in a club.” Nick moaned.
“Good cause we’re not going to a club, we’re going to a house party of a friend of Rochelle’s.” AJ beamed as if he had one over on Nick.
Nick nodded silently as to not get himself in any more situations he did not want to end up in.
“Sweet, me n Ro will be back about 8 to pick you up. Now are you sure I can’t help in any other way?”
Nick shook his head.
“What shall I say to Kim if she calls again?”
Nick’s eyes narrowed. “You say nothing, in fact you should just do what I did and block her number, and delete her email address and be done with it.”
“Jeez Nick, that’s fuckin harsh man. What did she do that was that bad?”
Shrugging his shoulders Nick stood up. “I’m going for that shower then, shut the door to on your way out.”
AJ watched in shock as a broken man, he never knew exited the kitchen and disappeared upstairs.
True to his word, later that evening AJ and Rochelle picked Nick up and headed off to the party.
“Hey Nick, how you feeling?” Rochelle beamed as Nick climbed into the back of their car.
“Fine.” Nick coldly answered.
He did not mean to be rude but he just did not want to be going out tonight, or any other night for that matter.
AJ turned his head and glared at Nick, letting him know he needed to snap out of his mood and quick.
The three sat quietly for the duration of the journey to the house party. They soon pulled up to a huge house situated up in the hills; Nick could instantly hear music blasting from the building and the screams of young girls having fun. His face screwed up again at the thought of how long he would have to sit out this ‘frat style party’.
Inside the house, Nick moved through each room, making sure he stayed close to AJ and Rochelle. He looked around, scoping out who was who, recognising a few faces and gave a slight nod of the head to acknowledge them. Nick stood behind AJ and Rochelle like a spare part as they indulged an influx of ‘so called’ friends.
Feeling out of his comfort zone Nick signalled to AJ he was going to get a drink and sulked off in search of the kitchen.
Nick walked from room to room instantly catching the attention of many of the girls there, very oblivious to any advance made he soon found the kitchen and grabbed himself a bottle of Bud from a box of ice on top of the counter. As he opened the bottle he looked around to see a large group of over easy girls had followed him, he made a quick exist out into the garden making sure he slid the door shut behind himself in the hope the girls would get the message and stay away.
It was a nice refreshing evening and the garden was quite empty in comparison to the mayhem of the house. Nick noticed a path heading down towards the rear end of the garden; it was beautifully illuminated by tiny lanterns so he decided to make his way down to see what lay at the end.
Plodding down the path, Nick soon came across seating area with huge oversized chairs and a large oval shaped sofa; he took a step closer and turned around to take in the breath taking view of the city below.
Nick sat down on the edge of a seat to gather his thoughts but was soon interrupted, the sound of rustling to the left of him which made him jump. Looking around he could just about make out the silhouette of a woman sitting alone on some steps just below him.
Nick cleared his throat, not wanting to startle the girl and cause a scene he softly spoke.
“Hey, I didn’t realise anyone else was out here.”
The young woman turned around and smiled. “Oh hey, me neither. I just needed a few minutes away from the madness, to clear my head. It’s been a tough week.”
Nick quietly chuckled. “Huh, yeah it’s been a tough few weeks.” He made he was towards the woman, and then sat down on the step next to her.
“I’m Nick, by the way.” Nick extended a hand out towards the girl.
“Nice to meet you Nick, I’m Lauren.” Giving Nicks hand a firm shake Lauren flashed a huge smile, which instantly made Nick smile back.
************END FLASHBACK************
As Nick came back to reality, he turned to look at Lauren sitting next to him. Her brilliant bluey, green eyes sparkled with excitement as everyone in the van spoke loudly over each other, telling her tales of past tours.
Although Nick had found a slight comfort from Laurens Company, it nagged him that something was missing between them. Sure she was smart, sweet, funny, caring, beautiful had an amazing body and would do absolutely anything for him, all the traits Nick liked and needed from a woman, but the chemistry between them just seemed to lack something.
As the car made its way even closer to the venue, dread and anticipation crippled Nick, now it was about to happen, the thought of seeing Kim again filled him with fear.
Maybe I have been a bit of a jerk about all this. He silently thought to himself.
Suddenly, wave guilt swept over him, it did not stay for long though as the vivid vision he had created in his head of Kim and Ash together slithered back to take its place at the front of his mind. Nick clenched his fist tightly and chewed on the inside of his mouth until he felt Lauren rest her head on his shoulder, then calm was restored inside him.
From Nick’s first meeting with Lauren, she seemed to instantly fit in with his life, and straight away became a permanent fixture in his world. Nick obviously had her there for all the wrong reasons but blinded by hate and jealousy over what he thought he saw between Kim and Ash. All the people around Nick had instantly liked Lauren, even more so that she seemed to be the only one who had been able to pull him out of his slump.
On the run up to this leg of the tour, many people had asked if Lauren would be coming with them. Nick was a little hesitant, he wasn’t sure it was the right thing to do, it kinda made their relationship seem a little more serious, but feeling the pressure from everyone Nick had asked her to accompany him on the tour.
As the sweet scent from her hair filled his nostrils, he began to feel he had made the right decision in keeping her around. He gently kissed the top of her head and rested his chin on her as he finally tuned into what was going on around him.
Chapter End Notes:
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