Chapter Two-Hundred-Sixty-Nine
When Nick and Ashley arrived at the beach – with Marcus and Laney secretly behind them, Nick brought Ashley over to the darkest part of the beach and while she stood there with their Panda Express take out Nick spread out their blanket. As he did he glanced behind him and caught sight of Marcus and Laney. The two security guards grinned innocently, and then slipped behind a rock. Nick shook his head smiling and turned back to what he was doing while briefly wondering how in the world they managed to trick his perceptive girlfriend. You have to be a very skilled person to accomplish that. Either they actually tricked her, or she’s just not letting on that she knows they’re there. One of the two. When the blanket was set up the two of them sat down on it and Ashley scooted back so she was sitting comfortably between his legs. He smirked some and slid his arms around her waist before bending down and kissing the side of her neck ever so softly, before unzipping the black leather jacket she put on. The black leather jacket that technically belongs to him. You would never know unless you knew him though, because she wears it more then he does.
“I half expected you to unzip this as soon as we got in the hall,” he told her softly in her ear and she smirked.
“Sorry to disappoint you,” She teased as she looked up at him smiling and he chuckled.
“I mean you’re just not known to follow orders that are given to you unless you feel like it. You’re usually stubborn and do as you please,” Nick explained and Ashley shrugged.
“It was kind of nice having a parental figure worrying about me going out with hardly any clothes on…so I obeyed,” she explained. “Even if it’s just a bathing suit.” Nick gently placed his finger to her chin and tilted her head back so it rests against his shoulder and she is gazing up at him and he leaned forward and planted the tiniest peck on her lips before tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.
“I’m really happy to see that you seem to be accepting Denise as your mom very well. Most teenagers I think would have a hard time with that. Especially if they lost both of their biological parents the way you did.”
“It was a little weird at first…but it helps that I already liked Denise to begin with before she adopted me. My biological parents will always be in my heart. Denise can’t replace them and I will never love her like I loved them. But I do love her and know she’ll do anything for me. She’s been very understanding and patient with me and I love her for that.” Nick rested his forehead against hers and he smiled some as he gazed into her eyes and he gently caressed her cheek with his finger. After a few moments, he spoke up again.
“Hungry?”
“Very,” Ashley answered softly and he started to get the boxes of food out of the bag while she reached over and opened the box of plastic spoons that they stopped at the store to get.
~*~*~*~*~
“Brian?” Riley asked after a long while, as they were walking through New York City holding hands.
“Riley,” Brian answered, smiling some, as he likes it when she says his name.
“Where are you taking me? Why’d you have me get so dressed up?” She interrogated, and she looked over at him with questioning eyes. Brian smirked, as he took in her beautiful features. She’s wearing a red glitter accented halter dress with a pleated bust and empire waist. It has a tie back halter style and she has on black sueded heels.
“Why, because I love seeing you in that gorgeous dress of course,” Brian answered smartly and Riley blushed.
“Seriously. Where are you taking me?” she continued her interrogation, and Brian slid his arm around her waist and stopped the two of them from walking and he pulled her to him, rested his forehead against hers so their lips were just inches apart.
“It’s a surprise,” he insisted, before brushing his lips lightly over hers. She scowled against his lips but otherwise slid her arms around his neck and kissed him back and he smiled as she did knowing he has her anxious. When they pulled apart he kept his hand placed lightly on the small of her back and the two of them continued on their way, Brian leading them.
“You know, you’re full of surprises. One of these days, we’re all going to join together and give you the ultimate surprise of your life. I’m telling you,” She insisted. Brian grinned, his eyes twinkling with happiness.
“We’ll see about that.”
“You won’t know what hit you,” Riley warned playfully.
“If you say so.”
“What? Are you saying that you get to surprise all of us, but none of is are allowed to surprise you?” Riley asked amused.
“You can, but it just takes a lot to surprise me” Brian challenged.
“Brookie did it,” Riley pointed out. “You nearly wet your pants when you saw Chris sitting at the table with Denise this morning”
“I did not,” Brian chuckled, and she smiled at him some, before wrapping her arms around his neck as the two of them walk.
“Did so. I was watching you.” Brian shook his head smiling and he leaned forward and rubbed his nose lightly over hers.
“You’re going to love your surprise, so shush you okay?”
“Oh I never said we don’t love your surprises. We always do. I’m just saying someone’s going to repay you someday and you won’t see it coming.” The two of them walked a little ways more, until finally they came across the Theater and Riley glanced up at it and saw the sign for RENT and she gasped and looked at Brian, who was just standing there grinning at her.
“You’re taking me to see RENT?” She asked excitedly, and Brian nodded.
“I LOVE that play,” she insisted and Brian pulled her close to him and rested his forehead against hers.
“I know,” he told her, before pulling back again and leading her to the line they had to wait in to give the man their tickets and Brian pulled two from his pocket and handed Riley hers.
“When did you have time to get these?” she asked amazed.
“I bought them ahead of time,” Brian grinned. “When we were in Florida – as soon as I learned we were going to New York.” Riley moved in front of them so she is facing him, and she slid her arms around his neck before leaning up and capturing his lips with hers for a passionate kiss and he kissed her back as he pulled her closer to him.
~*~*~*~*~*~
When Nick and Ashley finished eating, Nick cleaned up the now empty boxes of Chinese food and placed them in the bags and Ashley grabbed up a fortune cookie. She smiled at him some and moved away from him so he wouldn’t be able to see her fortune and he looked at her and chuckled.
“What? Aren’t you going to tell me your fortune?” he asked playfully as he watched her open up the wrapper and take the cookie out.
“Nope. Fortunes are like wishes. If you tell them to people, they might not come true” Ashley insisted and he rolled his eyes some. She cracked open her cookie then and pulled out the little paper that holds her fortune. When she got it out she turned it over so she could read. You crave your lover when the two of you are apart. Ashley giggled and looked over at him before wriggling her eyebrows, just to spark his interest even more and she began munching on her cookie. Nick raised his eyebrow.
“Come on Ash, what does the fortune say?”
“Nothin Nicky, nothing. It’s just a silly fortune” Ashley insisted, doing her best to sound nonchalant.
“Tell me.”
“No, that’s bad luck.”
“It is not. You’re just being stubborn.” Ashley smiled at him innocently and shrugged.
“Tell me. Or I’ll make you tell me,” he warned playfully.
“You will not. I’m handicapped,” Ashley replied innocently, and she stuck her lower lip out in a pout as she indicated to her arm. Nick chuckled.
“Handicapped my ass. I’ve seen you hold Kota, and Bella all at the same time at some point today,” he informed.
“Doesn’t mean it was an easy thing to do. I just can’t stand going a day without holding my babies,” Ashley insisted stubbornly. Nick rolled his eyes in amusement.
“What does the fortune say Ashley Elaine?”
“You really want to know?”
“No, I am just sitting here asking you to tell me what it is because I’m bored and have nothing else better to do” Nick replied sarcastically.
“Well okay, if that’s all then” Ashley shrugged, putting the fortune in her pocket.
“Ashley Elaine Mortenson!” he lectured, and she laughed.
“Okay, okay I’ll tell you.” Nick looked at her expectantly then.
“It says your boyfriend is a nosey ass Backstreet Boy and if he asks you to tell you what this says, you shouldn’t,” She teased.
“It says all of that huh?” Nick asked amused.
“Yup.”
“It even knows I am a Backstreet Boy and everything?”
“Yup. It’s one smart cookie – literally.” Nick laughed and shook his head.
“You’re a brat,” he informed, and with that he dove toward her before she even had the time to react and he grabbed hold of her and playfully pinned her onto her back so he is straddling her and she shrieked. He began tickling her then, in all of the right places that he knows gets her going the most and she erupted into a fit of laughter.
“N-ick-y stoop it that tickles, that tickles!” She pleaded so loudly that he is sure people all around would be able to hear her, and she wiggled about underneath him, struggling to get away. He smirked and slid his hand into her pocket and fished around for the little fortune that he saw her put in there.
“There is NO way you’re getting that fortune!” she informed, and she managed to roll over onto her stomach with him sitting on top of her and tried her best to crawl out from underneath him and he laughed.
“Baby I’ve already got you and there is no way you’re getting away, so you might as well stop struggling.” As her back was turned to him and he couldn’t see her face, she smirked and continued struggling, as she felt him dig even further into her pocket. When he grabbed hold of something, he felt the paper and something else entirely. Something velvety and he raised his eyebrow in curiosity.
“What in the world do you have in your pocket?” He questioned, and she said nothing as he pulled the paper and velvety thing out of her pocket. When he had them out, he held them in the palm of his hand and he stared at the box in confusion. He moved over so he wasn’t sitting on her any longer and he sat down causing her to roll over onto her back again and look at him expectantly. She had planned the whole thing. Knowing he would be nosey enough to want to fish in her pocket for the fortune that she purposely stuck in with the ring if she made him that way. She knows him so well that it all worked out according to plan.
“What is this?” he asked, looking at her with eyes full of question and she smiled at him mysteriously.
“Open it up and find out,” she suggested. He looked at her curiously for a couple of moments, and then opened the box and peered inside to see a silver ring that is designed specifically for men and it reads in small fancy writing: My friend, My love, My soulmate. Just looking at the ring he could feel the tears forming in his eyes but he forced them back as he looked at her.
“You had this made for me?” he asked softly. Ashley nodded quietly.
“That’s my promise ring to you Nicky,” she told him softly. “AJ took me to the mall to get it done…the day after you and I temporarily broke up.”
“You had this made for me when I was being a complete asshole to you?” he asked, the tears now clouding up his eyes. He can’t fight them back now.
“Yeah…you should’ve seen Alex when I asked him to take me. He was incredulous.”
“With good reason. I don’t deserve this ring baby…I was being an asshole and still have not forgiven myself for it.”
“Well…maybe you should, because I have,” Ashley insisted and she sat up and scooted closer to him before wrapping her arm around his neck and he leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers. “You gave me my ring to show me how committed to me you are…and it’s helped me out a lot Nick. I trust you with all my heart…and when you got jealous of Brandon, it only showed me that you need something to reassure you of my commitment too.”
“I should have just believed you when you told me so every single day instead of hurting you.”
“Well…yeah…you’re right about that,” Ashley admitted softly and she wiped away his tears with her finger. “You should’ve believed me. But I know what it’s like to feel like words aren’t enough. You could promise me time and time again that you aren’t going anywhere and for all I know, the next day you could up and leave. Things happen…you can never really be sure. But having this ring…everytime I look down at it, it gives me hope. You know? And reassurance…and you needed that too.”
“I’m not going to up and leave you baby,” Nick insisted.
“Good…because I’m not going to up and leave you either. I’m not going to cheat on you with Brandon…or Pete Wentz…or anybody for that matter. Hell…Brad Pitt could suddenly walk onto his beach and I wouldn’t care. I want you. And I want you to believe that.”
“I do believe you. And there is no way I am going to hurt you the way I did ever again…if I have to see that look in your eyes when I broke your heart again, I won’t be able to live with myself anymore.” Ashley gazed into his watery eyes in silence for a few moments, and then she took the ring from the box and he brought his correct hand up and allowed her to slide it on and he looked down at the engraving on the ring again.
“I thought that that engraving would be perfect. Because you’re my best friend in the whole world, my love, and my soulmate. I wanted you to know that.” Nick gently placed his forefinger and thumb to her chin, titled it up and leaned forward and he brushed his lips lightly over hers as she lay back against the blanket pulling him with her and kissed him back.
“Anymore surprises that you came back with from the mall that day that I still have yet to discover?” he asked between kisses. “Another piercing somewhere that I don’t know about? Or something?”
“No that’s all of them…but you’re more then welcome to search me if you don’t believe me,” she told him, while smirking against his lips. Nick chuckled and he slid the leather jacket off her shoulders, knowing she was only wearing it to hide the tattoo from her mother. And since Denise isn’t there he doesn’t see any need for it at the moment. He brought his kisses down to the front and side of her neck as he slid his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him.
~*~*~*~*~
When RENT ended, Brian and Riley headed out of the Theater hand in hand and Riley looked up at her boyfriend curiously.
“Where to now?” Brian grinned, and indicated toward the horse and carriage directly in front of them with a man sitting in it waiting. Riley gaped at him in surprise.
“That’s for us?”
“Mhm, how does one time around Central Park sound? And then dinner afterwards?”
“Wonderful,” Riley insisted, and he brought her closer to the carriage before taking her hand and helping her inside it. He got in also, and sat next to her and the driver of the carriage set off toward Central Park. Riley rested her head against Brian’s shoulder and he took her hand into his and gently squeezed it.
“I’m glad you’re having fun,” he told her and he kissed the top of her head softly.
“I bet Josh and Chris would love Central Park…we should take them to it tomorrow,” Riley insisted after a few moments of silence and Brian grinned.
“Yeah?”
“Mhm. Though I have to admit, I’m a little afraid of Chris. I’m slowly earning Josh’s trust, but Chris wasn’t a big fan of me either.”
“You’ll do fine I promise,” Brian reassured as he gently rubbed his hand over Riley’s shoulder. “He likes to do what Josh does. If he sees Josh being nice to you, he will too. It might be awkward for him at first…but I know he’ll try.”
“I just want them both to like me.”
“They both will come around soon enough…you’ll see. They have to…because you aren’t going anywhere if I have anything to say about it.” Riley smiled and snuggled into him some.
“You and I have a Batman bed to shop for you know. I made a promise to Josh that I would talk to you about it.”
“Yeah, I’ve been looking all over the place for one, and I can’t find it. I’m going crazy.” Riley sat there thinking for a couple of moments.
“Have you bought the Batman bed sheets yet at least?”
“I just ordered them online yesterday.”
“Good…because if you have that taken care of…maybe we could talk Harry into building the bed part for him.” Brian chuckled a little.
“We won’t have to do much talking into. You know how much Harry likes to build things – especially if its for his nephew that he goes on and on about so proudly to everyone he sees. I want to help him with it though. I wanted the bed to be from me and it won’t be if Harry does all the work.”
“So help him with it,” Riley smiled. “It’ll be a brother bonding…type thing.”
“Lord knows we need more of those,” Brian grinned. “I haven’t spent anytime with just Harry in ages.”
“Well there you go then,” Riley replied amusedly, and Brian cupped her chin in is hand before leaning down and giving her the lightest peck on the lips, but with feeling, before wrapping both his arms around her and bringing her close to him so her head was rested against his chest and together the two of them enjoyed the Christmas lights in Central Park.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
Enjoy =)
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