[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
Chapter 13

"Baby?" Nick muttered next morning, Amanda laying her head across his bare chest...fast asleep with her arm draped across his waist.

"Mmmm?" she said as he kissed her forehead. They could hear his Blackberry ringing next to the bed. Nick reached over and picked it up, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"Nick where the hell are you? You were supposed to be here last night!" Howie's voice shouted. Amanda frowned, now fully awake as she heard the manager tell Nick off for missing his plane last night.

"Sorry, something came up. I'm leaving he house in a few. I will catch another flight." Nick said. Amanda sat up in bed and watched him get up, wearing only a pair of black boxer shorts.

"Baby, you can't go." Amanda begged him as he began dressing himself. The baby kicked and she held her stomach, she was so worried it would come while Nick was away and had a bad feeling about Nick leaving Florida to go to Los Angeles.

"I'm sorry but I have to. I can't miss this flight, Howie's gonna kill me. I got press later tonight." Nick said, pulling on a grey shirt. Amanda followed him downstairs and he kissed her goodbye before reaching for the doorknob.

"Mmm...babe...I gotta....I gotta go..." Nick said as she overtook his mouth again. Part of him wanted to just stay and not go to California at all, but his phone began to ring again.

"Please, Nick...I need you here." Amanda said, holding his hand tightly.

"It's only gonna be for a few weeks, I will be home soon. Aaron and AJ are here, Brian's a street over. You will be fine." Nick told her with a smile. He kissed her cheek and ran out the door. Amanda stood at the door, watching it as if he were going to come back inside, but she heard the taxi pulling away.

"Amanda, why are you crying?" AJ said, putting an arm around her.

"He left, AJ....he promised he'd be here for the baby being born...he can't miss this." Amanda said.

"Nothing bad is gonna happen. Don't worry, you're just paranoid." AJ reassured her, rubbing her back gently.

"You don't understand." she sobbed as he tried to comfort her.

"What am I supposed to understand, Amanda? Nick's only going to be gone for a few weeks, the baby isn't due for a while." AJ said. He led Amanda to the couch, calming her the best that he could but she was upset the rest of that night without Nick being there.

Nick landed in LA a few hours later feeling drained. For some reason he felt like he shouldn't be here, especially this close to the end of Amanda's pregnancy. He got a coffee at the airport and headed to the meeting with his record company. Nick had left RCA about a year or two ago and was now working on building his own label. Nick had learned a lot since he first got his record deal at 18. Going on 27 now....he knew things were better done on his own terms. With this new album, he was in charge. Nick picked the songs, Nick wrote them and picked the producers. Nick picked the design of the album cover....the clothing he would wear, the poses for the pictures. The album was about to be released and he sent Amanda the first copy, a tradition they did since he first got signed. He had also directed his own music video, something he was excited about. Nick was definitely growing up.

"Nick how's it feel to be married now?" Ryan Seacrest asked him on his radio show.

"It feels awesome. I have loved this girl for a long time and I am just excited to live the rest of my life with her. We are very happy." Nick smiled. He saw a text from her and grinned more.

I really wish you'd come home...

Babe sry got a lot 2 do out here, I'll call u later. In an interview with Ryan on air.

Okay, love you.

Nick put the phone down and smiled.

Amanda sat on the couch, feeling the discomfort from the baby making her nauseous. It was kicking again and had been bothering her since Nick left two weeks ago. She was in the middle of her ninth month and her belly was looking like a basketball, causing her a lot of discomfort on her back.

"This just came for you." Aaron said as he ran in the room with the mail. Amanda took the mail and smiled at the package wrapped in brown paper.

"What is it?" Aaron asked, watching her open it.

"Nick's album...." Amanda said with a smile. He looked so grown up on the cover, wearing a serious expression in the black and white photo. She turned it over, admiring the shirtless picture on the back cover.

"Put it into the CD player, I want to listen to it." Amanda said. Aaron gave her the remote and left the room, running into AJ in the kitchen as Nick's voice drifted into the room.

"Where are you going?" Aaron asked.

"I have to go to work for a little bit." AJ said. He laughed when Aaron's eyes went wide.

"Aaron you're old enough to handle this. I won't be gone long, she's being entertained by your brother and the baby isn't due for a couple weeks." AJ told him. Aaron grinned weakly.

"Okay, but what if she goes into labor?" Aaron asked.

"Call 911 immediately. Call Nick and then call me. Trust me, nothing bad is going to happen." AJ said. Aaron watched the door close and went back into the living room, sitting down on the couch and taking out his Nintendo DS. Amanda looked content, listening to the music and her fingers tapping against her stomach. AJ was right. What could possibly go wrong?