Chapter Fifty-five

Nick - "Well we're here." Summer looks out the window and up at this big apartment building. "Not quite what you were expecting is it? I just have a condo here because of business. I want to wait until I know where I want to be until I buy a house of my own."

Summer - "That makes sense." He pulls into a parking garage and then they get out. "This reminds of a movie I saw once." She says when getting out of the car.

Nick - "What the garage?"

Summer - "Yeah." She glances around. "I'm sure it will come to me."

Nick - "Come on." He reaches out for her hand and leads her over to the elevators.

They head up to the sixteenth floor. One this floor there is only four apartments. "Now I'm not sure what kind of mess I have the place in I wasn't exactly expecting company."

Summer - "That's okay. I know you're a boy and having a clean room is a ridiculous idea to you."

Nick - "Well hopefully it's not that bad." He opens the door and lets her go in first.

Well it was a mess just as she knew it would be. At least there isn't dirty underwear on the couch she thinks to herself. "Hey it's actually pretty clean." Nick brags. "Oh good I've got messages."

He runs over and hits the play button.

"You have four new messages." Summer is wandering around his living room.

"Hey Nicky its Jess. Whats up little brother? Thought I'd check in see what you where up to. Hey I need to talk to you so give me a call when you get a chance. Its nothing urgent, I just need to talk to someone, okay. Call me."

Nick - "Have a seat I'll get you something to drink." Summer sits on his couch.

"Nick its your mom. Give me a call when you can I'd like you to come visit you little brother and sisters before you go out on yet another tour okay. Love you bye."

"Nick...its Rebecca again...look I know you're not returning my calls..." Nick quickly hits the next button.

"Hey Nicky its Jess again. Look, don't worry about it. I'll call Loren. Its more of a girl thing that you probably wouldn't be able to help me with. Besides I don't think you would give me the impartial opinion I would be looking for, but I still love you lots. Bye."

"end of messages."

Nick - "Here. I don't have much besides soda." He hands her a can of Pepsi.

Summer - "Thanks." He looks awkward for a moment and he knows she heard the beginning of the message from Rebecca. "You should probably call your friend Jess. She sounded kind of upset."

Nick - "Nah Jess is fine. Trust me if she said not to worry about it I'm not. Besides she knows I suck at giving advice."

Summer - "Okay." She sips her soda.

Nick - "Um, Summer the other call..."

Summer - "So what are we going to do while I'm here?"

Nick - "I want to explain that other call."

Summer - "Nick you don't have to. You and I don't have any kind of relationship. I still have a boyfriend remember."

Nick - "I wish I could forget." They sit in silence for a couple minutes. "So whats going on with us?"

Summer - "I still don't know. I haven't talked to Brett in like two weeks, but he doesn't deserve for me to break up with him over the phone."

Nick - "So you are going to break up with him?"

Summer - "I don't know. But if I did break up with him I don't know if I can be with you."

Nick - "Why not?"

Summer - "Because you wouldn't be around. I would miss you too much while you where gone. And then I would always worry about the 'Rebeccas' you would meet on the road."

Nick - "If I had you. I wouldn't need them."

Summer - "Yeah you say that now. How about we do this. When we get time to be together, like we are now, we don't think about where this might lead. We'll just be together for the day okay."

Nick - "Okay."

Summer - "Good." He runs his hand up her back and kisses her unexpectantly. He then rolls her over and lies on top of her while he kisses along her collar bone. While his hands slide up under her tee-shirt. A voice inside Summers head is telling her she should make him stop, but she is enjoying his touch too much to make him stop.

Thankfully the phone rings and saves her. Nick groans and answers the phone, "hello?"

AJ - "So what's for dinner?"

Nick - "Hey AJ. Um I don't know let me see what I got."

Nick heads to the kitchen. Summer lies on her back for a couple minutes until something pokes her in the back. She reaches between the cushions and pulls out the TV remote. Glad it wasn't something else. She turns on the tube and starts looking for something to watch.

AJ and Howie both come over for dinner. Nick made hamburgers on a grill he has on his balcony. At the end of the night Summer went home with AJ even though she knew Nick wanted her to stay with him.

She stayed in Orlando with AJ for four days. Summer and Nick didn't really get a chance to spend that much time alone. It seemed like AJ and Brian had it planned so that one of them was around at all times. The last night that Summer was at AJ's Nick came and spent the night. It was nice falling asleep in his arms and in the morning Summer didn't want to leave.

Nick went with AJ to take her to the airport. She hugged AJ first. He looked down at her and saw the tears in her eyes.

AJ - "I know those aren't for me."

Summer - "Yes they are. I just got used to seeing you first thing in the morning. You've always been my best friend. I didn't realize how much I missed you until I saw you again."

AJ - "Any time you need me, you just call, I'll come and get you myself if I have to." He hugs her close and kisses the top of her head. "I'll miss you too."

Summer - "I love you Lexy."

AJ - "I love you too, Lily." He pulls her away a little and wipes her eyes. "Come on say good bye to Nick."