Chapter 6

nick nervously paced the empty hotel room waiting for asia to arrive. after he had called her, he had gone and rented a separate room for them to talk without any interruptions, especially from mandy.

a few minutes later there was a knock at the door. he took a deep breath and went to answer it. he frowned slightly,"aj....."

"hey frack."

"aj, what are you doing here? i got this room so you WOULDNT be able to bug me."

"well i came to see if you had talked to her yet...." aj said glancing past him into the room.

"no. aj, come on. just go ba--"

"nick...?"

nick saw asia standing behind aj and managed to smile,"hey, come in."

aj smiled and moved out of the way,"hey asia. so...did you come here alone or...."

asia smiled,"shes at the other room."

he smiled,"thanks." he glanced at nick,"good luck," he said before heading back to the other room.

asia smiled then turned to nick,"hey."

he smiled nervously and let her into the room,"thanks for coming."

she nodded and followed him in,"no problem. you sounded a little upset so i didnt mind. whats up?"

"well i...um...uh...i...do you have a boyfriend?" he asked suddenly.

asia looked at him, a confused look on her face,"well...no..."

"...oh...okay..."

asia looked a little more confused,"thats why you asked me down here...? i would have told you that over the phone...."

he shook his head.

asia looked at him, now slightly concerned,"nick, are you okay. your all red and flushed. your hands are shaking as well."

nick glanced at his hands and quickly shoved them in his pockets,"um...well..."

"nick...take a deep breath and start from the beginning"

nick nodded, took a deep breath, and said a silent prayer,"well...i guess...today when i met you at the signing you seemed really cool and normal. not like most fans. i mean, you didnt scream in my ear when i said or did anything and that was a relief. well after we left and went back to the dressing rooms i had this really weird feeling that something was going to happen." he took another breath,"so...i invited you guys to the after party hoping to have another chance to see you. then when we got to sit out on the balcony for those few minutes, i dont know, it was really nice. i havent felt that...comfortable with anyone in a long time." he paused for a minute and glanced at her.

"no, please, continue. im listening."

he nodded,"well...after you guys left i went up to my room to just think. and it took me a few minutes but then i finally realized it."

"what?"

"why i felt so comfortable around you. why i had never felt like that around anyone. i like you asia. not just like, like i saw your picture and thought you were cute," asia blushed slightly and he managed to smile. "but felt a connection to you. like ive know you all my life and just now found you."

"wow...."

"i know i probably just scared the living daylights out of you by telling you all that but i had to get it out."

she nodded silently, trying to think about everything he had said.

nick glanced at her and sighed, taking her silence as a bad thing.

"thats...wow...but wait. nick...what about your girlfriend...?"

"mandy? i dont know. i havent told her yet. asia the only thing i could think about when i realized how i felt was that i had to tell YOU as soon as possible. even if you dont feel the same way i had to tell you. "

asia glanced at him and smiled,"you know, your very cute when your passionate about something."

he blushed,"so thats a good thing right?"

she nodded and hugged him.

he hugged her tightly,"and this hug...its a good thing as well right? not a 'poor puppy, i feel sorry for you' hug."

asia started to laugh,"yes its a good thing. it means i feel the same." she sat back slightly and looked into his eyes,"so what does this mean for US though?"

"that we at least give 'us' a shot....? maybe...?"

she smiled and laughed slightly,"yeah."

"yiiii..." he mumbled and kissed her on the cheek.

she started to giggle,"what was that carter?"

nick blushed slightly,"nothing."

asia started to laugh,"i heard that."

he stuck his tongue out at her and started to tickle her,"dont laugh at me."

"i cant help it. its so easy."

nicks jaw dropped and he started to pout.

asia tried not to laugh,"oh the poor baby. im sorry." she gently kissed him on the lips.

nick sighed and closed his eyes. a few moments later they were interrupted by pounding on the door.

"nick open the fucking door!!!"

nick and asia jumped apart and nick stared at the door.

"...nick...?"

"thats mandy."

asia nodded,"i figured...what should i do?"

"nothing. stay here. you didnt do anything wrong." he kissed her on the cheek and went to answer the door. "what mandy?" he asked only opening the door slightly.

"what are you doing in there with that girl?!"

"how do you know im with a girl?"

"im not stupid nick. her friend is in the sitting room with aj and you mysteriously disappear. hmm wonder where. now let me in the damn room!!"

"what for....?"

"so i can beat her ass!"

nick managed not to roll his eyes,"mandy....listen to me. if you lay a finger on asia ill get you arrested. just go back to the room and ill come and talk to you in a minute."

mandy thought for a minute,"fine." she said and turned back down the hallway.

nick sighed and closed the door,"stay here k? im gonna talk to her and ill be right back."

she nodded and nick opened the door. he was pushed back as mandy forced her way past him and over to asia.

"what the hell do you think your doing?"

asia looked at her like she had lost her mind,"i was actually invited here. whats your excuse?"

mandys face turned slightly red and she pulled back her hand to slap asia.

asia raised an eyebrow,"go ahead. im not some scared little teeny bopper. your not going to scare me by threatening to slap me. and your NOT going to scare me away from nick."

nick grabbed mandys wrist before she could him asia. "mandy stop before you do something stupid."

"i already have," she said trying to pull her wrist away. "i wasted my time dating you."

nick frowned and let go of her wrist.

"you know what, i dont care if i do something stupid," asia said. she glanced at nick,"if this makes you hate me and never want to see me again, fine but i cant just let her talk to and about you like that." she stood up and slapped mandy across the face, "GET OUT."

nick stood there in shock while mandy glared at her,"you bitch."

"call me what you want but you deserved that."

mandy put her hand to her now red cheek,"nicky~~~"

nick looked at her and burst out laughing,"please. im suppose to feel sorry for you now?!"

"you...ugh!!!" she shrieked and rushed out of the room.

asia glanced at nick,"im sorry but i couldnt let her say those things to you. i couldnt just stand her and let her hurt you like that. yell at me, tell me to get out, do what you want. i just had to do that."

"asia..."

"what?"

"shut up," nick said as he leaned over and kissed her.