Chapter 9

nick quietly entered the hotel room. if emma was asleep, he didnt want to wake her. he closed the door behind him and turned around only to see emma sitting on the bed, staring at something in her hands.

"...emma...?" he went over to her and kneeled down in front of her. he gently lifted her head and saw the tear streaks down her cheeks,"baby whats wrong? did i do something?"

she handed him the letter, her hands shaking.

he took it from her and glanced down at it. he sighed,"yeah, the girl who got the heart wanted to thank me and emily."

she nodded,"its me."

"huh? what do you mean?"

"i have emilys heart."

nick stared at her,"what are you talking about emma?"

she started to cry again,"thats me. that letter...its from me. i got emilys heart nick. thats why you had that feeling you knew me. you did."

he stood up, shaking slightly,"is this some kind of lame joke to get back at me for not thanking you on stage?"

she stood up and pulled the collar of her shirt down so he could see the scar on her chest,"thats from the surgery i had 8 months ago. emily died 8 months ago nick."

he shook his head, not believing it but knowing it was true.

she reached for his hand,"...nick..."

he stepped back from her,"...i cant.." he couldnt get the words out before he turned and walked out of the room.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

amanda knocked on the door to emma and nicks room but didnt get any response. she knocked again, without a response. she shrugged and headed downstairs to the restaurant where everyone was having breakfast.

"hey you guys, has anyone seen nick or emma this morning?" she asked taking her seat beside aj.

they all shook their heads.

"maybe they just slept in late," brian said.

amanda shook her head,"no one is answering the door though. its like theres not even anyone up in the room."

kevin tossed brian the spare key to the room,"go see whats up."

he nodded and stood up.

"wait, im gonna go with you," amanda said standing up.

they headed up to the room and brian unlocked the door and let them in. amanda looked around. nicks backpack and magazines were still sitting on the bed but the bed itself looked like it hadnt been slept in and the majority, if not all, of emmas things were gone.

"oh no..." amanda mumbled.

"whats wrong?"

she sighed,"emma had something really important and personal to tell nick and from the look of this room...the discussion didnt end well."

"okay...im gonna look for nick, you look for emma and we'll meet back down at the restaurant."

amanda nodded and headed off to search the hotel for emma.

brian went around and checked all the other rooms. he checked the pool, the tennis courts, the bar, and all the restaurants. as a last resort he decided to check the busses. he checked his first then kevins, ajs, and finally nicks and emmas. he looked aorund but couldnt find anyone. he sighed and headed of the bus.

"...bri..."

he stopped and turned around,"..nick...? where are you?"

he climbed down from his bunk.

brian looked him over. he was still in his suit from the night before and his hair was a mess,"man, where have you been?" he asked.

he handed brian a note.

"i already rea---"

"no this is from emma."

"...okay...." brian took the note from him and read through it. his eyes widened and she looked up,"she left...?"

nick got a little teary eyed and nodded,"i didnt have to tell her that i love her to lose her i guess."

"nick..."brian led him over to a seat,"what happened last night?"

nick took a deep breath and started to tell him what had happened.

"wait a minute...you walked out on her?"

"i didnt know what else to do!!! she told me she had the heart of my dead girlfriend brian! what was i supposed to do?!"

brian sighed and hugged his friend,"i dunno but we need to go tell everyone else shes gone."

nick shook his head,"i cant. i cant even stay here. everything in this bus reminds me of her. my sheets smell like her. i cant stay here cause its killing me."

brian sighed,"ill tell them. you can stay in my bus."

"thanks..."

brian nodded and headed back inside to the restaurant.

amanda glanced up,"i couldnt find emma, did you find anything?"

brian sighed and nodded,"i found nick."

"well thats good..."howie said.

"but emma is gone," brian continued.

"gone?!" leighanne asked.

"yeah. she left, shes not coming back."

amanda stood up so fast she knocked her chair over,"he did that to her. she tried to tell him something that was hard for her and he wouldnt accept her."

"amanda...did you know the heart she got was emilys?"

"what?"

"what are you talking about?" aj asked, confused beyond belief.

brian sighed,"emma had heart surgery 8 months ago. the heart she received was emilys."

"oh...my...god.." kevin mumbled.

"i have to try and find emma," amanda said heading up to her room.


Chapter 10
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