CHAPTER FOUR

Nick ran his hands through his hair. He decided that he needed to relax, so he was heading downstairs to the pool. The hallway leading to it reeked of chlorine, and it made his nose itch. He pushed through the doors, and stopped so quickly that he almost fell on the slippery tile. He simply stood, frozen in place, looking at her. Damn it, I can't get away from her at all! he thought. He watched as she surfaced from under the water, wiping the droplets away from her eyes.  He didn't move fast enough, and as she opened her eyes, she saw him staring at her.
 
Laurie cocked her head to the side, looking at Nick. "Well, are you just going to stand there or are you coming into the water?" she asked. The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.
 
Nick walked toward the water, trying to look at anything but her. He set a towel on a chair, and stood at the edge of the pool. He suddenly felt uncomfortable, wearing nothing but his swimming trunks around Laurie. Eventually, and with what seemed to him great effort, he slid into the water. He was initially shocked by the temperature, but as he swam around, he warmed up.
         
"I should have realized you'd come down here," Laurie said to him. She paused, considering what she was going to say next. "I don't mean to make you uncomfortable or anything." She suddenly became furious with herself for saying it. "Even though you're the one that tried to embarrass me on national television," she added.

Nick chuckled, then saw that Laurie actually looked a little hurt by his comments. "I'm sorry. It was a stupid thing to do."

"You're right. I thought we left on good terms Nick," she said, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"We did. It was just me being immature," Nick explained softly. He swam over to her. "Are you ok?"
         
Laurie looked into his blue eyes. For a minute, she could almost feel the way she'd felt when she was in his arms, laughing with him, kissing him...  "Yea, I'm fine." She got a mischievous look in her eye. She splashed water at him, laughing.
         
Nick choked on the water, then splashed back. Soon, the pool was filled with tumultuous waves. After a while, Laurie stopped, soaked. "Are you cold?" she asked, her teeth chattering a little.
         
Nick paused and realized he was. "Yea, you want to go into the hot tub?" he suggested, biting his tongue afterward.
         
"Sure," Laurie said with a smile. He helped her out of the pool. As she walked toward the hot tub, he looked at her bathing suit. It was a black bikini with a silver dusting on it. He not only liked the way it looked on her, he liked the view he was getting.
         
"I like your bathing suit," he commented.
         
Laurie blushed at the comment, then spun around to thank him. As she did, her foot flew out from beneath her. She would have fallen if Nick hadn't caught her. She looked up into his eyes. For a moment, neither of them said anything, they just looked at each other. Then Laurie realized she was only inches away from his face, his lips. Her color rose as she felt his arms around her.
         
"Ahem," Nick said, letting her go. "You ok?"
         
"Yea, yea, thanks," she said quickly.  She felt like small shocks of electricity were going through her body. It was a feeling she hadn't felt in three years. It was a feeling she'd missed.
         
Nick followed her into the hot tub without saying a word. He'd missed being able to hold her. She'd always felt so right in his arms. He didn't know how else to explain it. It was just right.
         
They sat down in the water on opposite sides of each other. They relaxed, feeling at ease with the distance between them. Neither said a word for a long time.
         
"So how are the guys?" Laurie asked.
         
"They're fine. A.J's doing a lot better since he got out of rehab. He's happier," Nick said.
         
"I was kind of shocked when I heard about it, but I'm glad he's doing ok." She thought of the clips of Nick crying she'd seen when the group announced it. She remembered how she wanted to hold him, to make him feel better. "I miss them," she said wistfully, thinking of the times they'd all shared.
         
"Yea, we, they miss you too. You should call them," Nick told her.
         
"I don't want to put them in a weird spot or anything," Laurie explained.
         
"You wouldn't be.  You're still their little sister."
         
Laurie shrugged. She did miss the guys. They always had a blast together. And Nick was right; they did treat her like a little sister. She leaned her head back, the ends of her long hair falling into the steaming water. She straightened her head and looked at Nick.  She never thought that she'd be anywhere with him again. Yet, here she was, sitting in a hot tub with him.
         
"Hey, you still live in Tampa?" Nick asked. He already knew that she still lived in the same place she had since she'd moved out, but he was just looking for an excuse to hear her voice.
         
"Yea, I love it there. I don’t see me living anywhere else," she told him.
         
Nick nodded. He looked at the clock on the far wall. It read 12:42. "Damn, it's late."
         
Laurie eyed the clock. "Yea, it is.  My flight's early too. I should head upstairs." She stood up and reached for a towel. Nick walked over to the chair he'd set his on. Laurie's gaze followed him. She cocked her head a little, then turned around when Nick faced her so he wouldn't know she'd been staring. Honestly, she couldn't help it. She sighed and headed for the elevator, Nick following her. "What floor are you on?" she asked.
         
"Six," he told her, pushing the button.
         
"Me too," she said. It was all too weird. Everywhere she went, he was there. "Hey, what's your flight number?" she asked, curious.
         
"Uh, 7411, I think," he said hesitantly.
         
You've got to be kidding, she thought. "That's mine too.  You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say someone wanted us back together."
         
Nick looked at her with his gorgeous blue eyes. "I think that might be a good idea," he said so softly and tenderly it made Laurie's heart twist in her chest. Those were the words she'd been dreading all day long.

They were the words she didn't want to have to answer.