CHAPTER EIGHT

A week passed, and Laurie hadn't heard anything else from Nick. She still worried about him, but she just took Kori's advice and pushed the feeling back. Kor was right. She wasn't responsible for Nick anymore. He was a grown man. He should be mature enough to make his own decisions.

 
         
Nick stumbled down the street in the rain. He knew exactly where he was headed. It was about midnight, and he'd been drinking since nine o'clock that night. He got bold, and walked down the sidewalk with a bottle in his hand. Eventually, he came to the tall blackgates. "She nev, never did get good security," Nick said to himself. He put his foot on the gate, and as he went to put his weight on it to climb up, he slipped on the wet bar. He cursed at it and tried again. He continued on this way until he finally reached the top of the gates. It wasn't hard to get down, considering he fell. He walked clumsily to the back of the house.

Laurie couldn't sleep. She walked downstairs and flipped the TV on to MTV. She sat on her couch, gazing at a rerun of 'The Real World.' A news break came on, and Laurie watched as Gideon Yago began to talk.

"Singer Laurie Tennant's half-brother Bill recently told MTV how he feels about his sister's success and reveals his hurt about their past," he said.

Laurie sat, shocked, as she watched her half-brother's face appear on the screen. "Well, my daughter's a big fan of hers. I don't really listen to that kind of music, but I'm happy for her and I wish her the best," Bill said smugly.

"But Bill's happiness for his sister is shared with his sorrow for the past," Gideon said.

"Well, we haven't spoken in ten years, since our dad's funeral. I really don't think Dad would have wanted it that way. She's never seen her niece, even though we've tried to get in touch with her. I'd love to get in contact with her again. I miss my sister," Bill said, a look of pain that Laurie could see right through plastered on his over-sized face.

"I didn't even know your wife was pregnant! I found out from the big mouth down the street! You never tried to call me you fucking asshole!" Laurie screamed. She flipped off the TV and stormed to the deck in the backyard. There was a thunderstorm outside and storms always made her feel better. She slammed the door as she went out. She put her face in her hands, trying not to cry. "He's not worth it," she repeated to herself. "Dad doesn't want you to worry about Bill like that. Stop it." The thought of her father was too much, and she burst into tears. It had been ten years, and if Bill had gotten him out of that piss poor hospital, he would have been okay. But Bill had abused her father while he was sick and in the nursing homes, so of course the thought to move their father never passed his mind.

Laurie wiped her eyes and walked closer to the edge of the deck. She took a deep breath, as if by exhaling she would get rid of her pain. She looked out across her yard. It was pitch black, but her eyes had adjusted to the darkness. Something in the distance caught her attention. About four feet from her pool was a heap, of what, she couldn't make out. Curious, she walked toward it slowly. As she got closer, she recognized a mop of blonde hair and broke out in a run.  "Nick? Nick, get up!" she said, kneeling beside him. She put her hand on his chest, and feeling his heartbeat, began to shake him.

"Wake up," she told him. She bent down, and smelled scotch on his breath. She shook him again, this time harder.  "Get up Nick! I need to get you inside, and I can't do it alone. Get up!" she demanded. Nick opened his eyes, looking at her. "Nick, get up. I'm taking you inside," she told him, helping him up. They stumbled inside.

Nick sat down heavily on the couch. He looked at Laurie in the light. Her short silk nightgown was clinging to her, and it gave him ideas. He watched her pull her wet hair back and look at him.  "What were you doing in my backyard?" she asked.

"I, I was going to talk to you," he said.

"And hiding instead of knocking was a better idea because...?" she asked sarcastically.

"Because you wouldn't have let me in," he told her, matter-of-factly.

Laurie shook her head. She handed Nick a towel. Instead of taking it, he grabbed her arm and pulled her down on his lap. "It's been a long time baby," he said.

Laurie tried to stand up, but Nick put his arms around her waist. "Nickolas, let me go. I need to get up," she said with an edge in her voice.

Nick pulled her closer. "No Nick," she said. She pushed his shoulders back and wiggled out of his arms. Nick stood up to pull her back again.

"No Nick, not now," she said. "What's Brian's number?" she asked.

"Why do you care?" he snapped.

"Because I need to talk to him," she said sharply.

"I'm not telling you," Nick said.

"You're acting like a child Nick. You came over here shitfaced and now you won't even give me Rok's number. Grow up. I'll get it myself," she said. She stuck her hand in Nick's pocket, looking for his wallet.

"I like that," Nick said. He slid his hands up and down Laurie's arms. Laurie had the urge to punch him, but she had to get the number. She searched his back pocket, pulling out his wallet this time. As she did, Nick lifted up her face harshly and tried to kiss her.

"Nick, stop it!" she yelled at him. He tried to do it again, and this time Laurie shoved him down on the couch and ran into a guest room with a phone in it. She sat on the bed and calmed herself as she went through Nick's wallet. She pulled out a slip of paper with Brian's Atlanta number scribbled on it. Behind it she found a picture of her and Nick when they were sixteen and on tour. She shoved the picture back in its place and dialed the phone.

"Uh, hello?" Brian said sleepily.

"Not again Brian," Leighanne mumbled in the background.

"Hi Brian. I know it's late, and I'm sorry to bother you, but-" Laurie said quickly.

"Who is this?" Brian asked. He thought he recognized the voice, but he couldn't be totally sure.

"Laurie Tennant. Remember me?"

"Of course! What's wrong Laur?" he asked.

"Um, Nick's over here. He was passed out in my backyard," she told him softly.

"Oh God," Bri said under his breath.

"I, um, I need to know how long this has been going on Brian. He was hung over when I saw him a week ago, and now he's blasted and sitting on my couch."

"Are you ok?" Brian asked. Usually, when Nick got drunk and called, all his anger was directed at Laurie. Lord only knows what he could have done...

"Yea, I'm fine. He didn't hurt me or anything," she assured him.

Brian sighed. "It's been going on for close to two years now. When he was twenty, he'd get drinks when we were in other countries where it was legal, and when he was here, he'd get drunk at my house or the other guys' houses."

Laurie nodded. "He needs help Brian."

"I know. He calls me almost every night, just rambling on about..." he hesitated.

"About what?" Laurie asked.

"About you. How he wants you back, and about how you want to come back," Brian finished.

Laurie turned her head up to the ceiling, looking up and hoping that someone up there would fix this mess. "I'm sorry to bother you Brian. I've got to go make sure he's ok now."

"Ok. And don't let it be something like this that you have to call for next time," he told her.

Laurie smiled a little. "It won't be." She hung up the phone and walked out to her living room. Nick had a bottle of vodka in his hand, and a dangerous look on his face.

"So what did you talk to him about?" Nick asked.

"You," Laurie answered honestly. She wasn't going to lie to protect his feelings.

Nick turned his head to the side.  "What about me?"

"About why I found your drunk ass in my yard," she shot back.

Nick laughed. "You're still the same. Everything's my fault, isn't it?"

Laurie shook her head. "I never said that Nick."

"You didn't have to! I was the reason why you left!" he screamed at her.

"I didn't leave! We both agreed that there was no point in pretending that we could still be together! We both left!"

"Bullshit! I would have stayed if you had wanted me to!"

Laurie turned bright red. "I was afraid of you Nick! You could have hit me that night, you almost did!" she screamed.

"I was pissed off!" he shouted back.

"You trashed our apartment!" she reminded him harshly.

Nick stepped closer to her, so that his face was right in front of hers. "And I'd do it again!" he bellowed, stepping forward so that Laurie was backing into a corner.

"Don't corner me Nick," she warned him. Nick stepped closer. This time, there was a wall stopping Laurie from moving back. "Let me out of this corner," she repeated.

"Why should I?" he asked, putting his hands on her shoulders, pressing them against the wall. Laurie wiggled under his firm grip, but to no avail. As he continued to push her back, she reached up and slapped him across the face.

"Bitch!" Nick screamed, holding his face. "I hate you now like I did then!"

These were the last words Laurie heard that night as she ran up the stairs in tears.