CHAPTER FOURTEEN
 

~Later That Night~

I sat on my bed in my room staring at the four corners of my hotel room wall. Why did I have to go and piss Michelle off? She said that she forgave me but I know that was just a ploy to get me to stop talking about it. She didn’t say more than two words to me on the bus ride here and she hasn’t even spoken to me since we arrived at the hotel. It’s been more like side ways glances, kinda like she was trying to figure out what exactly to say to me. Tomorrow we are flying to New York to do a benefit concert and it’s going to be a pain if she isn’t talking to me. Hell it’s a pain now and it’s only been a few hours.

I threw myself into a laying position on the bed and let out a huge sigh. Why was it that she could get to me so much? What was it about her that intrigued me to no end? I let out a groan of frustration because there was no way that I had the answers to these questions, well at least not yet anyway. A knock on my door pulled me out of my thoughts and back into reality. I stood up and walked over to the door secretly wishing that Michelle was standing on the other side of it.

When I opened it I was sadly disappointed. AJ stood there looking anxious to talk to someone.

“Hey Bone,” I said stepping out of the way so he could come in.

“Hello,” he said stepping inside, heading to the chair across the room and sitting in it. “Sorry I forgot my key card.”

I ran my fingers through my short hair and sighed shutting the door behind him. We were sharing rooms right now for some odd reason.

“What’s up dude? You look like you need to talk to someone.”

“I don’t know where to begin Nick.”

“How about the beginning?” I stated sitting on the edge of my bed facing him.

“She’s perfect… she makes me laugh and smile. I love talking to her. She is not like any of the other girls I’ve been with and she has the voice of an angel.”

I raised an eyebrow at him completely confused by what he was saying.

“What exactly are you saying J? You have a crush on Michelle or something?”

It was his turn to give me the funny face, “No, she’s more like my best friend. I’m talking about Liz. There is something about her; I don’t know maybe I sound crazy.”

I shook my head knowing that I of all people knew what he is feeling inside.

“Does she feel the same way about you?” I asked trying to help him the best I could.

“I don’t know. Sometimes she acts like she does then other times I just don’t know. I want to get to know more about her, you know, like what makes her smile and laugh. She has the prettiest smile and the cutest giggle…”

I watched as he got a far off look in his eyes and I knew that he was hooked. I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“What’s so funny Nickolas?”

“Nothing, I think you need to talk to Michelle about it. She would know more than what I would.”

“You really think so?” he asked a sparkle forming in his eyes, something none of us guys have seen in a while.

I nodded just watching him.

“Great, I’ll be back!” he said bounding out of our room faster then I could say MCFreakyD, he reached out and grabbed his key card before the door slammed on his arm and he was gone.

I shook my head and laid back down on my bed letting my thoughts consume me again.

* * * *

Here I was lying on my bed staring up at the ceiling bored out of my mind. Liz was down at the pool with Court and a few of the other girls from the tour. I was invited but I really wasn’t in the mood to hang out with anyone. I let out a soft sigh rolling on my side staring out the balcony window. Not talking to Nick was killing me but I was still pissed at him. Yeah I know I told him that I forgave him about jumping to conclusions but saying one thing is easier than actually doing it. Why did he have to be such a jerk?

I let out a loud groan as I rolled over to face the door trying to put my thoughts in order. A loud impatient knocking echoed through my room and I knew that whoever it was wasn’t going to let up and just leave. I crawled out of bed my teddy bear in my arms as I walked over to the door and opened it. I was surprised when I saw AJ standing there looking at the ground.

“What’s up J?” I asked looking at him curiously.

“Hey Shell. Can I talk to you about some stuff?” he asked looking at me through his sunglasses.

“Sure come on in,” I said turning and heading right to the bed setting down on the edge of it setting my teddy bear in my lap while patting the seat next to me.

He followed me shutting the door behind him coming over and sitting next to me.

“So what’s on your mind hun?”

I watched as he looked around the room, which was pretty messy right now beings that not only was I sharing a room with Liz but Court threw her stuff in here, as well.

“Liz,” he said quietly, almost so quiet that I missed it.

“Huh?” I asked not bothering to hold back my surprise. I knew AJ was the type of man that Liz would go for but not in a million years did I think that AJ would be interested in her. She just doesn’t seem to be his type of girl. Liz is very quiet around a lot of people but very outspoken when she’s with people she knows, also she wasn’t into the whole party scene, AJ was the complete opposite of her, in every way.

“Liz, I…I can’t stop thinking of her Michelle.”

“Is that so?” I asked raising an eyebrow up at him.

“Yeah there is just something about her that I am falling for. I want to know what makes her laugh and smile, what makes her cry so I will never make her cry or when she is I can make her smile again,” he said looking at me.

I looked deep into his eyes beings during his speech he took his sunglasses off. I saw deep within them that every thing he was saying was the truth and was coming straight from his heart. I smiled and nodded.

“You want my help I take it?”

“Well actually all I was wondering is if she might possibly feel the same way I do.”

“I believe she does. Why not go down to the pool, that’s where she is right now. You could spend some time with her,” I said bumping my shoulder into his.

He looked at me and I smiled at him looking at him over my shoulder.

“Are you going to go?”

“Nah. I don’t want to.”

“Why not?” he asked staring at me in disbelief.

“I’m not in the mood. I have a lot on my mind besides that I have to finish the music for the benefit concert in two days.”

“And why am I not buying that? You’re pouting because you’re still mad at Nick.”

I shrugged and looked the other way. I wasn’t about to have this conversation with him.

“If you don’t go I’m not going Michelle,” he stately flatly staring at me.

I shot him a wide eyed look, “And why not?”

“Because you need to stop pouting,” he said standing up, “I’ll be back down in five minutes and you better be ready to go,” he said walking to the door and disappearing out of it before I could protest.

I sighed and went to my bag digging out my bikini and heading to the bathroom to change.

* * * *

I sighed looking up from the TV the moment J came bounding through the door and over to where his bag was.

“What are you doing J?”

“Going down to the pool, wanna come?”

I shook my head and he shrugged heading to the bathroom to change.

“Your loss then,” he said grabbing a wife beater and throwing it on before grabbing his wallet and key card from his other pants pocket.

“Go have fun,” I said following him to the door, “I’m just going to sit here and chill.”

“You mean you’re going to stay in here and mope because Michelle is still mad about what happened. Look why not just talk to her,” he said now standing in the hallway.

I stepped out making it to where the door would shut and lock on me, “That is not true,” I protested staring at him in the middle of the hallway.

“It is too true,” he said turning his head all of a sudden down the hallway.

I followed his gaze only to see Michelle emerge from her room wearing only a black bikini and a pair of flip flops. I watched as she looked down at us then turned and started down the hall away from us heading for the elevator.

“As I said your loss man,” AJ said taking off and heading down the hall after her throwing her up over his shoulder when he reached her causing her to laugh and scream as he walked into the elevator with her over his shoulder like that.

I groaned inwardly and looked up at the ceiling, “Why are you being so cruel to me?” I asked while heading back into my room debating on what to do.

* * * *

“ALEX PUT ME DOWN!!!” I screamed as AJ carried me to the pool.

“Let me think about it. Ummm…the answer is…NO!” he screamed as he threw me in the pool.

I surfaced and gave him a dirty look, “Oh you are so dead!” I yelled swimming over to where Liz and Court were floating in the shallow end of the pool.

“Hey Shell!” Court said when I reached them.

“Hey,” I said taking a seat on the steps that lead into the pool.

“What’s up girlie?” Liz asked swimming over to where I was sitting.

“I’m surrounded by men who act their shoe size and not their age,” I said while staring at AJ who was standing on the dive board.

Liz laughed, “What else is new? All men act like that.”

I nodded my head thinking of one in particular that was just like that. I leaned my head back so it was resting on the step above the one I was sitting on.

Out of no where I was pulled under surprising the hell out of me. When I surfaced and looked around I found who I was looking for. AJ was treading water over near Liz and Court. They both looked at me so I signaled them to be quiet as I slowly made my way over to them. Within seconds I had AJ under and was on my way back to my spot in the shallow end.

“Michelle this is war. You know that!” he called to me when he resurfaced.

“Yeah and you just lost it,” I hollered back at him with a smile.

“I might have lost the battle but you’re gonna lose the war,” he called back with the same shit faced grin that I was wearing.

I waved my hand at him dismissing his claim and went back to relaxing. I had my eyes closed when I felt someone get in next to me but I just thought that it was someone else using the pool so I didn’t bother to open my eyes to see who it was.

It didn’t take me long to put two and two together that the person was sitting next to where I was. I still didn’t move an inch to see who it was; I just figured I’d ask to see if I was in someone’s way.

“Am I in your way?” I asked nonchalantly.

“No,” the voice said.

I shot straight up recognizing the voice instantly. I looked at who it was and sighed, “When did you get down here?”’

He shrugged leaning over a little and looking at me, “Not but two minutes ago.”

I stood glaring at him, “Oh,” I said as I turned and headed out of the pool.

“Michelle wait, please.”

Something in his voice made me stop at the chair that my stuff was at. I didn’t bother turning around because I knew he would be standing behind me. Sure enough I felt his hands wrap around my arms turning me around to face him.

“Why?” I asked glaring at him. I didn’t know if the anger I was feeling was because of how I felt or because I was still upset over what happened or if it was a mixture of both.

“Because not talking to you is killing me. I’m sorry, I really am. I just wish you could believe it.”

For the first time I saw the pain in his eyes that he was experiencing. I glanced at the ground determined not to let my feelings falter my decision. I knew deep down that it would never work and I needed to nip it now before anything happened. I looked back up at him my gaze hardening even more.

“You should have thought about that before you jumped to conclusions then Nickolas. I’ll see you around,” I said grabbing my stuff and pushing past him walking at a brisk pace for the hotel lobby door.