Chapter 27

"Hey, Karen." Brian whispered, "Karen wake up, it's getting late...Karen?"

Karen stirred in her sleep, she heard Brian trying to wake her up. She opened her eyes, "Wake up sleepy head," Brian teased.

"What time is it?" she asked noticing the sky getting dark.

"Almost 8:00 pm."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, we should get going..." Brian said. "Our clothes are dry," he said putting his shirt back on.

"Yeah, it's getting dark," Karen agreed.

They gathered their things and headed for the car.

Meanwhile, Nick was still fast asleep at Brian's place. He was having a dream. Him and Karen were having a wonderful time at a restaurant and all of a sudden, Theresa appeared out of no where yelling at him and crying. Nick immediately woke up. 'Whoa, what was that all about?' he thought, 'Theresa? Karen?' his mind confused now. "What a weird dream that was." he said aloud. 'I wonder if Brian and Karen are back yet.' he thought getting up and headed downstairs. Kevin and Howie were at the kitchen table eating pizza.

"Yo Nick, it's about time you got up, hungry?" Howie asked.

"Did you not get enough sleep last night?" Kevin asked.

"No, hardly got any sleep, I had things on my mind. And Howie, yeah man, I'm starved." Nick replied.

Kevin and Howie looked at each other. "Wanna talk about it man?" they asked.

"Nah, it's okay, I'm cool about it." Nick lied.

"Okay, if you want to talk we're here for you," Kevin offered.

"I know." he said smiling weakly.

'Nick and Brian have been acting really strange lately,' Kevin thought to himself.

Nick sat down and he ate trying to avoid the topic of Karen or Brian's problems because he knew that Kevin was really worried and Nick didn't want to say things that Brian trusted him not to say.

On their way up to the driveway, Karen said to Brian, "These past two days have been great, thanks to you."

"It's not a problem, Karen, I told I'd help and I am trying my best to make you happy." Brian said. "What are friends for?" he smiled.

Karen smiled back. "Thank you for being my friend."

Brian blushed immensely. "Well, let's go inside and put all this stuff away." he said looking at all the things they shopped for.

"Yeah, will you help me?"

"But of course." he said it in a gentleman's voice.

They unloaded the car with bags and bags of clothing and shoes and accessories for Karen.

"I feel so bad for buying all this stuff with YOUR money." Karen said.

"Don't worry about it." Brian said.

'How can he not worry about it? I spent over 3 grand today just buying things for me. He didn't even buy himself anything.' she thought to herself. 'Is he rich or something? The house, the clothes, the money?' she began to get curious. 'Nah, maybe....'

"Ladies first," Brian said as he rang the doorbell. He was holding packages that were piled onto him that he couldn't unlock the door himself. Karen too was holding a pile of bags. So when the door opened they just walked straight up to Karen's room. As they walked in without looking, Brian said, "Thanks, Kev." but it was Nick who had opened the door. He just stood there watching them make their way up the stairs. As the two got to Karen's room, they dropped the bags and packages onto the bed. "Do you need help hanging your stuff and putting them away?" Brian offered.

"No, it's okay, I'll do it. Thank you again Brian." Karen said and went to give him a hug. "You don't know how much I appreciate this. And remember I OWE you big time."

"Karen, not a problem, you don't have to keep saying thank you." Brian laughed. "I KNOW your thankful, plus I'm the KING of gifts and surprises, so be prepared." he joked.

"Yeah that's it." Karen laughed.

"Well, I'm going downstairs to hang with Kev and Howie. Come down when you're done, alright? And we'll get some dinner or something." he suggested.

"Okay."

Brian left her in her room. She sat on he crowded bed. 'Wow, he bought me all this stuff. How can I repay him?' she thought. She got up and opened her walk in closet. She grabbed each outfit and started to hang them up. Slowly her closet was filling up and so were her drawers. She placed her shoes on the racks in the closet. When she was done, she gazed into her now full closet. She closed her closet and sat down on her bed. 'I had a wicked day today, I hope I have many more of these days, no worries, no problems, just fun, fun and more fun.' She looked over onto her dresser, 'Roses? Who are these from?' She walked over to smell them, 'No card. I wonder who they're from?'

Meanwhile, downstairs in the kitchen, "Hey Nick when did you get here?" Brian asked surprised.

"I was here since this morning," Nick said, "And, I opened the door for you just now."

"You did?" Brian's eyebrows curved. "Why didn't you say anything? I'm sorry I called you Kev. I couldn't see over those bags."

"Was all that stuff for Karen?" Nick wondered.

"Yeah, I took her on a little shopping spree. She needed some clothes. So I took her out."

"That's nice of you." Nick said jealously. "Brian, I have one question. Does she know we're Backstreet Boys?"

Kevin and Howie's ears perked up, wanting to know the answer as well.

"Well, she hasn't mentioned anything about it so I take it she doesn't have a clue." Brian mentioned. "So why did you come here today?"

"I came to hang out with Kev and Howie."

"No, you didn't, you never come over unless I was home."

"I didn't know you went out." Nick said.

Kevin didn't want to intrude so he suggested that he and Howie go to the family room to watch someTV.

"But you always call to make sure I'm home first." Brian said curiously.

"I can't come hang with Kev and Howie?"

"Nick, I know you would never come hang with Kev and Howie if I wasn't home, they always watch those old movies. Come on, what's going on?" Brian suspiciously asked.

"Honestly?"

"Yeah honestly."

"I came to surprise Karen..." Nick drifted.

"Surprise Karen?" Brian repeated. "What do you mean?"

"I came to apologize about yesterday, so I decided to come surprise her with roses."

"Roses? Where are they?"

"In her room. Kev put them there."

"Oh," Brian said uncomfortably, 'I totally forgot Nick had feelings for her.'

"Do you think she'll want to talk to me?" he asked his best friend. "Do --?"

He was interrupted by a girl's voice, "Hey Brian, did YOU give me the --" she said as she walked into the kitchen. When she entered, she stopped in her tracks seeing Nick sitting there with Brian. "-- roses?" she finished her sentence. "Umm..sorry, I'll be upstairs," she quickly said and before anyone could say a word, she ran up the stairs and locked herself in her room. 'What's he doing here?' she asked herself.

"Nick, I'm going to go talk to her. Wait for me down here, and I'll convince her to listen to you alright?" Brian suggeted.

"Ok." Nick mumbled. "God, why am I so stupid, why the hell did I put a move on her?"

"Don't be so hard on yourself Nick, she'll understand once you get to explain." Brian tried to say something comforting. "I'll be right back." And he disappeared up the stairs.

Knock! Knock! "Go away!" Karen said, thinking it was Nick.

"Karen, please open the door it's me, Brian."

Karen opened the door for him. "What is he doing here?"

"Apparently he's been here all day, waiting for you."

"Me? What for?"

"Karen, I shouldn't be saying this, but Nick likes you a lot and it hurts him to know that he hurt you. I admit that Nick was an idiot for his actions last night but I can tell that he knows that," Brian explained, "I know he's the last thing you want to see right now, but please give him a chance to explain... I wouldn't be asking you if I knew that he was going to harm you in any way."

Karen just looked at him. "That's what you said yesterday."

"Please, Karen, for me? Talk to him, give him a chance, please." he begged.

"Alright... but what if he does try to hurt me?"

"Don't worry he won't, plus I'll be downstairs if you need me, just holler alright?"

"O --" Karen paused. "Okay."

"I'll go get him, wait right here okay?"

"Yeah." Brian left to go get Nick.

Karen paced around her room, 'Nick was so nice to me before, and then he tried to attack me.' she was worried, 'What if he does it again?'

Knock! Knock! She turned around, there was Nick standing at the wide open door. "Hi." he said.

"Hi," she said looking at the ground.

"Look, I don't want to hurt you, I came to apologize about last night. I was stupid for kissing you, it's just that you're beautiful and I am really attracted to you." Nick said looking at her. Karen didn't look up or say anything to him. Nick walked up to her and lifted up her chin. "Please? Just listen to me, I'm really sorry..." He looked at her with hurt eyes, he quickly turned around as his eyes started to sting, he could feel a tear forming and about to roll down his cheek.

Karen just kept looking at him. 'Is he crying? Guys hardly ever cry and to see him cry...' she thought on, 'He must really care about me, but I can't bring myself to say anything.' She continued to look at Nick, 'No one's cared this much about me to cry about me before.' Her thoughts kept rolling in. 'But.... he tried to... No, maybe I'm being selfish for judging him, maybe it was a harmless kiss.' she thought.

"Karen? I'm sorry I can't do this right now. You must think I'm a wuss for crying." Nick continued. "I know you don't care about me, but I really care about you and I'd do anything to see you smile." he was getting desperate now because everything he said he recieved no response from Karen. "Well, I guess I'm wasting my time and yours so, I'm just going to leave."

As he turned to leave, Karen finally spoke up, "No wait!" Nick quickly turned around and just stood there. "I accept your apology." she forced herself to say.

"You do?" Nick sniffed.

"Yes, I do!" Karen tried to force a smile to show him that she meant it.

"Thank you," Nick said. "I hope we can start all over."

"Yeah, I'd like that."

"Okay, hold on." He walked outside and stood at the door. "Hi, I'm Nick Carter," he said as he held out his hand. "And who are you?"

"I'm Karen," Karen smiled as she reached out to shake his hand.

"Nice to meet you Karen!"

"Do you want to go downstairs to hang with Kev, Howie and Brian?" Nick asked. "I've got to show off my new friend."

"Sure," she said.

The two headed downstairs. "I take it everything is okay now?" Brian said as he saw the big grin on Nick's face. "Did he tell you that he was the one who sent you the roses?"

"You sent them?" she asked Nick.

"Yeah.." he blushed, "To buy your friendship." he joked.

"No, it'll have to take you a closetful to BUY my friendship," she teased him back looking at Brian. (*AN: Get it? Closetful...clothes, Brian, shopping...I know corny.) She smiled and sat down on the couch with the rest of the fellas. 'Maybe this is a start of my new life.' she thought.