I spent the next couple of days thinking about what I wanted to do. I also thought about what he said on the phone 'Love you'. I haven't heard those words in a very long time and I hoped that wasen't the last time I was going to hear them, especially from Nick. It can't be that hard to make a decision, can it? Then again considering the welfare of my daughter and what it could and would do to her if he were to leave. But I would never know if I didn't try. I had given Alexis her bath and put her to bed. I sat at the kitchen table with the phone in front of me, deciding whether or not to call him. I took a deep breath and picked up the phone dialing his number.

Nick was dead to the world, he was trying to get some sleep before the awards show they had to go to that night. He was waken up by his cell ringing. He groaned turning on his back putting his arm over his eyes. He was hoping whoever it was would just give up and hang up, but the ringing continued. He uncovered his eyes and leant over to the nightstand to pick it up. He flipped it open and answered not even seeing who it was. "Hello?," he asked in a sleepy voice his eyes still closed "Nick?," I asked hoping I wasn't interrupting anything "Dee...," he said opening his eyes sitting up resting against the headboard of the bed "Am I interrupting something?" "No," he said rubbing his eyes "I was getting some sleep before the awards show," he yawned "or trying to." "Oh I'm sorry.....you want me to let you go?" "No it's ok really.....is everything ok?" "Yeah everything is fine, Alexis is fine too." "That's good." "Yeah but thats not why I called you. I called you to tell you that I thought about what you said." "You mean about us?" "Yeah us....," I let my words hang in the air for a moment "I just hope I'm doing the right thing cause I don't want to get hurt again." "Trust me," he said sitting up further "I would never hurt you Dee, never. I'm not like that." "I know....." "I don't want to force you Dee. If your not ready then your not ready. I like you and I want to be there for you and Alexis, take care of you, love you, that is if you'll let me." I sat and listened to him talk, he wanted to take care of me and love me? Wow wasn't expecting that one. "Dee are you still with me?" "Yeah I'm here." "Maybe I shouldn't have said the L word huh?" "No its not that its just it's been quite a while since I've had that said to me. But when I hear someone say it I want them to mean it, really mean it Nick." "I know this sounds crazy but I do mean it Dee. I'm falling in love with you and I want to be with you always. I just hope that in time you can learn to trust me." I smiled when I heard him say that, he was really too sweet. "Ok Nick." "Ok....ok what?" "Ok...let's give us a try I'm willing to try if you are." "Really? are you sure? cause if your not we can....," I cut him off "Nick I'm sure I really need to learn to trust again and I'm hoping that person will be you." "I hate to cut this short but we've been talking for almost an hour now, and I really need to get some sleep before this show. So um....I guess I'll call you tomorrow then?" "Yeah ok tomorrow, sweet dreams." "They will be," he said smiling "Night Dee." "Night Nick."

I hung up and smiled as I got up from the table. The only thing I wasn't sure of was this long-distance thing, but I'm guessing it will all be worth it. I walked into the living room and sat on the couch picking up the remote. I flipped through a couple channels till I found something worth watching.

Nick's Point of View:

Nick hung up his phone and placed it on the nightstand. She said yes, he knew she would. He was going to get her to trust him no matter what he had to do. He wasn't going to break her heart not like her ex-husband did, no way. He cared for her, no he loved her.

He layed back down putting his hands behind his head staring up at the ceiling. There was no way he was going to sleep now, not with her on his mine. He got up with a blanket in hand and sat on the couch turning on the TV. He fell asleep like that. But it wasnt long after he was waken up again, not by the phone this time, but by pounding on his door. It was Kevin yelling at him to get his ass up and ready. "Ok!," Nick yelled as he got up and headed to the bathroom. He washed up and got dressed. He met the guys down at the limo waiting for them, he climbed in and sat next to Brian. "Hey Nick," Brian said giving him a playful smile "Hey B." "You look rested," Brian said as he watched Nick yawn "Yeah well I was waken up twice," he said giving Kevin a look as the limo pulled off "Twice? you mean besides Kev?" "Uh huh....Dee called me...," he said looking out the window "Oh she did? what did she want?" "Just to tell me that she tought about what I said and that she was willing to give us a try," he said turning around to look at his best freind "Oh really?" "Yeah but shes really scared to get hurt again. How do I make her see that I wouldn't do that to her?" "Just let her know your there for her and tell her you love her, thats what I do with Leighanne. And look at us," he said smiling looking over at Leighanne who was sitting beside him "I've been telling her that for the past couple of days but it feels like she doesn't want to hear it." "Nick listen to me, shes been hurt ok? It's going to take her a while to even trust you let alone love you. And it might not only be herself shes worried about, it could be her daughter too." "Alexis?" "Yeah she has a child with another man, a man who left her and Alexis, I'm betting she doesn't want you to hurt her like her father did." "You know me B I wouldn't do that." "I know that but Dee doesn't, we know you inside and out. We know all the good and bad things about you. Just give her time and she will learn to love the person, the man that we love like a brother," Brian said putting his hand on Nick's shoulder as Nick looked at him "Thanks Brian." "No problem Nicky, you know were all here for ya," Brian said patting his shoulder

They arrived at the show moments later. All five of them got out and made their way inside. They walked up the red carpet, people screaming, cameras flashing. Luckily for Nick he was used to this. Reporters were asking them questions left and right. One question was directed towards Nick. "I'm sorry what was your question again?," Nick asked over the loud screams of the people "We were just wondering how come you don't have a date?" "Well.....she couldn't be here with me...," he didn't really want to say that but it was too late the reporters wanted to know who he was talking about "She? And who might this she be Nick?" "Let's just say shes a good friend at the moment...," Nick said as his bodyguard pushed him to get going "What the hell was that?," Kevin asked when they got inside "What was what?," Nick asked looking at Kevin "That out there, who is she?" "None of your business." "You are my business Nick, when you go around talking about a woman that can't be here with you I make it my business." "Just a girl I met." "A girl you met and where did you meet her?" "Kevin don't...," Kristen pulled on his arm "Nick will tell us when he's ready, lets just take our seats." "Ok," Kevin said letting Kristen pull him away "Don't worry about him," Brian said from behind Nick "you tell him when your ready, come on," he said putting his arm around Nick's shoulders as they walked to their seats.