Chapter 89
Nick drove Jersey away from the house while she explained what had just happened
on the phone. She told Nick who Will was, and the kind of person he was. Will had been Jersey's serious boyfriend
back home, but she soon realized how he acted, and broke it off with him. She cared for him back then, but after they
broke up he started to become more like a stalker, and that freaked her out. When she left home and started her singing
career, he had never even crossed her mind at all, until that phone call. Now he was going to the Carter's, where
Aaron was, and Jersey had run off with Nick. She shook her head, and dialed Aaron's cell phone number.
"Hello?"
"Aaron, it's me...ok I've gotta be quick, but there's this guy and he's gonna be
there soon and-"
"I know Jersey." He sounded agitated.
"You know..?"
"Yeah, he's right here....and you're with Nick...why is that?"
"He took me away because Will was saying he was coming there, so we left.
I'm sorry."
"Yeah, well I gotta go I need to get this guy outta here."
"Ok..I love you Aaron, I'm really sorry."
"Yeah, sounds like it. Bye."
"Aaron, don't....please don't be mad at me."
"Too late."
Jersey heard a dial tone, and then ended the call. She looked out the window
as a tear ran down her cheek. Right after they make up...and she messed it up. She wiped the tear away quickly
and looked down. Nick saw her crying, and rested his hand on her knee.
"What'd he say?"
"He's pissed....I can't believe i'm so stupid! I can't do anything right with
him, I just keep messing up and pushing him away." She let her tears come freely now, and looked away from Nick.
"Jersey, don't say that....hey..." He tilted her head toward him.
"This whole thing was not your fault. If he's gonna be like that then let
him, but don't let him make you cry. He's not worth it."
"I just don't feel worthy. I feel like I'm not good enough or something..."
"If you're feeling that way then he's doing something wrong, not you. You
are so much more than he deserves Jersey. You're more than what any guy deserves. How he could ever make you feel
like that is totally wrong, and beyond me."
Jersey looked Nick in the eyes, and he wiped her tears.
"I would never make you feel that way. It's not right. A girl like you
doesn't deserve to feel that way. Not even for one second."
Jersey grabbed Nick's hand and smiled.
"Thank you. You're my strength Nick. I don't know how or why, but it
seems like when I fall, and feel like I'm going to break, you're here to pick up the pieces. You've given me more than
anyone could ever wish for."
Nick blushed, looked away, and leaned in to kiss her. Jersey backed away at
first, but then leaned forward and kissed him. After all of the fighting and promises broken...they still kissed.
Nick drove them to a secluded beach where they walked barefooted on the sand and talked about their problems. They sat
down on the sand and Nick told Jersey what had happened the night of suprise from Aaron on the island. Tears came
to her eyes. She pushed Nick over and started kissing him, and that night, it finally happened. They made love
under the sunset for the first time. Knowing it was wrong, and knowing they would have to face consiquences. They
did it anyway, because after all this time, Jersey realized that her bond with Nick was so strong. It was the bond of
a friendship. A bond that Jersey hadn't felt with Aaron. And when Nick and Jersey were together, it was love.
It was making love; a term Jersey had never known the meaning of until that night. That one night that could ruin everything
with Aaron. That one night that could also be a new beginning. Only time would ever tell.
Chapter 90
Nick cuddled Jersey under a blanket on the private beach. He kissed her shoulder
softly and watched her.
"So how are we gonna do this...." He whispered.
"I have no idea..." Jersey whispered back.
"Are we like..not gonna tell him?"
"I've gotta tell him...I mean...I can't not tell him. I care about him too
much to not tell him anything. I just....I don't know....I don't know anything."
"Jersey I don't want that to be a one night stand. I have loved you for so
long, and now that I've finally got to be with you...I don't wanna just pretend it never happened..."
Jersey shook her head softly.
"Nick...it won't be a one night stand. I never ever thought I could be with
you like that...but I mean...I care about you. I don't just sleep with anyone, I really care about you. And what
happened...it was meaningful to me Nick. It was a feeling that I've never had with Aaron. But...Aaron...."
Nick sighed.
"Jersey I don't know what you're gonna do. I can't make you do anything.
But I love you. And last night was beautiful. And you're beautiful. You know I'll never treat you wrong."
He kissed her forehead softly.
"Now would be the perfect time for one of those break
up songs to play, and then it would show Aaron at home, looking all sad like i'm the evil villain."
"Aw baby, don't say that." Nick said, brushing her hair away. He pulled
her closer and she held on to him even tighter.
"I'm so screwed."
Nick and Jersey drove back to the house. Where Aaron sat on the front porch.
Jersey's stomach started to turn. Nick dropped her off and left. He knew they needed to talk. He had the
phone in his hand and looked tired. She walked up to him, but he didn't stand up he just looked at her. She started
to cry and it scared him. He kept looking at her.
"Aaron I did something really bad." She was crying really bad now, and he
still just looked at her.
"What did you do?"
"I did the worst thing I could ever do...."
Tears came to his eyes now, as his mind filled in the blanks.
"You had sex..."
Jersey nodded.
"With Nick..."
She nodded again, tears running down her face as Aaron's tears ran down his own
face.
"Of all the people in the world..."
"Aaron i'm so sorry...it was just...it just happened."
"Get the hell out!"
She looked at him without moving. He yelled even louder.
"Get out!"
She turned and ran. She didn't know where she was going, but she just ran.
She knew that Aaron could never forgive her. She couldn't even forgive herself. She didn't know where to go except
to the studio, where she wrote and recorded her new song that was directed to Aaron entitled "Where Do We Go From here?"
She felt lost without him, but she knew that she would have to deal with this when
she was with Nick. She knew there would be a price to pay. The most expensive price of all. The love
of her life.
Chapter 91
Slow. Everything was slow now. She walked slow, ate slow, thought slow.
The days just dragged on. It was as if she had nothing to live for. Nick called her every day, but most of the
time she didn't even pick up. She didn't want to talk to him. She didn't want to even think of him existing.
It was because of what had happened with him that her life was nothing. And the nothing lasted a long time. Months
dragged on. She sang, wrote, recorded, performed, but no one could ever know how she felt inside. No one could
see her heart. As time went on she saw tabloids, placing Aaron and Nick with different girls. She didn't really
believe them, but secretly she had doubt. It was easier for her to believe that they had moved on. Nick started
calling less and less. She had a void in her heart. An empty space where Aaron had fit so perfectly. She
looked through pictures and notebooks with things about Aaron. Songs he had written her. One memory finally broke
her. She found a small piece of paper, folded in a shoe box. It was the note that Aaron gave her the night they
met. She let her tears fall as she thought of everything they had, ruined by a single night of stupidity. She
left Florida. She had to. She went to New York without her parents, but she was never alone. She
constantly had band members and friends over. She got an apartment and started living life after Aaron. Finally,
a year had gone by. Jersey was working on her second album, and the thought of Aaron wasn't as painful as it had been.
She could think about him, and smile at the times they had shared. Jersey was turning 16 soon, which put Aaron at 17
and Nick at 25. Her career was sky-rocketing and everything was so close to perfect it scared her. There was just
one thing that she had been needing for so long. Closure. There had been no closure with Aaron and Jersey.
Yes, he told her to get out, and she ran, but there was no complete closure. Her heart needed that to fully move on.
That's why she decided to make the call. And she couldn't be happier that she did.
Chapter 92
He sounded different. That's what she was thinking when he answered the telephone.
Just a simple 'Hello' and she could tell that his voice was different. She couldn't figure out what it was, but it was
definately different. There was silence, and he repeated the 'Hello'.
"Hi...um, Aaron this is, Jersey."
"Oh...hi."
"I know that this is awkward. But I just...I need to talk to you and I was
just wondering if we could maybe meet up."
Aaron was taken back. He never expected to hear from Jersey again after his
yelling and screaming at her. He swallowed hard, and blinked a few times before answering.
"Uh yeah sure. Yeah that'd be fine. Uh, where do you wanna meet at?"
"Well I'm in New York right now, but um...I can get down there I guess."
"No don't be silly, I'll come to you. I was supposed to be going up there
soon anyways...it's fine. What's your address?"
They exchanged information. Aaron was going to be there in a week. In
one week she would see the one that she used to love. She got stressed, so she decided to take a 3 day vacation to L.A.
so that she could relax. That's when she wrote it. The song that carried her name farther than any other song.
The song that made her who she truly was. "Discovered"
The song was about her being stuck in the shadow of a lost love, and breaking through.
It was about how she discovered a way to live without him. And she really did find a way. She just had to move
on. When she saw Aaron later this week, she would finally have closure. The closure that would push her into living
again. Finally. Her life would be hers again.
Chapter 93
Jersey heard a knock at the door. Her heart jumped. She checked her
hair in the mirror, and looked at her outfit. She walked into the living room, but her roomate Mark answered the door
before she got to it. Aaron looked at him, confused.
"I must have the wrong house."
Jersey walked to the door.
"No, this is me.....hi."
Aaron smiled, and hugged her quickly. She smelt his cologne. She
hadn't smelt that scent in so long. He looked great, and so did she. When Jersey's career really took off,
she started to really live like a pop star. She had a short strapless dress on that barely went to her upper thigh. Aaron looked her up and down like he used to.
"Wow...you look beautiful."
Jersey blushed.
"Thanks. You look good too."
Jersey's room mate cleared his throat.
"Oh sorry...Aaron this is Mark, one of my room mates.
They shook hands awkwardly, and Jersey and Aaron stepped out onto the balcony.
"It's good to see you Jers. It's been too long."
"Yeah it has."
Jersey sighed, and looked out at the view.
"Aaron, the reason I wanted to see you is because...we never really had any closure.
And I just...I need that so that I can move on. I know that even though it's been over a year, I won't be able to move
on from you if I don't have official closure."
Aaron blinked. He didn't want closure. He wanted things to be like they
used to. He wanted her back.
"Jersey...I don't want that. I want you back. I wanna be like we used to be.
I wanna be with you."
"Aaron, it's been a long time coming. We can't just pretend that what happened
never happened. I slept with your brother. That's a big deal."
"I don't care Jers. I love you. Can't you try and love me again?
Can't we just try..."
He reached out and took her hand. Jersey looked down.
"I don't know Aaron. I don't know if I can live with myself, knowing that
you're the one I love and I slept with Nick.
"Jersey...I forgive you. Don't you see that? Just...forgive yourself.
I love you. I've always loved you. Just give us one more try."
She didn't say anything. She just stood there, breathing, trying to think
of what to say. She looked into his eyes. Those beautiful, deep brown eyes. She knew she loved him.
But how could she be with him when she had done the absolute worst thing in the world. Could she ever be with him again?
Could things ever be like they were before?
Chapter 94
"Hmm...no, go fish."
"Dangit!"
Aaron drew a card from the stack. It was 3:18 AM exactly, and they had been
playing cards all night long. It was the fifth day of Aaron's visit, and the fourth day of their new relationship.
Jersey had finally caved and agreed to trying it again with Aaron. She was glad she did though. A year away from
Aaron was hard, and having him again to hold, and love was pure bliss. Unfortunately, there was something else on
Jersey's mind, and she couldn't stop thinking about it. She was late. Only by a couple of days, but it still scared
here. She was going to wait a week and see what happened, but she still couldn't get it off of her mind. What
if she was pregnant? It would be the end of her career. The stress was draining her and she couldn't wait until
the end of the week came. Aaron didn't know. How do you tell your 17 year old boyfriend that he might be a daddy.
She just needed to take the test. She needed to see those little pink lines and know for sure that her life wouldn't
end.
"Jers, what's wrong. Something's bothering you I can tell."
She put on
a smile.
"Nothing's wrong baby. I'm fine."
He looked her in the eyes.
"No...something's on your mind. I know you. I can see it."
She shook her head.
"It's nothing Aaron. Trust me it's fine."
"I don't believe you...but ok."
She reached out and took his hand.
"It'll be ok."
He leaned over and kissed her. It worried him that there was something she
wasn't telling him. He could see it in her eyes that something was wrong. But she couldn't tell him yet.
Not until she knew for sure that she was or wasn't pregnant. She didn't want him to be worrying about something that
he might not have to be worrying about. So she just kept it to herself until that week came. She bought three
tests; all different brands. She waited nervously for the three minutes that it needed, and then she slowly walked over
to the sink where the tests sat. She leaned over slowly, and looked down at the tests.....
Chapter 95
"Aaron....can you come in here for a minute please."
Jersey called from inside the bathroom. Aaron walked in a moment later.
"What is it babe?"
"I need you to see something."
"You're really serious, and you're freaking me out."
"Just......look."
She took his hand and led him to the sink. Once he saw the pregnancy tests,
he turned around before he even looked at them.
"What the hell....you can't be...we can't...this isn't...oh God." He took
deep breaths and ran his hand through his hair.
"Aaron, please just look, I'm scared."
He looked at the three tests on the sink. One test had to pink lines,
indicating a positive answer. One test had one line, meaning negative. And one test didn't turn out at all.
He started to take deep breaths again. Jersey covered her face with her hands and she started to cry. Aaron wrapped
his arms around her.
"It's ok Jers, we'll figure this out. Even if you are...we'll figure it out
ok? God I'm scared. I haven't been this scared in a long time..."
"I'm glad that you're admitting it. I'm scared too."
"We'll work it out. It's gonna turn out ok."
"Aaron what if I am though? It'll be the end of everything. It'll be
the end of my career, probably yours too...I can't do that to you...to us."
"Jersey...if you are, then...you are. We have to just deal with it.
If we're grown up enough to do it, then I guess we have to be grown up enough to have a baby, because we knew that it was
a possibility. We can't just run from our mistakes ok?"
"How did you grow up so fast....you're braver than I am."
"I just know that we have to face it....you are gonna keep the baby right?"
"Of course..."
Aaron and Jersey drove to a clinic where they waited impatiently in the waiting
room for their test results. A nurse walked out from the back room, and called Jersey's name. Aaron squeezed her
hand as she stood to go read the piece of paper that could change her life forever.
NEGATIVE
"Thank God. Aaron come here."
"Negative...yes." He sighed. She wasn't pregnant. Their careers
weren't going to end. Their lives weren't going to change forever. It was negative. Aaron hugged her tightly
and kissed her forehead.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"Jersey...marry me."
She looked at him confused. He reached out, and in the palm of his hand set
a beautiful diamond.
"Are you kidding me?" Her jaw dropped.
"I know we're young. But I
know that I love you more than any man has ever loved a woman. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and have
babies..when the time is right...I can't live without you, this past year has proved that to me. Please...some time
in the future..be my wife."
She couldn't speak, she couldn't breathe. She nodded slowly as Aaron slipped
the ring on her finger. Back at the house, they danced on the balcony. They knew that they wouldn't have
to be apart again like before. They had something. Something that no distance or time could touch.
Something that would never die. Aaron was her first love, and first loves don't go away. This was a dream
that Jersey never knew would come true, but it did. And finally, she believed.
THE END
