Chapter Three
Tina eased into a chair, sighing blissfully as she propped up her swollen ankles.
She was tired of being pregnant.
And it wasn't over yet.
When she'd come home from the tour, her first stop had been the doctor's office. Dr. Terry had confirmed her suspicion, but with a little surprise...she was actually four months along at the time.
Now, three months later, she was sick and tired of waddling everywhere. She felt like a beached whale, and looked the part, too, she'd wager. "Just two more months," she sighed, relaxing again into the chair. She clicked on the TV remote.
She'd left Mtv on earlier, and suddenly wished she hadn't. "Maybe I should just stop watching TV altogether," she whispered, eyes riveted to the screen.
The Backstreet Boys were in the news. Howie and Kat had finally announced their engagement. Tina smiled, happy for the two of them. "It's about time," she muttered. She held her breath as AJ's image flashed onto the screen, and Kurt Loder said, "In a recent interview, we asked AJ about his relationship with Amanda Latona. The Backstreet Boy smiled and announced that they were back together, but there were no marriage plans...yet."
Almost as if in protest, the baby chose that moment to kick. Tina laid one hand on her belly. "At least, I still have a part of him," she whispered. The baby kicked again, and she smiled.
The phone rang, and her smile turned into a muttered curse as she contorted her body into a turn to get the cell phone off the nearby table that wasn't quite close enough. "Hello?"
"Tell me you aren't watching Mtv."
Her dark eyes widened. "Nick? Is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me." He paused. "You're watching Mtv, aren't you?"
"I saw it," she said softly, falling back into the seat. She smiled as he cursed fluently for several moments. "Nicky, it's okay," she interrupted his tirade.
"I'm sorry, Tas."
The baby kicked, and she smiled gently. "Really, Nicky, it's okay."
"You're the only one who calls me Nicky."
She chuckled, "I'm the only one you let call you Nicky."
His answering chuckle made her smile. "Tas, think you could do me a favor?"
"Sure, Nicky, anything for you, you know that."
"How about opening your front door?"
The blood drained from her face. She struggled out of the chair. "You're here?!?!"
Another chuckle. "Open the door and find out."
She managed to get up and out of the chair, then waddled through the house to the front door. "Nicky, I, well, I have sort of, uh, have a little surprise."
"Oh, and what's that?"
Her hand shook as she gripped the doorknob, and opened the door. Sure enough, Nick stood on her doorstep. His welcoming smile froze on his face and his eyes widened as he took in her rounded belly. She grinned. "Well, maybe not so little a surprise."
It took a few moments to walk a dazed Nick over to the couch. Tina carefully settled herself next to him. His mouth worked for several moments before he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His next words took her breath away. "Does AJ know?"
"No," she said, dragging the coffee table closer and propping her feet up on it. She sighed, and leaned back on the couch.
"He should know, Tas."
Tina sighed. "Maybe so, but I'm not going to tell him...and neither are you," she added, noting the stubborn set of his jaw. "It won't serve any purpose, Nicky," she added softly.
"He's the baby's father," Nick thundered.
Tina was unmoved. "He never loved me, Nicky, and I bet that once I was gone, he moved right into someone else's bed." Nick didn't deny it. She sighed again. "He and Amanda are back together. Leave it be, Nicky."
He found himself giving in. "But what about you?"
"I'm fine," she said, running her hand over her belly as the baby kicked again. She caught the look on his face and took his hand, placed it on her belly. When the baby kicked again, she grinned at the look of wonder on his face. "We're fine," she added.
"Is this why you fell out of touch?" he asked, taking his hand away.
"I always emailed you back."
"I've missed talking to you. So does Kat. Now that she and Howie are finally getting married, she's been talking about wanting you there."
"I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, Nicky."
Nick sighed gustily, and rose to his feet. "You can't hide forever."
"I can try," she retorted.
"What about the book? I thought they wanted you to do a tour..."
"I told them that circumstances prevented me from such a course of action at this time." She smiled. "I also said that I'd be glad to in a few months, if they still needed me to. They don't. The book is selling out everywhere."
"You're a good writer."
She snorted. "They just want to see you in your briefs."
He groaned. "God, I forgot you put that picture in there." He crashed back onto the couch with her. His smile was warm. "I've missed you, Tas."
She crooked her finger so he leaned closer. She kissed his cheek. "I've missed you, too, Nicky." His blue eyes held her dark ones for a long moment. Then he nodded, as if coming to a decision. "Nicky? What are you up to?"
He smiled at her. "I'm staying with you until the baby's born."
She blinked at him. "What? Why? You don't have to, we'll be fine. If you're planning on telling..."
He laughed, capturing the finger she was wagging in his face. "I'm not going to tell anyone anything until you're ready for me to." His smile was warm, and he leaned closer. "And I'm staying because I'm in love with you."