Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2004 19:29:19 -0700 (PDT) From: slpwriter Subject: Nick Lachey: My Everything-73 I'm back with another chapter of "My Everything." Thanks for all of your support! Without it, I don't think I could have written this story for this long. Now on with the story. First of all, let me just say that this is my first time writing any kind of fiction like this. DISCLAIMER: This is a work of total fiction and is not meant to imply anything about the sexualities of Nick and Drew Lachey or anyone else mentioned in this story. If you are too young to read this, or if Homosexuality offends you, then please don't continue any further and leave. Other 98 Degrees stories I'd like to recommend are. "Give Me Just One Night" by Unanoche. "69 with Jeff Timmons" by Zachary Scott Pritt "Nick Lachey" by Ken. "98 Degrees Is Hot" by Gay Night "The Reunion" by RinSong. "Loving Nick Lachey" by Jordan "Playing Doctor with 98 Degrees" by Brian "This Gift" by Sprout and finally: "What I feel for you" by Thack. "What I feel for you." is an awesome story and Thack, himself deserves applause for all of his hard work on it. Now, I"ll let you get on with the story. Enjoy. Previously on "My Everything"..... Jessica looked at him, grinning from ear to ear. "I have some news." She said. Just at that moment, Ben and Matt had gotten out of the pool and had walked over just in time to hear Jessica say she had news. "News about what, Jessica?" Ben asked her. Jessica took both of Nick's hands in hers and then blurted it out. "I'm pregnant, Nick." She confessed. "You and I are going to have another baby." ****************************************************** BACK INSIDE THE LACHEY HOUSE........ "Danny, what's going on?" Jeff asked, as he shut the door behind him and followed Danny into the living room. When Danny turned around, Jeff gasped when he saw his face. It was wet with tears. "Baby, what's wrong?" Jeff asked, as he walked over to Danny and put his arms around him. "What are you so upset about?" Danny hugged Jeff back, tightly. "It's not that big of a deal, Sugar." He told Jeff. "I just felt a little hurt and jealous when Sean said he was going to make up with Jake and then they'd be best friends again. Jeff released Danny and then wiped his tears away. "I think you just need to be patient with Sean." Jeff said as he caressed Danny's jawline with his thumb. "He'll come around. It's just going to take some time." Danny smiled. "Thanks, Jeff." Danny whispered to him. Jeff frowned. "For what?" Danny then brought one of his hands up to Jeff's cheek and caressed it, lovingly. "For being there for me and for giving me hope again that things will turn out alright for me." Jeff nodded. Then his hand came up and rested on top of Danny's hand, which was still rested against his cheek. He pulled Danny's hand down and kissed it. "I will always be there for you, Danny." Jeff whispered to him. "I love you and that will never change. I hope you always remember that." "I will, Sugar." Danny said. Then he leaned in and his lips met Jeff's at that moment. Their gentle kiss started to build up and become alot more. Danny slid his hands down Jeff buff chest, down his washboard abs, and then he came to Jeff's waist where he groped Jeff's rapidly growing member. "I'd be careful, stud." Jeff said, his breathing getting heavy with lust. "If you keep this up, we're going to start something that we won't be able to finish." Danny looked back up at Jeff and Jeff could see the desire in Danny's eyes. Danny leaned in, as if he was going to kiss Jeff again, and stopped, his lips just inches from Jeff's. "But I'm such a strong finisher." Danny whispered, seductively. "I know you are." Jeff said, with a lusty grin. "But we have to get back outside. We'll have plenty of time for that later." Jeff turned to head back outside, but found that he couldn't move because Danny hadn't let go of Jeff's hardon. "But I want you now, Sexy." Danny murmured, locking eyes with Jeff. "Right now." After saying that, Danny upped the ante a little to see if he would get his way. He gave Jeff's crotch a few playful strokes. Now Jeff was almost starting to give in to his desires, but once Danny jerked his hard member a few times, he lost all his restraint right then and there. "Fuck it!" Jeff swore, as he was overcome with lust. He jerked Danny close to him and ravished Danny's lips, as he kissed Danny back with an animalistic passion. Danny threw his arms around Jeff's neck and jumped up on him, wrapping his legs around Jeff's waist, as he continued to kiss Jeff back with a fiery passion of his own. Jeff started walking, with Danny wrapped around him, upstairs to their room. *********** CHAPTER 73 *********** BACK OUTSIDE BY THE POOL.......... Everyone was stunned beyond words by Jessica's revelation. But there was at least one of us who felt something different than the rest of us all. When I heard Jessica say that she was pregnant, A feeling of deja-vu washed over me. I looked away from them as my thoughts flashed back to an earlier time. <> "Alright, Nick, spill it." I heard myself say to Nick. "You're obviously happy about something." " I went to see Jessica to find out what she wanted to talk to me about that was so important." He told me. "What was it?" Drew asked him. Nick took a deep breath. "I just found out that she's pregnant." Nick said. I'm going to be a Daddy!" <> After remembering that moment, I realized that I was re-living it all over again today. Except with one major difference: Nick wasn't my husband anymore. He now belonged to Jessica, whether I liked it or not. I looked over at Nick and saw that he was definitely at a loss for words, just like he had been the first time Jessica had told him she was pregnant before when he was still married to me. "You're pregnant, Jessica?" Nick asked, looking at her, the shock still evident on his face. "How did this happen? We talked about this. We both agreed we weren't ready for anymore children a while back. We were going to wait a few years before we had another one." Jessica nodded. "I know, Baby." She replied. "I was just as shocked as you are when I found out that I was pregnant. I wasn't expecting it, either." Nick still was having a hard time processing this news. He stood up and started walking towards the other side of the pool. Jessica followed him. "How could this happen?" Nick asked outloud. "We were using protection." "Nick, you know that no method of birth control is effective 100% of the time." Jessica pointed out. "This could have happened even if I was on the pill." She wrapped her arms around Nick's torso from behind and hugged him close, while laying her head against his back. While she was talking to Nick, I suddenly had the strangest feeling that something wasn't right about this situation. I couldn't put my finger on it, but something was wrong. I could feel it. "Sean?" I turned towards the voice that had called my name: It belonged to Matt Damon. "Yes, Matt?" I asked him, as I took a sip of my iced tea. "Are you alright?" Matt asked, in a low voice. "Matt, I'm fine." I said, defensively. But that was not the truth. and I don't think that Matt was buying it either. "You don't look fine to me." Matt replied. "You look like you're ready to keel over." "Yeah, well if I do, I have a good reason for it and the bitch is standing right there!" I said, fiercely. Before Matt or Ben could say anything, Nick's voice rang out. "I can't deal with this right now! I need some air!" Matt, Ben, and I turned just in time to see Nick start walking away from Jessica, towards the house. "Baby, wait!" Jessica yelled out at him. "Leave me alone!" Nick fired back at her, not bothering to turn around. Then he disappeared into the house, leaving Jessica alone, at the other side of the pool. Jessica walked back over towards the loungers as she wiped away the tears that were rolling down her cheeks. When she finally looked up, she was standing right in front of me. "You must really be loving this, aren't you, Sean?" Jessica snapped at me. "Seeing the rift between me and Nick growing wider. "Hey, don't make this about me, Jessica." I said, as I picked up my iced tea. "I'm not the one who decided to get pregnant out of insecurity." Jessica's mouth dropped open in shock over what I'd said. But before she could say anything, I continued talking. "The way you've been acting towards me since Nick left, I wouldn't put it past you!" I said, with anger in my voice. "How dare you say that to me?!" Jessica snarled, defensively. "I would never get pregnant out of insecurity!" "Oh, wouldn't you?!" I fired back at her, as I rose out of the lounger and walked over to her. I stood right in front of her. She was standing just inches away from the edge of the pool and I don't think she realized it yet. "Well then, let me ask you this: "Have you seen a doctor or did you take a home pregnancy test?" Jessica seemed thrown by the question. But she stood her ground. "I'm not even going to dignify that with a response!" She said, bittely. That's none of your business!" A small smirk came over my face when I saw just how defensive she was getting. It just proved that my gut feeling was right about something being wrong with this whole situation. "I knew it!" I said, with a grin. "I knew that something wasn't right about your news. Hell, you're probably not even pregnant at all!" Jessica was starting to get even more pissed off, which just seemed to amuse me now. "Fine! You want specifics?!" She yelled out. "I took a home pregnancy test and it turned out to be positive! I am pregnant!" I squinted, starting to get suspicious. I didn't believe that for a second. "I don't believe you." I said, my anger starting to escalate. Not to mention, my jealousy too. "I really don't care what you believe!" Jessica sneered. "You're not important anymore! What's important is that I know the truth!" "You mean YOUR twisted version of the truth?!" I corrected her, my voice rising. "Well let me tell you something, Blondie, there's no way that Nick's going to believe you either when he finds out about this!" Then a thought occurred to me. I wonder just how much she had told Nick about her so called pregnancy. Did she tell him that she'd taken a home pregnancy test?" Well, now I was going to find out. "In fact, I think I'll go and tell him right now." I said, and started to walk towards the house. But I didn't get far. "The hell you will!" Jessica said, through gritted teeth as she grabbed my arm and yanked me back in front of her. "Let go of me, you tramp?!" I snarled, as I yanked my arm out of her hand. "Oh, so I'm a tramp now?!" Jessica laughed. "That's rich coming from you! I believe that title goes to you!" "Well, that's spoken like a woman who's never made a mistake in her life?!" I spat back, keeping my temper under control. "I never said I was perfect, Sean!" Jessica said, loudly. "Good!" I sneered. "God knows you're not!" Jessica's eyes bulged when I said that. Now, she was beyond pissed off. "Well compared to you, I look like a paragon of virtue!" She bellowed. "After all, I've never been with anyone else, but Nick! You, on the other hand, can't keep your slutty equipment in your pants for very long either! You slept with Nick years ago, you slept with his brother just days ago, and now you slept with those two just recently!" She pointed at Ben and Matt, and I turned towards them to see them both watching us, obviously fascinated by Jessica's hatred towards me. But I could also see that they were both ready to step in and seperate us if things got out of hand. The way Jessica's mouth was going, and with her last remark just now, it's a wonder things hadn't already gotten out of hand. Jessica continued her ranting. "So, now that we know all of that, I proclaim your title to be "The Slut of Hollywood." Well, thank god, you haven't slept with Nick again since he threw you out years ago!" That did it. Jessica had finally struck my final nerve and my simmering temper was starting to get hotter. "What makes you think I haven't slept with him since then?" I said, with an evil grin. "After all, I had all night in Orlando with him before he came back to Los Angles just days ago!" I heard Ben and Matt gasp at my revelation. So did Jessica who seemed to be frozen in place that way, her eyes wide, her mouth, hanging agape, and her breath inhaled sharply. I grinned even wider and continued the next best part. "And god knows I had all morning when I found him sleeping next to me in Drew's bed!" I gushed. "And let me tell you, Nick gives it just as good as he always has when we were together. So, speaking from experience, Jessica, I do know just how good Nick still is in bed!" Jessica's face remained frozen in place for a few more seconds. But once everything I'd said registed, she let me have it. "YOU BASTARD!" She screamed, as her fist shot out and she punched me, hard, across the face. Once she hit me, my simmering temper reached the boiling point! I turned towards her and prepared to retaliate. "I have only 5 words for you, Blondie!" I snarled at her. "Shut up and cool off!" And with those words, I grabbed her and gave her a violent shove backwards, right into the pool. Jessica screamed as she hit the water and went under with a splash I turned around towards Ben and Matt who were trying so hard not to laugh, but failed miserably. "You see guys?" I said, with outstretched arms. "The bitch has nothing on me!" little did I know that I was going to regret those words. For at that moment, I felt a hand grab the back of my trunks and yank. "Hey!" I shouted as I, too, fell back into the pool. ******************************************************* MEANWHILE, BACK INSIDE THE LACHEY HOUSE.... "Wow." Danny said, as he and Jeff were walking down the stairs, both of them shirtless and back in their swimming trunks. "You never cease to amaze me, Sugar. That was invigorating" "You bet it was." Jeff said, as he wrapped his hands around Danny's torso. "When's the last time we had sex like that?" "I don't know." Danny said. "But I do know that I want it to be like that again tonight." Then he looked up at Jeff and his smile got wider. "Unless of course you're totally worn out from this time." He added. Jeff's eyebrows shot up at that. "Is that a challenge, sexy?" He asked, with a grin. "If it is, then you haven't seen anything yet! "You're on." Danny said, as they walked towards the living room. When Jeff and Danny entered the living room, they stopped in their tracks when they saw Nick, stting on the couch all alone, just staring off into space. "Nick, are you ok?" Jeff asked him. Nick turned his head towards the two of them. "Hey guys." Nick said, getting up off of the couch. "You're never going to believe what I just found out." "What, Nick?" Jeff asked, concerned. "What is it?" "It must be pretty big." Danny added. "You look like you've been punched in the gut." Nick nodded. "That's exactly how I feel." He told them. "I just found out that Jessica is pregnant. Again." Jeff and Danny were floored to hear this news. Neither one of them were expecting it. "Wow." Jeff said, still stunned. "That is big news. I guess we should be congratulating you." Jeff then walked up to Nick and pulled him into a hug. Nick accepted. "Congratulations, Nick." Jeff said, as he hugged Nick. "Thanks, Jeff." Nick said. "I just wish I could be happy about this, though." "Why, Nick?" Danny asked. "You're becoming a Dad all over again. Why wouldn't you be happy?" Nick and Jeff pulled back from their embrace and Nick looked over at Danny. "Don't get me wrong, guys." Nick explained. "I'm thrilled to be becoming a dad again, but it's the timing. It's all wrong. Jessica and I agreed to wait awhile before having another baby. We already have our hands full as it is, taking care of Nicole." "I understand, Nick." Danny said. "And I'm sorry that this is hard for you to process right now. But once you've had time to get used to it, I'm sure you'll be thrilled that you're having another child. I've seen how you are with Nicole. You love being a father, I know you do." "Of course I do, Danny." Nick said, smiling a little. "You all know I adore my little girl." "Well maybe this time, it will be different." Jeff said. "Maybe this time, you'll be having a boy." "Maybe." Nick said, smiling at the thought of having a son. "I know I would love that." Jeff looked over at Nick and saw just how much the news had been affecting him. Nick looked like he'd been worn out. "So, what are you going to do, Nick?" He asked Nick. "Do you want this child?" Nick looked hurt that Jeff could even ask that. "Of course I do, Jeff." He said, defensively. "You know I would never turn away my own flesh and blood." "I know, Nick." Jeff said, quietly. "I guess I was just making sure of that. After all, you said it yourself that the timing isn't exactly the best right now." Nick walked over to the mantle where all of his family pictures were sitting. He pulled down his wedding photo and looked at it. He looked really distant at that moment. "I know that the timing may not be good right now, but we will work it out, somehow. I do have a great support system after all." Nick put his wedding photo of him and Jessica back up onto the mantle and turned around to face Jeff and Danny. "I have the support of my family and Jessica's family, as wel as you two, and Justin and Kandi...." Here, Nick broke off when he realized he was leaving one of the most important people out. He turned towards the mantle again and his eyes fell upon the photo of himself and Drew, with their arms around each other. "And I used to have my brother's support." He finished, with a hint of sadness in his voice. Nick looked at his brother's photo for a long time. Jeff and Danny could see how torn up he still was over his brother's betrayal, but they could also see something else. "Despite what Drew has done, you miss him, don't you?" Danny asked Nick. Nick sighed in frustration, when he thought back to his last conversation with Drew before he left. "You know, I still can't understand how Drew could do something so deceitful and cruel. It's bad enough that he did it to Sean, but to do it to me, his own brother, is even worse." "Nick, we know." Jeff said, sympathetically. "And you love him. How can that bond between you two just disappear?" Nick shook his head and dabbed at a tear that had started to fall out of his eye. "It doesn't." He said, sniffling a little. "That's why it still hurts so bad. I don't know if I can forgive him. Maybe with time...." Nick cut off when he realized what he was doing. He was allowing himself to consider the possibility of forgiving Drew. Something that he was not ready for. "I don't want to talk about this anymore." Nick said. "I think we'd better go back outside. I'm fine now." "Speaking of that, how did Sean take the news of Jessica's pregnancy?" Before Nick could answer him, They all heard the sounds of screaming and yelling coming from outside by the pool. "STOP THAT, YOU BITCH! GET OFF OF ME!" "MAKE ME, YOU PATHETIC MALE SLUT!" What the hell?" Nick frowned, as he walked over to the window and looked out of it. Danny and Jeff looked out of it too. They could see Sean and Jessica in the pool, having a scuffle. Jessica had Sean by the hair and Sean was trying to get loose. Matt and Ben had ahold of them both and were trying to separate the two of them, but weren't having very good luck. "I'M GOING TO TEACH YOU A LESSON YOU'LL NEVER FORGET!" Jessica shrieked." "Oh no." Nick said, putting a hand to his face. "This isn't happening." "Come on." Jeff said, turning towards the door. "We've got to get out there and help Sean before he doesn't have any hair left on his head." They all started running for the door. "Ok, but that's not why I'm rushing out there." Danny said, grinning. "I'm just wanting to catch the last few minutes of the show. Jessica and Sean: Head to Head." "Next thing you know, Nick, they'll probably be mud wrestling over you." Jeff laughed. Even though it wasn't really meant to be funny, Nick, Jeff, and Danny all couldn't help laughing a bit. ******************************************************* "BACK OUTSIDE......... All hell was breaking loose out by the pool. Or rather, in it. "JESSICA, GET THE HELL OFF OF ME RIGHT NOW OR YOU'LL BE SORRY!" I yelled out, as I was trying to pull away from her, but was failing miserably since she had a good hold on my hair. "NOT AS SORRY AS YOU'RE GOING TO BE WHEN I'M THROUGH WITH YOU!" Jessica shrieking, as she yanked on my hair even harder. Just then, Nick, Danny, and Jeff came charging into the pool area. "HEY!" Nick yelled. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" Never was I more relieved to hear Nick's voice, but my anger was overriding that emotion. "NICK, GET YOUR PSYCHOTIC, BIMBO WIFE OFF OF ME THIS INSTANT BEFORE I DO SOMETHING THAT I'M GOING TO REGRET!!" 'BIMBO?!" Jessica screamed. "THAT'S IT, YOU'RE A DEAD MAN!" She could have been right. But not if Nick had anything to say about it. Nick leapt into the pool and saw what Jessica was doing. He saw that she had me by the hair, and that Matt was trying to loosen Jessica's grip on my hair, and Ben was trying to pull me out of her reach. Nick waded over to where the four of us were and, to our surprise, grabbed Jessica by her hair! "OW!" Jessica shrieked in pain. "NICK, YOU'RE PULLING MY HAIR!" "DAMN STRAIGHT I AM!" Nick yelled at her. "LET HIM GO THIS INSTANT!" Jessica and I both saw just how mad Nick was, and Jessica immediately let go of my hair. Once she did, Matt and Ben pulled us a safe distance away from each other. "YOU'RE SUCH A BITCH!" I shouted at Jessica. "I WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND HOW NICK PUTS UP WITH YOU!" "SHUT UP, MR. SLUT!" Jessica shouted back at me. "ENOUGH!" Nick bellowed. "BOTH OF YOU, GET OUT OF THE POOL NOW!" I looked at Nick in shock. He was not only mad at Jessica, but at me as well. And I sure wanted to know why. Jessica and I were led to different sides of the pool, Jessica by Nick, me by Ben and Matt, where we got out and walked around to meet each other at the loungers. Once were were all in front of each other, I saw Danny hand Jessica his beach towel to dry herself off with. Nick looked back and forth from Jessica to me, me to Jessica, wondering what the fighting between us had been all about. "Now I want to know how this situation got started and who started it!" He demanded. "And I want to know now!" Immediately, both Jessica and I started telling Nick at the same time our versions of what happened, each scenario different than the other. "He started it first, Baby, when he accused me of getting myself pregnant out of insecurity!" Jessica complained to him. "Oh, Please?!" I said, defensively. "You're the one who started it by assaulting me with your fists and I've got proof!" I pointed to my face, which still throbbed from where Jessica had hit me. My cheek felt like it was on fire and that it was swelled up. "Look what she did to my face, Nick!" I said to him, pointing to it. Nick put his hand under my chin and moved my face to the side as he examined it closely. "After telling me that you slept with my husband, you deserved it!" Nick's head whipped around and looked at Jessica in shock. "He said what?" He asked, floored by what Jessica had just said. Then he looked over at me for confirmation. "Is Jessica right, Sean?" Nick asked me, the anger plain on his face. "Did you really say that I slept with you when I didn't?" When Jessica heard that, her mouth dropped open again. "Oh my god!" She exclaimed in horror. "Nick, are you telling me you never slept with Sean back in Orlando just before you came home? Or this morning after we had that fight and I left?" "Yes Jessica." Nick told her. "I never slept with Sean back in Orlando. And this morning, I did sleep in the same bed as Sean after our argument, but I never had sex of any kind with Sean. Alright?" Jessica looked at Nick's face for any indication that he was lying, but she didn't see any. "Alright, I believe you." She said, quietly. Then she looked back at me. "You were baiting me, weren't you?" She asked me, in digust. "And I had to be stupid enough to fall for it." "Sure." I said. "I had to say something to shut you up the way you were going on and on, calling me names like "Slut of Hollywood" and all that. It also proves just how insecure you really are in your marriage." Then I looked over to Nick, who was still looking at me, with an annoyed look on his face. "Nick, she's not telling you the whole truth!" I said to him. "She's probably not even pregnant. She said she took a home pregnancy test, but you can't always trust those to be accurate." When I revealed that little piece of information, Nick's expression changed to disbelief. Now, I knew he was going to be all over Jessica about this. "Is this true, Jessica?" Nick asked, turning towards her. "And I want the truth." Jessica looked from Nick and then back to me. I just stared back at her with contempt in my eyes. "Yes, Nick." She said. "I took a home pregnancy test. It was positive. I'm pregnant. I know I am because my period was a few days late, so I got worried." Nick shook his head in disbelief when he heard her confession. He couldn't believe that she would just assume that she was pregnant by taking a home pregnancy test. "I can't believe you!" Nick said, his voice rising. "Just because you took a home pregnancy test doesn't mean that you're pregnant for sure. And let me tell you something, we're going to find out for sure." Jessica frowned at him. "What are you talking about, Baby?" She asked him. I rolled my eyes when she asked him that. It was a stupid question to ask. We all knew what Nick was talking about, except her. "We're going to call your doctor and make an appointment to see her today." Nick said. "We're going to find out once and for all if you really are pregnant or not." Jessica started to complain, but Nick was in no mood to hear it. "Don't complain, Babe, just do as you're told!" Nick said. "Besides, you need to go inside and get out of those wet clothes anyway. So, why don't you go and do that while I have a word with Sean." "Fine, Nick." Jessica said, sighing heavily. She turned away and left the pool area to go inside the house and change her clothes. Once she was inside the house and out of earshot, Nick turned back to me. "I want to know just what the hell you were thinking when you lied to my wife about the two of us sleeping together!" Nick said, his tone quieter, but still angry. "How could you do that?" "I'm sorry, Nick, ok?" I said, in frustration as I proceeded to dry myself off, and squeeze the water out of my hair, with my towel. "But I had to say something to get her to shut up! You should have heard the things she was saying to me!" "Sean's right, Nick." Matt chimed in. "Jessica was just getting downright nasty. Especially the way she brought up the past about how Sean had slept with you years ago, and then slept with Drew days ago, and then Matt and I, most recently. That's when she called him "The Slut of Hollywood." "Ok, I get that part." Nick said, nodding at Matt. "But it still doesn't justify what Sean did, letting Jessica believe that we slept together. I would never cheat on my wife." When Nick said that, I almost laughed. That's not the way I saw it. "Oh really, Nick?" I asked him. "Well, I think you would if you were desperate enough." "What?" Nick asked, frowning in confusion. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Before I decided to answer Nick, I thought about whether it was a good idea or not to bring up his past indiscretions, but with the way I was feeling right now, I was still pretty mad. I was also hurt because it seemed like Nick was taking Jessica's side over me. "Have you forgotten that you cheated on me with your ex when we were together?" I asked him. "So, it's not like it couldn't happen again. Except only this time, you're a married man. You weren't married to me when you slept with Matt Sheffield, but you might as well have been. It would still have hurt just as bad!" Nick's eyes widened when I brought up his past indecretions with Matt Sheffield. I think that really hurt him more than he let on. "That's not fair, Sean!" Nick said, defensively. "What happened before was years ago! I'd like to think I've changed since then. I'd like to belive you and I both have grown up and matured more since then!" "We both have, Nick." I said, as I finished drying myself off and threw the towel on the lounger, nearby. "But that's not the point. What I'm trying to say is that even though you never really meant to betray me back then, it doesn't mean that it couldn't happen again. It could if you were vulnerable to it. It can happen in any relationship. Even the best ones if you let it." "I know that, Sean." Nick said, looking at me closely. "But I learned from that mistake. When I betrayed you, it obviously hurt you very badly. I knew that when you had to leave. After that, I vowed never to cheat on anyone ever again. Not you, and definitely not my wife." I could see just how serious Nick was about staying faithful to Jessica and I truly believed that he meant that. "But that's not what we're talking about here." Nick continued. "We're talking about you and why you had to go and do something so stupid as to shove my wife into the pool." Once again, my shocked expression returned to my face as I allowed myself to process his words. "Excuse me?" I asked him in disbelief, then added. "Nick, what did you expect me to do after she punched me in the face? Just stand there and take it?" Nick shrugged his shoulders, but didn't say anything. "Besides, after what she did, she's lucky I didn't do anything worse to her." I told him. "If you ask me, she got off easy with just a shove into the pool." Nick was going to say something else, but Ben interrupted us. "Excuse me, but may I say something?" He asked. We all turned our attention towards him. He was sitting in one of the loungers nearby, with Matt sitting in his lap. Now that raised my eyebrows. "Before you do, Ben, do you want to explain this?" I asked him, motioning to him and Matt, the way they were sitting. Ben and Matt both looked at each other and smiled. Then they both looked back at me. "Isn't it obvious, Sean?" Matt asked, that sexy grin of his getting bigger. Ben's grin matched his. When I realized this, My mouth fell open in surprise, as well as excitement. "You two are back together, aren't you?" I asked them. Ben nodded. "Yes, we are." He said. "And we're closer now than we've ever been." "That's wonderful." I said, to them. "I'm really happy for you two." "Yeah, guys." Jeff added, as he shook both Ben's and Matt's hands. "That's awesome. At least one couple here isn't having problems." When Jeff said that, it worried me. He made it sound like that he and Danny were having problems too. I know Nick and Jessica were, Justin and Kandi were, but we didn't know why yet, but Jeff and Danny appeared to be very happy. I looked over at Jeff and Danny and I saw that Jeff had his arms around Danny and was gently massaging and feeling Danny's pecs and abs. "Jeff, what are you talking about?" I asked him. "Are you and Danny having problems in your relationship?" Jeff and Danny both turned in my direction, but it was Jeff who decided to answer my question first. " Oh no, Sean." He said, with one of his sexy grins. "Everything is wonderful between me and Danny. If I made it sound that way, I'm sorry. I was referring to Nick and Jessica, and Justin and Kandi." "What about us?" A familiar female voice asked. All of us whipped around and came face to face with both Justin and Kandi, who had just entered the pool area. "Justin, Kandi, you guys are back!" I said, racing over to them. I enveloped Kandi into a hug first. "We've been so worried. Kandi didn't say anything to that, but she just hugged me tight. I noticed Nick, Jeff, and Danny had come over and were talking with Justin as well. When I pulled back, I looked into Kandi's face. When I did, I noticed that she looked exhausted and worn out, like she really had a hard day. "What's wrong?" I asked her. "You look like you've been through the ringer." She nodded, but still didn't say anything. Right then, I figured out why. She was trying to keep from crying. "I'm afraid Kandi and I have some bad news for all of you." Justin said, sadly. "Well, talk to us, man." Nick urged Justin. "Whatever it is, we will all be here to help you through it. We will all help you get through this, together." Justin was taking in deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. It obviously must have been pretty bad, because Justin was literally on the verge of tears, which was unlike him. Justin was not one to show emotion alot. So, naturally we were all concerned. "Thanks, guys." Justin said. "Kandi and I are going to need your support right now." Here he looked over at Kandi and took her hand in his. "Especialy Kandi." He continued. "I just brought her back from the hospital. We've been there since 5 a.m. this morning." "The hospital?!" I exclaimed in shock. "What happened? Is she ok?" "No." Justin said. "She has C.H.F." "What's that?" Nick asked him. Surprisingly, Kandi was the one who answered that one for us "C.H.F is short for "Congestive Heart Failure." Everyone was shocked to hear this news, and especially me, since Kandi had been really great back when I first met her. We had become friends fast. And despite what had happened back when Nick and the guys disowned me, I still cared about her. "So, what does this mean, Kandi?" I asked her. "You're not going to die, are you?" ******************************************************* BACK INSIDE THE LACHEY HOUSE.......... NICK AND JESSICA'S ROOM "Damn you, Sean!" Jessica swore as she tore off all of her wet clothes and proceeded to put on some dry ones. "I hate you so much! It's obvious that you're here to turn my husband against me and that's just flat out wrong! It's not going to happen! I won't let it happen!" Jessica finished getting re-dressed and then went to comb her damp hair and pull it back into a ponytail. "You just want Nick for yourself, and that's never going to happen. Not as long as I'm breathing." Jessica hissed. She leaned against her dresser, supporting herself with her arms, which were still trembling from her anger, as well as anxiety over what had happened earlier." "I have to be pregnant." She said, desperately. "I have to be. It's the only way I can get Sean out of Nick's life." Jessica grabbed her keys off of the dresser and was getting ready to go. But, not before she looked at herself in the mirror. "I intend to make sure that Sean Perry is out of my life, once and for all!" To Be Continued........? Well, that's it for this one. I hope you all enjoyed it! "What happens next? Oh, if you only knew!" Stay tuned. slpwriter@yahoo.com