Not The Other Guy

Chapter 29

A few weeks went by and Amanda wondered why Nick stopped calling her. He cut off all communication, he wouldn't answer texts or emails, facebook messages...phone calls were sent to voice mail or the answering machine. She had to follow him on twitter to keep up with what he was doing.

Posted at 8:25pm

@nickcarter: sometimes letting go is hard but its part of life. 143.

Amanda teared up, knowing the message was for her. She had no idea what caused him to just shut her out completely. All Amanda knew was the day he came back from Tokyo and how he looked at her, it made her sad thinking about it. She scrolled more through Nick's twitter as she heard Lance come home.

Posted at 5:00pm

@nickcarter: about to begin rehearsals for my US tour with @JCChasez Can't wait!

Nick was going on the next leg of the tour with JC....Amanda felt hurt that he didn't talk to her about it. She remembered long conversations about his music...how he would tour and get famous...how he would never forget her. All that seemed like a lie now. Amanda slowly became more depressed as the days passed. Lance didn't seem to notice or care at all. He was too busy with college and his internship at a computer company. One day, Brian showed up on her doorstep. Amanda smiled at him, but he reminded her of Nick.

"What's up? How you been doing?" he asked brightly.

"I miss him, Bri."

"I know you do....but I don't know what is going on. He hasn't talked to me much either. Did you try calling him?" Brian asked as he came inside the house.

"AJ always says he is out. I don't like not having him around." Amanda said with a sigh.

"Hey why the long face? US tour starts tonight." JC laughed as he came across Nick laying on the couch in the dressing room, his hands folded behind his head as he looked up at the celing and sighed.

"I dunno." he mumbled softly. He sat up when JC walked over, looking at him and sighing again, running a hand through his freshly cut hair. He was not used to it being so short...nor spiked slightly with hair gel.

"Why don't you call your friends and invite them to the show?" JC asked.

"She won't come."

"I thought you proposed to Amanda."

Nick pulled the silver chain from underneath his shirt. A small silver and diamond ring hung there. He held it tight in his fist and put it back, his eyes watering.

"You didn't?" JC asked in surprise. Nick shook his head and JC patted his back.

"Why not? I thought you loved her?"

"She is engaged....she and I can't be together....she doesn't love me." Nick said softly, wiping his eyes.

"So? Tell her anyway. Steal her away." JC smiled. Nick looked at his feet, thinking. Sure it sounded good now...but he thought of Lance attacking him and decided it was not a good idea.

"I can't. Amanda and I won't ever happen." he replied. JC had already sent tickets to Brian to get Amanda there, he knew they needed each other.

"So what are you doing tonight? Feel like going to a concert with me? I got front row center." Brian asked, holding them up.

"What concert?" Amanda asked, feeling a bit better.

"That JC Chasez guy you like. He sent me tickets to the first show of his tour. Amanda seemed angry....Nick would be there and she wanted to see him, but he wouldn't want to see her and it hurt.

"No way."

"Amanda, the two of you need to talk." Brian said, tucking the tickets into the back pocket of his shorts.

"He doesn't want to see me, Brian. Nick and I are over." she replied. All of a sudden she felt cold metal on her wrists, when she looked down...Brian was placing handcuffs on her.

"What are you doing?" Amanda demanded. Brian led her outside to his car and locked her in as if she was being arrested.

"You two need to stop avoiding each other and talk. You're going to see him whether you want to or not, and whether he wants to see you or not." he said as he slammed the door behind her.

"This is an abuse of power! Let me out of here!" Amanda screamed as Brian pulled out of the driveway. She yelled at him the whole way to the arena where JC and Nick were playing. Brian led Amanda backstage as she protested. She saw Nick near the curtain, he had gotten a hair cut and was wearing a t shirt and jeans. He looked very grown up and she stood there, gawking at him until he noticed her.

"Let me go, Brian....please...." she whispered, her eyes tearing. Nick came towards them and his eyes fell on the handcuffs.

"Brian...what the hell did you do? Let her go." Nick asked, frowning at him. Brian unlocked them and Amanda rubbed at her sore wrists.

"I will get you back for this." she said. Nick rubbed the back of his head, trying to figure out what to say to her.

"Hey."

"That's all you have to say to me, Nick? You avoid me for weeks and all you say to me is hey?!" Amanda shouted as Nick cringed.

"I didn't have a choice..." he said, shrinking back from her.

"What the hell do you mean by that? We have been friends for 10 years and you just stopped talking to me. Why?" she asked, her voice full of hurt. Nick felt horrible as she ranted....he knew every word was true.

"You're engaged now, there is no place in your life for me." Nick replied.

"Did Lance tell you that?" Amanda asked, remembering what Lance had said the day Nick returned from Tokyo.

"Lance attacked me." Nick admitted in a small voice.

"He what? Amanda asked, her eyes wide.

"He fucked me up. I had to get stitches in my lip....AJ found me and I made him promise not to tell you...Lance told me if I went near you or talked to you I would get worse. I am so sorry...I want you in my life." Nick told her, his eyes watering. Amanda couldn't blame him for this so she embraced him. Nick put his arms around her and they stood there in silence, their mistakes forgiven. Amanda watched Nick's performance a while later, cheering him on. Nick wasn't nervous as he had been in Germany...he had grown as an artist.

"The world on the outside is trying to pull me in....but they can't touch me cause I got you...." Nick sang as he took Amanda's hand. She smiled at him...they would always have each other.