Not The Other Guy

Chapter 44

Amanda was alone in the house for the night, Lance had gone on an overnight trip for work. She sat in her kitchen, listening to the clock ticking as she made some popcorn to watch a movie. It was getting late but she couldn't sleep....her mind was on Nick. She had been thinking of him all day....ever since Tracy had gone home that day. A few weeks went by and as Amanda watched, Nick was more and more miserable. Amanda's relationship with Lance was so rocky because nothing they tried produced a baby. He was really pushing for one and this worried her.

"I have to talk to him." Amanda said out loud, forgetting she was alone. Several times she stopped herself from going over to Nick's. The movie on television that night was Titanic....she loved it but once the scene came where Jack confessed his love for her....all she could think of was Nick. Leo even looked like him which made it hard for her to finish the movie. She heard a rumble of thunder as she ran out the door, she didn't care....Nick had to know everything.

Nick was almost asleep in bed next to Tracy, her body close to his. They had just recently began sharing a bed together although he had not slept with her formally just yet. He wanted to respect his fiance's wishes.

Fiancé.

The word made Nick's mouth go dry and feel like cotton.....he was to be married in a short amount of time and there was no convincing Tracy to call it off. He had tried but both times she had talked him out of it. Nick opened his eyes when he heard the boom of thunder outside of his window....followed by hail.

"Huh?" he muttered when he realized the soft tapping against the glass was not hail, but small pebbles. The rain came down in sheets, lightening flashed. Nick was surprised to see Amanda standing under his window in the downpour, her brown hair plastered to her face. He took the steps two at a time, throwing on a tank top as he went.

"Amanda?" he called over the storm. Amanda stood there, blinking through the streams of water running down her pale face.

"Nick? I need to talk to you." she coughed.

"It's 2 in the morning....what are you doing here in this weather? You're soaked. Come inside." he said, putting his arm around her. She brushed him away as the thunder crashed again. Nick was drenched now, the tank top clinging to him and his arms glistening......his hair hanging in strands along his face.

"Nick, I need to talk to you. Please hear me out." Amanda repeated, breathing heavily. She shivered, soaked to the bone but didn't care. If she didn't talk to him now she'd never have the nerve to again.

"I'm listening."

"Run away with me, Nick." Amanda begged, taking his hand. Nick stared in disbelief....was he dreaming?

"What about Lance?" he whispered, the storm nearly drowning him out.

"I don't want to be with him. I've had feelings for you for a long time, Nick. We could be together.....I can give you a family."

"Tracy said we could adopt a boy. She promised me a family too." Nick said, looking at his feet. The truth was that he didn't believe her....but he wanted a family so badly he didn't care. Amanda was happily married. He didn't want to be alone.

"She only said that to get that ring on your finger. I am being sincere, Nick. I want us to be together...I want to be a family, have your children...." she continued, smiling. Nick blinked through the rain pouring down his face....he couldn't believe this was really happening. Amanda wanted to be with him, wasn't that what he wanted?

"I..."

Amanda grabbed Nick's face and kissed him as the lightening flashed. Their tongues intertwined, dancing with one another as she sucked on his bottom lip....his breath taken away. They broke apart, both of them breathing heavily as Nick blinked through the raindrops.

"Let's do it. Let's go and not look back." he said. Nick pecked her on the lips again quickly before running back into the house, tripping as he went up the stairs. This was crazy....but it felt right.

He hobbled into the bedroom, wiping his soaked body with a towel before grabbing a duffel bag and piling random clothes in it. Nick grinned, he was finally getting what he wanted.

It was then that his eyes fell upon Tracy sleeping in the bed, her mouth curved into a small smile as she slept. Nick stopped packing and watched her, shivering from his wet clothes....the lightening flashing through their bedroom window. It was then that Nick thought about what he was going to do....he set the bag down and sat on the bed, putting his head in his hands and sighing.

Amanda stood under the awning of nick's roof...even though it wasn't a proper shelter from the storm. She didn't care that she was drenched head to foot or standing in an ankle deep puddle.....she was happy. She couldn't wait to run away with Nick like she had wanted before her wedding.

"Amanda..." Nick called from the doorway.

"Are you ready?" she asked with a smile. Her expression faded when she saw that he wasn't.

"I can't do this." Nick whispered, touching her face and caressing her cheek with his thumb gently.

"Can't decide what to pack? Come on, I will help you. We could go to Hawaii like we were gonna do before..." she said. Nick slowly shook his head, his eyes watering. He took her in his arms, thunder crashing around them.

"I'm sorry." he said into her ear, his face buried in her neck.

"What?" Amanda said, pulling away.

"I can't go with you."

The words hit Amanda like a ton of bricks. Nick loved her, didn't he? Or was everything Brian had told her a lie?

"What do you mean, you can't? Nick, I can give you what she won't. I want to be with you!" she shouted over the clap of thunder.

"I can't leave her like this. I need to talk to her." Nick said. All he kept thinking was that Amanda didn't want to be with him....she just wanted to get away from Lance and he was her way of escape.

"You're making a mistake, Nick. This is the only chance I'm giving you.....after that.....it's gone." Amanda snapped. The rain was beginning to let up as Nick looked at her, feeling incredibly stupid. He knew she was possibly right, but he didn't want to abandon his girlfriend. A proper breakup would be better. As Nick thought, he saw Amanda running away.....he swore he could hear her crying.

He would have rather faced another rainstorm than be responsible for her tears. She was right, his chance was there and he didn't take it.

Now he would have to live with his decision.