I Never Liked You Even When I Tried To

Touching down in LAX was the best feeling ever. The paparazzi were all around but I paid no attention; I was used to them by now.

Nick towed my biggest suitcase along behind me even after my protests to wheel it myself.

In the SUV he cuddled me and kissed up my neck and to my temple.

"Easy tiger." Kevin joked. "Her smile is bright enough to shine through the windows, and then the paps will see."

"I know that my girlfriend has the most beautiful smile in the world, and I'd do anything to see it." Nick said softly.

"Awww! Nicky has a big cwush! Nicky's in love wif Cianna." Joe cooed.

My cheeks were burning at a ridiculously hot temperature but I couldn't stop the flush of embarrassment.

The car rolled to a stop outside my home and I sighed, unbuckling my seatbelt.

"Hey," Nick soothed, hugging me gently. "We can still IM and text and email and call."

I shook my head, "I don't even know if I'll have time. I'm all loaded up with interviews and I've got to do voice-work for Alvin and The Chipmunks 2, then I've got to record my guest appearance on Wizards, plus I have to tape the perfume ad for Chanel."

"We can make time." he smiled, jumping out so he could open my door.

Unfortunately for him, I'd already started doing that, and knocked him in the nose.

It started to bleed straight away and gushed down over his lips.

"Oh geez! I'm so sorry!" I panicked, grabbing a large bunch of tissues from my handbag.

I drew a single one out and pressed it against him, soaking up the blood.

"I have an icepack inside, I'll go grab it." I said, hurrying up the path.

"Wait!" Kevin called. "Why doesn't Nick stay here for a while? You know? Spend some quality time before we have to leave?"

Nick looked at me and shrugged as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Um, okay then." I decided, reaching to grab my suitcases as Kevin popped the boot.

I lugged the first heavy item out and reach for a second. A pair of hands accompanied mine and I looked up to see Nick helping.

It would've been a sweet moment except deep red fluid was dripping onto the road.

"Nick!" I whined, releasing my luggage. "Guys just wait here!"

Racing inside to my freezer, I discovered an iceblock and cracked it in half.

Nick was sitting on the curb with his head between his knees when I got back.

"No! What are you doing?" I gasped, yanking on his hair.

"Ow!!!" he complained, smacking my calf lightly.

"Don't do that! It'll make it bleed worse you moron! Keep your hea- hey! Where'd your brothers go?"

The SUV was no longer parked by the curb, but my four leopard print suitcases were resting on the grass near my garage.

"They went home but I have to call Kevin when I want to get picked up." Nick smiled, resting the frozen beverage on his snozzle.

We headed inside the house and I wheeled my luggage into the lounge-room.

"So, um, has David contacted you since you told me he threatened you the other day?" Nick asked, as he pulled up a stool by my kitchen bench.

"I never said David threatened me." I smiled, shaking my head as I reached for a tall glass in the cupboard. "In fact, nobody threatened me. I just wanted to see if you cared."

The look of shock was evident on Nick's face even though my back was turned to him.

"Of course I care about you Cianna! You're my girlfriend, of course I do!" he exclaimed.

"Chill bud." I chuckled, retrieving the milk and some fresh strawberries from the fridge.

I'd asked Megan to do some shopping for me and get some fresh produce just before I got home.

Normally she would've point blank said no, but she'd become incredibly protective towards ever since the attack.

I was still incredibly shaken but I just wanted to leave it behind me and move on.

"Smoothie?" I offered, switching the blender on at the power-point.

"Yeah, banana please." Nick nodded.

I peeled the skin from the long yellow fruit and chopped it up into thin slices.

The knife almost plunged straight into my finger when Nick wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder.

"You're so beautiful." he whispered in my ear.

"No I'm not." I disagreed. My hair was a mess and my eyes had dark bags underneath them. Jetlag had finally caught up with me and I was constantly yawning.

"Yes you are." he argued, kissing my bare shoulder.

"Okay then." I nodded sceptically.

I dropped the banana into the blender and added milk and plain yoghurt.

Placing the lid on top, I started up the machine and wiped down the bench with a Chux.

Nick kept a firm on me at all times, pressing his lips to different places on my neck.

His smoothie was soon, so I poured into the tall glass and added a strawberry to the rim.

"Here you go." I smiled, passing it to him.

"Thank-you baby." he grinned, scooping his finger into the liquid to wipe it on my nose and mouth.

"You got a little something there." Nick smirked, kissing my nose.

He moved down and captured my lips sweetly, licking off the beverage.

"You taste good." he whispered, gliding his hands up the back of my shirt. "And you're very smooth."

He started to trace patterns on my skin. I could just imagine him writing something like 'NJ and CF forever' or 'Mrs Nicholas Jerry Jonas'.

"Come on." I beckoned, moving away from him and grabbing my suitcase.

He helped me lug each on up the staircase, with his drink in one hand and the suitcase handle in the other.

I opened my bedroom door and was greeted my an overwhelming sense of warmth.

It had been months since I'd stepped onto the off-white carpet and it felt great.

We dumped my luggage on the floor and sat on the bed, slurping on our smoothies.

After I finished mine, I unzipped my biggest transportation storage and quickly shut the lid again when I realised what was on top.

"I saw them Cianna." Nick chuckled.

I blushed and reopened it to reveal my undergarments.

"I would have to have put there didn't I?" I muttered, pulling them out quickly.

Nick darted in and snatched my Superwoman bootyshorts.

"Now, I could totally see these on you." he winked, flailing them around.

As I reached to grab them he snatched up another pair, but this time is was a pair of normal panties.

"If you just pinched that there, it could look like a g-string!" he giggled like a school girl.

I was genuinely shocked by his comment. He was supposed to be a gentleman yet here he was making derogatory opinions!

"You pig!" I gasped, slapping him hard in the chest.

"Ouch!" he complained, rubbing the impact spot.

"How dare you!" I spat, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Jesus Cianna, take a joke!" Nick snapped. "Even though you would amazingly hot in a thong."

That last statement earned him a clip around the head.

"Grow a brain and get some manners and maybe I'll get back to you!" I barked, shoving him once more. "And if you're so fascinated by g-strings I'll go out and buy you a heap for Christmas, deal?"

"But I'll only take them if you've worn them." he growled, licking the shell of my ear.

"What is wrong with you? Why are you so hormonal?!" I bellowed.

Nick sat back on his haunches, threw his head back and laughed. "I'm just playing with you Ci. I'd never treat you like a piece of meat like Michael did."

He held me tightly as I breathed hot angry air into his neck.

"Don't do that to me again!" I scolded.

We spent the rest of our time together playing 'Finger Twister' and battling each other on Singstar.

"How come you never wanted to perform Stop the World with me?" Nick asked suddenly, pausing 'Born To Be Wild' when we were halfway through it.

"Um, I wasn't ready yet." I shrugged, biting my lip.

Nick settled for my answer and snuggled back into me.

It was 5 o'clock and I had to finish unpacking, get my things ready to do my fragrance shoot with Chanel, pick up my Maltese from Megan's house just down the road, and then eat dinner.

"I suppose I'd best be going." Nick sighed, dropping his microphone into the beanbag he was resting on. "I'll miss you."

He kissed me softly and held me so I could feel his heart thumping against my chest.

Whatever cologne he used, I just had to get it for myself so I could smell him all the time.

Okay, that's a little creepy but if you could inhale Nick Jay's aroma for a split second, you would make the exact same decision.

"But this isn't a forever goodbye. We'll see each other sometime soon. We'll make this work." he reassured, letting me go as the all too familiar SUV pulled up in my driveway.

"I'll call you as soon as I get home." he said softly.

I nodded and waved at Kevin shyly.

"Um, yeah, so, bye baby."

When the car disappeared into the distance, I raced upstairs, threw myself on the bed and cried.

n i c h o l a s

Elvis was incredibly happy to see me but I really just wanted to be with Cianna.

My faithful dog dragged his rough tongue up my face and rolled onto his back.

"Hey boy." I smiled sadly, patting his tummy.

He looked up at me with disappointed eyes, and I sighed.

"Who wants to play outside? Who wants to? Do you want to? Yes!"

I snatched up his soggy saliva coated ball from beside his kennel and threw it hard as I could.

Through the kitchen window I could hear my parents talking as Mum washed the dishes.

"He misses her already Paul, isn't that sweet? He must really like her. I've never seen him so happy in a relationship, ever." Mum said happily.

"Yeah, but he has to pick his socks up and cheer up soon. It's not good for him to be like this." Dad muttered.

Typical. He was always thinking on the pessimistic side when it came to love.

Elvis bounded back to me with the ball in his mouth.

I took it reluctantly and hurled it once more.

He soon lost interest in that and started to chase his tail.

I gave a small smile and sat down by the back door, wrapping my arms around my bent knees.

Approaching footsteps made me spin around to see Kevin walking towards me.

"Why so sad?" he asked, resting next to me.

"I miss Cianna." I whispered, my heart sinking a little more. "And I'm scared. I'm scared that this business thing is going to keep us apart and eventually break everything we have."

Kevin patted my shoulder, and looked out to watch Elvis as did I.

"It worked out with Miley didn't it? And Danielle understands doesn't she? If she didn't we wouldn't be getting married. You can get through it, and like you said there are all those forms of technology to keep in contact with. And her birthday's coming up so you can get something for her and drop it off. She'd love that."

Cianna was turning eighteen on December 7 and that made me freak out too. She would be a legal adult and I'd still be teenager although sometimes I felt much older. A lot of people had said I had an old soul.

What if when her birthday came around she decided I was holding her back? She couldn't go to clubs with me. What if she hooked up with a guy there?! Oh God! I can't let her grow up!

"Nick? Nickkkk?" Kevin called.

I jumped and took deep breaths, sending oxygen into my lungs once more.

"She's not going to like me anymore. I'm too young for her! Help me!" I panicked, shaking him violently.

"Calm down! She will not leave you! You're only 10 months behind her in age! Just chill out! Come on. Let's go buy her something now to get your mind off it." he suggested, pulling me to my feet.

Cianna will leave me.

---

"What about that?" Kevin asked, pointing at a large silver heart pendant necklace.

"I dunno, what about a Build-A-Bear?" I asked quietly, looking over at the store.

"A Build-A-Bear Nick? Are you 7 or something?" he snapped. "Get her jewellery."

"How about a bracelet and a bear?" I compromised, with a cocky smirk.

Kevin grumbled and followed me as I darted over to the soft toy store.

The little blonde cub was just calling for me so I snatched it up and had it stuffed.

Inside its paw I left a little personal recording. It was me saying 'I love you Cianna May Fox. Forever.' I was sure I loved her then, but I was pretty sure by her birthday in just ten days I would be in love with her.

I was just picking out a sparkly dress for it when another idea hit me.

"How about I put the necklace or whatever I get for her on the bear?" I cried, jumping up and down on the balls of my feet.

"Uh sure." Kevin shrugged, fiddling with his BlackBerry.

"Nick is that for me baby?" a horrible screechy voice murmured as they tugged on my earlobe with their teeth.

Oh God, I thought I got rid of Sarah!