Just One Kiss

At the airport, Nick, his carry-on bag on his shoulder, was standing with John, who was seeing him off so he could rejoin the tour finally.

“Let me know what happens,” Nick told John. John nodded, and noticed the worry in his friend’s eyes.

“I’ll call you when they start, and as soon as I can when it’s over,” John promised. “She’s strong Nick, you know she is.” Nick nodded, looking around as they announced his flight was boarding.

“See you in a few weeks,” John said, shaking Nick’s hand.

“See ya,” Nick replied, adjusting the bag on his shoulder. He walked past the flight attendant and sat down in his seat, staring out the window and thinking of his goodbye to Stacy. She was crying, which was something he hardly ever saw out of her.

“It’s only a couple of weeks,” Nick muttered to prevent himself from getting off the plane and rushing back to her side. “2 weeks, fourteen days. I can do that.” The engines roared to life just then, and Nick let his head fall onto the back of his seat.

“Nervous flier?” A man beside him asked, looking up from the papers in front of him. The woman on his other side looked up, curiously.

“Not really, I just don’t want to leave anything behind,” Nick replied as the plane straightened out. The seatbelt light went off, so Nick removed his and pulled out his cell phone, checking the time.

“I’ll be back, potty break,” the woman said as she stood up. She gave the man a quick kiss before walking to the back of the plane.

“My fiancée,” the man explained Nick’s unasked question. “She’s crazy, but I love her to death.”

“Been together long?” Nick asked, trying to take his mind off the worry he was feeling for his own love.

“You could say that. We met when we were seven, started dating at sixteen.”

“Wow, long time,” Nick commented.

“There was a time where we were separated. Eight years actually, but we found our way back to each other. I knew the minute I seen her again that she was the one I would spend the rest of my life with.”

“Yeah,” Nick nodded his head. They fell silent, so Nick’s thoughts went back to Stacy. He wanted to be there for her, but knew it was impossible right now. He had to finish out the tour.

“Who is she?” Nick was so wrapped up in his own thoughts he didn’t realize the woman had returned.

“Sorry?” Nick asked, turning to look at her.

“The woman you’re thinking about so hard over there. Don’t deny it, I know that look. I grew up around men so I know how their brains work.”

“My girlfriend,” Nick replied. “She’s having open heart surgery tomorrow but I can’t be there for her because of work.”

“That sucks,” the man muttered.

“I know you from somewhere,” the woman said suddenly.

“A lot of people do,” Nick replied, not even trying to sound conceited. “I’m Nick Carter from the Backstreet Boys.”

“Holy wow, I thought so. So that means,” the woman’s voice trailed off as her face went white. She shared a look at the other man, who seemed just as worried as she did. “You’re dating Stacy Cena right?”

“Yeah,” Nick replied.

“Oh my God,” the woman said, her mouth over her hand. “Sorry, you don’t know us, but we’re really good friends with John, Stacy, and the whole group. I’m Riley Calaway, this is Jeff Hardy.”

“I heard of you two, I think Stacy mentioned you guys a couple times,” Nick replied.

“She’s having open heart surgery? Why? I thought she just had weak muscles.” Jeff spoke up.

“It got worse; the muscles tore so now she has a hole. They’re going to try to repair it.” Nick explained. He went into the story of how the two of them were at the gym when she collapsed, and everything afterward.

“We’ll have to go back and see her when we go on break,” Jeff said to Riley. Riley nodded, the concern showing in her eyes.

“We were off when Stacy left to go on tour with you. John and Nikki told us about her leaving with you.” Riley said to Nick. She looked thoughtful for a minute. “Didn’t one of your band members go through the same surgery?”

“Brian,” Nick nodded. “Back in the 90s.”

“And he came out of it alright?” Jeff asked.

“Better than alright,” Nick replied. “He was a new person after he went through it.”

“Maybe that’ll happen with Stacy,” Riley said hopefully. “Maybe this can help strengthen her muscles.”

“I doubt it Ri,” Jeff told his fiancée. “She’s fought this since she was born. I’m surprised she still is fighting.”

“She’s tried to give up a couple times since I met her,” Nick admitted. “I didn’t tell anyone though because I convinced her it was stupid and wrong.”

“Good,” Jeff nodded his head in approval.

“You care about her a lot don’t you?” Riley asked suddenly.

“Yeah, I do,” Nick told her. “I never felt like this toward anyone.”

“She’s lucky then.”

“Of course you’d say that Riley. Beside you’ve had a crush on him since we were teens,” Jeff spoke up, a mischievous smirk forming on his lips.

“Shut up,” Riley said, a small blush creeping into her cheeks. She picked up a book and turned to a page, but Nick was sure she wasn’t actually reading it.

“I have to tease her.” Jeff said, almost apologetically.

“It’s cool, I do the same thing to Stacy,” Nick replied with a shrug. “Especially after she was introduced to Synyster Gates from Avenged Sevenfold.”

“Don’t get me started on that,” Jeff laughed. “If she wasn’t so in love with me I’m sure Syn would be her second runner up.”

“I think the same goes with Stacey.” Nick laughed, causing Riley to look up again.

“I’m surprised her and Randy didn’t get engaged or anything.” She commented.

“I keep hearing how close they were while they were dating,” Nick said. “John and all of them said she was crushed when they broke up.”

“She was beyond crushed,” Jeff said. “She locked herself in a hotel room for weeks. I’m surprised the cops weren’t called in suspicion of a dead body.”

“She never let herself get close to anyone.” Riley added. “It took a lot for her to let you get as close to her as you are now, I’m sure of it. With her heart and everything; I’m sure she wanted as few friends as possible in case something like this happened.”

“Well, it’s not exactly working out. My entire band loves her, plus she has everyone from the WWE, and her family.”

“Yeah, and you know.” Jeff added. “You’re saving her life right now you know that right?”

“Jeff, don’t lay that on him,” Riley snapped, smacking the back of her fiancée’s head.

“No, I’m not,” Nick shook his head, looking out the window. “She’s saving mine.”

“I heard about your own health issues. Are you doing better now?” Riley asked.

“Yeah, thanks to Stacey I am.” Nick admitted.

“She’s a special person.” Jeff muttered.

“I’m sure she says the same about you two,” Nick smirked.