Chapter 5

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Kevin and Kelsy brought their kids back to the apartment and put them to bed. "The kids and I are leaving tomorrow." Kelsy reminded Kevin as they got into bed.

"I know...I wish you didn't have to go." Kevin replied.

"Me too, but next week Mel has her summer school to get her ready for kindergarten and she's really excited." Kelsy responded.

"Yeah, it's just hard." Kevin said.

"Well that's what you get for moving us out there when you work out here." Kelsy told him.

"That's not fair." Kevin answered. "You could've stayed out here.."

"I know, I'm sorry. I'm just kind of...emotional right now." Kelsy replied. "I'm tired. I've been crabby all day."

"It's ok." Kevin pulled Kelsy into a hug. "Hey, why don't I keep Carter with me?"

"You wouldn't have the time, you're already busy." Kelsy said.

"I can take care of him. Plus my mom wouldn't mind helping out at all when I'm too busy." Kevin explained. "It'll only be for a week. Then he and I can fly back home or you guys could come back here after her summer school."

"It doesn't matter." Kelsy shook her head.

"Great." Kevin smiled. "Even though I'm still going to miss my girls."

"We'll miss you too, we always do." Kelsy replied quietly.

"I know." Kevin responded. Suddenly his cell phone started ringing. He sighed and answered it. "Hey, Nick."

"Hey, what are you doing?" Nick asked.

"I was just going to go to bed." Kevin replied.

"Oh, sorry." Nick responded.

"Well now that you called, what did you need?" Kevin questioned.

"To talk.." Nick replied.

"About what?" Kevin asked.

"Stuff." Nick answered. "Could I come over or you meet me somewhere?"

"Sure, you can just come here." Kevin told Nick.

"Ok, see you soon." Nick replied.

"See ya." Kevin added before he hung up. He got out of bed.

"What's going on?" Kelsy asked.

"Nick is coming over, he wants to talk I guess. I'm going to go wait for him." Kevin replied.

"Ok. Goodnight." Kelsy said to Kevin.

"Night." Kevin stated as he closed the door behind himself and went to the living room to wait for Nick.

xx

Joe stood outside Lilly's house. There were no cars in the driveway, but Lilly could still be home. He decided after a few too many drinks that he needed to talk to Lilly. He'd been thinking a lot after Nick talked to him and he decided he would.

Joe walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. He waited a couple minutes. Finally, Lilly opened the door in her pajamas. "What are you doing here, Joe?" She asked.

"I have to talk to you." Joe managed to say.

"Are you drunk?" Lilly questioned.

"Maybe, but-" Joe started to say before he was cut off.

"I don't even want to hear it." Lilly said.

"Just listen, you did this to me, Lilly." Joe replied.

"What?" Lilly asked.

"The first time I drank after that New Years was the night I called you from Kevin and Kelsy's wedding." Joe explained. "And after that it just started to be a normal thing..."

"Joe, that's...stupid." Lilly replied. "Why would you do that to yourself because of me? Did you think it was going to make me come back?"

"No..I decided you weren't coming back, so I just drank to make myself forget." Joe responded.

Lilly took a deep breath. It was a lot to take in. "Look, do you need me to call someone to pick you up?"

"I can walk, thanks." Joe said bitterly. He walked off her porch and towards his apartment.

Lilly watched for a minute and then closed her door. She went up to her room and sank into her bed. She started crying. It had all been her fault, she'd ruined Joe. She ruined him and his career and his life. Then she started thinking again and reminded herself that he'd done the same to her. If Joe hadn't done anything with the other girl back in New Jersey then she wouldn't have left and become this person she was today.

It was a lot to take in at once and soon Lilly fell asleep.

xx

Nick had arrived at Kevin's and they were sitting at the table in his kitchen now. "So what's going on?" Kevin asked.

"I'm just really stressed out right now..." Nick began. Kevin waited and Nick continued. "Everybody has me keeping secrets for them. Well..kind of anyway."

"Ok." Kevin replied, a little confused.

"You won't say anything to anyone will you?" Nick questioned.

"Of course not." Kevin answered.

"Well first, Joe's been coming to me a lot about everything. He's been really upset about Lilly especially since she came back." Nick replied.

"Yeah, I think that's pretty obvious." Kevin said.

"And Miley and I weren't going to say anything, but we had sex last month." Nick added.

"Ok." Kevin replied. "Well you guys are both 20 years old. You're adults."

"I know and that's why it wasn't going to be a big deal and we didn't want anyone to know, but she thinks she might be pregnant." Nick responded.

"Oh...well." Kevin thought for a minute. "Did she take a test?"

"No, but she just realized it tonight before she was going to sleep and then I couldn't sleep. I was freaking out." Nick explained.

"Have her do that tomorrow then." Kevin replied.

Nick nodded. "Right. But what if.."

"It'll be fine. Maybe she is, maybe she's not, but you'll be fine either way." Kevin told Nick.

"Neither of us are ready." Nick replied.

"Kelsy and I weren't ready either." Kevin reminded Nick. "We were even younger than you two and we ended up great. Plus you're both good with the kids."

"Yeah." Nick stood up. "But I should go."

"Ok, I'll stop by tomorrow. You have to let me know how things go in the morning." Kevin replied.

"I will." Nick said. "Bye."

"Bye." Kevin walked his brother to the door. After Nick left, he went back to bed where Kelsy was asleep. He soon fell asleep too.

xx

I'm so sorry about the lack of updates. I've been wanting to a lot, but I haven't had internet since I moved. It'll be another week at least before I get internet back, so updates will still be slow until then. Anyway leave reviews and I'll try to update soon.