Watching the tall blonde man step out of the Durango, Lari stepped behind the curtains
of her master bedroom on the second floor. She could see him looking up at the house, and the tired lines lining his handsome
face. Her heart clenched in her chest, God help her, she did still loved that man. Even after the past 5 months, after his
betrayal, after he hurt her so deeply. She didn't think she could ever forgive him for that, it still haunted her every night.
They had their final concert the night before, and she and Nick had an arguement about
god knows what. Later that night Lari confided in Leighann about her and Nick. The following morning she had come downstairs
of the hotel with Howie to get some coffee when they saw all the media charge at them asking about what they thought of 'Nick
and Arie'. She covered the shook and the pain hearing that caused her and she and Howie told them that they had no idea what
they were talking about.
Then Arie came down and 'confirmed' the engagement. And told Howie and her what
had happened the night before. Shortly a lil after, Nick came down and Lari felt bile rise in her throat. When he looked at
her and she nearly threw up all over the place, Howie went over to Nick and she just left. Walked out, called the girls and
took the first plane out to their compound.
Lari had a suspected that she might have been pregnant before she left,
but at first thought that it was because of the stress of the tour. And then after she, Trish and Kara, got settled at the
compound she thought it was because of the stress from Nick. It was only after she started throwing up 2 weeks after they
got settled that she went to the doctor's, where she found out that she was 9 weeks pregnant.
And now she stood in her bedroom, 31 weeks pregnant with twins, looking out the
window at the man she had put her faith in only to be burned. She had thought that by hidding from the world and the media
focusing on the new album would work. But it didn't, because not only was Nick here, but all the fellas and Leighann.
She knew she should be downstairs when they all started walking into the house but she couldn't bring her feet to move.
A knock at the door brought her attention back into the real world, she
turned around to see Trish peaking her head in, "Lari, would you like some help down stairs?"
Rubbing her pregnant belly to calm down the active children that moving around,
she nodded, "Yea, would you mind?"
"Not at all, Kara is downstairs with everyone in the living room. Are you ready?"
Trish asked as Lari joined her at the door.
"Not really but they are here, there is no turning back now." Lari said as they
made their was down the staircase.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nick stood at the bay window looking at the staircase that Trish had
just ran up moments ago. Kara and AJ stood next to him, one on each side. AJ had his hand on his shoulder to lend him some
support. Leighann and Kara were talking about Seirra who at the moment was sleeping on the couch on her fathers lap. Nick
looked up at the top of the staircase from the side where the living room was located.
All of a sudden he saw pair of black 1 1/2 inched heeled boots start
to come down with a pair of tennis. He knew that the boots were Lari's, she was rarely ever seen wearing tennis shoes unless
she was working out or during rehersal. Kara and Leigh stopped talking, everyone looked at her and Trish make their
way slowly down the stairs. Lari was wearing a pair of black slacks, and a sage blouse that showed the rather large swell
of her tummy.
Nick found himself walking toward the staircase as Lari and Trish made
it to the bottom. He fell to his knees on the ground infront of her, wrapping his arms as much as he could around her waist.
Large tears fell down his face, "Lari, baby I am so sorry. I am so so sorry... please please don't keep me away from you and
our baby anymore? I love you so much Lari-doll, so very very much... I am so so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. I was drunk
and stupid and I shouldn't have slept with her, I shouldn't have let myself get into that situation. Lari, please... please,
don't make me leave. I love you. Please... I want to be with you and you baby. PLEASE can we be a family with our baby? PLEASE?!"
He begged crying as he hugged her stomach trying to get as close to her and the baby as possible. Never wanting to let them
go.
Everyone in room was choked up, each had tears running down their eyes.
Kara held on to Alex tightly, she knew that Nick meant what he said but she knew that Lari was right to be scared, she could
see the fear in her eyes as Lari looked down at Nick.
Lari bit her lower lip, and lifted her eyes to look up at the ceiling
trying to fight back her own tears. She held Trish's hand tightly as she kept her left hand on the top of her belly, "Babies,
" Her voice trembled, "Not baby, it's babies."
