Fight ME

Just A Kiss

Nick stared at himself in the mirror; he'd removed all his clothes to dry off and only stood with a towel wrapped around his waist. He'd rushed into the house and stormed up the stairs to change. He was embarrassed and confused about what he had just done. This was his close friend's daughter which automatically made it wrong. Maxine could no longer stay with him; that was the best solution he could come up with.

Maxine was ready for her date with Derek; she had dressed in a yellow summer dress and had put her hair in the usual ponytail. Her nerves were a mess after the whole kiss thing and Nick running away cursing a storm. She had decided that acting like it never happened was better. She let the dog out and walked towards the living room.

When she looked up to Nick's room, he was standing only in a towel against the railing staring straight at her. Just the sight of his bare upper body sent her stomach into a coiling frenzy. She didn't say a word and walked out of the house to meet up with Derek.

"Fuck..." Nick muttered, turning around to throw on some clothes. He grabbed his cell phone off the dresser and dialed. He waited impatiently as the phone rang. His stomach somersaulting as he waited for Howie's voice to come on the phone.

"Hey Nick."

Nick cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "Hey man."

"How's it going? Is everything ok?"

"No. You have to come and pick up Max right now. Max can't stay here anymore...D!"

"What? I...Nick, you know damn well I can't hop on a plane right now. Plus, I'm still working on telling Leigh."

"Working on it?" Nick ran a hand over his face, the fact that Howie was being a coward and not telling Leigh was really frustrating him. "Howie, this is not my responsibility man. Why the hell do I have to take care of your kid?"

"You don't have to. I just need your help right now, man."

"I'm not good company and you know it, D. This girl needs you, because her mother is lying in a hospital bed and you're the closest family she has. While she's over here taking fake trees to her sleeping mother, you're over there with your family celebrating and this girl is crushed. She's crushed because deep down she knows only a miracle will bring her mother back. So fucking man up."

"I am Carter. Did you know I'm paying a lot of money to keep Kristine on life support? I asked the doctor not to tell Max that she's..." Howie's voice broke a little. "Nick...her mother is dead. She's not coming back...not even a miracle is going to help her. So, I am trying to help MY daughter from suffering over the holidays. Can you bear with me?"

Nick didn't know what to say. Howie had always been there for him, it was his turn to be there for his friend. "Yeah...I just...Howie that's not all."

Someone called Howie's name in the background. "I really feel shitty Nick. I promise I'm coming down for New Year's Eve. I also sent her a gift. I have to go, thanks again."

"Alright, man." That was all that Nick said and he hung up. He was slightly relieved that he didn't have to confess to Howie that he'd kissed his daughter. Then he thought about what Howie had said. How was he supposed to keep something like this from Max? How had he gotten himself into this mess? Angrily he flung the cell phone across the room and rested his head in his hands.

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"I hope you don't mind that we had to leave the party early?" Derek said, taking a bite of his burger.

Maxine nodded her head and smiled. "No. It was getting a bit crowded anyway." Nervously she stirred the ice in her water cup. "So how long have you worked at The Tiki?"