Nick of time

- 4 chapter

It was quiet in the hotel room just the scratch from the pen was heard.

"And when you received the call?" the officer asked John while he was writing a review on a book.

"A little before I called 911."

"You know about all of that before the call?"

"I tried to solve--" "I just...I" he started stutter

"It was inappropriate of you, don't do that again."

It's been week since John knows something was up with Nick's agent. The mail that Nick got that day, came from some place that belonged to her and to her ex-husband. It was a business place/night club that shut down when they got divorced, then they gave that place to their son.

John found the address and searched for the rest when he was in the cabin with Nick, behind Nick's back.

"What's your connection to Nick Kroll?"

"He's a friend."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, how is this connected to the situation?" he sounded mad and he was frowning.

"And are you married?"

"Yes, but I really don't see how it's relevant."

"Go back to New York, go back to your wife." said the detective and walked away from John.

"But is he okay?" asked John when the detective was at the door.

"He is fine now, recovering.. He sent us a message saying that no one should bother him." said the detective and left the room.

John was alone, he tried so hard to keep the tears from falling, he rubbed his eyes with his hands, he went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror.

"I need to go back home." said to himself quietly

At the airport Anna was waiting for him, he walked up to her with his suitcase and his laptop case on his shoulder.

She gave him a big hug, he put his hand on her back.

"Are you feeling better now?" she asked as she looked for his eyes.

"I think..." he stuttered "I need to rest."

While Anna was driving, John just stared at the road.

"Do you think he's mad at me?"

"I think he just needs some time. He lost a very important person in his life."

"Maybe I need a break from work for a while."

"It'll be great, maybe you'll help me a little with my work and then we'll have time together."

John felt like it'd be a good time to be closer to Anna, he needs time off to recover anyway.

Later John talked to his boss and he gave him two weeks' vacation. He couldn't stop think about Nick though, it was hard, especially since all the news sites reported about the case.

"Never before in the history of music have been such a case. The agent of Nick Kroll, Rose Sender, suspected of murdering 3 rock artists, she threatened Nick Kroll himself but claims she did not have a plan to murder him. Her son, who believed to be her right-hand-man committed suicide."

*After half a year*

John was listening to an album that he needed to review. His phone was buzzing, it was a message from his boss.

"You need to go to LA now, you'll get the ticket at the airport."

"What happened?" he texted back.

"Nick Kroll." Seeing those two words on the screen, his pupils dilated.

"I'll be there."

Nick doesn't like journalists, but he was away from the public for a long time, in the middle of the big crisis of that year, so to clean things up he needed to do a press conference.

He loved singing and his fans, but in a good relationship, you need communication, it's not always about the fun parts.

"I didn't know any of Rose's plans and as I said to the police, I was a victim, a puppet for her benefit and I felt betrayed."

"What are you going to do next?"

Nick got closer to the microphone.

"I'm working on my new album right now."

"Do you feel hurt by anyone else? Beside Rose.. "

"It's a personal question..." he hummed and then continued "I disconnected from a few people I've worked with before, I just needed to recover, some of them were very close to me, and maybe they had a clue what was going on."

"So...do you forgive those people?" That voice was familiar to Nick.

"Maybe you need to stand up and be louder because I can't hear you."

The person got up, he had a very young face and he looked confused, it was John.

"So you forgive them?"

"Yeah, I get why that was hard for yo-them."

John bent down to sit "okay I think I finishe-"

"But I didn't. Can I ask you a question?"

John stood up again.

"Yes, I think." John said unsurely.

"Can I kiss you?"

People started whispering and all John could see was cameras flashes.

"But now? he asked

"Yes." said Nick.

"Yes, you can."

Nick stood up from his chair and went to John, passing by the people in the audience and stood in front of him.

John's heart was beating fast. They forgot they were in a room full of people.

Nick put both of his hands on John's shoulders and pulled him in for a kiss.