CHAPTER 5

"Do you have to gooo?" Dean whined at the airport.

Royce had to leave early than the rest to make it to Las Vegas for the Wild N Out show, she'd normally fly to their next show with her friends.

"I'll be back shortly, I'll see you guys Monday. And since when do you suddenly care about me leaving early?" Royce crossed her arms and stood before Dean.

He shrugged, "It's just weird. We always travel together, we're all rarely ever separate from one another. Hurry back shorty," Dean ruffled her hair.

"Yeah yeah whatever." Royce fixed her hair and shoved Dean.

"Flight 108 boarding to Las Vegas"

"Good luck with Nick. Let us know if we need to go in and rescue you." Finn gave her a hug.

She said bye to all her friends, last but not least, Joe. "See you."

"We need to talk." Joe whispered in her ear, before she pulled back.

Royce just gave him a brief nod, she grabbed her bags and made her way towards her gate.

Joe: We need to talk about the kiss. Why have you been avoiding me?

"Excuse me ma'am, the flights about to take off. If you don't mind, please turn off phone." The flight attendant said.

Royce shut her phone off and sighed. She'd been avoiding Joe since that night. Constantly finding excuses to dodge him. Truth is, she liked it. And she didn't know why she liked it. A part of her still had feelings for Nick, while the other strangely wanted continue with Joe.

Shaking off the the weird thoughts, Royce leaned back and decided to enjoy the flight before chaos hit.

~Four hours later, Royce landed in Las Vegas. She grabbed her luggage and looked for Conceited.

She spotted him through the crowd, even though he didn't really stand out due to his height. He walked towards her and gave her a hug.

"Royce!" Conceited beamed. "I'm so happy you're here!"

"I'm excited to be here!" Royce smiled. "Nick doesn't know?"

"Nope! He's completely clueless." Conceited replied, the two walking out of the airport. "He doesn't even know the questions our teams come up with. Most of them are about you."

"Wow, can't wait." She laughed and got in his car. "What time does the show start?"

"Seven, me and Karlous will hide you in our dressing room until it's time for the game. We'll give you a signal on when to come out, DJ D-Wrek will play your music too!" He excitedly said.

They continued talking until they arrived at the airport, she was grateful paparazzi wasn't there. They had no idea she was even in Las Vegas; thankfully no fans had come up to her.

Her phone rang, right as she walked into the hotel room. She debated answering it.

"Hey, whats up?"

"You never answered my text." Joe said.

"I was on a plane." Royce said, "I gotta go. We're going to dinner."

"No Royce, please just talk to me-

She pressed end call. How do you explain you're still in love with your ex, but don't mind kissing your lifelong friend?

~Friday: Wild N Out Show

Royce practically sprinted in the dressing room. It was 8:15 and she was supposed to come out at 8:50. She watched as the team members asked and pressured Nick with questions of her, his music, and even Mariah.

Royce took a glance at herself in the mirror, fixing her hair and outfit.

"You never married Royce but who do you think is more tolerable being married to. Royce or Mariah?" Conceited asked Nick.

Nick laughed, taking his time to answer. "Umm..." The crowd anticipated for his answer. "Why are most of these questions about her?"

Conceited shook his head. "Objection your honor!"

"I don't know.. Royce I guess."

After a few more turns, Emmanuel went up.

"Nick Cannon!" Emmanuel approached him. "I have a question we all want to know."

"Alright," Nick awaited the question.

"Nick I bet you're ecstatic you didn't get Royce pregnant... Or marry her. But I just have one question!" He leaned against the railings. "Don't it feel good about not having to lie about smashing the Wild N Out girls while she was gone?"

The crowd gasped and "oohed." Nick was very taken back at the question, with a shocked look on his face.

Suddenly D-Wrek made the beat drop to Royce's song.

People ask me what the future is All I know is I'll be doing this All I know is things are moving quick

"Oh shit." Nick rubbed his face. The crowd started to go insane.

Royce walked out, the cast members dying of laughter. Emmanuel and Conceited grabbed each of her hands and walked her to where Nick was.

She stood in front of him and leaned over the rail."Yeah Nick, doesn't it feel good not having to lie?"

Nick shook his head, unable to keep the smile off his face. "I never ever cheated while we were together, so that's one thing I'll make clear."

Royce smirked, "That technically doesn't answer the question though."

He stayed silent for a moment, at a loss for words. "Damn it I plead the fifth!"

She and the others laughed, the other team winning the game. Conceited and Emmanuel raised her hands as if she'd won a match.

"We'll be right back for more! Dj D-Wrek take us out!" Nick yelled, then hugged Royce, leading her to his private dressing room. "What are you doing here?!" He still had his arms around her.

"You didn't think you were the only one who could pull off unexpected visits did you?" She challenged.

He grinned, "Wow. I can't believe you're here. And this outfit," Nick grabbed her hand and spun her around.

"Just a little something they designed for me." Royce shrugged as she mentioned the designing team at WWE.

"You look good." Nick complimented.

She sent him a warm smile and looked around his dressing room. "You still have this?" Royce picked up a chain she won him at Dave and Busters almost five years ago. It was cheap and tacky, she just had thirty tickets to get it.

"Why wouldn't I?" Nick wondered. "For some reason it's brought me luck since you won it. Remember I found fifty bucks by my car?"

"Yeah but I also remember a note attached to it saying 'Sorry I dented your door.'" Royce laughed.

"It's brought me good luck okay Roy. That's not the point." He slightly shoved her. "Hey after the show.. Let's hang."

"I don't think that'd be a good idea. I can see the headlines now." Royce put her hands out. "Ex lovers Nick Cannon and Royce Presley reunite on a night in Vegas. Is the love still sparking?'"

"Does it say I'm still obsessed with you?" He smirked.

"Shut up Mr. Moving on." Royce rolled her eyes, referring to his recent interview. "Yeah, lets hang. As friends."

"Only friends." Nick stated.

"Friends."

"Friends."

--

The sound of a phone ringing woke Royce up. She groaned and turned over.

"Oh my god!" She screamed.

"Babe turn your phone off. Roy you're damn ringer is always loud," Nick groaned. He quickly sat up, "Oh shit!"

"This can't be happening right now!" Royce jumped out of bed, quickly finding her clothes to cover herself up.

"Don't even bother hiding and covering up. I've seen it for over four years." Nick snickered.

"Be quiet!" Royce threw his pants at him. "Ugh I knew I should've have gone with you!"

"Maybe we didn't even do what we think we did.." Nick said.

"So all friends just wake up next to each other, naked? Yeah, makes perfect sense." She rolled her eyes.

"Please tell me I used a condom!" Nick jumped out, looking for some sort of evidence of protection.

"I'm on the shot thing! Do you not remember you made me get it!" She yelled at him, frustrated and filled with regret.

"Good, cause I can't have three baby mama's." Nick sighed, relieved.

His comment made her stop for awhile. It felt like a low blow to her even though she knew that wasn't his intentions.

"Roy, I didn't mean it like that. It's just-

"No I know. It's okay." She lied. "I gotta go, I have a flight today."

"Royce." Nick got up and went towards her. "I didn't mean to hurt you by that comment."

"I get it okay Nick?" Royce quietly spoke.

"Come on, you can't leave like this. We can't just end things this way."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" She reached the door. "From the moment I met you, I told you how badly I wanted kids and to get married.."

He lowered his head. "I thought I would eventually be on board but years passed, and I still didn't want it. I already have three Roy."

"Sorry I came here, it was a mistake." Royce said before rushing out the door.

"Royce! Royce come back in the room!" Nick called after her. "Royce we can't just end like this!"

"There is no we!"

--

After a long flight, she landed in the next city she had to be in. It was odd, once she walked out of Nicks hotel room, her heart wasn't aching as bad as it used to. She knew she still loved him; but was she still in love with him?

"Thank you." Royce said to the worker at the front desk of the hotel. Once she got off the elevator, she quietly made her way down the hallway to her room. She seen someone who looked to be struggling getting back in their room. As she got closer, she seen who it was. "Joe?"

"Royce?" Joe turned, taken back by her appearance. "I thought you weren't flying in until Monday."

"Change of plans," she shrugged. "Do you not know how to operate a door?"

"Ha ha," he rolled his eyes. "The key card isn't working, I'm gonna have to go down and get a new one."

She snatched it from his hands and tried for herself, it successfully opened. "Don't try pushing before it even opens."

"These doors are so sensitive." Joe grumbled. "Um do you want to come in?"

"No thanks, I should get to mine and start unpacking." Royce declined.

"Whatever you say, more chocolates for me." He began to close the door.

"Say less!" Royce busted through, leaving her suitcase by his. She seen the box of chocolates and went for it, only Joe on the other side tugging at it. "Let go!" She whined.

"No it's my room." He joked with her.

"No fair, I've had a very long flight!" Royce pouted and crossed her arms.

"You're such a baby." Joe chuckled and tossed the box at her.

"Thank you." She smiled and dug in.

"Don't eat the one with the white chocolate drizzle." He warned her.

Royces eyes widened as she was about to take a bit of the one he just described.

"Royce! Give it!" Joe lunged for her.

She quickly plopped it in her mouth, giving him a smirk.

"You're evil." Joe said and chased after her. Being oddly fast, he grabbed her from behind.

"Stop no! You know I'm ticklish!" She swatted his hands away from her sides.

"Woah!" Joe called out, the two of them falling on the bed. "Jeez, I didn't even tickle you."

"Well you were going to." Royce defended. Her laughter died down once she realized she was on top of him. "Why'd you kiss me?" She blurted out, her inner thoughts unable to stay in her head.

"Why are you avoiding me?" Joe countered.

"Don't answer a question with a question." She said.

"I didn't, I asked my own question." Joe smirked.

"I liked it... And I don't know why I did." She confessed. "You just got divorced and I just got out of something and I still have feelings for him and I woke up beside him less than twenty four hours ago-

"You slept with Nick?!" Joe interrupted.

"We were both wasted!"

"Mm, I don't like that." He growled. His hands traveled to the sides of her hips, making their way up her shirt. "Did you regret it?"

"Y-yeah." She stuttered, unable for concentrate cause of the sudden intimacy between them.

"Do you want to kiss me?" His hands reached her bra, going to the clasp.

"I don't know." Royce tried regaining her composure. "I.. We shouldn't. It feels wrong, I can't have sex with you too."

"Why not?" Joe cockily smiled. He licked his lips, his hair was in a bun, his shirt was tight so his muscles ripped through it. Gray sweats and his eyes piercing through her. His rough but soft hands traveling all over her body, teasingly undoing a clasp on the back of her bra. Was this wrong? Would this make her feel like, a quote on quote hoe? She's only been with two men in her life. A high school boyfriend and Nick. But she's never had sex with one guy and in less that a twenty four hour window, have sex with another. Was this shameful?

Joes hips met hers, game over.

"Lord please forgive me." She breathed before pulling Joe towards her, deeply and roughly kissing him.

--to be continued