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» CHAPTER FOURTEEN: FORGIVE AND FORGET? LET'S NOT «

The next morning I was awake and walking around before any of my roommates even stirred. I was still going on the adrenaline from last night, and the thought of seeing Nick for lunch. After we had hugged and cried ourselves out, Nick and I returned to my apartment to find AJ and Brian gone, and my tearful but happy sister zoned out on the couch. I reached into my pocket and felt the paper Nick had given me the night before, etched on it his hotel address and cell phone number. I smiled to
myself, for the first time allowing my mind to remember Nick and not feel tortured.

Ariana stumbled out from the hall with her eyes half closed. She dropped herself into a chair across from me at the kitchen table and banged her head against the table top, groaning.

"Why the hell did the sun have to rise this morning? Couldn't it have slept in a little longer?"

I reached over and patted her hand, grinning. "Sounds like someone has a hangover."

Ariana leaned back and rubbed her face. "No, it's not that. Pierre wanted to go over some new dessert dishes last night after the restaurant closed, so we were up until almost one experimenting." She looked at me suspiciously. "What are you doing up so early? You're usually a late riser like myself."

I found myself smiling once again. "You'll never believe what happened last night." I recounted the entire night while Ariana shook her head in disbelief. "So now I'm going to have lunch with the whole gang later today." I concluded.

Ariana smiled. "Well, that's great, Jenn, I'm so glad you two finally worked that out. I thought when you first came here you were going to throw yourself off the roof or something, you were so pathetic."

I made a face at her as she went to pour herself a cup of coffee.

"Thanks, Ariana."

She gave me a toothy smile before wandering into the living room. A minute later I could hear the sounds of British cartoons wafting through the dining room, and chuckled to myself.

'She'll always be a kid at heart.' I dumped my cup into the sink and went to go wake up Alex, who protested angrily at my wake-up call, then went to the bathroom to wash up. By the time I was out, Alex was already dressed and sitting with Ariana rooting for the cartoon wrestlers.

I blow dried my hair, then slipped on khaki drawstring cargo pants and a dark green V-neck shirt with white sandals. I checked myself in the mirror, feeling satisfied I looked decent.

Checking my watch, I realized I still had another few hours before having to leave, so I settled down next to my roommates to finish out the last half of cartoon wrestling.

Nick bounded through the bathroom door, dumping all his shaving materials and floss on the counter. Then he hurriedly shoved them all into the mirror cabinet, forcing it closed. As an afterthought, he also threw in his toothpaste and the two toothbrushes sitting by the sink.

He raced back out into the hotel room and began stuffing his suitcase with dirty clothes that had been littered on the floor, hanging up the ones he thought were clean. Then he began making the bed, going painstakingly slow to make sure all the corners were in right.

That's how Chanel found him five minutes later, still fluffing the pillows. She looked at him as though he had lost his mind and grew five heads.

"What are you doing, Nickolas?"

Nick didn't look up from his pink and white striped pillow. " I'm cleaning." he mumbled. "What does it look like?"

Chanel rolled her eyes. "That's what they have hotel maids for. Making the beds and putting little mints on the pillows."

Nick stepped back to survey his work, a pleased smile on his face. He looked over at his girlfriend and frowned. "She better not put anything on my pillows. It'd take me forever to get them done again."

Chanel groaned as Nick grabbed the wastepaper basket and started picking up candy wrappers, pieces of paper, and such things off the floor by hand. She was about to sit on the bed when Nick let out a yelp.

"I just fixed it!" he moaned.

"You are this close to becoming a Martha Stewart impersonator." she informed him, plopping herself on the chair.

Nick made a face and mumbled under his breath, but that didn't stop him from going around and making sure every picture frame was hanging straight on the wall, and that all the phone books in the corner were lined up in one tall, neat stack.

"Why are you cleaning, anyway?" Chanel asked grumpily.

Nick gave her a ‘duh’ look. "I already told you Jennifer was coming here for lunch."

"So? Doesn't mean she's going to have to be up here. The lunch room is downstairs. Why don't you go down there instead and help the waiters fold the napkins in geometrical order?" Chanel replied testily.

"I just may do that." Nick shot back, running his fingers through his hair. "Why are you getting mad at me for cleaning the room?"

Chanel sighed, trying to calm her temper before she blew up at him. "It's not you, sweetie. I'm just worried about this whole Jennifer thing. She disappears and reappears after five years, and suddenly everything's buddy buddy again? I don't buy that. I'm still mad at her. She really hurt you." She jumped up and wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her head against his chest. "I just don't want her to hurt you again."

Nick gave her a squeeze and a kiss on the forehead. "Look, I know Jennifer, ok? She won't do something like this again. She promised me. And I understand what you're worrying about, but please don't. I'm over it. I just want her to be my friend again. But I don't want to have you and her fighting. Please make an effort to forgive her, for me?" He tilted her head up and looked her in the eyes.

Chanel knew there was no way she could ever forgive or forget what Jennifer did, but she couldn't say that to him. In fact, she wanted her to pay for ever liking her boyfriend. She paused for a second, shocked and not at the thought crossing her mind. It bothered her a bit when she realized how this cutthroat business Nick was in, had changed her small-town, sweet girl personality into a hardened shell of that former self...after all, she had to become devious to keep all those striving, zealous girls away from her boyfriend. Yes, it bothered her, but not too much.

"Ok, I’ll try." she lied, smiling at him.

Nick smiled back, relieved, and kissed her fully on the mouth.

Chanel entwined her fingers in his hair, pulling him close before slowing bringing him down with her on the newly made bed.

Twenty minutes later, Nick led a brooding Chanel through the lobby of their hotel and into the small, charming restaurant adjoining it. Jennifer, Alex, Howie, and Kevin were already standing by the maitre’d, chatting while they waited for their friends.

Nick burst out into a grin and dropped Chanel's hand to rush forward and envelope Jennifer and her sister in a big bear hug.

Chanel hung back for a moment, assessing her competition. Nick finally let Jennifer go after a long minute, and she stared up at him with a shy smile.

'Yes,' Chanel thought, her eyes flashing angrily. 'You can just see the love shining through her eyes. You would think after all these years she would get it through her thick head that he never has and never will love her and give up that foolish hope. But there it is, plain as day.'

Chanel stiffened her back and straightened her shoulders, then casually walked up beside Nick, encircling her arm in his as if to say, 'he's mine'.

She waited until Nick acknowledged her, re-introducing her to the Alton twins with a hasty, "You remember my girlfriend, Chanel."

Jennifer gave her a hesitant smile, a flash of pain going through her eyes before abating. "Hello again, Chanel." She stuck out her hand and Chanel met her gaze coolly, while giving them both a cheery smile that didn't extend beyond her lips.

"It's so good to see you again, Jennifer and Alexandra. We've missed you on tour."

Nick gave her a thankful squeeze. "Have you heard from the other guys?" he directed at Howie, who was eyeing a curvaceous woman walking past.

Howie's eyes snapped back to the group, and he gave Nick a goofy grin before answering the question.

"Brian called me a few minutes ago and said they'll be down soon. We might as well get a table."

The rest of the group agreed, and within seconds they were seated at a huge round table in the back of the restaurant. Nick insisted Jennifer sit on his left and Alex on his right, which left Chanel sitting across from them, much to her displeasure.

Shortly after ordering drinks, Brian and AJ showed up.

"Jennie." Brian breathed, giving her a teary smile.

Jennifer quickly stood and embraced her old friend, allowing a few tears to escape her eyes before letting go and throwing herself at AJ, who welcomed her with open arms.

Chanel rolled her eyes at the ceiling and watched the reunion blatantly, bemused. So many tears of happiness wasted over this girl…didn’t they remember how much pain she caused Nick? If she hadn't sort of promised Nick she would behave, she would've already put the girl through emotional and verbal hell. But there was time for that…later.

The three friends sat down and the luncheon officially began. Chanel sighed and steeled herself for a lunch that would be filled with fake laughter and pointless information.

"So…you’re an actress?" Nick confirmed, drinking up the last of his Pepsi.

"Sometimes." I replied. "I'm nothing big or anything, I just do it for fun. In fact, I'm trying out for this really interesting play later this week."

Alex grinned. "Yep, Jennie is our regular thespian. She's actually pretty good, too."

"Oh, thanks for the support, sister dear." I rolled my eyes.

The waitress came by and handed Kevin the bill, then thanked us for coming. "We'll have to see you in action someday then." AJ said, standing up and stretching a bit.

I grabbed my purse from the back of my chair and followed the group out of the restaurant. There was a permanent grin stuck on my face; it felt so great to actually be able to talk to my old friends, instead of just watching them on the television or in videos.

Nick slung his arm over my shoulder and mussed my hair a little; something he'd always done. I wrapped my arm around his waist and hugged him sideways, breathing in his fresh scent. "So what's happening now?" he asked us.

Alex shrugged. "We could…show you around London. There's some great spots."

"They have been here before, Ali." I reminded her.

"We did the tourist-y thing the last time we were here." Brian agreed apologetically.

"Ok, no biggie." Alex scrunched up her face, trying to think of good ideas.

"Why don't we just go back to your place and hang out?" Nick suggested, looking at me. "We could play board games and stuff. I haven't a had a relaxing evening in a long time."

"That's fine with me." I said, giving the go ahead. We walked outside and the group dissipated as the guys went off in search of a large enough van to hold us, and some bodyguards.

Somehow, I wound up alone with Chanel, standing out in front of the towering hotel trying to keep insulated from the cold. She turned to me suddenly, which was surprising, considering she had spent most the lunch refusing to acknowledge my presence. I could tell she was mad at me, and honestly, I didn't blame her.

She gave me a long look, her cold brown eyes taking in my appearance. After a moment, she glanced away, and spoke to me.

"You're still in love with him, aren't you?"

I whipped around to face her, but she evaded my gaze. "Ex-Excuse me?" I stuttered, partly out of surprise and partly out of guilt that she had seen through me.

She turned back to me, this time all kindness erased from her expression. She looked down-right nasty.

"Don't play innocent, Jennifer. I know why you left five years ago. You were in love with your best friend, but you couldn't have him. Do you know why?"

Chanel stepped towards me, her breath making wisps of air in front of my face. "Because he was in love with me, and you couldn't get that. Truly pathetic." she whispered, her eyes searching mine.

I fought to keep my expression neutral, though there was nothing more I would have loved to have done that very moment than to have smacked that smirk off her face.

"You've already lost. You never had him, and you never will. So I suggest you back off, maybe disappear into the woodwork again. Nick's much better off without you." Chanel continued.

"You would love that, wouldn't you?" I said softly, knowing she would pleasure in any kind of rise she could get out of me. "You would just love for me to hurt him like that again, so you could come in and come out looking like the better person."

"I am the better person," she interrupted smoothly. "I haven't deserted him, have I?"

I could feel my blood pressure on the rise; it took all my strength not to move my balled fists. I leaned towards her, mimicking her own movements, and gave her a calculated smile.

"I may still be in love with him, and I may not. I might've let him go, but after seeing what you really are, well, best friends don't let best friend's screw twisted, ugly hearted people. All's fair in love and war, sweetheart. He may not love me…but I can guarantee he won't love you, either."

The boy is mine
You need to give it up
Had about enough
It's not hard to see
The boy is mine
I'm sorry that you
Seem to be confused
He belongs to me
The boy is mine

¤ Chapter 15: The Boy Is Mine ¤
REMEMBER to send feedback to the author, Stephanie