| Chapter Six |
| "Will it do any good to ask you where the hell you've been?" "Excuse me? I didn't think you would care that much." Nikki sighed and ran a hand through her hair, "I'm sorry Jen. I didn't mean that. I... I just couldn't come home last night. I had a few things to work out." "But... but Nikki, why couldn't we work them out together? We're best friends, you should be able to talk to me about anything." Jenny touched Nikki's arm and her eyes welled up with tears when she jerked away. "Nikki please just talk to me. I can't help you if you won't tell me what's wrong." Nikki looked around nervously and saw Justin and JC walking towards them nervously. "Oh great." She waved them over. "I guess if I'm telling you..." Justin put an arm around her and she leaned into the support. "You guys can't tell anyone what I'm about to say to... my God." Mandy and Lance walked up to the group and Lance smiled at Nikki apologetically. "Sorry. Um... maybe we should take this somewhere else before we get the whole world in on this." Nikki hung back from the walking group and stood there with Lance for an extra moment. "You know what they're going to think, don't you?" She looked at her shoes and scuffed them on the ground. "They aren't going to let it go, and I shudder when I think about what..." Lance did the only thing he could to calm her nerves, he kissed her. "Nikki, please just chill. You're going to give yourself an anxiety attack. These people are our friends. And our friends aren't going to make this too big of a deal." Nikki grabbed his arm as he walked away. "You just kissed me." She gave him a shy smile. "After everything we said last night... you just kissed me." He raised an eyebrow, "Friends forever, eh Nikki?" ~~~~~~~~~~~ "So you guys are just friends?" "What are you talking about?" "Everyone knows Nikki. There's no use in playing dumb." Ryan smiled at her, "You actually told Justin something confidential? Not smart hun. That's not very smooth." "Oh. My. God." She blushed at bright shade of pink, "That is the absolute last time that I tell that boy anything." She gave him a hopeful look, "What are you thinking right now?" "Well..." He moved his body closer to hers, "I'm thinking that Justin is telling me the truth, and that you and Lance are only friends. Because if you aren't... then it's going to tear me up inside." Nikki took a deep breath and thought about what Ryab had just said to her. Her mind was racing with millions of thoughts that she had never experienced before. Lance's face was taking up half her mind, but Ryan's words were taking up her entire heart. "Ryan..." She gazed into his eyes, "Friends. Lance and I are just friends." ~~~~~~~~~~~~ "You told him what?" "Lance, we are only friends. We've both said that, and it wasn't 24 hours ago. I really like Ryan, and I really like you. But we came to an understanding. We're friends Lance, and I love you. I really really love you. And I cherish what your friendship means to me. But I can't go through my life wondering what could have happened between myself and Ryan. Please understand that." "Nikki, there's nothing for me to understand anymore. I love you. I mean that with all my heart. You wonder about things that might have happened? Feel this Nikki, feel this and tell me that you feel nothing." Lance pushed his body into hers and kissed her with so much passion that she moved her back against the wall to keep herself on her feet. When they parted, and Nikki had caught enough of her breath to speak, she was breathing so heavily it barely came out. "Lance you are so amazing, but this... this choice I have to make, its huge. I love you so much. And I think I love Ryan. This isn't something that I can decide overnight. Please, all I ask, is that you give me time. All I need is time." "I'm going to give you that time. You take all the time you need, and all the time that you take is all the time that I will wait. If you take forever, that is how long I will wait for you. You are too beautiful for me to let go, and Nikki, I won't. I promise, that if all the world fades away, we will still be here. Just hearing your voice can bring me to the highest point of happiness. Take your time, sweetie, and take it wisely." Nikki watched as Lance walked through the doorway and into the fading daylight. "Time is not on my side. Lance will wait... but will Ryan? Without Ryan's faith, there is no choice. And this is one choice that I have to make." |