Hey guys, first story I've ever written, so any feedback, critical or not, would be really welcome! Hope you enjoy it, it's set after the 'Cooler' episode of 'New Girl' (which I don't own!)
Nick didn't know if it was the remnants of god knows how many beers he'd downed, or the thing that had happened a minute ago, but his head didn't feel right as he lay face down on his bed. There was a sense of spinning, that he could feel the world rotate at a thousand miles an hour.
He had kissed Jessica Day. Jessica Day with a boyfriend, who got irritated him like a beautiful, frustrating, colourful paper cut. Nearly invisible but just under the skin, and really fucking delicate, those were the feelings he had towards her. But now he knew it wasn't unrequited. The force with which her velvet tongue had danced with his left him in no doubt. That wasn't a drunken kiss, that was pent up tension, that was a thousand words told through lips but not by speaking.
He needed to get up, he felt sick to his stomach. He was pretty sure it wasn't the alcohol but just feelings of guilt and lust and anger and a million other feelings that were forming a sour cocktail deep within him. Bleary eyed he shuffled through to the bathroom, the ground trying to trip him up as he went. He stumbled into the darkness, a very solid bit of darkness.
"Who's that?" He muttered in his dreamlike state. Scrabbling around against the wall he found the light switch, and his heart dropped for a second. Jessica Day lay slumped sitting against the bath, blurry rings of mascara surrounding her pretty blue eyes. Eyes like sparkling pools you just want to dive into... Enough. Focus.
"Jessica?" He whispered, sinking to his knees so he was on her level. She remained silent, studying him meticulously, her face whiter than the ceramic tub she rested against.
"Why you so quiet girl? I'm not feeling so together right now either, if that's, ya know, any consolation. I'm sorry I just, it was late, and it was us, and I think I wasn't, urm thinking straight and-"
He had to stop rambling then because then, powerful as a summer storm, she had pinned his shoulders to the ground.
"Nick that kiss wasn't right. That wasn't fine, that wasn't acceptable" those cartoon eyes narrowed.
"But I'll tell you what it was, Miller. It was 100 percent needed." He remained lying on his back, her face hovering inches above his own. She'd never looked so serious. And it scared him. And it turned him on. His hands moved tentatively along her back, stopping at her waist, the furry cloth of her nightgown between her skin and his was the most frustrating thing in the world right now.
"Jess?" another voice. It was male, and hurt, and quiet. Jess sprung up like a guilty jack in the box.
-
"SAM! man my lower back is, ow, I've got this ridiculous cramp in my back and nick knows this amazing Tibetan technique that he was showing me and…"
"…Jess, I'm a doctor. You do realise that that means I can clearly tell the difference between a technique for removing cramp and you and nick getting it on. Also, it's funny, isn't it, how you didn't ask my help, as I've got friends who are physiotherapists so I know how to deal with that kind of stuff."
Sam did a kind of forced laugh, and continued to cut into the silence that had descended upon the room.
"I'm pretty sure I'm sober enough to drive now and my shift starts in a couple of hours anyway. I don't feel like dealing with this right now Jess. Nick, I thought you were one of the good guys, jokes on me I guess. Ha. Haha."
Doctor Sam turned his back and slammed the door behind him as he left the guilty pair in the bathroom. Nick slowly turned to look at Jess, terrified of what her reaction might be. She sat with her head lowered, her pale fingers twisting in her hair. A tiny, barely audible sob emerged. Nick stood up suddenly. "Come with me, Jess." He ordered, his gruff voice had never sounded so decisive.
"W-what?" Her red lips quivering, Jess looked up, confused.
"Come on" Nick replied, offering his hand down to her, and pulling her up to stand with him "You're coming with me, and I'm gonna, well, you're gonna have to do the driving but that's irrelevant, but we're gonna talk to Sam now. I can't let you lose him. Not because of me. You're too important to me." He echoed the words Jess had spoken to him with such feeling some while back, back when her and Doctor Sam were just getting together.
Jess let Nick lead her by the hand out to the car park, she still wasn't entirely sure why she was doing this. She didn't have recent events organised in her head yet, and she definitely didn't know whether or not she felt like chasing after Sam right now when the only reason she was doing it was because Nick was telling her to. Leading her as his warm hand held onto hers so tightly and it felt so right. When she was feeling like this did she really want to go and proclaim her love and her regret to Sam?
Nick had a look of determination on his face, the same one he'd had as he swept her into his arms a few hours back.
"I can see his car over there Jess, we can follow him now and you can tell him you still need him and how he's the only one you can ever be with. The only person who keeps you balanced and who makes you feel like the world ain't a completely shitty place." It was with a heavy heart Nick spilled those words, words that could easily be describing his thoughts towards Jess.
The night was darker than usual. The roads were silent at this time of night so they had to keep some distance, so Sam didn't notice Jess's car following him along the highway.
"This is like some spy film, huh Jess?!" Nick tried to lighten the mood, smiling, but looked over to see Jess gripping the steering wheel, expressionless. Her eyes looked glazed over.
"I don't want to be doing this Nick." She whispered
"You, sorry, I don't understand? We're trying to stop the love of your life, perfect doctor sam" (he really tried not sound bitter) "from thinking he shouldn't be with ya, cause of some dumb ass mistake I made!"
"It wasn't a mistake. And if it was, it was mine too, it was me who was about to kiss your friggin face off in the bathroom, Nicholas. Do you think I did that just cause I thought it would be fun to continue from some 'dumb ass mistake' you made?!"
"Well no, but. I don't know Jess, things are just so fucked right now ya know?! I don't want you to have no choice. It's why we gotta follow him and explain things, where's he even going right now, this isn't the route to the hospital so I'm guessing he lives around here huh?"
They were driving around a sleepy suburban array of long, winding streets.
"I'm not sure, his house is nowhere near here, and I've been to most of his friend's houses for parties and it's not one of those either…"
As Jess said that, Sam's car stopped outside a house with the porchlight already on. A dark female figure stood leaning against the door frame.
"Let's go!" Jess whispered, a sudden glint in her eye as she sprinted out the door, Nick following worriedly. They snuck along the dark places on the road where the streetlights didn't reach.
Nick muttered "Do you recognise the house yet Jess? This is getting weird, I thought we could just go to the hospital or something and you guys could kiss and make up and I could stop feeling like a crap guy for breaking you up, but it's all got very stalkery very fast"
"Hurry up!" Jess whispered, oblivious to what he was saying. Nick's heart was hammering pretty fast as they hid, tens of metres away from Sam, as he laughed outside a stranger's house.
Jess craned her head, to hear what they were saying.
-
"So yeah, I was all like MY SHIFT'S STARTING SOON, LATERS and it was kinda shitty you know but then I had a text from you anyway so I thought I'd come here hun"
A look of horror flashed across Nick's face. What had he brought Jess to…
"Oh Sammy, does this mean you can come here more often now? I mean I know she's cool but I'd like to have you in my bed more often, once a week isn't enough!"
"Katie you're so naughty…" At that pointed the voices laden with flirtation stopped as katie and sam moved inside.
"Jessica… I'm … I don't know what to say I'm so sorry, oh my god, I…" Nick turned slowly to face Jess, expecting a girl with watery eyes and red cheeks, that he'd have to console, and then maybe he could go and punch Sam. His brain had been almost overheating listening to the conversation, thinking what this meant for Jess, and, selfishly, for him. He definitely couldn't start anything with Jess, possibly ever, not after he'd exposed her to this, she'd be so vulnerable now. He could already hear the dirty dancing soundtrack she'd be playing over and over repeatedly…
What he didn't expect was the look of anger. Jess stood and started walking purposefully towards the door. He didn't know why, but he froze, helpless, just watching the scene unfold. Jess knocked on the door three times (usually when knocking she'd beat out some kinda song from a musical, so nick knew she had serious intent) . Sam opened the door in his boxers, looking flustered. Distractedly he murmured something about going to get the money. His face fell when he looked round to see who the visitor was.
-
"You're not the Chinese food delivery… JESS? JESS IS THAT YOU. WHAT THE HELL, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, I, I'm still so angry right now and"
"I FELT SO FUCKING GUILTY SAM. I FELT SO GUILTY A FEW HOURS AGO WHEN NICK KISSED ME…"
"Jess we can talk inside can you be quiet for a sec cause you know there are children sleeping around this street and stuff and I don't want you waking them up hun!"
"DON'T PRETEND YOU CARE ABOUT THE CHILDREN, SAM. OH I'M DOCTOR SAM I'M A KIDS DOCTOR I'LL LOOK AFTER YOU IF YOU BREAK YOUR KNEE. WHAT ABOUT IF YOU BREAK YOUR HEART SAM? WHAT DO YOU DO THEN? GOT ANY COUGH DROPS FOR THAT? DO I GET A STICKER?! MAYBE A LOLLIPOP. ACTUALLY I WOULDN'T MIND A LOLLIPOP RIGHT NOW BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT"
"Honey you need to calm down. Firstly, you're being very hypocritical considering the bathroom display earlier and secondly you're being paranoid, this is my grandma's house, I'm bringing her some medicine"
"Aww okay, your grandma's house. IS YOUR GRANDMA CALLED KATIE? DID YOU MEET HER ON AN INTERNET DATING SITE BEFORE I TOLD YOU I WAS HER AND WE HAD SOME REALLY GREAT FUCKING SEX AND-JESS SHUT UP-NO I WON'T SHUT UP, AND THEN WE HAD A REALLY GREAT FUCKING RELATIONSHIP UNTIL I REALISED WHAT I REALISED HOURS AGO WHEN NICK KISSED ME AND HELD ME AND I REALISED I'VE ALWAYS BEEN MEASURING YOU AGAINST HIM THIS WHOLE TIME."
Sam was shouting now "WHAT DO YOU MEAN MEASURING ME AGAINST HIM, HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIKED NICK?"
"HONESTLY? SINCE THE SECOND I MET HIM. HE DRIVES ME MAD AND HE MIGHT NOT BE A KIDS DOCTOR BUT I KNOW SURE AS HELL HE WOULDN'T CHEAT ON ME AND I KNOW I FEEL SOMETHING WITH HIM THAT I'VE NEVER FELT BEFORE, NOT EVEN WITH YOU."
"YOU'RE MESSED UP JESS. HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT WHEN YOU'RE THE ONE WHO LIED IN THE FIRST PLACE AND TRICKED ME INTO SLEEPING WITH YOU?"
"THAT'S THE POINT. THIS WHOLE RELATIONSHIP, ALL LIES. BUILT ON LIES, UPON LIES, WITH LITTLE LIES SPROUTING OFF THOSE LIES, LIES WEARING LITTLE HATS MADE OF MORE LIES."
"WHAT DO HATS HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING"
"I DON'T KNOW SAM BUT I'VE GOT A REALLY UGLY ONE YOU WORE TO MY APARTMENT ONCE THAT I'LL BE GETTING CECE TO DELIVER TO YOURS SOON. AND SOME OTHER STUFF I'VE GOT OF YOURS TOO"
There was a pause, a long, long pause. Nick remained in the darkness, still frozen, silent.
"Are we breaking up? Is this over…" Sam's voice was different now. Any element of humor or angst was gone; he sounded broken.
"It's over Sam. And we had fun, we had so much fun. And I really like you. If I saw you in a walmart somewhere I'd still say hi, ya know? Like, we've both been crappy liars in this relationship I guess, you with whatever the hell's going on here, and me, cause I pretended to be someone I wasn't, just to sleep with you."
"And then there's the other lie, Jess."
"Which one's that?"
"The fact you've been acting as if you're not so deep in love with Nick Miller this whole time?"
"He kissed me first you know"
"I saw all the secret glances Jess, I saw the way you look at him when you think I'm not looking at you. You have to be observant when you're diagnosing illness every day. The sooner you can just admit that the better, because even if we're not together I want you to be happy."
"Okay so maybe that's true. Maybe I'm in love with nick miller. Maybe I want to spend every day of the rest of my life with him, maybe I want him to start kissing me whenever we're together, whenever I've wanted to kiss him in the past, and I want to do other grown up stuff with him and maybe I think our kids would be the cutest, sweetest, most messed up kids ever that would have his eyes and my nose, because I don't really want them getting his nose even though I think it makes him hotter. Maybe…"
"Okay that's enough there Jess, we have kinda just broken up."
"I hope you find someone special Sam, I really do, who will make you happy enough so you don't have to stray to whoever the hell this real Katie is…"
"I hope the same for you Jess. Except I think you've already found that guy, and I think I can see him trying to subtly sneak across the street into the passenger seat of your car…"
"Goodbye Sam." she smiled, and in the light of the hazy yellowy dawn the first few birds started their chorus. Jessica Day walked back towards her car feeling more happy than is probably appropriate after ending a relationship. Nick looked up from where he was twiddling with the radio to try and find a station that didn't crackle. An old song faded into crystal clear transmission, and Jess walked slowly round to the passenger door, and offered nick her hand, pulling him to his feet. Nick got up, leaving the door open as unchained melody played… it was like something from a tv show, so cheesy that with anyone other than Jess, Nick might have scoffed and changed station…
Oh my love, my darling
I've hungered for your touch
"Do you mean everything you said to Sam?"
"Every word, Miller"
He pulled her into a warm embrace that said everything it needed to …
A long lonely time,
And time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much,
Are you still mine?
"My nose isn't that bad…" And their laughs mingled and echoed across the street…
I need your love,
I need your love
God speed your love to me.
"We're gonna be okay, me and you kid. It's gonna be different, and it's gonna change the 'loft dynamic', but it was always gonna happen. We both knew that I think."
Their voices stopped as 'groovy kind of love' came on the radio.
"Hey Jessica" Nick laughed "Remember the dance we did when this came on at Caroline's wedding?!"
"You bet your ass I do Nicholas!"
The delivery man wandering by told his pals back at the warehouse about the weirdos he saw doing some chicken dance next to their car later that day. That's just the kinda crazy shit you see when you deliver at those early hours of the morning.
Jess and Nick carried on dancing, even when the rain started pouring down amidst the warm rays of sunshine. Even when the thunder began. A summer storm was coming.