A/N: Exploring the NG fandom has been amazing because all of you have been so wonderful and welcoming and encouraging! I am so excited by the warm response to this story! Thank you, I really mean that. I read every review and I check the stats constantly because I am so overwhelmed and happy. You're the best fandom ever, I swear!

This chapter fought me a bit which is why it took a little longer, but toward the end it got way easier to write. I didn't get to write in Sam's jealousy but that is coming. Still there's a bit of tension here I think you might like. I hope you enjoy!

Twenty-Two.
Chapter Four.

Cece was leaving the apartment just as Jess was coming into the living room. She disappeared after a quick goodbye hug and a promise to catch up in the evening, and Jess took her time getting ready in the empty apartment. She mixed up a batch of oatmeal raisin cookies for Sam and took her time picking out a dress and doing her hair. Not long after the oven was hot, the warm scent of baking cookies filled the living space. It was just about the perfect start to the day, and to top it off the day was promising to be sunny and cool. Often late summers in Los Angeles were miserably hot, so she was happy with the brief respite.

Two hours later she was on her way to school with the cookies tucked in her bag. She was feeling peaceful with the world, her struggles from the week before now long forgotten. She parked her car and began the long trek over to Wilson Plaza where Sam was probably already waiting for her. She hummed all the way there, then broke out in a smile and a light jog when she spotted her boyfriend. He scooped her up and dropped a peck on her upturned lips.

"It feels like it's been a long time since I've seen you," Jess said. "And last week was so crazy."

"Tell me about it." Sam rolled his eyes. "I know I won't be sleeping a lot when I do my residency, but I feel like I'm already getting a head start on that part."

She handed him the cookies and he grinned at her. She knew he loved them, and he wasted no time in popping the top off of the tupperwear container and digging in. Figuring now was as good a time as any, she launched into an explanation of her earlier frustrations about Nick and how she had come out of the situation with three new friends.

"Hey, that sounds great…but if that Nick guy gives you any more trouble, let me know, okay? I don't like the idea of him messing with you. Especially not with all the work you've got ahead of you this year." Sam's smile had faded into a look of vague concern. "Cece and the models distract you enough as it is."

"Don't worry, I can handle it," Jess assured him, wincing internally. It was true, she had been very distracted lately, but that had nothing to do with her new friends. Or…well, not much to do with them.

"Alright. I trust you." Sam was smiling again. "We should all have a get together one of these days. I wanna meet them."

"Because they're all guys?" she asked, nudging her elbow into his side. He grinned at her, unabashed.

"That's exactly why," he agreed, but he was laughing as he said it and Jess laughed with him. It didn't occur to her that he might be jealous, despite Cece's warnings from the night before. Instead, still feeling impossibly happy, she spent the last of the morning with Sam before heading to the library to look at some internship possibilities. Maybe she'd even apply for one…

-22-

Jess definitely did not apply for an internship, although she did find a few possibilities that didn't look too terrible. She left the library and headed back across campus, hoping to grab something to eat before her next class. The sun was still shining brightly overhead, and for a moment she wished she were headed to the beach instead of back inside—and then someone shouted her name.

"Jess!"

She turned and spotted Schmidt jogging over to her. He had done something with his hair, smoothing it out with some sort of product and slicking it back. It looked nice on him. She smiled as he approached.

"Hey, Schmidt. I like your hair."

"I invested in a very high-end brand of sculpting gel. It not only styles and holds, it hydrates. And it smells like a piña colada," he told her. "I'm throwing a party tonight. I've lost 75 pounds and I'm almost at my goal weight so it's time to test out my new bod."

The wording was terrible—it conjured up all sorts of mental images she wasn't sure she could get rid of. She opened her mouth to say so, but Schmidt cut her off, trying to look cool and instead just looking very jumpy and a little bit bug-eyed. "Maybe you could invite Cece and some of her friends. It'll be chill. Here's the address to the bar."

He passed her a piece of paper with the address printed in very precise handwriting. Jess tucked it away in her bag, then glanced up at him, eyes slightly narrowed.

"Are you going to ask Cece out tonight?" she asked him.

His face cycled through a number of emotions very quickly. Finally he settled on dignified outrage.

"When I ask Cece out, it will be a moment to be remembered throughout history. It will be glorified in verse, like when Romeo first saw Juliet, Tristan and Isolde…other…poetic…couples…Anyway, it will not be at some dirty, common bar while my friends sip sub-par cocktails and grind to old pop songs."

"That's…uh…right. I'm just going to wish you good luck. But hurry up before someone else asks her out. She likes you so don't overthink it. I have to get going or I'm going to be late for class." She waved at him and started walking again; if she was quick she could still grab a snack or something.

Schmidt followed her. "What do you mean, she likes me? Did she say that? Did she say that she likes me? How did she say it? Is it like a pity like? Or like, a like like? Jessica?"

Oh God. She gave up on the snack idea. Her only hope now was to lose him in class.

-22-

By the time Jess made it home that afternoon, she was in a bit of a panic. She hadn't been invited to many parties in her life, meaning that her party closet was pretty bare. She was going to need some help from Cece. It was her lucky day too, because Cece's photo shoot had been in the morning and she was already home. Nadia was there as well, perched on their couch and flipping through daytime television with a bored look on her face. Cece was in the kitchen making a very bland salad.

"Cece, hi! Guess what? I got invited to a party!" Jess did a little dance which ended in a full spin. She was glad their kitchen floor was tile or it wouldn't have come off so smoothly.

"That's great, Jess!"

"Well, I mean, we got invited to a party. It's tonight. Schmidt is throwing it for himself to celebrate his new body. I think we should go!"

For a moment, she thought Cece was going to say no: she had on her very careful face which Jess knew was supposed to keep her feelings from being hurt. Her heart plummeted a little (why was she so excited about this?), but then her friend blew out a quick sigh.

"You know what? Why not? It's the first time you've been invited to a party. Let's do it." She gave Jess a quick hug.

"Your model friends are invited too, he was pretty clear about that."

"I bet."

"I need help…I don't have any more party clothes." Jess paused. "I could find my overalls and—"

"Jess, we talked about those overalls." Cece's hands were on her hips. "Why didn't you burn them like I asked you to?"

"They just go so perfectly with my gag teeth…"

Cece rolled her eyes. "Come on, Nadia…we've got to make Jess presentable."

"Is impossible task. But TV suck so why not?" Nadia rose from the couch in one long, perfect movement that Jess found so intimidating. Then the models led her into Cece's room and she spent the next two hours being made-over and singing about it.

-22-

The bar was absolutely packed. Nick took a huge swig of beer and tried not to let the crush of Schmidt's fellow frat brothers get to him. The only reason he hadn't made his escape was the fact that Schmidt had struggled so hard to lose weight. He respected what his friend had been through and wanted to let him know that yes, he was proud of him. Of course, he hadn't managed to get the words out yet. Voicing his emotions had never been a strongpoint. Instead, he hoped his genuine happiness for Schmidt was evident in the fact that he stayed at this party even though frat boys made him want to red-out with rage and break things.

He and Winston stuck close to Schmidt as he greeted people, and the marketing classes had definitely paid off because Nick had to admit his friend was pretty decent at networking. He was glad that Winston was not: they could at least hang out together when Schmidt was busy with other guests.

"I did not know Schmidt had this many friends," Winston said, nursing his beer and scanning the crowd.

"I did. But I also heard him say he'd heartlessly abandon them on the road to greatness if necessary, so maybe 'friends' isn't the right word," Nick replied, and Winston laughed.

"Man I hope some more girls show up. Not that I would talk to them—you know I can't talk to them—but just because it would vastly improve the scenery."

It was Nick's turn to laugh. "I think he really expects that model to show up—"

"CECELIA!" Schmidt's booming joy cut him off, and just like that, his friend was pushing across the room toward the entrance to the bar. A crowd of women had just walked in and Cece really was at the front of the group. Along with Jess. Nick's eyes searched through the new group, but there was no Sam in sight. He let out a small sigh of relief.

"Finally," Winston said. "And if Schmidt could get her to show up, maybe I've got a chance of getting Aly to drop by."

"Worth a shot," Nick murmured. Should he go over there? He'd just about convinced himself he shouldn't when her eyes connected with his across the room. They were impossibly blue, and they widened when she saw that he'd already been staring at her. They both began squeezing through the crowd to get to each other.

"Nick! Hi! I think you and Winston are the only other people here I recognize," Jess said as she got close.

"Same," he told her. "Honestly that's okay with me. These guys are all talking about social media I don't use."

She laughed, those electric eyes still glued to his face, and his chest felt a little tighter. What the hell did she do to him? Why was it so easy and so goddamn hard to talk to her at the same time? And why did she have to wear little dresses that made him wonder if her skin felt as soft as it looked? Her legs were a mile long and she had these great curves and dammit, he was just a man: he couldn't have stopped himself from taking a good hard look no matter what, even with the words "she has a boyfriend," running through his mind's eye like a marquee.

"You look great," he told her. She flushed and gave him a huge smile, and he knew he was one hundred percent screwed here. He just had no idea what to do about it.

-22-

An hour later, after encouraging Winston to text Aly and trying to remind Schmidt not to overthink asking Cece out, Jess found herself sitting on the hood of Nick's car. He was resting back against the windshield, looking up at the night sky. She was sure they'd dent the hood, but he'd shrugged off her concerns. The bodywork wasn't exactly in mint condition, so she took a breath and followed suit, leaning back until she came in contact with the cool glass.

The night sky wasn't especially spectacular. This was Los Angeles, after all: the light pollution seriously diminished the view of the stars. But then, Portland's skies had usually been overcast, so she'd take the few stars she could get. She tried to think of something to say. When he'd asked her if she'd wanted to get out of the bar because it was hot and stuffy and packed, she'd agreed instantly, and now she realized that being alone with him had her tongue twisted into knots.

"No Sam tonight?" Nick's voice was oh, so casual.

"He's got a study group. He might come after." She wriggled her shoulders against the car, wondering why that excuse felt so tired.

"Yeah, Schmidt said he was in school to be a doctor. Sounds like a ton of work."

"It is, but he's good at it." Why did it make her feel so bad to talk about Sam? She loved to talk about Sam. He was going to save lives and he was a great boyfriend—but tonight she found herself desperately searching for ways to change the subject.

"Do you have…anyone?" she asked.

Nick's laughter was just a touch off. "No." He didn't elaborate.

She glanced at him. He'd always been kind of the outcast. He was aloof and scruffy. His nose had definitely been broken before, and no one had trouble picturing him in the fight that had probably caused it. She knew from their classmates that he was good at keeping people at arm's distance and that his upbringing had been a far cry from the middle-class suburbia that had characterized her own. And he seemed to be at ease with her. He didn't brush her off or shut her down. And Jess couldn't seem to resist him: it was like a physical tugging sensation whenever he was around, drawing her closer when she knew it was better to stay away.

"Exes?" she asked, keeping her tone gentle. He huffed a little, his shoulders curling up toward his ears while his lips turned down. She didn't think he was going to answer, and then…

"Yeah. Just one in college. I was with her for five years. She's why I came all the way from Chicago. We were together in high school and when she applied to UCLA, I did too. Winston did the same thing. Then, over the summer…it was just over." There was a deep hurt in his eyes when he glanced at her. "She just…didn't want me anymore, I guess. She never really told me why."

"I'm sorry." The need to touch him was making her fingers twitch against the hood of the car. She balled her hands into fists. "That's terrible, you deserve so much better than that."

He was silent for a few long minutes, considering that. Then a wicked little smile curled up one corner of his mouth. "Well, I guess it hasn't been that hard to live without her taking pictures of every single meal. Or leaving her wet towel on the bed while she got ready…or never cleaning her hairbrush…"

Jess laughed, warming to the game. "My ex, Spencer…he never cleaned his hairbrush either. He had hair to his shoulders and he brushed it constantly but he never, ever cleaned the brush. Annoying!"

"Yeah, and Caroline—my ex—she never used to pick a restaurant. And then she'd complain when I did! Like, c'mon woman, just tell me what you want!" He was looking at her, a smile lighting up his eyes. She could see he felt liberated to be speaking about his old girlfriend this way.

"Spencer used to give me these long explanations about how we totally need to save the planet, which we do, but then he wouldn't even water our plants."

"Caroline used to want a dog, but she wanted some hypoallergenic, pathetic little thing she could carry around in her purse…that's not a real dog!"

They went back and forth that way for a long time, trading stories about their former partners. Jess' cheeks were starting to hurt from laughing so much and Nick had somehow managed to scoot closer without her noticing. They were pressed together, side to side, and she didn't scoot away because he was so warm. He'd pulled a six pack from the trunk of his car and they drank as they talked. She was feeling comfortably fuzzy around the edges, buzzing from the drinks and the laughter and the company. This was much better than that crowded bar or knitting in her living room alone.

She looked at him while he talked, gesturing up toward the sky as he told a story about him and Winston when they had lived in Chicago, and warmth flooded her. Nick was great—he was really amazing. All those prickly edges had been hiding a guy that was funny and loyal and, in his own weird way, thoughtful. And if she were being truly honest with herself, he was pretty sexy. The shoulders and the hair and the stubble and those devastating eyes...yeah. It was all working for him. It was all working for her.

He glanced over and caught her staring. She knew her cheeks were flushed and her pulse leapt when his expression instantly changed. He wasn't laughing anymore. His eyes went all stormy and turbulent and his gaze dropped to her lips. He turned his body toward hers, closing in on her but leaving her an escape. She was taking rapid, shallow breaths as his scent washed over her, spicy and masculine.

"Jess," he said, all gravelly and low, and she wanted to prop herself up on her elbows and kiss him so badly that resisting it was a little bit painful.

His fingers brushed her hair, a strangely gentle touch considering the way his eyes were burning down at her. Her heart was pounding now as those same fingers left her hair and traced over her arm, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

"Nick, I…" Just an inch or two closer and he'd be kissing her…a twist of her torso and they'd be pressed against each other chest-to-chest. She wanted it so much, wanted him so much, it was becoming too hard to remember why she shouldn't—

Her phone vibrated so loudly against the hood of the car that she jumped and let out a yelp. She scrambled off of it and somehow managed to keep her balance on shaky legs. Nick sat up, watching as she fumbled with her phone with a deep frown on his face.

"Hello?" she asked, wincing at how breathless she sounded.

"Hey, Jess. I'm on my way over…are you okay?" Sam's voice was filled with concern and she felt like the worst person on earth.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I, uh…had to run outside so I could hear you. I'm really excited that you're coming!"

"Me too, babe. I'll see you in a few minutes."

"See you soon," she said, and ended the call with a numb finger. She glanced back at Nick, but he'd turned his face away. He expression was as dark and closed as she'd ever seen it.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…that was my fault…"

"Stop it, Jess." There was steel in his voice, a warning not to push it with him right now. A pang went through her: so this is what it was like to be shoved away by Nick Miller. She opened her mouth to say something…and then turned away. She had taken a few steps back toward the bar when he called out to her.

"You said you don't want to be in law school. What do you want, Jess?"

It was such an odd question after what had just happened that she stopped and looked back at him. "I want to be a teacher, like I said."

He finally met her gaze. His eyes were molten and hard to read. "You let people tell you what you should do or what they need you to do. But you can't live like that forever. You gotta push back a little bit. You have to go after what you want, Jess."

Her stomach twisted hard. "And what do you want?"

He laughed darkly as he climbed off of the hood of his car. "Nothing I can have," he told her, and got into the vehicle. A second later his headlights washed over her as he drove away, and she suddenly realized how cold she was. She dragged her feet toward the bar. She'd find Cece and have a drink and wait for Sam…and try to forget what had just happened if she could.

A/N: Originally I was going to have Sam arrive while Nick and Jess were having their moment on the car...but then a different idea came to mind. We'll get some Sam-related angst/jealousy in the next chapter for sure! And that rating change is creeping closer too!