Chapter Four.
Nick.
"And then she gave me a goodbye kiss, I almost died." Frankie announced replaying yesterdays hospital departure and farewell from Amber the nurse with the big… "And it was like this sexy sweet peck on my head, I reckon we have something maybe in few years, Amber and me...I reckon we could be together."
Joe laughed shaking his head with Demi sitting alongside him smiling,
"Yeah good luck with that Frank, what happened to kidney girl?"
"She was discharged and wouldn't give me her digits."
"What a bitch." Joe noted and Frankie nodded in agreement.
I smiled looking around Frankie's bedroom where mom had forced him to stay until he'd stopped throwing up, which he had but she wasn't letting up. It was just the four of us at the moment, dad and mom had gone out for dinner and we'd decided to babysit Frankie seeing he had an intense chemo session today.
"So Amber a future wife for you?" Demi asked grinning.
"Maybe, but supposedly I'm not the only one who thinks he's found the one." Frankie announced and then turned glaring at me, I kept my expression the same as he frowned, "Kevin told me you were having a date with a lady friend yesterday, details Nicholas…"
I stared at my little brother and shrugged gazing back to the other two,
"I heard that too Nicholas."
"Uhuh so did I from Danielle." Demi noted giving a sly grin.
"Wow gossip spreads fast." I muttered in reply,
"So who is the mystery girl? The one that's heir to that phone company? Or the one who does the car commercials in Japan?" Frankie asked recalling my last two dates as I frowned, I along with my family were socialites, and there was no denying that I'd always dated within the elite group until now. "Wait was it Selena? Oh my god are you back with Selena? That is so fantastic Nick-"
"No, no it was none of them." I muttered.
"So who is it?" Demi asked smiling, "How can she be better then my best friend?"
Demi, Selena and myself went to a very privileged private high school together, I'd started dating Sel Freshman year and we'd been together forever, until well recently. Demi still stuck between us being the best friend in the middle, she'd become mediator which at times she found to become very difficult and on many occasions she'd been the target of our hatred towards the other. Demi was a politician's daughter while Selena was heir to her mother's design label; both of them were like us, a class above everyone else.
"We aren't going to discuss this right-"
"Oh we are." Frankie stated seriously, "Talk Nick, now."
I rolled my eyes shrugging my shoulders, "Well it was a first date, a very very quick first date at that but I like her, I really like her." I stated seriously and everyone just stared, as I looked down intimidated by their gazes. "She is heir to nothing, no fortune a normal middle class working girl."
"Working girl?" Demi hissed and I shook my head panicked.
"Not like that, I mean she works on an average pay."
"Average pay? A hooker on-"
"She's not a hooker, she's a florist." I blurted out.
All three of them just stared at me completely shocked, yeah it wasn't like me date someone of such a…low paid occupation. Frankie's eyes were just staring at me almost bulging out of his head, while Demi and Joe just looked at me completely surprised as I gave a huff.
"Just stop with the looks-"
"Gold digger." Frankie stated disgusted, "How dare she use my older-"
"She doesn't know who I am! I only told her my first name, she hasn't got a clue!" I hissed at him insulted as Frankie closed his mouth, "She's sweet and so gorgeous, but generous, she's like no one I've ever met, confident yet shy and unwilling to realize how gorgeous she is. I like her and I don't care if she hasn't got a cent to her name, because Miley is more then any rich heiress, she's real."
"Miley strange name." Joe noted looking at me,
Demi just stared with the look she got when she watched romantic movies, "Awww Nick that's so sweet, I have never heard you talk about a girl like that since Selena! She must really mean something to you! Although you need to tell her who you are, that will only lead to problems in the long run trust me. Who cares what her occupation is though, she's a florist…wait a florist?" Demi hissed and then turned glaring at her husband of a year whose face was contemplative something Joe hardly ever did.
"She was the one you hit on, wasn't she?" Frankie questioned laughing.
"What?"
I gazed around confused staring at Joe scratched his neck nodding,
"I knew her name was familiar, the florist in North Hollywood?"
I stared at my older brother and nodded, "Yeah, wait you hit on Miley?"
"Oh yeah back when we were on a break and looking at arrangements for Danielle and Kevin's wedding. He was all over her she was unimpressed to say the least but yeah she was pretty, really gorgeous actually yeah I remember her." Demi spat her eyes still on Joe, who shrugged apologetic.
"It was three years ago!"
"Hmmm." Demi muttered turning back to me. "And Joe asked her out."
"You asked her out?" I yelled.
"She said no, it was hilarious!" Frankie stated laughing.
I stared between them Demi looking annoyed, Joe embarrassed while Frankie found this whole new link absolutely comedic. I shook my head, great that was all I needed my brother ruining my chances with the one girl I liked because when she saw Joe well I doubted Miley would be impressed that I was related. On a positive we'd clearly used flowers from there on Danielle and Kevin's wedding that might help somehow…
"But she was sweet, too sweet." Demi stated turning back to me.
"What is that supposed to-"
Demi frowned and I stopped, "She rejected Joe okay and look at him Nick, most girls don't reject him for obvious reasons. Miley said yes to you and I have a feeling everything that you said is absolutely true because well...maybe she likes you a lot more then you realize Nick, she just didn't seem like a girl who went around with a new guy every month."
"Really?" I whispered remembering her sister's warning.
"I want to meet her."
"Yeah me too."
"How about after at least the fifth date?" I suggested at the eagerness of my little brother who had lit up at the memory of Joe's rejection. "I want to get to know her before I slam the whole 'by the way I'm a billionaire' dilemma."
"When's the next date then?"
"I'm thinking tomorrow."
"You have work."
"Night time, at a restaurant."
"Which restaurant?"
I stared at Demi shrugging, "I don't know."
"Thai?"
"No Italian."
"McDonalds?" Frankie suggested and I rolled my eyes.
"I was thinking something classy yet casual, doesn't have a particular culture but a bunch of different foods." I stated and Demi nodded in agreement, I didn't know Miley enough to know what she liked to eat so I wanted to be safe in having many options.
"Well hopefully it goes well because I wouldn't mind seeing-"
Demi just glared at Joe stopping him mid sentence, "Don't even finish that sentence Joseph, look we are married now that means you must remain faithful. Plus Nick has already got his eyes set on her, and it looks like we may have a good match; Nick the guy who opens his heart too frequently and a girl who doesn't open it often enough." Demi announced and I just stared at her nodding.
My phone buzzed and I sighed pulling it out expecting to see dad's name but instead a smile crossed my face as I saw Miley's. I opened the message my smile spreading as I looked down,
We just got red roses in, they made me think of you.
I looked up to see all three of them just staring at me intrigued,
"No need to guess who that is." Frankie muttered.
"Shut up, look I'm giving her a shot."
"So you should Nick." Demi stated smiling,
I glanced down getting up a message to reply.
Tomorrow dinner 7.30pm I'll pick you up.
Miley.
"The chances of you doing that…"
"So unlucky."
"Maybe you could blow dry it when you get home?"
I ran my fingers along the bottom of the bucket trying to get the slippery sucker out, but it escaped my grasp again. I gave a huff and went to pull the flowers out only to finally retrieve the item, which had taken a plunge from my front pocket into the bucket with lilies in it. I pulled it out and stared at my cell groaning, I shook it but the phone was dead, gone from this world.
"Or it could take a one way trip to the bin." Brandi muttered.
I huffed putting it on the counter, I'd been so excited when it buzzed that I reached to grab it only to accidentally knock it from my pocket. "Well I guess I'll never know what Nick's response was now." I muttered unimpressed as Em gave me a smile.
"He'll most likely turn up in five minutes worried that something happened to you because you didn't reply to his text." She stated jokingly as I pressed the on button unsuccessfully, "Or worse he'll ring the florist again and send you more flowers, we might as well stop selling them and make this a private florist for the two of you."
"Okay shut it,"
"What? She has a point Nick is very-"
"I said shut it."
"Or he'll turn up then buy flowers to-"
"SHUT UP!" I yelled glaring at the two of them.
Both of them just stared at me smiling slyly, happy that they'd suddenly found a new way to mentally torture me. The front door opened much to my relief and we spun as Emily let out an excited squeal running over to her fiancé, I rolled my eyes as Jon followed Oliver in and Brandi dashed over as the suck face competition began. I turned away discussed staring over at all the red roses.
"I missed you baby, when you finished? We should go out for a late night coffee with Jon and Brandi…" Oliver whispered suggestively.
"Soon baby and that's a good idea, how was the basketball?"
"Good, really good." Oliver replied cheerfully to Em,
I looked over staring at the four loved up losers, it was annoying how Jon and Oliver did everything together because instead of having to deal with one sister giggling and carrying on I had both, because they always hung out together. I gave a loud cough wanting to break the make out session right in front of my eyes but neither stopped, I was already scarred for life because of my two older sister's and I hated how frequently they both got it on in front of me.
"Okay seriously I'm standing right here, say hello to me." I hissed.
Jon finally pulled away from my older sister and gazed over at me giving a smile.
"Hello Miley you seem happy."
"Yeah Miles hey."
Both of the guys turned whispering to my sister's ignoring me completely as I rolled my eyes and walked away having enough of the rudeness to their lack of knowledge to my existence and feelings. I began sorting the red roses glancing at my phone which I knew wasn't going to make it, but I suppose Nick would realize eventually when I just completely ignored him…or would he think I didn't want to speak to him? I groaned thinking about it. This was all I needed.
What should I do? Call him? With what number? I groaned again regretting not writing his number down before because now I literally had no way to call him apart from wait.
"Okay Miley stop with the groaning you're killing the mood."
I glanced over glaring at Brandi. "You are making out in the middle of the freakin florist why don't you stop complaining and get a damn room to feel each other up." I hissed and then turned to Emily, "You as well."
"Wow you are in a good mood, I don't like you like this, way too self centered and bitchy for my liking…" Oliver stated grinning.
I gave a huff annoyed, "I like you when you aren't here or anywhere in my sight."
Oliver just raised his eyebrows and turned to Em, "Is she like PMS-"
"I AM NOT-"
"Miley has a boyfriend and she broke her phone so she can't text him anymore, which is why she is in a seriously shitty mood." Brandi butted in and I just glared at the four of them, that was totally not the reason, okay maybe a little but they were just so careless to my emotional confusion at the moment.
"Boyfriend?"
"He's not my boyfriend."
"They went on a date, he keeps sending her roses."
"Wow why would anyone send her roses?" Oliver asked giving a laugh looking at Emily who nodded in agreement as my mouth fell a little insulted, "I mean come on all Miley does is complain or argue about every single little thing, no one has dated her for longer then a month because she always ends up dumping them."
"I know right, but with guys Miley is like a totally different-"
"Em stop." Brandi hissed.
I looked away and turned back to the roses, that hurt more then I expected it too.
I began going about my work as frowned thinking about it, I was a bitch to my siblings with heaps of confidence but when it came to guys, well I fell apart. I couldn't cope with relationships I was too insecure with my entire life to let someone else in it had been the same since I was fifteen. I'd been broken only once but that was enough to scare me away from being too close to anyone and now that Nick had turned up well I didn't know what to do because, I actually wanted to give this a real shot even though I was unsure of what exactly that entailed.
"Hey…"
I looked up smiling at Brandi who stared at me apologetic placing her hand on my back gently. "Miley they didn't-"
"It's fine why don't you guys just go leave?"
"Miley look I'm sorry I-" Oliver began
I turned looking at him frowning, "It's fine just leave okay, I can do the rest of the arrangements myself and you will only annoy me." I muttered seriously as I moved away from Brandi's hand. "Just go and have coffee or what ever you were going to do, I'll lock up here."
"Miles we'll stay if-"
"JUST GO!" I yelled at Emily tears threatening to fall.
They didn't understand, they never had!
Emily just stared at me and nodded as she took Oliver's hand turning away quickly heading out the door. I stared back at the roses as the other two remained deadly silent unsure of what to say to make this better, but they couldn't make it better, not now. Brandi finally let out a sigh kissing the side of my head,
"We'll see you tomorrow."
"Okay." I whispered and she sighed.
"Bye Miley." Jon muttered.
"Bye."
I stood there and listened until they both left, I finally let the first tear fall as I glanced over at the Singapore orchids. Who was I kidding? Those flowers were not my favorite, god they just haunted me like this entire shop did, memories of her were everywhere. I had walls I knew I did but that was because of what happened and no one would ever understand me, the only person who had died.
I didn't want to be like this but I was, nothing could change that.
A/N- Hey people! Thanks for the reviews and sorry for my lack of grammar knowledge, I'm terrible I know but I'm trying to improve! I'm on holidays wooo! So I should be able to update a little quicker :) I hope you have a fantastic weekend!
