*This chapter will contain some Jo references pertinent to the story because Danny has learned Lacey has discontinued her friendship with Jo. Thank you for reading. DimplesValentina

The Break Chapter 9

It had been an hour after Lacey's conversation with her mother. Lacey had gone to bed early. She was tired from today's events and her heart-to-heart with her mother. She was rustled from her sleep. She woke up disoriented. She didn't know why she had awakened. She nestled more into her pillow and pulled her comforter closer to her neck as she closed her eyes again. There was a light series of raps upon her window. She heard a loud whispered "Lacey!" It was Danny.

Lacey buried herself more into her bedding and pulled the comforter closer to her ear to smother the noise of Danny's knocks and whispers. She told herself she wasn't being a coward. She was preserving herself…letting herself face Danny on her own terms – when she was ready – not at a time that he determined. Although she hated ignoring him, she did not want to entertain him for an extended period tonight to discuss Jo.

Finally after thirty minutes of Danny's knocking and whispers and Lacey's feigning sleep, there was silence. Danny must have gone home. Lacey would face his questions tomorrow…she was quite certain he would find some way to make a physical appearance in her day. She knew Danny would spend a restless night due to Lacey's not acknowledging his presence at her window. All of his thoughts would have festered and he would be at his most persistent whenever she faced him.

Lacey knows she needs steely resolve to counter him. He would decidedly have some obstinate views regarding Lacey's removal of Jo from her life. It did not matter. She has her own views which needed to be honored. It is self-preservation. It is the smart thing to do – her determination to eliminate the source of continued disappointment and pain. With that affirmation, Lacey's mind could settle. Finally, she could drift back to sleep since there wasn't any anxiety of Danny's intrusion for a conversation that Lacey didn't want to have.

The next morning, Sunday, Lacey decides to go into 'proactive' mode. She had ignored Danny yesterday. She wouldn't allow him the advantage of the conversation they needed to have. She would set the tone and setting for that talk. She sends a text.

Sorry, I was busy yesterday and I had a personal thing with my mother. You wanted to talk. Let's meet at the Green Grove Arboretum…my treat. We can walk around and talk.

Lacey figures that a neutral but calming environment is the best place for this possibly tense conversation. Lacey receives an immediate response text from Danny.

Okay. Let's meet there at 1PM.

Lacey dressed casually but cute in yellow skinnies and an off-white v-neck sweater with abstract green and yellow stripes on the v-collar and on the bottom band of the sweater. She wears white sneakers and keeps the rest of her look simple (bare face with just a little mascara and tinted lip balm, hair gathered into a loose updo with some hair around her face). She paired her look with diamond studs and a thin gold chain necklace. At the last minute, she decides to have one exception to her minimal look…she wears the beautiful, expensive bracelet Danny had tried to present to her on the night of their breakup.

She had refused that night since it was a gesture to buy her affections and keep her from voicing questions about his erratic behavior. Recently, when he had pleaded for forgiveness and for friendship, he had insisted that she accept the bracelet. It was really meant as a symbolic token of his romantic affection for her. Lacey accepted the gift at that time; still, this has been the first time she has worn it.

While driving to the location to meet Danny, Lacey's eye catches the flash from the bracelet as it refracts the colors of the sunlight. Perhaps she shouldn't have worn the bracelet. She had thought her wearing Danny's gift would signal to him that she was giving their friendship a genuine second chance. She isn't overly superstitious but she did wonder if the bracelet now held a bad mojo since it had been originally associated with that horrible night. Who knows…today's conversation with Danny might end in a similar painful way. Lacey shakes her head to try to clear her undesirable thoughts. However the conversation ended with Danny today, she would be fine…maybe a little battered emotionally but eventually, she would recover and be okay.

She arrives a few minutes before Danny. When he approaches the entrance of the Arboretum, Lacey's breath catches for a moment. He is dressed in medium blue unbuttoned Henley over a long sleeve darker blue waffle tee paired with slim cut dark jeans and dark brown combat boots. His hair is pulled back into a signature bun with some hair not captured within the hair tie. That is one of Lacey's favorite 'Danny hair styles' – with her fave being the times his hair is unbound and flowing about his shoulders.

The young adult novels would describe Danny as an attractive dark angel. Lacey could agree with some of that assessment but what he really possessed was the lethal combination of looks, intelligence, mystery, and vulnerability. That combination always muddled Lacey's emotions and conversely made it difficult for her eyes to focus anywhere else. Lacey was always enamored with him whenever she saw him – this was the one thing she constantly had to control during her interactions with him. The only consolation is that Danny always seems to have the same difficulty. His eyes would mirror his own conflict whenever Lacey was in his vicinity.

"Hi, Danny." Lacey gives a smile when he stands in front of her.

He smiles back. "Hi, Lacey. You look really good."

"Thank you." Lacey blushes a little at his compliment. "You look really good, too. Here is your ticket."

As Lacey extends her hand to give Danny his ticket, Danny grabs her hand and holds it. He notices that she is wearing his gift. He strokes the bracelet with a finger. He looks up with pride reflected on his face as he gives a closed-mouth smile before he states "It looks very beautiful on you."

Lacey smiles again. "Thank you. I love it." To break up the moment, Lacey says "Let's go inside. I hear they have some nice walking paths and some places where we can sit."

Danny smiles and nods his head as he gestures for Lacey to precede in front of him. While inside, they first just admire the plants and the tranquil atmosphere as they walk from section to section. The entry way had early spring petunias and tulips which led to the first exhibit of flora. Marigolds, lilies and other blooms are positioned in segmented dividers between the different interiors. There are different exits which allow the visitors to sit on benches outside where the various gardens showcase different perennials. Lacey suggests that they sit outside in the wildflower garden.

Lacey decides to start the conversation. She looks Danny directly in the eyes. "I am certain that the main reason for your texts and messages yesterday was concerning Jo's visit with me. I am sure you know that we had a long talk. She apologized, I forgave, and I decided to end my friendship with her."

Lacey held her hand up as Danny was about to interrupt her. "Please let me finish. My decision wasn't made in anger. I had long considered what I would say to Jo if we ever did meet face-to-face. I found that while I was still angry with her, I did not want to hate her. I wanted to just be free of the hurt, betrayal, and sadness associated with the remnants of a friendship that was no longer healthy. My forgiveness allowed both of us to continue life in a better position but without one another."

Lacey falls silent as she awaits Danny to convey his thoughts. "Look, Lacey. Both Jo and I made a huge mistake when we kept the secret of how my father died from you. We made an even larger mistake when we confused feelings of friendship and convenience for the possibility of a romantic relationship. I take responsibility for that confusion. I wasn't in the best mental place. I was filled with guilt and wanted anything 'easy' that didn't force me to own up to my actions. You were always my guide for steering me towards doing the right thing – whether I really wanted to listen or not. You were so gracious for allowing me a second chance at a friendship with you. Couldn't you allow Jo a second chance as well?"

Lacey shakes her head at what Danny is trying to request. "Did Jo tell you all that we discussed? My main point was that girlfriends should not go after another friend's ex. Girls should respect each other and help solve the issue – not take advantage of the situation to suit their own selfish needs. That was the difference between my decision regarding you and my decision regarding her. I considered what was the intention behind your actions and hers."

"I don't think Jo intentionally meant to hurt you, Lacey. Things got really messed up so fast." Danny expresses his frustration.

Lacey clarifies "You were filled with guilt since you now really had caused someone's death. You had been on an emotional rollercoaster since age 11. You were under so much stress. That was what caused your decision making to become skewed. Jo took advantage of your state of confusion. She finally realized that yesterday during our talk. Underneath it all, she was blurring the lines of friendship and romantic desires when she ingrained herself into the Vikram situation and into the Charlie situation."

Danny begins "Lacey…"

Lacey doesn't allow him to continue. "Jo's obstinate belief in Charlie's innocence and turning her back on you – until it was convenient for her – was a violation of friendship. Who abandons a longtime friend in need to believe the words of a new person? Who knows two friends have had a bad breakup yet feels right about starting a relationship with one of them? A true friend would have tried to make peace between everyone. Ultimately she betrayed our friendship trio – even 'innocently' as she claims. Her mind was more rational than yours at the time. Bottom line, one doesn't do actions that harms your friends. Harming your friends would be like hurting your own self. When a person doesn't realize that, then it is a problem. That person is only concerned about their own personal being…not a worthwhile trait in a 'best friend'…especially once we have known since childhood."

Danny nods his head quickly as stands up to walk a few feet from the bench. He looks off in the distance and then turns to look back at Lacey. He holds his palms up in a slight plea. "I know. Jo can be self-centered. Lace, she is trying to be a better person. She even apologized to me after her talk with you. I forgave her and offered my own apology back to her for my actions. It's just so frustrating that I can't fix everything that went wrong with our trio."

Lacey leaves the bench and stands right in front of him. "That's the problem, Danny. This can't be fixed by you and that is perfectly 'okay'. This issue can only be fixed by space apart from each other and by time. I forgave her and let her go. Who knows what years may bring but for the immediate future, I won't be having a friendship with her."

"Are you willing to just forget about your past with her? We used to be inseparable as kids. Yes, things have been tense since I returned but there were sparks of the old friendship here and there. You said once that all that matters was the friendship – no matter how mad you were at her and at me." Danny tries to remind her of the former closeness the three of them once had.

"That was all before I found out about the secret relationship that you two were considering to try." Lacey scoffs. She shakes her head and takes a deep breath to center her thoughts before she exhales. She begins again. "I can feel good about the decision to end my friendship with her because it was for the best. Our time together had run its course. It was best to discuss what went wrong and to end our association on a positive note instead of continued bitterness. Do I hate her? No. Do I wish bad things for her future? No, that's not my style. Will I miss her? I miss what 'could have been'…I saw glimpses of the old childhood Jo sporadically and that is what I will miss. Bottom line, I had to take care of myself, Danny. Like how you are trying to put the pieces of your life back together, so am I. Jo didn't fit into my life anymore."

"So, where does that leave me?" Danny looks as if he wonders if that assessment of Jo will also include him. He swallows as he gazes intensely at her. "Do I fit into your life any more?" His voice has a slight catch at the end of that sentence.

Lacey smiles albeit with a little melancholy. She stares directly into his eyes to convey the extent of her next words. "I would love for you to still be in my life. I look forward to rediscovering our friendship. However, I can't take that step forward with you if you are trying to reconnect me with Jo. You see, your socializing with Jo is in direct conflict with my socializing with you. You would be trying to share stories with me about her and you would be inviting the two of us to the same functions with you. I know you…sooner or later, you would get that urge to play friend-matchmaker."

"Lacey, that's a difficult position I am in if I have this 'separate but equal' friendship with the two of you – when the two of you no longer have your own friendship." Danny seems irritated that he can't influence Lacey to change her mind.

Lacey agrees with him. "Exactly. So, if you feel that you can't honor my wish for Jo to be out of my life, then I understand. If you can't honor my wish for us not to discuss her in our future interactions, I understand. Danny, our friendship wouldn't be able to withstand that strain. Don't worry…I won't have hard feelings against you – if you decide that this is too much for you. I just can't have a friend in my life that doesn't honor my wishes. Any friends, that I have, need to respect my needs. Respect is the new qualifier for any friendship with me." Lacey looks away from Danny's face. His face has a mixture of disappointment, defeat, and a little fear.

Danny steps even closer as he rubs his hands down Lacey's arms to eventually grip her hands. "Look, Lace. I want to be your friend….more than anything. Please believe that."

"Good…but I want you to take a bit and really think about what I said. You need to evaluate everything and decide for yourself if you can honor what I expect of our friendship. We can talk later this week." Lacey really wants Danny to realize that having both girls in his life, but separate from each other, was really a big obstacle for him. Danny would ultimately have to choose which one was more important. Lacey didn't want to influence him. She wanted him to choose what was best for him.

Danny sighs deeply. "Okay, I will think about what you said. You, too, have to think about what I have been saying the past two weeks. I want to be back in your life, Lacey. That's why I wanted our friendship again. If that turns into more, I would be thrilled with that, too. I know you are only promising friendship. I just need you, Lacey. I can't picture a future without you having some capacity in it." Danny's eyes reflect the truth behind his passionate response.

Lacey nods her head. She doesn't trust herself to address what he has just declared. Instead, she diverts their conversation back to the Arboretum. "Let's get out of here and continue through the rest of this place. I'm a little thirsty. I heard they have a stand somewhere inside that makes the best natural smoothies." Lacey grabs Danny's hand to lead him back inside. They hold hands for the rest of their tour. Sure, they both know the extended gesture belies the normal 'friends' behavior, but neither wants to release the other's grasp.

"Thank you for today. Regardless the intense discussion we had, I enjoyed spending time with you. It's been a while since we have spent time together doing something that the rest of the world calls 'fun'. We haven't had a lot of that lately. It was nice." Danny states as they exited the Arboretum an hour later.

"I enjoyed today with you, too. Yeah, we have had some good times together. It's been nice to recapture a little of that." Lacey didn't like the necessary conversation they had earlier but her mood had been uplifted by viewing the different gardens with Danny. He made her laugh with his silly commentary about the flowers and fellow visitors. It reminded her of times when they were younger and he always found the humor in the slightest things. It made Lacey feel good that this side of Danny remained after all the turmoil he had experienced in his short life.

"Oh, Lace, have you read my journal yet?" Danny wonders. This is his second time asking Lacey this particular question.

Lacey blushes. "No, I'm sorry. I have just had a lot going on these past several days. I thank you for lending it to me and I promise I will read it this week. I'm sorry that I have not had the time to review it. It means a lot to me that you entrusted me with it." Lacey wanted to convince Danny that she does desire to read the material within the journal, but lately 'mending bridges' with people have taken priority over that.

Danny places his hand underneath Lacey's chin and bends down slightly to look closely at her…just an inch from her face. Lacey has an audible gasp of breath. "It's okay, but I'm holding you to that promise that you will read it this week. In fact, be prepared for a test quiz on its contents." He smirks as he releases her chin but quickly places a peck on her forehead before he takes a step back from her.

Lacey doesn't chastise Danny for kissing her forehead. He didn't take advantage of the situation so she will treat it as Danny's way of friendship with her. Yes, it was unorthodox but she and Danny had been a very different type of couple anyway. Conversely, their friendship had more intimate overtones due to their complex history. "I promise, I will read it." Lacey assures him. She wonders what the journal contains since he is so adamant that she read it.

Danny walks Lacey to her car. As she gets inside, Lacey gently reminds him of his own personal assignment. "Remember you are to think about what I said."

"Yes, ma'am." Danny gives a smirk and a nod. " 'Bye, Lace."

" 'Bye, Danny." Lacey responds as Danny turns to walk away.

As Lacey drives home, she feels good about the place where she has left her friendship with Danny. If he decides that he can't honor the separation between her and Jo, then at least she has a pleasant 'last' memory of her time with Danny. Her eyes mist a little over those words 'pleasant last memory'. She smiles a little…if today was indeed her final moment with a happy Danny, then she would treasure that memory for the rest of her life.

Chapter 10 Preview

"Are we speaking to Danny or are we still mad at him?" Clara surprises Lacey later in the evening with that question while they were on the sofa and watching a television program.

Although Lacey was extending friendship again to Danny, she doesn't know if she should re-initiate him into her family life just yet. He was still considering if Lacey's decision to cut Jo from her life was a deal-breaker concerning his own friendship with Lacey. Earlier this afternoon, she had met with him. He had not been pleased that she would not be maneuvered by his charm to change her mind. So, if he was unwilling to accept her terms, then Lacey was unsure if any semblance of friendship would even be viable.

*Lovely Readers, thank you for your continued reading and support. The next chapter will have a Clara heart-to-heart. As most Dacey fans have suggested on various blogs, I agree that Amandla Stenberg would make the perfect Clara. So, envision her as Clara when you read Chapter 10, which will be posted along with Chapter 9. I know…two chapters at once…surprise, surprise, surprise…lol

To the readers of my other fics, I will post two chapters also for 'After The Burn' this weekend. DimplesValntina