Here's chapter 10. thankyou all for the rave reviews. i love you all. xx again, please review after! thanks xx

Chapter 10

There was a knock at the door when Kristen eventually woke up the next morning. Her head was feeling hazy and a sudden image of the night before crept into her mind like a blast of icy wind. Then the realisation of her actions sunk in and soon the icy wind was replaced by a hot summer breeze. Calming and tranquil. When she looked to her left and saw Rob's smooth body beside her, she smiled. Then the door knocked again and she pushed away the sheets and slipped on a dressing gown from the back of the bedroom door.

"Alright," she muttered, "i'm coming!" she quickly checked the time on the TV and saw it was only 9am. She opened the door and there, stood in ripped up jeans and an off the shoulder madonna tee was Dakota. Her blonde hair flared wispily around her face, but the nice image was haltered by her breathing. She was panting and then clutching her sides as though she'd just ran all 8 floors to get to her. Well, Kristen supposed, maybe she had?

"Um, hey, D. what's up?" she asked while Dakota bent over, trying to catch her breath. When she straightened up she smiled at Kristen and leaned against the door frame.

"I'm good thanks, yourself?" she replied calmly as though she hadn't just come to the door, huffing and puffing. Thankfully, Kristen thought, she hadn't blown the door down.

Kristen eyed her suspiciously, like she was up to something but didn't say anything. Instead she signalled for her friend to enter the room. Momentarily forgetting about the R.O.B in her bedroom. Well, she thought calmly, he wouldn't be waking for a while. Rob rarely woke before 12 on a weekend.

"So, what brings you here?" asked Kristen once they'd sat down on the sofa. She flicked on the TV, turning the volume down so as not to disturb her sleeping guest.

Dakota smiled and flicked back her hair from her face, "Oh nothing. You know me. Just flitting through the neighbour hood and thought i'd visit. I hope that's okay? You're not busy are you?" she asked, looking around the room casually but with a hint of anxiousness like Kristen was hiding something. Well, she was, but she wasn't going to tell her that. Kristen didnt say anything, just continued to eye her friend until Dakota would crack. She wasn't good with the evil eye.

It wasn't long before Dakota started to squirm, "Oh alright," she said when she couldnt take anymore of Kristen's stares, "I came over because," she looked around again, like someone could be listening, when she looked back to Kristen she touched her hand, "I wanted to see how my best friend was doing. You worried me yesterday on set. You were acting weird and not yourself at all. I thought maybe, erm, maybe Rob had something to do with it?"

Kristen squirmed herself and finally stood up. She nervously walked around the room but noticed Dakota wasn't going to let it drop. She knew her too well. They both knew each other far too well, it was almost spooky.

"I would tell you, but you'll only get mad." Kristen said honestly. Dakota laughed innocently, "Oh come on, K. we've known each other for what? 2 years? Inside and out," she giggled at that, "you can trust me with anything. You surely know that, right?"

Kristen took a glance at the bedroom door, sure that at any moment the truth would be revealed- in more ways than one – and that dakota would then hate her and storm out without a second look.

But no one stirred and the only person making things worse was herself, by not trusting in her best friend.

"Okay, so, erm... yeah, Rob has something to do with it," she finally confessed. Dakota's smile seemed forced to her, or maybe that was her guilt making her feel that.

"Oh," said Dakota, slightly more accepting of it than Kristen was expecting, "Well, that's cool. So did you fix things? Are you guys, y'know, together now?" she added a little too casually for her liking.

"Well," kristen took one more look to the bedroom door until dakota noticed her looking that direction and then she understood. It wasn't like she'd planned on making it obvious, but her guilt and the overwhelming knowledge that if dakota found out she might be angry, seemed to make her do really stupid stuff. Like looking at the door that led to her actions. On the one hand, it made it easier. At least this way Kristen didn't have to actually say the words.

"He's not?" Dakota looked at the bedroom door and nodded. Kristen blushed crimson red.

"Yeah," she replied, "he's asleep though. I'm sorry," She really didn't know what else to say.

"Don't be sorry, K. It's your life," Dakota said sincerely, "I trust you to make the right decisions. Just like you can trust me to take this smoothly." She stood up and walked across to hug Kristen before going to the front door and opening it. "I'm sorry. I guess i'll see you next week, yeah?" and she left without listening to the answer.

"I guess," whispered Kristen to a closed door. Gathering her thoughts, she wandered to the bedroom door and opened it up quietly. Rob was sat up on the bed and looked at her when she went in and took off her dressing robe to reveal just a silk nightie. He smiled happily and they cuddled when she climbed in next to him.

"So, how did she take the news?" he asked after a few minutes silence. Kristen looked sideways at him before asking, "How did you know?"

It was probably a dumb question to ask since she knew how thin the walls were. But some part of her was hoping he hadn't heard it all.

Rob laughed then said, "Kristen, there's only one reason you would get up this early and it isn't the pizza delivery guy," he winked. "Besides, i wasn't fully asleep when you woke up anyway." Shrugging, he didn't say anymore.

She didn't know what he was thinking. It wasn't a nice feeling. "She, i think, i don't really know.." she replied hesitantly.

He eyed her worryingly, brushing a hair from her face and giving her a kiss on the cheek, "How come?"

"Well she seemed to take it all too well and then left without a fuss. It was all too easy, after all the rows we'd had over.. you."

He chuckled but then glanced wearily away, "You guys row about.. me?" he said disbelievingly.

"Not all the time," she said, prodding him in the chest and grinned, "But yeah. Recently, it's been about you. Don't let your ego fly away with you." Leaning up she kissed him eagerly.

"Hmm, what was that for, if i may so boldly ask?" he said wistfully, a crooked smile on his puffy lips.

"For not getting mad. I can't stand it when we row. Any of us. I just want this-" she touched his lips with her forefinger and he kissed it gently, "moment to last."

"It will last for however long you want it to last," he replied honestly, then frowned with concern, "but i'll never stop caring about you. I'll always l-" he sat up straight, wiping his brow and shaking off the covers and grabbing his jeans.

Kristen sat up too and eyed him worryingly, "What are you doing? Why-"

"I have to go. I have to leave. I have to-"

she stopped him opening up the door and wrapped her arms around him to secure him, "What's wrong?"

"Things are getting serious, i can feel it. I need time to think things through, Kristen. I need air."

"Okay," she said, letting him go but still resting a hand on his still bare chest, "but don't leave. Please. I'll feel it's over if you do. I know what i want, and that's you. Please, just don't leave yet. I'll stay in here, and you in the living room, okay? Please." she almost begged, but felt that was too much. He was straining, fighting some rare emotion that she knew he didn't often show.

"Okay i'll go out there." he responded not so surely. The next moment, Kristen vaguely remembered hearing the front door open and close, and her heart breaking ever so slightly, piece by piece.