I don't own anything.
Summary: Nate would give anything to have Alex back in his arms, where she belongs. But after all that's going on in her life does Alex even want to be there? NALEX/NILEY/SMITCHIE
"Nate. Can you honestly tell me that you'll forget about Alex?" Miley looked straight into Nate's eyes. Everything that happened the day before was like a blur now. Nate came running to apologize after she found out and promised it would never happen again. But Miley was still unsure about why he chose her instead of Alex.
"I can't honestly tell you that. You know how I feel about her." Nate shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. That day after he ran after Miley to apologize he got a text from Alex. It broke his heart completely. It read:
Look, I know you're going to break up with her. Don't. I don't want you anymore. Me and you are done. We can't keep putting ourselves in hurtful situations. So I can't say goodbye because I know if I do I'll hurt you even more. I'm sorry for everything.
After he got that text he decided he would stay with Miley if she wanted to keep dating him. And she did. "I know. But I love you enough to forget about that. But, Nate why me this time?" She whispered wanting to know why.
"Because you love me. You care about me and want me. And I care about you too." He pulled her into a hug and soothed her hair. "Forget about Alex, I'm with you now." He sighed and closed his eyes. He hated how she played with his heart. Alex was nothing but deceitful. She played with his emotions for the last time.
"Jacob, please. You have to at least hear me out." Alex followed him to his car in the student parking lot, trying to apologize for the tenth time in two days. He found out soon after Nate ran after Miley. "Please, Jake. You don't even have to pay attention or talk to me. All I need is for you to stand there and pretend your listening to me. Please." She wrapped her arms around herself because the wind was picking up, a sure sign of rain. He nodded slowly as she sighed happily.
"You knew about my past with Nate when we first got together. You knew how much I still loved him." She watched his face, which was serious. "But then when we started to hang out more, I fell in love with you too. I was so confused. I didn't know which feelings were stronger." She bit her lip as he clenched his jaw. "Then at prom, when you were drinking-." She cleared her throat and sighed. "I went outside and this stranger with a mask on came and asked me to dance. I said yes. It turned out to be Nate, and at that moment I needed to feel loved. To tell the truth it wouldn't have mattered if it were some complete stranger. I just needed to feel important."
The dark clouds took over the sky as he cleared his throat as he watched her eyes turn glossy with tears. "And when I found out it was Nate-." She stopped as she felt sobs trying to escape. "And he told me how much he loved me. I felt safe. So safe that I would do anything to stay in that moment forever. But after a while of sneaking around, I realized I was doing nothing but hurting myself and people around me. Especially you. You mean so much to me, Jake. More than you will ever know. And I am so sorry. You have no idea how miserable I've been just thinking about everything I put you through."
He shook his head trying to shake out the tears. He didn't want her to see him weak. That was the last thing he wanted. But seeing her through all that pain, all he wanted was to hug her and never let go. He sighed and pulled her into a tight embrace as she continued to cry. "I love you, Alex. So much. But, I don't know if I want to put myself at risk with you again."
Alex looked up at him and touched his cheek. "I don't want to put you at risk either. What I did was a horrible thing and you deserve so much more than that. You deserve to be loved by a girl who will never put you through that. Ever."
"I don't want another girl. All I want is you." He lifted her chin and reached down to place a passionate kiss on her lips. She smiled through the kiss and raised her arms to wrap them around his neck. He pulled away holding her arms at length. "I want you to know that I'm willing to try this again."
"Jake." She looked up at him and smiled as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Do you really want to stay with me? After everything that happened?" She watched him lower his eyes to the ground.
"Why? Do you even want to get back together?" He furrowed his eyebrows and backed away from her.
"I do! But I don't want to force you into something that failed once before." She shook her head slightly. She reached for his hand and stopped once he pulled away. "Jake?"
"You're right. This thing between us has failed before." He sighed then watched her lower her head. "But I want to try again." He lifted her chin with his finger. "If you promise me, that there will be no more confusing thoughts in your head." He said with a slight chuckle. "Okay?"
"Okay." She smiled and reached up to kiss him quick. "What are you doing right now?" She asked as she looked at his car.
"Being with you, obviously." He said as she slightly giggled. "I love your laugh."
"You want to give me a ride somewhere?"
Nate sighed as he rolled the windows down from his truck. He wanted to go someplace where he can clear his head. Go far away from all his problems. But it was kind of difficult since he was back to where he started. Trying his hardest to love Miley and forget about Alex. He thought that by the fourth time he would succeed but he was still at the starting line. He parked his car and climbed out. He looked up to see the dark clouds tower over the lake. It was about to rain. Great. He ran his fingers through his hair and then placed his hands in his jean pockets.
He was headed to his favorite spot of all time. The tree by the lake. Even though it was flooded with memories including Alex he didn't care. It was the only place he could be peaceful. He touched the bark of the back of the tree about to sit down when he noticed an all to familiar face looking up at him.
"What are you doing here?" She whispered and cleared her throat. He looked shocked to even see her at all. It was like if she was appearing from the dead. "I-I didn't think you'd be here."
He watched her as she stared at the ground. "I always come here. You should know that." She looked up at him and was about to speak, but the thunder stopped her. She sighed and looked out onto the lake. "What are you doing here anyway?"
She turned her head to look at him and shrugged with one shoulder and touched her cheek with it. "I don't really know." She gave him a small smile as the rain started to sprinkle on them.
"Well I should go." Nate said and headed towards his car. She stood up watched him leave and held her breath when he stopped half way. He turned back around and started walking towards her. "Why did you lead me on like that?" He yelled trying to talk over the thunder and stopped right in front of her.
Alex went silent as she wrapped her jacket around herself more, because of the now very visible rain drops. "I didn't lead you on, Nate. I just wanted what was best for you." She whispered.
"And leaving me heartbroken was the best for me?" His voice rose then dropped when he noticed the water running down Alex's face weren't just rain drops but tears also. "Why?"
"Because!" Alex yelled back. "Miley is good for you. She loves you so much, that she'd never hurt you. And I've already done enough of that." She stared at the ground as he clenched his jaw and put his hands in his pockets as he slightly swayed back and forth.
"But I love you, Alex." He shook his head and watched her bite her lip. "But obviously you don't want me anymore." He whispered then spoke up again. "I don't get it, Alex. One day you say you love me and you're willing to cheat on your boyfriend with me, and the next you want me with my girlfriend. I don't get what's the difference, between me being with Miley and me being with you."
"The difference is Miley loved you enough to keep holding on. And I love you enough to let you go." She screamed at him trying to get that through his head. Nate needed to be with Miley. She would never hurt him, and Alex would just end up hurting him again, and she was tired of doing that. It hurts her just as much as it hurts him. "I have Jake and I love him. Try to love Miley." She whispered the last part as he shook his head.
"You don't understand. I need you. You're everything to me. Without you I rather die, Alex. Why can't you accept that?" He yelled over the rain realizing they were both soaking in rain. "You can't deny what we feel for each other. And you know that 'the right thing' is actually the worst possible thing you can ever do! You need me just as much as I need you. Face it Alex, you want me! You love me!"
She started to walk away, but just as she hit the end of the lake Nate grabbed her arm and stopped her. He looked her right in the eyes and kissed her passionately. She returned the kiss with as much passion as she possibly could. They stayed lost in that kiss for what seemed to be an eternity. Alex pulled away and whispered, "We can't do this, Nate. Not now. I need to be with Jake."
"Yeah I figured." Nate said as he ran towards his truck and got in. She watched him leave in a hurry, and chased after the car but once she realized he wouldn't stop, she stopped chasing it taking out her phone to call Jacob to give her a ride home.
He needed to drive anywhere to get away from Alex. But it was hopeless because she stayed with him. Even if it was just in his mind, she was with him. Out of frustration he hit the steering wheel, which caused his car to swivel out of control. The car that was in front of him stopped automatically-out of panic-which made Nate try to stop the car hitting two other cars beside him. Now, as he was unconscious everyone started to dial 911.