Chapter 11

"Nice to meet you too."

"Well I should get going. Hey maybe you could finish up helping Joe for me?" Nick asked. He knows I can never say no to him when he bats his eyes at me.

"Fine. But you owe me!" I said with a smile.

"I'll make it up to you tonight." He said before kissing my cheek and walking away.

"So. I uh have to go to my locker. Do you need me to show you around?" I asked.

"So he's your boyfriend?" Joe asked.

"Yeah. I really like him. Maybe even-"

But I stopped myself. I couldn't talk about this with him.

"Love him?" Joe finished.

"Yeah. I think so."

"How long has it been going on?"

"Six months today."

"I know you remember me."

"How could I forget? You broke my heart. That's not the type of thing you just forget about. Especially when it comes out of nowhere." I said before walking away.

"Do you want to know why I left?" He asked stopping me.

"It doesn't matter anymore. I've moved on. Just like you wanted." I said breaking away from him. I was proud of myself. I was able to tell off the guy I've been in love with for years. I needed to find Lily though. My strength was fading fast and tears were coming fast.

"Lily!" I said when I found her.

"What's wrong Oh no Nick didn't break up with you did he?"

"No worse."

"What could be worse than that?" She asked confused.

"Joe's back."

Her mouth dropped open.

"What? How?"

"He was talking to Nick."

She was silent.

"Nick? As in your Nick?"

I nodded.

"Does he know?"

"Yeah. He does."

"Why do you think he's back?" She asked as we walked.

"I don't know. But he better not get in the way of me and Nick."

"Did he tell you why he left?"

"I think he was going to but I didn't give him the chance. I just wanted to get away from him before I broke down crying."

"Well good for you for being able to walk away." I smiled and nodded.

When lunch came I saw Nick standing where we usually meet but this time Joe was with him.

"Hi Nick." I said with a fake smile.

I hoped he didn't see I was unhappy that Joe was there.

"Hey. You don't mind if Joe joins us do you?"

"Of course I mind! You probably wouldn't be so nice to him if you knew he was the Joe I loved." I thought to myself.

"No. I don't mind at all."

"Great." He said wrapping his arm around my waist and walking.

Why did Lily have to be busy at lunch today?

"So how are you liking it here so far?" Nick asked Joe when we sat down at a table.

"I'm liking it a lot." He said looking at me.

"See any cute girls yet?" Nick asked him.

"I have my eye on someone."

I met Joe's eyes when he said this.

"Oh who?" Nick asked.

"No one you'd know. Besides she's taken."

"Oh. That's too bad. It would have been cool if you got a girl. Then we could go on double dates or something."

Nick was the sweetest guy in the world. He always saw the good people.

"Yeah well that's too bad."

"Hey Nick will you go get me a green tea out of the vending machine?" I asked.

"Oh yeah. Anything for you my lady." He said before kissing my head and getting up.

"What are you doing?" I asked once Nick was far enough away.

"I'm back. And we need to talk."

"No we don't. The time for talking past three years ago."

"Don't you want to know why I left?"

"I don't care anymore. I spent 2 years crying over you. It was only this year I finally stopped caring what happened to you and I met Nick."

"You really love Nick?"

I thought for a moment. I could never love anyone the way I loved Joe but yes I love Nick and things are going great with him.

"I do. So why are you hanging around?"

"Am I not allowed to be friends with your new boyfriend?"

"No." I said.

Before he could respond Nick came back with my drink.

"Did I miss anything good?" He asked taking his place next to me.

"No. Nothing." I said with a smile.

The rest of lunch went fine. Joe stopped looking at me. This was good. Though he looked almost sad...but I told myself I didn't care. He deserves whatever's going on.

"So what's the deal with you and the new guy?" Nick asked as we walked through the park. "What do you mean?" I asked confused.

"I mean it seems like you two know each other."

I guess I should tell him now.

"Well uh we do." I said stopping and turning away from him.

"How? I thought he was new?" Nick asked trying to get in my sight.

"He's my ex."

Silence.

"So he's the Joe? The one you were in love with for years? And the one you wouldn't go out with me for?"

He seemed upset.

"Yes." I whispered.

"Why didn't you tell me from the begging? Why did you let me be nice to him? Wait why did you let me let you be near him?"

Yeah he was definitely upset.

"I told him to back off. I don't even think he wants me anymore. He wanted to talk but I told him not to bother. I'm yours Nick. I love you!"

I said it.

He stood shocked.

I said I loved him for the first time.

He smiled and pulled me to him and kissed me in a way he never did before.

"I love you too." He said still smiling.

Part of me wishes I hadn't said it right then. But the other part of me was just happy he loved me back.

"You do?" I asked smiling too.

"Of course I do! Why do you think I want to kill Joe right now?"

I hugged him.

"You don't need to kill him. I don't want you going to prison." I said laughing.

"He would deserve it after everything he put you through."

"If he hadn't of left me I most likely wouldn't be with you right now. I'm actually pretty grateful."

"I guess you're right."

"Are you still going to hang out with him?"

"Not if you don't want me to. I don't trust him around you. But other than the fact that he's a jerk he was a pretty cool dude."

"You can be friends with who you want to be."

He kissed me again and we continued walking.

"Miley wait up."

I heard behind me the next morning. It was Joe.

"What do you want?" I asked still walking.

"Can we please talk?" He asked catching up to me.

"What could you possibly need to talk to me about?" I asked when I reached my locker.

"You have my old locker." He said looking at it.

He was right. It was the locker he had freshman year. You can still see where he put M+C= LOVE FOREVER.

"Oh. Yeah. I forgot you had this locker." I lied.

"No you didn't."

"What do you want Joe?"

"To talk to you."

"Why? So you can rub it in my face that it took me three years to get over you?"

"No. I just want to explain why I left."

"Why does it even matter anymore?"

"Because I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left like that. I left because I couldn't handle being around anyone. I told myself I didn't love you anymore. I pushed away everyone. My dad died. I know its no excuse but I just couldn't handle it. I know it isn't a good excuse but I really needed it."

I didn't know what to say to him.

But I thought of something.

"You didn't need to shut me out or tell me to get over it. I've lost lots of people I was close too. All at once. You could have come to me."

I wanted to cry.

"I know. I'm sorry." He said grabbing me and holding me.

I wanted to pull away but I couldn't.

"Why are you back then?" I said still letting him hold me.

"Because I miss you, and everything. I'm ready to move forward."

I pulled away from him.

"I need to go." I said turning away.

"Miley." He said grabbing my arm.

"What?"

"I still love you."

"I'm with Nick."

"You don't love him the way you love me."

Whoa. This seems familiar.

"And I may never love anyone the way I loved you but I'm not doing this again."

"I came back for you."

"Why is it always you who leaves? Why am I always the one waiting. It's always about when your ready. Well you know what? I'm not. You've hurt me to badly. I'm not about just come running back to you when I'm finally happy again. With someone else."

I walked away but he came after me.

"Please Miley. I'm deeply in love with you. I never stopped. I know you better than anyone." He said stopping me.

"No. You knew me better than anyone else. I'm different now. You don't know me anymore. So stop pretending like you do and let me be happy."

He didn't come after me this time when I walked away.

Part of me still loved Joe, and maybe always will. But I'm with Nick he makes me happy. I'm not about to throw that away for a guy who seems to always leave.