A

I'm In It With You

Chapter 11

It was one of those days. It was rainy and cool. I had just gotten home from the gym. Amazingly I had actually started going. When Nick and I were together he would beg me to go, but I would never go. I was feeling fantastic. I lost 15 pounds and I had no regrets. It took me a bit to no longer have regrets. I would play that day over and over in my mind. I would curse myself for snooping in his email in the first place, but I knew he was also in the wrong for not telling me. I had finally accepted reality. It was over and I was moving on and I had with myself.

I took a shower and got ready for work. It seemed like it might be a slow night. I pulled my hair into a ponytail and left the house. I suddenly realized it wasn't going to be so slow as I saw all the children running around my neighborhood in costume. It was Halloween. I let out a sigh. I was sure in for a busy night.

Busy was an understatement. Everyone was running on coffee and fumes. I was finally on my last results of the night. I looked at the paper that came from my printer and picked up my phone.

"Hey DB I got a hit on those samples you sent me. It seems all of them are females all logged in missing persons. They are all missing from San Diego." I said into the phone.

"Looks like I will be in contact with an old friend." He said. I sighed. "Oh ummm…sorry… thanks." He said before hanging up. I tried to not think about Nick, but this was one of those nights where I thought about him. Every now and then I would glance at the locket in my jewelry box. It would make me sad, but I couldn't dwell on that sadness.

Here I was another night. This was my life pretty much. It was finally November and I was so much closer to seeing my Alexa. I was counting down the days until I was on that plane to Paris, but for now I needed coffee. Tonight I was really feeling myself. I had spent the afternoon getting my hair done. It was one of the rare occasions that I was wearing it straight. I had even gotten myself a new pair of pants to fit my slimmer body. I poured my coffee in the break room and I could hear someone walk in and sit down in one of the chairs. I stirred my coffee and turned around. I was frozen in my tracks. Nick was sitting right there. He looked worn out and aged. He had grown his beard back. He looked up from his phone and our eyes met. I was motionless.

"Hi." He said giving me a half smile.

"Ummm…hi." I said trying to calm myself. I hadn't expected him to be here. I figured they would send another CSI from his team. I didn't think he would be the one coming. I was in shock.

"You look….amazing." he commented.

"Uh…Thanks." I answered.

"No really you look so good." He looked like he was shocked.

"Nick hey I've got the files right here." DB said as he entered the room. He then paused and looked between the two of us. "Hope I am not interrupting."

"Oh no. I was going back to work." I said quickly. I went to quickly leave the room. I hadn't seen him in two months and now here he was. I didn't know what to think. I had done such a good job at trying to move on and I thought I was until I saw him face to face. I wasn't over him.

"Tiffany." Nick said before I could fully leave the room. "It was nice to see you."

"Yeah umm… you too." I said quickly before rushing away. I needed air. I walked out into the cool November air. I took a few deep breaths. This couldn't be real. I felt so many emotions at one time. I closed my eyes for a moment as I pulled myself back together. I needed to get back to work.

I felt tense the whole night. Every now and then I would steal a glance of him, as he would go through the lab. I would hold my breath every time. I tried my best to concentrate. I kept looking at the clock hoping that my shift would end quickly so I could get out of here. Being so close to him was strange, but it felt so good. Why did it feel good? Also why did it hurt?

"So your ex is here." Said a voice. I turned to see Hodges.

"No duh." I said rolling my eyes.

"How does it feel?" he asked. I really didn't want him here prying in my business.

"Weird." I answered plainly.

"I bet that has to be crazy weird and to just see him here walking around." He commented. I really wanted him to leave. I wasn't up for any conversations especially his prying ones.

"Knock knock." Came a voice that made me jump. Nick was standing in the doorway.

"Well I better go." Hodges quickly said before leaving Nick and I alone.

"Hi." I said quickly.

"Hey I was wondering." Nick started as he walked my way. He leaned against my desk. "Are you working tonight?"

"No I'm off." I said.

"Well I am here for another couple days and I know we haven't spoken or anything in a long time, but I want to take you to dinner." He said.

"Ok." I answered quickly.

Why did I do that?

"Really?" he questioned looking shocked. "Well up the SDPD put me up at the Luxor. They have some pretty good restaurants. We can meet in the lobby and go from there."

"Ok sounds good." I answered. I was feeling butterflies in my stomach. My mouth was all dry. It reminded me of the first time I met him right here in this lab. It felt good.

"Ok see you about 8?" he asked.

"8 is good." I said giving him a quick smile.

"See you then. Tiff… it is really good to see you. I mean it." He then left me alone. I felt myself blushing. It was like old times; old times that truthfully I missed even though I told myself all the time that there was nothing to miss. I was excited to go out with him.

It was about 7:30. I checked myself in the mirror for the 3rd time. I gave myself a smile. My hair was straight down my back and I wore a tight red lacy dress. I loved the way I look. Working on myself had done my body good. All day I couldn't calm the butterflies in my stomach as I thought about seeing him tonight. I grabbed my purse and keys before heading out to my car. Driving myself to his hotel I felt so nervous. It was like I was going on a first date, but it wasn't. He and I had a history and it wasn't pretty when it ended. I felt like going tonight would only open myself up for more heartbreak, but I couldn't stop myself. I wanted to see him.

I walked around the lobby of the hotel. I was a few minutes early. I found a spot not too far from the hotel tower elevators. I was so nervous. Every time I saw a guy who looked remotely like him I would start to breath quickly. I needed to calm down. This wasn't a first date and I wasn't even sure it was really a date. It was just two people who used to be in a relationship having a friendly dinner to catch-up, or at least that is what I kept telling myself.

"Hi." A voice said from behind me. I turned around to see Nick standing there. He had shaved his beard. He knew I preferred him without it. He cleaned up so nicely. I felt like my voice was caught him my throat. I gave a smile.

"Hi." I breathed.

"You look great." He commented. I could feel his eyes scanning my body. "So there is a sushi bar. I thought we could try it out."

"Ok sounds great." I said giving him a smile.

We walked along side one another. He opened the door for me at the restaurant. I let him ask for the table and we were seated right away. I sat across from him. It was the closet I had been to him for two whole months. I missed seeing his face and I missed hearing his voice. I was trying to not be so obvious as we sat in mostly silence.

"Can I get you two some drinks?" asked the waitress.

"Sake." Nick answered.

"Make that two." I said. She walked away and left us alone.

"Thanks for coming." He said. "I was truthfully afraid that you would have said no."

"I'm glad I said yes." I said.

"I mean it when I say you look great and I like your hair straight." He commented.

"Yeah I just had it done a few days ago." I said as the waitress returned and sat our drinks in front of us. This was so strange. I took a sip of my drink hoping to loosen up a little more. I needed to loosen up I felt to tightly wound.

Onto my third Sake of the night I was feeling loose. I laughed at Nick as he struggled to use the chopsticks. He playfully kicked me under the table. It was like old times. He was making me laugh again. I liked it so much. As much as I had worked on myself and that I knew I didn't need him I felt like he was missing from my life. It was great to be near him again.

"You don't hold them like that." I said as he attempted to pick up a California Roll that was starting to unroll with all of his failed attempts.

"You have had three drinks and somehow you can manage to use chopsticks to perfectly eat this stuff." He said as he gave up and grabbed his fork. I used my chopsticks to pick up one of my shrimp rolls and ate it giving him a smirk.

"Yeah, yeah…show off." He said as I continued to expertly use my chopsticks.

Conversation was just how it was before everything. He was funny and sweet. He told me how work was doing and how he practically worked all the time. I told him how Alexa was doing and how excited I was to head to Paris in a month. We had relaxed conversations, but we avoided our break-up at all costs. I knew that it must have been as hard on him as it was for me. I wasn't going to bring it up if he wasn't going to, but just to sit here and laugh like old times was great.

We walked out of the restaurant together. I didn't want the night to end, but I knew as long as we didn't address the situation then it was going to end and we would continue to ignore it.

"Why didn't you tell me about her?" I said as I stopped walking. I turned to him and looked him in the eye. "Why weren't you just truthful from the beginning?"

"I didn't know how to tell you. It was an innocent time together. I was just being a friend, but when she was leaving we kissed. I was lonely because I hadn't seen you and it was a moment of weakness. I will admit that in that moment I was weak and she was there, but it never went beyond that kiss." He explained. I saw the truth in his eyes.

"And you took her to the Salsa place…before me." I said.

"She is how I found the place. She was looking for Mexican food places and we went. We danced a little bit, but just innocently. The entire time there I kept thinking about how much I wanted to take you there." He said. He took a few steps towards me. "I love you and I hated that I hurt you."

"I love you too." I said softly as his arms came around me. I inhaled his scent. I missed this. "I was so scared of losing you that I guess I let go of you first."

"You were never going to lose me. I gave you that locket so you could never doubt that I was never going anywhere. I'm in it with you and only you, always." He looked me in my eyes. At once his lips were on mine and it was like all the pain was washed away. I couldn't help, but love him. How could I not love him?

Our fingers were intertwined as we rushed to the elevator. He pressed the button as fast as he could. When the doors closed he pulled me to him quickly. I smiled against his lips. It was like we hadn't spent any time apart, but at the same time it was like we had been apart forever. His hand traveled up my thigh. The door opened and I assumed we were on his floor because he pulled me out. We ran along the hall to his room. He fiddled with his card key, but he managed to get the door open. Within seconds we were on the bed wrestling to remove one another's clothes.

"I missed you." I whispered as he kissed my neck. He moved back to my lips and then broke out kiss. He looked me in the eyes. I knew he missed me too.

A/N: I couldn't keep them apart. I love them together too much.