Excuses.


Niklaus glared down at his phone as he hit END, leading Bae to believe that he would be leaving her to pay the check.

"I have to go,"

"That's fine," she smiled, sipping at her lemonade. "Go on,"

He smirked at her, standing to kiss her lightly on the top of the head.

She didn't watch him leave, just sipped her lemonade half-mindedly until she felt someone walk up beside her. She was planning on ignoring them until they spoke to her in a feminine voice that she recognized.

"So am I going to have to say it?"

Bae looked up as Rebekah sat down in the spot Niklaus vacated, giving her a confused look. "I'm sorry?"

"You're in love with my brother," she said plainly, causing Bae to stare at her in shock. "Oh don't play coy, everyone and their dog knows,"

"Then everyone and their dog is wrong; I'm not in love with Niklaus," she told her, sitting up as she pushed away her lemonade, looking the vampire in the eye. "He is my friend and I am his. No ifs, buts or possiblys about it. He's damaged beyond any repair I could give his scarred psyche. I just plan on being his friend until I figure out where I'm going next. Then I'll part ways and he'll continue as he always has… a sadistic powerhouse with daddy issues,"

"Then you are a fool,"

Bae stared at her blatantly as Rebekah leaned forward as if to whisper a secret.

"You are a smart girl, Bae, and regardless of whether you've fallen for him we both know you care for him. And what's worse is that we both know that he has come to care for you more than he'd ever like to let on. He won't simply let you go when you leave him. He will come for you and try his hardest to keep you by his side… And there will be those that hear of your closeness to Nik and will kill you for it,"

"I can take care of myself," Bae told her.

And Rebekah smiled. "I have no doubt that you can," The Original got up to leave when she suddenly stopped, leaning down to whisper in Bae's ear; "Go ahead and lie that this will remain a friendship… Because friendship can be an excuse when there's something there you don't want to admit or you're too scared to explore,"

Bae frowned as Rebekah walked away, glaring down into her lemonade.