"Okay." he said confused. 'Oh, my God!' He thought. 'She knows! She knows I like her! I'm going to kill Chandler and Monica! She knows and she's trying to let me down easy. This is exactly why I didn't want her to know. She must think I'm such an idiot for not telling her all these months. I should have just told her way back then and maybe she at least wouldn't have thought I was so immature. I really screwed this up.' He lectured himself silently.
'Oh, what am I doing? He is so never going to talk to me again. There is no way he could possibly even consider going out with me. No! I have to at least tell him. I've established it's more than a crush. Crushes don't last this long. So I'm just going to tell him. Wait, maybe i should get him drunk. Because then, he won't remember if I do tell him.' Her conscience tortured her.
"So, what is it we need to talk about?" Joey asked, just hoping to get it over with, he knew it was coming, so he might as well.
"Oh, right. Well...actually, Joey, you might want to sit down for this one."
'Yep, this is definately bad.' He silently concluded.
"Okay." She began once they were both seated. "Joey, you are one of my best friends, and that is really important to me. If I ever lost that, I don't know what I'd do." She said solemnly.
'She definately knows...I can't believe this is happening.' These were the thoughts that flooded his mind as she explained.
"Joey, I have been hiding something from you. I've been hiding something for a really, really long time, and I am so sorry. I guess I was just afraid of what you would think or how it would jepordize our friendship."
"Rach, it's me. You can tell me anything. I'll always be here whenever you need me." He figured one of them might as well feel better about this. She smiled, realizing that what he said was sincere, and she felt better knowing that. Not completely, though.
"Joey, ever since that day a few months ago, when I had to fill in for that actress, and we kissed...I...I think...I think I might be...be...in love with you." She finally blurted out, holding her breath, waiting for what he would say. There was a long pause as she looked at him, and he just looked blankly back at her in astonishment.
"Look, I know that's probably the last thing on your mind, and I wasn't even going to tell you but it's been driving me crazy for months and I know I just couldn't live the rest of my life not knowing what might have happened if I would have had the courage to tell you and..."
'Oh, my God! I don't believe this! She's not trying to reject me, she's trying to tell me she's in love with me! Oh, my God!' He thought as she rambled.
"Rach...Rachel!" He interrupted her. "Slow down, I was just going to tell you the same thing until you said you wanted to talk. I thought you knew about how I felt and were trying to let tell me you didn't want anything to do with me!" He shouted in excitement.
"Really?" She began to cry. She had been waiting for this for so long, and it was finally happening. He threw his arms around her and hugged her tightly.
"I can't believe this is finally happening." He whispered lightly in her ear.
"I know, and it's unbelieveable."
He looked into her eyes, and slowly leaned in and kissed her gently, and tenderly. Neither of them had felt like this ever before in their lives, but as they emraced one another in their passionate kiss, they knew they would feel like this for the rest rest of their lives. Just then Chandler, Monica, Phoebe, and Ross walked in who had been waiting outside the whole time. The two didn't even part as they four in the doorway let out a simultaneous cry of 'awww'.