Hey peoples! I don't think I've gotten enough reviews on this story 2 keep on going on… LOL… so maybe I won't put up the next chapter till I get 20 or so… eheheh…. Nah, I won't be that mean… Plus, I don't think I'd be able to wait that long to post… I dunno… Should I or not?!?!?! OK, here's the deal, I'll post this chapter up, but I won't post the next one up until I somehow get say… 30 Reviews. Deal? Well, read on…

"Do you expect me to believe I was the only one to fall?

I could feel I could feel you near me, even though you're far away

I could feel I could feel you baby, why

It's not supposed to feel this way

I need you, I need you

More and more each day

It's not supposed to hurt this way

I need you, I need you, I need you"

            ~Avril Lavigne || Why

[[ Chapter 3 – Rejection ]]

Previously in chapter 2…

Kel Panicked. I should just say it. Now is my chance! Just do it Mindelan! Voiced inside her kept on ringing through her head. She exhaled and took a deep breath. Pulling him aside into a little niche she began to say what she had planned. "Okay, you want the truth Neal? I'll tell you the truth…"

Continued…

Kel paused. I can do this. I need to tell him my feelings before he gets married, even if he still gets married anyway, at least it'll get him off my chest, she thought reasonably. "Look, all I want to say is… Well, Neal, I like you in a way that's more than friendly. I've liked you ever since we were pages but I've never had the guts to tell you up until now. Up until you fell for Yuki, I always thought that something could happen between us… I know how much you love Yuki, and I don't expect you to do anything… But I just wanted you to know that you'll always be a part of me" Kel said bravely. She knew that it sounded like she was babbling, but the truth was, she didn't want to stop because she was afraid of what Neal's response was going to be. She looked deeply into Neal's eyes. "I love you Neal… I always have… and I couldn't bear it if you stopped being my Best Friend. True, I'll always want something more… But if being your friend is all I can get, then that's what I'll be happy with. I accept that you're going to marry Yuki, where you'll be happy," She said finally. She looked away, too scared that Neal was going to never speak to her again, that she would never have her Best Friend again. Forcing herself to look at him once more, she turned her head back to face him. Neal opened his mouth opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated and closed it again. She could tell that he wanted to tell her something but decided against it. Opening his mouth again, he began to speak. "Kel? I… I… I dunno. You know that I love you as a friend. And no matter what happens, you'll always be my best friend. I'm not going to lose you over something as stupid as this. But… I'm getting married to Yuki in 7 Days. I… I don't want to hurt her feelings like that. I can't do that to her. I'm sorry Kel. I know that this is a little heartless if you feel the way you do… but I really need you to be there. At the wedding I mean. I need the moral support of my best friend." Neal said seriously. Kel could sense that there was something he wasn't telling her, but it was probably just the tension in the air, the feeling of a half-rejection. Well, I tried, Kel thought. She could feel the tears behind her eyes, about to flow out. She had to go, anywhere except here. But before she could she needed to do something, to remember him, the one moment she had him before he was lost forever. "I have to go Neal, I have to think. Just let me do this though. Please just pretend that you do love me for a second. I need this from you, so I can remember", Kel said desperately. With that said, she closed her eyes and moved her head towards him, tears silently slipping down her eyes. She kissed him gently, before turning around and walking away from him down the corridor in the direction of her room.

Neal was bewildered. He could feel his heart ache painfully, as he watched Kel walk away from him, tears streaming down her eyes. He was completely and utterly confused. At the moment, he felt as if he wanted nothing more in the world than to take her into his arms and wipe away every single tear from her face. But that couldn't be right, right? He loved Yuki! He LOVED her! So why did it take all the strength that I have inside me to tell her that I didn't love her? If I truly loved Yuki, I wouldn't even have hesitated to tell Kel that I didn't love her. But Mithros, I nearly told her that I DID! Neal thought, the voices inside him kept on arguing with each other. When he saw Kel crying, he almost wanted to die. She looked so innocent, so inexperienced, so forlorn when she had tears flowing down her cheeks. Right then and there, if he could, he would have traded the world just to see her smile again. Neal walked down the hallway towards his room where he could sort himself out. The Kiss. That sensational kiss. When she had said she wanted to do something, he had already known what she was going to. At the time, he didn't want her to do it, he knew it would change his mind, that he'd get lost in it. Look what happened last time! It was over a year ago, and only earlier that day it had haunted him, taunting him to insanity. He let out a sigh. No matter whether or not the kiss was good, he couldn't hurt Yuki the way he would if he went with Kel. He just couldn't. He knew he loved her, or else he wouldn't have proposed… Right? Neal closed the door behind him and trudged towards his bed, where he lay down in deep thought, his head spinning. Trying not to fall asleep, he continued to sort out whether or not it was Yuki or Kel he wanted to be with, trying to be brutally honest with him self. After he was satisfied and content with the person he had chosen, Neal let himself fall into a deep slumber so that his mind could get a break from the complications of women and his life.

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Muhahahah…. So I might not have a total cliffhanger… but It's a half a one! Who does he choose? Well, you know the rules, 20 reviews, if not then you don't get 2 find out… hehehe, Sorry, just that I need feedback and I want to know if people like my writing… If not, then I just won't bother! Anyways, thank you all of those people that reviewed without me having to threaten to not do anything without reviews! I really appreciate what you said… If I hadn't gotten any reviews, I probably would have stuffed this fic already! ~Bya~