Rico, chasing after Lacey managed to catch her before she entered her car. She turned around hearing him approach, her long hair gently swaying in the wind "Hey", she said as she smiled warmly at him "your Jo's friend right". "Yeah. .. Rico". he said forgetting his name and his intent for a second then he remembered it was now or never. "Well, I have to get going but it was nice to see you again Rico", she finished, saying his name suggestively before opening her car door. "Hey Lace" Rico said making her pause She turned her head to the side looking behind her to see him, lifting her eyes up seductively as she did to meet his. "Yes Rico" she said breathlessly rolling his name off her tongue.

"Before you go I just Had to do this" he said gruffly walking up behind her as he pressed himself firmly against her.

Gently pulling her hair away from her shoulder he began french kissing his way up her neck beginning at her collarbone and slowly making his way up to the tender valley beneath her ear where he whispered for her to arch her back so he could feel her move against him. His hands grabbing her hips began to guide them in unison with his as he leaned against her head inhaling the heady scent of flowers in Lace's hair.

Rico slid his hand down under her dress to touch the frilly ruffles at the bottom of Lace's panties. She adjusted her stance to give his hand better access and grabbing the car roof her fingernails began tapping on it as she whispered his name over and over to the rhythm it made. Rico reached around Lace moving the elastic .tap . and slowly sliding his finger down .tap..tap she began gasping with desire as ..tap.. Rico ..tap..tap finally felt her..tap. Tap. .. .TAP

The tapping on the window startled Rico out of his dream. Annoyed that it had happened just when it was getting good he gruffly dismissed it as a tree branch outside when he heard it again along with his name being uttered in a semi whisper.

Climbing out the bed he opened the window to see Lace sitting nimbly on a tree branch outside his bedroom wearing the same outfit from last night her hair, slightly messy hanging loose on her shoulders.

"Sorry I woke you" she said smiling. "My mother's being a bitch, and she locked me out and since I don't really have any friends here anymore I was wondering if I could hang out with you for a bit". She sighed then sticking her bottom lip out she said. "Please Rico I've been driving around in circles all night and I'm cold and exhausted".

Rico still in a daze secretly pinched his leg then realizing he wasn't dreaming he began furiously blushing after he saw Lace quickly eyeing the evidence of his wet dream with amusement. He leaned over to open the window wider then motioned with his head for her to come in. "

"Thank you" she said flashing him a brilliant grin,"it'll only be 1-2 hours tops".She placed one leg in quietly ducking her head then pulling her other leg in she stood in front of him her shoes noticeably missing.

"Umm Question" Rico said in a semi whisper his voice laughing " Where are your shoes"?

"On the lawn" she whispered back at him as if the answer was a logical one. "I couldn't climb a tree very well with 4 inch heels on".

"So this is your room", she said turning in a circle as she examined it". Noticing a picture of him and Jo on his bedside table she asked just to make small talk "Do you still talk to her"?

"Umm no." Rico said then lying he added "I haven't talked to Jo since you, Danny and I tried to apologize to her".

Actually, Rico thought wishing his statement was true the last time he saw Jo he had confessed that he was in love with her...

He was sitting in her Living Room waiting for her to come back so he could apologize for not telling her about the video. She came in about 4 hours later upset holding back tears and slamming the front door she headed to the stairs spying Rico on the couch.

Walking over to her Rico saw her distraught face flushed pink from crying her blue eyes struggling to hold back tears that were threatening to spill over. He pulled her into a hug to comfort her stroking her hair in a repetitive downward motion meant to soothe. She snuggled into him finally relaxing and Rico with an overwhelming feeling of contentment whispered that he Loved her.

She lifted her face up to meet his, her eyes questioning him, trying to see if she had heard him correctly, her lips pouting up beneath his. Then unable to resist Rico kissed her with everything he had, trying to convey every thought, and every feeling that he couldn't say to her fearing that he'd confuse her the way he confused everything when words were involved.

Stunned She pulled away rejecting him by putting space between them. Her rejection of him stung harder when she told him that she was with Tyler now and ran crying out of the room.

Now whenever Rico saw Jo it was in High school hallways and Lunch periods. It hurt him seeing Jo with Tyler as he sat there staring in her direction willing her to look back at him. When their eyes would meet she would look at him with a sad longing, pouting her lips at him reflexively and then she would turn around before anyone else noticed, her now straightened hair becoming like a curtain between them.

...since that whole necklace thing" Lace said jarring Rico from his flashback.

"Umm what" Rico said trying to get back into the conversation

"I said Mr. Distracted that the three of us haven't really been in tune since that day Danny told us he lied about the necklace",

Seeing his bed Lace plopped down on it and began stretching, arching her back and snuggling deeper into it she resembled the image of a satisfied cat after finishing a bowl full of cream. She placed her hands under her head in a prayer pose and looking at Rico her eyes twinkling she asked "Were you thinking about Jo earlier".

"No" he said then recanted so Lace wouldn't ask who he was thinking about.. "Umm yes I was thinking about her". "I do that a lot actually".

"I remember that she started dating Tyler a few months ago before I .." Lace said her words drifting off then looking pointedly at Rico she said "but I just assumed she'd figure out sooner or later that you were in love with her and make the right choice".

Rico stood there in shocked silence too embarrassed to admit to Lace that he loved Jo but too in love with Jo to deny it.

"Well she's dating Tyler now so I guess she doesn't feel the same way" Rico said bitterly as he grabbed a blanket off the foot of his bed and sat on the window seat. "She moved on fast from her crush on Danny so maybe I just need to move on too"!

"You're right Rico you do need to move on" Lace said assuredly, somehow feeling safer and more comfortable in Rico's room than she had in months, "and I need a good friend", she said her voice sleepy

Rico watched Lace drift off to sleep suddenly realizing that what he needed was a good friend too.
-

Danny couldn't sleep. He had been walking through Green Grove in circles all night since he had walked Rico home. His mind kept going over and over what happened with Lacey and his confusion kept growing . He didn't care who she Said she was now. he knew he hadn't imagined feeling her soften responding to his kisses and for a moment it almost felt like the first time when her lips met his at Fallfest.

Danny wished he could've done so many things differently since then. Hell he wished he could've changed everything since the day Aunt Tara died but since he couldn't he needed to think of a plan going forward.

Rounding the corner he realized he was in Rico's neighborhood back where he had started when he felt his cellphone vibrate in his back pocket. He took it out and saw a text message from his mother asking if he was okay. Not wanting to worry her and feeling tired anyway Danny decided to head home for the night. when he saw Lacey's car parked in front of Rico's house with her shoes lying by the tree in his yard leading up to his window.

Danny felt himself slipping into a jealous haze again but this time the residual sting from the red mark from his cheek served as a reminder that he needed a different approach or it would backfire.

Tucking the knowledge of Lacey and Rico's sleepover into his mental file. Danny walked home formulating his plan to get her back.