Chapter 10: Talk to Me
"Alright, be safe, I love you!" I hung up the phone with my little sister who was still in South America on her trip.
"She okay?" Nick asked. I looked up at him from my position on the floor as he sat on couch watching TV. I nodded and gave him a smile.
"Do I have you all to myself now?" he continued. I kept smiling and nodded once again while climbing up to straddle him. I wrapped my arms around him and my hands immediately found themselves playing with the curly locks located at the back of his head. He smiled back, leaning in but not touching my lips. We both leaned in at the same time, locking lips ever so gently.
The kiss only lasted a few seconds, he pulled back, his eyes still closed and a smile on his lips. Which, unfortunately, faded as soon as he opened his eyes.
He looked like he was in pain. Like something inside of him wanted to come out, but he was too scared to set it free. I gave him a confused look and asked him what the matter was. He just smiled and shook his head, giving me a kiss once again.
"Nick" I whispered as we sat in silence in my living room. "Talk to me" I pleaded.
Silence.
He was quiet. He looked down the entire time I was trying to get him to release whatever it was that was eating him up inside.
"Please." I pleaded once more.
He finally looked up, eyes glossed and red. Seeing him like that pained me, I felt a sharp kick to my heart when he looked at me.
"I…" he started. He sighed, looking down once more. "I, um, I have to go." He finally said.
"Wait, what? I thought we were hanging out today?"
"Yeah I know, but I just remembered, that uh, Frankie has this, uh thing, um…" he stuttered, and slowly pushed me off of him as he scattered to his feet. "it's almost 1 and uh he needs to be there by 3."
"Nick" I tried to reason with him and figure out why he was acting so strange. Was it something I did or say? I know I spent most of the time on the phone and the computer but it was all work related issues that needed to be handled today.
"I have to go. Don't want to catch too much traffic." He rushed as he got his keys. He was out the door before I was able to fully comprehend what exactly happened.
To say I was confused would be an understatement. I stayed standing in the hallway, looking at the door which was obviously still closed. I honestly can't wrap my head around what just happened. One minute we were fine, the next he couldn't have been in a more hurry to get out of my house. I walked back to the living room, and sat on the couch, looked at the popcorn and chips we were just eating along with the soda we were drinking.
"Miley!" I heard Demi yell from the door way. I looked over at the clock near the TV and saw that it was sideways. I sat up straight and looked over at the clock again, 4:47pm. I don't even remember falling asleep.
"Hey Dem" I groggily replied, rubbing my eyes.
"Ooh Sex and the City!"
"What?" I turned my head towards the tv and saw that Carrie and the girls were sitting outside, what seemed to be a resort, talking about the water or something. I shook my head and averted my eyes back to Demi.
"How was the beach?" I asked, trying to hide any sort of emotions resulting from the events that happened earlier today.
"It was fun! Joe and I played some volleyball and went on most of the rides on the pier. He took me to this cute crab shack that had the most amazing mimosas! That man sure does know how to do beach dates. Where's Nick? Joe said he was spending the day with you?"
"Oh, um, he left a while ago, like a quarter before 1. He said he had something to do with Frankie, I don't know."
Demi looked at me like I had five heads.
"What?" I questioned.
"With Frankie, he said that?" Demi replied. I nodded slowly.
"Why?" I wasn't really sure why she would look so confused and why she sounded very unsure of what I told her about Nick.
Demi sighed, sitting down next to me. "Miles, Frankie was at the beach, that's who we played volley ball against. He was warming up for this tournament thing or whatever when we saw him. We offered to play a little against him. He left 20 minutes later with his partner, their coach, and like 4 other players from his team to the tournament."
"Oh…" I paused, soaking in the information. "Maybe Nick wanted to watch him play?"
Demi looked over at the clock then shook her head, "Miley, that was this morning" my best friend truthfully stated.
Three hours ago? Why would he lie about why he was leaving? I would've totally understood why he had to leave, but to leave when he said we would be spending the entire day together and then lie about where he was going? I mean, there's no way he could forget his younger brother's volley ball tournament. Even if he did, I'm sure he would have no problem in bringing me with him. So why would he lie?
"Did you guys, I don't know have an argument?" Demi asked a few moments later.
I shook my head.
"I mean, I was on the phone and computer for a little bit settling some business and talking to Noah, but after all that he was glad, and I told him I was all his. Everything was going fine until he kissed me…"
Demi nodded, "then what?"
"He had this expression on his face at one point like he wanted to tell me something, but he just didn't. I asked if he could just talk to me and then he left. I don't understand."
"Maybe he came to the realization that you won't be here when the summer ends?"
"Maybe, I just don't understand why he would lie to me instead of just talking to me about it."
"Miles, guys are weird, and complicated, and so arrogant, you should know ever since…" she trailed off not speaking about the unmentionable.
"Yeah I know, but with Nick, it's different this time Demi. Unlike, him, Nick completely understands me, I feel this strong desire to be with him. And I know he feels the same because he told me the same thing." I expressed to my best friend with tears in my eyes. "And this isn't the first time that it's happened. He's shut me out before, but he never acted like this, not this … cold."
Demi sat there in silence, thinking, and not moving. "Maybe…" she finally whispered. "No you know what? You can't feel that way about a person and then shut them out every time they try to get close to you. Come on, let's go find him" she stated, yanking on my arm as she got up.
"No, wait Demi, I don't want to be one of those girls that goes chasing after guys. I do want to find out what the hell is happening, but not yet." She sat back down after I told her what I was thinking. "Can we just go for a long drive and go shopping until there's no room in the car?"
She smiled and nodded
Five hours later, we were sitting in my dad's 1968 dodge charger, parked in the parking lot of Taco Bell, with the back seat filled with bags from our extensive shopping trip.
"Do you remember the first thing you said to me when we first moved to New York?" Demi asked.
"Umm, please shit with the door closed?" I laughed. Demi slapped me in the arm, throwing her head back laughing hysterically.
"No, you bitch, the other thing."
"It's you and me against everyone else."
"Yeah, and it's been like that ever since…" she paused. I looked down, remembering everything that happened. Everything I lost.
"Until now." She spoke out truthfully, breaking the silence. "I see the way you look at him, and I sure as hell see the way he looks at you. Yeah we haven't been here that long, but I can sense and see the connection between you guys. When it's you two, there's no one else there... Tell me I'm wrong."
I kept quiet.
