A/N I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while. I have 9 chapters written so there's really no excuse! But here it is, finally! Hope you enjoy this! I almost teared up writing this because I love Val and David.

Chapter 2

The air was a bit chilly that night, the wind from the coast blowing through Valerie's hair as they walked along the beach. David had arrived within thirty minutes of his last text and had texted her to come out, just so he wouldn't disturb the other guests who currently occupied the beach house. They didn't want to lie down right outside of the house, so they decided to walk for a bit, enjoying each other's company.

"I can't believe you're here," David said, holding one arm around Valerie's shoulder. He'd given her the biggest hug when she came out and she had returned it, happily.

"I can't either," she sighed and smiled up at him. The world had stopped spinning and the fresh air almost seemed to sober her up.

"You didn't bring Matthew?" he asked her, though he hadn't really liked him, even if they'd never met. It wasn't jealousy exactly, he was just trying to look out for Val, knowing she didn't have the best track record with men. Hopefully he could meet him and really seize him up, to get to know all of him and his intentions.

Valerie shrugged. "Nah, he couldn't get off work."

"He's a detective, right?"

"Yes, that he is," she nodded. "You'll have to come to Buffalo soon and meet him." She shoved him playfully.

David was happy to just meet Valerie right now. He needed her as a friend just as much as she needed him.

The pair placed one of the blankets on the sand when they were far enough away from the house and any prying eyes, before sitting down and wrapping the second blanket around their bodies to keep themselves warm.

"So, what did you do tonight?" the brunette woman was the one to ask.

"Oh, the usual… drank too much beer, watched a stripper dance, ate some chips…" he hummed, making Valerie laugh.

"A stripper? Really?" she shook her head and looked up at the stars. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"And how was your evening?" David asked and looked at her.

"Didn't you already ask me that?" she met his eyes, a small smirk on her lips.

"Yeah, but I didn't get any details," David pointed out.

"It was nice seeing Brenda again," she started. "I haven't seen her since we were kids. I got a big hug from Kelly, though probably because she was already drunk. I mean she also said she wished we were friends."

"Maybe she did? You're a new person now, remember? Not that you weren't lovable before, but…"

"Thank you. I know I've said it before, but thank you," she interrupted him and kissed his cheek.

"For what?" David chuckled slightly, a small smile plastered on his lips. A shiver ran through his body and he pulled his friend closer for heat.

"Just everything. If it wasn't for you, I would've never talked to someone and I wouldn't be where I am now." She'd thanked him plenty of times before over the phone, and he was the only one who'd gotten to hear the letters she wrote. Not even Matthew got to read them. She probably trusted David more than anyone.

"Do you ever wonder what would've happened if you had stayed here?" David wondered. He'd asked himself that plenty of times. Before she went back to Buffalo things had been tense, but as they were saying goodbye all that love he felt for her just came rushing back and he questioned himself if he'd done the right thing by asking her to get professional help. He knew how much she'd loved him too so perhaps they could've worked things out.

"Sometimes… But you know what I was like. Everything I hadn't dealt with came flooding back and I was a mess. I wasn't especially fun to be around," she couldn't help but to laugh at the memory. She didn't blame him for ending things and telling her he wasn't enough.

"I shouldn't have given up on you… On us," he said sadly, his eyes finding their focus on her shoulder. "You had finally opened up to me… about everything… and I let you down. I acted like I couldn't be with something who… you know… but that wasn't the problem. It was never the problem. I was just scared… I just felt like I wasn't enough… Like I was failing you…"

Valerie brought two fingers under his chin to force him to look at her. "I know I was mad at you for breaking things off and yes, I did believe you were disgusted with me after I…

"Valerie, I really…"

"No, let me finish… I thought you dumped me because you didn't want to be with someone as broken as me, but I understand now why you did it. I know that you were just looking
out for me and you really helped me get better. I finally saw a therapist after years of pushing everything under the rug, I finally dealt with everything that happened. And I'm finally okay. Actually, I'm more than okay. I have an important job, a stable relationship and great friends. And I have you to thank for all of that."

"Yeah… and I'm happy for you," David said and smiled at her. He really was glad to see her like this. Healthy, happy and very stable. "I just can't help but to wonder." He turned his head upward toward the sky, realizing that the sky was starting to brighten and the stars they'd seen before were disappearing. Not disappearing, precisely, but they weren't as visible as before.

Valerie's phone started vibrating and she was quick to grab it and check the caller ID. Matthew. He was probably on his way to work now.

"Hey, hun," she answered, pulling up her knees under her chin.

"Why didn't you pick up last night?" came his reply. Not even a hi first, just what sounded like an accusation.

"Sorry, babe," she apologized, though she knew she hadn't done anything wrong. Matthew knew she was at Kelly's bachelorette party last night and would be busy. There was no reason to be mad at her. "Like I told you, I was at the bachelorette party."

"And you didn't have your phone?" he asked, his tone still harsher than she would've liked.

Valerie sighed and rubbed her forehead. She didn't know if the problem was Matthew or the amount of alcohol she'd consumed, but she was starting to get a terrible headache. David looked at her concerned and stroke her back, a very comforting gesture.

"I left it in my purse," she sighed. "I wasn't about to use my phone during a party and I texted you as soon as…"

"Did you drink a lot?" he asked and she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. She didn't see what this had to do with anything. Maybe he was just making conversation? Maybe he was just asking about her night?

"I guess I had a few margaritas," she chuckled and glanced at David. A few was an understatement.

"Was there a stripper?" he continued to ask. This was seriously getting ridiculous.

"A stripper? No! It was just us girls," she told him. She wasn't about to tell him that she later decided to hang out with her best friend on the beach when everyone else had fallen asleep.

"Alright…" he seemed to calm down a little at that. "So what are you doing up this early?"

"Why are you calling this early?" she countered, teasingly.

"Just wanted to check in," he answered shortly. Of course she wished her man was here with her, but now that he wasn't she didn't want to hear from him if he would act like this during every conversation. She knew he was just checking up on her to make sure she didn't do anything he wouldn't approve of, like spending the morning talking to an ex-boyfriend alone on the beach. When he refused to come with her, he probably thought she wouldn't want to go alone, not after everything that had happened over here, and he seemed surprised, and annoyed, when she told him she'd booked the plane tickets.

"Well okay, mission completed," she told him, tilting her head back to look up at the sky once more. "I'll talk to you later." With those words she hung up the phone and threw it down on the blanket.

"You okay?" David asked. He hadn't liked the other man before and after this phone call, those feelings were just getting stronger. Something rubbed him the wrong way, and it wasn't just because Matthew was Valerie's new boyfriend and erased every chance they had to get back together.

Valerie groaned and buried her face into her hands and knees. "Yes, I guess he was just worried when I didn't pick up," she told him. "I don't get it… I gave him every chance to come with me and he didn't want to, so I don't see what his problem is. I love him so much, but right now he just irritates me."

"Perhaps some time apart will do you good," David suggested and Valerie hoped he was right. They had been spending a lot of time together lately so they were bound to get on each other's nerves.

"I think it's time to go back," she sighed instead of answering David. "They're all going to wake up soon and we have a wedding to attend."

"Right," David said and stood up. He held out a hand for Valerie to take and helped her get on her feet again. In silence they started to walk back to the beach house, just enjoying the other's company like they had been the entire morning. Like the gentleman David was, he followed her all the way to the door before leaving to get back to his own apartment, which apparently wasn't all that far away.

Quietly, to not wake anyone else, Valerie slipped into the house and tiptoed over to the kitchen to prepare some much-needed coffee. The brunette was happy they'd gotten a chance to talk, face to face, about everything. They'd had so much they still hadn't talked about, stuff that both parties rather wanted to discuss in the same room, or on the same beach in this case, instead of over the phone.

"Where did you go?" Brenda's groggy voice came behind her, causing her to jump. She didn't know why, though, since the house was full of people so she shouldn't have been surprised when someone talked to her.

"I just needed some fresh air. I can feel a hangover already," she laughed and Brenda joined, knowing that she too was suffering from one. Valerie wasn't sure why she left out the part where David had joined her, but she just didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea. They were all adults now, though, but she was still afraid to go back into old habits. "Looks like you could also use some coffee."

"Yes, please!" Brenda said and sat down. Valerie poured the brown liquid into a cup and carefully gave it to her childhood friend. They too had a lot to catch up on, but Valerie had done all the catching up she could muster for one morning.