It Was Easier Not Loving You

"He What?!"

Niki grinned from ear to ear as she nodded at her friend's reaction. "He kissed me."

Her mouth gaped open and her eyes grew wide.

"But I don't think it was anything serious."

"What are you talking about? Of all the people he could choose he kissed you."

"Alec, I'm sure it was because we were caught up in the moment. We were sitting on the couch, watching a movie, and we were laughing at the movie. I looked at him, he looked at me, then we kissed, but nothing big. I don't find it a big deal."

Alec grinned and narrowed her eyes. "Sure, whatever. You're such a liar, Niki Lansing."

Niki rolled her eyes and took the last bite of her taco salad and finished her Pepsi. "You can't tell me that the drunken kiss between you and that bassist was any better than this."

"We were drunk! We met at a bar, he told me he was in a band, and I was drunk!"

"That drunk?"

"What's it matter?"

"Welcome to my world. Wipe your feet before you enter."

"Fine, there was nothing between you two."

"Thank you."

"So, you wanna hang out later?"

"Uh, sure." Niki looked at the receiver and asked herself, 'What on earth is going on? I know there is a catch to all of this.'

"So what time should I pick you up?"

"Where are we going?"

"Where do you want to go?"

"I don't care, really."

"So I'll surprise you."

"Tre, answer me something."

"Sure."

"Why are you guys so worried about me now? Why do I see you and Mike everywhere now?"

There was a prolonged pause on the other line with little stuttering noises from his cracking voice.

"I don't want you to think I'm mad or anything, I was just wondering."

He took in a deep breath and continued. "We just wanted to make up for what happened. But now I've kind of enjoyed hanging out so I thought it would be cool to be friends, unless that bothers you."

"Well, the kiss the other day kind of makes me wonder about that, but otherwise I'm fine with it."

"Cool, so I'll pick you up around 4!"

She chuckled. "Fine, but no orgy's."

"Awww, you ruined my plans!"

"Sorry, not my type of party."

"Fine, we'll go to the Cracker Barrel."

"Sounds good. See you tomorrow."

"Alrighty."

"Bye."

"Tootle-loo my love."

Niki hung up and set her phone on the end table staring at it lying motionless.

"Knock, knock!"

"I'm back here!" Niki called from the bedroom in the back. "I'll be just a minute. Just make yourself at home."

"Will do." Tre plopped down on the couch and began flipping through a Cosmo magazine. He finished reading an article and looked up to see Niki staring down at him.

"There was an interesting article."

"In a sex magazine?"

"Duh."

She chuckled. "You ready to go?"

"Yep, let's go."

Tre helped her out to the car and drove off.

"So, where are we going?"

"You'll see." He smiled, but didn't avert his eyes from the road.

Niki narrowed her eyes and looked out her window at the various houses they passed. After twenty minutes of driving he turned on to a road she was unfamiliar with. She looked at the trees and studied her surroundings as they went deeper and deeper into the woods. At this point she began getting nervous. She didn't know him well and didn' t know where he was taking her or what his intentions were. Her heart began beating faster and faster as each second went by. Harder and harder. He stopped. A dead end road, the middle of nowhere.

He put the car in park and turned the key off.

"We're here."

Niki shoved her hands between her thighs to keep the shaking subtle. "Where's here?" Her voice cracked a little.

Tre got out and opened her door. "Leave the crutches. I'll carry you."

Niki's bewilderment overcame her. "What are you going to do?"

"See that path?" He pointed to a little dirt path carved into the earth. She nodded. "I'm going to take you up there. Just trust me." He smiled and held out his arms.

Niki warily got out of the car and stood on her good leg and allowed Tre to pull her up into his arms. He then began walking the path, which was slightly uphill and curvy, until they reached a small arch of rocks.

"It looks like a cave opening," Niki stated.

"Sorta. It's more like a small tunnel. I think I can carry you through it, but if not you might be able to hold on to the sides and I'll help you through."

They began walking through the tunnel and about mid way through it got smaller. Tre turned around and let her place her good foot on the ground. She held on to a rock sticking out of the wall and held his hand. It was pretty soft despite the couple of callouses on the pads of his palm adjacent to his knuckles. She hobbled through the tunnel when they found the opening. To her amazement, on the other side was a big meadow-like area with a small waterfall from a creek on top of the mountain.

"I didn't know a place like this existed in California."

"Yep, in the heart of Yosemite National Park."

Niki inhaled the fresh mountain air and took in everything she could. The leaves that were beginning to turn colors as fall crept over California, the nice breeze that gently sway her hair, and the trickle of the waterfall as it hit the rocks just yards away from her feet.

"Oh my God, Tre, it's beautiful."

"Itn' it?"

She smiled and gave a little giggle. "Wow." She became silent again.

Tre scooped her up and carried her through the meadow until he found the trail up the mountain to the creek.

"When your leg gets better we'll go up there to the creek."

Niki looked up the mountainside and nodded.

"C'mon, let's take you back home. We'll stop and get something to eat on the way."

"Sounds great, let's go. I'm starved."