I Just Had to Lick the Cookie, Didn't I?

I'm gonna make damn sure
That you can't ever leave
No you won't ever get too far from me
You won't ever get too far from me
I'll make damn sure
That you can't ever lave
No you won't ever get too far from me
You won't ever get too far from me
---------

"Can we go back to the hotel now?" I begged. Gary had mercilessly dragged me around New York all day shopping. I was tired and wanted nothing more than to sleep or spend time with Milo.

"Not yet. We need to get all of your stuff that you left where ever, so where am I going in order to do that?" Gary asked, keeping his eyes on the road, even though we weren't moving any time soon. Have I ever mentioned that I hate cities? I hate wide open, flat places, but I hate cities. I'd rather live in some small town or off on some secluded estate... Cities are busy, loud, and the traffic sucks; hence why Gary and I have been sitting in this enormous line of taxis and expensive cars for at least five minutes.

"Sorry, no can do," I sighed and leaned back in my seat.

"What? Why?" he stammered, baffled.

"Poop," I said childishly and stared out the windshield at the red traffic light. A few minutes later Gary nearly exploded because a maintenance crew showed up and started some electrical work on the light---at least that's what it looked like from a few hundred feet away.

"We're going to be here forever," Gary groaned. A few seconds after that he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. I watched him hold down one key and then lift the object up to his ear. "How are you, my bestest friend?" he asked, smiling evilly. "Oh, well isn't that just wonderful. Now, we have a situation. Adriaan," he emphasized my name and sent me a glare, "won't tell me where she's been staying and it's preventing me from being able to get her things."

Gary nodded and then wordlessly handed his phone over to me.

"Hello?" I asked, not completely sure who I was about to talk to. Although, I did have a slight idea...

"Well gee, you could at least sound happy," Milo mumbled accusingly, but good-naturedly nonetheless.

"Um, I love you?" I tested, unsure exactly what I wanted to say. It was just a little weird is all. For the first time Milo and I were an actual couple, but we skipped the whole dating thing and jumped right into marriage. So forgive me if I wasn't quite sure how I wanted to act or didn't know what to say to him. There's a significant difference between being forced to do something and willingly doing something.

I loved Milo, don't get me wrong, I knew that for sure. However, it was just how serious all of this was. Deep down I was worried about everything. We had yet to discuss so many things and there were even things I was afraid to ask him. Not to mention the things we still had to learn about one another. Stress, that's exactly what it was.

"You don't sound too sure about that one," he laughed. I couldn't help but smile and blush because Gary was watching me.

"Fine. I love you. Period."

"I'm glad to hear it. Now what's with not telling Gary where you've been staying?" he questioned.

"What, now you aren't going to say it?" I accused, referring to him leaving me feeling 'unloved'.

"Oh, I'll say it, but you need to tell me what I want to know first. Why wouldn't you tell Gary where you've been staying?" he rephrased. I took a deep breath and prepared myself to get angry.

"Because my brother is a lying, back-stabbing, selfish, ignorant bastard and I never want to see him again. I hate his guts and I hope he dies," I told him definitely.

Milo was quite for a moment or two before taking a deep breath.

"I want to talk about this later, is that okay?" he requested, essentially anyway.

"I'd be more than happy to," I obliged, however reluctantly. It would just turn into a major emotion fest, not something I particularly enjoyed.

"Then tell Gary to take you back to the hotel. Have him call me when you get there, or when he's ready. We'll make him go all by himself," Milo told me, whispering the last part. I laughed as the traffic light FINALLY turned green and Gary started to drive once again. "Okay, well, I need to go. And Adriaan, I love you."

Milo hung up before saying goodbye, but I couldn't have cared less. The way he said that he loved me was like a drug, and I was slowly becoming addicted. Oddly enough, the scariest part of knowing he loved me was knowing that I loved him back. I was a girl with petty fears and seriously stupid issues. Completely unconventional.

"He said that you can take me back to the hotel and that when we get there you can call him right away or wait until you feel like it," I informed Gary, placing his cell phone in the cup holder as he focused on driving.

"Hmm," Gary sighed and pursed his lips. He glanced over at me quickly before refocusing on the road ahead. "Something's wrong with you, what is it?"

"What do you mean?" I asked him, puzzled.

"Something's bothering you and I want to know what. I'd be more than happy to help you out with what ever it is," Gary told me sincerely, obviously willing to help me in any way possible.

"I don't know, it's kind of personal..."

"Trust me when I tell you that I'm the closest thing to a girl you'll meet and be friends with. In Hollywood, no one is all that friendly. Sure they're all sweet and innocent to the public, and there are a few genuinely kind people, but mostly everyone gathers into cliques. Milo's family is basically the ringmaster in the whole insanely rich circus. All of their little demon followers will think how ever they think, and if the Boones don't like you---which I'm pretty sure they don't---then no one is going to like you. Some girls might seem nice to you, Adriaan, but all they want is Milo's attention. It's all very sad, but it's all very true. So know that I'll always be here for you when you need some one to talk to about...'girl things'," Gary said, glancing at me every now and then. I smiled faintly and nodded.

"I guess I'm just nervous is all," I sighed.

"About what?" he asked.

"I don't know... It's just... I mean, I love him, I really do, but I feel kind of like...embarrassed I guess. It's weird."

"What are you embarrassed about? You're too skinny, if anything, so you really can't be self-conscious about that, can you? And you really are stunning. If Milo doesn't tell you that, I'll kick his ass. So what are you embarrassed about?" Gary inquired.

"This is so silly... I'm embarrassed, or scared, about...um, you know, kissinghim," I whispered, blushing just at the thought.

Gary laughed as we turned a corner.

"Seriously?" he questioned unbelievingly.

"Yea," I whispered back.

"So you're telling me you two have never actually kiss kissed each other?"

"Mhm."

"Wow. I believed me when you told me you two hadn't slept together, but this is just too much to handle. Wow," he whistled, shocked. "Please tell me you've kissed some one before," Gary pleaded.

"I have," I told him shyly.

"Okay, now could I categorize that as a full on make-out, or was it a goody-goody Christian girl peck on the lips?"

"Oh... The first one happened once or twice," I whispered, nearly mortified.

"See, you're half way there already. It's just a little like a first kiss kind of thing, no real worries. You just can't think about it like that, just let it work itself out. Milo won't care if you're nervous or whatever, he's just likely to make fun of you for it. Maybe... Nah, I think he loves you too much to be mean," Gary babbled, working it out by himself.

"...Thanks," I said quietly. We were almost back to the hotel and I couldn't wait to go lay down.

"No problem, but I insist on you telling me when it happens. Then we can discuss the next step," he stated, glancing at me and winking. I stuck my tongue out and shook my head. "I'm serious. Milo may be all nice and wonderful, but he likes his sex."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, slightly dazed. I blinked and stared at Gary.

"Okay, I'm kidding. He's totally a virgin, but don't tell him I told you that. He'll kick my ass and then make me eat a pound of cheese. I hate cheese." Gary shivered in disgust at the thought of eating cheese... It was entertaining.

"Are you serious?" I questioned, slightly excited but a little disappointed too.

"Yep. Milo's had a few girlfriends, but they were always more interested in him than he was in them. I think that he always knew he wouldn't be happy with them and that they were only dating him for publicity---which they never got. He's always been considered some sort of living god, no joke. The only thing was, he hated not being recognized for what he was instead of who he was. Like, people only ever paid attention because he was a Boone and he was basically gorgeous the minute he entered the world. Milo wanted people to know that he was talented, that he was an actual person and not some celebrity superstar. Unfortunately that never happened and you pretty much know the rest."

"I wish it didn't have to be that way..." I murmured, watching as buildings passed out the window.

"I do too, but we can't change the past. On the plus side, it's made him who he is today, and I would never want anything to mess that up. Despite all he's been through, Milo is the most wonderful human being I have ever known." Gary focused on the road for a little while before sighing. "Don't tell him this, but Dean Michaels called me a few days ago. He wants Milo to go back to our old school and give a speech. He wouldn't tell me what about, but it has to be something good," he bubbled. I smiled, but cocked my head to the side.

"Again? We already went there back in October," I informed Gary.

"Hmm, really?"

I nodded and continued to stare at Gary, who was staring at the road ahead. We were literally three seconds from the hotel.

"Yea. Milo gave some speech on career choices. It was entertaining, and scary. All of the kids there watched me like a piece of succulent steak; that was a bit creepy..."

Gary burst out in laughter as he pulled into a parking spot in the parking lot.

"Figures. The students there are so clueless. It's like the end of the world when they realize that girls exist. After the initial shock, they look at every female member of the population like she's some sort of alien. It was easy for me to accept girls because I, you know, didn't like them, but everyone else seriously dropped their jaw and said: 'You mean there are girls in the world I'm not related to?' But that's only for the kids in about...sixth or seventh grade. Once they figure it out they get all hormonal and intense. Long story short: never date a boy attending an all boys' school. Wait until he graduates."

I stared at Gary blankly as we got out of his car. We grabbed all of the bags from the trunk and back seat and headed in to the hotel.

"So, half of the kids there didn't know girls existed?" I asked. I had thought that all of them were just hormonal teenaged boys.

"...No. The career assembly is for high-schoolers. They knew girls existed, but they had probably been deprived for so long the sight of you just confused them. There are no women on F.J.D grounds. Ever. Dean Michaels likes Milo, so he probably just let you come along for him. And you're the hottest thing on the planet," Gary told me, winking. I fake-laughed and followed him into an elevator.

"That's so confusing."

"Exactly. That's why I'm glad I like guys," Gary stated. That didn't make sense either...

Two hours later I had gone through all of my bags and de-tagged all of my new clothes. Gary told me not to put them away because Milo might decide to go somewhere at any time. He was saving me from potential work.

Gary called Milo and they talked for a little while. Then Gary asked me where Hakim lived; I told him. Milo had told Gary to go and get all of my stuff for me, that way I wouldn't have to see my---EVIL---brother. The plan was A-okay with me, and Gary left soon after that. I'd been alone for over an hour and was just getting ready for a nap.

I turned my head to the door when it opened. Oddly enough, I was expecting to see Gary, instead Milo came in. He smiled when he saw me and I smiled back.

"What are you doing?" he asked, setting down the large bag he had in his hand and closing the door.

"I was going to take a nap, but I don't have to. Gary dragged me around forever," I told him and plopped down on the bed. Milo raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

"I can see that. How much freaking money did he spend on you?" Milo inquired, sitting himself beside me.

"A lot. But the deal was he got to buy me whatever he wanted as long as he let me buy some of what I wanted," I said, smiling. It was a good plan, definitely. I didn't even want all that much...

"What about what I wanted?" he asked suggestively, grinning.

"With that attitude someone might think you've never seen me in my underwear," I told him mock-shocked. Milo laughed mockingly and then pulled me along with him as he laid down.

"Adriaan, I don't ever want you to leave me again. Ever," he whispered, very seriously. I nodded.

"I don't ever want to," I replied softly, watching him.

"Then I'm going to make damn sure you can't ever get too far."