Please Don't Cross Me, I Asked Nicely

About a few days later, Christmas rolled around and we were in New York. The gang hadn't arrived yet, but I was excited to see them (except Alyson) again.

Things have been pretty tense between Mel, Joe, Nicholas, Victoria, and I. Paul, Denise, and Frankie were clueless, but it was obvious something was wrong.

Joe told Kevin about what had happened and both he and Danielle decided to stay out of the argument, but agreed to offer advice to anyone who needed it. I rested my head on my twin size bed and stared at the ceiling as I sat and thought about everything.

I hadn't talked to Nicholas or Vic since the argument, but Mel and I made up, just not entirely. My mind was going a mile a minute as I thought about what Nick or Vic could be thinking about or even doing this very moment, but I turned my attention away from them as I felt a tear escaping my eyes.

Nick's words haunted me every night.

No, I won't stay out of this. You and I will talk. You're not going to sit here and bash on Victoria!

I couldn’t believe he said that to me. It made my heart break more than it already was. I didn’t know what to think as another tear slid out of my eyes.

“You shouldn't cry, you know?” his voice said, surprising me.

I opened my eyes, them landing on his figure that stood in my doorway. He was in black pants, a bright, yellow sweatshirt, and white sneakers. His hands were in his pockets, but his eyes were directly on me. I knew he'd already looked me up and down.

I was wearing a blue, plaid skirt similar to the ones we wore at school, but a different design and a little shorter, long, black boots that stopped at my knees, and a long-sleeve, blue blouse that had yellow and green flowers on it. My hair was down, as usual, but parted to the right. I took a sharp breath as I stared at how different we were dressed.

He walked over to me, stopping after a step to ask a question.

“Is it alright if we talk? We haven't talked in a few days and I don't want things to be like this between us”, he said in a calm tone.

I had realized that everyone was out doing their own thing, including Victoria leaving he and I alone in the penthouse. I shrugged my shoulders, staring down at my lap as he walked over to me, sitting down on my bed. I hadn't really used my voice at all that day and I certainly wasn't going to start now.

“Look. I'm sorry for saying the things I did. I didn't mean to hurt you”, he began, pausing as I felt his stare burn into my head.

I shrugged again as I continued staring at my lap waiting for him to continue.

“I'm not falling for Victoria. I-I'm just her friend”, he stammered. He paused again, expecting me to speak, but I didn't. Once again, he resumed his speech.

“Rosalina, I'm your boyfriend. I'm not going to hurt you like that, OK? I love you so much that it hurts. I don't-I didn't mean to do the things that I did and I'm sorry”, he concluded, placing a hand on my right knee.

A spark ignited there, but I ignored it. I cleared my throat knowing he was going to leave soon if I didn't respond to him. I had plenty of things to say, but I ignored my inner anger and chose the sensible route. Instead, I contemplated the matter as I thought over the words he said before speaking myself.

“I accept your apology, but I don't know if things can go back to the way they were before all of this happened. I love you, too, just as much, if not more, but in all honesty, I'm not stupid. I saw what I saw and to be honest, it sucks. I know you're trying to convince yourself and me that you don't have some sort of feelings toward Vic, but that's where you're wrong. I've seen the way you looked at her, smiled at her, laughed with her and-”, I got out, but Nick's lips landed on my own, interrupting me.

I didn't know if he was doing this as an experiment or something, but the spark I felt earlier got stronger. I kissed back, touching his cheeks with my slim hands as I heard a “Mmn” escape him. The kissing increased in intensity and soon enough we broke apart breathing deeply as we sat in silence, our noses touching.

“That doesn't change any-”, I began, but he cut across me again with another kiss, this time, more passionate and slower than the previous one.

I felt like he was putting all of his emotions into this kiss. The anger, sadness, happiness, everything as I felt the same.

When we broke apart, he pulled away to see my face in its entirety, choosing to speak first.

“I know it doesn't, but the reality is that I love you, Rose, alright?” he asked.

“But what if-”, I began, but he cut across me with words this time.

“Please don't think about that. I-I don't want to think about us not being together. I've had to experience three days not hearing your voice and I'm begging you, pleading you to just take me back. I want you in my life. I need you in my life”, Nick pleaded, surprising me.

I'd never heard him so...open like this before.

“You promise?” I asked, feeling like a child again.

“I promise”, he replied with honesty, rubbing his nose against my own, getting me to smile for the first time in days.

“There's that smile”, he said with one on his own lips. I smiled brighter, shaking my head at his cheesiness.

“Whatever”, I said playfully, hitting his chest.

He grabbed my hand instead of letting it fall like he always did, holding it in his own to his chest, near his heart. I felt it thumping loudly in regular beats, it slightly increasing once my hand was on his chest He looked into my eyes with so many emotions and I got lost in them watching him as he spoke.

“I-I want you to know that my heart beats like this only because of you”, he said in a shy tone, melting me altogether. I smiled as I leaned forward, kissing the hand that was holding my own and soon felt him use the other to lift my face up and kiss me tenderly.

I kissed him back, it intensifying to quick, fast kisses, me getting turned on quickly. I didn't know if Nick was doing this because he wanted to or because of the moment, but I knew it was right.

The fast kisses turned into wet, hot ones as he kissed me down my neck to my chest, gaining moans out of me with each one. Once we got out shirts off, I stopped him.

“A-are you doing this because you want to?” I asked.

“No, I'm not”, he answered breathlessly as he kissed me down my torso, stopping at my waist. I sat up, about to respond but stopping as he spoke.

“I'm doing this because I love you and I need you”, he replied with honesty. He kissed my lips before adding another “I love you” before continuing what he was doing before..

…

Nick and I, from that point on, were inseparable. We had talked constantly and I'd learned that he and Vic stopped talking to one another since to argument which I also learned from Nick that she didn't want that.

It was a few hours after we did “that” that Nick and I were laying in his bed, fully clothed, relaxing. I was playing with his dog tag a little when he sat up a little and did something I hadn't expected him to do. He took it off, handing it to me.

“I have an extra one, Rose. Think of it as a Christmas present. Or at least one of them”, he said with a laugh as he looked at me as I stared back with my eyes slightly wide in shock..

“B-but are you sure you want me to have it?” I asked slightly in awe, not even taking in the joke.

“Of course. I wouldn't take it off if I didn't”, he answered in a serious tone, but smiled all the while. I didn’t know what to say at all. I was in shock more than anything.

He took the dog tag putting it on me, kissing my chest the same place it landed causing me to shiver slightly as the metal touched my chest. I giggled, gaining his attention.

“What's so funny?” he asked with sincerity.

“I didn't think I'd be able to laugh with you again. It's the small things that always mean a lot to me”, I said in a shy tone.

I'd missed this. I'd missed being with Nick and even though it was a few days, it felt like years to me.

“I love the small things, too. I remember the things you like and what you don't like this way. The details are what's important to me”, he agreed, kissing me to my neck again.

I heard a key enter the lock of the front door of the penthouse and soon heard a lot of bustling and chatter. Nick and I laughed lightly at our agreement. He kissed me quickly before standing himself, then helped me as we were soon engulfed in a huge group hug from Maya, Mitchell, and Jason.

We laughed once more getting, 'You look great's from them as well as “how have you been” along with other numerous questions that I couldn't comprehend with the amount of chatter.

I pulled away from Maya as she spoke first (after shushing the others, of course).

“You look good. Nick's been treating you well, I see”, she teased, winking at me. A laugh escaped me as Nick and I glanced at one another, smiling without showing our teeth.

“Of course he has”, I said with a bright smile. Soon enough, I felt his arm wrap around my waist as he gently pulled me close to him.

“Aren't we missing someone?” he asked. I knew Nick was being polite, but I knew he knew how I felt about Alyson.

“I'm here”, she said in a quiet tone that I almost didn't see where she was.

Alyson had her hair down, but it was straight and parted straight down in the middle compared to Maya's two, long, braided pig-tails. Her brown eyes met my own and I saw how intimidated she was by me. It made me...sad.

“So, how you've been?” I asked. I heard everyone sigh “quietly” but I ignored them, smiling at Alyson as though she were an old friend.

“Never been better”, she answered, smiling gently at me as she nodded once to Nick, him nodding back in return.