Only the Beginning

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine:

Ellie's POV.

"Justin..." I say trailing off, "I really do want to make this work. Trust me I do. But you made your decision."

"It was the worst decision I have ever made," he responds, and I can feel his gaze on me, but I keep my head ducked down looking at my hand I have placed gently in my lap.

"Maybe. Maybe not. But either way. You leave next week for your tour, three and a half months. You'll be gone for three and a half months," I repeat feeling the tears well up in my eyes.

"Yea. I know. And before we had the fight I was planning on asking you to come with me," he says and lets out a heavy sigh. I look up for a quick second at him and see him run his hands over his face, he does this when he's tired or stressed.

"Well..." I say trailing off not knowing what else I can say. He looks back up at me and my eyes flicker back to my hands. I mess with my thumbs, pretending like they are the most interesting thing in the world right now. But all I really want to do is just look at him. Be in his arms. Hug him. Kiss him. Laugh with him. And sometimes at him. I just wan him back.

But I'm not going to give in to him that easily. Although he did apologize, and write a song for me, that isn't enough to gain my trust back. I mean come one! He yelled at me for something so stupid! And walked out on me, slamming the door!

But... I yelled at him too. I started the whole thing. The whole thing I my fault. If I wouldn't have listened to Josh everything would be normal right now.

Why did I let him get to me?

The way he said it.

"I have an idea," he whispered after a few minutes of silence," how about we just start as friends again? We can start over. Start fresh. I can prove to you how much you really mean to me. And that I was wrong."

I look back up at him slowly to see him staring at me intently waiting for his answer.

"Just friends?" I ask nervously.

"Just friends. And if it goes any further... Well... We can cross that bridge when we come to it I suppose," he replies shrugging a he thinks it through.

"I like that idea," I tell him with a smile curving on my lips, an I nod my head slowly.

"Good. Me too," he says chuckling slightly.

"I can't believe we wasted all this time fighting," I say outing a hand over my face and shaking my head. It was honestly, probably, the biggest waste if time... Ever.

"I know. Well. At least we made up."

"True."

"Um... Question...?"

"What?"

"Why is there a bowl of melted ice cream on the counter?" He asks cracking up and I can feel my face burning.

"I was craving it. And then you went and interrupted me!"

"Hey!!! You liked the song... I saw it in your eyes!" He exclaims holding up hi hands and getting defensive.

"Errrr..." I say trailing off.

"Ouch," he says clutching his heart an falling to the ground dramatically. Very dramatically.

"I was kidding!"

"I know!" He says hopping up to his feet and spinning in circles around the room.

"What are you doing?!"

"Being a dork," he says imitating the way I always say it when I call him that.

"Well it's working," I tell him doubled over in pain from laughing so hard.

How can we hate each other one minute and be so close the next?

Is it like a brother and sister love hate relationship?

Or an old married couple relationship?

Or... A dating couple relationship?

I don't know what it is, but it's better than being mad at him.

"So," I say quietly once he settles down, and lays on the floor. I can hear him taking deep breaths.

"Did you really mean it?" I ask just coming right out with it. There wasn't any real way around it.

"Mean what?"

"When you said you loved me," I say barely audible and he stands up swiftly and walks over I the couch I'm sitting at, and siting right beside me. I look up from where I'm playing with a loose string on my jeans, to where he is at, then looking back down quickly.

"Of course I did-do. I do mean it. But, I don't know how you feel," he tells me leaning back in the couch and resting his hand on top of his head, interlocking his fingers.

"Oh," is all I can manage to say at the moment.

I mean. I do love him. But telling him that after agreeing to be just friends, isn't exactly what you call "being just friends".

"What are we gonna do when you leave for your tour?" I ask with a sigh.

"Well. You are my choreographer. Aren't you supposed to travel with me? Teach me new steps? And the rest of the team of corse," he adds the last part in quickly clearing his throat.

"Really?"

"Yea! Absolutely! I wouldn't have it any other way," he says nodding his head in agreement with himself.

"I don't know... I have a job to do back here though..."

"It's only three an a half months El. You can put it on hold," he says almost in a pleading sort of tone.

"But they need me," I say referring to all the people I train, "and we aren't even together anymore. People may get the wrong idea."

"Well. All it takes is an interview to clear the air," he says as if its the most simple thing ever and he has thought the whole thing through.

"I don't know Justin..." I say trailing off.

"Well, just think about it then. If not I can fly you out I visit me every now and then. And I can fly back for a few days at a time. It's only New York," he scoffs like its a neighboring city. When in reality it's across the continent.

"Just New York?"

"Yea, it's not like it's Australia," he says shrugging. He does have a point.

"I don't know. Maybe you should get a new choreographer," I say tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Why are you so hesitant about this? Who cares what other people think? So what? All that matters is we know we are just friends. And your my choreographer for crying out loud!"

"Ok."

"Ok what? Ok you'll go?"

"Yeah. I think so."