𝟐% 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 [𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐚𝐮]

𝚜𝚌𝟸𝟿: 𝚛𝚒𝚌𝚔𝚢𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚜𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚊

𝑬𝑱 𝑾𝑨𝑺 𝑺𝑰𝑻𝑻𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑶𝑵 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑹𝑶𝑶𝑭 𝑶𝑭 𝑯𝑰𝑺 𝑮𝑹𝑨𝒀 𝑨𝑼𝑫𝑰 with his arms back on the car, Nini standing directly in front of him as he spoke, "I just... I don't really understand why you don't wanna do this anymore." He shrugged. "It's working right?"

"Yeah, but that's not the point." Nini sighed, leaning against the wall of her house.

"Look, is this because of everything that happened between us? Because-"

"No it's about me, and it's about Ricky, EJ."

"I thought you said he told you not to do it for him."

"He did, but what he doesn't understand is that he's always gonna be a factor in it- of course I'm gonna think about him when thinking about my decision."

"... So you're doing it for him then-"

"Yes... But no. I'm doing it because it's the right thing to do."

"So this has nothing to do with what happened between us?" Nini bit at the inside of her mouth as he spoke, thinking back to their conversation from earlier that night in his car.

"So... why did you do it?" Nini asked him above the silence in the car as they drove around the block.

"Why'd I do what?" He asked.

"Why'd you cheat on me?" She has realized she never really asked, and maybe back then she wasn't ready to hear it, but it was now or never at this point.

He sucked in a breath and turned to look at her. "I guess I got scared." He mumbled, not really meeting her eyes.

"Of what?" She snapped, now eager to know why he destroyed their relationship.

"Of falling for you I guess? It just felt easier to not invest everything in you-" He finally looked at her softening face, "It's stupid, nevermind."

She reached out to grab his arm. "Continue what you were saying."

He sighed. "I... I've been closed off from love for a really long time, and I guess I just thought it would be easier to run the risk of ruining it myself then having life ruin it." He shrugged. "For what it's worth, I'm really sorry, Nini. I know I did some messed up things-"

"Yeah, like bringing Sterling to the premiere."

"I just realized I had nothing more to lose in terms of you, and I was feeling jealous over you and Ricky after everything... I just kept lashing out." He shrugged.

"You're right then EJ. That is stupid." She sat back in the car, folding her arms over her chest. "I really liked you, you know." She mumbled looking out the window.

"I really like you too." He answered.

Back in the present Nini said, "I just can't trust you. You always put yourself first, EJ."