𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 {𝐒𝐀𝐏𝐍𝐀𝐏}

𝐱𝐯. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐃
《𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡》

Brielle sat down beside the river. She looked around, seeing families playing with their kids in the water or couples walking along the path together. She sighed and looked at the water. Reaching forward, her hand gently rested inside of the stream. The coldness surrounded her fingertips, calming her a little.

In the back of her head, she couldn't get the worry of Nick standing her up in return to go away. It would make sense if he decided to ignore her back, but she was hoping he wouldn't. Prom was in four days and this might be her only chance to get his attention again before he asks another girl. That's a thought that decided to consume her mind.

What if he chooses someone else?

Someone like Nick had options. He could reach out to any girl and she'd say yes for status or just the fact that he was some hot football player. No one else knew him as Brielle did. She had experiences with him. She genuinely talked to him. She hadn't even realized it before.

Brielle was the kind of person to hold back from people. Hell, she didn't tell Cassidy hardly anything. Nick was different. She found herself spewing out her frustrations at home, her silly little passions, all sorts of things. He had listened to her, too. He knew so much of her and she knew so much of him. He couldn't just move on like that. There's no way he could.

The soft crunching of twigs behind her silenced her thoughts and she turned to see Nick standing there. He was in black shorts and a gray t-shirt. It was all he had to wear after his practice. He sat down beside Brielle and she looked back to the water.

"I was worried you wouldn't come." She sighed softly. Nick raised a brow and looked at her.

"You think I'd stand you up after it sucked for me? I'm not a complete asshole." That comment felt directed at Brielle in a way. She felt tense as she gripped her sleeves a little tighter, holding herself in comfort.

"I did a really...really shitty thing. I was just...I was upset that you had spread a rumor about me. I was angry and I let that take over me. I shouldn't have done that." She said, turning and meeting Nick's eyes. She hadn't realized that he was still looking at her. He bit the inside of his cheek and he sighed softly.

"I forgive you. I mean...it wasn't a nice thing to do, but...I get where you're coming from." He said. She relaxed a little bit as he accepted her apology.

"I'm sorry I believed your stupid friend over you, too. I should have trusted you more because...I know you would trust me in that situation." She said. Nick smiled a little and looked to the river ahead of them.

"It's fine. Clay's an asshole. He was trying to mess with me and he successfully did so. I blame him for that." He chuckled softly. Brielle giggled.

"All your friends seem like assholes." She said. Nick shrugged and nodded.

"Most of them are, yeah." He responded, both of them laughing softly before they fell into a comfortable silence. The spot was perfect for that sort of talking. If all was silent, they had the river to focus on. Its soft sounds of running water and small rocks, twigs, or even little fish pass below. It was a distraction when you needed to gather your thoughts. That's exactly what Nick used it to do.

"I wouldn't mind being able to say that stuff, though." He said. Brielle paused, her eyebrows furrowing as she tried to piece together his words. She turned to face him, Nick's eyes focused on her.

"What do you mean?" She asked. Nick smiled a little.

"I'd like to be able to tell people you're my girlfriend." He repeated. Brielle felt her face heat up and she clasped her hands together, gripping them as she tried so hard to not make the rest of her body look tense in shock, "If that's okay with you, of course. I really like you, Brielle. I want you to be my girlfriend."

Brielle's mind fell blank as he confessed to her. Her poem, her stubborn opinion on love, and everything she vowed to avoid were swirling around her head and mixing with her new thoughts. Thoughts she had never thought of before. Thoughts of dating Nick, spending nights tucked safely in his arms, and thoughts of him kissing her in the rain. Any scenario possible felt at her fingertips at that moment and her negativity was pushed away.

She stumbled on her words before finally answering, "Yes!"

Nick's smile grew and he chuckled, noticing her confused yet happy face. He could tell she was in shock at her answer, but also so happy to accept Nick's confession.

"Yes?"

"Oh my god, yes! I'd love to be your girlfriend." She said, her answer finally coming out with confidence. Nick blushed a little and he rubbed the back of his neck.

"This conversation went way better than I thought it would. I was worried we'd fight out here." He said. Brielle smiled and looked at her hands.

"I was worried about that, too. This is way better, though." She said. Nick chuckled and nodded.

"Definitely."

Brielle hugged Nick tightly, catching him off guard. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. Brielle's body fully relaxed in Nick's embrace. She rested her chin on his shoulder and closed her eyes. After a moment, they shot back open

"Prom!" She said. She pulled away and was met with Nick's confused expression.

"What about it?"

"It's this Friday! I-I want to go with you, Nick." She said, smiling. Nick soon smiled back and he chuckled.

"You'll go with me?" He asked. She nodded.

"I'd love to go with you, Nick." She said. The two of them took a moment to simply smile at each other. She fondly gazed at him, nothing left to be said. They had gotten out their worries, and pushed out their feelings. All that was left to do was to set it in stone.

"Can I kiss you?" Nick asked. Brielle gently rested her hands on his shoulder, a small blush filling her cheeks.

"Please do..."

Nick rested his hands on Brielle's waist and he leaned forward. His lips gently pressed to Brielle's. Brielle's lips were soft against his, clearly untouched, and left for him to fill that emptiness. Brielle was sat on his lap, scooting closer to be pressed to Nick's chest. Her hands slid down to rest near his collarbone instead. They finally pulled away for air and Brielle couldn't stop smiling.

This is what she had been missing. He was what she had been missing.

❤︎︎❤︎︎❤︎︎

So what are you left to do when that feeling takes over you?

You're left to enjoy it. That feeling of someone having your back to hold you. That feeling of someone supporting you through your happiness and sadness.

You're left to savor every moment you have with the feeling, dangerous or not. At the end of the day, it's stuck with you.

You might as well enjoy it while it's there.

❤︎︎