Summer Rain

[11] Just Give Me a Reason

Dedicated to Contagious_ for the amazing poster on the side, thank you!<3 :)

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(Unedited)

It's in the stars,

It's been written,

In the scars on our hearts.

We're not broken just bent,

And we can learn to love again.

~Just Give Me a Reason- P!nk ft. Nate Ruess

     In the end, we gave in and agreed to the group dinner.

     We didn't give in easily though, It had taken Kallie the 'It'll be just like old times' card, the 'Do you have anything better better to do' card and the 'Don't you miss how it was before' card to convince us. It was the last one that had us in Bells' car, driving downtown to an Italian restaurant I couldn't even pronounce the name of.

     "So how was the date with Blake?" I asked once Bells and I were on the road.

     She shrugged and kept her eyes on Kallie's Volkswagen. "It was nice."

     "Nice?' I repeated, raising an eyebrow.

     Bells sighed and flicked on her turn signal when Kallie did. "It was fun. He was nice and respectful. It was a great date."

     "Yet you're not gushing" I stated as she made the turn. She gave a bitter smile and shook her head. "Not over Clark?" A slight nod this time.

     "I don't blame you. You guys did date for six years. “If you had told me all those years ago that Bells and Clark would break up, I would have laughed in your face and definitely not believed it. But now, now I was questioning whether or not Clark really was the best for her. They weren't over each other, I know, but things had changed, and there was Blake, and it had been the fame industry that had broken them up. Clark still had the same job in that industry and Bells might even be joining, which would mean even more exposure to the tabloids. If they were different people from who they had been when they broke up, maybe it could work, but they were still the same people and those same people had broken up.

     "But it's been three years. And past aside, Blake is the perfect guy. He's nice and respectful, and smart, and honest, and funny, and smart, everything."

     "Sounds like the classic nice guy against ex-jerk, except Clark's not really a jerk," I remarked wryly

     "It's been over a thousand days. Why is it so hard to get over someone?" Bells demanded, slamming a hand against the steering wheel.

     "I don't know, Bells, I don't know."

     It was silent as we followed Kallie through a series of turns.

     "So, memories of ex aside, how was the date?" I asked, hoping to lighten the mood.

     Bells smiled slightly. "Ranks in the top five of dates, definitely. He was nervous. It was kind of cute," she said, chuckling. I grinned. So at least there was a little something there. It could build, things could work out. Bells deserved it.

     "Good. That means he’s serious. Blake isn't one to get nervous."

     She just blushed and didn't say anything as she pulled into the restaurant's parking lot.

     "Oh, uh, Bells?"

     She turned to me.

     "Sorry about the publicity and Clark thing. I thought, because you majored in Business and minored in marketing, it'd work..."

     "No, it's okay. It'll look amazing on my resume. Working with Summer Productions and the manager of the 'Heartbreaker Heir'?"

     I grinned and rolled my eyes. A knock came from my right. I turned to the window and barely contained a scream. Brett had his face smushed against the glass in the weirdest expression. Kallie, Clark and Kaden stood behind him, laughing slightly.

     "What were you guys doing in there for so long?" Brett asked once Bells and I were out of the car.

     I shrugged "Heart-to-heart," I replied, only partially joking, since we actually sort of, to a very small degree, had had a heart to heart.

     Kallie raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

     "Sorta, not really," Bells said, looking around. "Are we gonna get in? It looks like there are a lot of people here," she remarked, changing the subject.

     Kaden, Cark, Brett and Kallie all smiled at the same time- which was really creepy. "Trust me, we'll get in," Clark assured her. We started walking towards the restaurant, Kallie and Bells catching up as Brett and Clark talked about the movie... Which left Kaden and I to have to talk to each other, or at least walk beside each other. Any other time, I would be feeling dread and awkwardness but right now, I was actually kind of glad.

     "Kaden?"

     "Hm?"

     "What did you mean over the Skype call?" I asked slowly, watching him intently for his reaction.

     Nothing. He kept his face blank. "I don't know what you're talking about."