Right Where We Belong

Chapter 13 - You Belong With Me

Dreaming about the day

When you wake up and find that what you're looking for

Has been here the whole time

If you can see that I'm the one who understands you

Been here all along so why can't you see?

You belong with me.

- You Belong With Me, Taylor Swift

Minutes after watching the heart-wrecking scene, Alex decided that it was time for him to show up.

"Hi." He greeted casually as if he heard and saw nothing.

"Hi." Nina pretended to smile too. "Uh, that was such a rude interruption. Shall we continue what we were doing then?"

"I don't think so." He said for it was clear that she didn't want to be there any longer. And neither did he. "I think what you need is to go home since it's already late. Besides, I know that you're tired." He smiled and surprised himself when he managed to do so. "I appreciate everything Nina, thank you."

Nina smiled and did not argue for the reality was that she badly wanted to go home and spend the rest of the night locked up in her own room.

They were both silent on their way home: both preoccupied with their own thoughts. Nina was still thinking of what Ian had said and what she said in response. There were lots of things that she wanted to say but she didn't dare to. Like the fact that she wanted to go with him. But then again, it was also true that she couldn't just leave Alex alone. She wondered what would've happened had Nikki never entered the scene. Would she and Ian be more than just friends? Or would they still be both afraid to admit what they felt for each other and thus remain best friends? But surely, things would've been different, wouldn't it?

Alex was thinking about the same scene too – though his opinion on the matter was slightly different from that of Nina's. It seems to him that it was he who ruined what was supposedly a beautiful love story had he not come in the hope of being the leading man instead when it was obvious that he was just an extra character who, in the end of the story, would soon be forgotten. But it was not wrong to hope that maybe someday it would be Nina and him, was it?

When they arrived at Nina's, Nina went out and kissed his cheeks. They parted without another word.

As he watched her leave, thoughts came rushing into his mind. What would've happened had he not dated Nina? What if he didn't just hope that 'he and Nina' was possible? What if he just saw things the way they really were – that he was not the right man for Nina? Would he have seen another girl?

But he still deserved to be happy right? He had not done anything to hurt Nina. Unlike Ian, he did not do anything that made Nina cry. Not once. Not ever. He had always been there when Nina needed someone. And he did not ask for anything in turn. A happy ending with Nina was all he wanted. Would fate be cruel enough to take that away from him?

After considering all the possibilities, after looking at every angle, his mind would arrive at the same solution. Whatever would happen, one thing is for sure, someone would get hurt in the end.

When Nina woke up the next day, her eyes were red and swollen. She had only slept for an hour or two and spent the time before that crying.

She heard her phone ring and realized that that was what woke her.

"Hello?" She asked grudgingly. She still wanted to sleep and she wanted to kick this caller's ass.