Snowed In

XV

"Are you two not cold?" My father asks walking over to Nick and I as we sit on the big wooden swing, later that night.

"Not really." I say and he rolls his eyes.

"I'm starting a fire inside. Want to come in?" He asks and I nod.

"Yeah, definitely." I say and he smiles as Nick and I stand up. We both follow him inside, then take a seat on the couch as he works on the fire. Angela went to sleep about an hour ago. She has her own little guest room down the hall from my room. I love the girl, but when I slept with her in that hotel, oh I was done.

She kicks.. A lot!

Nick throws a blanket to me and I pull it over myself and curl up putting my head on his shoulder. He wraps his arm around my shoulders and I blow some hair out of my face.

"I never understood why you two didn't ever become a couple." My father says looking over at us and I shrug.

"We've always just been really good friends." I say, even though it sucks to say it out loud.. I mean it's true, we have always just been, really good friends. Nothing more..

"Still." My dad says and I look up at Nick to see his reaction, but he looks in another world. I look back down and smile as the fire roars to life. The heat hits me in the face and I sigh comfortable beyond words. Nick rubs my shoulder and I place my hand under my cheek as I continue to lay against his shoulder.

"Well, this old man is exhausted. You two don't stay up too late."

"No sir." Nick says and I smile looking over.

"Night daddy." I say sitting up as he gives me a peck on the cheek.

"Night baby. I mean it, don't stay up super late." He says and I laugh.

"Of course not daddy. Haha night." I mumble and he nods then turns away and goes into the kitchen. I hear the door open and shut then I move back against Nick as we stare at the fire.

"I missed you." He says suddenly and I look up.

"I missed you too." I respond brushing some hair out of his face.

"I missed us." I say and he nods turning his chin in my hand.

"But, I'm here now. I have you back right now."

"Yeah but for how long? Elise I don't want to lose you again. We live in two different worlds. I don't correction, I can't lose you again."

"You never lost me."

"Maybe so, but it sure felt like it. We never spoke. As soon as you got pregnant you were out of my life."

"Well you weren't all that supportive of me." I say and he sighs.

"I was a junior in high school Elise. How could I be supportive about my best friend getting pregnant from a man who didn't deserve her."

"At the time he did Nick. I loved him, and he loved me." I say moving away from him some.

"Well you know what. I loved you too Elise. But that wasn't good enough for you." He says and I snap my attention back to him.

"What are you talking about? Why are you mad all of a sudden?" I ask and he shrugs.

"I loved you Elise." He says and I shake my head as silence fills the room.

"Let me change that to present tense." He says breaking it and I sigh.

"I love you." He says and I smile.

"I love you too Nick." I say and he meets my eyes.

"It's not the same." He says and I look at him quizzically as he quickly stands up.

"What do you mean?"

"You don't love me. Like you once loved him." He says and I gasp as he walks by me and up the stairs.

"Nick!" I shout but he's already gone. I pull my knees to my chest and stare into the fire.

"You don't love me. Like you once loved him."  His words flow through my mind and I try to think on what he means.

"You don't love me. Like you once loved him."

I don't understand.. Why would be think that? Why would he even compare himself to Luke?

"You don't love me. Like you once loved him."

But, I do.. I thought I loved him so much more?

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