Dear Nick

My Angel, My Savior

I can't explain how happy Beth made me, from the very beginning. She was my angel & our relationship was moving along nicely. It was a whirlwind, really. Over the weeks before & during holidays, we spent a lot of time together. She came over to my place or I'd hang out with her at her place. Tucker was thrilled to hear we were dating & it made him & I closer. Of course, he warned me that if I hurt her he'd kick my ass, but I had no intentions of hurting her. Beth & I were both falling hard & fast.

New Year's Eve was a great night for us. We went to a party in downtown L.A. with Denny, Lydia, Tucker & his date. It was an amazing night & even though we'd only been dating for a few weeks, I told Beth that night that I wanted to be exclusive & she agreed, much to my delight. We hadn't been intimate yet, but Beth had told me that she was very careful with her virtue. She considered waiting until she was married to have sex, but she was wavering a little as she got older. I told her I'd support whatever she wanted & I'd patiently wait for when she was ready. That, of course, was easier said than done.

The new year was looking promising, not only because I had Beth in my life, but I also got word that my GI Bill was coming through & I could go back to school. Things were falling into place & I was falling in love, which made me fall out of love with Demi. I still hadn't seen her or heard from her, which was good, even though, I was starting to miss her friendship, desperately.

For Valentine's day in 2016, I had a romantic date planned for Beth, the night before the holiday. We went to dinner, then I took her to a musical that she wanted to see. She was impressed, since I was often bored with that sort of thing. We went back to my place after the show & I had champagne & strawberries, along with a DVD of her favorite movie, a chick flick, another thing I was willing to suffer through for her.

Before I started the movie, I poured us two glasses of champagne & we sat on the couch together. "I wanted to tell you something & I have wanted to tell you for a few weeks, but I decided I'd wait & save it for this romantic occasion." I smiled at Beth, who watched me sideways.

"Oh boy... what are you gonna tell me?"

"We've been together for almost three months & now that it's actually Valentine's day, since it's ten after twelve.... I wanted to tell you how happy I have been over these last three months. These past few months have been the most amazing months of my life. I know it's probably fast, but I can't help how I feel. Beth... I love you." I said, then held my breath.

Her eyes got wide, her hand fluttered up to her mouth as she sucked in her breath. Her eyes blinked a few times as they filled with tears, then she finally let her hand come down so she could reply. "I love you, too. Maybe it is crazy that we feel it so fast, or maybe it just means that our connection is really remarkable & we're meant to be." She smiled, biting her lip & I put my hands on her jawline so I could kiss her.

We toasted with our champagne, fed each other a few strawberries, then we settled back on the couch while I started the movie. I had my arm around her & she leaned on me, while I handled the remote.

While the previews played, Beth sat up & looked at me. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course. You can ask me anything, sweetie."

Her chest rose as she inhaled deeply & closed her eyes for a moment. "Are you still in love with Demi?" She asked as her eyes opened.

I was stunned by her question, especially since Beth rarely brought up Demi. In fact, no one brought her up to me. I'd go to dinner at Dianna's house with Denny, Lydia & Beth once in awhile & no one mentioned Demi. We'd ignore the fact that her photos were surrounding us or that she was still very much a part of Dianna & Denny's life, as well as Eddie, her dad. I had got to the point where I wouldn't even ask about her & they wouldn't offer anything about her to me. I think they knew it was easier for me, but then when Beth came along, they didn't want to be disrespectful. Beth knew everything about Demi & I, since she was at the Halloween party, but her & I also had several conversations about her in the first few weeks we hung out. "Uh... no. I'm in love with you. The more I fell in love with you, the more I fell out of love with her."