Hershey Kisses

Semisweet Kiss

(A/N: From here on, there will be two endings. Previous one concludes the story, whereas this one might give a sequel. Please vote which ending you love more and I'll decide to write another story of Hershey Kisses.)  

Gazing out the window while Bryan's driving me to that place, I look back from when I met Rick to where we are now. Sure we had a few bumpy roads along the way, but I value our friendship and I admired his determination. It was because of him, I had the courage to confront Bryan, I put up all my insults and low self-esteem I've been going through, and I felt what love is.

"We're here." Bryan parked the car on the driveway. "I'll stay here, but be careful when you inside." I opened the door and stepped out of the car.

"Don't worry, it won't take long." I grinned as I walked back to the house Rick gave me. I know he won't be here, but allowing me to come here gave me hope he might come back. I used the spare key Rick gave me and slowly unlocked the front door. Once I stepped inside, I could feel emptiness and cold shoulder. This place hasn't been taken care of since they found Juliet. Once I entered the kitchen, I spotted a familiar person. "Rick...."

There he was sitting against the counter where we practiced my baking and eat meals together. He turned and saw me giving me that same smirk. "I didn't think you'd come right after you get discharged."

"Yeah well... I wanted to make a few changes to this place." I teased him.

"Don't you dare." he came up and ruffled my hair.

"Hey stop that!!" I tried pushing him away as he gripped my injured hand. "Rick....?"

"I'm sorry...." he says biting his bottom lip. "If you hadn't tried to save her identity, you would've been able to continue drawing."

"That's not your fault." I reasoned with him, "It was my choice to take her place and taking all those attacks." He left me breathless as he kissed my injured hand.

"Even you I can't protect." he mumbles himself.

"Rick.... look at me." I commanded him. He obeyed my command and gazed at me. "Do you seriously think I'm going to listen to you before you hear me out, first?"

"That was the plan." he looked away embarrassed. I pulled his face back to me as I glared at him.

"Hear me out first, please?" I begged him. He nodded in agreement as I pushed him onto the couch. "You were right.... After all that effort of me trying to suppress the feeling of love, I end up falling for you. But did you ever thought why I love you?" He shook his head. "It's not that I fell for you, but I admire you. No... more like I pity you. Not in a bad way, but I couldn't see you going through your life like this. When Juliet came into your life and you loved her but she developed stronger feelings for Damien. And then she had to step out of the family and they then kicked out into this empty house. You wasted so many years proving them you can find her all on your own, but deep inside you were hurting more. You felt abandoned. Like me. Was that what you saw in me? You saw yourself?" He glanced at me realizing we're on the same page.

"I didn't see you as myself...." he tried reasoning, "I saw you as...."

"As who, Rick?" I broke his sentence.

"I saw you as that girl!!" he raged clutching onto his head. I need him to realize who that girl is deep inside his memory.

"Who's the girl?" I changed my tone.

"How should I know!!!" his voice escalated louder. "She was my only friend I had when no one else wanted to be near me. And I betrayed her in the end when I lost everything else." Rick.... "How am I supposed to go back to that girl who's been by me until someone precious to me died in front of me?! By now she's forgotten about this stupid kid who can't keep protect his own family." I sat beside him and placed my hand on his lap. He calm down and glanced at my hand.