Break Free

Six Months Before

"I told you not to start the movie without me!" Maya ran into the living room right after Abby pressed play on the movie.

"You were taking too long." Abby looked at the others for support and they all nodded their heads.

Sarah had orchestrated the movie night as a way to finally confess her feelings for Nick. Maya and Abby knew what she had planned, but Charlie hadn't been allowed to know. They were watching Love Actually the week before Christmas, and Sarah thought that would be a good way to talk to Nick.

"Do you guys have hot chocolate?" Benjamin, Abby's boyfriend, spoke up fifteen minutes into the movie.

"We do! I can go get you some." Charlie unwrapped herself from the blanket she was sharing with Nick.

"Oh no it's fine. I can get it myself." Benjamin let go of Abby's hand and stood up with Charlie.

"Don't be silly. You're our guest." Without hearing Benjamin's protests, Charlie was on her way to the kitchen.

"She likes doing things for people." Sarah smiled as Benjamin sat back down. However, she felt a pang of jealousy as Abby and Benjamin cuddled up together. Why couldn't someone be like that with her?

Reading Sarah's expression, Maya flung herself into Sarah's lap. "Oh Sarah, I actually love you!"

"Get off of me!" Sarah laughed and hoped Nick didn't hear her snort.

"Then stop looking like that." Maya whispered so that Nick couldn't hear. He was on a completely different couch, but he was close enough that Maya wanted to be careful.

Five minutes later Charlie came in with a hot chocolate for a Benjamin and cookies for everyone to share.

They enjoyed the rest of the movie with laughs and mini conversations. Sarah tried stealing glances at Nick, but always saw him smiling and whispering with Charlie.

Abby was enjoying her time with Benjamin even though they'd only been dating for about a month. She was glad he could get along with her friends and hang out with them. At first he had thought the idea of five roommates was too much, but soon came to realize it wasn't as cramped or weird as he had imagined.

Nick knew Sarah kept looking at him, but he was used to it. She'd been doing that since he moved in. He kept trying to watch the movie, but Charlie kept making jokes about the characters and distracting him. He didn't mind that either.

Maya was bored of the movie and felt like doing something else. Maybe going out? No. She had to stay and keep everything running smoothly.

When the credits finally began rolling by, Maya was the first to jump up from the couch. "I'm hungry."

"I'm starving." Sarah and Nick said at the same time.

Sarah giggled like a teenager, but stopped when she noticed that Charlie and fallen asleep and was cuddled in Nick arms. Charlie didn't even like Nick. Sarah did.

"Then lets go make something!" Abby got up, followed by Benjamin.

Soon they were all in the kitchen looking through the cabinets and the fridge, except for Charlie who had been left sleeping on the couch.

They found some leftovers from the night before and added some vegetables. As Maya was cutting up some celery, she called Sarah over to her from the fridge.

"Are you still going to tell him?" Maya asked Sarah.

"Should I? Right now?" Sarah turned and saw Nick scrolling through his phone and leaning on the counter.

"Charlie isn't here to distract him." Maya felt bad going behind Charlie's back. She knew Charlie would have supported Sarah talking to Nick, but she wanted to make sure there was no way Nick would find out beforehand. Charlie and Nick were best friends and that bothered Sarah. A lot.

Mustering up some courage, Sarah approached Nick with a smile. "Hey."

He glanced up from his phone and smiled, too. "Hey, Sarah."

"Can I talk to you?" She began to feel nervous, but hoped he wouldn't notice.

"Sure. I have something to tell you anyways." Nick put his hands in his pockets and followed Sarah out of the kitchen and into their small library which was a few doors down.

"So what's up?" Nick leaned against a desk while Sarah fidgeted with her hands by the door.

"So, there's something I've been meaning to tell you for a while now. It might seem random, or completely obvious, but I just wanted to tell you... Just in case." Sarah didn't really know why she wanted to do this. She suddenly felt stupid and knew telling him would make her vulnerable to get hurt.

"Then go ahead." Nick had something to tell her too. Well, he actually had something to tell everyone. Only Charlie knew and she had told him he couldn't keep it a secret anymore.

"I like you." Sarah held her breath. "I mean... I actually love you." She mentally scolded herself for literally quoting the movie.

"Oh. I love you too." Nick smiled kindly at her, not understanding.

"No, Nick. I love you. I have feelings for you." Sarah could already see, as realization landed on Nick's face, that she had been stupid to think he felt the same.

"Oh. I didn't expect that." He had always noticed her glancing at him, but never thought it could mean she loved him. He thought they were good friends, just like everybody else.

"I know you're probably in love Charlie and I'm just the ugly roommate you have to put up with, but-"

"I'm not in love with Charlie. You're not ugly." He walked closer to Sarah. He heard her gasp and felt bad that he had never noticed this side of her before. "There's something I need to tell you."

Instead of answering, Sarah just looked up at him, afraid that her voice would give away how small she was feeling. Afraid any movement would show how dizzy she felt.

"I'm moving out." Nick said quietly. He had been afraid to tell people because he knew they would all be sad that they wouldn't spend as much time together, but he promised himself he would continue to visit as much as he could.

Sarah, again deciding not to answer him, turned and walked out of the library.

Nick winced as the door slammed shut and chose not to follow her. He knew she was upset that he didn't like her back, and then he added to the problem by saying he was moving out. Probably not the best timing, but she'd find out eventually.

After a few minutes he rejoined everyone in the kitchen, now excluding Sarah, but Charlie had woken up and was seated at the island in the middle of the kitchen.

"I told Sarah I was moving out." He whispered as he sat besides Charlie.

"How'd she take it?" Charlie was genuinely worried how everyone would feel. She knew she was shocked when he first told her, but she still supported his decision.

"Not so good." He offered a half smile.

"It'll be fine. I promise." Charlie gave him a hug and together they waited for dinner to be ready.