The Dare That Changed Everything

Chapter 23.

Nash's POV:

"What are you doing here?" I asked Emily, a smile automatically stretching across my face.

"My cousin Christiana was invited to this party and her parents were at work, so I decided to take her." She beamed. "What about you?"

"This is my nephew, Brian's birthday party." I said moving closer to her. I pulled her into an embrace and just held her there. I felt all of my worries slip away and her warmth made me feel like the most happiest person in the world. She buried her head snugly into my chest and I could see her smile form on her lips.

"It's like we were meant to meet up." She whispered, not removing her head.

"It's like we were meant to be." I whispered in her ear. I knew this was sappy and stuff, but I was really just speaking what was coming straight out of my heart. Forget revenge, forget the dare, I just wanted to stay in this position forever. In her arms, bathing in each others love.

"Ewwww uncle Nash! Girls have cooties!!" Brian shrieked with his squeaky voice.

"Not when you grow up, they don't." I chuckled and let go of Emily. I bent down and lifted Brian into my arms. I tickled him gently, using the tips of my fingers. He threw his head back and laughed freely. Emily joined in and helped me tickled him.

"Stop *laughs* guys!! *laughs*." Brian said, laughing between parts.

I felt Emily's gaze on me and I met her brown colored eyes. She gave me a genuine smile and watched as I put Brian down. She just couldn't stop taking my breath away.

"Water balloon fight, water balloon fight!" Brian chanted, his big green eyes trained on me.

"Okay" I nodded and he cheered. We went towards the buckets full of water balloons that I had helped to fill. I passed around balloons to all of the children and I noticed Emily followed my actions. I watched as she tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear and smiled at an adorable ginger-haired girl.

"Which color do you want sweetie?" She asked kindly. The little girl pointed towards a blue balloon and Emily cautiously put it into her hands.

"Now don't throw it at anybody just yet." She said. The little girl nodded and skipped back to her friends. Emily would be such a great mother....

I was snapped out of my thoughts as I felt a water balloon splash all over me.

"Gotcha uncle Nash!!" Brian giggled and ran away as fast as he could. I was hot on his trail and I dodged water balloons simultaneously while running. I aimed and threw the water balloon in my hands at Brian. It hit him and he jumped in alarm and looked behind at me. He grinned at me and started running to the buckets. I started to follow him, but I landed with a thud onto the ground. I felt another body fall on me.

"Ow." I screeched as the person landed on me.

Emily's POV:

I felt something connect to my foot and I was sent flying to the ground. I landed on somebody. I opened my eyes to see Nash.

"Sorry..I tripped." I whispered. My face was so close to his, our noses were touching. His blue eyes were sparkling brightly in mischief as he brought his lips to my ear.

"Emily, can I tell you something?" He whispered as I felt shivers going down my spine.

"Yes, but first let me get up at least!" I said. But he grabbed my wrists and held me close to him.

"No." He simply said and shook his head. He smiled and his dazzling smile almost sent me into cardiac arrest.

"Humph." I said and relaxed myself onto him. I put my arms around his neck and laid my head on his chest. I could feel his heart thumping loudly.

"Do you hear that?" He asked, pointing to his heart. I nodded my head hearing the fast beat. Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud.

"My heart. It's beating for you, Emily." He said and gave me a lopsided grin.

I couldn't help but blush and I was feeling so many emotions right now. Maybe he still had feelings for me. Maybe he had fully forgiven me. I knew we had sorted things out in the hallway the other day, but I just had a feeling that wasn't enough. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe he had forgiven me.

I watched carefully as his eyes traveled to my lips. He wet his lips with his tongue and I realized what he was going to do. His lips connected with mine and tingles ran up my arms and spine. My heart thudded in my chest until I thought it would burst. My mind fogged and I felt his arms wrap tightly around my waist. He tapped a simple beat on my back and even the feeling of his drumming on my back could make me blow up. I felt so secure, so at peace, so content that I knew this was love. If this wasn't, then what is love...?

If my feelings for Nash aren't considered love, then..love doesn't exist.

Because I love Nash..Always have and always will. Always..

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We were interrupted by a cough. I pulled away from the kiss and we panted for air. The noise of kids running around screaming, and music blaring from speakers came roaring back into my ears. During the kiss, everything had been blocked out. It felt like it was just me and him alone..

I looked up to the person who coughed and it was Brian's mom. Meaning Nash's cousin.

I quickly scrambled off of Nash ad he helped me stand up from the ground. We dusted off our shirts and pants(shorts) from all the grass sticking to them. I blushed and started looking at my feet as if they had suddenly became interesting.

"So Nash do you want to tell me about your little girlfriend?" His cousin teased. I felt my cheeks go warm.

"We aren't dating." He plainly said. I felt a pang in my heart. The way he roughly stated that, made my insides crawl in despair. What was I thinking? He would never like me again.

"Well, you better ask her soon, girls like that don't come by often." His cousin, Angelina, chuckled. If only she knew what had happened between us.

I felt my feet take over my mind as they walked over to the house. My mind wanted to stay strong and stay there
To listen what he would say. But I was internally too fragile to hear anything more. So I walked away. And I felt like that was all I could do now. I went to go get Christiana and said we were leaving.

"Hey! Where you going?" Nash's little brother, Hayes said stopping me.

"Oh umm..we're leaving, it's that. Umm my mom wants me home." I said weirdly.

"Oh..I see you and my brother are hitting it off." He said winking.

"Uhh..no. It's- it's not like that.." I said walking away.

The dare had changed me too. It made me a weaker person than I really was..