Crazy In Love

So Tell Me Baby

"Hey..." 

"You okay, bro?" Red asked Ricky, as he sat down at the lunch table.

"Yeah. I just don't want to talk right now." He replied, eating his lunch.

"So, you're not mad at her?" E.J. asked, furrowing his brows.

"I mean I'm upset about how things turned out, yeah, but I can't say I'm completely angry. Honestly, I'm leaning more towards sad and disappointed, I think." 

"You're sad and disappointed that Lindsay slapped Nini?" E.J. said, tilting his head.

"Wait, what? Lindsay slapped you? When? Why?" Ricky responded, turning to face me. 

"It-It's no big deal. She just blames me for the breakup, but I don't care. It's not like she made me bleed or anything." I told him, shrugging.

"Um, it is a big deal. She had no right to do that to you, Nini. She needs to know that." He continued, getting up.

"Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. You are not going over there. This is what she wants. She wants you to go crawling back to her, so she can see she has the upper hand. Don't give her the upper hand, Ricky. Just ignore her."

"But it's not like I'm asking her to take me back. I just want to give her a piece of my mind. That's all." He explained, while Red and I attempted to hold him back.

"No. No. No." I told him, shaking my head. After time of Red and I struggling to hold him back, he eventually gave up and sat down. 

"I just don't get it. What possible reason could she have to believe you are the reason we broke up? I know you're the one who brought Ethan around, but I know it wasn't your intention to have him ruin our relationship. That's just crazy." Ricky told me, chuckling a little and getting back to his lunch.

"Yeah. Crazy..."

"So, are you not planning on telling him?" Carlos questioned, tilting his head.

"Telling him what?" I asked, arching my eyebrows.

"About your feelings for him. Obviously, he's going through a breakup right now, but are you planning on ever telling him?" 

"I don't know yet. Don't you think after the whole slapping incident that he would realize why I brought Ethan to our table. I mean, it wasn't necessarily just jealousy, but it's still a little weird. Right?" I responded, sighing.

"I think Ricky would understand you were just looking out for him and your feelings are something separate." 

"And you're so sure of that? I don't want this situation ruining my friendship with him." I told him, shaking my head.

"I'm not going to make you tell him the truth about Lindsay or your feelings for him. I just want to see you happy. If that means keeping this to yourself and things going back to the way they used to be, then so be it. Just promise me you won't compromise your own happiness." Carlos admitted, and I promised him.

"Thank you. It makes me feel a little bit better, Nini."

"Hey, Neens."

"Hey, Ricky. Are you busy?" I asked him, standing on his front porch.

"I have an essay due Friday, but that can wait. Come in." He said, moving aside to let me in. "Is something wrong?" He added, closing the door behind us.

"I just need to talk to you about something. I was at rehearsal today, just thinking, and I want you to know the truth. All of it, even if it changes things..."

"Should I be sitting down for this?" 

"That's probably for the best. Yes." I agreed, nodding and walking with him into the living room. 

"Okay. So, what do you need to tell me?" He asked, as we sat down next to each other.

"Uh...Well, I didn't just run into Ethan at the library one day. I talked to him during lunch, after Carlos told me he used to date Lindsay. I wanted to hear the full story because something felt off about her. And that has nothing to do with you. It's just some of the things she said didn't sit right with us. Then, when I heard Ethan's story, I got nervous. I got scared that she was going to do the same to you. So, I invited Ethan to lunch, hoping he'd get you to see the real Lindsay. I never wanted you to be as broken as you are. I just didn't want you to give her your time and have her just throw it all away, in the blink of an eye." I explained, staring at the ground.

"I'd understand if you were mad, mad that I didn't just give her a chance. I just really didn't want to see you get hurt. I'm so sorry, Ricky." 

"I...I don't really know what to say. I guess, why go through all that at all? I mean, why not just let it happen? Let her hurt me, so I can see it for myself?" He responded, messing with his hair.

"Because, Ricky, I care about you. I didn't want to see you get hurt, especially if I saw another way. A better way..." I told him, looking up and into his eyes. "Ricky, this is really hard for me to say, but I-I like being the one who worries about you. I like caring about you and wanting you to be happy. Like...like a girlfriend does. I know everything that happened with Lindsay is still fresh, and I'm not expecting you to ask me out. I just want you to know, or really need you to know. And if it's all just too much, that's okay. I understand. I just needed to get it all off my chest. So, I'm gonna head home now and I'll see you tomorrow morning. Okay?" I said, pushing my hair from in front of my eyes. He nodded, and I started my dreaded walk home.

A/N: She did it, guys. She was honest and now all that's left is his response. Will he be hesitant to start a relationship with her? Will he knock on her door late that night to tell her how he feels? You'll just to have to wait until Saturday to find out what happens in possibly the final chapter of this fan fiction. Don't forget to vote and comment!