Chapter 11

“So are you going to tell him?” Brian asked Emily suddenly as they slow-danced to the Backstreet Boys own, ‘Heaven In Your Eyes’.
“What, you mean now?” Emily asked incredulously.
“Sure, why not?” Brian said nonchalantly with a shrug. Emily’s eyes widened as she saw where Brian was taking her. He was discreetly dancing closer and closer to Nick and Jessica, just a couple of heads away.
“You’re crazy, Brian. We’re dancing!” Emily cried, trying to steer Brian away. But her efforts were hopeless. They were now just a foot away from the blond couple in the middle of the dance floor.
“Better sooner rather than later,” Brian whispered.
Emily glared at him, “Bri –“
“Hey Frack,” Brian interrupted her, “mind if I cut in? Quit hogging Jessica up!”
Nick laughed while Jessica shot Brian a death glare.
Reluctantly, Jessica released Nick and took Brian’s hand. Brian in turn, handed Emily over to Nick.
“Hey Em,” Nick said softly, wrapping his strong arms around her. Just his touch alone made Emily’s heart beat ten times faster. The soft pressure Nick’s hand applied to her lower back sent bolts of electricity up and down her spine.
Emily smiled breathlessly, “Hey Nick.” Who knew her best friend could have this kind of effect on her?
Emily contemplated what Brian had told her as the two swayed silently to the gentle music. A million thoughts ran through her head, each one contradicting the other. Finally, Emily came to a decision. She had to do it now. Now, before she drove herself insane. Emily took a deep breath and looked up at Nick. Bad move. Her breath caught in her throat when she caught sight of Nick’s baby blues. Strands of blond hair fell over his eyes - Emily had never seen anything so sexy before in her life. Her voice was gone. Nick smiled at her and she snapped out of her reverie. Get yourself together, Em, she berated herself silently.
“Nick – there’s something I need to tell you,” she said, summing up all her courage.
Nick’s eyes clouded over with concern, “What’s wrong?”
Emily gave him a weak smile. “No…nothing’s wrong. It’s just… Ok, before I tell you, you have to promise me something,” she said.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Okay, promise me we’ll be best friends forever, no matter what happens,” she paused. “And promise me you won’t leave me,” she said the last part softly.
“Em, you know I won’t ever leave you. And we’ll ALWAYS be best friends. You know that,” Nick reassured her quietly.
“Even if I told you I’ve fallen in love with you?” she asked faintly. Emily searched his eyes for a reaction, anything, but all she saw was surprise. Oh God, what have I done?
Nick was shocked as the impact of Emily’s words finally hit him. Had he heard right? Maybe his ears were deceiving him. But no, that can’t be it. He knew what he heard. Did Emily just say she loved him? Suddenly, it seemed like everything was changing. Nick looked down at the girl he was holding in his arms. For the first time in his life, he stopped thinking of Emily as just his best friend. She was beautiful. Why hadn’t he noticed this before? It was then that he realized that he loved her. He loved the way her soft brown hair framed her face. He loved the way her hazel eyes looked up at him with so much honesty. And the thing he loved most was the way she knew him. No one knew him like she did. And he loved her for it. Gently, he brought his hand up to her face and lifted her chin. Emily looked up and immediately got lost in his incredible blue eyes. Time suddenly seemed to stand still as she realized what he was doing. The dancing couples surrounding them all seemed to blur together and slip away as Nick brought his face closer to hers. Their lips met and he kissed her gently, almost hesitantly. His lips were wonderfully sweet - Emily felt like she was in heaven. But the kiss ended faster than it had begun. All too soon, it was over. He gave her a small smile, and Emily knew she had done the right thing. Relieved, Emily laid her head on Nick’s chest. Softly he kissed the top of her head and whispered, “I love you.”
Emily smiled. “I love you too.”


-The End-

Story Index