"What? Nick?" Heather asked.
"No, the 'bye Nicky boy' followed by the kiss on the cheek?" Brian repeated.
"Oh Brian, it was nothing. Just a friendly thing, that's what I always do," Heather replied. She immediately realized that wasn't the response Brian was expecting.
"What? You mean you kiss him everytime you see him?" Brian exclaimed.
"Of course not! I mean, yeah I kiss him once in a while, but it's never meant anything," Heather replied.
"I'm sure," Brian said.
"Brian Thomas Littrell, why are you holding a grudge? It's not like you own me!" Heather said.
"Heather, you're my girlfriend. You can't go around kissing other guys, and expect me to be okay with it," Brian said, speeding up a little.
"Brian, please slow down before you get us into an accident," Heather begged, watching the speedometer rise slowly.
"What's going on between you and Nick?" Brian asked again.
"Nothing! Nothing I swear!" Heather screamed, "If you want to talk further, please pull over," she said. She saw as the speedometer slowed down.
"Brian, please don't be like this. I love you with all my heart, you know it's true. Nick is just the best friend I've got, and it's not like if I kiss my dad like that you'll yell at me about it," Heather said. She saw as tears started to swell up in Brian's eyes.
"Heather, it's just that you mean so much to me. I... I couldn't imagine you forgetting about me, but I got scared I was losing you," he said, blinking away the tears.
"C'mon Brian. This is me, Heather Michelle Barrien. I'm not gonna go running off with someone that easily. I don't think you'd let me," she said, as she heard Brian giggle slightly.
"Now that's the Brian we all know and love, are you better?" she asked. He shook his head no.
"No?!" she asked.
"Not until I do this," Brian said, leaning over for a kiss. Heather didn't know what to do, so she innocently kissed him on the cheek.
"See? It's the same," she said, as Brian sat up again. He couldn't get over the feeling that him and Heather were starting to drift apart. Heather watched as Brian got back onto the main road. That was weird. She hadn't expected Brian to blow up like that, and she wasn't sure what to do about it. She loved Brian, she knew she did. But the conversations she had with Nick tonight had started to bother her. What did Nick mean when he asked her if she ever saw them as more than friends? Of course she did. It wasn't like she never woke up and thought how great it would be if she hooked up with Nick. But she knew it would either never work out, or something would happen. They'd been best friends, she just couldn't deal with the consequences if they broke up sourly, and their friendship was ruined. But there were moments when Nick's qualities really started to make her believe nothing could happen. They'd always be together. But then she would remember she had Brian. Brian was perfect, more than she really deserved. But, Brian wasn't Nick. Brian would never be Nick. Brian was Brian, he was sweet, loving, caring, and he had a good heart. But there were some things he lacked, that Nick had. Nick had a goofy sense of humor, which always got Heather rolling on the floor laughing. There were the times as little kids that Heather would always remember. There was the life-long bond that her and Nick had, since they had been friends forever. Heather glanced at Brian and wondered what he was thinking. She couldn't stand to break his heart, it wouldn't only just kill him, but her too. They'd gone out for 2 years, and they seemed perfect. Almost too perfect. But they kept the relationship going. Heather felt like smacking herself, how could she think of such things? Brian was all she needed, and it was all she would ever need. Nick was always there, as a friend, and sometimes more. She had to push the Nick thought out of her mind. Not only did she have Brian, but she didn't even know how Nick felt. That would be terrible. Dumping Brian, and going for a guy who didn't even like her. THAT would be good, she said to herself. She turned on the radio, ditching the whole Nick idea all together. It would never work out, she assured herself, never.
