Alex sat on her bed and looked at the phone, she knew she needed to talk to Nick, but what was she going to say? She picked up the receiver and dialed Brian’s number slowly. It rang 3 times before she heard Brian’s voice, “Hello?”
“Hi, B, is Nick there?” Alex asked in a small voice
“Yes, he is.”
“Can I talk to him please.”
“Sure. Alex?”
“Yeah?”
“Is everything alright? Nick came in a, stormed up the stairs, and I haven’t heard from him since.”
“I’m pitching again.” Alex stated simply
“You are what?”
“The team doctor checked me out and said that if I was careful, I could pitch.”
“Does Nick have a problem with it or something?”
“He doesn’t want me too.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Well, I can see his point of view, and I can see yours. Just talk to him, Alex, let him know what you think. He’s always been wrapped around your finger.”
“You didn’t hear some of the things I said.”
“Bad?” Brian asked
“Yeah.”
“Hold on a sec, I’ll get him.”
Alex heard Brian yell and a second later Nick picked up, “Yeah?”
“Nick, I think we need to talk.”
Nick knew it was Alex, but she sounded funny, “Alex, are you okay?”
“No, I’m not.” She said honestly
“Are you crying?”
Alex didn’t say anything for a minute, “Can we talk?”
“We are talking now Alex.”
“No, not on the phone, can I meet you somewhere?”
“Yeah, where?” Nick asked
“You hungry?”
“You know me to well, Lex.”
At this Alex laughed, “How about we get some pizza?”
“Sounds fine with me.” Nick answered
“I’ll meet you in about 15 minutes.”
“Okay, see ya in a minute.” Nick hung up and looked at the phone, it was the first time he hadn’t said I love you, but he was sure that was something Alex didn’t need to hear at the moment.
Alex got into her car and started the engine, then something caught her eye. It was her ring! She picked it up and looked at it, and then looked at her hand. She couldn’t put it back on, and then something hit her, he didn’t say ‘I love you’. Tears rolled down Alex’s face as she went to meet Nick. She wasn’t sure if this could be the end of something wonderful, or the beginning of something else. On arriving she waited in the parking lot for Nick, when his truck pulled up, she climbed out and started walking towards the building, Nick opened the door for her but didn’t say anything. They sat down at a corner table, and after the waitress had taken their order they sat their for quite sometime in silence. Alex was miserable, all she wanted to do was hug Nick and say she was sorry, to have him put the ring back on her finger and tell her everything was going to be all right. She knew though, deep down that it wasn’t going to be that easy, after all, she had said some hurtful things that she didn’t mean, but she knew they had hurt Nick.
She finally got up the nerve to speak, “Nick, I am sorry for everything that I said, I didn’t mean it. I was upset and…and..it just happened.”
Nick looked at her for a minute, not saying anything. He saw that the ring was not on her finger, but he knew she had found it. “Alex, I’m not going to lie to you. I don’t want you pitching.”
“Why not?”
“Because you could hurt yourself, and I don’t want that to happen.”
“I told you that the team doctor checked me out.”
“He could be wrong.”
“I’ve been pitching for several weeks, I even threw a new record.”
Nick only looked at her.
“Nick, if you had an accident and it messed up your voice, would you just quite, or would you work to get it back? I’ve been working with my arm ever since the accident, I’ve gotten my strength back, and I can pitch.”
Nick continued to watch her, “You are right Lex, I wouldn’t give up, and I know you are more stubborn than I.”
“So, are you still against my pitching?”
“I’m not for it Alex, but I’m not against it. It is your dream. I know that if someone asked me to give up my courier, I couldn’t do it.”
The waitress appeared with the pizza, and they were both distracted for a moment.
After a minute Alex dug in her pocket, pulled out the ring, and sat it on the table.
Nick stopped eating and looked at her, and then at the ring.
“I gave it back to you, it’s not mine.” Alex answered his look in a small voice.
Nick continued to look at her, “do you want me to take it back?”
Alex looked up at him, and didn’t say anything. She finally shook her head slightly.
Nick reached across the table and took her hand, he slipped the ring back on her finger. “It’s your ring Lex, it belongs on your hand, not anyone else’s.”
Tears came back to Alex’s eyes, and she looked down trying to get rid of them.
“Lex, I do think we need some time.”
“What?” Alex asked looking up
“We have been inseparable for a long time, a year in fact. This whole thing has got me to thinking that maybe we need some time apart.”
Alex just looked at him, but he went back to his food. Alex tried to reason with herself. Sometime apart wouldn’t be so bad, after all she would be going to college, in Tampa, she would have to get settled and all that. Some time apart wouldn’t be that bad, if that is what he wanted, she could give him that much.
After they were done Nick walked her back to her car, “Lex, don’t get me wrong. I love you, and nothing will change that. If you need me, you call me, okay?”
Alex nodded, and sniffed as Nick hugged her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and cried. Nick wiped her tears, “Don’t cry Lexi, just remember it’s not going to be long before you’ll be changing your name.”
Alex grinned at him and nodded.
