After knocking on Nick’s door, Ally nearly chickened out and began to turn around, but the doorknob turned, and she came face to face with Nick. “Hey,” she said, barely above a whisper.
“Hey,” Nick replied in the same nervous voice. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to talk,” Ally said. “Shannon pointed out to me that I never really heard your whole version of the story, and I thought it might be fair to listen to it and then…evaluate the situation.”
“Do you want to come in?” he offered, opening the door farther and leading her to the sofa.
“I want to know what happened with her. I want to know everything,” she said flatly.
He leaned back in his chair and sighed. “We were together for a few months a year ago. She broke up with me because she needed space or something. I was really upset, but the guys helped me realize that she was nothing to get upset about. Then she called me a couple weeks later, and told me she wanted me back. I almost said okay, but I remembered that she was a bitch and I didn’t want her, so I said no. Since then, she had this deranged thought in her mind that I said yes. She kept calling me, and I wouldn’t talk to her, but that didn’t seem to tell her we weren’t together. Then the day after you and I…we…”
“Had sex,” Ally finished for him.
“Yeah. Brian knocked on our door, and he told me Kelli was there for our two day break. I panicked. I didn’t want to tell you because I knew you’d be upset that I didn’t tell you about her before, which I probably should have done, but it never came up. Instead, I told you Brian wanted to talk about something Kevin said.”
“Which wasn’t a good idea,” Ally interrupted her.
Nick gave her a stern look. “Please let me finish. You went down to breakfast, and Kelli knocked on the door. I thought it was you, so I didn’t bother to check. She said she and I were meant to be together, and I couldn’t have a new girlfriend, and I still loved her. I pointed out that I never loved her in the first place, but she didn’t seem to believe that. Finally, she said that if I kissed her and there was nothing there, she would walk out the door and leave me alone for good. I said that was ridiculous because we already knew what the outcome was, but she insisted. To get her off my back, I decided to do it.” He stopped.
“And what happened? Tell me the truth, Nick. Please.”
“I admit that she was a very good kisser, but it was simply a physical attraction. You were in my mind, but it felt too good to pull away,” Nick said hesitantly. Tears were streaming freely down his face, so he paused again in an attempt to regain his composure. “There was nothing there, though. Nothing like we had. There was no emotion. What we had was special, Ally. You can’t deny that. I love you so much, and if there were anything I could do to prove that to you, I wouldn’t even think twice about doing it. I would walk through fire for you. Kelli means absolutely nothing to me. As soon as you ran off, she tried to come onto me again, and I told her to leave. When she left, that’s when the tears came.”
Ally buried her tearstained face in her hands. “I can’t handle this. I don’t know what to say.”
“I really fucked up, didn’t I?” Nick muttered. “I’m such an idiot.”
“I wish I could just say we should forget the whole thing happened, but I can’t.” She looked up and met his gaze. “I can’t look at you the same way I did before. Not after what you did. I don’t think I can trust you again.”
“Ally, I love you. Can’t you see that?”
“Of course I can, and I love you, too, Nick! I can’t…” She stood up to leave, but sat back down right away, her head spinning.
“Don’t do this to us, Alexandra. You know we’re perfect for each other.”
“Stop it. Please, just stop it. I don’t need this. It’s over.”
Nick watched helplessly as she cried. There was nothing he could do. She was gone. It was over.
Part 2 --- Chapters 44-46
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