Justin jumped up. "Danielle-"
"What are you doing here?" she asked, her eyes narrowing, as she walked over to Katie and took Noah.
"I came to see you and Noah Christopher."
"Well, you've seen him, now go home."
"Dan-"
"No! Justin, I don't want to hear your crap!"
"Bu-"
"Go!"
Justin stared directly into Danielle's eyes, pleading silently for her to let him stay. After a moment, he admitted defeat, and walked to the front door.
"Oh, god." Danielle groaned. She looked around at the silent concerned faces starring at her. "I'm sorry. I have to go put Noah to bed. It's his bed time." she turned, and fled down the hall to Noah's nursery.
She couldn't handle all this. Seeing Justin brought all the pain back. As if it had all happened just yesterday.
In the living-room, everyone sat silently for a moment, before the doorbell rang again.
"Pizza?" Chris asked hopefully.
Brittny shrugged. "It could be anyone at this point. Let's go see."
Chris jumped up and walked with her to the door. it was the pizza guy.
"I was half expecting a Backstreet Boy to be there." Brittny joked, closing the door, after she had paid and taken the pizza.
"Why? You wanna watch me kick some ass?" CHris asked, jokingly, carrying a box into the kitchen.
"What are you talking about? Kevin would so hurt you!"
"Nah, I can take him."
Brittny shook her head. "Everybody! Pizza's here!"
They set the pizza down on the table, as everyone scrambled into the kitchen.
"I'll go get Danielle." Joey said.
"All right." Brittny pointed down the hall. "Second door on the left."
"Thanks." Joey walked down the hall, and quietly opened the door.
Danielle stood hunched over Noah's crib in the dark, her body racked with sobs.
"Danielle?" he whispered.
She whirled around, sniffling, and whipping her face. "Joey,"
He walked over, and wrapped his arms comfortingly around her. "Shhh. . . " he whispered. "Don't cry."
"I can't help it, Joe," she sniffled. "When I saw him. . . it just brought everything back. And it hurts so much." she buried her face in his shoulder.
Joey knew he should be sympathetic, but all he could think about was how good it felt to hold Danielle in his arms, how much he wished to take all her pain away. . . how much he wanted Noah to be his baby, and not Justin's.
"It'll all work out." he murmured.
Danielle pulled away. "Why did you let him come?"
Joey was taken aback. "I don't have a good answer for that. He was begging me. I didn't want to, but i said he could come. And then his mom said she had something planned, and I was relieved he wasn't coming, so I wouldn't have to see you like this. . .and then he just showed up. And . . . I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It's not your fault Justin's such an ass hole. Why does he have to be like this? Why did he leave me when I told him? Noah needs a father, Joey."
Joey looked down at her, into her eyes. There was so much emotion in her sparkling green eyes. Fear, pain, confusion. . . love. Love? It dawned on him then. After all this, Danielle was still in love with Justin. Justin didn't deserve her. I deserve her. I would never have put her through all this.
"Maybe. . . maybe you should talk to him." he regretted his words, but they had to be said. "There might still be a chance you can work things out."
Danielle shook her head. "I don't think so. He hurt me so much. I don't know if I could ever trust him again."
"He doesn't deserve you."
"Why didn't he believe me?" she whispered, resting her head back on Joey's shoulder.
"Because he's an idiot. It's so obvious Noah's his. And it's not like you would ever lie about something like this. . . "
"I missed you, Joey. You always know what to say. Your my best friend. I love you."
"I love you, too." Just not the way you think.
"Thank you."
"Your welcome."
They wrapped their arms around eachother in a tight hug.
Joey's heart burned to with the desire to kiss her. But he couldn't. Not after all the years of friendship they'd endured. Not after all the pain she had been through in the past year. He couldn't ruin it all.
But, still, he had the incredible urge to make everything all better, like when they were little. But they weren't little anymore. They were adults now, and unfortunately, life just wasn't that easy.