Talk to Me
| Breathe AT EVELYNN AND KRISTYNE’S HOUSE “So, you’re going out with him again? This makes it what? The 6th date?” Evie questioned her friend teasingly. “It’s not really a date. He is picking me up after my shift gets off and we are going out for dessert. You know, to the same place we went the first time he took me to dinner. Nothing really.” Kris was not entirely comfortable with the idea of dating, so she kept convincing herself that they weren’t really. “Yeah, yeah. Say what you want, but I know you like him.” “Evie, it’s not like that. I told you. I’m not ready for that yet. I don’t know if I’ll ever be. He is on vacation right now. I am sure I am just a distraction for him until they start recording. Then he’ll forget all about me. That’s the way it should be. I’m no good for him anyway.” “I wish you would stop putting yourself down like that. Have you even told him...” “NO! Absolutely not. The last thing I want to see is the look of disgust in his eyes, or worse still, pity.” “Kris, maybe if you let him...” “Evie, I said I don’t want to. More importantly, I’m not ready to. Ok? Please, I don’t need to be upset going to work, can we just drop it?” **sigh** “Yeah, sure. I’ll see you when you get home.” AT NICK’S HOUSE “No, I can’t tonight, AJ. I have to be back in Tampa by 8 o’clock.” “Why so early?” “Why? Because I’m picking Kris up after work to go for dessert.” “Again? This makes it what, the 6th date? You gettin’ serious with the paramedic?” “So what if I am. She seems like a nice enough girl. What she’ll let me know of her.” “What’s that supposed to mean.” “Well, she just...it’s just...it’s just that she has like these walls around her and she won’t let anyone in. Every time I try to talk about it she gets upset and changes the subject.” “Nick, you can’t push. You of all people should know how hard it is for some people to completely trust and open up to others.” “Yeah, I know. I just have this feeling about her, you know.” Nick did know about trust issues, but he was also one to be somewhat impatient when it came to things. “Give her time. When she’s ready, she’ll tell you whatever it is that’s bothering her. Just give her time.” “Thanks man. Have fun and be careful out there. I’ll talk with ya later.” “Later.” AFTER WORK Fran was completely thrilled to have a visit from Nick again in such a short period of time. After seating them she brought them out this huge brownie covered with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream and nuts with 2 spoons. Nick and Kris laughed at her effort to make the meeting ‘romantic’. Even with the both of them eating the huge mountain of a dessert there was still quite a bit left over that they just couldn’t finish. After finishing their drink and saying their good-byes to Fran, who insisted they come back again, Kris agreed to a walk along the boardwalk. She was smiling, starting to relax and unwind from work, and just having a really good time. Nick decided to press his luck. “Why were you so upset, that night on the beach?” Kris just stopped, completely froze. That was one question she definitely wasn’t expecting. When she didn’t answer Nick continued, “You just seemed so lost, almost hopeless. I don’t know you very well, but you seem like such a fighter. I just don’t understand.” “That’s just it, Nick. I was tired of fighting.” God, she really didn’t want to talk about this. Couldn’t he just leave well enough alone! “Fighting what? What happened that drove you to the ends of the earth that night?” He remembered thinking that same thing that night on the beach. “And what did any of that have to do with the car accident the other night?” “Nick...” “I’m not trying to be nosey. Well, ok, maybe I am. But, you just keep so much bottled inside. Even when you are laughing and having a good time I can see that you are not completely relaxed. Is it me? Do I make you nervous?” He couldn’t help but push. He really was interested in her, but she had this wall around her that he couldn’t get past and it was driving him crazy. “No, it’s not you. Please believe me when I say that. God, leave it to a man to think the world centered around him. But please, don’t push. I can’t...” “Can’t what? Talk about it. Kris, sometimes the best thing you can do is talk about those things that hurt you. Get them out in the open. Then they can’t hurt you anymore.” “You don’t know that. And, you, you don’t know what can and can’t hurt me, or else you wouldn’t keep asking about it. Why can’t you just let it go? Can you tell me that? Can you tell me why every time we are having a good time you bring this up? Can you tell me why you are pushing the issue so hard? I mean, we’ve been out 6 times, hardly a commitment here. So, you tell me? No never mind, I don’t want you to tell me anything else tonight. Just take me home.” She had started to cry and was even more upset that such a happy evening had been ruined. “Kris, I’m sorry, listen” Nick began but was cut off. “No, I don’t want to listen any more. I just want to go home. Can you do that? Can you do that for me? Please? If not I’ll catch a cab or something.” Kris began to walk back towards the restaurant to use the phone. “I’ll take you home. I’m sorry I upset you. I just wanted you to open up to me; to trust me. You know, I thought maybe we had something special here. I want to help you with this, but I guess that is too much to ask! If you’d rather remain independent and alone, that’s fine by me!” Nick felt she was blowing this way out of proportion and it really made him mad. Well two could do that.
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