I sat up with a start and looked around the room. I was still in the guestroom that Brian was letting me stay in. I looked down and let out a soft sigh when I realized that I was still in my PJ's.

"Man that was some dream," I said as I touched my lips softly remembering the feeling that Nick had caused them in my dream. I looked at the bedside clock and sighed, it only read 2 in the morning.

"I guess I must have fallen asleep during my pep talk," I said to myself while climbing off the top of the bed. After a kiss like that I needed a drink of something, even if it was just a dream, though the thought of what it would really be like to kiss him wasn't leaving my train of thought any time soon.

I quietly made my way down the stairs and into the kitchen. I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and sat down at the table that looked out to the back yard. Snow was falling and I just let myself get lost in thought while watching it.

"Dang girl, what happened to you?" a hushed voice asked pulling me out of what I was thinking.

I turned around to see who was talking to me. I watched as Liz made her way to the fridge grabbing a bottle of water. She sat down across from me and I let out a soft sigh.

"Well...I'm waiting."

"I just woke up from a dream..."

"A bad one?" she asked.

"Not really, more of a wishful one."

"Do tell," she said with a smirk on her face.

I looked at her and rolled my eyes, "Ok but this stays between us."

"Doesn't it always Michelle?"

"Yeah but this needs to even more than the other stuff."

"Ok, ok. You have my word now spill already."

"I had a dream with Nick in it."

"Ewwww... I want details," she said resting her head in her hands.

"Well it started with me getting dressed and walking to a lake on the property here."

"But there's no lake..."

"I know that silly, anyways the mood was so romantic. The stars and moon were shining and the snow was falling lightly, Liz it was so breathtakingly beautiful. Well when I got to where the lake was Nick was there. Well I joined him and the next thing I knew we were cuddling and he kissed me."

"But you're with Ben."

"I know that's the weird part. Liz this kiss, it wasn't a normal kiss. It was one of those searing ones you only have with your soul mate. The kind that sends a burning sensation right through your soul and you know right then that that is the person you're to spend the rest of your life with."

"Dang Michelle..." Liz said letting her sentence fade out.

"It felt so real," I said with a sigh, "It's kinda depressing that it wasn't."

"You never know, maybe one day you'll get to kiss Nick and find out if that's how his kisses really will affect you," she said standing. "Look I'm heading back to bed, we've got a busy day tomorrow."

I nodded and stood throwing my empty bottle a way, "Yeah I know. Goodnight," I said heading back up to my room.

No sooner had my head hit my pillow I was out again.

 

* * * *
 

~ Thanksgiving ~

"So there you were sitting on the beach and Michelle walked up?"

"Yeah, and the next thing I knew we were cuddling and I kissed her."

"You kissed her?"

"YES AJ! I KISSED HER!"

I watched as AJ laughed and I pegged him with the basketball. "Stop laughing this isn't funny. I woke up at 2 in the morning because of it."

"Man must have been some kiss," Kevin said.

I groaned, "Look are you guys gonna help me figure this out or what?"

"It's simple Nick," AJ said as he made a basket, "You have it bad for her and its just carrying over into your dreams."

"AJ this wasn't a normal dream."

"It wasn't?"

I looked at Kevin and shook my head as I shot the basketball, completely missing but I didn't care. "No, the kiss felt so real. It was the kind that you know you'll only have with the person you're going to spend the rest of your life with."

"And you were at the beach?"

"YES AJ! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU I WAS AT THE FUCKING BEACH!?"

"What was the setting like?"

"The moon was out and the stars were shining, there was a light breeze, very peaceful and beautiful," I said answering Kevin beings he seemed to be the only one out of him and AJ who was actually trying to help.

"Maybe you should recreate that environment, get Michelle there and see what happens," AJ said with a smirk.

"AJ!" both Kevin and I yelled at the same time.

"What!? I was just trying to help!"

I rolled my eyes and looked at Kevin, "So what the hell do you think it meant?"

"Personally Nick, I think you've found who you're supposed to be with, you just have to get her to realize it too now."

"Awwww how romantic!"

"AJ THAT'S IT!" I said chucking the ball at him hitting him square in his back.

"Oh no you didn't!" he said running at me, tackling me into the grass.

"How cute male bonding."

AJ and I stopped our wrestling match short when we heard Liz walk up.

"Hey Liz," I said while sitting on top of AJ so he couldn't move.

"Nice dream," she said smiling, "I heard one that sounded just as similar this morning at about 2 am. I just came out to tell you that Anne needs one of you to run to the store and get some more stuffing."

"Tell mom we'll go," Kevin said.

"Who had the dream this morning?" AJ asked and Liz smiled.

"Thanks Kev, and AJ, I'm not telling." She looked at me and smiled, "I'll see you boys when you get back," she said turning and walking back inside the house.

"That's not fair Liz! How dare you tease us like that!" AJ yelled at her and she just waved her hand and I knew she was laughing.

"Forget it AJ, we'll never know unless the owner actually tells us?"

"Tells you what Nick?"

I spun around after helping AJ up to see Michelle standing in front of me with her Discman in hand.

"Nothing," I said with a shy smile.

"Oh, could you do me a favor?"

"Sure," I said looking at her.

"Anne said that she was sending you guys to the store and I was wondering if you could get me a few things."

"Of course he will," AJ chimed in earning not only a dirty look from me but from Michelle too.

"Here," she said handing me a list, "It's just pie ingredients."

"Ok," I said my eyes never leaving hers.

"Come on you two let's get and get back," Kevin said.

"Ok," AJ said pushing me away from Michelle, "Good bye Michelle, see you in a few."

She smiled and waved, "Thanks guys!" she called out before bounding back up into the house and out of my sight.

"AJ you are so dead," I said through clenched teeth as I climbed into the car.

"You're just mad cuz we all know you have it bad for her."

"What ever," I mumbled as I stared at the list of stuff Michelle had given me to get.


 

* * * *
 

"That looks good Michelle," Nick said as I pulled my last pie out of the oven.

"Thanks," I said as I sat it on the counter to cool off.

The girls divided up who was going to cook what and I jumped at the pies, not only because they were the easiest to do but also cuz they were the only things I could cook. Nick came back from the store and really didn't leave my side. I didn't mind but I couldn't help but wonder why, that was until I overheard something AJ had said and pegged him with an egg right in front of the guys and their parents.

"Pass me that," I said pointing to a knife that I was using to test the pies with.

"Sure," he said as he passed it to me.

His hand brushed mine and I looked at him and smiled. I didn't even realize that Ben had walked into the kitchen until I felt his strong grasp on my arm.

"Hello kitten."

I looked at him and smiled, "Hello Ben. I'm glad to see that you made it."

Nick just looked at him and I knew that Nick knew that Ben was hurting me.

Ben leaned down close to my ear and whispered, "Get your things, we're leaving and I suggest you DON'T cause a scene because you don't want your friends here to know what you really are."

I just nodded and when he let my arm go he extended his arm to Nick, "Hi I'm Ben, Michelle's boyfriend."

"Nick," he said taking Ben's hand shaking it.

All I wanted to do was cry, "Honey I suggest you do what I told you," Ben replied through clenched teeth and I just walked up to my room ignoring the questioning look I was receiving from everyone else.

"Why do you do this to me?" I whispered softly as the tears fell as I packed up the few little things that I had taken out of my bags. Ben always did this to me, I'd be with a guy friend having fun and he'd go spastic and I'd always wear the ending mark in the end.

I was walking to the car that Ben was waiting in when I felt someone grab my arm.

"Michelle why are you leaving?"

I looked at Kevin and felt like crying, "Because I have to Kev. I can't stay here."

Kevin looked at Ben and then back at me, "Please don't tell me he has something to do with this. You haven't even eaten yet."

"Kev there is more to me then you'll ever know. Now I have to go. I'll call you later when I get back to New York," I said turning away from him and continuing to the car. I climbed in and waved while Ben sped off.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Ben boomed after we made it back to our New York apartment.

"I was having fun with MY friends. What do you mean what was I thinking?" I said challenging him knowing that that was a bad idea.
I didn't even see his hand coming until it connected with my eye.

"Don't you ever talk back to me again, Michelle."

I just glared at him.

"And I don't want you near those guys, especially the blonde one, what was his name, Nick, again."

I just nodded as he stormed out of the room and into the bedroom. I sighed and collapsed into the couch remembering that I promised to call Kevin but knew I couldn't until Ben fell asleep.


 

* * * *
 

"Are you ok?" I half listened as Kevin talked to Michelle.

I knew that Ben made her leave and I wasn't as stupid as she thought I was. I knew that something wasn't right and I saw the fear in her eyes the moment Ben grabbed her arm when we were in the kitchen. I hated guys like him who made women fear them for no reason. I just wished there was a way to get Michelle out of there but for some reason I knew she thought her life was in danger or she'd have been long gone by now.

"That's good, Yeah he's right here, ok hold on," Kev said as he looked at me, "She wants to talk to you."

I took the phone from Kev and stepped outside to get away from all the noise from inside the house.

"Hey," I said with a soft sigh.

"Nick I'm sorry. I didn't want you to see what you did. Ben isn't the greatest of guys."

"I see that," I said. "Did he hurt you?"

"Yes and no. I'll live. He just bruised my arm when he grabbed me."

My heart sank a little because I knew she was lying to me. I could hear it in her voice whether she knew it or not. I just let it go though because I knew that eventually she'd tell me everything and until that day I'd just have to live with her trying to hide certain stuff.

"I'm glad he didn't do anything else. He looked really mad."

She giggled and that made me smile, "He doesn't really like you."

"I bet."

"Yeah, though I don't know why, I like you."

My heart skipped a beat though I didn't know how I was to fully take that.

"Thanks, I like you too," I said knowing exactly how I meant that but wondering how she meant it.

"I know. Hey I better go though before Ben realizes I'm on the phone with you. I'll call you later on in the week when I'm in LA."

"Sounds like a really good plan," I said with a smile.

"Night Nicky."

"Night Shell," I said hanging up after I heard her end go dead.

I just sat outside for what felt like forever wondering what I could do to get Michelle to realize that she should be with me and not Ben.