JC's words clicked in her head again. He hadn't spoken the words to her, but she had heard him talking to Chris just before leaving for Europe three weeks ago.

Jordan is just going to hurt her. Why can't she see that I love her? I'm so sick and tired of watching guy after guy try to take my place. And they all end up hurting her. Why can't she open her eyes and see that I'm the only one that can love her right?

Her best friend was in love with her. And until tonight she hadn't known she felt the same.


Paige made it back downstairs after changing. She had just returned from a JIVE party. JC had invited her before he had left and she had promised to make an appearance. She did and was alarmed tonight to find him arm in arm with some blonde who had later been introduced as Holly, his new girlfriend.

It was after midnight now but Paige knew that she wouldn't be sleeping tonight. Her break up with Jordan Roberts, a producer with JIVE had happened a week ago when she discovered his affair with a fellow employee. She and Jordan had only been dating four months, but that didn't keep it from hurting when she found out the truth. Thank God her feelings for Jordan hadn't turned into anything close to love.


There standing at the bottom of the stairs was JC. This was one time she wished she had never given him a key to her place.

"What are you doing here?" Paige asked.

He was still dressed up in his black suit. His face was blank. It was hard to know what he was thinking at that moment.

JC slipped out of his jacket and slung it over the railing. "I came here to see you," he said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"You saw me already tonight," she pointed out.

"Not alone." JC followed her into the living room. "And besides, you left before I could talk to you."

It was beginning to snow outside. Paige turned on the fireplace to warm up the house because it was getting cold and it gave her something to do other than look at JC and feel stupid for realizing her feelings too late.

"Holly seems nice," she said finally looking at him. "You two look cute together."

"I can't believe you still have this." Ignoring her question, JC walked over to the mantel where the teddy bear he had given her for Christmas last year was sitting.

He remembered trying to figure out what to buy her last year. He had just realized his true feelings for her and he wanted to give her something that showed her just how much he cared about her. He had wanted her to see how much she meant to him and how much more he wanted than just friendship from her. All he had receieved from her was a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Though he had never spoken the words outloud, he still thought she should have known how he felt. It was evident to everyone else, but why not her?

When he picked up the stuffed animal with a small heart on the furry chest that he had given her, Paige snatched it from his hands and held it against her chest.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded.

"Tell you what?" JC frowned when she took the bear away.

"About Holly."

"Oh," he said. "I didn't want to bother you with it. I had just found out about you and Jordan when I started seeing her. I didn't want to upset you."

Well it did upset her. It upset her when finally she had the chance to tell JC how she felt, he had gone and found himself a new girlfriend. She had lost her chance and she only had herself to blame.

"Jordan and I weren't really that close," Paige said. "And I would have liked to know what's been going on in my best friend's life."

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I should have told you. Would it help if I tell you now?"

"I already know about you and Holly," she reminded him. "Joey told me the whole story about how you guys met in Europe. She's moving here to be with you."

"Did you love Jordan?" JC asked.

"No," she answered honestly. She would not tell him what she had heard him tell Chris last month on the balcony of his mansion. She would not ruin his happiness with Holly. "I cared about him, but I didn't love him. He was more of a friend than a boyfriend."

"Why did it take you so long to see what a jerk that guy is?" JC shouted. He shifted his eyes from the mantel back to her eyes. "You always let yourself get hurt so easily. Somewhere out there is a guy who is right for you. But you keep picking the wrong ones."

Paige didn't miss how his eyes were burning into hers. He was coming closer to her. He looked angry, but it wasn't towards her. All of the frusturations of the last few months were finally showing themselves. The months of pretending he felt nothing for her but friendship was catching up with him quickly. He tried to move afraid that he would hurt her. JC grasped onto her shoulders, and instead of pulling at her hard to make her see, he hugged her instead.

"Everything okay?" she asked quietly.

"Can't I hug my best friend?" JC pulled her tighter against him. "I've missed you," he sighed into her hair.


"Me too."

Her fingers ran through his hair as they just stood there holding each other. JC gripped her shoulders tightly and pushed himself away from her.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I can't be that close to you without wanting..." He shook his head, reminding himself over and over that he had promised himself he would never share those feelings outloud again to anyone.

Paige smiled. "Without wanting what?" Was he going to confess his love for her? Or had that love he thought he felt faded in time?

JC raked his hands through his hair. "Nothing. Nevermind. Disregard what I just said."

Paige took a deep breath. "Are you still in love with me?"


That wasn't what he was expecting to ever come out of her mouth. JC was so surprised that when he turned to face her again, he almost knocked over the lamp beside the couch. "What did you say?" he whispered. "Did you just say what I think you said?"

"I asked you if you were still in love with me," she repeated. "Are you?"

JC gaped at her. "How did you---"

"I heard you talking to Chris," Paige explained. "Before you went off to Europe."

JC knew what she was talking about because Chris reminded him of it every night throughout the tour.

"Call her man," Chris would say. "Remember what you said to me? Do you really want her to get hurt again? If you love her, tell her."

"Are you in love with me?" JC asked. If she didn't love him, then what would be the point of admitting he still felt the same way about her as before?

Paige smiled a little. "Always."

"You never said..."

"You never asked."

"You asked for time," JC said. "We never even talked on the phone while I was away. You said you needed space from everyone. If you knew how I felt about you, why didn't you tell me?"

"I was so confused," Paige admitted. "I was in a relationship with Jordan, but I knew it wouldn't last. I was afraid to tell you how I felt because I've been hurt so many times that I thought you would hurt me too."

"I would never hurt you," he said softly.

Paige shook her head. She had to get away from him. He was too close. She walked to the window and she could see the snowflakes falling on the ground. "You're with Holly now. It doesn't matter anymore."

"I'll end it," he said quickly. "I can't be with her when I know that we belong together. I've always known that, I just had to wait for you to see it."

"I don't know if I can be with you now."

"Just say when, and I'll be there." The words spoken to her from him so many times now had new meanings. "I'll wait for you forever," JC said. "I"m not giving up on you. Ever." He joined her at the window, and brought his arms around her waist.

She wanted nothing more than to just melt into his touch. But now there were other people's feelings to take into consideration.

"I was just wish her because I didn't think I had a chance with you," he explained. "Now that I know how you feel, I'm going to end it with her. No matter what happens between you and I, I can't be with Holly. Besides, she knows about you."

"What does she know about me?"

"That I'm in love with you. We're just pretending to be dating to keep everyone off my back," JC said. "She's just with me to get back at her ex boyfriend. We don't have any feelings for each other."

"Say when?" she said softly.

He nodded. "Say when."

"Now." Paige turned in his arms. "I love you," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

JC smiled. "Me too."


"Are you going to kiss me soon?"

He smiled again. "Say when."

"Now." Paige crashed her lips on his before he could utter a response or think of some smart ass comment she knew he would say.

"Took you long enough," he said much later as they cuddled on the couch as they used to do. But this time underneath the covers they held hands and every so often shared a kiss.

Paige never hurt again.

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