"What?" she croaked.
Lance stepped closer to her and Vanessa realized if he came any closer, their noses would be touching. All the emotions that Vanessa had been experiencing ever since she was reunited with Lance bundled up into one, tiny package. There was of course, fear; fear that he would laugh and quickly add in the "just kidding." Then there was hope, hope that the words he had proclaimed were not counterfeit.
It was as thought she were sitting the first car of the highest rollercoaster in America, on top of the hill and gazing down at the deathly plunge below. Despite the fact her mind was whirling like a tornado with thoughts and emotions, her whole body had suddenly become as stiff as a board, frozen and glued to her spot.
Vanessa stared into the depths of his eyes, trying to uncover any unspoken words that revealed it was all one, big joke. But to her surprise, there were none.
"Are you drunk?" she softly demanded. Lance gave a pensive laugh and placed his forehead on hers. Vanessa closed her eyes and gulped back the forming, scratchy lump in her throat.
"Vanessa, the only thing that could make me drunk right now is you."
"What do you mean?" she quietly asked, eyes still closed. She was aware of his arms wrapping around her waist.
[Oh God, if this is a dream, please don't let me wake up...], she thought.
"I can't lie, ever since you showed up, I've been confused. I thought Bridget was the one, the girl I was destined to be with forever. But there's something about you that just makes me crumble to pieces; it's something Bridget can and probably could never make me feel," he confessed.
For reasons unknown to her, Vanessa began to silently cry. Tear after tear followed, rolling like miniature waterfalls down her cheeks. Having Lance stand so close to her was choking her, overwhelming her. Having his arms around her waist, his face near to hers, well it was likely it would cause her to do something stupid, like kiss him.
"Lance-" she began. He couldn't mean any of it, could her? Bridget was the girl he desired, not her!
But she was silenced by his lips on hers. Vanessa felt as though she were on an adrenaline rush; soaring over all the clouds and every mountain. He and his kiss were her drug; without it she was cripple and helpless as a newborn baby. When she was with it, it was the sweetest feeling of overwhelming ecstasy, more delectable than the Greek God's ambrosia and more powerful than all the strength of every person in the entire universe.
There wasn't enough letters in the alphabet to accurately describe the emotions flowing through either of their veins. Without a word, they fell back onto the bed, drowning in each other's kisses. Lance pulled his shirt over his head; Vanessa in a dreamy haze. She gazed at him.
[Are you sure you want to do this?] He nodded and they continued on, she lost in the moment with the man she loved.
*~*~*~*
He had awoken before her and had spent the time staring at her, drinking in what had happened last night. He still couldn't believe that he had made love to his best friend. Vanessa shivered a little and Lance pulled the blankets tighter, that covered both their bare bodies. They were alone, Lance and Vanessa, (Justin had never returned to his room that night or this morning) and this gave Lance a sudden insight on the new light Vanessa shone in. She suddenly wasn't just the girl next door or even just his best friend. Vanessa was something more, something that placed her on a higher pedestal than Bridget. Though this should have shocked him, for Bridget was the girl he was supposed to marry in less than five months, it made him smile.
If he had been given the opportunity to go back and change last night, he would have passed. He gazed longingly at her again.
She looked so beautiful, bathed in the sun's golden rays, her caramel skin free of makeup. It was a beauty that he had been blind to see before but a beauty that made her furiously glow from inside to outside.
The sound his cell phone scattered his thoughts.
Lance quickly reached over Vanessa and snatched the cell phone, hoping it wouldn't awake her.
"Hello?" he quietly asked. The caller was silent for a moment with the exception of his/her quick, ragged breaths, as though he/she had run a marathon.
"L-L-Lance?" the female voice quivered. Lance furrowed his brow. Why was she calling so early?
"Bridget? What's wrong?" he demanded, sitting upright.
"I-I..I just found out last night, a few hours after you left," she began, on the verge of tears.
"Found out what?" he hissed. He glanced over at Vanessa, who had mumbled some incoherent jargon and turned on her side, away from Lance.
"I-......I-....I have cancer."
*~*~*~*
Lance tried to regain his usual, easygoing manner but it was no use. The couple had decided to go out for breakfast and the car ride back to the hotel was of strained silence. Lance was redundantly thinking about his phone conversation with Bridget and Vanessa was beginning to believe Lance's muteness was due to the fact that he was regretting last night.
"Lance, what's wrong?" Vanessa finally demanded. Lance kept his eyes on the road.
"Nothing. Why?"
Vanessa let out a sarcastic laugh.
"Yeah, sure. But you haven't said more than three words since this morning. Something's wrong, I can tell," Vanessa assured.
Lance frowned.
"Nothing's wrong, ok? I've just been thinking about something", Lance quickly snapped.
[ "Lance, you know what my last wish is?" Bridget softly asked. Lance gulped; dreading overwhelming him.
"No, what?" She sighed dreamily.
"To marry you."
Lance was silent.
"I don't care if I have to roll down the aisle in a wheel chair and my IV tube trailing behind me. All I care is that I get to say the words "I do" before I pass away. I don't want to die knowing I wasn't Mrs. Lance Bass. I love you, Lance. Marry me before it's too late?" she urged, her voice on the edge of sobs.
Lance didn't know how to respond. What was he supposed to say? Hey, I'm sorry that you have cancer but I cheated on you for my best friend who I'm also falling head over heels in love with? He made up an excuse of how someone was calling his name and they'd talk later.
A little lame, a little cold but it was all Lance could think of. He quickly turned off the phone and gazed at a sleeping Vanessa. He was supposed to be married to Bridget a few weeks after the tour ended. Yet before he had found out Bridget's confession, it seemed like that day would never arrive. But now......
(Holy shit. What in the hell am I going to do?)
And that's when Lance knew he was in over his pretty, little blond head.]
Vanesa sighed and gazed out the passenger window, her eyes doleful.
"Could your thoughts involve last night? Are you regretting everything you said? That's it, isn't it? Thinking about the easiest way to let me down?" she bitterly questioned.
Lance pulled into an empty parking space, having finally arrived at the hotel. Unhooking his seat belt, he turned to her. He gave her a light kiss on the lips, pulled back slightly and wearily replied:
"Look, everything I said last night, I mean. I don't take anything back. It's just..."
"Bridget, isn't it?" Vanessa answered. Lance nodded.
"Yeah....but it's more complicated than what you're thinking", he vaugely replied.
"How complicated can it be? Just call her up and tell her it's over. I'm sure she'll find another victim with any trouble," she sardonically suggested, half serious.
Lance laughed, a hollow laugh, void of rapture. He leaned forward again and kissed her forehead.
"If only it were that easy."
*~*~*~*~*
To: Nobodeespecial1233
From: [email protected]
Subject: The Plan
Omg! You're such a genius! He totally bought everything and thanks to those four weeks of acting class, he believed the tears I added too. I had a feeling he was starting to slip from my grasp but when I saw him making out with Vanessa, at the club, my feelings were confirmed. I mean, really? What the hell does he see in her? She's so short she makes the Kibbler Elves look like Michael Jordan. But anyway, the whole "I have cancer" thing was a complete success. He didn't question anything, just was dumbstruck with shock. I guess all that bleach went through his head and killed any of the worthy brain cells the blondie had left! LOL.
After I marry him, I'll clean out his bank account as planned and then take off. He'll never know what hit him. And then, finally, we will be together. Can you picture it? Us together, somewhere exotic and romantic, like Paris. I'm sitting across from you at a quaint restaurant, wearing an absolutely fabulous red dress and you're holding my hands, a soft glow on your face from the single candle on the table.
I wish you were with me now. :(
But the circumstances are as follows; I'll just have to deal with it.
Gotta run, WBASAP.
LyL
Bridget
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