Sunshine and Danielle were hanging out alone at Kevin�s. They had a few days left until heading back home and they were just watching some television when the phone rang. Sunshine reached over and answered it after the fourth ring.
�Hello,� Sunshine said. �Richardson residents. This is Sunn.�
�Hello, Sunnie, do you like scary movies?�
�Hey, Nick, how�s it going?�
�This ain�t Nick.�
�Then if ya see him tell him he�s a big ole jerk and I never want to see him again.� Danielle laughed. �I�m hanging up now.�
�Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.� She listened. �How�d ya know it was me?�
�Because that�s the tenth time you did that today. Besides, I could never forget your voice.� Danielle rolled her eyes.
�What are you doing?�
�Dani and I are watching a movie. Why?�
�I want us to go to a movie together. I�m sure Dani wouldn�t mind.�
�Sunn, I�m going to go,� Danielle said.
�What?� Sunshine said. �Why?�
�I�m in the mood to shop,� Danielle said. �I�ll see ya later.�
�Alright,� Sunshine said. �Bye.� She watched Danielle walk out. �You got yourself a deal, Carter.�
�Yes!� Nickolas said. �I didn�t even have to beg.�
�Well, Danielle just bailed on me.�
�You poor thing.�
�Don�t get smart.�
�At least I�m here to keep you company.�
�But you�re not here here, ya know.�
�I could be.�
�Yeah.� She smiled. �Are you going to pick me up or should I meet ya?�
�Meet me at the theatre around 6:30/7:00.�
�Alrighty.�
�Bye.�
�Bye.� Sunshine heard a click then hung up herself.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
�Josephine, we need to talk,� Alexander said, as Josephine looked from her magazine.
�What�s on your mind?� Josephine asked.
�Our relationship.�
�That�s what�s on my mind too.� She smiled.
�What�s on my mind is probably not the same thing that�s on yours.�
�What�s wrong?� She was a little worried now. �Is it me?�
�No; you�re wonderful. Actually it�s me.� Josephine just looked at him confused. �I don�t think I�m the one for you. When we first got together I was like �yeah she�s the one for me�, but now I�m not so sure.�
�Does this mean you want to break up?� She tried to hold back her tear and Alexander just looked at her. �Alex, you�re wonderful to me. You treat me with the kind of respect I want to be treated with. Before you all the guys I went out with were total jerks, but you�re nothing like that. You�re so sweet to me and I love you for that.�
�I know. You�re wonderful to me too. It�s just that I don�t deserve you. You�re too good for me. I was thinking that maybe we should just take sometime away from each other and see if we�re actually meant to be.�
�But, Alex�� She didn�t finish as she started to cry.
�Jo, this doesn�t change the way I feel about you. I hope you understand that. You�ll still be the one I dream about at night.�
�Is that the only reason you broke up with me?�
�Yes. Why do you ask?�
�I�m just making sure it�s nothing I did.�
�Of course not.�
�I need to be alone.� She got up and walked away. Alexander waited a few seconds then heard the front door shut.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Sunshine was waiting outside the movie theatre for Nickolas. It was almost a half hour after seven and Nickolas was late once again. Every second that went by Sunshine was losing her patience. She waited for another ten minutes then decided to head back to Kevin�s.
As she was ready to turn the corner Nickolas came around it and they ran into each other. They just stood there looking at each other a moment then Nickolas went to kiss Sunshine. She walked away from him and left him standing there dumbfounded.
He ran after her yelling, �Sunnie, where are you going?�
�As far away from you as I can get,� Sunshine stated not stopping or turning around.
�Will you wait up? What�s wrong?�
�Everything.� She continued walking. �Especially you.�
�What�d I do?�
Sunshine spun around and said, �You�re constantly late. You make plans with me and you�re always late. The first few times were alright, but now it�s gotten to the point where I can�t take it anymore.�
�Is there something I can do to make it up to you?� He smiled. �Perhaps a kiss or something a little more exciting.�
�Nothing�s going to work this time, Nickolas. I�ve wasted hundreds of kisses on you, because I thought I was someone special to you. I was way wrong though.� She started to walk again.
�Sunnie, you are special to me.� He went after her.
�No I�m not.� She stopped again. �If I was you�d never be late. I was so stupid to believe you.�
�I�m late because I want to look good for you.� He took her hands, but she pulled them away.
�Nick, you could wear a sweat suit and I�d still think you looked good. I don�t think that�s the reason you�re late though. I was ready to let everyone know about us, but why should I do it now.�
�What are you saying? You don�t want us to be together anymore.�
�No.� She wiped her eyes. �I think its best we�re not together.�
�You mean at this moment, right?�
�I don�t know. Maybe. Maybe not.�
�I�m sorry.� He wiped the tears from her eyes. �I didn�t mean to upset you.� He kept his hands on her face and went to kiss her, but she backed away.
�It�s too late, Nick.� She walked away.
�Sunnie.� She didn�t stop and he didn�t go after her. He knew not to do anything to upset her more, but just give her space. He stood there a moment longer then walked the opposite way.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
�Kevin, what am I supposed to do?� Josephine asked. �He broke up with me. Breaking my heart and ruining my happy life.�
�The most you can do is give him sometime,� Kevin said. �Maybe he�ll realize he made a mistake by breaking up with you. He knows what a wonderful girl you are.�
�That�s what he said.� She wiped her eyes. �Maybe I was a fool for falling for him.�
�You�re not a fool.� He hugged her. �If anyone�s a fool, it�s Alex for letting you go.�
�How�d you and Sunn stay friends?�
�There was nothing there.�
�Right.�
�Plus we talked about it and understood each other. You and Alex should have a talk and find out the real reason why?�
�Do you think he�ll tell me?�
�Of course he will. He�d never lie to ya.�
�All he said was that he wasn�t the one for me like he thought. And that I�m too good for him and he doesn�t deserve me.�
�Maybe that is the real reason. Just talk to him and see what else he says. If you want I�ll talk to him also and see if he tells me anything.�
�You�d do that for me?�
�Definitely. What are friends for?�
�Oh thank you, Kevin.� She went to give him a hug and kissed him in the process. They just looked at each other and Josephine said. �I didn�t mean that. I�m sorry.�
�That�s alright. I know it was an accident. If you don�t want to go back to Alex�s you can stay in one of the guest rooms.�
�Thank you. I just might take you up on your offer.� They sat in silence for a few minutes then Josephine asked, �When�s Sunn getting back?�
�I�m not sure. She was going to a movie and she wasn�t sure what she was doing after that.�
�Alright.� Kevin got up.
�I�m going to leave ya to your thoughts. I need to call my brother anyway.�
�Ok.� Kevin left the room and she just sat there staring at the fireplace.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Sunshine found herself on Howard�s doorstep after she left Nickolas. She saw the light on in his parlor and waited a moment before ringing the doorbell. She rang twice before Howard opened the door and saw her.
�Sunn, what brings you by?� She just looked at him not saying anything. �Were you crying?� She just put her arms around him and hugged him. He did the same and after he felt the tears on his neck replied, �It�ll be ok. Come inside and tell me what�s wrong.� Howard pulled her inside and closed the door. He led Sunshine to the parlor and they sat on the sofa. �I�ll be right back.� He left for the kitchen and a few seconds later came back with a glass of water and a box of tissues. He sat in front of her on the stand. �What�s wrong?�
�I told him I didn�t want to be with him. He did it so many times and I couldn�t stand it anymore. I lied though. It was easier.�
�Who and what?�
�Nick and him constantly being late.� He gave a little grin glad his planned worked.
�What are you talking about?�
�We�d make plans to be together and Nick would always show up late. He did it again tonight. I told him if I was special to him he wouldn�t be late.�
�What�d he say?� He hoped Nickolas didn�t tell her he went to him for advice.
�He said he wanted to make sure he looked good for me, but he knows he could wear a jogging suit and I�d still think he was cute. So I told him tonight that we shouldn�t be together. Was I wrong?�
Howard just looked at her not knowing what to say. He was afraid he would say the wrong thing and have her walk out on him too. After a moment of contemplating he said, �The only one that was wrong here was Nick. He should�ve never of been late and broke your heart.�
�But I broke his heart. I should be in the wrong also.�
�You had a good reason. How long has this been going on?�
�What?�
�You and Nick seeing each other.�
�Well basically since we met I guess.� Howard just looked at her in shock.
�Who all knows about you and Nick?� He wiped the tears from her eyes.
�Just Kevin, Danielle, and Venus.�
�And now me.� She started crying again and he hugged her. �It�ll be alright. I�ll be here for you.�
�Thank you.� He wiped her eyes again and she looked at him. Sunshine put her hands on Howard�s and stopping him.
�What?�
�Nick just did that to me tonight. He was ready to kiss me, but I backed away from him.�
�Don�t worry; I�m not going to try and kiss you. I just don�t want to see you cry. You�re too wonderful.�
�And you�re too sweet. Thanks for listening. Bradley wasn�t home and I didn�t know where else to go.�
�Thanks for thinking of me.�
�I knew you�d listen and understand, because that�s the kind of guy you are.�
�I try my best.� She just put her face in her hands and started crying more.
Ok this wasn�t part of the plan. It didn�t consist of making Sunshine cry. He just wanted to ruin things between her and Nickolas, but not end up breaking her heart. Maybe it was a bad plan. Perhaps Danielle and Venus were right. He shouldn�t even have thought about ruining Sunshine and Nickolas� relationship. He wanted her though. He was going to have her too. He didn�t care what he had to do. He got them separated and hopefully it stays that way. If it does then he�ll just weasel his way in and that will be that. He smiled and looked at Sunshine.
CHAPTER 33
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