�Are you being sarcastic?� Howard asked looking at her.
�Duh.�
�Well I don�t like it.�
�Nickolas did.�
�I�m not Nickolas.�
She looked at him and under her breath said, �No you�re not and you never will be.� She sighed. �I think Nick�s lateness was more romantic than this. At least he came up with a pretty damn good excuse for it.�
�Trust me, Sunn, when I�m finished it�ll be very romantic.�
�I�m hoping. Just what do you have planned anyway?�
�It�s a surprise. You�ll find out.�
�You�re full of surprises.� She noticed a small box on the night stand beside the bed. �Will you give me a hint?� She continued looking at the box debating whether to pick it up or not.
�I�ll give ya three just because I�m such a sweet guy.�
�Well, what are they?� She looked at him.
�Stars, music, and dancing.�
�Stars, music, and dancing; that can be a hundred things.�
�Good; I made it tough.�
Sunshine sat there a moment thinking, but her mind went back to the little box. She put her eyes back on the box and thought a few seconds then picked it up saying, �Howie, what�s this?�
Howard looked at her, as she began to open the box and said, �No, don�t open�� But it was too late; Sunshine already had opened the box and was staring at the contents inside. Howard stuck the shirt he was holding back in the closet and sat beside Sunshine on the bed. �I got it for you.�
�Howie, is this�� She couldn�t finish and Howard took a deep breath.
He knew exactly what she was going to ask and he replied, �No, it�s not an engagement ring. I didn�t give it to ya, because I knew exactly what you were going to think.�
�It�s very beautiful.� She continued looking at it. The ring was made of 24 karat gold with a small diamond dolphin. Sunshine just sat there for the next minute not saying a word then she asked, �When did you get this?�
�In February when we visited Paris. I remembered how much you loved dolphins and when I saw it, it reminded me of how beautiful you are and I had to get it for ya.�
�Why didn�t you give it to me?� She looked at him.
�Because I wasn�t sure how�d you react. I thought you�d think I was asking you to marry me, get scared, and then leave me.�
�You were probably right, but I�m not going to�I don�t think so.�
�I was going to give it to you on Valentine�s Day, but decided to take it back.�
�But you didn�t.�
�I didn�t want anyone else to have it.�
�That�s really sweet.� They sat there momentarily in silence just looking at the ring. Sunshine thought about Nickolas then said, �It�s a nice ring and all, but I can�t take it.�
�Why not?�
�Because I can�t.� He looked at her. �There�s so many reason�s why I can�t. Taking that ring will just make me more confused and I don�t want that. I don�t need that.�
�I�m not understanding.�
�You wouldn�t, Howie. I don�t think I understand myself half the time. All I know is that I can�t take that ring or any expensive gift that you give me.� He just looked at her. �I�m telling you the same thing I told Nick; I don�t need any of that stuff. I�m not with you, because of the nice things you can buy me. If I just wanted that I could go after someone else that�s loaded instead of nice sweet boys like you BSB are. I just don�t need it. It�s nice, but I don�t need it. I�m not saying I don�t ever want it, but I don�t want it right now.�
�Alright.� She handed Howard the box and they just sat there a few moments. �Maybe you should go get ready.�
�What should I wear?�
�Something nice sexy�the usual.�
�I know the perfect thing.� She gave Howard a quick kiss and got up. �You�ll love it.�
�I love anything you wear.� She smiled and walked from the room.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Nickolas sat alone in his parlor with a bottle of Jack Daniels in one hand and staring at a picture in the other. It was a picture he kept framed and sitting on his mantle. The picture was a picture Alexander took and gave to him. It was a picture of Sunshine and Nickolas together when they first met in October. Alexander got two copies made and had them enlarged to 8x10�s and gave one to both Nickolas and Sunshine.
Nickolas got up off the sofa and walked over to the fireplace. He set the picture back on the mantle and walked out of the parlor. He opened the patio doors and stepped outside, as his dogs ran out. He just looked out to the ocean thinking. He walked down the patio steps and went down to the beach; still clutching the Jack bottle in his hand.
He sat in the sand and started to reminisce about the good times he and Sunshine shared. He remembered mostly all the times they sat at the same spot just watching the water and the sunsets. He knew how much it meant to Sunshine and he didn�t care. She just wanted them to be together and that�s all he wanted too.
He remembered all the way up to the night, he thinks, he lost Sunshine�s trust in him. That was the day before she left him go. He remembered it like it was just yesterday. He remembers how she got up crying, said she was sorry, and walked away from him. He was the sorry one though. He knew she wasn�t ready, but he left it go as far as it did. If it wasn�t for Sunshine�s strength and courage they would�ve had sex that night on that same beach. That was a night he didn�t want to remember, but it always came back to haunt him like a bad dream.
He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a necklace. The necklace was gold with a heart pendant made of diamonds and �I love you� on the inside. It was a necklace Sunshine picked out and just had to have. Although she said she didn�t need it. They left the store and then Nickolas went back and got it.
Nickolas was going to give it to her on Valentine�s Day, but never had the chance. She was with Howard and he couldn�t change her mind. He didn�t understand why though. They both wanted each other, but she wouldn�t take that step that needed to be taken. He folded his hand over the necklace and looked out to the ocean, as the sun set, with a lonely tear going down his cheek and took a long drink from the bottle.
CHAPTER 44
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