�Destiny, I can�t believe you�re going out with Howie,� Sunshine stated, as she sat at the condo with her and Danielle. �I thought you were so in love with Alex.�
�I am in love with Alex,� Destiny said. �But Howie was so sweet to me and it would�ve been rude if I said �no� to him.�
�Yeah, well, don�t get too attached,� Sunshine warned. �He�ll just end up breaking your heart, because he�ll realize he�s still in love with Josephine.�
�That happened once,� Destiny said.
�Love doesn�t vanish over night,� Sunshine pointed out. �So don�t get too attached unless you want to go through that heartache.�
Destiny looked at her and said, �What I can�t believe is that you asked Nick to marry you.�
�I�m sorry he said no,� Danielle said.
�So am I,� Destiny agreed.
�Don�t be,� Sunshine said. �He�s right, we�re still too young.�
�But you�re heartbroken, aren�t you?� Danielle asked.
�Yes,� Sunshine replied. �Maybe I�m trying too hard to keep him in my life.�
�Don�t be silly,� Danielle said. �You�re just a girl in love.�
�But I can�t say it to his face,� Sunshine said. �Which I don�t understand. I have the guts to ask him to marry me, but I can�t say �I love you� to him. What�s wrong with me?�
�Nothing,� Danielle said. ��I love you� is very meaningful words and a lot of people have trouble saying them.�
�And lucky for me I get to be one of them,� Sunshine said.
�I�m sure he knows you love him,� Destiny said. �Just by the little things you do�like proposing.�
�Can we not talk about me and my so-called love life,� Sunshine begged. �Let�s talk about something else.�
�When�s your new movie coming out?� Destiny asked.
�I think its October,� Sunshine replied. �Did I tell you James Cameron wants me in his new movie?�
�Seriously?� Danielle said.
�Yeah,� Sunshine answered. �But how�s it going with Kevin?�
�Good,� Danielle replied. �He got me this necklace over in Europe. Ain�t it beautiful?�
�Very,� Destiny and Sunshine said in unison, as they looked at the diamond pendant around Danielle�s neck.
�I�m so lucky to have Kevin,� Danielle said. �He�s very sweet.�
�Yes he is,� Sunshine agreed. �But it ain�t fair that I didn�t get any fancy gifts. You get a diamond necklace and Josephine gets a diamond bracelet that she still wears.�
�I didn�t get anything either,� Destiny stated. �Don�t feel bad.�
�Technically, Sunnie Jo, you and Kevin weren�t an item remember?� Danielle said and Sunshine glared at her. �You passed up him to be with Nickolas.� Sunshine grinned. �Plus you got that ring on your finger from Brad.� Sunshine looked at the ring on her hand. �And then there was that dolphin diamond ring that D got you and that probably cost more than my necklace and Jo�s bracelet put together.�
�You have a point,� Sunshine said. �But I don�t have that ring.�
�Why didn�t you take it?� Destiny asked.
�Because it was an engagement ring,� Sunshine pointed out. �Trust me I know what it was although Howie said otherwise.�
�You wouldn�t accept a ring from D, but you can propose to Nick,� Danielle said.
�Because I never wanted to marry Howie,� Sunshine stated. �And I never will marry Howie knowing he�s in love with Josephine. I don�t understand how any of you can go out with him knowing how he hurt me.� Danielle and Destiny just looked at each other, but said nothing and Sunshine shook her head. �Des, did any of your boyfriends get you anything?�
�Brian, got me a pair of diamond earrings,� Destiny replied. �I wear them all the time.�
�Well, maybe if you wear your hair back once in awhile we�d see them,� Sunshine stated.
�Whatever,� Destiny said.
�You�ll get whatever,� Sunshine replied.
�Well, I have to go,� Destiny said. �I have to get to work for a few hours.� She stood up.
�Alright, bye,� Danielle and Sunshine said.
�Plus Howie gave you this condo,� Destiny said walking to the door.
�Ok, I guess I can�t complain then,� Sunshine said, as they laughed and Destiny walked out.
�What are you going to do now?� Danielle asked. �Considering Nick doesn�t want to marry you.�
�I�ll just wait,� Sunshine replied. �That�s the most I can do for him since he waited for me.�
�But you can�t wait forever.�
�I know and I won�t.�
�Sure ya won�t.� Sunshine looked at her. �You�ll wait for him as long as there are stars in the sky. Don�t say you won�t because I know you will.� Sunshine just looked at her. �What is it?�
�Hmm?�
�What�s wrong?�
�I don�t know.� She shrugged. �I was talking to Brad when I got back from Dakota and��
�He wants to get back together?�
�I don�t know.� She sighed. �I mean he didn�t come out and actually say it, ya know.� Danielle nodded and they sat in silence a few minutes watching the TV. �If it doesn�t work out with Nickolas there�s always Bradley.�
�Do you want to be with Brad?� Sunshine shrugged.
�He�s a good guy and I care about him very much, but I��
�You�re not sure.� Sunshine shook her head. �Did you like what you had with Brad when you were together?�
�Yeah; I loved it. And I loved what I had with Nick too.�
�Ya can�t have it or them both.�
�I know.�
�What are you going to do?�
�I don�t know. It�s been months since I talked to B and out of the blue he calls and wants to get together.�
�Was this before or after you proposed to Nick that Brad called?�
�Before.� Danielle raised an eyebrow. �I was thinking about it before I came home from South Dakota and when I got back that�s when I got the message from Brad on the machine.�
�So Brad calling and wanting to get together has nothing to do with the reason you asked Nick to marry you. Does it?�
�Why would it?�
Danielle shrugged and said, �You have a habit of running from something that�s going to turn out good and think that you can find that same goodness in someone else.�
�Nick is a good thing.�
�Is he?�
�Yes.�
�What about Brad Fischetti?� Sunshine just looked at her. �Is he a good thing?�
�I guess so...yeah.�
�Who�s a better thing? Carter or Fischetti?� Sunshine didn�t say anything and got up off the sofa. �Sunshine, you can�t keep running.�
�I�m not running, Dani. I have two guys that want me and I care about them both very much, but I know who I want only I can�t tell him like he told me. He knows that I want him, but it�s not the same. I know he wants to hear me say it, but for some stupid ass reason I can�t.�
�Because you love him too much and you don�t want to risk getting your heartbroken. Believe me I know how it feels. I was there once remember.� Sunshine looked at her, as Danielle joined her at the window. �I know what it�s like to risk it all and just give someone your heart only to have it broken in the end. I don�t want that for my friends, but you love Nick and you should tell him that. Take a chance once in your pathetic miserable life and just do it. He�s not going to be around forever.�
�I know.� She walked out onto the balcony and Danielle joined her. �He told me that night in Europe, when we arrived, that if he died right now just knowing then that would be enough for him. And he said its better knowing than not knowing at all.� Danielle smiled. �He really put his heart out there ya know.�
�He�s in love with you so of course he�s going to put his heart out there and risk it all. That�s what love is all about. If you loved Nick then you would do the same.�
�Maybe I�m afraid of it. Maybe I don�t want that broken heart that comes with it in the end.�
�You already know how he feels so it�s all up to you. If you love him then you�ll tell him. You already slept with him so why is it so hard for you to say �I love you, Nick�?� Sunshine just shrugged and looked down to the beach, as Danielle smiled. �You have a problem with commitment.�
�What? No I don�t.�
�Yes you do. That�s why you won�t tell Nick you�re in love with him.�
�No way. Nuh-uh.�
�Yeah.�
�I was with D for a year so I hardly doubt I have a problem with commitment.�
�Because you weren�t in love with D and he was in love with Josephine so you really didn�t have to commit to anything with him. But with Nick it�s different. He loves you and you love him. By committing to Nick you�re at risk of having your heart broken and that scares you.� Sunshine didn�t say anything knowing she had truth there. �Nick�s not going to break your heart considering he�s in love with you.�
�Doesn�t mean anything, Dan.� She sighed. �I just can�t tell him.�
�So you�re just going to go on with life and not tell Nick you�re in love with him and act like you�re not.�
�I didn�t say that.�
�Then what are you saying, Sunn?�
�I don�t know.� Sunshine looked at her friend. �I�m just not ready to tell him yet.�
�When will you be ready to tell him?� Sunshine just shrugged yet again and Danielle sighed. �I�m not getting anywhere with you so I�m just going to go.� Sunshine nodded. �I�ll see ya later.�
�Later.�
�Bye.� Danielle hugged her and Sunshine returned the hug.
�Bye, D.� Sunshine watched Danielle go back inside and then looked back down to the ocean.
CHAPTER 10
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