Brian drove down to Apollo Beach from Orlando to see Nickolas. No one had seen him for almost a week and they didn�t know what was wrong. Sunshine didn�t even know that Nickolas had visited her in the night. When no one answered Nickolas� front door, Brian walked to the back and found Nickolas sitting on the beach. He slowly and quietly walked towards Nickolas, wondering what was wrong.
Brian stood beside him and asked, �May I sit?� Nickolas looked up at him. �Or are you going to tell me to get lost?�
�Do what you want,� Nickolas replied looking back out to the ocean, as Brian sat down.
�Ya know, Nick, there�s no need for you to hide out here. A lot of people miss you back in Orlando and are worried about you.� Nickolas stayed silent. �Especially Sunshine. She wants to see you, but is afraid to come, because she doesn�t know what she did.� Nickolas still didn�t say anything. �You need to talk to her and not keep lying to her. She thinks you never loved her.�
�She never loved me, Brian.�
�What are you talking about?� Nickolas kept quiet. �So you�re going to treat me the way you�re treating Sunn; not giving a reason. Well, I�m not leaving until I get a reason.� Nickolas got up and walked away. �Damn it, Nickolas.� Brian got up and went after him. Nickolas stopped by the water and Brian said, �I�m your best friend; talk to me.�
�There�s nothing to say.�
�Why not?�
�Because there ain�t. It�s definitely over between me and Sunnie.�
�Why? You guys are so in love.�
�No; I�m so in love, Sunnie never was.�
�I don�t believe that. Not even for a second.�
�She took my love for granted and slept with Fischetti. And I�m not talking about just falling asleep while watching a movie.�
�What? I�m not understanding.�
�You wouldn�t.� He wiped away a tear before Brian could see it. �Nothing she says will ever change what she�s done.�
�Can you honestly tell me you believe she�d betray you like that?�
�I don�t know what to believe, because I don�t know what her and Brad did and do when they�re together.�
�Who told you this?�
�A friend.� He wasn�t about to tell Brian that it was Josephine. �They told me they over heard a couple of Brad�s friends talking. They said they heard them say about Sunnie and Brad sleeping together back in April and then in August and just last week.�
�Sunn loves you and would never betray you in anyway.�
�What if it was Danielle?�
�I�d be hurt, but I�d talk to her. You�re holding everything inside. How do you expect to be happy when you won�t clear your conscience with the woman you love?� Nickolas shook his head. �Quit being stubborn. You�ll never know the truth unless you ask.�
�What would I say even if I did?�
�You�ll think of something.�
�I just wish Sunnie never met Brad. Everything would be perfect right now. We�d be planning our wedding and a future together.�
�There�s still time.�
Nickolas looked at him and then Brian walked away. Nickolas looked back at the ocean thinking. After a few minutes, he took his hand out of his pocket and opened it up. He looked at the ring and remembered the night he put it on Sunshine�s finger. She was so happy and then this whole mess started. He put the ring back in his pocket and stood there thinking some more. He had a lot to think about.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
�Sunnie Jo, you can�t keep putting yourself through this,� Danielle stated, as she sat beside Sunshine on the condo balcony.
�Through what, Danielle?� Sunshine wanted to know. �I ain�t putting myself through nothing. Nickolas is.�
�Then go talk to him.�
�He won�t listen and he doesn�t want to talk.�
�So you�d rather sit here in your self pity.�
�It�s better than Nickolas� lying to my face.�
�I thought things went great the other night?�
�Yeah, well ya thought wrong.� She got up and went inside with Danielle behind her.
�What happened?�
�Nothing you or anyone would understand.�
�Try me.�
Sunshine looked at her and said, �He thinks I�m fucking Bradley.� She walked over to the pool table and started putting pictures back in frames that she had lying there for the past several weeks after she trashed the place.
�What? You�re kidding.�
�I wish I was.� She picked up a picture of her and Nickolas on the beach and looked at it. �The night after I seen him on the beach he stopped by here to make things right and he got a phone call. He didn�t tell me what it was about or who it was. He just told me to go find Brad, because he might give me what I want.�
Danielle just looked at her a moment then said, �Are you fucking Brad?�
Sunshine quickly looked at her and said, �No. God no. I love Nickolas. Yes I do love Bradley, but I love Nickolas. My heart belongs to Nickolas. I want Nickolas. I can�t be with anyone in that way unless it�s with Nickolas. How can you even ask me that?�
�I�m sorry. I know how much you love Nick. Did you let Nick know?�
�He doesn�t want to see me or even talk.� Danielle just looked at her and there was a knock at the door.
�I�ll get it.�
�Thanks.�
Sunshine framed more pictures, as Danielle went to answer the door. She stopped what she was doing and stood there staring at the pictures. What was the point of reframing them? It was clear Nickolas didn�t want to get back together so why was she wasting her time. Because she loved him and she believed in them.
�Hey, Sunn,� Aaron said and Sunshine looked. If she didn�t know any better she would have believed he was Nickolas. He was the spitten image of Nickolas except for a few things. �How�s it going?� Sunshine shrugged. �That was stupid.�
�Forget it, Aaron,� Sunshine said. �What brings ya by?�
�I finished mixing your song and decided to drop it off.�
�What song?� Danielle asked.
�Sunn went ahead and recorded a song a couple of weeks ago with my help,� Aaron stated.
�Really?� Danielle said surprised.
�It�s no big deal,� Sunshine said.
�I want to hear it,� Danielle stated. �Is it an original?�
�No,� Sunshine said. �Just a remake. I ran into the guys of Westlife a while back and they heard me singing at a karaoke bar. We got talking and I mentioned how much I love their music and they said that if I ever decide to take up singing I have permission to redo any of their songs.�
�So Sunn decided to redo one of their songs,� Aaron added. �It�s amazing.�
�Let�s hear it,� Danielle said grabbing the CD from Aaron and walking over to the stereo.
�Dani, I don�t think now�s the time,� Sunshine pointed out.
�Why not? You have a great voice.� Danielle stuck the CD in as Sunshine and Aaron looked at each other. Danielle looked at them and smiled, as Sunshine�s voice came from the speakers.
�You said goodbye�I fell apart�I fell from all we had�to I never knew�I needed you so bad�you need to let things go�I know you told me so�I�ve been through hell�to break the spell�why did I ever let you slip away�can�t stand another day without you�without the feeling�I once knew�I cry silently�I cry inside of me�I cry hopelessly��cause I know I�ll never breathe your love again�I cry��cause you�re not here with me�I cry��cause I�m lonely as can be�I cry hopelessly��cause I know I�ll never breathe your love again�� Danielle looked at Sunshine sympathetically, as she looked out the terrace doors while listening to the song.
�If you could see me now�you would know just how�how hard I try�not to wonder why�I wish I could believe in something new�oh please somebody tell me it�s not true�oh boy�I�ll never be over you�why did I ever let you slip away�can�t stand another day without you�without the feeling�I once knew�I cry silently�I cry inside of me�I cry hopelessly��cause I know I�ll never breathe your love again�I cry��cause you�re not here with me��cause I�m lonely as can be�I cry hopelessly��cause I know I�ll never breathe your love again�� Danielle listened to this song the other day and she never realized how much meaning it had behind it until now.
�If I could have you back tomorrow�if I could lose the pain and sorrow�I would do just anything�to make you see�you still love me�� Sunshine stood there holding back her tears and she shook her head.
�I cry��cause I know I�ll never breathe your love again�� Sunshine didn�t want to listen to this song. She just wanted to tell Danielle to turn it off, but something was stopping her. But what though? She had the right to tell her to turn it off, but she couldn�t. Perhaps a part of her wanted to hear it.
�I cry silently�I cry inside of me�I cry hopelessly��cause I know I�ll never breathe your love again�I cry��cause you�re not here with me�I cry��cause I�m lonely as can be�I cry hopelessly��cause I know I�ll never breathe your love�I know I�ll never breathe your love again!�
They all stood there after the song was over and Danielle and Aaron looked at Sunshine. They saw her wipe tears away, but neither said anything and Sunshine didn�t turn to look at them. She just continued looking out the doors and Danielle said, �I�m impressed, Sunnie Jo. That was amazing. There was so much passion in it.�
�When Brian breaks your heart then we�ll talk,� Sunshine said. �I don�t want to talk about it.�
�I understand.�
�No you don�t. None of you do.�
Aaron and Danielle watched Sunshine, as she ran back the hall then a few seconds later they heard her door shut. Danielle took the CD from the stereo and set it on the pool table with the pictures then looked at Aaron.
�We should send that to your brother,� Danielle stated.
�I already did,� Aaron pointed out. �Maybe it�ll help him get that stick out of his ass.�
�Maybe.� They stayed silent a moment. �It�s obvious Sunnie Jo wants to be left alone so maybe we should get out of here and leave her be.�
�Sounds good. I�ll walk ya down.�
�Thank you.� Danielle grabbed her purse and she and Aaron left the condo.
CHAPTER 24
HOME