�Hey�Howie,� Sunshine said after opening the door at her condo. �Come on in I guess.�
�Thanks,� Howard said walking in and closing the door, as Sunshine walked away. �I�m not interrupting am I?�
�Nope; even if ya were ya wouldn�t care anyway since ya don�t care about me and Nick or even Jo.� He just looked at her and she sighed. �I�m just cleaning up my room.� She walked to the kitchen and Howard followed. �What the hell are you doing here anyway?� She got a bottle of water and basically glared at him.
�One of the tenants was having a plumbing problem so I decided to stop in.�
�Oh.� She sighed and looked at the pictures of her and Nickolas on the refrigerator. �So how�s it going?�
�Alright. I still can�t get Jo to see I honestly want to be with her. She keeps throwing me loving you in my face.�
�She does the same to me when I tell her to give ya another try. She tries to convince herself she doesn�t want to when she does.� She sighed again and continued looking at the pictures.
�Maybe I shouldn�t try and see what happens. Perhaps she�ll come to me.�
�It�s a possibility. She�ll come around.�
�So will Nick.�
Sunshine stayed silent and sat down just as there was a knock. Hoping it was Nickolas she quickly went and answered it only to find Bradley standing there instead. �Hey, Brad.�
�Hey, Baby Doll,� Bradley said walking in and kissing her cheek. �Are you ok?�
�Yeah.� Howard walked from the kitchen and Bradley looked at him.
�Are you sure?� Sunshine nodded.
�I�m going to go,� Howard said, as Josephine walked form the hall only in a towel.
�It�s about time,� Sunshine said. �Now get out.� She grabbed Bradley�s hand and went back the hall herself.
Josephine and Howard just stood there looking at each other a few minutes and Josephine went back to Sunshine�s room, as Howard left. �Sunn, can I borrow that green dress?�
�Which one?� Sunshine asked. �I have like ten.�
�The silky one.�
�Which one? The long strappy one, the short strapless one, the short strappy one, the��
�The short strapless one.�
�Um, no.�
�Why not?�
�Because it�s Nicky�s favorite and no one wears it.� She glared at her and Josephine just looked at her a little scared. �Plus it�s not here anyway.�
�Ok; then the short strappy one.� Sunshine started looking through the clothes on her bed, as Josephine looked at Bradley and said, �How�s it going?�
�Good,� Bradley said. �And you?�
�Alright.�
�Going out?� Sunshine went into her closet.
�Yeah; I�m having dinner with some people from New York. They have a modeling deal for me.�
�Well, good luck.�
�Thank you.�
�I can�t find it,� Sunshine interrupted walking from the closet. �It must be at Nick�s with half my other clothes.�
�Then can I borrow the long strappy one?� Josephine asked and Sunshine threw it at her. �Thanks.�
�Yeah,� Sunshine said, as Josephine left the room. She watched her go in her own room and then said, �She wants my man, my clothes, maybe she wants everything else I have.�
�Excuse me?�
�Nothing. Did she say where she was going? I heard ya talking.�
�She said she�s having dinner with some people from New York about a modeling deal.�
�That�s what she told me too.�
�Why wouldn�t she be going there?�
�No reason. It�s just that�forget it.�
�Because she and Nick kissed?� Sunshine just looked at him surprised. �Kevin said yesterday that you saw them kissing. Do you really think they have something going on?�
�I don�t know what to think. The first time they went out they never said anything.�
�Nick loves you.�
�Does he? If he loved me he wouldn�t be treating me like this.� Neither said anything, as Sunshine continued with the clothes.
�You weren�t going to tell me they kissed. Were you?�
�You have enough dealing with Sunny so why bother you with my problems. Plus I hate mentioning it.�
�I�m going,� Josephine interrupted. �I�ll see ya later.�
�Later,� Sunshine and Bradley said simultaneously and Josephine walked out.
�Did she confess to kissing Nick?� Bradley asked.
�No; I should just beat the crap out of her. It still hurts.� Bradley walked around the bed and stood beside her. �I guess it�ll never be fine.�
Bradley hugged her and said, �Of course it will. Just think positive.�
�I do and I end up getting hurt.�
�Then don�t think about it.� Sunshine just laughed into Bradley�s shoulder. �What�s so funny?�
�Everything.� Bradley tickled her side. �Don�t.� He tickled her again and she tried not to laugh. �I mean it, Brad.� She pushed him away.
�You can�t stay this way the rest of your life.� She turned her back and looked out the window. �You�ll have to laugh sooner or later.�
�I do.�
�When? I never hear you.�
�When I watch TV.�
�Sunn.�
�What?� He stood behind her and put his arms around her.
�Can�t you laugh with us?�
�Yeah and we shouldn�t be like this.� She pushed him away.
�Why?�
�Because we can�t.�
�Are you afraid of what might happen?�
�Don�t start please.� Bradley walked over to her. �My heart and body belong to Nick. I belong to Nick. Nothing that happens will ever change that. No one that I�m with will ever change the fact that I belong with Nick.�
�So you do still have feelings for me.�
�I never said that.�
�Yes you did.�
�No I didn�t. Don�t put words into my mouth. I just said��
�I know what you said. You basically admitted you still have feelings for me.� Sunshine shook her head. �Why don�t you just admit that you do?�
�Because I don�t. I can�t love two people at the same time and I love Nicky.�
�But it�s possible to have feelings for someone else when it�s not love.�
�Maybe so, but I don�t.�
�You don�t what?�
�Have feelings for someone else.� She walked out of her room.
�Like who?�
�Like anyone; Alex, Kevin, Brian, etc.�
�Including me?�
�You�re impossible.� She got a soda from the refrigerator. �Thirsty?�
�Sure.� Sunshine threw the soda at him. �But you don�t have any feelings for me? Except friendship?�
�This conversations done.� She grabbed a bag of chips from the cupboard and left the kitchen with Bradley behind her.
�Not until I get an answer.�
�Bradley, forget it.� She sat on the sofa and opened the bag of chips. �It doesn�t really matter.�
�Why doesn�t it?� He sat beside her.
�Because it doesn�t.�
�Because you say so. Are you afraid to admit it, because of Nick?�
�I�m not afraid to admit anything.� Bradley just looked at her and she shook her head smiling. �You�re cute when someone agitates you.�
�You did it again.�
�I did nothing.� She put the chips on the coffee table and picked up the mail. �Jo�Jo�Jo�Jo. Jo gets more mail than I do.�
�This one�s for you.� He handed her an envelope. She opened it and began reading then started to laugh. �What�s so funny?�
�Dear Sunshine, I just wanted to say I loved your Victoria�s Secret spreads and have an amazing proposition for you. I�m offering you a deal for five million dollars to be my next centerfold. I would love to have you on board. Please consider my offer. Love always, Hugh Hefner. I�ve considered it and no.� She put the letter back in the envelope and threw it on the table. �Sorry, Hugh, it�s not my thing.�
�You should do it.�
�Yeah right. That guy�s like ninety and shacks up with twenty year olds.�
�You�d make a sexy centerfold.� Sunshine just looked at him. �I�m being serious.�
�Ain�t those nude pictures you took of me in the shower, without my consent, good enough for you? And I hope you soon destroy them. Nick doesn�t even have nude pictures of me. That I know of anyway.� Bradley smiled. �I told you not to start anyway.�
�Because you�re afraid of what might happen.�
�I ain�t afraid of nothing.�
�Then why are you fighting it? I know you want to kiss me.� They moved in closer.
�So; I just don�t want to hurt you.�
�You couldn�t.� They kissed just as the door opened.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nickolas stood there in shock, not knowing what to do. He watched them kiss and then closed the door. He stood outside with pain in his heart. He had no idea what to do. He went there to make things right and he sees Sunshine kissing Bradley. He was in complete heartache. He walked away from the door, holding back his anger and controlling himself from going in after Bradley. He just got on the elevator and left.
CHAPTER 27
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