�Dakota,� MyKenna said and Dakota looked, but didn�t stop what she was doing. �Can we talk?�
�I�m busy,� Dakota stated. �Plus I have nothing to say.�
�Ok, then maybe you should get some sleep.�
�I�m not tired, MyKenna.�
�You�ve been running on no sleep for the past twenty-four hours or so.�
�I said I�m not tired and I mean I�m not tired.�
�You should really get some sleep.�
�Why? So you can have your way with Nicky again? I think not.�
�It was just a kiss.� Dakota looked at her.
�Really? Then explain the long blonde strands I found in my hairbrush and in my bed.� MyKenna just looked at her. �Does it look like I have long blonde hair?� MyKenna sighed.
�I can�t explain that. I wasn�t in your bed and I didn�t use your hairbrush. Why don�t you ask Nick? Maybe there�s a reason for it.�
�A reason like he is cheating on me? If I accuse him of cheating one more time he�ll most likely tell me to get the hell out, because it means I don�t trust him. I want to trust my boyfriend, but he�s making it so impossible to do so anymore. Do you know what it�s like not to trust your boyfriend? Do you know what it�s like to question his every whereabout? Do you know what it�s like? Do you?�
�No.�
�Of course you don�t. Aaron never gave you a reason to. Aaron�s as loyal as they come. Aaron�s every girls dream and you are so lucky to have him. Don�t you agree?�
�Yeah.� Dakota grinned and went back to what she was doing. �I screwed up though and ruined it. I kissed his brother and most likely ruined it between us forever. He wants me to figure out if I have feelings for Nick or not.� Dakota stopped and just stood there. �I don�t have feelings for Nick and that�s the God�s honest truth. The only feelings I have for him is friendly. Our relationship is just like you and Aaron�s; strictly platonic. All friends kiss, DJ, and you and Aaron did.� Dakota shook her head. �What?�
�It was �spin the bottle�, MyKenna, and it was a game and it was a quick peck.� She took a deep breath to control her anger. �There was no fucking tongues and groping involved. If you want to take a little game peck and turn it into something like yours and Nick�s its fine by me, but just don�t call yourself my friend. You and Nick shared a little peck that night during that game, but that was cool because it was just a game. No one blew up over those kisses so why do it now. You and Nick weren�t playing �spin the bottle� last night, because there was no bottle. I don�t see how you can be my friend. Friends don�t kiss other friends boyfriends. As hurt and angry as I am I�m not going to go and kiss Aaron for some sweet payback. I�m not going to even cry over it, but as far as I�m concerned right now you and Nick can go to hell.� She walked away.
�DJ?� Nickolas said, but she went right by him and upstairs. Nickolas looked at MyKenna and she went outside. Nickolas looked up the steps, but decided against going up, as he heard a door slam shut. He sighed and went outside with MyKenna.
�She suspects something,� MyKenna said and Nickolas looked at her. �She found blonde hairs in your bed.� Nickolas sat down. �And in her hairbrush, but I didn�t use her hairbrush.� Nickolas didn�t say anything. �Do you want to explain that?�
�I can�t.�
�Well she�s going to figure out the truth and she�s going to tell Aaron. I really think we should tell them.�
�No fucking way.�
�Why not?�
�It�s the last thing they need right now.� MyKenna sighed. �Minus this damn kiss, Dakota and I are already having problems.�
�What do you mean?�
�Nothing. I just can�t tell her what happened.� MyKenna shook her head and Nickolas watched her walk away.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
�Hey, DJ,� Aaron said and she looked. �How are ya doing?� She shrugged and he sat down next to her. �I understand.� She sighed.
�How are you?� Dakota asked.
�I�m as fine as I�m going to get.� She looked at him. �You look awful.�
�I didn�t sleep any yet.�
�You should.�
�I can�t. I�m afraid to close my eyes. I�m afraid if I do I�ll just see Nick and Kenna kissing and I don�t want to see it again.�
�It�s only been a few hours so it�ll get better.� She looked at Nickolas, as he walked the beach. �Is MyKenna here?�
�No; she went for a drive.� He nodded. �I�m actually glad she�s not here, because I don�t have to worry about them being alone and doing something that�s just going to upset us more.�
�I don�t think they would do more than just kiss.�
�I wish I had your assurance or whatever it is.� She sighed. �They�ve been keeping their distance from each other though so I shouldn�t be worried.�
�I don�t think we have anything to be worried about. They�re not going to betray us by sleeping together, because they love us too much to let that happen.� She didn�t say anything and sighed. �Why don�t you talk to Nick?�
�I want to, but I don�t know what good it will do.�
�A lot.�
�I want to forgive him, but I don�t know if I can. It�d probably be a lot easier if it wasn�t my best friend that he kissed. It was MyKenna though and that just bothers me. MyKenna assures me that she only has platonic feelings for Nick, but I just can�t accept that, ya know.� She wiped her eyes. �I was doing so well with not crying about this and what am I doing now? Crying. I don�t want to cry over it, because it was just a stupid kiss. I have no self-control if I let myself get so emotional over a stupid little kiss.�
�Ya cry, because you love him. It�s not love unless ya get your heart broke.�
�Maybe I don�t want to love anymore. Things went a lot better when I didn�t.�
�Ain�t that the truth?� She sighed.
�Ugh! So how have you been handling this? Are you all emotional and shit?�
�Men don�t get emotional, they get angry.� Dakota grinned. �I don�t know what to think. My brother and girlfriend kissed and I just�it�s frustrating. MyKenna�s the first girl I�ve ever felt this way about and she kisses someone else.�
�It�s frustrating, because you love her.�
�Yeah I do. I�ve been trying to figure this whole thing out. I�ve been wondering what I did to make her kiss someone else. Did we go wrong somewhere? Doesn�t God want us together anymore? I�ve just been wondering so many things, ya know, and I have no answer to anything.�
�Maybe this is just a test to see how strong our relationships are.�
�Perhaps.�
�Ya know what would make me feel better?�
�What?�
�Having Nick see you and I kissing.� He just looked at her. �Seriously it would. Then he will know what it feels like. He�ll have that pain he gave me.�
�I don�t think that�s the answer.�
�Why not? If he�s going to kiss my best friend then why can�t I kiss his brother?�
�Do you really want to kiss me?� She didn�t say anything and Nickolas walked up on the porch, as MyKenna walked out of the house. They all looked at each other and Dakota and Aaron stood up. Nobody said anything for a few minutes and just stood there. �So, um�I better go. I have a lot of things to do.�
�See ya,� Dakota said.
�Maybe we all should talk,� Nickolas suggested before Aaron went inside to leave.
�I thought everything was said?� Dakota stated.
�I think there�s a few things that need to be straightened out,� Nickolas said.
�I agree with Nick,� MyKenna said.
�You would!� Dakota snapped and they just looked at her. �What can possibly need to be straightened out? We all know what happened. We all know how each other feels so let�s leave it at that. There�s no reason we should keep dwelling on this. It�s just going to drive all of us apart and I don�t want that to happen. I love you all so much and I don�t want it to be ruined over some stupid kiss. It�s not worth it.�
�She�s right,� Aaron said.
�We still need to talk,� Nickolas said. �I ain�t going to feel any better about this unless we talk and get our real feelings out in the open.�
�Why do you do this?� Dakota questioned. �Why do you always try and go against what I say? You can never just go along with me.� He just looked at her. �You have to start an argument or whatever and expect everything to be fine. Well it�s not fine and I don�t want to talk about this!�
�Well I do!� Nickolas yelled.
�Fine!� Dakota yelled in return. �You want to talk then talk about this!� She grabbed Aaron and kissed him, as Nickolas and MyKenna watched in shock. Aaron didn�t know what to do and just left Dakota kiss him, but didn�t kiss her in return. Dakota stopped kissing him and looked at Nickolas and MyKenna. �There�s something to talk about.� She went inside and a few seconds later they heard a door slam shut. Nickolas, MyKenna, and Aaron just stood there and looked at each other.
CHAPTER 17