The next morning, Nina woke up to the sound of her phone ringing. Groaning, she sat up and glared at her phone. She tried reaching for it, but Mandy got in the way.

“Why do I always have to be in the middle?” she grumbled.

She nonchalantly rolled over Mandy and ended up falling out of Jenna’s bed. She landed on her butt on the floor.

“Did you just fall off the bed?” Jenna laughed.

“Yes,” she pouted as she grabbed her phone.

She furrowed her eyebrows as Jack’s name flashed on the screen. She hesitated before answering.

N- What do you want?

J- That’s a lovely greeting.

N- Don’t fuck with me; I’m not in the mood right now.

J- Can we talk?

N- We are talking.

J- Come on Nina, please?

N- Why should I talk to you? You basically called me a whore and you kicked me out of your God damn office.

J- I’m sorry, okay? Its just really important and I need to see you.

N- I’ll think about it.

She hung up before he could respond.

“Who was that?” Mandy muttered without opening her eyes.

Nina stood up and crawled over her to sit in the middle of the two.

“It was Jack,” she muttered as she looked around at all the empty liquor bottles, wine cooler bottles and ice cream tubs.

“Jesus Christ we had a huge girl fest last night,” Mandy muttered.

“How much did we drink last night?” Jenna asked.

“A lot; I’m so hungover,” Mandy groaned.

“I think I’m still drunk; I’ve been getting drunk for three nights in a row. That can’t be good,” Nina muttered.

“You’re not drunk; you wouldn’t be able to shut up if you were,” Mandy muttered.

“You said Jack called?” Jenna asked.

“Yeah, he said he needed to talk to me. He’s probably going to make me pay him back for the damages on his car,” Nina muttered.

“Maybe not; you should go,” Mandy coaxed as she nudged her.

“I don’t want to face him though. Why can’t he leave me alone? He probably just wants to taunt me with his girlfriend,” Nina whined.

“You know he wouldn’t do that. Jack may be many things, but cruel isn’t one of them. You should go talk to him and straighten things out with him. Its obvious you two love each other so you should work things out with him,” Jenna muttered.

“What about you though?” Nina asked.

“Shut up and go! Besides I got my sexy bitch over there to keep my company,” Jenna smiled.

“That’s me!” Mandy smiled.

Nina sighed and nodded before grabbing her phone. She sent a quick text to Jack before getting up.

Meet me at Starbucks in an hour. Don’t be late.

She walked into the bathroom and quickly took a shower. She ran a comb through her hair and blow-dried it. She put a few bobby pins in to hold back her bangs. She brushed her teeth before dry-swallowing two Aspirins to relieve her headache. She wrapped a towel around her before walking into her room. She pulled on an outfit and pulled her boots on. She grabbed her clutch and walked back into Jenna’s room.

“Do I look hungover?” she asked.

“You have dark circles under your eyes,” Mandy pointed out.

“Wear a pair of sunglasses,” Jenna suggested.

Nina nodded and walked back into her room. She grabbed a pair of sunglasses and slipped them on before walking downstairs. She pulled on her coat and tied it at the waist before walking out the door. She got in her car and reluctantly started it up. She pulled away from the curb and slowly drove over to Starbucks. She found a parking space and let out a nervous breath before grabbing her clutch and keys. She got out of the car and made her way inside. She saw Jack sitting at a table in the back. He had a hat over his head and a pair of sunglasses on so nobody would recognize him.

“A hat and sunglasses aren’t going to hide you,” she muttered as she sat across from him.

“Well it helps a little. I got you your favorite,” he smiled as he pushed a Mocha frappucino towards her.

“Thanks,” she muttered as she took a few sips of it.

“I still don’t get how you can drink that in the middle of winter,” he laughed lightly.

She smiled lightly. An awkward silence fell over them and it was slowly killing Nina.

“Okay this is awkward so lets get this over with. I know you brought me here to pay for the damages on your car. How much do you want?” she asked as she grabbed her clutch.

“Whoa, hold up!” he exclaimed as he grabbed her hand.

“Isn’t that what this is about?” she asked skeptically.

“No, of course not; Danielle tried convincing me to make you pay for the car, but I deserved it,” he shrugged.

“Well then what’s this about?” Nina asked as she crossed her legs and sipped her drink.

“God I love it when you wear boots,” he muttered as he glanced at her legs.

“Okay Jack, you didn’t bring me here to pay for your car and I know you didn’t bring me here to compliment my shoes. So what do you want?” she asked sharply.

“I broke up with Danielle,” he told her.

“I’m sorry?” she shrugged.

“Don’t you want to know why?” he asked.

“Not really but I know you’re going to tell me anyway,” she muttered.

“Well its because she wasn’t you,” he muttered.

“What, she didn’t lay on her back?” she spat bitterly.

“Look I’m really sorry about that; you didn’t deserve it,” he muttered.

“You know you could’ve apologized and told me about Danielle over the phone,” she muttered.

“I really wanted to see you; I missed you Nina. I want to give us another try,” he smiled lightly.

“There was no us; remember? You said so yourself and I’m not settling for just fuck buddies this time Jack,” she snapped.

“Then lets be together! That’s all I want; I just want you,” he muttered.

“I thought you really liked Danielle; I’m not going to be a rebound girl,” she muttered.

“You won’t be and I thought I liked Danielle too; until I started spending more time with her. She was witty like you, but she didn’t have random blonde moments like you do,” he laughed lightly.

Nina smiled a bit at that.

“She also wasn’t as vibrant and random; she was plain and serious about everything. She never stopped talking and she never listened to what I had to say like you do. She wasn’t stubborn or sarcastic like you and personally I prefer redheads over blondes,” he smirked.

“Is that all?” Nina laughed lightly.

“Well, all that and I wasn’t in lo-”

“Excuse me; are you Jack Barakat?” a girl about fifteen asked, cutting off Jack.

Behind her were four other girls around her age.

“Yeah, I am,” Jack smiled.

“Could we have your autograph and a quick picture?” she smiled.

“Excuse me, we were talking,” Nina interrupted, anxious to hear what Jack was about to say.

Jack looked between her and the group of girls. He sent Nina a pleading look.

“This will only take a sec,” he muttered as he turned back to the girls.

Once he finished with the girls, he turned back to Nina to find her gone.

“Fuck!” he hissed as he jumped up.

He walked outside and saw her stomping over to her car.

“Nina wait!” he called as he ran up to her.

He grabbed her arm and spun her around.

“Let me talk to you,” he pleaded.

“You were about to tell me you love me but you totally blew me off for a bunch of kids so I’m done talking!” she spat as she pulled her arm around of his grasp.

She grabbed her keys to unlock the car, but Jack grabbed them and Nina’s hand.

“Give me my keys!” she snapped and turned to him.

“Not until we talk!” he barked as he pushed her against the car.

“Start talking!” she sneered as he pocketed her keys.

“I love you, okay? I finally said it and I don’t care if you want to hear it or not. I want us to be together and this time I’m not taking no for an answer. Now do you love me?” he asked.

Nina stayed quiet as she refused to look at him.

“Answer me God damn it!” he yelled.

“Yes, I fucking love you! Are you happy now?” she yelled.

“Then why don’t you want to be with me?” he asked.

Again, Nina stayed silent as she blinked back her tears.

“Nina answer me!” he said through gritted teeth.

“Because I’m afraid!” she yelled.

“Afraid of what? Of me?” he asked.

“Of course not of you! I’m afraid of being fucking hurt again! You always have girls throwing themselves at you and I’m terrified that one day you’re going to find someone much better than I am. You don’t even know how much it fucking hurt to see you with Danielle! I cried and drank myself to sleep for days Jack! I don’t ever want to feel that way again!” she cried, disregarding her tears.

She angrily pawed at her eyes as a few sobs escaped her lips.

“Oh Nina,” Jack muttered as he took her in his arms.

“I had no idea baby,” he muttered as she quietly cried into his shoulder.

“I didn’t want you to know,” she muttered.

He pulled away from her and took her face in his hands, wiping away her tears.

“I would never do that to you again, I never wanted to hurt you in the first place. I just thought you really didn’t love me. I am going to spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you though,” he smiled.

“You really love me?” she smiled.

“Oh my God! Did you not just here that little speech?” he laughed.

Nina laughed with him and wiped her eyes.

“But yes, I do love you,” he smiled.

She smiled and leaned up to kiss him.

“I love you too,” she whispered once they pulled away.

“I have a question,” Jack started as they made their way back into Starbucks.

“Hmm?” Nina pondered.

“Do you still have that sexy dress from your last day at the office?” he smirked.