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Chapter 25
Promise knocked on Nick's door, then stepped back and waited. It seemed like forever before he came to the door.
"Hey, ready to go?" he greeted.
"Would I be here if I wasn't?" she returned. He grinned.
"Now, this is what we have to do…" he began, and led her down the sidewalk. Promise listened to his plan, and when he was finished, she looked up at him with admiration.
"It's a great plan, Nicky," she praised. "But is it going to work?"
"Of course it's going to work," he scoffed. "… It better."
Promise didn't say anything, but the underlying doubt lingered in the back of her mind. It was like the sensation that you get when you want to do something following a master plan, an outline of the works, but what are the odds of it following through? Promise grinned, feeling like she was acting out a part in a movie.
"It's a perfect day for my plan," Nick said. Promise rolled her eyes.
"It's only perfect because of your plan, Nick," she said sarcastically.
He nodded. "That's right." She rolled her eyes again.
"So I go to Brian's, get Leighanne away, and you work on him?" she questioned, going over the mental checklist in her mind. She was nervous; she didn't really know Leighanne, and what was she supposed to do with her for an hour?
"Yeah, and then meet me in an hour and a half back at my place," Nick instructed. "An hour and a half."
She nodded, trying to formulate an issue in her mind of what to say to Brian's fiancée, and how to go about it. What kind of things did tall, long legged, blond beauties do? I should have asked Hope, she thought.
"Here we are," Nick said, and she snapped out of it.
"Wish me luck," she said softly, and Nick squeezed her hand.
"This is the rest of my other best friend's life we're talking about, Prom," he warned. "Keep her away."
"I will," she said, smiling devilishly.
"Ok, um, don't do anything I wouldn't do though," he added. She just grinned, and a weird feeling surfaced in his stomach. He pushed it aside and knocked on the door.
It opened to reveal a very tired looking Brian, complete with sleepless eyes and droopy shoulders.
"Jeez Brian, ever heard of sleep?" Nick asked, walking past him into the house. Brian didn't say anything, just followed him, but Promise noticed the sadness in his eyes. Her heart went out to him. Faith had grown on him, just like she had on everyone. She had a tendency to do that without knowing it.
When Brian moved out of the way, Promise saw Leighanne sitting on the couch with a book in her lap. Brian seated himself across the room in a chair, and Promise couldn't help but assume he was keeping distance between her and himself.
"What's up, Nick?" he asked wearily.
"Nothing much," Nick answered nonchalantly, while eyeing Promise. She nodded and sat next to Leighanne.
"Hey," she said. Leighanne looked up.
"Hi," she replied, smiling. She seemed nice enough to Promise.
"I'm Promise, a good friend of Nick's," she said, grasping Leighanne's hand.
Brian watched wordlessly.
"Hi, Promise. It's nice to meet you," Leighanne said. Promise felt an inkling of doubt. This was going to be tougher than she thought. Maybe if Leighanne wasn't so nice, Brian would see the light. Or maybe he did, but the fact that she was so nice prevented him from doing anything about it.
"So, listen, Leigh," Promise began. "I can call you that, right?"
"Of course." Leighanne smiled.
"I was thinking. Nick and I are really good friends, right? And if-" Promise paused. "When you and Brian get married, I have a feeling we'll be seeing each other a lot, right?" Leighanne nodded. "What do you say we get to know each other a little? How about it? We can take a walk and do something together."
Leighanne smiled. "That sounds great."
Promise sighed from relief inwardly. That part was done, now she just had to keep her away from Brian and Nick for an hour. "What about now?"
Leighanne stood up. "Why not?" she agreed.
Promise looked away from her, a feeling of anger coursing through her, though she didn't know why. Leighanne seemed perfect, all the way from her long tanned legs, to her shiny, glistening hair. What did she have that Faith didn't? This whole thing made Promise want to smack someone. Maybe Brian, since this all centered on him and his airheadedness.
"Great, let's go," she said, mustering up some enthusiasm.
~*~*~*~
"Promise is a great girl," Brian said once they were gone.
"So is Leighanne," Nick replied. Brian didn't say anything.
"She is amazing," he said finally.
"Man are you crazy?!?" Nick exploded. Brian jumped at the sudden burst, then
looked at him quickly.
"Crazy?" he repeated.
"Insane? Mad? On crack?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You do not want to marry her, tell me you don't," he demanded.
"I don't."
"No, you don't-" Registration kicked in. "Wait, you don't?"
Brian shook his head, staring at his hands. Nick was astonished and unable
to speak for a minute.
"I don't love her," Brian whispered hoarsely. "And I don't know what to do."
Nick, who had intended to come and yell, suddenly was uncomfortable. For
seven years, seven long years, Brian had been the one to advise Nick. Whether
it was, "Start that chord over," or "She wasn't good enough for you anyways,"
Brian had always been the one to comfort him, give him his opinion, whether
it was approved or not. His constant counsel had started to be taken for
granted, Nick realized. Suddenly, Brian's guidance needed to be returned,
but how?
"Rok, man," he began. "I don't know what to say. Usually you're pretty strong.
So why can't you just tell her?"
"She would be so devastated…"
"And if you married her?"
"I'd be miserable."
Nick sighed. Brian was too soft. He glanced at his watch. Fifty minutes to
go…
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