Raleigh raced around the cafe trying to get to as many tables as fast as
she could. It was six PM, the beginning of the busiest time of the day. She hadn't worked at the cafe in almost five years and having only been there for a week, she was surprised how quickly everything came back to her. It was like riding a bike, something you never forgot. Unfortunately, she couldn't say the same for Dan. He'd never worked in a restaurant before so he struggled along just like any new employee. He mixed up tables, orders, and even bills. But she had to say he was a trooper. He got through each day and got a little better with each passing hour. Josh was even there every day helping out. Raleigh would say he seemed to be showing off a bit, a little smug that he could do something better than Daniel Cooper. He didn't waste any opportunity to laugh at the man. She thought it was childish of him, but she had to admit that even she gave in to the urge to laugh a time or two.

Raleigh went behind the bar to find some more clean glasses, where Josh had also gone to find some clean mugs. "I'm mobbed and a family of five just sat at table eight, can you take it for me?"

"Yeah because I'm any less busy. Have butter fingers over there take it."

"Stop it, Josh. He's trying."

"Doesn't mean he's really helping. He's broken more plates than he's
served. We're gonna run out before the nights through." Raleigh rolled her eyes at Josh as he rushed back to the bar to grab an elderly couple their coffees.

"Ray! Table eight!" Her brother, Nick, yelled to her from the kitchen. She rolled her eyes again. As if she didn't realize the table was yet again occupied.

"Yeah yeah." She mumbled as she rushed to get her last table their drinks before finally rushing to the aforementioned table.

"Sorry about the wait, you guys. I'm Raleigh and I'll be your server. Can I start ya'll off with something to drink?" She rattled off her normal greeting.

"Holy crap! I knew it was you! Mom you said it wasn't but I totally knew it was! You're Raleigh from the Crimson Doves!" The, what looked to be, oldest daughter of the three girls spoke in a high pitched voice that Raleigh had grown so accustomed to over the years.

"Yeah, I am. I'm guessing you're a fan?"

"Oh my god am I ever! You're my favorite band of all time! There is not one song that you sing that I don't love. Can I get your autograph and maybe a picture?"

"Alison, the woman is working and its very busy. I'm sure she would love to but I don't think she has the time."

"Oh, but please?" The girl began to pout and Raleigh hated to say no to a fan.

"Actually, it's no problem. Alison is it? Do you have something you'd like me to sign?"

"Yes! I keep the book from your last album, which was just amazing by the way, in my purse at all times!" The girl dug out the little book and
Raleigh picked it up and scrawled across the top while Alison threw a
camera at her father. Raleigh bent down and smiled at the camera, knowing the girl's face was beaming with excitement.

"Here you go, Alison."

"Thank you so much!"

"My pleasure. So do ya'll know what you'd like to order or should I give
you a few minutes?" Raleigh grabbed their orders and rushed away from the table. She loved her fans but sometimes they didn't really come into her life at the most convenient of times.

As the night progressed things didn't slow down much. Fortunately, Dan seemed to be doing much better and had managed to make it through the rest of the night without dropping another order. It was only another two hours until the place closed and somehow they'd run out of certain supplies. Raleigh was behind the bar refilling some drinks when she heard her father talking to someone.

"I told Jenni to order more of these two weeks ago! I swear since Raleigh left I haven't been able to get anyone competent in here to replace her. I should just do all the inventory and ordering myself."

"That's not fair to you. If Jenni can't keep up with the pace of her job then you should let her go." Raleigh recognized her oldest brother's voice.

"It's not that simple." Raleigh felt herself flinching at her father's words. She hadn't felt guilty about leaving in a long time and she knew who it was they were talking about. Jenni Balors was the granddaughter of someone her mother respected and owed a lot of favors to. No wonder it wasn't just as easy as saying "you're fired." Still, she didn't like seeing her dad so aggravated.

"I can go on a supply run, Dad." Keith looked over his shoulder, surprise on his face that someone had heard their conversation.

"No you don't, Raleigh. Get Dan for me. I'll send him." Raleigh looked at him for a moment, knowing he was choosing to send Dan because he was the weakest waiter on at the moment. Nodding, she grabbed the drinks she had just refilled and after dropping them off at the correct table she interrupted Dan as he waited on a couple that he'd just been seating.

"Hi, I'm sorry to interrupt." She smiled at the customers then turned to Dan. "Dad wants to talk to you. He's in back. I'll cover your tables."

"Ok." He gave his pad of paper that he'd been writing the order on and went to speak to Keith.

The cafe was beginning to die down a little and all of Raleigh's tables
were doing fine or were empty, so she busied herself with cleaning the counter top. She was concentrating especially hard on trying to get a stubborn grease stain up when someone flicked her in the ear. Her immediate reaction was to punch the culprit so she swung blindly as she turned, unable to hide her smugness when her fist collided with Josh's arm.

"Ow. That hurt."

"Good. Take your childish games elsewhere." Raleigh noted how bored her
voice sounded as she turned back to the stain.

"I just needed to get your attention." He laughed in his delight at how
easy it was to aggravate her.

"Because calling my name is just too simple, right?"

"Indeed. Mrs. Riley asked me to get you for her." Raleigh swallowed a groan as she fought not to roll her eyes.

"What does the old bag want now?" She mumbled under her breath as she
handed her rag over to him. Mrs. Riley really was a sweet old lady but she insisted upon walking down memory lane every time Raleigh came home. While it was great to reminisce in certain memories, others were completely off-limits, and it was the off-limits memories she liked to bring up. No doubt this wouldn't be any different.

"Hi Mrs. Riley. Is there something I can do for you?" She smiled at the
woman, making her face a perfect mask of happiness.

"Oh Raleigh, dear, sit down with me."

"Uh, all right, but only for a minute. I have tables I need to wait on."
Raleigh reluctantly sat down beside Mrs. Riley who took one of her hands in between her own aged ones. She leaned in close as if she were about to tell her a secret.

"So tell me, how is Los Angeles?" Really? This is what she wanted to talk about? Raleigh thought to herself.

"Um, it's really nice...in parts. I haven't been there as much as I would like but I love living there."

"Do you think you're ever going to move back?"

"Yes. Pretty soon actually." She allowed herself to be honest.

"Oh good! We miss you around here. I remember coming here to hear you sing every Saturday and Sunday. It would be nice to be able to do that again."

"It would be. I do miss this cafe and the people who frequent it most of
all." Here it comes, she thought. The forbidden topic.

"Do you remember those time that you and Josh would sing duets on that
stage? And now both of you, touring the world. You have everything you ever wanted." Raleigh just smiled. What could she say? "I wonder, since both of you are here tonight..." Oh Lord here it comes..."Would you do this old woman the honor of performing again?"

"Oh I don't think so, Mrs. Riley. I really need to get back to work." She began to pull her hand away and stand up when she tightened her grip.

"Oh please, Raleigh? I'm really getting up there in years you know. Who
knows when you'll both be home next? Who knows if I'll still be around next time..." She let her voice fade. Raleigh looked into the woman's huge blue eyes that were slightly teared up. How was she supposed to tell her no when she guilted her like that? It wasn't even remotely fair. How was she supposed to go up on that stage and sing a duet with Josh like they did when they were nothing but kids? Was she supposed to pretend like nothing had ever happened?

Raleigh tore her gaze away from Mrs. Riley's and met Josh's blue eyes
across the room. He had a knowing look on his face and a slight smirk
turned up a corner of his mouth. He'd put the old woman up to this. Either that, or he knew what she'd wanted when she asked him to fetch Raleigh.

He had her right where he wanted her. That son of a bitch.

"I'm really sorry Mrs. Riley, but..."

"Oh come now. People won't mind that their food may take a little extra
time coming out. They'll be glad to see you up on that stage again. And I know Josh won't mind. He's still such a sweet boy." I'll just bet he
wouldn't mind.

"He already agreed, hasn't he?"

"Yes." She smiled up at Raleigh, knowing fully well that she couldn't say no to her.

Raleigh sighed, defeated, and looked back at Josh. "Fine. Just give me a
couple minutes, ok?"

"Sure." Raleigh stalked away from the old woman right up to Josh. She
grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into the back hallway where they
wouldn't have an audience.

"What the hell are you playing at?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about! What, you think getting me up on that stage with you will bring back all these memories and make me realize that it's really you I want to be with? Well, I've got news for you. I am marrying Dan in October and there's nothing, NOTHING you can do to change it. I'm going to go up there and sing with you because I don't want to upset Mrs. Riley. But make no mistake, this won't be happening again." She turned away from him, just missing the grim determination as it passed over his face. This wasn't over for him, not by a long shot. He wasn't one to give up so easily. If she was that bothered by him getting her to sing with him again then that meant there was still something there. He still had hope.

Josh went up on stage and tested the karaoke equipment, unsure of the last time it was used. With relief it turned on without difficulty and he was able to quickly gain the attention of the customers.

"Hello everyone. As most of you know, my name is JC, or as to those I grew up with, Josh. And I received a request from the very lovely Mrs. Riley that Raleigh and I perform a duet." There were a few hollers from the crowd and Raleigh recognized them as the regulars. She suddenly felt a slight twinge of stage-fright for the first time since...well she couldn't remember when as she joined him on stage.

Josh handed her a microphone and asked her if she was all right as he began the music.

"Not even close." She growled at him, to which he just laughed.

As the begging chords of the song floated through the air, Raleigh rolled her eyes. It would just figure he'd pick this song for them to sing. Taking a breath, Raleigh began to sing their favorite song as children.

I hear the ticking of the clock
I'm lying here the room's pitch dark
I wonder where you are tonight
No answer on the telephone
And the night goes by so very slow
Oh I hope it won't end all
Alone

As Josh joined in as back up for the chorus, Raleigh began to get into the song, losing herself in the familiar beat.

Till now I always got by on my own
I never really cared until I met you
And now it chills me to the bone
How do I get you alone
How do I get you alone

Raleigh couldn't help it. As Josh stepped forward and began singing his lines, her eyes were glued to his every move. The way he'd move his head back and forth as he sang the words, the way he'd lean slightly forward, leaning his weight onto his foot that stood in front of him. It was like watching him deliver his best man speech all over again. He was absolutely captivating. He reached for her hand and she automatically felt hers move to take his in return.

You don't know how long I have wanted
to touch your lips and hold you tight, yeah
You don't know how long I have waited
and I was gonna tell you tonight
But the secret is still my own
and my love for you is still unknown
Alone

She joined him in the last chorus and Josh knew he was smiling a bit smugly. She could deny it all she wanted, blame the music, her passion for performing, but he knew the truth just as completely as it was planted on her face. It wasn't over between them. They had too much history, too much chemistry, as cheesy as that sounded. But it was true. He'd encountered many women over the years, but not one of them had captivated him even for a single moment like Raleigh did. She was hypnotizing as she moved. Her lilac eyes would lock on his and he couldn't make himself look away, though why he would want to he had no clue.

When she'd taken his hand as he offered it, he couldn't lie and say her touch hadn't affected him. Sure they'd touched since they'd been thrust back into each other's lives, but this was different. More intimate somehow. The way their fingers intertwined, the feel of her smooth hand upon his own, the heat between their skin...it was almost too much to bear. And if Dan hadn't chosen that exact moment to walk back into the café and look up at them in pure shock, he probably would have kissed her, not giving a damn what she did in reaction.

Till now I always got by on my own
I never really cared until I met you
And now it chills me to the bone
How do I get you alone
How do I get you alone

How do I get you alone
How do I get you alone

Alone, alone

As they finished the song, hands still entwined, Josh returned Raleigh's large smile before they turned to the crowd and bowed. Josh could tell Raleigh hadn't noticed Dan return from his supply run when the smile dropped from her face and she yanked her hand away from his. He hid his disappointment as best as he could. So that's how it was? She would enjoy herself with him until the fiancé returned? He knew that meant she would be friends with him, but not closely.

That just wasn't good enough for him.

He smiled at the customers once more before quickly moving off the stage and grabbing his waiter's apron. He'd been having the time of his life on that stage and Dan had to come back and ruin it, yet again.

"Always in the way." He grumbled to himself. Shaking the foul mood away for now, Josh went back to waiting on his tables as Raleigh did the same.

"So? How was it, Mrs. Riley?" Josh smiled tenderly at the older woman. He'd always had a soft spot for her. She reached up and patted him gently on the cheek.

"It was wonderful. Thank you honey. You and Raleigh were made to sing together."

He let out a slight laugh. "You should tell her that." He hadn't meant for the words to sound so sad as he'd said them. Mrs. Riley just smiled knowingly.

"I'm sure she knows that too. She's just a little lost right now. Give her some time. You just came back into her life." Josh leaned forward and gave her a gentle hug.

"Thank you, Mrs. Riley."

"Nonsense." Was all she said as she stood to leave. "You come visit me again before you go back to New York."

"I will. I promise."

The night quickly came to a close as Raleigh dreaded what was to come. She'd felt Dan's eyes on her ever since he'd come back to see her up on stage with Josh. She understood why it bothered him so much, but that tiny voice was subdued by the much louder voice yelling at her that he was trying to be controlling, and that was pissing her off. She'd never seen him jealous until they'd come home for the wedding. After everything that had happened with her and Josh getting stuck together during the storm that day, she'd admitted to herself that it wouldn't be so bad having him back in her life - as a friend and nothing more - but was this what it would be like with her fiancé? Would her friendship with her ex-boyfriend put such a strain on the relationship with Dan that he would be constantly scowling in the background? Picking apart every little thing that went on between them? She couldn't deal with that. She loved Dan and didn't want to risk losing him to his jealousy. But she also wanted Josh's friendship back. She'd missed him more than she would ever admit aloud.

The last of the customers had left, along with Raleigh's parents and most of the employees leaving only Raleigh, Dan, Josh, Nick and Bobbie there cleaning. All of which were on the floor, so Raleigh turned and headed to her father's office, knowing Dan wasn't far behind. She wasn't disappointed. Not even a minute later Dan appeared in the doorway. She stood there, body rigid, arms crossed, hip sticking out as she leaned her weight onto her left foot. She didn't speak, waiting for what he wanted to say.

He seemed to pick his words carefully. "You looked like you were having fun up there when I walked in."

"I was." He nodded at her simple answer, as if reading more into it than there was. Finally he sighed, giving into what he really wanted to say.

"Ray..."

"Don't. I don't want to hear it. I know you don't like the idea of me hanging out with him again, but it's just as a friend. That's it. We're leaving to go back to the city in two days so why are you so worried?"

"I'm not."

"Don't lie to me." Dan stood there in the doorway, just looking at her. She could tell there was so much he wanted to say on the subject but he wouldn't. He knew he'd already pissed her off and didn't want to go much farther. A few moments passed in silence. It was finally broken by a shout from Bobbie.

"Yo! Dan! Al's here. You coming?"

"Be right there!" Dan called back, his eyes still staring into Raleigh's, as if asking permission to go.

"Go. I've closed up alone before, I'll be fine." The tone in her voice told Dan not to argue with her. She didn't really want to be near him right now and that hurt. But he also knew if he gave her some time she'd get over it, so he relented.

"I'll see you later."

"Have fun." She gave him a slight smile and he knew the worst of the non-fight was over.

Raleigh watched Dan leave the office and she let out an audible sigh. What the hell was wrong with her? She'd seen the hurt on his face when she basically dismissed him, yet she didn't care. Nothing got under her skin worse than a controlling man and no matter who she'd been with, that part of them always seemed to come out when Josh was nearby. What was it about him that made guys uneasy? Yes, obviously they had a long, complicated past, but that was then. Why couldn't everyone just let it go? She had.

Shaking her head, Raleigh pulled her iPod out of her purse and plugged in her headphones. She turned on some angry metal and turned the volume up so she could tune everything out - including her own thoughts.

~*~


Josh had just said goodbye to Raleigh's brothers and fiancé, not allowing himself to be bothered by the look Dan had cast at him over his shoulder as he walked out. He'd been invited along by Bobbie, and as much as Dan disliked him, he knew he would have rathered he come along than be alone with Raleigh. Which was precisely the reason he hadn't agreed to go. This was too good of an opportunity to get Raleigh alone to pass up. She was always on guard when he tried to speak with her, always watching her words because she was afraid someone would hear. Now, with no one around to hear what was said, he hoped Raleigh would speak openly with him again. After the cussing out he was sure she was going to give him, of course.

Josh put away his mop and grabbed two beers out of the refrigerator before setting out to find Raleigh. He found her in the employee bathroom, mopping the floor. Madly dancing around and singing along to her iPod. He recognized the song as Coheed and Cambria's Welcome Home. It was a favorite of hers.

He knew he probably should have made his presence known but he was having too much fun watching her sing into her mop handle in between head bangs.

Leaning against the wall, Josh looked over her profile, appreciating the tight jeans and tank top that had ridden up while she danced, exposing the tight skin of her waist. He could see the top of her tattoo on her lower back, remembering the first time he'd seen it. Allowing his eyes to roam further north, he noticed her hair had been twisted up, away from her neck which now bore a single Chinese symbol. He wondered how long she'd had that tattoo and what it meant. Did she regret any of them? Did she still have her piercings? He found himself suddenly wondering about these little trivial facts about her and the fact that he didn't know the answers bothered him, much more than he thought possible. There was a time that he'd known every tiny detail about her. Now it seemed suddenly more real than ever that she wasn't a part of his life anymore, nor was he a part of hers.

He was going to be in her life again, he vowed to himself. He needed her to be in his. Now that he'd allowed her back in, he couldn't imagine going back to life in New York and acting as though nothing had changed. As though he didn't hate the life he'd created for himself. She'd always been the very best part of him, and as selfish as it was, he needed her to realize it too.

Pushing off the wall, Josh held both beers with one hand, and extended the other to lightly touched the back of Raleigh's neck. He found himself laughing, yet again, as she let out a yelp of surprise and turned around. She rolled her eyes and pulled her headphones out of her ears.

"Jesus, Josh. Would you stop doing that? One of these times I'm gonna have a heart attack."

"I'm sorry." He held up the beer as a peace offering. "Here, come have a drink with me." He motioned back to the restaurant area with a jerk of his head. Raleigh plopped her mop back into the bucket and took the offered drink, following Josh back up front.

"I thought you were going out with my brothers?" She asked wearily as she took a sip of her beer followed quickly by a larger gulp.

"Ray, think about what you just asked. There was only one person in that group that can stand me."

"I guess you're right. Still, you didn't have to stay here to clean."

"I didn't stay here to clean. I stayed here so I could get you alone." He told her honestly, looking into her eyes.

"Josh," she sighed his name, looking away from him uncomfortably.

"Ray. We can't be friends?"

"We can be friends. I just don't want you to delude yourself into believing there's anything more than that."

"You don't have to worry about that." For now, he finished silently in his mind. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, he knew there was more there than just friendship. Much, much more. Reaching for the deck of cards Josh had stashed in his pocket before searching out Raleigh, Josh held them in front of her face. Arching an eyebrow he asked, "So, gin or crazy eights?"

"Like you have to ask." she laughed, taking another drink of her beer.

"War it is." He shook his head as he dealt out the entire deck between them.


Raleigh didn't know how long they'd sat there talking, drinking, and playing cards. Or when exactly she'd decided to turn on a local radio station that played only classic rock - their favorite genre - but she did know that she was having a lot of fun. She found herself laughing at Josh's lame jokes, sharing a smile with him at old memories, and getting excited every time he let her win the current game they were playing. They were both a few beers in and she was feeling giddy, so much so that she began snorting when she laughed - something she was pretty sure she hadn't done since she was seventeen years old.

There were so many times she would swear up and down that he would bring out the worst in her, a person she hated, and it was true. Nobody could get her as angry as he could. But he also brought out the best in her. Try as she might, she couldn't hide the fact that she enjoyed hanging out with him tonight. Though she could easily blame it on the alcohol she'd consumed, but that would be a lie. The truth was he was still so much like the Josh she remembered being so close to for the vast majority of her life, she felt like she had a hole in her gut when she forced herself to ignore or avoid him. As corny as it sounded, she felt like a part of her was missing for the past five years, a part that had just come, unexpectedly, back into her life.

She'd originally thought it would be easy going home for this trip. She knew she'd have to face Josh - he was the best man, she was the maid of honor, how could she not? - but never did she expect to miss him so completely. As selfish as it was, she found herself secretly enjoying the fact that he'd been so miserable without her. She knew how horrible of a person that made her, enjoying someone's misery, but it wasn't so much his misery as it was the fact that she was it for him.

She wasn't completely immune to him as she'd made Dan and everyone else believe over the years. She would occasionally hear a radio interview with him in her car, one of his songs, catch glimpses of him on the TV and every time they mentioned some rumor or another about a girlfriend or a fling, she found herself slightly jealous. It wasn't like she wanted to be with him again, because she didn't. She was engaged to Daniel and she was madly in love with him. But for some reason she didn't want Josh to forget her and his being with someone else made her feel like he had.

How hypocritical. She could enjoy being with another man but he could never be with another woman?

She tried telling herself it was just the types of women he socialized with. The Erin types. The unintelligent, scantily clad women that wanted nothing more than his money and his name attached to theirs. He deserved better than those girls, much better, she'd tell herself. But then that would lead back to her feeling sickeningly satisfied that he hadn‘t found someone better.

God, how she hated herself for that.

She would be his friend from here on out, she'd decided. She would be there for him when he needed her, she would listen to him like she used to, and they would hang out occasionally when they had nothing else to do. But that was all. She felt the slight pang of possessiveness towards him, but she noticed the romantic link between them was gone. Perhaps she was ignoring it, denying its existence, but she could finally allow herself the friendship she'd shied away from for so long for fear of falling back into the trap he unknowingly sets for her.

"Yes! Victory is mine yet again. What is that? Seven to two?" Raleigh knew he was letting her win but she would never admit that to him.

"Your poker skills have gotten better." She flashed him a giddy smile and took a sip of beer as a familiar song came over the speakers. She made a sound of happy surprise and jumped up from her chair.

"Do you remember this song?" She asked, excited.

"Of course I remember this song, it's a classic." Josh laughed as she turned the volume up.

"No not because it's a classic, idiot." She rolled her eyes.

He paused for a moment, taking in her appearance as she danced and jumped around. How could he ever forget this song's meaning? "Summer of ‘95."

"That's right! The summer of the best road trip ever!" Josh couldn't watch her dance around anymore so he stood up and joined her.

Josh had just turned sixteen, the first in their group, and he'd already been driving for months with his dad so he was able to get his license immediately. They were all excited so they'd decided to take a little road trip to Charlotte for a concert. They thought it would be the adventure of a lifetime, a trip to remember all their lives. And it had been, but for a different reason. A trip that was supposed to have taken about nine hours ended up taking much longer. They'd made it as far as Atlanta when the car they'd borrowed from Josh's cousin decided to die. They found themselves stranded in a city none of them had ever been to before, with not nearly enough money to get the car fixed. The only option they had was to miss the concert and call one of their parents to pick them up - something none of them wanted to do.

They'd walked around the city for a few hours, deciding on what course of action to take, laughing at how their plans for an amazing trip had turned sour in a matter of minutes. They somehow had managed to make their own fun, nonetheless, in stores and at parks, documenting everything with Raleigh's camera. She remembered saying to Carly that she had never laughed as hard as she did that day. When they made their way back towards the shop where the car was sitting, they passed the bar district where business was beginning to pick up. It was only nine-thirty, but one of the local bars - Dwyer's Pub - was already packed. They'd planned on just walking by, not giving it a second thought, they were underage after all, but a sign in the window had caught Carly's eye and she stopped them. The sign read "Karaoke Tonight: Keep all tips made." Given how many people were inside, Justin thought, if Josh and Raleigh sang, they could get enough money to fix the car and still make it to the concert the following night. Josh protested, they weren't old enough to even go inside. But somehow Justin bargained with the bouncer, getting him to let them all in.

They'd planned on singing two separate songs and pooling their tips, but Carly said she thought they'd be able to get more if they sang together. So they did. In honor of the concert they were headed to, Josh and Raleigh did a duet to Journey's Don't Stop Believing and had somehow managed to make more than enough money for the car. It felt like something straight out of a corny movie but they'd had the time of their lives that night.

When they'd gone home the day after the concert, Raleigh was terrified. Her mother had told her not go, that if she left not to even think about coming back. She'd disliked her and Josh's relationship from day one for some reason and never forgave her for going on that trip with him when she was only fourteen years old. It was reckless and stupid and God only knew what she'd do in a hotel room with "that boy." She spoke of him as if he were a juvenile delinquent, and never mind that two other people would be there as well.

Raleigh had never been able to remember when it was that her mother had lost trust in her, but thinking back on it now, she realized it was that weekend that had done it. She'd defied her mother before that many times, but their relationship had never recovered after that trip. But Raleigh couldn't bring herself to care much. It was one of her greatest memories.

When the song ended and Raleigh found herself in Josh's arms, faces inches apart, all thought stopped.

He knew he could have kissed her then. Maybe he probably should have. He didn't think she would have protested, but that's not how he'd wanted it to be. So he let her go. She stepped out of his hold and averted her eyes, running her hand through her hair. He knew she was about to say something that would end their night and he wasn't ready for that to happen yet, so he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Come for a walk with me." She looked at him for a few moments, all the time the war inside her head showing on her face. Should she or shouldn't she? Eventually she smiled and nodded.

"Okay."

**Song used - Alone by Kristen Chenoweth and Matthew Morrison