-PREQUEL TO SERIES- The New Girls (YouTube FanFic)

[Chapter 13] I Love You

-Joey's POV-

Sawyer and I were doing a gaming video together (sort of like I do with Stacy). Just before I put my headset on, I heard a knock at the front door. I looked over my shoulder as Sawyer announced, "I'll get it!" He rose from his chair and ran downstairs. I turned back to my computer and waited for him to come back. But when he came back, it wasn't to return to playing the game. It was to tell me that there was someone here who wanted to talk to me.

"Are you serious?" I retorted, "Who?"

"Kalel," He answered.

I had to make sure I heard him right, so I asked again, "Who?"

"Kalel," He repeated, sitting down in his chair and putting on his headset, "She told me she had to tell you something really important."

"Okay..." I remarked uneasily as I got out of my chair and made my way downstairs. And at the bottom of the steps, standing in the foyer, was Kalel, swaying side to side. She saw me and lit up.

"Oh my god, Joey," She said as she pulled me into a friendly hug, "I thought you fell off the face of the earth!" I shrugged my shoulders. There's a reason why I didn't pick up her calls, respond to her texts, or answer the door when she came by. "So, how have you been?" She sparked the conversation.

"I've been okay," I answered vaguely, crossing my arms over my chest, "And you?"

"I've been ecstatic," She blushed, holding up her left hand, "Anthony proposed to me while we were in Japan."

"I heard."

Her grin dissolved into a frown, "You don't sound too happy about that."

"Because I'm not," I blurted out without thinking. My eyes widened as I realized what I just said.

"What do you mean you're not happy about it?" She questioned.

"Nothing...I'm happy for you, Kalel," I tried to convince her. But we were too good of friends. She knew I was lying.

"No, Joey, you aren't happy for me. Why aren't you happy for me?" She insisted on me giving her a legit answer.

I heaved a sigh, "Because I don't like Anthony. In fact, I think I hate him," And that's when I began to rant, "I hated him the minute you met him at that party, I hated him the minute you introduced me to him, I hated him when you told me you two had started dating, hell, I hated him for taking you away to Japan and proposing to you! And most of all, I hate him for making me hide my feelings for you. I love you, Kalel. I have since the minute I first laid eyes on you," I shook my head in shame, "I just haven't gotten the courage to tell you. Until now, that is..."

"Joey, I never knew you felt this way..." was all Kalel could say.

"Well now you do," I snapped at her, "And there's nothing either of us can do because you're getting married to Anthony." I turned around to go back upstairs when I felt her place her hand on my shoulder.

"I've always kind of loved you too, Joey," Kalel murmured under her breath.

-Natalie's POV-

Ian and I were walking by the ocean, in the dark. I couldn't see very well, the only sources of light were the moon and the stars, that reflected off of the water's surface. Nothing was really being said between us, and I was starting to regret agreeing to this.

That's when Ian cleared his throat and looked over at me, "Hey, uh, Natalie?"

"Yes?" I retorted, glancing over at him. His blues eyes sparkled in the moonlight.

"There's something I want to tell you," He remarked in a very serious tone.

"Shoot."

He took in a deep breath and slipped his hands into his short's pockets before saying, "So, uh...I haven't really told anyone this yet, but...Melanie and I are getting married."

I stopped in my tracks and looked up at him. "You're getting married to Melanie?" I croaked. This news was so unexpected to me. I knew they were dating, but I never thought they'd be getting married.

He nodded his head yes. I looked at him in disgust and hurt and started to walk back towards the fire we set up. "But I don't want to marry her, Nat! Because...because I love you!" He exclaimed. I stopped walking and stayed in my place. I heard the wet, grainy sand crunch beneath his feet as he walked toward me. He gently gripped my upper arms from behind me and whispered into my ear, "I feel like a fool not realizing it until now."

I spun around so I was facing him, causing him to jump, "So you realized you liked me after you proposed to her?"

"I just wanted her to stop accusing me of not loving her anymore and her thinking I was cheating on her!" He explained, his voice cracking at the end.

"But if you love me, you don't love her anymore," I retorted, crossing my arms over my chest.

He shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair, "I don't know what to do. I don't want to marry her. I'm not ready. I just..."

I don't know what came over me, but I grabbed his shirt, pulled him close to me, and pressed my lips against his. He stood there awkwardly for a few seconds before wrapping his arms around my back and pulling us closer to each other. I wrapped my arms around his neck as I melted into the kiss.

-Rachael's POV-

I was staring at the fire when I heard Anthony clear his throat. I glanced over at him and smiled. He sighed before going on to say, "Rachael, I...I really like you."

"I like you too, Anthony," I replied, looking back at the fire, "We're great friends."

"No, not like that, Rachael, I mean...I love you," He clarified.

I kept eye contact with the fire as my cheeks began to burn up and my stomach turned to butterflies. Here I was, being told by an engaged man that he loves me. And worst part of it all was that I loved him back.

"Come on, say something," He urged, moving closer to me on the log we sat on.

I shook my head, "You don't love me. You're just nervous that you're marrying Kalel," I tried to convince him and me.

"I'm not nervous marrying Kalel," He retorted, "And I do love you. I have since...since probably the minute I bumped into you and your phone started blasted the Ultimate Assassin's Creed 3 Song." I glanced up at him and smirked, remembering that embarrassing event. "Why don't we just have tonight?" He suggested, taking my hand in his and interlocking our fingers, "Natalie and Ian aren't here. Nor is Kalel. No one will know."

"I'll know and I'll feel terrible about it," I told him, slipping my hand out of his and standing up, "I can't Anthony." He stood up as well, half of his face lit up by the light the fire gave off.

He and I kind of just stood there before he leaned in and kissed me. I kissed back for the slightest moment before pulling out of the kiss and hanging my head, "No, Anthony. I'm not going to do this. Not now."

"Why not?" He inquired softly, tilting my head up so I was looking at him, "We both like each other, so..."

"But you're getting married," I reminded him, removing my hands from his chest and backing away, "And you're going to be the happiest man alive with Kalel," I turned around and said, "Go find Natalie and Ian. It's time to go back..."