They made plans to meet later and then Meg left towards her room. She was just about to open her door when the door opened and Nick walked out, confirming her suspicions of where he was last night.
"Fancy meeting you here," she called to him.
"Hey, you never came back last night either," he answered back.
"Oh damn! No one was supposed to know," she said with a laugh.
"Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me," he said playing along with her joke.
"OK I won't tell anyone where you were either," she promised him as she stepped inside her room.
When she saw Melissa who had changed into a pair of khaki cargo shirts and a navy blue tank top she immediately gave her a look like okay what happened?
"What?" Melissa asked innocently with a slight smile on her lips.
"You know exactly what I want to know," Meg told her.
"Where were you anyway?" Melissa asked trying to change the subject.
"Well, I stayed in AJ's room because I had this feeling that something was going on here that I shouldn't interrupt."
"And?"
"And what?" Now it was Meg's turn to act innocent.
"You stayed in AJ's room and nothing happened? I seriously doubt that."
"Yea, well that's classified information."
"Well, maybe I have some classified information too."
"OK, you got me. I confess. I was a bad girl ut that's my personality. You on the other hand..."
"Yea, well there's a first time for everything."
"I'll say. So?"
"So what?"
"I don't know. How was it?"
"I never kiss and tell but I'll say this much, it was pretty incredible. I'm going to miss him so much."
"Yea, I know how that feels. So did you tell him?"
"Yea, this morning when we woke up."
"How did he take it?"
"He told me that I wasn't going to die. He honestly believes that since we both love each other so much that God wouldn't take me away from him."
"Whoa, sounds deep."
Melissa smiled, "Yea I know."
All of a sudden Meg just started crying for practically no reason. She didn't know what it was. Maybe it was seeing Melissa so happy and knowing that now when finally everything was going right for her she would probably wind up losing it all. It wasn't fair.
"Meg? What's the matter? Why are you crying?
" "It's just not fair Mel! Why you? You have so much going for you and you aren't going to even get a chance to appreciate it! I would trade places with you if I could. I just am so scared! I can't live without you Mel! Without you around who will be the one to help get me out of all my scrapes and who will be the sensible voice telling me 'No, Meg. Don't do that. You're being stupid again'? I love you and I really don't want to lose you."
Her words touched Melissa's heart and soon she was crying hysterically along with Meg. "You don't know how much that means to me," she told her as she next to her and gave her a huge hug. " I never knew so many people cared about me until now. Its kind of funny. Nick said practically the same thing you told me this morning. Trust me I'm 10 times more scared than you are."
"God, Mel. You're so strong and brave. I could never be you."
"Me? Strong? Yea right! I always thought you were the stronger one."
"Really?"
"Yea, Melissa answered wiping the tears away from her eyes. "God, I've cried so much today and its not even 10:30 yet," she said trying to make a joke.
"Yea, I'd imagine. God, we got to pull ourselves together. Crying won't help us."
"Yea, I know what you mean. Now I got to go find Nick again. We only have a short time left with each other."
When Melissa finally caught up with Nick again after she had completely calmed down she asked, "What do you have in store for us today?"
"Well, I want to get you something special to remember me by in case.... Well, you know."
Melissa felt herself tear up again but quickly blinked them away. She had promised herself she wouldn't lose her composure when they only had a day left. Their time was to precious to waste crying.
"You don't have to get me anything," she protested.
"Yea, but I want to," he told her.
At the first store they went to Melissa saw a stuffed white tiger which she immediately fell in love with. She collected anything with white tigers on it and she knew she had to have this.
Nick noticed her eying it. "Do you want it?" he asked her.
She bent down to look at the price tag but Nick stopped her. "Uh uh."
"But it looks expensive," Melissa argued. The tiger was one of those huge ones that you could win at carnivals.
"So?"
"So, don't waste your money."
"I'm getting it for you and every time you miss me I want you to take that tiger and hug it okay?"
"OK," Melissa said laughing a little bit but she knew that every night she would lay awake holding the tiger and thinking of him.
They spent the whole rest of the day shopping. Not only did Nick buy her the tiger but a really pretty ring she'd been eyeing. She'd protested but of course Nick wouldn't listen and brought it for her anyway.
"I have a suprise for you later," he told her.
"What is it?"
"I can't tell you or else its not a suprise."
Melissa pouted. "OK fine. Be that way."
"I know you are going to love it though," he told her with a sly smile on his face. "Meet me on the beach in like 2 hours okay?"
"OK," Melissa told him wondering what the hell he had up his sleeve.