"Morning, how are you feeling today?" he asked.
"I'm okay. I am going to try to forget yesterday ever happened because I hate having drama in my life when it's not needed." she said.
Brian laughed lightly and she asked what state they were in.
"I have no idea, I just follow the map." he said before beginning to hum to the song.
Claire smiled, "Want me to make breakfast for everyone?"
Brian nodded eagerly and Claire walked back to the kitchen area. She opened the fridge and grabbed the microwave waffles, eggs and the big container of fruit salad. She made up five plates, all with fruit salad, two waffles and an egg, then she walked back to the bedroom area. She woke up Angie and Aj and told them breakfast was on the table. She walked over to Nick and shook him lightly. When Claire saw the small smirk that was on his face, the same one that was one his face every morning when he first woke up, she felt her heart ache. When he saw her face over his, he gave her a small smile.
"Good morning." he said.
"Morning..." she said gazing into his eyes, "Breakfast is ready."
He got out of bed and threw on a t-shirt, since he only had on a pair of adidas swish pants. They walked out to the kitchen as Brian parked in a rest area. They all ate breakfast and chatted up a light conversation. Afterwards, when Claire was cleaning up after everyone, Nick came up behind her.
"In a few hours, we are stopping to go out to eat for lunch. But, maybe me and you could hang back to talk?" he asked.
She nodded and gave him a small smile. Before Claire knew it, it was noon and they had reached Montana. They stopped at a small French cafe and everyone went inside except for Nick and Claire.
Nick went into the mini fridge and grabbed them two sodas.
"Claire, do you trust me?" Nick blurted out.
Claire narrowed her eyes and looked at Nick incredulously.
"Yeah, of course I do. Why?" she said.
"Well, this may sound weird, but sometimes I feel like you are hiding a piece of you from me. And it makes me feel horrible inside if I have ever done anything to make you not trust me. I want to know everything about you. I haven't enjoyed being around someone as much as I do with you, in my life. So please let me in ... " Nick said.
Claire placed down her drink and looked up into Nick's warm blue eyes, waiting a second to reply to what he had said.
"It's not you. You never did anything wrong Nick. I am just scared." she said in a small voice.
Nick edged closed to her, "Why are you scared Claire?"
"I am scared to get hurt again. And I am scared of what's happening in my life. I didn't want to tell you anything about my past, that is the part of me I hide away. I thought that if I let anyone know how I let men treat me in the past, then they would treat me that way too." she admitted.
"I would never treat you anyway but what you deserve." he said taking her hand to comfort her, "So I promise you can tell me."
Claire looked into his eyes and knew she could trust him.
"My first serious relationship was with a guy named Josh. I thought I fell in love with him and he ended up cheating on me. I thought that everyone has one bad relationship and that was mine. Then came my second boyfriend, Scott. I dated him for 4 months and every day and told me I was useless and no one would love me. I would try to break up with him, but he wouldn't let me, he made me think that I would be alone forever. After awhile I broke up with him. Then came my latest boyfriend, Jeff. I thought I loved him too, and he finally said I love you to me one night. And I said it back. The next day he packed and moved out, and told me he hadn't meant what he said." Claire said.
She felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders but she wondered if now that Nick knew her past, would he think differently of her. Nick pulled Claire into a comforting hug and she wrapped her arms around him.
"I'm sorry you were ever treated that way. You don't deserve that. You deserve so much more than that." he said into her ear.
She pulled back from their hug and smiled at Nick.
"Thank you so much, you really don't know what that means to me."
Claire looked back at Nick with teary eyes and kissed his lips softly. She kissed him longingly and passionately, trying to make up for all the fights.
She felt like she could scream out to the world that she loved Nick, but there was one thing stopping her ... could she say it to him?
