"Hey Carter." Nick glanced up from the engine of the lawn mower at the sound of Jess's voice. "Hey yourself Carter." Nick grinned as Jess dropped down on the grass next to him. "So are you ever going to get rid of this piece of junk and buy a real lawnmower like the rest of the 21st century?" Jess asked, grinning back at him. "Hey, this piece of junk as you call it is a classic." Nick reached up and pushed his blond hair back off his sweat-covered forehead. "You want a drink?" he asked Jess, reaching for a pop in the small cooler next to him. Jess nodded and caught the drink Nick tossed at her. "Looks like you're definitely going to need a shower after working on this classic…classic piece of junk that is." She laughed as she reached over and picked up a rag, wiping the streaks of grease from his forehead. "A shower huh?" Nick grinned and grabbed Jess's hand, "Care to join me?" Jess blushed slightly at the comment, and stuck her tongue out at him. "In your dreams Carter…in your…" her words were cut off as Nick leaned over and kissed her quickly. "You're always in my dreams beautiful." He whispered against her mouth as he pulled back. Jess sat still for a moment, her eyes still closed, still tasting his kiss, and smiled. Then suddenly Nick found himself flat on his back, Jess sitting across his stomach, her hands pinning his shoulders down, "HA! Pinned ya again!" she giggled at the surprised look on her best friends' face. "HEY!" Nick struggled under her, but couldn't help laughing knowing he was perfectly happy in the position she'd put him in. He reached up and brushed her long hair back from her face, and smiled as his fingers left a streak of grease across her cheek. "Looks like I'm not going to be in the shower all alone after all." He laughed. Jess sat back and reached up, touching her face and discovering the grease. "How about a bath instead?" She smiled and leaned forward. Nick closed his eyes, waiting for the kiss he expected her to give him. As the water and ice poured over his head, his eyes flew open and he screeched her name as Jess jumped up running for her house laughing hysterically. "YOU ARE A DEAD WOMAN!" he growled, standing up.
Jess reached her front porch and turned to look at him, the cooler that had contained ice now lay empty next to him as he jumped up, ice and water pouring off of him. "Gotta catch me first grease monkey!" Nick shook his head, water spraying as he bolted for her house, "gladly Carter…gladly!" he grinned charging up the stairs after her.
Jess's mother stood in the kitchen, listening to the screams and pounding coming from her daughters' bedroom, Just like the old days… she thought as she smiled and shook her head. Just like it should be.
Jess stretched slowly and opened her eyes. Turning over she reaching for the warm body next to her, and instead her hand brushed against a piece of paper lying on the pillow next to her. "Nick?" she sat up in bed, glancing around the room and found herself alone. Pushing her long hair back she picked up the piece of folded paper and began to read:
Jess smiled and lay back in bed, the note pressed to her chest. I love you with my whole heart too Nickolas. The phone beside her bed rang and she rolled over, picking up the receiver. "Hello?" "Morning beautiful." Nicks voice was soft in her ear. "Hey handsome." She climbed from her bed and walked to the window, the phone pressed to her ear. "DAMN! WOMAN get away from the window!" Nick groaned as he looked out his window and across the yard to Jess's window. He leaned forward and almost growled into the phone as he saw her naked body silhouetted at her window. Jess laughed and stepped back, "Okay okay, hold on then." She set the phone down and picked up Nicks' discarded tee shirt from the floor. Then picked the phone up again and walked back to the window, "There, better?" "Yes," Nick laughed, "Don't you be flashing the neighbours like that anymore you hear me. You save that stuff for me!" Jess dropped down on the window seat, leaning back against the mound of pillows behind her, "I woke up alone…I don't like that you know." she said softly. "I know, I'm sorry baby. I had to do something for mom this morning and I didn't want to wake you up. Left you a note though you know." "I know…it was…" Nick sat up straighter in his chair as her voice trailed off, "Jess? Should I not have left it?" his words tumbled out quickly, tripping over themselves as he spoke, "oh man, oh…it’s too soon isn't it? I said all that stuff way too soon, you weren't ready for it…I should've known, I mean the whole thing with Dylan; and you haven't even told him yet…oh shit Jess I'm sorry…I…" "I love you with my whole heart too Nickolas." The phone almost fell from his hand as Jess's voice quietly interrupted his verbal rampage. "You…really?" he almost choked the words out. "Yep." Jess quipped lightly, then held the phone away from her ear as a yell erupted from the other end. "Don't move…don’t do anything to change your mind in the next hour or so okay?!" Nick grinned across the phone lines. "I have to do something for mom and then I'm coming over okay?" Jess laughed and nodded, "Okay Nickolas, I'll wait, but only cause I love you. But you'd better hurry that sexy ass of yours up cause I'm in some serious need of some kisses you know." "Ohhhh baby, I'm gonna kiss you till your lips chap!" Jess laughed as she hung up the phone, listening to Nick making kissing noises as she did so. "Still a dork!" she giggled as she walked towards the bathroom.