Secret Diaries (Heartlake Cliche #1)

Chapter Thirty-Two

 June 25, 2008

 When everything’s out in the open, there really isn’t any other thing left to do except move on. But...

     “It was Nick,” Vivian informed her daughter, one eyebrow raised. “Again.” She went over and sat beside her daughter on the couch. It did not escape her notice that Rachelle was not paying attention to the TV show she was supposedly watching. She took Rachelle’s hand in hers, earning her a look from her daughter. “Stop avoiding him, honey. That’s obviously what you’re doing and it’s not healthy.” Rachelle tried to take her hand back but Vivian held on. “To your friendship, especially.”

     “Mom,” she complained, her tone a tad bit exasperated.

     Vivian simply shook her head. “I don’t blame you for being confused—what, with everything that’s happened.” She looked deep into her daughter’s eyes, making Rachelle shiver at the intensity of her mother’s gaze. “I simply want you to go and talk to him,” Vivian advised. “Christmas is just around the corner and we’re all supposed to be happy, remember? You won’t be, unless you get things fixed with Nick.”

     “But,” Rachelle countered, albeit hesitantly. “What if I say the wrong things and I end up losing him, instead? Why can’t we just go back to the way things are? How did things end up so complicated?” she complained. She knew her questions were futile but she really had no idea what to do with this last piece of her problems.

     “Darling, he’s just human. Nick probably didn’t want it to happen this way, either. But,” Rachelle felt a squeeze on her hand, “there is no way he could’ve controlled his emotions. At least not totally. Besides, there’s no reason you can’t love him back. He’s a good guy.” Vivian smiled with genuine enthusiasm. “I like him for you, actually. I can trust him to take care of you.”

     “I’m not so sure,” Rachelle replied pessimistically, “I mean I like him too but it just seems so...wrong.”

     Vivian gave her a hug of comfort, visibly worried for her daughter. “It’s alright, honey. I guess you don’t have to force yourself.”

     At that moment, Ian stumbled into the living room, a jar of chocolate flakes in one hand. His wife and daughter got out of their embrace as he seated himself on one of the single-seat sofa chairs.

     “Am I right to assume that it’s Nicholas you were talking about?” he asked as he tossed two flakes into his mouth, his face turned towards the television.

     Rachelle felt her eyes widen in surprise as her head whipped towards her equally confused mother. When she began to ignore Nick’s calls, and refused to join the band practice even after Christmas vacation had started, she knew that everyone in her family had already deduced that something happened between her and her best friend. At first, they bought the excuse that she had to concentrate on her latest project so as to get back on track in her career. But when pictorials ended after five days, her mother began pestering her about Nick.

     Her parents initially thought it was because of his absence during her birthday and they told her that Nick must have had a good reason for not being able to come. They knew that Rachelle and Nick did not ignore each other when they argued and it got her parents worried. Nick was almost a son to them.

     It was only last night that Vivian had finally coerced Rachelle to tell her what’s wrong. When she finished telling her mother what she just found out, Vivian was stunned for a few moments and then she chuckled with amusement.

     “Oh honey!” Vivian exclaimed. They were in Rachelle’s room and even though she knew Vivian’s voice wasn’t that loud, she shushed her mother with a finger on her lips. Vivian merely grinned. “For years, your father and I had wondered why the two of you were never a couple. I knew you should be.”