Dreams Bekah Ch 01

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, and it was created solely by me as the author. Any similarities to characters, businesses, places, or things are all happenstance, though my appreciation to those who have

inspired

my works is immense.

Author's Note:

This is the first part in a series about the Nickels family. I believe many of you will come to love Bekah, Dave, Joe, Nancy, Bob, and Nana. (Who doesn't love a spunky, lovable, doting Nana?!) This one has a slow buildup into the hot and heavy scenes, but my stories are STORIES, so many details make for fun, exciting, and interesting plot lines. Remaining calm in awaiting the next installment may be necessary, but I assure you, it'll be worth it. Questions and comments are welcome. Please take the time to rate this story also. I hope everyone will be kind. Your Support is Immeasurable.

Dreams: Bekah 01

Bekah had spent all day getting ready to go see Dave, her best friend, and the love of her life, though not declared. She had shaved her legs for this occasion. It was a big deal.

She'd be going over to his house. Her house was just across the street and down two doors from his. The snow had been coming down for a few hours, so she'd be wearing her boots and winter coat. Usually, she'd just throw on pajama pants and an old tee, with a sweatshirt if it were cold, but today, she'd dressed nicely and hoped to surprise Dave. He'd work until 8PM and then be home, and maybe they could go out for a late dinner.

As she usually did, she'd head over when she saw him pull up. She would turn off everything except the porch light at her house. No one was home. Mother & Father went away to Colorado for the two weeks of the holidays as they always had. She had spent the past five years with Dave's family for Christmas and New Year's. They were her honorary family, and she hoped they would be her family forever.

Bekah & Dave had met in eighth grade and hit it off well from the start. They just always got along. Maybe somewhere along the way they had passed up the opportunity to be a couple, but they were happy in the friend zone and rarely thought about each other in any other way. She knew so much about him and the same for him about her. They attended dances together, supported each other in many ways, and never saw anyone else. Guys weren't fond of dating girls with best friends who were guys, and girls who showed interest were shot down because Dave just wasn't interested in them.

They had a ritual. Every now and again, they'd ask each other for a "truth." Whatever they were thinking, they'd share. If it wasn't believed, or more often if it needed clarification, one would say "challenge." Further details would be given. Sometimes he'd just look at her and say "truth." That simple one-word request would usually lead to a two-hour discussion.

On this day, she hoped he would be open for a good discussion. She had something pretty special to talk to him about. She wanted to tell him about her feelings. Feelings she'd had since her 18

th

birthday.

Dave came home earlier than usual, so Bekah headed over to see him. She pulled her coat on and zipped it all the way up. The snow was really coming down. She wanted to wear her nice shoes, but with the snow, she opted for boots. While it would have made more sense to go to the front door, she liked her tradition of climbing the trellis to enter through his bedroom window. She climbed up to the top and carefully took the two steps to the window. She pulled up on the window and stepped inside. For a full minute, she was discombobulated. The room was dark. She was suddenly out of breath. She closed her eyes tightly and then opened them again. Her boots were off her feet and standing tall below the window, and her coat was hanging on the back of his bedroom door. When had that happened?

When she heard Dave turn off the shower, Bekah shook her head and sat on the bed. He opened the door as he was towel-drying his hair. Oh, Good God, she thought. No shirt. Hot body. Don't look.

Oh, God! I'm looking!

Oh, he's so beautiful. She tried to look at his eyes. She had to focus. FOCUS!

When she saw him, she stood up. He had noticed how she was dressed and that she'd made a little effort with herself. She was wearing jeans and a nice top. She'd done her hair with curls (his favorite) and even wore some make-up.

Dave dropped the towel and took a few steps toward her as he fixed his hair to sit flat. "Whoa, Beck, you look amazing! What's the occasion?"

"Oh, I was thinking maybe we could go out tonight. I figured you'd be off by 8PM, and since it's Tuesday night, maybe we could go have dinner and spend some time together, you know, out. If the weather isn't too bad, that is."

"Huh," he answered and reached over to pick up his towel. She was about to give in to her nerves and tell him to forget about it, but she didn't get a chance. "Wait, Beck, it's Thursday night." It was Tuesday,

wasn't it?

Bekah shook her head, but he continued. "We could do that. I got off early, so that's even better. We can get a table and have dinner and talk and relax before coming back here. Oh, unless you wanted to do something else?"

"No, no, that sounds great," Bekah said quickly. "Perfect even. I'll just sit here and wait for you to be ready then." She couldn't take her eyes off his chest. His bare, slightly wet, hot chest. Was she blushing? Did she have it written all over her face that she was mentally drooling over his body?

Dave went to his closet and pulled out a shirt that went really well with her top. He brushed his teeth and put on a dab of cologne she'd given him one Christmas. He checked in the mirror one more time that his hair looked good and that his collar was down before turning off the light. He sat on the chair to put on his socks and nice shoes. She walked over to the closet to get her spare black flats which she'd wear once inside the restaurant. She then grabbed her boots to bring downstairs to put on since they were wet. Well, they

were

wet.

They sure dried quickly,

she thought to herself. He grabbed her winter coat and his own to carry down the stairs to wear once they were ready to go.

Dave helped Bekah with her coat and put his on quickly before walking her to her side of his car. He opened the door for her and waited for her to be ready for him to close it. When they left, he grabbed her hand and squeezed it as he drove. "We haven't done this since..."

"Well, we were going to go out for my birthday, but that turned into something way different." She smiled. "Here I was thinking we were going out for a small celebration, just you and me, and leave it to you to make it one of the most elaborate parties of the year." She squeezed his hand back. "Did I ever thank you for the party?"

"Only about 100 times that night." He smiled back at her. "We never really talked about it, but I know you enjoyed yourself, so that made my mission complete. So, what brought on this need to go out tonight?"

"Oh, I just thought it would be nice to get out of the house."

"Good idea, Beck. I think this is a great start to the holidays. Plus, like you said, we haven't done this in a long time."

He parked at the little Italian place in town and came around to open her door for her. "It looks like they aren't too busy," he told her. "Must be all the snow."

Sure enough, the restaurant had gotten a lot of cancellations, so they were seated almost immediately. Bekah had begun taking off her coat when Dave came up to her to help. He brought both coats to the checkroom and had them hung. After pocketing the tickets, he offered her his arm to walk to the table. She smiled and took it. She took off her boots to put under the empty chair at their table and slipped on her flats.

Bekah didn't think about the news she wanted to share with him. She made herself just enjoy this time with her best friend. She used some of her energy to pretend like it was the date they were supposed to have for her birthday. She wasn't really upset about it. She had found it even more surprising to find herself so disappointed that the birthday date hadn't happened. It was then that she'd realized she wanted him. Just him. And the want wasn't just to spend time on her birthday with him. She wanted all of him. By the next day, when she had realized she was head over heels in love with him, she had spent the next couple of hours crying.

Dave ordered their drinks and an appetizer. He was doing their usual. He'd order, and then they'd talk, and when the time came, he'd take the check and pay because "that's what the guy does." Not tonight, she'd decided. She was part of this friendship too. She wanted to show him that she was vested.

They talked. They laughed. They reminisced. They ate. They drank (soda, of course). They shared food. They enjoyed dessert. When the check came, he happened to be in the restroom. She put her card in the holder and handed it back to the server just as Dave got back. He looked confused. She looked victorious, and then very innocent.

"I know you didn't just do that." Dave looked disappointed.

"You know what? I did, Dave. And you know why? Because I asked you to go out on this date, and because I asked, I was ready to own my part. I know the guy usually pays, and I love that you do it without complaint, but I can do my part too. You give so much. Let me get this one, please. Don't be disappointed. Don't be mad. Just enjoy the night we've shared, and let's make it the beginning of a special night."

He seemed to think about what she said and nodded. "You know what? You're right. Thank you for this. Thanks for suggesting we go out. And though it is always nice to see you, this evening it was even nicer to see you all done up. You look beautiful, Rebekah."

Bekah blushed and turned to write the tip on the check before giving it back to the server. "Thank you, and Merry Christmas," she told him. She turned back to Dave and smiled. "Thank you. It was nice putting on real clothes and not pajama pants." She leaned in and waved him closer. "I even shaved my legs!" she whispered.

"Whoa," he said and laughed. "Did you note that on the calendar?"

"I did, actually. With winter being here, I'll have to look back a few months to today to see when the last time I shaved was when I check it in March." He laughed again.

"Bekah, would you like to dance?"

"What? Where?"

"Here. They have a dance floor over there, and they were talking about playing a few songs for people to dance before they close tonight. I asked if they were doing that soon, and they plan to do it, um," he looked passed her, "now, it looks like." He stood up. "Would you care to dance with me?" He extended his hand, and she took it.

They walked out onto the floor just as a song began. "I was thinking about this on my birthday," she told him. "Before I knew it was a party, I was thinking when we went out that maybe we could do this after we had dessert."

"Well, apologies that I'm almost a month late, but I think there's a month's leeway to get gifts to the recipient. I made it just under the wire!"

"No apologies needed. This is really nice." They danced back and forth slowly and next to a few other couples on the floor. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his chest.

"Are you still planning to stay the night tonight?"

She looked up with surprise. "Yes, that was the plan. I was going to stay through New Year's like usual. Is that still OK?"

He put his hand behind her head and brought it back to his chest. "Of course, it's OK. We're both off from work and school, and I just wanted to be sure you still planned to put up with me for the next several days."

"I wouldn't want it any other way." She closed her eyes and thought about her desire to tell him how she felt. She could already feel the worry seeping in. What if he didn't feel the same? What if he preferred being just friends? He had often told her she was beautiful, but was that just him being nice? What if he thought she was beautiful, but not his type? Did he

have

a type?

She felt the sting of tears and tightened her eyes shut. She hadn't thought about her worries through dinner for just this reason. She tried to still her breathing before looking up again. The music was slowing to an end, and she wasn't sure she wanted to dance to another song. She quickly wiped her eyes and smiled at Dave. "Should we get out of here?" she asked.

He seemed to notice the tears but didn't acknowledge them. "Sure, if you want. Here, let's get our coats."

When they were bundled up and ready, they went out to the car, and he got her in with the key to start it so he could brush it off. She sat and stared out the window. Would she be able to tell him? Would he want to hear it? She chose to be numb. She couldn't cry again. She was just so unsure.

She didn't say anything on the way to the house, so he remained quiet too. He pulled up to the driveway and ran around to her side to walk her up to the house. She left her boots on the floor mat by the door, and they ran upstairs quietly back into his room. She took off her jacket and hung it. He'd taken his off, so she motioned for him to give it to her. He tossed it to her and waited for her to turn to him.

"What's going on?" It was a question, but he didn't ask it like one. It was a demand. "You wiped away tears and then wanted to leave quickly from the restaurant, and you haven't said a word since."

"Nothing."

"Challenge," he said quietly. "Did I do something to upset you?"

She gave him a shocked look. "What? No! This was lovely. Even the dancing. All of it was so nice. I'm not, you didn't... no, you didn't do anything."

He pulled his shirt out of his jeans and pulled it up over his head. He leaned over the dresser and grabbed a t-shirt. "Do you want one?" She nodded so he tossed her one too. She walked over to the dresser to grab a pair of shorts from her drawer. She had t-shirts there also, but when he offered her one of his, she couldn't resist. Even when they were washed, it smelled like him. She loved feeling that around her.

Bekah walked into the bathroom and changed quickly. She'd worn jewelry, so she took it all off and had it in her hand when she walked out. The room was dark and only lit up with Christmas lights. She headed over to the dresser to set the jewelry in a dish he kept there for some of her things. She turned and ran into him. "Oopfh, sorry," she said and lost her balance. He reached out to catch her, and she reached out to grab something. She had found his bare chest. She looked up into his eyes and considered why he was still not wearing the shirt. Was he trying to torture her or give her a treat?

She stood to right herself, and he continued to hold her. She looked up to find him staring down at her. "Please talk to me."

"Dave, what is it you want? I didn't mean to make things awkward. Dancing was nice, and I felt a little teary-eyed. I was ready to go. Maybe it's Christmas. Maybe it's because we're responsible adults and not just teens anymore. Maybe it was the song. I don't know. I'm sorry."

"Why are things so awkward, Beck? You haven't been able to look me in the eye for longer than two seconds since the dance. Are you not telling me something? Do you need to ask me something? What's up?"

When she didn't say anything, he moved from her, and her hands fell from his body. She hadn't realized she'd kept her hands on him until he'd moved. He went to the dresser to get a pair of shorts and headed into the bathroom to change. He was in there longer than she'd expected. She walked over and braved what was necessary. The time was now. She had to do it. She'd just tell him when he came out.

When he opened the door, she put her hands up to stop him. He stopped and looked down at her. "I love you." It was all she could muster.

"What?"

"I love you, David. I love you, and I don't want you to be mad. I love you, and I'm scared to death to say it." She paused as she lowered her gaze and whispered, "I love you."

"I love you too, Rebekah. You know that. Why are you scared to say it?"

Her voice faltered and she shuddered. "Dave, I'm telling you I love you. I am

in

love with you. I don't just want to be your friend." Her eyes stung with tears, and she finally just let them flow. She wasn't sobbing or trembling. The tears were silent and flowing on their own.

"Oh, my God," he whispered and dropped his clothes on the floor. "That's why you've been acting like this tonight?" She nodded and wiped a stream of tears from one cheek. "How long have you felt this way?"

"My birthday."

"That's why you keep bringing it up. The date that should have been was actually a party where we didn't get that alone time." She nodded again. "Have you talked to anyone about this?"

"No, I don't have anyone to talk to about things like this. My parents don't care. I wouldn't talk to your family about this. And I don't know how to talk to anyone anyway. We've been best friends for so long. Then one day,

click

! The switch was flipped and suddenly, well, I'm very aware you're a boy and I'm a girl and..." The tears picked up again.

"Rebekah, why are you crying? And why are you afraid to tell me you love me?" She shook her head. "Words, please," he requested. "What did you think I'd say? We say 'I love you' all the time. Why the fear?"

"David," she began and felt some anger arise within her, "I am

in

love with you. I've never said that before. I've never admitted it before. I'm scared to death with the realization that by admitting this, it could destroy what we have. Once someone feels a certain way, and the feelings aren't mutual, inevitably, the relationship sours. By admitting this, I am setting myself up for failure. If you don't feel the same way, I've technically seen my way out the door."

He didn't say anything. She felt defeated. She saw how he didn't move; he didn't speak. She wasn't sure it was over, but it couldn't continue like it once had been. She closed her eyes to let the rest of the tears fall as she walked over to the window. She wasn't about to leave in shorts and a t-shirt, but she couldn't stay standing in front of him. She stared out at the snow and allowed her tears to fall.

She hadn't heard him move. She didn't know he was standing behind her. He put his hands on her arms and leaned over to kiss her shoulder. "I need to tell you something," he admitted. "Last Halloween, I fell in love with my best friend." She closed her eyes and shook her head. Was he just saying that to cover up her embarrassment?

"You wore that Aphrodite costume and managed to put a pretty powerful spell on me. I saw the way that dress fit your body. I saw the way the sleeves were open so that I could see your arms. I saw the way you smiled, and it was then that I realized I was in love with that smile, those arms, and that body. The next two weeks kept me too busy to be able to confront this new realization because of increased work hours and that huge project I had.

"I confronted it on that day you and Mom went into the city to go Christmas shopping. I had the day off and spent the entire day trying to process how I felt and what I had to do about it, and yes, wondering if I was ending our friendship. I also ended up planning a surprise birthday party for you in hopes that I could give you something that would show you how much I loved you. I wanted to show you how much I was in love with you too, but I wasn't quite ready to show you my hand yet.

"Then December came, and we were so busy with Christmas and work and finals. I chose today, actually, to tell you all this. But you showed up looking amazing and asked me out to dinner. Everything was awesome and going so well, even with the dancing, until..."