Juliana's car was small, it was only able to hold about five of the twenty plants she was buying for her garden. In order to help her get the plants back to her house without having to make multiple trips Christina offered the Nursery's truck which had a plant bed meant specifically for large plant orders. Juliana agreed and placed one last plant on her daughter's seat for the car ride home. "It's more convenient, Nicky, you can ride with the other plants and Eva." Nicole exhaled sharply, she sincerely hoped Eva didn't try anything. As Juliana drove off with her five plants she passed by Eva and Nicole and asked Nicole to direct Eva to the house.
Before the two departed from the plant nursery Eva told Nicole she didn't need to do that since she had been over plenty over the years to remember where they lived. Nicole for obvious reasons found this off putting, before remembering that Eva had been over a couple times and chatted with Juliana and Chris secretly. The two got into the truck and began the ride back to Nicole's house. It was quiet except for the radio which was playing awful country music which was quickly turned off when Eva noticed Nicole's discomfort. "Sorry you're stuck here with me, this wasn't my intention." Eva looked genuinely sorry for this, but something about the situation felt off to Nicole so she stayed quiet.
"Wasn't it though." After several moments of silence she spoke. "I mean you've been stopping by my house frequently talking with my mom and Chris, don't think I didn't notice. They may have lied to me about it but I'm not blind."
"Really I didn't intend for you to be stuck in the car with me. I figured your mom would have you drive back with her. And I've only been stopping by because of the poor state of your mom's garden. Don't get it twisted I wasn't stalking you or anything."
Nicole scoffed and looked at Eva skeptically. Eva rolled her eyes and continued driving.
"Okay, maybe I did want to see you. But can you really blame me after you completely ghosted me. I mean what did I do wrong? I thought we were getting close."
"Yes, actually I can blame you. And why are you even asking if you'd done something wrong. It's obvious you did, and if you can't figure out what it was then you have a serious problem. Just because you 'thought we were getting close' doesn't mean you have a right to harass me or Amy."
"You like her, don't you?" A blush creeped over Nicole's face and she hurt her neck with the speed she used to turn it towards Eva.
"You don't know anything about my relationship with Amy! So you stay out of it or I will make this more of a problem than it has to be." Eva looked back at Nicole and noticed the anger gathering between her eyebrows.
"I just wanted to get you back Nicky, I've missed you. You're my best friend and I love you so much, can't you just give being my friend another shot." Nicole stared at Eva with a look of disgust.
"Has this been your plan the whole time, to 'get me back'? Do not act like that was all your switch to the track team was about. I know you like me more than a friend Eva, and regardless of my relationship with Amy that is never ever going to happen." Eva looked disappointed and upset.
"So you do love her then, god that is so rich. I fell in love with my best friend and then she fell in love with hers. Do you honestly think that's going to last? It didn't for us, as soon as I confessed things got tense, you started avoiding me, acting as if I didn't exist." Nicole's face was painted with fear, that was already happening, was Eva right? "Oh, or has it already started happening. Let me guess she doesn't want you that way, she loves you but differently than how you do. That's great, she's living with you, right? Wonder how long that will last now that she knows how you feel. Do you think she feels disgusted the way you did when I confessed, maybe she's reconsidering all the interactions you've had since she moved in?" Nicole wanted to scream, but she knew at least part of what Eva was saying was true. "You want to do what's best for her right? Because you love her you only want the best for her, that's how I felt, how I still feel! If you show her you can move on and love someone else she'll stay and you can let her stay safe. Otherwise you'll just drive her away like I did with you."
"No, she wouldn't leave me over this. She's a better person than I was. I'm sorry I left you all because of that, but you have to understand that I don't like you that way, and I probably never will. Please just give up Eva, this is exhausting." Eva looked at Nicole, she was parking the car despite the fact that they were still several blocks from Nicole's house.
"Are you sure, maybe you just want to pretend like everything will be fine. Guess what, that's exactly what I did. Look where that got me." Eva turned to look at Nicole. "I can make you happy Nicole, I promise you I can. Please just give me a chance, it will help Amy and you." Nicole was now reconsidering the 'never ever' statement she had made earlier. Could this really help her and Amy get back to normal. At this point she was starting to care less and less about how Amy felt, she had been rejected and now all she wanted was to be loved. Even if she would be loved by someone she had no romantic or physical attraction to. It wouldn't be fair to Amy or Eva, but right now all Nicole wanted was to lean over and kiss Eva, and pretend just for a moment that she could love her.
And that's what Nicole decided to do, in a swift motion she leaned across ehr seat, pressing the buckle of her seat belt and threw herself at Eva. She kissed her and of course she imagined Amy, it helped her get more into it. Eva was grabbing her hair desperately pulling her closer.
"I can give you anything you need Nicole, even if you can't give me the one thing I want from you. Maybe over time you'll come to love me." She pulled away from Nicole and whispered to her.
Nicole was going to do this, not for Amy or Eva but for herself, and if that made her selfish then she was. Eva began driving again, after their kiss.