“No.”

“No.”

He felt his heart break and prayed that this was just another one of those moments where the girl in front of him, the one he’s been in love with ever since he met her in his freshman Spanish class, was teasing him like she always did. He was waiting for the moment she would break into a gorgeous smile and laugh at his shocked expression. But it never came.

“What do you mean?” he asked, his voice so dry he wasn’t sure if she heard him.

Dominique swallowed and looked at her best friend with sad eyes. She loved him so much, maybe even romantically, and she undoubtedly supported him and his dreams in becoming a famous musician. And she was so proud of him for receiving this amazing opportunity to travel with another well-known artist, even if he was just the opening act. But what he was asking of her, to go with him on his tour, was too much.

“Gabe,” she sighed. “I just can’t. You know I want to more than anything bu-”

“Then say yes and come with me!” Gabe cried. He knew he was being whiny and needy and should’ve just respected her answer but he wanted her to be there with him, for him. Dominque has been by his side since the beginning and he would even go as far as to say that she was one of the major reasons for his dreams coming true. Without her believing in him, Gabe probably would have never believed in himself.

Dominique shut her eyes and let her head fall down in her hands, her elbows resting on her knees as she sat down on the bed of his hotel room. They were having such a great night. They watched a musical on Broadway, something Dominique had been dying to do since she’s been in New York, and ate dinner at a place Dominique never thought Gabe could afford. She was having an amazing time with her best friend, catching up with him and seeing how he’d grown into a mature and handsome man. When they got to his hotel room, she thought they would cuddle and watch whatever hotel cable could provide – the end to a perfect night.

“Gabe, I am so proud of you, you know that,” Dominique said, her face still in her hands and her soft voice filled with defeat. “But I can’t just drop everything I have here.”

“Why not?” Gabe asked incredulously. Deep down he knew it was selfish and unfair to ask Dominique to leave her priorities in school to travel with him and watch from backstage while he strums a guitar but at that moment all he wanted was for her to be with him.

“There’s nothing here for you, Dom.”

Dominique’s body flinched as she raised her head to look up at him. Gabe looked just as handsome as he did when he picked her up. Even if his previously styled jet black hair was now unkempt from him running his hands through it and his white buttoned up wrinkled with the top few buttons undone, Dominique never thought she would see her best friend look so attractive. But the words that left his plump lips left her stunned with hurt. How could he think that she had nothing to lose when she had struggled and tried so hard to build things up in a place she knew nothing about? Dominique didn’t have a chance to respond as Gabe continued.

“You didn’t even want to move here in the first place!” Gabe pointed out. “And we both know that Lucas hasn’t been taking care of you.”

“Well maybe I don’t need to be taken care of!” Dominique said defensively. “And so what if I didn’t want to move here? I adapted. Just like I do for every shit situation I’m in!”

Gabe wanted to argue but he knew she was right. Dominique was special like that. Even when thrust into something where absolutely nothing is going her way, she’ll find a way to make it work out in her favor. He envied her for that and always wanted to do the same. But Gabe was stubborn and any sense of logic and understanding that he had left had now dissipated his desire for Dominique’s accompaniment and love too powerful for him to think clearly.

“Oh so now I’m a shit situation?!” he snapped. Dominique’s eyes squinted up at him, her mouth agape at how ridiculous he was being.

“What? Gabe, that’s has nothing to do with what I said!” Dominique exclaimed, her face back in her hands before raking her fingers through her dark hair.

“I can’t go, Gabe,” Dominque stated firmly. “There’s nothing either of us can do about it. Can we just accept that and enjoy the rest of this night without fighting?”

But Gabe wasn’t backing down, even if his conscience was desperately pleading him to accept the misfortune of not having his best friend accompany him.

“Of course,” he scoffed. “Let’s just accept what Dominique wants because what Princess wants Princess gets. Because she deserves it. The little saint.”

What’s funny to Gabe is that, despite the venom coating his words, he knew she deserved it. Dominique deserved having her wishes granted because that’s always what she’s done for others, Gabe especially. In fact, this was probably the first time that Dominique had said no to him. Every other time his best friend would be more than willing to help him with his English paper for his sixth period or stay late to help him clean his house after a rowdy party. But at the same time, Gabe loved her. No. Gabe was in love with her. And being separated from her was the worst feeling he had ever endured. So now that she was here, in front of him wearing the most gorgeous dress, he didn’t ever want to let her go.

Not again.

Gabe had done well in high school, concealing his true feelings for her because he knew she didn’t need a boyfriend as much as she needed a best friend. But this time was different. This time Gabe couldn’t control himself from thinking about removing her dress from her body and kissing every inch of olive skin. He couldn’t control himself from imagining strumming his guitar onstage in Berlin and pointing to the crowd where Dominique had a reserved spot, dedicating his song to her. He couldn’t control himself from wanting her to be with him.

“Gabe,” Dominique’s voice sounded like it was straining and it made Gabe’s heart hurt a little. “You’re not being fair to me right now.”

“I know,” Gabe said softly, his voice seeming to strain too. He shut his eyes and kneeled in front of Dominique, his hands brushing over her soft, bare knees. “I know, babe.”

They were silent for a moment. Dominique was crying quietly. She knew she was breaking yet another heart of her closest friends. First Lucas. Now Gabe. The only difference being that Gabe was handling it better than Lucas who had kicked her out of their once shared apartment, forcing Dominque to room with her friend Vanessa whom she had gotten so close to over the small time she’s stayed there.

“I’m sorry,” Gabe said finally. “I just love you so much and seeing you here and spending time with you reminded me of how much I’ve fallen for you. How much I’m in love with you.”

Dominique looked up, her tears almost dry on her face. She was surprised to say the least considering that Dominique had a crush on him when she first met him but let go of the feelings when she saw him more as a brother. At the same time, she was a bit annoyed. She thought that Lucas was the only boy in her friend group that liked her romantically but after hearing Gabe’s confession she was starting to wonder if any of her other guy friends liked her that way too. I need more girlfriends, she thought.

But Gabe chuckled and shook his head. “Don’t worry. I’m not gonna try anything. I guess I just got a little carried away when I saw you.”

They were silent again. Dominique wasn’t really sure how to respond or how to pick up the conversation from there. Luckily, she didn’t have to.

“I love you, Dominique,” he said, as if testing the phrase. “And that’s why I want you to come with so badly. Because I know that when I leave, I’m going to leave you all alone with no one to look after you and I know you don’t really need anyone looking after you but it gives me comfort to know that you’re okay.”

Dominique furrowed her eyebrows and sniffed a little. Gabe’s focus was still on her knees covered by her dress and his fingers mindlessly rubbed shapes on her smooth calves.

“I guess I just have this mindset that if I love you and have you with me, then you’ll be safe,” Gabe continued. “But if I leave you, nobody’s going to give you the love that you deserve. And you give so much love, Dom, and not once has someone ever given it back to you.”

“You did,” Dominque said immediately. “You always did.”

He shook his head and chuckled before finally looking up at her. “No, babe, I didn’t. But I promise you that one day somebody will. Some lucky guy is gonna sweep you off your feet.”

Silence again. They stared at each other. They loved each other, they did, but it wasn’t the same. Not anymore. But there was still love there. Not the kind of romantic love that they were so used to hearing and wanting. It was some kind of unlabeled love. A feeling they couldn’t really explain but something that only they could share.

“And the lucky bastard’s gonna be able to tap that ass too.”

Dominique laughed and shoved his chest playfully. Gabe grinned and took her hand and kissed it lovingly.

“You’re an idiot,” Dominique smiled. Gabe stood up and sat next to her, pulling her into a tight hug. He brushed a kiss to her head as she sighed deeply into his neck.

“I know,” he said softly. “I’m going to miss you so much.”

“I’m going to miss you too,” Dominique said back. “Any chance you can reserve a ticket for me so I can come visit you? Maybe save a spot for me in your bunk?”

Gabe smiled and laughed a little before pulling back and tilting her chin up with his fingers. He leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to her nose, making her smile.

“How can I say no?”