Mitch decided to take Candice to Dallas to show her around his favorite city.

"We would come here all the time. We would sit downtown and people watch. Dallas is beautiful but it's highly conservative. People would frown any time Scott and I held hands. Heaven forbid he kissed me."

"I never realized how much you talk about him. Even before we got here, you'd bring him in conversations out of no where."

"For a long time he was all I knew. Most of the memories I have involve him."

"Kirstie asked you last night if you had moved on."

"I have."

"You can lie to yourself but you can't lie to her.....or me. Mitch I see it. Those pictures I saw last night were of two boys madly in love with each other. Two people who fed off of each other. Who only needed the love and support of each other to survive. You could see it in your eyes how strong your love was. Take it from me Mitch, love like that never goes away. You two could be miles and miles apart but that love still lives. Why did you really leave?"

"It was becoming too much for me. It's one thing to be high school sweethearts but it's a completely different to be an adult and love that hard. I had these big dreams and he did too. It took his father getting sick to make me realize that, at that point, my dreams were just dreams. His were just one step closer to becoming reality. Maybe I shouldn't have done it the way I did. Maybe I should have given him the option to go with me but....I couldn't risk it. I didn't want to be old and wondering why I didn't go try. So I left."

"But it was selfish."

"Are you on my side or his?"

"Mitch, this isn't about sides. I don't know him but I know you. And no matter how much money you have or what fucking magazines you cover, you've never been happy. Or at least not as happy as the boy in those pictures. If I'm on any side, I'm the side of love."

"I thought you were supposed to be my emotional support."

"I am, you unstable bitch, but what I am saying is, sometimes that emotion is love."

_____________

Candice felt it was her civic duty to make Mitch reminisce about Scott. She started by asking him how Scott asked him out.

"We were in 4th period English and this guy Austin asked me out. Before I could even answer, Scott jumped in his face 'he doesn't fucking like you.' Had everybody in the class shook. Kirstie knew I liked him so this smirk appeared on her face bigger than I've ever seen it. He told him 'Mitch is mine.' Austin backed away but not before I smacked Scott on the back of the head. We got into this little screaming match before he asked me."

She asked him about their first kiss.

"Actually that happened in the 9th grade. We all went on this week long trip to New York and we shared a hotel room. Kirstie brought her laptop and we made a video on it called 'It lives' or something stupid like that. The five of them reached their hands out trying to touch me and I was supposed to say 'I'm gay' and they jerk their hands back. Scott laughs and goes 'ew' thus making all of us laugh. Afterwards he crept into my room and we talked. He came out to me then and he asked to kiss me. So we kissed."

"You ever fight over him?"

"There was this guy when we were in the 12th grade. He had moved to Arlington from Las Vegas. His name was Alex and he was hot. They had to work on a project together and he developed this crush on him. Kevin threw this Halloween party and Alex tried to kiss Scott.....in front of me. He told Scott he liked him but seemed surprised when Scott told him about me. He said he didn't know Scott and I were dating but I didn't believe him. Scott went to get drinks and he got in my face. So hot headed little Mitchy hit him and apparently broke his nose. I didn't feel bad then and I don't feel bad now. Don't fuck with what's mine."

"Mitch is a bad ass."

"I loved Scott and nobody was gonna try and take him from me."

Candice thought Mitch was done but as the day dragged on and after most of their spending money was gone, he kept on telling her stories. She was ready to go. Luckily he was too.
___________

In the car, both of their phones ring.

"Hello"

"Candice, it's Nicole and Toddy. We wanted to surprise you two. We came a week and half early so we could hang out with you bitches."

Nicole was Mitch's personal makeup artist. She traveled with him every where and Todrick was her live in boyfriend (I know). They were all thick as thieves. Outside of Candice, they were the only ones who knew.

"Hello? Kirstie? Hold on, slow down. I can't understand you."

" I said Scott's having a get together at his place and he told me you can come if you want. Bring Candice too."

"Mitch?"

"Yeah?"

"Nicole and Todrick are here. They came early because they missed our faces. Turn around we need to pick them up."

"Okay. Hey Kirst, two of our friends from LA are here, is it cool if they come too?"

"Yeah, any friend of yours is our friend too."

"Thanks love, when is it?"

"8 o'clock. At your old place."

"The house?"

"Yeah, he couldn't give it up."

"O-oh okay."

Each one of them said their goodbyes as Mitch turned around. Mitch drove to the airport with his mind cloudy. Scott still lived in their house. Their fathers' bought it for them promising to gift it to them when they got married. He knew being there would stir up memories Mitch didn't want to think about.

_____________

"Mitch! Candice!"

Mitch pulled up just as his friends saw the rental. He and Candice got out, hugging them and put their bags in the trunk. After they get in the car he drives off.

"So have you seen him? Did you fall helplessly in love all over again?"

"Nikki!"

"What? Excuse me for caring about Mitch's love life."

"What love life?"

"Exactly! I thought for sure when Travis asked you out you'd say yes. But no."

"He's not my type. Too clingy."

"Bullshit! That man was gorgeous and you know it. He might be the biggest douche bag in the industry but at least he's hot."

"Hot or not, he's still not my type."

"No, Mitch's type is tall, blonde, and handsome with a chin made by God himself and the most beautiful blue eyes."

"Candice!"

"It's true! Nikki, wait until you see him."

Mitch glanced in the mirror at Todrick, seeing him shake his head and laughing. Mitch felt bad for him some times. It was clear to everyone they loved each other but Nicole's traveling put a damper on moving forward in their relationship. Plus he always got stuck coming along during girls night. Mitch couldn't help but feel bad about it.

"Mitch, please don't take this personal but will there be any straight men around? I can't take this for a week and half."

"Yes, Toddy! You will not be the only vagina loving person there."

"Good!"

During the drive Mitch gets unusually quiet and Candice noticed it right away.

"Mitch? What's wrong?"

"Hm? Nothing."

"Come on Mitch, you've been acting weird ever since you got off the phone with Kirstie."

"It's just......the party tonight. It's at Scott's."

"So?"

"Our old house. He never moved out of it. Why would he not move out?"

Candice kept her mouth shut. She refuses to tell Mitch that when he wasn't looking, Scott's blue eyes bore holes in the side of his head. She promised Kirstie to not tell Mitch that while he was still angry, Scott was still in love with Mitch.

"You're nervous?"

"Hell yes! The house was our baby! We put everything in it. It was our love nest or whatever. The memories in the house are intense."

"I think it's romantic."

"Shut the fuck up, Nikki!"

"Mitch, do you ever think the reason this is hard for you is because you're so scared to fall in love with him again?"

Kind of Mitch thought. "No. I'm happier now than I ever was back then."

"Mitch."

"Candice."

"You know I know you're lying. Kirstie taught me."

Fuck "Fuck her!"

"Yeah so, I'm not going to push you. But when it happens, don't get mad at me."

"Whatever."