Paris Hilton Scared to Pick Up Phone to Nicole Richie  8/2/06

Paris Hilton wants to end her long-running rift with Nicole Richie but is scared to pick up the phone.

The pair have been feuding since 2005 and even shot most of the latest season of their show The Simple Life apart.

Hilton confesses she wants to patch things up, but doesn't know how to.

She says, "Nicole and I are going through something right now, but I love her. She's like a sister to me, so hopefully we'll work something out.

"I'm scared (to call her) It's just weird and hard when you haven't spoken for so long. I don't know what would happen. I'm going to wait a while."

"I've known her, like, 20 years and the whole thing is ridiculous."

The feuding socialites have reportedly been offered the chance to patch up their former friendship on US chat show The Late Show.

Host David Letterman has offered to play peacekeeper after inviting The Simple Life stars to appear together on his chat show in September (06).

The two former pals fell out amid reports Richie aired a private viewing of Hilton's controversial sex tape. Both girls have refused to go into detail about their bust-up, with Hilton repeatedly telling journalists, "She knows what she did."