Australia

Nick’s POV

I galloped my way down the staircase and swung myself over the bottom bit of the banister. I saw the back screen door shut and I walked towards it. I peered through the screen; noticing the light dust of snow on everything outside. I watched Sam run over to the tree house and haul herself up the wooden steps. I frowned; pulling my jacket closer to my body and zipping it up half way. I pushed the door open and stepped out into the cold. It hit me like a frozen wall. I shivered; my teeth chattering almost straight away. I ran over to the tree house; following Sam’s lead and pulling myself up. I poked my head out and found Sam sitting against the same wall as we always sit against; one knee drawn up to her and the other out in front. Her elbow was resting on the bent knee and her cheek was resting in her palm.

“Sam?” I said softly as I pulled myself up the rest of the way.

She looked up at me with her eyes full of tears. Her facial expression was blank. I walked over and sat beside her. She dropped her leg; both now lay out in front of her. She let her head fall, her chin to her chest. He hair fell from behind her ear, forming a dark veil like curtain between us. I brushed her hair back, tucking it behind her ear again.

“What happened Sam?” I soothed.

I wanted to touch her; hold her body close to mine, rub circles on her back, kiss her forehead and tell her everything was going to be okay. I stayed in friend mode; sitting beside her. She leaned against me and I had no choice but to move my arm to around her shoulders. I held her against me as she continued to cry.

“I’m tired of fighting with him, Nick,” she whimpered. “It hurts way too much.”

“I know it does sweetie,” I rubbed her arm comfortingly. “What was the fight about?”

“Nothing,” she told me. She rubbed her eyes with the back of the sleeve of the jumper she was wearing. I recognised it as Joe’s.

“Fights like that don’t just come out of nowhere,” I shook my head; letting her know I didn’t believe a word she was saying. “What does Joe regret?”

“What makes you think he regrets something?” she sat up and bored down on me.

“I heard a lot of the argument,” I answered honestly. “You guys were pretty loud.”

“Oh,” she chewed her lip and looked down; pulling at a loose thread on Joe’s old jumper sleeve. “What’d you hear?”

“The main thing I heard was that Joe regret something, but not doing this something with you,” I told her; nodding to myself for getting it out.

“Oh,” Sam sighed.

“Would, this have anything to do with what I may have overheard the other day?” I offered.

Sam’s head snapped up and her eyes were wide.

“What may have you overhead? What day? When? What?”

“Um,” I took a deep breath. “The day we all went out for Kev’s presents; besides you and Joe that is.”

I bright blush spread across Sam’s face and I knew I was right.

“You heard it?” she whispered.

“What exactly did I hear?” I asked carefully.

She looked at me; her eyes meaningful and her face still red. I made an “O” with my mouth and she dropped her gaze again.

“So, you actually did it?” I asked; my voice soft.

I watched her as she nodded her head.

“And Joe wishes he didn’t?”

Sam nodded again

“Oh.”

“How’d you hear us anyway?’ she asked me; her voice was small.

“I came home early. I wasn’t feeling well,” I answered honestly. “I walked to the bathroom. And that's when I heard, you know.”

“Oh God,” she whined and threw her head back into my shoulder. I felt her start to shudder with sobs again. “Everything’s so screwed up.”

I pulled her close to me again.

“It’s alright,” I soothed; pressing a kiss to her temple. “I’m here Sam.”

Sam pulled back away from me and looked me in the eye. She lifted one hand and rested it on my cheek. She leaned in slowly and kissed my lips. She massaged them gently with hers; slipping her tongue into my mouth. She moved; shifting her weight and throwing a leg over my waist until she was comfortably straddling me. I sat limp; I wasn’t sure what was happening and why she was doing what she was doing. She was upset. She had just had a fight with her boyfriend; my brother.

Pull away Nick! my brain yelled at me.

I couldn’t help but enjoy what was going on. She sat back a little and unzipped my hoodie. She slid her hands inside; running them over my stomach and up to my chest. They roamed south before making their way inside my tee shirt. The feeling of Sam’s cold fingers against my warm torso gave me goose bumps. I kissed her back a little; letting my tongue dance with hers. I started to feel uncomfortable; I liked it. It was an overwhelming pleasant feeling all over. I was getting into Sam touching me like this. Wait, what am I doing? I moved finally; grabbing Sam’s shoulders and pushing her back off me.

I gulped when I saw her face. Tears were streaming down her face, her lips were red and swollen from the kiss and the blush had returned to her face. She sat back again before standing up.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered hoarsely; clambering back down the ladder.

I moved quickly; pulling myself up to my feet and clambering down after her. I didn’t bother zipping my hoodie back up or straightening out my tee shirt. I ran after Sam. I couldn’t believe what just happened. I stopped by the back door and kicked off my damp converses. I walked quickly to the stairs and ran up them two at a time. I passed Kevin sticking his head out of his bedroom door.

I made my way quickly to Sam’s room and swung the door open. She threw her phone down onto her bed from its position in her hand. She had just hung up from a call. I watched her every move. She bent over and pulled her suitcase form under her bed. She walked to her dresser and grabbed some tee shirts and jeans and threw them into her suitcase.

"Where are you going?" I asked her; stepping a little closer.

"I have to get out of here," she told me. She was slightly out of breath ad her voice cracked like she was still crying.

“But why?” I questioned. My chest felt tight; like I was going to tear up myself.

Sam paused; tee shirt in hand. She drops it into her open suitcase. She pulled the lid closed and leaned on it with her palms

“You know why Nick,” she replied. Her voice was barely recognisable. “I've ruined everything. I've ruined my relationship with Joe. I've ruined my friendship with you. I've destroyed this family, not to mention the band. I just...”

“Tell me you're not going for good,” I demanded.

Sam turned slowly to face me. She shook her head gently.

‘I’m not,” she told me. She took a deep breath. “I just need to escape this; give you all a break from me.”

She turned her back on me again and zipped up her suitcase. She pulled it down off her bed and grabbed her phone; slipping it into the pocket of her jeans. She pulled up the handle of the suitcase and I just watched her walk by and as she clunked her way down the stairs. I followed her closely.

When we reached the bottom she stopped abruptly. I stepped over the suitcase and stood adjacent to her. Joe stood leaning against the lounge. I looked at my brother he looked even more fragile and broken then before. I looked at his devastated face; tear streaked cheeks and tear filled eyes. I watched one fall down his face as he turned his head to look up at her.

"Don't leave because of me." Joe croaked out.

I had never heard Joe sound so distraught before; so devastated. Usually the voice of confidence and cockiness, this Joe was broken and defeated. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. Sam walked over to him; dragging her suitcase behind her. She came to a stop in front of him. She reached up and wiped the tear from his cheek; leaving her hand lingering on his cheek.

"I’m not." she whispered.

She leaned in and placed a small kiss on his lips. Se reached down and took the handle of her suitcase in her hand and walked to the door. She looked back over her shoulder at both Joe and I standing looking at her. She sighed and pulled the door closed behind her.
I walked over to Joe and stood in front of him. He looked up with at me with his despair filled eyes. I gave in to my brotherly instinct and grabbed his by the shoulders; pulling him into a tight hug.