Australia

Chapter One Hundred and Forty Two

Nick’s POV

If its even possible, the drive back is probably 1000 times more awkward then the drive there. Not even the sound of the engine was keeping my mind occupied. Sam was completely silent for the hour and a half we’d been on the road; she hadn’t even sighed since we left her dad’s house. I had to keep glancing over there to see if she was still conscious. I stole another glance at her; she had one foot up on the seat and her leg was resting against the inside of the door. She had her chin resting on her knee; staring forward at the road. I sighed. Then I heard Sam sigh in response. I cracked a smile and sighed more dramatically. She frowned.

I bit my lip to stop myself from grinning. I started whistling; no tune in particular. Just whistling to bug her. I saw her smirk out of the corner of my eye and she started tapping her fingernails on the dash in time with my whistling. I stopped whistling and looked at her properly. She didn’t turn her head. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and plugged it into the jack; scrolling through her play list and playing Fireflies by Owl City.

I frowned. I had hoped I was getting somewhere with her. I wanted to talk at least; cut through the tension that was filling the jeep; which is impossible given that it doesn’t have a permanent roof. She tapped; he fingers against her knee in time with the keyboard tune of Adam Young. I smiled. I did like this song; it was different to others that I listen to. I mouthed along to the words of the chorus. The song played out and smoothly carried on to the next track. He openings of Before the Storm from our Lines, Vines and Trying Times album started.

I know this isn't what I wanted
I never thought it'd come this far
Just thinking back to where we started
and how we lost all that we are


I reached to change the song; my hand colliding with Sam’s who clearly had the same idea. We both retracted our hands at the same time.

We were young and times were easy
But I could see it's not the same
I'm standing here but you don't see me
I'd give it all for that to change


I turned my face to look at Sam. She cast her eyes over to me slowly; biting her lip. I swallowed. Before the Storm was the first sung me and Sam had sung together; on stage, at the final Sydney show. I took a breath and sang the next two lines softly.

” And I don't want to lose her
I don't wanna let her go”


I looked at Sam from the corner of my eye; her mouth moved in time with Miley’s voice. I wasn’t sure if she was actually singing or only mouthing the words.

Standing out in the rain
Need to know if it's over
'cause I will leave you alone


I turned back to the road and sang again.

Flooded with all this pain,
Knowing that I'll never hold her,
Like I did before the storm


I tried to get her to look at me; sighing when I was unsuccessful. I spoke the next line.

“With every strike of lightning.”

“Comes a memory that lasts,” she responded.

“Not a word is left unspoken, as the thunder starts to crash,” we spoke in unison.

I left the song going and started to talk to Sam properly.

Maybe I should give up
I'm standing out in the rain,
I need to know if its over,
cause I will leave you alone.

Flooded with all this pain,
Knowing that i'll never hold her,
Like I did before the storm


“You know, when I wrote this song, I never thought it could really be applied to a real life situation,” I told Sam honestly. “It was a figurative storm I’m speaking of in this song. But with us; it was a real one.

“Yeah,” she mumbled.

Trying to keep the light from going in

MN: And the clouds from ripping out my broken heart.
We always say a heart is not whole without the one,
who gets you through the storm.

Standing out in the rain, knowing that it's really over
Please don't leave me alone, flooded with all this pain,
knowing that I’ll never hold you, like I did before the storm


“Look Sam,” I started.

“No, Nick,” she said.

“Please, let me talk,” I begged. “Please. I really need to get this out.”

“Alright,” she fell quiet.

“I just wanted to say sorry,” I told her.

“Sorry, what for?” she asked. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

‘Well, neither did you,” I told her as-a-matter-of-factly. “No one really has control over feelings then have. Its only the actions we have control over.”

“True,” she nodded.

“I'm apologising for kissing you like I did last night,” I told her. “I shouldn’t have pushed my luck like that.”

“You weren’t pushing your luck Nick,” she shook her head. “As far as you were concerned, it was alright to kiss me. I had been kissing you all week.”

I heard her sigh.

I checked the traffic and pulled the jeep over to the side of the road and shut off the engine. Sam looked at me confused. I turned towards her; leaning my back against the door.

“Sam. Look. I mean. Where do I start?”

Sam shrugged with one shoulder.

“Alright. Do you remember the promise we made before we got to your dads?”

“What promise?” she shook her head.

“That, whatever happens in Houston stays in Houston?”

“Oh. That.”

“Yeah. Well. If you want, that promise can apply to the situations from the past week,” I bit my lip and raised my eyes to meet her. “I can see that all this is making you miserable and everything you’re regretting is bringing you down."

“What?” she answered in a small voice. “Nick. I don’t regret anything we did. I’m sorry I made you feel like that though.”

“Even what you confessed last night? I can see the regret Sam. You wish you didn’t tell me; well, you didn’t actually tell me. But you didn’t tell me otherwise so I just assumed,” I stuttered over my words. “About loving me I mean.”

“Yeah,” she played with her hands; picking at a cuticle. "It's just guilt i guess."

“We can even forget about that; if you want,” I offered. “I mean, personally I wont forget it, but, we can keep it between us. If you want to.”

“Oh Nick,” Sam teared up; tears spilling over the side. She threw herself over to me; wrapping her arms around my neck and holding me closer to her. I smiled into her shoulder; wrapping my arms around her torso. “Nick. Whatever Happens In the future. Whatever happens when we get home, or even two seconds from now. You are, and will always be the best thing that ever happened to me.”

She pulled away slowly and smiled at me. I brushed her fringe back off her face.

“Ditto,” I smiled in return.

She sat back in her seat with a smile on her face.

“How about we get this sing-a-long going properly hey?” she grinned and picked up her iPod. “What would you say to some Fall Out Boy?”

“Sound perfect to me,” I smiled at her and started the jeep back up again. I veered back on the road and headed towards home.
♠ ♠ ♠
Nick is amazing.
Alright. That's the conversation for the drive home.
i hope you guys like it.
Comment and let me know.
:)