Australia

Sam’s POV

I couldn’t believe how understanding Nick was being about how I was feeling. I hadn’t expected him to offer to forget everything; especially not what I had sort of admitted last night. Honestly, I had expected him to want to remember everything and talk about it. I expected to be reminded about it everyday; however I guess Nick being there would be a constant reminder. But I expected him to want things to change, for us to be closer in that way around the house or when Joe wasn’t around. I was glad that he had offered to forget it all. Who would have thought that the promise I made would’ve managed to save my butt in such a way.

We weren’t far from home now; only just around the corner and we’d be there. Nick and I had continued our sing a long all the way after our talk along side the high way. Fall Out Boy was only the beginning. We sung along to a lot of the songs on my ipod. Some Nick didn’t know like track by Simple Plan and All Time Low. But he contributed his beautiful voice to some acoustic The Rocket Summer and danced along with me when one of his creations played. I was drumming my fingers on the side of the door; singing along to Phone Call by Forever The Sickest Kids when Nick pulled over. We were only around the corner from the house. What was he doing?

I turned to look at him; confused. He turned to face me. I picked up my ipod and paused the music.

“What’s up?” I asked him; deciding to put my ipod away.

“I just have to be sure on one thing,” he responded in a small voice.

“And? Whats this one thing?”

“We’re cool right?” he asked; looking me directly in the eye. “I mean like, really cool? Friends? Best friends? Like we used to be before all this stuff happened at your dads.”

“Of course we are Nick,” I smiled at his insecurity. “We’re perfectly cool.”

“Good,” Nick returned the smile. “Just checking.”

With one more smile, Nick pulled back onto the road. I guess it was only normal that he didn’t think that we were cool. I mean, we did end things at my dad pretty badly and that short conversation during the trip home didn't really put anything in concrete; other then the fact that we weren’t telling Joe anything that happened.

After about 3 more minutes of driving, Nick pulled the jeep up into the driveway. I opened the door and jumped out; literally. Nick beeped the jeeps horn and slid out of my side, standing behind me. I waited impatiently while the family came pouring out of the house. Kevin was first to me; sweeping me up into a hug. I grinned into his shoulder and squeezed him around the waist. I grinned up at him when he let me go.

“Welcome home guys,” Kevin smiled.

Denise and Paul moved forward next; asking how the drive was there and back, what the ranch was like and how meeting my father was. Frankie and I bumped fists. I looked up; coming to realize there was one big hunk of handsome missing from the group.

“Where’s Joe?” I asked the family; trying to peer around them into the living room.

“Joe isn’t home,” Denise informed me. “He’s out with Greg today.”

“Oh,” I sighed and frowned; disappointed.

I really had hoped that Joe had been here to greet me when I got home. I had missed him.

“He should be home a little later though,” she smiled at me.

“I hope so,” I returned the smile, unconvincingly.

I turned slightly and watched Nick pull out suitcases from the boot.

“Ill help you upstairs with your bag,” he smiled.

“Thanks,” I smiled back.

The pair of us walked through the living room to the staircase silently. I took my bag off him as we walked up the stairs and he took it back from me when we reached the top. We stopped outside my open bedroom door and he put my bag down on the floor in the door way.

“So, um,” Nick started; looking at the floor and rocking on his heels.

“Yeah,” I bit my lip and looked up at him a little.

“I guess, I’ll, um,” he stammered.

“See me around?” I offered with a half smile.

“Yeah,” he returned the smile. “I’ll see you around.”

“Do we hug?” I asked.

“Definitely,” he answered and smiled wider.

I stepped up and slid my arms around his waist. He held me close to him; my body pressed against his. The warmth was comforting, familiar. Nick was like my guilty pleasure; something that even though it’s so wrong, so unlike me; I need to have it in my life and I enjoy having it. He slowly let go and took a step back. I watched his face; he licked his bottom lip and grazed his top teeth along them. I swallowed and broke my eye contact; looking past Nick into the hallway where Kevin was standing watching us.

“You better go,” I whispered.

“okay,” Nick nodded. “Ill talk to you later.”

I watched Nick pick up his suitcase and followed him with my eyes as he made his way to his bedroom. Thank fully he didn’t turn around back to face me. I smiled to Kevin who pressed his lips together into a firm line in response. I stepped into my room and slowly closed the door. I leaned against it; my head resting against the door and my eyes closed. I released a breath I didn’t know I had been holding and rested my hand on my chest; feeling my heart thudding in its place.

Truth be told, I was slightly glad Joe wasn’t home when I got here. I don’t think I could have handled him coming outside, swooping me up into his arms and kissing me. I think the guilt would’ve overwhelmed me and I don’t even want to think about what Nick’s reaction would have been. As much as I had missed Joe, that guilt that was hanging over my head would have came down and squished me like a fly if he was to hold me like he always does; under the impression that nothing had changed, that nothing had happened between me and Nick in Houston. He was completely oblivious to things that were so obvious in front of his face. It was something I loved about him.

I opened my eyes and brought myself back down of my cloud. I looked around my room; I had forgotten what Nick had created in here over Christmas. I smiled to myself and made my way over to my bed with my suitcase. I stopped dead in my tracks and put my suitcase back on the floor. I smiled again; at the single red rose laying in the middle of my bed. I picked it up and smelled it. I sat on my bed and picked up the piece of folded paper that lay underneath the rose. I unfolded the letter and recognized the writing immediately as Joe’s.

Meet me in our park. 6pm. Dress nice.

I smiled at the note and with one more smell of the rose and a glance at my watch, I chucked them down on my bed. I had an hour. I ran to my wardrobe, pulled out a white dress and clean underwear and ran to the bathroom. I had to look absolutely perfect for this date.

Nick’s POV

I stuck my head out my bedroom door when I heard Sam’s door slam and then the bathroom door. I was confused. With a quick look down the hall way, I stepped free of my room and walked softly to Sam’s bedroom. I walked in and looked around suspiciously. Her suitcase lay forgotten on her floor, her wardrobe was open as was a draw in her bedside table. I glanced around and spotted a piece of paper on her bed. I walked over and picked it up; recognizing my brothers scrawl across the paper.

Meet me in our park. 6pm. Dress nice.

I frowned at the paper and chucked it back down on the bed. No wonder she was in such a rush. Joe had something planned. Joe always had something planned. Nothing had changed, nothing was going to change. I was just going to fade back into the background.