Australia

Nick's POV

I led the way to the treehouse and followed Sam up the ladder. I was glad I had grabbed my jacket from my chair; it was cooling down fast out here.

"So, um," Sam started. "What did you want to talk about?"

I sat down and patted the floor beside me. She moved slowly and sat down beside me with her legs crossed. I could feel the tension starting to build already.

"I want to talk about us," I admitted.

"What about us?" Sam looked at me with her head resting on the wall behind her head.

"Oh I don't know," I stated sarcastically. "Maybe the fact that you haven't spoken to me properly in nearly a month."

"That's not my fault," she retorted. "You could've spoken to me."

Her new found arrogance annoyed me.

"What about the non existent hugging?" I continued. I started counting off the things that had stopped on my fingers. "We have spoken, hugged, held hands and you haven't kissed me on the cheek. Plus, you haven't smiled at me."

I looked over at Sam; her expression was guilt ridden.

"What is it?" I asked crossing my legs and moving slightly to angle myself towards her.

She shivered and I pulled off my jacket. She shook her head.

"Please tell me," I begged. "Please."

I leaned back against the wall again. She slid closer to me until our bodies were nearly touching. I heard her sigh. I draped my jacket over both of us; as much as possible.

"It was something Kevin said to me," she started.

"Which was what exactly?" I asked.

"Kevin confronted me when we got home from LA. He told me that from his stand point, it was like I was stringing you along," she exhaled.

"Meaning?" I turned my face to look at her.

"The hand holding, the kissing on the cheek and the close hugs," she told me quietly. "He said I was keeping you in the lurch; stringing you along just in case Joe and I don't work out. I was keeping you keen on me and giving you false hope."

I studied Sams face. She looked troubled by Kevins accusations even though they had happened a month ago. Did she really feel that? Was she stringing me along?

"Are you?" I asked cautiously. "I mean, do you think that you were?"

"The more I thought about it, yes I was," she admitted; leaning her head back against the wall and closing her eyes.

"And that's why..." I bit my lip.

"Yep," she replied. "That's why I've been distancing myself from you these last couple of weeks. But, I'm not blaming Kevin and neither should you. What he told me was just a kick in the butt; it gave me the push I needed to stop what I was doing."

"You could've told me," I looked away.

"How could I?" she asked. "'Oh Nick, I'm sorry I can't be all cuddly with you anymore because Kevin thinks I'm stringing you along.' It's not exactly an easy conversation topic."

"I guess yore right but like, it would've stopped weeks of inner torment," I told Sam bluntly. "And arguing with my mind over whether or not you hated me."

"I could never hate you Nick," she said softly.

I felt her eyes on me. I turned my head and met her eyes with mine.

"I know that now," I sighed. "But take it from my point of view. I mean, one day we're holdng hands on the plane and you're hugging me. The next I'm being completely ignored. I guess you could say it was like a kick in the gut. I thought I'd done something wrong."

"I'm sorry Nicky," she told me in a voice just above a whisper. "I didn't mean for you to feel like that."

"Its alright. I know what you were fighting now."

I heard Sam sigh in response of my forgiveness.

"Its alright really," I half smiled. "Its not like I could hate you."

Sam shifted slightly and rested her head on my shoulder. She lifted the jacket slightly so it would sit on her shoulder.

"I love the new look by the way," she smiled. "Your hair is awesome and the new clothes are hot, to say the very least."

"Thanks," I blushed.

"You're welcome," she said. "Your blushing aren't you?"

"Yes," I told her quietly.

"Point Sam," she giggled gently.

We sat in silence for a moment before Sam's hand started moving around under the jacket. I felt our hands brush and I wiggled my fingers. She smiled up at me before lacing our fingers together. I smiled and looked out the window beside us. The moon was big and round in the sky; illuminating the room softly.

"Nick," Sam broke the silence. "What'd do you want for your birthday?"

I thought for a moment before turning my face again and meeting Sam's eyes.

"This moment," I told her. "Over and over again."

Sam smiled up at me. She nestled her head into my shoulder more and squeezed my hand gently. I sighed quietly and looked out at the moon again. This moment forever would be perfect.