Two weeks had passed since their first conversation. Nick had called numerous times, much to Jessica�s delight. Their conversations were always intriguing and interesting and sometimes lasted for hours on end. The nature of their talks was at times light-hearted and funny and at other times serious and intellectual.

Together, they discussed things which neither of them had even contemplated before. Things which once had seemed so trivial and boring, but somehow managed to come alive when they discussed them together. Jessica bared her soul to Nick, telling him things she�d never dreamed of telling anyone. She told him everything except about the unspeakable horrors which her mother put her through each day.

Nick ate up every word Jessica said with fascination and wonderment. He couldn�t get enough of her. She was like an addiction of some sort. He couldn�t do without her. The past few days, he�d thought of nothing but her. Thoughts of Rianna seemed to be permanently erased from his mind. He lived to hear Jessica�s voice on the other end of the phone. Nick�s day no longer seemed complete unless he spoke with her.

Jessica too valued Nick�s calls. Often, his voice on the other end of the phone was the only thing that allowed her to keep her sanity. Every night, she would eagerly retreat to her room early to await his nightly phone call. Each time she mounted the stairs on her way to her room though, a familiar tremor would course throughout her body. She was just waiting for the day her mother found out about her phone conversations with him. Luckily for her, her mother had been busy this week. She was off gallivanting around town with her newest �friend.� She was hardly ever home nowadays and when she finally did arrive home at odd hours of the night, she was usually too intoxicated or too worn out to deal with Jessica. That didn�t mean she went easy on her though. Every morning, it was her shrill, harsh voice that Jessica rudely awoke to.

This morning however, things were slightly different. Jessica awoke unusually late, her body aching from tiredness because she had stayed up late with Nick on the phone. She was surprised that her mother hadn�t bothered to wake her up this morning.

Jessica smiled at the memory of her conversation with Nick last night. Nick had told her all about one of his greatest fears, which was flying. Everything about him seemed to interest her. There wasn�t a single thing about him that she didn�t find intriguing, whether it was his favorite color, favorite food, or the fact that he had been something of an outcast growing up. She wanted to learn everything about him. It scared her enormously that already he was becoming such an integral part of her life, but she couldn�t help it. Even after such a short time, she was fast becoming dependent on him. He was quickly becoming her solace despite the fact that she had promised herself that she would never let anyone get close to her.

Jessica lay in her bed gazing around her room, a complacent smile, etched upon her face. Her smile suddenly faded as her gaze fell upon her mother�s angry face as she stood in the doorway, her arms crossed angrily across her chest.

Jessica�s happiness faded immediately and suddenly her feelings of contentment were replaced with feelings of fear. Her mouth became parched as she desperately attempted to apologize for not waking up earlier. Before she could make a sound though, her mother was by her side, furiously yanking her from the bed.

�What are you smiling about?� she shrieked angrily.

Jessica�s eyes burned profusely, but she refused to allow herself to cry. She merely stood there, her eyes closed as her mother hurled insults at her. As her mother continued to babble on, all Jessica could think of was not of her, but of his soothing voice instead.

Nick arrived home from the gym and threw his duffel bag on the bed. He practically leapt for the phone, snatching it up eagerly. He had been waiting all day to talk to her.

As he nestled down onto his bed, he smiled inwardly at his own behavior. It was strange that he was acting this way. Even Rianna hadn�t had such a profound effect upon him. It bothered him slightly that already Jessica meant so much to him after such a short time. They hadn�t even seen each other since the day she had run into him and from the looks of it, they probably wouldn�t for a while. Jessica seemed perfectly contented with the way things were between the two of them. Throughout their talks and conversations Nick had perceptively learned that she was carrying a lot of emotional baggage which she wouldn�t open up to him about. The last thing he wanted to do was push her by suggesting that they meet somewhere. Strange as it may sound, he cared about her too much to hurt her in any way. He instinctively sensed that she had been hurt many times in her life and all he wanted to do right now was take some of that hurt away. If phone conversations were what she needed, then so be it.

Dialling her number slowly, Nick held his breath in anticipation as he waited for her to pick up. The rings seemed to carry on forever before she answered.

�Hello?� she answered, her voice low and sullen.

Something was wrong. He could tell from her voice. �Jessica? What�s wrong?� he asked worriedly.

�Nothing,� she murmured. �I�m just having a bad day.

�Anything I can do to help?� Nick asked knowing from her tone that she was lying. �Do you want to talk about it?� he asked although he knew it was a long shot. Jessica usually preferred to keep her feelings to herself.

Nick�s words repeated in her mind. Can he help? Can anyone ever help me? Suddenly, Jessica�s mind transported her back to the first time she�d laid eyes on him. She remembered all the desolate feelings she had been experiencing and how with just one glance into his piercing blue eyes, they�d disappeared.

�I need to see you Nick,� she blurted suddenly.

�Me too.�

Jessica�s mind reeled at his words. What am I getting myself into? I barely even know him. Jessica quickly brushed aside her feelings of doubt. This was what she needed. She needed him.

�Tonight at the beach around 9?� she asked.

�I�ll be there.�

Jessica walked around her room in a daze. Since she had asked Nick to meet her, there was an inexplicable feeling in her stomach. She couldn�t quite decipher whether it was fear, anticipation, or nervousness. Maybe it was a mixture of all three.

For the past hour, Jessica had been nervously pacing the length of her room, thinking about what she would say and do when she saw Nick. She had no idea. She was also desperately awaiting her mother�s departure. Her mother never bothered to say goodbye to her or alert her that she was leaving, she always just simply left. The only indication Jessica ever had that her mother was truly gone was the unusual peaceful quiet which engulfed the house.

Jessica continued pacing up and down her hardwood floor, rendering herself dizzy in the process. Her mind was a complete jumble of thoughts and images. Why had she blurted out her need to see him? What would she accomplish by seeing him? She had absolutely no intentions of telling him about her mother or the endless cruelties that she inflicted upon her. Still, something inside of her had told her that just seeing Nick, being with him, talking to him would make her feel better. It wouldn�t make anything hurt any less � nothing ever would, but it would allow her to forget, at least temporarily.

The front door slammed suddenly, bringing Jessica back to reality. Carefully, Jessica crept to her window and through her drapes she saw her mother clamber into a posh looking sports car. With a squeal of its tries, the car was gone, speeding down the street and into the darkness. Jessica felt some of the tension release from her body as she emitted an anxious sigh. The coast was clear now.

Withdrawing from the window, she turned and headed towards her bathroom. She flipped on the light, and carefully avoiding the mirror, she turned on the shower. Steam engulfed the small bathroom quickly as she stripped off her clothes and climbed in.

The water was hot against her skin, but it felt good. Refreshing for a change. She stood for a few moments, her mind completely blank as she enjoyed the sensation of the water against her skin.

Leaning forwards she grabbed her shampoo bottle and squeezed a dollop into her palm. As she lathered it into her hair carefully, his voice ran through her mind. She couldn�t deny that she was eager to see him. Jessica foolishly began wondering how things would be when they were together in person. Would things be the same? Would they be able to converse as easily as they did on the phone? She wasn�t so sure. All she was sure of at this point was that she needed to see him. Why though, she had no clue.

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