Elizabeth stared back at AJ awkwardly. She quickly removed her hand from his shoulder. What am I doing? Why am I doing this? she wondered. She knew exactly why she was doing it. She was doing it because she missed him. It pained her no end that she wasn’t with him. Even though she knew it was wrong, she wanted so badly to get rid of her pain and turn it back into happiness again. Only AJ could provide that happiness for her – she was certain of it.

Grabbing AJ’s hand, Elizabeth pulled him out of the den leaving Jessica and Nick alone. “We need to talk,” she whispered breathily in AJ’s ear. AJ followed obligingly as she steered him towards his room.

As she walked towards his room, she tried to organize her thoughts. What am I going to say? There were so many things that she wanted to tell him, but she wasn’t sure how to say them. She wanted to tell him how she was sorry and how she had never meant to hurt him, how she missed him and most of all how she wanted to be with him again.

Entering AJ’s room, AJ closed the door quietly behind them. As he turned around the two locked eyes standing in utter silence. AJ’s eyes travelled up and down her body finally resting on her face. He noticed the tears forming in her eyes and watched silently as they trickled down her face.

Instinctively, he reached up and gently brushed her tears from her face with his fingertips. Caressing her face in his hands he stared deep into her eyes.

“I am so sorry," she whispered. “I never wanted us to end up like this,” Elizabeth whispered her voice cracking.

AJ stared back at her speechless. He knew what he was about to do was wrong. So wrong in many ways but to him it felt right. There were so many questions running through his mind but not one of them escaped his lips.

Cupping her face gently, AJ her kissed her softly at first but with growing fervor, catching Elizabeth by surprise. Soon Elizabeth began kissing AJ frantically releasing all the pain and emotion that was pent up inside her. This is wrong! her mind screamed. She knew it was wrong and she would probably regret it later but she didn’t care.

The pair shuffled over to the bed, their bodies intertwined with one another. If this is wrong why does it feel so right? was her last thought as the couple collapsed onto the bed together.

Nick sat next to Jessica on the couch. He was so close to her that he could almost feel the warmth of her body. He watched her silently as she fidgeted with a strand of her hair. He couldn’t take it anymore. Not being able to touch her, feel her, be with her was killing him.

“Jess,” Nick whispered turning towards her.

“Nick,” Jessica said at the same moment.

They both fell silent almost as if they were paralyzed gazing imploringly into one another’s eyes. Nick could feel his self-restraint withering away as he gazed at her longingly.

Suddenly, he didn’t care if it was wrong to want to be with her, he didn’t care if Brian had told him that she wasn’t ready. All cared about was holding her in his arms. In a sudden rush of emotion, Nick reached out impulsively and ran his hands through her silky hair, inching his face closer to hers.

Jessica’s heart began pounding incessantly as Nick face drew nearer and nearer to hers. His touch was so soft and gentle – it was everything she had imagined that it would be. Nick’s face was now so close to hers that she could feel his warm breath. Her mind screamed at her telling her to stop but she couldn’t pull away from him. His touch was just too mesmerizing for her.

Nick stared longingly into Jessica’s eyes. Removing his hand from her hair, he traced his fingers along her jawbone soon moving them to her lips. Slowly, he brought her lips towards his kissing her with more passion and feeling than he had ever kissed anyone with before.

His kisses were so sweet that they had a dizzying effect on Jessica. It was like nothing she had ever experienced before in her life. The sensation of his warm lips on hers was totally exhilarating for her. As their intensity gradually deepened, the tiny voice in Jessica’s mind faded until it was almost inaudible. Jessica ran her fingers shakily through Nick’s hair. As she became accustomed its soft texture, she moved her hands up and down his strong back.

Following her lead, Nick did the same, stroking her back lightly. Suddenly, his actions triggered Jessica’s memory and her mind abruptly flashed back to thoughts of Justin and how he had hurt her. He was so loving at first – until that one fateful night. Warning bells went off in Jessica’s head. They were so loud that it was impossible for her to ignore. I can’t do this. I can’t let that happen to me ever again, her mind screamed.

Placing her hands squarely on Nick’s chest, Jessica pushed him away forcefully as hot tears began to spill form her eyes. She rose to her feet quickly unable to look at Nick.

“Jess. Wait!” came Nick’s ragged voice as he attempted to catch his breath.

Her tears began to flow harder as she stumbled towards the door. She fumbled clumsily with the doorknob unable to get it open. She could feel Nick’s hands on her shoulders trying to pull her back towards him. Oblivious to the confused look, which masked Nick’s face she wrenched herself from his grasp. She finally managed to open the door freeing herself from the den.

“Jessica! I…,” Nick yelled urgently after her retreating figure.

Jessica’s legs took over her body, propelling her towards the door. The only sound that she heard was the sound of her wrenching sobs as she dashed wildly towards the front door and out into the dark night.

The slam of the front door echoed throughout the beach house as Nick slumped against the wall. “I would never hurt you like he did. I love you too much,” Nick said softly finishing his sentence to himself.

Lila and Brian broke apart sheepishly as the sound of the door slamming vibrated throughout the whole beach house. The sound was accompanied by dead silence. As Lila and Brian ventured out of Brian’s room, they ran hand and hand to investigate the sound. A sudden uncharacteristic thought ran through Lila’s mind as she followed close behind Brian. She wished desperately that it had been either Elizabeth or AJ who had fled the house. They were strong. They would be able to handle the pain. Not Jessica though. She had experienced enough pain to last her a lifetime.

As they approached the den quietly, the door was open ajar and the light from the den streamed out into the hallway. Standing back from the door slightly, Lila peered inside cautiously. A knot in her stomach formed as her suspicions were confirmed. There Nick sat slumped against the wall, his head cradled in his hands.

Why Jess? He can help you. Can’t you see? Why do you keep pushing him away? Lila wondered to herself. She watched Nick as he lifted his head slowly from his hands, his eyes roaming the room sadly. Just by looking at his eyes Lila could see how much Jessica’s actions had hurt him.

In that one split second, Lila knew that Nick was the one for Jessica. The intense emotion in his eyes told her so. He would be the one who would help Jessica out of her misery. All she had to do was open her heart and let him in.

Lila stepped forward reaching towards the doorknob. As she did so, she felt Brian’s hand pulling her back gently. “Don’t. Give him space. He needs to be alone right now,” Brian gently instructed.

Sighing in agreement Lila followed Brian into the kitchen. She felt horrible about leaving Nick alone but she knew Brian was right. Nick needed his space right now. She could see in his eyes how hurt he had been by Jessica’s actions.

A crash of thunder suddenly startled Lila from her thoughts. Surveying the scene outside the kitchen window, Lila’s knees began to tremble. As the rain poured down in sheets, Lila hoped desperately that Jessica would make it home all right.

Again, her thoughts were rudely interrupted by the distinct screeching of tires. As she jumped up following Brian, she made it to the kitchen window just in time to see Nick’s black BMW peel out of the driveway and speed down the street.

Jessica’s tears mixed with the rain as it poured down in sheets, blurring her vision. As she ran, she splashed through puddles, her feet getting soaked in the process.

The thunder overhead boomed and she began to run as fast as her legs would allow. Suddenly, she lost her footing and was sent sprawling forward onto someone’s lawn. For a few seconds, she lay helplessly, unable to move.

Her fall triggered her memory and images of Justin began running rampant throughout her mind. Her thoughts were interrupted though, by the persistent stinging of her knee, which was now becoming unbearable.

Glancing down at her knee, she noticed she was bleeding. It was badly scratched and slightly caked with mud. She watched silently as the blood slowly trickled down her knee as it mixed with the rain. This can’t be happening to me again. Not now. Not ever, she screamed at herself. Wide-eyed, she looked wildly around, searching for someone – anyone at all who help her.

The sinking feeling in the pit of Jessica’s stomach took over as she came to the realization that she was all alone – the same as that night. Nobody would come to help her. She would have to help herself.

Grimacing as she rose to her feet, she began hobbling in the direction of the beach house. The blinding flashes of thunder forced her to often shield her eyes as she forged down the street. Tears streaming down her mud encrusted face she finally made it to the beach house. She climbed the stairs agonizingly, taking each step slowly and deliberately. Half way up the stairs, she almost collapsed from exhaustion.

Willing herself to continue on, she stumbled towards the door vaguely remembering that she didn’t have her keys on her. Rubbing her temples slowly she forced herself to think. Where is the spare key? She racked her brain unable to think.

Suddenly the multicoloured porcelain flower pot caught her attention. She grabbed it roughly, almost knocking it from its perch on the ledge. The key glistened in the rain as her eyes fell upon it. She snatched it up hastily and inserted it roughly into the door.

She was so eager to get inside that she hadn’t even realized that she really hadn’t been alone. He had been there all along. He had had been following her, watching her every move for days now. [Next Chapter].[Table of Contents].