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Bethany felt the tears once again. Maybe from being cold, and tired, and heartbroken beyond belief. She sat numbly, trying to focus on warming her soaked body. The house was cozy, small, but warm. Her blue eyes flickered up to Nick and she whimpered softly.
"I came here...because... I don't know... I couldn't go home, Nick... I couldn't see my parents and... I couldn't stay at school because Nate..He...Was cheating...And I knew that if I went home and was alone in my room I'd go insane. I didn't have anyone...I'm sorry for just showing up..I didn't have..-" Bethany started sobbing, looking at her feet and then burying her face in her hands.

Nick watched quietly, he only heard half of what she said because he was looking her over. He tapped his chin, his face emotionless, but his peircing blue eyes deep with thoughts. When she started sobbing, a small, unoticable smirk, cam and went across his face. He sat down next to her, perhaps a bit too close, and he gently patted her shoulder "Hey, hey, kiddo, relax. It's alright, you're welcome her, you know that."

Bethany nodded, trying to calm herself, which she did. She stared at the floor, her eyes raw and tear stained.
"I'm sorry." She said, straightening her spine, "I'll leave if you want." She said as calmly as she could manage. But she didn't want to be sent away, she wanted to stay in this warm place.

"Eh, no, no, no." He shook his head, getting up and walking down the hall, then returning soon after with a towel, a fleece blanket, and one of his T-shirts. He put the blanket on the arm of the couch, then sat back down at her side. "You ain't gotta go nowhere unless you want to." He assured gently, carefully, wipeing the rain water from her soaked and tearstained face, then helping her to dry her hair some.

Beth nodded her thanks and began trying to dry herself off, tightening the large jacket around her shoulders.
"Thanks Nick. I appreciate it. I should have listened to you.. About Nate.." She said sheepishly, refusing to meet his eyes.

"Hey... It's alright kiddo... You're young, you ain't gunna listen." He said playfully. He handed her the blanket, and the old T-shirt. "You can sleep in my room tonight, I insist... I'll hang out here on the couch."

Bethany frowned, raising her eyebrows and putting her palms up, "Oh no. I couldn't. You take your room, I'll take the couch." She insisted, hating to be a bother. Beth wrapped the blanket around her, so no skin was exposed, and stripped off her wet shirt. She pulled the dry one into the blanket and wiggled into it. The shirt was huge and swept down to her knees. Feeling safe, Bethany stripped off her soaked jeans and sighed, letting the goosebumps flatten on her skin. Her hair was almost dry, she felt a lot better.

"Eh, I'm the host right?" He asked after she had finished dressing. "As the host, I insist you take ma room. In other words,blondie, I won't take no as an answer." Nick said smoothly. He had the kind of voice that made people want to listen to him, soft and deep, with audible southern drawl. That worked to an advantage when it came to his charm.

Bethany blushed, it was easy to make her blush. The smallest of things would set her off, one moment her face would be pale, the next it would be tomato red. At the moment it was a light pink, soft, but recognizable. Beth smiled a little, polite as always, then hugged Nick tightly. Hugging him around his middle, pressing her ear to his heartbeat. Nick meant safety, at least for now.
"Thanks, Nick." She muttered softly, pressing her face into his shirt. If she was a cat she would have purred.

Nick smiled and rolled his eyes playfully, trying to portray as if it couldn't possibley matter. "Yeah, yeah, yeah..." he chuckled looking down at her when she buried her face in his shirt. He smiled and wrapped her up in a big hug, like a bear hug but not so much to squeeze her to death. Nick had strong arms, the kind that made anyone feel safe if wrapped up in them: at that moment, they looked like an ideal couple sitting together on that couch.

Bethany finally loosened and released, rubbing her arm sheepishly.
"Well...I guess I'll go to bed..." She said, standing and looking around, wondering where his room was.

Nick smirked and pointed down the little hall "It's the last room on the right." He said with a warm smile.

Bethany nodded, walking down to the room. She flicked on the light and located the rather large bed. A small smile pierced her lips and she flicked off the light and walked over to the bed in the darkness. Bethany snuggled under the covers, curling herself into a ball and laying on her side. She looked off into the darkness, thinking about the day, Nate's face. Shock, confusion, terror, all of those emotions when she'd confronted him. She recalled walking away in a hurry. All the walking. And the cold. It took Beth 2 hours before her brain finally shut up and let her go to sleep.

The next morning, Nick was up early, he had tacken a shower and stood before the mirror in only his plaid boxers shaving carefully. He had a fit build, strong and well muscled from working most his life. Even the simplest of actions caused his muscles to flex, such as shaving.

Bethany woke with a fever. She sniffled, trying to breathe through her clogged nose. She cursed, her head feeling light, yet heavy. As if her head was expanding with helium, balancing a rock on top of it. Beth slapped her hand over her head and whimpered, swallowing and confirming for herself that her throat was dry and raw. The girl tried desperately to sit up, but her spine felt like jelly and she fell back against the pillow. Beth whimpered some more and rolled slowly, trying to become comfortable. She lookd at the wall, trying to figure out what to do.