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When she grabbed him, Nate just blinked. He wouldn't of reacted, had she not been sobbing into his neck... Had he not seen what she had been hiding... Had he not been the only person who knew the truth. It brought back memories: One of that Valentine's day in ninth grade, when Nate had stood up for Beth when some popular kids had been picking on her.

He snapped back to reality when she said his name. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. "Yeah, yeah, I-I got ya' Beth. Wh-what is it?" he asked gently.

"I-I..." She looked at him, remembering when she broke up with him. "I was wrong to ever have left you, Nate. I was wrong.." She sobbed.

Nate was quiet, he wiped the blood from his face and listened to her. He still loved her, he loved her very much. But he still couldn't believe she loved him, she may have been sorry, but surely she didn't love him anymore.

He held her tighter: "It's okay Beth, you weren't wrong, It was my fault... Not yours." he still blamed himself for their breakup on that day.

"No, Nate. It's my fault. I shouldn't have left. I should have heard you out. I shouldn't have gone to Nick..." She shivered, remembering when his once sweet touch turned sour. "I should have...stayed with you..." She muttered softly.

"I shouldn't have let Chapin get so close. She's always been like that, and I never thought it would hurt you... And... I should've stopped you... I shouldn't have let you go, without telling you: I-" he cut off before he could say more than he meant, but he may have already done that.

"You...What...?" She asked, looking at him with tear stained eyes.

The pain in his eye, the look in her eyes, and the fact that a dark blush came to his face, made him answer: "I... Uh..."

Bethany saw it, and this made her hug him tightly against, "I love you too, Nate." She muttered, clutching him closely to her.

Nate blinked quickly, his eyes returning to the way they had been, long, long ago. Before his adventures with Ghost. Even before meeting Atticus. They where the brilliant amber they had been, when he still ha a family. When things were simply, and life was perfect.

A smile came to his face and he linked his arms around her, hugging her tightly, tears coming to his own eyes. "I wish I could've told you that sooner..." he said softly. After a few minutes of just holding her, he remembered Jeffery, and looked at the boy, grinning sheepishly.

Jeffery liked Nate, more than Nick. When ever Nate was around, Jeffery's mom was happy, whenever Nick was around...Well...Nick just scared both of them. So, it was very easy for Jeffery to smile back at Nate when he turned his attention away from. His dancing blue eyes looked from his mother, then back to Nate, where his smile only grew.

It took her two days to fall in love with Nate before. It took two days for her to fall in love with him again. And Bethany was very thankful that she could fall for him so easily now. It was so natural with Nate, just like breathing. But what about Jeffery? Nick had made sure to drill into her head that no one could love her if she had a son. Surely no man would put up with her, not ever Nick. "But...I have Jeffery...You don't want to deal with me.." She said sorrowfully.

He looked at her softly, then he looked at Jeffery, then back to Beth's sorrowful face. "Why the h*ll would you say that?!" he asked, quietly so Jeffery couldn't hear him. He was upset that she thought that way about herself. "Beth, I'll love you no matter what... You do remember that we where complete opposites in highschool. I still loved you, Jeffery won't change that. He's a great little kid, and your son... Hes just as important to me as you are." Nate vowed.

Bethany smiled wildly, in the mists of shock, "R-really?" She asked, her voice shaky.

"Well of course!" he said with a smile, raising his brow. "Why on earth would you think I wouldn't wanna deal with you because of your son?" he asked gently.

Bethany looked at the ground, "Nick always told me that...No one would want me...That...I was no good." She muttered, feeling tears rim her eyes.

Nate was silent at first, he could feel her sadness that formed now. He looked at her hands. He took her hands and held them in his. Then he removed his one hand from hers and cupped her chin, tilting her head up so she looked at him. He smiled softly and gently stroked her cheek. "Ans that's why Nick dosen't deserve you."