“Nick are you listening to anything I’m saying?”

I rested my chin on my knees. “Yeah,” I mumbled.

“Well, I meant every word of it,” he drawled.

God, I hate it when he’s right. Was it that obvious about the feelings I had for Lizz? I had made it a practice not to show my feelings because of all the times I had been hurt growing up, especially in this business.

“What are you planning on doing about this?”

I shut my eyes tight and sighed. He was going to hound me until I did something, this was so typical of him - hounding me until I finally caved.

“I dunno, what can I do?”

“You can get off your butt for starters and talk to that girl down there,” Kevin said gently.

I shook my head. “What if she tells me to go away, I don’t think I could handle that Kev.”

“Nick, I doubt Lizz would say that to you. Why would you think that?”

I looked up at Kevin, the tears in my eyes blurred my vision. “I-I just don’t know what to say to her anymore. I failed her and I don’t deserve to be near her. She needs someone that can protect her.”

Kevin sighed, I braced myself for another lecture that was definately bound to come. “Nick, quit being so damned hard on yourself. There wasn’t anything you could have done differently and you know that!”

I half-laughed at my own thoughts. “I’ve gone over this in my head trying to figure out what I could have done to stop Vinnie and all I can hear is Lizz crying out for me to help her. How would she want to be near someone as pathetic as me?”

Kevin roughly grabbed my by the shoulders, pulling me within inches of his face. “Nick, listen to me. Lizz is a strong girl. She came from a very strong background and she’s had many challenges in her lifetime. She is about as christian as you can find - well, next to Brian she’s as religious as you can find. Forgiveness is in her vocabulary, but there’s nothing to forgive because you didn’t do anything wrong. Get this into your thick head, alright? She needs you just as much as you need her, just go down and talk to her, okay?”

“You go on ahead, I’ll catch up with you in a minute,” I squeaked. God, I hate when my voice betrays me.

“I’m not stupid, we’re going down together Nick. I lost you for three hours I’m not taking that chance again,” Kevin replied sternly.

Brian reached out and gently brushed the tears from Lizz’s cheeks. He looked at her for a few moments before speaking.

“I bet we look pretty sad right now,” he joked.

Lizz smiled slightly and nodded. “Yeah.”

The silence in the room made both of them uncomfortable. Both were trying to think of something to say.

“Do you think Kevin found him yet?” Lizz finally spoke, her voice hoarse.

Brian grinned. “You know that Kevin is pretty effective in finding anyone if he has to. I swear he missed his calling, he should have been a private detective.”

Lizz nodded in agreement, smiling. Her smile slowly faded, she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I must look like complete shit.”

Brian smiled. “No, I think you look just fine.”

Lizz shook her head. Brian could feel anger well up inside him as he gazed at the tiny girl looking lost in the hospital bed. All sorts of feelings were popping into his brain when he recalled the horrible things that Vinnie had tried to do to her while he and Nick were held back - helpless to reach out and do anything to stop it. He knew Lizz and Nick had become quite close over the past year and anything they had endured had brought them closer and closer together. They triumphed over each obstical and it seemed to only bond them more.

Until now.

“Brian, you look tired, can I call your nurse to come take you back to your room?” Lizz offered.

Brian snapped out of his thoughts. “Huh? Oh, sorry I’m fine.”

Lizz looked at him questioningly.

“Really, I’m fine.”

She continued her gaze upon him, making him shift nervously.

“Alright, I was just thinking, but I’m okay,” Brian confessed.

She raised an eyebrow. “Thinking about what?”

“About you and Nick.”

Her eyebrow dropped and she looked away. “Oh.”

“Come on Lizz, you guys have to start talking,” Brian sighed.

Lizz shook her head. “It’s just so hard. Nick’s changed.”

“Lizz, he’s still the same guy, it’s just the circumstances has made things hard on both of you.” Almost on cue, there was a quiet knock on the door.

“Can me and Kevin come in?”

“Remember, one day at a time,” Brian smiled.