Nick groaned as he rolled over on his side.  He ached everywhere, which he normally would hate but it meant the car accident hadn’t killed him.  He blinked slowly as he opened his eyes.  He was lying on a hospital bed, several tubes were running in his body leading to an IV drip.   His mouth felt dry and he smacked his lips trying to get moisture on them.  A straw was directed into his mouth and he drank greedily. 

“Slow down, you don’t want to get sick,” a voice said as the straw was removed from his mouth.  Nick blinked again and opened his eyes to see who was in the room with him. 

“Lindsey?” He asked.  “I am glad to see you, I thought…” He tried to sit up on the bed but a pain in his side forced him to lie back down.  Lindsey must have noticed and began to push the button to raise the head of his bed. 

“I wasn’t sure you’d ever see me again.” He smiled at her.

“I didn’t think I’d see you either,” Lindsey whispered.  It could have been the medication he was on, but Nick was sure he heard sadness in her voice.

“Wait, how did you know I was here?” He asked suddenly confused. He was sure she was not listed on his emergency contact list, despite their issues his bother then his manager should have been called.

Lindsey’s face flushed bright pink, “I .. uh…”

Nick started laughing.  “You were the other car,” He laughed as she nodded in confirmation.  Nick’s laughter grew before he realized the pain the laughter was causing him and he stopped. 

“It’s not that funny.” Lindsey argued.

“Yes, it is.” He insisted.  Their first meeting Nick had hit her with his car, and when he thought he’d never see her again she hit him with her car. 

“About the other night,” She started to talk. Nick looked at her anxious to know the answer, but the door opened and a nurse walked into the room to check on Nick.  It seemed like forever that she messed around with Nick, taking his temperature, checking his vitals, and the level of his IV solution.

“Is there anything I can get you Mr. Carter?” The nurse asked him when she finished.  Nick was lucky, he couldn’t see any external injuries and aside from the pain in his side and head he felt relatively fine.

Nick shook his head. He wanted her to leave, Lindsey was about to talk about that night, the night he confessed her feelings and she started crying.  Both watched as the nurse exited the room, the door closing softly behind her.

“You were saying…” Nick prompted her when she remained silent after the nurse left.

Lindsey sat down on the chair next to the bed.  “The other night when you told me those things, how you felt,” Lindsey paused and bit her lip. She looked unsure of how to continue.   “I couldn’t believe you could have those feelings towards me,” She smiled up at him.

“But you don’t share them?” He asked.  “I stuck around after you went to your room. I heard you crying.” He confronted her about what he heard.  He could see tears starting to glisten in her eyes as she sat there.  He hoped she did not start to cry and run off again.

“Is it David?” Nick asked again.  Maybe she loved David and didn’t know how to handle her friend confessing his wish to be with her as well.

“No, David was a lie.” Lindsey confessed as she blushed.  “I didn’t want you to know how I felt about you when you were with Veronica, so I made up David.  The guy you met, his real name is John.” Lindsey looked away embarrassed. Nick couldn’t help it so he started to laugh. 

“You made a boyfriend up, because you like me?” He asked, his face was beginning to hurt from the grin that was plastered on his face.   He didn’t care that she had made up a boyfriend, he put himself in her shoes.  If he loved her sooner and she was happy with another man what would he have done to help spare his heart?

“Is that the only reason you were crying?” he asked when he noticed she was still on the verge of tears.  She liked him, she had no boyfriend, he liked, possibly loved her, why could she still be sad?

“That night at dinner, I was going to tell you and then things just never seemed to be right…” She started and Nick suddenly got worried.

“Nick, I got a job offer.”  She confessed.

“That’s great, you will finally get to move up and in the direction of another job. It’s what you wanted right?” He said.

“It is, but, it’s in another state with a move to London after the training.” She admitted.

“What?” He tried to sit up but the pain in his side kept him from sitting up even though he really wanted to jump out of the bed and grab hold of Lindsey and hold her tight.  “Are you going to take it?”  He asked, realizing that he was hoping she was going to say no.

“I accepted the day before your confession.  I leave tomorrow.”  Her face was still red after this admission as well.

“Tomorrow, but not to London tomorrow?” Nick asked still hopeful, he could visit her when he had the time.

“I start training Monday and from what I’ve heard it really is all day training for two weeks and then I’m off to London, if I make it through the training the first time.”  Lindsey gave Nick a half smile.

The two sat looking at each other after she finished talking.  Nick watched as Lindsey literally twiddled her thumbs.   “So what are we going to do?” Nick asked finally.

“Nothing,” Lindsey admitted.  “Long distance never works.”

“I can travel…” He started but she immediately started to shake her head. 

“That’s not fair to have you spend your money to come visit me all the time.  You have a life and a career.  It would be too much work to be with me.”   Lindsey stated with finality, standing to leave. “I should get going, I still have to finish my errand I was on when I hit you and I have some packing to finish.”

“What were you out doing?” He asked, he didn’t know why but he did.

“I was on my way to the office that sent me this check.” She pulled out the check from her bag and it was as if something dawned on her.  “Technically, this is your money so I suppose I can give this back to you.”  She handed him the check, he looked down and noticed it was the check made out to her to cover anything the insurance did not cover from their initial meeting, when he crashed his car into hers.

“Why didn’t you cash this?” He asked.

“I never planned on cashing it.” She shrugged.

“Then why did you get the check in the first place?” Nick asked confused.

“I wanted to see if you were being true to your word.   It was this that warmed me up to you and allowed me to open myself up to you and become friends.”  She smiled and moved close.  She leaned in and lightly kissed Nick on the lips.  “Good bye Nick.  At least we know we can’t run into each other with our vehicles anymore.” She smirked and turned to leave the room leaving Nick staring down at the check in his hand.