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Nick woke in the middle of the night to the sound of Fall out Boys song, “Thanks for the Memories”. He sat up a little and saw Stacie lying sort of side ways against the couch with his legs still on her. He carefully lifted his legs up and looked onto the clock on the TV. It was three am. As went to stand, she let out a soft moan and opened her eyes.

“Nick?” she whispered.

“Hey you, it’s late. Do you want to just spend the night tonight?” She nodded her head sleepily. “Come on you can sleep in the guest room; it will be a lot more comfortable.

“Could I sleep with you?” she asked sitting up.

“Of course,” Nick held his hand out to her balancing on one foot. She stood up and walked over to where Nick’s crutches were and handed them to him. “Thanks,” he led the way to his room. He pulled the covers down and watched as she slid into bed and then he got in. They pulled the covers up over themselves and Stacie moved into Nick, placing her head on his chest. His arm went around her waist and they soon both fell asleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Later that morning Nick woke up, his clock read ten-thirteen. His lips formed a smile as soon as he saw Anastasia asleep next to him. She looked so peaceful as she slept like an angel. He brushed a piece of hair out of her face. Her arms were tucked up against her as she lay on her side. He looked at the bracelets on her wrist, he counted six of them; they were of a variety of color and styles that were obviously hand made. He looked at each one individually moving them down her arm a little. When they were all pushed up he noticed a long red scar down her wrist.

Nick couldn’t help but run his finger gently down it and notice that it looked like a fairly new scar. He pulled his hand away when Stacie moved a little and fluttered her eyes open. “Hey you,” she smiled a little.

“Hey,” Nick said back. “How did you sleep?”

“Amazing, you?”

“Same,” his eyes kept glancing down at her wrist and couldn’t help it.

“You alright?” she asked sitting up a little.

“Yeah, I just—” His eyes went back to her arm and she followed his gaze. When she saw her scar was showing she quickly took her right hand and covered it. Stacie’s eyes closed tight before she opened them. “Stacia I’m sorry, I just noticed this morning and…”

“It’s fine!” She got out of the bed and went out to get her clothes. Nick stayed in bed a minute longer before getting up and getting dressed. He limped out to the living room where Stacie was looking around for her things. She found her purse and disappeared back into the bathroom and came back out a minute later.

“Stace, I’m sorry if I upset you, I didn’t mean to,” Nick said sincerely.

“I know its okay. Do you think you could take me home?”

“Do you have to already?”

“Yeah, I just have, I have to do a few things.”

“Alright,” Nick grabbed his keys off the counter and escorted Stacie out to his car. They got in not saying a word and Nick drove her to her house. When he pulled into the driveway, he put the car into park and looked over to Stacie. She looked down at her purse for a moment on her lap and then looked at Nick.

“I had a great time last night Nick,” her voice was soft and for once Nick noticed she didn’t sound like the confident bubbly girl he met.

“Will you go out with me tonight? Like a formal slash casual date?” Nick’s eyes were sincere and did everything he could to resist from kissing her.

“Um, I’m not sure, can I call you a little later?”

“Of course, have a good day,” he leaned in and kissed her cheek.

“Bye,” she whispered and climbed out of his car. Nick watched as she took her keys out and put them into the door and disappear.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“And I freaked and lost it and I just don’t think I can see him anymore,” Stacie paced back and forth in her living room explaining to Peyton what had happed.

“Slow down, deep breaths, Nick seems like a for real guy. You’ve only known him for a couple weeks, you don’t have to tell him anything you don’t want to yet. But if you like him as much as you’re leading on and I know he likes you, then maybe being honest and up front about everything is best.”

“Peyton, I don’t want him to know this other side of me, it’s not me, it is but not, he’ll think I’m a total head case and just fake.”

“Not if you tell him, if you give him enough time to think about things then maybe he’ll come up with other crazy things in his imagination. Anastasia, you’re ready, let your heart go.”

“It’s so hard, I mean why? The other guys I was able to turn down right away after one date.”

“Because there’s something there with this one. And if you screw it up, I’ll kill you. Now call Nick, tell him you would love to go out with him and call me tomorrow.”

“Okay okay…thank you.”

“That’s what I’m here for, now I’m hanging up. Love you!” Before Stacie could say anything back she heard the dial tone. ‘You can do this’ she told herself before calling Nick. It rang about four times and she thought was going to have to leave a voicemail but then he answered.

“So, what time should I pick you up?” Nick said as he answered the phone.

“Who said I was going out with you?” Stacie laughed a little.

“What time?”

“Seven? And Nick, leave some room at the end of the night, I want to take you somewhere.”

“I thought this was my date to you?”

“It is I just, just trust me, okay?”

“I do trust you baby,” Nick told her sweetly. Stacie couldn’t help but smile.

“I’ll see you tonight, seven then.”

“Seven.” They hung up the phone and Stacie went through her head what she would tell Nick and what she would wear.
~*~*~*~*~*~
“Nick dinner was great,” Nick had taken Stacie to a seafood restaurant where they ordered fish and crab legs. “Thank you,” she smiled.

“I haven’t gone out to eat in a while actually, it was a nice treat.”

“It was nice.”

“But we have one more place to go before you get to take me and kill me off,” Nick laughed.

“How did you know?!” Nick paid the bill and then took Stacie to his next spot. When he pulled into the parking lot Stacie started laughing.

“What’s funny?” Nick asked.

“Oh, you’ll see,” she said as she got out of the car. The neon sign above them read, “Mini-Put Put”.

“You don’t like miniature golf?”

“I love it, just don’t stand near me when I’m putting,” she laughed and took Nick’s hand into hers.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“WATCH IT!” Nick yelled ducking his head on the last hole. “This is not hockey for the hundredth time.”

“I told you!” Stacie put her hand on her hip. “So did I win?”

“Sure ya did,” Nick patted her shoulder and she pouted. “No, actually I believe I’ve won in every way,” Nick said softly pulling her into him and placing his lips on her glossy ones.

“I think it’s a tie,” she smile back and kissed him.

“So, where did you want to go?”

“Umm, to the beach but towards where we met, on the jetty.”

“You got it.” Nick drove to the hill above the jetty and they carefully went down the hill to where the rocks were.
“Let’s sit,” Stacie took a seat up on a large rock and Nick sat close still holding her hand.

“You just want to remember me falling on my face, I know it.” Nick laughed.

“Damn who told you?”

“Just good like that,” Nick pushed his shoulder into hers. “What’s up though?” Stacie was quiet for a moment gathering the nerve to try to tell Nick a little about her self.

“Nick, these last two weeks have been great…”

“Uh-oh,” Nick said looking at Stacie.

“No no, just listen.”

“Sorry, go on.”

“But seriously I haven’t had this much fun in me in a long time and you’re to thank for that.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Nick.”

“Alright for real go on.”

“I don’t know what exactly we are, and I don’t really care because I just want things to happen on their own. I don’t know exactly what you want us to be or if this is just a fling?” Nick was about to say something and she held up a finger to his lips. “The last year or so I have been through a lot and I want to explain this,” she held up her wrist to Nick. He took that hand into his and kissed it.
“I was engaged to a guy I had been dating with for over five years and we were planning on getting married this summer actually. Well, about a year ago…actually a year ago the day we met….he died in an accident.” She took a moment to collect herself and keep from letting out the tears that threatened to fall. She felt Nick get closer to her and he rubbed her back.
“When he died, I died and I just didn’t have reason to live…so, one day I took a knife to my wrist. Yeah, to do real damage you need to do like both wrists but I have this blood condition. The doctor’s really aren’t sure what to make of it; it’s along the lines of anemia and diabetes. I know I’m weird, but my blood just flowed out of me like crazy when I cut my wrist. If Peyton hadn’t walked in when she did, I probably wouldn’t be here, with you today.” Stacie paused again, letting out a shaky breath.
“Nick, I need you to know that you’re not some rebound to me that I do have feelings for you and this is why I am telling you these things. I’ve been on other dates since the accident and you’re the first guy that I haven’t tried to get rid of; I guess that scares me. With you, I feel like myself again and whole and I’m taking the chance of ruining everything by having my feelings hang out there like this. I am not some head case girl with a sad story that everyone needs to pity and feel sorry for. I’ve kept pride in myself for staying as strong as I have been and I don’t want to lose that. I hate being weak and I especially hate showing weakness…” Stacie briskly wiped her now silent tears that rolled down her flushed cheeks uncontrollably. Although she tried to keep her cries in, a sobbed escaped, followed by another and Nick pulled her into his arms, holding her tight.

“Shh, don’t be afraid to cry around me please. It’s good to cry once in awhile and it’s not being weak,” Nick’s voice was soothing as he rubbed her back with his hands and placed small kisses on her head. “First of all, you are not some fling to me and I feel the exact same feelings as you do. You give me those butterflies I haven’t felt since I was fifteen, and you make me laugh and you show me how to live life.
“I’m glad you felt you were able to tell me everything out in the open like this. I don’t think you’re a head case at all; we’ve all been in situations we didn’t know how to handle. Whatever doesn’t kill us makes us stronger and you’re living proof baby doll. I’m sorry you’ve had to go through so much heartache and pain at such a young age but tonight, this does not make you weak at all. It just shows me how strong you really are.”

Nick continued holding Stacie, taking in the sound of the crashing waves onto the beach, smoothing her back and gently rocking her. After a while she sat up and looked at Nick.

“When’s the last time you’ve let everything just out?” Nick asked deeply into her eyes.

“I-I’m not sure? I think the night I tried to take my life.” She bit her lower lip thinking; Nick took her chin into his hand and kissed her lips.

“Oh baby, its okay to let it out, let me be the shoulder for you,” he kissed her cheek. Stacie closed her eyes and leaned against Nick, thankful for how understanding he was. She couldn’t help but feel somewhat guilty for how comfortable she felt in his arms, or how easy it was to just open up the way she did.