Meggie sat there for a few seconds, letting what Nick had just confessed to her sink in, before getting up from her spot beside Nick on the couch, and the, taking off out the back door and down the beach, tears still streaming freely down her face.

"Meggie, wait!" Nick called after her, but it was to late, she didn't hear him. "Damn it, Carter. You blew it." He started to run after her, not having a clue what he was gonna say to her. All he knew was he couldn't let her slip out of his reach. He WANTED her love, but he NEEDED her friendship. He couldn't lose that.

He eventually found her, perched up on a rock, just staring out at the ocean. "Hey, you're a hard girl to keep track of," he said, standing beside her. She acted as if she didn't even hear him, but they both knew she did. "Why did you run away?" He sat down beside her, watching her stare lifelessly out at the ocean. He didn't think any human could look so beautiful, so breathtaking. If it wasn't for the tears staining her cheeks, he would have never suspected she were real.

"You basically just offered me a chance at a better life, you do realize that, right?" she asked, not looking at him. All her life she had everything so hard. Her father's death, her mother abandoning her, her aunt's drug problem, and now her boyfriend's abuse. And here Nick was giving her an escape, an easy way out, a chance to live happily for once.

"Yeah, I know. I'm such a horrible person," he said, sarcastically, hoping to make her laugh. He needed to hear her laugh, to assure him she was going to be alright. That their friendship would be alright, despite his feelings for her.

"No, you're not," Meggie said, softly. "Your far from that, Nick. You are the most wonderful person I know."

"Then stay here. I don't want him to hurt you anymore then he already has. It could be worse next time, and I am not going to let him get away with that! I'll kill him if I have to," Nick said, giving Meggie a pleading look with his eyes. "I am not asking you to fall in love with me. I can accept it if you're not. I need your friendship, and in order to have that you need to be safe. You aren't safe with him!"

"Nick, I can't just leave! My friends are back home," Meggie said. Her friends meant the world to her. Without them, she probably wouldn't be alive.

"But, I'm here," he said, quietly, pouting.

She still didn't look at him, but she did grab his hand. "I'm scared," she said, whimpering slightly.

"I know that Baby, but I'll protect you. I can't protect you when your away from me," Nick told hers, softly, rubbing the top of her hand with his thumb.

"You can't protect me," she said, feeling her body weaken against him, as he pulled her too him.

"Why not?" he asked, hurt. All he wanted was to keep her safe.

"Because, you're one of the things I'm scared of," Meggie admitted.

Chapter.8
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