Katie stared at him, wide-eyed. "You mean . . . you don't remember what caused your amnesia?" Katie asked cautiously. Nick shook his head. "You don't recognize me?"

Nick's eyes started to become wet, but he did not shed a tear. "I felt something . . . different when you came to my place that first day Brian introduced you to me. I don't know what it was, but it felt like I knew you from before. But I can't really place you in my mind. I don't know how we are related."

Katie saw the truthfulness in his quavering voice. That was the Nick she remembered so well. She felt a deep trust in his inherent good nature. "We do know each other Nick. We knew each other for about 6 months before you . . . umm lost your memory." Even though she wanted to be honest with him, she didn't know how he would react to the truth. She could land herself in prison.

"Why? Why did I lose my memory? Exactly what happened?" Nick questioned. Katie felt the excitement in his voice. "Please tell me, Katie? No one would. Why does everyone want to keep it from me. It won't help." His voice became seductive. He realized that his actions actually evoked lots of emotional response in Katie, and he wanted to see how much information he could pry out of her.

But Katie stood her ground. "You need to remember for yourself. There are some things that I can't really express into words that could help you understand. You need to recover your memory on your own. I don't think I would do the truth any justice if I told you now. There would be too many misunderstandings." Katie knew she was dodging the bullet, but no one in her position could think of any other decent response to Nick's question.

Nick didn't want to let it go though. "Please," he whispered in her ear even more seductively. Katie could feel her heart pounding in her chest from Nick's gentle voice. She swallowed hard, suddenly remembering why she had chosen him 6 years ago. She remembered too well the attraction that she had for him. But she shrugged her dark thoughts away and began to focus on the present.

"Look, Nick, answer me truthfully. Did you sneak into my house today and left me that note?"

Nick looked at the ground frustrated with Katie's reluctance to tell him what's going on. "No," he answered curtly. His curtness hurt Katie. She didn't want him to be cold to her. She came to that room with a resolve to settle any misunderstandings between her and Nick, but the way things are going, she seemed to be making him upset.

As if sensing her hurt, Nick continued talking. "How could I when I didn't even know where you lived?" he explained.

"Oh," Katie responded, disturbed.

"What did the note say?" Nick asked, curious. Katie was deep in thought. Both of them stood there silently. Nick shifted uncomfortably in his spot while Katie remained intent on something.

After about 5 minutes, Nick became extremely nervous. He didn't want to stir a can of worms. Maybe people kept his past a secret to help him forget. From the looks of things, his past didn't seem too great. "Katie?" he whispered. "It's okay if you don't tell me anything. I mean I really don't mind. Maybe it's for the better that we don't mention this again." Katie broke away from her thoughts. She held his gaze this time. She was relieved to hear him say that. His voice touched her and she reached out to hold his hand.

Nick was stunned by her touch. And so was Katie. Yet she didn't let go. She felt her stomach turning inside out and her hormones began to overwhelm her, but Katie kept herself poised and in control. 'Calm down now. He's only a boy. I can get sued for seducing a minor,' Katie told herself, trying unsuccessfully to convince herself that she didn't really like Nick 'that' way.

Soon, she directed the conversation back to the main issue. "You know, Nick, I would tell you if I could, but . . . I'm afraid to." And Katie meant what she said. She didn't want to deceive him. But she didn't want the nightmares six years ago to start all over again either. And it was just her luck that Nick didn't remember. Knowing about his amnesia made her feel relieved and sort of happy. Maybe she could start over with him.

Then the tears started drifting down her cheeks one by one. She didn't know exactly why she was crying. Were those tears of joy that Nick wasn't the person who left the note? Or were the tears from fear that something bad is going to happen-and that someone else was out there to get her?

Nick interpreted Katie's tears differently though. He thought it was his questioning that caused Katie to cry. He felt bad. He held out his arms and stepped forward, giving Katie a big hug. "Shhhh, it's okay. I won't pester you with my questions. How about that?" He tried to sound as consoling as possible. Immediately after he placed his arms around her, Katie leaned her body against his. She relished the feel of her head against his chest. She felt so warm and safe with his arms around her. He began rocking her back and forth, cradling her like a baby, and she swayed with him. She closed her eyes and put more of her weight on his tall, lean figure.

"You won't ever hurt me, would you Nick?" she asked uncertainly, wanting more than ever for him to console and comfort her.

He chuckled quietly. "No matter what happened in the past, it's over. And I don't hate you now. So you don't have to worry. I wouldn't hurt you, ever. . . if that's what you're worrying about."

And for once in her life, Katie felt trust in someone other than herself. She lifted her hands and rested them around Nick's waist, pulling him closer. Maybe she should tell him the whole story. And if Nick wasn't the one who wrote the note, then only one other person in this world could have written it.

"Nick," she began. Her theories were starting to form. And as the minutes passed, she felt more confident that she knew what was going on. It was then that she decided to tell Nick the truth about their past. She held onto him tighter, now knowing for sure that even if she told him the truth, he would not hurt her.

"Yes?" Nick answered.

Suddenly the door to the room was opened. Katie and Nick were both startled and turned to face the door. Their arms were still around one another.

"What are you guys doing?!!!" Brian and Kevin demanded, bewildered. Nick was the first to withdraw his hands. Then he shrugged Katie's arms off.

"Look, Bri, it's not what you think," Nick began to explain, but Kevin cut him off. Brian was too shocked at what he just saw between Katie and Nick to say anything.

"No, Nick, we knew exactly what we saw. You and Katie were sharing an intimate moment just now while every freaking one of our friends and family and not to mention Katie's boyfriend is down there enjoying the party. I can't believe that you guys would dare to do this!"

"Look Kev," Nick felt himself start to panic. "We didn't do anything. We just . . . Katie was just . . . I was just trying to comfort her," Nick struggled to find the right words.

But Kevin refused to listen to him. He was too muddled in his own anger to calm down. Besides, his cousin needed someone to voice this injustice. "No Nick, you listen. Brian had just now told me everything about you and Katie, about how weird you guys were both acting towards one another and you know what I told him? I said that he should trust you, yeah you Nick. You know why? Because you're our little brother, and you would never do anything to hurt any of us."

Tears were welling in Kevin's eyes now. "And now, I see this crap!" And before anyone knew what was happening, Kevin stormed towards Nick. Nick pushed Katie back away from Kevin, but Kevin wasn't directing his anger at Katie. He stood before Nick, his breaths shallow and furious. With one swift, but firm motion, he slapped Nick hard on the face. And although Nick didn't fall from the impact, the blood started trickling down the crack of his mouth. His tongue had been caught between his teeth while Kevin landed that blow on his face. Brian and Katie stared in shock at Kevin's fit of rage towards Nick..

By now, many of the people from the party had gathered outside the room, some actually witnessing Kevin hitting Nick. AJ and Howie saw the whole ordeal, but remained quiet. They knew something was up between Nick and Katie. They didn't think it was that bad.

Kevin stepped back a little, ridden with disgust and guilt all at once. His anger started to subside as he looked at Nick, shocked at what he had just done. But then he looked to Brian once again and his anger towards Nick began to rise, and he uttered a line which he would never forgive himself for a long, long time-"You know, you should have just died when those idiots shot you 3 months ago. It would have been for the better." With that, he stormed off the scene, pulling a disconcerted Brian out of the room.

Nick stood there calmly, but he still heard Kevin's words ringing in his ears. Kevin didn't mean that, did he? Slowly, the crowd dispersed. AJ walked up to Nick and patted him on the shoulder. "I think it's best you go home now."

Katie stepped beside Nick to caress his cheeks. "Are you okay?" she asked softly. AJ was taken back by her action. What was she doing? Trying to make everything public? With a look of disgust, AJ left the room.

Howie stepped towards them. "Look Nick, if you need a ride, I mean I can take you home."

"No!" Katie said, shocking both Nick and Howie. "I'll take him home."

Howie looked at her uncertainly. "Umm, are you sure, Nick?" Nick nodded his head slightly.

"Okay," Howie whispered and quietly sauntered away.

Katie reached and held Nick's hands in hers. "We need to talk, somewhere, in private. I know what just happened is bad, but there's something else that's out there that we need to be more worried about. Come on, Nick! We'll clear this with Brian and the others later."

Nick started for the door slowly and Katie held onto his arm, afraid that if she let go, he would collapse onto the ground. She felt so bad for him, after how the others just treated him. But if things were happening as she suspected, they would have more to worry about soon.

Everyone stared coldly at Nick and Katie as they descended the stairs and walked out the door. Katie had called the cab and they stood outside waiting for it. She noticed that many of the guys were staring at them from inside AJ's house. She saw Brian's sad gaze and she felt so evil for putting him in such a difficult position. Another tear trickled down her face.

Finally, the cab arrived and she gently nudged Nick into the back seat. She got in next to him.

"To my place," Katie said as she told the cab driver her address. She once again looked at AJ's house to see a melancholic Brian gazing at her from his window. 'At least, he'll be safe,' she thought worriedly.

>>>>>

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