1,440 is the amount of minutes in one day
44 minutes is the average time it takes for an episode of House to run without commercials.
One second is the tie it takes for a heart to break.
He sat on the edge of his bed with that specific irritating piece of paper in his hands. The letter he had received only six months ago when he had still been in her life. The letter that held the three words that he'd been praying to hear from her once again.
He knew that he needed to take action, and gain the love back that he had once felt. It wasn't that he wanted to feel the silky texture of her hair, or hear the sweet honey-like sound to her voice. He didn't want it. He needed it.
He realised that he had spent over six months waiting to feel whole again, and gain back the part of his soul that was thrown away when he ended it with her.
Flashback
"We both know that the fame is too hard to handle Miley"
"It may be hard for us, but you can't honestly tell me that you want to throw away two years of your life with me, with as much ease as the words 'It's over'"
"Maybe this will be easier for us. We won't have to worry about being caught holding hands, and I won't have to look around every time before I kiss you!"
"Nick you said maybe- you're not even sure yourself are you?"
It was at this point, that Miley felt the first tear seep down her cheek, making a clear route to the base of her chin.
"Miles, please don't cry. Don't do this to me, I hate to see you cry."
"How do you expect me not to cry Nick? I'm in love with you" Her voice now transformed into a whisper.
The park turned silent, and in the time that it took a single tear to fall from Nick's eye, Miley had bowed her head to hide the pain that would be revealed if Nick looked into her eyes.
"I'm in love with you. Please don't do this Nick," Miley pleaded, this time her voice almost inaudible.
"I'm sorry Miley; don't you see, this will be simpler for the both of us.
I have to go Miles. I'm so sorry."
With that, Nick turned and walked out of Miley's life for the foreseeable future.
There Nick sat on his bed, the memory of this moment moulded into his mind, but there was nothing more he wanted to do than forget. He knew that it was his mission to make her fall back in love with him.
He jumped off his bed, throwing the love letter she had once written to him onto the floor, where it soon lay forgotten. He bolted from his room, and entered the kitchen where his brothers sat strumming the guitar and fixing song ideas.
"Hey Nick, it's time to practice for today, you said you would be ready!" Joe forced out through a mouthful of pasta.
"Joe don't impose it on him, and learn some manners, man. Now Nick, you've been in your room for the last three days ever since you got that piece of post, and I think it's time that you sat down had something to eat, maybe take a shower," Kevin suggested as he sniffed Nick, and said, "yeah on second thoughts, go take that shower now or I'll hose you down in the garden! After you've done, you'll be ready to practice yeah?"
"Kev, you're a total hypocrite, telling me not to force him to do stu-" Joe was cut off as he heard the door slam; neither brothers had noticed that Nick had run from the house. 4 minutes was the time it took for them to realise where Nick had run to.
"Miley," Joe whispered.
It wasn't until half way down the street that Nick realised he was wearing no shoes, as he felt the first stone pierce his flesh, releasing blood. This did not stop Nick from running as hard as he could without collapsing. His lungs began to burn, but the adrenaline pumping through his veins came to a climax as he reached the large three-story mansion behind closed gates.
He slowly made his way over to the electronic gate system, which would let him into Miley's house, hoping that the pass code had not changed over the last few months.
This whole trip had taken Nick eleven minute and seventeen seconds, but it wasn't until this point that Nick had realised his nerves had rocketed, and he could hear the blood pounding in his ears. As he typed in the six fateful numbers he patiently sat wishing that he would hear a resounding click, letting him know that his entry to the house was certain. Silently thanking God as he heard it, he warily began to walk through the gates his senses on end.
He safely padded across the lawn; making the trip he had previously done hundreds of times. Knowing that he was this close to seeing her again caused beads of sweat to fall down his face softly hitting the collar of his t-shirt. Her balcony was now in sight and as he began to climb up the wooden terrace outside her window, everything he had wanted to say was erased from his mind.
The darkness emitted from her room shocked Nick, as she was known to him to spend half of her night up on AIM or making new videos with Mandy. However his shock reached it's fullest as he peered through the window and saw a hunched up figure lying on the floor.
The figure was still and it was only thanks to the moon that Nick could see the endless flowing locks belonging to his one and only. He knew that this was the only moment that he would have to make amends and try and get Miley back, so without hesitation he raised his fist and knocked on the window. The room remained still, the figure not moving as though it had not heard. He knocked again, this time harder, and he began to worry, as the figure still did not move.
Reaching above his head to the hanging basket, he pulled out the key, which would gain him entry to the house. The key twisted quickly in the lock, and Nick burst into the room not stopping until he reached Miley's body on the floor.
He shook her gently, pleading with her to wake up. That's when he saw the large cut leaking blood from her forehead. He swiftly got up, and in one movement he made his way to the en-suite that Miley owned, and grabbed a towel covering it in cool water. Running back to her body he placed the towel on her head, and mopped up the majority of the blood. As she began to stir, he carried her to the bed, and placed her gently against the pillows and sat next to her, ensuring that he was the first thing she would see when she opened her eyes.
Slowly but surely, Miley opened her eyes, and Nick then realised how much he missed those clichéd pools of blue. As their eyes locked, Miley cowered back against the pillows, breaking eye contact within seconds. Nick made a move to help her, but she flinched away from his touch.
"What are you doing here Nick?" She questioned.
Nick said nothing, shocked at the obvious pain laced in her voice.
"Why am I lying here Nick, what were you planning to do?"
Shocked at the thoughts present in her head, Nick quickly whispered, "I got here, and saw your body on the floor. You had passed out so I helped you over to the bed, after I got a towel for the large cut on your forehead.
Miley winced as she brought her hand up to her head, and the sudden realisation hit her.
"Oh, I urm, must of hit my head on the desk as I was reaching for the phone," she told Nick as she began feeling guilty for thinking the worst.
There was a moments silence until Miley broke it again murmuring, "I asked you what you were doing here."
"I," he coughed, "I'm here to apologise I guess. I haven't seen you in six months, well I mean I've seen you but I haven't seen you. Do you know what I mean? I mean we see each other at concerts, and benefit fairs and stuff, but we don't talk to each oth-"
"NICK! You're blabbering." Miley told him, as a slight smile crept on her face.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I'm just nervous to be in your presence."
Another silence filled the air, although this time, the awkwardness was left behind.
The next question alarmed Nick, as the conversation made a swift 180.
"Why'd you end it Nick? I never actually asked. Why?"
"I told you, it was the-"
"Don't you dare say fame, because we both know we could handle it. We had been dating for two years Nick- why didn't you end it before that if it was because of the fame?"
Nick then contemplated making up a story to keep Miley getting hurt from the real reason, but decided against this as he replied, "It wasn't my fault Miley."
"How could you say that? That's crap and you know it! You were the decision maker- no one else told you to do it!"
"YOU'RE WRONG MILEY!
You're wrong," he repeated in a softer tone.
"Miley waited for Nick to explain, and as he did tears sprung to her eyes.
"I loved you, literally, I was in love with you. Every day I went to bed thinking about you, and woke up with you on my mind too. I couldn't have been happier Miley. There wasn't a moment that I didn't want to be right by your side, and that's what scared me. I told my brothers, and they were happy for me. They loved you too. But my parents weren't so pleased. They liked you as a person, but not the person they thought you would become. They were worried that you would change me too, break my heart, and ruin the band. They made me end it with you, or they would end the band themselves. I didn't want that to happen. You have to understand that it wasn't meant to end that way. I couldn't live without you or music, but I couldn't' let my brothers down. I'm sorry."
Miley was shocked into silence, and she stood up from the bed, clutched her head, and made her way to the window. She felt two tears leave her eyes and spread down her face, openly showing her emotions. For six months these emotions had been built up inside her, but she still didn't want to let them out.
She spun round and faced Nick who was staring at her with a burning passion. The obvious love in his eyes scared Miley, as she had not seen this much love from anyone else before.
"I believe you"
Nick physically did a double take, shocked that she wasn't screaming or crying just like he thought she would. Gradually he picked himself off the floor, and made his way over to the broken girl in front of him. Stepping closer to him herself, Miley closed her eyes as Nick placed his hands on either side of her face.
As a knee-jerk reaction, Miley grabbed hold of the t-shirt round his sides. She brought herself closer to him as he wound his fingers deep into her hair, feeling herself lose control at his touch. Her hands trailed their way up to his chest, where they rest waiting for him to make the next move. His fingers traced the nape of her neck, making their way to the tear trails on her cheeks where he swiftly wiped away the water.
Opening her eyes again, Miley's gaze fell upon the boy's lips instinctively transferring her stare onto his eyes. Her lips parted as she began to feel his heavy breathing on her face, tasting the familiar scent of his breath. She was almost ready to give in and kiss him when he spoke.
"I loved you then. I loved you now and I'll love you always," Nick whispered strongly.
Miley paused, surprised and embarrassed at the fact that Nick had understood that those words were meant for him.
"You read the thank-you? No one ever does that," She replied.
"How could I not read them? I listened to the whole record, and when someone told me you had made reference to a certain someone in the thank you note, I had to read it. And I'm glad I did."
A long pause followed in which the couple warily moved closer to each other, their bodies fitting together perfectly.
"I love you, " Miley breathed out.
"I know"
And with that, Nick closed the one-inch gap between them, placing his lips softly against hers.
Six months, nine days, four hours and two minutes was the time it took for Nick to get back his girl.
1 second was the time it took for Miley to fall back in love with Nick.