She opened one eye and regretted it instantly. A beam of light filtering through the curtains punched her eyeball and the drumbeat accelerated. Her skull was going to explode, or implode – or both.

Remember never to go for drinks with Katherine again.

Never ever.

Never ever drink again.

"Ugh!" Her mouth tasted like french cheese and a hammer replaced the drum and began to work on her skull. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath but the pain only seemed to intensify.

Never go out with Katherine again.

Although her girl nights with her friend were a lot of fun, they simply were too much fun. But she had needed it. Needed to vent to her friend, needed to forget – if only for one night – what an utter failure her life was. And she had.

But now, the morning after, she had to face reality. The fact that her job was making her miserable and that she was currently working for a woman she despised, doing a job she didn't like. And that she had been dumped – again – by her on and off boyfriend of three years.

Seriously, her life sucked.

She needed to get out of bed and take some aspirin. She tried to get up, only to realize that she could not. An arm was holding her firmly in place, preventing her from going anywhere.

She groaned. Well, clearly, it seemed that she had had way too much fun last night. Her mind was still fuzzy but she was sure she hadn't brought someone home with her. She was not that Caroline anymore.

And yet, she must have. Otherwise, she wouldn't be held prisoner by the arm of a total stranger in her bed...Oh!

Naked. She was naked.

Which could only mean one thing. She had slept with said stranger.

Damn you Katherine Gilbert! And damn you vodka!

She looked down at the arm holding her. Her eyes trailed slowly, going up to look at the body attached to it. She frowned when she noticed some details. Familiar details. Her heart began to drum painfully in her chest. The outline of a tattoo.

God, no. Anyone but him.

The man shifted in his sleep, revealing more of his naked body. A tiny scar on a shoulder that she had punched a million times. A chest which served as a pillow on movie nights. Strong arms that comforted her whenever she was feeling down.

Only his face remained hidden. But she knew every detail of him. They had grown up together, known each other forever.

Been best friends forever.

She had slept with her best friend.

The only constant good thing in her life, she had to screw it up too. She was going to be sick. How could she do something so stupid? And how could he let her?

His arm tightened around her, making it harder for her to leave the bed without him waking up. Should she wake him up? They could speak about it, blame it on the alcohol and move on. They were both adults. It did not have to ruin their friendship. It was a simple mistake. A bump on the road. Everybody made mistakes. She was sure it happened a lot. Friends slept together all the time...

Yeah, right!

She was going to lose her best friend! Over a meaningless one night stand!

A wave of nausea crashed through her and she leaped out of her bed and ran straight to the bathroom. There, on her knees, she threw up into the toilet bowl.

Classy.

''Caroline?'' She heard his raspy voice. ''Are you okay?'' he asked, concern in his voice.

''Yeah.'' She heard a ruffle of sheets, a groan. ''Wait!'' she shrieked. ''Don't move!'' There was no way in hell that she was facing him now, naked and nauseous... and smelly. Ugh! ''Give me five minutes. I'm going to take a shower.''

''Caroline, we need to talk.'' She heard a sigh. ''I'll be downstairs.'' She heard the door close behind him and then nothing.

We need to talk. A feeling of dread washed over her. We need to talk.

A sob escaped her. She didn't want to talk. She wanted things to be normal.

She opened the bathroom cabinet and took two tablets of aspirin. She brushed her teeth and went under the spray of water. It soothed her achy limbs and the hammer was no longer working on her skull. Feeling definitely better, she took her bottle of shampoo and washed her hair and then lathered her body with soap. Erased the remnants of the night. She stayed well over five minutes in the safety of her tiny bathroom.

Finally, feeling human again, she toweled herself dry, put on a pair of yoga pants and a tank top. She looked at herself in the mirror, her wet hair framed her face and her eyes were a bit red. ''Time to face the music, Caroline,'' she said to herself.

She went downstairs, the smell of coffee and the clattering sound of cups indicated that he was in the kitchen. Taking a deep breath, feigning a confidence she was missing at that moment, she made her entrance.

He was only wearing pajama pants but at least he was not naked. Now that would have been even more awkward.

''Hey.'' She smiled. He turned toward her and took her in before opening his mouth. But nothing came out. He sighed. He poured a cup of coffee and handed it to her. His hair was a mess and he looked rumpled – positively adorable.

Her boy. She felt a familiar rush of tenderness as she looked at him.

''Caroline, we need to talk.''

''I know, Nik,'' she said softly, taking the cup from his hands, feeling the feathery kiss of his fingers against hers.

I know.

The words flew from her mouth before she could stop them. ''Okay. Look, Nik. No need to freak out. I was drunk. You must have been pretty much wasted for letting that happen, ha, ha,'' she laughed nervously. ''Anyway, we were drunk. We … did... what we did. Bad things happen when you're drunk. Very bad, wrong, naked things... But it's okay because we're both adults, and... and you've seen me naked before! Granted, we were kids... But, it's not a big of a deal, right? Like I said, no big deal... '' Breathe, Caroline. Breathe.

And shut your mouth!

He did not say anything, waiting patiently for her to finish. He only smiled – looking somewhat amused, somewhat fascinated by her rambling. Unable to stand the silence, she continued:

''Let's forget it ever happened. It doesn't have to mean anything. It didn't mean anything.'' She laughed again. ''Right?'' She paused, closing her eyes.

Right.

She sipped her coffee, waiting for him to say something.

''I don't regret it,'' he simply said and her eyes shot open.

''What?'' He could not mean it like that.

''I don't regret it, Caroline,'' he repeated. He looked serene, not at all torn like she was. ''Do you regret it?'' He was looking at her strangely.

''Yes! No! Yes!'' She exclaimed. ''You're my best friend. Friends don't sleep with each other!'' What was he trying to tell her?

''Maybe we're more than friends...'' He said softly, looking unsure.

''Nik, you don't mean that. You make it sound like we're...'' She could not bring herself to say the words.

He was the best thing that had ever happened to her. He was the only good thing.

''Like we love each other? I do love you,'' he said firmly.

''I know that. And I love you. We've been best friends since we were six! But...''

''No, what I mean is that I love you, Caroline. I'm in love with you.'' She stayed silent for a few seconds, trying to comprehend what he had just said. She understood the words he was saying, understood what they meant put together but she just could not understand what he was trying to say. Certainly, he was not saying that he was in love with her. This was crazy. He was Nik and she would not lose him. Over anything. He was just confused. Sex did that to guys, even the intelligent ones like Nik. It messed with their brain.

''No,'' she said, with finality and determination.

''No?'' He asked, eyebrows raised.

''No. You're confused. I'm your friend and we had sex. So you think that you love me but you're just confused.''

''Caroline. Sweetheart. I know what I feel and it doesn't have anything to do with last night. I'm in love...'' He took a step toward her, only to see her take a step back.

''Stop saying that!'' How could it happen? One day, everything was fine and the next – bam! He was in love with her? Feelings did not happen overnight! ''This is crazy, Nik!''

This was insane!

She was going to have a meltdown. She could feel it. Her heart was doing this painful dance in her ribcage. Her hands began to shake and a wave of coffee crashed against the rim of the cup and dribbled over her fingers.

''Here, let me,'' he said, taking the cup from her shaky hands. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath; never before had she been as aware of him as she was at that precise moment. His heat, his scent. When she opened her eyes, she was not at all surprised to see how close to her he was standing; she took an other step back, only to bump against the kitchen counter. He sighed again, looking at her with his beautiful eyes, as if she were the most precious thing in his world. Looking as if he were in love. With her.

She felt sick.

''Why? Why do you think it's crazy? Tell me,'' he whispered, his warm breath tickling her left cheek, the back of his fingers against her skin, lightly caressing her left arm. Up and down.

She remained silent for a few seconds, which – clearly – was proof enough of her distress, because Caroline Forbes was never at a loss for words. But it was freaking impossible to speak when he was looking at her like that, touching her like that. His lean body was all but pressed against hers and his face was dangerously close to hers.

''Because,'' she said lamely.

Damn you brain!

''Because what?'' he chuckled. Now both of his hands were traveling up and down her arms, and she felt a delicious shiver run through her. How cliché!

This was bad.

This was really – really – bad.

''Give me one good reason.'' Seriously? He did not see the problem?

''Well, first, there's Matt,'' she lied.

''Caroline, you two broke up yesterday,'' he said, visibly unimpressed.

''We're like brothers and sisters,'' she continued, as if he had not just called her out on her lie.

''Clearly, we're not, as proven by yesterday's activities,'' he smirked at her.

The nerve of him!

''Give me one reason. Just one.'' He rested his forehead against hers and she could not think clearly anymore. He seemed so sure of himself – of them – that when his lips descended on hers, she let him. He cupped her face in his hands as his lips moved against hers. He tasted of mint and coffee and safety. Her arms circled his waist, drawing herself closer to him, and could not help moaning against his lips as the kiss grew more passionate. It would be so easy to get used to this – to this side of Nik – to his caresses and kisses. She could lose herself in him.

But still, she had a million reasons as to why this was a bad idea. Their friendship would not survive it. She was not good at relationships. He was a complicated man. She would break his heart – or, he would break hers. Eventually he would realize that she was not what he wanted. And then what? They would never recover from this and she'd lose him.

And she was not ready for that. She would never be ready to lose him – she could never lose him. And in the end, it was that easy. To tear herself away from him.

''I don't feel the same way,'' she said finally, breathing heavily. He was looking at her intensely and she noticed that, for some reason, his eyes were a deeper shade of blue.

''Liar,'' he replied back, and again, he was invading her space – trapping her as his hands took hold of her hips.

Was she?

''Tell me you don't feel it too. I dare you,'' he said nuzzling her neck, dropping a single kiss on her skin. ''How could Matt ever let you go?'' he said against her throat. ''Can't he see how precious you are?''

She was tingling in his arms, and his words were filling her with both dread and excitement.

''Let me show you,'' again he dropped a kiss on her throat.

''Why?'' It was all she managed to say.

''Because you make me smile. Because I don't doubt myself with you. And because, lately, I've come to realize that you're home.''

Home. His safety net.

They had always been there for each other. He had been there when she had lost her mother in a stupid accident. And she had been there when he had learned that he was not his father's son.

He was simply mistaking what they had for lust (or love, depending on how you called it) and when you thought about it, it would have been funny (really!) if it was not threatening the only thing she could trust in this life.

Feeling another wave of despair – because nothing was no longer making sense –, she tried to push him away.

''Please, Nik. I don't – I don't want...'' Distress colored her voice and he immediately took a step back, an expression of mild horror crossing his face when he realized her anguish. She was gripping the counter tightly, trying to stop shaking.

He looked at her with regret and something akin to shame.

''You don't feel it,'' was all he said, as he stood rigidly, away from her. There was something final in the way he said it and she felt cold. And sad. Sad that she had to put that distance between them, for them to stay together.

Always and forever, right?

''I'm sorry. I thought... Clearly I was mistaken. I'm sorry,'' he repeated, turning away from her. Already, he was withdrawing from her – she could see it.

She had rejected him and he was hurt. And she could not stand it – never had, never would. She needed to soothe him and make it better. In an instant, she was behind him and was hugging him tightly, like she had done a million times before.

''Please, Nik. It's okay. It doesn't change anything,'' she tried to reassure him, her cheek against his back. But he just stood there, still.

''Caroline,'' he sighed. ''It changes everything.''

And she could not help but release him at his words. And so he went.

Away from her.