AUTHORS NOTE: Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THESE CHARACTERS!

PREVIOUSLY:

Miley went to the rescue of Nick, who had just fallen off backwards from some stairs at a surf comp.

"Want to come help me back to the medical tent, the whole bleeding thing should probably get looked at…Not that I need help to get there… I'm not even hurt… I just thought you could, um, offer some, information, to the medic, person, thing, about the, er, cicumstances?" he stuttered, causing Miley to break into another grin.

"Sure, which way is it?"

CHAPTER 2

Miley assisted the boy in getting down the dune before starting back up the stairs. They were chatting the whole way, about the event, about the sponsors, when she realised they had reached the top, which was VIP entry only. She awkwardly started to turn around, knowing she didn't have the credentials to get past the security that was blocking the entrance, when the boy grabbed her.

"Where are you going? I need back up when Joe comes back complaining I didn't watch his heat and I get to abuse him about potentially sending me to my death" he asked. She motioned to the security guards, who were now staring at her, and he laughed.

"What's up guys this is…" he quickly spun around and had a blank look on his face again.

"Miley" she supplied.

"Miley" he smiled. "She's coming in with me because Joe is a douche and bailed on me after he had sent me plummeting down a 50 foot drop with no regard for my welfare" he babbled. Miley looked doubtfully towards the two men, who suddenly broke into laugher.

"Sure, sure. He just owned his heat, looks like he might be meeting you in the finals after all Johnno." Miley looked confusedly from the guards to boy. He must be a competitor too, she didn't even entertain that possibility before.

"I'll still tear shreds off him, who do you think taught him to surf?"

"I'd be happy with either of you to win, as long as Howes doesn't. Everyone is just keen for a local boy to win, but I don't want that guy to represent us" the other guard added. He shrugged, trying to not look bothered by the statement but Miley noticed a change in his expression as the name was mentioned, and grabbed Miley's hand as he dragged her past the men.

"So, Johnno huh?" Miley questioned.

"We kind of skipped the introduction part, didn't we?" Nick answered. "Yeah, that's just my nickname, what I'm known as on the circuit, my full name is Nick Johnson. I've been with the tour for a few months, my best mate Joe, the one you saw send me flying, he hooked up with the gig in the last event. And it looks like we are both through to the semi finals tomorrow."

"As long as your ribs hold up…" Miley mentioned.

"Nah, they'll be fine. That hurt a lot less than smashing into a reef."

"I wouldn't know, I got taught to avoid the reefs" she responded playfully.

"Taught? As in you surf?"

"Not quite circuit material yet…" she said, "actually that's a lie. I'm not even close. I only picked it up a year or two ago, and while it might seem like because of the women's tour and everything that girls are starting to infiltrate the sport in a big way, in reality, finding someone to go with is hard. I don't mind going with the boys, my best friend could get sponsored with bodyboarding if he wasn't so lazy and started entering comps, and the other guys take me out with them as much as I want, but they're heaps better than me so I feel like I'm dragging them down when I go with them."

"Least you surf. Half these girls just like the labels and lifestyle they associate with it. I could bet you half of those girls down there would kill to have walked up those steps with me, just to get on this side of the fence. Its like with any sport, they want to be the trophy wives."

"Wow, cocky much? What makes you think they would want to go with you?" Miley teased, continuing "and how old are you, at least give them the credit that they want to be the girlfriend before going all out in the gold digging stakes."

"Aw you know what I mean" Nick complained, "and I'm 21, and its just a saying. For someone I just met, you are pretty good at helling me."

"I've had practice, 2 brothers and an overconfident best friend, all who require me to keep them grounded. A self appointed position of course" Miley grinned.

"Of course."

Nick looked down and noticed he was still holding her hand as he headed for the medic tent. He pushed back the flaps of the door, and poked his head through. He saw someone watching the CCTV of the beach, and cleared his throat to alert them to his presence. The woman turned around, and glanced from Nick, to Miley, to their hands, and back to Nick. He awkwardly moved his weight from one foot to another when he realised who it was.

"Nick, what are you doing here?" the medic questioned.

"Put Joe, me sitting on the railing on the stairs, and a 10 foot drop in the same sentence and what do you get?" he replied, not looking at her directly.

"Makes sense. And her?"

"Miley helped me." Nick looked at Miley apologetically, he couldn't believe Mikayla was being so rude in front of her.

"Fine. Let me look." Nick shrugged out of his hoodie, handing it to Miley who took it and stepped back. If she was feeling uncomfortable she didn't let it show, and Nick was grateful. As Mikayla started working on the cut on the back of his shoulder, he noticed she let her fingers linger too long, dragging them softly across and down his back at one point. Once he had had enough of her subtle moves, he leaped up from the makeshift stretchers and stepped towards Miley.

"Thanks Mikayla."

"Anytime…" she cooed, suddenly changing from the icy tone she held before to an overbearingly sweet demeanour, adding a wink as she turned back to watch the footage. Nick forced his jaw which had just dropped open to close again, stalking out of the tent, as Miley followed quietly behind.

Miley didn't say anything, waiting for Nick to speak first. When he didn't, she held out his jumper, ready to walk away as soon as he took it.

"It will stick to the dressing" was all he had to offer. Miley shook her head in confusion, not understanding the sudden change in his actions towards her. He inhaled deeply, then gently reached for both her arms and started to explain.

"Without wanting to go into too much detail, I used to think I was in love with her, we started going out in Year 7 when she was in Year 9. Last year, she found out she was pregnant and she let me believe it was mine. I gave up everything for her, even quit training and everything to get a full time job so I could support her, until I found out that a guy who had just made the circuit, taking the spot I could have had if I didn't give it up, was actually the father. She ended up having an abortion because she didn't want the baby or the drama of not knowing who the father was, and for about 3 months my life was in chaos. I didn't think I was going to make the tour, I thought I had blown my chance. Eventually things started looking up, I earned my spot back, Joe got on tour, and I was starting to win. Then last month, I hear a rumour she'd graduated her degree and Jesse Howes got her on the tour, so she could be closer to him, because they stayed together after all that went down. I didn't know she was here until just before, and I guess you can judge by my reaction as to how I feel about her being here." Miley stood silently for a moment, trying to comprehend everything she was just told. Nick looked at her intently, wondering if he had said too much.

Miley began to nod slowly. "I'm sorry."

Nick shook his head. "I should be sorry, bet you had no idea that this was what you would be in for when you walked up that sand dune." Miley put her hands on his forearms, as his still rested on her biceps, she could see the hurt in his eyes as he spoke about Mikayla. She didn't know what else to say, so she just gave him a sympathetic smile and whispered "So we don't like this Jesse Howes?" and he chuckled as he nodded.

"Thanks, for you know, understanding… Or trying to understand. At the very least, thanks for not running away screaming" Nick tried to joke, but at the same time let Miley know he was serious. She still hadn't moved her hands from his arms, and he tried to ignore the tingly feeling he was getting from the warmth of her touching him.

"No worries, good looking crazy strangers and their complicated love stories compared to access to the VIP area and the sponsor parties and wrap up party for me and my mates… I think I got something out of it that would benefit me."

He looked quizzically at her, and asked "You think I'm good looking?"

"That's all you got out of that whole sentence?" Miley gaped at Nick.

"That's the only question I had about it yeah, because of course you can be my entourage." He laughed at her expression, realising that she had gotten away with slipping in something Nick had never promised her. He asked her again, loving that blood was starting to rush to her cheeks. "So, you think I'm hot?" She dropped her hands abruptly and hesitated, trying to come up with something witty, but settled on retorting with an exasperated sound and disgusted facial expression. He grinned at her. Then he slipped his arm around her waist, and started dragging her back towards the entrance to the VIP area.

"Where are we going?" Miley asked Nick.

"Back to tell your friends they are coming to the surf club tonight for a party being held for competitors. You'll be there with me, Joe and the local talent, when I mean talent I mean the gods of the waves, but there will be girls there too" he told her, with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Don't you have to be 18 to get into a pub?" she whispered quietly, "I'm only 14."