The drive home from the visit to Stevie's father continued in silence. Stevie could have shut her eyes the whole way and it wouldn't have bothered her. It was Alex that finally couldn't take it. She'd successfully shut him up for about 5 minutes, but she knew it wouldn't last. It wouldn't take long for her to crack, and he knew it. If he kept chipping away he'd get what he wanted. That thought annoyed her, so she fought harder to keep him out.

Finally he pulled the car up in the middle of nowhere. She was determined not to speak, but after a few minutes it got the better of her. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Out of petrol" he replied.

She leaned over him to the petrol gauge. "We are not." she answered, annoyed.

"Well that gauge is faulty. Been meaning to fix it for ages." he announced.

"Right then." She said as she got out of the car to get the spare petrol can from the back.

"Where are you going?" He asked

"To fill the car up with petrol." She replied.

"Wait. Don't bother." He said as he too got out of the car and walked up behind her. "You're right, there is plenty of petrol."

"What is your problem then?" She asked him turning around to face him.

"My problem?" He asked. "What's your problem? You hardly said two words to me since you got in the car. What have I done?"

"You haven't done anything. The world doesn't revolve around you Alex." She told him looking up into his eyes.

"Of course it does!" He replied and she looked away from him to hide her smile. Only Alex could make her smile on a night like tonight.

"Come on Stevie, just talk to me, I cant stand all this silence."

"Alex please just take me home." She asked him.

"No." he answered.

"Fine, I'll walk." She announced as she headed off along the road.

"Come on Stevie, you're being ridiculous." He said as he caught up with her.

"I'm being ridiculous?" She asked. "Just take us home Alex."

"Please, just talk to me." He begged her.

"I don't own you any explanations."

"No you don't." He agreed. "I just thought you might like someone to talk to, and maybe that someone could be me, I thought we were friends."

"We are." She agreed slowing her pace.

"I thought you knew by now that you can trust me." He added

"I do." She answered, beginning to panic, he was fast wearing her down.

"Its ok, just tell me what happened." He said as he took her hand.

"Nothing happened." She told him plainly.

"Don't lie to me." He said firmly.

"You're calling me a liar?" She asked, taking her hand away from his grasp.

Alex sighed, this wasn't going as easily as he had hoped. "Don't change the subject." He told her. "I can see you're upset about the meeting with your father. It's ok."

"I'm not upset, I'm angry, with you. Take us home and stop being stupid." She told him, looking down towards the ground.

"I'm not the enemy here. I'd never do anything to hurt you, Don't you know that?"

"You're hurting me now, just drop the subject and take me home."

"Fine I give up" Alex exclaimed. "Lets go home."

"Good" She answered, although her heart sank as she heard that he'd given up so easily. She felt bad for the disappointment in his eyes also. "We should never have come here anyway." she added quietly as she headed back to the car.

"Was it that bad?" he asked gently, not quite ready to give up on his questioning.

"No." She answered truthfully. "Just pointless."

"I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter." She told him shaking her head.

"Stop it please. Stop pretending it doesn't matter, I can see it got to you. It's ok that he upset you."

"He didn't upset me, he's just a stupid old man who never thought twice about me." Stevie said.

"So what did he want?" Alex asked.

"I don't really know." She replied.

"What did he say?" Alex tried a different question.

"A whole lot of useless stuff, that he was sorry, that he loves me. I guess it made him feel better to say it." She answered finally.

"And you? How did that make you feel?"

She shrugged "It's just empty words, It doesn't change anything."

"You're right. It doesn't change anything. It doesn't change the fact that you have a real life for yourself. You have your job at Drovers, your friends, me."

She turned to look at him in the moonlight.

"You know how I feel about you don't you?" He asked, his hands caressing her face.

"And how exactly do you feel?" She asked. She was fairly certain of the answer, but longed to see him prove it.

"I've wanted to tell you for a long time now. I love you Stevie. More than anything. More than mates. Ever since that kiss on the road side I've loved you."

Looking up into his eyes she could have no doubt that he meant it. The words brought joy to her heart, but even they weren't enough to extinguish the doubt and fears in her mind. How could he love her? How could anyone love her when her own family threw her away like a piece of rubbish?

"And you?" He asked "How do you feel about me?" Worried that he had risked their friendship with his declaration.

"Do you even have to ask me?" She said. She was well aware that he must have noticed the way she looked at him, they way she melted when she was in his arms.

She leaned forward to kiss him in answer to his question. And as their lips met all her doubts and fears melted away.

"Alex you're the only man I've ever loved." She mumbled as she broke gently away from the kiss and looked into his eyes.

"You're so precious to me" He told her. "I promise you I'm going to spend the rest of my life making you happy. I'll always keep you safe." He added as he held her close, running his fingers through her hair.

For a long time she stood still in his embrace, never feeling so loved as she did in that moment. Eventually she looked up into his eyes with tears in her own eyes, and no words to reply to him. He gently brushed the tears away.

"Don't cry. Everything will be ok."

She nodded, then leaned forward to kiss him. "Make love to me Alex." She whispered in his ear.

"Here?" He asked looking around the deserted roadside? "Now?"

She nodded "Yes, here and now. Just you and me under the stars." she insisted, and she didn't have to ask him twice.