A/N: Hey everyone! Big thanks go to hardyrhodescenafan1, Liloxbubbly, xHalosandwings, beautifultragedyxxx and nikki1335 for reviewing the last chapter, you're all fab! I know ff. net has been a pain in the butt the last few weeks, so it really means a lot that you stuck through it to R&R!

Here comes the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy and please don't forget to leave feedback afterwards.

Chapter 14

Nic

The next morning I woke up to the feel of a hand pressed down against my chest. I smiled sadly as I turned to see Tegan curled up beside me, completely oblivious to the world around her as she slept. I shook my head, noticing the bags under her eyes. Even in sleep she looked utterly exhausted, but I wasn't surprised. After crying for most of the night she had pretty much worn herself out completely.

I lifted my arm to check my watch which I was still wearing, seeing that it was still extremely early. It was probably going to be hours till Tegan woke up... but there was no way I could lay around that long. Not when I was wide awake.

Besides, there was something important that I had to do, anyway.

With a small sigh I checked on Tegan one last time, brushing a strand of her red hair away from her face. She let out a small breath and leaned into me further, making me frown. I hated having to leave her, especially after only just getting her back, but it had to be done.

I ever so gently began to pull myself away from her, pausing slightly when I managed to free myself to make sure I hadn't woken her. I watched as she snuggled up to where I had been lying, and a small smile grew across my lips. God, she was so beautiful...

Rolling my eyes at myself, I picked up my t-shirt and slipped it on over my head before I searched around the room for a key card. I might have been disappearing for a little while, but I wanted to make sure I could get back in afterwards without having to wake Tegan. I didn't want her to freak out when she saw I'd left.

After finding what I needed, I took one quick look back towards the bed to make sure she was still sleeping soundly before I slipped out the door. I made my way towards the lift and waited till it arrived at the fifth floor, before I walked through the corridors with a purpose, already knowing which room I needed.

I banged against the door loudly when I reached it, really not giving a shit if I woke the people up around us. This was way too important to leave until a later time. I had to get this over and done with now.

"What the fuck?" I heard the angry tone from the other side of the door, before it swung open to reveal a pissed off Jomo on the opposite side. His eyes narrowed even further when he saw it was me, but I didn't care. I really wasn't someone he wanted to cross paths with right now, "Nic, what the hell are you doing here? Do you have any idea what time it is? It's not even 7am, man!" He groaned, running a hand across his face to rid himself of his tiredness.

"I don't care what time it is, we need to talk," I shook my head, my voice sharp as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"And whatever it is can't wait a couple more hours?" He raised an eyebrow.

"No, actually, it can't," I shook my head, taking in a deep breath before I stared unblinking into his eyes, "I'm calling off the bet."

"I, urr..." John's eyes grew wide as he rubbed at his face again, as if trying to work out whether this was all a dream. I didn't really blame him... this was the first ever bet I'd ended before I'd won it in the whole time I'd known him, and believe me, there had been a lot. "Excuse me?" He chuckled lightly.

"You heard me," I growled, growing impatient. All I wanted was to get this over with so I could go back to Tegan and start over, "I don't want to do it anymore. I refuse to."

"Wait; let me get this straight..." John stepped forward, crossing his own arms over his chest, "You want to stop the bet, even when you only have one week left?"

"Yeah, I do," I shrugged, not caring in the slightest that it was nearly over with. "I can't do this to Tegan, not anymore... so it's over man. I'm finished."

"You can't just walk away from it like that," He shook his head, and I shot him a glare. Why the hell couldn't I? It was my life and my decision if I didn't want to take part in it anymore.

"Watch me," I answered simply, before I span around and began to walk off. I wasn't going to stand there arguing with him, not when I had better places to be. He knew how I felt, and he knew that I wasn't going to play his stupid games anymore. The rest I was going to leave to him.

"I wouldn't if I were you, Nic. Not if you don't want her to find out what you've really been up to for the past three weeks..." John's words cut through me like ice, stopping me in my tracks.

I desperately wanted to ignore him, to walk away and forget about everything... but he'd just gone and said the one thing that assured I didn't.

Tegan

I let out a sigh as my eyes began to open, a groan escaping my lips as the bright morning light shone through the curtains, making my already aching head hurt even more. Unlike last time, it wasn't because I had been drinking. Instead, it had been because I'd practically cried my eyes out the previous night when I'd talked to Nic...

Speaking of Nic, I scrunched my eyes up, not wanting to look at him yet. I knew he had fallen asleep beside me, and truthfully I was terrified to speak to him. After how I had acted the night before, would he still want to be with me? I'd been like some kind of crazy person... and not to mention I hadn't even been able to tell him the truth. Like the chicken I was I twisted the truth so that he still had no idea about the bet.

I sighed yet again as I finally began to inch open my eyes, realising that I had to face him sooner or later – but when I turned to look beside me, my lips pulled down in confusion. Nic was no longer beside me. In fact, he was nowhere to be seen.

I knew he'd been too good to be true.

I sat up, feeling my heart beat accelerate at the thought of him leaving me. It wasn't that I blamed him; he was probably scared to death after my episode last night. He'd probably thought that after my breakdown that I was too high maintenance and he'd left before I had the chance to burden him with more of my problems...

Either that or he knew.

I could feel my panic growing by the second as my eyes scanned the empty room uselessly, trying to think of something – anything – that meant Nic had had to leave without it being about me, but it was no use. All I could think about was that I'd lost him.

"Woah, Tegan..."

In my panic I'd failed to hear the sound of the key card being used, or even the door opening up. It took me far too long to realise what was going on, but when I finally did, I looked up just in time to see Nic taking a seat beside me and wrapping his arms around me.

I let out a deep, shaky breath, shaking my head back and forth as I clung to him for dear life. God, I hated that I'd jumped to conclusions and freaked out when he'd not been there... but how could I think any different after the night before? And not to mention the bet?

"What's wrong, Tee?" He asked, his voice soothing as he rubbed circles across my back.

"I, I..." I rolled my eyes at myself, wondering why the hell I was trying to come up with some excuse. Wasn't I lying to him enough already? "I was afraid that... that you'd gone. I thought that maybe after you saw me last night that you'd kinda freaked out and you wanted nothing to do with me..." I mumbled, hiding my face against the crook of his neck.

"You thought I'd left because you'd gotten upset?" He pulled away from me, his hands finding my shoulders and gently massaging them as he chuckled lightly, peering into my eyes, "Tegan, when you're hurt, that's the last thing I'd be doing. I only left to deal with something with Jomo, I was only gone ten minutes," He shook his head, lifting one hand to cup my cheek.

"I'm sorry," I sighed, shaking my head as my cheeks grew red with embarrassment. If I hadn't scared him off before, then I probably was going to do now with all my stupid neediness... but it was hard not to feel that way after I thought I'd lost him for good, "I just don't want to lose you, Nic. You're too important to me," I confessed, hating how truthful my words sounded.

"You won't lose me," His voice was intense as his fingers slipped under my chin and lifted it so that my eyes were connected with his. I desperately wanted to look away but I found myself mesmerised by his blue orbs. He was so beautiful that it hurt... I just hoped more than anything that I didn't end up breaking his heart. There had to be a way to get out of the bet without hurting him in the process, "You're the greatest girl I've ever known, Tee. There's no way I'm going anywhere."

I could feel my heart melting as his words sunk in, and I shook my head, trying more than anything to stop the tears from falling. I'd cried enough to last a lifetime in front of Nic, there was no way I was going to be doing it again for a long, long time...

"Where the hell did you come from?" I whispered, smiling ever so slightly before I inched closer and pressed my lips against his.

I felt his arms wrap around my waist and pull me even closer to him, but it wasn't with desperation. The kiss wasn't heated, but it was definitely the most intense one we had shared so far. It was like Nic was telling me what he had only just said was the truth through his body as well. Everything about the way he was in that moment told me that he was never going to let me go, no matter what...

But I knew I couldn't believe that completely. I knew that if he found out what I had really done, what I was still doing, then he'd be out the door before I could even try to explain.

"Why don't you go get ready, babe, and then I'll take you out somewhere?" He whispered, his forehead still pressed against mine after we'd pulled apart.

I nodded my head, smiling ever so lightly. I couldn't say I wanted to do anything but mope around in my room all day, but I knew if I did then Nic would suspect there was something else wrong, and I couldn't let him think that... so with a small nod his way, I reluctantly pulled from his grasp so that I could take a long, hot shower, hoping more than anything that it would help to clear my mind of all of my problems.

Nic

I sat on the bed, staring off in to space as I listened to the water running in the bathroom. I tried not to think about the fact that the girl in there was relying on me to be the perfect boyfriend right now, to take care of her and to be there for her no matter what...

But how was I supposed to do that when I had treated her so badly?

I shook my head, anger bubbling inside me at the thought of John and his threat. I hated him so much, with every fibre of my being... because I knew now there was absolutely nothing I could do. There was no way I could call off the bet, not if it meant Tegan would find out about it. I couldn't let that happen.

So the only choice I had now was to ride it out. I only had one week left to get through and it would all be over with. I'd no longer need to even speak to John anymore, and I could go on happily with my new life with Tegan. Only seven more days until I was free... and only seven more days until I lost my first ever bet.

It was crazy that I no longer even cared about the money, or the sex, or even my reputation. I wanted to lose. Perhaps then John would finally realise how much Tegan really meant to me and leave me alone. It was a long stretch to think that way, but a guy could hope.