Author's Note: the beginning part I came up with myself. You can quote me lol jk. I love writing this chapter! I love this story! Tell me if you like it too! I really want to know if I'm going in the right general direction here! Enjoy the sappiest chapter yet lol!

Chapter 29 – Love

Love is a tricky thing. Some people search their whole life for it and others want nothing to do with it. Some put it on a pedestal as the greatest thing in the world and still others think love is the worst thing anyone could come upon. Some people can never have love and others fall in love multiple times. Love can be hidden somewhere or be the most obvious thing in the world. You can search for it your whole life and never even come across it or you can stumble across it when you least expect. This was one of those times.

As soon as Sara said 'I love you,' she surprised herself. She looked at him in the dark and watched him look at her, surprised as well. She was about to say something when,

"You…you love me?" he asked.

Sara looked down a second. He had brought his other hand up and was holding hers in both of his. She couldn't believe she had just said that and she wasn't completely sure if it was the right thing to say. She felt…so many things about Nick but she wasn't totally sure if love was one of them. She tried to think of what to say and, like with every other difficult situation she had ever had, her brain started fighting with her.

"You love him?! Where did this come from?" one half screamed at her.

"Of coarse you do! Say you do! You do!" the other half contradicted.

"Don't say it! You'll regret it!"

"You love him! Say it!"

"I…" Sara tried. Nick sat there, as amazed as she was at what she had just said. "I…I…I love you," she finished. She still couldn't believe it but she did. She did. It was the hardest thing in the world to say but she did.

"What am I going to do with you?! You don't listen to anything I say!" her brain yelled.

"You do?" Nick was completely taken aback. He had never expected that. Not in a million years. He thought he would be the first to say it but here she was, telling him she loved him.

Sara's mouth seemed to be broken. She couldn't talk…could barely breathe. She was so surprised that she had let herself do that. Just say that she loved him. No, just let herself love him. It was scaring her. She was scaring herself. She tried to breathe but it was coming out in short gasps.

"Sara?" he asked. He thought she was hyperventilating or something. "Sara? Are you ok?" he asked, getting worried.

Sara continued trying to breathe; almost not even realizing Nick was trying to talk to her. She sat up and rested her head against the headboard, looking up with her eyes closed.

"Sara?" Nick sat up too and took her hand. "Sara talk to me," he turned on the light on his side of the bed and turned back to try and get Sara to look at him. She didn't; just kept trying to breathe.

After a minute she sucked in a long breath through her nose, holding it before letting it out. She let her head flop forward and leaned over, resting her head on her knees.

"Are you ok?" Nick asked for the tenth time.

"I don't know," Sara said. Without warning she burst into tears and cried into her knees. Nick was completely surprised. He had no idea what was going on.

"Sara, Sara, Sara," he tried to get her to sit up. "Sara, look at me."

Sara continued with her crying, sitting up to face Nick who was now at her feet. "What's up?" he asked.

"I don't know," she said again. Nick gave her that look. He had done it countless times and each time it worked. She wondered if he knew its effect on her. That look could get anyone to tell him anything.

"It's…its Alex," she mumbled, looking down at her knees. She couldn't believe this was still bothering her. She thought she had gotten over this but as soon as she had told Nick she loved him Alex had popped into her head. She thought she could have a relationship now but apparently not.

"Oh," Nick said, looking down at his own knees.

"No, Nick. I...I don't know what to say." She ran a hand through her hair and sighed, looking back at him. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Nick tried to make it seem like it didn't bother him but he had always worn his heart on his sleeve. And right now he was really regretting it.

"But I am," Sara sniffed and took his hands, trying to get him to look at her this time. "I am and you know why?" Nick looked up at her. "I want to be with you. I do, but Alex…he just keeps popping into my head." Sara closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The look on his face pained her. She had to tell him again. She had to make him believe Alex wouldn't get in the way of the relationship they could have. "I love you." it was a whisper but it was there. She could say it so she decided to say it again. "I love you."

Nick looked up at her with a small smile. The fact that she had said it four times on the past few minutes blew him away. He sat there and just studied her face. She looked so intent on telling her this and he was speechless. He leaned forward and kissed her softly. He made it soft and passionate, telling her everything he felt in this one kiss. Still at the end of it he needed to say it in words. "I love you too."