This is just a short little chapter to continue with last chapter's events and buffer between that and what is to come next.

I also wanted to post again soon after the last one as a thank you to all of you who waited so long for me to update. I apologize for the wait; the summer was much busier than I had anticipated. Thank you for sticking with this story, I promise you won't regret it!

"I really don't want to talk about this," Nick stated, as if it weren't already obvious.

Greg was now sitting on the forest floor in front of Nick, who was bracing himself against the tree behind him as if it were his only lifeline. The Texan kept his eyes downcast, away from Greg's, which were slowly filling up with tears as the minutes dragged on, heavy with their silence. Nick had refused to answer Greg's question, and the younger man had refused to just drop it and let it go. Nick had said himself that he had always wanted to talk to him about what had happened, and he doubted there would be a better time than right. So he stood his ground, or rather sat there on it stubbornly, waiting for Nick to give in and spill his guts.

"You brought it up," Greg replied.

"Because you made me," Nick spat.

Greg sighed heavily. "How was I supposed to know that anything like that had happened to you? I was just trying to make a point, that's all. If I had had any idea, I would have never said anything. You know that. I wasn't trying to trick you into telling me this, I had no idea. I wish it had never happened, and I don't even know exactly what happened."

"It's not going to change anything," Nick said matter of factly. "It's just going to make you regret sleeping with me even more, and make me feel even worse about everything I've done to you. I know I deserve it, but you don't."

Greg shook his head slowly in an attempt to get Nick to look up at him, but he didn't. "I don't understand what you mean by that. Why would it make me regret sleeping with you?"

Nick closed his eyes and covered his head with his hands. "I don't want to talk about this," he repeated with more desperation in his voice this time. "I don't think I can, and it's not going to change anything, so what's the point?"

"To help you," Greg replied. "You said yourself that you always wanted to talk to me about it, even before we got together. I'd really rather not talk about how you slept with my cousin, and this seems to be the only other topic of conversation available to us. If you don't want to talk, I will. I know I don't know the whole story, and it's okay if you don't want to tell me. I can't even imagine what it must be like, so I'm not going to pretend to understand. I just want you to know that whatever happened, telling me before all of this wouldn't have changed how I feel about you. It wouldn't have deterred me from sleeping with you. I don't know why you think that, but it's not true. I would have been just as attracted to you as I am now. As mad as I am about what happened with Jenna, I'm still attracted to you, physically and emotionally. I just wish I wasn't because it reminds me of the fact that you can hurt me any time you choose, and I thought that you never would."

Nick dropped his hands to his sides and finally looked up at Greg. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't think I would. I thought that you already thought poorly of me and it wouldn't have surprised you, which I guess it didn't. But I didn't think I meant enough to you that what I did would have hurt you. I thought it would have just been her hooking up with a random guy or something."

"You think I thought of you as a random guy? Even before we got here?" Greg asked. Nick nodded slowly. "You're an idiot," the younger said plainly.

"What the hell did I do?" Nick wanted to know.

Greg laughed. "You never realized how much you meant to me, even before all of this. Even as 'just a friend.' I always looked up to you and wanted to work with you so I could learn from you. I always wanted to be one of the guys and hang out with you and Warrick. You guys were like the cool kids in high school that everyone wanted to be friends with. I could never consider you a random guy. Not back then, not now, not ever. And you're an idiot for ever thinking anything to the contrary."

Nick was at a loss for words, but felt compelled to fill the silence before it grew too thick. "I just always thought you hated me. Or strongly disliked me at least. I don't know. I guess I was wrong, and I'm glad I was. I just wish I hadn't have done anything to hurt you because that's honestly the last thing I ever wanted to do. And I want to tell you what happened, when I was younger, but I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because you'll think I'm making it up so that you won't be mad at me anymore."

Greg shook his head forcefully. "No I won't. I know you would never lie about something like this. Cases involving kids always get to you, probably because of what happened, and I know you well enough to know that you would never lie about something so serious. You don't have to tell me. Just know that if you want to, you can. I'm pissed at you Nick, I'm not going to act like I'm not. But we're still stuck here together. You're not on your own. If you need me, you know where to find me. I won't be far away. I'll always be in sight."