Nick felt a hand holding his wrist. He was hanging above a hole. He couldn't see how deep it was and frankly, he didn't care. Lauren was starting to let go of his wrist, and he realized that she probably would not be able to hold him for a long time. He tried to get a grip on something. He finally found a steel bar that was part of the stairs. He used it to help himself get out of the hole, with Lauren helping him as much as she could, pulling on his right hand as he tried to push himself out with the left one.

His foot found another steel bar, the one from the stair right before the one that had broken. He put both feet on it, and pushed himself out completely. He fell down on the floor on top of the stairs, making Lauren fall down in the process.

He sat up and accidentally kicked an old piece of wood in the hole. After a while he heard it fall on the floor at the bottom.

"It fell down a long time before we heard something. This hole must be deep." Lauren said.

"Yeah. And to think I almost fell down like that piece of wood..."

He didn't finish his sentence. He didn't need to. They both knew what would've happened if Nick had fell down.

They stayed there, without talking. After a while, Nick came closer to Lauren.

"Thank you."

When he saw that she didn't reply one of her usual sarcastic comments, he added : "I'm sorry for everything. I admit it. I judged you too quickly and was afraid to admit I'd been wrong about you. I just hope that you don't hate me as much as you'd like everyone to think. We haven't known each other for a long time. Maybe it's not too late to patch things up. I'd understand if you hated me. I might have seemed like a snob, and for that, I'm sorry."

She didn't talk for a moment. Nick thought she really hated him, and it was too late for apologies. He was getting up when she talked.

"You're not a snob, Nick. I thought you were when I met you. I had never imagined you were like that, when I saw you on TV or in magazine. When I saw you that first time, you ignored me. It was such a contrast compared to that sweetie you are in the eye of the media. It's all an act, I know it now. I should've realized it earlier."

He sat down again next to her and pulled his knees to his chin. "I'm a singer, you know that, but I'm also an actor. This act, as you call it, that I put on for the press is not really an act. It's me that you see on TV. It's a side of me. My good side. I guess I have a split personality. One side's the one you've seen on television. The other one is the one you've seen since we've met."

"Then why don't you act the same way with everyone?"

"Can't be nice all the time. I'd go crazy. I gotta have someone with whom I can be a jerk. Unfortunately, for the last few months, it was you. And I could never tell you how sorry I feel for that now."

Lauren took a deep breath and didn't reply. He sounded sincere. She got up and offered him her hand. He hesitated and looked at her. He couldn't see her face very well because of the darkness. He took her hand and got up.

"Nick, I'm sorry about this whole thing too." She said, taking her hand out of his now that he had gotten up.

"It's ok. I forgive you. You've just saved my life. I own you one." He smiled but she couldn't see him.

They turned around to face the other staircase going up.

"Well, who shall we send first?" Lauren asked.

"Let's go together. It may not be the safest thing, but maybe it's better to be able to support each other if another incident happens."

He took her hand again and guided her up the stairs without any problems.

Go to Chapter 12
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