"So, you're not talking to me anymore?" she asked.

"You're right, I'm not."

"You just did."

"So I did. What's the point? You're hard to stay mad at, you know."

"Well, I try. So…what's new with you, Carter?" she asked. They were sitting outside of the hotel, on the deck beside the pool. It was pretty later, judging by the stars. It was a quiet night, bright with stars, with a cool breeze blowing by now and then.

"Haven't you heard? He dropped off the face of the planet, considering no one recognises him anymore," Nick answered, stretching out his legs on the chaise lounge chair that he was lying on.

"Okay, so you're still bitter. I'm sorry, I didn't think that it would affect your ego that much. Although, it is quite an improvement…" she trailed off.

"Shut up, Lily, or I'll kick your ass," he threatened, jokingly.

"Just like you did today on the basketball court?" she chided.

"I would have, if someone hadn't put the ball through a car window."

"Let's not start that again!"

"Okay, let's not. What's new with you, Lily?"

"Me? Nothing worth mentioning," she answered, adjusting the position of the top half of her chair.

"Okay, honestly I can't help this question, because we're all dying to be privy to it's answer. Pray tell, what's up with you and a certain person who's name begins with A and ends with J?" he asked. She sighed audibly.

"Don't really know myself. Undecided territory, really. Awkward and whatnot," she supplied, leaving him even more curious then when he had asked. A silence descended over them as each thought about what to say next.

"I think about him a lot you know. Almost everyday. For awhile, it was every minute. But now, it's faded. I just wonder what things would have been like if he was still alive. What he would think, or what he would do if he was with me now," she said quietly. She had no idea what was making her open up to Nick, but she felt so comfortable with him, that she felt she could.

"That's to expected, Lily. You should never forget him, no matter what."

"But sometimes I do. Sometimes, I get so wrapped up in the present, that I forget all about him. But then it slaps me in the face, and all I have is guilt. Guilt for forgetting, for living, getting on with my life, when he can't," she said.

"You shouldn't feel guilty for living, Lily. Never ever should you feel that. It sounds cruel, but life does go on, you can't live in the past, or the present will fade away," he said wisely. Lilia sighed.

"I sang the other day. For the first time since the day he died, I sang. It felt wonderful, you know. Like I had regained a part of me that I had lost and thought that I'd never get back. For the first time since I agreed to leave Premiere, I felt completely and utterly whole. But I shouldn't feel that way. I was going to marry him, spend the rest of my life with him. And something as simple as singing can replace him. And then I start to think, maybe I wasn't really in love with him. Maybe I just wanted to have a male influence in my life, something I never had before. And then I remember everything, absolutely everything that we had and I feel guilty for doubting," she said.

"Lily, singing is a part of you. Something you can never erase, never give away, never give up. Something that can never die. It's permanent. I could see that you know. I'd watch you watching Premiere perform, and I could see that you were dying to sing, dying to let that part of yourself out again. And you think I have an identity crisis?" he asked.

"Yeah, watching them was almost agony. Knowing every word, every note, and not being able to…it was nothing I'd like to relive anytime soon," she said.

"I could never imagine giving up music. I'd give up my life first," he stated.

"You never know what decisions you may have to make, Nick. You just never know," she said.

"So, how did you and Paul meet in the first place?" Nick asked. Lilia beamed at her earliest memory and began to tell him about it.

* * * *

Hours had passed by in a minute. Lilia had never, ever in her life, opened up to anyone like this before. But she felt complete trust with Nick, she knew that she could tell him anything and he would understand. It was an amazing feeling and she was taking advantage of it.

They had talked about everything and everything. They shared story for story and were both comfortable in the fact that the other seemed to understand completely. For the first time, Lilia heard herself speaking about her absentee father, a subject that even Paul dared not approach. She spoke about what she would do if she ever met him and what she'd say to him. Nick was sympathetic and fully understanding.

Yawning loudly, Lilia noticed the time and gasped. They had been there for five hours, just talking.

"It's a good thing that tomorrow is a day off," Nick commented, as they stood up slowly, stretching stiff limbs. They made their way through the silent lobby and up into the elevator. Nick walked her to her room. She paused, fishing out her card key.

"Thanks for listening Nick," she whispered quietly. He nodded, smiled and watched her open her door. She walked inside and turned to face him.

"I'll see you tomorrow. Another lesson in roller blading?" she asked. He chuckled and agreed. Not wanting to say goodnight, not wanting the trust, the understanding to end, they chatted for a few more minutes, inane and unimportant chatter. Finally, Nick checked his watch and said that he'd better go. Another moment of silence fell over the two of them. Lilia met his eyes and they locked with a sea of blue.

Which brought her back to her first day in Florida, when she had walked in on their practice. She had met with a pair of eyes in an intense moment that had been burned into her memory. Blue eyes. These eyes. Blinking with realisation, the moment slipped away. Nick said goodbye once more, and turned and walked down the hallway.

She sighed, and sat down on her bed. She was sitting, trying to force herself to be tired. It wasn't working. She walked to the window and stared out at the skyline for awhile, hoping that boredom would kick in and she would be able to sleep. When it didn't work, she began to pace around the room.

Nick walked into his dark hotel room, and sighed at how lonely it felt. He didn't bother to turn on any of the lights, but he just paced around, not willing to attempt sleeping yet. He was distracted, by what he couldn't quite place. He couldn't concentrate. He flicked on the television, but the off air-screens didn't help his situation. Suddenly driven by a force he couldn't explain, he stood up and walked out the door.

Before he could even knock on the door, it was open. She looked surprised to see him there, almost as if he had read her mind. Without saying a word, they simultaneously drew together, their lips meeting with equal fervour. After taking a moment to regain her breath, Lilia pulled Nick inside and shut the door.