partners

-15-

Nick is played by Dylan O'Brien

Bethany's POV

"About a year ago," I start, shaking nervously, "I got a new partner. I've always been a person to get a bunch of different partners. I've been the person that doesn't have a partner that lasts. I always thought that, until he came. His name was Nick. Nick Fisher. When he first arrived, I always pushed him away, unless it has to do with work. I never liked getting close to co-workers. One day, he planned some get together with everybody at work. So of course, he invited me. I figured since everybody else was going to be there, so I should go." I pause.

"I don't like where this is going." Cameron speaks up.

"No, uh, it's not what you're thinking. It gets better." I assure him.

I began talking again. "Anyways, I showed up to his house, but there was nobody there. Stupid me, knocked on the door anyways, and didn't leave. When he got to the door, he just smiled and welcomed me in. There was nobody else inside. So I asked where everybody was. He said that everybody was either busy or coming over at ten. When he told everybody to come at six. But whatever. I offered to leave, but he convinced me to say. So, we talked and got to know each other. It was amazing. I didn't realize he was such a great guy. We ended up talking till one A.M. Five hours we talked. But I didn't care." I sink back in my seat, remembering that night.

"It took that one night for me to fall in love with him. After that, we were always with each other, especially during work. We were inseparable and everybody knew that. I didn't know one person that didn't want us together. My parents met him, and loved him automatically and kept asking when the wedding was. He was a twin to his brother so his parents never got a daughter. So I became their daughter, basically. If they bought for Nick's and Andrew's dinner at a restaurant, don't bother arguing because they would pay for me. Spend $800 on Christmas presents for Nick and Andrew? Nope. For Nick, Andrew, and me." I laugh the last part.

"I loved him. I loved him so much that it hurt. And I never wanted to see him go. And he felt the same way about me. Maybe more." My voice comes out barely a whisper. At this point, Cameron pulled the car over and is watching at me cry.

He leans over and hugs me. I hug back, sobbing into his shoulder. He rubs my back and repeatedly says, "It's okay."

After a while, I pull away and wipe my eyes. "Okay. I have to finish. Then we can go back to work." I take a deep breath, wipe my eyes again, and lean back in my seat.

"Okay. It's was four months ago. Our squad was assigned a mission. We didn't know how dangerous it really was. Nash has told us many times that a mission is 'very dangerous' but ended up being fine. We never really knew what a 'dangerous' mission was. Until that day." I pause and look at him. He nods, signaling for me to keep going.

"We went to the cite. The Jacks went to one side of the building and Nick and I took the other side. Andrea and Matt stayed in the van with Nash, as usual. That was how all our missions went." I stop, trying to remember every single detail.

"Nick and I started walking around the area, looking for anything suspicious. We couldn't find anything. We walked in this regular looking room. He walked to the opposite side of the room, making sure that wasn't anything hidden. The carpet looked really unusual, to me. I kept studying it. I finally said something to him, and he had already realized that. We still kept looking. Then, I noticed it."

(Flashback)

This carpet is new. They had it redone, but it's not done professionally.