I sat down on the edge of the table wiping the persperation from my forehead..It was nearly 3 and already the temperature was hitting 80. Sighing softly i bent to pick up a piece of gauze that had fallen off the floor. ..

Being senior medical officer at Marathon hospital did have its perks..today was supposed to be one of them but so far had been one big dissapointment...

I had been asked to head up the medical team for the local boat races by my boss who had hyped up my new position in order to get me to say yes..unfortunately he dained to mention that it would be today..on what was predicted to be the hotest day of the year. and dressed in a thick white lab coat, I was close to melting...

My thoughts were disruppted by a few hushed gasps and i looked over to the rapidly dispersing crowd to see what the fuss was all about. The sight before me caused my breath to hitch in my throat.. I'd thought that every ouce of sentiment, every trace of love i'd ever felt for the man now walking towards me had been obliterated when i'd walked out of his life 2 years ago ..

I was wrong..

So wrong.

"Nick" I whispered, trying not to sound surprised. My cool calm, professional facade dangerously close to slipping..i managed to regain my composure as i looked down to see his hand, cradled against his chest, wrapped in a towel. "Let me see" . I took his hand and unwrapped the towel, never looking up, knowing that would be the end..

"What are you doing here"? his voice was calm..almost eerily so considering...

"Working" I sighed, examining the cut that stretched from his thumb to his index finger. "Doesn't need stitches" i concluded "i'll just bandage it, you need to keep it dry and.."

God how can he still have that power over me? I felt his fingers lift my chin so that he could look into my eyes...his touch sent chills through me.

"You look good B" he whispered i closed my eyes, not wanting him to see what he was doing to me.

"Don't" I swiped his hand away angrily and turned to reach for the packet of white gauze behind me. Tearing the packet open i mentally reminded myself to breathe... he still had this effect on me..after all these years.

"B" he whispered, placing a soft hand at the top of my arm.

"What Nick"? I questioned "You think you can just waltz back into my life and i'll just fall at your feet and forget everything that happened"?

He said nothing..probably frozen by the tone of my voice, i had to admit i'd never heard myself speak to anyone like this..especially him.

"I've moved on" i explained, " I've changed, i'm not the shy girl who'll let people walk all over her anymore" i paused. "Is that what you liked about me huh? Is that why you dated me? Cause you figured you could fuck any blonde slut that fell into your lap and i wouldn't think twice about it"?

His head shot up and his eyes glazed over. "you think that's what i did"? he asked softly "you think i cheated on you"?

"I heard them"! I exclaimed slightly louder than i'd intended " I heard the guys talking about that bunch of groupies and you said..you said" i couldn't finish my sentance... talking had suddenly become an impossible task and i battled against the tears..I suddenly couldn't remember what he'd said..or whether he'd said anything at all. I'd been angry..so so angry..and hurt..i'd thought.

"So you left" he stated calmly. He stepped forward cautiously and ran the pad of his thumb accross my cheek bone, catching a tear that i'd been unsuccessful in withholding..."If you'd stayed, you would have heard me, heard what i'd said" He took my hand in his and ran a finger over my knuckles..a simple action that he KNEW made me shiver. "You would have heard me say that i wasn't interested" The tone of his voice caused me to look up, catching the blueness in his eyes and the tears that he was making no effort to hide. "You would have heard me tell them how much i loved you, how it was different this time..that..." he paused and exhaled loudly, a muffled sob escaping his soft lips. "I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you".

I gasped audibly as realisation crashed over me...

"I knew you were going to be here Beth" he closed the gap between us even further, trapping me between his beautiful body and the table.. "I'm not saying i cut my hand on purpose, that was an accident..kinda like fate i guess" he smiled, reaching for me and pulling me tight against him..leaving me powerless.."I've waited 2 years to have you back in my arms like this" he whispered.

I shuddered..

"And i'm damned if i'm gonna let you go again" he stepped back out of my embrace and dropped to one knee in front of me. "At least this way if i screw up again you can take me to court over it" he giggled through tears

Words failed me as i dropped to my knees infront of him, simply nodding my head lightly and pulling him to me...

After 2 years i was where i belonged..

Back in his arms...