"Two minutes," she said sharply, her eyes still devoid of warmth as she allowed him to step back into the apartment. "Although I don't think there's anything you could possibly give me that would …"

The object he held in his hand stunned her into silence and she found herself sitting down on the sofa without any further words leaving her lips. She didn't protest when he sat down next to her or when he took her hand and gently pushed the chip into her open palm.

"You know it's kind of funny that they give out chips at these meetings. About a month ago, I was worried you might find a poker chip in the apartment and now I'm hoping this one means enough to you to give me another chance."

Phyllis shook her head, her entire being still reeling in disbelief. "You went to a meeting? I thought you said you didn't need meetings. You got so angry at me when I so much as suggested it."

"I know and I'm sorry. I know you were just trying to help me. I was just angry."

"At me?"

"At everyone and everything. Ever since the whole blood Abbott thing with me taking over Jabot, everyone has had this idea that I was going to blow everything up, that I couldn't quite cut it as a real business-minded Abbott. I had my position. I was the family screw up and I always would be. Even if they didn't say it to my face, I knew that was how they felt. I could hear it in what they didn't say, in how they tried to spoon feed me things, in the little looks they'd share in meetings. And so I made it my mission to prove them wrong, and what did I do? I did everything I could to prove them right. And I was furious with myself. I let them down. I let the company down. I let my father down. I let myself down, but even worse than any of that, I let you down … the one person who believed in me. You stood up for me and I repaid you by lying to you like this."

"I know you didn't set out to do this, Billy. This is an illness. I do get that." She didn't want to excuse his behavior, but she hated to hear him berating himself like this. "I just … I guess I still don't understand what made you change your mind."

"Honestly?" He took a breath as he realized the irony behind his rationale. "It was Nick."

"Nick?" Her mouth went dry. He wouldn't have. He couldn't have. He'd been with her at the hospital. She forced her breathing to steady, trying desperately not to allow her mind to jump to conclusions. "What did Nick say to you?"

"I went to Crimson Lights to get some snacks and coffee to bring to the hospital and I ran into him. He basically put me on notice for the way I'd treated you and he told me that if I really cared about you, that I'd stay away from the hospital and not make the situation worse by upsetting you and showing up when you'd already asked me to leave." He hesitated slightly, tucking her hair behind her ear as he tried to discern her expression. "So that's what got me thinking about what I could do to show you I was serious about changing."

He watched as her eyes dropped to her hands, her thumb still stroking the chip that lay there. "And you are? You're serious about changing? You went to the meeting because you know you need to change?"

He nodded. "It cost me you. I was going to stop. I always was, but then today when I was sitting with you at the hospital and I just couldn't keep myself from responding to the text … no matter how much I wanted to be there with you." He stopped, locking eyes with her again. "And I did." His hand trembled as he touched her face and moved her chin to look into his eyes. "I really did want to be there for you and with you like I promised you I always would be."

"I know," she whispered, "but in a way you were somewhere better." She held the chip out to him between her thumb and forefinger. "You were making sure that you'd be able to be there for me for a long time."

"Nick?"

Sharon pulled the robe tighter around her body as she padded down the stairs. She stopped short as her eyes fell on Nick's hunched over frame.

He sat on the sofa clad in only sweats and an undershirt.

"Did you sleep at all?" she asked softly. "I didn't hear you come to bed last night."

"No," Nick admitted. "I could really get my brain to turn off." He took a drink from his coffee cup. "I made coffee if you want some … you know before you to the coffee house." He tried to laugh softly, but he barely managed a half hearted chuckle.

She sat down next to him on the sofa. "You want to talk about it?", she asked as she ran her hand up his muscular arm.

"Not really." He did want to talk, he thought to himself, but not about the things she thought and not to her. "I think I may go for a run, try and clear my head or something. Is Christian still asleep?"

"Yeah. Out like a light. The nanny will be here in a few minutes, before I have to leave for work, so stay as long as you like."

"Thanks." Her easygoing nature as actually making him feel worse if that was possible. There was only one thing that would help him reconcile this in his mind and if he took care of it this morning, it could all be done by afternoon.

He saw the unmistakable look of relief flash across her face as she stood on the landing. She tried to put on a smile as she moved down the stairs and took a seat at the counter.

"I know what you were thinking," he said quietly as he pushed a cup of coffee across to her.

She felt her stomach lurch a bit as she realized how similar this morning was to the one she'd shared with … She shook her head. That was in the past. They'd both agreed. "It's not that I don't …"

"It's okay." He touched her hand as he stopped her. "I get it. You've got no reason to trust me yet, but I'm going to do whatever it takes to get that trust back. Rebuilding our relationship and proving to you that you're the most important thing in my life is my first priority now. I mean that."

"I was just worried, Billy. I know that this won't be easy for you and I guess I was just afraid that maybe last night had been too much too fast."

He nodded. He'd been afraid of that too. When he'd showed up at her apartment, his best case scenario was that she would hear him out, so when he'd woke up this morning in bed next to her, it had taken him a moment to realize that this wasn't a dream. Last night had really happened. No doubt she'd needed him in a way she hadn't in quite some time. They'd both found comfort in each other, but there was more to it than that. There always was with the two of them. "We've never been very good at taking things slow," he smiled. "But whatever you need, all you have to do is say it."

She jumped at the sound of the doorbell.

"I'll start with getting that," he grinned.

She let her shoulders relax as she watched him walk to the door. The next few days would be hard enough. She would have to say goodbye to her best friend. At least now she'd have the man she loved by her side.