Face Down In The Dirt

Chapter 11 - Welcome to the Machine

(Picture is Emi and Nikki... psst, check out his pants 😉)

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Brie returned to the hospital around five pm, and Nikki was ready to go home to get rest. After getting the latest update on the baby, which was a positive one, he called Mick to pick him up. A few minutes before six, they were rolling up to the condo.

"Did you eat anything today?" Mick asked.

"Not much. I took a walk to the cafeteria, but there was nothing appealing there."

"How about we order something? There's a decent pizza place nearby."

"That sounds good. So I guess that you wanna come up for a bit? I need to vent about some things, eat, then fall unconscious... hopefully for the next several hours."

"Nikki venting? Lucky me," Mick bellowed as he followed him upstairs. Nikki unlocked the door, and stepped aside to let Mick in first.

"What in the actual fuck, Nikki! What happened to my peaceful sanctuary?!" Mick screeched, spinning himself around in the living room, as he took in the sight of Nikki's mess of belongings.

"C'mon, man. I haven't had any time to stack it away. I was exhausted after my last load, and then I got that call from Brandi."

Mick just glared at Nikki. His nostrils flared like an angry bull, shaking his finger at him before he relented and just dialed the number for the pizzeria.

Nikki shrugged uncomfortably. He tapped a few of the boxes on the floor with his foot, to move them closer to the wall. It was a small, yet hardly significant gesture to let Mick know that he had been heard. He also hung his coat up instead of flinging it over a chair. Big deal.

Mick hung up the phone. "The food will be here in forty minutes, enough time for you to clear your shit out the room."

"Seriously dude, I'm beat. I've barely slept in the past thirty-six hours."

"Fine, fine... whatever, but if it's still out here by the next time I come by, I'll take care of it all... in my own way," Mick warned, as he pulled a lighter out of his pocket and flicked it to make a statement.

Nikki shrugged, as he casually kicked at the base of the kitchen island that he was leaning on. "So, is Emi pissed at me yet?"

"I'm not allowed to say your name in the house," Mick said, popping a brow.

"Fuck... I appreciate you being around. There's just so much at once, and I don't have a good track record of handling things well myself."

"I'm joking about Emi. By the way, she said that she'd be happy to help Brandi, if needed."

"That's very selfless of her. Tell her thank you. The less that I have to be there with her, the better."

"M'kay, um so... where's your own head at, Nik, regarding everything that's going on?" Mick inquired.

"All over the fucking place. I'm worried about the baby. Not just now, but for the rest of the pregnancy and even after he's born. If that guy ever sets foot near Brandi again, I'll fucking kill him. But the truth is, it's just overwhelming. I can't watch her every move. She's fucking ragging on me about being lonely and needing someone. So, I volunteered myself, fucking making out and hand holding. But.... fuck, man... I mean, she's nice looking and all, and the mother of my baby, but she's not what I want. I just don't want her with anyone else; namely someone.... anyone who can hurt my boy," Nikki shared, rubbing his hands over his face. "Then she's threatening me with cutting Tommy out of the parenting aspect, just because I don't want her dating. It should be up to me whether I want Tommy in or out. I don't need this bullshit drama right now."