Power of One || rini au

20. a bonded touch

east

nini was left in the greene's home along with the family, all of them asking her if she was okay any second to ensure she wouldn't get hurt again, but all she answered with was a light nod and a tight smile

no one knew about lynne's death yet, and the sight of it was close to traumatic for nini to think of

she didn't understand why he would do it. why would ricky willingly kill his own mother when he had one. no matter the situation, he had a mother who wanted him to be better.

when she went back up to her room, she sat down at her bay window and let her tears starting to fall.

she sniffled and cried quietly, wiping her continuous tears from her cheeks as she did, not wanting to think of what had happened today; but it was all that was on her mind.

the atmosphere in her room changes all of a sudden and she knew what that meant because the energy inside of her was much stronger

"i don't want to do this right now." she breathes, rubbing her hands over her face as she kept her back facing the curly-haired boy who appeared in her room.

"me neither," he says coldly, staying standing in the corner with his eyes on her

"why did you hate your mom?" she asks suddenly, turning to face him

he saw her eyes red and tear-filled along with feeling her sorrow and pained emotion that she was having inside

nini looked at him and noticed that he didn't have a shirt on and his hair was wet, wearing a pair of grey sweatpants and as fast as her eyes examined him, she averted her attention

"do you have a towel or something you could put on?" she grits out

he ignores her comment and folds his arms, knowing what she was thinking deep down

when she sees him not move, she shudders a breath and finally looks at him in the eyes "why did you do hate your mom?" she asks again, "give me an honest answer."

"i didn't hate her." he says

"then why?" she questions

"why what?" he asks, taking a step towards her

nini stayed silent, wiping the tear that fell from her eye as she took a shaky breath

ricky kept his eyes on hers, daring her to finish her sentence "why what? say it."

"why did you-" she opens her mouth to say the last few words but they get caught in her throat and she shakes her head, feeling more tears fall down her face

"you don't understand." he tells her simply

"no i don't." she snaps "you had a mom. she cared about you, she loved you and you just-" she looks down at the floor and he scoffs

"a mom who loved and cared about me?" he asks her "she loved and cared about me just as much as your parents cared about you."

nini looked at him in disbelief "w-what-"

"my mom left me." ricky tells her "she left me and the next time she comes back, it's to get rid of me."

nini swallowed and shakes her head in denial "my parents didn't leave me."

"you're smart enough to know that's not true. that they didn't care-"

"they did care!" she exclaims feeling a sharp pain through her heart at the sound of him saying those words out loud - the words she never heard or dared to say.

"really?" ricky asks, taking another step towards her as she stayed where she stood "when was the last time you saw them? or heard from them?"

nini felt her breath getting caught in her throat as her eyes welled up with more tears and she shuddered looking down

"your parents threw you away like garbage." he says harshly "they didn't give a second thought. and your weakness is that you're trying to find them in anyone. in these people you live with, in amelia caswell, even in jennifer."

nini kept her eyes on him, clenching her jaw together as ricky took more steps towards her

"you don't know what you're talking about." she says sharply

"did she tell you then?" he asks "what happened."

"she told me enough." nini snaps

ricky scoffs "she used to be on the west side; jennifer." he explains "she told me how everything - the fighting - is wrong. and i believed her."

nini looked at him in the eyes and saw the same sort of vulnerability she had seen earlier right before lynne's death.

"but she sensed my power," he continues "she gave up on me too quickly, and left. even tried to get rid of me before she did."

nini looked down, remembering how fast jennifer gave up on her as well and forced her and amelia to leave the island to come back to salt lake city

"we're just people who have others give up on us." ricky says "kill the past if you have to. it's the only way to become what you're meant to be."

"a murderous cold-hearted person?" nini questions, now taking a few steps closer to him "is that really what you want to be?"

ricky saw her facing him earnestly, concern in her eyes almost as if she cared.

they held each other's gaze for a few seconds and she took a deep breath

"i thought i would find answers there," nini whispers as she sat down on the floor, ricky doing the same

they both were close enough but still at a safe distance from one another

"but i didn't," she continues "i can't stop myself from feeling so alone..."

ricky saw her being vulnerable and a part of him was telling himself to not take advantage of it. he could feel her understand him in ways no one else could.

he looks at her as she glances at the floor "you're not alone."

nini's head snapped up at him at the sound of his words and she felt something inside of her flutter for the first time. an energy in her surging around her body but it wasn't one she'd felt before

"you're not alone either," she says softly

his hand was rested on the floor and she hesitantly lifted hers and reached forwards towards his

ricky saw her hand being placed on his and looked at her, feeling the part being locked away making its way out - creeping back inside of him as a spark of energy rushed through him.

"nini honey!"

she quickly backed her hand away at the sound of mrs greene's voice and looked at the doorknob turning, anxiously glancing back at where ricky was - only to be met by the voided, dark space of her room once again.