Frozen Heart

Chapter 16 ~ "Truth Or Drink"

Nik

"So you're staying with Grace afterwards?" Alex asks and I nod. 

"Yeah, she said I could." I tell him, packing up the last of my stuff into a backpack.

"Have you two.....been together yet?" He asks, furrowing his eyebrows.

"No mom, and I don't want 'the talk'." I tease, shoving his chest and he chuckles with a shrug.

"I was just asking, it's very unheard of that you just want to lay in bed with a girl." He reminds me and I sigh.

"It's just different with her." I mumble, pulling my bag over my shoulders. "I like being with her, she makes me really happy and she's not using me or anything the way all the other girls did. She's a good person, you know?" 

"I get it." He says raising his hands and following me out of my room.

"It's just nice to see that you care about someone." He says and I smile. We walk down the stairs and catch a glimpse of Sasha sitting in the family room. She looked miserable, sitting in a pair of sweatpants and eating dairy-free, sugar-free ice cream. Sasha wasn't really allowed to go out, all of her friends were.

"You're leaving?" She asks quietly, turning down the volume on the New Year's special.

"Yep, see you tonight." Alex says and she nods, pressing her lips together. "You don't have friends coming over or anything?" He asks and Sasha shakes her head.

"No, all of the people in my club are going to Blair's house tonight." She says and I can hear the tears forming in her voice. "I begged dad and he wouldn't let me go." She nearly whispers with a tear running over her cheek. "I don't have any other friends." 

"Cheer up." Alex says, sitting down with her and giving her a hug.

"This is so awful." She mumbles, shaking her head. "Why can't I go anywhere or do anything?"

"It'll get easier when the season calms down." Alex assures her and she nods with a sniffle. "Hang in there, we'll do something fun tomorrow okay?" He asks and she nods.

"Okay." She sighs.

"I'd stay home with you but I promised to be the driver tonight." He says quietly and she nods.

"No, I wouldn't want you to stay home with me and miss out." She insists, pulling back and wiping the tears from under her eyes. "I hope you guys have fun."

"I hope you'll be alright." I tell her, walking over and giving her another hug.

"I'll be fine." She whispers. "Go on, I'll hangout with whoever's performing in New York." She says, nodding to the TV.

"Okay." Alex says. "You need anything, you can call me." He assures her and she gives us both another hug, before insisting we go.

I wave to her as we walk to the front door, I felt awful just leaving her there for a sad night in on one of the biggest nights of the year. I would have stayed home with her if I hadn't already promised Grace I'd stay with her.

"My god, what would have been the harm of letting her go out with her friends once?" Alex asks angrily as we get into his car. "They're a bunch of figure skaters, they probably just would have watched a movie and talked for a while."

"I know, he's being way harder on her this year." I mumble and he nods, starting the car.

"It's because she can actually get into the Olympics." He says and I nod.

"I don't think he realizes that she's just a sixteen-year-old girl who just wants to hang out with her friends sometimes." I add and he sighs with a nod. "She's strong, but everyone has a limit."