𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌𝐒 | rini & jolivia oneshots

farewell, goodbye, i still love you.

NINI HESITATED TO KNOCK on the hard, wooden surface in front of her. Why was she nervous? The people that lived in here, she'd known all her life. They were her home away from home.

Today was just...different.

She shut her eyes and knocked, three times. Each time louder than the last, and she was...scared, to say the least. You'd think she was about to enter the gates of hell rather than her ex-lover's apartment.

The door opened to reveal none other than Mike Bowen, who was more like a father to her than her birth father. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Nini Salazar-Roberts, what are you doing here on this fine day?"

She grinned lightly. "It's Nina now," she corrected gently. "And I've just come in to talk to Ricky."

One glance down at the overstuffed bag she held told Mike all that he needed to know. He firmly nodded and pressed his lips together. "Come in, he's upstairs. I'll give you two some alone time."

Nini gratefully nodded at him and started up the stairs. She used hers and Ricky's secret code, a knock to the tune of the first few bars from "For Forever."

"Go away," he said. Nini could tell from his tone that he'd been crying for a while now.

She opened the door to see him turned away from her. "What the hell are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the studio in the glorious Los Angeles by now, Nina?"

She was a little surprised by his aggressive tone. "I just came to give you this."

He turned around, and Nini halfheartedly shoved the bag into his arms. It contained all of the hoodies she'd borrowed (stolen) from him over the years, his love letters, and all of their memorabilia. On top of the pile was the guitar pick.

"Why are you giving this back to me now? I told you you could keep it," he asked, confused.

"Isn't it obvious? It's a fresh start for me, a new chapter. For all of my life, it's been Ricky and Nini, Nini and Ricky. Now, it's just...Nina, out in the world."

Even she was a little taken aback at how cold she sounded.

"Well, I should get going then," she said when she elicited no response out of him. "Goodbye, Ricky."

"Nina?"

She whipped her head around. "Yeah?"

"Farewell, safe travels."

She nodded and bit her lip to keep the tears from falling as she walked away from him.

"I love you," he whispered after her, very aware that she'd never hear it, but still, he needed to say it.

The truth was, a part of their hearts would always belong to each other, and nothing could ever fill that void.

—————

Not my dad trying to be my math teacher in the middle of a Kohl's and me breaking down because I couldn't solve it. And yes, I am evil. This was a short angst to make your day better.

Keep reading. Keep writing. Keep dreaming.

-V