Long Time, No See

IIIIIIIIII:II

Trigger warning: Topic of SA is discussed, I'll put Asterix' (****) where to stop and start reading to avoid if you need.

Denise

We take Carina into the living room, seating her between the both of us on the long sofa.

She sniffles into her hands trying badly to hide the fresh tears flowing down her face. Ava looks at her sympathetically whilst rubbing her back and I reach in front of me for the half-empty tissue box on the low table in front of us before pushing it in the direction of Carina non-verbally coaxing her to take a tissue. She does so thankfully.

"What is wrong with that guy!" Ava suddenly growls, making us look straight at her as she snarls angrily.

"W-Who?" Carina sniffles bringing her tissue up to her nose to catch the tears and snot trailing down to her top lip.

"Oh," Ava starts she seems shocked like she hadn't realised she'd been talking aloud, to begin with. "I'm sorry hun. I shouldn't have said that... I just don't understand why Nicolas would leave like that?!" Ava finishes and I nod understandingly, not quite getting it myself.

Carina shakes her head slowly in response before shakily moving some hair behind her ear.

"H-he means well. It's just his way of showing he cares y'know. He thinks what I need right now is a quick solution, but all I want is for him to be here for me," Carina whimpers. Her voice shakes as she finishes and a single tear rolls down her face that she quickly wipes away.

"It's all that manly pride bullshit if you ask me," Ava grumbles. She continues when she sees both of us focusing on her. "Men always want to be the hero, but in doing so they sacrifice being the supportive shoulder to cry on. Tate was exactly like this a couple weeks ago; while I was upset about the lack of time we were spending, he was thinking about how he was going to solve all of our problems working all day and night. It was the same with you and Denver just a little while ago wasn't it Denise?" Ava affirms and now all attention is on me.

"I- Uh... Well it- It definitely did seem like that didn't it." I ramble quickly noting nervously the confused yet suspicious expression that grows on Ava's face.

"But uh- Nicolas! I mean you were so obviously in need of him just now. His anger completely blindsided him to your needs and that is never on. I mean the state that you're in right now after such a night, doesn't he see how this looks?!" I exclaim and inwardly relax when I see Ava regain her anger completely forgetting her previous suspicion towards my lack of advocation.

However, Carina doesn't seem to agree with my observation shaking her head in absolute denial.

"No! You both don't know him like I do," she exclaims scolding us both for jumping to conclusions.

"Am I upset that he's left? Yes. But to insinuate he doesn't care about me because he left is just not the truth!" She continues, and the more she speaks the more passionately she sounds.

"It may seem like he's angry and not fully taking in my situation, but in reality, when we got home; he held my hand throughout the whole police interview. Last night, he held me tightly while I shook in his arms, and when he thought I'd fallen asleep, he held me closer while sobbing into my neck. He told me how angry he is at himself that he let this happen, how he blames himself and won't stop if he doesn't make things right."

We listen to Carina's explanation with complete surprise. From Nicolas' behaviour earlier today, I would have never imagined this from him. Just like with the situation surrounding Denver, I had completely misread someone's actions, and I scorned myself for not seeing the behaviour for what it had really been.