Sober

Ch. 12

It's a little after two once we finally get home—or at least I finally get home. I sit Nick down on my bed, who had already woken up a bit before we got out of the car.

"Where am I..." He asks, rubbing his eyes.

I pat his head, exhausted. "My place. You can shower or whatever or just pass out—I don't know. You can just do what you want at this point."

Nick stares at the floor, sliding his shoes off. "Why are you doing all of this?" He mutters.

"What?"

He grips his jeans. "You... You used all of your energy to fight a kid that's not even in your year, and you don't even know. A-And then you carry me and take me home and, a-and—"

Nick practically starts crying on cue.

"Why are you the only person who cares about what happens to me or not? And who's always nice to me—and wants to help me and be around me?!" He cries harder. "I don't get it!"

"N-Nikki..."

He quickly stands up. "And that! Why do you call me that?! No one calls me that!"

My face turns red, but not for a good reason. As if my neck and arms didn't already hurt, now it feels like someone's stabbing me in the heart.

A lump forms in my throat as I try to speak.

"I-I'm sorry. I just...when you first caught my eye, you looked so upset. I just wanted to see you happy, and be someone you could lean on..."

Nick, still buzzed, loses his balance and falls back onto the bed.

"But that's what makes no sense. I-It's been years since someone's gone out of their way to notice me or just...be a good person."

I take a deep breath that trembles a bit. "Well, Nick. I'm different. I'm not like everyone else. I like being around you. Y...You're fun and cute and nice, er—at least to me you are."

He blushes and wipes his face. "You think I'm nice?"

I smile. "Well, to me you are. Sometimes," I say with a chuckle. "But seriously—I mean what I say. There's no malice behind how I've been treating you. No one's been making me—it's not some dare—I'm with you because I want to be with you. Is that okay?"

Nick looks at me. "Kyler...you literally put your life on the line for me today. What's wrong with you?"

"W-What?"

He tenses up. "Zeke could've killed you! He was choking you! All because you felt the need to stand up for me!"

I avoid his gaze, clenching my fists. "Y-Yeah? And?"

"And?! It wasn't your fight!"

"It shouldn't have been yours either! He should've just left you alone! What the fuck has even been going on between you two?!"

Nick covers his face and takes a deep breath.

"W-Whatever, Nikki. Hopefully, he'll back off now. I'm gonna go take a shower," I mumble and walk off. "I'll leave out some toiletries for you."

He stays quiet, watching as I grab some clothes and go into the bathroom. I leave his things out before getting in, but the moment the warm water touches me, I feel like I'm gonna collapse.

It's so soothing.

I stare at the wall.

Holding this in is getting way too hard. I've been talking myself into a hole.

I flirt with him too much, I touch him too much—no wonder he's weirded out. I met him at some party once, and now I'm fighting for him?

I run my fingers through my hair.