WE ALL DIE ▸ NICK CLARK

xvi. walls

I was walking around without really knowing where to go. I walk past the house where Nick was staying with his mother and sister (+ the girl I still don't know the name of). As I look at the window I see the girl and Nick having breakfast at the table. It should be me.

I take a deep breath and go sit at a tree. I used to sit here when I first came here.

I look at the ranch. Thinking about how it will end.

"Hi..." I hear a voice I don't know coming from behind me.

"Hey..." I say as I see the girl.

"I'm Luciana." She says and I nod. "I wanted to thank you... for letting me in."

"I didn't want to pick up troy's brain from the ground." I keep looking at the distance. "I didn't do it for you." I say and she nods breathing heavily.

"Can I?" Luciana asks to sit on my side, I don't say anything but she sits anyways.

Didn't you get the hint? To fuck off I mean. I think, but keep my mouth shut.

"How did you got here?"

"Humm..." I say as I look away.

"It's okay if you don't want to say. I was just wondering." She looks away.

"That hurts like hell." I point at her wound.

"It does." She slightly laughs "Nick told me about you."

"Only good I hope."

"He loves you, Katherine." She says and I keep looking away as I swallow hard.

"He did. Not anymore."

"He always will." She says and I take a deep breath.

"Get out of my sight." I tell her still not looking at her.

"I'm sorry if I bothered you-"

"Just.. leave." I manage to say.

As soon as Luciana gets away I feel tears running down my cheek. Something I didn't feel in a very long time.

***

"I'm rebuilding their house." Jeremiah informs me and Jake, about the old couple's house. "Well, not me, Nick. Madison's son. I would like for one of you to help him out."

"I'm busy..." Jake looks at me and I roll my eyes.

"I can do whatever you have to do." I almost beg him.

"I'm sorry." He says and I groan causing Jeremiah to laugh.

"Okay." I breathe out.

"Thank you." He says and I nod and leave the house. "Wait. I'll take you to him."

"I know the way."

"Common." He walks past me and I follow him. "How's Troy?"

"He's fine." I nod.

"I really am grateful you are here. You're good to him, you help. I couldn't ask for more." Jeremiah tells me and I smile.

You could ask for someone who's not a backstabber.

"I like leading this place with you, Jake and Troy." I try to make this conversation sound as less weird as it would get.

__

"Once you're done, I got a barn for you to work on." Jeremiah teases Nick as he's cleaning a wall.

"Sorry." Nick smiles.

"What the hell are you sorry about?"

"Well, I wasn't sure if this was my place, really," he confesses as I'm sitting against a tree looking at them.