Fall Into You

6

everything has changed

"I can't believe he did this to you," Charles angrily spoke as he brushed the antibiotic ointment across Nicollette's cheek. "I knew he was an asshole - but I didn't think he was that much of an asshole."

Nicollette's cheek flushed as Charles continued about, spouting bad things about Matthias left and right. "He- he didn't do it. If anyone did it, it was me." She softly told her best friend, ignoring the look he gave her.

"What, you just- you fall on him or something?" Charles jokingly asked, and when Nicollette didn't say anything, he pulled back. "Seriously?"

"I stepped toward him and tripped on a branch stuck in the ground." She explained, "Fell on him, causing the both of us to tumble down the hill. Why is the Sutcliffe residence on a hill anyhow?"

"I guess I'm just struggling to understand. Why were you stepping toward him anyway?" Charles asked with a sense of jealousy in his words.

"We were having our usual arguments, I guess," Nicollette answered.  She observed his face as he opened the band-aid, applying it over the wound he'd just cleaned. "He made me really angry, and I got heated."

"Oh," Charles said, grabbing the next towelette to clean another wound. 

Nicollette didn't say anything to that, either, as the boy continued to clean her up. She watched him carefully, tapping her fingers nervously against her thighs.

"There," Charles said after what felt like forever in silence. "All patched up and ready to go."

"Thanks, Charlie." Nicollette softly spoke, watching as Charles cleaned up his mess.

He didn't say anything, waiting until he threw all of the band-aid wrappers away. "Anything for my favorite girl."

Nicollette smiled at her friend, slipping off of the counter she'd been sitting on. She was much shorter than the boy, and so when she stood on the ground she had to look up to get a good look at his face. 

It grew silent between the two, Nicollette watching as he clasped the first aid kit shut. He turned and held it up, reaching behind her to put it on the counter. "Wish I could stay and chat longer, but I have to get back to work." 

"Thank you," Nicollette softly told him. "I could've cleaned myself up though."

Charles shrugged, "Just thought I'd help with what I can. That's why I'm here, after all." 

Nicollette rolled her eyes, gently shoving him away. "Again, thanks. Now go before you get in trouble for not getting any work done."

Charles didn't argue, and instead just sent her one last wave before exiting. He went from the Terilow house toward the stables, cursing himself for letting him get so distracted by Nicollette as he noticed the sun beginning to set.

Thankfully, he'd almost finished all of his work which was why he'd decided on a quick fifteen minute in the first place. It was only on his way back from the break he saw Nicollette walking toward her house in tears, blood inching down her cheek as if she'd just gotten into a fight.

The routine walk to the stables was simple, Charles' mind stuck on a certain girl as he walked. he barely noticed that the stables weren't empty when he entered, it was only when the other person spoke up, shocking him, that he realized he wasn't alone.

"She okay?"

Charles glanced over to see Matthias. He was tending to Maximus, gently brushing his beautiful mane, as he spoke. He didn't look at Charles, but he didn't need to since he was the main person who entered and exited from here unless it was one of the Sutcliffe family members getting one of their horses.