Never Be The Same - A Charlie and Nick Story

Chapter 26 - Getting Comfortable

❗️Triggers: Anxiety, Panic Attack, Blood, Self Harm, Body Dysmorphia

Nick's POV

Charlie and I wait a few minutes in each other's arms before I stand up, lifting him with me. "Are you okay to walk?" I ask him and he just nods his head. I pull his one arm around my shoulders and the other behind his back, holding his hip so I can support him. I can feel how shaken he still is from Ben. We make our way to the front of Baby Jo's before crossing the street to the square. Charlie and I take a seat on a bench before I pull out my phone to call for a ride back to his apartment. I hold his hand tightly, my leg bouncing as we wait.

"We should text the Squad." He whispers. He is about to grab his phone from his pocket but I keep a hold of his hand. "I can, don't worry." I reassure him. I start to write a text to the group when Charlie's phone starts to ring. He looks at the screen and lets out a quiet sigh. "It's Tori." He says as he stares at the screen. "I should answer." He adds but he doesn't answer. "Can I?" I ask, letting go of his hand. He looks at me before nodding his head. I take the phone quickly and hold his hand again before answering.

"Hi Tori." I say.
"Nick, did you find him? Did you find Charlie?" She says, her tone full of panic.
"Yeah, I found him. We are waiting for a ride. We are going home."
"What happened?"
"He's okay Tori. I got him."
"Nick! What happened to my brother."

I look down at Charlie who is resting his head on my shoulder, a small tear streaming down his face. I close my eyes, trying to hold back my emotions.

"Tori, I can call you when we get back to his apartment. I can't talk about it right now."
"... Are you in the square?"
"Uh, yeah?"
Immediately she hangs up.

"Is everything okay?" Charlie asks quietly. I nod my head. "Everything is fine. She was just worried about you." I say as calm as I can. "I hope she's not mad at me." He says, his voice cracking a little. "She is not mad at you. There is no reason for anyone to be mad at you, Char." I reassure him.

"Charlie!"

I look up and see Tori running towards us. Neither of us move or jump off the bench. "Charlie, are you okay?" She says as she squats down in front of him. I am about to stand up and let go of his hand but I feel him tighten his grip and give my hand a little tug. I squeeze his hand, reassuringly before resting my cheek on his head.

"Charlie, what happened? Where did you go?" She says frantically. I have never seen Tori like this. "I'm fine." Charlie says. I can feel his head shift so he is looking at her. "Charlie, you can tell me." She says a little calmer. "It's nothing Tori. Nick found me. It's over now." He says flatly. I shift my gaze to look at Tori who glances up at me. "I am really glad that Nick was there for you." She whispers as she rests her hand on his knee. I give her a small smile before kissing Charlie's head quickly. "Can you let me know when you're home?" She asks and I can tell she is directly asking him but he doesn't answer. "Charlie, can you let me know?" She reiterates. He shakes his head slightly. Tori slowly stands back up and I make eye contact with her as she does. I give her a single nod. She mouths "Thank you" before taking a step back. "I will see you later guys." She says, slightly defeated. She seems dissatisfied with how this went. She looks at me one more time before walking back to Baby Jo's.

Right as she gets inside, the vehicle pulls up. Charlie and I get in and we sit in silence. He doesn't hold my hand in the car. He just rests his head on the window as he looks up at the sky. I am so nervous that all I can do is watch him. I am so afraid he's just going to disappear. No one from the Squad answers the message I sent during the ride. Probably because everyone is dancing or drinking. The ride back to Charlie's is incredibly slow and I can't wait for it to be over. When we pull up in front, he quickly climbs out of the car and starts to walk to the lobby door. I give the driver a polite thank you before jogging to catch up with him.