VALERIE

Twenty

Her nails dug deep into Nick's back, as he roughly took her into euphoria.

Her soft moans escaping her lips in a never ending sense of nirvana.

"Wait." She gasped catching her breath,

"What?" Nick asked propping himself up with his arms,

"This is wrong isn't it?" Mia said staring up at his lips,

"So?" He questioned attacking her neck with kisses,

"Nick, no." Mia giggled pushing him off, wrapping herself in her blankets Nick lay beside her both of them facing up at the ceiling in the darkness of her room.

"What's so wrong about it?" Nick questioned, a bit irritated she had stopped him before he was finished.

"You came over to tell me something yet it led to sex, I don't understand we haven't had sex since we were sophomores." She turned her body to face him, a small grin on her face appeared whilst she examined him.

She ran her finger over his chiseled jaw, she could feel the stubble about to grow back onto his face.

Sighing he swallowed his spit and answered, "I know."

"So then tell me." Mia nuzzled her head onto his chest affectionately, Nick had no choice but to wrap his arm around her bare torso.

"I'm leaving."

"Huh?" She lifted her head, propping her body up with her elbow she looked down at Nick who had just sat up in the bed.

"I'm leaving." He deadpanned avoiding eye contact.

"What?" She repeated, "Where? Home?"

"No." He told her simply, running a hand through his hair,

"Then where?"

"I'm going to Florida."

"Okay," She said confused, a slight frown on her lips, "For how long?"

"A week or two." He said simply, Mia perked up Immediately,

"Then you won't be gone that long so it's okay." She flicked his earlobe earning herself a disgruntled groan from Nick.

"But if I find what I'm looking for, I'm not coming back. I'm staying in Florida."

Mia angrily pushed Nick who didn't budge at all, just a face of remorse to show her.

"You're crazy Nick, your mom isn't in Florida."

"How'd you know it was about my mom?" He asked turning to look at her in her eyes, they looked like a real ocean considering how blue and full of tears they were.

"Because Nick you told me a long time ago when we were kids," Mia cried out dramatically, "She stopped writing you ages ago meaning she probably doesn't live in Florida."

Mia stopped talking, "Or maybe Nick, she just doesn't want to see you." She continued timidly, not wanting to hurt his feelings.

But he was hurt.

"That's why I'm going to Florida, I need to find out what happened to her if it's the last thing I fucking do." Nick said pulling up his pants, he began to buckle them up angrily, his patience running thin.

"Nick look at me." Mia demanded dropping the blanket, she cupped his cheeks with her hand roughly to get him to make eye contact, "I love you, you can't leave because if you do find what you're looking for I'll never see you again and it'll break my fucking heart."

"I'm doing this for me Mia, not for anybody else, I'm sorry." Nick murmured, violently removing his face from her soft hands..

The two stayed quiet, the dull light coming in from Mia's bedroom window indicated that the weather was cloudy, which would be a typical day in Washington.

"Fine go to Florida but I'm going with you." She said finally, with utter determination.

"No it's okay."

"Nick, no it isn't okay, I want to help you find what you're looking for and I want to be the one there for you." She approached him, she wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest affectionately.

"Mia, no it's fine really."

"I just want to go." She drawled on,

"No I can't take you."

She released her embrace on him and frowned, "Why not?"

"Because I can't, you're brother would kill you if you missed a week of school."

"So? It's not like he can kick me out."

"Mia, no I can't and that's final."

Mia licked her lips, "Why? Give me a perfect reason why I can't go!" She whined,

"Because I fucking can't now shut the fuck up." Nick snapped back at her as he reached onto her nightstand to collect his shirt.

"Why huh? Why can't I fucking go with you?" She urged,

"Because I'm already going with someone else!" Nick immediately knew what he did when he blurted that out.

He fucked up.

"Who?" Mia asked crossing her arms against her still bare chest,

"My friend."

Mia scoffed at his reply, "News flash, you're the biggest loner I know you only have me and Johnny but you're fighting with him so it doesn't matter."

"I'm going with my friend because I promised and that's final." He pulled his white tee over his head,

"Who?"

"You don't know her, her names Valerie."

The jealousy inside Mia kicked in, she felt betrayed that he'd rather take someone else than her, "Oh what is she your girlfriend Nick?"

"No."

"Then wha? Are you fucking her? Do you love her? Huh Nick?"

"For fucks sake Mia she's a fucking mental patient I'm helping."

Mia stayed silent and began to think, as if the puzzle pieces were coming together, "Valerie? Valerie Laurent?" She whispered,

Surprised Nick stopped tying his shoes to look up at Mia who looked so confused.

"Yeah, do you know her?"

"Valerie FUCKING Laurent, huh? Do I know her oh God I know her so fucking well it's sickening."

"What do you mean? How do you even know her?"

Mia raised her right arm shoving the large vertical scar on her wrist into Nick's face, "I don't know if you remember when you made me go so crazy I almost tried to kill myself."

"Mia, I'm sorry."

"Save it Nick, When I went to that fucking mental hopsital under suicide watch for fucking months I met your little girlfriend."

"She isn't my girlfriend, she's just a fucking friend."

"Well your friend and I shared the same room, Nick during visiting hours when you'd come to see me, she'd watch you because when you'd leave she'd ask all these questions about you and I'd never tell her shit. She's known you longer than you've known her. She's a psychopath. You may think she's harmless and sweet but she isn't. I know firsthand. She's crazy. And you better be careful or you'll end up being sucked up into her twisted little mind only to play her fucked up games."

Nick shook his head in disappointment, "Jealously is a fucking disgusting thing on you." He spat, collecting his phone he walked out of her bedroom.

"This is sophomore year all over again Nick! It'll be your fault again!" She screamed dramatically followed by a piercing wail.

Leading himself out of Mia's house. Nick began to conclude that he should forgive himself for what he did to Mia.

But something inside of him keeps him from doing so.