Demi
Nicko shut the door and locked it, his voice a growl, "Where's Mia?"
"She's with my mom." I whispered. "She's fine."
He grabbed my hand and brought me into the bathroom, helping me up to sit on the counter, "Show me."
I leaned over and began to wash the makeup off my face, the reached for a towel. When I finally looked up, Nicko was trembling, he tentatively reached out his hand to touch my cheek and then it swept down to my collar bones, brushing over the bruises in the shape of Chris' hands.
"Is this all of it?"
I shook my head, "No."
He sighed, "I want to see. I want to make sure nothings broken."
I got off the counter and walked into his bedroom, sitting on the bed as I pulled my shoes off and unbuttoned my pants. Self-consciously, I pulled them down, and got my shirt over my head until I sat there in my bra and underwear. I felt the bed shift and knew Nicko was sitting behind me. His hand warmed my skin as it glided over the bruises on my back before he spoke once more.
"Lay down, on your back."
I did as he said, and he gently removed my arms from hiding my stomach, where I knew a lot of the damage was from him kicking me in the ribs. He fingers gently prodded at the ribs, making sure each one wasn't broken before pulling out his cell phone.
"Dianna. I need you to bring Mia to my house, not Demi's. Something's happened. It's like Wilmer all over again. If you see Chris anywhere, lock the doors and call the police. Okay? Yes... No she's okay. Yes I will. I'll see you tomorrow then."
He hung up then resumed his examination of me, "Your mom is keeping Mia tonight, she'll drop her off tomorrow night."
Nicko's eyes were full of pain as he met my gaze, his hand spreading over my cheek, "Why didn't you tell me? I could've stopped him. I could've... I could've killed him."
I shook my head, "It's what he said to me. It's what he said to me that made me not reach out." Nicko furrowed his brow and I let out a whimper, "He told me... that this was what I deserved. That it was my fault..." I pulled my lips in, "And I believed him."
He shook his head and buried his head in his hands, "I don't know how I didn't see this coming." The shaking started again and his hands knotted in his hair, "I'm gonna kill him."
"Don't leave." I whispered, "Please."
Nicko looked up at me, "I don't want to hurt you."
I nodded, "You won't."
Carefully, he laid down next to me and I curled my body around his, pushing my face into the crook of his neck, we were silent for a long time until I finally spoke, my lips quivering.
"I don't wanna be broken up anymore."
He took a deep breath, "Me either."
My eyes closed, "That wasn't me who said those things to you. He took my phone. Tonight he got drunk, and he called me over. He was trying to get me to tell him that I loved him."
My eyes opened and Nicko was staring at with a heartbroken expression, "Why didn't you? Just to save yourself from this pain?"
I swallowed, "Because I couldn't. The words couldn't physically come out of my mouth. It's because I never did love him. I love you, and only you."
He blinked a couple times, "You do?"
I nodded, "I don't know what you did to me, it's like no matter how hard I try everything goes back to you. Everything I know is you and I don't know if it's what's good for me but it's what I want. I crave you in every aspect of my life. I miss laughing with you, and talking for hours at night when we both have to be up early the next day. I miss you being my best friend, and you being someone that I want to spend the rest of my life with. I miss you, being you."
