Surviving the Nicholson Boys (Re-write)

fifty-five : i'm yours (nicky's pov)

Song/title of the chapter: I'm Yours by Alessia Cara

"'Cause I've had my heart broken before, and I promised I would never let me hurt anymore. But I tore down my walls, and opened my doors, and made room for one. So baby, I'm yours. Oh baby, I'm yours."

***

Ari xx : All right, all right, okay. I kinda have a confession to make: I really like you. Like, I really really fucking like you. Someone very close to me made me realize that I had to leave the toxic people behind and let the good people in. The ones who will treat me right and make me happy. The ones I'm able to make happy. And you make me happy. Very happy. From when I was super upset after my mother's death to the necklace, you've just been a real sweetheart. I've fallen for you, hard, harder than I've ever fallen before. To be honest, harder than the way I fell for your brother, and you know I fell hard. I literally thought this only happened in the movies, but I guess fairy tales can come true.

And trust me, I know this is quick. I know I just got out of a relationship with your brother like three or four days ago, but I'm afraid of losing you, because you're a blessing that any girl is lucky to have, and I want to be that lucky girl.

So...will you go out with me? I'm in the music room waiting for your answer. :) xx

I couldn't stop smiling. I wanted to. I tried, but I'd look back at the first couple sentences and just break out into a grin again. We didn't deserve this girl, honestly.

I got off my bed and headed to the music room. There she was, sitting at the piano, playing quiet chords as she sang along.

And I-I-I just wanna lay you down your burdens, all your fears.
And I-I-I don't need your deepest secrets whispered in my ear.
'Cause I can hear your heart, your heart.
I can hear your heart, your heart.

"You better be hearing my heart." I remembered her words from that night. "I'd be very concerned if you couldn't."

She turned around and looked at me nervously. Her cheeks were flushed pink. I walked over to her and knelt down, taking her hands into mine. I smiled. "I'd be honoured to go out with you, Aria."

"Really?" She whispered.

I nodded. "And I'm going to make you a promise right now. I promise to love you with every ounce of me. I promise to treat you like the fucking princess you deserve to be treated as. I promise to be awake with you at 3:00am when you're sad and lonely, and just listen to all your problems. I promise to give you hugs and kisses when needed, or when not needed, just 'cause. I promise to dance with you in the kitchen in the middle of the night when everyone's asleep and you can't sleep. I promise to remind you everyday that you're beautiful, even if you don't think so. I promise to never let you fee insecure about yourself, and lastly, I promise to never hurt you. I am going to protect you with everything in me because you're now my girlfriend and no one will hurt you."

I could see the tears glistening in her eyes. She grinned widely and looked away, wiping the fallen tears on her shirt. I let go of her hands and pulled her tightly into a hug. She held on to me. "I accept those promises, and I promise to return them all to you."

I placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and she laughed gently. Aria pulled away and smiled up at me. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"Don't thank me." I shrugged. "It's what a good guy should do."

She leaned up and kissed my cheek, then rested her head on my shoulder. The both of us stayed in that position for who knows how long, but I didn't want it to end.

Someone knocked on the door. "Aria? Are you in here?"

I let go of her and we both looked towards the door. Isaiah, Rodney, and Elliot were all peeking inside. Rodney opened the door fully and the three of them shuffled in.

"Hey, Nick." Isaiah waved. I smile and ruffled his hair.

"Jeremy was looking for you." Rodney told Aria quietly.

She furrowed her eyebrows. "Why?"

Elliot shrugged. "I don't know. He wanted to talk to you about something, I think."

"Oh, okay." She looked up at me. "I'll see you later."

I nodded and she smiled before thanking the triplets and walking out. I sat down and so did the three of them.

"What's going on?" I asked. "You guys looked exhausted."

"Nothing," Rodney yawned.

"We're fine." Isaiah confirmed.

I scoffed. "Fine, my ass. I'm your older brother, you guys can tell me anything."

Isaiah, Rodney, and Elliot exchanged nervous glances before looking at me. "You can't tell anyone. Not yet."

I started becoming slightly nervous. "What happened?"

"Okay, remember when Jason and Jamie went missing?" Elliot asked. "And it was around the time when those girl twins went missing also?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I remember. What about that?"

Rodney quickly got up and ran out. Soon, he came back in holding a young boy. Isaiah sighed. "The detective who worked the case called and said that they had mixed up the information, which is actually super freaking bad. Jason's dead, but they found this one in a van with some random druggie in the middle of a forest after a lady left them a tip."

"Long story short: there are seventeen Nicholson boys now." Elliot smiled at Jamie.

He looked at me. "Nick-Nick?"

"Hey, James." I smiled happily and took my younger brother into my arms. The fact that he still recognized me was heartwarming.

"We don't know how to tell Dad." Rodney sighed. "Like obviously it's good that Jamie's still alive, but about Jason..."

"When did you find out?"

"Yesterday," Elliot replied.

"And when did you bring Jamie home?"

"Earlier this morning." Rodney said.

Isaiah nodded. "We woke up super early and biked to the station and picked him up."

"And the alarm didn't go off?" I asked.

"Disabled it."

"Smartasses."

"Swear jar." Jamie mumbled and I chuckled.

"So, what do we do?" Rodney sighed.

"Tell Dad," I advised, "that's the best thing we can do right now."