.Rise And Fall.

.Rise and Fall. (45)

|Chapter: 45|

Nickel's POV:

"Need my help in finishing that?", I asked as I sat down near the riverside with her. She had a sad smile on her face, staring at the flowing river. And I had a very familiar feeling coming back. Guilt.

"Nope. I finished it", she said throwing the bottle in the water. It floated away with the wave. She was drunk already. We sat there in silence for a while.

"Nothing changed except for us. We were kids and happily playing here. Under that tree", she pointed her index to the tree where we built our first tree house. It was still there but broken down by the storm. And the one person whose idea was to built, if he was here today he'd have fixed long ago.

She continued, "You, me, Julia and Jade talked for hours. Always planning something evil."

"Yeah and we ended plotting against each other", I smiled at the memory.

"I was always in your team", she raised her eyebrows at me.

"Now see where that has got you", I whispered back. The guilt in me kicked so fucking hard that I didn't even want to look at her sad face, because if I did, the urge of killing myself will only rise in me. If she was getting drunk and pouring her eyes out today, its all because of my fault.

"If I could go back to time, I'd still be in your team Nicky but this time we'll be careful, this time I tell you your limits, most importantly this time I'll stop you", she broke into sobs. I couldn't see her like this when I know I'm the sole root of all these. Yet, she never left my side.

I pulled her closer to me as she cried on my chest.

"Shh... Stella. Calm down. Don't punish yourself for something you didn't do. It was only me", I said rubbing her back. She always put that happy, confident look infront of others but she breaks down in tears when we were alone or she was drunk.

"I helped you. I'm equally responsible Nicky", she cried out loud. "Its hard to see Julia crying herself to sleep each and every night. Its so hard to see her getting lost in her own trance of thoughts, loosing herself in every step of her life and her own sister is the one brought her that fate."

It was hard for me too. But now I have Rena. The only girl who can make me forget about all the pain. All she have to do is smile. And I feel selfish, I'm the one who actually brought these to them not Stella, yet I found my source of happiness. My Serena. But what about the Arrington sisters? I snatched away ones love and ones sister from her. I am a monster, and I'm afraid what if it will drive Rena way from me someday. Can I really bear that?

There was only one answer, simply no.

"With the time, you'll find the right person and everything will be easier", I said thinking of Rena. She was still giving me her cold shoulder but I'll win her back. Because I'm nothing without her.

"Will it ever?", she asked with many emotions playing in her eyes. I nodded.

"Lets get you to your room. Its getting cold." I stood up. She tried to stand but ended up falling back. And I knew that was my cue to carry her.

"I got you", I said before taking her in my arms.

She wrapped her hands around my neck, resting her face on my chest. "Will you always?", she asked.

"Yes."

I walked around, back to the house. Then I went inside the room ignoring the stares the boys gave me from the living room.