What I Wish Happened

Chapter Eleven

"Lexi, please come out, I just need to have some fun!" A sigh rings down the phone, silence fills my head, waiting for a reply, because right now, I need my best friend. "Vee, I have work, I can't go out, we are filming the romance scene between me and Henry." I sigh irritated, because I need Alexis. I brush through my wet hair feeling irritated the more I think about it. "Lexi, I told you no spoilers, I'm actually obsessed with you show, and Lexi, I need you after everything with Lukas and how Leo and River reacted, I need to have some fun." She sighs again. "I'll call you back in 20 minutes." And that was it the; line was dead.

I raise to my feet and walk in to River's room. He's sat on his bed with his computer on his lap and his hair messy and tosseled, he looks up at me as I lean against the door frame. "I'm going out tonight, do you want to come?" He looks up at me and rolls his eyes, he grimaces from rolling his blackened eye and then looks to me.

"Vee, are you sure that's a good idea." He looks at me with a sympathetic look on his face, he places his computer on his bed and edges to the end of his bed.

"River! I need to have some fun, I need just one night where I'm not that girl whose boyfriend hit her. One night... please." I feel a tear roll down my cheek and as soon a River spots it he runs over and pull me in a hug, I start crying onto his shoulder covering it in snot. "Nova... I love you ya know. I might not show it but I do, you are one of my favourite people." I smile and hug him again kissing his cheek as I pull away from him.

My phone started ringing again and I press it to my ear, "Hey, where are you?" I smile and step back from River, because I know exactly where Alexis is. I wave to River and run across the landing to my bedroom door and push on it so it swings open and bangs on the wall behind it. Alexis spins around and smiles at me, I drop my phone I run, tackling Alexis to my bed, I kiss all over her face she giggles as I flop next to her on the bed. "I thought you had work? She sat still laughing slightly before settling her slights on me. "I was supposed to be I could tell you needed me on the phone so I am here, and I called Leo, he's coming, and Jack, Caroline, James and Zoë, they are all coming too." I smile at her, I need all my family tonight. "You invited the cousins then." She smiled and started laughing at me. "Technically I am the cousins." I lean over and kiss her cheek before jumping off the bed and running into my closet. I pull out a couple of dress and lay them on my ottoman, I go into my bathroom scraping my hair into a super straight ponytail and spray it all flat, I walk back into the closet and do my makeup; pretty much going all out. I slip into a black skin tight dress with a plunging neckline and a strappy caged front, I pull my sock heel on my feet, swipe on some dark red lipstick and make my way out to Alexis who is just as glammed up as me. I smile and grab her hand and tug her down the stairs. "Mom! We are going out!" She comes running around from the kitchen, a concerned look on her face. She comes to me with Dad close on her tail. "Sweet are you sure that's a good idea?" She cups my face with her hand as I feel tears bubbling up inside of me. I take a deep breath and feel my Dad drape his leather jacket over my shoulders. "Mom, I need tonight, a night when I can be normal." Mom took a deep breath but nodded not lifting her head from her feet. "Just get River to drive you, please..." her voice sounding broken, it makes me sad so I pull her into a hug and kiss her cheek. "He's coming with us." She smiled and hugs me tighter. River comes bounding down the stairs, his music blaring out of his ear phones I just smile and make my way to the door, and climb into River's Audi R8 that he insisted on getting for our 16th birthday. "Will you ever let me drive this, I've been asking since the day you got it." He smiles and rolls his eyes as he smoothly jumps in the drivers seat, I climb into the passengers seat and Alexis climbs into her car.

I've been her three hours and I can't see straight, I've consumed a dangerous amount of alcohol and to be honest I'm having a blast. "I WANT A TATTOO!!" I'm surprised by my own suggestion but the more I think about it, the better of an idea it becomes. Leo looks even more surprised, but then smiles at me leaning close so I can actually hear what he's saying over the pounding music. "I'll get one if you will." I smile and grab his hand, we run out of the club and I text Alexis so she knows I'm okay.

With Leo, I'm okay x - Vee

We walk into a tattoo studio, but by now I've sobered up from the coffee Leo bought me on the way here. I sit flipping through the book the receptionist gave us, Leo however is sat very comfortably in the chair next to me. "What are you getting?" He looks up at me and smiles, he leans forward and glances at the book I'm holding on my lap. "Nothing from there, too impersonal." I roll my eyes, the more I spend time with this guy the more I begin to believe my first evaluation of him was correct. "Okay then what are you getting?" I look in his eyes, I love his eyes, I love the little green speck in the corner of his left eye. "Something in Spanish, probably 'bellamente enamorado de ti'" he sat back in his chair, I am even more attracted by him right now, I didn't know that was possible. "What do they mean?" He looks up from his phone and smirks. "They are different variations of 'I survived'..." he stops in his tracks, he let me in without realising it. "Why are you a survivor?" He looks up at me, he looks sad, I've never since him sad, I don't like it. "My dad, he was a drunk, when he drank he got angry and hit my 'Mamá.' He got really drunk one night, she died almost immediately." I gasp and take his hand in mine he sounded broken I pull his hand to my face, it's tensed, I press my lips to his skin and he relaxes, he holds my hand now. "Is that why you were so angry when you saw my hip?" He nods and look at his hand in mine, his rubbing his thumb in circles but I don't think he has realised. "I hate seeing women treated like that, especially the women I care about by people who don't deserve them." I see tears bubbling in his eyes. I wrap by spare arm around the back of his neck. "Can I get it too?" The tattoo? He nods. "Can we get it in each other's handwriting, to show we care about each other, we can support each through it?" I nod excited, I love that idea. "bellamente enamorado de ti!" The words leave his mouth and I smile, he's so gorgeous when he speaks Spanish.

I feel the traces of where the needle touched my wrist as I walk back to Alexis' car, I pull Leo's 'Majesty High' hoodie that he leant me to cover my tattoo: today has been a good day...