Lover

Chapter 10: The Letter

"Wanna get something to eat?" Nick asks.
"No."
Are you sure?" He presses looking back at me.
"Yes." I reply not meeting his look.
"Well, I'm gonna stop and get something." He says parking in a McDonald's.
James calls me and I decide to answer since I'm alone.
"Katherine, please it is not what it looks like."
"Looks pretty clear to me." I thought I'd be emotional, but instead my Bosa wall comes out.
"No, this was all before I spent time with you, it was after the first time we met. Please just tell me where you are and we can talk about this." He begs.
"I'm done James."
"No Katie please."
"Don't call me that, it's for friends and family."
"Please don't do this, please don't end us we're good for each other." He begs and now I feel my eyes start to sting.
"You don't deserve someone like me."
"I know." He agrees.
"And congratulations." I add.
"Why?" He asks.
"Because it did take you two weeks to get me in your bed." I say finally crying.
"No, Katherine plea-" I end the phone call seeing Nick coming back.
"Got you some nuggets." He smiles before seeing how much of a mess I was. He hands me the bag before he starts to drive.
I know he's not saying anything because what he wants to say is I told you so.
Eventually I pass out.
I wake up feeling cold and realize Nick is carrying me to the building.
"I'm up." I say wanting to walk the rest of the way.
"I can carry you." He insists.
"Put me down." I say and he does. We get inside and I go to my room to go back to sleep.

I wake up to the noise I dread the most...my mother.
"Kate wake up!" She says knocking on my door. I sigh before going to open the door.
"What?" I ask as I walk back to my bed.
"Why haven't you responded to any of my messages? I'm very disappointed in you."
"Yeah well that's new?" I ask.
"Excuse me?" She yells. "I send you here with your brother to focus on your career and to start on your brand and here you are acting like a tramp!"
"You did not send me here I begged my dad to leave because I cannot stand the sound of your voice." I yell back to her. "All the years of nagging and nagging me added up. At first I thought I deserved the crap you gave me and I thought I had something to prove to you, but thanks to Debbie I learned I have NOTHING to prove to you." I say letting out a deep sigh.
"My daughter would never talk to me like this."
"She just did, now please get out of my room." I ask.
"This is my son's house." She says.
"Okay." I nod grabbing my backpack and heading out.
"Katie." Nick calls after me.
"Don't." I say raising a hand. "Go comfort her like you always do." I say leaving the apartment.
I have nowhere to go, but I start walking. I stop sharing my location with Nick so he won't be able to find me like yesterday. I just want to get away from here I want to go back to when I first got here and skip the part where I ever met James, and I want to go back to the first day of auditions and be friends with the girls there because then they'd want to talk to me. I end up on the beach. I probably look crazy out here, but I decide to sit in the sand and try to relax.
He really is a destructive person. I mean look at me, I don't know a lot of things but I know this is rock bottom.
I spent a few hours here before my belly rumbles...I should eat.
I walk to a cozy diner.
"What would you like?" The man asks.
"Coffee please."
"Oh man we just ran out." He smiles.
"But you're holding a pot full of it." I point out.
"I'm joking." He smiles, but I can't find it in me to smile back at him.
He goes to bring me a mug and I order some pancakes and eggs.
I watch as my phone delivers various messages from James.
James: Can you please call me back
James: Where are you? Nick is blowing me up, he's worried.
James: can you please go home?
James: Katherine please don't do this to them.
Why do they only ever care about them? What about me? What about all the mental abuse I've had to suffer from my mother or the constant anxiety I'm under with my brothers? It's like no one ever asks me if I'm okay and what I want.
"Pancakes, eggs, and bacon." The waiter says setting the plate in front of me. I see the bacon is set as a smiley face on the pancakes.
"I didn't order bacon." I say with a shy smile.
"On the house." He winks making me blush.
James: Katherine please we're all worried.
Nicky: dude mom is two seconds away from a whole meltdown answer your damn phone!
Joey: Kate please go back home. You're stressing everyone out.
Dad❤️: Toots please give me a call.
My dad's final message comes through and I have to call him.
"Hello." He calmly answers.
"Hey pops." I say as I eat my eggs.
"Katie girl, what's going on?" He asks and I have a complete breakdown in the diner as I explain to him my last two weeks, leaving out the screenshots I was shown.
"I know your mother can be....special, but she loves you." He insists.
"I don't think so." I say as I try my eyes. "Why is she so mean to me?"
"She's not mean baby, it's just tough love."
"Nicky and Joey don't get tough love." I point out.
"I know toots, I'm sorry." He sighs.
"I just really don't want to see her right now dad. I'm safe I promise."
"Honey n-" I hang up on him and try to get myself together. I see a milkshake be placed in front of me when I look up I find the waiter.
"Can I call someone for you?" He asks with a sympathetic smile.
"No, I'm okay." I say as a tear escapes my eye.
"Are you lying to me?" He asks, making me laugh lightly.
"I'll be alright." I assure him.
"Ok." He says walking away.
I drink my milkshake and it honestly makes me feel a little better.
"Can I get you anything else?" He asks.
"Just the check please."
"On the house." He smiles.
"Oh no, please." I insist.
"My treat." He smiles.
"Thank you...Aaron." I say reading his name tag.
"You're welcome...?"
"Katherine." I say as he extends a hand to me.
"Katherine." He repeats as we shake hands.
I still tip him before heading out.
As I walk the streets I call the only person who can help me.
"Hey Debbie is this a bad time?"
"Of course not sweetheart what's the matter?" I explain everything to her and she is picking me up 20 minutes later.
"Oh sweetie." She sighs.
She takes me to her home and I have a seat on her couch.
"Why does life have to be so messy?" I sigh.
"I don't know hun." She says giving me some water. "But what are you going to do?"
"Stay here forever." I say making her laugh.
"You gotta face the music sweetheart and finals are tomorrow."
"My family is going to be so mad at me." I sigh laying back on her couch.
"I can come with you."
"My mother is in town."
"Oh." She says "I'll still come." She's so brave, I love her.
"What do I even tell her?" I ask.
"Just say sorry, you don't have to mean it just make her believe it."
"But Debbie-"
"She's your mother." She interrupts.
"Okay." I nod knowing she's right.
I have her drive us back to Nicks apartment. I knock on the door and he answers it quickly.
"Katie." He says pulling me into a hug.
"I'm sorry." I say.
"I know."
"But not to her."
"I know." He says letting us jn.
"Hi Debbie." He says as he hugs her.
"Hi my small bear." She smiles wrapping her arms around him.
"Debbie." My mother says,
"Hi Cheryl." Debbie smiles. "It's been a while hasn't it?"
"Sure has." My mother responds in a rude tone.
"Mother." I say standing in front of her. "I'm sorry for how I spoke to you this morning."
"Oh Kate , I know you're just hormonal." She says as she pulls me into a hug. I bite my tongue and let it go. I turn to Debbie who motions for me to brush it off.
"Yeah." I agree, pulling away from her embrace.
We spend the rest of the evening cooking and watching movies.
"Alright we'll I'm gonna get going, I told Joey I'd visit him too."
"It was nice to see you." I say and she leaves after giving Nick a hug.
"She's a monster." I say as I shudder.
"Yeah well it's over now." Nick smiles. "Debbie would you like to join us for dinner?"
"Sure." She smiles.
I have a quick shower, get dressed, then we're on our way.
I have a great time and really get distracted from everything.
"You know mom loves you right?" Nick asks on our drive back.
"I don't know." I shrug.
"She gets upset when dad tells her what you say."
"Then why does she treat me like shit?" I ask picking at my ripped jeans.
"She doesn't, you just don't compromise with her. like how you vote." Is he serious???
"Why am I going to compromise my beliefs?"
"You know how she feels."
"And I don't care."
"Ok." He says as we arrive.