Ricky & Nini : After All

Chapter 21 : The Past Still Hurts

One and a half years ago...

Nini's POV:

"I love you, Nini." Zach says, staring into my eyes, before kissing me passionately. "I love you too." I reply. 

Today is our ten month anniversary. I can't believe we've been dating for almost a year already. I still remember the day we first met at a Starbucks in Denver. I was heading towards the exit of the Starbucks with my hot coffee in hand. Even though it was March, it was still chilly. But after a few years of living in Colorado, I was pretty used to the frigid weather. 

I was looking down, and by the time I looked back up, it was too late. The boy who I would find out to be Zach, had run straight into me as I opened the door. My coffee was all over me, him, and the floor. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" I say, walking to go get some napkins. "It's alright, I was cold anyway." He says. He also grabs some napkins and helps clean it up. "I'm so sorry, again." I say. "If you give me your number all will be forgiven." He replies with a little smirk. I was taken aback. I wasn't used to a hot guy flirting with me. "Alright, if I have to." I reply with a laugh.

After that, we texted all the time. We began to hang out, and then only a month after we met, he asked me to be his girlfriend.

He was my first boyfriend since Ricky. There were a few guys I had talked to, but I either ended up not liking them or they ghosted me.

Present Day...

Ricky's POV:

I'm sitting on an armchair in my living room, while Nini is laying down on the couch, staring at the ceiling and telling me about everything. It's 1am, and I'm struggling to keep my eyes open. But I have to, for her.

As soon as we got to my apartment, Nini took a nap. She didn't want to talk about it at all. But now, she has to get it out of her system. 

"Wait, describe him to me so I can get the full picture." I say. 

"Like 6'2. Black hair. Mesmerizing green eyes...actually, let me find a picture." Nini says, sitting up. She goes on her phone and finds one of the both of them.

Zach did not seem like the kind of guy fit for Nini, but who am I to talk? He was wearing full on leather with a typical "bad boy" smirk. 

Nini notices my facial expressions. "I know, I know. I don't know why I dated him. He was so different from me. I guess I was just blinded because no one had liked me like that in a while." She says. 

"When did you start noticing that maybe y'all weren't right?" I ask. 

"I think it was just a little bit past our one year. I finally accepted that what I was feeling was real."  Nini says, laying back down. 

A year ago...

Nini's POV:

"Zach, it's just an audition." I say. We were sitting in my living room in Denver, and I had just told him that I was offered an audition for a lead role in a movie filming in Vancouver.

I thought he was going to be happy for me. Instead, it was the opposite.

"Do you not care about me? Why would you leave me to go off and film some stupid movie?" Zach asks. 

"You know this is my dream. And I wouldn't be leaving you." I say. 

"Yes, you would. If you audition, consider us done." Zach replies. I'm taken aback. I never thought he would say something like that.