A Billion Stars

Chapter 39

Ricky enters my apartment with a box of black trash bags, holding them up proudly. "Let's clean this place up." He says and I grin, grabbing one of the bags from the box. "You can take my bedroom, everything I'm getting rid of is on the floor. I'll start out here." I say and Ricky nods, pulling me by my arm before I can get away. "One sec. This is a big thing, what you're doing. It might be a lot to take in and even though you're so fucking incredible, if you need me, tell me." I nod gratefully and stand up on my tippy toes to press a slow kiss to his cheek. "Sounds good to me."

"Um hey Nins, um, are you throwing this out?" I hear Ricky call from my room and I turn around to see him in the doorway holding up a bra. I laugh nervously and nod. "EJ has either looked at it or touched it so it's trash." Ricky smiles and looks behind him. "That goes for the rest?" He asks and I nod. "Yeah, I'm gonna have to go shopping after this but I rather that then wearing all of that on my body that's trying to heal." Ricky nods knowingly and returns to the room. "How about all of this jewelry... wait it's smashed I can assume I know what to do with it." He calls out and I laugh to myself, smiling at his support. After a few minutes Ricky comes out of my room with a big bag of stuff. "All done in there, do you need help here?" He asks and I look down at the stuff that was piled in my living room. "Actually, this stuff is a little more personal. Maybe you could start going through my phone? I rather not look through pictures of him." He nods and I hold out my phone for him to take. "Just go into my photo library and delete all pictures that he's in." Ricky nods and sits on the couch. "Gotcha. Anything you don't want me to see?"I shake my head, giving him a little shrug. "I don't think so but I also don't remember much of what I kept on there." He nods and gives me a little smile. "Well if there's something I'm unsure about I'll ask you first." I nod and thank him before starting to sort through all of the stuff I had thrown to the ground. "God you're beautiful." He murmurs, his eyes transfixed on the phone screen and I blush, looking up at him. He smiles and turns the phone around, showing me a picture Kourtney had taken of me before I left Salt Lake. "We aren't getting distracted, I see." I say and he laughs, pushing his hair back. "Okay, okay chill." He says and I grin before turning to put stuff in the trash bag. "Woah, woah. Okay." He says, throwing the phone on the couch. "What?" I say, taking in his concerned face. "Um, I might've seen something I shouldn't have..." He says wincing and my face reddens as I take the phone. "What?" I ask and the color drains from my face when I see the picture he came across. I was barely clothed and looking at the date it was taken, it was a day I usually wouldn't stay at EJ's place, so it was definitely something he asked me to send. "I'm sorry you had to see that, that's embarrassing." I say and Ricky kneels next to me. "No it's not that, I just didn't want to invade your privacy!" He says and he places a hand on my knee. I blush and look at him. "Believe it or not, my privacy was invaded when I took this picture so it's fine." I say, hitting the delete button on it. "I believe it, but it's not fine." He tells me softly and I shrug, knowing there's really nothing I can do about it. "Well it's gone, so you're all good." I say, handing him back my phone. He looks a little surprised but takes it anyway. "Are you sure?" He asks and I smile. "Of course, and honestly I rather you look at the pictures than me, because it just brings all of those memories right back." I say and he rubs my shoulder. "Alright and hey..." He says and I look at him, waiting for him to speak. Instead he leans forward, cupping my chin and pulling me close so that he could place a soft but deep kiss on my lips. "You're exceptional."

It takes us a total of four hours to clean my apartment and my phone, stripping every little thing that reminded me of EJ out of my life. From apps that I had downloaded for him, songs that reminded me of him, even changing his contact name to "Not going down this road again." (Ricky opted for me to delete his number in a whole, but it was way too hard and I wasn't ready.) It was nearing noon when I feel Ricky rubbing my back gently. "You haven't slept in a really long time." He says and I sigh, turning to press my face into his chest. "I know, I'm really tired too." He nods, and runs his fingertips through my hair. "How about you get some sleep. I have to run to campus real quick and I want to take all of this crap to the dumpster near by so that you don't have to do it." I smile and kiss his chest, running my fingertips down it and feeling content when I feel him shudder. "Thank you so much." I say and he grins. "Of course Nins. Let me know if you need anything but I'm just gonna let you sleep for the rest of the day and come by tomorrow?" I nod and press another kiss to his shoulder. "That works for me. I really screwed up my sleep schedule so I could use all that time." I admit and he grins. "I'll see you tomorrow babe, sleep well okay?" My face burns from the way 'babe' rolls of his tongue, sounding so natural and meant to be. "Okay" I tell him, getting up to wrap my arms around him in a tight hug before making my way towards my bath towel. "I have to shower and then I'll go to bed." I say and he grins. "Actually get in it this time, please." I laugh and give him a little wave, followed by a yawn which makes him laugh.