i need u

•4•

(Alise's pov)

It's been one week since Nick and I went on our little date. We had so much fun and I loved getting to know him. We also went out to dinner on Friday and it was perfect. I'm really starting to catch feelings for him and I don't know how to feel about that.

As I walk past Nick's room I hear sniffles. I step closer to his door and it sounds like he is crying. Why is he crying?

I knock on the door, but he doesn't answer me at all. The sniffling does stop though which I guess is a good thing. I open the door and he sits up on his bed quickly. He wipes his face and puts on a fake smile.

"Are you okay?" I step into his room and I shut the door. "What's going on?" I sit down next to him and I grab his hand.

"I was just thinking about my dad and Callie," he says. "Well and you."

"What about?"

"Well I was thinking about all the bad things my dad has done to me. I think about them all the time and I always end up crying. And I was thinking about how I haven't protected Callie enough."

"Nick, you have protected her the best you can," I say. "You tried so hard to keep her safe and you did."

"Not as safe as I wanted her though," he says. "She still got abused at such a young age and nobody should have to go through that."

"I know," I say. "But you should be thankful that she is still alive and that you guys got away."

"You are right," he says. "I still just hate the idea. I can't ever sleep because of it."

"Traumas like that will always take forever to get over," I say. "None of that is simple whatsoever."

"I just feel like I'm never going to be happy again," he says. "I'm so depressed and my pills don't help me. I'm always terrified that he's going to come back. I swear I'll never be happy again."

"Don't you dare say that. You will be happy one day and I promise you that," I say.

He smiles, "Thank you, Alise."

"You don't have to thank me," I say. "I'm always going to be here for you."

"And I'll always be there for you too."

I smirk, "So why were you thinking about me?"

He chuckles, "Well I was thinking about how I really like you and I want to ask you to be my girlfriend, but my life is so fucked up. And I don't blame you for saying no."

"You want to ask me out?"

"Yes," he says. "But I didn't think you would react well given the circumstances."

I playfully roll my eyes, "Well you were wrong, Nick Mara." I grab his face and I smash my lips onto his. He immediately kisses me back and puts his hand on my cheek. I smile into the kiss and I legit feel like I'm melting. It's the best feeling ever.

We both pull away with the biggest smiles on our faces, "So is that a yes? You'll be my girl?"

"Of course I will."