3 Years

30 - The Other

For those confused with chapter 29, it's written that way on purpose. All questions will be answered soon.
My point with it was what do you think of the situation without knowing all the details? (Should Nini have stopped and listened, or does Ricky deserve this?)

Also, the last chapter (Meant to Be) was a description one; I just didn't put it in the title.

Ok, so I don't think I thought enough about how Gina magically knew Ricky's new address (and the old one) while Nini didn't even know he moved🤷‍♀️. She is something else.

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"Is Ricky home?" EJ asks.

"Um, no, not right now," Mike says.

Almost like someone was playing a strange joke, Mike's old truck pulls into the driveway, and they can see Ricky in the driver's seat. "Hey, what are you guys doing here?"

"We just wanted to talk for a minute," Gina says.

"Uh, ok." They all go inside, Mike leaving them alone while they go to the living room. "So, uh... what's this about?"

"We just wanted to know... how things have been for you," EJ says.

"Fine?" Ricky says, confused, "We talk all the time now."

"Yeah, but-"

"Quit beating around the bush," Gina interjects, "What happened on your date with Nini?"

Has she told them? "First off, it wasn't a date..." That's what I had to keep telling myself. "... second, that's what this is about?" The couple nod.

Not a date my ass, EJ believes.

"Well, you should know that... we've hit a rough patch with our relationship, and... yeah, I don't know what else you want to hear." I'm definitely not telling you people what happened.

How about the story? Gina wonders. "She's been upset ever since though."

Ricky sighs heavily and fiddles with the promise ring, feeling even guiltier. "I know, and it's entirely my fault." Well... he's been putting all the blame on himself.

"Why don't you get off your chest what happened. It might make you feel better," EJ says, taking a gentler approach than his wife.

Ricky shakes his head. "Not until I can have a conversation with her without being interrupted." The husband and wife nod at him and each other, knowing there's no use in trying to pry any more information out of him.

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"Honey, you need to hear him out."

"I know, Mom, but... I don't want to go through any more pain with him." Nini was ranting to her mothers about the whole situation with Ricky. Let's just say they aren't his biggest fans at the moment.

"Nini, as much as I don't like what happened, ignoring it isn't the solution," Mama D said.

"I know." Nini felt guilty for not listening to him, but his three words sent her into a painful spiral. "I want to talk with him, truly. But... what if what he says ruins things even more?"

"Then they do," Mama C says, "but you'll never know if you don't give him the chance."

"I will." She just needed a little time to process... well, everything. We were going great... until we weren't.

*Flashback | The Park*
"Oh." Nini could hear her heart as it broke slowly. She wasn't sure how this conversation would go; she knew she was risking a lot by telling him she's been thinking about starting over, but her friends convinced her there was no point in waiting. Never in a million years would she have guessed that would be his response.

Ricky's face pales with guilt. Oh? Fuck, what does that mean? He was trying to read her face, but she was just frozen. He knew what he just said made things ten times more complicated. Well, more like a trillion.

Nini didn't know what to do. She just went on autopilot and started walking away from him. Once he's registered what's happened, Ricky panics.

"Nini! Nini, wait!" he yelled, running after her. Nini heard him, but she kept walking to her car, only faster. "Nini!!" He caught up with her and stood in front of her, preventing her from going any further. "Let me explain. I-"

"I'm sorry, Ricky, but I don't want to hear it right now."

"Listen, I know this looks bad, but-"

"Yeah, that's one way to put it," she scoffs, trying to move around him. He doesn't let her.

"Nini, if I could just have five minutes-"

"Ricky," she sighs, "I don't want to do this right now. The least you could've done was not lie about it."

"I wasn't lying before; I really do want to start over with you and give us another shot, Nini."

"How are we supposed to do that now?!!" Warm tears were slowly running down her face.

"I'm trying to tell you-"

"You kissed me! Twice!!" Her brain was overloading.

"Nini, you need to understand-"

"Understand what? That was an extremely crucial detail to leave out upon your arrival."

Ricky knows this; that's why he kept it for so long. The longer he did though, the worse he knew the outcome would be. "I know it was, Nini. I was gonna tell you within the first couple of weeks. But then you told me about the twins, and I-"

"What? Just thought you should keep it from us? My children and I are not just gonna be some second choice for you!!" Nini's not even sure where that came from; she knew that wouldn't happen, but she was acting on impulse.

His guilt rose. "No!! No, of course not; that's not at all what I'm saying, Nini! I was so caught up with them that I pushed my stuff aside."

"Ricky, I just want to go home now." He saw the pleading look in her now red eyes and slowly nodded and moved, allowing her to go back to the parking lot. His vision blurred the further away she went.

"Nini... I swear I was gonna tell you," he said. He knew she could hear the giant frog in his throat when he spoke; it made her feel a little guilty for walking away.

Nini puts her hand on the handle of the car and opens the door. Before getting in, she takes one last look at him. He looked like a lost puppy (and felt like one too); the desperation and the way he was silently begging her to come back almost did it for her. She blocked out the voice in the back of her head that said to give in to him. "I know... I know this is going to change things," he cries.

"Yeah, it will. Not mentioning that you were married is kind of a big deal." Tears fall faster from both of them as she drives away.

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Well shit... that happened.

What do you think now: should Nini have stopped and listened, or does Ricky deserve this?

We hit 10,000 reads!!!🥳

I am just at a loss for words. This book is quite hectic, as you can tell, and I don't know what to say for sticking around for so long. It's also kinda funny that this happened around the same time as uploading one of my favorite chapters (aka this one).

This is one of those songs that can't be overplayed.