if i can't have you || rini au

15. late-night calls

it was currently nine in the evening, nini seated on her bed with her hair tied up in a messy bun wearing a baggy white shirt and sweatpants as she buried her head in a book she'd started to read.

she heard a knock at her bedroom door that caught her attention, the girl looking up from the pages as she set her book down

"yes?"

the white door opened, erica on her phone as she nodded

"yeah, ella, i know," she sighed "yes. she's right in front of me-"

nini felt her nerves rise when she realized erica was on the phone with her mother, of course she would be checking in...

"i'll pass the phone to her," erica nodded as she put her hand on the receiver "you better be ready for a load of questions, she hasn't had her tea yet-"

nini sighed as she took ahold of the phone, thanking erica with a small smile as she put the phone to her ear

"good evening mother..."

"nina! thank goodness, how are you? is everything going well there? i hope you hurt yourself yet-"

"no-"

"is erica taking good care of you? you haven't been anywhere alone have you?"

"mother!" nini exclaimed softly "everything is going really well here. the people are extremely kind and living with erica has been really fun..."

daniella nodded "well, that's good. no one has been giving any trouble? how is your school work-"

"it was the first day of school today and it was wonderful. ricky showed me around and introduced me to his friends - they're all lovely-"

"ricky?"

nini froze and opened her mouth "o-oh! um-yes...ricky. h-he works with erica and is my age! so he shows me around and teaches me about being a normal teenager. he's really sweet and kind..."

daniella was silent for a few seconds before she spoke up "well, be careful of yourself and i'll be calling every other day."

nini forced a smile "oh...yay...mother, i have to go...eat dinner-"

"you haven't had dinner yet?!"

"no! i mean-sometimes aunt erica makes little pastries and foods for me to try with her! it's part of owning a coffee shop." nini laughed nervously "alrighty! well, i should go mother..."

"nina-"

"i love you!" nini beamed before quickly ending the call, exhaling deeply as she ran her hands over her phone and threw the phone on the bed

erica raised her eyebrows and let out a light chuckle "smooth."

nini sighed "i know, i'm sorry...i didn't know how else to end the call."

"oh, i'm not talking about that." erica grinned

nini knit her eyebrows together in confusion "i don't understand...??"

erica chuckled as she sat on the edge of the bed, taking a deep breath "'um-oh-ricky-he's-he-um-hi-'"

nini rolled her eyes playfully, shaking her head with a small smile "that's normal!"

"you stuttered like a baby trying to talk." erica said bluntly, shrugging her shoulders

"i was nervous! my mother doesn't accept anything that isn't her idea." nini defended "you know that better than anyone."

erica hummed "well, with the way you look at my employee-"

"stop!" the brunette exclaimed with a laugh "i don't like him that way! we're friends!"

"i'll believe it when i see it," erica winked, standing up as she made her way towards the bedroom door "alright, well, i'm going to make some cookies-"

"ooo, can i come help?" nini asked excitedly

erica chuckled "sure, i'm in the kitchen."

nini beamed at the woman as she shuffled off of the bed before her phone rang, the girl looking over at her dresser before she made her way towards it, answering the face time call

"hi!" she beamed when the face popped up on her screen "ratatouille ricky, to what do i owe the pleasure?"

ricky chuckled, his smile widening at the sound of her voice as he shook his head "nice hairstyle."

nini brought her hand to her hair "surprised i didn't use a ribbon?"

"surprised you tied your hair up." he grinned

nini smiled softly and shrugged her shoulders "felt like changing it."

ricky nodded "well, it suits you."

"thank you." she beamed "so-um...how are you?"

"good," he replied "just calling because i had to ask whether or not erica put aside the raisin breads."

nini thought for a moment "i think she brought them up right after the café closed."

ricky sighed "okay, good."

they both stayed for a bit in silence and nini looked at him

"so...is that it?" she asked

ricky raised his eyebrows "oh! um-yeah! basically..." he chuckled "oh, and-i'm proud you know how to work face time."

nini giggled "well, i've used it once or twice to see erica...isn't it fascinating how you can see someone and talk to them as if they were right in front of you but in reality they're miles and miles away?"

ricky shook his head with a smile "goodnight princess."

nini returned the gesture "goodnight ricky."

she watched as he ended the call, the girl sighing to herself as she stared back at her lock screen, the smile still evident on her face before she jumped at the sound of erica's voice from the kitchen

"nini, i'm starting!"

"y-yes! sorry! i'm coming!" nini exclaimed nervously, putting her phone down on the counter as she rushed out of her bedroom, the curly-haired boy still in her mind.