Alice Avery
Most races aren't fair. No matter how many rules you set out there will always be someone who makes it their duty to go against them. Cheaters are everywhere. Most races aren't fair, but this one was, and I lost.
I stopped my car the second I saw him cross the finish line. My lips pressed into a thin line as I watched his car. What the hell did I just do. I suddenly hated myself for what I agreed to do and the outcome of it. I turned my car off and I stepped out, not caring about whatever was happening around me. The stares, and the yells. I didn't care.
I walked towards the fight that I technically initiated. Ricky and Dane threw their fists at each other and it was all because of me. Or maybe it wasn't, or maybe I was just an inch of the problem. They clearly had a history together, they worked together, both of them, with my father, who is now, dead, and with what I'm watching in front of my right now, Ricky could be too, at any second, dead.
Dane was on top of Ricky and threw punch after punch. It was bad, real fucking bad. Looking at Ricky's face made me wince, the sight of it was haunting and it would haunt me for awhile. I knew that. I watched silently as Nico and Theo went in to try and get Dane off Ricky but it was no use. No use at all. What the hell was I meant to do? Hop in there myself and get myself killed? Yeah, that's exactly what I was meant to do.
I was only one drink in when I lunged forward and punched Dane in the mouth. I was shocked that I knocked him over, so shocked that I didn't realize how fast he got up. My mind caught up to me when he hit me back, and hard. God, that was stupid of me. I fell to the concrete, holding my nose and closing my eyes like it would soothe my pounding head.
Dane came after me again, kicking me in the gut and I fell to my side. He grabbed me by my shirt and lifted my chest before slamming me back down to the ground. My vision blurred and my head ached unbearably. I wasn't prepared for another hit but I had accepted it. Although it never came. I sat up and my hands found there way to my head. I stood up slowly, not hearing anything, I balanced myself up on my feet.
"Ricky." I said, I didn't register whether or not it was a yell or a whisper. "Ricky, please." I say again.
His hands met my shoulders and he pulled me close, wrapping his one arm around me. Dane walked off, Ricky must've done some damage to him while I was on the ground. I dragged my feet along with me as he led me to his car. I was in no condition to drive, he didn't look like he was either.
With Ricky's help I got into the passenger seat. "I think I have a concussion."
"I'm gonna fucking kill him," he muttered.
"Got for it." He shuts my door and gets into the drivers side. He didn't look back, nor did I, we fled.
Ricky and I didn't speak the entire ride but by the time we got back to the hotel his arms were around me once again. When we got back to our room Ricky took me into the bathroom and lifted me up and set me on the counter.
He cupped my face and examined me. "No, no I'm fine." I say to him and swat his hands away.
"Alice," he says and grabs my hands with his. "Just let me take care of you." He doesn't asks, he begs.
I feel my vision blur again but from the tears that fill my eyes. They fall, just as my head falls against his chest. His arms instantly wrap around me. "I'm so fucking sorry," I say.
Ricky's fingers run through my hair and he kisses my temple. "It's okay, baby." He lifts my head again. "Just let me take care of you, please."
"I should've listened to you," I say as he runs a white towel under some warm water. The towel is ruined with my blood as he cleans under my nose.
"I'm not going to disagree with you on that one," he replies.
"I'm sorry," I say again and his eyes meet mine for a split second. "You got hurt because of me and I'm sor-"
"Alice," he cuts me off in a short tone. "All I do is fight for you. I'm not going to apologize for it and neither are you."
I stayed silent as he continued to
wipe the blood away from my nose. After he was finished I take the cloth and run it under the warm water again and squeezed out the excess water. I didn't even know where to start. "God, Ricky."
"How's your head?" He ignores my comments and looks at me with caution.
I let out a soft chuckle, "how's yours?" He smiles and I do too but it's not exactly funny. I drop my hands from his face. "This can't keep happening. How does this keep happening? We left that life behind to avoid things like this but-"
"Hey," he makes me look at him. "We're alright. This isn't going to happen all the time. We just got unlucky."
I nod at him. "Okay," I whisper. I start with his lips and wipe the blood away. He has a cut on his top lip and one on the bottom. His left eye is already bruising and there's a bloody slit through his eyebrow. It's especially hard to miss the large gash that's dragged across his cheekbone.
"Thank you for fighting for me." I finally say and his eyes catch mine. "God only knows where I'd be if you didn't."
Ricky takes my hands, "I'm always going to be here for you. You know that. But you needs to start taking care of yourself. You can't be so reckless all the time."
"I know," I say and nod my head. "I'll be better. I promise."
"Good, because looking at what's in front of me right now. I never want to see it again." He says heartlessly and I feel my face fall. "I never want to see you hurt, ever again."
I didn't realize I was still crying until he reached his hand out and wiped the tears from my cheeks. Fuck you for making me cry, I thought. Fuck you for loving me, it's making me cry, I never want it to go away.
I dropped from the bathroom counter and onto my feet. I wrapped my arms around Ricky and leaned my head against his chest, listening to his heart. His right arm held me and he placed his left on my head, his fingers running softly.
"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me." I whisper before looking up at him. He holds my head in his hands. "And I'd go through this shitty life all over again if it meant I'd get to relive all the good with you."
The look in his eyes was something I have never seen before. Ricky lowered his head and pressed his lips against mine. "I love you." He says, "I always have."
