The Fear of Falling Apart

7

Recap:
"Alright. Do you need me to take you home?" I ask, pulling my hand away. I have no chance with her. Why did I even bother to come back? With Arielle being as stubborn as she is, she surely won't even give me a chance to explain to her.

"No. I want you to tell me, explain to me. If you didn't want to leave me, why did you?" She whispered, in a panicked voice. I stared at her, surprised. She changed.

It broke my heart, seeing her like this.

I don't want our relationship to be quiet, and careful. I want our relationship to be loud, and reckless.

Like it was before.

Arielle's POV

"I-I'm sorry. So sorry." He breathed out, the tension in the air changing drastically.

I shook my head, "Quit saying you're sorry. What happened?" I don't like seeing him like this.

"I-Promise me something. Promise me, you won't go full rage on the people I'm gonna tell you about, okay?"

I stared at him, running a hand through my hair.

Full rage? Where's he going with this?

"I guess." I tell him.

Nick smiled, his lip ring moving. I laughed to myself, and waited for him to tell me.

He looked away, "I left for Cali, not because of the scholarship I lied to you about, but because of your parents. And mine."

I frowned, I mean, I knew that scholarship was a lie. But, I didn't think he lied because of my parents. Or his parents. I always told myself that he left me for someone else.

Because at the time, that's the only thing that made sense to me.

My parents? What the hell did they screw up this time?

I felt anger bubble in the pit of my stomach, and I clenched my jaw.

"What?"

"Arielle, they didn't li- hell, they still don't like me. They told me to stay away from you, and I didn't really know what to think of the situation, so I just kind of laughed in their face, and pissed them off." Nick chuckled lowly to himself, looking down at his lap.

I smiled softly, the anger perishing.

"I told them, I'd never leave you." But you did. "For long, anyway. But it was bad. To the point, where they threatened to hurt Katie, and I know, it was selfish. But then I thought, my parents are always telling me I'm a screw-up, and I don't deserve you. Katie used to tell me to stay away from you, because I'd hurt you." Katie? "I brushed it off, but when your parents told me the same thing.. I didn't know what to think anymore. I believed I didn't deserve you."

I was quiet. All this time, I blamed him for heartbreak, he was the one who really experienced heartbreak.

"I left for California, and told you that awful lie. I figured, I already didn't deserve you, so it wouldn't hurt to screw up my reputation a bit more, with that shitty excuse of moving to Cali."

I bit my lip, feeling my eyes well up with tears, "But it did Nick, it did." I whispered, my chest clouded with pain.

I looked down at my lap, and felt tears fall. I bit my lip harder, trying to calm myself down. I can't break down so easily.

"Shh, babe, its okay." Nick cooed, bringing me into his lap. He rubbed circles on my back, holding me close. I traced the tattoos on his shirtless body, feeling him tense up under the tips of my fingers.

He gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing. I giggled quietly, pulling away to look at him. "What did you do for a year in California?" His eyes started to wander, making me wonder.

Nick laid down, pulling me with him. I fell with a thump, and I cringed. I closed my eyes, as he pulled me closer. With my back pressed up against his shirtless chest, he threw his leg over my waist.

"You're not light!" I whine.

"Oh shush, you love it."

I felt my face heat up, and my eyes widened. "Shut up." I mutter.

I heard him laugh, "I'm teasing. I took Journalism at Chapman Uni, for a year. I have two years left. I used that time to think, and every time we were assigned to write a report, I would always incorporate you in it. Ari, I can't forget you, and I don't care if I'm being selfish, but I can't stay without you any longer. I won't let you settle for someone else. Because I love you Arielle."

I turned to look at him, my eyes misty. "You mean it?" I asked quietly.

"Hell yeah I do." He leaned closer, and I closed my eyes. Nick's soft lips were pressed up against mine, and I don't know how we got where we did afterwards.

**
Yeah, um, I'll let you figure out what happened. :P Sawey for no kissy scenes, my lips are still a virgin, and sawey for short chappie!

Please vote, comment and Idk, ship them? Does anyone have a ship name??

So um, COTE PLEASE

VOTE+COMMENT=COTE

OR VOMMENT LOL

(Fufus)