Project N (sequel to Project B) | completed

Project N | NINE | RICKY

NINE | RICKY ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Some weeks have passed by, and Nick didn't show his face anymore. I don't think he will come back soon, he probably just wanted to scare Chloe, and that's exactly what he did. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀He needs to know where he belongs, and that's sure as hell not here. He needs to stay away from me, from my friends. And most of all, he needs to stay away from my Chloe. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Since these weeks, Chloe doesn't go outside alone anymore. She's too afraid that Nick is going to go after her. At the beginning, I understood her, I really did. But I'm getting tired of this. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Chloe barely talks to me anymore, and I feel like we're growing apart. The only reason why Chloe leaves our apartment, is when she needs to go to interviews or something, but whenever I ask her out, to eat dinner or do some stuff, she always refuses. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀She claims that she's too tired, that she has wrote too much that day. Or she says that she needs to work on the assignment with Maddie and Josh, and then she leaves again. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀A part of me has the feeling that she doesn't want to be in my company, and that's why I'm going to talk to her tonight. I miss my girl, I miss how we were. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I miss it so damn much. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Chloe is currently in the bedroom, writing at one or another article, while I'm trying to do some work done our professors threw at our heads a few days ago. And after that, I also need to check our bank account, because living in an apartment is not for free. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀After working and working, I stared at the clock. It's already 11:30pm, and I haven't seen Chloes face since we got back from school. So I decided to go to the bedroom and talk to her, it can't go on like this. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I opened the bedroom door to see Chloe writing, her back facing me. "Do you need something?" She asked, not looking up, not facing me. I took a deep breath and came closer to her, sitting down on the bed. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Chloe can you look at me for a second?" I asked. Chloe still didn't turn around, and kept on writing. "Ricky, can this maybe later? I'm busy writing now." She said. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Chloe, we really need to talk." I stated, raising my voice a little bit because she keeps on pushing me away. I heard Chloe putting her pen on the desk and she turned around now, staring at me without any emotion on her face. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"What?" She asked, her face relaxing a little bit more. "Chloe, do you still love me?" I asked, looking down at my lap. She stood up from her chair and sat down next to me on the bed. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Of course I do, sweet. Why would you ask me that?" She asked, her voice sounding just as soft as I always loved it. I took her hand and stared into her eyes. "B- because it feels like you're pushing me away all the time." I calmly said. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Ever since Nick was here, you keep on working and working and working... I know, writing is your passion and all, and I'm so freaking proud of you. But it just feels like you never have the time for me anymore." I said. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀She looked back into my eyes, concern washing over her face. "Oh, Ricky..." She whispered, going with her hand through my hair at the back of my head. "You're right." Chloe said, nodding almost invisibly. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"You know I will always protect you, right?" I said, "whatever happens, Nick is not going to get to you. But please, stop pushing me away." I said, tearing up. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I miss you so much, Chloe. I see you everyday, but I miss you so much." I said. "I miss how you cuddled up in my arms every night before the tv, or how we went out to dinner and had an argument about who was going to pay the bill." ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I miss how you hugged me, how you kissed me and playfully bit my lip. I miss how you call me Ricardo... It's just... I feel like we're just living next to each other, instead of with each other. And this is not what I had in mind when I moved here." I said quietly, shaking my head. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Chloes eyes started to water as well, and she pressed her forehead against mine. "I'm sorry, I didn't know I was hurting you this much." She whispered, a tear escaping her hazel eyes. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I love you, Ricky." She said, wrapping her arms around my neck. I pulled her on my lap and put one arm around her waist, and with my hand I stroke her cheek. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I just thought it was time I told you how I felt." I said, not pulling my hand back from her face. She nodded and looked up into my eyes. "I'm happy you told me. And you know what? Tomorrow we're going out to the movie theatre." She said, the cornors of her lips forming a smile. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I smiled as well and kissed her on the lips, like how we used to kiss each other. Chloe bit my lip softly and she giggled while she did that. "Don't ever forget how much I love you, Ricky. Because even though if I don't say it, I still feel it." She whispered. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I love you too, Chloe. More than anything." I whizzed back, kissing her again. "I promise that this is going to change, so that we have more time for each other" She murmered through our kiss. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I nodded and smiled, my hands sliding up and down her small back. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I want to believe her, I just hope she's not making promises she can't keep. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀[end of chapter] Promises are there to break, dear Ricardo.