Fight for Me #Wattys2017

Chapter 33

The next few days went by in a complete blur. Before I knew it, Nico was packing his bags to leave again. "I wish you didn't have to leave so soon." I complain as I repeatedly take clothes out of his duffel bag to delay him.

"Ducky, please." He asks, moving my hands away. "I don't have a choice. I can't stay any longer than I already have. I wish I could, but I just can't."

"I know. It's just, we never really get to see each other, and now you have to leave again." I whisper staring at my lap sadly.

"Trust me, I wish I could stay, but we'll see each other soon." He tells me with a smile. "I'm sure of it."

"How can you be so sure?" I ask him, feeling like I'm living under a raincloud at the moment.

"It's just a feeling." I stare at him blankly. "Go hang out with your boyfriend or something. I can't get anything done with you hovering."

"I'm not hovering!"

"Yes, you are, Ducky. Now go." Nico pulls me up as he speaks and pushes me out the door.

I sigh, walking around the house until I find the guys. Luke takes one look at me before wrapping me in a hug. He knows how hard I've been taking Nico leaving again. It's mostly because he found me crying in my room last night and stayed with me until I fell asleep. "Do you want me to come to the airport with you?" He asks, kissing the top of my head. I shake my head as I pull him closer.

"I don't want him to leave me again." I whisper, biting back the tears. "I might take my time coming back from the airport."

"Okay." We stand there, in the middle of the kitchen, and I can't help but feel content. "You want anything to eat?" Luke asks when we finally part. I just shake my head and ignore his judging look. I sit down at the kitchen table with the rest of the guys, who continue their conversations as they eat breakfast. I participate in the conversation here and there, but my mind isn't in it.

My heart drops when Nico walks into the room with his uniform on and duffel bag in hand. "So soon?" I ask as the selfish part of me wishes he had a later flight.

"Yeah." Is all Nico says. He walks over to Luke pulling him aside for a moment to talk. I watch the two of them—two very important people in my life. They talk seriously for a moment, and Luke consistently breaks away to look at me and smile. I return the gesture. A moment later, they break apart. "Ready whenever you are, Ducky."

"I'm far from ready, but let's go." I sigh and pick up the keys. We ride to the airport in silence, both of us to somber to break it. I pull up to the drop off curb as tears threaten to spill out every time I blink. I walk with Nico to grab his back and over to the line. "Call me when you land?" I question, but it sounds more like a statement.

Nico simply nods pulling me into a hug. "And I'll send you letters like I always do."

"Don't you dare leave anything out. I expect pages and pages of letters." He just laughs, which makes me laugh too. "Have a safe flight, okay?" Another pause as one tears falls. "I'm going to miss you, Nicholas."

"I'll miss you too, Alexandria." He whispers, and I know he's trying not to cry for my sake. "Make sure Luke takes good care of you. If not, I'm going to come beat him up to make sure he does."

"Sure thing." I tell him as I finally let go. He walks inside and takes one last look over his shoulder before disappearing in the crowd. I grab my phone and tap on the familiar icon. "Hey." I barely manage to whisper. "I just dropped Nico off."

"Are you going to be alright driving back?" Luke asks, and I can tell he's worried.

I wipe a tear from beneath my eyes. "Yeah, I think I'm just going to hang out the cafè nearby until I feel more level-headed. I'll call you when I'm on my way back."

"Sounds good, babe." He pauses, "Stay safe. I love you." A moment later, I hear someone shouting. "Well, Calum's done it again."

"He heard you?" I give a small chuckle. "Let me guess, he's running around the house shouting about it to Michael and Ash?"

"And Mason. He came by not too long after you left." I hear a bunch of laughter on the other side of the phone. "I have to go deal with them. I'll talk to you when you get back. Just remember to text me when you're on your way.

"I will." I pause, as I climb back into the car. "I love you." He says those simple three words that make my heart flutter back, and I hang up before pulling out. A short drive away is a small little cafè. It's a little bit LA hipster, but I'm only here to clear my head. I order a cup of tea and sit down at a table by the window as I sip the hot liquid. Someone sits down at the table across from me, and I look up the stranger in confusion. "Um, I'm sorry. I think you have the wrong table."

"No, I'm sure I don't." The strange guy tells me, flashing me a grin. "You're Andy Parker, exactly the person I'm looking for."

"Maybe. Who are you?"

"I'm John Stevens. I work as an intern for Buzzfeed." The moment the words leave his mouth, I roll my eyes grabbing my tea and stand. "Look, I'm not here for a story." He pauses and corrects himself. "Okay, maybe I am. The thing is, I need something big to get my supervisor to take me seriously."

"Sorry, I don't have a story. So, it looks like you wasted a trip." I tell him. He looks at me pleadingly. "Look, I wish I could help you. I really do, but I can't. Now, if you'll excuse me." I tell him as I walk out the door, texting Luke. "Hey, I'm on my way back. Keep an eye out for paparazzi, someone just approached me for a story. I didn't give him anything, but I'll explain more when I get back."

"Alright. Even if they try to spin some crazy story, we can handle it together. :)" He responds. I smile at the text, happy that I have him in my life. The engine roars to life the moment I turn the key, and I start driving back to the house.

Traffic isn't too bad at the moment, so I drive along with the radio on. I end up hitting most of the lights when they're green, which I'm thankful for. Unfortunately, my luck quickly changed. I continue through an intersection when I hear a car horn blast. I look to my left and see a truck heading right towards me. There was no time to react before his car smashed into mine, and everything went black.

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A/N:

Okay, I know it's not a Friday, but I realized how long it had been since I last posted because of how crazy things have gotten. When I realized how many weeks had gone by since I last gave you guys a chapter, it made me feel miserable.

So I apologize for the dreadfully long delay. Hopefully, I will be able to reinstate our regular #FightForMeFridays, but if they don't come every week, I can promise you an update every other Friday at the very least.

Now for the real part of this author's note. I'm going to be completely honest with you guys and say that the delay is from more than just a busy schedule. It's also because I know this story is going to coming to a close soon, and I have the monumental decision I have been avoiding looming over my head... How to end the story? I've been thinking and considering the different ways I could finish this story like I've hoped.

Although, I have to admit that when I first started writing this story, I was mostly starting it for me and to see what people would think of my work. What I never expected was this story to teach me things about myself and my writing style. This story helped me develop my writing style, how to polish my work, and I started to see parts of myself in every character. (Beyond just this story.) 

So if you're reading this, thank you. Thank you for taking the time to read the words typed out on a screen by someone who has always been insecure about her writing. Thank you for your lovely, encouraging, and funny comments, which never fail to make my day. Most of all thank you for keeping with this story, and I hope you'll stick with me for a little bit longer while everything comes together. And if you have anything you might want to see or hope will happen as the story continues, I would love to hear it.

Stay wonderful. 

-Xx