Red Hot ~Nikki Sixx

Part 47: Needle and the Damage Done

Hey All,

Whew!!  This one was like torture to write.  Seriously, so many rewrites and so much second guessing and I still don't LOVE it but here we are.-

Ashten stood with her back to him, her palms resting in the counter. He knew she knew he was there yet she hadn't said a word or even cocked her head in his direction. She was statuesque and deadly silent, the only sound in the tense room a low hum coming from Bonkers.

Nikki's heart slammed inside his chest as he looked at her and cringed when the memory of his actions flooded him. How his insecurities and demons basically dared her to walk way. How he practically forced her out the door.

He absolutely loathed the fact that he'd hurt her so much. He'd hurt himself too, but he didn't matter. Ashten mattered.

"Hey," he said just above a whisper.

Ashten remained silent, her shoulders noticeably tensing and her head turned slightly enough to see him from her peripheral vision.

Nikki swallowed around the lump in his throat and pushed himself off the doorframe. He took two steps forward, causing Bonkers to protest louder. He scowled down at the same pup who'd sat in his lap the day Tommy brought him home. The dog that would sometimes sleep at the foot of his bed on nights when his master was out late.

"Are you.....is he growling at me?" He stopped mid-stride, incredulously posing the question to the dog, then to Ashten.

She tilted her gaze down to Bonkers, her shoulders bouncing in indifference as she reached down to pat the mutt's head, silently stopping the escalating growling. "Maybe he senses evil."

Nikki let out a small chuckle of amusement. He deserved that and then some. And maybe she wasn't wrong.

Regardless, Nikki kept a close eye on Bonkers as he slowly approached the island and took a seat across from her. She still had not looked at him, choosing to fully concentrate on rinsing out her mixing bowls.

"How are you feeling?"

"Been better" Ashten replied, sharply.

Nikki swallowed down spit and looked down at his shoeless feet as his socks slid on the tiled floor. He knew he'd fucked up and he was going to pay for it.

He'd pay whatever price he wanted just to get her to look at him again.

"The cookies were good," he said, fumbling for words as he caught sight of the peanut butter batch Tommy mentioned. He rolled his eyes at himself. Cookies? Really?

"I'm glad you liked them," Ashten replied, her focus still on her dishes.

Nikki's eyebrows lifted at her somewhat pleasant response. Maybe this wasn't as bad as he feared.

"I was worried I'd lost my touch. I've been so out of practice what with all the fucking other men behind your back I've been doing," she snapped with a harsh sarcastic bite to her voice.

Ok, maybe not, Nikki thought as he let out a deep sigh and fumbled for words. "Ashten, I know...I'm.....fuck, can we talk about this?"

"Sure, go ahead."

The second he opened his mouth to speak, Ashten flipped the wall switch. Her action brought the garbage disposal roaring to life and drowning out anything Nikki said as she stormed her way from the kitchen.

"Ok then," Nikki muttered to himself, hopping up and shutting off the disposal before following her to the living room.

The sun had gone down hours earlier and without any additional illumination the living room was lit only by the glow of the burning fireplace. Ashten stood in front of the roaring flames, her arms crossed as she stared into the heat.