Mailboy (Wattys 2015 Winner)

21. Stomach in Knots

cute banner by purpleenigma

"Why'd you want to go and make me feel this way? And I don't understand what's happened, I keep saying things I never say," Voodoo Doll by 5 Seconds of Summer

Zoey Willow Hunter

        "SAVE her! Please, save her! She can't leave, please!"

A strained voice woke me up. The hotel clock indicated  4:20 am. Whimpers and sobbing filled my ears, I was startled.  I turned around and my eyes fell upon the source of the voice.

Nico was clutching on to the covers with all of his power. The somber lighting in the room made me doubt that he was crying, but unless there was a ghost in here, he was the only one emitting the noise.

I got to my feet and approached his sleeping body. Turning on his bed light, I observed him. Cold sweat covered his forehead. His hair was a complete disaster. His face was covered with fresh tears, which his eyes currently provided.

Remembering the day he had invaded my little island, looking sleep-deprived, I bit my lip. He was having a nightmare. "Forrest?" I said, shaking his arm as gently as I could.

 His body shook even more. "You took her away from me. Fuck you! I hate you! Bring her back to me!" He wept.

"Forrest!" I exclaimed, slapping the side of his face just lightly. "Nico!"

He opened his eyes, fear written in them. Not even noticing my presence, he sat up, put his head in his hands and breathed deeply. He sniffled a couple of times and wiped his cheeks.

Should I go back to sleep now? He seems okay.

Instead of doing that, I got on my knees and put my elbows on his bed.  I counted to fifty in my head, hoping that by the time I was done he would be even a bit better than he was right now.

What was terrifying me wasn't the fact that he was crying; it was that he seemed so weak.

Once I had gotten to 49, I spoke up: "Forrest?"

He raised his head and averted his eyes to me. "Go back to sleep," he commanded, his voice raspy.

"Are you okay?" I asked instead.

"No," he whispered, "Please go back to sleep."

"I'm not going to sleep if you're still like this."

"Please," he begged.

I shrugged, "I can't do that. You're either going to talk to me about it, either I'll stay by your side until you fall asleep again."

"Jesus, Zoey."

The way he spoke made me want to dig up a hole and fall in it, because his voice was coated with sadness and desperation. I was sure that this wasn't the first time that something like this had happened.

In those late minutes of the night; Nico Forrest sounded broken.

Standing up, I plopped myself in his bed, in the small space beside him.

"Was it about her?"

He chuckled sorrowfully, "Which one?"

God, I remembered that Beth had hurt him too. I had always dismissed the whole "Beth" situation. To my eyes, it was just a simple teenage heartbreak. To Nico although, it was remorseful and bitter to think about her. I had difficulty thinking that a girl had hurt him that much. He must have loved her.

He had tasted the wine of love and when he did, he got poisoned.

Twice.

"You tell me," I replied instead.