Harper Jonas has always been close with her cousins the Jonas Brothers. However, she's always gotten along with Nick the best, because they are closest in age, not counting Frankie because Harper and Frankie rarely spend time together. Now, Harper i...
I have no idea what wakes me up, but my eyes open just in time to see Nick hop out of his bunk and race downstairs to the kitchen. The entire bus is still dark and driving along the Florida Turnpike, everyone else still asleep, so it can't have been that long since we left the venue in Miami. I'm about to settle back in, go back to sleep and let Nick do whatever he's doing, when I hear what sounds like muffled crying from downstairs. Concerned, I grab my phone and turn the flashlight on, creeping downstairs.
"Nicky?" I whisper, reaching the bottom of the stairs and peering around the corner.
He's standing over the sink, head down, shaking. I'm not sure if he heard me, so I slowly walk towards him, slightly nervous. As far as I know, he's never acted like this before.
"What's wrong?" I ask him, grabbing his hand as he finally turns to look me in the eyes.
Tears cascade down his face as he stands there, shivering violently. I lead him over to the couch quickly, wrapping a blanket around him and bringing his head into my chest until he seems to calm down a little.
"Nicky, what happened?" I ask him a few moments later.
"I-just...a nightmare," he whispers.
"What was it about?"
He looks at me, fresh tears pooling in his eyes as he prepares to speak. Whatever it is, he's having a really hard time with it.
"I watched you die, Harper, because of me," he croaks out, and the tears leak out of the corners of his eyes again.
I pull him into another hug immediately, trying not to let my own shock register on my face because I know that'll just stress him out more.
"I'm okay. I'm alive, I'm here for you," I tell him, and I feel him nod against my shoulder.
"It's just that I was driving. I pulled out in front of a semi, and it hit the passenger side head on. Somehow me and you ended up underneath the car, and we were both in bad shape, and though the ambulance was there pretty fast they had to look for us. By the time they found us, you...you-" Nick can't bring himself to say anymore, but I've basically got it figured out anyway.
"It wasn't real. I'm okay, you're okay, everyone else is okay," I reassure him, rubbing his back.
He wraps part of the blanket around me as he pulls me in for another hug, clearly still shaken up but starting to return to normal. He's no longer crying and his breathing has evened out a bit. We sit for a while together, neither of us saying anything more, just being there for each other as we have been our entire lives. Making each other feel safe.
"We should get to bed. Long day tomorrow," I say after about fifteen minutes, and Nick agrees.
"I know. Thank you," he says.
"For what?" I ask.
"For coming to find me. For staying with me. For making sure I'm okay."
"Nicky, you are one of the most important people to me. I'm always going to make sure you're okay, whether you like it or not," I tell him seriously, and for the first time, he laughs.
"Sounds good to me."
We head back upstairs to the beds together, where everyone else is still fast asleep and unaware of what just happened downstairs. Climbing into our bunks, we both lie down and get comfortable.
"What would I do without you, Harper?" Nick whispers through the darkness.
"I don't know. I ask myself that question sometimes," I joke with him, and he laughs quietly.
"Goodnight," he says.
"Only good dreams now," I tell him, and I almost fall asleep when my phone dings. A text from Laine, who I didn't even know was awake below me.
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And with that I fall back asleep, ready to take on whatever Orlando brings in a few hours.
