The side effect of dying

Part XII: Truth

*Nick's POV*

I grabbed her hand and led her back to the dining room.

Mr. and Mrs. Gibbson were in a heated arguement.

"Don't you want Tori to be happy?" Karen hissed.

"You don't understand! I'm trying to protect her." Mr.Gibbson said and clenched his fists.

I cleared my throat loudly.

Both of them snapped their head in my direction.

"Nicholas," Karen whispered and took a step towards me.

I fixed my gaze at her husband, who was giving me a somewhat annoyed look.

"Sir." I began, loud and clearly. "I love Tori. Even if we have only a few years or days or whatever we have time left. I never plan to just abondon her. So, with all my respect, if that act was your way to push me away, I won't. Ever. I'm going to stay with her until the end. Although," I paused to glance at the teary eyed Tori behind me, "I know she can fight this."

Silence.

You could hear my heart beating too fast.

I didn't care that I kind of offended him.

I didn't care that Tori is sick.

What I care about is her. I met her when she already had that sickness.

"I want Tori to stay with me for tonight, please." I was directing that question to Karen, who was smiling sadly, but Mr.Gibbson answered, "You have guts, Kid. But I won't hand you my daughter like that."

Karen lay a hand on him and smiled at me. "You children need to talk. However, I want the two of you to be careful. Are your parents home, Nick?"

"Yes." I lied

"I see." Tori's mom smiled, as if she knew I was lying.

Tori clenched my hand tighter as we headed out to my car.

We didn't talk at all on the way to my house.

I kept my eyes on the road and so did Tori.

However, when we reached my front porch, Tori glanced at me.

I never saw her this serious. She usually has a smile on her beautiful face.

"Nick." She whispered and a tear escaped her eye. "Are you mad at me?"

"I don't know." I said quietly.

And I really don't.

"I'm sorry I lied to you. I'm sorry for ... being weak." She suddenly hugged me.

Her arms were too tight but I didn't let go. Instead, I held her.

"You're not weak, okay? You're 18. You had that fucking sickness since birth. Don't call yourself weak." I said.

"Please don't let me go." She cried.

"I won't." I promised.

^

I was lying on my side, facing Tori, who was lying on her back.

We were in my room.

The clock on my wall says its 1:03 AM.

The two of us talked and talked.

Tori told me that Colin and she met during a help group in London.

He had the same disease but only worse.

"He was just a step ahead of me." She whispered and cuddled to me.
"God, I'm scared, Nick."