Never Be The Same - A Charlie and Nick Story

Chapter 26 - Getting Comfortable

We make our way up and into his apartment before anyone says anything. "I need to check the kitchen." He says as he tosses his keys on the table in the basket. I follow him as he looks inside all the cabinets, pressing on each shelf to see if the maintenance people came and fixed the shelves. He lets out a sigh as he wraps his arms around his elbows before turning to face me. "I am so sorry." He whispers. I take a step to him and pull him into a tight hug. I kiss the top of his head as I rub circles on his back. "Char, please don't." I whisper. I lean back, pressing my index finger under his chin so he looks up at me. "You don't have anything to apologize for. I promise." I say, giving him a small smile. He just closes his eyes before taking a step back.

"You were really excited for tonight and I ruined it. I made you leave because of my stupid problems." He says, his tone full of defeat. I wrap my arms around my chest, grabbing my biceps. "You didn't make me leave, Charlie. I wanted to leave with you and make you comfortable. Wherever you go, I go." I whisper, looking at the ground. Way to sound cheesy Nick...

There is a long pause before I feel hands over mine. I look up a little to see Charlie looking at me. He slides his hands down mine so I am forced to let go of my biceps. "Can we get out of our costumes?" He asks me. I shake my head. He takes my hand and leads me back to his room. When we get inside, he shuts and locks the door. I go in the drawers and get out some clothes for both of us. When I turn around, Charlie is standing near the door with his hands on his elbows. "I can get changed in the bathroom." I suggest but he starts to shake his head. "I want to get changed in the bathroom. You can change in here." He says a little too quickly.

I look at him for a few moments as I hold my biceps again. I draw circles around my bicep as I try to push back all of my racing thoughts. "Uh, yeah." I say and hand him his pajamas. "I will be out in a few minutes." He says, giving me a small smile and I just nod my head. He quickly goes into the bathroom and I hear the door lock a few seconds later. Instead of changing, I sit on the edge of his bed and stare at the bathroom door. I can't control my leg bouncing and I start to use my fingernail to draw circles on my arm.

Almost 10 minutes pass by and he doesn't come out. I quickly make my way to the door and press my ear slightly against the wood. I don't hear anything. No movement. No sounds. Nothing. Just silence.

What if...

"Hey Char," I knock on the door lightly. "Everything okay?" I ask. I still don't hear him. "Charlie, please answer me." I say, trying to force the anxiety down. I try to open the door but it's locked. I knock a little harder. "Charlie, please just talk to me. Make a noise. Anything. I just..." I hold my breath for a moment before continuing. "I just n-need to kn-know you're s-safe." I say softly, my words cracking.

He still doesn't make a noise. "A knock, anything. Please." I beg now. I can feel my heart beating faster and it starts to get harder to breathe. I place both my hands on the door. I straighten my arms out and hunch over, just trying to relax. "Ch-Char." I whisper before I quickly turn around, my back pressing against the door . I quickly collapse to the floor. I bring my knees to my chest and press my head between my knees. I start to feel a pressure in my head the same time my body starts to tingle. All of a sudden, it feels like a large boulder presses on my chest and I can't get any air into my lungs.

I quickly lift my head and press it against the door as I look up at the bedroom ceiling. I close my eyes as I try to get any sort of air going but nothing will go into my lungs. When I open them again, I look around and see that everything is going blurry. I blink my eyes a few times before I slam my head back against the door. I try to let you a scream but only an almost inaudible puff comes out. My vision starts to get black and I feel myself slide slowly to my side until I can't see anymore...