VALERIE

Twenty Nine

The dingy and large underground bar was full of people. A ring sat in the middle of the brick walled room and seats surrounded it along with booths lined against the wall and a large wooden bar with various kegs, taps and bottles.

"Fuck are we?" Valerie asked Marco who lifted his head at a guy who sat near one of the rings he had a long curly white and black beard that dipped into his red cup.

"At a fighting ring."

Valerie's eyes widened,  "Is this illegal?" She cried silently pulling on Marco's shirt.

"No. Kinda. Yes."

"The fuck ."

Marco grinned, "After a few drinks and a few fights I promise you'll love it," He ruffled her hair, "Come on lighten up live a little."

She bit her bottom lip, thinking about leaving. But because of Marco's charming smile and sure sounding voice she decided to stay.

//

The field he laid in was silent, and water from a rushing river nearby filled his numb head with even more thoughts.

"Fuck." He groaned as he took his phone out of his pocket. He hadn't really used it since he went on this trip.

Turning it on, he got just what he thought he would.

Calls and texts from girls he couldn't give two fucks about.

Except for Mia. He needed her to tell him that it'd be okay.

The phone on the line rang, and rang.

"Hello?" The soft voice answered, sounding dazed as if she just woke up.

"My mom's dead." He said bluntly and deadly his fingers trembling as he held the phone to his ear.

Mia gasped slightly, "I'm so sorry about..." She fell silent, "Nick are you okay?"

"I don't know. She wrote me a letter 2 years ago that she didn't send."

"What'd it say?"

"That she was obligated to love me."

More silence.

"Please talk to me." He urged, his voice darker than anything even the night surrounding him. The demons in him we're afraid of how silent and dark his mind was at the moment.

"Please don't do anything stupid Nick." Mia's voice cracked.

Nick rubbed his chin, "No promises."

"Nick, no, you can not do anything stupid. I forbid it."

"You forbid it?" He scoffed.

"Yes Nick I fucking forbid it. I love you."

He squeezed the phone tighter, ripping out small blades of dried grass from the ground.

"And the only person I ever loved is gone, and the fucked up thing, Mia the most fucked up thing is that she was obligated to love me."

"Nick I'm not obligated to love you, I do love you, I'm sorry about your mom but I'm not her, or Kira, or anyone who has given you false hope. I love you so fucking much you don't understand."

Nick didn't love Mia the way she loved him and it sucked because he knew she deserved it but romance was the last thing on his mind.

He just wanted his bed. His own comfortable bed he was so tired of being emotionally exhausted and mentally drained.

His mind wandered to Valerie and how he dragged her into this fucking useless trip and how he got her violated and pissed her off most of the time they spent together. He hadn't really spoken to her recently.