Hickies. Nick Robinson

9

"What the hell are you doing here?" My voice sounds like a threat, or at least, I tried my best to make it sound like one. I put my hands on my hips and pretend I'm not cold. I pretend that the strong wind outside is having no impact on me whatsoever, but inside I feel like it's about to freeze my soul.

"I was waiting for you," Nick says, blowing air into his hands and rubbing them together. "I need to talk to you."

"Yes, you do need to talk to me." I say coldly.

"I waited for you outside, for about," he casually flicks his arm and pulls up his sleeve to reveal his gold watch. "Five hours, Arika."

   "Well, you're a bit stupid. You could have waited in your car—" he grabs my arm from my tight grip on my waist, pulling me into his arms. It was so cold and yet my body was lined with thin cotton, also being pressed up against his leather jacket just made matters worse.

"Hug me." His hot breath tickles my ear. But it's so cold, I feel like my goosebumps will burst out of my skin any second. My fingers feel numb and so does everything else in my body. "Please hold me tight." He whispers again, ever so lightly. I still don't listen to him, I just freeze in the cold and stand there without a single breath in my mouth. He's so cold. I don't think this is normal either.

"Do you want to come inside?" I say to him, filling my mouth with words I wish I would never feel the need to regret. He doesn't say anything, and I suppose his temperature gives me a vibe that he'd like to go inside and talk as well. No matter how much my blood boils inside of me because of my anger at him, I don't think I'll ever be able to let him stand in this cold like this.

He's Nick Robinson, for God's sake.

The pushed the door open to the my bedroom, the air in here is so warm. Nick's hair perfectly shapes his face and his eyes are so dull tonight. It looks like Nick's lips are frozen, why is it that every time I look at him now, I just feel like kissing the hell out of him?

I forgot how it felt. I forgot what it was like to share an intimacy like that. I can't seem to focus on anything, I can't think straight. All I want to do is kiss him. Kiss him so, so hard.

Stop it, Akira, stop it. I shake my head as reality slapped me across the face.

"So, are you going to explain yourself?"

NICK POV

Just by looking at her, provides me so much warmth. I just want to see her smile right now, her smile is all I need to regain all the heat I need to perfectly run again.

"Akira," I say with a half smile, feeling my eyes lightly crinkle up underneath. "Do you know the way I feel about you?"

I take a step towards her, her eyes screamed out her fear, but I don't see her stepping back.

"No." She says shortly. She crosses her arms over her chest, almost as if she's trying to convince me that she's angry. If only she knew that I knew, through her eyes, the only person she was convincing was herself. It was always in her eyes. When she was angry, sad, mad, or upset, she always pretended like she wasn't but you could see it in her eyes. When she was happy, content, or confused, you could see it in her eyes. The eyes were like a portal to her soul. Her eyes gave her away.

"Why did you have to, expose me?" Her voice is so light, so soft and angelic. Despite wearing something so basic, she looked incredibly beautiful to me. She was even wearing my shirt.

"Will you listen to me? And believe everything that I tell you?" I step towards her again, touching her arms lightly, watching her breathe into another direction and looking away from my gaze. Her eyes were glossy, layered with a thin sheet of tears.

"You were everyone's joke. Just because you, are an eighteen year old virgin. Girls used you as an excuse to feel better, and guys planned on using you as their ego booster. This is incredibly selfish of me," My voice feels like it's about to crack any second. "I don't want anyone else to be with you. No one else to hit on you, no one else to compete with. I just want us and no one else. I had to say something, in your defence and in mine. I can't let you slip away again."

"You what?" She looks at me with confusion in her eyes. "Why did you steal my virginity if you...feel that way?" Her eyes grow so big, I can see myself in them so clearly, her eyes are so beautiful. And I don't hate myself for staring at them for too long.

"I didn't, Arika. I would never." She catches her breath, as if she had been holding it the whole time. "I saved you from losing it."