Chapter 33: He Did It Again
Nina’s POV
I curled the blankets on my comfortable bed around my body, my cheeks burning from all the tears that had been rolling down them. It had been a week since Dylan left me and today was the last day of school before Winter Break. I wasn’t even happy that it was Christmas; Dylan ruined it for me. The pain was so hard to deal with; it felt just as horrible as the first time he left me. It sucked, David sucked, love sucked, Dylan sucked, everything sucked…
My brother and sister had been checking up on me every day after school, trying to pull me out of bed, and sometimes they would succeed, coaxing me to eat food but other times I just refused. My bed was way too comfortable to move from.
It was almost time for my brother and sister to get home from practice and I was waiting for them to barge into my room like they usually did, filling me in on everything that happened at school that day, Amber sometimes staying after Ryder left to tell me how Dylan was doing. Apparently, he was worse than I was. He was barely talking to anyone and pushing all the girls who had heard about our breakup away from him. He was even sucking at basketball which was a surprise because he was good at every sport he did.
I had been having some serious déjà vu from the last time I had to stay home from a concussion, except this time my heart was broken and so were some of my bones.
“Okay, we have had enough of you moping around!” Emily’s strong voice rang through my room and sunlight flooded my eyes as someone pushed open the curtains. I groaned, burying my head under my blankets and pillows. “Come on, get out of that bed,” She ordered firmly, pulling back my blankets and dropping them beside my bed.
“Leave me alone,” I mumbled, covering my eyes with my arm. This was worse than when Amber and Ryder came home and were trying to get me to eat.
“Yuck, when was the last time you showered?” Nicole squealed, backing away from my crumpled up body.
“I don’t know,” I rolled my eyes, making a face at them when I tore my arm away from my face.
“Well come on, time to shower.” Emma coaxed, pulling me lightly from the bed. I wasn’t helping as I kept my body limp, falling back every time she lifted me. “Ugh come on Nin, you can’t mope around forever.”
“Maybe not forever, but for now, I’m okay with moping,” I retorted crossing my arms over my chest as I sat up against my headboard.
“Let’s go,” Emily then roughly pulled me from my sitting position to the floor, making my casted ankle flop against the floor.
“Ow!” I complained, snatching my arm from Emily’s hand standing up on my own. “You’re a bitch,” I glared at her, grabbing the crutches that were resting against the side wall.
“It got you up, didn’t it?” She grinned, shooing me towards the bathroom.
The door to Dylan’s old room that was connected to the bathroom stayed shut but as I looked at it, I felt a longing pain in my heart. Fuck him. My subconscious stuck her chin up in the air and ‘hmphed’ before she turned away from the door.
But I miss him. I whispered in my head, before taking off my clothes and putting on something that resembled a plastic bag over my two casts on my wrist and ankle to shield them from the water.
Here goes nothing…
***
After the refreshing shower, and the girls making me look decent for the first time since last week, Nicole drove us all to the nearest diner. After the diner, we planned on going to the mall to buy all our last minutes Christmas presents since Christmas was just in two days.
“So, how are you really?” Emma asked after we finished ordering our food.
“Just peachy,” I muttered crossing my arms over my chest and looking out into the dreary day. It resembled my mood.
“Nina,” She groaned.
“We just want to help,” Nicole smiled sympathetically and reached across the table to lay her hand over mine.
“Now tell us, how are you?” Emily asked, her voice firm. She narrowed her eyes at me.
“What do you want me to say guys? That I’m perfectly fine? Nothing happened? Just that my boyfriend’s father abused me and almost beat me to death and that now he is in jail? I can’t dance until the Showcase and my boyfriend broke up with me because he thought it was the right thing to do?! And all I want to do right now is curl up in my bed and watch sad movies and listen to sad music and stay in the dark because there is nothing I can do without someone rushing to my aid and seeing if they can do anything to make me feel better again? No, there is nothing you can do, because I’m miserable and no one can get me Dylan back.” Silence took over the table after I finished my rant and took a calming breath, closing my eyes for a few seconds to calm down the raging headache that was on its way. “But yeah, other than that I’m totally fine.”
“We get your upset,” Nicole said after a moment. “But it’s horrible to see you like this. We just want to be here for you,” She added honestly and Emma and Emily nodded in agreement.
“Okay,” I shrugged, watching as the waiter put down our plates with a smile. “I just don’t know what do anymore.”
“I think you should talk to him,” Emma offered, drenching her salad with dressing.
“Yeah? And what am I supposed to say? Please take me back Dylan!... I don’t think so,” I shook my head and scooped some soup onto my spoon.
“Nothing’s ever going to change if one of you doesn’t take the first step,” Nicole pointed out.
“I’m not going to be the one to run back to him, he should be the one running back to me.” I retorted. I didn’t want to talk about me anymore or Dylan… It seems as if the only topic of this week was me and I was sick of being the center attention. “So Nicole, how’s Ryder?”
And that set the four of us talking just like we used to.
***
I rested in bed starting another season of Gossip Girl late that Friday night. I loved this show and I was in love with Chuck. Why couldn’t I have a Chuck? A bad boy who changed his ways and was always there for Blair. They were so cute… I was actually jealous of a tv show.
As I pressed play, my phone started blaring with a call. My eyes widened as I saw Dylan’s name flashing on the screen. What? What was he doing calling me? I felt my heart rate quicken as I started to think he might be calling me to apologize. Maybe he wants to meet up?
“Hello?” I asked cautiously, after pressing pause.
“Hi sweetheart,” Dylan’s voice flooded through the phone and my breath caught in my throat. I was waiting for him to continue, but all I heard was his heavy breathing. Was there a reason he was calling me? Did he want to get back together or not? I was stuck listening to his breathing as I couldn’t find the right words to say.
But the only thing going through my head was: I was hearing his voice. For the first time in a week, I was hearing it and I was melting. But this wasn’t fair to me!
We broke up! As much as I wish we hadn’t, we had and there was no reason he should be calling me if he didn’t have a purpose. It was already so hard to cope, and just hearing his voice was breaking my heart even more.
“Why are you calling me?” I whispered. This wasn’t fair, I missed him. I missed the way he used to look at me, the way he said I love you, the way his eyes would light up when he was talking about something he liked. I missed the way our hands seemed to fit perfectly in one another’s, the way my fingers ran through his unruly hair, and the way our lips molded against each other’s with ease.
“I miss you!” He shouted into the phone. I choked over my own words, the only thing repeating in my head was that he missed me, he actually missed me. “I miss you so so much, and… and.. Woah! Okay, no pushing please. I almost fell over,” He chuckled, and at that time I realized his words were slurring. He didn’t actually miss me, he was drunk.
“Are you drunk? Where are you?” I asked, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. I would have liked to think that the only reason I was asking where he was and not hanging up was because I didn’t want him to drink and drive if he had to. Which was true, but the real reason, was I wanted to keep hearing his voice. It was embarrassing, how after he broke my heart, I still wanted to hear him speak, even if he drunk dialed me. I still was attached to him more than necessary. I should hate him, despise him even, but I didn’t. I couldn’t.
“Where do you think I am sweetheart? I’m at Tyler’s holiday party!” He paused and then quickly added, “It’s fun, but it would be more fun if you were here.” I took in a sharp breath as those words hit close to home. Of course it would be more fun if we were together and happy. But it was his fault that we were like this, so broken and hurt.
“Okay, that’s great, now go have more fun without me,” I urged, trying to hang up the phone. I knew if we kept talking like this, it would only hurt more when everything went back to normal and he didn’t miss me.
“But I want you… I love you, and I miss you. I want you back, you’re the only one for me.” He whined. I want you too, I love you too, I miss you too, I wanted to reply, but I held myself back and didn’t respond, again listening to his heavy drunken breathing. “You know what, I’m coming to your house!” He shouted cheerfully and I shot upright in bed, almost screaming no into the phone. I ignored the quick throb of pain and dizziness I felt and tried to stop him from getting into the car.
Who knows what would happen? He could possibly die and I would never forgive myself if he did.
“I’ll come to you, don’t get in the car,” I repeated sternly, throwing the covers off my bed and standing up with my crutches. The only thing I had on was sweatpants and Dylan’s t-shirt that he left here before he moved out. It reminded me of him and it felt like I had a part of him with me, as did the bracelet that I haven’t taken off since I gotten. I didn’t bother to change and made my way out of my room.
“You’re coming? Yay! I’ll see you when you get here!” And then he hung up, just like that. I knew my brother and sister were at this party so there was no point in calling for them. So, I crutched my way to my car which I haven’t driven since I have gotten hurt. Hopefully I will be alright.
The things I do for this boy… Even after he has broken my heart twice.
***
When I reached Tyler’s house, the whole street was covered by cars. The loud music was piercing through my skull, making me wince as I continued to drive closer and closer. Tyler was lucky he didn’t have close by neighbors as he would have gotten a hundred complaints by now. I drove up to the house and parked in the empty spot on the driveway that was left open for our friends. Most of them parked on the long drive way, but some parked in his garage leaving space open.
As I slowly got out of the car, ignoring the pain from my concussion, I made my way to the door. I saw a black figure hunched over on the stairs, his form shaking from the cold. My heart started beating against my chest as I got closer.
“Dylan?” I called. The boy’s head shot upright and I realized it wasn’t Dylan. My heart dropped as I knew I would have to go inside Tyler’s house to actually find him. I called his number in hopes he would pick up, but I groaned as it went straight to voicemail.
I hobbled up the stairs, apologizing to the boy and pushed open the door. The stench of alcohol and sweat quickly flooded my nose, making me even dizzier than I already was. I really shouldn’t be doing this, but oh well, I came for Dylan. He’s like the exception to everything.
I found Ryder and Nicole making out in the hall on the way to the kitchen and I made a noise of disgust. Watching your brother make out with your best friend is really not the highlight of the night, that’s for sure.
Pushing past them, I made sure I wasn’t that noticeable as Ryder would send me straight home without discussion and I needed to get to Dylan. Quickly pushing my way into the kitchen I found a somewhat sober Zach playing beer pong.
“Zach!”
“Nina? What are you doing here?” He asked, before bouncing the ping pong into a cup, scoring.
“Where’s Dylan?” I urged hurriedly. I had to get out of here soon, I was about to die from the pain I was feeling.
“Last time I saw him he was in the living room,” Zach shrugged, and turned back to the game. I thanked him, and limped to where Zach directed me.
Pushing past so many people with crutches was probably one of the hardest things I have ever done, but I finally made it to the living room but man, I really wish I hadn’t.
It felt as if my whole world stopped. All the pain and anger I have ever felt rushed forward all at once, leaving me breathless. I felt my heart shatter and I felt my eyes fill up with heartbroken tears.
He did it once again. He’s hurt me like no one ever has and he did it again.
I wanted to scream, I wanted to scream so loudly as Ronnie and I connected eyes and she gave me the most triumphant smirk I have ever seen. She then pulled the back of Dylan’s head slowly to hers, never breaking eye contact with me as their lips connected.
It didn’t even look like he was putting up a fight.
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Well hello everyone! Were you expecting this?! Why do you think this happened? What will happen when Dylan realizes Nina saw?? Will they ever get back together?!
I guess you'll find out soon since there are only FOUR CHAPTERS LEFT!!!
Goals for this chapter:
Reads: 11,000
Votes:1,300
Comments: 500
This chapter is dedicated to one of my best friends Alyssa. I tortured her all week threatening to tell her what happened at the end of this chapter, but instead kept telling her the wrong endings.. I love you Lyss :) And now you know she does not get pregnant! ;)
I did not make the cover on the side. One of my lovely supporters did :)
Not much to say this time, except love you all and I can't believe Code Red has reached 3,000,000 reads!! Thank you!!
Xo,
Sam
P.S. Happy late Halloween! What were you all this year? I was Minnie Mouse :)