"Please drive safely dear." My mom wraps her arms around me and I take in her red door scent.
"I will. I promise." I release from her hug as I slide into my car as press the button that lets the window slide down and I put my new sunglasses on.
"I love you. And send me a message when you're safe at the lake." She leans in the car and I stare at her for a brief moment. She no longer has that sad face she tried to mask after dad died and honestly I can see that Dr Patterson is really making her happy and that's all I want for her. I think when she read the letter from dad and he said that she needs to move on it really did help her in ways I can only imagine.
"I love you to." I give her one small smile and I start my car. I look on the passenger seat and I stare at the mountain of books I need to study and go through. Okay it's only eight subjects but it's still going to be the death of me. I sigh, roll my window back up and I reverse out of the drive way. A long relaxing and silent break away from everyone is what I need. I turn my music up and I start the long drive ahead. My song is cut short by my phone ringing. I press the answer button on the steering wheel.
"Liv." Nicks voice blasts through the small screen.
"Nick." I say and there's silence for a minute.
"Are you driving?" His tone is demanding and I can sense he's in a bad mood.
"Yeah why?" I keep my eyes on the road and I hope my tone doesn't give away the fact that I'm a bit irritated with him.
"Where are you going? I actually wanted to talk to you about something." He places emphasis on the actually and I roll my eyes.
"Sorry got nothing to say. Bye." I press the end call button and my music instantly replaces his voice. It's childish I know but I really need to distance myself between him and Brad and I need to sort out my feelings on top of the mountain of studying I have to do. It wasn't even five minutes and my phone rings again.
"Nick I'm driving leave me-."
"Its Brad not Nick." Brads voice interrupts mine and I instantly go a little bit red.
"S-Sorry." I mumble and there's a brief moment of silence.
"No worries. I just wanted to know if you're okay? Please let me know when you arrive safely at the lake house." He says calmly and softly.
"Will do."
"Thanks. Drive safely." He puts the phone down before I can say bye and my music blares back out if the stereo. What does Nick want? I keep replaying the night we had sex and honestly how will I ever get over it. All the problems we had leading up to it and the fact that he was acting so weird the whole time just doesn't add up. I guess we should eventually talk about it but it's as if he finds fault with other things to cover up the bigger issues. Nick Rhodes has always had a communication problem but never with me. We've always been honest and open with each other ever since the day we wrote our names on the rock throne.
(Start of Flashback)
"Liv come look here." Nick has a mischievous grin on his face as he points to two big rocks on the sand.
"It looks like a throne NickNak." My eyes widen as I inspect these two rocks that make the shape of a seat with a high back and the top of the back of the rock is pointy and shaped like a spear.
"Well here you go Princess. Take your seat." He curtseys to the rocks and I slowly walk passed him to sit on it. I quickly take my seat on the rocks and I sit with my chin up and I watch as he just stares at me with an innocent smile and his green eyes shimmer in the sun.
"Hold on. Stay here." He says as he walks off to the palm trees close to the road. I sit there watching the ocean. I really love the blue water. My gaze gets interrupted when someone hits me in the face with a huge palm tree leaf.
"Ouch NickNak." I squirm and the sting of the leaf burns my cheek.
"Liv I'm so so sorry. It's just a little too big for me to carry." I can sense the worry in his voice and he immediately drops the leaf that is really half his size and he comes close to my face. I remove my hand from my cheek and there's a small cut with blood. I stare at my hand and then back at him.
"Your dad is going to kill me." He says coming closer to me and he frowns and looks like he's about to cry.
"It's small. No biggy." I say giving him an assuring smile and he still looks at my cheek. I walk to the water to clean my face and the salt makes it sting just a little bit more but when I turn around to walk back I literally freeze as I inspect the throne he created. He wrapped the palm tree leaves around the rocks and it really looks like an island throne. I walk closer to him and he looks pretty proud of his masterpiece.
"I'm a man of many talents." He smirks and roll my eyes as I sit on it and I see him staring at me.
"You're literally 9 years old. You're not a man yet NickNak." I retort and he rolls his eyes. I feel so cool on this throne.
"What's a princess without a tiara?" He hands me this beautiful pink flower and I place the flower behind my ear and now I really feel like an island princess.
"And what are you going to be exactly NickNak?" I frown and he smirks again.
"The badass that kills the knight in shining armour and takes his horse and you for himself one day of course." He smirks again and at this point I'm laughing my bum off.
"Yeah right. You're going to marry a queen one day not just some dumb princess like me." My face becomes a little red and he looks me up and down.
"Nope you're a princess now and a queen when you get older." He replies smugly and gives me a cute little smile.
"Here let's make this a promise rock. Let's write our names." He picks up a small rock from the sand and I watch as he carves Liv into the stone.
"Your turn." He hands me the rock and I carve NickNak in it too. My handwriting definitely beats his.
"See now we have to stay besties forever and you have to be a queen one day. I'll make sure of it." He gives me his cute little smile.
"Olivia and Nick I've been looking all over for you guys." My dads voice causes me to look up from the rock. I watch his tall legs move closer to us and his brunette shiny perfect hair becoming messy as the wind blows in it.
"Daddy I'm sorry. We found a rock-."
"What happened to your face Olivia?" He says softly as he kneels down to where Nick and I are sitting and Nick immediately looks down as my dad touches my face where the cut is.
"Nothing daddy. I tripped and fell when I tried getting on the rock and I hit my face. NickNak found this rock and don't you think it looks like a throne?" I motion to the rock and Nick looks at me quite surprised and he gives me a warm smile.
"Yeah. Who wrapped the palm tree leaf around it?" He looks at the throne.
"I did Sir." Nick says softly and my dad gives him a high five.
"And Liv didn't fall. I-I accidentally hit her in the face with the leaf and I'm so so so sorry sir it wasn't my fault, its just it was so so so heavy and-."
"No man Nick its fine. I'm sure she will get her revenge. I know how it is with you two." He pats Nick on the back and he sighs with relief.
"Yeah I'm waiting for that revenge Sir." Nick rubs his hand behind is neck and we all laugh for a second.
"Come let's go get some ice cream." My dad helps me off of my rock and the three of us walk towards beach bums.
(End of flashback)
I smile slightly remembering how me putting salt on his ice cream was my revenge. It's one of my most memorable times with Nick and it's something I'd never really forget but he honestly hurt me so much and I truly am struggling to forgive him because the Nick I know or thought I knew would never have done what he did. Not to me anyways. I look up and I see the Lake Lusaka board again. I turn in and I make my way to our house. The last time I was in this area I was in a car accident. Luckily no drama will happen this time since I'm here alone and on the bright side my car didn't even break down so we're making progress. I turn into the driveway and as I stop the car I take a deep breath out. I really need this time to study and maybe relax a little bit. Eight subjects in 6 weeks I can do this. I get out, go inside the house and it's all still the same as we left it. I carry my bags and books inside and I head to the kitchen to make some coffee. As I boil the kettle I take my phone out and I dial my moms number.
"Hey mom I'm safe." I say with a yawn.
"I'm glad you're safe. Just remember to go to the shop and get food and all of those things." She says softly.
"Yes I'm going to make some coffee and then go and stock up on all of that stuff." I pour the boiling water into the mug.
"Okay good." She says.
"I'm planning on switching my phone off for the time being just so all my attention is focused on my work, so if you don't hear from me then you know but I'll check in don't worry."
"Okay thanks for telling me. I love you and study hard." She says and her beeper goes off.
"Love you to." I reply and I put the phone down and continue making coffee as I dial Brads number.
"Hey listen I'm safe. I've decided to put my phone off and I'll only put it back on every Sunday. I really need this time for some peace and quiet you know." I stir my coffee once more and I rinse out the spoon.
"No I understand that. I'm glad you're safe." He replies in a soft tone which instantly causes me to smile.
"Speak to you soon."
"Yes enjoy." He says and he puts the phone down. I message our friends group to tell them all I'm not going to be with my phone and I hover over Nicks name on the screen, I'll talk to him after this holiday I think to myself. As soon as I receive their texts from the group I switch my phone off and I put it in the drawer. Perfect time for a phone cleanse as well. I grab my coffee mug and I make my way to the patio. It's a beautiful day outside with the sun shining on the water and it's calm and peaceful. I really missed the quietness of the place. I lean on the rail drinking my coffee and I just stare at the view and I see Aiden and Collins house. I smile as I remember the first time I met both of them. One more awkward then the other. After I finished my coffee I make my way to the convenience store to grab a whole bunch of study snacks and food necessities and I head back home. I'm looking forward to actually being alone for a little while. I unpack everything and I make my way to the couch as I stare at the mountain of textbooks on the coffee table. I'll start tomorrow I think to myself. I take a much needed shower, change into tights and a hoody and I take a detour to the kitchen to make myself a toasted bacon and egg sandwich and I make my way back to the couch to eat and watch FRIENDS (again) and eventually I doze off. Driving really is exhausting.