Now It's My Time to Strike Back

“What the hell do you mean it’s time for a confrontation with Vic?!” Mel exclaimed the next morning as I talked on the phone with her.

Mel was in her new dorm which was in the same dorm as the one we shared last year, but on the fourth floor. Nick was currently asleep in his bed seeing that it was 7:30 in the morning on a Saturday and we were free from tours on the weekends.

I’d told her about confronting Vic as well as the text I’d gotten from her the previous night. Needless to say, Mel wasn’t entirely agreeing to the idea of the confrontation.

“That’s not going to do anything except cause more problems. You know how Vic is”, she added in a knowing tone before I could.

“I know, Mel, but what choice do I have? If she wrote that song about Nick, who knows what sort of diabolical plan she could have for me later?” I retorted, running a hand through my hair.

“It’s a song, Rose. Plus, I think Vic is just hurt is all. If anything, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’ll try to get him back by ‘changing’ again”, she replied in a calmer tone.

“But what am I supposed to do?” I asked, now pacing the bathroom.

“Honestly?” she asked. I nodded, but slapped myself mentally for doing so.

“Don’t worry about what she decides to do and just think about your current dilemma”, she answered casually.

“You mean Nick and Jake?” I asked, biting my lip afterwards.

“Yeah”, she replied. Silence fell between us for a few moments before she spoke again.

“Just make sure whatever you decide to do, it’s what you want to do, not what everyone else expects you to do”, she said.

I heard Nick groan in his sleep indicating he probably heard me pacing or might have seen the light under the door of the bathroom.

“Alright. I’ve gotta go. I think Nick’s waking up now”, I whispered.

“Oh, OK. See ya! Love you, Rose!” Mel exclaimed cheerfully. A light laugh escaped me before I spoke again.

“Love you, too, Mel!” I replied before hanging up.

I inhaled deeply before cutting the light off, then unlocked and opened the door as quietly as I could. Nick turned over to face me as his eyes slowly opened, staring groggily at me.

“Mmmm. What are you doing, Rose?” he asked, his head tilting as he looked at the clock that rested in between our beds.

It read 7:40.

“I was just talking to Mel is all”, I answered, crawling back into bed.

I expected him to leave the matter at that, but his voice made me jump slightly.

“Was it about me?” he asked in a low tone.

A sigh escaped me before I spoke again.

“Nick-”, I began, but he cut across me.

“I’m sorry. I just-I just worry about you, you know?” he asked.

I didn’t speak since I knew responding wouldn’t do either of us any good.

“I meant what I said yesterday to Jake about only wanting you. I don’t say things like that and not mean them”, he said, understanding my silence-my inner conflict.

It was as though he could hear the war wage within me as I fought the urge to crawl into bed with him with his arms wrapped around me, but I knew I couldn’t. It’d be too easy.

Nick’s phone’s ringtone filled the air with Vic’s ringtone causing both of us to groan. The sound quickly stopped as we sat again in peaceful silence before it once again filled the air.

We groaned again in unison as the music stopped. For a third time, the ringtone filled the air. I heard his phone get unplugged as he answered it. What surprised me the most had to be the fact that Nick put Vic on speakerphone.

“What, Vic? We’re trying to sleep here!” he exclaimed angrily.

“Well, if you’d answer my phone calls, this wouldn’t happen!” she exclaimed just as angry.

“Obviously I’m ignoring you if I ignored the call!” he said, his voice raising.

“I know you are, Nick! I just wanted to tell Rose I’m sorry about the text I sent her last night”, she said, shocking me all over.

I turned over to face Nick, his eyes greeting my own as he stared into them questioningly about the matter.

“What are you talking about?” he asked, sitting up in bed more. I looked away from him as Vic answered him.

“I’m talking about my text to Rose. Didn’t she tell you?” she asked.

“I wouldn’t expect Rose to tell me everything, Vic”, he said in a cold tone, but I felt offended by it even though he was talking to her and not me.

“Well, if she does or doesn’t, then tell her I said I’m sorry.. did you get my voicemail?” she asked suddenly, catching me off guard.

I bit my lip hard as I merely turned back over, anger flooding me as I realized Vic must have apologized to Nick, but he didn’t tell anyone about it. He responded but only after he took Vic off of speakerphone.

“Yes, I did. It’s kind of too bad because like I said, I’m done with you”, he said before hanging up on her, catching me off guard again.

Silence fell between us for a minute before he spoke again.

“Rose-”, he began, but I cut across him.

“Don’t bother telling me. I don’t want to know”, I lied, shutting my eyes as though he’d disappear.

“But you deserve to know!” he retorted.

I sat up and faced him.

“And why is that, huh? Because you think I should? You want to start everything over with a clean slate by being honest to me because you want to be with me? Whatever. That’s not going to work on me”, I rambled, but the voice in my head screamed otherwise.

“Did you feel anything when we kissed yesterday?” he asked in a soft tone.

This was the sensitive Nick I knew. The one who never played games and only wanted honest answers and told the truth himself in return.

I felt myself freeze up at his words. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know how to react.

“W-what does that matter?” was all that came out of my mouth in desperation of a response.

“Because I love you”, he said with confidence and certainty staring me straight in the eye as he took a step towards me.

“That doesn’t matter”, I repeated.

“It doesn’t?” he asked without the playful smirk he’d usually have, taking another step. Nick was serious.

He was less than a foot from me, sitting on my bed right next to me waiting for my response.

I shook my head, the words soon coming out as well.

“No, it doesn’t”, I lied, staring back at him as I tried blocking out my emotions.

I could feel his breath on my lips as he spoke.

“Not even if I do this?” he asked before lifting his hand and lightly caressed my cheek.

I couldn’t help but close my eyes, a hard, shaky breath escaping me.

“I’ve missed doing little things like this”, he admitted with a light chuckle.

I forced myself to pull away before speaking.

“S-stop”, I said in a firm tone even though my body screamed for more.

“If I kissed you, would you tell me to stop?” he asked.

I stared into his brown eyes before opening my mouth to speak.

“We can’t, Nick. I-I told Jake and you and-It wouldn’t be right no matter how much I want-Oh, screw this”, I rambled, placing my hands on his cheeks before I placed my lips onto his.

He kissed back with such love and passion and I kissed back with just as much. My hands found their way into his short locks, missing the feel of his hair in my hands.

A moan escaped him as he kissed me a little faster, but with the same amount of love and passion almost as though it were December all over again. His hot hands touched my skin again, this time one on my cheek while the other was on my torso near my hip.

Shocks went through me at his touch as I enjoyed the feeling of his hands on me which increased once he put his hands under my shirt to actually touch my bare skin.

A moan escaped me as everything else was magical from that point on. From our hot kisses to the tender ones to our bodies becoming one again almost made me think this was a dream but when I turned over, my hair being a mess while Nick’s was only slightly messy, I knew it was real.

It was only a few minutes after we made love was when reality hit me harder than ever. I was supposed to be getting my head clear not doing the do with Nick!

But as much as I wanted to speak my thoughts to Nick, I couldn’t. The happiness that was evident from the smile on his face made my thoughts as well as my problems melt away. He was happy. Nick was happy with me.

And to be honest, I was happy, too. I was happy to be in his arms again, to be called his again, but just like all things do, those thoughts were quickly erased when my phone went off.