Thank You, Gravity

I blink a couple times, looking at the door and wondering what had just happened. Deciding it’d be best to just let it be for now, I turn back to Nick. His expression has changed to one of confusion and desperation.

“What’s wrong, baby?” I ask gently.

Nick takes a deep breath. “I just…. I can’t imagine Dad doing this. Does Frankie know?”

“I don’t think so,” I murmur, putting my hands on Nick’s back and inching closer to him. I pulled him closer.

“I just wish I knew why. It’s so confusing…. It’s…. it’s just not fair. I tried to talk to him and he just… hit me.. And yelled at me.”

I rubbed my thumb over Nick’s cheek. “We can’t be mad at him, Nick. Maybe he just needs to cope and being with another woman doesn’t make him feel so alone.”

“A woman who’s barely thirty? Half his age?”

“I know, that part is creepy.”

“I never liked Peyton.” Nick scoffs. I close my eyes and sigh.

“I need to put the cake in the freezer.” Eager to change the subject, and aware that we haven’t eaten anything healthy today, I get off the couch and get the cake from the counter, opening the freezer door and making room for it. Nick still needs to get his (late) present from me.

We go right to my room and shut the blinds.

-------------

Nick’s been kind of keeping to himself for the past couple days. He’s upset about something, whether or not it’s Peyton and Dad, and I hate to see him sad.

“Let’s go for a swim,” I suggest, holding our swimming trunks as I walk into his room. He’s staring intently at the screen on his laptop. I sigh inaudibly and walk over to the chair. I rest my head on his shoulder and bring my arms around the front of this chest and waist. “Nick, let’s go swimming,” I repeat. Nick mumbles something. I kiss the spot behind his ear and feel his body shudder slightly.

“I don’t wanna,” he mutters.

“Come on, Nickyyy,” I sing, poking him between the shoulders. I kiss the back of his neck, feeling him tense. My weapon.

“I don’t wanna,” Nick repeats childishly.

“Yes you dooo,” I whine. I press my lips on the skin under his ear on the side of his neck. I drag my tongue over the skin. “If I do this will you go?” I ask with a smirk. I kiss different spots on the side of his cheek. Nick’s mouth falls open slightly and his eyes half close. I think it’s working.

He blinks a couple times and snaps back to attention. “It’s not gonna work, Joe,” he states.

“Au contraire,” I say, pressing my lips back against his neck, humming slightly and biting the skin softly. I know he’s getting weaker.

“Stop… seducingme,” he tries to protest.

“Will you go swimming?” I pull my lips away just to ask the question, before going back to nibbling on his neck. Nick moans softly.

“No…” he gasps.

“Then no,” I rub my hand over his chest and kiss his cheek. He shivers.

“Fiine..!” he gasps. I lift my head up. “You’ll go?” I ask eagerly. Nick nods, rolling his eyes a little. “Only because you’re too damn hot shirtless to refuse.” I hug him and toss his swim trunks into his lap.

“Where’d you find these?”

“Your room,” I smirk. He glares at me but smiles a little, pissed at me for going in his room.

------------------

Nick stands at the edge of the pool, curling his toes over the edge. I leap past him and do a cannonball in, making a splash and soaking him. He yells at me and I swim over to the side, grabbing his ankle.

“Don’t you-” I yank it and he falls forward, waving his arms before he falls into the water. He’s under for a second before he surfaces, spitting and yelling at me. I dive below the surface, swimming underwater as he chases me. I come up for just a second to breathe and he jumps on my back, pushing me under with his weight. I struggle to dump him off me and get back up to the surface.

“That’s for nearly killing me,” he says in an angry tone.

“It was a joke,” I whine. “Besides, you’re too cute to let die.”

Nick rolls his eyes. He swims to the other side of the well. “Nicky, are you mad at me?” I ask nervously, following him to the wall.

“No.” he says shortly, hoisting himself out of the water. I want to follow him, but I don’t even know what he’s mad about so I decide to give him a little space. I sigh, lying on my back on the water for a moment. Getting up, I jump out of the water and look for Nick. I find him in the car, glaring out the windshield. I knock on the window and he turns to look at me for just a brief moment. I open the door and sit down next to him.

“Nick, are you mad at me?”

“No,” he says again.

“Then what’s wrong, Nicky?” I ask, hurt by his actions. He lets out a long breath through his nose, an angry breath. He shakes his head. “Wanna go home?” I ask, and take his silence as a yes. I start the car with a sigh. I really hope he’s just being emotional about everything going on and isn’t mad at me