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Sept 19, 2019 9:40:59 GMT
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Post by Nu on Sept 12, 2017 2:19:01 GMT
"Nicky stop..." she could feel the back of her eyes sting a little as she realised that her best friend was apologising way too much for something he didn't even do. "Nothing here is your fault." She said as tears started to pool around her eyes.
Emma let him go when he pulled away and she looked at him with a heavy heart. Part of her wanted to respect Nick's wishes to let it go. But part of her, one that she got from being around Layla her whole life, wanted to find Liz and beat the crap out of her and throw her in jail.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Are you going to leave her?"
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Sept 17, 2019 4:43:32 GMT
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Post by Trix on Sept 12, 2017 23:33:16 GMT
The Boy Next Door Was he going to leave her? That was the question that had been floating in his head for months. Often times he went back and forth. He loved her, but he didn't love the way she hurt him. One minute she was throwing her hair brush at him and the next she was craving his affection. When she was sweet and doting, he thought that they could make it work. Yet one small move could derail them entirely. Did the good weight out the bad? He had been struggling to figure that out since he realized that it was a problem. It wasn't just a one time thing, it had become a habit.
"I...I don't know, Emma," Nicholas had never loved someone before like this. She had given him butterflies when they first met. She had made him stutter and trip over his words when she flirted. He loved her right? "I just don't know."
His head fell into his hands and he stepped back against the wall and slid down. "I don't know what I'm doing," He mumbled into his hands. # | @ | notes ulla |
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Post by Nu on Sept 13, 2017 3:45:40 GMT
Emma stroked Nick's face and hair, somehow hoping it would be enough for him to know that she adored him. She felt like it was necessary to know that touches shouldn't be hurtful. It broke her heart knowing that he had to deal with stupid shit like this on top of having such a strenuous and demanding job as a police officer.
She followed him down to the floor, letting her tears fall freely. This was her family and he was broken. She knew there wasn't anything she could do to fix it and it killed her.
"I'm so sorry, Nicky." She said softly before scooting close to him and pulling him into her arms, just holding him.
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Sept 17, 2019 4:43:32 GMT
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Post by Trix on Sept 13, 2017 4:44:53 GMT
The Boy Next Door While he took comfort from Emma, he knew that it wouldn't keep him from flinching initially. God help him if he ever flinched in front of Layla. His brain knew the difference between the three of them. Emma and Layla were his family, they'd never done anything to cause him harm nor did he believe they ever would. There was just something about the sudden movement towards him that caused him to cringe.
Being an officer, Nick had seen severe cases of domestic abuse. He'd arrested men so many times for beating their girlfriends, but arresting women for the same thing was few and far between. He recognized himself in the girls that had been beaten, but it just didn't seem the same to him in his mind. The way the world was, it portrayed men as strong and able to withstand that kind of beating, where women were not. So why should Liz get in trouble for something that he should have been man enough to handle? He felt her beside him as he trembled from the sobs that started to overtake him. And he knew that she was now crying as well.
When she pulled him into her arms, he wrapped around her and shook his head. He didn't want her to be sorry, he just needed someone to know now. As much as he had been avoiding it, he knew he just needed someone to talk to. "D-don't t-t-tell, Mom. Please, E-Emma." # | @ | notes ulla |
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Post by Nu on Sept 13, 2017 7:16:28 GMT
His plea made her cry even more, her grip on him tightening. She wished she could absorb everything he was feeling, take away all the hurt he had suffered in the hands of that heinous creature. Why didn't she see it? They were so good together. Nick really loved her and from what Emma had seen, it looked like Liz really loved him. She had been played. All of them had.
"I won't. I p-promise." And she would hold on to it. There was no way she was going to betray his trust like this. Even if she should tell Layla and Patch. They deserved to know. But it was secret to tell and she was going to respect it for as long as he needed her to.
And they sat there, she didn't know for how long, just crying and hugging each other. And once she couldn't cry anymore, she pulled away just slightly to look at Nick. "Nicky...let me help. Let me do something to help. I'll do anything. I'll keep her floating in the sky for eternity if you want me to. Just let me help."
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Post by Trix on Sept 13, 2017 14:16:51 GMT
The Boy Next Door She pleaded for him to let her help, and while he wanted to give her some way to do just that, he couldn't think of anything she could do. Emma was already protecting him from his parents finding out and he knew how hard that was for. The four of them hardly kept anything from each other. But Nick couldn't fathom how his mother would react to the news. Thinking back on when she'd told him of her eating disorder, he just remembered feeling helpless. That was all she'd feel because he wouldn't let her do anything more than that.
Going to the police about her? Out of the question. Nicholas didn't need his friends and co-workers and superiors knowing that he let his girlfriend beat him senseless. There would be no way any of them would think he was capable of doing his job then. And he loved his job, the ups and downs of it. Having that taken away from him would send him into a downward spiral. "I don't know what you can do, Em," He answered looking up at her with red, burning eyes. "If she finds out you know...it'll just get worse. And it's not like we can go to the police. For fuck's sake, I am the police." He rubbed his face, his body rigid with irritation. Nicholas rarely swore, but this situation seemed like it was necessary. # | @ | notes ulla |
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Post by Nu on Sept 13, 2017 15:00:06 GMT
In that second, she wanted her mother. Her sweet, unassuming mama bear who seemed to have all the answers. But she had promised her Nicky that she wouldn't tell anyone. So now she had to deal with the fact that she couldn't do anything to help him, nor could she tell anyone who had the authority to do something to help him.
A small sob released from her lips as she winced when Nick cursed.
She nodded and wiped her face. "Right." She responded after a while before pulling herself up, reaching a hand down to Nick to help pull him up. "I need you to shower, Nicholas. I don't know what else I can do that could be of help but ice cream has always solved our problems. I'm not saying it will do anything right now but...that's something I know I can do." She released her breath.
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Post by Trix on Sept 13, 2017 15:36:16 GMT
The Boy Next Door Nicholas looked up at her when she stood and he couldn't help but feel guilty. He'd hurt her by telling her this which was exactly why he'd been trying to keep it to himself for so long. She couldn't do anything because he'd asked her not to which rendered her helpless and Nicholas knew how much that drove her crazy. If the roles were reversed, he didn't know what he would do either, except he was a police officer and it would almost be easier to deal with for him than it was for her. Emma had no authority to do anything the way he did.
When she used her mom voice on him, using his full name rather than his nickname, it stung. He took her hand and stood up. Instead of fighting her on it, he nodded. A shower would do him a lot of good anyway. And he figured the ice cream was more for her than it was for him. Nicholas cupped her face in his hands and kissed her forehead before wrapping his arms around her shoulders, "I love you, Em. Always." He kissed her cheek and gave a small smile before stalking off to his bedroom to wash off the day that he'd had and mentally compose himself.
Something had to give and he was pretty sure it was going to be him. A relationship could only take so much abuse before the abused realized its toxicity. # | @ | notes ulla |
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Post by Nu on Sept 13, 2017 16:13:35 GMT
"Always." She responded and she let him go. "Use deodorant too, stinky." She added with a forced laugh. She didn't know why she did it because she knew Nick would see right through it.
Once he was in his room, her smile dropped and she grabbed her purse. "I'll be back." She shouted, leaving the house with his keys. As she locked the front door, she heard the door beside her close and she turned. A pretty strawberry blonde tall woman stood with a smile frozen on her face. "Oh, hello." She greeted Emma and the dark haired woman gave her a bright smile.
"Emma." She leaned across to grab the other woman's hand to shake. "Nick's aunt. Sort of. It's complicated." She chuckled as she ran her fingers through her hair. The relief she saw in the other woman's face told her everything she needed to know.
"Halley Rae." She introduced herself, a sweet smile spreading across her face. "Nice to meet you, Halley Rae. I'm in a bit of a hurry. I spose I'll see you around." She grinned before walking off to the store.
When she came back with two tubs of ice cream, Emma walked into Nick's home and put it on the counter.
"Nicky?" She called out.
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Post by Trix on Sept 18, 2017 17:20:18 GMT
The Boy Next Door Nicholas rolled his eyes and turned back to stick his tongue out at her. While he saw through the laugh, he could accept that she was trying. They both were. Just like they'd have to try and maintain a sense of normalcy in front of Patch and Layla the next time they all were together. It was a lot to ask of her, but he trusted Emma not to rat him out before he had a chance to fix what was broken. He needed to fix himself before he could admit his faults and come clean about Liz and who she was.
Going into his bedroom he shut the door and took a deep breath. The warmth of the water, the steam and the quiet allowed him to recenter himself. It stung against his face, but it was a reminder that this wasn't right.
He came out of the bathroom in a fresh t-shirt and a pair of athletic shorts. "Back already? You better have gotten me some Half Baked Ben & Jerry's!" Nick gave her a smile and looped an arm across her shoulders. # | @ | notes ulla |
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Post by Nu on Sept 20, 2017 4:10:53 GMT
Emma leaned into Nicky when he pulled her in. She held the bag up and shook it. "And mint choc. I don't care what people say about it, it's delicious." She pulled away from Nicky only to grab spoons for their ice cream. She then proceeded to walk towards the couch.
She wanted so badly to bring up their talk from before but she hated how it could make Nicky feel. Hell, she hated how it made her feel. She also wanted so badly to go to Nicky's girlfriend and give her a nice little punch in the crotch for hurting someone like Nicky.
"So did 5B just move in? How come I've never seen her before?" She asked casually, trying to get her mind off Liz and Nicky.
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Post by Trix on Sept 25, 2017 14:55:27 GMT
The Boy Next Door Nicholas rolled his eyes at her, but found himself smiling easier. He followed her to the couch, grabbing one of the tubs of ice cream from her so she didn't end up dropping everything. He might have been the more clumsy one between the two, but perhaps that was why he always made sure no one else was given the opportunity to fail quite as colossally as he did. He plopped down beside her, ignoring the lingering silence that he knew was about their conversation from before.
When she finally did speak he almost cursed himself straight to hell due to the heat rising to his cheeks. Nick tried hard to maintain his normal color, but he knew it was no use. The very mentioning of Halley had him feeling both elated and guilty all at once. It was safe to say he'd developed a tiny, wee little crush on his neighbor.
"You don't have to know everyone that lives near me, Em. Maybe she's just a private person who doesn't socialize with random freaks on the street," He turned his eyes towards her and waggled his eyebrows. "In case you were wondering, you are the freak on the street," Nick laughed and nudged his best friend. # | @ | notes ulla |
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Post by Nu on Sept 26, 2017 7:44:50 GMT
The nudge came and made Emma roll her eyes. "Please, Nicky. If anyone is the freak it's you. With all those rippling bi tri quadriceps and that gelled as fuck hair." She laughed, scooping the frozen treat into her mouth. "Goddamn if this wasn't the best thing I have put in my mouth in a decade." She moaned and leaned against the back of the couch.
"Oh shit, did I tell you Leah said her first swear word last night? I wanted to cry." She laughed. "She said fuck when she stubbed her toe. I mean if she does it in school, I'm a dead mom. Those bitches already don't like me because their husbands keep ogling me every time I come back from yoga. If they find out their precious youngins learned a curse word from my precious one, I'm never going to hear the end of it."
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Post by Trix on Sept 27, 2017 14:48:05 GMT
The Boy Next Door Nick narrowed his eyes before she took a bite of the ice cream. He cringed and scrunched his nose, "Ew. Ew, no. Why did you have to say it like that? Gross." Emma reminded him so much of his mother sometimes that it was uncanny. They're smart mouths, quick wit and sick minds. He wondered how she had become more like his own mother than he had. Then, he was just happy that he wasn't anything like his biological father and everything like Patch. He'd aimed for that his whole life, mimicked everything that his mother's best friend did and somehow it worked well enough.
His thoughts only solidified when she said that Leah had already said her first swear word. He laughed along with her and shook his head. Of all the swears, it would of course be the one that Emma frequently said, and Layla's favorite as well. He took a bite of ice cream.
Once his mouth was cleared and her rambling had stopped, he smirked, "I'd get out of town as fast as you can. Before they come at you with the knives and pitchforks. Or would it be rolling pins and wooden spoons? That seems more likely. You've ruined my niece, way to go." # | @ | notes ulla |
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Post by Nu on Oct 4, 2017 9:34:18 GMT
Emma snorted at Nick's disgusted expression and gave him a triumphant smirk. "We're adults, Nicholas. There's no need to be shy with your aunt." She chuckled, leaning in close to him purposely.
His advice to get out of dodge was met with a harsh bark of laughter. "And suffer Mama's wrath for just sticking my tail between my legs? No fucking way babe." She laughed when Nick thanked her for ruining Leah. "Oh please, that girl will grow up to be the epitome of good. Do you really think Layla or Patch would allow her to be a degenerate?" She laughed and took a bite of ice cream.
"Hey Nick. I know we're done talking about it but...I just wanna know, you're gonna leave her, right?" Emma asked without looking at her best friend.
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