********************************************************************
********************************************************************
"Naomie?!"Nick said as he tried to catch her eyes
"That's hard to say..."she whined.. she wasn't sure if she should tell him or not... A part of her wanted to tell him... but the other part didn't. She was scared to loose him, to loose his trust and his friendship.
"What you mean?!You're not sure?!?!" Nick asked confused.
" No.. it's... oh nevermind..."she said as she stood up and walked to the window to watch the ocean.
"What's wrong?!?!"
"Nothing ...would you forget about it...please!!!"she pleaded.
"About what??you haven't told me a thing!! What's wrong with you?!?!You don't talk to me anymore.."
"And what would I say huh?!! I have nothing to say!" she shouted a little harsh.
"You have nothing to say or nothing to say to me??!?!Did I do something or I missed something cuz you're not the same with me since you're back..."
"No.. no you're wrong.. can't you stop asking question for a minutes!"
"Gosh are we in that period of the month or what ?!?!" Nick asked begining to be mad... not mad at her.. but mad at the situation... he hated fighting...especially with her.
"You... " she bit her lip to not say anything she could regret later "I gotta run.."she took her purseand walked out of the room
"Nam.. Nam No wait...I'm sorry.... Damm!"
She was out of sight...
*************************************************************************************
*The next day*
Kevin and Stacey walked in the hospital hand in hand. The couple was now back from Kentucky. They had come back the day before but it was too late to go see Nick. They had no idea how he was doing and things that were going on because they were too lost in their little love world. Kevin haven't felt this way for a long time. He always felt he was discovering something new about Stacey each day and he loved all those things. She could only be good to him and he knew that. His mother really liked her too. The two women haven't stop talking all those days. As they walked in the hallways of the hospital, on their way to Nick's room, they saw him in a wheelchair, coming from the opposite direction, followed by a mid-aged lady. The two were smiling brightly.
"Hey Bro!" Kevin shouted, getting Nick's attention.
"Kevin!!! Hey!! Stace!" Nick cheered as they all arrived in front of the room.
"Hey Nick!" Stacey smiled before to kiss him on the cheek.
"Well, I'll leave you with your friends!" Janice said with a smile. "I'll see you tomorrow!" she added walking away.
"Thanks a lot Janice! See ya tomorrow!" Nick shouted.
"She's your physiotherapist?" Kevin asked.
"Yes! She's really great!" Nick exclaimed. "And you know what?"
"What??"
"I'm leaving in two days!! I just learned it!!" he said all smile.
"Really??"
"Yes! Finally!!" he laughed.
"That's marvelous!! Can you walk?" Stacey asked.
"Almost! Well, yeah I can but not for too long. My right leg is okay but my left doesn't always follow.." he explained.
"Oh well that's better than nothing at all!"
"Let's go talk in the room!" Nick said as he wheeled inside the room. He got close to the bed and pulled himself of the wheelchair with his arms. He then got up on his feet for a few seconds before to sit on his bed.
"So, how are you doing?" Kevin demanded.
"I'm doing great! Especially now that I know I will get out of here!" he answered. "What about you? How was your vacations?"
"It was wonderful!" Kevin replied with sparkling eyes.
"Yeah it was great!" Stacey added all smile.
"I can see that!" Nick giggled. "You both have those goo-goo eyes!"
"Well..we had a nice time!"
"You stayed a little longer than you were supposed too huh?"
"Yes a little bit... my mom didn't want us to leave!" Kevin chuckled.
"Well I'm happy you had a great time!" Nick smiled.
"And what about you? What did you do?" Stacey asked sitting on a chair next to his bed.
"Nothing much... a lot of work to get my legs better... beside that... I just sat here..." he laughed.
"Got a lot of visitors?"
"Yeah...there's always someone... or almost all the time..."
"That's great! So you'll go to your parents't house for the next months?"
"Yeah I think I have no choice... I can't be at my house all alone...I can't even walk straight!" he laughed.
"You're right. Will you change physiotherapist or you'll keep the same lady?" Stacey asked.
"Janice will come at my house everyday. I didn't want to change ..you know I'm used to work with her now."
"It's crazy how much progress you can make in what?! 2 weeks?"
"Yup! I think I'll walk normally in a month! If it keeps going that good!" he smiled proudly.
"That's excellent!" Kevin replied, proud of his little 'brother'. The three friends continued talking about things and other. Kevin and Stacey telling him every details of their trip in Kentucky. It was obvious for Nick that Kevin had found someone good for him. And he was happy for him. He thought about when his turn would come...to fing the right person. He didn't when it would be but he was ready to wait if he finally had what Kevin and Stacey did.
*************************************************************************************
*2 days later*
Naomie was on her way to Nick's room, thinking about what had happened 3 days ago. She had almost told him. How could she? She couldn't tell him, knowing he could not love her back! It was too painful. At night, she was always dreaming that they were a couple, that he was holding her in his arms. She could almost feel his soft and smotth skin against hers and his tender kisses on her skin. But reality was always hitting her hard when she was waking up. So much times she had tried to forget and move on something real... but there was something about him... and how good friends they were. She felt like she needed to be with him...and wished that he needed her to with him... at least as a friend. It has been 3 days she haven't spoken to him and felt like it has been 3 years. That's why she was there today, standing in front of the closed door of his room, unsure if she had to go in or not. Why was she waiting?
"Are you scared of seeing him naked or what?" a voice laughed behind her. Naomie didn't turn around, knowing full-well who was standing there.
"No.." she sighed.
"Then what is it?" Becky asked putting an hand on her shoulder.
"Nothing..." Naomie replied a little harsh.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing..."
"Oh don't do this 'nothing' thing with me... I can see right trough you..something is wrong..so tell me!" Becky said. "You are angry at me aren't you?"
"Why would I be angry at you?" Naomie asked, knowing she was right.
"Because of the 'butt boy flirting with ya' thing the other day..."
Naomie didn't answer but turned around to face her friend.
"It was just for fun Nam.. don't be angry!"
"Well it wasn't fun at all!" Nam exclaimed. "He questionned me after you left!"
"So good! Did you tell him?"
"No!!!!"
"Why not? Come on Nam!!! What's going on with you? Why are you so scared?? Don't you see it's killing yourself to keep it inside of you??? Damnit!" Becky said, annoyed by her friend's attitude.
"You know what is killing me? To love someone knowing exactly what he thinks about me... who doesn't love me back! What the fuck would it brings to me to tell him I love him??? Nothing! Not a fucking thing!!! Only humiliation and a lost of a great friendship! So stop telling me what to do because I know what's the best for me!" Naomie shouted angrily, her cheeks becoming red of anger.
"How can you be so sure Nick doesn't love you???"
"It's something I can feel!"
"Yeah right! Like you can read in his mind... or should I say, in his heart! No one can... maybe he just hides it or doesn't really realized it!"
"Believe me or not, I don't give a fuck!" Naomie almost screamed. "I know exactly what would happen..."
"Really? Well tell me..." Becky said, crossing her arms.
"I would tell him..and he would just stared at me, not saying a thing... too scared to hurt me by saying he doesn't love me... but it's too late anyway!" Naomie said, tears filling her eyes.
"Well if it's hurting you so much, move on!!! Do something or your life! Nick isn't the only guy on earth! Stop hurting yourself that way !!!"
"I can't!" Naomie cried.
"And I can't understand! Tons of boys would do anything for a date with you and you keep Nick in your head... and damnit I'm the one seeing how painful it is for you and it's painful for me to see you this way!!" Becky shouted.
"Well don't care about me...it's my life not yours!!" Naomie said, tears falling on her cheeks. The two looked at each other, not knowing what to add. Becky threw her arms in the air in exasperation and pushed the door to enter into Nick's room but heard a little shriek on the other side.
"ouch!" Nick said.
"What the fuck are you doing behind that door???" Becky exclaimed furiously. She wasn't angry at Nick but at the argument she had had with Naomie. She was there to pick Nick up because he was going home that day.
"I...I.... " Nick managed to say something but just stared at Naomie, unsure of what to say.
"Oh Shit..." Naomie sighed knowing he had heard the conversation. Tears filled her eyes again, knowing the expression he had in his eyes. What she had fear the most...he didn't love her. Even if she had sensed it...it was harder to know the truth. "I...I....I should go.." she added as she walked away fastly, tears running down her cheeks.
"Oh great..." Becky sighed, almost crying too. "Are you ready?" she asked impatiently at Nick.
"Hum..yeah...I am..." he said showing her his loggages. He could walk with a walking stick now. But not for too long so he too the wheelchair and sat on it. He didn't know what to say. He knew he had hurt Naomie...and inside he didn't know what to think anymore.
"Ok let's go.." Becky said sadly as she pushed the wheelchair to the elevator. "So...you've heard everything?" she asked after a moment of silence.
"Hum...you were kinda screaming so I wondered what was going on... " Nick said.
"Damn... now things are worst... look, I don't know if you love her or not but she loves you so hard Nick...I don't know what to do!!" Becky said on the verge of tears. "If you love her, please, for God sakes, tell her!!! But if not...I don't know... " she added with a sigh.
"I don't want to lose her...she is like..my best friend..." Nick replied.
"I know...and I'm not sure if you'll be able to keep this friendship now... she probably feel so humiliated..." Becky sighed.. but Nick stayed silent. He had no idea what to do either. He thought that maybe it'd be better if he didn't talk to her for some days... so she could clear things in her head... as he could do to. They finally arrived to the car, where Aj was waiting patiently, listening to some love song.
"Hey ! What took you so long?" he asked seeing the two arriving.
"Nothing..." Becky snapped, throwing Nick's bags in the safe of the car.
"Oooo-kay..." Aj said seeing that his girlfriend was pissed off. "So...Nick...to your parent's?" Aj asked.
"Yes please..." Nick answered. The ride to the house was mostly silent, only Aj and Nick exchanged a few words. They got to the house fast and Becky and Aj helped Nick getting out of the car. They helped him walking up the stairs to the door, where is parents were waiting smiley for him, with Aaron and Angel beside them.
"Well, Thanks a lot for everything!" he smiled to Aj and Becky.
"No problem man! If you need anything... just call!" Aj replied.
"Thanks! Bye! Bye Becky..."
"Bye Nick!" she waved as she walked away, following Aj to the car.
"So, what happened? You look pissed.." Aj said when they got in the car.
"I'll explained it to you at home..." she sighed. When they got home, she explained to him and Mark everything that had happened and how Naomie had ran off the hospital.
"Damn.." Mark said. "Poor girl..."
"And now I have no idea what to do... " Becky sighed, laying her head on Aj's shoulder. "She's probably so mad at me right now..."
"It's not your fault baby... you did the right thing..." Aj said as he stroke her dark hair.
"Yeah but like she said...their friendship won't be the same and I feel bad... I pushed her too much..."
"You didn't sis. She needed to open her eyes...it was about time, Nick had to know! And anyway, what if he loves her? no one knows beside him... " Mark replied.
"Well...he didn't do anything when she ran off..." Becky remarks.
"Beck, Nick went through a big accident and tried to get his life as it used to be... he probably didn't thought about love during this time... the only thing he wanted was people surrounding him and encouraging hiim... And knowing Nick, he's so blind sometimes that it was probably the biggest surprise he ever had when he heard you in the hallway!" Aj giggled.
"Yeah I think you are right.... " Mark nodded. "When I was in hospital...the only thing I was thinking about was to get out of there... and I'm sure it was the same thing for Nick..."
"Ok ok... so maybe there's still hope?" Becky asked.
"I think it does... " Aj smiled.
"But we can't push him to love her... " she replied.
"No we can't.... and maybe right now he doesn't love her..maybe he'll never do but what we have to do is to keep them together...as friends at least." Aj said.
"But Naomie will never want to see him... I'm sure she feels so humiliated and sad... " Becky sighed, tears in her eyes.
"Why don't you go talk to her?" Mark asked.
"I can't...she'll never want to see me with what I've done..."
"You did nothing! You tried to help her...that's all...and I'm sure she understands..."
"Maybe...I'll go tonight... I'll let her some time to think..." she said.
Chapter 52
Back Home