Part 46 (2/2)
Nick didn't seem to want to get out of the car. I got back into the car and sat down beside him in the back seat. He looked sad.
”Nick? What's wrong?” I asked him.
”Nothing,” he said.
”You want to just sit here?”
He shook his head.
”Well, come on. Get your stuff out of the trunk, and I'll walk you inside if you want.”
”No,” he said, ”that's okay.”
”Well, you have to go, Nick. I have to get to the doctor's office.”
”Don't go,” he begged me.
”I have to,” I told him.
Nick let out a deep sigh. He looked at me with seriously worried eyes.
”What is going on? Is there something that you want to tell me?”
”I have a bad feeling,” he finally admitted.
”Why do you have a bad feeling?”
”I don't know. I just do.”
”Are you scared?”
He nodded.
I took a guess. ”Is it because of Jack's parole hearing? Is it because Mom is making you go?”
He shook his head.
”You're not scared of that?”
He shook his head again.
”Why not?” I asked.
Nick took a deep breath and, looking me straight in the eyes, he said, ”I'm not scared because I know that he can't do anything to me anymore. And he'll never, ever touch me again.”
Nick became my hero at that moment. He replied, sure of himself and brave. He was so much braver than I was, and I believe that he knew that. I didn't know what else to say to him.
”You're so right, Nick,” was all I could think to say. ”He can't hurt you ever again. How come you're so brave?”
”Because someone listened to me and helped me understand. What happened to me wasn't my fault. Nothing like that could ever be anybody's fault except Jack's.”
I wanted to hug him.
He went on, ”Did you know that when you save someone's life, it makes you their hero? Did you know that, even if that person is mad at you for saving their life, another person who may have been watching or who may have heard about it could be affected by what you did for that other person, and you could be a hero to them, too?”
I nodded as I tried to take all of that in.
”Yeah, it must be nice to save someone's life,” I said.
I had no idea where all of this random rambling of Nick's was coming from. But I figured he just needed someone to listen to him. I wanted to be there for him, even if it was making me late for my appointment with Dr. Pelchat.
He continued, ”Kristen, I'm sorry that you hurt a lot.”
I looked into his eyes, shocked.
”I'm fine, Nick,” I tried to convince him. ”What makes you think that I am hurt?”
”I wish that you could be happy,” he said. He had ignored my question.
”I am happy,” I said with a forced smile. ”See? I'm really happy. It's my birthday!”
Nick didn't look too convinced.
He said, ”No matter what, you have to know that I love you. And now, you have to know why.”
”Why, Nick?”
”Because you saved my life.”
I held back my tears and took a deep swallow to hold it down.
”I saved your life?”
”Yes,” he a.s.sured me. ”Just like I had saved yours.”
”Yes, you did, Nickyroo,” I said.
”I don't want you to be mad at me for it, because I'm not sorry,” he said.
”No, Nick,” I said. ”I could never be mad at you.”
Nick took in a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh, as if he was relieved.
Alison ran back outside of the Rec Center and yelled for Nick.
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