Louis' POV

I look over at Nicole and I can't recognize the girl I see in front of me.

Her knees and hands are fully bruised, her face is pale like a ghost, and her warm brown eyes are puffy from all the tears she wasted on James.

"What did he do to you?" I ask Nicole, trying to gather the courage to go closer to her but she seems hesitant.

"He loves me," she replies blatantly without even looking at me.

"I asked what he did to you."

"I made him mad, it's my- my fault." She sobs as I walk up to her.

"Shh... it's not," I say, pulling her into a hug.

"It is. I was with D- Derek, and I know how jealous that guy makes him."

A hint of jealousy shows on my face when I hear that name. Derek.

It's always Derek. Girls always go after him.

Veronica...

This is why nice guys finish last.

Veronica chose that drug abuser over me, her best friend since we were kids.

"Don't look at me like that. He isn't even my type," she says and I breathe a sigh out of relief.

"You need to stop seeing James," I tell her and she shakes her head.

"You don't understand how much I need him, I feel empty without him!" she exclaims and I sigh.

"I gave him everything- I gave him my virginity, my love, I told him my whole life," she explains and my mouth's slightly agape.

I wasn't sure if they slept together but It was quite obvious. James would never be with a girl who doesn't give him...

"He doesn't care about you," I say and she just sobs harder.

"Why? Am I that horrible?" she asks looking down at her thighs.

"You are one of the most amazing girls I know," I say and she finally looks up at me with a slight hint of hope in her eyes.

I take her hand into mine and I caress it until she stops crying.

"I'm trying so hard to stay away from him but every time he contacts me I forgive him."

"Do you want me to talk to him?" I ask her and she shakes her head, she seems scared by the possibility of him leaving her forever so I just keep caressing her bruised hand.

"I won't, then. Just promise me you will keep trying to stay away from him," I say while keeping my eyes on her face.

"I will try..." she mutters but it's almost inaudible and something tells me she won't give up. It's Nicole Gilbert after all.

She looks at me again and I'm amazed by how a jerk like James can pull such a beautiful and amazing girl like Nicole. She has no self-worth.

If she saw herself like we see her...

"Is Veronica okay? I haven't heard about her in so long," I ask her because I just thought about Ronny. She always tried to help Nicole detach from James, now it's just me and it's so difficult.

"Mhm- I have no idea," she mutters and I look away. Maybe I should contact her.

~

She never picks her phone so I'm just going to Dominic hoping she is there or maybe he knows where she might be.

I'm getting my driver's license soon and I won't have to rely on my dad anymore.

"Louis! You ate all the donuts again?!" my sister, Gabriela scolds me.

"I swear it wasn't me," I lie and she shoves me playfully.

"I don't b- believe you!" she screams and I hug her tightly.

"Stop screaming, I will go buy more donuts now."

"Where is your girlfriend Veronica? She used to give me so many donuts!" she asks with a sad tone in her voice and I can't pretend I don't feel the same void she feels. It used to be so nice.

"She isn't my girlfriend-"

"Suuure." She cuts me off and I chuckle.

"I'm going to find her now, maybe she wants to come over," I reassure Gabriela and she gives me her biggest brightest smile.

I call Dominic and luckily he picks up.

"Yo. I'm quite busy right now," Dominic says and I shift impatiently.

"I was wondering if you know anything about Veronica-" Before I even finish I hear him say something to someone which I can't understand.

"She is here. She is fine," she simply says and my eyes widen.

"At your apartment? Can I come?" I ask him and he waits a bit before replying, then I hear him say something inaudible.

"You can," he replies and I hang up.

~

"So, before you get scared, don't worry, he is fine," Dominic warns me and I look at him confused.

"What? Who?"

"Derek. He is injured and we are treating him, but overall he is fine," he explains and I get annoyed, I don't even care about him. Derek is here? With Ronnie?

I walk into his room and I immediately see Derek laying on Dominic's bed while Ronnie is treating his wounds. The sheets are almost red.

What the...

"What happened here?" I ask uncertainly.

"Don't worry. He got into a fight to save our dear Ronnie," Dominic jokes and no one laughs other than Derek.

"Why? Are you okay, Veronica?" I ask her worried, analyzing her features after so long. Her dad died and she is here, hanging out with these people.

In a way, she reminds me of Nicole, both unhappy and crushing on weird sociopaths.

I know whatever we had is over, Veronica told me she doesn't feel the same anymore but I can't lie and pretend I never think about her.

I'd give anything to go back to how we were.

"I'm fine! He is messing with you," she explains and I sigh.

I watch her closely as she finishes helping Derek and I can't help but notice the way he looks at her, and then at me.

Something is going on between them and it does make me feel some kind of way-

"Is this a staring contest?" Dominic chuckles and we all want to smash his face.

"Ok, ok. I'll stop," he says raising his hands in defense.

"Uhm- when you are done, can we talk a bit?" I ask Ronnie as my eyes are locked on her while Derek is staring into my soul.

She nods and I look away, waiting for her to be done with him.

I wonder what she has been up to in these weeks. Something tells me it was no good.

We walk to the kitchen and she grabs a water bottle, chugging it down as if she hasn't drunk in days.

"Gabriela really missed you, you should come to my house sometimes..." I mutter and she looks up at me, I can tell she missed Gabby too.

"Uhm... I guess I should."

"How are you?" I question while staring into her light blue eyes.

Definitely the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen, mine are just a boring dark brown.

"I'm- exhausted," she admits and I walk a bit closer to her.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Is there anything left to say? I feel so guilty and the only thing that keeps my mind off it is being busy."

"Guilty about what?"

"I feel like I killed- my dad, it's on me," she confesses and I'm even closer to her right now. I want so badly to hug her but I'm not sure how she will react.

"You didn't kill him. Don't say that," I reassure her, although it wouldn't have happened that fast if she wasn't throwing a party.

Then I remember he had a heart disease that he didn't know about, and it would have happened either sooner or later.

"I didn't even cherish our last moments together, I- I was always making his condition worse," she mutters as a single tear rolls on her cheek and I wipe it away with my thumb which takes her by surprise.

I gently wrap my arms around her, pulling her in for a hug, and luckily she doesn't stop me.

I hear a cough and we both interrupt the hug.

Dominic is helping Derek walk and they are standing right in the hallway, both of them staring at us.

"Sorry for interrupting- not really," Dominic jokes and Ronny chuckles.

He isn't funny.

Derek is staring right at Veronica, I can tell he is jealous and he should be.

I think he is just a time pass, she is going through hard times but once she realizes everything she lost she will go back to us, leaving him behind, as it should be.

"I see you are doing better. Maybe we should leave," I say, glancing at Derek with jealousy.

I'm not like this, but I can't help it. I don't think he is any good for her, considering all the stuff she started doing because of him.

Veronica looks at me and then at Derek and she speaks before he can even answer.

"No! I mean- you can go but I have to stay," she says and we are all left speechless.

"Then I'll stay." I take another glance at Derek and he seems annoyed while Ronnie sighs.

Dominic and Derek walk back to his room and I grab Veronica's arm before she can follow them and she slightly groans in pain, leaving me confused.

"What's wrong?" I frown and she looks at her arm.

"Nothing-"

"Why do you hang out with these people? They are just hurting you." I try to make her resonate but she seems annoyed by my statement.

"They are helping me- Derek did so much for me."

"I think we both know why he did 'so much' for you, which I doubt cocaine is doing you any good," I say annoyed and she stares at me.

"I know what you are insinuating but it's none of your business, if you came here for that then-" she hisses at me and I try to calm myself down before I irritate her further.

"No. But-"

"Stop," she says while walking back to Dominic's room while I follow after her.

Derek immediately looks up at her and her slight frown turns into a relaxed face and she smiles.

What does she see in him? He is also much older than her. I don't even think he goes to college but he is like twenty-one years old.

I don't want to act like this because she made it clear that she doesn't like me anymore.

But this gives me hope that she will change her mind, she liked me once, why can't it be the same? It's just the cocaine getting to her head.

"How's school going?" Dominic asks me, unsure if he wants to know.

"It's good-"

"Fuck. I haven't been to school in so long. I was homeschooled for a bit but I should go back if it's not too late." Veronica's swearing takes me by surprise as I don't hear her talk like this often.

It's true, she is so behind she might need to grind this whole summer to catch up or she will repeat the grade.

Derek is talking to Dominic about something while I just look at the TV.

"I'm looking for a job," Derek says and it catches our attention so we all look at him.

"What about college?" Ronnie asks with curiosity.

Why does she even care? It's like she wants to go to the same college as him once she graduates.

"I don't think it's for me- not anymore," he says almost disappointed and ashamed. He should be.

I just don't understand people who don't go to college, what kind of life are they going to have? Veronica seems to be following his path and I'm not sure I like the new Ronnie, I just hope she goes back to how she was.

"Are you gonna move out of Shanice's house?" Dominic asks him and I look at him surprised. Does he live with Shanice?

"No. She doesn't want me to and it's fine with me until I save some money but she feels unsafe alone," Derek mutters and Veronica looks disappointed.

They sound like more than just friends.

Veronica looks lost in her thoughts as if she wants to say something but she refrains from saying it.

My phone rings and I answer it fast to ignore the awkwardness.

"Nicole?" I ask with uncertainty.

"Hey- please, please come to my house," she says through cries and I immediately panic while everyone is staring at me.

"What happened?!" I ask her and before I even notice, she hung up.

"Nicole is crying and she told me to immediately go to her home," I tell them.

"I'm coming too," Ronny says and I nod.

——

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