Free
Story by Amiddala
~~*Chapter Ten*~~
Nick kicked Cilia’s legs under the table.
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Ouch ! What…
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Shhh ! whispered Nick, one finger on his lips.
Rubbing her sore calf, she looked strangely at
him, questions mark written all over her face. He grinned and pronounced in a
hush :
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Just take a look.
Cilia turned towards Morgan, sitting next to
her, and she smiled broadly at what she was seeing. Her best friend was chatting
happily with Brian, on her left side, like two old acquaintances. He was helping
her with her food, although it was usually Cilia’s job. And he was enjoying.
Each time she asked for something, the smile that was lighting his face became
wider. All the sadness that was overwhelming him before he met her was gone. He
wanted to build, he wanted to start again. With her, nobody else. He was crazy
about Morgan, he needed her to be beside him. She was his medicine for pain, his
sunshine, his love. He knew it deep inside his heart, every part of his body was
yelling it. He just hoped that she wasn’t going to push him away… He
couldn’t stand this, it would be too hard. It would destroy him until death.
Brian suddenly remembered Lucy and all she did. She betrayed him, she
hurt him more than he thought that he could be. He trusted her, but he was only
a fool and Lucy discovered it. She played with his feelings, she let him believe
that they were a perfect match. She knew she was going to cheat on him, though.
B-Rok was now sure of it. She knew it from the start. And he was so blind.
Blind…. How ironic.
Morgan brought him out of his daydream.
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Brian ? You’re silent… What are you thinking
about ?
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Er… Nothing.
She looked up from her plate.
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How can a smart boy like you be thinking about
nothing ?
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Don’t know… Maybe that I’m not that smart.
Something in his voice made Morgan stop eating.
She could hear his huge pain, almost touch it.
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I should arrest thinking of it… It breaks me
in pieces, you know, it haunts me day and night…
She took his right hand and he kept speaking.
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I can’t get over, it’s too difficult…
When she felt his fingers trembling between
hers, she understood that he was going to dissolve into tears. There was nothing
to do against it. He has been trying for so long to repress his grief. Now all
just had to come out.
Kevin also knew this, and he knew that his cousin would be so embarrassed
to break down in front of the very eyes of all his friends. So he silently
gestured to Cilia, AJ, Nick and Howie to leave the table. They all obeyed without
saying a word, even AJ, and Kev, satisfied, followed them. He wasn’t worrying
too much about B-Rok. Morgan was beside him and there was no doubt that she was
going to succeed in calming him down. But Nick was another story. Now sitting
in an armchair in the reception room, he was holding his head in his
hands. He looked devastated.
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It’s not your fault, Nicky, said gently Howie
D. Don’t blame you in any way for what’s happening.
The blond young man shook his head.
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I don’t blame myself for what’s happening.
I’m blaming myself so much for never noticing he was THAT bad. Hell, I’m his
best friend !!! And I’ve never
thought that he could feel so wretched. Don’t I know him better than that
after all these years ?
AJ put his hand on Nick’s shoulder.
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He’s a good actor. I must confess I didn’t
know either that he needed some help.
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It’s not a reason ! I’m his best friend, I
should have noticed !
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But you haven’t, nobody has, finally said
Kevin. There’s no use in regretting. Anyway, he didn’t give us a chance to
help him.
Nick wasn’t convinced yet.
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What’s gonna happen now with him ?
Smiling, Cilia looked him straight in the eye.
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Morgan is taking care of Brian. You don’t have
to worry at all, she can do miracles.