No One Wants to be Left Alone: Chapters 01-05

[make-me-wrong.livejournal.com]

Title: No One Wants to Be Left Alone
Author: Lady Lizi
Rating: High R...NC17 later.
Warnings: Het sex, violence, language...
Summary: Another 'A Revolution is Near' spin off. Nick Boynton and Aisha Carter were never fans of the 'l' or 'c' words. Love and commitment had always evaded them. All of a sudden, their lives change, making them realize that maybe commitment isn't that bad. With the realization of the fact that Nick's fear of commitment is far worse than Aisha's was, and the fact that nothing seems to be on their side, if Nick gives his heart, how long will it last? Based on Enigma by Trapt. Lyrics to be posted at the end of the fic.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the hockey!boys depicted in this fic. I do, however, own Aisha Carter, Mara Andros, Ayden Gregory, Seanna Inverno, Wes LaSalle and Josh DiAngelo (note: Alyssa, I didn't know your last name when naming this character! Sorry!).
Chapter 01

Nick's POV

There wasn't much I hated worse than being cooped up in a hospital bed. I felt like an invalid--like no one thought I could do anything for myself. Sure, my knee was sore as hell, and I knew that my hockey game would be seriously hindered for a long time, but I could get around for myself. I'd managed to do it for the couple weeks they'd left the bullet in my knee, anyway. Now, though, that it was the week of my surgery, I needed to sit in the hospital and be babied like I was twelve all over again. Fuck that, I was twenty-five. I rolled my eyes and closed them, preparing for a nice night's sleep. Unfortunately, a good night's sleep in a hospital bed, when you weren't sick and sedated up the ass and back down again, was damn near impossible.

Thank God for Razor, knowing that I needed some of the comforts of home. He'd just brought a few pair of boxers and a few shirts from my house, so I'd at least have something somewhat comfortable to sleep in, as opposed to those uncomfortable, revealing hospital gowns. Still, I knew the chances of me getting any sleep whatsoever were really slim. I looked around the room at the flowers and get well cards from would-be puck-bunnies, rolling my eyes and letting out a slight laugh. Most of these people didn't even know me face-to-face. Maybe they'd met me once, but they didn't know me. They saw the good side. All they saw was Nick Boynton: pro-hockey player with a heart of gold and a sweet, pure soul. They didn't know the real me.

Okay, maybe a few of them did. Chances were, I'd gotten laid by at least one of them, probably more. Something that Joe had said to me earlier, about that, had gotten to me; made me start to think. I sighed deeply as I recalled the conversation a few hours ago.

I flashed Joe a 'look,' after he'd made a comment about me watching a replay of the hockey game on NESN. "Hey, it's my one claim to sanity that I still have. All that's on aside from this is the God damned OC...or I could always watch NYPD Blue," I grinned a little. "Maybe there will be a special on some guy meeting his girlfriend in a holding cell, or something..." I laughed a little. Don't get me wrong, I liked Mara. She was a really nice girl. It just pissed me off that I couldn't find someone worth committing myself to, and Joe, Razor and Patrice all had somebody.

I don't think Razor got it. He merely laughed a little and looked up at the TV. "You should check. We should send that idea over to NBC or something. We could make some major cash flow with it..." he sat down. "We could title it 'Cops and Lovers,' or something..."

Joe gave off a sarcastic laugh and glared from me to Razor. "Oh, you are so hilarious. At least Mara isn't a psycho-stalker, or something, you guys. I mean, Boynts probably would have fucked someone good looking, right in the middle of the holding cell, if she would have him..." That hurt. It felt like someone stabbed me in the chest, and add that to the pain of being shot in the knee? Not a fun math equation. "Sorry, Boynts..."

So, I got a lot of action--and it wasn't all from the same woman. "Hey, you're right. I probably would have..." I nodded slightly. Now that I thought about it, it was pretty shameful. I didn't want to commit, though. It was a scary thought, spending your life attached to one particular person. Maybe it felt good on the inside, but what if it didn't work out well? Where would I be then?

Razor must have sensed the tension, because he automatically went into 'best friend' mode. "Hey, you'll find someone. You just need to look in the right places. There's a girl out there for you, dude. Joe and I will help you find her..."

That was just what I needed. I REALLY needed my friends acting all 'Love Connection' on me. If I needed someone to commit to, I'd find her on my own. I just didn't need commitment, was all. I had everything I needed. I had quite a bit of money, I got laid, I had good friends and I had a loving family...now, anyway. What the hell else did I need? I sighed and looked to the window. Maybe if I had a commitment, I wouldn't always feel so down. I reached under the blanket and fixed my bandage, groaning a little at the pain as the bandage moved along the still tender skin on the back of my knee. Go figure, they'd waited until my knee had healed over the bullet, to reopen it and take it out. If they'd just taken it out to begin with, apparently, it would have fucked my knee up permanently, and I'd never be able to walk, let alone skate or play hockey, again.

I was bored; alone and bored, when I raised my head and saw the door to my room opening. Figuring it must have been Razor, here to keep me company while Ayden was being checked up on, I flashed a half-grin. But, it wasn't Razor. It wasn't even close to being Razor. Before my eyes stood a beautiful woman; with light-chocolate-colored skin, dark brown eyes, a flawless smile and the silhouette of a supermodel. I wondered what a goddess like this was doing in my hospital room--especially considering I didn't recognize her, in the least. "Hi..." was all I could pull from my brain to my mouth. I could feel the look of confusion on my face.

She flashed the flawless smile once again and waved. "Hi. I'm Aisha Carter. Andrew Raycroft sent me in here to let you know that he's going to be staying the night in Ayden Gregory's room..." she explained, in a soft, gentle voice that sent chills up my spine.

I nodded, wondering why Razor thought he had to torture me, by placing this goddess, who I now knew as Aisha, right in front of my face. "Thanks for letting me know..." I felt my face turning beet red. No woman had gone as far as overwhelming me before, but here I was, struggling to find even one word to adequately describe the angel in front of my face. But, it couldn't happen that quickly--just like that. There had to be more to it. "I'm Nick Boynton." I introduced myself to her.

Aisha looked around the room, noticing that there was no one else there. "I know. We've met, sort of..." she gave off a half-smile. How could we have met, when I didn't remember her? I'd remember a woman like her. "You're all alone?" her eyes held a look of sympathy. "When was the last time you had a visitor?" she leaned against the wall, and it didn't look as though she intended to leave, which was good, because I didn't want her to. The company was nice, because I had been alone for quite some time now.

I thought for a second, taking a quick look at the clock on the wall. "Four hours ago. Hey, out of curiosity...when did we meet? Not to be rude, I just...don't remember..." I turned even redder. "I'm sorry..."

She shook her head and laughed a little. "Don't be sorry. We didn't actually MEET-meet, per se. I was there the night you bailed Joe Thornton out of jail...I was bailing Mara Andros out..." she explained. "Which makes me all the more surprised at the fact that you haven't had visitors in four hours. Where's the girl you were with?"

Eve. Add her to the reasons I wasn't planning on committing. I'd thought, maybe, with her, that I was willing to bring what we had to a new level, and actually start dating, rather than just having sex. As soon as I'd decided that, though, Eve decided that she didn't want anything more than just a quick fling with me, and slept with her scheming ex-boyfriend. "Oh...we, uh, went our separate ways," I explained, glancing at my feet.

Aisha's eyes communicated a lot of what she was feeling. She showed me something resembling worry, just then. I don't think I'd seen that much worry, directed at me, in a long time. "I'm sorry. I didn't know..." she sat down in a chair. She was staring at my knee, which was completely uncovered. That readability in her eyes was there once again. Curiosity. She wondered what had happened. The poor girl, Mara or Ayden had yet to tell her about what had happened. She must have felt so isolated.

I stopped her from wondering, though, and cleared my throat. "Someone shot me. I've gotta get the bullet pulled out surgically..." I explained, watching as she snapped her head up to look at me.

She went slightly coy. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare. You said...you got shot?" she cringed a little. "I got shot a couple years ago, but not in the knee. I got shot in the shoulder...and I had to have mine surgically removed, too. I remember, I was so mad at everything..." she looked away from me, down at the floor. "Being in the hospital for so long, it kind of made me reevaluate myself..."

Aisha Carter and I had a hell of a lot in common. "Yeah, being alone for an extended period of time can do that to a person..." I sighed as I took the remote from the bedside table and flicked the TV on, a grin coming to my face. It was yet another replay of the game against the Panthers I'd missed.

She pointed at the TV and smiled wide. "I was there. Joe invited Mara, gave her two tickets, and Mara invited me to go with her, since Ayden always gets in free because of Andrew..." she got comfortable in the chair. I wasn't about to complain either. She was good company. "Seanna Inverno and I were the know-it-alls of the group...Seanna just knows so much about the game..."

I nodded and laughed a little. "Yeah, she gives me pointers...it's weird, because I've been playing forever, plus, I'm twenty-five, and she's only eighteen..." I looked back up at the TV, just in time to see Joe flying toward the goal, by himself. "THAT was a good goal. Roberto Luongo is usually impenetrable...awesome goal..."

Aisha nodded and curled up comfortably, taking up the whole couch area. "Yeah, I swear, the whole Fleet Center had a simultaneous heart-attack, right there...it was an awesome goal. Joe is such a great player. A great guy, too..." she brought her eyes back to mine.

Part of me wondered if she had a thing for Joe. I knew, though, that Joe was seriously dating her best friend, and if she could do that, Aisha Carter wasn't the woman I was starting to think she was. "So, what do you have a thing for Joe or something?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

She shook her head insistently. "NO! Oh, God no! I meant great for Mara. They seem like one another's perfect match. I think they know it, too. Mara was saying something to me about never letting Joe get away, and she seemed so serious about it. I'm glad, too. If anyone deserves to have their perfect match, it's Mara. Joe, too. I'd never do that to Mara, even if the guy was the most gorgeous, king-like man on Earth."

There she went again, sending me into a state of pure delirium. "Not many women can actually say that and mean it. That's really cool of you..." I could tell that I sounded like an idiot. This wasn't me--not even vaguely close. I barely even knew Aisha, but I was taken completely off-guard when she came into the room. I'd never seen a woman like her in my life. It was as though, right then, it was written that she would never leave my mind, no matter what I tried to do or say to shove her out. I felt it happening, and there was probably nothing I could do to stop it.

Chapter 02

Aisha's POV

Part of me had wondered why Andrew couldn't just walk down the hall himself and tell whoever this friend of his was, that he was going to be staying with Ayden in her room for the night. Still, I didn't want to pull them apart, since Andrew felt so terrible that Ayden was even in the hospital to begin with. He blamed himself, but didn't seem to want to accept the fact that he had nothing to do with it. Ayden was hit by a drunk driver; besides that, anyone with half a brain knew that Andrew would never do anything to hurt Ayden. He loved her with all his heart (even if he hadn't quite confessed it to her yet). The only one who couldn't seem to see it was Ayden. They were destined to be together, and we all knew it.

Either way, I was glad I went, because there I sat, with the guy I'd been dreaming about for the past few weeks, right before my eyes. He was so much more gorgeous up close. His eyes were darker brown, shinier and his face was so much more chiseled. I wondered how anyone could shoot him. He was so perfect. I wanted to touch him, for him to touch me. I realized that I'd been sitting there for ten seconds, just thinking of him, and not thanking him for the compliment he'd just given me. "Well, Mara is like my sister. I couldn't, in good conscience, do that to her. Even IF I wanted to. But Joe just...he's not my type. He's too...I don't know what. Just, too something for me..." I shook my head. "Not my type."

Nick chuckled a little, melting my heart. "Too wholesome, mamma's-boyish? You like guys who are rougher around the edges than old Joe?" he winked a little, and that about did it. I'd completely drowned in his eyes.

I laughed, trying to cover up my attraction to him. "Well, no, I don't go for bad boys, per se. I just, I don't know, Joe is more Mara's type than my type. I wouldn't dream of taking him from her, either way. What type of girl do you go for?" I asked. We'd delved into my romantic life (or lack thereof), so it was his turn.

He blushed beet red. "I...well..." he was trying to think of some kind of lie, I could tell. "I kinda don't have a 'type,' per se. You find the right 'type' in odd places. A lot of people wouldn't have pictured Ayden and Razor together, but look at them..." he shrugged a little.

I nodded in agreement, although I wanted to know what he was covering up. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Then, you can think someone's your 'type' and you could be proven completely wrong. Anyway, it was really great talking to you, Nick, but I should probably let you get some sleep..." I stood up and started to walk to the door. "When do you go in for surgery?"

He shrugged and shut the TV off. The look on his face--he looked so lonely. I wanted to hug him. "I don't know yet. They said they'd tell me in the morning. Don't you love how they make you wait until the very last minute? I mean, good God, it is MY knee they're going to be slicing open..." he looked down at his knee and grimaced a little, then glanced back up at me, seemingly begging for me to stay. He looked so lonely.

I leaned against the wall. I didn't mind staying as long as I had to...just as long as I got to be around him. "I know. When they did my shoulder surgery, I swear, I got so pissed...they never once mentioned when I'd be going in and then, all of a sudden...they come in and they're like 'Miss Carter, it's time for you to come in for surgery!' I didn't get a chance to mentally prepare myself or anything!" I sighed deeply.

He showed me a slight grin. He seemed as though he wanted to say something, just didn't know how--almost as though it were something humiliating. He was about to open his mouth to speak, but I interrupted him. "So, Nick, do you mind if I hang out for awhile? I have nothing to do, and you look like you could use some company, so...can I hang out here?" I asked, thankful that the room was kind of dark and I had dark skin, so he couldn't see the deep pink coming to my cheeks.

He shook his head and smiled, trying to make himself comfortable. "Go ahead. The company is nice. I suspect you'll be the last person I see before I go in to surgery tomorrow either way, so you can stay as long as you want..." he shrugged and turned the TV on again. "So, you said you were there?" he pointed at the TV, at the replay of the Bruins/Panthers game. "How long have you been a fan of the game?"

I shrugged and thought for a second. "Well, my brother, Anson, is on the Kings, and he really got me into hockey when I was little. I always wanted to play with the boys, but I was a girl, so they wouldn't let me. I used to be on the junior girls hockey team, though..." I explained, watching his eyes light up a little. "I was the goaltender."

I wondered how he'd react to the fact that my brother was on another team, but since Anson used to be a Bruin, a long time ago, I figured it would be no big deal. "Oh, you're Anson Carter's sister? Older or younger?" he asked, a gorgeous smile plastered on his face. He kept melting me. It was as though he knew it, too.

I tried my hardest not to stare for too long, but it wasn't coming easy. "Younger. I'm four years younger than him. I love it though, because whenever a guy screws with my emotions, I use the 'big brother's in the NHL' line, and they run off screaming..." I knew I wouldn't be able to use that with him, though, since he was in the NHL, too. I crossed the room again sat back down in the chair beside his bed.

He laughed a little and put the remote on the table. "So, you said you were goaltender in your junior league?" he asked. I noticed that he was trying to find out about me, while giving me as little information as he possibly could about himself. But that wasn't fair.

I wanted to know more. I wanted to know what made Nick Boynton's mind tick. "Yeah. What position do you play? I haven't even gotten a chance to see you play yet. Oh! Let me guess. You look like a defenseman," I nodded and watched the grin on his face grow. "Was I right?" I asked.

He nodded and uncovered his knee again. It must have been unbelievably uncomfortable in that bandage. "Yeah, I'm a D-man..." he explained. After that, though, an awkward silence ensued. He really didn't like letting people in. He made it so clear that he'd been hurt, but if you asked even the slightest thing about him, he shut himself down. It must have been such a weight on his shoulders, all the things that he held inside. It must have made him feel so lonely, too, but that, he brought upon himself.

I wanted to break through the shell. I knew my strengths and abilities, and that was definitely one of them. I had always been able to make people feel comfortable enough to open up. It might take awhile, but Nick Boynton was my new project. I wanted to know him, and I wouldn't rest until I did. "So, where are you from, anyway?"

Whenever I asked him a question, he seemed to answer with the shortest answer possible. "Canada. Ontario. I moved down here a couple years ago..." he explained, quickly throwing the topic off of him. "So, Aisha, where'd you and Mara meet? Have you known each other long?"

I nodded. I knew that sometimes, the only way to get someone to open up to you was for you to open yourself up to them. So, that was what I'd do. "Yeah, since elementary school. My mom and dad split up, and each took one of the kids, so I lived with our mom down here, and Anson lived with our dad in Canada..." I explained. "But, Mara and I? We've been close as far as I can remember. She's a year younger than me, but she was in the same grade--and I never got held back. I mean, damn, that girl is smart..." I felt the book of my life opening to Nick. "And then when I was a junior in high-school, we met Ayden, and we hit it off with her. We've all been like sisters ever since..."

He nodded, but he still seemed surprised by the fact that I was opening myself up to him. Either way, he continued to ask me questions. "So, you told me that you got shot? Who did it?" he asked, shrugging and looked down at his knee, then back to my face.

I looked at my shoulder, sighed and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I got shot. I was at a bank when it was being robbed. It was pretty scary. There was a couple people trying to get out, and I decided to go with them, because it made less of a likelihood for me to be shot or hurt in any way, like that..." I explained, shaking my head and rolling my eyes. "That totally worked, didn't it?"

He showed me a sympathetic frown and shrugged a little. "At least you lived through it. You're lucky. That's what people tell me anyway..." he rolled his eyes and picked the remote up, the emotion on his face changing. It was the first time I'd seen any emotion on his face, and he looked frustrated.

I nodded and rolled my eyes slightly. "'Oh, you're so lucky to be alive! You should take life in stride a little bit more, Aisha--' blah, blah, whatever..." I got comfortable in the chair again. "It's kinda like, thanks SO much for reminding me that I almost died, buddy, I'd almost forgotten since, like, two seconds ago when the last guy told me that, man. I totally feel that..."

He nodded and rolled his eyes, flicking through the channels. "Yeah, and you don't want to say anything, or else you'll seem rude, because they're just trying to be nice, but they're making you feel like shit..." he reached over and turned the light beside his bed on and shut the TV off. Apparently, it was just going to be he and I talking, not that I minded in the slightest.

I curled my upper lip and nodded. "It's like, do they even realize what it feels like to be cooped up in a hospital, pre and post surgery for how the hell ever long? I could almost guarantee that over half the people who got on me had never had surgery in their lives..." I tried not to stare at him, but he was so gorgeous. "They live in these plastic little bubbles, and forget that people actually do leave their homes..."

He shrugged and looked at his knee. "You know, we have a lot in common, Aisha..." he pointed out. Nothing in that entire sentence stood out like the way he said my name, though. "Just, the way we look at things? You seem like the type of person I see myself getting along really well with..."

I grinned like a maniac, and I could tell that he could see it, considering a grin formed on his own face. "We should hang out sometime, somewhere that's not a hospital..." I looked around and grinned slightly. "It definitely gives a dismal effect...but I'm not normally a dismal person..." I fell into the glistening amber pools that were Nick's eyes. "I think, maybe, even though we got along great here, outside a hospital, we could get along even better..."

He nodded and flashed me a flawless smile. "I completely agree. Do you know where there's any paper? I wanna give you my phone number..." he looked around, then back to me.

I nodded and reached into my pocket for something, anything resembling a piece of paper, and I came out with an old gum wrapper, something which had been in there for God knows how long. "Here, use the inside of this...it's got a paper-like inside..." I half-smiled and walked across the room, to his bedside.

His smile twisted into a grin, then he nodded and sniffed the wrapper a little. "Big Red?"

I nodded. "My favorite kind of gum. Makes my breath smell good..." I laughed a little and watched as he took a pen and scribbled his number down on the inside of the gum wrapper. It amazed me, the way he took the simplest tasks and make them look so sexy.
"I used to love licking these wrapper things and sticking them to my head..." he handed me the wrapper and put the pen back on the table. "That burned like crazy..."

I chuckled a little and took the wrapper from his hand. "I can try to find another one, if you want..." I joked, looking at the adorable look in his eyes. He may have been a twenty-five-year-old hockey player, but he still had a child inside. That made him even sexier in my eyes. "But, hey...it was really great talking to you, Nick. I'll definitely call you soon. Be sure to have someone tell me when you're out of the hospital..."

He shrugged and looked at his knee. "Er, Aisha, I was kind of hoping I could maybe, er...uh...get your number too? Just for, you know, good measure?" he turned beet red and averted his eyes in a different direction.

I bit my lower lip, trying not to giggle at his sudden display of shyness, but still, I nodded and fished around in my pocket for another piece of anything resembling paper. "Sure thing. Hand me that pen?" I asked, coming across a note someone had left on my door. I tore off the bottom half and took the pen from Nick's hand, putting the paper against the wall and scribbling the seven digits and my name down. I'd always known that I was good at getting people to open up, but I never thought I was this good. A fifteen minute meeting, and Nick and I were already exchanging our phone numbers. "Here. But, before I hand this to you, I just want to be sure, you're not one of those guys who gets girls numbers and never calls, are you?" I smiled nervously, hoping he actually wanted to get to know me and find out who I was.

He shook his head. "No, I'm not like that..." he insisted. "I'm a good guy, I promise..." he reached for the piece of paper and took it from me once I held it out. "I'll definitely call you once I get out of here. I want to hang out..." he looked at my handwriting and smiled at me a little. "It was really great to meet you, Aisha..."

I nodded in reply. "It was great to meet you, too, Nick. I hope to hear from you soon..."

Chapter 03

Nick's POV

Author's Note: A week or so has passed since chapter two, because skipping time is fun.

I stared at the phone in my hand. Part of me didn't even want to call her, because even in the short minutes that she'd spent in my hospital room, she'd been able to open doors that I'd vowed never to let anyone in. At the same time, though, I didn't want to pass up a woman like Aisha Carter. She had beauty, brains and personality all in one, and only a complete idiot would pass that up. Our microscopic moment of connection--or, it seemed microscopic at the time, anyway, turns out it wasn't--had thrown me into such a whirlwind. Part of me didn't want to call her. That same part of me knew that I'd wind up spilling all kinds of secrets to her, because she made me that comfortable. I thought of that, though, and then I thought of the other part of me, who actually wanted to call her. The part that wanted to spill all of my secrets to her. That was the part that had asked her for her number in the first place.

I looked to the table at the gum wrapper, taking it in my free hand. It still smelled lightly of Big Red, and the scent reminded me of the smile on Aisha's face when she told me that she chewed it to make her breath smell good. I felt the grin tugging my lips upward and tried to stop it. I'd never been so deeply affected by someone, and it scared the hell out of me. Eve had come close, and now it pained me to even think of her. But Aisha had this irresistible air about her. I would have been a fool to even try to resist. I already felt like I was insane, even resisting calling her. That settled it. I pushed the 'talk' button on my phone and dialed Aisha's number. My heart was pounding a mile a minute as the phone rang, but after three rings, it all but stopped when the familiar, soft, silky smooth voice came through the speaker. "Hello?"

I couldn't quite find my voice. "Hey..." I pulled from the back of my mind. "Uh, this is...Aisha Carter, right?" I asked, although I already knew the answer. I could already tell her voice from others. I was just trying to kill time, so I could think of what to say to her.

"Yeah. Is this...Nick Boynton?" she asked. I could hear a faint smile in her voice, and it definitely took some of the nervousness I was feeling away. "I recognize your voice, I think..."

My smile grew wider. "Yeah, it's Nick. What are you up to?" I asked, still unable to pull the grin off of my face. Aisha had recognized my voice, which meant that she must have felt at least close to the same way I did. I leaned back on my couch, shutting off the TV, although I was confident that it wouldn't distract me from Aisha. I put my feet up on the couch and stared at the remainder of my dinner, sitting on the table.

She was still smiling, I could hear it in her voice. "Not too much; just writing a couple of things down. What about you? I was starting to wonder if you were going to call me..." I heard paper shuffling in the background.

I laughed a little and bit my lower lip nervously. The nervousness was back once again. "I told you I'd call. I don't ask someone for their number unless I intend to call them..." I swallowed the nervous lump in my throat, trying to make it go away. This wasn't like me.

She laughed softly and then a nervous silence took over the phone line. "So, Nick..." she finally broke the silence; something I'd been way too nervous to do. "I was thinking, in that long, looming silence we just dealt through..." she had a mocking tone in her voice, and suddenly I was thankful we were on the phone and she couldn't see the humiliation on my face. "Would you like to, maybe, come to my house for dinner? I'm bored, and you know, it's a lot better than awkward silences on the phone, because then we can try to read what the other is thinking, rather than wondering, since it's really unnerving."

I felt the heat in my face from all the blushing I was doing. "Um..." my heart pounded, but I thought quick, amazingly pulling a couple of words from my head. "Sure, where do you live? Hold on, let me get a piece of paper and a pen," I paused, reaching to the table, my eyes falling upon the plate of disgusting leftover two-cheese pizza, which I hadn't taken more than a bite of. I'd followed the recipe my doctor had given me, to a t, and it still came out bad. Secretly, I hoped Aisha was a better cook than I was. I finally picked up a piece of paper and pen. "Okay..."

Carefully, Aisha gave me the directions to her house, which I promptly put in my pocket. We said our good-byes and I hung up the phone. I grabbed my crutches and headed for my bedroom, to change into something a little more presentable than a pair of sweatpants and a tattered t-shirt. Normally, even when I was going out on a date, or whatever you want to call this, I didn't take forever to get dressed. But something about her made me want to look my best. I chose my outfit carefully, coming back out of my room in a pair of baggy blue jeans and my favorite gray Abercrombie t-shirt, and made my way back to the coffee table. I gathered my diabetes and pain medications, put my jacket on and headed out the door. Thankfully, only one of my knees was injured, so I could still drive. I crutched my way down the two flights of stairs and out to my car, heading immediately to Aisha's house.

~~

I swallowed back a nervous lump in my throat and looked up at the door of Apartment 4A. Taking my hand off of the grip of my crutches, I knocked on the door, and waited for Aisha to answer. It seemed to be taking forever, but when she opened the door, the waiting was worth it and then some. She looked absolutely amazing, not that I expected much less. A black Evanescence t-shirt tightly caressed her upper body, bringing out all the features that were already difficult enough not to notice. Her legs were wrapped in a long, flowing, black skirt, and her bare feet just barely poked out of the bottom. My eyes traveled up. Her jet-black hair was up in two French braids, each of which barely touched her shoulders. Then, I moved to her face. Her lips were turned up in a curious grin and her brown eyes were filled with curiosity, as well. She probably wondered what I was doing, standing there and not saying a word to her. Once again, I couldn't find my voice.

And, once again, Aisha broke the awkward silence between us. "Hey, Nick. Come on in..." she opened her door all the way and moved out of the way, so I could crutch my way inside. She was so calm. I must have looked like such an idiot, bumbling and freezing, unable to think of anything to say to her. "Um, I should have asked over the phone, but I forgot to. What's your take on vegetarian food?"

I shrugged and smiled a little. I really didn't care what I ate, as long as it was good, and as long as I had her as company. "I'm a stereotypical male; food is food to me, what are we having?" I asked, taking my black jacket off and turning my attention toward her. "Tofu on tofu-bread with a little tofu on the side?" I joked.

She giggled and I melted. "No. I may be a vegetarian, but tofu is so gross. I won't touch the stuff..." she reached over and took my jacket from my hand, tossing it on a coat rack a few feet to my left. "We're having veggie-burgers and French fries. If that's okay with you, anyway..."

"That's fine with me..." I nodded and looked at my feet. "Do you want me to take my shoes off?" I asked, suddenly taking notice of the fact that she had no shoes on, and her floor was clean and white.

She shrugged and looked down at my shoes. "Are they that muddy? Because if not, it's no big deal..." she brought her eyes back to my knee, probably thinking I would have had a tough time taking my shoes off because of it. "You can keep them on. Just come on in and have a seat..." she pointed at the couch.

I did as I was told, but as soon as I sat down, I reached down and took my shoes off--doing so rather painfully on my right leg. I hobbled my way to the mat next to the door and set my shoes on it, then hobbling my way back to the couch and sitting down.

Aisha's head poked out of the kitchen, a curious look on her face. "What do you want on your burger? Ketchup, mustard, what?" she asked, smiling cordially. God, she was beautiful.

But waiting on me hand and foot wasn't necessary. "I can come and make my own, Aisha, you don't have to..." I told her as I grabbed for my crutches, looking back to her face. The look on her face was forbidding, and I had to say, it was dead sexy. But still, I listened. "Ketchup and mustard would be nice, thanks..."

A minute or so later, she immerged from the kitchen carrying two plates of food, set them on the table in front of me, then turned around. "What do you want to drink, Nick?" she asked, on her way back to the kitchen. "I have iced tea, water, milk, orange juice and Pepsi..." she turned her head to look at me, waiting for an answer.

I hoped she didn't intend to wait on me hand and foot for the whole night, but then, I wondered how somebody could be so giving with their time. So far, I could pick out no flaw in Aisha Carter's character. "Um, iced tea would be good. Thanks, Aisha..." I kept my blood sugar in mind.

She shrugged and headed back into the kitchen, this time coming out with two glasses; one filled with iced tea and the other with Pepsi. "I'm going to turn on the radio, if that's okay with you..." she set the glasses down, picked the remote up and turned the radio on, to a song I immediately recognized as 'the Scientist' by Coldplay. "So, anyway, how's your knee feeling?"

I looked at my knee, then back to her face again and shrugged. "It hurts. But, it's getting a little better, I guess," I explained, watching as her eyes came up to meet mine. I couldn't believe how beautiful she was. "At least I don't feel like it's gonna fall off at the hinges anymore, although, at times I wish it would, it hurts so much..."

Sympathy filled her eyes as she lowered them to my knee. "Yeah, I know what you mean. When my shoulder was still messed up, I was hoping they'd have to amputate it so it wouldn't hurt anymore..." she joked, fooling nervously with the ring on her right middle finger. At least now I knew I wasn't the only nervous one.

I watched a small piece of her jet black hair fall out of the braids she had it in, down into her eyes, and as much as I wanted to move it out of her face, I held back and continued our conversation. "I want to keep my knee, definitely," I laughed slightly at her joke. "I just wish it'd stop hurting so much, you know?"

She nodded sweetly and took a fry. After chewing and swallowing, she looked from my knee to my face. "Nick, I have a question..." her eyes were filled with curiosity and concern. "It's been bugging me since we met in the hospital that night..." she averted her eyes to the floor. Suddenly, she was more nervous than concerned and curious.

I wondered what she wanted to know, but rather than say anything, I just continued listening, to see if she'd tell (or ask, whatever the case may be) me without being prodded. I watched her face, and the nervous and insecure glance stayed there. Apparently, she needed a little persuasion. "What is it, Aisha?"

She met my eyes again and took a deep breath. "Well, I as just wondering...um...I've been reading your face and everything, watching as you talk to me, and maybe I'm totally off base, but I get the idea that, maybe, you don't want people to know you--to know what you're all about..." she fumbled out.

I swallowed hard, the bite of veggie burger in my mouth only putting up a fight after Aisha spoke. Now, I was at a total loss for words. She knew my thoughts, without me even saying them. "I...well, I just..." I felt my heart beating all the way up in my throat. That was a good sign--at least I didn't die of nervousness. Now, all I had to do was find a way to communicate without stumbling over every word I tried to say.

Chapter 04

Aisha's POV

Judging by the look on Nick's face, I knew more than he wanted me to. "Never mind, I'm sorry. I was just curious. I need to stop speaking my mind so much, don't you think?" I could have hit myself in the head. I always seemed to pick out the worst times to speak my mind, and this was no exception. Nick and I were just sitting down, sharing a meal and I decided to up and ask him why he never told me anything about him. Hi, I'm Aisha Carter and I'm an idiot. Cue chorus of voices saying 'hello, Aisha!'

But Nick shook his head and looked at the floor. "No, it's okay. You're the first one to ever really say anything about it, and I'm not going to just cast that aside. It means a lot that you noticed..." he looked back up at me, his brown eyes showing a more than a small glint of fear as they looked into my own. "I just don't like people getting close to me...it's like, when I let them get close, I always end up messing up somehow..."

I was right after all. He was insecure. And after I'd pressed to get it out of him, I had no idea what to say. I let out a sigh, pushed a piece of hair behind my ear and put my hand on his. "Nick, it can't be your fault. I'm almost sure it's not your fault. You can't let a couple of past experiences ruin future chances..." I explained, speaking more about myself than I wanted to let on. I did feel that Nick and I might have a chance at something in the future, but only if he'd allow himself to open up to me.

He half smiled and lowered his eyes again, focusing on our touching hands, then back to my face. "But that's just it, Aisha. It's not just a couple. If it was just a couple, I'd be a lot more willing to let people in. It's a lot more than a couple..." he pulled his hand from underneath mine, taking a small drink of his iced tea then averting his eyes back down toward the floor.

I think he was content with just leaving it there, but I wasn't going to let that happen. "Well, if you don't mind me asking, what happened?" I knew that someone, feeling the way he did, needed to be pushed to open up. "I'd like to know you..."

His eyes shot back up to my face, holding an expression I'd never seen on anyone before. He seemed shocked, and somewhat concerned, that I wanted to know him. "Don't fuck with me, Aisha..." he narrowed his eyes slightly, his shoulders squaring at the same time. His defenses were going up, as quickly as they could, and I touched his hand lightly to affirm to him that I wasn't a threat.

"I'm not," I promised softly, meeting his gaze steadily.

Slowly, his shoulders loosened and hie eyes softened, then he searched my eyes for any hint of untruth. "Promise me..." he spoke softly and shakily. There was tremendous insecurity in his voice, "here and now, no questions, that once I tell you this, you won't ask me to tell you anything, unless I hint that I want you to know."

I couldn't, though, in good conscience, promise him something like that. "I can't do that, Nick. When I care, I ask. I guess it could be considered one of my faults..." I hoped this wouldn't make him feel uncomfortable talking to me. I really wanted to know him, more than I'd wanted to know anyone before.

He sighed deeply and quite unexpectedly, without another word, he delved into many different stories about people in his life turning away from him, turning him down and hurting him. Friends, family, ex-girlfriends--at one point in his life, he'd truly had no one to turn to. Most recently, he spoke of the girl I'd seen picking Mara up from jail, Eve. The way she'd screwed with him (literally), and then told him that she didn't want a relationship, was wrong and unfair. How anyone could hurt someone like Nick that way was beyond me. I could never imagine living with myself, being able to look at myself in the mirror, knowing that I'd brought pain to such beautiful eyes.

I wrapped my arms tightly around him, showing him without words, that I was right there, regardless of what had happened in the past. "See, I can't pick one of those instances where you did something wrong, Nick. It's just a matter of finding a person who won't...er, how do I put this...finding someone who's less..."

"Self-centered?" he asked, pulling out of the hug I had him in and showing a half grin. "I know. But it's not as easy as you make it sound..."

I was hoping, as movie-cliché as it sounded, that he'd look deep into my eyes, smile a little and say, 'I think I just did,' but this was reality, not a movie-cliché. "I know it's not. I have a hard time trusting, too, just because I read people too well..." my lips turned downward into a frown.

He nodded and cleared his throat, bringing my attention to his eyes. "Okay, Aisha. I spilled my heart. Now, it's your turn. I can see that something's up. What's going on?" he asked. Apparently, he had the same gift as I had. He'd read me like a book.

I figured I wouldn't play the same games as he had, though. "Well..." I fumbled with my words. "I knew you have a hard time trusting, and it's definitely justified, I'd never tell you it wasn't...but..." I swallowed back a nervous lump in the back of my throat and looked to the floor. "I just want to be..." I paused. I couldn't think of anything that even came roughly close to what I wanted to be to him.

"I do too, Aisha..." he nodded and put a hand on mine. I guess, the tables had turned. Now, it was my turn to feel awkward and stumble with words, and it was Nick's turn to know exactly what to say and when to say it. "I want to be more than just a friend to you, too. We connect, I feel it. God, I even felt it back at the hospital, when we first met..." he nodded solidly. "But at the same time..."

I nodded in understanding. "You're still afraid. I know, and I'd never ask you to look past that just for me..." I lowered my eyes again. "I guess we're in a rough situation, huh?" I slowly looked up. "I..."

He seemed, for the first time since I'd met him, to know what to do better than I did. He lifted his hand and ran his thumb gently along my cheek. "I'm having such a hard time hiding my attraction to you..." he locked eyes with me and bit his lower lip. "I don't think I even want to..."

The next moment in time was instinctual, if anything. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, locking lips with him and putting my arms around his neck. Half of me expected for him to push me away and rush out the door, never to call me again--but he didn't. The next thing I knew, he had his hands around my waist, pulling me toward him. He was such an amazing kisser. I ran my hands up the back of his head and into his hair, pulling him further into the kiss, and inhaled deeply through my nose so I didn't have to break the contact for anything. I knew we'd have to break the contact eventually, but the warmth of Nick's lips against mine was something I could definitely live with for as long as possible.

I think he started having second thoughts, because he pulled back from the kiss and looked into my eyes for a split second. "Aisha, I..."

I could read in his eyes, though, that as much as he tried to deny it, he wanted this just as much as I did. I pulled him close to me again, closed my eyes and kissed him softly, feeling his hands work their way up my sides. I don't think he was so afraid anymore, because now he was leaning down and kissing my neck. I bit my lower lip and leaned my head to the side, making it so that more of my neck was reachable.

He made his way to my shoulder, kissing every inch of skin on the way as his hands made their way up my sides, under my shirt. His lips were softer than most I'd ever felt before. He lightly sucked on the skin on my shoulder, then pulled back, calling my attention to his face.

"Nick, I...don't know if..." I grinned slightly.
"You're right. It's not. Maybe we should wait until next time. Assuming there even is a next time, that is..." he released me from his grasp and stared into my eyes.

I shook my head and blushed. "That's not what I meant. I meant, I don't think the couch is the place, but, if you want to wait, it's definitely okay with me..." my lips curled upward into a grin and I handed him his crutches, slowly leading him toward my bedroom. "Waiting is overrated..." I nodded earnestly. "Do you think this is good for your knee? This much physical exertion, I mean?" I winked and grinned, opening the door to my room.

He nodded and took his wallet out of his pocket. "I do...besides, what do I really have to do with my knee? I'll be fine...and you'll be better..." he clicked his teeth and followed me into my bedroom, closing the door after him.

~~

"Aisha Lesli Carter! This isn't right! It's like mixing chocolate and vanilla! You can't be with him! You know how I feel about biracial relationships, dear!" my mother's voice rang through my dreams. To most people, any wrong in biracial relationships was insignificant. If it didn't bother them, it didn't matter. But my mother was not one of those people. And as far as she was concerned, if she didn't approve of a guy, I couldn't be with him.

I huffed and pointed to the Irish Clatter ring on my left ring finger. "Mom, it's Aisha Boynton. Nick and I got married, if you don't mind. You can't say anything about who I'm with, and I'm with Nick," I locked arms with Nick, who stood beside me, nervously looking at the floor.

She turned her attention to Nick and scowled. "How can you honestly say that you love my baby girl and allow her to make a mistake like this?"

Nick shook his head and linked hands with me. "With all due respect, ma'am, I don't think this is a mistake. Aisha and I love each other and..."

The next thing I knew, I was rudely awakened by a loudly ringing phone right next to my ear. "Ungh..." I reached over beside me and picked up the phone. "Hello?" I grunted out, rolling over and grinning a little when I saw Nick, still laying on the other side of the bed. It really HAD happened--and it was incredible.

Mara's ever-so-cheery voice beamed through the other line. "Aisha! Oh, I have SUCH a huge favor to ask! I'll owe you so much if you can do this one thing for me..." she begged.

I could practically see her on her knees on the floor, begging me to do this favor, whatever it was. As funny as that image was, it was sort of pitiful. "What is it, Mara? Out with it..."

She pleaded again. "Okay, Aisha...I know you love my house. Joe and I want to go to Ontario for a week...and I can't go unless I have someone to watch my house! You don't have to go alone...Joe's calling Nick Boynton right now to ask him to come too and..."

I interrupted her. "One...I'd be more than glad to watch your house for the week. Two...Joe can keep calling Nick until his face turns blue. No one is gonna pick up..." I grinned a little, knowing that Mara's eyebrow had just gone up in curiosity.

Sure enough, the next thing to come from Mara's mouth was a rousing, "Huh?"
I laughed a little. "He's not gonna pick up because...he's here..."

Mara's end of the line went silent, and after awhile, I heard her call Joe's attention. "Joe...honey...Nick is over there!" she screeched, just above a whisper. "I think they slept with each other!"

I scoffed and rolled on my side, shaking Nick gently. "Nick, Joe is trying to call you..." I put my hand on his arm. "Get up, you can talk to him on my phone..."

He rolled over slowly and grunted. He grunted in the morning and it was all I could do not to laugh myself to death over it. "What the hell does he want?" he snarled and yawned slightly, his muscled arms reaching out from under the blanket to stretch. I put the phone in his hand, as it was by my face, and he put it to his ear when he lowered his arm.

Chapter 05

Nick's POV

After being ridiculed and poked fun at by Mara and Aisha, about how to run Mara's security system, Aisha and I sat on Mara's couch in complete silence. It was awkward. I now knew that Aisha wanted me for who I was, but part of me still wasn't ready to commit to anyone. She was so amazing, though--and not just in bed. She was a truly beautiful woman, and I'd have had to be utterly stupid not to want her. I did want her. I liked her...a lot. I cared about her. She understood me...without me having to even speak, she knew exactly what I meant and felt. I stared at Mara's blue carpet and my thoughts wandered to Eve. How could I know that Aisha wasn't like Eve? She could randomly change her mind as soon as I thought everything was solid and strong enough to commit.

I felt eyes on me and I turned my head to look at Aisha. Sure enough, she was staring, waiting for some sort of reaction. That look in her eyes, that beautiful, concerned look, attracted me to her even more. Her big brown eyes dug into me, trying to find something to explain why I wasn't talking. I think, maybe, she'd read too much into the night before. I'd tried to stop her, trying to avoid this exact situation. "Aisha..."

Somehow, I knew that she could sense it, because she shook her head, stood up and ran up the stairs, and I distinctly thought that I saw tears in her eyes. I didn't want to hurt her. I knew all along that we should have just talked and then, I should have left to go home. I took my crutches from the floor beside the couch and followed her up the stairs. "Aisha, where are you? We need to talk..." I bit my lower lip nervously.

She didn't reply, but that didn't stop me from looking. I looked in every door, until I got to what I could only assume to be Mara's room. The door was left open a crack, and I could hear sobs coming from inside. Never in my life had I made a woman cry. "Aisha? Can I come in?" I knocked on the door, making it open more and more each time my hand hit it.

She shrugged, and spoke with a cold tone in her voice. "You were invited here, too. You have just as much right to this room as I do..." she refused to look at me, instead fixating her gaze on a picture of Mara and her mother on the bedside table.

That tone in her voice hurt more than I ever imagined it could. "I tried to stop what happened last night...I-"

"Not hard enough. If you'd told me that it would get this weird...that you wouldn't want to talk to me anymore, I would have stopped right away," she turned her eyes to me quickly, then glanced back at the picture on the bedside table. "Fucking a, Nick...I never have sex on the first date, for just that reason!"

I threw my defenses up again. It was instinctual, if anything. "How in the fuck did you expect me to know, Aisha? I can't look into the future and say 'oh, this might cause me to fuck up--again. I should stop now!' Shit! I told you I always managed to fucking screw things up, and you insisted on hearing more, didn't you?" Mistake number one in a conversation full of classic Nick Boynton mistakes.

She stood up and glared at me. "You know why I insisted on hearing more?" she still had tears streaming steadily down her cheeks. "Because I care about you, Nick! I've felt something for you ever since the first time I fucking saw you! Before you even knew I existed! Christ, it's not that hard to see! I never admit to my feelings, and even I saw it!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.

I wanted to believe her, but I think part of me was afraid to. "How do I know you really mean that?" I let it slip out; mistake number two was a huge mistake, in retrospect.

The tears in her eyes multiplied by about a dozen, and she got the cold tone back in her voice. "I guess you just don't. I guess the fact that I held your hand when you cried meant nothing, right? I guess that doesn't show that I care..." she bawled, gasping for breath by the end of her sentence.

"Only once..." I shrugged. Mistake number three. I was getting really good at this fucking up business.

"Because I've only known you for about two weeks! And over the course of those two weeks, I've seen you two times!" she retorted, then thought or a second, looking me in the eye, with the same glance she got before she asked me why I never let people in. "I think I get it. Nick, you're pushing me away because of what you told me last night. You don't want me to know you, because you're afraid I'll push away, so you want to be the first to do it," she approached me slowly, staring into my eyes. "I won't do it, Nick. I'm not like Eve or anyone else you've told me about. When I care about someone, I don't push away like that. It's not me..."

She reached up to touch my face, but I took her hand and kept it away. "I don't want to hurt you anymore..." I let a lone tear slide down my cheek. "I don't want the way I felt last night to end, but..." I pushed away from her touch and headed toward the door. "I don't want to hurt you, Aisha..."

She was still crying, and before I closed the door behind me, I could have sworn I heard her say, "Then why are you doing this?"

That didn't stop me, though. I leaned against the wall outside the door and wiped the tear off my cheek. The fact that I ached so much after seeing her cry took me by total surprise. My heart felt as though it had been torn into pieces. Leaning against the wall, outside the door, was when I realized...maybe my feelings for Aisha Carter were made for more than a one-night stand (now a one-week stand, since we were both watching Mara's place). But, I couldn't let it divert me from my course. I knew I'd only hurt her in the end, and I didn't want to see her in any more pain.

The sound of her sobbing still echoing through my head, I crutched down the stairs and lay down on Mara's couch. If what I was doing for Aisha was right, why did I feel like I was making the biggest mistake of my life? I pulled the blanket on the back of the couch down over me and stared at the ceiling, knowing that my chances of getting sleep were slim to none. Eventually, though--I'm sure it was really late, I did fall asleep.

~~

After waking up sometime around three the next afternoon with a headache the size of France, and searching the whole house for Aisha, I came across a note in the middle of the kitchen table. Picking it up and reading it to myself, I let out a deep sigh. 'Nick- I took Mara's car, since she said it was okay. I'll be back tonight. I made you some breakfast and put it in the microwave with plastic wrap over it--hope you like pancakes and sausage. I also already took care of her cat and her fish, so don't worry about that, either. -Aisha' Tonight? She'd be back tonight? Meaning she was leaving me alone all day? Not that I blamed her. After I'd acted so idiotic the night before, I wouldn't want to see me either. At least I had one good memory with her before I'd screwed this one up.

I felt tears playing at the corner of my eyes and crumpled the note up, throwing it as hard as I could across the room. I took the plastic wrap off of my breakfast and turned the microwave on. I needed to eat something before my blood sugar got dangerously low. I knew what the symptoms were, so I didn't even need to check my blood sugar, before knowing that I needed to take my medication. I hadn't eaten much over the past couple of nights, either, so I needed food in my system, too. Grabbing a glass of water, I downed two of my pills and took my breakfast out of the microwave, eating it as fast as I could. I hadn't really realized how hungry I was before I started eating. Now, I was starving, and what Aisha had cooked wasn't enough.

After I finally ate enough to satisfy my intense hunger, my headache went away. It was five p.m. now, and Aisha was still gone. Leaning against the couch, I recalled the events of the past two nights. First, Aisha had been more than I'd ever asked for in a friend, and then, against my better judgement I allowed myself to get into her bed that night. I woke up and then came here to watch Mara's house for the week, and then Aisha and I got into a fight, in which I made three stupid mistakes which she'd probably never be able to forgive me for. So, to recap? I'd lost who would likely be the best friend I'd ever come across, and likely would be the only person I'd ever be willing to commit to. 'Smooth move, Boynton...'I huffed at myself.

I ran a hand over my hair and crutched to the bathroom. I definitely needed a shower. After stripping down and unwrapping the bandage from around my knee, I turned the water on and stepped under the current, allowing it to wash the stench of every stupid mistake I'd made over the past couple nights off of my skin. About halfway through my shower, I heard the door open and close. I knew that it had to be Aisha. Everyone who would come over here knew that Mara and Joe were gone to Ontario, so who else could it be? Maybe it was Andrew or Ayden, but they could wait. Ayden knew this house well enough. As I reached to turn the shower off, I heard the door open and close once again. One of the two must have been Aisha. I needed to talk to her, desperately.

I stepped out of the shower and leaned against the wall, grabbing a towel and drying myself off. As I pulled my boxers and my jeans on, I tried desperately to think of the right words to say to Aisha. I could blame my behavior on my diabetes--low blood sugar was known to cause irritability and aggression. But that would be taking the easy way out. I knew that it was my fault; my stupid insecurities and fears that were keeping me from what I knew was possible with Aisha. Hanging my shirt off the grip of my crutches and reaching for the doorknob, I heard Aisha scoff and yell. "Fuck you, Wes!" she shouted. "Get the fuck out of here."

I cracked the bathroom door a little, straining to hear the other side of the conversation. This Wes character, whoever he was, spoke in a low, calm voice, whereas Aisha was yelling and screaming at the top of her lungs. "The reason I was really here, Aisha, was to get at Mara. But you know? You might just be better. A little revenge for leaving me the way you did, I suppose."

"Excuse me? In case you'd forgotten, Wes, I only left because you fucked around with three other women while we were together, so if you want to blame someone, blame yourself," she defended herself. "Get the fuck out of here. I don't want to see you, and I know for a fact that Mara wouldn't. Leave me the hell alone."

I peered through the door to really evaluate the scene. Aisha was standing in the doorway, probably shocked to see Wes, whoever he was, here. Wes was sitting calmly on the couch, watching her bemusedly. "Who's here with you? God knows you're scared to be alone."

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Wonder why that could be, huh, Wes? And...for your information, at the moment, I am here alone--aside from you, that is..." she stupidly told him. "That doesn't mean you can just push me around, though. I'm not fucking afraid of you, Wes..."

He stood up and approached her. "I thought you were smarter than that, to diss someone bigger and stronger than you. Guess not..." he towered over her. "Maybe I should knock a little sense into you, huh?" he cracked his knuckles and backhanded her across the cheek.

That was all I needed to see. I didn't even touch my crutches, I just hobbled out of the bathroom and up to Wes. I tapped him on the shoulder casually and waited for him to turn around, before pulling my fist back and punching him hard in the jaw. "Don't fucking touch her," I snarled. I didn't yell; just snapped out.

He looked me up and down. "I have more right to touch her than you do! Who the hell are you, anyway? I don't fucking know you--Aisha, do you know this Bozo?" he turned his head toward Aisha.

Before Aisha could say anything, I spoke again. "The name's Nick Boynton and I'm a--friend of hers, so leave her the fuck alone," I snarled out again. "I think a friend has more right to be around her than an ex-boyfriend who terrifies her to no end...am I right?" I crossed my arms.

Aisha breathed a sigh of relief. "Wes, get the hell out of here. I'm warning you..." she reached to her side for the phone. "I'll call the police..." she looked confident, but I saw right through it. "I'm not afraid of you..."

Wes knocked Aisha to the floor and turned to look at me. "I'm not giving you the chance to ruin this..." he glared at me. Unfortunately, he was more observant than we gave him credit for. He'd noticed me hobbling on my knee and took full advantage by kicking it as hard as he could.

I immediately fell to the floor, clutching it in pain. "You mother fucker!" I fought back tears, the pain in my knee blinding any other thought from my mind.

TBC...