Chapter.9

I Love You

Dianes POV

I was in a dreamless sleep until I felt movement under me and soft whispers from the boy I was asleep with. I looked up at his face, he had his eyes shut tightly and he was whispering words to soft to understand. "Ricky, hey", I said gently touching his shoulder nothing happened and I noticed his breathing got faster. "Ricky, wake up, it's just a nightmare, Ricky please, wake up ", I started gently shaking him getting scared for him. His eyes shot open and he sat up screaming, almost knocking me in the head. "Hey, are you ok", I said being careful to not make any quick movements as not to scare him. I saw tears streaming down my boyfriends terrified face and his hands clutching at his chest. "Ricky, hey, look at me, come here", I said and softly pulled him back so i could wrap my arms around him and he could feel me. "Diane, I-I", he stuttered. "Shh, it's ok, it's ok", I soothed as I rocked us and ran my hand through his blue hair. "I'm sorry D, I'm so sorry", Rick said, I could tell he was getting to worked up, "there's nothing to apologize about, you did nothing wrong", I said but nothing seemed to calm Rick, "do you wanna tell me what your nightmare was about", I asked. I felt my boyfriend nod, I pulled back and watched his face, the tears hadn't slowed down. "Whenever you're ready baby", I said wiping some of his tears away with my fingers.

Nightmare

"You ungrateful little shit", my father yelled at me.

"I'm sorry, I'll I'll do better", I cried as my father brought his fists against me and kicked me in the stomach. "Ricky", I heard Dianes voice as she saw what was happening and I knew what she was about to do, "D NO", I screamed but she threw herself between me and my father that got her a hit to the head. I watched as she fell down and was still. I crawled over to her and held her hand as her body went cold and my only light died in front of me.

End nightmare

Ricks breathing went uneven again and I pulled him back into a hug.

"Ricky, aw baby, shhh, it's ok, I'm right here", I said and moved so I could look into his eyes. I saw uncertainty in his eyes and took his hand in mine and placed it on my chest and I placed my other hand on his. "See, I'm fine, I'm right here baby", I said, "we're both fine", I whispered feeling his heartbeat calm down to a regular rate and pulled him back into an embrace and heard his cries soften down to soft sniffs and hiccups.

"Diane, is big brother ok, I heard him scream", Rick and I shot our heads towards the bedroom door and saw Erin there rubbing his eyes. From the look on Ricks face Erin knew he needed him and ran over to the bed and threw his arms around his big brothers waist and held in for dear life. "It's ok Erin, I'm ok", Rick whispered and played with the light blue strands of his brothers hair.

Erin started to snore softly. "He's a sweetheart Ricky", I said as Rick gently pried his brother from his waist and held him. "He's one of the kindest people in the world. He keeps me happy at home", Rick sighed, "he once said it's his job to protect me, he said that we protect each other. I just hope nothing ever happens to him, when we graduate he's gonna live with me, I'm not leaving him with our parents", Rick said.

After a moment of complete silence he took Erin back to my room and tucked him in, he came back shirtless. "I gave him something to hold onto", he said and stretched. I took in his appearance. He had various bruises littering his chest and stomach with a few scratches here and there, I never saw his neck before and what I saw horrified me, around his neck was a fading handprint. I covered my mouth and my eyes started to water.

Ricks POV

"Diane", I said noticing her staring at me and her hands covering her mouth and a tear roll down her cheek. "Woah woah, D, what's wrong", I asked wiping her tears away as I sat next to her on the bed. Diane let her fingers wander over my body gentle around the marks left, she finally made it to my neck where my dads fading handprint bruise appeared. I sighed understanding she was shocked by my wounds. "I'm sorry Ricky, I don't know what I can do to help you", Diane whispered wiping her remaining tears away. "D, everything you do is helping me, you give me a reason to get up in the morning", I said and I locked my sapphire blue eyes with her sky blue ones. "You make me smile, you make my heart happy", I said placing a hand directly over my heart. Diane smiled and mimicked my movement, "the same goes for me Ricky", she said. I stared at her as we got closer to each other and locked our lips. We moved in sync as Diane ran her hands over my chest to behind my neck again and I wrapped my arms fully around her waist this time as we kept kissing.

We broke the kiss and looked into each other's eyes. "Ricky I-I love you", Diane whispered giving me another kiss. "I love you too Diane", I whispered back and hugged her.

We laid back down and held each other Diane curled up against me with my arms around her and my head on top of hers. I felt an incredible warmth spread throughout my body. This is the happiest I've ever been in a very long time. For once I didn't have to fake a smile.

In the morning I woke to Diane staring at me. "Morning sleepyhead", she laughed and I playfully pushed her which gave her an opportunity to tackle me ending with her hovering above me. I leaned up and kissed her before we decided to go downstairs. We went to Dianes room and woke up Erin so I could get my shirt back. Her parents didn't know about my situation, I didn't plan in telling them just yet.

The three of us walked down stairs to find chocolate chip pancakes on the table.

"So D, since we don't have school I was thinking, Erins wanted to go fishing for awhile, we could take him to the lake and fish", I said. Diane clasped her hands together and smiled, "that sounds perfect, though I only have my old fishing rod, I don't have any more", she sighed. I laughed, "he can fish we can watch and do what we did last night", I laughed, "I'm joking, but I am going to kiss you", I smiled.

Dianes POV

Rick said we should take Erin fishing today, I was fully onboard with the idea, it was pretty outside so why not.

Rick drove us down to the lake and Erin was practically bouncing in his seat. Rick was still wearing his dark blue turtleneck, black hoodie, black jeans, black combat boots, and his black fingerless gloves. How was he not hot in all that. "Ok we're here, Erin, be patient and let us get everything out", Rick said.

We got everything and set Erin up as Rick showed him how to cast out.

After Erin got the hang of it I looked through my bag and pulled out my camera, "smile", I said to Rick who went wide eyed as he looked at me and I took his picture. It printed out the front and I waited for it to show, "awe baby you look so cute", I said. Rick sat down next to me and we watched Erin wait patiently for a bite on his line.

I started humming a tune that I remembered and Rick started tapping his fingers on his knee after he caught onto the pattern of the song.

"Big bro, I got a bite", Erin yelled and I saw Rick run over and started to help Erin reel in the fish, I smiled and took two pictures. This is a memory I'm gonna remember for the rest of my life.