I'm so so so so so so so so sorry that it has taken me so long to update but damn I've had a major writer's block (and still do)... I'm only able to write like 100 (200 maybe.. if I'm lucky) words a time and then have to wait like 2 weeks...
Anyways, and then when I've felt like I could write I haven't had time... I got a completely new room and DAMN I had a lot of stuff before.. took me a month to get it cleaned up (it's still messy) and had birthday parties all weekend (OMG I got a gift card to take my drivers license.. cost like $1500 - 2000 here in Denmark)
And also been REALLY!!! busy with cheering.. (yes, started again and DAMN it's awesome)
But well... here's the (very short) update... bear in mind that I wrote it with a completely blank ... well, guess it can't even be called a brain.. so be nice :P And please review!! (that is if anyone are even reading this story still... most likely completely forgotten by now...)
Chapter 43 - That Thing She Shouldn't Talk About
Abby looked up from her book as someone knocked on her door the next morning, just to see Luka's mom enter her room.
"I was hoping you were awake." Closing her book, she sat up so there was room on the bed for the doctor to sit down next to her.
"Come in here to give me another 'talk'?" It didn't come out nearly as harsh as the words implied, and she hadn't meant for it. She knew she wouldn't be able to avoid it, but gosh she hated them. She just wanted to be left alone, even though she couldn't deny that it felt good having people care about her.
"Actually," She sat down on the bed, giving Abby a small smile. "I was just gonna let you know that I'm leaving for work." Biting her lip, she looked down embarrassed, but soon felt Dr. Kovac rubbing her upper arm. "And also, Niko's not feeling well, so he'll stay home today. I know you probably would have enjoyed being here by yourself, but he's most likely going to sleep all day anyways." Not knowing how to respond, she just looked up and shrugged her shoulders.
"Just help yourself to anything you need, and I put all the numbers you might need on the fridge." She just nodded, waiting for Dr. Kovac to go on. "Don't hesitate to call either of us if you need anything, okay?" Once again she just nodded as Dr. Kovac tousled her hair before getting up.
"And Abby?" She looked towards the door which was now open. "When he does wake up, remind him he needs to do the dishes." Nodding slightly, she returned a small smile as the door closed, before returning to her book.
"Good morning." She looked away from the boring soap opera on TV, which she didn't even know the name of, and gave a very tired looking Niko a small smile.
"It's more like 'good afternoon'. It's almost 3." Niko just shrugged his shoulders as he sat down on a chair across from her. "Your mom told me to remind you about the dishes." He let a small laugh escape his throat, but it quickly stopped as he noticed Abby's facial expression hadn't changed and she was just staring at him like she wasn't sure whether or not to trust him.
"Look, Abby." She did look at him, but as he took a deep breath she looked towards the floor instead. "I know that I haven't always been very nice to you, that I've pretty much been a complete idiot, and I'm really sorry about that." Biting her lip, she looked back up at him.
"It's fine, Niko." He just shook his head slightly at her unsure voice.
"I have to admit that I might still not like you too much, care about you like the rest of my family obviously does, but if I had known anything about your life I definitely would have treated you a lot better." She just gently shook her head, not looking up.
"Niko, it's okay. You don't have to..." Once again he stopped her, by interrupting her.
"I wanted to. I needed to apologize to you. It would be pretty awkward with you staying here for the next... I don't know... while, if things were too weird between us." Looking up, she gave him a weak smile, silently appreciating what he was doing. It definitely did make things a bit less awkward, but at the same time it also got her to think about exactly how much he knew. Everyone else in the house knew practically everything, since the two adults were, or had been, her doctors and seen way more of her body and injuries than she felt comfortable with, and Luka was the one who had 'discovered' it. Of course they'd have to have told Niko the basics, as to explain why she was there, but she truly hoped that it was just 'the basics'.
"Thank you." The words had barely left her mouth before Niko had gotten up from the chair and was moving towards the door.
It only took a couple of minutes before the older boy re-emerged from the kitchen, placing a bowl of ice cream in front of Abby.
"Thought you'd might like some ice cream. I still haven't met anyone who could say 'no' to that." Not exactly sure how to respond, she just looked at the boy in front of her with a confused facial expression. "I wasn't sure what you liked, so I gave you Rocky Road and some Ben and Jerry's." Looking back at the bowl in front of her, she felt Niko sitting back down and starting on his own ice cream.
"Thanks." She picked up the spoon, and for a few seconds she just played with the cold substance before taking a bite of the chocolaty ice, feeling it melt on her tongue.
"So Abby, can I ask you a question?" Swallowing the ice cream already in her mouth, she shrugged her shoulders, not feeling up to answering questions or even talking, but not feeling like she could decline either.
"Those pictures..." The second the words left his mouth, she felt her entire body freeze up and it felt like her heart stopped beating. "What exactly are they?" Biting her lip she put down the bowl, avoiding his gaze, suddenly losing all her appetite. She had forgotten all about them since that day Luka had confronted her about it, and then of course Niko had to bring them up when she needed it the least.
"Please, Niko..." She felt his eyes on her like needles burning into her skin, and after a few seconds it became too much, forcing her to look up at him with pleading eyes. He didn't look like it bothered him though, he just continued staring expectantly at her.
"I won't tell anyone. You have my word." She almost felt like laughing. Like that even mattered.
"I can't tell you. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't." Just the thought of them made her shiver, and Niko's sigh of frustration didn't exactly help.
"Seriously, Abby. That sounds so cliché." She could feel the water slowly build in her eyes but forced herself not to let the tears fall. What was wrong with her? She didn't cry, she never cried, no matter how much something hurt. But lately it seemed like it was all she ever did. It made her feel so weak and pathetic. She hated it.
"They made me promise, Niko. But they're your friends. If you so desperately want to know, ask them!" She didn't know where it came from, but it seemed that whenever she got scared, she either got way more guts or closed off completely and broke down, sometimes even both, like right now. She felt like she was right on the edge of letting all her tears flow down her cheeks.
"Who are they?" Biting her lip she looked away, feeling about ready to crack under his inquiring stare.
"Whoever gave game to you." She kept her gaze fixed on one of her knuckles, which was now slightly bleeding thanks to the small wound she had nervously scratched off.
The feeling of a tight grip on her wrist made her head snap up. "Come on, Abs!" I felt like someone had just slapped her. No one but Richard ever called her that. She practically slipped into some kind of trance-like condition, the one Richard always had her in, the one in which he had complete control over her. "It can't be that bad."
"I...I..." She could feel the tears build up in her eyes as his grip on her wrist tightened, although she wasn't even sure whether or not he was aware that he was doing it. "It's a bribe."
She didn't know who was most shocked. Niko, because she'd actually said it, or her, because, well, he had actually made her say it. Niko quickly recovered though, and just stared questionable at her.
"How?" She looked down embarrassed as he placed the other hand on her upper arm. Sure, it wasn't the way Richard usually held her, but it sure was nothing like the soft, caring touch she had gotten used to from Luka or his mom either.
"What the hell are you doing?" Abby had been so out of it that she hadn't noticed anyone enter the house until a fist collided with Niko's nose, causing him to let go of her so he could stop the slight nosebleed.
She stayed completely still as he started mumbling in Croatian, most likely cursing. "Geez, Luka, was that really necessary?" Abby took a step back, the look in Luka's eyes scaring her a bit.
"You still haven't answered my question. What were you doing?" Niko just rolled his eyes while still holding his hand under his bleeding nose.
"Relax, Luka..."
"Don't you dare tell me to relax!"
"I was just asking her about those pictures. It's not my fault she gets all obsessed. And I know they are bothering you as well, so don't get so worked up." Luka felt the anger build up in him with each word, but to control his emotions and not just beat the crap out of his own brother, he carefully grabbed Abby's hand and gave Niko a dead stare. How dare he bring up something so... He couldn't even find a correct word for it. But hadn't they all been through enough? They didn't need anything else to worry about.
"Don't you ever touch her again!" He spun around and headed towards the stairs, Abby obediently following him as she didn't know what else to do.
