Chapter 20
Later that evening...
Looking out the window she sighed. She hated that feeling of being alienated. Not that she was really, just felt like it. Her stomach grumbled loudly, checking her watch to see that it was six in the evening and she slipped out of bed and started out and down the stairs.
She hadn't eaten all day, after the fight with Nick, she wasn't very hungry. But now, hours later, her stomach protested her earlier decision. Making her way down, she headed over to the bags in the middle of the room where the food had been divided. Still, her stomach seemed a little uneasy, better have something relatively light. Walking over to the door, she opened it and grabbed the carrot sticks and shut the door. Managing to tare the infernal plastic bag open, she grabbed a stick and took a small bite. Moaning, she took another bite, crunching loudly.
She had no nerves when it came to fighting and her and Nick had had some bad ones in their time. They always made up after of course, but that time in-between usually had her stomach in knots. He was the one person she hated fighting with. He was good at it in the sense that he could stay mad for long periods of time and usually if someone was mad at her and stood mad for a long time, she got over it and didn't really care. But with Nick it was harder. He not only stayed got mad and stayed mad, he ignored her, he was cold and distant. She couldn't stand it; he really was good at it.
During those times, she often cried herself to sleep and wrote countless entries in her journal about how mad and upset she was with him. Then she cried more for crying in the first place. Then he'd suddenly start talking to her and it would be ok again. She hated it, hated fighting with him and now was no different. Though she wasn't sure why they were fighting in the first place, it made no difference. He'd segregated himself off from her the whole day. This was not the time to be fighting. But she knew from past experience that trying to talk to him when he was like this was pointless, he was a rock and would not be moved.
Looking down at the bag she gasped to see that she'd eaten half the bag. Clearing her throat, she closed the bag and set it down on the dusty table in front of her, sighing heavily. She jumped when she heard a door shut and then pounding down the stairs, turning her head she watched as Nick made his way down and over to the chair across from her, grabbing the half eaten bag of carrots, opened it and pulled one out.
"Do you mind?" He asked softly, holding the stick up.
She shook her head. "Not at all."
He nodded and took a bite, crunching loudly.
Nyla stared at him, he never ate carrots without dip. He must've been really hungry. Turning, she looked back out the window, too aware of his presence. They sat like that for what felt like forever, but in reality, it'd only been a few minutes.
"Nyla?"
She turned her head slowly to look at him. "Yes?"
"I'm sorry."
She stared at him. "Huh?" She hadn't been expecting that, well maybe not so soon and not for him to come right out and say it. Usually he had a round about way of apologizing.
"I'm sorry, for this afternoon. I shouldn't have snapped at you and I'm sorry."
She blinked. "Uh, ok."
"It was wrong of me. It's just..." He sighed. "All of this is getting to me I guess. I hate feeling helpless ya know? The waiting for whatever's gonna happen to...well...happen."
She understood that. "I just started thinking about some things and I got angry, I never should've taken it out on you."
"It's ok."
"No it's not, it won't happen again."
"It's really ok Nick."
"Forgive me?"
How could she not when he was looking at her like that. "Yeah, I forgive you."
He smiled suddenly, taking another bite of carrot.
"Ya know, these things aren't bad plain."
She groaned, shaking her head, trying to hide a smile.
