melancholy bliss || rini au

18. pit of guilt

nini woke up late the next day, calling in sick at work and telling her friends she didn't feel well because she needed a day alone.

she laid back on her bed, staring up at the ceiling contemplating what had happened yesterday.

the way ricky was so close to her; their faces were inches apart and she had honestly no idea what would've happened if maya and gina hadn't knocked on her door. and that's what made her feel even more guilty.

maya.

maya's her best friend and ricky's girlfriend. there was absolutely no way nini would've or should've done anything with him because he literally just made it official with her.

nini swallowed hard, her stomach lurching as she sat up and let out a breath. she didn't know how to feel deep down.

'it was just a moment. ricky doesn't even like you like that. and you don't either.'

a knock at her door made nini jump slightly before seeing it open to reveal ashlyn and seb with smiles on their faces

"okay, since we have our day off, we brought you a whole entire pack of 'get well' goods!" seb exclaims

"i told him that you wanted to be alone. multiple times," ashlyn adds

"but we all know i don't listen. when my friends aren't feeling well, i feel the need to be there." seb beams, making nini manage a genuine small smile of her own

"now," seb continues, placing the large paper on her desk "we brought some of my famous hot chicken soup, then we also got some ice cream because i didn't know if this was a 'sick' or just 'down' mood. but anyways, we also got you some dill pickle chips and medicine-"

"seb, take a breather," ashlyn chuckles, her laugh fading as she saw nini let out a small breath and look down at her comforter "what's wrong neens?"

nini looks up at them and shakes her head "it's-it's nothing-"

"you lie like a sheep." seb says

nini and ashlyn look at him in confusion and he nods

"yeah, that's right suburb girls, sheep lie." he tells them

ashlyn returns her attention to nini, who just shrugs her shoulders

"i-uh-i just don't feel too well." nini says

the two frown slightly and sit on her bed next to her

"you want us to stay?" ashlyn asks

nini shakes her head with a smile "i think i just need to be alone right now. thanks you both though,"

ashlyn and seb smile sympathetically at her before giving her a small hug and walking out of her room, leaving nini alone in her apartment once again.

ricky walked down the streets out of his work building at lunch, deciding to go see nini at her work building.

he needed to talk to her about yesterday because they couldn't be left like that. she's his best friend and he doesn't want anything to change that.

he felt extremely guilty because of maya and lucas, maya being his girlfriend and lucas being one of his closest friends as well as nini's—whatever he was.

as ricky arrived at the building, he walked inside and to the counter where the lady was seated

"hey ricky," joan smiles

"hey joan, could i go up and see nini? is she free right now?" he asks

joan nods slowly "i wasn't here in the morning shift but i'm sure she's up in her office. i didn't see her come down for lunch,"

ricky nods relieved "okay, thanks."

he took the visitor card and walked past the front counter, arriving at the elevator and entering it

as the doors slid shut and he pressed the button, he impatiently waited for it to arrive at nini's floor, letting out a breath of nerves before hearing the bell indicate that it had arrived.

ricky walked down the hallway quickly, seeing nini's glass-made office door, but it was empty.

he knitted his eyebrows in confusion and looked around the hallway before hearing his name

"ricky?"

he turned around and saw ej walking towards him with files in his hands

"hey ej,"

"what's up? why are you here?" ej asks confused

"i was coming to see nini..." ricky answers "where is she?"

ej knits his eyebrows together "she didn't tell you? she called in sick today."

ricky opened his mouth and nodded slowly "oh..."

"i think she's just at home. she seemed pretty unwell when i called her earlier," ej says in thought "i don't know what's up. carlos said that seb and ash went to see her and she was really down and sort of kept to herself for some reason."

ricky felt his heart drop slightly at the sound of those words and he nodded silently, not knowing how to say anything

"she said she wanted to be alone, but i think if you go maybe she'll feel better. you're the only one who knows her enough." ej smiles assuringly "i gotta go get these finished, i'll see you at the café after work right?"

ricky nods again with a small smile as ej rushes off down the hallway and the boy lets out a breath, running his hand through his curls.

"okay," he whispers as he enters the elevator again, determined to get this situation dealt with right now.

—

nini sat down in her living room, watching cartoons with her baggy sweatshirt that ricky had gotten her when she was seventeen. it was a gift since she would always steal his, he bought one that was grey and his size. she called it her comfort hoodie.

cartoons and the hoodie worked most of the time in making her feel better, but she still felt a pit in her stomach because her mind continuously wandered back to the events of last night...

nini stared at the screen with a blank expression, hugging the hoodie closer to her body before sighing in frustration towards her conscience.

knocking is heard at her door and she sighs again, getting up from the couch and unlocking the door to open it

"you guys, i already told you-"

but she stops abruptly when seeing the curly-haired boy holding a bag in his hands, looking right at her.