Puppy Love {Rina fanfic, COMPLETED}

Chapter 43: Her Story

Ricky's POV
Why wasn't Gina here? I know that she's with EJ, but he gave me no information. Rehearsals really important, and she's just not here, and she's been cold to be all day and didn't text or call once yesterday.

Today we were doing Kourtney's act one run through and tomorrow was Gina's. We were on Dancing Through Life now, and I was not finding it easy to have energy while thinking about Gina.

I don't want to sound rude, but I thought she was actually committed to this.

EJ's POV
"Your- your dad left when you were seven?" I asked.

"Yeah." Her voice cracked. "And this time last year was my first time going through it without my mom here, and even when she is here she doesn't want to talk about...him. I haven't spoken to anybody about this since he left."

"I'm so sorry, Gina." I pull her into a hug.

She starts crying harder into my shoulder, and I'd never seen her like it before.

"Should I call Ricky to come sooner?"

"No. It's okay, I'll be fine."

Ricky's POV
We just wrapped act one, and now I'm heading out to my rusty old car to go to the park.

I finally get there and she's sitting there against a tree with EJ.

"Ricky." She says.

"Why weren't you at rehearsal?" I asked her.

"Really, Ricky? That's the first thing you have to say to her?" EJ looked really offended.

"What are you talking about? Why'd you miss it?" I continued to ramble on, until she cut me off.

"Ricky! My dad left my mom, Jamie, and me ten years ago today!"

I immediately go silent.

"Gina. Oh my God, I'm an idiot. I'm such a jerk."

She stands up and shakes her head, slowly approaching me.

"I mean, it was a jerky thing to do, but you're not a jerk." She can't make eye contact.

"I'm sorry." I wrap my arms around her. "I'm so, so sorry."

"I forgive you."

"I'll let you two talk." EJ walks off.

"Wanna sit?" Gina asks.

"Yeah." We take a seat over on a bench.

"Ricky, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Do I mean something to you anymore?"

"What, of course you do! More than you could ever imagine."

"Just checking. I'm sorry, I missed rehearsal."

"You had a good reason, Gina Porter. Now tell me your story. I'm listening."

"Okay." She sighed. "I had just turned seven years old. I was living in California at the time. One second we were all happy, but the next..."

"Robert, I don't need this right now!" Terri yelled.

"And I don't need this!"

"What's 'this'? Huh?" Terri asked.

"All this. You, FEMA, Jamie, Gina. There's so much more I could've done if it wasn't for these two kids!"

"How dare you talk like that in my house with my kids!? We live in a one floor home with thin walls! They already know how broke we are, and now you're telling them you don't need them?"

"I sat in my bedroom crying all day, and Jamie was no help. He was already the age I am now, and was gone for most of the day every day, once my dad left, so did he."

"I'm so sorry, Gina. Can I- can I ask something about your dad?"

"Go for it."

"Did he ever...like...put his hands on you?"

"No." She responded quickly. "Now looking back, he was probably verbally abusive, but he never touched one of us...in that way."

"Okay." I sighed in relief, letting my shoulders fall. "Thank you for trusting me. You've never spoken about him once, and I'm glad you were willing to tell me."