nick goode

'You always hurt the one you love'

"you gotta believe me, I didn't mean it that way," nick groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. he shut his car door, rushing to the other side. he tried to open the door for maude, but she beat him to it, almost hitting him in the process (not that she cared at that moment).

she scoffed, "oh, so you just accidentally blurted out that i was being too clingy and too needy." she slammed the door behind her and started walking away. the chilly fall air nipped at her flaming red cheeks. her breath puffed out in small clouds in front of her. the sidewalk was lit by lampposts and the september moon.

'The one you shouldn't hurt at all'

nick stumbled to catch up with her, walking behind her. his sneakers scuffed against the cement.

"i didn't mean it like that, you know i didn't mean it like that."

"actually, i don't know that. if i did, then i wouldn't have made you pull over three blocks away from my house because i didn't want to be in the car with you anymore."

"would you please just slow down?" nick went to grab her wrist, but as if she sensed him, she pulled her wrist away just in time.

"c'mon, you're being ridi . . . ziggy, please just-"

'You always take the sweetest rose'

maude stopped walking. she didn't turn around.

"that was not what i needed to hear tonight," she whispered through clenched teeth and an aching heart.

nick smacked his forehead with his palm. "shit, i'm so sorry. ziggy and i used to fight like this so i-"

"save it," maude bit back. she began speed walking again, wanting nothing more than to get home. she muttered to herself, "great, brought up the ex girlfriend and compared me to her."

nick didn't want things to end badly, whether if they were to break up that night or just go to bed angry, he wanted to talk things through.

'And crush it till the petals fall'

"please just let me talk."

"i think you've said enough tonight."

maude repeated what nick had told her earlier that night. " 'maude, just leave me alone. you're always around and it's getting on my nerves.' "

nick threw his hands up in defeat. "i had just lost a lacrosse game and i was pissed off. i didn't mean it that way. i'm sorry."

maude shook her head, "you really don't get it, do you?"

"get what?"

'You always break the kindest heart'

"you've just become so distant. you're always caught up in drama and fights at school, preoccupied with lacrosse after school, and then family dinners and town hall meeting shit."

"yeah, that's my life. what do you expect me to do? w-what does this have to do with anything?"

rolling her eyes, maude huffed, "i'm sorry that i'm always around or whatever, but that's because you're not. you're always busy and you never have time for me. i'm just the girlfriend that's lucky to be with you."

nick's pace stuttered a second, brows furrowing. "that's not true."

"well, you don't make it seem that way," maude shot a glare over her shoulder at him. "times like tonight just prove my point."

'With a hasty word you can't recall, so'

"why haven't you talked to me about this?"

"why do you think?"

"i-i don't know, it's just that-"

"exactly. you don't even notice," she interrupted, crossing her arms. "you're never around, and when you are, you're always distracted. i support you in everything you're doing and i want the best for you, but you...you're just..."

'If i broke your heart last night'

maude shook her head, "you're a thousand miles away."

"i'm right here."

"no, i'm right here, you're not. you're a coward, and a shitty boyfriend. i've been here for everything. even when we were just friends, i always had your back. through thick and thin. no matter what. now you're this whole new person, and you won't listen to me."

"i'm listening now."

"exactly. you are now. that means you haven't been. it's been months, nick. come find me when you're actually going to be here."

'It's because I love you most of all'

i hope y'all get how the title kind of connects to the story. hint; tick tick BOOM.

i honestly don't know what my thought process was for this. i literally wrote it at 11:30 last night because i was bored and had the idea.

i apologize if their argument is all over the place, like i said, it was written at 11:30 at night so my head wasn't on straight. but i liked it enough when i reread it this afternoon so i'm publishing it anyways

- happy days <3