your fault ©

Mercedes round

After everything that happened last summer, after the fights, the deceptions, the
disappointments and above all the difficult coexistence of Noah with his
stepbrother, things seem to be going smoothly.

Noah's life will turn upside down now that he is eighteen years old and is about to
start university; having to move again and trying to keep her relationship with
Nicholas going will be something they both have to work on; the age difference,
thebethese, life on campus and the demons within will be stalking them both,
testing them over and over again.

Not everything is over, there are wounds that don't heal easily and when you love a
person so much and they end up disappointing you, the pain can become
unbearable.

In love, not everything is smooth sailing, and Nick and Noah must learn to face
obstacles together without letting anyone keep them apart. Will they get it? Will
Noah be able to overcome his fears and get back together?beare in someone? Will
Nicholas be able to open his heart?

Your fault is the second part of My fault, so you should read the first part before this
one.

This work is registered in Safe Creative with the code #1504233917108, so it

cannot be copied, plagiarized, or disseminated by any means.

Thank you very much for all the support you have given to the novel, and I
hope you enjoy this second part.

Thanks for the comments and for the people who spread and recommend it, you are
the best, I adore you! :)
Foreword

The rain fell on us, drenching us, freezing us, but it didn't matter, nothing
mattered anymore, I knew everything was about to change, I knew my world
was about to collapse.

-You've ruined everything, don't you understand? There is no turning back, I can't
even look at your face...

Desolate tears fell down her face.

How could he have done this to her? His words dug into my soul like stab wounds
tearing me from the inside out.

"I don't even know what to say" I said trying to control myself trying to
control the panic that threatened to collapse me, he couldn't let me...
wouldn't he?

His eyes lockedbedirectly in mine, with hate, with contempt, a look that I never
thought could be directed at me.

"We're done" she whispered with a ragged voice, butberme.

And with those two words my world was plunged into a deep darkness, scary, and
lonely... a prison designed exactly for me, but I deserved it, this time I deserved it.

Hello everyone! It's here, I've already uploaded the preview and I'm very
happy because ¡Culpa mía already has a million readings!

All thanks to you, you don't know how happy you make me, you have helped me
achieve my main objective, to get many people to like my book and get them
excited about the story.

I have to tell you that Culpa Tuya is in the process of being written, at most I will
upload the first two chapters, because a book must be corrected over and over
again until it is perfect, and many things are changed while you are writing.
Everything must have a logic and a sense, and that's why I don't want to upload
more chapters until it's finished, I hope you understand it and that you'll still be
here when I start uploading chapters every day ;) For those who want to find out
what's new or who want to help me spread the novel, My fault has a page on
facebook, which you can find on my pagebel of Wattpad, just like you can read
some quotes from Culpa tuya on my instagram account: @Mercedesronn That's
how I can
communicate with you so I hope you will stop by :) Thanks again everyone, I love
you madly!
Chapter 1

NOAH

today forbeI was turning eighteen years old.

He still remembered how nine months ago he was counting the days untilben I
could be of legal age, make my own decisions and run out of this place.

Obviously things weren't like nine months ago, everything had changed so much
that it was incredible just thinking about it. Not only had I ended up getting used to
living here, but now I couldn't see myself living anywhere other than this city. I had
managed to make a place for myself in my institute and also in the family with
which I had had to live.

All the bumps that I had had to overcome, not only in these months, but since I
was born, had made me a stronger person, or at least I thought so.

Many things had happened, not all of them good, but I was left with the best:
Nicholas. Who would have thought that I would end up falling in love with him?
Well, I was so madly in love that my heart ached. We had had to learn to know
each other, learn to survive as a couple, and it wasn't easy, it was something we
worked on every day.

We both had very clashing personalities and Nick wasn't an easy person, but he
loved him dearly.

For this reason, I was more sad than happy before the imminentbethis is my
birthday Nick was not going to be there, he hadn't seen him for two weeks, he
had spent the last few months traveling to San Francisco, he had a year left to
finish his degree and his father had opened many doors for him, and he had
taken advantage of each one. of them. Far away was the Nick who got into
trouble, now he was different, he had matured with me, he had changed for the
better, although my fear was that at any moment his old self would come out
again.

I looked at myself in the mirror. I had put my hair up in a messy bun on top of my
head, yet elegant and perfect to wear with the white dress my mother and Will had
given me for my birthday. My mother had gone crazy with thebethis one that she
had organized, according to her this was going to be her last opportunity to
represent her role, since in a week I was graduating from high school and shortly
after I was moving to the university. Had sent
applications to many universities butbenally I had opted for UCLA in Los Angeles.

I had already had too many changes and moves, I didn't want to go to another city
and even less to get away from Nick. He was at that same university, he had a year
left, and he also knew that he was most likely going to end up moving to San
Francisco to work at his father's new company, but I'd worry about that later, there
was still a year left. And I didn't want to get depressed.

I got up from the dresser. I had specially made up for that day, although without
special interest, rather I did it for my mother who was unbearably sensitive lately.
My eyes were perfectly outlined, giving it a catlike and very pretty look. My lips were
colored a natural reddish color and my cheeks were slightly rosy.

I turned away from the mirror and before putting on the dress, my eyes
widened.beThey hit the scar on my stomach. One of my fingers caressed that part
of my skin that would be damaged and scarred for life and I felt a chill. The roar of
the shot that killed my father then resounded in my head and I had to take a deep
breath to keep myself together.

I hadn't talked to anyone about my nightmares or the fear I felt every time I
thought about what had happened, or how my heart raced wildly every time a loud
noise sounded near me. I didn't want to admit that my father had caused me a
trauma again, I had enough with not being able to stay in the dark unless it was
with Nick by my side, I wasn't going to admit that I couldn't sleep peacefully
anymore, nor that I couldn't stop thinking about my father dying right next to me,
or how his blood splattering my face had made me totally crazy. When I showered
I was unable not to rub my left cheek compulsively for several seconds, they were
things I kept to myself, I didn't want anyone to know that I was more traumatized
than before, that my life was still imprisoned by the fears that man had caused me
. My mother, on the other hand, was calmer than in her entire life, that fear that
she had always tried to hide had disappeared, now she was completely happy with
her husband; I was already free. I still had a long way to go and the problem is
that I didn't really know where to go.

- Haven't you dressed yet?-asked me then that voice that made me

laugh out loud almost every day.

I turned to Jenna and a smile spread across my face. My best friend was
spectacular, as always. He had recently cut his hair, it was no longer so long but
short to shoulder length. He had insisted that I do the same but I knew that
Nick loved my long hair so he had left it as is. It was almost to my waist now but I
liked it just the way it was.

- Have I already told you how much I admire your upturned

ass? - he released me, coming forward and patting me on the rear.

"You're crazy" I said taking my dress and putting it over my head. Jenna walked
over to the part where there was a safe just below where the shoes were. It didn't
have a key or anything because she didn't use it, but since Jenna had discovered it,
she had taken to keeping all kinds of things there.

I laughed when he brought out a bottle of champagne and two glasses.

"Let's toast because you're an adult now," she said, serving two glasses and
handing me one. I smiled, knowing I shouldn't drink, if my mom saw me she
would kill me but I needed that drink if I was going to have to put up with a whole
night in the spotlight without Nick to hold my hand.

"For us," I added.

We toasted and raised the glass to our lips. It was delicious, it had to be, it was a
bottle of Cristal and it cost more than 300 dollars, but Jenna did everything in a
big way, she was used to that kind of luxuries, she had been raised in a cradle of
gold and she had never lacked for anything .

-That dress is amazing. He said looking at me dumbfounded.

I smiled and looked at myself in the mirror. The dress was beautiful, white, tight to
the body, Roman style and with a delicate lace that reached my wrists, revealing
my fair skin in different geometric patterns. The shoes were also beautiful and
made me almost the same height as Jenna. She was wearing a short burgundy
flared dress. He was spectacular, as always.

"There are a lot of people downstairs," he told me, leaving the glass of champagne
next to mine. I did the opposite, I picked it up and drank all the bubbly liquid in
one gulp.

"Don't tell me" I said getting nervous. Suddenly I was short of breath. That dress
was too tight, it didn't let me breathe freely.

Jenna looked at me and smiled knowingly.

- What are you laughing at?-I complained, envying her for not having to go
through what I did.
-You're welcome, I know how much you hate this kind of thing, but don't worry, it'll
only be at the beginning, as soon as the parents leave... -he said approaching my
ear- you'll be so drunk that you won't even remember your name. - he added smiling
and giving me a kiss on the cheek.

At any other time I would have refused, but that night was going to take me
forever if I didn't have another drink too many.

- Shall we go down?" she asked me then, adjusting her dress.

-What remedy.

They had transformed the entire garden outside. My mother was crazy, she had
hired a white tent that they had put up in the garden, with a lot of round pink
tables, a lot of balloons, waiters in jackets and bow ties and a soft drinks bar and a
specialized caterer with all kinds of food. This didn't suit me at all, but I knew that
my mother had always wanted to organize a party for me.beThis birthday was like
this, I had always joked about my eighteen years and my moving to the university,
we had played to say what things we would have hired in thebethis if we won the
lottery, and so much so that we had won the lottery: that was going over the line.

When I appeared in the garden they all shouted happy birthday to me in unison, as
if I hadn't known they were all there waiting for me. My mother came up to me and
gave me a big hug.

"Congratulations, Noah" he said hugging me tightly. I hugged her and watched

stunned as a queue was created behind her to wish me happy birthday. All my
friends from school had come, along with many of the parents my mother had
become friends with, as well as many of our neighbors and friends of William's. I got
so nervous that unconsciously my eyes began to look for Nicholas in the garden;
only he would calm me down, but there was no sign of him, I already knew, he
wasn't coming, he was in another city, I wouldn't see him for another week for my
graduation, but a small part of me still hoped to see him among all those people.

I was greeting the guests for more than an hour untilbeFinally Jenna and Kat,
another friend I'd made at school, came over to drag me over to the drink bar.
There were two, one for those under 21 and one for parents. I needed a drink right
away or I'd go crazy.

"You have your own cocktail," Kat told me, giggling. Kat had become my friend
shortly after school started. Unlike Jenna, she was a little more like me, she loved
literature, she had read the same books as me, she wasn't as crazy as Jenna, and she
was a sweet and happy person. His hair was colored
Reddish brown and she had beautiful blue eyes, she had a good face and she was,
the poor thing was driven crazy between Jenna and me.

"My mother has ended up losing her mind," I told them while a waiter served us my
cocktail. He looked at me and smiled trying not to laugh. Great, I bet he thought I
was a snob.

When I saw the drink, I almost got something. It was a martini glass filled with a
bright pink liquid with colored sugar glued to the rim and a decorative strawberry
on the side. Tied to the bottom of the glass was a little bow with an 18 made of
small white pearls.

- It's so me!-said Kat taking one and almost jumping for joy. Jenna and I
looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh. I smiled my thanks at the
waitress and we walked away.

"It lacks the special touch," Jenna said, sneaking out a flask and pouring alcohol
into our glasses. I was much better that way, but I was going to have to control
myself if I didn't want to go berserk before midnight.

People had been sitting down to eat. At my table was Lion, Matt, a classmate,
Jenna, Kat, and me. Next to me the tables were full of my class friends who
seemed to be having a great time. I only knew them from that year, but my mother
had insisted on inviting them all.

The truth is that I would have preferred onebeShe's intimate, with my best friends
and that's it, but it had been impossible to convince her.

Some of those present had participated that time when they had locked me in a
closet in the dark and despite the apologies I had not been able to forgive them all.
It's a good thing Nick wasn't there, because more than one would have taken a
good beating again.

Dinner was nice, everything was delicious, my mother had chosen my favorite
dishes and I began to enjoy what they had arranged for me. She was lucky, she had
to admit.

Thank God, Will's friends and parents who had come left after dinner. The waiters
rushed to clear the tables and left a large dance floor for us to dance on. The lights
dimmed and before I knew it the tent had turned into an outdoor disco. A pretty
cool DJ was playing all kinds of music and my friends were already dancing like
crazy. Thebethis was a success.
Jenna had dragged me to dance with her and we were both jumping like crazy. She
was overheated, summer was just around the corner and it showed.

Lion was watching us intently from the side of the track.

He was leaning against one of the columns andbeI was watching how Jenna was
moving her ass like crazy. I laughed, and already exhausted, I left Jenna dancing
with Kat.

- Are you bored, Lion?-I said, stopping next to him.

He smiled at me funny, although I could see that something was

worrying him. his eyes followedbeif not Jenna.

"Congratulations, by the way," he told me since he hadn't had the opportunity yet.
opportunity to see him alone. It seemed strange to me to see him there alone
without Nick. Lion didn't know our class very well; Lion and Nick were five years
older than Jenna and me and the age difference was noticeable. My kind were
much more immature than the two of them and it was normal that they didn't
want to go out with us when we did it with them.

"Thanks," I said, "do you know anything about Nick?" I asked, feeling a prick in my
stomach. He still hadn't called me or sent me a message. I knew he was busy but
today was my birthday, he could have called me right?

-Yesterday he told me that he was full of work, that in the firm they hardly let him
go to eat, but he didn't lack time to tell me not to take my eyes off you-he added
looking at me and smiling.

-Your eyes do seem to bebefixed on one person in particular," I said, seeing how he
looked at Jenna again. She turned around at that moment and a smile of true
happiness appeared on her face. I was so in love with Lion, when he would sleep
over here we would spend hours talking about how lucky we were to have fallen in
love with guys who were best friends. I knew firsthand that Jenna wasn't going to
love anyone but him and I loved to think that Lion was just as taken with her. In
this time I had come to adore Jenna, she was really my best friend, I loved her very
much, she had been there whenever I needed her and she had made me
understand how a friend should really be; She wasn't jealous or manipulative or
spiteful like Beth had been in Canada, and of course I knew she was incapable of
hurting me, at least intentionally.

She approached us and gave Lion a loud kiss. He held her lovingly and I turned
away from them, suddenly sad. She missed Nick, she wanted him here, she needed
him. I looked at my
phone and nothing, there was no call or message from him. He was starting
to annoy me, it didn't take him more than a few seconds to send me a
message, what the hell was wrong with him?

I went over to the bar, where a bartender was serving drinks to the few over-21s still
around. It was the same person who used to serve my cocktails with the help of
another waitress.

I sat at the bar and watched him, considering how to cajole him into pouring me a
drink.

- What's up?" I told him.

"Very original, I know."

"Congratulations, miss," he told me with an amused smile. I

nodded thanking him.

- Do you want me to serve you something?-he asked me and I saw

how his gaze diverted to thebeend of the room

- Would it be too much to ask that you serve me something that isn't pink
and that has alcohol in it?-I asked him, knowing that he was going to send me to
God knows where.

To my surprise he smiled and making sure no one saw him, he took out a small shot
glass and filled it with a white liquid.

- Vodka?-I asked smiling.

"If they ask, I haven't been," he answered, looking the other way.

I laughed, and quickly brought the shot to my mouth. It burned my throat but it
was really good. With the glasses I was carrying and the four Noah cocktails I had
drunk, the shot already made my head spin.

I turned to see Jenna dragging Lion into a dark corner. I was getting depressed from
seeing my friends hugging and kissing.

Damn you Nicholas Leister for not disappearing from my head for a second of the
day.

- One more? -I asked the waiter, I knew I was abusing, but it was mybeThis,
I deserved to drink what I wanted, right?

But before I could take the glass to my mouth a hand appeared out of
nowhere, stopping me and taking it from my hands.

"You'd better not," said a voice.

That voice.

I looked up and there he was: Nick. Dressed in a shirt and dress pants, with his dark
hair slightly disheveled and his light blue eyes shining with a contained, mysterious
emotion, and at the same time brimming with happiness.

- Oh, my God! I yelled, taking my hands to my mouth. A smile appeared

on his face, my smile. I jumped into his arms a second later. "You've come!" I
yelled into his ear, pressing him against me, feeling his scent, feeling whole
again.

He hugged me tightly, and I felt that forbeI couldn't breathe. He

was here, or my God he was here with me.

"I've missed you, freckles," he whispered into my ear, then pulled my head back and
placed his lips on mine.

I felt how my nerve endings woke up, it had been fourteen long days since I had
felt his mouth against mine, nor his hands on my body. Suddenly I was worried
about my appearance, I had spent weeks trying to get ready and then I realized
that I was perfect thanks to my mother and Jenna, my mother, did you know? Did
you know it was coming?

He pushed me away and his eyes raked my body hungrily.

"You look beautiful," he whispered hoarsely, placing his hands on my waist and
pressing me against him. She knew what was going through her head, as I did,
and I felt my heart race.

- What are you doing here? I asked trying to control the desire I had to
continue kissing him. I knew we couldn't do anything, we were surrounded by
people, and our parents were there... I got nervous, I couldn't wait, I needed to
kiss him, I needed to feel his hands touching my skin.

"I wasn't going to miss your birthday" he told me and his eyes wandered back to
my body. He felt how electricity surged between the two of them. We had never
spent so much time apart, at least since we started dating, I had gotten used to
having him with me every day so that had been complete torture.

His hand pulled me to his chest and his lips went right to my ear. He barely
touched the sensitive skin of my neck and I felt like I was dying at that simple
touch of his mouth on me.

"I need to be inside you" he released me then.

God…he couldn't blurt out something like that, not in front of so

many people. My legs trembled.

"We can't here" I answered in a whisper, trying to control my nervousness. The

alcohol was going to take its toll on me, I knew it.

- Do you trust me?-he asked me then.

What a silly question was that? There was no one to whom withberoast more. I

looked into his eyes, that was my answer.

He smiled in that way that drove me crazy.

"Wait for me at the back of the pool house." He gave me a quick peck and backed
away from me. I saw him leave to greet the guests, he gave off security from every
pore of his body, I stayed for a few seconds watching him, feeling that the
butterflies in my stomach were beginning to do their thing.

The pool house?

I was crazy, they would see us, the house was not much farther than I was from the
guests at that moment.

Trying to control my breathing, I took the shot without drinking that was on the
bar and brought it to my mouth. The liquid calmed me down for a few seconds. I
took a deep breath and headed to the pool that was beyond the tent where people
danced and had fun. I walked along the curb trying not to fall into the water until I
reached the small house behind. On the other side were the trees that surrounded
the house and a little further on the noise of the waves of the sea hitting the cliff
reached my ears. I leaned my back against the back wall of the house, still listening
to the noises of the people. They were no more than twenty feet away.

I closed my eyes nervously, and then I heard him arrive. His lips were on mine so
quickly that I could hardly say anything. I opened my eyes and met his gaze.

His eyes said everything.

"You have no idea how I've missed doing this," he said, grabbing me by the neck and
inserting his soft tongue between my parted lips.

I literally melted into his arms.

"God... how I've longed to touch you" he said and his hands ran up and down
my side while his nose caressed my neck with intent.benice slowness

My hands flew up to his neck and I pulled him into my mouth again. This time we
kissed more desperately, heating up like the blazing fire of a fire, his tongue
curling fiercely around mine, his hard body pressing against me.

I wanted to touch him, wanted to feel his skin under my fingers.

"You can't make noise" he warned me taking my hands and

imprisoning them above my head.

I tried to nod, but my breathing was so rapid that it came out as a single gasp, which
intensified.beI gasped when his lips went to my neck. I gasped, pulling at my hands.

She wanted to touch him, craved him more than anything.

"If you touch me, this won't be silent," he warned me, pressing my hands
harder.

"Nicholas" I said letting out a sigh of pleasure when his hand touched my left breast
through the fabric of the dress.

"I want to take this damn dress off you," he growled through his teeth, releasing my
hands and yanking the dress up. It stayed wrapped around my waist. His eyes fixed
on my bare skin and he looked at me with the desireflleft in his gaze, a dark desire
fueled by the distance and the time we had been apart.

"I'd fuck you all night long," he blurted out, pulling me down to my underwear and
seizing my lips.

He had never spoken to me like that, never. I knew that he had been a brute with
the other girls he had been with, but with me he had always taken care of himself,
he had me between cotton balls, and I loved that he did it, but now at that
moment, I loved that dark Nicholas dominated by desire.

My already loose hands wrapped around his neck and helped him deepen the kiss.
He was devouring me with his tongue, tasting me as if it was the last time he was
going to kiss me. I responded in the same way, feeling how the nerves in my
stomach in anticipation of what was to come were killing me inside.

My fingers went to his tie and I yanked it off.

"I want to see you," I said, pulling away.

- Are you going to tell me?-he said, his hands going up my back,
looking for the zipper that he wasn't going to find.

"You're not going to be able to take off my dress," I told her as my fingers undid the
buttons, one by one, quickly.

- What the hell are you wearing?-he growled trying to undo the thousands of
little white buttons that were on my back.

I let out a nervous laugh.

With his chest exposed I caressed him with my hands. His abs, his body hard and
worked. I brought my lips to his chest and kissed him, up and down, getting
goosebumps to rise.

He pushed me away a second later.

"If I can't, neither can you, baby," he said, pulling my hands away again. I tried to

free myself but he wouldn't let me.

"Stop," he said a little more abruptly than I was used to. I did and stayed still.

I watched him without moving as he unbuttoned his pants. A second later he had
me pinned against the wall.

I look myselfbeDeeply into the eyes, preparing me with his eyes, transmitting
thousands of things, he kissed me for a second and then he penetrated me, hard
and I couldn't help but let out the cry that came out of my throat. His hand covered
my mouth, and he kept moving inside me, slower this time.

God... we've never done it like this, ever.

Pleasure began to build inside me with each of his thrusts, his hand pulled away
from my mouth just as it was about to come, his mouth covered mine and his teeth
took hold of my lower lip, he bit me and the pleasure inside me it grew and grew,
until it made me have an intense, wonderful, perfect orgasm.

He arrived a second later. I threw my head back, trying to control my breathing,

while Nicholas held me tightly in his arms.

"I've missed you," I said a second later, when his eyes lockedbejust in mine.

"You and I are not meant to be apart," he replied.

Chapter 2

NICK

Damn, how he had missed her. The days had seemed endless and not to mention the
weeks.

I'd had to work double hours to get them to let me come back early but it had been
worth it just for this.

- Are you okay?" I asked him with a quick breath. We had never done it like
this, never. With Noah I controlled myself, I treated her as she deserved, I loved
her, damn it, she wasn't just another girl, she wasn't just any girl, but I hadn't been
able to control myself. As soon as I saw her, I wanted to make her mine, because
she was, she was mine, and nobody else's. The jerk of the waiter who had been
flirting with her had put me in this state of unreasonable jealousy. I had to control
my way of being with Noah, I didn't want to scare her, I didn't want her to be
afraid of being with me.

Our eyes met and an incredible smile appeared on his mouth.

"It was..." she said but I silenced her with a kiss. I was afraid of what she might
say, I had spoken to her like the others, but I hadn't realized it, I had lost myself in
the desire of the moment. That night she was spectacular, more than ever, that
little virginal dress they had put on her drove me crazy and I wanted to do
everything to her.

"I love you madly, you know that right?" I told her, moving away from her.

"I love you more" she answered and when she did, IbeI noticed that he had a little
blood on his lip.

"I've hurt you" I said caressing her lower lip with my finger and wiping away the
small drop of blood that had come out.

Shit, he was a gross asshole-Sorry, freckles. She sucked

her lip distracted...looking at me.

"This has been different" he released me a second later. And so much so that
it had been.

I moved away from her and buttoned my pants. I felt guilty for how I had treated
her, damn, we were outdoors, Noah deserved to do it on a bed, not against a
wall, I'll catch you here, I'll kill you here.
- What's wrong with you?" she said looking at me

worried. I approached again and took his face with my hands.

"Nothing, sorry" I said kissing her again. I lowered the dress to her hips, fighting
the urge to pick up where we left off. "Happy birthday" I said smiling and taking a
little white box out of my pocket.

- Did you bring me a present?-she asked excitedly. She was so young and
so perfect. Just looking at her put me in a good mood, just touching her made
me crazy.

"I don't know if you'll like it... maybe it's too cheesy..." I said, suddenly getting
nervous. He had never given a girl anything before and was afraid he might not
have good taste for it.

Her eyes widened just looking at the box outside.

- cartier? Her eyes flew to mine. "Have you gone crazy?" I

denied with a frown waiting for him to open it.

When he did, the little silver heart glowed in the dark. A smile appeared on his

face and I sighed in relief.

"It's beautiful" he told me touching it with his fingers.

"This way you will take my heart wherever you go" I said placing a kiss on his
cheek. This was the cheesiest thing I'd ever said but she got that from me, turned
me into a complete lovesick jerk.

His eyes looked at me and I saw that they were moistening.

"I love you, I love it" he said giving me a kiss on the lips.

I smiled as she lowered her kiss and forced her to turn around so I could place
the pendant on her. Her neck was exposed in that dress and I had to kiss her on
the back of her neck. She shuddered and I had to take a deep breath so as not to
force her to come with me immediately and at that moment. I put the pendant
around her neck and I watched her when she turned around smiling.

- How does it look on me?" he asked looking down.

"You're perfect, as always," I told him.

I knew we had to go back and it was the last thing I wanted to do at that moment.
I wanted to be with her alone, well the truth is that
I always wanted to be alone with her, but especially at this moment, when we hadn't
seen each other in so long.

- Am I presentable?-he asked me innocently. I

smiled.

"Of course I do," I said as I buttoned up my shirt and picked up the tie that was on
the floor.

"Leave it to me" he asked me and I laughed.

- Since when do you know how to tie a tie?-I asked him knowing that he
had never known how to do it, what's more, I was the one who did it to him
when I lived in that house.

"I had to learn because my beautiful boyfriend left me in exchange for a bachelor
pad" she told me as she finished tying the knot.

- Beautiful huh?

She rolled her eyes.

-Let's go back or everyone will know what we've been doing.

I wish the whole world knew so the brats would stay away from my girlfriend, but I
kept the comment to myself.

I let her go back first and had a cigarette in the meantime. I knew Noah didn't like
me smoking but if I didn't I'd go crazy.

Before turning back something caught my attention. Her underwear was thrown
under my feet.

He had left with nothing underneath?!

When I returned, with the nerves toflor skin, I saw her talking to a group of her
friends. There were two boys in that group and one of them had his hand on his
back. I took a breath to calm down and walked over to them. I almost didn't push
that idiot, but as soon as Noah saw me he put his arm around my back and rested
his face on my chest.

I calme. That gesture had been hisbecient, although my eyes fixed coldly on those
of that idiot. He looked at me, got scared and turned to talk to another girl.

- Have you seen Lion?-she asked me a few minutes later.

I shook my head and walked around the garden looking for him. Jenna was talking
to Rafaela and my father, but there was no sign of him.

"Let's go say hello to our parents" I said getting nervous. Despite the fact that we
had been together for months, Noah's mother continued to look at me
suspiciously.

To be honest, I think neither my father nor Noah's mother fully accepted our
relationship.

"My son has returned," my father said, smiling.

"Dad" I said in greeting. "Hi, Ella," I said in the best tone I could manage.
Rafaella, to my surprise, smiled at me and gave me a hug.

"I'm glad you could come," he said, turning his gaze to Noah's. "I was very sad
until he saw you.

I looked at Noah, who had blushed, and gave him a squeeze on the hip.

- How about in the firm?-asked my father.

The bastard had put me to work for Steve Hendrins, an overbearing asshole who
was running the firm until I had experience hisbecient to inherit leadership.
Everyone knew that he was perfectly qualified.befallen but my father was still
withoutbetake me

"Exhausting" I said trying not to glare at him.

"Real life is," he released then. His answer put me in a worse mood. I was sick of
listening to that kind of bullshit, it had been months since I had stopped behaving
like a brat, I had adopted the role that corresponded to me and I did not stop for a
minute of the day. Not only did I work for my father, but I also had one year of my
degree left, and many exams ahead. Most of the people in my class didn't even
know what a law firm was yet, and I was already capable of running it with no
problem, but my father still had no idea.bear on me and i knew i never would.

- Will you dance with me?-Noah asked me then, thus preventing me from
blurting out some rudeness -Of course.

I accompanied her to the dance floor, they had put on a slow song, and I carefully
pulled her towards me, trying not to let my bad mood or my anger fall on the only
person who mattered to me at that time.bethis.

"Don't be angry," he told me then, caressing the back of my neck.

I closed my eyes letting his caress relax me.

My hand trailed down to her waist, brushing the small of her back.

"You've left your underwear on, you can't ask me not to get angry" I answered,
knowing that I was speaking badly, that it wasn't her fault, that I should shut the
fuck up before ruining her birthday.

"I hadn't even noticed" he replied, stopping his caress. I looked down at her,

she was beautiful.

I put my forehead against hers.

"I'm sorry" I said looking at her and delighting in her beautiful eyes. He

smiled at me a second later.

- Will you stay tonight?-he asked me then.

Shit, same discussion again. I wasn't going to stay there, I had already moved
months ago, and I hated being under my father's scrutiny. I couldn't wait for
Noah to move to the city, everything would be better having her always by my
side.

"You know I didn't," I said, turning my gaze towards the people who were
watching us from time to time. I knew a lot of people criticized our relationship,
but I didn't give a shit.

"I haven't seen you in two weeks, could you make an effort and stay" he asked me,
changing his tone of voice.

I knew that if we continued like this we would end up arguing and I didn't want to
ruin his birthday.

- And sleep at the other end of the house? No thanks-I blurted out in a bad mood.

She tried to break free of my grasp and leave the track but I held her tight against
my chest. He wasn't going anywhere.

-Come on, freckles, don't be angry.

- Don't make me angry?-he released glaring at me with his honey-colored eyes.

-You know I hate staying here, I hate not being able to touch you when I feel like
it and I hate hearing the bullshit my father has to say to me.

Damn, we were already arguing.

-Well, then I don't know when we're going to see each other, because I can't go to
the city this week, I'll be busy with the examsbefinals and graduation.

Shit.

"I'll pick you up and we'll spend some time together," I said, calming my tone of
voice and caressing her back.

She sighed and looked away.

"Tell me you love me," I said, grabbing her face and forcing her to look at me.

He watched me in silence for a few seconds, a few seconds that felt like
forever. I felt myself tense up involuntarily.

- Tell me, Noah...

his eyes forbeThey didn't come back to mine.

-I love you.

Then I was thinking clearly again.

Chapter 3

NOAH

Almost all the guests had already left. Jenna was saying hello to my mom and Nick
was having a smoke with Lion in the back. I looked around me; to the mess that
had been left behindbethis and I was grateful for the first time to have someone to
clean the house every day. As I was about to turn to go find Nick, his father, Will
stopped me near the stairs.

"I wanted to give you a gift from me," he said with a shy smile, a smile very similar
to his son's.

"Will, you didn't have to buy me anything, you know," I said a little embarrassed.

"Of course," he answered, taking out a small box whose packaging seemed familiar
to me as soon as I saw it.

Cartier. Shit.

I picked up the small box and looked at the pretty white gold earrings that had
been carefully placed on the small superbevelvet cie. They must have cost a
fortune, just like Nicholas's pendant.

I looked up and saw Will's face, it was calm, serene, like it was something he did
every day... I couldn't help but compare it to Nicholas's face, his nervousness as he
waited for me to open his pendant, to be told by him. I said that I loved it; Giving
me expensive earrings was effortless for Will, he did it all the time with my
mother, showering her with expensive gifts and pretty jewelry.

"Thank you very much, Will, I love them, they're beautiful," I said closing the box
and standing on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek. My relationship with William was
not bad, unlike Nick, who could hardly stand it, William treated me as if I were his
daughter, and although he was not the typical doting father, nor much given to
long conversations, I knew that at least he appreciated me. ... the problem was that
I didn't treat my boyfriend well, and that was something I didn't like at all.

- Don't you put them on?-he asked me with a smile a second later... and it was
right there at that moment when I felt his presence behind me.

- What is that?" Nick asked.

His hands encircled me from behind and I couldn't see his face as hebeHe fixed
his eyes on the little box that he had between my fingers.

"Some earrings that I gave to Noah" William said unable to avoid frowning, it was
a habit he had every time Nick appeared and that expression deepened when his
hands were on my body.

I felt Nick tense up behind me.

-Noah doesn't wear earrings, he doesn't even have holes drilled. Shit,

Nicholas, shut up.

William fixed his gaze on my uncovered ears, and I thought I saw disappointment
on his face.

"I'm sorry, Noah," she said sadly, "I didn't even realize it."

- Don't worry-I said smiling, and trying to make the tension that was being
created between the three of them not get any worse-Now I have an excuse to do
them-I smiled and lowered my hand to grab Nick's. -I have to say goodbye to my
friends, then we'll see you Will.

William nodded andbeI stared at Nicholas for a few moments; I didn't need to
turn around to know that Nick had been watching him with a marvelous face all
this time.

- Is it a joke? -he then blurted out, glaring at the small box that I had between
my fingers. It was ridiculous for him to be upset about this, but he could
understand his anger. He had wanted to be the only one to give me a jewel for my
birthday and his father had been the one who had to spoil the detail.

"Nick, it's just earrings" I said taking his hand and pulling him out. Luckily no one
was there, only Jenna and Lion were left to leave, so I dragged him until we were
behind one of the porch columns, hidden from the others.

"I don't want you to put them on," he told me seriously, "let alone pierce your ears
for him, no way."

I took several deep breaths. I didn't want to argue again, today he was behaving like
a child and I was reaching the limit of my patience.

-Nicholas, stop, this is ridiculous, they're just earrings, it has nothing to do with
your gift, yours is special, it's the most beautiful thing I've ever been given and it
meansbe"ca a lot because it comes from you" I said looking into his eyes.
He seemed to consider my words for a few moments until a hint of a smile
appeared on his lips.

- Are you going to take it always? -he asked me then. A part of me

understood that this was very important to him, in a certain way he had put his
heart in that pendant and I felt an intense heat in the center of my chest.

-Always.

He smiled and pulled me towards him. His lips brushed withbeNita sweetness
mine, with too much sweetness. I stepped forward to deepen the kiss but he held
me still where I was.

- Do you want more?-he asked me next to my parted lips. Why didn't he kiss
me properly?

I opened my eyes to find him looking at me. His irises were spectacular, a blue so
clear it gave me chills.

"You know I do" I said with my breath accelerated and my nervesflor of skin

Come with me tonight.

I sighed. I wanted to go but I couldn't. To begin with, my mother didn't like me

sleeping over with Nick, and most of the times I did it was because I lied to her
saying that I was at Jenna's house, and besides, I had to study, I had four exams that
week.befinals and I played everything if I failed.

"I can't" I said closing my eyes.

His hand moved down my back carefully, in a caress so delicate that my hair stood
on end.

"Yes you can, and we'll start where we left off in the garden" he said reaching my ear
with his lips.

I felt butterflies in my stomach and the desire to grow inside me. His tongue
caressed my left lobe and then his teeth took their place... I wanted to leave... But
I couldn't.

I turned away, and when I opened my eyes andbeAs I stood in hers I felt a chill... I
had missed that dark look, that body that at the same time intimidated me gave
me an unbelievable security.benita.

"We'll see you later, Nick," I said taking a step back. His eyes

scrutinized me between amused and annoyed.

- You do know that if you don't come there will be no sex until your graduation,
right?

I took a deep breath, I was playing dirty but it was the truth. I was hardly going to
have time, let alone go down to the city to see him and if he didn't want to come
home because he didn't want to meet his father... I suddenly felt cold.

"We can go to the movies" I said with a broken voice.

Nick laughed.

"Okay, whatever you want, you sin" he said approaching and placing his lips
on my forehead in a tender and chaste kiss. He did it on purpose, it was
clear-See you in two days to go to the movies.

I wanted to hold him back and beg him to stay, I wanted to tell him that I needed
him because only with him would I stop having nightmares, that today was my
birthday, that it was his turn to give in this time and please me, but I knew that
nothing I said was going to make him stop. stay under that roof.

I watched him glide down the stairs, climb into his Range Rober, and drive
off without looking back.

The next two days I barely went outside to get some fresh air.

I had to cram so much information into my head that I felt like my brain was going
to explode. Jenna kept calling me to make the teachers, her boyfriend, and life in
general green, whenever there were exams she would get hysterical, and besides,
she was in charge of the room.beShe is graduating and she knew she was getting
sick not being able to dedicate all the time she deserved.

That night I had a date with Nicholas, we were supposed to go to the movies, but I
was going terribly with Friday's exam, the last one I had left. I wanted to see him
more than anything, but I knew that if I did I would get on my nerves, it was what
he caused in my body, in me, his mere presence seemed to absorb everything that
was around me and I knew that if we stayed we wouldn't I was going to be focused
to continue studying later. I was afraid to call him to tell him, I knew he would be
upset, we hadn't seen each other for four days, since my birthday, and although we
spoke on the phone, we had been quite scattered.

That's why I decided to send him a message. I didn't want to hear his voice and get
distracted, I didn't want to start an argument, so you can call me a coward or
whatever but when I hit send, I put my phone on silent and tried to forget about
him for a period of 24 hours; when the exams were over I would see him and do
what he wanted, but now I was gambling everything with this last exam and I
wanted to get the best grade possible.
Two hours later, looking disastrous, with messy hair and a terrible desire to cry or
rather kill someone, the door to my room opened with barely a sound.

I raised my head and there he was. With messy hair and a white shirt, my favorite.

Shit, he had arranged to go out with me.

"You've stood me up," he said simply walking in and closing the door and
then locking it.

"Nicholas..." I said, fearing his reaction and also mine. Today I wasn't up for fights, I
was beyond stressed, I was hysterical.

"Come," he asked me, stopping in front of my bed. He had a strange look on his
face, seemed to be considering something, and I was surprised that he didn't
immediately rant.

I wanted to kiss him, that was the honest truth, although I always wanted to, if it
were up to me I would spend the whole day with him, in his arms.

I got up in bed and went on my knees to the point where I was standing, waiting.

I stopped in front of him, he was gorgeous.

- Don't you even call me to stand me up?-he said; his hands placed
on my waist.

-I'm sorry-I said brokenly-I'm nervous, Nick, I think I'm going to fail, I don't know
anything and if I fail I'm not going to graduate, or enter the university, or work in
what I like, I'm going to be an uneducated, I will end up living with my mother,
can you imagine? I think that— His lips silenced me with a quick kiss.

"You're the most nerdy person I know, you're not going to fail" her lips parted and
her eyes looked at me affectionately.

-I'm going to suspend Nick, I'm serious, I think I'm going to get a zero
you imagine? A zero? I'll stop being Professor Lam's favorite, and even though I've
had the best grades in the whole class, he's not going to treat me differently
anymore, and I really like him...

His teeth bit into my ear hard.

-Stop talking to me about that guy, please, you piss me off more than you already
have.

I closed my mouth and searched for him with my eyes.

'I'm on the brink of a nervous breakdown, Nicholas. A

mischievous smile appeared on his face.

- Do you want me to help you relax?

That look, no, don't look at me like that please... not when you're so hot in that shirt
and I'm disgusting.

"I'm relaxed," I lied.

- ¿Prebeyou are to help you study, then? His hand brushed a lock of hair
from my face and I sighed internally at the tenderness of that gesture.

Nicholas helping me study? This could not end well, he knew.

"No need," I said with a small mouth. What happened is that I was afraid that if
he stayed we would do everything except finish theme eight of history, and yes,
Nick was very good and all that, but I couldn't fail.

Nick smirked, in that sexy way, and I watched him take a step back, away from the
end of the bed; He rolled up his shirt sleeves, kicked off his shoes, and came around
the bed to sit down while taking my book in his hands.

My mouth was watering and images of the two of us in that bed, on that same quilt,
going through the notes and studying occupied all my senses. Nick started turning
the pages until he got to where he had left off a few minutes before.

I forgot about everything, about the exams, about the university entrance exam,
suddenly I just wanted to sit on his lap and run the tip of my tongue over his jaw.

I started to move closer and he shook his head, looking up at me.

- Stay there-he said amused-Let's study, freckles, and when you find out,
maybe I'll give you a kiss.

- Only one?

He laughed and went back to his notes.

-Let us begin. As soon as we're done with this, I promise to take all the stress off
of you.
And he said it like that, so candid. My veins vibrated... oh God,
why did it have to be so good?

Two and a half hours later I knew the subject from start to finish.beno. Nick was a
good teacher, patient, to my amazement, and explained things to me like a story; on
more than one occasion I was stunned listening to him, attentive and really
interested in the American Civil War, he even told me facts and things that were not
in the book or in my notes.

When he closed the book, after I told him the subject in detail, he smiled proudly
at me with a spark of desire in his blue eyes.

You're going to get a ten.

I smiled from ear to ear and threw myself on him, who caught me and pulled me
against his body. We roll over in bed and he kisses me like he's been thirsty for
hours. I put my tongue in his mouth and he played with it before biting my lip,
sucking it and putting it in his mouth afterwards.

I moaned softly, when his hand was going down my body, he lifted my leg and
wrapped it around his waist. I felt him hard against me, and I nearly rolled my eyes
as a sweet pressure took me almost to heaven.

"I got mad when I got your message" he said lifting my shirt and kissing my stomach
with delight.

I closed my eyes and stretched my neck back.

«Oh, God»

"I imagine so," I said a second later, opening my eyes andbeLeaning on him, who
had raised his head and was looking at me between excited and amused.

-But I liked studying with you, freckles... I've realized the number of things I can
still teach you-when he said that his hand pulled my shorts down and I stayed in
my underwear, under him, with his mouth too close to the south of my body to
feel calm.

I got nervous and moved a little on the mattress.

His hand was placed on my stomach, forcing me to stay still.

-I promised you a kiss, right?

His eyes burned into mine and I nearly melted.

-Nick...-I didn't know if I was ready for that...we had never done anything like that
and suddenly I wanted to get out of bed and run.

Nicholas moved closer to my mouth, his elbows on either side of my face, and
looked at me calmly.

"Just relax" he said burying his nose in my neck, sniffing me and kissing me
carefully.

I closed my eyes and writhed under his body.

"You're so sweet..." he said going down my stomach, his lips brushing my skin,
and they caused me chills.

When he reached his destination, he stopped for a few moments. I don't have to
clarify how erotic it was for me to see him there, between my legs, with that look
of pure desire, desire for me, for no one else.

He carefully pulled my panties down and I was so embarrassed that I closed my

eyes, letting it happen and not knowing if I was going to like it or not, and without
thinking much more about it.

His mouth began kissing my thighs, first one and then the other. He spread my
legs, settling in the middle, and when I felt his breath on my sex, I almost lost
consciousness.

What came next was worse, much worse.

"God..." I said unable to avoid moving.

His hands took me by the waist and his tongue began to trace circles on my
hypersensitive skin... I felt that I was dying, that I was dying of pleasure right
there. I suck, kiss, lick and blow until my orgasm came almost without warning.

I screamed without realizing that I was doing it, grabbing the sheets tightly.

God…it had been the most erotic experience of my life.

When I recovered, Nicholas had his chin resting on my stomach and was looking
at me like someone who has found treasure at the bottom of the ocean.

I blushed and he laughed as he pushed himself up and stood next to me. I covered
myself with the sheet and he pulled me into his arms.
-Fuck, Noah...tell me why I hadn't done this to you before.

I turned and buried my face into his chest. Nicholas was still dressed and I didn't
have to look to see that he had a hard-on sticking out of his pants.

Would I have to do the same?

The nerves kicked in again, but Nick kissed me on the top of the head and sat up,
getting off the bed.

- Where are you going?" I exclaimed when he began to walk towards the door.

"If I don't leave now, I won't do it all night," he explained to me and I noticed his
voice was a little strained.

I picked up the pants that were lying next to me on the pillow where we had
dropped them and put them on. I got out of bed and went to him.

"I'm done on Friday, Nick, and we'll have the whole summer to ourselves." I

walked up to him and gave him a loving hug.

Nick pulled me into his arms and sighed resignedly.

-As you don't get a ten on that exam, you're going to have to deal with me.

I laughed and pulled away from his chest so I could watch him.

"Thank you... for everything" I said noticing again how I blushed. He reached

out and touched my cheeks.

-You are the most beautiful thing that has happened to me in my life, freckles, don't
thank me for anything.

I felt my heart swell with happiness and felt immense sorrow as he kissed the top of
my head and walked away, leaving me there.

The exam had gone perfect, perfect. It couldn't have gone better and when I ran
into Jenna in the hallway five minutes later we both looked at each other and
jumped like crazy, people started staring at us, some laughing, some looking like
we were bothering them, but I didn't care, my work there was over, I wasn't going
to have to wear any more uniform, or be treated like a girl, or have to show my
notes to my mother so she could read them.bermara or any of that bullshit, I was
free, we were free and I couldn't be happier.
- I don't believe it!-Jenna yelled hugging me like crazy. We went to the
cafeteria and when we entered we heard how all our classmates were messing it
up like never before, they were shouting, dancing, laughing, clapping, it was
crazy, abeit is in full order. The other students looked at us as if we were crazy
and others with envy since most of them had years to go before they could get out
of that hell.beerno

Kat joined us a moment later as we approached our friends.

- We are free!-she said, raising her nerdy glasses that she always wore
when we had exams, I couldn't help but let out a laugh.

-They are planning a bonfire on the beach to burn the uniforms,

Are you in?-he informed us with a radiant smile. Jenna and

I looked at each other.

- Sure!-we yelled at the same time, which made us laugh like hysterics;
We seemed drunk, drunk with happiness.

An hour later, after celebrating with the class, going around the classrooms fooling
around and practically wasting time, I left the school that had brought me more
good things than bad. I remembered hating him at first but if it hadn't been for him
I wouldn't have been admitted to UCLA and I wouldn't have been able to
study.beEnglish lology, as I had always dreamed of.

I bolted when Nick texted me that he was waiting for me at the door. He was
standing by his car and an incredible smile appeared on his face when he saw me
beaming with happiness. I couldn't control how happy I was, I ran out and threw
myself into his arms; her hands held me quickly and I searched for her lips with
mine until we melted into a kiss worthy of a romantic movie.

I had finished school, I had gotten the best grades, I would go to a university that I
would never have been able to afford, I had the best boyfriend in the world whom
I adored; and in two months I would be going to live on my own on a university
campus with a magnificent future.bewith ahead

Nothing could go better.

Chapter 4

NICK

My girl had graduated. I couldn't help but feel the proudest man in the world, not
only was she hot but, damn, she was incredibly smart. She had finished the
course with the best grades, the universities had raffled her off, andbeFinally, I
had decided to go to my university, here in Los Angeles. I don't know what he
would have done if he had gone back to Canada, which was originally his
intention, although at the endbenal had ended up staying here, in the city.

The truth is that I couldn't wait for him to move into my apartment, I hadn't told
him yet, but my intention was for him to come and live with me.
I was sick of having to put up with all the damn restrictions our parents hadn't
stopped putting on us right after we started dating.

Since Noah's kidnapping, his mother had become completely paranoid, and not
only that, but both my father and Rafaella had begun to show how unenthusiastic
they were that both of their children were dating. Things had cooled down little by
little and now that I no longer lived with them, instead of everything going back to
normal, as I had supposed at first, the opposite had happened. They barely let
Noah come to my house, what's more, they didn't even let him stay the night, we
had to invent all kinds of bullshit just to be able to be together without
interruptions.

I practically didn't care what my father or his wife had to say, I was already an
adult, I was 22 years old and would soon be 23, I would do whatever I really
wanted but it wasn't the same for Noah. I was aware that taking us five years was
going to pose several problems for us in the future, but I never thought that they
would cause me so many fucking headaches.

He had been careful with Noah, he understood that she was young, she was still a
teenager, but when he was with her she didn't seem so. Noah had had to live
experiences that no one her age had been forced to suffer and that had left a mark
on her, a maturity that sometimes not even I had; although the truth, now that he
had turned eighteen, hoped that things would change. His mother was going to
have to stop all this nonsense. I hated being away from her and we had fewer and
fewer opportunities to spend time together.

I was finishing my degree and I wanted to become independent from my father.

Hell, I wasn't bad at business, I was an ace with
mathematics, it had always been and I was interested in entering the
sectorbefinancial of Leister Enterprises. Now I was doing an internship at another
company, the new one my father had opened nine months before; I knew that law
was essential in the company, but my father had begun to invest years ago in
various sectors that were still in their infancy; if he left me the management of the
company, I could take advantage of it, I knew that I could make it prosper, but he
did not withbeIt fell on me, it ceded certain powers and responsibilities to me at
the pace of a turtle, and with a few drops and I was fed up. Either he let me run the
company a year from now or I was going to start on my own and from scratch, I
was totally capable.

I no longer had anything left to graduate in law and the master's degree
inbenances and accounting I had started preparing it on my own. As soon as I took
the exams, any company was going to want me to be among theirbeso it was better
for my father to stop so much bullshit.

I got out of the car after several minutes of reluctance and approached the door of
my father's house. I still had the key and I went in without knocking. I was going
to take Noah to dinner, to celebrate that he graduated tomorrow, I knew he was
going to be super busy, with thebeThis one that her class organized and her
mother also wanted to have dinner with her after the ceremony, so either we went
out today or again she was going to have to share it with everyone. I knew it
sounded selfish, but I wanted her for myself, just for me. These past few months,
with all the bullshit at school, me traveling to San Francisco, and our parents'
obstacles, I hadn't spent even half the time I'd wanted to be with her. All the time
we spent apart ended up inflowing to my way of interacting with Noah afterwards.

I wanted to be a good boyfriend, treat her sweetly and with respect, like I was
supposed to, but damn, when I didn't see her for a week, I just thought about
fucking her a thousand times and I used to forget too easily that my girlfriend was
only eighteen. recently met.

When I walked in, I couldn't help but look up at those high ceilings that I had
barely been aware of when I lived in that house. I had never cared about money, or
well, I had never had to worry about it; but now that I wanted to start with myself,
I wanted to be able to live the same way I had been raised, but not at the cost of my
father supporting me, I wanted to succeed on my own, to make Noah feel safe by
my side. My apartment in the city wasn't cheap, but it was small, it was a single
apartment, with two bedrooms, a small living room and a kitchen, it wasn't bad,
but it wasn't what I wanted for my future. I wanted to give Noah a big house, next
to the beach, where I could see her in a bikini as many times as I wanted, I wanted
to teach her to surf, build bonfires in the sand, and in a few years start a family. ok
i know i was
going too fast, but I was fucking in love with that girl, I couldn't help but make plans
and think about our future together.

"Hello, Nick" Rafaella greeted me as she came out of the kitchen. She was radiant,
as always, although not as bright as her daughter.

Rafaella had golden blonde hair, similar to my mother's, and her eyes were very
blue. Noah was very different from her, but he had inherited the same size, height
and spectacular body from his mother. My father did not have bad taste, it had to be
admitted.

- What's up?-I said kindly, unable to avoid diverting my eyes towards the
stairs. I didn't really feel like chatting with Rafaella, so Noah had better come
downstairs soon.

- Where are you going to go?-he asked me, stopping with his arms crossed
in front of me.

"Well, I'm going to take her to dinner and for a walk" I said trying not to
lose my temper. What did he care where he was taking her?

Don't come back late, okay? Tomorrow is a big day and he has to rest- I had to stop
myself from answering him and I would have done it if it weren't for Noah
appearing down the stairs. Her radiant smile caught my attention and all my
troubles and bad moods vanished as quickly as my eyes fell on her body. He was
amazing, as always. She had put on a dress that was fitted at the top and loose at
the waist, reaching just above her knees. The temperatures had started to rise,
welcoming summer and I couldn't thank the weather more for letting me see those
legs once more.

Noah ignored his mother and almost ran over to give me a quick kiss on the lips. I
would have liked to give him more than an affectionate peck, but my eyes had
seen Rafaella frown behind our backs.

"We're leaving, mom," he said pulling away from me and kissing his mother on the
cheek.

I pulled her, I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

- Don't be late Noah!-he yelled.

Noah looked at me and pursed his lips together. She knew she was fed up with this
situation too, but she wasn't going to face her mother, not yet at least.

I opened the car door for him, trying not to let my bad mood affect me. She
turned her back to the seat and searched for me with her
look. She had barely put on makeup but what little mascara she wore made
her lashes look like miles.

"Don't be angry" he asked me with a sweet smile while he caressed my cheek with
one hand. I closed my eyes for a second.

-I do not get mad.

She brought her lips closer to mine, and I passed a hand around her waist,
drawing her towards me. When sticking her body to mine I felt her skin too
bare.

- Aren't you wearing a bra?

My heart was already racing, fuck Noah, don't do this to me or we won't make it to
dinner.

Her cheeks were dyed an overly attractive pink.

"With this dress I don't need it," she said simply.

"You're going to kill me" I replied kissing her deeply. His tongue went in search of
mine, with the same passion that I felt, I wanted to put my hand under that dress,
damn...

I turned away

-Come on or your mother will kill me before time. I said kissing her on the forehead.

Her breathing was fast as was mine, but I got her into the car and forced myself to
calm down.

The drive was nice, Noah was excited about her graduation and didn't shut up in the
twenty minutes it took us to get there. Sometimes I was amused by the way she
gestured with her hands when she was excited about something, now for example
her hands seemed to have a life of their own.

It was only when we got to the restaurant that he fell silent and I saw out of the
corner of my eye his eyes widen.

"Nicholas, this place is super expensive," she said, automatically looking down at
her dress and flats.

"You're perfect, and today is a special day," I said, taking her by the hand and
approaching the door.
"I have a reservation in the name of Leister" I said wanting to sit down for dinner
at once. The sooner we ate dinner the sooner I was going to be able to be alone
with her.

"Come through here," he said, leading us to a secluded area, as requested. Now they
could listen to me, that dinner cost 100 dollars per cover.

We sat down and I watched as Noah looked around in amazement. I had been
living with my family and surrounded by rich people for ten months and still
hadn't gotten used to it. I liked that about her, since she didn't really care about
money, she would have been just as happy if I had taken her to a McDonald's, I
was sure.

- Do you want the menu? -said the waiter looking at both of us

alternately.

"I already know what I'm going to order, Noah?" She looked at the waiter a little
intimidated. I smiled amused, on these occasions you could tell how young I was.

"Ask for me," he said smiling. I turned

to the waiter.

-Two dishes of beef tenderloin with bacon and seasonal mushrooms and drink...-I
said looking at Noah.

-A Coke zero.

I almost laughed out loud. She frowned at me, God she was adorable.

-For me a glass of Pinot Noir, thank you.

The waiter nodded and left us alone.

"Pinut what?" he said laughing at me.

"Pinot Noir," I repeated, holding her hand in mine and smiling.

-I'm sorry I'm not such a tomboy, like you, Mr. Wine Expert. I

laughed.
"I'm not a wine expert at all," I said, although I knew a lot about it, especially from
the thousands of times I'd had to dine in places like this.

"Today you look beautiful" I told her wishing we could be alone, preferably in my
house and with her naked in my bed.

He smiled and then the waiter arrived with our drinks. While they served

me the glass of wine, he looked at me curiously.

- Do you want to try it?" I said after taking a sip.

She nodded and I handed her my glass. The simple fact that he drank from my same
glass made me feel hot, I know, I was losing my mind.

She removed it first, playing the expert, then brought it to her lips. I was amused to
see how he was teasing me.

- Do you like it?

His eyes looked at me over the top of the glass.

-It's rich, but prebeIt was my Coca Cola. I

shook my head laughing.

Shortly after they brought us the food, it was delicious and Noah seemed to be
enjoying it, he smiled and laughed at the things I said to him, he looked relaxed
and I also began to calm the tension that had been accumulating inside me for
several days, although I didn't know it. not a single detail of the way he moved, of
unconsciously taking his hand to the place where his tattoo was, that tattoo that I
liked to kiss so much...

"There's something I wanted to talk to you about..." he said after an

uncomfortable silence. I looked at her with curiosity and it increased when I saw
that she was blushing.

- What happen?

I realized that he had regretted it as soon as he blurted out the question.

"Nothing, leave it alone," he said, raising the glass to his lips, then he began to
look at the ice, not daring to intertwine his eyes with me.

"Tell me," I said without having the slightest idea of ​what was going through that
little head.
She was silent. Fuck.

-Noah, start talking right now-I hated that he did that to me, I wanted to know
everything I was thinking or feeling, I didn't want him to be ashamed of absolutely
anything, besides, he was so intrigued that I wouldn't even let him get away without
telling me. that was going through his head.

Her eyes met mine for a few seconds and then she began to play with a lock of
her multicolored hair.

"I was thinking... you know, what happened the other night, when you..." she said
turning scarlet.

I tried not to smile, I knew we were going to have to talk about it. We had never
done anything like this, I had wanted to go slowly with Noah, introduce her to sex
little by little and above all wait until she was ready.

"When did I suck you...?" I started to say, enjoying his reaction.

- Nicholas! -she said alarmed, looking up to both sides- God, forget it, I
don't even know how it occurred to me to talk about this here...

I took her hand and brought it to my mouth, kissing her knuckles.

"You're my girlfriend, you can talk to me about whatever you want, what about the
other day?" I said trying to reassure her, I knew she was dying of embarrassment
with these issues, I had already checked when sometimes some rudeness escaped
me- You do not like me?

Of course she had liked it, she had had to cover her face so she wouldn't be heard.
Damn, did we have to talk about this right now? I felt myself getting hard just
remembering Noah under my mouth.

"Yes, I like it, it's not that," he said, playing with my hand. Now he had turned it
over and with one finger traced the lines of my palm.

I felt a chill; This was not going to end well.

I raised the glass to my lips trying to stay calm.

-I was wondering if you wanted me to do the same with you.

I almost spit out what was in my mouth. I choked and let go of his hand.

Noah's eyes widened in surprise and looked at me with shame and desire, yes, I
could see desire under those red eyes.
Honey, and fuck, I couldn't keep having sex conversations with Noah in public
places. Just the image of his mouth encircling me, sucking me, giving me
pleasure...

- Are you done?" I asked, ignoring his question. She looked at

me puzzled and nodded a second later.

I asked for the bill and while we waited I fixed my eyes on his.

- What's wrong with you?" he said a second later. She didn't seem to
understand anything, what's more, she seemed worried.

- What's wrong with me?-I said, sounding pissed off, but I wasn't, I was on
fire, damn, we hadn't done it since his birthday, and he started talking to me about
sex and sucking me off in the middle of a crowded restaurant. -Let's get out of
here.

When I paid the bill I pulled Noah to the car. I put the car in

gear and went straight to the highway.

- My question bothered you, is that it?-he said with a strange voice.

I turned to look at her and then I realized that she had been an asshole. He was
teary-eyed. Shit, we weren't going to make it to the apartment. I went to a field
that was next to a cliff. The night was so dark that the sea could not be
distinguished from a distance, but the noise of the waves colliding with the sea
reached my ears.

I stopped the car, pushed the seat back, and then did the same for Noah. I pulled
her until she was straddling me and without letting her say anything I joined my
lips to hers. I opened her mouth with my tongue and began to caress hers with a
passion that consumed me inside.

"Your question has turned me on, that's what's happening," I explained,

pulling the dress she was wearing and pulling it off over her head. Damn, she
had no bra on and her breasts were free for me to caress.

With a hand on her back I brought her to my mouth and brought a nipple to my
lips. She blew out a ragged breath as her other hand caressed her other breast,
slowly melting her under my caresses. Her hands threaded through my hair and
guided me to her other breast that craved the same attention.
I pulled away a second later and looked at her. Her eyes were glassy with desire, and
I had to control myself not to enter her just then, violently and without giving rise to
preliminaries or hosts.

"You drive me crazy" I said bringing my mouth closer to her neck, and licking her
from top to bottom. With my other hand I parted the fabric of her panties and put a
finger to the bottom, it was so wet that it slid without any impediment.

- Nicholas! He yelled, when I put two in him. He started to move against my

hand, just like I had taught him, but I wasn't going to let him come like that, no
way, he was going to come with me inside.

I stopped just as he was about to arrive. His hand

pulled my hair back.

- What are you doing?-she blurted out with a dark look, I had to contain the
urge to laugh, Noah being pissed off while we were doing this had never
happened, and I knew she was bringing out the worst in herself, or the best,
depending on how she looked at it.

"Today it's my turn, baby," I said, lifting it up and opening my fly.

It was a relief that Noah had been on birth control pills since before he met me, he
would have hated not being able to fully feel her, just like he was doing now; I
entered her carefully, despite my desire to go wild. I didn't want to hurt him, but
his response was so passionate that I had to stop myself from coming immediately.
She started moving on top of me and I had to hold her tight to keep her still.

"Slowly" I said putting our foreheads together and waiting for his eyes to fix on me.
When he did, I gave him a quick kiss on the lips, our breaths too fast for us to kiss
deeply.

I picked her up and made her go down on my member slowly, filling her
completely. His head jerked back, and I had to rein in my primal instincts again.

I put her back up, and she started to move like I wanted her to;beFinally we both
ended up picking up the pace, but always looking at each other, her hands held
tightly to my shoulders and I held her tight around the waist, I moved in as much as
I could until Noah let out a cry of pleasure that took me to the floor. ecstasy. We
came together and I didn't stop moving until she stopped sighing with pleasure...
"I love you" I said when I was able to speak. I had her lying on top of me, her head
on my neck while my hands slid up and down her bare back, very slowly.

She didn't answer me, I think she was asleep, or too exhausted to speak. But then
I felt his lips on my neck. A tender, soft kiss, a kiss from Noah.

"I love you so much that it hurts," he said then.

I forced her to look at my face. I took her face in my hands and looked for her
eyes with mine.

- Why are you crying?

I always got alarmed with Noah, always felt like there was a part of her that was
miles away from me, a part that she kept hidden, and made me feel like she wasn't
completely mine, that she wouldn't be until I broke down that barrier that I knew it
was still there, between the two of them.

"Promise me you're never going to leave me," he said then.

How could he even doubt it? Didn't she understand that he loved her more than
you could love anyone in a lifetime? Didn't she understand that without her my
world was a dark night, a universe without planets, without stars, without
anything?

I will never leave you in my life.

His eyes seemed relieved one second and happy the next. I placed

my lips on his, sealing my promise.

Chapter 5

NOAH

I was graduating. I don't know if you've already been through something like this,
but it's a wonderful feeling; I know that I still had the hardest part, I still had to go
to university and actually seen with perspective, there was still the worst, but
graduating from high school is something that cannot be compared to anything.
It's a step toward maturity, a step toward independence, and it's such a free
feeling.besong that my whole body trembled when I waited inbeI joined my
companions to say our names.

We were going in alphabetical order, so Jenna was several places behind me. The
ceremony had been perfectly organized, in the school gardens, with large panels
that read: class of 2015 with exquisite elegance. I still remembered what the
ceremonies were like in my old high school, and if I was not mistaken they were
held in the gym, with a few decorative balloons and little else. Here they had even
decorated the trees that surrounded the gardens.

The chairs where the relatives and friends were, were lined with very expensive
fabrics, green and white, following the colors of the school. Our gowns, the same
green color, were designed by a renowned dressmaker, and the 2015 dangling from
my mortarboard was made with Swarovski diamonds, it was crazy, an incredible
waste of money, but I had learned not to be shocked over time, I lived surrounded
by billionaires and for them this was something normal.

- Noah Morgan!-they then shouted into the microphone. I was startled, and
nervously went up the stairs to pick up my title. I looked with a radiant smile
towards thebethose of relatives and I saw how Nick and my mother applauded,
standing up, as excited as me.

I laughed when I saw my mother jumping around like crazy, shook hands with the
principal, and joined the other graduates.

The girl who had surpassed me in the average by two tenths, went up on stage after
we had been awarded our diplomas and gave the graduation speech. It was
exciting, fun and very beautiful, nobody could have done it better. Jenna next to
me shed some tears and I laughed trying not to follow her example.

Even though I had only been there a year, it had been one of the best years of my
life. After putting my prejudices aside, I had achieved in that school not only a
magnificentbeca pre-university preparation but some great friends.
Kat was next to me, blowing her nose loudly, and when she finished the
speech came the line we'd all been waiting for.

- Congratulations class of 2015, we are free!-they shouted excitedly into

the microphone.

We all got up and tossed our caps over our heads. Jenna pulled me into a hug that
nearly took my breath away, and Kat joined us, weeping into our robes.

- And nowbe"This!" Jenna yelled, clapping her hands and jumping like
crazy. I burst out laughing and soon we were surrounded by thousands of relatives
who came to greet their children. The three of us said goodbye momentarily and
went in search of our respective parents.

Arms wrapped around me from behind, hard, lifting me off the ground.

- Congratulations, nerd!-Nick said in my ear, placing me on the ground and

giving me a loud kiss on the cheek. I turned and threw my arms around his neck.

- Thank you! I still don't believe it!-I said with my face buried in his
neck and his arms hugging me tightly.

He deposited me on the ground, and before I could kiss him my mother appeared,
and getting between the two of us, she held me in her arms.

- You graduated, Noah!" she yelled like a schoolgirl, jumping up and forcing
me to do the same. I laughed, watching Nick shake his head indulgently and laugh
at my mother and me. William stopped next to us, and after my mother released
me, he gave me a loving hug.

"We have a surprise for you," he told me a moment later. I looked at

the three suspiciously.

- What have you done?" I said with a smile.

Nick took my hand and pulled me.

"Come on," he said, and I followed the three through the gardens. There
were so many people around us that it took us our time to get to the parking
lot.

Everywhere I looked there were cars with giant bows, some brightly colored, others
with balloons tied to the mirrors.
My goodness, what father could be crazy enough to buy such big cars for
18-year-olds?

years?

Then Nick covered my eyes with one of his big hands and began to guide me
through the parking lot.

- But what are you doing?-I asked laughing when I tripped over my own
feet. I began to feel a tingle of unsettling excitement.

Won't there be...?

"This way, Nick," my mother told him, more excited than I'd ever heard her say in
my life. Nick forced me to turn my body and stopped.

A second later, his hand was removed from my eyes and my jaw dropped, literally.

"Tell me that red convertible isn't for me," I whispered in disbelief.

- Congratulations!-William and my mother shouted with radiant

smiles. Nick shoved some keys in my face.

"No more excuses for not being able to come visit me," he said happily, before
leaning over and giving me a peck that forced me to shut my mouth.

- You're crazy! -I yelled hysterically when I returned to

earth. Damn, they bought me a fucking Audi.

- My God, my God!-I started screaming like crazy.

- Do you like it?-asked William.

- Are you joking? -I answered jumping up and down, God was so euphoric
that I didn't even know what to do.

I ran to my mother and William and pulled them into a hug that nearly took their
breath away.

"I don't believe it, seriously," I said getting into the car. It was beautiful, red and
shiny, everywhere you looked it seemed to shine.

Next to me several shouts of joy were heard, I was not the only one who had been
given a car for graduating, there were more giant bows in that parking lot than in
any craft store and that's for sure.
"It's an Audi R8 Spyder," Nick told me, getting in next to me. I shook

my head, still in shock.

"This is incredible," I said, putting the keys in and listening to the sweet purr
of the engine.

-You are incredible, he told me and I felt a warmth inside me that took me to fifth
heaven.

I got momentarily lost in his gaze and in the happiness I felt at that moment. MY
mother had to call me twice to come back to earth. Nick next to me chuckled.

- Shall we meet at the restaurant?-she asked me with William hugging her

by the shoulders.

My mother had made a reservation at one of the best restaurants in the city. After
everyone had dinner as a family, I had thebehe's graduating As I have told you
before, the students of St. Mary were not satisfied with making abeHe is in the gym
and with balloons, period; They had made a reservation at the Four Seasons in
Beverly Hills, and not only had they hired the best catering and the largest
ballroom with room for more than 500 people, but they had rented two entire
floors of the hotel so that we could all sleep that night and not having to go home
until the next day. It was crazy, and at first I had complained, since all of that was
paid for by us, at a discount since the father of one of our colleagues was the owner
of the hotel, but even so it had cost a lot of money.

"We did my graduation on a cruise, we didn't return home until after five days,"
Nicholas had told me when I told him my astonishment at what my fellowship was
planning. After that answer I decided to keep my opinions to myself.

I nodded excitedly eager to start driving that wonderful car. The seats were beige
leather and everything was so brand new with that smell of a new car... a smell
that I had never smelled before in my life...

I put my keys in the ignition and drove out of the parking lot, leaving school
behind…forever.

-Noah, aflhey, you're going too far-Nick scolded me next to me. The wind was in our
faces, blowing our hair back and I couldn't stop laughing.

The sun was setting and the views I had at that moment were impressive, the cars
passed by me, the sky was painted in a thousand colors, between pink and orange
and the stars were beginning to shine.
catch a glimpse of the clear, cloudless sky. It was a perfect summer night, and I
smiled thinking about the month and a half I had to be with Nick, together for
real, no exams, no job, no nothing, we had six weeks to be together before I
moved. to the city and couldn't stop smiling at that perfect future.

"Fuck, we shouldn't have bought you this car," he hissed next to me. I looked at him
rolling my eyes and slowed down.

- Are you happy, granny? -I said poking him. I loved running, that was
nothing new.

"You keep exceeding the speed limit," he added, looking at me seriously. I ignored
him, I wasn't going to go down to 100, 120 was fine, plus everyone ran in that city,
and that's why I loved it.

"I guess you can't change your genes" he said a second later, he said it as a joke,
he knew it, but the smile on his face seemed to freeze untilbefinally disappear.

I had tried with all my might not to think about my father again, especially that
day, I tried with all my might but anything brought him to mind, and I couldn't
help but feel nostalgic seeing all my friends with their parents on that special day. I
kept wondering what graduation would have been like if my father hadn't been
crazy... and dead. I was sure it wouldn't be Nick sitting next to me, and I was also
sure he wouldn't have urged me to slow down...

But what the hell was he thinking? My father was an alcoholic, a criminal with
murderous instincts, he had tried to kill me, what the hell was wrong with me? How
could I miss him? How could I keep imagining that life that had never existed and
would never exist?

- Noah?-I heard her call me Nick. Without realizing it, I had slowed down to
almost 60, the cars next to me whistled and overtook me. I shook my head, I had
lost myself again.

"I'm fine" I said smiling, and trying to return to that state of euphoria in
which I found myself a few minutes ago. I hit the accelerator and ignored
that sting that I still felt in my heart.

It didn't take us much longer to get to the restaurant. It was beautiful, I had never
been there, and I was excited to try the food. I had told my mother that I didn't care
where I ate as long as they had the best chocolate cake; that was my request.

My mother and Will must have been about to fall, and I got out of the car and Nick
came up to me. He was very handsome, with dark pants, a white shirt and a gray tie,
I fell in love when I saw him as businesslike, as I did
called. He smiled at me in a way he only did when he was with me, and watched
me with dark eyes as I moved past to remove the robe I still wore. Underneath I
had dressed in a light pink jumpsuit, it clung to my body like a glove and
hadbegeometric figures on my back, leaving bits of skin visible.

"You look spectacular," he said, placing a hand on the lower part of my back and
carefully pulling me towards him. Even with the heels they were wearing, we were
not at the same height. my eyes arebeThey left on his lips, how attractive he was, all
of him, and he was mine, no one else's.

"You too," I told him laughing knowing how little he liked when I said compliments.
He didn't understand why, but he felt really uncomfortable when she let him know
how handsome he was. It was no secret, we had only been there in the parking lot
for three minutes and more than five women had already turned to give him a
completely shameless review.

Before I could say anything else, he silenced me with a kiss.

"Today we spent the night together" I told him when he separated a second later.
The kiss had lasted too little for my liking.

His eyes looked at me with desire.

"I'm thinking of kidnapping you and having you come all summer to live with me on
the floor," he released then.

For a moment the image of the two of us living under the same roof, but with no
parents around, made my heart swell...although it was crazy of course.

"I wouldn't tell you no," I said jokingly, enjoying the silence that followed. That
response was not expected.

I made the move to walk towards the door of the restaurant but he pulled me,
forcing me to stay still where I was.

Many very elegantly dressed people were going in and out through the
huge, exquisitely decorated doors.

- Would you come?-he asked cornering me against the car.

I raised my hands to his neck and hugged him, drawing him towards me. She was
going to kiss him on the lips but she pulled back waiting for an answer to her
question.

I smiled amused, wanting to continue with that game.

"I wouldn't mind spending the nights with you, naked... in your bed" I said,
caressing her hair with one of my fingers.
His eyes looked at me hungry. I was seducing him, a tactic I'd discovered I was
really good at, but Nick hated being provoked in public.

"Don't start something you can't dig" he released then, leaning down to catch my
lips between his; now it was I who decided to throw my head back.

Our eyes met, mine amused, his dangerous and terribly sexy.

I brought my mouth closer to his neck, seeing how he closed his eyes before I even
touched him with my lips. He had discovered that a single touch of my mouth at a
certain point put him out of action altogether.

I knew I couldn't pass by, we were in the middle of a parking lot and our
parents were about to arrive, but I wanted him so much...

"Tonight..." I said depositing warm kisses on his chin, going down to his neck
and sliding the tip of my tongue up to his ear-Make me yours, Nick.

Then his hand was placed on my waist, while the other went up to my neck,
forcing me to throw my head back.

"I don't have to make you mine, you're mine" he said before kissing me as he had
been wanting to do since we arrived.

His tongue entered my mouth without hesitation or modesty; he lashed out at

mine with unbridled madness, savoring me or punishing me, he didn't quite know
what.

It was incredible what his presence caused to my metabolism, his contact, all of
him, he drove me crazy, no matter how much time passed, it didn't matter if we
had spent the whole day together yesterday... I never got tired of him, I never lost
that attraction pain that seemed to unite us as if we were magnets.

But before my body melted, or rather ignited like a bonfire in the middle of the
desert, the blast of a horn made us jump away from each other. I hurt myself and
automatically raised my hand to my mouth. Fuck.

"Your mother," he said grimly.

"Your father," I counterattacked.

The thing is, they both glared at us.

My mother got out of the car and came towards us.

- Can you cut yourself? we're in a public place," he said, looking accusingly
at Nick. The truth is that lately she always looked at him quite badly, I didn't
like it at all, I was going to have to talk to her about it. William appeared a
second later.

The look he gave his son gave me the willies.

"Let's eat," he said coldly, taking my mother by the hand. Nicholas frowned, tense as
he always was around our parents, and took my hand a second later.

I felt his finger caress my knuckles slowly.

- Are you okay?" he asked me, looking at my lips.

I nodded, he had only bitten me, on another occasion I would have melted with
pleasure but they had cut us off abruptly.

God, she couldn't wait to be alone with him.

When we entered the restaurant, I realized that we were not the only ones who had
chosen this place to celebrate graduation. Several classmates greeted me as we
passed by, and I smiled at all of them happily. The meter took us to a table that had
been prepared on the terrace. It was next to a swimming pool and thousands of
candles surrounded both our table and those of the people who had preferred to
dine outdoors. The place was very cozy and the relaxing music of the piano
sounded in the distance; I didn't realize after several minutes that the piano was
being played live.

Nicholas sat next to me and across from us our parents. I don't know why, but I
suddenly felt uncomfortable.

It was one thing to eat pizza in the kitchen of my house, the four of us, and quite
another to all sit down for dinner in a place like that; Also, it had been months
since Nick had stayed for dinner with the family and I could almost touch more
than feel the tension in the atmosphere.

At first everything was very good, my mother, as always, was not silent even under
water, we talked about everything, about my new car, about the university, about
Nick, about his work, about William's new company, that I knew Nick was looking
forward to directing one day, and little by little I began to feel more comfortable,
plus my mother didn't address us as a couple, which could be quite comfortable or
annoying, depending on how you look at it.
It wasn't until after dessert, after I'd finished a piece of delicious chocolate cake,
that my mother decided to let go of what she had probably been holding onto for
weeks.

"I have another surprise for you," he told me when the four of us couldn't eat
anything else. I raised the glass of water to my mouth, so satisfied and happy that
I didn't expect the bombshell she dropped a second later- We're going on a girls'
trip to Europe for four weeks!

Wait to?

Hello everyone! It hasn't been that long, less than a week, and here's another
chapter, what do you think? I know you want me to start uploading chapters faster,
but it's impossible while I'm still writing the book. I hope you liked it and please let
me know what you think, I'm dying for your comments, as always :) Many kisses to
all!!!
Chapter 6

NICK

No way.

I think the look I gave that woman was such that even my father was momentarily
left with nothing to say. Next to me, Noah had remained silent after looking at me
for a few seconds.

- Mom, have you gone crazy?" she exclaimed withbegiddy joy.

why the fuckbengía? Why the hell wasn't I telling him that he wasn't going to go
halfway around the world all summer without me?

-You're getting older, and you're going to go to university...-

Rafaella began to say without even looking at me, that's why she kept talking, I was
sure that if her eyes landed on my face her lips would have stopped moving
immediately, petribeevery horror -I think it's the last chance we have to do
something together, and I know that you probably won't be as excited as I am,
b-b-but-Y

then she began to cry.

I raised the glass to my mouth, trying to control my murderous urges. I had Noah's
hand held so tightly under the table that I think it had fallen asleep, but either that,
or I'd lose my grip and start spouting the thousand and one curse words I was
swallowing with all my might.

My father looked at me out of the corner of his eye for a moment and raised the
glass to his lips.
Had it been his idea? Had he been the one who had given his wife that crazy idea?

But what the hell was I wondering, of course it had been his idea, he was the one
paying for the fucking trip.

So my last hopeflaqueó

"Of course I want to go mom" Noah said next to me, and his words were like a slap
across the face.

Is it that I did not paint anything in that decision? What the hell was he
doing sitting there?

I released her hand under the table; I was getting more and more pissed off; Either
I would get out of there or I would end up letting go of everything I was thinking,
but then I understood that leaving would not solve anything, another time I would
have made a scene, but now that would not help me, if I wanted to be taken
seriously, if I wanted to be taken seriously, I should stay and present my fucking
opinion: No They were going to take my girlfriend away from me for a whole
month.

Noah, seeing that I let go of his hand, turned his face towards me. I looked at her
for a second and saw that that was tormenting her as much as it was me, well,
something was something.

Before Rafaella could say anything else I interrupted her.

- Don't you think you should have consulted us before paying for the trip?

I think I had used all my willpower to ask that question in that calm tone of voice
you just used. If he had really said what he wanted, he would have yelled the
following:
But what the hell is wrong with you? You're going to take Noah away from me over
my fucking corpse for a month, if you find out for a fucking time that we're together,
that we're not fifteen years old and that we want to stay locked up in my apartment
for at least a whole week to just fuck and fuck until we run out of steam and have to
go out into the fucking sun!

Rafaella turned to me. It was in that look that I understood that any hope that
Noah's mother would accept me as her boyfriend was gone. She didn't want me
for Noah, and her face made it abundantly clear.

-Nicholas, it's my daughter, who just turned eighteen, she's still a girl and I want to
spend a month on vacation with her. Is it so difficult to understand?

Before I could say anything, Noah jumped to my defense.

"Mom, I'm not a girl, okay?" she said, tossing her hair back. Okay, perfect I was
pissed off, that's how I like it, go ahead Noah. -Don't talk to Nick like that, he's my
boyfriend, he has every right not to be happy with this trip.

Not being happy was an understatement, but I let him keep talking.

Rafaella now looked at her daughter, her eyes were still watery from having cried
before, and the face of torment she put on made me want to vomit.

- I'll go on the trip.

That?!
"But this will be the last, next time either we all go or I won't" he added, ignoring
how his words were processed by my brain, making me suddenly see everything
red.

His mother smiled and I felt such warmth in my body that I stood up. My

father looked at me, warning me with his eyes.

"I'm leaving" I said trying to control my voice. I wanted to hit someone so badly
that my hands had balled into fists. Noah got up next to me. I don't know if he
wanted her to come with me, I was just as mad at her as he was at her mom.

"Nicholas, sit down," my father told me, looking around.

Always the fucking appearances, and always that disappointed look on his face. I
started walking towards the exit, I didn't even stop to wait for Noah, I needed to
get some fresh air.

When I got outside, I went straight to the car, realizing I didn't even have the keys,
that wasn't my fucking car. I turned and leaned my back against the driver's door.
Noah was walking towards where I was.

Those heels she was wearing hadn't let her keep up with me. I took a cigarette out
of my pocket and lit it, not giving a shit that it bothered him that I smoked.

When she got to my side she stopped, her cheeks flushed, her eyes searching mine. I
fixed my gaze on the people entering the restaurant. I took a drag on my cigarette
and blew out the smoke, knowing it would get to him, and it would bother him, well,
he served him right for wanting to leave me for a fucking month.

Nicholas, I don't...

"Shut up, Noah," I cut her off.

I heard how he took a deep breath and looked at his face. It had been abrupt, he
knew, but he didn't know how to control what he felt at that moment. I hated not
having any kind of right over her, it didn't matter if we'd been dating for eight
months, it didn't matter if she was my girlfriend, I still didn't decide anything
about her, and it was at these moments when I noticed that the five years that
seemed to be an abyss between the two of us, because if it was a 23-year-old girl
like me, we wouldn't have to be discussing something like this, there would be no
mothers involved, we would make decisions together, as a couple, and I wouldn't
have than to be now wanting to kill someone.
- What did you want me to do?-he said then, coming forward and placing
himself in front of me.

I was going to blow smoke in his face again, but he wasn't such a jerk. I turned my
face, released the breath I was holding and got up, surrounding her body and
throwing the cigarette away from me.

I turned my back on him, and fixed my gaze on the trees that were to my right. A
month, a month without Noah, all the plans, all the things I had wanted to do with
her, now they had gone to shit, I had been planning a trip, I had wanted to take
her with me, visit places together, I had proposed to do her the love every fucking
day of the summer, enjoy her body and company, make her mine, damn, because
she was mine, not her mother's, it was me she should have put before, and she
hadn't.

I turned to her.

-Give me the keys, I'll take you to yourbethis.

She stayed silent, watching me. I knew I was hurting him with my attitude, but I
didn't care, not right now. I wasn't going to insult her or get mad, because as the
seconds went by, I got more pissed off at the thought that I wasn't going to have
her for the summer, that they had taken her from me, even if it was only for a
month and that there was nothing I could do. could do.

She sighed quietly and reached into her bag. He gave me the keys and without
saying a word he got into the passenger seat.

Better this way, if he started arguing with me, I wouldn't take responsibility for my
actions.
Chapter 7

NOAH

The tension in the car could be cut with a knife.

He was furious, I knew it, I had seen it in his eyes and he was holding back, he was
keeping to himself all the things that being on any other day but today would be
yelling at my face.

Let's see, I understood his anger, and I perfectly understood that he didn't like me
spending a whole month, but what could he have done? My mother had organized
and paid for a trip, I could not refuse it, it was my mother. We had always talked
about my graduation, about my university, about how we would go together to buy
the furniture for my residence, how we would enjoy the summer before I had to
leave, we had joked that we would go backpacking through Europe so we could
share my last summer being still her little girl, as she called me. A part of me
wanted to go on that trip, I really didn't want to miss that opportunity to be alone
with the woman who had given me life and everything I had, I couldn't just reject
her.

The other, rather important part, too, her body ached just thinking about not going
to see Nicholas for four whole weeks. I had also made plans, I had also wanted to
spend every second of the day in his apartment with him, especially now that I knew
that I would soon have to start working and that the trips to San Francisco would
not only last two weeks like the last one. that he had done

I looked at him from my seat. His eyes were fixed on the road, his hands gripped
tightly.bestraighten the steering wheel I was afraid of what was cooking in that
head, but I didn't know what to do or say so he wouldn't get mad at me.

- Don't you plan to talk to me? -I said then, arming myself with courage.

He didn't even look at me, although I saw the veins in his neck tense as he
clenched his jaw tightly.

"I'm trying not to ruin your night, don't provoke me, Noah," he blurted out a
second later.

Intending? It had ruined me, both him and my mother, and that love-hate
relationship that seemed to be forging between them.
"Nicholas, you can't blame me for this, I couldn't refuse to go, she's my
mother" I said losing my temper.

- And I'm your fucking boyfriend! He yelled, startling me. We were already
there, we were going to end up arguing and it was the last thing I had wanted that
night.
He turned his face towards me and I saw in his eyes that he wanted to tell me
everything.

"Don't do that, don't put me between a rock and a hard place, don't make me choose
between you and my mother" I said, controlling my tone of voice.

Nicholas sped up the car, and I had to hold on to the door.

Then in between I saw the Four Season. A huge line of cars were queuing up to be
able to get off and have their cars taken away. Several of my classmates were
already there with their partners, and the smiles on their faces made me envious.

Mine was already gone, for a change.

He stopped behind a Mercedes and turned back to me.

-If I had to choose, I would always choose you; Now get off, I'm leaving. He said
in such a cold tone that the blood in my body froze. You
I stared in disbelief, hurt by his tone but feeling guilty for what he meant by it. I
shouldn't choose between the two people I loved the most in the world, it was a
different love, totally different, I loved my mother above all things but with
Nicholas it was inexplicable, a love that hurt, that I adored but that scared me
because of his intensity, it didn't matter if my mother yelled at me, or said
something horrible to me, she was my mother, she always would be, but on the
other hand, a hurtful word from Nick's lips was capable of collapsing me, leaving
me breathless, breaking my heart, because nothing was written and my biggest
fear was losing it.

- A-don't you plan to stay?" I said with a shaky voice. Shit, those feelings of
abandonment, of dependence, I didn't want him to leave me, I needed him by my
side, I wanted to share with him tonight, a night in which I should have my
boyfriend.

He looked away from me andbeHe looked at the people walking up the steep stairs
to the reception.

"No, and I told you to get out of the car," he blurted out in that tone that I hated,
that tone that reminded me of the old Nicholas.

I felt the rage flood my system. It wasn't fair, it wasn't fair that he was paying me for
something that I had nothing to do with.
"Fuck you Nicholas, we were going to spend the night together after more than three
weeks and you're going to waste it" I told him picking up my bag and throwing my
hair back, getting more and more pissed off- Well, now I don't want you to come,
you can leave now! "I'll have a much better time without you!" I yelled, leaning over
to open the door.

Then his hand caught my arm, holding me back and forcing me to look at him.

"I don't give a shit if you get mad, but be very careful what you do in there," he said,
holding my arm tightly.

I glared at him. Now he came to me with his jealousy?

"Don't worry, I'll fuck the whole soccer team, it doesn't bother you," I answered,
wanting to get out of the car and lose sight of him, but his eyes looked at me wildly
when he heard me say that. His hand flew to my face and he caught my jaw pulling
me closer to him.

-In life you say something like that again.

I held my breath, or I would get out of the car right now and put space between
the two of us so that things calm down or I would end up in a shower of tears or
yelling at him all the things that crossed my mind at that moment.

I jerked free of his grasp and was out of the car before he could stop me. The jerk
didn't even wait to see me get in, with a squeal of tires, he accelerated until he
disappeared through the side exit, a squeal of my tires since that was my car, on
top of that, he left me lying here with no way to get away if I ended up getting fed
up with the damn thingbethis.

I headed towards the stairs where many students were talking excitedly
waiting to enter.

I looked for Jenna or Kat but there was no sign of them, surely they would be
when I fell. There were several girls in my class that I could go in with but I didn't
feel like going near them andbePretend she was super happy, because she wasn't,
she was pissed off, pissed off and hurt.

- ¡Eh, Morgan!

I turned my face to meet Lion's smiling face. My face lit up, I was sure. Like with
Jenna, who had become my best friend and withbedente, Lion had ended up loving
him in almost the same way. He was a magnificent personbeca, affectionate,
friendly and not at all intimidating. At first I had thought so, especially since I had
been a friend of Nicholas's; but nothing further than
Actually, Lion was a sweetheart, and I gave him a big hug when he came up to
greet me.

- Congratulations on graduation! -he said letting me go a second

later.

"Thank you" I said smiling.

- And Nick?-he asked looking for him around me. The smile
disappeared from my face.

"He's gone, we've had a fight," I said clenching my teeth.

To my surprise Lion burst out laughing. I glared at him.

"I'll give it half an hour before it sticks to you like a limpet, it's the longest it can be
away from you," he told me, ignoring my murderous glare and taking his mobile
phone out of his pocket.

- Well, don't come, I don't even want to see him.

Lion rolled his eyes as hebeHe was looking at the screen of his phone.

"Jenna will be here in ten minutes, do you want to come in with me?" he kindly
offered.

I nodded. It should be Nicholas who should be escorting me to my prom, but fuck

him, he missed it, I had arranged myself specifically.bespecifically for him, I had
bought my underwear at a super expensive store that Jenna had recommended to
me, La Perla I think it was called, and now I didn't even go to see it, I was so
disappointed and angry that I think smoke was coming out of my eyes. ears.

Upon entering, we find an impressive hall.

There were a lot of people crowded there and I saw that many parents of my
classmates had decided to come to thebeHe's out for a drink. There were several
men in suits indicating where we should go and Lion and I proceeded to pay
attention to them. My classmates were animatedly talking and laughing until we
reached the hotel gardens.

My goodness, that was impressive.

They had assembled the bestbeis history graduation.

The ballroom was open to the open air, many small high tables with elegant green
satin tablecloths encircling the dance floor in the center. The tables were
decorated with some arrangementsflexquisite oral, if I was not mistaken I think
they were white peonies, and
elegantly dressed waiters came and went with trays full of appetizers and glasses of
God knows what, because it couldn't be alcohol.

I looked at Lion who was just as fascinated and intimidated as I was.

Lion hadn't grown up surrounded by all these luxuries, nor had I, and both of us, I
was sure, felt out of place among so many distinguished and wealthy people.

-These people really know how to ride one.beshe said next to me.

-And that you say it-I answered hallucinated with how beautiful everything was.
The gardens were lit with dim white lights and there wereflpray everywhere, the
fragrance that spreadsbeIt filtered through my senses, it tricked you as soon as
you entered. The typical music of thebethese but I observed hallucinated as a
band made up of violins and cellos welcomed us to the establishment.

- Here you are!-said a familiar voice behind us.

We both turned and Jenna greeted us with a huge smile. -

Have you seen how many people?! What do you think? I have not passed
right? Or am I falling short?

God, you don't like it!

Jenna had been one of the main people to put thatbeit's running She knew that she
had spent the better part of the year planning the graduation and the truth is that
she had outdone herself. Our faces, Lion's and I had to be a poem if he thought we
didn't like him.

- But what do you say? -I said laughing- It's impressive!

I gave her a hug admiring how beautiful she was, of course everything came from
her genes since her mother, Caroline Tavish, had been Miss California in her
younger years, a position that not only opened thousands of doors for her but also
made her one of the richest men in the United States wanted to marry her. Jenna's
father was a billionaire, he had oil rigs all over the world, he barely spent more
than two days a month at her house, but according to Jenna, he was in love with
her mother to death, and as if not to be, that woman left no room for her.
encourage anyone. Jenna had inherited his body and height, though her face was
warmer, more youthful, sweeter than her mother's, which she commanded with
such beauty.

- I can't believe we've already graduated!-he said, jumping up and

depositing an enthusiastic kiss on Lion's lips.
He looked at her adoringly, and placed a hand on her waist, pulling her closer to
him. They said something to each other that I didn't catch, and a second later
Jenna turned to me. He looked both ways with a frown.

- And you Nicholas?

I rolled my eyes at his habit of calling him that. Nicholas wasn't mine, was he? The
truth is that at the time I had no idea.

"I don't know and I don't care" I said although in reality I did care.

Jenna frowned, but Kat arrived before she could take her side. The truth is that I did
not understand why but Jenna always stood up for Nicholas when we fought or
when we had an argument. It's okay that I knew her all my life and such, but she
was my friend, she had to take my side, defend me.

"Jenna, you've outdone yourself," Kat said with her brown hair pulled back into an
elegant bun. Kat wasn't like everyone else here.

She had been admitted to the school for her incredible grades and had been offered
a partial scholarship to study at St Marie's. It's not that he didn't have money, his
family was well-off but not rich by any means, he came from a normal family with
working parents and therefore he was as surprised as I was by the visual display that
we had in front of our noses.

The night started very well, someone or rather many had brought alcohol to the
event, I don't know how they managed it but in less than an hour almost everyone
present was drunk and stumbling on the dance floor. The lights were flashing, and
suddenly I was surrounded by a bunch of people. Brothers and cousins ​and friends
of the graduates had attended thebethis and I got a bit overwhelmed when I found
myself squeezed on the dance floor by several guys who didn't stop rubbing me so
they could dance close to my body. I gave them a push and left the track.

I was sweating, and I went to the side, where a girl was serving shots to the
adults. I had drunk several drinks, I was not drunk but I was tipsy.

- Do you want one?-he asked me. On the table were several crystal
glasses with a thick white liquid and lots of ice.

- What is it?" I asked suspiciously.

The girl smiled, amused for some reason.

-Black Russians.
If he had told me Red French I would have stayed the same. I had no idea what
that was.

"It's a cocktail with vodka and coffee liqueur and cream, it's very good, they also say
it's an aphrodisiac," he said, blinking several times. Was he fooling around with me?

What I was missing was a girl hitting on me, but since she had mentioned the
word coffee, I forgot about her sexual orientation and grabbed one of the
cocktails on the table. I put the straw in my mouth and tasted it.

I closed the eyes. Maaaadre, how delicious it was.

"God, it's great" I said looking at the sky. The girl laughed.

- Doesn't it look like it has alcohol?-she said amused. Look at her more
closely. It didn't sound like anything to me, surely she was someone's friend, or
relative. Her black hair was tied up in a high ponytail.

He was right about the alcohol. To take Vodka you hardly noticed, it didn't burn
your throat, it was like drinking a rich coffee milk shake.

I continued to drink what would from now on become my favorite cocktail. Jenna
was dancing with Lion on the dance floor and Kat had disappeared with her flirt, if
she was lucky she'd end up making out with him, although with how shy she was
I'd be surprised.

Without realizing it, I had downed two more glasses and had struck up a
conversation with the milk shake girl, whose real name was Dana. She was nice, I
was either too tipsy or the aunt was hilarious; I was so distracted laughing at his
latest joke that the last thing I expected was that suddenly and out of the blue he
would grab me by the neck and slam his lips onto mine. It was so fast and so
sudden that it took me a few seconds to push her away.

- But what are you doing? -I said a little

dizzy. The girl laughed, amused.

"I wanted to taste the vodka on your lips," he said casually.

I think the situation was so surreal that I was silent for a second.

"I have a boyfriend" I said a few seconds later, or maybe a few minutes, I don't
know, I think the alcohol had gone to my head. Had I just kissed a girl?
"It's just been a peak, calm down," he said, diverting his gaze until it rested
on something behind me.

A chill ran through me.

I felt his presence before I even turned to see if I was wrong. Nicholas was there, his
pale eyes piercing me into the distance as he made his way up to me.

"You'd better get the hell out of here," I said hastily to Dana.

Suddenly he feared for his life.

He laughed, grabbed his White Russians, and headed out onto the dance floor. I lost
sight of her just as that glorious man landed in front of me.

- Are the aunts going to you now?-he said calmly, keeping up

appearances.

I didn't let it intimidate me.

- Who knows?-I answered irritated. I was pissed off with him. He had left me
stranded, at my graduation, he had seen me alone and surrounded by people I
didn't want to be with and on top of that they had kissed me without my consent
and an aunt nothing more and nothing less! I had nothing against homosexuals,
but I couldn't be more straight than I was, damn if I was straight, just seeing
Nicholas made my blood burn under my skin and I was furious.

- What the hell are you drinking?-he released me then taking the cup from
my hands.

I thought he was going to leave it on the table, but instead he put it in his mouth, I
don't know what was wrong with me but suddenly I was dying to savor that drink
from his lips, the same thing that girl had said was repeated to me in head, I also
wanted to try the White Russians from that mouth...

- Do you know the degrees of alcohol that this has? -he released me after
finishing what was left in the glass and having deposited it behind me. I watched
him, testing the ground, I didn't know what mood he was in, well yes, he was
angry, but he almost always was, but there was something different in his look...

-I suppose that enough: if I had been sober I would have already sent you to the
innbeerno
He tilted his head to one side, watching me and brought his body closer to mine,
without touching me he put both hands on the table behind, cornering me in his
arms.

Suddenly I was short of breath. His light blue eyes searched mine.

"I think I was clear when I told you that no one except me could touch you," he
said calm, calm and cold as he always got when jealousy invaded him inside. Was
he seriously jealous of a woman? And from an innocent beak?

-You were not here, my body is mine and whoever I want touches me.

Okay, maybe I was provoking him a little too much. It is true that it was my body
and I decided who put their hands on me, but I only wanted one person to put
their hands on me and it was that exasperating man.

He took a deep breath in front of me, closed his eyes, and when he opened them
again, his gaze was filled with so much contained rage that I froze momentarily.

-You are mine, your body is my body and no one will ever touch it.

Damn... I should get mad, yell at him and tell him he was wrong, but that sentence
had turned me on so much, more than I would ever admit.

"And I'm going to prove it to you," he then released, grabbing my hand tightly and
pulling me.

God, what was I going to do? You wouldn't put the points on that girl, would you?
Wouldn't he fight in front of everyone? Nicholas was capable of anything,
especially when it came to me. He was very jealous, I was too, but his thing
bordered on madness.

He guided me until we were out of the gardens. There were people inside the hotel,
walking the halls, but Nicholas seemed to know exactly where to go. He guided me
into a completely empty conference room. The chairs were piled up, but she didn't
stop until she came to a door of a women's room.
The lights were off, and I suddenly tensed. I heard the click of a door closing and
then his hands wrapped around me.

My heart had started to pound wildly, afraid to be in a place with no lighting, but as
soon as his strong arms surrounded me, that panic that still haunted me
disappeared. Only with him could I be in the dark, only with him did I feel safe.

"You don't know what I hate arguing with you" he said grabbing me by the hips and
pushing me against the wall. His hand went up my back
and unzipped the jumpsuit she was wearing. -You like to provoke me, and I
can understand it, but don't play with me Noah, you know how I get when it
comes to you and your body.

The truth is that all that was so exciting that I didn't care about the fight, I wasn't
angry anymore, I was drunk and eager for him to make me his. Damn, I wanted to
feel him inside me, now I didn't care that we were in a bathroom or that someone
could come in and kick us out; I threw my head back when he slid the garment he's
wearing down my body leaving me in my underwear and heels in front of him. I
couldn't see myself, I couldn't see the underwear that I had taken so long to buy
but it wasn't that I cared much at that moment.

His hands were all over my body a second later. Running his fingers over my flat
stomach, he crouched down and began to place hot kisses on my belly button while
his hands moved up and down my legs, until they reached my butt.

I grabbed his hair leading him to where I wanted him to kiss me but he didn't, he
moved his mouth up to my breasts and kissed me over the white lace fabric he
was wearing.

- "Are you going to go with your mother?" he said then, as his fingers reached
my underwear and began to caress me with exasperating slowness.

I opened my eyes.

- What?-I blurted out.

In response to my question I felt his fingers entering me, he did it slowly, first one
finger and then the other.

I threw my head back, letting out a ragged breath.

"That if you're going to go with your mother," he repeated then with a hard voice
at the same time that he inserted his finger all the way into me roughly, almost
lifting me off the ground.

- Ah!-I yelled, I don't know if it was with pleasure or pain, fucking with
pleasure, of course with pleasure.

My hands went directly to his shoulders, he needed to hold me, my legs were
shaking.

"Y-yes" I said answering his question and at the same time encouraging him to
continue.

-Wrong answer.
He spun me around so fast I gasped. Suddenly my body was glued to the wall, the
cold marble froze my hot and sensitive skin, but stimulating me at the same time. I
felt him behind me, he pressed me against the wall, pressing my body with his
hips. I felt how excited he was, and pissed off seeing what he saw.

His mouth went straight to my neck, he kissed me first, then he slid to my shoulder
and I felt his teeth on my skin.

God, that was too much, we had never done it when we were pissed off with each
other, I didn't understand what he was trying to do with this, but I liked it and it
scared me at the same time.

His fingers returned to my crotch and began to stroke me in circles, slow and then
fast, slow and fast.

- You're going?

That?

"Yes" I had no idea what he was asking me.

I felt his forehead on my shoulder, he cursed and separated from me for a few
seconds. Then he took my hands from behind and forced me to place them on
the wall, above my head. I didn't like doing it like that, I wanted to see his face.

With one hand he held mine while the other wrapped around my waist, hugging
me.

-Then I'm not going to let you run. A second

later he entered me.

I let out a scream because I didn't expect it. God, he began to move inside me,
hard and fast, in and out, over and over. I didn't understand what he had meant
by that, but I began to feel how the orgasm was beginning to form inside me,
ready to be released at any moment. He held me so well that I could barely move,
it didn't matter if he wasn't caressing me, just feeling him inside me was
hisbeaware.

A part of me laughed at him for believing that he wasn't capable of having an

orgasm like that; I was about to reach the climax, when I heard how his breath
quickened as well as his thrusts and how it ended in a gasp of pleasure, he inserted
it once more and then stopped. My orgasm was consigned to oblivion when it came
out of me, leaving me like that, unsatisfied.
- What are you doing? -I said turning around, now that my eyes had
gotten used to the light, I could see him more clearly. He hadn't even taken
his pants off, he was breathing fast and God, he was so handsome my insides
burned.

-I told you that you were not going to cum.

I felt lost for a few seconds. I was serious.

I looked at him not knowing what to say. He held my gaze and moved closer to me. I
didn't know what to say to him because I felt so many emotions inside me that I
didn't know which one to put first, anger, pain because I suddenly felt he was so far
away from me, or the shame of feeling used.

He put his forehead against mine and I closed my eyes. What was happening?

"You haven't even kissed me," I said realizing. He hadn't kissed me on the
lips, not a single kiss.

"And I'm not going to kiss you," he blurted out then.

I felt as if a knife had been plunged into my stomach.

"You can't punish me like this" I said with a trembling voice, I think I was about
to start crying.

"Someone else has kissed you," he said in a whisper. "I'm not going to kiss you," he
repeated.

But what...?

The rage overcame everything else, pushing the pain away momentarily. I
pushed him with all my might.

- "Do you mean I'm dirty?" I yelled at him, feeling as such, but not because
of that miserable kiss, but because he had used me.

I bent down and grabbed my clothes. I tucked my legs in, feeling myself start to
shake. I didn't want to be there naked in front of him, I didn't want him to look at
me, he was humiliating me, he was treating me like he had never done in my life,
he was hurting me.

"I'm furious with you because you let them touch you, and because you decided to
leave me stranded for a fucking month," he said raising his voice.

This had nothing to do with my mother, or well, maybe it did, but that she didn't
kiss me...? this went from brown to dark, and something as simple as a beak had
turned into a complete insignificance.beerno because the words I released next
were meant completely.
-Either you kiss me or I swear to God you're not going to touch me

again. He stayed quiet and still where he was. I wasn't going to...

Was it disgusting why someone had kissed me? He didn't want to kiss me for that?
I felt like my heart was breaking into a thousand pieces. I held back the tears and
made the threat of leaving, I pushed him to open the way but then he held me,
pulled me towards him... and abruptly placed his lips on mine.

Two tears slipped down my cheeks. He didn't stop there, but forced my mouth
open, invading me with his tongue a second later. He devoured me, plunged his
tongue pressing into mine, making love to me with his mouth; I left my hands still
without touching him but kissing him back. He bit my lip, pulling it away and
locked eyes with mine.

-You drive Me crazy.

I knew it, it was clear that it affected him in a worrying way, but it was exactly
what he provoked in me. I couldn't live without him, just thinking about it made
my heart stop; but right now I needed to get away from him, I needed space
between the two of us.

"I'm going to the room" I said pulling him away from me.

I thought he was going to stop me, but he didn't. He only held me for a second to
help me zip the jumpsuit all the way up. He put his lips on my shoulder and released
me.

I think this had been the worst fight we had ever had. She needed to be alone

because the tears would come soon.

Chapter 8

NICK

I let her go despite wanting to hold her in my arms and tell her how much I loved
her. I had lost my cool, I knew it, I had let myself be carried away by my inner
demons, those that assailed me every time my mind imagined Noah with any
other guy that wasn't me. I knew it wasn't normal how obsessed he was with that
topic, but just thinking that someone could touch or kiss her drove me completely
crazy.

My life revolved around that girl. I was no longer the same person as before, I was
no longer closed in on myself, I had opened the door of my heart to Noah, and it
had cost me, but I ran the risk of not being able to close it after letting her in. That
door was ajar and Noah seemed to want to get out at the slightest opportunity,
driving me crazy and playing with my sanity.

The thing about his trip had killed me, a whole month without Noah would be a
waste.beern, he had already had a hard time when I had to go away for two weeks
to San Francisco, but for him to go to Europe without me, just thinking about it
made me sick. I wanted to force her to stay, I knew that if I used all my artillery, all
my powers of persuasion would be able to convince her not to leave, but she would
never forgive me. Noah was a free-spirited girl, she was not a quiet, stay-at-home
girl; My girl was adventurous, she liked to get out ofbeum, he liked to drink, he
fucking liked sex, Noah wouldn't stay at home having the opportunity to tour
Europe.

I put my hands to my head trying to control myself.

Shit, I had screwed up, I had fucked her in the worst possible way, without even
looking at her, without kissing her, without telling her how much I loved her.
Noah only knew me in bed, she had no experience with anyone else and I didn't
want her to think that I didn't love her for having done it to her that way, although
a part of me had enjoyed punishing her, I had been aroused by depriving her of
orgasm, I knew that I hadn't been well, and even less with someone like her, less
with the sweet and tremendously attractive Noah who looked me in the eye when
I made love to her.

And she had left crying, or almost was before walking out the door.

About ten minutes had passed since he had left. I walked out of the bathroom and
across the conference room where my father had hosted thousands of events and
straight to the front desk. the people of thebethis
He was still wandering around the hotel and I guessed that the receptionists must
have had enough of so many drunken brats.

A blonde girl smiled at me from behind the counter.

"I'm Nicholas Leister, I have a room in my name," I said, wanting to go up in search

of Noah.

"Your ID, please," he said with an overly friendly smile.

Don't even try it beautiful, I'm only interested in one woman and it's not you.

I gave him my ID and waited until he checked my details. I had told Jenna to put
the room in my name and that it be away from the hallway where everyone in
thebethey would go up drunk at any moment.

I didn't mind paying a little more as long as I had peace of mind and good
views. Noah had no idea about this, sure, but better not tell him.

"Here you are, I wish you good night and whatever you want, you just have to call,"
said the little blonde, looking at me with her eyes.

"Thank you," I answered curtly, going to the elevator.

I got nervous while waiting; I didn't know how Noah was going to receive me, I was
terrified that I had gone too far, that I had scared her.

I got on and when I got to our floor I was grateful to have all the idiots who
were making a mess two floors below. I went straight to door 234 and
entered.

Inside the room was lit by a small lamp in the corner and Noah was on the bed,
curled up and crying hugging a pillow.

I felt my heart clench.

I went right up to her, lay down next to her and pulled her towards me. She let out a
sob, but didn't push me away.

"I'm sorry, Noah" I said hugging her from behind, damn he was an idiot, an
asshole. I pushed her damp hair out of her face and kissed her on the
cheek-Don't cry, please.

She looked up at me, her lashes wet and her pretty eyes puffy. I got on top of her
forcing her to look at me. He held me with his arms so he wouldn't have to
support all my weight.
- What happened down there Nicholas?-she said brokenly.

I leaned down to wipe her tears with my lips. It was soft, smooth as velvet. I kissed
her carefully, with all the love I felt for her, as I should always kiss her.

"I don't know, Noah," I answered a moment later, caressing his cheek carefully.
His eyes watched me lost, hurt because of me. - I didn't want to make you cry,
damn, I didn't want to hurt you, okay? Seeing you like this kills me, forgive me,
please-I told her burying my face in her neck, kissing her warm skin, feeling so
guilty that my heart ached.

She pulled me back, her hand on the back of my neck making me shudder.

- What did you want to achieve by treating me like this?

I squeezed my eyes shut, and opened them again a second later.

"I wanted you to tell me that you were going to stay, that you weren't going to leave
with your mother," I confessed, although it wasn't completely true.

Noah shook his head, at least he wasn't crying anymore, that was something.

There's something you're not telling me.

Damn, he knew me well, better than anyone, although there were secrets that were
better kept buried.

-Noah, you have to understand that the fact that I was the only man who has
touched you...-fuck how could I explain it-For me, that you were a virgin, was the
best gift you could have given me, just by imagining a someone touching you or
doing what I do to you...

I shuddered just thinking about it.

She was looking at me intently.

"You know I would never do anything with anyone but you," he

said in a whisper.

-You don't understand, I know it shouldn't affect me so much, but someone kissed
you tonight, someone that wasn't me, and that has driven me crazy, if it hadn't
been a girl I would have gotten into a good fight-Noah opened the door. mouth to
interrupt me but I didn't let it-I know it's not normal for me to have this obsession
with nobody touching you but there's nothing I can do about it; This is how I feel, I
try to control it but I don't know how to do it...
Her hand drew me to her. I tried to avoid her gaze, but it was impossible, her
honey-colored eyes found me instantly, and when they did I knew that I saw
further than anyone else, because she was the only one to whom I had opened my
soul, and eyes are the mirror of this, she alone had truly marked me, she alone had
made me change, she had made me love again, and that made her the only one, the
only girl for me, mine, forever.

-There is only one person in this world I want to be with, Nicholas, and you know
perfectly well it's you-his eyes moistened again-Before, you made me feel that you
didn't love me, that-that you only cared about sleeping with me, I've sense used...

Shit.

-Noah, Noah, never think that about me, damn, how can I make you understand
that you are the only one for me?-we were both very screwed, we both loved each
other madly, but we were both afraid of losing the other, and That was so
frustrating, because that feeling that one day something could happen, that life
could take it from me, it never went away and it was scary as hell. -Listen to me,
no matter how much we fight or how much you manage to piss me off, I'm always
going to love you, there hasn't been a single second in that bathroom, where my
heart hasn't beat at the same time as yours, I'm synchronized with you, you are
my oxygen Noah, never think that I don't love you, damn, that's the most
ridiculous thing in the world, something impossible...

I kissed her, I kissed her because it was true that I needed her like air to breathe. I
had denied her the kiss because sometimes anger and fucking pride could make
me behave like an asshole, but I would never stop kissing that girl, I would never
deprive myself of something as sweet, exciting and revitalizing as feeling her
tongue against mine, her breath in my mouth, his body under mine.

I pulled away a second later. There was still a certain sadness in his eyes, a
certain doubt.

"Tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it, Noah," I told him, kissing the tip
of his nose.

Then his eyes looked at me doubtfully.

"I know of something we could do" he whispered running his fingers over my skin,
caressing my face momentarily withdrawn-

Do you remember when Jenna was talking about that erotic book that everyone
has read?

That?
- Is this some kind of hint...?-I said with a frown- Do you want to make me
read the book like Jenna did with Lion?

He giggled and my heart sank.flo momentarily.

-You don't need to learn anything new, don't worry.beBut to that, but Jenna told me
that the protagonist used a kind of safe word... you know for when she wanted him
to stop doing... things to her...

She suddenly turned red. That was my Noah, blushing and locking up when it
came to talking about sex. I nodded smiling. The thing about the safe word was
nothing I hadn't heard before, they hadn't invented it in that book, it was simply
used for when one of the two, the man or the woman, wants the other to stop
immediately since they have crossed paths. insurmountable limits, any couple
could use a safe word in sex, it was nothing new...

-I didn't want to scare you, before in the bathroom, I laughedbeero-I told him
before he finished explaining himself.

He blushed even more.

-You didn't scare me, at least until you decided to finish without me, but I
didn'tbeI was at that, I laughedbeBut if at any time I say, for example, I don't
know, chocolate, you should tell me that you love me, it doesn't matter if you're
angry, it doesn't matter if we're yelling at each other, you should tell me.

I smiled amused. It was adorable, it was amazing, I was totally crazy about that girl.

"I don't need a safe word to tell you that I love you," I said leaning in to kiss her.

He placed his hand between the two of us and searched for me

with his eyes. I was serious.

- I do need it.

I stopped for a few moments. Okay, I would, for her, give in to the safe word
bullshit.

"Chocolate, then," I said amused.

She returned my smile and I leaned in to kiss her. She was better than anything, a
thousand times better than chocolate.
-But, Noah, when you see that it's getting out of hand, when you think I'm hurting
you, just tell me to stop, tell me and I'll do it, I promise.

Noah nodded under me and my lips came back to rest on his, but softly this time.
Chapter 9

NOAH

When I went up to the room I ended up collapsing, I had felt insignificantbesing,

and rejected. I didn't expect him to come after me, when we were fighting I never
knew what could happen, if it would be me who was going to give in or if it was
going to be him, and that's why, when he did, and even though I was angry and
hurt Because of the way he treated me, I was able to breathe deeply again and I
stopped feeling that pain in my chest.
I needed him, simple as that, without him I was nothing, not after everything we'd
been through, not after knowing everything he knew about me. Nicholas was the
only one who gave me security, he was the only one who kept my nightmares at
bay, the only one I could be in a dark room with and to me that meant
it.beeverything, he was everything to me.

When the safe word thing came to my mind I knew it might sound ridiculous or
desperate or even a joke but there were times when I doubted that Nicholas would
love me, I was just very insecure with myself, it was hard for me to understand how
someone like him, that he could be with whoever he wanted, with any normal girl
without any dark past, he would have decided to stay with me. When he spoke
badly to me, we fought or something like today happened, fear overwhelmed me
because I was afraid that one day he would finish getting fed up with me; I was
aware that Nicholas held back a lot with me, I knew from Jenna that he had done
everything with thousands of different girls and my fear was that I was not
his.beReally, there were still many things that I was afraid of doing in sex, or that I
didn't think I was ready to try yet, and Nicholas seemed to accept that without a
problem until he pushed me into situations where he made me believe that it was
not so, that it was not hisbeI knew that what he really needed was someone more
mature, someone with more experience, or at least a few years older than me.

Now I had him on top of me, amused by what he just proposed, at least he seemed
to have accepted my proposal.

"I love you more than myself," he said leaning down to put his soft lips on mine.

"That's hard" I said poking him. I

laughed when I saw her frown.

-Very funny.
I adored him when we were like this, when we were honest with each other.
When I really felt like we were the most in love couple on the planet.

He pulled me until we were sitting on the bed, me on his lap. His hand on my back
forced me to curve my back until we were face to face. I loved his eyes above all
things, I thought I knew what he was thinking or what he was feeling when he
looked at me, although on many occasions I was totally wrong. His sky-blue iris,
barely visible at that moment due to the dim light, stuck into mine, and I felt my
heart race again.

- What have you done with me, Noah?

Your question left me speechless. Before I could think about something thatbeIt
was definitely worth analyzing. He kissed me on the lips.
I guess I wasn't expecting an answer but to be honest I
I liked to think that we had both changed each other into the person the other
couldn't live without.

His lips moved slowly over mine as his hand slowly caressed my back, with
exquisite softness, raising goosebumps and awakening my senses. I pulled away
for a second, stroking the hair on the back of her neck, her unruly hair black and
sexy.

- Are you tired?-he asked me then. She was exhausted, but she wasn't going
to tell him.

-I was thinking about what you said before-I said, looking away
momentarily-About how you can't bear to think that someone could touch me...

He tensed under me, I could feel it in the muscles of his neck that he was caressing.

-It is that nobody is going to touch you-abehe signed

emphatically. I ignored his tone but looked back at

himbehe admits.

- How do you think I feel when I think of all those girls you've slept with,
Nicholas? -I said, getting sick just thinking about the hands of someone other than
me caressing her hair, back or any part of her body . -

Do you think it doesn't drive me crazy to think that you've kissed, touched, caressed
thousands of girls before me?

He held my face in his hands.

"You're the only one that Noah kissed, touched or caressed," he said without
letting me interrupt him, "the rest belong to a part of my life where nothing
mattered to me, I don't even put a face on them, Noah, not since I've been with
you, no since I met you.

I released the air I was holding. That would always be difficult, I just had to
believe in what he told me, believe that I was hisbeIt wasn't easy, but it wasn't
easy at all.

"Finish what you started downstairs," I whispered.

I needed him, I had needed him since we had fought in the car and even more so
after what had happened in the bathroom, I wanted him to make me feel like I
was the only one, the only one he loved, the only one he desired.

A crooked smile appeared on his face, that smile that he only reserved for
me.

- Do you want me to make love to you, freckles?

I returned the blushing smile as I slid my fingers down his shirt and began to
undo the buttons. His hands went to his tie and he yanked it off.

When I finished undoing the buttons I pulled the fabric exposing her chest. I
placed my lips right in the center, inhaling his virile aroma, that aroma that I
would recognize anywhere. I went up until I reached his neck, while he unbuttoned
my jumpsuit from behind, slowly lowering the zipper. He let out a sigh when I
went to caress him with my tongue, I kissed him on the chin and went straight to
his ear; when I clenched my teeth, his hands flew to my waist, lifting me up and
laying me on the bed.

His eyes said it all, his dark and totally excited look made me shudder, wanting
him to touch me, wanting him to kiss me, everywhere, as only he knew how to do,
as only he had ever done.

He pulled my jumpsuit down leaving me in my underwear, the same white lace

underwear that had cost me over three hundred dollars, and that I had chosen just
for him.

His eyes widened in surprise whenbeHe didn't see what she was wearing
under her clothes.

- What are you wearing?" he said hoarsely.

I smiled contently at his reaction. Jenna had been right, she had loved it.
- Do you like it?" I said amused.

He didn't answer me, but went on to kiss me all over, his hands following his
kisses, this time touching me reverently, with concern.beLittle tenderness but at
the same time going crazy before the eroticism that each one of them transmitted.

I pulled him until he placed his lips on mine, I loved kissing him, I loved that
he kissed me, that he touched me, I adored him, period.

. "I love you, Nick," I said throwing my head back as his hand began to work
wonders on my body.

-I do love you.

And so we ended the night, loving each other, trouble would always be around
the corner, we would always argue, but as long as we had that, as long as we had
each other, to me it was hisbeaware.

The strong morning light ended up waking me up. We had left the thick curtains
open and I had my first view of the elegant houses of Beverly Hills and in the
distance the tall buildings.beshops of the city that stood out in the center,
surrounded by buildingsbelow-rise cleats.

Nicholas's arm held me tight against his chest, my legs entwined around mine,
barely letting me breathe, but I loved it, I loved sleeping with him, they were my
best nights; I hadn't been able to sleep straight for weeks, without waking up,
without nightmares.

I carefully turned until I was on my side but facing him. He was adorable when he
slept, his features were serene, his eyelids gently closed, he seemed very very young
when I had him like this, asleep next to me. Sometimes I would like to know what
was going through his head, for example, what could he be dreaming about at that
very moment? I carefully reached up a hand and stroked his left eyebrow, without
waking him. He was so asleep that he didn't even flinch. I slid my fingers along his
cheekbone, until I reached his chin, his incipient beard was already glimpsed on his
skin tanned by the sun; how could he be so handsome?

Then a completely unexpected thought occurred to me:

What would our children be like?

I know, I was losing my mind, I was still light years away from deciding to start a
family, but the image of a boy with black hair came to my mind, it was clear that
he would be very handsome, with Nick's genes any boy how serious...
What would he be like with a baby? It was clear that the only child he could put up
with was his little sister, because more than once he had had to tell her off for being
rude to children on the beach or in a restaurant; In any case, there was a long way
to go for that to happen. There was also the small detail that there was a very high
probability that I would not be able to have children because of the blows I received
from my father that fateful night. Thinking of him made me sad, and I was grateful
when Nick opened a sleepy eye and fixed it on me.

I smiled at him.

"Hello, handsome" I said laughing when he frowned and stretched. That was me
Nicholas, Nick without the scowl was not Nick.

He reached out and pulled me with quite a force considering he had just woken
up.

- What were you doing, freckles?-he said burying his head in my

neck, and tickling me with his breath.

-Admiring how incredibly beautiful you are. He

growled.

"For God's sake, don't call me beautiful, anything but that," she said, raising her
head.

I laughed at his expression, his hair was all messy, and his angry face was the same
as that of a sulking child.

- You are laughing at me?

His dark gaze distracted me, but then he lunged at me and began to tickle me.

- No, no, no! -I yelled laughing and twisting under his hands-
¡Nicholas!

He laughed with me, but then I attacked just like him, poking his hard stomach
with one of my fingers and he jumped so hard that he fell off the bed.

- MY MOTHER!-I exclaimed, bursting into hysterical laughter.

God, my eyes were watering and my stomach was aching from laughing so hard. You
should have seen his face.

Then he got up, tugged on one of my feet and slid me to the end of the mattress;
before I fell he picked me up and headed for the bathroom, me hanging from his
shoulder.
"Now you'll see," he said, opening the shower.

- I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I yelled still unable to stop laughing.

He didn't care and put me under the cold water of the shower.

I was wearing one of his sleep shirts and it clung to my body like a second
skin.

- Ah, it's freezing! -I yelled, moving away from the stream and starting to
tremble- Nicholas! -I scolded him, but then he messed with me, moved the
handlebars and the warm water began to fall on us.

-Silence. Now that you've had fun at my expense, it's my turn,” he said, grabbing
the shirt that was attached to his body and lifting it up to take it off. I remained
naked in front of him, but I was no longer ashamed, I had been letting him do
whatever he wanted with my body for months.

His eyes traveled over my curves.

"I think this is the best way to get up in the morning," he said leaning in and
grabbing my lips roughly.

Half an hour later she was wrapped in a towel, her hair dripping and sitting on the
terrace. Nicholas was asking for breakfast. The truth is that it was very strange
that there was no one shouting in the corridors, I had supposed that it would be
impossible to sleep surrounded by drunk students but I was wrong, that or the
walls of that hotel were perfectly soundproof.

I turned when I heard that Nick had finished speaking.

He was with wet hair just like me, shirtless and in his sweatpants that fell down to
his hips, revealing black hair that went from his belly button down. God, that body
was spectacular, he had all the damn abs ripped and perfectly worked obliques,
how the hell did he do it? I knew I was going to the gym and such and surfing but
damn, that body was a masterpiece from another world.

- Are you giving me a review?-he said amused, sitting at the table next to
me.

I felt myself blush.

- Any problem? I answered, ignoring how the sun rises.flIt looked in his
eyes and how blue they seemed to be right at that moment.

He gave me my favorite crooked smile.

"I want to too, come" he said pulling me and forcing me to sit on his lap. I was
naked under the towel and when I opened my legs to sit on him the towel rode up
my thighs.

- Aren't you wearing anything underneath?-he said then going from playful
to angry in less than a second. I rolled my eyes.

"There's no one, Nicholas," I told him, exasperated.

He looked both ways, we were alone, the only thing in front of us were the
spectacular views of the city.

-There could be a pervert with a pair of binoculars looking at this very moment,
from those buildings.behello from there -he said holding the towel with which he
was wrapped. I couldn't see anything, it was an exaggeration.

"You lose it, I'm going to get dressed" I told him getting up and entering the room.

I looked at myselfbejust in the mirror How could a person go from being so sad to
the girl who was looking back at me right at that moment?
I guess that was love, a roller coaster of emotions and mixed feelings, one
moment you're at the top and the next you're on the ground and you don't
even know how you got there.

I guess I preferred to be in the middle.

I leaned over the suitcase we had brought. I don't know why seeing my clothes
next to hers made me smile like a fool but I loved seeing my dress next to her
Marc Jacobs T-shirt.

I picked it up and put it on. It was a simple navy blue dress withflLittle yellow ears,
but I knew that since my mother had bought it for me, it must have cost a fortune.

When I went to put on my makeup, my gaze fixed on a specific part of my

body... and then on another... and another. I groaned as I pulled my hair up
and saw my neck. They were hickeys!

I left the bathroom in a rage.

- Nicholas! I yelled, finding him talking on the phone.

BybeThey hadn't brought breakfast and the smart guy was eating, sitting there on
the terrace as if nothing had happened.

His gaze drifted to me.

"Wait," he said to whoever was on the other end of the line.

I pointed to my neck and part of my clavicle. A real jerk smile appeared on his face. I
turned angrily and threw a pillow at him.

He raised his arm to cover himself as he cursed.

-I will call you later. -He said hanging up the phone- What the hell is wrong with
you?

I hated being marked, I hated with all my might that they left marks on my skin,
bad memories, just that and I also knew why they did it, it was their way of
marking territory or whatever.

"I have hickeys all over my neck, Nicholas Leister" I said trying to control my voice.

Cautiously, he reached over and pushed my hair aside so he could look at my skin.

"Sorry, I didn't realize," he said simply.

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, sure," I said pulling his hand away just as he began to caress
my skin, "I told you, Nicholas, I don't like markings, I'm not a cow."

He laughed and I swear I almost punched him.

-Come on, freckles, we already had a fight for about a month, let's have thebeHe's
at peace," he said pulling me and giving me a hug.

I went still as a stick, but then his hand went to the nape of my neck and pulled
my hair back, forcing me to look at him.

"If you forgive me, I'll do what you want," he released then.

- What?" I blurted out in

disbelief. His gaze turned dark.

-Whatever you want, I mean it, ask for that mouth and I'm yours.

He knew what was going through that perverted mind. I smiled enjoying the
situation and feeling powerful.

"Okay" I said raising my hands to his neck. -There's something I want you to do.
Chapter 10

NICK

"No way," I said flatly.

We were parking in front of an animal shelter.

"You said anything" answered my crazy girlfriend getting out of the car and as
excited as if she were five years old.

-I meant sex.

Noah laughed, as if my proposition was the most unusual.

"I know," he said then, "but since this is about me and not about you, you're going to
buy me a kitten."

Damn, again with the fucking cat. I hated cats, they were idiots, you couldn't teach
them anything, and on top of that they were sweet, all day on top of you, I
preferred dogs, damn I preferred my dog.

-I've told you thousands of times that I'm not going to have a fucking cat in my
apartment.

Noah fixed his blazing eyes on me, tossed his hair back, and before he began his
incessant chatter, I caught her, trapping her against my chest, and covered her
mouth with my hand.

-I'm not going to buy a cat, period.

His tongue began sucking on my hand to make me let go, and I squeezed his side,
reminding me of myself that morning. We both had hellish tickles.

I released her before she lost her temper.

- Nicholas! she yelled, stifled and with red cheeks.

I raised my eyebrows waiting for what she had to say, she was so adorable in that
little dress she was wearing, I would have ripped it off right there, but I stopped
myself.

"You've filled me with drool," I said, wiping my hand on my pants. He

ignored my comment and glared at me with his cat eyes.

"Okay, if you don't want to buy me a cat, I'll buy one myself, you see what it
costs me," she said, turning on her heels and entering the interior.beerno of
any man, without room for doubt.

I followed her exasperated and automatically the smell of animal and excrement
filled my senses. Animal noises, running hamsters and meowing cats reached my
ears and I had to stop myself from dragging Noah out of that place.

Ignoring me completely, he went to the clerk behind the counter. She was young,
probably her age, and as soon as she saw her, her eyes lit up.

Dude, it's mine.

- How can I help you?

Noah looked at me for a second and seeing that I wasn't threatening to do

anything, he turned indifferently to the outgoing clerk.

"I want to adopt a cat," she said resolutely.

I approached her when the clerk came out of the counter with a huge smile,
ready to sell her the world, it was clear.

"This way," he said, indicating a corridor. "Just yesterday we picked up a few kittens
from a parking lot, they had been abandoned and they are no more than three weeks
old.

An oh inbeLittle and pity left Noah's lips. I rolled my eyes as the cocoon led us to
where there were many cages with cats of all sizes and colors. Some were asleep,
and others were playing or just meowing the hell out of it.

"These are here," said the uncle, pointing to a cage that was to the
side.benal. Noah made a beeline for it as if it were some magical treasure.

"They're super small," she said with that strange voice that aunts use when talking
to puppies or babies.

I walked over to where she was and looked at the four filthy cats on top of a
blanket. Three were gray in color with white spots on the legs or on the head,
except for one that was entirely black. He gave me a bad vibe right away.

"Look how they play," said the clerk, putting on an aunt's voice. I

glared at him and moved closer to Noah.

- Can I take one?-Noah asked using all his woman charms. I wanted to
drag her out of there immediately.

-Sure, whatever you want.

And as? Which one did Noah

choose? The black, of course.

-He is the quietest of all, I have not seen him play since we brought him.

The other three were not sitting still, they threw themselves on top of each other and
hit their faces with their paws. It was clear that the poor animal had been intensely
bullied.

Noah took the kitten to his chest and began to caress it like a mother with a baby,
and as soon as the bloody cat began to purr I knew that I had nothing to do.

I sighed deeply.

"Oh look Nick" she said looking at me with tender eyes.

The cat was ugly as fuck, it was black and had hair like spikes, but I knew that Noah
was not going to choose the cutest kitten or the most playful, he was going to choose
the underdog, the one who had been left out, the one that nobody wanted. ... That
reminded me of myself.

"Fuck, okay, you can keep the fucking cat" I gave in then. A

piano-sized smile spread across his face.

The clerk led us to the counter and I had tobeSign a bunch of papers where I
promised to take care of the cat and take care of its vaccinations and other
bullshit. Noah started to walk around the store and as soon as he came back I saw
her with a lot of cheesy stuff for the nameless animal.

- Is that what you plan to buy? - I told her poking her. I didn't give a shit
about the money I just wanted to screw up the high.

"You said what you wanted," she reminded me, placing a necklace, some bowls for
food, and a soft blue bed on the counter.

The demon cat was in a smaller cage that they would give us so we could take it with
us.

-I hope it suits you well, and that you enjoy it-said the clerk looking only at
Noah-Don't forget to take it to the
vet in a few weeks, when he is old enough to be able to castrate and vaccinate
him.

He felt more and more sorry for the animal.

Ten minutes later we were going to my apartment.

BybeHe was not going to be able to be with her and propose to her what he had
been thinking for months.

I turned to look at her and an involuntary smile appeared on my face. It looked like
my little sister with a new doll.

- What are you going to name it? -I said as I left the highway and headed
towards the block where my apartment was.

"Mmmm... I don't know yet" he said caressing Nameless carefully.

"Don't call him Nala or Simba or any of those faggots please" I told him parking in
my parking space.

It was a wonderful day, I got out of the car and went to open the door for him.

Noah wouldn't even look at me, gawking as she was. I glared at the little animal that
had taken the limelight from me.

"I think I'm going to put N" he said then, while we got on the elevator.

- N?-I said incredulously. God, my girlfriend had lost her mind. Noah

looked at me feeling offended.

"N, for you and me, Nick and Noah," he said, clarifying it

for me. I let out a laugh.

-I think today's coffee has gone to your head.

He pointedly ignored me as we entered my apartment.

Bybenot at home That was the only place I felt calm, and I loved having Noah
all to myself.

"You're going to have to take care of him when I'm not here," he said, releasing the
cat in the middle of the room and watching how it investigated the room.

"Don't even dream about it, you cat, your responsibility" I clarified leaving all the
gossip on the floor and attracting her to me, before we started arguing again.
"Only you can get me to give in to this kind of thing," I said leaning down to kiss
her neck. Noah leaned in to give me better access. Her skin was soft and she
smelled so good... I saw the marks she had left, I liked it, I loved seeing the marks
of my kisses on her skin, but I would never admit it out loud, that would bring me
a lot of trouble.

- What if I told you that I love the idea of ​sharing an animal with you? - she
released me then and I leaned back so I could look at her face.
She shrugged her shoulders as if feeling guilty-She's going to be ours, our kitten,
between the two of us, we're her parents.

I took a deep breath when I heard her say that. I knew that something much
deeper was hidden behind that sentence, something that I knew would always
haunt her, something that made the blood of my body boil. I knew that there was
a good chance that Noah and I would not be able to have children in the future,
but I couldn't allow myself to think about it, not now, not being so young yet, I
couldn't let it end up making me bitter, we would deal with that problem when it
came. , although my chest hurt just thinking that there was nothing we could do.

I gave him a tender kiss on the lips.

"Okay, I'll take care of K" I said teasing him and downplaying the matter.

He gave me a slap.

-Called!

I laughed and lifted her up to sit on the kitchen counter.

There's something I wanted to talk to you about. I said suddenly nervous.

Noah looked at me curiously.

Hell, I had no idea what his reaction was going to be.

-I want you to come live with me when you start college.

Chapter 11

I stayed silent without knowing what to answer.

Was he aware of what he was asking of me? Come live with him?
Just turned eighteen? My God, this was going too fast, and by leaps and bounds...
The way he looked at me was clear to know that I should take that calmly, because
he meant it, and so much so.

He stood in front of me and took my face in his hands.

-Please tell me yes.

That was too much, I couldn't put myself in that situation. I got off the counter and
started pacing the room.

"Nicholas, I am eighteen years old." I turned to face him. He had remained

standing there looking at me with a frown-eighteen-I repeated, in case he hadn't
made it clear.

I felt nervousness beginning to grow inside me, because that feeling that we were
not on the same step, that he needed more than I could give him, scared me more
than anything.

"You're more mature than any girl my age, you don't even look eighteen, Noah,
don't give me that, it's ridiculous, if you lived here, we'd see each other every
night, every day," she said, leaning against the counter and crossing her arms
"You don't want to live with me, is that it?" she blurted out a second later.

INff... How did I explain that it had nothing to do with wanting or not wanting?
How did I tell him that I was scared to take that step while still so young? Or that
what really held me back was that if we lived together he would end up finding out
how screwed up I still was from everything that had happened to me in the past and
end up getting fed up with me, or worse, leaving me?

"Of course I want to" I said cautiously approaching where he was. He watched
me from his height without moving a single muscle. -My fear is that we will
spoil what we already have now by going too fast.

Nicholas shook his head.

-That's ridiculous, Noah, you and I can't go fast because we're already going almost
at the speed of light, with you things are like that, with me they are like that. You
know me, you know perfectly well that I would never have taken this step with
no one but you, and if I do it, it's because I know it's the right thing to do, it's what
we have to do, because I can't be away from you... and you can't be away from me
either.

I took a deep breath trying to calm my nervousness... living with Nicholas... it

would be like a dream, it's the truth, seeing him every day, feeling safe at all times,
loving him at all times.

"I'm afraid of not being what you expect me to be," I admitted with a shaky voice.

His freeze lifted and he reached out his hand to caress my cheek. His eyes scanned
my features carefully, as if admiring each of my features.

"I want to see this face when I wake up," he said sliding his finger over my lower
lip, "I want to kiss your lips before I go to sleep," he continued with a hoarse voice,
"may it be your touch that I feel every time I go to bed, dreaming of you in my
arms, look at you while you're asleep and take care of you every minute of the day.

I raised my eyes and saw in his that each word came directly from his heart, he
meant it, he loved me, he loved me with him; I felt my heart race, how something
inside me swelled with happiness, melted, how could I love him so much? How did
he get so much from me, without making it seem hard for me to give it to him?

-I will do that; I'll live with you-I said without even believing

it. A radiant smile appeared on his face.

"Say it again," he said, pulling away from the counter and taking my face in his
hands.

A smile of true happiness appeared on my face.

-I will live with you, we will live together-. No more nightmares, no more fears;
With him by my side I would gradually recover, with him I would overcome
anything. He pulled my face and put his lips on mine, I felt his smile under them,
it made him happy, that was true, I could see it, and I loved it.

God, how I love you. He said squeezing me by the waist towards his body. I
hugged him and laughed to see over his shoulder as N

He was looking at us from the end of the corridor, small, black and with clear eyes.
The three of us would live together, Nick, N, and me.

Unfortunately, the following days passed quickly, my mother still had no idea that
I was going to live with Nick right after our trip and she was not going to tell him
until it was absolutely necessary.
Nicholas had been in a very good mood but this one had gone
fading as I got closer to leaving for a whole month. He had taken very seriously the
fact that I was going to live with him, he had emptied half of his closet and a chest
of drawers so that I had space to leave my clothes, which I had secretly taken when
I went to visit him. The apartment, which had previously been too masculine for
my taste, had become a more cheerful place, we had gone together to buy some
more cheerful colored cushions, and I had also forced him to change the dark
sheets in his room that were now white and much cosier. Nick was enchanted, of
course, by him as if he painted the floor pink, that as long as he was there with him
he wouldn't care. I had taken some of my favorite books with me, and for now my
mother didn't seem to have noticed anything.

The heat had already taken over the city, we were leaving behind the days when it
was necessary to wear sweaters or long pants, Nick had taken me to the beach
almost every day, we had bathed in the sea together and he had tried without
success to learn to surf

- Oh, come on, freckles!-she yelled at me when I fell from the devilish
table for the tenth time- You're embarrassing me!-she yelled laughing when I
fell in the most ridiculous way.

Around me there were quite a few guys surfing and they wouldn't stop giving me
dirty looks or laughing at my expense.

Nick came to meet me and held me as the annoying waves kept hitting my
head, forcing me under to keep from swallowing water.

I held on to him with my legs, placing the board next to me.

"I hate you," I told him. I hated that I was so bad at surfing, I hated that I was bad at
any sport, to be exact, and he knew it and so he loved watching me get frustrated.

He let out a laugh.

-I thought you had more balance, really. He blurted out poking me. There, in
the water and under the flashing sun, it was ready to be eaten.
I'd rather be in the apartment doing other things than wasting my time doing
something I was never going to get right. I combed his hair back and kissed him.
His lips were salty from the water and his body wet; his blue eyes, looking only at
me, awakened an intense heat inside me.

-Prebe"I want to see you surfing, it's very sexy," I told him, pulling his hair when he
tried to kiss me.
I smiled.

It was true, he had never thought that watching someone surf could be so
stimulating, but Nicholas was doing anything, especially when he saw him from
the shore, drenched by the water doing all kinds of tricks in the waves, and sliding
like if it were the easiest thing in the world between those giant waves.

- Have you ever done it underwater?-I asked him then, and his eyes looked at
me cautiously. I didn't usually ask him what or how he had done it with the other
girls he had slept with, but what I wanted with my question wasn't getting
information out of him, it was getting revenge for having been laughing at me for
the last two hours.

I slid my hand down his bare torso. He was so hard under my fingers, his body
was so well worked, I would be looking at him and touching him all the time if I
could.

He held my hand when I reached the lower part of his stomach, where his dark hair
began, not letting me go any further.

"Quietacita" he warned me looking behind my back. We had suddenly been left

alone; those who were surfing had moved away to where there were better waves.

There was no one around us.

With my other hand I approached him by the neck and forced him to kiss me. I
stuck my tongue into his mouth, savoring the taste of the sea and Nicholas, feeling
a tingle inside. He responded with the same enthusiasm and his hands wrapped
around my back, holding me underwater and moving his tongue with mine, in
insistent circles.

He forgot about my hand and I did what I had wanted to do from the beginning. I
put her under her swimsuit and took her member between my fingers. He was hard
and aroused and I smiled when he growled under my lips.

"Not here, Noah, damn it," he said, moving away from my mouth and trying to
take my hand away, but I didn't let him, I caressed him from top to bottom, as I
knew he liked, as he had taught me.

"No one is watching us" I said kissing him on the neck. He was tense from my
caresses, he tried to control himself, but he was not going to let him. I accelerated
my movements, knowing that I was going to make him lose control. "I love doing
this to you," I said biting his ear.

He sighed excitedly and I picked up the pace. His breathing became more
labored and I knew I had gotten away with it.

"God...fuck, Noah, stop," he said, burning me with his gaze.

I bit my lip and paused for a moment. I smiled when I saw the frustration in his
eyes, the anger because he really didn't want him to stop.

looking at himbeI never leaned down to seize her bottom lip with my teeth. Pull
towards me with inbenice delicacy.

"You want it and you know it..." my hand resumed its movements and he dug his
fingers into my hip.

"If you're going to do it, then do it right," he growled then. "Faster, like this," he
clarified, placing his hand over mine and helping me. I would have laughed when
I saw that I had achieved what I proposed, but that was so exciting, seeing him
lose his temper from my caresses, seeing his body tense and wet, waiting to be
free...

I squeezed a little harder.

"Fuck," he blurted out then, seizing my mouth, kissing me awkwardly, obviously

concentrating on something else, until his body tensed to relax, releasing itself
forbeno. I caressed him with my tongue and tugged at his lower lip. Why did I get
so upset about doing that? See him. I didn't care that he hadn't touched me, just
seeing how my caresses affected him, seeing how attractive he was when he lost
control for me...

His eyes locked cold on mine a second later.

-Come on home, I'm going to torture you all fucking night.

I released the breath I was holding and let it lift me out of the water. He had gotten
angry because I had lost control of the situation, he was bossy, he always wanted
things to be done his way, because with me he was lost, besides, if the punishment
was going to be a few hours of delicious sex, how was he going to complain?

Al ben the day came when my mother and I were leaving and would not return
until mid-August. God, she really wanted to, but she didn't know how she was
going to stay apart from Nick for so long.

We were in my room, me with an open suitcase on my bed and Nicholas sitting at

my desk, playing with N, and deliberately ignoring me. I had been sulking for two
days, I didn't want to hear about the trip or anything to do with it, but that night I
was going to see that I was going to have to start getting used to the idea. He had
already taken things out of my suitcase and put them back without my noticing
about five times, he had hidden my passport, which I found three days later among
his things from his work, he had threatened to tie me to the bed, even leave that N
would be malnourished if I didn't stay; had ignored every one of his plans to
sabotage the
trip in the best possible way, because I knew that it affected him as much or more
than me.

-I'm just warning you that the heat in Spain is infernal, and you don't like seafood
so you're lost, and the Torre EiffHe is overrated, when you go up you stay like, and
that's it? Oh, and don't expect anything special from England, the weather is
hellish and the people are serious and boring...

- Are you going to continue with that unbearable plan? -I cut him off, losing
my temper. I walked over to him and ripped N out of his hands, I had bought him
a stupid toy that was driving him crazy, and Nick already had like ten scratches on
his arm, although he didn't seem to care.

Before I could turn his back, he grabbed my arm and forced me to sit on his lap,
with N between us.

He looked at me seriously, as if deliberating to say what was really going through

that little head.

-Do not go. he then blurted out. I rolled my eyes, not again.

"Come on, N, attack him," I said to the cat, picking it up and putting it in front of
his face. Nick frowned, annoyed by my way of ignoring him. "Be good, eh kitty, we
don't want this crazy man to throw you down the laundry hole." I approached him
and gave him little kisses on his dark and furry head.

Nicholas watched me, tense, and angry…as always.

- Are you ignoring me now?

-When I have already answered the same question about ten thousand times, yes-
I answered him nowbefixing my eyes on him. God, how I was going to miss that
look, those hands, that body, him, all of him. I don't like to repeat myself.

He raised his eyebrow, annoyed by my words, obviously.

"Put the fucking cat down and look at me," he told me, pulling N out of my hands
and leaving him on the ground. I looked at him prepared for a fight. "I don't want
you to do anything stupid or dangerous," he warned me, holding me tightly by the
hips, as if he could force me to stay there with him "Don't drink or talk to anyone
other than you." mother- That was ridiculous.

- Are you listening to yourself?-I said with the intention of getting up

from his lap but he kept me still where I was.

"I'm serious, Noah, don't even think about fooling around with anyone, or talking to
any guy," he continued saying.
That was the straw that broke the camel's back.

- Let me go!-I told him when he continued without letting me get away from
him. - Don't flirt with anyone? Do you think I have any interest in flirting with any
guy that comes my way!?

I freed myself from his grasp and stepped away from him. Why did he have to be so
jealous, and so controlling? couldn't stand it, didn't youbeaba in me, fuck?

- I know the effect you have on men, and you don't seem to realize
it!-he yelled at me.

- Shut up Nicholas, my mother is downstairs and so is your

father! I was yelling too but it was driving me crazy.

"Don't mention that woman to me," he blurted out, then, distilling anger from
every pore of his skin. I knew it was going to explode sooner or later, but I had
expected to be on top of a plane and thousands of miles away, not here to have
to face it, again.

- When you say woman, do you rebeAre you my mother? -I said putting
things in the suitcase, I didn't even want to look at him, I was furious.

"Yes, the same one that doesn't stop taking you away from me," he said, lowering his
tone and standing next to me on the bed.

That was ridiculous, my mother didn't want to separate me from him, yes
obviously, it wasn't her dream that her daughter would go out with her stepson,
but she didn't want to separate me from him, she was wrong.

I pulled the zipper; Shit, now it won't close.

He pushed my hand away and yanked it shut for me. I heard him

sigh next to me.

-I am gonna miss you.

I faced him with my body, and saw that he was dejected.

- What am I going to do without you?-he asked me lost.

I took a deep breath to calm down. I took his face in my hands, standing on my toes
so I could look into his eyes.

-Before you know it I'll be back, and you'll have me all to yourself; I'll move in
with you when I get back," I promised hoping that would cheer him up.
His hands caressed my arms, carefully up and down.
How could he change his attitude so quickly?

-I love you, freckles, I don't want anything bad to happen to you, and it makes me
sick not being able to take care of you when you're away.

I felt warmth inside. I was going to miss him, terribly. I gave him a

tender kiss on the lips.

-I love you too, and I'll be perfectly.

I saw in his eyes that my words were not hisbeand I understood then that this trip
would be a crucial test for our relationship. I don't know how we were going to
react being so long apart.
Chapter 12

NICK

I was in charge of taking them to the airport. My father said goodbye at home,
since he had to go to work. I wasn't happy having to spend my last hour with Noah
with his mom in the back seat of the car, but again I had to swallow my thoughts.
That trip wasn't even funny to me, I had already made it clear but there was
nothing I could do.

I glanced sideways at Noah, who was quiet and thoughtful in her seat. She had
insisted on bringing the damned cat with her, and she absently stroked it as she
gazed out the window.

I reached out and took her hand to bring it to the gear stick. I felt an emptiness in
my chest and I hated feeling like that, damn it was a month, it wouldn't be that
bad, since when had I become so fucking dependent? That couldn't be, I couldn't
go crazy for not seeing her for a month, I needed to take it more calmly, this
separation would be a test to see how we could cope with being separated.

I looked at her out of the corner of my eye and she smiled at me, although I saw
sadness in her eyes.

His mother was with a huge smile on her face, as happy as nothing. Why was it not
a problem for her to be separated from her husband for a month? I didn't
understand and unconsciously I squeezed Noah's hand harder.

When we got to LAX airport, I parked in the parking lot and put the bags down
while Noah's mom got a cart so we could put the bags down. Noah came over to me,
quickly, and kissed me full on the lips.

- What are you doing?" I said trying to sound funny, although I wasn't.

"Kiss you before my mother comes back," he told me. Wasn't he going to kiss me
when we were inside with his mother?

I kept my opinions to myself, knowing that I would kiss her as many kisses as I
wanted and where I wanted.

Half an hour later we had already dispatched the bags and Noah's mother insisted
on entering the departure gate now.
There was still an hour to go before the plane left, but this woman was infuriating.

-Mom, do you mind going inside? I need to be with Nicholas for a moment before
I go," she said to which her mother looked at her with a frown.

He looked at me, then at Noah, and finally at the cat. The way she frowned at him
struck a protective streak in me.

It's our cat.

Finally he said goodbye to me and left, leaving us alone.

I put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to me. I kissed the top of
her head as we crawled to the metal detectors.

"I shouldn't feel so sad, Nick," she told me then.

I looked down and looked at herbejamente. Damn, it's true, we shouldn't be so

depressed, it was a month, there were couples who hadn't seen each other for a
whole year, I didn't want Noah to leave sad, I didn't want to see her suffer,
especially for something that was supposed to make her happy. I blamed myself for
having insisted so much on her to stay, if she had supported that trip from the
beginning, perhaps now she would not be so overwhelmed, and she would not have
that sadness in her eyes.

"Don't be, freckles" I said hugging her to my chest. N meowed annoyed at being
squeezed between the two.-The heat in Spain is great, and the Ei TowerffHe's
beautiful, you're going to love him-I said and a smile appeared on his face.-See
you when you come back, I'll be waiting for you with this bug.-I said pointing to N.

"Please, take care of him, Nicholas, don't even think about forgetting to feed him,
and don't give him any more wine to drink, for God's sake," she told me then, really
worried.

"It was only once, and the cat loved it," I replied, poking her. She rolled her

eyes, and hugged the kitten to her chest.

"Here, take it," he said, giving it to me. I caught it with one hand, and with the
other I cupped Noah's face, bringing his lips to mine.

"I love you" I said after tasting his lips for the last time in a month. A smile

appeared on his face.

-I do more.
I watched as he left feeling a knot in my stomach. Her long hair tied up in a high
ponytail, her legs clad in shorts, she was going to drive any guy she came across
crazy. I took a deep breath trying to calm down. Now it was just N and me.

Just by entering the house I already had a downer. I let the cat loose to do
whatever it wanted and looked around the apartment wistfully. I had no idea what
I would do these four weeks without her; I was aware that my life had changed in
an unimaginable way, I couldn't even remember what it was like to be single and
without someone by my side, well I could remember, but it was as if I were seeing
through a little glass ofbenest, as if there were a before and after Noah Morgan.

The flat was immaculately tidy, Noah wasn't really a clean freak but the day before
she left she got a bit hysterical and ripped up anything that wasn't in its place which
was weird and she only did when she was really stressed , I had verified it
throughout these last months.

It made me nervous knowing that I was ten thousand kilometers away, crossing the
country at this very moment, heading towards New York, since they were stopping
there before leaving for Italy. I have never been afraid of airplanes, throughout I've
taken more in my life than I can remember, but now that Noah was the one up
there…I was shocked to see the terrible images and thoughts running through my
brain. That the plane had a breakdown, that it fell into the middle of the water, that
there was an attack... the possibilities were infinite.belittle girls and I had to pour
myself a drink, desperate to calm the fear that I felt in the center of my body.

Five hours and a bottle of vodka later, the ringing of my phone woke me from the
restless sleep I had slipped into without even realizing it. I woke up, disoriented at
first, and with my head spinning.

- Nick?-said his voice on the other end of the line.

- Have you arrived?-I asked trying to focus. Hell, he was completely drunk,
but the pressure he'd felt in his chest had disappeared as soon as he heard her
voice.

-Yes, we are at the airport, this place is huge, I am very sorry not to be able to stop
and go to visit the city, it must be incredible-. Noah seemed happy, and that
cheered me up a bit, even though I already missed her.

"I'm asking for New York," I blurted out, and then I realized that I hadn't explained
myself well. On the other end of the line Noah chuckled.
- What?-he said and I could hear the commotion that was around him. I was
imagining it, men in suits with briefcases arriving in the city that never sleeps,
mothers with crying and upset children, that woman's voice speaking through the
loudspeakers, and addressing the stragglers who were about to miss a flight...

-I want to be the one who shows you New York, that's what I wanted to tell myself,
I hurried to clarify. I got up from the couch and walked over to the kitchen sink.

"Promise me we'll come together Nick, in winter, with the snow," she exclaimed
excitedly on the other end of the line.

I smiled like an idiot imagining myself with Noah in New York, walking the
streets together, stopping at coffee shops, I would buy her hot chocolate and
take her to the Empire State and when we got up I would kiss her until we were
both breathless.

"I promise you, love" I whispered.

I heard someone call out to Noah from a distance, his mother, obviously.

-Nick, I have to leave you-he blurted out then hastily-I'll call you when we're
in Italy, I love you!

Before I could answer, he had already hung up. Fuck.

I turned on the kitchen faucet and stuck my head under it. He needed to stay alert
for the next nine hours until Noah set foot on the ground again.berme. This
fucking trip was going to make me age more than ten years, I was sure.

Noah arrived safely in Italy, I only received a brief call as according to her if we
kept talking it would cost her a fortune. I wanted to tell her not to worry about the
phone bill, but she insisted that we would talk on Skype once she was connected to
the hotel's Internet. The problem was that the time difference was brutal, so when I
was sleeping she was there and backwards.

The days passed, and the Skype calls turned into brief summaries of what he had
been up to during the day.
She was exhausted when she called me so we barely spoke for more than five
minutes. I hated that, I hated being so far away from her, not being able to touch
her, not being able to talk for hours, but I had promised myself not to mess up her
trip, so when
As we talked, she put on her best face, even though inside she was cursing the day I
let her go.

I spent most of my time going to the gym, surfing, and visiting thebeweekends to
my sister Madison. The Saturday after Noah left, I got in the car and drove straight
to Las Vegas. Lion wanted to come with me and since we hadn't seen each other all
week I told him to come with me. Maddie already knew my best friend and they
got along too well for my liking.

"I don't know how you're going to bear being another three weeks without
Noah," Lion told me as we went down the highway. We wouldn't get to Las
Vegas until tonight, so we would see my sister the next day. We had reserved a
room at the Hotel Cesar because even though we had come to see my
six-year-old sister, we were not going to leave Las Vegas without stopping by the
casino and having a few drinks, after all we were in Las Vegas.

I glared at him as he reminded me of the torturous weeks ahead.

- What do you want me to tell you?-she said raising her hands-it's only been
two days since Jenna went on that stupid cruise with her parents and I'm already
climbing the walls, and she's coming back in five days.

This was the first time Jenna had gone on vacation leaving Lion here. They had
come with us to the Bahamas last year, and she had only been away for a
while.beweekend with their parents. This year it seemed that all the parents had
agreed to screw the couple, it was clear.

"I can't wait for Noah to come live with me, when he does this nonsense will end,
and his mother will take our relationship more seriously" I said, squeezing the
steering wheel tightly. It was now three in the afternoon in Los Angeles so Noah
must be sleeping; How I would like to be in her bed with her at this very moment.

Lion was silent, which was unusual for him, and I looked at him curiously.

- What's wrong with you? I asked, seeing that his mood had worsened more
than what I was used to. Right now neither of them was very good company, that
was clear.

He kept looking out the window.

"I wish I could have a place to take Jenna to live, you know somewhere that's up to
par, not the shitty apartment I live in." he blurted out. I was surprised that he said
that. Since I knew him
It had been over five years now, she had never heard him complain about money,
not once.

We both came from completely different worlds, I had abetrust in my name, and I
was making a lot of money working at the firm, I never really had to worry about
money, I wasn't raised that way, I just grew up having it all, but I did realize how
hard it was to get it when you don't have a millionaire father watching your back.
That year in which she had lived with Lion, she had understood that not everything
fell from heaven, that people could have a really bad time to have money to eat.
Lion worked most of the day in the workshop that his grandfather had left him; He
had an older brother who had already been to jail twice and would be out soon, and
he had to take care of all the bills for both his house and the shop. The car races,
the fights, and everything else I did apart from because I liked being able to help
Lion, we were brothers, even though we came from different places, and
sometimes, like now, the monumental difference that had between the two.

"You know that Jenna doesn't care where you live, Lion" I said feeling bad, Lion
shouldn't be going through that, he shouldn't think like that, there was no one who
deserved to be able to live peacefully and without problems more than him.
Besides, Jenna would never be a burden to him, just like me, Jenna probably had
an account in her name waiting for her to turn twenty-one so she could live in
peace, for God's sake, her father was an oil magnate.

-I do care, do you think I'm not aware of how he lives?

How do her parents look at me every time I enter that mansion where she
lives?-she said raising her voice-I'm not going to be able to give her even half of
what she's used to.

"Not everything in life is about money," I

blurted out. Lion laughed.

- Says the rich kid daddy's son.

Okay, it was going too far, and any other time I would tell him to go to hell, but I
knew that behind that talk there was something sincere and deep, something that
was really affecting him.

I didn't answer him, and he stopped talking. We continued the journey in

silence listening to music, and we didn't even stop for lunch.

Upon arriving at the hotel, the mood was already different; it was impossible not
to be affected by the atmosphere of Las Vegas, it was practically impossible, the
people, the places, the lights, the hotel... The Cesar was impressive, a hotel that
was practically a city, I would like
bring Noah to this place, the girls went crazy, there were the stores of the best
clothing brands; It wasn't like being in Italy but the place was managed you had to
admit it.

Our room was on the west side of the hotel, it was huge, and we had to walk a long
way to get there.

- What do you want to do?-Lion asked me, going out to the terrace
and lighting a cigarette.

"Let's have a few drinks," I replied. I didn't want to tell him but whenever I came
to see Madison my mood wasn't the best of all, I just hated knowing that my
mother was so close to me, I couldn't stand it.

We went downstairs and went to one of the many bars the hotel had, one that was
right next to the casino. Lion was very good at cards and I was sure he would want
to play a few games before we headed back to our room. It was already quite late,
and I was tired from having driven here, but I enjoyed myself more than I should
have, drinking the glasses of that dry whiskey that little by little calmed my anxiety
and my bad mood.

- Do you feel like playing? -he asked me half an hour later, when we were
both already much more animated.

-You go, prebe"I want to stay here," I answered as I took out my phone and looked
to see if I had any messages from Noah.

Earlier I had sent him a message half jokingly half seriously telling them if he
needed me to send him something so he would remember me. It had been almost
two days since we had spoken, and if I was not mistaken I should have arrived in
London recently.

I smiled when I saw that he had answered me.

-"To keep something that helps me remember you would be to admit that I can
forget you"

I rolled my eyes.

- Now you need to quote Shakespeare to talk to me, you can't think of
anything of your own?

A second later she connected and I felt a warmth inside me that I only felt when it
was her.

-I've only been here two hours and I'm already soaking up all the literary culture of
this country, and if you don't like my romantic messages, I'll leave
to send them to you, idiot. -he replied with a bunch of angry emoticons.

I burst out laughing, and a guy next to me looked at me like I was crazy. My smile
grew even wider.

-I'm going to give you nothing but romantic messages when you come back from
that stupid trip, and you won't need any dead writer or any idiot and boring
poet; You and me alone...

We are poetry, love.

I waited to see what he would say to me. He didn't and a minute later his face
appeared on my phone and I replied smiling.

"I loved the last thing you said," he said with that sweet voice that he adored so
much. I wanted to have her in my arms right at that moment and show her
how real my words were.

- When are you coming back?-I asked him although I knew exactly
when he was coming back.

He laughed on the other end of the line.

-In two and a half weeks, it won't be long, where are you?-

she asked me, curious as always and quickly changing the subject, knowing that the
fucking trip was a dangerous topic.

I clenched my jaw.

"In Las Vegas" I answered a little dry. I hated hearing her voice and knowing that
she was so far from me, I hated not having her here, this was going to be the last
time she would leave for so long without me, the last.

- Have you seen Maddie?-he answered ignoring my tone and keeping his
lively and cheerful.

"Not yet, I'm in a bar drinking" I said, knowing that he would be annoyed to know
that I was drinking in Las Vegas surrounded by beautiful girls and in the middle of a
fucking casino. Well, I wanted her to be upset, to feel threatened, so maybe she'd
think twice next time before walking off and leaving me alone.

- You are drinking?

- Any problem?

I heard how he sighed on the other end of the line.

"I only ask you to be careful, please," he whispered a few seconds later. I didn't
expect that, more like a jealous attack or something similar, but I understood that
we were talking about Noah, not me, I would have reacted that way... and
speaking of jealousy...

- What are you doing right now?-I inquired knowing that the drinks I had
drunk were taking control over my temperament and mood.

"Talk to you," he answered curtly.

- What are you going to do next? Is your mother with you?

Not knowing what I was doing and the worst with whom it affected me more than
it should; Thousands of possible situations crossed my mind.

-Look, Nicholas, since you're turning into a complete jerk, we'd better stop talking
right now, I'll call you tomorrow.

Before I could answer him he had already cut me off. Fuck.

I dialed his number not giving a shit that it cost me a fortune. I got voicemail. I put
the phone in my pocket and swallowed everything that was left in the glass.

I had no idea how I was going to get through the next two and a half weeks.

The next morning my head ached terribly, but hey, after downing a bottle of
alcohol and playing three intense games of Poker we had won three thousand
dollars, which I wasn't going to complain about.

Lion was snoring in the bed next to mine.

I got up and got into the shower trying to have a good face to go find my sister.
After picking it up we would meet Lion here and he would see what we would do.

I drove out of the tourist area of ​that crazy city until I got to the park next to the
wealthy neighborhood where my sister lived. I got out of the car, lowering my
sunglasses and regretting drinking too much the night before. My already delicate
mood these last days was not for nonsense and less for unpleasant surprises; that's
why when my eyesbeThe woman holding my sister by the hand, walking towards
me, had to take several deep breaths and remind myself that
I had a six-year-old girl in front of me before I got in the car and drove off
without looking back.

The tall blonde woman coming towards me was the last person I wanted in front of
me.

- Nick!-my sister yelled, letting go of my mother and starting to run towards

me. I ignored the jab of pain at the top of my head at that high-pitched tone only
Madison seemed to have, and picked her up off the ground as she reached my
side.

- Hello, princess! -I said hugging her and ignoring my mother who had
stopped next to us.

"Hello, Nicholas," she said shyly, but holding herself upright, as she always did. She
hadn't changed much since the last time I'd seen her, about eight months ago when
she and her stupid husband neglected my sister and landed her in the hospital for
diabetic ketoacidosis.

- What are you doing here?-I said going down to Maddie and placing her
next to me. My sister stepped between us, holding my hand in one of hers and
reaching out to take my mother's.

- We are all three together forben!- she exclaimed full of illusion.

I don't know how many times she had begged me to go see her at her house, the
times she had insisted on playing with her in her room, or when they were
herbeThese are your birthdays, and all your requests had a uniqueben: that me
and my mother were together in the same room.

"Maddie has insisted that I bring her," she replied, tense but trying not to show it.
She was impeccably dressed, with short blond hair slicked back and a ridiculous
tiara on her head. I was the same as the women who lived in my neighborhood, the
same as all the women I hated and despised for being so simple. Although her
appearance never prevented her from being treated like a queen bee by all the men
she had ever met, all of them idolizing her and wanting to fuck her.

"Well, you already brought her" I said, trying not to show in my tone how much it
affected me to see her, how much I hated having her in front of me.

Memories of my childhood began to cross my mind, my mother putting me to bed

at bedtime, my mother defending me from my father, my mother waiting for me
with pancakes on Sundays... but followed by those memories came others...
Others that I did not want come back to life
"Nick, mom wants to come with us, she told me," Madison insisted, making
everything more difficult for me than it already was.

My eyes returned to that woman and I suppose that the look I gave her made her
recoil because she hastened to say: -

Maddie, you two better go, I have to go to the hairdresser's, honey, see you
tonight," he said leaning over to kiss her on the top of her head. I found it strange
to see how he treated her, I guess a part of me expected to see that he was cold
with her or just anything but the sweet woman in front of him. My mother could
be sweet, yes, and a bitch too.

Maddie didn't say anything, she just stared at us from her height. I wanted to get
the hell out of there as soon as possible, I had to pull myself together when my
mom stepped forward and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. What the hell was
this about? What the hell was he up to?

"Take care, Nicholas," he said before turning and leaving where he had come from.

I didn't give him another second of my attention. I turned to my little sister and
drew a smile on my face, the best I could formulate.

- What Chinese torture are you going to subject me to today,

dwarf?! I said, lifting her off the ground and hanging her from my
shoulder.

He started laughing, and I knew the sad look he'd had a moment ago was gone.
With me he was never going to be sad, I had already promised myself that years
ago; from the very moment I met her.

Lion was waiting for us at the door of the hotel, I saw on his face that he had the
same hangover as me and I don't know why but I laughed when Maddie ran out to
hug him, screaming with her infernal little voice.

Lion picked her up and dangled her by one foot with her head down. I laughed as
my sister screamed like she was possessed.

Only a madman could think of leaving a dwarf like my sister to two kaffirs like Lion
and me.

- Where are we going, miss?-asked my friend to that monster with big blue
eyes and blond hair like gold.

My sister looked at me excitedly, looking everywhere without making up her

mind. The possibilities were inbelittle girls, we were in the fun capital.
- Can we go see the sharks?-he exclaimed, jumping. I rolled

my eyes.

- Again?-we had already gone to the aquarium a thousand times but my

sister, unlike any girl her age, loved to stand in front of a window of killer sharks
and provoke them behind the glass.

After lunch, we went to the Aquarium. My sister was happy and ran from
here to there.

While Lion was watching her and they were both fooling around in front of a scary
great white shark, I pulled out my phone to see if my pissed off girlfriend was still
mad at me for being such a dick.

I decided to use my most adorable asset to charm her.

- Hey dwarf, come here!

My sister glared at me with her blue eyes.

"I'm not a dwarf," she said sulking.

Whatever you say, I told myself.

-Let's send a picture to Noah, come.

His eyes lit up when I mentioned her. I guess that was the look on my face
every time I talked to or was with her.

I placed the front camera and took the little girl to take the photo.

"Stick out your tongue, Nick, like this," the smartass told me, sticking out
her tiny tongue. I laughed but imitated her, taking the photo of us.

You can't be mad at me, you sin, you know I'm irresistible, and even more so if I
have this little monster with me. I love you.
Chapter 13

NOAH

When I woke up that morning, the first thing I did was turn on my mobile. I
shouldn't have turned it off, but I knew if I left it on Nick would call me, we'd
argue, and at such a distance it couldn't be productive. That's why I was surprised
to see that there was only a single missed call. I was expecting a crazy number of
calls and messages; I guess he was more drunk than I thought... or he just didn't
care if I was mad at him...

I opened the messages and saw that he had sent me one four hours ago. I grinned
like an idiot when I saw the photo he had sent me, it was him and Maddie, sticking
out their tongues and smiling at me. I read the message below, knowing that I
couldn't be angry with him for too long, not with that face, not the way he spoke to
me and when he told me he loved me. That he was irresistible, the very conceited
man had told me, but it was the pure truth. He was so handsome, with disheveled
black hair and that girl so similar to him and so different in equal parts... He knew
that when he returned from seeing Maddie his mood would drop and he would
spend several hours down and in a bad mood.

I missed him, last night I had fallen asleep worrying about him; I was in Las
Vegas, with Lion, nothing good could come out of there, especially if they had
been drinking.

But when I woke up and saw that adorable photo, my fears had dissipated,
giving way to longing and a terrible desire to hear his voice and have him here
with me.

Luckily my mother had her own room, so when I picked up the phone and dialed
her number, I waited anxiously for her answer. It was late there, I suppose he
must have been sleeping but I waited impatiently to hear his voice.

- Noah?-he answered on the fifth ring.

"I miss you" I said simply.

I heard him sit up and imagined him turning on the night light and running his
hand over his face, waking me up.

"Don't wake me up to tell me that, you freckles," he said with a growl. "Tell me
you're having a blast, that you don't even think about me, because if I'm not stupid,
the trip doesn't make any sense."
I smiled sadly, resting my head on the pillow.

"You know I'm having a good time, but it's not the same without you," I replied,
knowing that despite what he was telling me, he liked me to tell him that I missed
him. -

What about Maddie?-I asked wishing I could have accompanied him. I loved going
with him and seeing what he was like with his sister, he was a completely different
Nick, a sweet Nick, and patient, funny and protective.

There was a momentary silence before he spoke again.

"My mother brought it to me," she blurted out in a tone I already knew too
well, "If you had seen her, as uptight as a forty-year-old Barbie, forcing me in
front of the girl to treat her as she doesn't deserve."

Shit, her mother. He still remembered how bad it had been after seeing her briefly
in the hospital that time Maddie had gotten sick.

The desperation in his voice, his eyes moist from seeing her for the first time
in years...

"I shouldn't have forced the situation like that," I replied annoyed. He understood
that his mother wanted to get back in touch with Nick, byben and after all he was
his son but not in that way, putting him between a rock and a hard place.

-I don't know what the hell she wants, but I don't want to have to see her again,
I'm not interested in knowing anything about her or her life. -His tone was clearly
angry but there was also some sadness, he hid it well, but I already knew
hisbeenough to know that a part of him ached to find out what his mother had to
tell him.

"Nicholas... don't you think..." I started to say cautiously but he cut me off
immediately.

"Don't go there, Noah, no, no way, don't even try again, I'm not going to talk to
that woman, I'm not going to be in the same room with her again" her tone of voice
was scary. Only once had he hinted that maybe he should meet his mother again,
let her explain herself or at least try to maintain a cordial relationship, but he
turned black with anger, there was something else he wasn't telling me, he knew he
didn't hate her like he did. It wasn't just because I had abandoned him as a child,
which was already something horrible, but something had happened, something
that I knew he wasn't going to tell me.

"Okay, sorry" I said trying to calm the waters.

I heard how he was breathing heavily from the other side of the line.
-Now I would like to sink into you, forget about all this shit and make love to you for
hours; damn the time you left.

I felt butterflies fluttering in my stomach when I heard him say that, I was pissed
off but his words turned me on inside, I also wanted to be in his arms, let his lips
run through my body, feel his hands immobilizing me against the mattress,
withbefirmness, but always with anbenice tenderness and care...

"I'm sorry that this trip is so horrible for you, really, I would also like to be there
with you right now" I answered trying to reach him with my words, although I
knew that Nicholas was a person who needed contact in order to feel good. , feeling
loved... I didn't know if my words were going to be hisbeI was able to make him
understand how much I loved him and how bad I felt knowing that he was
suffering because of his mother with no one to turn to but me, because he never
talked about this with anyone, not even Lion.

"Don't worry about me, Noah, I'm fine," he said a second later. A part of him wanted
to make my trip pleasant and the other just wanted to blame me for leaving.

I heard my mother wake up on the other side of my room. We had slept late and if
we wanted to do everything we had planned for today, we had to leave.

"I have to go" I said wishing I could talk to him for hours. There was silence

on the other end of the line.

"Be careful, I love you," he blurted out.befinally and hung up on me.

The trip was being amazing, as much as I missed Nick, I couldn't believe that I was
lucky enough to be visiting all these wonderful places. I had liked Italy a lot, we
had visited the Roman Colosseum, and walked through its streets, eaten tortellini
and the best raspberry ice cream I had ever tasted, but I had been in London for
two days and I couldn't be more in love with the city. Everything about her seemed
to me to be taken from a Dickens book, all the books I had read over the years had
been set in this city, all those period romantic stories, where women walked
through Hyde Park, on horseback or simply walking, always accompanied by
carbines of course; I edited thembeThe shops were elegant, old but precious and
classy; Picadilly had been a swarm of people, men in jackets and carrying
briefcases, hippies with colored caps, or just tourists like me walking that
traffic.beas a human being and admiring the lights of that splendid place.
Harrods had fascinated me, but I had also been horrified by
their prices, although I suppose for someone like the Leisters that a chocolate
bonbon costing ten pounds was no problem.

My mother was delighted with everything, just as fascinated as I was, although she
was more used to it, since she had already visited many places with William. They
had gone on a belated honeymoon to London and then to Dubai for two weeks. It
was clear that my mother was already one step above me, and I could tell by the
difference in reaction between the two of us. IflI knew everything, and I was
hallucinated with the simplest things; My mother laughed at me but deep down
she knew that no matter how many places William had taken her, she would
always feel lucky to have everything we now had.

The days passed and we had been traveling for almost two weeks, we still had to
visit France and Spain, and until now, after three days of conversation with
Nicholas, I had never had to share a room with my mother.

We always slept in a suite that had two separate rooms, but in France they mixed up
the reservation so we ended up sharing not only a room but also a bed.

"Are you liking France?" my mother asked me as she took off her earrings, already
dressed in her pajamas while I came out wrapped in a towel with my hair
dripping.

"The city is beautiful" I said as I got dressed. With my underwear on, I turned to
the mirror where my mother was brushing her hair and saw how her eyes,
through the glass, stopped for a few seconds too long on the scar on my stomach.

I shouldn't have been so scantily clad in front of her, I knew she was saddened
every time she had the proof that they almost killed me that night. I saw in her
eyes that bad memories were crossing her mind and I wanted to make her
return to any happy thoughts, before she began to blame herself for something
that had not been her fault.

- Have you talked to Nicholas?-she asked me a minute later when I got

into bed already in my pajamas and waiting for her to finish putting on all those
creams that she had bought and brought on the trip.

"Yes, he sends his regards" I lied trying not to show it. Nicholas and my mother's
relationship was not going through its best moment, so I tried to avoid mentioning
them in the conversations I had with each other.

My mother nodded her head, thoughtful for a moment.

- Are you happy with him, Noah?-he asked me then.

I didn't expect that question, and I stayed silent for a few moments. The answer
was easy, of course I was happy with him, more than with anyone else, and then I
remembered that long ago, when we had been in the Bahamas, not yet together,
Nick had asked me that very question, had asked me if I was happy, and my
answer had been that there with him, I was.

But what about when we weren't together? Was she happy when she wasn't with
him? Was I completely happy right now being in this room, miles away, even
though I knew he loved me and that soon we would be together again?

-Your silence is deafening.

I looked up from where I had stared to understand that my silence had been
misinterpreted.

"No, no, of course I'm happy with him, I love him mom," I hastened to
clarify.

My mother looked at me with a frown.

"You don't seem very convinced," he said and I thought I saw some relief in his eyes.

-The problem is that I love him too much-I blurted out then-My life without him
wouldn't make any sense, and that's what scares me.

My mother closed her eyes for a second and turned to face me.

That doesn't make any kind of logic.

Of course I was, he was completely serious, with Nicholas I felt safe, he protected
me from my nightmares, he gave me the security that I had lacked throughout my
life, he was the only person I would tell my problems to. But when we weren't
together, I felt like I was losing control of myself, thoughts that shouldn't exist,
and I felt things that I knew I shouldn't feel.

-It makes all the sense in the world, Mom, and I thought that you of all the people
I know would understand, seeing how in love you are with William.

My mother shook her head.

"You're wrong, no name should be the reason for your existence, do you hear me?"
Suddenly the color had gone from her face and she looked at me with a disturbing
look.bejeza-My life revolved around a man for a long time, someone who did not
deserve a minute of him, when I was with your father I believed that only he was
capable of supporting me, I came to believe that
no one was ever going to be able to love me, that I couldn't be alone without him by
my side.

My heart began to beat rapidly. Very few times my mother had spoken to me about
my father.

-The pain he inflicted on me had nothing to do with the fear I felt of being without
him, men like your father get into your mind and do what they want with it, never
let a man take over your soul, because You don't know what he's going to do with
it, whether to keep it and venerate it or let it wither between his fingers.

"Nicholas is not like that" I said with emotions toflor of skin I didn't want to hear
that from my mother, I didn't want her to tell me that there was a good chance
that my heart would be broken on the floor again, Nicholas loved me and he was
never going to leave me, he was not like my father, he never would be. .

-I only warn you that you go first and then the others, you should always put
yourself before yourself and if your happiness depends on a boy there is
something that you should rethink; men come and go but happiness is something
that only you can cultivate.

I tried not to let his words affect me, not to enter me, but they did, and so much so
that they did. That night was a clear example of this: they had tied me up and a
cloth blindfolded me, preventing any light from entering. My heart was pounding
wildly, cold sweat broke out on my body, and my breaths quickened by fear were
quickly turning into a clear panic attack.

I was alone, there was no one, just the inbelittle darkness that surrounded me and
with it the reason for all my fears. Then suddenly they took off my blindfold, the
ropes no longer tied my hands and a great light entered through a large window. I
ran outside, down a hallwaybelittle boy and with a voice inside me that told me
that I shouldn't keep running because nothing good was waiting for me on the
other side of that door.

I got out anyway and there, surrounding me, was a bunch of Ronnies pointing
guns at me. I stopped, scared, trembling, feeling the sweat soak my shirt...

"You know what you have to do..." all the Ronnies told me at once.

I turned to where a pistol rested on a broken wooden box on the floor. With
trembling hands I took it and after a few seconds of hesitation and as if I
were a professional I unlocked it, raised it and turned to face the person who
was kneeling on the ground, right in front of me.
"Please don't do it..." my father told me, crying, kneeling on the ground and looking
at me terrified.

My hand began to shake but I didn't back down.

-I'm sorry dad...

The roar of the shot made me open my eyes, but that hadn't been what had woken
me up, if not my mother who was shaking me in bed next to me, scared.

- My God, Noah!-she said sighing when she saw me open my eyes.

Disoriented, I sat up in bed. He was sweating... and he was shaking like a leaf. The
blankets were wrapped around me, as if they had been wanting to suffocate me in
my sleep, and it wasn't until I raised my hands to my face that I realized I'd been
crying.

"I-I," I said trembling, "I had a nightmare...

My mother watched me with her blue eyes looking at me with fear.

- Since when do you have nightmares like these?-he asked me looking at me

as if suddenly something had changed, his eyes were no longer at peace, that look
had reappeared... that look.

I wasn't going to tell him that nightmares were now a normal part of my life,
something I could only avoid when I was with Nicholas.

I didn't want him to worry, I didn't want to admit that I dreamed that I was killing
my father, that I was the one pulling the trigger, the one making his blood spill on
the floor...

I got up in bed and went straight to the bathroom. But my mother stopped me by
grabbing me hard by the arm.

- Since when Noah?

I needed to get away from her, I needed to erase her worried face from my mind, I
didn't want her to feel bad again, I didn't want anyone to know what was
happening inside me.

-It was only this time mom, probably because we are in a strange room, you know, I
usually get nervous in unknown places.

My mother frowned at me but didn't stop me when I yanked from her grip and
locked myself in the bathroom.
I wanted to call Nicholas, only he could calm me down, but I didn't want to have to
explain to him what had happened, not from such a distance, knowing that he had
no idea that I had nightmares.

I splashed water on my face and tried to put on a good face.

When I walked back into the room, I ignored my mother's doubtful look and lay
back between the sheets.

Don't do it, Noah, please... my father's words kept ringing in my head until, I don't
know how, I managed to fall asleep.

We had five days left to return. I was exhausted, not only physically but also
mentally. I desperately needed twenty-four hours of sleep, and that was only going
to be done with Nick holding me in his arms. Luckily I hadn't been in the same
room with my mother again, but the dark circles under my eyes were a perfect
reminder so my mother wouldn't forget what had happened.

There was also the small problem that I still hadn't told him I was moving in with
Nick. I knew she was going to get mad but I had already made up my mind, there
was nothing she could say to make me change my mind.

My mother was more suspicious than usual, it was as if she sensed that something
was not going the way she thought, that something was wrong.

He steered his nosy questions to neutral ground but knew that as soon as we set
foot in California, Troy would burn. That's why she was counting the days until she
could see Nick again. With him I could face my mother, and above all, feel like a
normal girl again.

-This is all your fault, you ruined my life. You killed me, you ruined my life, you
killed me, you ruined my life! You killed me!

- NO!-I yelled, getting up from the bed and throwing the lamp that was on my
nightstand. The crash it made when it broke, and the fact that I was left in the dark,
made me stumble all the way to the door, gasping and fear seizing my nerve
endings. My mother was there when I stepped out into the small hall, breathing
hard but relieved to see the light and to realize that it had been another nightmare.

"Noah..." she told me, hugging me and running her hand through my hair, she
calmed me down, but I didn't know.becient, that irrational fear was still there, it
was still inside me.
I remembered that time when my father had beaten my mother, I remember
crying under the bed, waiting for the screaming to stop, and I remembered how
my mother had come looking for me, had held me in her arms and I had done
exactly the same thing I was doing at that moment, run my hand through my hair
and reassure myself with his words... but just like that time, my fear did not
disappear, because his reason continued to exist; my father had been in that very
house, my fear was not going to disappear until he had left, my mother's arms
were not hisbeable to protect me... just like now, after so many years, and with my
father dead, my mother was unable to protect me, because it was all in my mind, it
was all inside me... and I had no idea how get over it.
Chapter 14

NICK

There were only two days left for Noah to return. I don't think I've ever been so
eager to see someone in my life.

My feelings were divided between wanting to kiss her and wanting to strangle her
for leaving me here alone and I didn't know what to do first.

Yes, I had noticed her a little strange the last few times we had talked. She had told
me that she was tired and that she was dying to see me and I was counting the
hours until that moment would arrive. She had fixed the floor, which was filthy,
bought food, and even cleaned the cat with baby wipes, which left my arm
scratched up, and I had to count to a hundred before throwing that ball of fur. by
the balcony.

I wanted us to have the best night of our lives when she arrived, I wanted her to
remember what she was missing when she left me behind, I wanted her life to
depend on mine as much as mine depended on hers.

I had spent almost all that month stuck at home and at work, getting ahead of
subjects, wanting to graduate as soon as possible.

If I stuck to the subjects I had left, I would be able to finish early, and if everything
went well, I would get my father forbeDon't take me more seriously.

The next night, when I was getting out of the shower wrapped in a towel and trying
not to get the whole floor wet, there was a knock on the door.

I cursed between my teeth and putting everything lost I went to

open it. It was Lion.

"I need your help" he told me walking in without further ado.

I turned to him as he kicked the door shut.

Lion was pitiful. I hadn't seen him for a week, and the person in front of me had
nothing to do with my friend.
- What the hell happened to you? -I said as I approached where he had sat
on the sofa and had put his hands to his head.

He was disheveled, and disheveled, as if he hadn't showered in days. The look he

gave me made me understand that he was also drunk, although not drunk, or so I
hoped.

-I've gotten myself into trouble.

Shit... that couldn't meanbenothing good Lion's problems were big problems, not
bullshit.

-You know that a year and a half ago I stopped selling...-

He started telling me and I knew where the shots were going as soon as I heard
the word sell.

I grabbed some pants from the sofa and put them on, I was dripping but I didn't
give a shit at that moment.

-Don't tell me you're back in that shit, Lion. I said curtly. Lion ran a hand

over the back of his neck and glared at me.

- Don't even think about judging me! –she yelled at me then, standing up. -
You have it all!

I got up, controlling the urge to kick him, but he was my friend and I knew he was
having a hard time because of the money, but that's what the fights were for, and
the races, they were illegal, yes, but it wasn't the same as selling drugs, of course.
that could fall more than ten years.

- What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into?" I said, keeping
calm.

Lion looked around, his green eyes, which contrasted alarmingly with his tanned
skin, locked on me a second later.

-I have to deliver a package in Gardens tonight, supposedly it was going to be on

the beach, something quick, but they called me and now I have to get into that
shitty neighborhood.

Damn, Nickerson Gardens was one of the worst in Los Angeles, they had me and
Lion on the cross for years for having gotten into a big fight. We both almost got
papered if it hadn't been for my father and we had sworn never to go there again.

-You won't expect me to accompany you...

-It will be quick, we deliver this shit and come back here man.

Fuck. I didn't want problems, not anymore, not now that I was getting my life back
on track. Ever since what happened with Ronnie and Noah's father, I had vowed
never to get in trouble again, let alone drag my girlfriend with me. It had been my
fault what happened with Ronnie, everything that happened afterward, none of
that would have happened if I hadn't let Noah get into that world with me and I
didn't want to get back in because where I was, she would be there.

"I'm not going Lion" I said stopping and looking at him to make it clear. He looked

surprised one second and pissed off the next.

-You said that we were brothers, for better or for worse, because now I need you.

Jodeeeeer.

- Is it just delivering a package?-I repeated knowing that I would regret this.

His face lit up.

-I'll hand it over and we'll take off, man, I swear. He said getting up from the sofa.
This reminded me of when I had moved in with him and started going along with
him on his shit. At that time we were much younger and irresponsible, I didn't
want to screw up again, now there was a lot at stake, I couldn't return to that
world, not anymore.

"I'm driving," I said, taking the keys and wanting to send him for a walk. But Lion
had always been there for me, I wish he didn't have to stay in that world but there
was nothing I could do. My father had offered him a job at his company but he had
refused, his grandfather's workshop was his whole life and he was not going to leave
it, but by not doing so, he was also giving up his only chance for a better life, a life
without issues.

Noah was arriving the next night, so I had plenty of time to do what Lion wanted,
go home, shower, and be ready to pick her up at the airport. I took the keys and left
the apartment without looking back. My car was parked in my parking space, since
I had lost the Ferrari I had considered buying a new car but it was still not clear to
me.

As we got in and out of the parking lot, the silence in the car was deafening.

-Thanks for accompanying me, Nick- Lion told me then with a look
beha in the window
- Does Jenna know whatbemarried with drugs?

I felt more than saw him tense up at the mention of his girlfriend.

"No, and you will never know," he said emphatically. It was clearly a
warning. I wasn't going to get involved in his moves, but I did have the balls
that he would get me in trouble.

As I walked deeper into Gardens, memories I didn't want to remember again

flooded my mind...Ronnie, her friends, the races, Noah kidnapped, her
motherfucker father holding a gun on her...fuck, all that shit was there. in this
neighborhood and I had sworn never to set foot in it again.

"Turn right," he said then, when we came to an intersection that I knew very well.

- It won't be at Midnight, right? -I said turning around but getting nervous.

Midnight was a nightclub where pushers from all over the city did their dealings.
Inside, it was a kind of bar-disco, where the worst of the city came together. When
we were younger we got together with a group from here, we were doing all kinds
of crazy things until things got ugly. We saw each other with a weapon and with a
guy who passed coke to people with a lot of money. That's when I said up to here.
Of course they don't let you leave scot-free and that's it. The beating they gave us
was still engraved in my memory, I think three ribs were broken and it was the
straw that broke the camel's back. Shortly after, my mother and sister happened
and I had to go back to live with my father. Since then I had not set foot on this site
again.

-Yes, but I already told you that it will only be a moment. I hand over the
package, they pay me, and we're off.

I stopped the car at the corner of the bar. From where he had parked he could see
the people coming and going. I had no interest in meeting any asshole from my
past. I clamped my hands hard on the steering wheel as Lion got out of the car and
headed for the door.

Sometimes I would think about that time in my life and I couldn't understand how
I had screwed up so much. Of course, the fault that my only escape route was
violence and drugs had been my parents' fault... and now when forben I had
everything I needed, when I knew what it was to love someone above all things,
even myself, I was involved in this shit.

I waited impatiently for Lion to come out, but he didn't and I started to get nervous.
Fifteen minutes had already passed and if what I
had said was true, it should only have taken five minutes tops. I finished my fourth
cigarette and threw it out the car window.

Cursing under my breath, I yanked the keys from the ignition and got out, slamming
the door. As I approached the door of the bar, the two thugs standing there at the
entrance stared at me.

- Where do you think you're going?-asked one of them, standing in

front of me.

-Let's have thebeHe's at peace, okay?" I said, stopping and counting to ten. I'm here
to find a friend.

Before I had time to answer, a guy with facial piercings came out and stared at me.

-Let him in.

The gorilla looked me up and down and stepped away. I rolled up the sleeves of my
shirt as I walked in knowing this was not going to end well. My suspicions were not
unfounded when following the one with the piercings to a room that was across the
entire club, I found Lion lying on the floor, with a black eye and split lip.

I felt my whole body tense up and my hands automatically clench into fists.

"Look who we have here" said a voice that I knew very well. Cruz, Ronnie's friend;
The same one who had beaten me up that night when I was stupid enough to walk
alone in an alley in a neighborhood like this. It was seeing him and all the
memories of what had happened with Noah flooding my mind. I had tried with all
my might to put all that shit behind me, to focus on my future, on Noah, on
protecting her, on carving a different path for us than the one I had started as a
teenager... but to see him there, to see how Lion was lying on the ground. Seeing
that son of a bitch surrounded by bastards like him...

All the anger that I had been holding back for months seemed to rise up inside
me.

"I knew it would be a matter of time before you let yourself be seen around here,"
Cruz said, leaning on the table behind him. His black hair was no longer shaved
close but was tied in a small ponytail behind his neck. His arms were all tattooed
and his look told me he was stoned, who knows what. -Your friend owes us money,
daddy's boy, and he has done well to bring you here to settle his debt.
My gaze went from Cruz to Lion in half a second. The latter was not looking at me,
his eyes were swollen and fixed on the ground.

-I don't owe you shit, asshole, so you can start thinking about something else to get
your money back because you won't see a penny from me.

I controlled my every word. I had no idea what I was going to do to get out of there,
Lion seemed defeated, deep down in all my anger, somewhere in my mind I felt bad
for him, to see that he was still in that shit that I had already left, but he was so
pissed off at that moment that I just wanted to beat him up, for being an idiot, and
for getting me into his fucking problems.

Cruz pushed himself away from the table and walked slowly towards me.

"You know... it was a shame that Ronnie ended up in jail, of course it was perfect
for me, everything he had now belongs to me, and listen to me" he said, stopping
half a meter from my face "I'm not as stupid as He, the asshole of your friend,
owes me three thousand dollars, three thousand dollars that I will collect in
money or blood, so it's up to you, either give it to me and the matter is resolved...
or I'll take it and no one will ever recognize him again. stupid face.

I clenched my jaw, holding myself back, I could only think of one thing: Noah.
I wasn't going to get in trouble, I wasn't going to fight with that jerk... I
thought about Jenna, about how she would react if she saw Lion in a worse
state than he was at that moment.

-I don't have three thousand dollars in cash, I'm not a fucking drug dealer like you.

Cruz let out a laugh and his friends followed suit.

-Don't worry, there's an ATM next door, we'll all go together, what do you think?

I took a deep breath so as not to smash his face in right then and there and turned
to head out the door. I knew they were following me, the truth is that it was good
for me to get away from that place. Tucked away in that suburb there wasn't much
chance of being able to get out without problems after giving them the money. On
the street... that was something else.

Stepping out into the cold night air, my gaze quickly scanned my surroundings
at that moment. There were guys clustered on the corners, the occasional
homeless man, and two prostitutes talking to three guys in a car. I couldn't wait
to get out of there.

Lion joined me as the six of us, Cruz, three of his friends, Lion, and I headed for
the ATM two blocks away.
"You're an asshole" I said, stomping my feet and holding back the urge to
break his face, I didn't care if he was my best friend.

"They played me," he said, then spit on the ground. "They told me that the coke I
didn't sell had to be delivered to them, period, and now they go and ask me for
money for what I haven't sold, they're fucking bastards.

"You have a bigger problem than these idiots and you better start solving it," I said,
going ahead when we got to the ATM.

Cruz approached me. I was losing my patience, so I faced him content with the urge
to smash his face in.

-You are touching my balls; Get out of the way, or I swear to God I'll draw you a
new face.

Cruz smiled, but held up his hands and stepped away. He knew he was holding
back because he needed the money. I took out the card and put the key in. I dialed
in the amount, hoping it could be withdrawn in one go without a problem, and it
did.

Three thousand dollars. Three thousand dollars she'd earned working the two
fucking weeks she'd been apart from Noah.

"Here you are, try not to cross my path again," I said, giving him the money.

Cruz counted the money and an amused smile spread across his face.

-You shouldn't have left here, Nick, you fit in better than you think... all that good
boy stuff you've been doing lately doesn't suit you at all.

I smiled holding back with all my might and turned my back on him with the
intention of leaving without looking back.

"By the way..." he said and I stopped, "It was easy to sneak out the front door
before the cops got to where your girlfriend was being held... How's Noah?"

My fist flew so fast that I wasn't even aware that it had already collided with his jaw
until I saw him lying on the ground. His feet moved quickly and I was thrown next
to him. The first punch came a second later and hit me square in the left eye.

- Don't ever say his name again, you son of a bitch!

I pried my body up and positioned myself on top of him. My fists began to
crash, over and over and over again, against that asshole's face.

Then I felt like I was kicked from behind, right in the ribs.

- I'm going to kill you fucking bastard!

I heard Cruz's words and before I had time to react I had three guys kicking me on
the ground. I grabbed the first ankle that came to hand and pulled with all my
might. It was all arms and legs, and blows and blood.

The adrenaline ran through my veins preventing me from feeling any pain. The
rage blinded me, the name of my girlfriend on the lips of that bastard fanned the
fire of my anger.

I placed myself on top of the one he had thrown and began to hit him in the
stomach. Out of the corner of my eye I saw that Lion was fighting with two others.
We weren't going to last long, we were two against four and Lion was on his last
legs. He could fight two perfectly even three, but four?

I also had my limits.

A knee caught me square in the jaw and my vision blurred. I fell to the ground on
my back and the kick to the stomach knocked the air out of me. I tried to get
oxygen into my lungs but it was impossible.

-Try not to come back here... because it will be the last thing you do.
Chapter 15

NOAH

My journey had already reached itsbeno. He had visited magnificent placesbecos I

had swum in the best beaches and had eaten and tasted all kinds of traditional
foods, but when the plane from New York put its wheels down at the Los Angeles
airport, I could only feel joy, joy and nerves that shredded me. stomach.

I was going to see Nick, I was going to see him, he was there, a few meters from
me, I just had to get off the plane, go through the metal detectors and I could hold
him in my arms, I would smell his perfume, I would kiss his lips... With Just
thinking about it made my stomach hurt. My mother had already lost her joy in
traveling, we'd had an argument on the plane when I'd made it clear that I was
going to spend the night at Nick's. If I had messed with God for just one night, I
didn't even want to imagine what was coming when I confessed to him that I was
thinking of moving in with him.

I stood up immediately when the beep sounded that let us remove the belt. My
mother rolled her eyes at me but I ignored her, thankful for traveling first class so
I could get out of the first class. As soon as the doors opened I went straight
towards the sleeve that would take me to the terminal. I turned impatiently when
I saw that my mother was late. What the hell was she doing?

I pulled out my cell phone to check for any messages or calls but didn't care to see
that there weren't any from Nick. I would see him now, I imagined him waiting for
me on the other side of the doors, with his perfect smile and his arms opening for
me.

Luckily if you come from New York, they don't make you wait or have to show
your passport again, we already did that at JFK, so I only had to walk down a long
corridor and down the escalator. Outside it was seven in the evening, and the first
thing I saw was the blinding light of sunset that blinded my sight for a few
moments.

William was there.

But where was Nick?

My eyes darted around the entire airport as the stairs kept going down and down
until I had no choice but to snap out of my muteness and approach my
boyfriend's father.
She smiled at me and opened her arms for a hug, though the smile didn't reach her
eyes. She didn't want to be rude but it wasn't him she wanted to hug.

- What's up, stranger?-he said when I hugged him briefly.

- And Nicholas?

His eyes observed me for a second, he opened his mouth to answer me but then
his eyes drifted from me to my mother.

She ran until he caught her in his arms.

I stared at them without understanding anything at all.

As soon as they pulled away after he kissed her on the lips, forcing me to look
away, they turned to me.

- And Nicholas?-asked my mother just like me.

Will's eyes met mine again and he shrugged as if to say what did you expect?

-He sent me a message telling me that he was not going to be able to pick you up,
that he would call you as soon as he could.

That didn't make any sense.

- Didn't he tell you anything else?-I blurted out in disbelief. my joy

desinflRising like a burst balloon... disappointment entering my system.

William shook his head and I turned my back on him as he and Steve collected the
bags. I picked up my mobile phone and made the first call.

The answering machine rang.

I hung up before my deafening silence registered.

Why hadn't he come to pick me up? I was working?

But if he was, he would have come anyway, he did it for my birthday, he gave up
everything to see me... Had these weeks apart made him not care as much as
before?

My God, what the hell was he thinking? Of course he cared, we had talked, he
wanted to see me, he had told me...

I dialed his number again.

-Nicholas I'm at the airport and you're not here, what happened?

I let my message record and put the phone in the pocket of my jeans. I turned to
my mother who was gripping William and hugged Steve as we left the airport and
headed to the car. Steve always knew where Nick was, actually he always knew
where we all were, he was the security agent for the Leister family.

- Do you know what happened, Steve? I asked looking at him.bejamente. I

knew that Nicholas withbeI was in it, whenever something happened I would call
it and I would also send it when on occasion or other it could not come to look for
me or simply wanted to make sure that I got home safe and sound.

Steve looked away, and then I realized that there was something going on there that
no one wanted to tell me about.

I grabbed his arm and forced him to look at me.

- What the hell has happened?

-Don't be alarmed, Noah, Nicholas is fine, he will contact you as soon as he gets you
home.

I hadn't been here half an hour and I already wanted to strangle him. What the hell
was he playing?

The drive home seemed like an eternity, and I wished I had gone straight to Nick's
apartment. I had no idea what was wrong with him but I didn't like what was
happening one bit. I knew why Steve didn't say anything to me, it was already late,
and you were sure that Nicholas wanted me to stay home that night… all kinds of
images were going through my head, and most of them were bad.

When we got home it was already night. A part of me hoped to see him there, that
he was waiting for me, and that this was all just a bad joke. He hadn't returned my
calls, and I was starting to get mad, really mad.

-Noah, change your face, please, you come from a trip not from the asylum.

I was sure that my mother was rejoicing in this. A part of her wanted to see how
many times Nicholas could disappoint me, she was waiting for me to leave him,
for something to be the last straw, but no way, she was so wrong.

I went up to my room without even answering him. I picked up the phone and
dialed her number again. I had been calling him the whole time
we had been slow to get here. Worst of all, Lion wasn't answering me either, not
even Jenna.

To the fifth tone bybeHe didn't answer me.

"Noah," he said simply.

- Where are you?

I listened intently but heard nothing but his breathing, his deep breathing, as if
he were considering what he was going to say next. I felt fear in my heart... an
irrational fear because I didn't understand what was happening.

"I'm fine, I'm sorry, something has happened and that's why I couldn't go
pick you up" his voice sounded embarrassed, embarrassed and hard.

- Are you alright, are you all alright? Neither Lion nor Jenna pick up the
phone- I said sitting on the bed. Hearing her voice had calmed me down a
bit...but not much either.

"I'm fine," he said but I didn't believe it. Something was up and he wasn't telling me.

"I'm going to your apartment right now," I blurted out with determination getting
out of bed.

-Do not even think about it.

His voice was so sharp that I stood where I was with my hand on the doorknob.

"Nicholas Leister, are you going to tell me right now what's going on or I swear to
God I'll rip out every hair on your head."

There was silence on the other end of the line.

- Do you want war, freckles? -he then released me in a tone that I didn't like
at all- Well, I'm not going to give it to you, not today, stay at home and wait for me
to call you.

And he hung up on me.

I looked at the phone as if it had slapped me.

I dialed her number so quickly that I almost cracked the screen. I was
communicating.

Who the hell was he talking to? And how dare he hang up on me?
I went straight to my nightstand where I had the keys to my Audi. They were not
there.

Was this a joke?

I left my room and was packed to the kitchen. I opened the drawer where there were
spare keys and I didn't see any for my car.

My mother and William were nowhere to be found and I didn't want to imagine
what they were doing.

Was my car outside? I hadn't even stopped to look if it was.

I headed for the front door, but Steve came out of his office just then, phone in one
hand and a warning look on his face.

- Are you talking to him? -I said looking at the phone accusing him a
second later with a finger.

-Noah, he has asked me not to let you leave the house, tomorrow he will explain
everything to you.

I let out a laugh that sounded weird even to me.

Steve looked embarrassed, but I knew he would listen to Nicholas.

-It's late; rest and tomorrow you will see

him. And shit.

-Okay you're right.

Steve looked relieved, watching me closely as I turned and started up the stairs.

This guyflI wondered if he thought he could force me not to leave my own house. I
went into my room, predisposed to wait until later. I walked nervously and took
out my mobile phone.

There is nothing to justifybethat what you are doing, you will find out when I
see you.

Luckily he answered me instantly.

Don't get violent, I love you, rest and we'll see each other.

See you around?!

I went into the bathroom, it was disgusting after so many hours of flying. I looked
at the time, it was nine o'clock, and I wasn't going to try to escape until at least
eleven. I laughed at my own expression, escape, even if this was a jail.

I got into the shower, ripping off my clothes and kicking my way through. I put the
water very hot, so that it revived my senses. I was tired, but the situation was
beyond me. I wasn't going to go to sleep like that, not being that worried, not
thinking the worst.

I washed my hair, my body and when I finished I came out naked wetting the
whole floor. I went into my dressing room and grabbed the first thing I saw. I
quickly dried myself and pulled the shirt over my head. Cell phone in one hand
and pulling up my shorts with the other, I kept calling Jenna, but no sign of her.

I was going to kill him... I assure you I would kill him.

When I was fairly presentable, although with wet hair, I peeked into the
hallway. Nothing was heard.

The truth is that you never heard anything, this house was huge.

My plan was to go to the garage in the basement and get my old junk car. Yes, the
same one that had been damaged a thousand times, but that I was sorry to sell, or
rather throw away.

I knew that it would end up serving me one day.

The door to the garage was at the back of the house, so she didn't need to go
through the driveway or Steve's office. I made my way downstairs making the
slightest noise and smiled at the sight of my beautiful car next to my mother's
BMW. There was also a motorcycle, the truth is that I had never asked whose it
was, and I was tempted to take it but I didn't know where the keys were and I was
sure that Nicholas would kill me if he saw me arrive late at night with a motorcycle
that I had never driven in my life.

I got in the car and took out the little device that opened the garage doors. Again
I thanked heaven that the house was huge and no one heard me going out.

I had almost an hour of driving ahead of me, so I turned the music up to clear my
head and opened the windows, wishing it was my convertible I was driving and
not that car that was doing ninety tops.

I knew I was reckless going out on the road at that hour, especially after going
twenty hours without sleep, but I didn't mind.
It didn't matter, the desire to see Nicholas and the anxiety she felt that something
wasn't right could overwhelm everything else.

The road seemed eternal to me and when I arrived atben to your edi blockbeI felt
like I was getting more and more nervous. Not only because I was going to see him
after a month, but because I knew he would be angry with me for coming here
alone and in the middle of the night and not to mention his tone when talking to
me on the phone; I was pissed off and just hoped it wasn't me.

I got into the elevator and then realized that I hadn't taken the keys he had given
me.

Shit…now he was going to have to ring the bell, at one in the morning.

It wasn't how I had imagined it and a part of me, the one that wanted to make my
life miserable, had wanted to surprise him... because ringing the bell gave him time
to hide whatever it was... or someone.

I shook my head, scolding myself for being so rude. Nicholas would never cheat on
me, how could I even count that?

With my heart beating a thousand per hour I knocked on the door...

at the door, not the bell. I don't know why, but the door seemed the most sensible
to me. They were soft blows and nothing dramatic.

A part of me was already trying to calm the waters before I'd even seen it.

Nobody opened for me.

I knocked again this time with more force and then I saw a light come on under
the door. I was asleep?

Alone?

I heard a curse on the other end and then an insult. Then the door

opened and there he was.

I think nothing would have prepared me for what I saw when he opened the door
for me. I had to hold my breath. My hands went straight to my mouth, stifling a
cry.

I didn't expect to see myself there and now I understood why.

- What the hell are you doing here?! He yelled at me.

yelled at me A scream that brought me out of my horror.

- What have they done to you?" I said in a muffled whisper. My God...

he had bruises all over his face, his left eye was oozing and green. And her lip
was split, totally mangled.

He put a hand to his head, then reached over and pulled me, then slammed the
door shut.

- I told you to stay home!

Now that I was there, now that I saw him, I understood why he hadn't come to
pick me up. He was devastated, they had given him a tremendous beating... I felt
my heart race, not only because of the fear of seeing his body mistreated in that
way, but because the illusion of seeing him, the fantasy of reuniting after weeks
without seeing each other disappeared before my eyes in a desolate way.

Me beI looked at his bare chest, like a bandage holding his ribs...

They had hurt him… they had hurt him horribly, him, Nick, me Nick.

-Don't look at me like that, Noah. he said then, turning his back on me and raising
his hand to his head.

I didn't even know what to say. I had been speechless. This was the last thing I
needed, the last thing my eyes wanted to see was my injured boyfriend, I was not in
a moment in which a beating was just a beating, for me it was something much
bigger, something worse...it fueled memories that, damn, I didn't want to
remember.

He approached me.

"Don't fucking cry," he said and I felt his fingers on my cheek, wiping away the tears
that I could hardly control lately.

"I don't understand..." I said and it was true, I didn't understand what had
happened, because I was hurt, I was stunned, nothing had gone as I expected.

Nicholas pulled me into his arms, I was afraid to touch him, I didn't want to
hurt him, but instinctively my arms went around him, and I felt his lips on
the top of my head.

"I've missed you so much" he told me and I felt his other hand caress my hair,
smell the fragrance of my shampoo... his fingers took my face and
I opened my eyes to see him. His left eye was half closed from the blow, I didn't
see that light blue that I fell in love with, I only saw pain and suffering in that
face... When he leaned in to kiss me I moved away.

"No," I said afraid.

I squeezed my eyes shut, memories, memories, damn memories... my mother

beaten, my father dying, me bleeding on the floor, waiting for my mother to come
back...

I turned around and brought my hands to my face, hiding my face.

- Why are you doing this, Nicholas?-I said muffling my words with my
hands.

I turned to him. I hated crying and more in front of people, and more for
something that could have been avoided. He watched me stand still in his place,
I think still hurt from having rejected his contact.

"Can't you be a normal boyfriend?!" I yelled at him, I was angry, yes, but hurt, hurt
for everything, for seeing him in that state and because my fantasy had evaporated
into thin air.

The pain on his face at my words made me feel guilty, but I wasn't going to take
them back. Surely he had gone back to that shit about fighting to get money, or he
had just gotten drunk and ended up in one, and Lion sure had been there too and
Jenna, and that's why no one picked up the phone.

"You shouldn't have come," he told me, controlling his tone of voice. Was he in
control now? Now it was late. -I wanted to avoid this, but you never listen!

- You are not the one to tell me what to do!

When are you going to understand?!

My words managed to awaken something in him.

"Of course I do!" he yelled at me and I backed away. "If I tell you to stay
home, damn it, do it!" I had my reasons!

"Your reasons are that you've been beaten up?!" He looked at me breathing
rapidly, and I turned with the intention of leaving, I knew I would collapse at any
moment and I wasn't going to do it in front of him.

His hand encircled my arm and forced me to stop. I pulled hard.

Don't you dare touch me!

His eyes blazed when he heard me say that.

-You've been gone for a fucking month, of course I'm going to touch you!

-No! You're not going to, because right now I don't even recognize you!
I've been stupid, I thought you'd be waiting for me at the airport, with a smile,
maybe even withflPray, but I'm an idiot, a stupid person who expects things from
someone who obviously only knows how to destroy what's around him!

I watched almost in slow motion as his fist crashed into the glass door next to the
TV. Thousands of crystals fell around him.

- "Fuck!" he yelled, putting his hand to his chest and kicking the sofa.

I stayed where I was. My mind just went on pause.

I saw like a few seconds later or who knows, maybe minutes, he turned to look at
me. His eyes looked at me scared.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Noah" he said coming closer to

me. I woke up and took a step back.

"Don't touch me," I repeated, completely serious this time.

He stood still, both of us holding our gazes but not knowing what to say next.

"It's not what you think" he whispered then "I had to help Lion, he had
gotten into trouble."

His words entered my mind slowly.

- What kind of problems?" I answered, distracted by the drops of blood

that slid down his injured knuckles.

He took a step forward, giving me a warning look.

I let him do it and seeing that I didn't back down he reached for me and placed his
hands on my face.

"Money, listen to me, Noah, I didn't want this to happen, I swear, baby," he
whispered, coming up to me and fixing his eyes on mine, "I've been waiting for this
day since you left, I had bought food, I had fixed the floor, even the fucking cat is
clean, please believe me I just wanted to see you, that's all I care about.
I felt the smell of his body flood my senses, the warmth of his touch on my cheeks,
and that pain I felt in my chest eased a bit, because despite being the one to blame
for my pain, he was the only one capable of making it disappear. .

I took a deep breath and when he brought his forehead closer to mine I closed my
eyes trying to calm down. Hesitantly I placed my hands on his face.

"Loving you is the most complicated thing I've ever done in my life," I told him.

Loving you is the most beautiful thing I've done in mine. A

smile appeared on my lips.

"I'm dying to kiss you," he told me then. He was asking my permission, I knew it.

Take a few seconds to answer.

-Then do it.

I felt his smile on my mouth a second later.

Chapter 16

NICK

He had screwed up, he knew it; the fear on his face when he saw me lose my
temperbeshe signed, but nothing mattered anymore, she was here with me, again,
and I was dying to kiss her.

Pressing her soft lips against mine, I felt a stab of pain where the bloody cut was.
Still I didn't pull away.

Noah's hands tugged on me insistently and I felt my whole body turn on. But then
suddenly he pulled away.

- Have I hurt you?-he said with alarm, scanning my face with his cat eyes,
those adorable eyes, full of wet eyelashes, wet from tears that once again, I had put
there.

- No-I answered absently, lowering my hands to her waist and pulling

her towards me again. - This is glory, I've been wanting to put my tongue in
your mouth for weeks.

Noah frowned at me, pulling back not letting me reach his lips.

-You have complained of pain-abeHe signed holding my face in his hands.

That?

- I have not complained.

A smile played on her lips... those lips.

"You've done it," he repeated, and his finger went down my cheekbone and gently
traced my bottom lip. I clenched my jaw. Yes, it hurt, but it was nothing compared
to the pain of not being able to touch her for days, or kiss her, or make love to her.

I'm going to heal your hand. she then said very determinedly.

He pushed me away and slipped out of my grasp. I would have liked to be more
agile, pull her, put her on my shoulder and put her in my room, but I had an
almost broken rib, the doctors had told me not to get out of bed, and there I was,
ignoring as usual .
I watched her as she walked into the kitchen. Byben my apartment seemed to
have life. The cat came out of who knows where, and began to rub against Noah's
pretty feet.

- Hello, N, nice! -she exclaimed, effusively bending down to catch that bug. I
sat in the kitchen chair watching my girlfriend pet our cat while also looking for a
first aid kit.

When he found it he came over to me and sat up turning his chair to face me.

"You look beautiful" I told her and I loved seeing how she blushed.

I can't say the same about you.

I smiled and parts of my face hurt that I didn't even know existed.

"Give me your hand," he said gently.

I did as she asked me and while I was watching her clean my wound, which
actually had hardly any blood, only two small crystals stuck at the tips, IbeI
noticed that she was even prettier than when she had left. Her hair was redder,
with streaks of blonde here and there, and her skin was sun-kissed, with an
orange tint that enhanced the features of her face. His lips always swelled up after
crying...and after making out, and as I looked at them I couldn't stop thinking
about all the things I wanted to do to him. I wanted those lips on my body, those
hands on my back...

"Nicholas, I'm talking to you," he said louder, pulling me out of my reverie.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" I said trying to control the desire that was
stirring up inside me.

-I was asking you how is Lion. Lion…he didn't

even want to hear his fucking name.

-He spent several hours in the emergency room, but he's fine, he's already at home.

Noah's gaze was fixed on my wound, cleaning it, disinfecting it...

- And Jenna?-he asked as he reached over the counter to reach for a pair of
scissors. In doing so he gave me a close up of her breasts and I had to take a
deep breath to steady myself. Did we have to talk about bullshit? I didn't give a
shit about Jenna, honestly; yes, he knew what had happened, no, we had not
told him that we were
Betweenbedrugged, more like her boyfriend, but at least she was taking care of him.

"He's with him, surely giving him the pain in the ass" I said, impatient for him to
finish with my wound and look at me once and for all.

She seemed nervous, I noticed it from her way of storing and placing things in the
medicine cabinet. Was he going to order that shit?

Now?

-I want to make love to you -. I said no more.

And there he was, his gaze, fixed on mine just as I wanted.

"You can't," he answered then, standing up and with his voice trembling slightly.

I pulled her up between my spread legs. His eyes were level with me.

"You know I can always" I said placing a hand on her back and pulling her towards
me.

She looked at me doubtfully, scanning my wounds until she stopped at my

bandaged stomach.

"No, Nicholas, you're hurt, you can't even breathe without your ribs hurting, I'm
sure," he told me, placing his hands in mine as I started to pull up his shirt.

Fuck, I didn't give a shit about the pain in my body. There was a stronger pain that
needed to calm down.

"Don't worry about me, freckles, the pleasure will be stronger than the pain, I
assure you" I told her pulling her shirt and leaving her bra in front of me. I got hard
just looking at her.

I felt her heart beating wildly when I started kissing her above her breasts. Her
throbbing in my neck was so strong I could even see the blood pumping through
her system, preparing her for me.

I caressed her back with my hands, I had forgotten how soft it was, how perfect it
was... sometimes I couldn't believe how lucky I was. When my hand stopped on the
clasp of her bra she jerked back, pulling away, away from my arms.

"Fuck" I blurted out without even thinking.

"No, Nicholas, I don't want to hurt you," she said, looking at me martyred. I

laughed.

-It is impossible for you to hurt me, love, at least physically. She crossed

her arms, and looked at me indignantly.

- You want to try? Because right now there's a part of me that wouldn't care
at all.

She didn't realize how her breasts looked with her arms in that position, or how
attractive she was in that black bra... black, always black... God could be cruel
sometimes.

"As much as I understand your need to beat me up, freckles, there are other needs
that I'm sure you want to put before me," I said, devouring her with my gaze. Her
body responded to my scrutiny and a smile played on my lips.

"Stop looking at me like that," he warned me, pointing at me with a finger, a finger
that I immediately stopped. I took her small hand in mine and brought her finger
to my mouth. I sucked on it and bit the yolk with my teeth and saw the response in
her body. When she tried to move away, my arms caught her quickly. With the
strength of my legs I forced her to stay right in front of me, where I wanted her. My
mouth went straight to her stomach, and I kissed her just above her belly button. A
ragged sigh left between his lips when it was my tongue that took the place of my
lips.

When his hands went to my neck and tangled in my hair, I knew the battle was
won. I moved on to kiss the top of her breasts and her hands went down to my
back. I stretched out my arms to encompass all of hers, positioning her so that her
breasts were just where I wanted them, her body shuddered and her nails dug into
my skin.

He hissed, I don't know if it was from pain or pure carnal pleasure, but he didn't
leave me time to find out because he slipped out of my arms.

- Nicholas, you can't! - she exclaimed, excited and angry. Yes, that's how I
was too.

Shit, I reached out to reach her but she walked away with resolute resolve.flleft in
her fucking honey-colored eyes.

"You know exactly how this is going to end, babe, so you can either get away from
me and play tag with me, which will only make my body ache more, or you can come
over here right now and stop bullshitting."
A flash of anger crossed his face.

- Wanna see how fast I'm out that door?

-I want to fuck, thank you.

Her cheeks turned even redder, she clearly wasn't expecting that answer and a
part of me smiled internally when I saw her look.

"You're becoming foul-mouthed, you know that?" he counterattacked, still not

approaching me.

A devilish smile appeared on my face.

-I've always been that bad-mouthed, freckles, only with you I try to control
myself, although you don't make it easy for me.

Something crossed her mind, something she had no idea what it could be.

- Did you talk like that to the

others? Shit.

What's up, did the stars align so I couldn't fuck my girlfriend today or what the hell
was going on?

"Let's not get into that, please," I said, reaching out despite the pain she was
causing me and grabbing her arm so she would come closer to me again.

I was getting sick of this fucking strip alreadyflhey If it hadn't been for Lion,
Noah would already be on his fifth orgasm.

-Yes, I want to know, did you talk like that to the others? I

was reaching the limit of my patience.

I grabbed her hands tightly, stood up, bent down, and stuck my tongue in her
mouth. My lip hurt but I didn't care, I had had worse injuries than that, and
nothing was going to stop me from kissing Noah that night, I had been waiting too
long.

A second later he responded with the same enthusiasm as me. His tongue began to
caress mine, in slow circles at first, desperately a second later.

Her small hands pressed against my chest and I winced.

She broke the kiss and looked at me alarmed.

"Stop it" I told him before he could say anything "I'm going to be inside you in less
than five minutes, so don't waste words."

She was silent and deep down I knew that she was dying to want it just like me. He
seemed to think about it for a few seconds andbeFinally he understood that he had
nothing to do. Instead of going to the room, he took my hand and forced me to sit
on the sofa.

- What are you doing? -I asked him more excited than in all my life.

I'm going to make love to you my way. His

cat eyes flashed with desire.

-You only know how to do it as I have taught you, freckles.

With my back against the seat, he straddled me. She gathered up her hair with one
hand and tossed it all over her shoulder.

-I have been in France, I have been able to learn new things.

That comment did not make me fucking funny. I glared at her.

"Don't be silly," she blurted out then, and with one movement she took off her bra.

Her breasts were before me and I lost my train of thought.

-And now you're going to stay still.

Chapter 17

NOAH

It was true that I didn't want to hurt him, but I also wanted to have him inside me. I
wanted him to caress me with his hands, with his expert fingers, to kiss me
everywhere, in all the forbidden places, to make me his and forget about all the
others.

"This is going to be the only time you're going to be in control, so enjoy it," the
very conceited one let me out. But I was beyond aroused, I felt him under me,
hard as stone.

"We'll see about that," I said leaning down to kiss her jaw. He would try to avoid
her lips, he didn't want it to hurt, but it would be difficult. It gave me courage to
have to be careful, I wanted us to make love freely, I wanted him to dominate me
with his body, the way I liked it, to lift me up, for the touch of our skin to give us
pleasure, not pain; although being in control for once could also be very exciting.

I ran my tongue through his stubble until I reached his right ear. He smelled
exquisitely good, of Nick, of a man...

His hands took hold of my breasts and I let out a ragged breath as he squeezed
hard causing intense pleasure that went straight to my crotch.

My hands went down his stomach, God, he had such a well worked body, I
felt his muscles under my fingertips, I wanted to suck and kiss every inch of
his skin.

My fingers stopped just above his pants and I smiled as his body rocked up
and down as my lips nibbled all over his neck and jaw.

"Don't be mean, freckles, I'm not going to wait much longer" he said, placing his
hands on my waist, but I stopped him before he did what I knew he was going to
do.

"I told you to stay still" I let go, taking his hands and cornering him against the
back of the sofa.

You are abusing your power.

I smiled and stood up. I slid my fingers down my pants and pulled them down,
leaving me with just my underwear. His eyes turned black with desire.

"If I remember correctly, there was something you wanted me to do," I said,
wanting to make him nervous, wanting him to lose control over himself.

I knelt in front of him and watched as his eyes locked on mine,

beJaely, holding me momentarily with his gaze.

"Not today," he blurted out then and I saw that it was hard

for him to tell me. I undid the first button of his pants.

- Why not?

His breathing went completely out of control.

I took his erection out of his pants and began to caress it with my hand. She closed
her eyes tightly, she knew she wouldn't last long if she continued with this fooling
around, we hadn't done it for a month, and she was sure she couldn't take it
anymore.

-Because when you suck me I'm going to want to fuck you for hours, and today
I'm not able to do that.

Fuck... I stood still, trying to get back to where I was in control of the situation.

He leaned forward with a smile appearing on his face, a devilish smile.

"Better do what I tell you," he released then and his hand gently pulled my
underwear, leaving me completely naked before him.

His eyes seemed to embrace every inch of my body, and I was grateful to have
gotten over the embarrassment I felt at first. There is nothing like withbeLove fully
in another person, in showing him all your insecurities and seeing that he not only
accepts them but also adores them.

"Someday I'll be in control and I'll be the one to drive you crazy" I gasped
while his lips began to kiss my stomach and his fingers the center of my
body.

"You drive me crazy just breathing, Noah," he said moving closer. I was standing
between his legs with his mouth on my body and my hands tangled in his dark hair.
I yanked on him as his tongue dipped dangerously low.

"You're ready," he said, inserting a finger inside me.

I pushed him back and placed both hands on his shoulders. I sat on his lap, shaking
from his touch.

His mouth claimed mine and when we came together to desperately suck our lips
he lifted me carefully by the waist and guided me until he entered me little by
little. I closed my eyes tightly, enjoying the contact, having him inside me again...

"Now it's your turn," he mumbled, forcing me to open my eyes.

Holding on to him I started going up and down slowly at first, letting my body get
used to the invasion of having him inside after a month.

"You're killing me, Noah" he growled placing his hands on my waist and forcing me
to go faster.

I tried to go against his arms, I wanted to go slow, enjoy and extend the pleasure as
long as possible, but he wouldn't let me, his arms and his body, even as they were,
were still stronger than me.

"Fuck, Nicholas," I complained as the orgasm began to build rapidly inside me,
"Slow down!"

He pushed himself off the couch and brought his face to mine. His eyes bowed me
down, they shut me up and his hand got in between to touch me where I was dying
of pleasure.

"That's right," he said and leaned down to bite my lip.

God... it was all too much, his words, his hand caressing me and him moving in
and out of me... my body needed to free itself, all these weeks without him, having
nightmares, the disappointment of not having seen him at the airport, the fear for
having found him with a shattered face. I ended up speeding up the pace myself,
he let out a deep growl of pleasure almost at the same time that I let out a
desperate cry, and after several waves of pleasurebenito, he stopped me, he nailed
me where he was, staying inside me and lengthening that exquisite sensation.

-This is where I have to be every day.

I looked down and drew him into my mouth. He kisses me without caring about
the pain, without caring about anything at all. We were together again and that's
all that mattered.

After that we talked for a while, me telling him things about Europe, he telling me
his own anecdotes from the city until we realized that it was five in the morning
and that we were still half naked on the sofa.
- By the way, how did you come here?-he asked me after a few seconds of
silence. N was curled up on top of me as I ran my hand over his back and I was
curled up on top of Nick, who in turn was running his hand slowly up my arm.

"In the beetle" I said cursing the time he had to ask me. He shifted until I
had to turn my face to look at him.

- You're kidding, aren't you?-he released me in that tone that made me

feel like I was four years old.

-It's not a joke, and by the way, where the hell is my car?

Now it was his turn to be careful, but further than reality he looked at me
without any kind of objection.

"I told Steve to take it just to avoid this" he said pointing to both of us.

I glared at him.

-I could have arrived twice as fast in my Audi, done. -I released him -What I
should have done is to have gotten rid of that stupid junk car that I don't know
why you insist on keeping.

I got up with N in my arms and got up from his lap. I was surprised that he didn't
stop me and I saw how his face showed some relief at not having me on top of him.

That pissed me off.

"Why didn't you tell me that I was hurting you!?" I yelled, throwing a cushion at
him. He deflected it with a wave of his hand.

-Because I wanted you right where you were, freckles.

His look turned adorable but he knew he was being strong.

Men and their male hormones.

I went straight to the kitchen and took out an aspirin and got a glass of water.

"Let's go to bed, you have to rest" I said with my hand on my hip and the glass of
water in the other hand.

An amused smile appeared on his face.

"Are you going to take care of me?" he asked half jokingly half seriously; I could see
how much he liked the idea of ​having him in my care.

- Isn't that what I do every day?

He turned his face to the side as if considering his answer.

"Not the last four weeks" he scolded me as he got up with a smile.becouch culture

I ran my gaze over her body.

-Obviously.

He laughed and put his arm around my shoulders. Together we went to his room,
which would soon become ours.

I immediately turned on the light and watched him sit on the edge of the bed. It
was a shame to look at him, yet he was still irresistibly attractive. The marks on his
face gave him a bad boy air that made butterflies flutter in my stomach eager to
repeat what had happened a few hours ago.

"You should change those bandages" I said worried to see how he closed
his eyes tightly before one of his movements.

"I'm fine, Noah," he said in a tired voice.

I put the glass on the nightstand and went in search of bandages.

When I arrived, he was still sitting in the same position. She was sure she didn't
even want to move because of the pain she felt. The pill had already disappeared,
as had the water in the glass.

I moved behind him and felt where the bandage began.

"Stop, Noah and go to sleep now," he scolded me, trying to hold my hand.

"Stay here, Nicholas," I exclaimed and began to unroll the bandages. I loved being
with him again, and sitting there behind his back and encircling his incredibly
built torso, I had to curse the world all over again for putting my boyfriend in that
condition.

When I removed the bandage, I watched in horror as the skin on her back turned
green and purple. It had the part of the ribs very inflloved; that had to be hurting
him terribly.
"We shouldn't have done anything," I lamented when I saw how bad his wounds
looked.

Nick leaned his head back and grabbed my neck forcing me to kiss him.

-Shut up.

I listened to him and went to change the bandage. I did it carefully and
quickly so that he could lie down and rest.

I was exhausted too, I didn't even know how I was still awake. I don't know how
many hours had passed since I last slept, but my eyelids were getting heavier.
When I finished, I forced him to lie down under the white sheets, the same ones we
had chosen between the two of us.

"I'm going to take something of yours to sleep on," I told him.

"Your clothes are in that closet, Noah," he reminded me, pointing to the part he
had assigned to me. I had forgotten that before I left we had been bringing some
of my things, and I was happy to see that there was my toothbrush, my shampoo,
my underwear and thank heavens, my pajamas.

When I came out of the bathroom clean and wearing a nightgown with "Fuck
you" in the middle I couldn't help but laugh.

- Is that some kind of hint or something?-he let go laughing with me.

I don't even know how this got here.

-Yeah, sure.

I turned off the bathroom light and the room went dark. I froze right

where I was.

A second later Nick turned on his nightlight.

"I'm here, baby," he told me, inviting me to lie down next to him.

I slid down the bed until I was next to him. I got under the covers and rested my
head right on his chest, in a place where I thought I had seen that he had no
bruises.

Nick put his arm around me and I felt his lips on my forehead again.

- Shall I turn off the light?-he asked me a second later.

I hesitated for a few seconds... I hadn't slept with the light off for a month... and I
had nightmares every night for a month.

-Apágala.

He did and with his arm around me and the quiet silence of the night...
beI finally got to sleep.

When I opened my eyes that morning it was because my nose was tickling. N was
running his little tongue across my face.

I smiled and when I got up I saw that I was alone in the room and that the light
coming through the window was at an odd angle...

I ran my hand over my eyes, disoriented, trying to remember where I was, in what
country, in what bed, and how I got there.

The appearance of a shirtless, sweatpants-clad Nick at the bedroom door was the
best reminder she could have had.

"Thank God, I was beginning to worry," he said with his shoulder resting on the
door frame.

I looked at the window and then at him and then back at the window.

- What time is it?

"Seven o'clock," he said, entering the room, "in the afternoon," he added with a
smile.

My eyes widened in surprise.

- You're kidding?

Nick sat next to me on the bed.

-You've slept about fourteen hours or so.

My goodness... my head was spinning, damn jet lag.

-God, I need to take a shower.

I got out of bed and went straight to the bathroom. It looked awful, so horrible
that I bolted the bathroom door lest Nicholas wanted to get in the shower with
me. This living with him was going to be horrible, in the mornings he was not a
being of this world, and I was afraid he would fall out of love with me seeing me
looking crazy every day.
days. He looked like a Greek God when he woke up, what's more, with his sleeping
face he was even more attractive.

I got under the hot water wetting my hair again. I was waking up and freeing myself
from that feeling of numbness as the water enlivened all my senses.

When I got out of the shower I only had a towel to wrap myself in. I went out
dripping in search of my clothes and that's when I heard the door slam, followed
by some screaming.

-Where is?! I am going to kill her!

Shit, my mother?

I tried to run to the bathroom again, but he cut me off halfway. We were both facing
each other, her face was contorted, out of her mind.

"Mom..." I started but her hand flew up to my face so fast that it wasn't until a
second later that I realized that she had just slapped me across the face.

"How dare you?!" he yelled at me. I put my hand to my cheek that began to
sting horribly. - How dare you disappear like that, for hours!?

I looked horrified at my mother, who had never laid a hand on me in her

entire life.

Then Nicholas appeared, standing right in front of me, blocking my view.

Don't even think about touching her again.

I saw the muscles in his back as taut as guitar strings, and the already tense air
became a place where I was afraid to even breathe.

"Get away from her, Nicholas," my mother said, trying unsuccessfully to remain
calm after what she had just done.

I took a step to the side and my mother fixed her furious eyes on mine.

-Get dressed right now and walk out that door.

I didn't know what to do, I was in a daze, with my hand still on my cheek and seeing
my mother out of control for the first time in years.
"Noah's not going anywhere," Nick said quietly. Then William

appeared, having just come up.

- What the hell is going on here?" he said angrily, diverting his gaze from my
mother to us. "Who did this to you, Nicholas?" exclaimed his father, looking at the
bruises on his body with horror.

"Your son is out of control and I don't want him near Noah," my mother said then,
leaving both Nick and me completely out of the picture.
- You're violent, you get into fights, you have seedy friends, and I'm not
going to have you dragging my daughter into all that shit! No way!

- Mom, shut up!" I yelled at her, containing the desire to yell something
worse at her. - You have no idea, you're not going to tell me who I can be with, I'm
sorry I didn't tell you where I was going last night, but you can't break in here
and-

-Of course I can, and I'll keep doing it, you're my daughter, so pick up your things,
get dressed and get in the damn car!

- NO!-I yelled, feeling spoiled, but refusing to be told what I could or

couldn't do, I wasn't a girl anymore.

"Rafaella" William began to say in a soothing voice, but my mother turned to him,
shutting him up with her eyes.

- Stay out, Will! This has nothing to do with you. William

chuckled.

- It's my son you're talking about, of course it has to do with me!

I stayed silent not knowing what to say. She would never have expected
William to come to Nick's defense, never in her life. I looked at Nicholas who
was looking at his father just as stunned as I was.

My mother was silent for a few seconds. It was as if he forgot that indeed, Nick was
William's son, that Nicholas was independent, that he was an adult, didn't change
the facts and these were that my mother had just messed with her own stepson in
front of her husband.

"They're of legal age now, you can't get into their lives like this," she let go and her
gaze shifted to both Nick and me-

But Noah, you're still living under my roof, you can't take off in the middle of the
night and disappear for the whole damn day without taking the
phone, neither of us added, looking at Nicholas furiously-and pretending that life
goes on as if nothing had happened.

"I know, I'm sorry..." I said trying to make it all end. I couldn't believe the four of
us were arguing so openly like this, and me half naked in my boyfriend's room.

- They kidnapped you, Noah!-my mother yelled at me then-They kidnapped

you and today I thought something similar had happened, I almost had a heart
attack-she said and her eyes filled with tears.

"I'm sorry, mom," I repeated and I was really sorry, but I couldn't lose my temper
like that, not anymore. -But soon you won't know where I am at all times, you can't
get like that every time you don't know where I am.

My mother's gaze locked on mine.

-Get dressed and let's go home-each word said slowly and without admitting
any reply.

I didn't want to leave, it was the last thing I wanted to do, but I could see that my
mother was on the verge of hysterics.

I needed to put some air between her and Nick, especially since soon I was going
to have to tell him that I was moving in with him.

-Wait for me in the car, I'll go down right away-I releasedbenally.

Nicholas next to me cursed. My mother pretended not to hear and went out into
the hall with William. I heard the door close a second later.

"You're not leaving, Noah," Nicholas told me furiously.

-You've already seen her, or I'm leaving or it will be worse.

Nicholas reached out and placed his hand on my cheek.

"I had to control myself so as not to kill her for hitting you," he exclaimed,
looking at my face carefully.

"I'm fine," I said, but I wasn't, not at all... I couldn't believe my own mother had
hit me, not with the past we shared, not with my past.

"I swore that no one was ever going to lay a single hand on you," he whispered,
taking my face between his fingers and speaking directly into my eyes.
-She is my mother. -it was not an excuse but it was the only thing that occurred to
me.

-Neither your mother nor the holy spirit, damn it, don't let Noah touch you again
because I swear to God that I'm not responsible for my actions.

I shook my head and let him bring his lips to mine.

"You don't have to go," she repeated, in a vague attempt to convince me, or to
comfort me, I wasn't sure.

"Yes, but it won't be for long" I said trying to smile. He shook his head,

frustrated and angry.

I can't wait for you to come here. I was

afraid to tell my mother.

-It won't take long for that.

He hugged me in his arms and with my cheek on his chest I couldn't help but
think that a part of me was lying to him.
Chapter 18

NICK

When I saw her leave I felt the rage I was holding back explode like lava from inside
a volcano.

I was so tired of all this bullshit, but Rafaella's words kept ringing in my head.

"He's out of control, I don't want him near Noah"

I went straight to the kitchen trying to calm down, trying to put that woman's hand
across my girlfriend's face out of my mind, my girlfriend whose father nearly beat
her to death when she was a child, my girlfriend who had been kidnapped and
beaten. ..

My eyes fixed on the glass of the furniture that I had broken yesterday, my fist
hitting it and Noah's terrified look projected before my eyes as if the day before had
not been enough.besciently attentive.

You are violent, you get into fights!

He cursed the moment he had decided to help Lion.

I'm not going to have you dragging my daughter into all that crap!

I went straight to the kitchen and picked up the broom to collect the crystals on
the floor. I was going to have to change if I wanted my thing with Noah to really
work.

We were about to take a big step, a decisive step in our relationship, in this way we
would show everyone that this was true; That's why I wanted him to come live so
badly, because no one seemed to take our relationship seriously, sometimes I felt
as if our acquaintances, friends and family were placing bets behind our backs to
see how long it would take us to break up, to see how much pressure we were able
to bear.

I tossed the crystals into the trash can and picked up the phone from the
counter.

He had a message from Jenna.

"Lion is fine, we have to talk, you know perfectly well that I absolutely don't believe
anything you've told me. I know you'll be with Noah but I need us to see each
other, talk to me when you have a time."

I knew this was going to happen, and I also knew that it was relatively easy to lie
to Jenna, I could make up any bullshit and it would fall through, but not in this
case, Lion was walking into quicksand, too dangerous ground to let it be. Jenna
had to know that Lion wasn't okay.

I texted him that we'd see each other in an hour and got in the shower. His body
was in shambles, and the wounds seemed to get worse as the hours passed. I felt
warmth when I remembered how Noah had cared for me, seeing how I healed, how
he suffered when he saw me hurt... no one had ever made me feel like this before,
my father would get angry when I came home like this, the normal thing is that not
speak to me again until the marks had disappeared; sometimes in those days one
of the main reasons I got into fights was for exactly that, to annoy my father and
thus keep him away from me.

I got out of the shower, changed into some jeans, and took a pill before heading
out the door. Parked in my driveway was Noah's car.

Damn, her mother had forced her to go with them, she didn't even want to imagine
what they were telling her about me... I felt sick to my stomach, I didn't want them
to eat her head. My biggest fear was that Noah would end up doing what his mother
wanted, thatbeFinally, he saw in me a person he shouldn't be with.

I took out my phone as I put the car in gear.

"Are you okay? If you're not I'm going to pick you up right now, I don't give a shit
what your mom tells me Noah, you know I love you, and you know I wouldn't do
anything to hurt you."

The second he was online. I waited for him to reply...

Why was it taking so long? Right at the moment I decided to skip Jenna and go pick
her up, she answered me.

"I'm fine, I love you."

Whenever he told me I love you, I felt that heflI was full of happiness... but that
time it was different, I don't know how to explain it, I needed to have her in front
of me to be calm again.

I got another message, but this time it was from Jenna.

"I'm coming, see you at Starbucks." "Okay."

Ten minutes later I was parking at the Starbucks in the mall, fifteen minutes from
my house.

When I saw Jenna through the window, sitting on one of the sofas inside, I knew I
was going to have to be very careful how I approached my friend.

When I entered his gaze he glared at me giving off flames. I sat across from her,
trying not to wince, but her eyes were fully attentive to every gesture on my face.

"You are absolute idiots, don't you know that?" he told me, leaving his milkshake,
or whatever that green liquid was, on the table.

-You know how we are Jenna, I don't know why you are surprised now. I said
simply. My blood boiled, because I didn't want her to continue thinking that he
was the same Nick from a year ago, I had changed, or at least that's what I wanted
to believe, her boyfriend, on the other hand, was still an asshole.

- Who would think of playing poker with those idiots?-he blurted out then,
which left me silent for a few seconds. Poker?

What the hell was he talking about? -Especially knowing how bad you are at playing,
you have to stop hanging out with the gangs, Nicholas!

Lion had put a troll in him, great.

"Look Jenna, I assure you that today I don't have a good day" I said trying not to get
angry and even less take it out on her.

His eyes upon hearing me say that looked around, as if he realized that something
or someone was missing.

- Where is Noah?

-He's not with me, as you can see. I said with annoyance.

Jenna turned more serious than she already was.

- What have you

done to him? I let out a

bitter laugh.

- Do you assume so quickly that I was the one who did something to him?
Jenna's gaze was herbeI was enough to realize that it wasn't just Noah's mom who
thought I wasn't good for her and that Jenna usually used to side with me.

- Have you seen that face? Then it will be destroyed, it seems that you don't
finish finding out Nicholas...-he said, stopping for a few seconds.
I guess my look was having a certain effect on her, although she seemed to steel
herself to continue talking-If you continue like this she'll end up leaving you.

I leaned forward.

-Be quiet.

Jenna looked down but went back tobethrow it in my eyes

-Noah is my best friend, during this year she has told me things that I don't know
if you know but violence is something she can't bear, your face, your wounds, you
know exactly what memories they awaken in her.

-I told you to shut up.

- Nicholas, find out!-he exclaimed raising his voice. -Noah is not well, he has
nightmares; One day my little brother hit me with one of those blank balls in the
eye, it turned purple and when Noah saw me, he almost hit something, he thought
I had been hit, that night he slept at my house, and you don't know what Too bad
he was up all night, I didn't tell him, but I think he's suspicious of me because he
doesn't stay the night anymore.

I shook my head.

-I've slept with Noah a thousand times, he sleeps like a baby, so all this is your
imagination, Noah is perfectly fine.

I felt my blood boiling in my veins... I hadn't come here to listen to all this crap,
Noah was fine, yes, he was affected by injuries, I fucking knew, that's why I hadn't
gone to the airport to pick her up, that's why I had planned to be there. several
days without seeing her so she wouldn't see me this way, but Noah didn't have
nightmares, I would know it. It was Jenna who had to worry about her boyfriend,
not me, it was Lion who was working.bedealing with drugs, and all because Jenna
didn't realize that her life and his were totally incompatible.

I got up before blurting out something to regret.

-I will have problems with Noah, Jenna, but yours with Lion are there. I said,
looking into her eyes. If I were you, I would stop meddling where they don't call
me and I would worry about your boyfriend.

-My boyfriend is like he is about to join you.

I let out all the air I was holding.

"Fuck you, Jenna." And I took off.

An hour after driving around meaninglessly, thinking about everything Jenna had
told me, everything Noah's mother had told me... I came to the conclusion that I
had to turn a deaf ear, not I could expect something else from the people around
me, I had managed to create that image of myself, and changing it was going to be
difficult, it was costing me my life to be taken seriously, but despite the fact that
Noah still doesn'tbeI knew that he believed that I could get better, Noah loved me,
he was in love with me, he knew that he didn't think like Jenna or her mother and
that he would never tell me what they did, maybe when he was angry, but he didn't.
thought; I had shown him that he could be better...

I parked the car next to the beach and began to walk along the shore as the sun set
on the horizon. There were people walking their dogs, the only time allowed was
this, and also the occasional couple, who took advantage of the solitude of the
beach. I let the noise of the waves soothe me, I let all my fears, all my insecurities
regarding my relationship with Noah, go back to the place where I had hidden
them very well and just when I thought my emotions were under control, my
phone rang. .

There was silence on the other end of the line.

Hello, Nicholas.

This could not be true. Of all people...

- What the hell do you want, and what are you doing calling me on my mobile?

-I'm your mother, and I needed to talk to you.

Madison flashed into my mind and I had to stop walking, my heart choking in my
throat.

- Has something happened to my sister?

"No, no, Maddie's fine," Anabell said.

So I have nothing to talk to you about. I was

going to cut

- Wait, Nicholas! He said and I waited without saying a word.

-I know you told Anne to talk to me to see if you could stay in Madison for a week in
Los Angeles.
-Well, yes, I think it's time for me to spend more than one afternoon with her.

I couldn't believe my mother was calling me to talk about this, this was not part of
the agreement, I was not going to have any kind of contact with her, that's what
Anne was there for, so I wouldn't have to see her face or hear her damn voice. .

-I think it would be a good idea for Maddie to spend more time with you. He wasn't

going to talk to her anymore.

-Great, I'll pick her up on Wednesday and she'll stay with me all day.ben of week

"I wanted to ask you for something in return, Nick." he said in a whisper.

We were already... I knew it wasn't going to be that easy. I tried to control my urge
to throw the phone into the water and stop listening to his damn voice... that voice
that brought back so many memories.

- What the hell do you want?

There was a silence for a few seconds before he answered me.

-I want to talk to you, just for an hour, in a cafe, there are many things that have
remained unclear and I can't see how you continue to live your life, hating me as
you do.

-I hate you because you're a whore and because you abandoned me for
another man, there's nothing else to talk about.

All the rage she had been holding back surged back.

After that call I needed to disconnect from all this shit, my mother was the worst
thing I had ever had in my life, it was the way it was because of her, my
relationship with Noah would be totally different if I had had a good example to
imitate growing up would have known how to treat women, would have known
howbear in them Anabell Grason had absolutely nothing to say to me, nothing to
talk about with me, and now she was calling me to ask to see me and talk?

All the tension that had been building up all damn month, all the fights, the
insecurities, the sadness and loneliness I had felt without Noah, letting her down
by not being at the airport the way she wanted, withflOh, damn, he could have
waited for her with a fucking garden with nomes if he wanted, and he could only
give her bad memories, injuries and screams. I put my hands to my head... What
was Noah thinking at this very moment? Was he considering leaving me? Was he
even considering it? Such thoughts did not fit in my brain, never, never
I would be able to leave her, it was my life, damn... and now about my mother,
hearing her voice, hearing her say that I'm her son... Where was she when I
needed her? Where did he go when he dreamed that he was by my side, defending
me, loving me?

my eyes arebeThey focused on what was happening on the pier about fifteen feet
away from me, and I was momentarily distracted from those painful memories and
that feeling of guilt that came over me whenever I refused to talk to Anabell and
also whenever I managed to screw up with Noah.

Without even thinking about it I approached the dealer who was talking to a burly
guy under the beams of the pier.

His eyesbeThey looked at me curiously, considering what someone like me

could want from someone like him. Don't take long to clear it up.

- What do you give me for this? -I said taking out a wad of

bills. His eyes widened in surprise and looked at me amused.

-Whatever you want, man.

Chapter 19

NOAH

The ride home was awkwardly silent. I was grateful that my mother didn't continue
to pound me, but I knew she wasn't because William was there. I had no doubt that
as soon as I set foot home, I would go up to my room to continue the discussion.

As soon as Will parked in the driveway I got out and shot up. I didn't want to talk
to my mom, I really didn't want to talk to anyone, since I got here everything had
gone wrong, not seeing Nick at the airport, finding him all hurt and beaten, the
argument we had, then the fight with my mom And to hear firsthand what she
thought about Nicholas…I needed to get away from everyone, I needed space.

When I entered my room, the first thing I saw was a large envelope on top of my
bed. He was from the university. I opened it and felt a knot in my stomach when I
saw the papers on my residence. When she had applied months ago, she had
marked with a cross the option to share a room, that had been the plan from the
beginning, to live with a roommate in one of the residence halls on campus, but
now everything had changed, she was going to go to live with Nicholas, she had to
call the university and clear it up.

I dreaded the moment to tell my mother. He was going to kill me, and a part of
me, the one that was still a child, was scared to tell him that I was going to live
with my boyfriend in my first year of university. I couldn't believe that in two
weeks I was going to leave.. I would have liked to pack my bags right then and go,
but I still had to wait a few more days. My mother needed to learn to be without
me, plus she was sure that William wanted to be able to live with her alone; since
we had arrived we had only brought problems, especially me.

I took all the papers and put them in my desk drawer.

I put on my pajamas even though I wasn't sleepy at all, since I had been sleeping for
about fourteen hours and I took out my mobile phone.

He had two missed calls from Jenna and a text from Kat.

I want to see you! you're missing, if you feel like it we'll be at Colin's house tonight, I
hope you come, you have to tell me everything about Europe!
The message had been sent to me half an hour ago. Colin's house was where they
had celebrated Nick's birthday last summer, which by the way was soon.

I decided to call Kat before seeing whether or not she was going to Colin's house.

- There?

I smiled at his way of answering calls.

"Hello Kat, I just read your message" I said trying not to notice my mood.

- Noah! -She shouted enthusiastically, behind her the noise of the music was
heard and also the shouts of the boys when they heard my name; I heard how they
called me in the distance. Kat started laughing-everyone wants you to come,
Come on, come on, we haven't seen you for a thousand!

- What are you doing?" I asked a little hesitantly. I didn't know whether to
go to onebeThis was the most opportune considering that my mother was pissed
off for having disappeared last night, but she couldn't expect me to stay locked up
here, I had been with her for a whole month, I wanted to see my friends.

-Colin and the boys have bought paintball guns, you don't know what they have,
Noah, this is a war field, you have to come!
Let's be girls against boys!

I laughed, it sounded really funny. I fixed my gaze on the ceiling of my room and
bit my lip indecisively. I wanted to see my friends, especially Jenna, plus I was
sure that if I didn't leave, my mom was going to resume the discussion about
Nick's apartment, and to be honest, I don't know how I was going to respond if I
heard her talk about him like that. again.

-Okay I'll be there in half an hour, don't start without me.

- Wow!-Kat yelled on the other end of the phone, she was sure she was a
bit drunk- Bring the bikini!

I nodded and hung up the phone.

I went into my dressing room and found a swimsuit to put under my clothes.
There were my only three bikinis, I only wore them when I was at home or on the
private beach next to the cliff... although my scar was no longer a secret to anyone,
since after my kidnapping the story of my life it had spread by word of mouth,
there had even been an article in the newspaper, I was still embarrassed that
people saw it. Undecided but trying to overcome that complex, I ended up
choosing my turquoise bikini, the one that Nick had praised more than once.
I put it on, my eyes lingering on my scar for more than a minute, but it was night
and surely the lights would be dim, it was the best opportunity to put on a bikini. I
put on some shorts and a cute t-shirt on top and my converse with daisies.

I only painted my eyes, since I was tan from the summer and I took the keys to my
Audi, which were already in my drawer, where they belonged.
I guess Nick had ended up calling Steve to get him to put my car where it needed to
be.

Speaking of Nick...

I picked up the phone and dialed his number. It rang three times before I picked it
up.

- Who is it?" he yelled on the other end of the line. The music was playing at
full volume, so loud that I could barely hear him when he kept talking.

- "Nicholas?" I said trying to understand why I was in a disco.

"Wait a minute," he yelled over the loud volume of the music. I waited until I

guess it came out.

"Now I can't talk to myself," he said in a strange tone of voice.

The music could be heard in the distance, and also people shouting around them.

- Where are you?-I asked feeling a prick of discomfort. He had thought that
he would be on the floor, resting or watching a movie. I wasn't like
leavingbeesta-You didn't tell me you were going out, you should be in bed.

- Now do I have to give you a report every time I decide to go out there?-he
replied in a borderline tone.

Great, I was drunk.

I felt the anger begin to rise again.

"Do whatever you want, I was calling you to tell you that I'm going to be at Colin's
house," I said, containing the urge to cut him off and just walk away.

"Wait, WHAT?" he yelled on the other end of the line. No way, stay home.
Was this a joke? Now everyone thought they could tell me what I could or couldn't
do?

-Don't go around there Nicholas-I said controlling my tone of voice-I can't believe
you're drunk and on top of that in a disco, yesterday you could hardly move, you're
an idiot.

"Don't insult me, fucking," he blurted out and I heard how the noise of the music
faded behind him. "And I'm not drunk, I'm drugged, so don't worry about my
injuries, I hardly notice them.

I felt a knot in my stomach. I was kidding, right?

"I hope what you just said isn't true" I said containing the fear that arose inside me.

-I hope that when I get home you'll be in bed. This guy was training to be

an asshole.

"I'm walking out the door," I said and hung up.

I wasn't going to play their game; not tonight.

Going down the stairs I heard that the TV in the living room was on. I went over
there trying not to show how pissed off I was at both Nicholas and my mom.

William wasn't there but she was watching TV with Thor at her side wagging his tail
and waiting for his ball to be thrown to him.

"I'm going out with Kat and the boys, I'll be late" I simply said with the keys in
my hand and the bag slung over my shoulder.

My mother turned her head to face me.

- "Are you trying to provoke me?" he told me, turning the volume off the TV.

-I'm not trying anything at all, mom, but I'm not going to stay locked up, I'm on
vacation and I want to see my friends.

"I'm not going to stop you from going out the door but face the consequences,
Noah," he said simply, "You're trying my patience."

That I what?!

- The one that is filling my patience is you! -I shouted- I am eighteen

years old, let's see if you find out!
I left the room, leaving her with her mouth open and not giving her time to respond.

- Noah come back here!-he yelled at me.

The slam I gave I think it was hisbecient answer. My mother was losing her mind,
since the kidnapping had happened she had become paranoid and since she found
out that Nicholas and I were going out together my relationship with her went
from bad to worse. I had never gotten along like this with my mother, she and I
were friends as well as mother and daughter, this had to end but I knew it could
only get worse... especially when there were only two weeks left until I moved in
with Nick.

I got into my new car that I had barely been able to drive and enjoyed letting the
wind hit me in the face. I sped down the highway, not caring about getting a ticket,
not having to listen to Nicholas scolding me for going too fast or my mother
demanding explanations about where I was going and what I was going to do with
my life.

Colin's house was only about twenty minutes from mine but I kept driving a while
longer, prolonging that moment of solitude...

I got to thebeIt's an hour later.

Colin's house was next to an impressive lake, it was a beautiful wooden house with
spectacular views.

It had a huge field behind it and when I parked the car and walked towards the
entrance, many of my friends came up to say hello. As I waved and looked around
the one they were riding there, Kat came around the corner and gave me a big hug.

- How about in Europe? -he said leaning back and running my body up and
down. - How can you be darker than me if I haven't left the beach?

I laughed, enjoying his company. Most of my class was gathered there and I was
happy to see almost all of them. The last time we had met was at graduation and I
felt a bit sad knowing that in two weeks we would all be going our separate ways,
moving to different cities and starting a new life.
As Kat dragged me toward the gardens, I knew I hadn't done wrong to come.

I laughed to see how they had transformed the garden. This was a real war scene.
There were barricades, strategically placed wooden panels, they had even built a
circuit with traps in the middle that was more than twenty feet long.
Colin was loaded just like everyone else but that was crossing the line. They had
hired the entire paintball service, there were even four men who were in charge of
giving the guns and uniforms to the different teams.

"You're just in time," Kat said and we both approached thebethe girls who were
waiting for the help of the technicians to be able to button up those complicated
suits Most of the boys were already dressed in camouflage suitsflaha. The
difference with the girls is that they fit better and our pistols were fuchsia.

- Can't we play without these costumes? -I heard one complain.

"You'll hurt yourselves," answered the young man who was in charge of preparing
the pistols.

I was so excited, and suddenly I forgot about all my problems. I really wanted to
play that game, when I was little I had played something similar with my neighbor
and his brothers but with water balloons, of course all that display had nothing to
do with it. Outside, everything was very dimly lit, not counting the booth they had
set up to put on our suits and the occasional neon light at intervals of five meters.
It was going to be very difficult to see the opposing team, but that made it more
exciting.

"Next," the blond said with a bit of weariness. I smiled and stepped in front of
him.

His eyes studied me for a moment before going on to choose an outfit.

- Are you wearing a swimsuit under your clothes?

I nodded and took the pants he held out to me. Everyone was changing right there,
since no one had come in their underwear, but I still didn't like having to stand in a
bikini in front of two guys I barely knew. Kat, on the other hand, was already putting
on her pants.

I ignored my complexes and did the same as her. That suit was super complicated, it
had many buckles and strange things, the point was that it looked like a real war suit
but it was also a pain in the ass.

"Let me help you" said the boy approaching me. The pants were a little looser than
usual but I wasn't going to complain. The vest, on the other hand, had to be
adjusted because it danced everywhere.

- Are you going to want to put your jacket on over the vest?-he asked me
as his arms went around my body to grab the straps and thus be able to adjust
them on my chest.
I understood thebeNo of your question. We were in August and it was very hot,
many of the boys and some of the girls had chosen to only put on the vest, but the
bad thing is that the arms were exposed.

"Better not," I replied.

His eyes met mine just as he tightened the strap on my breasts.

- What's your name?-he asked me then and I felt how I was blushing.

He was very handsome but I didn't blush because he was asking my name but
because the way he looked at me had reminded me of the way Nicholas stared at
mine, in that way that drove me crazy... Why did I have to remember him now? ?

"I'm Noah" I answered taking a step back. A smile

appeared on his face.

-Yo Liam, can I ask for your number?

Before I could say no, that I had a boyfriend, a hand went around me from behind,
lifting me off the ground and moving me like I was a Lego piece.

-You can't ask him for shit, idiot, back off.

I only got a glimpse of my boyfriend's back before he got so stuck in Liam's face I
could have counted his eyelashes.

To my complete astonishment this Liam did not back down but just stayed where he
was.

- Who the hell are you, her father?

Okay, you'd better shut up, Liam.

"Nicholas..." I started to say but he ignored me.

-I'm your worst nightmare as long as you don't disappear from my sight.

I took a step forward and placed myself between them. Back to Nick.

-I'm sorry, but he's my boyfriend, so no, I can't give you my phone number.
Under any other circumstances I wouldn't have answered that, but I knew Nicholas
wanted to hear me say it. He couldn't be reasoned with when he was jealous and he
didn't want to argue with anyone again that night.

Liam seemed to be debating whether to go through with the discussion or go ahead

and continue doing his job, which is what he was there for.

He decided well.

When his back was turned to us I turned to Nicholas.

- Why have you come? -I asked him, observing him carefully.

He frowned looking at my outfit. The vest exposed some parts of my body, it was
known that I was wearing a bikini underneath.

"You're going to hurt yourself if you don't put your jacket on," he answered in a
tone I never expected. I was calm.

My eyes searched his face as if it were a scientific experiment.beco. His were red, as
if he'd been drinking…or worse, smoking pot.

"I don't want to wear any jacket, okay?" I answered angrily. I didn't even want to
look at it. Now had he taken to smoking joints?

He grabbed my arm without letting me go.

-Put on your fucking jacket, Noah. Why do you have to make everything so
complicated?

I jerked free of his grasp.

-You're high, talk to me when the high has passed.

With that said, I left with Kat and my group who were eagerly waiting for the
game to start. I was glad Nicholas wasn't following me, but I was less glad when I
saw him start to take off his clothes to put on his damn camo suit.flwitchcraft.

Unlike the others, he wasn't wearing a swimsuit under his clothes and the idiot
didn't mind staying in his shorts in front of everyone while he chose pants and a
vest to wear. All the girls around me gawked at him.

I glared at them all mentally but didn't make the slightest sign that it bothered me.
when byben I decided to look at it again I felt like
My whole body was warming up seeing how incredibly attractive he was in that suit.

I turned to Kat when the jerk winked at me from a distance.

- Jenna hasn't come?-I asked her.

-She comes later, I think, I've noticed her strange on the phone she told me that she
really wants to see you.

I should have returned his calls, but I knew if I did we were going to have to talk
about what our idiot boyfriends had done two days ago, and that was the last thing I
wanted to do, especially after Nick told me that it had all been Lion's fault.

"I also want to see her" I said and it was partly true, she was my best friend.

About five minutes later, Liam, who was dressed in the camo suit,flaje informed us
of the rules of the game.

-You know how this goes, nothing hand to hand, we are boys against girls, you
must shoot at no less than four or five meters away, paintball is a very safe sport,
there is only a 0.2 injury rate for every 1,000 games, but I would not like that 0.2 to
be one of you-I saw how his eyes stopped for a second too much on Nicholas, who
returned his gaze with an unbelievable calm.belittle, so much that it was scary-For
those who do not know the rules, we havebeGiven that the second shot is
eliminated, you can request Paint Check only three times per team, and since many
of you have your arms uncovered, that will be a restricted area, although I warn
you that they can accidentally hit you-we all agree and in I felt the distance as Nick
glared at me with his clear eyes.-

Very well, the girls' team will have ten minutes to go up to your territory, which
starts up there on the hill, where the two flags are. HebeThe purpose of the game
is to eliminate as many opponents as possible but also to get the flag of the other
team, located as you can see at the opposite points of each territory.

Ok, I had no idea why I felt such horrible jitters in my stomach but I was looking
forward to getting started now.

"Don't even think about taking off your helmets" Liam added and his eyes looked at
me from his position.

I took my helmet that I had on the ground and went to put it on.
My gaze involuntarily drifted to Nick before covering my face with the helmet. I
was surprised to see his menacing gaze fixed on me...

I got all the goosebumps.

When a shot rang out, our ten minute advantage began. All the girls started running
so we could have time and camouflage.flarnos on the hill I didn't look at Nick again,
but his threat was clear: he was going to come after me.

I was surprised to see that it was Kat who was taking the reins of the game; When
we got to our territory, he began to give us instructions to spread out and not be
seen. She was so professional that I couldn't help but laugh when all the girls
nodded, serious, looking at her like a leader.

When he saw the look he blushed a little.

- What's up?-he said defensively-I really like this game, okay?

I shook my head smiling, but I listened to him when he ordered me to protect the
flag that was tucked between the trees, a little away from the clearing where we
were most visible.

Another girl, whose name, if I remember correctly, was Camille came with me and
she looked so nervous that I thought she was even scared.

-This game sucks, I don't know why I let myself be convinced, he said when we got
behind a panel so they couldn't shoot us.

"It's fun" I answered, preparing my weapon and looking to the side, to make sure
that nobody arrived unexpectedly.

The ten minutes had already passed and the screams and laughter reached me to
where I was.

I watched from a distance as some members of our team fell too fast.

Shit, I wanted to win.

"I have an idea" I said feeling the urge grow inside me. -If we go up to those
stones there we will be able to shoot from up here.

Camille looked at me bored.

"I'm fine here," he said simply.

I rolled my eyes.

- Come on now!-I yelled at him, I wasn't thinking of losing because of

him-Move your ass, I want to surprise them.

An incredulous smile appeared on my companion but she did as I asked. Together

we moved through the trees until we reached the stones. The distance wasn't great,
we weren't as far apart as I had initially imagined, either that or the opposing team
was advancing too fast. I saw in the distance how Kat was shooting while hiding
behind a tree.

I smiled as his shot hit its target, taking out Carter, one of Colin's friends.

I lay down on the ground, so as not to be an easy target and forced Camille to do the
same.

"You shoot those who are trying to climb, there, you see?" I indicated, fixing my
eyes on a group of four who were trying to climb the mini cliff that would take
them directly to our flag. From our position they were an easy target.

I made sure that when shooting I was going to take at least one with me, since as
soon as we started we were going to reveal our position.

I was having a great time and the song from Avicci's The Nights was playing on loud
speakers, and the music gave me the courage to start shooting.

- Yes! I yelled when my first shot hit one of the boys. You had to hit them
twice to take them out, but it wasn't difficult for me since the idiots didn't know
where we were.

- I hit him, I hit him!-Camille shouted, excited. I

laughed.

- Very good, now to the other one!

It was easy to take down those four, even though our position had already been
discovered. I looked with annoyance to see that our team barely had any members
left. The boys had many casualties but fewer than ours.

"We should go down and shoot from there" Camille told me, who was already very
involved in the game. Neither of us had any deliveries yet, but if we went down we
ran the risk of receiving one.
"Someone must stay to protect the flag," I said, getting up since no one was going
up the hill. The boys were focused on taking down Kat and another girl, who were
hiding behind a panel near the beginning of the forest.

"I'm going down, you stay here," Camille told me. I nodded and covered her as she
carefully lowered herself. She got behind the tree and carefully went down to the
clearing without being seen. There were more things with which to
camouflage.flarse, including the circuit they had set up in the center. I watched
her for a few minutes, but I knew she could handle herself. There were three guys
left to take down and I cursed under my breath as I watched as Nicholas, in the
distance, discovered my position. A huge smile appeared on his face.

Curse.

I ran out in the direction of the flag, I was not going to let him beat me, no way.

Nick was with Colin and motioned for him to try to climb up where I had been
watching a moment before. I laughed, knowing that he was going to run right in
with Camille.

I couldn't stay by the cliff because it was completely exposed, and I couldn't
go back to the rocks from where we'd been knocking the rest of us down,
because Colin would see me. The last option was to hide, wait for him to come
up and surprise him.

with the nerves toflor skin as if it were a real battle, I placed myself behind a
treebesufficiently big to be able to cover me completely.

Several minutes passed and no one showed up. I peeked out carefully. Nothing.
Where the hell had he been?

Then I heard the sound of the shot, the sound of compressed air being released so
that a little orange ball exploded right in my butt.

I spun around as fast as I could, indignant and completely caught off guard.

"Gotcha" said the idiot with a smile that reached his ears.

He was right behind me, about five meters away, the same distance that we had
been asked to respect so that the paintballs wouldn't hurt us.
Without giving him time to react, I ran out to where my flag was, and where
there was a panel so I could hide, there was no way I was going to let him beat
me.

I don't even know how I did it but I managed to hide in the shadows of the panel
and the flag. From there you could hardly see anything, they had left that area
completely without lighting to make it easier for the opponents to steal the flag, or
more difficult considering that we could hide in the shadows.

- You've lost, freckles, admit it!-he yelled at me from somewhere in the

distance. I tightly gripped my BB gun fully ready to fire as soon as I saw him. -
Come out so we can play something else!

Damn, he wanted her to lose concentration so she could get the flag: not even dead.
I didn't say anything, I wasn't going to reveal my position.

A deafening silence took over the entire clearing, they had turned off the music, I
guess we must have been very few of us and they wanted to give things more
suspense. He had to be very careful not to make noise.

I kept quiet, and then I felt him appear behind me. His arms caught me fast, and
his hand on my wrist forced me to drop the gun, which fell to the ground after it
thudded against the wall behind me.

"You're terrible" I heard him whisper next to me.

I tried to get away, but the jerk had me pinned against the wall, his whole body
was pressing me against the wall.

- Let me go, Nicholas! -I complained trying to get away- That's not how you play!

-When it comes to you and me, I set the rules.

His hand went up to the back of my neck and the next thing I know his tongue was
down my throat. I tried to let go, the game wasn't over, he hadn't shot me, I wasn't
eliminated, but his body pressing into mine and his tongue caressing my mouth in
circles, gradually made the game matter very little. I felt him rock hard against my
smooth soft body, his stubble brushing my cheek as his mouth broke from mine
and he kissed my throat, biting my ear a second later and pulling gently.

-It makes me so much to see you in a warrior plan, especially when you really have
no idea.
I shoved him away and quickly ducked out of his grasp, surprising him with my
quick movements.

Before he could reach me I grabbed my gun and the next thing I know I had shot
him in the side of the stomach...

Just a meter away.

The expression of pain that crossed his face left me momentarily paralyzed.

- "Fuck, Noah!" he yelled at me, taking his hand to his side, the same
side that was already hurt.

"My God," I said, dropping the gun and approaching him. - I'm sorry!

Shit, I'd hurt him, and all because of not being able to admit defeat.

"I'm fine," he said to reassure me, "I'm wearing the vest, not like you."

"I'm really sorry" I said feeling really bad.

Then, before either of them knew what was happening, Liam, the instructor who
was also on Nick's team, appeared out of nowhere. He saw us together and a
wicked smile spread across his face. He ran towards the flag and I made a move to
grab my pistol to stop him. I wasn't fast enough.

In the same second that he picked up the flag, his pistol pointed towards
where I was.

The pain came a second later.

Chapter 20

NICK

It was so easy to take her by surprise. Since the game had started he had been sure
what his move was going to be.

I had let her have fun, making her believe that no one knew where she was
hiding and although the truth is that she had hidden well, I had been the only
one to discover her immediately. See her have fun and especially so unluckybeI
had loved it before, I loved seeing her like this, happy, and quarrelsome as she
was. But when we were getting tobenal was going to have to make it clear to him
who was the champion of this game.

I saw her in the distance hiding where she thought I didn't see her. I knew that
piece of land like home, knew there was a zip line on the other side of the cliff, the
same one Colin and I had played soldiers on thousands of times as kids.

On his back with his gun strapped and pointed in the wrong place, I'd had to stop
myself from laughing and finding myself out. Getting close to her was easy, and it
was easier to get her to drop the gun. Noah might be a lip service warrior but he was
a featherweight compared to me. A simple tap of his wrist against the wall was
enough for me to make his pistol fall to the ground.

We were in semi-darkness, but I knew how amazing those pants looked on her,
and knowing she was wearing nothing but a bikini top under that vest had
thrown me off the whole game. I had been surprised to see her without a bathing
suit; only with me he had hisbepatient withbeance to stay in a bra, although I
suppose showing her scar was a big step, a step I was glad for...

partly.

That night I knew that I had screwed up again by smoking three joints in a row and
not exactly pot, but the effect had already worn off, I was fine, and I didn't want
her to continue being angry with me; Ever since I'd seen her I'd wanted to kiss her,
so that's what I did. With one hand I took off her helmet, letting it fall to the
ground and with the other I went to hold her tightly by the nape of the neck while I
put my tongue in her mouth, savoring her as only I knew how, melting her like no
other knew how to melt her.. .

possessing her with my mouth and trying to remember that we were in a public
place, in the dark and in the middle of the forest but surrounded by people at a
very short distance.
When he kissed me back, I guess I let my guard down because I don't know how he
managed to get out of my grasp. She pushed me away from her body and I saw her
bend down to pick up the gun she had dropped on the floor next to us. When I
understood what he was trying to do, I only had time to think about one thing: that
was going to hurt.

And damn it did hurt.

But what she didn't expect, much less from an asshole like Liam's asshole, was
that Noah was going to get hurt.

We didn't even realize it, we didn't even have time to back down, because when he
picked up the flag, thus winning the game, there was no need to shoot again... and
even less in my girlfriend's arm, her bare arm.

Noah's expression went from surprise to pain in a split second.

And I saw everything red.

- I'm going to kill you asshole! -I yelled imagining my fist in his face with all
the details. Before I took a single step a hand grabbed my arm and I stopped
immediately.

"Fuck Nick, I'm in so much pain," Noah said, holding his breath. There was barely
any light but I saw how the color was draining from his face and also how his
paint-smeared arm turned a deep red.

- I'm sorry, Noah!-I heard Liam say, and without even turning around I
pushed him with my arm when I felt he dared to come closer.

"Get away, idiot" I told him at the same time that I crouched down and put an arm
around my girlfriend's legs.

"I can walk," she said, but her voice broke on a sob.

"And you shut up," I said, getting pissed off every second that passed, "This is what
happens to you for not putting on your fucking vest."

Noah made the move to let go but I squeezed her against my body, while the idiot
Liam came after us with the flag in one hand and a regretful face.

When we got down into the clearing, the light fell on us, including Noah and his
arm.

I opened my eyes to see the horrible wound that had been made just below the
shoulder. Blood dripped down his entire arm.
"Noah, don't look at..." I started to say trying to prevent her from seeing the
blood dripping down her skin, but it was too late, the stubborn girl had fixed
her eyes on the wound.

I saw how she stayed white as paper...

"Noah, don't even think about it..." I warned him, hurrying to get to the house. his

body stayedfleye under my arms

Damn, he had passed out.

I took her directly to Colin's kitchen. There were a lot of people inside, drinking
and dancing, I guess hoping they could play a game themselves. I sat her on the
counter and wet my hands; then I started splashing his face with drops of water. It
wasn't the first time it had happened to him, he had already passed out more than
necessary when he was with me, it seemed to be his favorite hobby when he was
pissed off and there was something red in between. Once while surfing I had hurt
myself with the board; she had been sitting on the sand, watching me, and when
she saw me come out with blood all over my leg, she collapsed on the towel. It
seemed kind of funny, but when you have a 10-point leg injury and your girlfriend
is unconscious, believe me it's not fucking funny.

I sat her with her back against the wall and next to the sink, I wet a cloth that was
there and began to clean the wound while she gradually recovered.

The wound wasn't that bad, I had thought it was something worse but rather it had
been the mixture of the blood with the paint making us believe that it was more than
it actually was.

"Nick..." he said with a thick voice.

I looked up and into his pretty scared eyes.

"Tell me, freckles" I said stopping my movements. He seemed

doubtful of whatever it was he was going to tell me.

I'm sorry I didn't wear my vest.

I pursed my lips tight. She was very stubborn when she put her mind to it and now
she was hurt for being such an idiot. If she had listened to me, now we would surely
be making out, or she would be angry because she had lost and I was enjoying my
victory.

"Well, you're blonde, you can't wait any longer," I said, poking her.
He slapped me with his good arm, but tried to hide his smile.

"I'm not blonde, idiot" he answered and his eyes went back down to the wound.

I sighed and with a movement I caught her chin and forced her to look away.

-Don't look-I said removing the remains of paint and blood-And yes you're
blonde, I like blondes, that's why I'm with you.

- Why am I blonde? -said minced -How romantic- she added and her hand
went up to take mine to remove it from her face.

She stayed with her and started doing that thing she always did when she was
distracted, her fingers started playing with mine.

I focused on my task of healing her, the truth is that I liked being there doing that
for her, I liked protecting her, although I would have liked to have prevented her
from getting hurt. I was going to kill that jerk.

"Not just for that" I said a few seconds later, her eyes flew to mine "I'm with
you because you bring out the worst and the best in me, that's why."

- The worst?-she asked me with a frown, already distracted from her wound,
which was my intention, although what she had said was totally serious.

I put the rag down on the counter and positioned myself between her legs.

"Yes, the worst" I repeated approaching her mouth "Because when I'm with you, I
forget everything and everyone, I don't care about anyone, I don't care about
anyone, only you; you make me selfish and egotistical, because I love that they see
you with me and think that you are mine, I like to know that I am the only one
who has been and will be inside you...

I put my hand on the small of her back and pulled her towards me, leaving her
almost on the edge of the counter; The color had already returned to her face, she
was blushing and her eyes were shining from what she was saying.

-You make me want to lock you in my room and not let you out, I don't want you to
do anything without me, and you challenge me and do it, you put me to the test...
and that only makes me want you even more.

- Do you like me to

challenge you? His gaze turned

dark.
-A tiger is not left unsaidbewanting a kitten, baby, he just lets him have fun for a
while, makes him believe he's in control, and then when he least expects it... -I
said approaching his half-open mouth- He eats it.

I don't know who looked for who before but his tongue curled with mine and I
smiled when I didn't go to meet him. His hand held me by the neck, pressing his lips
to mine and insisting as I had just subtly explained to him.

I backed away, amused at seeing his angry face.

"I don't like metaphors," she said.bein view of.

-I don't like that you ignore me, especially when it comes to your safety.

His eyes glared at me while his lips made a grimace that encouraged me to bite
them hard and never let go.

-I already said I was sorry, I won't repeat it.

I shook my head, it was useless to argue with her, especially when she was
getting angry over something I knew was her fault.

"Let's go home" I said wanting to put her in my bed and take care of her as only I
was capable of doing.

"I can't sleep with you tonight," he said simply. we were

already

-I'll give you a week to talk to your mother and move the hell out of here,
otherwise I'm going to be the one to tell her and we both know it wouldn't be a
good idea.

"I'm going to tell him, okay?" he replied, throwing his hair back in an annoying
gesture, "But I don't know how or when, stay out of this Nicholas, this is my
problem, not yours.

I let out a laugh that had not an ounce of joy in it.

-It's my fucking problem if in order to fuck my girlfriend I have to make a master

plan.

His face was a poem. Shit, I shouldn't have said that.

- To be able to fuck your girlfriend? -he repeated with acid in his voice-
Is that why you want me to move in with you so badly, so you can fuck me whenever
you want?

I took a step forward, blood boiling in my veins.

"Don't talk like that, Noah" I said controlling myself "You know perfectly well that's
not how I feel about you, damn it, I've been waiting for you for a fucking month, and
we only spent one night together, and now you can't even come to my house without
your mother drag you out!

"I'm not going to continue talking to you about this," she said and I stood in front
of her, preventing her from getting off the counter-

No, leave me, Nicholas! Did you know? Maybe I don't want to go live with you! Have
you thought about it?

My body froze at his words and I took a step back. did not want to live with

me
Chapter 21

NOAH

Shit, why had he said that?

"I didn't mean it," I said as soon as I saw his face, the disappointment and sadness
were so clear that I felt a knot in my stomach.

"And so much so," he said, moving away from me.

I got off the counter carefully but with the intention of stopping him.

"Nicholas stop, listen to me!" I said grabbing his arm. He had the intention of
leaving, shit, how could he have been such an idiot, now I saw how important it
was to him, how much he wanted us to live together, and I longed for it too, but I
also suffered from my mother's reaction, I felt that I didn't I was going to be able to
enjoy our coexistence while a very important part of me kept pulling towards the
person I loved so much. -Nicholas I want to live with you more than anything,
OK? Otherwise, I wouldn't have said yes, but my mother pulls me back, I don't
know how to tell her, and you don't stop insisting on the subject... you overwhelm
me, it's as if you both pulled me in opposite directions, and I I don't know what to
do.

She turned to me, her body tense.

-I should be more important than your mother.

I felt my heart stop... how could I explain what I felt for both of us, how to tell him
that it was a totally different love, how to make him understand when he didn't
feel this way for anyone, Nicholas didn't love either of his parents the way I did. to
mine, his relationship was disastrous, his father ignored him most of the time and
his mother had abandoned him...

-Nick, you are the most important thing in my life-I said grabbing his face and
forcing him to look at me-but my mother is too, in a different way but she is.

-Well, for me there is no one else but you-she said placing her hands on top of
mine that were on her cheeks-I don't want to share you, Noah, not even with your
mother, that's how I feel, and that's why I'm telling you, This is when you bring out
the worst in me, because I don't care what you're telling me, I can't understand it,
and therefore I'm not going to accept it.
Talk to your mother and choose who to put first this time.
He released my hands and left. I watched him leave, cross the hall, and disappear
through the door without looking back.

I felt a void in the center of my body.

I didn't want to stay inbeit's after that. I said goodbye to Kat and my friends and
went straight home. I felt guilty, I knew that I had hurt him, I had seen it in his
eyes and all I wanted to do at that moment was get home, pack my bags and show
him that if it were up to me alone, every minute, every second of the day would
pass. , with him and no one else.

Why did everything have to be so complicated? Why couldn't we have a normal,

ordinary relationship, where my mother liked Nick, where we weren't
half-brothers, where his mother hadn't abandoned him and therefore didn't need
me to show him my love every second of the day or Did his jealousy get the better
of him?

That night I had a hard time falling asleep and when I did the nightmares
returned. I knew that I was looking for Nick between the sheets of my bed, I knew
that as soon as I felt him next to me, my fears would flee, but he wasn't with me,
he wasn't there to protect me...

The next day breakfast was most strange and uncomfortable. William didn't speak
to me or my mother it seemed, and my mother just scowled at me, flipping
through the newspaper, barely reading anything.

Some wicked part of my brain imagined what it would be like to drop the
bombshell that I was going to live with Nicholas right then, and I think I almost
threw up from the nerves that got to me.

As soon as I finished my coffee, I was grateful that my phone began to ring. I had
been waiting for Nicholas to call me, today we could spend the day together, but he
hadn't and I was sad and depressed.
I left the kitchen, ignoring my mother's reproachful look as she answered the call.

- Say?

- Are you Noah Morgan?-said a woman's voice on the other end of the line.

"Yes, who am I talking to?" I answered, going up the stairs two by two.

There was a small silence that made me stop with my hand at the door of my room.

-Soy Annabell Grason, Nicholas's mother.

Now I was the one who was silent.

Anabell, the same woman who was partly to blame for my problems, mine and the
person she loved madly, the same woman who had abandoned him, the same
woman my boyfriend didn't want to see even in painting.

- What do you want?" I answered, locking myself in my room.

A silence that lasted a few seconds was what I received after speaking.

"I wanted to ask you a favor," he blurted out after hearing how he sighed on the
other end of the line, "I know that Nicholas doesn't want to see me, but this is
already ridiculous, I'm his mother, I need to talk to him, and I want you to help
me, bybeAnd after all, you're his girlfriend, right?

I didn't like the tone in which she spoke to me, with superiority, even with rancor,
it was clear that she wasn't even amused that her son was dating her ex-husband's
daughter, my goodness, this seemed like a soap opera the bad guys.

-I'm not going to do anything that Nick doesn't want, this is something that you two
should fix, I'm sorry Mrs. Grason, but as you understand I'm not a fan of yours, and
the truth is that Nicholas is better off without you.

That's it, I'd let go, I wasn't going to back down, that woman had left him, Nick,
my twelve-year-old Nicholas, left him alone with a father who was too busy
building an empire, left a boy alone without giving any kind of explanation, and
now he was trying to recover the relationship? This woman was sick in the head.

-Then stay with me, you and me, I want to know who my son is dating, I want to
know about him, Nicholas doesn't have to find out, we can stay wherever you
want.

I couldn't do that, Nicholas would kill me, he would feel betrayed if I spoke of him
to the woman he hated the most in the world, the woman who had hurt him the
most... not dead.

-You don't understand, I don't want to see you, I'm not going to talk about Nicholas
with you.

I was being tough and clear, I guess all my stress from the last few days was coming
out.flote, and I also felt the need to defend my boyfriend, to prevent anyone from
hurting him, including myself.

I heard Anabell take a deep breath before continuing to speak.

"That's how things are," she said, changing her tone to a rather unpleasant one.
"My six-year-old daughter has a father who spends half the week traveling the
world, I can't be with her all day and I know that Nicholas wants to stay a few
weeks in his apartment, I have no problem but my husband does not want to know
anything, if you do what I ask, if you stay with me and help me to
Finding a way to reconnect with my son, I'll let Nicholas take Madison when my
husband is gone.

Shit... I knew Nicholas wanted to stay with Maddie in his apartment, get her out of
Las Vegas and take care of her himself, if it were up to him he would even take her
to live, something we had talked about and something that had made me realize
how much that he suffered from seeing his little sister living with parents like his.
Nicholas had talked to lawyers, his father had tried to get them to let him take her
away for a few weeks but there had been no way, if her mother didn't want to there
was nothing that could be done... and now that woman was offering me an
alternative, I knew I would have to lying to him and I also knew I was putting
myself in the lion's den, but I also knew how good spending time with Nick could
be for Maddie, and Nicholas missed her so much…

Shit, I was going to end up regretting this.

- Where do you want us to meet?-I said hating myself for letting that woman
manipulate me.

I'm glad you changed your mind. I'll let Nicholas know that he can stay with
Maddie next week, we'll stay when I take her; Don't worry, it will be a secret
between the two of us, no one has to know.

-I don't want to lie to your son, I'll end up telling him, and I assure you that he
won't be amused, what he's doing, blackmailing me, can cause just the opposite of
what you expect; Nicholas is not one to forgive easily and you are the person who
has hurt him the most in his life.

Anabell Grason took a few seconds before answering me.

-You have not heard all the versions of the story Noah, things are not always as
one believes or is told; I'm sure when we talk, you'll change your mind about it.

I didn't want to keep talking to that woman, I felt dirty just for letting her
manipulate me.

-Send me the address of the place you want us to meet.

I hung up without waiting for his answer and threw myself on my bed, looking at the
ceiling and feeling more guilty than in my entire life.

The next day William and my mother had to leave early because Will had a charity
dinner.beca of your company on the other side of the city. They wouldn't be home
tonight, and my stomach clenched with the urge to tell Nicholas to come over, even
though part of me was afraid to call him and see that he was still mad at me. We
hadn't talked after thebethis and had not responded to my calls. Maybe he wanted
to be away from me for a few days; It hurt me to think that, but it was very rare
that he didn't want to talk to me; at least he had responded to my messages, albeit
in a cold and impersonal way.

I wanted to call him again, but I was afraid that he would see in my eyes that I was
hiding something from him, I hated lying to him and staying with his mother
behind his back was the worst thing he could have done. She was a coward but I
preferred not to tell her anything, to leave things as they were, at least until I felt
strong enough to keep up the lie. At that moment, after what he had told him and
he believing that she didn't want to live with him, telling him about his mother
would be like opening Pandora's box, and he trembled just thinking about it.

So I decided to shut up, and spend the night alone at home. It was seven in the
evening and bored and restless I decided to take a bath in the pool.
I wanted to exhaust my energy, sleep soundly without nightmares so that I could
stop feeling guilty. In the pool I swam and swam back and forth until the sun went
down over the horizon. I stuck my head out and leaned against the curb, watching
the brushstrokes of pink and orange colors fade until the sky was completely dark.
The pool lights came on surprising me and I decided it was time to get out of the
water. Dripping, I went straight to my room, took off my swimsuit, put on my
underwear and a T-shirt, and fell on the bed. I was tired, I just wanted to sleep... I
just closed my eyes and let myself be carried away by the exhaustion...

The sun shone dazzlingly; for a moment I didn't even know where I was but it only
took me a few moments to situate myself in the dream I was having.

My father was with me.

"There are times in life, Noah, when people will do things you don't like... for
example, when mom doesn't do what dad tells her, dad punishes her, right?" my
father asked me as we both sat together to the sea, we watched the waves break
against the cliff.

I nodded listening to my father, he always said yes to everything he asked me, it was
easy, because his questions were almost always rhetorical,
It was not necessary to think of the correct answer since it was always
implicit in the question.

-That's because your mother doesn't know what's best for her, she doesn't
understand that only I know what's best for her.

My father took me by the waist and sat me on his lap.

-You are my girl, Noah, you are my daughter, you will always do what I tell you,
right?

I nodded looking into my father's eyes, the same eyes as mine, the same honey
color, only his were red from alcohol.

-So tell me, the next time I tell you to get away, to leave your mother where she is,
what are you going to do?

"Go to my room" I answered in an almost inaudible whisper. My

father nodded satisfied.

-Never disobey me, little one... I don't want to do something that I might
regret later... not with you, at the same time.beAnd after all, you and I are
united, right?

I nodded and smiled as my father picked up a rope from the ground and began to
entwine it quickly and easily.

-This will always be our bond, so strong that no one can ever break it.

I looked at the figure eight knot that my father had made me do over and over
again...

I would only stop until it fit me perfectly.

Chapter 22

NICK

When Noah said that she was the one who didn't want to come live with me, I
experienced something that I hadn't felt in a long time, a feeling that I thought I
had hidden in the depths of my soul, something that I swore to myself never to feel
again. : rejection.

It is difficult to deal with the rejection of your own parents, especially when you are
twelve years old. You have a father who spends most of his time working and
traveling across the country; They send you gifts from different cities with
languages ​that you will never understand but that send a clear message: I'm far
away, or that's what I felt every time a re-wrapped packagebenothing and with an
ugly blue bow came to my house. I didn't care, or so I always told myself because I
had my mother, that beautiful and slender woman, that woman from whom I had
inherited my eyes, those sweet eyes that looked at me and followed me everywhere,
taking care of me. Or so he thought they did.

My mother had always been a peculiar woman, I loved her, I adored her, but I
knew she was different from other mothers; I knew this because I was a fairly
intelligent boy for my age and I had never been fooled... just as I always knew that
all those gifts that came from my father were actually chosen, wrapped and sent by
his secretary, I always knew that all those men who came through the door of my
house when my father was not there were not just friends of my mother.

Anabell Grason wasn't just any woman, nothing like that.

All my life, or at least until he left me, I watched him cheat on my father, over and
over again, with businessmen, with people I met in fancy restaurants, and even
with the parents of my friends, they all got into trouble. home, spend a few hours
with her, place her hand on my head in a friendly way before leaving, and walk
out the door as if nothing had happened.

At first, everything happened in a way that I barely noticed, but as the years
passed, my mother stopped caring about me and her carelessness was so evident
that I came to find her completely naked and with a man between her legs and
nothing more. nothing less than in my own room. I have the image of each of the
men who passed through my house engraved in my memory, and that is
something my mother never thought would happen.
We tend to believe that children do not understand things or that their innocence
keeps them isolated from reality, but that is the complete opposite of reality.
Children are smart, perceptive and like me: very curious. And all this coupled with
parents who focus more on themselves than on their own child can lead to all kinds
of problems in the long run.

I didn't care about his adventures, I didn't care about them because I thought
they were normal. One day my mother made me swear to her that I would never
say anything, that what was happening inside her room was a secret, something
that I should never tell, and that's when I understood that everything was
wrong.

Everything changed after the man I brought home was Robert Grason. I never liked
the way he looked at me or his way of treating my mother, he strutted around my
house as if it were his and he was not discreet at all, one day, when I came back from
school, I saw him sitting in the kitchen, he asked me to come closer and told me
something I would never forget.

- How old are you, Nicholas?-he asked me looking at mebedirectly into the
eyes

I looked at him with a frown, I remember that I would have loved to be much
older, to be able to look into his eyes without having to raise my head, that made
me feel inferior, I felt unprotected; He was tall, as tall as my father, and I had seen
him do weights more than once in the gym we had upstairs.

"Twelve," I said simply.

A smile appeared on his face.

- Do you think you are hisbeold enough for me to talk to you like an
adult?" he asked me as he stirred his cup of hot coffee.

My response was automatic.

-Yeah.

A smirk crossed his face.

"Your mother is very pretty, I suppose you've noticed from the way the men look at
her on the street," he began, putting the spoon aside and looking at me again.
"She's young and she doesn't love your father. -he said directly, going to the point
and without holding back.

Hearing it from someone's mouth I suppose made it more real, and despite all the
times I had told myself that I didn't care that my father wasn't there, at that
moment I noticed his absence more than ever.
"You look a lot like your father," he added, accompanying his sentence with a silence
of several seconds.

I felt a prick of alarm after realizing what he was trying to tell me. I had been told
many times that I looked like my father, that we were like two peas in a pod, I had
never given it any importance... until then, because...

¿signibeDid that mean my mother didn't love me because I reminded her of my

father? Was that what that man was trying to tell me?

I remained still and silent where I was, not knowing what to answer, what to say.
Robert saw the fear in my eyes and leaned towards me, looked around for a few
seconds and erased from his face the calm he had maintained until then.

"I'm going to take her, Nicholas, your mother is going to come with me, and when
she does and she's no longer seeing you and your father, she'll be happy again."

My hands balled into fists, and that was the first time I felt rage, real rage, deep
and blinding…and terrifying too.

That day I was dying to tell my mother what that man had told me, but I was so
afraid that by telling her she mightbeI can confirm that I closed my mouth and
tried to pretend that the sadness I felt was actually my imagination.

Two weeks later he had left, he was gone when I left school. From that day on and
for a week a man picked me up every day after school, a babysitter appeared out of
nowhere and started taking care of me... My father arrived seven days later.

"Nicholas, mom is gone" were his words after giving me a hug for several seconds,
the first he had given me in months.

My mother took off, without saying goodbye, just leaving a note behind her. I'll be

back for you, Nick; I love you,

Mother.

He never did, and what came after you already know what it was.

I understood as I got older that my mother had fucked all those men not just to
get back at my father for not spending time with her, but because she was an
ambitious shrew. I looked for her, I spent years looking for her and I discovered
things about her that I never should have known.
I talked to all the men I thought I remembered had passed through my house, they
were all suspicious, but I threatened to tell them.
her women the adventures they had with her so they told me everything I
needed to know.

My mother had been the whore of all of them, they had paid her fortunes to sleep
with her; According to what they had told me, she was perfect because she would
never tell anything at all, we lived in a neighborhood of horny rich men who were
bored with their sad material life and their forty-year-old women who only knew
how to go to beneficent galas.becas. My mother had been the playground of all
those men and had made a fortune sleeping with them.

When she found the right man, Robert, she was afraid it would all come out, I had
seen too much so it was easier to leave me behind, she didn't fight for custody
when my father took it from her, and the man next to her It didn't help either, I
have no idea what I said to convince her to leave me, but I'm sure money had a lot
to do with it.

WhenbeI finally understood that my mother had abandoned me, I swore to

myself that I would never feel anything for anyone again, I would never again give
power to someone so that they could hurt me again, I was never going to feel
rejected again.

Well, with Noah everything had changed and a part of me was dying to think that
she could do the same as my mother: leave me.

I got out of the car in the dead of night. My father's house was dim, no one seemed
to have turned on the porch lights, which I was not amused in the least.

To begin with, I didn't understand why Noah hadn't called me to go see her, I had
found out from my boss that my father was leaving for the other end of the city
and he made a single call withbeconfirm that this was true and that Rafaella was
also leaving with him, which left Noah home alone.

We had barely spoken since the other day, I had deliberately avoided her, a part of
me had wanted to punish her for not wanting to come live with me, but in reality I
was scared, that would never have crossed my mind, I wanted so badly to live with
her that the fact that she didn't want to had left me completely out of the game.
And now, on top of that, he didn't call me to tell me that our parents weren't going
to be home?

I got in using my own key. As he had said, everything was in darkness. I hurried
up to the top floor and began to believe that Noah wasn't there when I saw no light
coming from under his door; But then I heard her, she was crying.

I opened the door with my heart in a fist, thinking the worst, but when I did,
I only saw her, asleep.
Her room was dark, and she was tossing and turning under the covers. I hurried to
flip the light switch, but it didn't come on.

Shit, they had been cut.

I approached Noah and looking at her closely I saw that her cheeks were wet with
tears, her hands were pressed so tightly against her palms that one of them was
bleeding from the force of her nails digging into her skin. I watched her in a daze
for a moment, remembering Jenna's words...

Noah is not well, he has nightmares.

I ignored the alarm that went off inside me and sat down next to her.

"Noah, wake up," I said, brushing away the hair that was sticking to her face
from the tears.

It didn't help, she was still asleep, and she moved as if a part of her wanted to stop
seeing whatever it was that she was dreaming, whatever it was that made her be in
that state of desolation and fear.

I moved her, first slowly and then insistently, she didn't seem willing to wake up.

-Noah-I said approaching his ear-I'm Nicholas, wake up, I'm here.

He made a noise and my eyes watched as his hands balled into fists, pressing even
harder on his skin, hurting himself.

Fuck.

- Noah!-I said raising my voice.

It was then that his eyes snapped open. She was totally horrified, the only time she
had seen her like this was when the bastards from her school had locked her in a
closet in the dark. Her eyes darted around the room to land on me, and that's
when she seemed to realize that whatever she'd dreamed was just that, a
nightmare.

He threw himself into my arms and I felt his heart pounding wildly in his chest.

-Calm down, freckles-I said holding her tightly-I'm here, it's just been a nightmare.

Noah buried his face in my neck and I panicked as his body began to shake
followed by sobs that tore at my soul.
What the hell was going on?

I pulled her until I had her sitting on my lap, I needed her to look at me, I needed to
understand what was happening to her.

-Noah, what's wrong with you? -I said trying to hide the fear in my voice- Noah,
Noah, stop. I said when my question made her worse, it had been a long time since I
had seen her cry like that.

I pulled her back and cupped her face in my hands.

Her eyes avoided mine for a few seconds but I caught her chin and forced her to
look at me.

- How long have you been having these nightmares? I asked, realizing then
that what Jenna had said was true, Noah wasn't well, and my fucking attitude
surely had a lot to do with the fact that my girlfriend was sobbing inconsolably in
my arms. I cursed myself for thinking that both my past and hers could be left
behind.

-Nick, I... -he said with a broken voice- it was only this once, I don't know what
bothers me...

I wiped her tears away with my knuckles and upon hearing her I
knew immediately that she was lying to me.

"Noah, you can tell me," I told him, hating to discover that not withbeaba in me

He shook his head and seemed to begin to calm down.

"I'm glad you're here," he whispered a second later.

- Really?-I asked; I still didn't understand why he hadn't called me. Noah

returned my gaze with a frown.

"Of course I do..." he said resting his cheek on my hand and looking at me as if he
really believed what he was saying "I'm sorry for what I told you yesterday" he
whispered raising his hand and placing it on my neck.

I looked at her uncertainly, the truth is that I felt totally out of place at that time, I
had not expected to find her like this, and to know that Jenna was right, that Noah
was not well, and on top of that, that she was not withbeaba in me hisbeenough to
be honest about what was happening to her...

"I want to go with you more than anything in the world, Nick," she said but I didn't
believe it, besides, I didn't want to talk about it at that moment.
I took the hand that was on my neck and placed it between us so that I could see the
wounds on his palms. His eyes lowered, stunned for a moment but not at all
surprised.

It had happened to him more than once.

- Is it because of me? I asked, trying to keep my composure, trying to put

aside all the things that made Noah relive bad memories of his childhood... my
face was still marked by the blows that they had given me as soon as she arrived.
from Europe, I was a constant reminder that violence had not disappeared from
his life, and I had to restrain myself from leaving immediately, since it was clear
that my presence did him more harm than good.

"Of course not," he answered automatically, "Nicholas, don't give it more

importance than it deserves, I just had a nightmare and-"

-It wasn't just a nightmare, Noah-I accused her trying to control my temper-You
should have seen yourself, it seemed like you were being tortured, tell me what
you dreamed about, please, because I know that this has happened more than
once.

His eyes widened in surprise hearing me say that. He got up from my lap and took a
few steps away from me.

"It's only been once," he said, turning his back on

me. I got up from the bed.

"And fuck once, Noah," I yelled at him.

Why was he lying to me?

- "Stop!" he said, turning and facing me. We were surrounded by

darkness, only the light from her window gave it a dim light-

This has nothing to do with you!

I wanted to believe her, what's more, a part of me knew that this had to do with
what had happened to her as a child, only that I believed that all this had ended
when her father's son of a bitch died, discovering that there were still demons that
they were chasing her... she was killing me.

I approached trying to calm myself down, and trying to calm her down.

He looked at me blanklybeance but let me get closer.

"Listen to me" I said placing my hands on her shoulders "When you're ready I
want you to tell me" I said hating that that moment wasn't
right now-You know I'm here for you, I hate to see you bad, Noah, I just want to
know what I have to do to make you feel better.

His eyes moistened. Noah had cried these past two months more than he ever
imagined...

Before I didn't even cry, and to be honest I didn't know what was worse.

I pulled her towards me and held her in my arms. She was so small compared to
me, I hated that there was something tormenting her, I hated knowing that I
hadn't managed to make her completely happy.

He separated a few centimeters and with his hands on my face he forced me to

lower my gaze and fix it on his.

"Stop thinking that this is your fault, Nick" she whispered, her eyes moist with
tears but always so dazzling, when we looked at each other like that I felt that she
was part of something unique, that she belonged to me; I would kill for that
look-You are the only one who brings peace to my life, you are the only one with
whom I feel safe.

- But what are you afraid of?-I couldn't help but ask.

His look changed and I saw how that transparency from a few moments ago was
hidden by that wall that kept rising between the two of us, no matter how many
times I had tried to tear it down, it always stood up strongly when certain issues
came to light.

But I couldn't press the issue, nor did I wait for her to answer me, because then the
sound of something breaking downstairs startled us both.

- What was that?-Noah whispered, turning his gaze towards the door, fear
drawing on his face again.

I turned to stand between her and the door. Surely it had been Steve or Sophie.

- Who else is home?-I asked keeping calm. There was silence

for a few moments.

"Just us" Noah replied and I felt him stick to my back. Shit.
Chapter 23

NOAH

Although hearing something break downstairs had left me petrified.beEach

frightened, for a few moments he had appreciated the interruption.

What are you afraid of?

That question was so complicated, covered so many areas of my life, and could be
answered in so many different ways that it made it the worst question anyone could
ask me, let alone coming from Nicholas. If I started to blurt out all the fears that
were still so present in my mind, I could get into a lot of trouble, because there were
things that were better left buried deep in the background, even if some insisted on
coming out and making my life miserable.

"Tell me you've set the alarm, Noah," Nicholas told me then, approaching my
closed door and opening it a crack so he could peek out quietly and listen
carefully.

"Do we have an alarm?" I asked feeling like an idiot and starting to get really
scared.

Nicholas glared at me.

"Fuck, Noah," he said simply and went out into the hallway, indicating me to stay
where I was.

I ignored him and stuck to him listening intently.

For a few seconds nothing was heard besides our breathing, but then the next
thing to hear were some voices... voices of men.

Nicholas turned quickly, took my arm, and led me back into the room. I looked at
him terrified when he put his finger to his lips, signaling me to keep quiet.

"Tell me you have your phone here" he whispered trying to appear calm, although I
could see that he was having a hard time.

I nodded and cursed under my breath a second later.

"Shit, I left it in the pool," I whispered.

How could she be so stupid? I always had the phone with me and now that
we needed it I would leave it outside in the garden.

-Well, mine is downstairs, on the table next to the door. I saw how

his brain began to work rapidly.

"Listen to me," he said then, taking my face in his hands, "I want you to stay
here," I shook my head. "Fuck, Noah, stay here, I'll go find the phone in my
father's room and call 911.

"No, no, stay with me," I said desperate, God was so scared, I had never seen
myself involved in a robbery or anything like that, the kidnapping had been
horrible, yes that's true, but that doesn't meanbeIt might have made me stronger
when facing situations like this, but rather more cowardly, I was so scared that my
hands trembled.

-Nicholas, they have cut the light, there will be no line-I said realizing.

Before I could answer, we heard the voices again, only this time they were heard
more closely. Nicholas shut me up by placing a hand over my mouth and then we
heard the voices of two guys coming up the stairs.

"We have to go to my room," he told me then. his eyes werebeStaring at the door, he
stood in front of me and opened it just enough to lean out and look.

- What? -I exclaimed with a choked voice- For what? No,

Nicholas, let's stay here.

Now the voices were heard further away and that meant that instead of
heading towards our corridor they had decided to go to where our parents'
room was.

He turned to me, looked at me for a moment, and whatever he saw on my face

seemed to make it clear to him that whatever he did he was going to have to take
me with him.

"Get behind me and don't make noise," he said, opening the door and going out
into the darkness of the hallway. That situation was beyond me, and once again I
found myself involved in dark situations that it was better not to remember and
that only made my fear of the dark worsen. If I thought about it, there was nothing
good that happened in the dark... well, just one thing, but this was not the time to
think about that.
Luckily Nicholas's room was just across the hall. We rushed inside and Nick bolted
his door shut.

I stood still in the middle of his room while I watched him go through his closet.
Then he took out a box from under some kind of safe.

"Get into the bathroom" he asked me and when he saw that I was staying still in
the place he approached me and pulled me to get in himself.

- What do you have there? I asked, feeling that fear was preventing
me from breathing easily.

"Nothing," he whispered as he went to the window and opened it.

He leaned out, and then as he did, I saw what was sticking out of the top of his
jeans.

- What the hell are you doing with a gun, Nicholas?! I had to use all my
self-control to keep my voice low.

He turned around looking at me seriously.

"I want you to come down through this window, Noah," he said, ignoring my
question. "The tree has many branches, it won't be difficult for you."

Tears threatened to run down my cheeks again.

"No, I'm not going to do it," I said terrified.

"Stop crying," she exclaimed, losing her patience. "There are two criminals in this
house, and I'm not going to let them lay a single finger on you, so go down the
fucking tree."

I looked at him shaking my head... I couldn't risk it, I couldn't fall out of a window
again... no, I just couldn't do it.

"Nicholas I can't," I said in an inaudible whisper drowned out by my tears.

Why was fate hell-bent on making me relive things I so desperately wanted to leave
behind?

- Why not?" he asked me incredulously, looking at me as if I were crazy, as if

he wasn't aware that we were in danger, that we were in the house of a millionaire,
and not just any other, that the lights had been cut off, and that it showed that they
had been planning this for a while, because they must have known that William
was going to be away, as well as the members of the service and me included.
I just stared back at him. And after several seconds understanding lit up his
face. He approached me and took my face in his hands.

"Noah, this isn't like jumping out a window, love," he said, his voice calm, though
his eyes strayed to the bathroom door for an imperceptible second. "I've climbed
down that tree thousands of times as a kid, don't you you will fall, you will not
hurt yourself.

I knew what he was saying made sense but I felt paralyzed with fear. The
windows, jumping out of them... the consequences of having jumped out of one in
the past had been devastating for me. My hands landed directly on my belly,
almost unconsciously, right where my scar was.

Nicholas saw me, followed that gesture with his eyes, and I saw sadness cross
his face, though he hid it as best he could. That topic was taboo for the moment,
I didn't talk about it, he didn't talk about it... although we were going to have to
do it in the near future.

"Please, Noah, do it for me," he said desperately, "I can't let them hurt you again."

I tried to put myself in his place… if something happened to me, or if the people
who had broken into the house saw us, I had no idea what would happen, and
suddenly I was afraid for Nicholas, I knew what he was like, and she was sure that
right now she was controlling herself so she wouldn't go out there and put herself
in danger; That you were still here with me just meantbeThere was one thing: he
cared more about me than what these people could do or steal.

"Go down first and I'll go behind" I told him trying to control my emotions. I knew
that if I went down first there was a good chance that Nicholas would go after them
and seeing that he had a weapon, the fear that something would happen to him
outweighed any other fear I had so far.

He glared at me with his clear eyes and I knew I had hit the nail on the head. His
intention had not been to climb down through that window with me.

"Sometimes I feel like strangling you," he threatened, although he then gave me a

quick peck on the lips.

I was grateful that the house was hisbesufficiently large so that they did not hear us
speak, although we both did so in whispers.

Nicholas climbed through the window with ease and I went over to it to watch him
go down. The tree was about ten feet above the ground, and as I peeked out the
memories of my accident came back to haunt me. When I had jumped out that
window it hadn't given me
time or to assimilate what I was doing, I remember that I had been so scared that
nothing seemed to matter more than getting myself out of that situation.beerno of
darkness and mistreatment.

My father had turned into the same monster that all children fear when they are
little, only at that moment there was no mother to tell me that it had all been a
nightmare; the monster had really existed, and I had had to jump to escape.

It didn't take long for Nick to reach the grass below and motion for me to hurry up
and follow him.

I looked back in fright when I heard a noise from across the room. Without
thinking, I put my legs out the window and clung to the branches. I needed to get
down before they saw us. Seeing Nick below me, ready to catch me if I fell, helped
to calm me down and when he held me in his arms a few minutes later I felt my
breathing easy again.

"Come on," he said, pulling me toward the back garden, "Where's your cell phone?"

We both looked in all directions for fear that someone would appear in the darkness
of the night.

Thank God my iPhone was right where I'd left it, on top of the lounger by the pool,
but that's not all we found. Thor, that dog that we both adored, was lying next to
the pool a meter away.

I had not realized that we had not heard him bark and I felt a knot of fear form in
my stomach.

Nicholas ran over and placed his ear on the animal's chest.

I put my hand over my mouth to assuage my horror.

"He's alive," he said and I let out all the air I had been holding. I went over and knelt
down next to him. The dog was breathing evenly as if it were sleeping and had no
signs of being injured.

"They must have put him to sleep with some kind of sedative," Nick said, running
his hand over her head. I leaned into him and placed a kiss on his furry neck.

"Come on, Noah, they can see us," Nick said pulling my hand and forcing me to
leave Thor there.

Nick picked up the phone and dragged me along until we reached the back of the
pool house. He pulled me until my back was
against the wall and positioned himself in front of me, clearly shielding me with
his body. Being like this and in that situation reminded me of mybeIt's our
birthday and the irony of once again having to hide right there so they wouldn't
see us.

His eyes never left mine as he dialed 911. Nicholas explained to them what was
happening, that they had broken into our house and where we had hidden. They
told him that a patrol was on its way and that we should not move from the
place. When he hung up, he pulled me into a hug and a kiss on the top of my
head.

- Are you okay?-he asked me, leaning back so he could look at my face-here
they won't see us, nothing will happen to you.

I was in such an intense state of nerves that I felt my hands begin to shake. The
nightmare, knowing that Nicholas had heard me when I was having her, what he
had told me afterwards, and having to jump out of that window...

I wanted to curl up on the floor and wait for everything to go back to normal.

I needed to escape the bad memories.

- Can you give me a kiss?-I asked avoiding answering his question. I felt the
adrenaline running through my veins and until I saw the police arrive I was not
going to stay calm.

His countenance didn't change when he leaned down seriously to put his lips on
mine. His intention had been to give me a simple peck, but I laced my fingers
behind the nape of his neck and encouraged him to dig deeper. He stuck his
tongue in my mouth a second later and I went to meet him with mine. She was
shaking from all the emotions she was holding back, she needed this, she needed
it more than ever.

Then everything got too intense, Nicholas yanked me back and my back hit the
wall. I knew what was happening, all the frustration since the day we had met
again after a month apart, all the fights we had had in such a short time, were
being resolved right at that moment. With that kiss, with his hands running over
my body, he was telling me that I was his, it was his way of letting off steam and it
seemed good to me that he did it. I knew how much trouble it gave her, I knew she
wasn't an easy girlfriend to get along with, and right there and under those
circumstances we desperately needed each other.

He lifted up the white shirt I was wearing as pajamas, leaving me in my underwear

in front of him. His mouth began to kiss me all over while his hand caressed my
chest through the bra. I threw my head back, sighing with pleasure and
wishing it wouldn't stop. He pushed with his hips, squeezing me against the wall
and I moved my hips to meet him.

For a second we looked at each other, silent, but with our breaths working
forcefully. I felt something being pulled from his back and saw the gun fall onto
the grass beside us.

"You shouldn't have that" I said watching him crouch down and kneel in front of
me.

-You don't tell me what I can or can't do to myself, he let go of me in a bad

way.

I didn't understand that outburst, although I didn't have time to think about
it too much either, because his hands went to my hips and lowered my shorts
and underwear until I was completely naked before him.

It didn't take long for me to feel his tongue between my legs, driving me crazy,
creating a pressure between my thighs that I just wanted to release. I buried my
hands in his hair, encouraging him to continue.

But then we hear the sirens of the police cars. He broke away from me to

fix his eyes on mine.

"Please don't stop," I said, caring very little that there were thieves in the house,
that the police were outside, or that in reality we were both in danger.

He stood up standing in front of me, his eyes shining with desire, with the
adrenaline coursing through his body, the sirens sounded all around us, and fear
began to resurface inside me.

"It'll be quick," he said then, unzipping his jeans and lifting me up with his arm,
helping me meet him "Hold on to my shoulders," he encouraged me and then he
penetrated me, hard, making a cry escape my mouth. . It was impossible for them
to hear us, a full-blown chase was taking place several meters away, but we were
immersed in each other. I felt him inside me, going in and out, filling me up and
making me feel the most exquisite pleasure in the world, his mouth took over mine
and I stuck my tongue in, imitating his movements, savoring him as only I knew he
liked. His movements became more frantic, he pinned me against the wall,
immobilizing me completely, just him keeping pace and I let him do it. I separated
my mouth from his to let out a cry of pleasure, and a few seconds later it was his
that came out from between his lips.

We were sweating, it had been too fast; I rested my forehead on his shoulder,
letting him hold me because I was unable to move an inch.
body muscle only. I would have liked to stay like this forever, but the voices from
outside began to be heard closer, I was sure they were looking for us.

Nick eased himself out of me, and I couldn't help but let out a groan of pain. He took
my chin in one of his hands and forced me to look at him.

- Have I hurt you? -he asked me looking at me with all the love in the
world.

I shook my head and let him cover me again with the shirt that he had left lying on
the floor. He adjusted his pants while I made sure not to leave my underwear
anywhere like the other time.

-Now please, do not separate from me.

I nodded and took her hand to face what awaited us outside. Nicholas never left my

side.

When we came out of our hiding place we were met by two patrol cars; There had
been quite a stir at the door and some neighbors had approached, afraid, to ask
what had happened.

There had been three who had tried to steal, they had been caught red-handed,
they had not been able to escape. Worst of all, they were all armed, which
reminded me that Nick was, too.

I watched him quietly by his side while he talked to the police and explained
everything that had happened and how we had gone down through the
window. The policemen wrote everything down in their notebooks and told us
that we should go to the police station to testify one day this week.

I had a bad time when I saw the three delinquents leave the house, all of them
handcuffed and looking like convicts. Nick turned away, leaving the cop
speechless, and I watched as he tensed as hebekeep your eyes on them. I covered
myself with his body when one of thembehey in me This one had his whole face
full of piercings and seemed to give off hatred from every pore of his body.

It reminded me of Ronnie, the way he had looked at me in that room when they
had locked me in, when his hands had touched my body threatening to rape me...

- Can we go inside?-I whispered feeling a chill. Nick looked down at my eyes.

His arm went around my shoulders and he
He pulled him towards him, enveloping me and giving me warmth. I didn't know
how cold I was until I felt the heat that her body gave off.

"You can do this tomorrow, Mr. Leister," said the policeman, looking at me with
concern. You can give a statement at the police station, although there is not much
to say, these scoundrels are going to spend a long time behind bars.

"I hope they rot in there," Nicholas said, diverting his gaze from the policeman to
the patrol car that was just leaving our house.

-They will, sir, we've been after them for almost two months, it's not the first
house they've robbed.

I looked at him with wide eyes, so they had planned all this, they were
professionals... My God, I don't know what I would have done if Nicholas hadn't
shown up.

After that and several courtesy conversations with the neighbors, the police left like
everyone else.

The lights were already on and Thor had started to wake up although he seemed
slightly sleepy. The policemen told us not to worry, that they had already seen
cases where they sedated the dog with a bone or even with water from their
respective bowls. Nick let him in and went back to sleep, tail wagging slowly, never
quite understanding what had been done to him.

Nick dragged me inside, locking the door and dialing the number for the alarm I
hadn't known existed.

He explained to me how it was set and where it was and I swore to myself
never to leave it deactivated again.

"Let's go to bed" he said taking my hand and going up the stairs.

We were both so sad to look at each other, having climbed down the tree and then
having been hiding in the cabin...

doing what we had done, I had mud all over my white T-shirt and Nicholas had his
jeans.

"We'd better take a shower before," I said, still feeling a little shaky and the truth is
that I was frozen.

Nick brushed my hair behind my ears and fixed his worried eyes on mine.

"You're freezing, Noah," he said, kissing my forehead. "I'm sorry for all this.
I threw my head back.

-Don't be sorry, it wasn't anyone's fault, we never would have known that this could
happen...

"If I hadn't decided to come..." he said and I saw fear cross his face, the images that
had passed through my mind a while ago now I saw again.flleft in yours.-This is why
I want us to live together, to be able to protect you, to be there whenever you need
me.

Now I saw it so clearly, the security that he transmitted to me, how good I felt
when I knew that he was there to protect me, what he said was true, I needed him,
he was my protector, he was the one who withbeaba, was the cure for my
nightmares; he scared away my demons.

"I'll tell my mom, Nick, I promise," I said, any doubt vanishing from my mind. It
was already clear, it was with Nicholas that I had to be with, I would start my new
life as an adult with my boyfriend, with the person I was in love with.

A real smile appeared on her face, she kissed me on the lips and pulled me into her
bathroom. It was weird being there, in his room. There had been few moments
that we had shared in those four walls, because he had moved as soon as we
started dating, but it came to my mind the first time we slept... how nervous I had
been, and how beautiful it was. he had been, he had treated me as if I were made
of glass... now our sexual relationship was so different, so different...

as time went by everything seemed to become more intense, as if we needed more

and didn't know what to do about it.

As I let the water heat up, he stepped in front of me and pulled my shirt over my
head. His eyesbeThey looked at my hands, then at the bruise still on my arm
from the paintball battle, and finally his eyes traveled to the scar on my stomach.

"Too many scars, Noah," she whispered, running a finger down my belly.

I swallowed. What did he mean by that?

-I don't want anything to happen to you, and it seems that I am incapable of

achieving it, I tell myself that I am going to take care of you and every day I realize
that I am doing worse.

"Nicholas, you can't put me in a bubble," I said, trying to ignore the way his eyes had
darkened as hebelook at my stomach.
I went over to him and helped him remove his shirt. Whenever he was in front of
him, half naked, my heart raced. I fixed my eyes on his torso, on how the skin
tightened under his muscles, my fingers placed on his stomach and distractedly ran
through the bruises he still had from the beating he had received just a few days ago.

His hand took my face, he searched for me with his eyes and I was mesmerized
looking at him.

- Could it be that every day I fall more in love with you? -he asked me then,
while one of his fingers ran over my lower lip.

The intensity of his words overwhelmed me. I rose on tiptoes and gave him a
chaste kiss on the lips. After I took off my clothes and got into the shower, the hot
water ran through my body and little by little I began to warm up. Nicholas
stepped in behind me, took my arm, and turned me so he could kiss me
underwater. His hands pressed against his body and together we warmed
ourselves under the boiling water, letting it cleanse us and make us feel better.

"Turn around, I want to wash your hair" he let go, separating from my lips. I
found it strange that she didn't follow through with what she had started, but I
was exhausted nonetheless, and I was grateful that she was able to see what she
needed.

He took the shampoo and a few moments later I felt his hands in my hair, he
massaged my head creating a lather and when he finished he took it upon himself
to rinse it off, being careful not to get soap in my eyes.

- Do you want me to do the same with you?-I asked him with a smile, a smile
that he returned to me.

"You don't make it up here, baby," he said and went on to shampoo his dark, wet,
sexy hair. While he was doing it, I kept looking at him, how the water fell on his
torso, and went down his entire body, leaving a trail of soap and water on his
skin. "Are you enjoying the views?" he let me know when he saw that I was quiet
watching him.

I smiled.

- Don't you?" I replied amused and her eyes widened.beThey jerked,

lustfully over my bare breasts.

He frowned for a moment.

"Don't be mean, freckles, I'm being nice because I know you're exhausted," he said
taking a step towards me and placing both of us under the shower water. I climbed
my hands into her hair and removed the soap, pouring all the
hair back. -I don't care about the views, I'm more into going into places than staying
looking at them.

I was going to laugh but then his mouth was on mine, intense, demanding,
exquisite. I let him taste me with his tongue and I kept up with him, but when I
pressed closer to him he pulled away, breathing hard.

"You have to sleep, and so do I," he said, turning off the water with a thud.

- And if I do not want? What if I stayed up all night? -I asked him and it
was partly true, I had gotten excited and sleeping was the last thing I wanted
at that moment.

A half smile appeared on her face but she ignored me, reaching for the towel and
wrapping it around me, then reaching for another and wrapping it around her
waist.

"To sleep, Noah," he said simply, helping me out of the shower.

I decided to pay attention to him for once and I dried myself quickly, I
wanted to get into bed and he would hold me in his arms.

When he came out of the bathroom to get some pants I realized I had to go to my
room to get my pajamas, and I know I was just across the hall but suddenly I was
afraid to move around the house alone.

I went out into the bedroom and opened one of his dresser drawers, grabbed a gray
T-shirt of his and pulled it over my head, then put on one of his boxers. When I
turned around I saw that Nick was watching me.

"Come," he said simply.

I did as he asked, climbed on his bed and snuggled under the covers; I stuck to him
like a limpet letting him hold me and I rested my head on his chest. Nicholas
turned off the light a second later, and the last thing I remember is already
dreaming, only this time of something much more beautiful: him.
Chapter 24

NICK

When I opened my eyes that morning the first thing I saw was Noah's face just
inches from me. He had his head on my shoulder and almost his entire body on top
of mine. I had to stop myself from laughing, it seemed as if it had tried to climb up
my body and had stopped halfway.

I gently brushed a lock of her hair from her face and let my thumb gently brush
her freckled skin…those freckles that drove me crazy, those freckles that were not
only on her face but also on her breasts, in her slender shoulders, the small part of
her back... I loved knowing that I was the only one who knew that body perfectly, I
was the only one who knew where each mole was, each mark, each curve and each
wound .

Me beI looked at his tattoo, that little tattoo that was under his ear; the same one
that I had done on my arm.

When I decided to do it, it was simply because I liked the idea of ​the strength that
something simple can have if you intertwine it in a certain way, but now it
meansbeThere was much more to it than that, now I wanted to believe that it had
been because of her that she had decided to tattoo that drawing on me... it was
ridiculous to think that but that idea kept circulating in my mind, that both of us,
perhaps, had gotten the tattoo because we knew we would end up meeting...

My phone started ringing. I reached out and picked it up. It was Anna, Maddie's
social worker.

I got out of bed, careful not to wake Noah, and went out into the hallway so I could
talk.

-Your mother has decided that you can stay theben next week with Madison.

I stopped halfway up the stairs.

- What my mother what?-I repeated with disbelief. It was impossible for

that woman to have decided to give in to this, not having told her that she was a
whore just a few days ago, not having refused to see her, as she wanted.

On the other end of the line I heard Anne sighing.

-Nicholas, I spoke to her five minutes ago, she told me that you can keep her from
Thursday to Sunday.

- And he hasn't told you anything else? Are you just going to leave it to me
like that? - This was most unusual, I had been trying for an eternity to get them
to let me bring my sister with me for a few days, my mother did nothing without
receiving something in return.

- Do you want to keep your sister those days or not? tell me because I have
work to do.

That woman was most repulsive.

"Of course I want to keep it, I've been trying for years. When do I have to go pick it
up?" I asked suddenly anxious, and feeling joy grow in my chest. There were many
things that I had missed about my sister, I had never seen her in her pajamas for
example, I know it's silly, but it was her brother, I had never been able to take her
to breakfast, or see how she woke up in the morning...

having her for four days was going to be quite an event and I suddenly got
nervous just thinking about it.

"I'll take it, send me your address and Thursday afternoon we'll be there," he
said simply.

- Are you going to travel to Los Angeles?-I couldn't help but ask her, that
woman had never left Nevada in her entire life, I didn't see her taking a plane or
worse, a car to bring me my little sister.

There was a strange silence on the other end of the line.

-I have things to do in the city, visit a relative, so I don't mind taking her with you.
He explained to me a few seconds later.

I accepted his answer, the truth is that I didn't give a shit what I had to do, I could
only think that my sister was going to be with me without a curfew or supervision.

I agreed and we agreed to talk to specify the details.

Just as I was about to turn down the hall to enter the room, Noah came out,
his face half asleep and his hair all tousled.

A huge smile spread across my face. I saw her stare at me for a few moments before
my smile infected her.

- What's wrong with you?-he asked, the emotion of seeing me happy

reflleaving on his face.
"My mother has decided to leave me with Maddie for four days," I said, and I
couldn't believe what my ears were hearing. Robert's asshole had always flatly
refused, I didn't understand what had happened to make them change their minds
but I didn't believe it.

Noah's eyes widened and he beamed at me. Without waiting for a second, he
approached to place his hands on the back of my neck.

"That's great, Nick," he said, kissing me gently on the cheek.

I pulled her close to me and buried my face in her neck, smelling her perfume and
feeling fucking good for once.

My father and Rafaella arrived at lunchtime. I had talked to my father the night
before right after they took those bastards out of the house. I had explained what
had happened and after asking me about ten times if we were okay, they had
agreed not to come home immediately. She didn't even want to think about how
Rafaella was going to be, all this woman needed was another reason to worry about
Noah.

Unlike most of my friends, I didn't have a month and a half vacation, I had to be at
school on Monday.bekitchen for my father's company's paid internship, so I had
no choice but to say goodbye to Noah as soon as the sun went down. We had spent
the afternoon at the beach, and after taking her home I parked the car in the
driveway and made her promise to spend those four days that my sister came with
me in the apartment.

- Don't you want to be alone with her?-she asked me as I leaned on the hood
of the car and pulled her to place her between my legs. Her nose and cheeks were
sunburned and somehow that redness made her eyes sparkle in a different way.

"There's only one person I always want to be alone with and she's not exactly a
six-year-old girl," I told her, bringing my nose closer to her clavicle and breathing
in the aroma of the sea that her tanned skin gave off.

"I'm serious, Nick" he told me pulling my hair back and looking into my eyes. -I
understand if you want to spend time alone with her, you've waited for this for a
long time…

"Come on, Noah, the dwarf adores you, besides, someone is going to have to take
care of making her eat and stuff," I said half jokingly. "She punched me friendly on
the shoulder and stuck her tongue out at me like a little girl."

"If you behave well, maybe," he said smiling, "I'll talk to my mother."
I forced a smile even though it annoyed me to keep hearing Rafaella's name in our
plans.

-I still don't understand what made my mother change her mind, I hadn't told you
but she called me to tell me that if she stayed with her to talk, she would let me
have Maddie.

Noah blanched, obviously as shocked as I was when I had to listen to him try to
bribe me.

- And what did you tell him?-he asked me turning around and resting his
back on my chest. I put my arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

-That not even in a dream would I stay to talk to a whore like her.

I felt Noah shudder under my embrace. He didn't say anything, and he better not.
He'd already tried to talk me into trying to make things right with my mom, and
the fight we'd had afterwards had made it clear that the topic was taboo between
us. I didn't want to explain to Noah what my mother had done when I was a kid or
how I had seen day after day how she brought men into her bedroom. She didn't
need to know any of that, there was enough shit in her past to make her part of
mine.

Noah wore her hair in a bun on top of her head so that the nape of her neck was
completely exposed. I leaned in, wanting to change the subject and also because I
was going to have to leave in no time and I couldn't do it without feeling that soft
and silky skin under my mouth.

Noah leaned his neck to the side to give me better access and I began trailing
kisses from the nape of his neck to where his tattoo was. I bit his earlobe and felt
goosebumps rise on his skin. We were right in front of the door of the house but it
was night and from inside it would be difficult to see what we were doing.

With my tongue I was drawing the ink mark that was under his ear, then I sucked
on his sweet skin... I had to resist the urge to leave a mark, I knew that he would go
like a motorcycle if I gave him another hickey on the neck.

Then he turned, fixing his eyes on mine and I thought I saw a hidden feeling
under those eyelashes.

He looked like he was about to say something but then he leaned in and stuck his
tongue in my mouth. I responded gladly and getting horny at his way of caressing
his tongue wildly against mine. I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled
her close to my body, deepening the kiss even more.
I pressed my hips against hers making my jeans brush the sensitive skin between
her legs and she let out a ragged breath.

"You have to go," he blurted out a second later, pulling away from me. Her lips
were swollen from the kiss, and instead of ignoring her, I leaned into her and
suckled her bottom lip on mine.

"I could spend hours eating your mouth" I blurted out when she took a step back
with the desire returned.flleft in his gaze.

"And I would let you do it, even if not today, you work tomorrow" he said with a
smile playing on his lips.

I looked at her adoringly when, after giving me a kiss on the cheek, she turned and
ran up the porch steps. I waited for him to come in before leaving.

The next morning, when the alarm clock went off, I almost forgot that today we had
an important meeting at the company.

Normally my job was to take care of the paperwork, and if I was lucky they would
let me go to court as an assistant to the lawyer handling the case. Today, on the
other hand, they had summoned us all and I didn't really know why. Contrary to
how I normally dressed, I had to put on a shirt and a tie, and while I was tying it, I
stood in the room that was right in front of mine. There was only a simple bed,
with a small chest of drawers and thousands of open boxes of mine and things that
I never used. Along the other wall was the treadmill and my weight machine that I
had brought from my father's house; It hadn't dawned on me until now that I was
going to have to fix that room if I wanted a six-year-old to sleep in it.

I was going to let Noah help me, I had no fucking idea what to buy or how to
decorate it, but I wanted my sister to spend the four best days of her life, with me
and Noah, with the people who loved her above all things. .

Before going out the door I made sure that N had food and I smiled imagining the
face that Maddie would make when she saw that rat, she would go crazy, since her
parents did not let her have any kind of animal, and except a cat.

From my floor to the obeIt wasn't more than fifteen minutes to go to the kitchen,
and when I parked in the employee space, I met one of my colleagues at the door.
Almost everyone I worked with was much older than me, lawyers from orbecio
who were trying to carve out a permanent foothold in the new company of Leister
Enterprises. Paul Dries, was one of these, a middle-aged man with two small
children, he was one of the few who didn't eat my ass for being my father's son.
- How are you, Leister? -he asked me by way of greeting as we got
on the elevator- how's the single life?

I rolled my eyes, it didn't matter how many times I had explained that I had a
girlfriend, he kept insisting that if he wasn't married men were free to do
whatever they wanted.

-I better not ask about yoube"n of the week, right?" I replied, leaving our floor
and walking together to the coffee room. That floor consisted of about ten law
offices, the meeting room, a reception, and the interns' office, which was me and
someone who had to arrive that week. The truth is that I preferred to work alone,
the job was shitty enough to have to share it now, but I wasn't going to complain
again, it wouldn't do me any good. Contrary to what anyone might think, being my
father's son did not give me any special advantage or privilege.

-If having a child already makes you want to commit suicide, with two you don't
even know what the hell to do anymore, seriously, I curse the day I said yes I do-
Paul began to rant while I smiled and served me coffee to go- Listen to me carefully
"Leister," he exclaimed, standing in front of me, "Forget commitments, weddings,
and all that shit, fuck as many chicks as you can and stop girlfriends and nonsense,
women only bring headaches."

I laughed, feeling sorry for him, and for all the wretched men who were tied to
women they weren't in love with. My thing with Noah would never be like this, I
would never lose the passion I felt for her and when we had children...

My brain put the brake on right there.

I felt sick to my stomach and forced myself not to think about it, not to let myself
continue down that path.

We were very young, we would already face certain issues in due time.

"You're a jerk, Paul" I ended up answering the old man at the same time that a girl
entered the coffee room.

I had tobeLeaving me in it, what's more, the four guys that were there stayed
watching her as she entered and greeted us with a dry smile and approached where
the coffee was. I had never seen her before, and I also think that there were only
three lawyers in the firm, and all of them were over thirty years of age. This chick
looked no more than twenty-five, she had dark hair, almost as black as mine, and
her brown eyes lingered on me for a second as she lifted the cup and raised it to
her rouge lips.
-I'm Sophia, if that's what you're wondering, Sophia McCarthy, the new intern.

Paul looked from Sophia to me and a mischievous smile played on his lips.

"He's also a scholarship holder, I suppose you'll work together now," said the idiot,
pointing to both of us.

The new intern set her eyes on me once more, it wasn't hard to figure out what she
was thinking, her eyes slid down my body until they settled on my pupils.

"I work alone," I said dryly, while with a calculated movement I sent the
disposable coffee cup flying until it landed inside the trash can in the corner.

The last thing I saw before I turned and walked out the door was Sophia's
disappointed look.
Chapter 25

NOAH

That afternoon he had met Jenna. I hadn't seen her in over a month, since I had
gone to Europe, and I had the feeling that she was avoiding me. Byben had agreed
to let me drop by to see her at her house, and she was doing the same thing at that
moment. I got out of my car, which I was able to park in one of the four available
spaces that the Tavish family had, and knocked on the door, hoping they would
open it for me. In these last few months I had spent a lot of time at Jenna's house,
we had studied together, made chocolate brownies and had girls' nights where we
spent hours criticizing or praising our boyfriends. Despite that, I was still
impressed by the large dimensions of the house. It was one of the most imposing
in the development, and that was saying a lot, although you also had to take into
account that Jenna's family was much larger. His two little brothers were demons
and more than once he had had to witness how they yelled at each other; At twelve
and eight years old they were spoiled but also adorable, it must be said.

I waited at the gate and couldn't help but admire the huge front garden they had;
Unlike the Leisters, they did not have a private gate, but it faced the street directly,
although you had to walk a long way to get to the gate. They had a bunch of tall
trees with yellow swings, and a little pond with frogs and prettyflores, just to the
right of the house giving it a dreamy air. Most of the mansions in this
neighborhood were amazing, but Jenna's had a special touch, a touch Jenna was
sure was responsible for.

"Come in, Miss Morgan," Lisa told me, the assistant inviting me in. I smiled at him
and as always when I entered that house I had to put my hands on my arms.

They always had the air conditioning on full blast and it was freezing cold. Jenna
had told me that it was her mother's thing and for that very reason they even had
several sweaters available for guests who, with bad memories like me, forgot to
take a jacket in the middle of August.

- Is Jenna in her room?-I asked the sweet assistant. In the distance, the
noise of video games being played could be heard, which withbeHe
confirmed that Jenna's brothers were home.

"Yes, he's waiting for you" he answered the time he was leaving almost
running when the noise of something breaking filled the room.
I laughed and headed straight for the stairs. Unlike in my house, the stairs were in
a separate room, where an elegantly decorated lounge and a bar with thousands of
bottles of different liquors urged you to stay there rather than go upstairs.

When I knocked on my friend's bedroom door and entered, she was surrounded by
suitcases and piles of clothes all over the floor.
She was sitting like an Indian on her zebra rug and her hair was pulled up on top of
her head in a jaunty bun.

A smile appeared on her face when she saw me and she stood up to give me a
hug.

"I've missed you, blonde," he said, letting me go a moment later without adding
anything else. I was surprised that she wasn't jumping around like crazy, or that
she didn't immediately drag me over to her bed to start talking and asking me
questions. I saw in her face that there was something that was troubling her,
something that had sucked all of her energetic and fun ways.

- What were you doing? -I said trying to hide my concern. Jenna looked

around, confused.

- Ah, this! -he said, sitting down on the floor again, and inviting me to do
the same- I'm deciding that I'm going to take myself to the university,
Can you believe it's less than two weeks away?-she told me and contrary to all the
times we had talked about the university, our independence, and how we would go
about visiting each other, when she said it, she seemed more worried about leaving
what other thing.

"I haven't even started packing yet..." I said and got nervous knowing that soon I
was going to have to face my mother and tell her that I was going to live with Nick.
I had to tell Jenna too but something told me this wasn't the time.

I helped her for a few minutes to fold some shirts and while I tried my best to find
out what could have happened to her, I looked around, distracted.

Jenna's room was the opposite of mine, while my room was blue and white and
called for calm and relaxation, Jenna's room was the complete opposite, the walls
were painted fuchsia pink, and the furniture was all blacks. On one of the walls
there was an immense mannequin with thousands of tangled necklaces that we
had tried to untangle on more than one occasion, especially because the necklaces
were so cool and we wanted to wear them, even thoughbeFinally we had given up
and the thousands of necklaces had become something decorative. On another
wall, a black and white zebra sofa that matches its rug, invited you to stay watching
the plasma television that
was on the other wall. Like me, he had a dressing room, only this one was a mess
at the time.

The Pharrel Williams record was playing in the background and again I was
surprised that he wasn't even humming the lyrics to the songs.

I watched her for a few more seconds. Since when had Jenna Tavish spent more
than five minutes in silence?

I put the shirt I was folding down on the floor.

"You may already be telling me what's wrong with you," I said in a slightly harsher
tone than I would have liked to use at first.

Startled, Jenna looked up from the floor and fixed it on me.

- What are you saying? "Nothing is wrong with me," he answered, but he got
up immediately, turning his back on me and went to his bed. An immense bed
that at that moment was overflowing with underwear and fashion magazines.

I frowned at her from my spot on the ground.

"Jenna, we know each other, you haven't even asked me about the trip, I know
something is wrong with you, let it go" I said getting up and approaching her. I
didn't like seeing her like this, I didn't like that my friend, my best friend, cheerful
and vivacious, was this depressed.

When he raised his head from a piece of paper in his hands, I saw that his eyes were
a little moist.

-I've argued with Lion... I've never seen him like this, he's never yelled at me like
that-A tear spilled down her cheek and I approached her, surprised by what she
was saying.

Lion was sunshine, quite the jerk at times, just like Nick, but at the same timeben
and after a sun, Jenna was between cotton, she did not understand what could
have happened for them to have argued.

- Why did you fight?-I asked, fearing that it had been because of the beating
the other day and that mess Lion had gotten himself into... and he had ended up
getting my boyfriend too; though I decided to put that aside.

Jenna wrapped her legs around her and rested her head on her knees.

"I have decided not to go to Berkley" he released me then.

I opened my eyes in surprise. Jenna had worked very hard to be able to go to the
same university as her father, let alone one of the best universities in the country.
- What do you say, and

why? Jenna snorted angrily.

"You look at me as if I had committed a crime, just like Lion," she said, letting her
hair down and putting it back on top of her head, she always did that when she was
nervous or angry. "UCLA is just as good as many universities, you You're going
there, Nicholas is graduating from that school, I thought… I thought Lion was
going to be happy, I thought he was going to be happy for both of us, I only applied
to Berkley because he told me I could get a job there. , that we would leave
together, that we would continue to see each other every day, but two weeks ago his
uncle told him that they were not going to be able to hire him, something about a
reduction in personnel after a fire, or I don't know what, so I have looked for a
solution , I have been looking for a way to be able to study and not have to see my
boyfriend once every two weeks because we both live in different cities.

I nodded, agreeing with her on almost everything.

- I can't go to San Francisco! -She said desperately- Not if he doesn't

come with me.

-I understand, Jenn, but getting into that university is not easy, you could keep
seeing him, thebeOn weekends, San Francisco isn't that far...

Jenna rolled her eyes.

- Could you go weeks without seeing Nick?

I shut my mouth because I knew my answer was going to be no.

This summer we had been separated and it had been an experience that I did not
want to repeat. By God if I was about to go live with him...

- What did Lion tell you? -I asked avoiding answering his question.

"He became mad, he told me I was an idiot for changing college simply because of
him, that he wasn't going to allow my future to be affected by what we did..."
Jenna's voice broke and I looked at her anguished. - He threatened to leave me!

I opened my eyes in surprise. But what...?

-He's not going to leave you, Jenna, you're free to do whatever you want,
besides he's dying for you, he would never leave you and even less for this.

Jenna shook her head, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand.
"You don't understand, he's changed, he's different, I don't know what's wrong
with him, but he's obsessed with making money... the other day," he said choking
back a sob, "you should have seen his face, Noah, but well, neither did Nicholas It's
that he got off scot-free, but they could have killed him and all because of...

His eyes met mine and he left the sentence unfinished.

- Because of what, Jenna?

My friend looked away before standing up and grabbing a bunch of clothes and
putting them next to one of the open suitcases on the floor. He gave me the
impression that he did not want to look at my face.

-Nothing, I just don't like Lion getting into trouble like that, I don't like him
continuing to do the things he and Nick did last year...

"They don't do them anymore, Jenna, they've changed, Nicholas has changed," I
said, trying to ignore the little voice that told me that Jenna had referred to Nick a
moment ago.

Jenna turned to me, letting out a laugh.

- They haven't!-he said, looking at me incredulously-Nicholas is still in

the same trouble as always... he takes drugs, Noah!

I stood still, feeling a pressure in my chest that left me breathless for a few seconds.

- What the hell are you talking about? -I said getting angry and without
really knowing why; I wasn't going to let Jenna pay for her bad mood with me and
even less with Nick, what she was saying was a pack of lies.

Jenna looked sorry for dropping that bombshell but kept talking anyway.

-I saw him at the Shakis, the other day, when it was thebeThis one from Paintball,
he was totally stoned and you told me that he had promised you that he wouldn't do
it anymore.

That night it had been Nicholas himself who had told me about the weed, the
truth is that I hadn't even been able to ask him why the hell he had done it,
Nicholas was a cigarette smoker, yes, but not that crap, and anyway Anyway that
wasn't Jenna's business, and it had nothing to do with Lion and her either.

-Nicholas can do whatever he wants Jenna, I'm not his babysitter-Jenna rolled her
eyes again, she was getting me pissed off-
Don't look at me like that, I don't understand what Nicholas has to do with this, as
far as I know Lion is not a saint.

"She can never be as long as she keeps hanging out with him, can't you see
it!?" she exclaimed, as if I were stupid or blind-

Our boyfriends are idiots, they are still involved in all that shit and they make us
believe that they have left him for us!-

- And they have, Jenna, Nicholas doesn't hang around these people
anymore, he's changed!

Jenna laughed, a laugh that sounded even cruel. I didn't recognize my baby right
then, I didn't know who he was, he was lashing out at my boyfriend for no reason
or logic, as if it was his fault that Lion criticized his decision on which university to
choose.

-You're more naive than I thought Noah, really, you don't know anything. I

approached her, she was filling my patience.

- What is it that I don't know?

Jenna closed her mouth for a few seconds.

-They plan to return to the races, both of them, next week, why hadn't I told you
about that?

Al beI finally ended up leaving his house. He didn't want to keep talking to her,
didn't want to keep listening to her. Nicholas wasn't going back to those races, not
after what had happened last time, not without taking me with him, at least. We
had both promised not to make that mistake again, as a result of those races I had
earned the hatred of Ronnie, who almost killed me without mentioning that he
had helped my father kidnap me. What at first had been fun had turned into
something terribly dangerous and that was why I didn't believe a word Jenna had
said.

The problem is that Lion did have more reasons to continue in that world, it was
more his world.

He wasn't going to mention anything to Nicholas about this, no, he was going to
wait and see how events unfolded, he wasn't going to judge him prematurely. But if
I found out that I was going to those races... I'd better leave my threat right there,
because I didn't know what I was capable of doing.

When I got home it was almost time for dinner. I went in trying not to make noise,
and I heard that my mother was in the living room.

The truth is that I didn't feel like talking to her at that moment, so I went into the
kitchen, took a prepared salad from the fridge, a
Coke zero and I almost ran to the stairs. Just as I left everything on my bed my cell
phone started ringing.

Again unknown number.

Shit, it could only be one person. I let it play, feeling my heart race in my chest. I
still felt totally guilty for telling Nicholas's mother that I was meeting her for drinks
and talking about him behind her back. Maddie wouldn't be home until Thursday,
there were still two days left, but I knew that as soon as this woman set foot in LA
she was going to want to see me.

The phone rang again and once again I preferred not to pick it up.

Then and within a minute, I got a text message.

See you at the LAX Hilton at 12 noon. TO.

Shit, Anabell Grason had just left me a message on my phone. I deleted it as soon
as I read it, I didn't want there to be any proof of what I was about to do. I felt
horrible, what's more, I felt as if I was betraying Nick, and deep down I was, but a
part of me, apart from wanting his sister to spend a few days with him, without a
social worker or hours to keep, wanted to find out what that woman had to tell
me, what was her interest in seeing me apart from meeting her own son through
me.

I picked up the phone and typed a simple, monosyllable response.

OKAY.

As you can imagine I lost my appetite and what little dignity I had left, at least
before that woman.

"Come on, Noah, pick one" Nicholas asked me with exasperation after taking me
for a long time with the color chart in front of me and not knowing which one to
choose.

"I would paint it beige," I answered after thinking about it.

Nick rolled his eyes.

"To paint it beige, we left it green, as it is, period," he replied, taking the sampler
from my hands.

- Green? -I said with disgust- How are you going to paint a girl's room
green?
The woman who had been helping us, patiently waiting for us to choose a color
for Maddie's room, decided it was time to intervene.

-Green is very fashionable, although if you are not sure...

How many months is it?-he asked then, looking at my belly with a smile.

It took me a few moments to understand what he was hinting at.

- That? No, no! -I hastened to answer him.

Beside me, Nicholas turned suddenly serious and fixed his gaze on the
saleswoman.

"I thought..." she said, looking from Nick to me and then to my belly.

That woman had believed that she was pregnant and that we were choosing the
color of our baby's room.

Our baby… by God, why did he have to think about that? I felt a

knot in my stomach.

-We're choosing the color for my six-year-old sister's room- Nicholas told him,
leaving the sampler on the counter- Does he see us looking like parents? My
girlfriend is only eighteen, and I'm twenty-two, why don't you think before you
jump to stupid conclusions?

I opened my eyes in surprise. What the hell was that about?

-I... I'm sorry, I d-didn't-understand the woman's daze. Nicholas was giving him
that look, the same look he'd give me when I did something that upset him.

-It's okay, look, we'll keep the white, you can tell the painters to start early
tomorrow. I said trying to calm the atmosphere. Nicholas bored into me with
his blue eyes, but said nothing more.

After paying we left the store in awkward silence. I couldn't take it long so I
grabbed his arm forcing him to look at me when we got to his car.

- Can you tell me what is wrong with you?

Nicholas avoided my gaze, making the anguish I already felt inside me grow
dizzyingly. That fear...

that fear of not being hisbeciently good for him, she was always there, the issue of
children was something that I didn't allow myself to think about, I just couldn't, at
least not yet, because I knew that the moment I did I was going to collapse and I
didn't know if I was going to to be able to get out of that hole when the time came
to fall into it.

"I can't stand people who meddle where they're not called, just that," she answered,
taking my face and giving me a sweet kiss on the forehead.

I knew he was hiding something from me, what's more, I knew exactly what was
worrying him... but I didn't want to hear it, I just couldn't, not right now.

I hugged him resting my cheek on his chest and put on the best face. I ignored that
fear that on occasions like this threatened to come to light and got in the car as if the
unspoken words had not been spoken.

After that, we spent the whole afternoon buying furniture for the room. Everything
would arrive the next day, what's more, we were going to have to assemble
everything in 24 hours if we wanted the room to be ready before Thursday. Nick
was excited, he saw it in his eyes, he saw it in his enthusiasm when choosing
things. Aside from the false pregnancy incident, it had been a lot of fun going into
children's stores and toy stores with Nick. The funniest thing was that Nicholas
really couldn't stand kids, only his sister, with whom he had endless
patience.belittle girl, that's why I didn't stop laughing at her comments.

- Shall we take this to you? -I said showing him a princess castle. Nick rolled
his eyes in exasperation.

We had spent half an hour trying to remember which were the drawings that
Maddie liked lately.

-Noah, think, it was something about a boy with a backpack...-I made a face at him,
as if there were no drawings with children and backpacks- And

a monkey, yes, it goes with a monkey!

I looked at him staying the same, then a woman approached us.

"You're talking about Dora the explorer," said the saleswoman, pointing to a
corridor beyond.

- That one!-said Nick with a smile of relief.

After that we bought some toys and the blue single bed. Nick had decided that we
would make the room in the same colors as mine, since it was somewhat neutral
and not too cheesy either.

When we got to her house, I was exhausted, and I fell on her bed as soon as I
walked in. I felt how his body was placed on top of my back carefully squeezing me
against the mattress but leaving me room to breathe.

His mouth came close to my ear making me shudder.

"Thank you for doing this with me" he whispered, depositing hot kisses on
my neck.

With my cheek against the mattress I couldn't see his face, so I just let myself be
carried away by the feel of his mouth on my skin. With one hand he brushed all my
hair to one side and began to suck on the back of my neck...

I sighed, enjoying his touch, as always.

"I was with Jenna yesterday," I blurted out suddenly.

I wasn't going to tell him about the races, but I did want to see how he would react
to the mention of my best friend.

His mouth stopped, tensed, and then I felt him release his weight.

I turned on the mattress propping myself up on my elbows to watch him. His back
was turned to me as he quickly yanked his shirt over his head and let it fall to the
floor.

"I'm glad," he replied a few seconds later.

I frowned as he went into the bathroom and almost slammed the door shut. I got
up and went there without calling and without caring not to.

She had her hands resting on the sink and she looked up when she heard me
come in.

-You know...-I said doubtfully at first-he told me that he saw you in Shakis, the
day of thebeShe's at Colin's house - And what's going on?-he released me, glaring
at me with his light blue eyes.

Why was he speaking to me in that tone?

"Getting defensive only agrees with Jenna about what you've been doing." I
blurted out imitating his tone.

He got up and stood in front of me, intimidating me with his height and body.

- And what have I been doing if you can tell?-he said in a bad mood.

I hated that he talked to me like that. I regretted bringing it up, but if it was true that
he'd been half high the night after I got home...

Me beI saw on his bare torso, on the marks that were still there, after he got into a
fight that nearly killed him and his friend.
That had to end.

"You can't keep doing what you do, Nicholas," I released, measuring my words,
"You said you were going to change, but you're still stuck in the same old thing...

He gave a bitter laugh and walked around me to leave the bathroom.

"I recommend that you don't try to tell me what I can or can't do, baby, because
then we'll end up badly," he said when I faced him in front of his bed.

That bothered me, he spent the whole day trying to set limits for me.

-I don't like that you take drugs, I don't even like that you smoke.

-Anything else, love? Are you going to tell me you don't like me drinking either?
Are you going to make me act like I give a shit about what Jenna says about
me and our fucking relationship?

"No one should have to tell me that my boyfriend was stoned at a seedy nightclub
the day after I got to town!"

-Don't even think about bringing that subject up, Noah, I recommend you shut
that little mouth of yours, because you're nobody to tell me what I have to do
when you left for a month, giving a shit that I told you not to do it.

"I didn't put my life in danger, idiot, you did" I almost yelled when he turned his
back on me again. "Don't do it again!" I yelled, catching his attention when he tried
to surround me to leave the room.

He stopped in front of me.

- What makes you think I'm going to listen to you?

That's not what I

expected. I smiled.

"Very well, do what you want and I'll do the same" I answered.

I left the room and went directly to the kitchen, precisely to the drawer where I
knew I hid the tobacco and alcohol.

- What are you doing?" he asked cautiously behind me. He hadn't

come close to me, rather, I wasn't in the mood to have him around.

I took out the package of Marlboro, if I was posh even for that, and swallowing my
principles I took a cigar from the box.

"Smoke" I said putting the cigarette between my lips, now I only had to find a
lighter.

Nick's eyes blazed.

"Put that where it was, Noah," she said, her voice quiet, calm and controlled.

"Forget me," I said, passing by her and going back into her room. I looked in
his nightstand, but there was nothing.

- Are you looking for this?" he suddenly asked me right behind me.

I turned and watched as he took the lighter out of the back pocket of his
jeans.

I looked at the lighter and then at him, I didn't expect him to offer me a light,
really. I faltered a bit and the stupid smile that spread across his face made any
doubt disappear from my face.

I reached up to take it from him but he shook his head.

With a flick of his thumb a small flame appeared between the two.

"You want to smoke, smoke," he said simply.

Shit.

I raised the cigar to my lips and leaned over, placing the tip of it over the flame and
inhaling carefully.

Thanks to the little light that there was and that it was after eight, the little llama
drew a curious shadow on the bare chest of
Nick, I ignored having him so close and took a drag on my cigarette, this time
looking at him.bedirectly into the eyes andbegiving him

He gritted his teeth and waited.

The cough began to form in my lungs forcing me to let out all the smoke at once.
Then Nicholas tossed the lighter onto the mattress, ripped the cigarette from my
lips, placed it over his, and grabbed me around the waist, throwing me onto the
bed. He did it all so quickly that I could only gasp in surprise.

He placed his legs on either side of my body and with one hand he pinned
my wrists over my head.

With his free hand he took a drag on the cigar, on my cigar, and blew the smoke
away from me.

"You're silly," he released then.

I tried to wriggle under him, getting angrier and angrier.

"Let go of me," I hissed, trying to get him to leave me, but in vain.

He put the cigarette to his lips again, he looked like a badass, well, he was a
badass, but today he was going crazy.

He took another deep drag.

"Open your mouth," he said then, leaning over me. I did the

opposite, I closed it tightly.

He laughed, blew smoke to the side, and leaned in to put his lips on mine. I felt the
taste of tobacco when he put his tongue in my mouth, I resisted hiding mine barely
touching his but it was impossible, he invaded all of mine. He caressed my palate,
tempting me, playing with my mouth. He bit my lower lip, pulling on it and sucking
on it.

I didn't want to, I really didn't want to, but it was impossible for my body not to
react, I started to get nervous, I had that man, shirtless and with his abs, ten
inches from me... and even if I never recognized him, seeing him smoke I got a lot.

Without being aware of what I was doing, my hips moved under his, looking for a
touch that would appease the flames that were forging inside me.

An evil smile spread across his face and he squeezed me against the mattress,
making me let out a little ragged sigh.
"Come on, open your mouth, Noah," he said again. He took the cigar from his lips
and this time as he leaned over me I parted them, parted my lips and let him blow
the smoke from his mouth into mine. He did it slowly, letting it slowly enter my
throat.

I coughed.

"I don't want to see you with this in your hand anymore," he said, becoming serious,
once again, although his excitement was more than evident.

"I'm telling you the same thing," I managed to articulate when, after putting out
the cigarette with the ashtray that was on the table, he began to give me his full
attention.

"I'll leave it the day you come to live here," he released before pulling up my shirt
with his free hand, releasing my wrists forbeno. My hands went straight to his hard
stomach.

God what a body he had, seeing him on top of me was a sight to behold.

- Do you promise?-I asked, arching my body when his mouth began to

give me hot kisses on my navel and all over my stomach.

- Do you promise?-he counterattacked.

I dug my nails into his back as his mouth began to droop dangerously downward.

"Yes," I managed to articulate, my body shaking as he began to undress me.

- If that?

I opened my eyes and looked at him.

-I promise.
Chapter 26

NICK

Hello everyone! I write before you read the chapter because since there were
problems with the previous one, that there were people who had not been able to
read it in its entirety, I advise you to make sure that you read it. The chapter not
only tells of Noah's meeting with Jenna. If you want to make sure, I already said
that on my instagram I upload sentences from each chapter and the last one is
almost the same.benal, so if the phrase rings a bell, you have read the entire
chapter ;) I hope it has been helpful to you

I could not sleep. After the fight with Noah that had ended with me between his
legs, I managed to get my anger to dissipate. I knew he was right, I knew he'd
been quite the jerk since he'd arrived but it pissed me off knowing that Jenna had
managed to plant those doubts in his head.

I didn't want him to doubt me, damn look I was trying, but there I
wasbeloving me like always I kept watching her sleep, she literally looked
like a doll.

Her red lips were parted and after having given the subject more than she surely
had planned, she looked relaxed and sound asleep, some of her hair sticking to her
temples and I carefully brushed them aside, smiling when her eyes they puckered
still asleep. It was quite hot, and I still didn't understand how Noah needed to
have a blanket over his body, even if it was over thirty degrees outside.

I got out of bed and turned on the air conditioning.

I needed to do something, move, clear my mind. My sister would be arriving in

two days, and there were many things left to do.

I went to the room that would soon be hers and I felt warmth inside knowing that I
was going to be able to protect her and love her for a few days, even if they were few,
I didn't care, that was better than nothing. My mother popped into my head and
again I wondered what the hell she wanted to talk to me about. That woman was
completely crazy, I always suspected it, sometimes when I heard her argue with my
father the whole house seemed to shake, and it was a big house.

There were many boxes in that room, and I started to take them all out. Most were
from clothes or from basketball and surfing trophies that he had been collecting
since he was eleven years old. at first i remember
that just by seeing my mother's happy face I felt like the best child in the world...
later when she left and no one came to see me anymore I started doing it for
different reasons, most of them because the aunts were very fond of guy who won
trophies with astonishing ease.

I was taking out the boxes, deciding that it would be better to throw them all away.
When only the treadmill and my weight machine were left, I decided to start
working out. I needed to unload the pent-up energy that seemed to flow from all
my veins, I couldn't use Noah every time I needed comfort or mental release.
Wearing my pajama pants, I leaned over the machine and began to count, one,
two, three...one hundred...one eighty...one hundred eighty-one...

- What are you doing?!

Noah's yell snapped me out of my reverie. Breathing fast and totally drenched, I got
up to see her.
I was beautiful, with my shirt on, and those lace panties that I liked so much.

"Hello, freckles," I answered in a good mood, not understanding why she was
looking at me horrified.

He came up to me and punched me in the arm, a punch that was like the
caress of a feather, it must be said.

- Have you seen yourself?! She said alarmed and letting go of my arms
when I tried to place her between my legs. What was wrong with her?

Nicholas, seriously, you're an idiot.

I looked down when she fixed her eyes on my torso.

what the fuck?

His entire stomach was full of blood. The wound that had already been about to
heal had opened.

I got up and left the room. Noah followed me but I went into the bathroom and
locked it.

"Let me in," she said indignantly on the other side of the door.

"Not even in your dreams, I'm not going to carry you again after you faint" I
yelled as I grabbed a towel, moistened it and passed it over the wound. It wasn't
that bad, it had just opened up a bit, but it was bleeding, damn it.

- ¡Nicholas!
I rolled my eyes. I'd better get in the shower, it was disgusting. When I cleaned the
blood off and made sure nothing red could affect her, I let her in.

His look was angry, angry and relieved to see that it hadn't really been such a big
deal.

- Can you go back to bed?-he said a few seconds after we both stayed silent.
Me eating her with my eyes, she deciding whether to punch me for being an idiot
or kiss me on the mouth, I wasn't sure.

I reached over and put a hand around her shoulders, pulling her to me and kissing
the top of her head, breathing in her scent.

We went together to the bed where, a little calmer after having released the
accumulated tension, I was able to relax next to her.

I felt Noah's breath against my chest, I pressed her against me, and with my right
hand I drew circles on her back, the darkness enveloped us only interrupted by
the lights of the city that entered through the window.

Soon I would have my sister.

The next morning the painters woke us up. Noah seemed to be in a trance so it was
my turn to get up to open them up. I had made them come before seven because I
worked in the office at half past eight. When I showed them the small room they
promised me that they would finish in a couple of hours.

I didn't like leaving my girlfriend asleep while those guys were in my apartment,
so I went to wake her up while the painters started to do their job.

"Noah, wake up," I said, tapping him on the shoulder.

She grunted and went back to sleep. I started to get dressed, looking at the clock
on my nightstand. It was late, I had to leave immediately if I didn't want to be
late.

"Noah" I said raising my voice. His eyes widened, weary and annoyed after having
almost called out to her, seeing that she didn't wake up.

- do you know what i meanbeca the word vacation?-he released me rolling

through the sheets and leaving his head under my pillow.

Fuck.
I didn't have time for this.

I left the room and picked up my cell phone. On the third ring Steve
answered, awake and alert as always.

- Mr Leister.

I rolled my eyes, the day that man got past the formalities, I would be the King of
Rome.

"I need you to come to my apartment and open the door for Noah" I said
looking for a key in one of the dresser drawers.

- What will your apartment have for you, sir?

I found her and went straight to my bedroom.

-That you open the door of my room, she is sleeping inside.

I closed it carefully so that he wouldn't realize what he was doing. God forbid she
would fly into a rage, but she wasn't going to give the painters free rein to come in
and see her sleeping or come up with something ingenious.

- Are you going to lock her up, sir?

Steve's tone of voice was clearly disapproving. I rolled my eyes, of course I wasn't
locking her up, well yes, but she was asleep and Steve would only take about 45

minutes to get here, 45 minutes to where Noah was going to be in his fifth dream.

-Please, do as I told you, I leave the key where you already know, you just have to
come open it and wait for the painters to leave
Will you be able to do it? I have to go to work. A sigh

was heard on the other end of the line.

'I'll be there as soon as possible, Nicholas.

I smiled hearing him say my name. Contrary to what one might think, when Steve
called me Nicholas it was because I was tickling him.

-Thanks mate, and…don't tell Noah.

With that said, I put the key where Steve could find it and the painters couldn't, left
two hundred bills on the kitchen counter, and said goodbye to the workers.

Still and all, I left with a pang of unease leaving Noah alone in that room.

I arrived at the obedinner just in time. My office was atbeend of the hall and went
straight there without even stopping for a coffee. Today my father was coming, he
had told me and God forbid he saw me arrive late, all I needed was that and the
next thing would be for me to start serving coffee to all the staff.

What if I didn't expect was to find him in my office... talking calmly with the new
intern.

She was sitting in my chair and smiling politely at something my father had just said
to her. When I entered they both turned to me.

My bewilderment turned to anger when I saw a second table, set up on the other
side of the room next to the window... my window.

"Hello, son," my father said with a friendly smile. Okay, I was

in a good mood today, what a novelty.

- What is this? -I said alternately pointing to Sophia and the table in the
corner.

My father frowned and turned to the intruder.

- Haven't you told him?-asked my father looking at both of us

alternately.

'Your son has made it clear that he does not like to share his work, Mr Leister.

Well no, pretty, I don't like it. My

father looked at me.

-Sophia is the daughter of Senator Aiken, Nicholas, she has decided to do an

internship here because I offered her this job myself.

I narrowed my eyes at the senator's daughter. I had no idea, I suppose my father

was interested in having a good relationship with his father, although he did not
understand what I was doing in this whole matter.
-You've been practicing for quite some time, you're about to finish your degree and
I've told Sophia that you'd love to lend her a hand, help her fit into this world.

Fuck, shit, no.

Sophia gave me a wry smile, which I knew was more animosity than anything else.
Great, the disgust was mutual.

My father watched us for a few moments, I suppose annoyed by my silence

but too polite to mention anything about it.

-Well, Sophia, I hope you're comfortable here, and whatever, you already have my
phone number or if not, just tell Nick.

-Thank you Mr. Leister, I'll keep that in mind, and I really appreciate this
opportunity, I've always wanted to work for Leister Enterprises, I believe that the
sectors that your company has decided to open up to are crucial when it comes to
expanding the business and prospering , knowing the laws well, you can conquer a
little of everything, and I am sure that with the help of your son, we can achieve
something magnificent.beco.

And above ball, although the little speech had been round.

My father looked at her approvingly, then walked away, but not before giving me
a warning look.

-It shows that you are the daughter of a politician-I said looking at herbejamente.
-She's sitting in my chair, you can move now.

Sophia smiled and carefully stood up. My eyes drifted to her executive outfit. Pearl
gray pencil skirt and pristine white shirt; Yes sir, I had a whole daddy's daughter in
front of me.

"Don't be fooled by my appearance, Nicholas, I've come here to stay."

I frowned but decided to ignore his comment. I sat in my chair, opened my mail and
went to work.

Two hours later and without exchanging two words with Mrs. Stiff, my phone began
to vibrate.

He had a message, a message from Noah.

If you lock me up again I'm going to cut off some very valuable parts of your
anatomy, Nicholas Leister, yours is bordering on madness, make yourself look at it.

An idiot grin spread across my face.

Crazy for you baby I hope I have kept the painters at bay. Are you still in the
apartment? How has the room been?

Thanks for staying and waiting, I love you, freckles. His

message was not long in coming.

The room has been perfect, I hope the smell of paint has disappeared by
tomorrow. The very nice painters, here they are, with me, having a beer and
chatting about trivia, you would love it

That?

I picked up the phone and dialed in less than a second.

- Mr Leister.

-Stop bullshit, are you with Noah? What the hell do painters do with it?

Before Steve could answer, I heard Noah on the other end of the line.

-Give me the phone, Steve... Nicholas?

"The same," I said curtly.

Across my office, Sophia looked at me with raised eyebrows.

- Can you stop acting like a stalker? That made me

burst out laughing. stalker me?

-I'm your boyfriend, I'm allowed to be, now tell me, have the painters already left?

Noah let out a boobedo. I could almost see her rolling her eyes.

-You're crazy, I'm serious, what if something had happened to me? What if they
had left and no one opened the door for me? You can't lock me up because you're
even jealous of a plant!

Noah's yelling caught Sophia's attention, and she glanced at me without saying a
word. I got up and walked to the window.

-Calm down, I did it to protect you.

-Protect me? About what? Two guys in their twenties who paint rooms for a
living? What happens is that you have a serious
problem, your jealousy is bordering on madness and your obsession that nothing
happens to me is going to end up becoming something dangerous not only for me
but for both of us.

"You're exaggerating," I mumbled.

-The only exaggerated here is you, this has been too much, don't do it again, I'm
completely serious, do you understand that you have crossed a line? Anyone who
saw it from the outside would send you to a psychiatrist.

Are you saying that I'm crazy?

I spoke calmly, but I felt myself getting hotter with every word that came out of
his mouth.

-I am saying that you control yourself, that you do not do it again, much less
involving third parties.

-I trust Steve more than anyone else. Noah was silent on the

other end of the line.

"I'm going to hang up." She said simply and just listening to her I knew I had
screwed up.

-Noah, come on, I thought you'd be sleeping and you wouldn't even know, I didn't
do it because I don't trust you, who I don't trust is them, or any human being, to be
exact. When it comes to you, my wires get crossed, love, but only because I want
absolutely nothing to happen to you.

Noah sighed and it took a while for him to speak again. Leaning my back
against the glass, I would wait until I knew we were okay.

-I really, really sometimes I don't know how to deal with you. I was

relieved to realize that he had forgiven me.

-I'm saying the same, freckles.

I didn't wait for him to answer and hung up. For some inexplicable reason his
words had touched me on a sensitive spot. Didn't know how to deal with me?

I felt a gaze fixed on my person. I turned and glared at the repulsive lady.

- Do you have a girlfriend?

"Yes" I answered returning to my place behind the desk andbekeeping my eyes on
the computer screen.

It doesn't fit with what I've been told about you.

They had told him about me, great.

- And what exactly did they tell you?

Her eyes drifted to her fingernails and she gave a nonchalant shrug.

-That you threw yourself at everything that moved.

Who the hell had told him that?

-That was before, sweetie, now if you don't mind, get to work. The look

Sophia gave me lasted a few seconds too long.

What was going through that aunt's head?

Chapter 27

NOAH

Good thing I had only been awake for five minutes before Steve arrived and opened
the bedroom door for me.

I had started to panic, and the painters hearing my screams had already devised a
plan to break down the door. Just then Steve walked in, all apologies and
calm.beungida, apologies that he shouldn't give me but the idiot of my jealous and
obsessive boyfriend. I think Nicholas was starting to lose his sanity when it came
to me and other men and I didn't like him at all.

I had made my position clear to him but I didn't want to get into a phone discussion
with him either and I partly knew that he had only done it to protect me, even
though our conversation had ended sharply.

Leaving all that aside, in two days Maddie would arrive and her room had to
be finished. His arrival had made me completely nervous, especially having to
meet his shrew of a mother.

That night I couldn't stay the night, my mother wanted me home because I had
told her that I planned to stay some of the days that Maddie was with Nick. I didn't
want our relationship to become even more strained so that day I behaved like a
good girl and went home after making sure that Madison's room was free of gossip
and ready for the furniture to be assembled and placed in their respective places. .

Nicholas was going to have to oversee everything since he wouldn't see me until he
had spoken to Anabell Grason.

The next two days went by quickly, I guess when you want the opposite to happen,
the hours to stretch out as long as possible, the opposite happens, because the
morning Maddie and her mom were arriving it came so early that I couldn't even
get my head around it. She was nervous, Nicholas was nervous too, of course for
different reasons; it was very important that he did his job well, because if
something happened to his sister, those visits would end as quickly as they had
come. Nick was adorable when it came to Maddie, and he had sent me a bunch of
pictures asking me if I liked the room, if his sister would like it, if I changed the
furniture, if maybe it was better to put the bed under the window and not in the
corner, yes
comfortable would be yourbecient and whether she would like the
remote-controlled train as much as he had.

I laughed in amusement on the other end of the line.

-Nick, he's going to love it, besides what your sister is interested in is seeing you,
not her new room.

There was a silence.

-I'm very nervous, freckles, I've never spent more than a day with my sister, what if
she suddenly starts crying because she misses home? She's a dwarf, and I'm a guy,
sometimes I don't know how to deal with those things.

I smiled at the mirror that was in front of me at that moment.

I loved it when I saw him so worried, he was always so sure of himself, so

authoritative and bossy, that when he let his guard down and showed me that under
that shell there was something tender and brotherly, I just wanted to hug him
relentlessly.

"I'll try to be with you most of the time" I answered sitting on my bed
andbeLeaning on the wooden beams of the ceiling.

- As? You're going to be there all four days, right?-he asked me

suddenly, changing his tone and becoming serious.

I bit my tongue. And just then there was a knock on the door.

- Can we talk for a moment?-asked my mother entering my room and

looking at me calmly.

I nodded, thankful for the first time for my mom to interrupt a conversation with
Nick.

-My mother wants to talk to me, we'll talk tomorrow, okay?

I hung up before regretting it and taking my suitcases that were open on the floor,
next to my bed, and going to live with my boyfriend. It was better to wait; There
were only two weeks left, I had to play my cards properly otherwise I wanted my
mother to disown me.

I left the phone next to me, on the mattress, and watched her as she began to
wander around my room. She seemed distracted and also a little downcast. We
weren't on a good run, neither of us.
We had hardly spoken to each other in the last few weeks and things were going to
get worse when he found out what I was planning to do.

- Do you have a long way to finish the suitcases?

I knew my mother was testing the ground. I never fully packed until the day before
I left, and I had inherited that from her. We didn't understand why people needed
weeks to pack their clothes and close a suitcase, but I shook my head, trying to feel
the ground a bit, and taking advantage of his attempt to get closer to tell him that I
was going to stay with Nick now that his sister was coming to visit him.

"Almost there, hey mom..." I started to say but he interrupted me.

"I know you're dying to get out of here, Noah," she said, taking one of my shirts and
beginning to fold it absently, "I know that now that you've turned eighteen and
you're going off to college, you won't want to spend so much time with me, here at
home...

My mother had come over to sit next to me on the bed. I took a deep breath when I
saw how her eyes began to water.

Mom, I don't...

-No, Noah, let me tell you something, I know that the last few days have been
difficult, that we haven't gotten along since we got back from Europe, believe me
that I understand that you're in love and that you want to spend all your time with
Nicholas... just I would have liked this-she said pointing to both of us-it had never
happened, you and I have always had a good relationship, we always told each
other everything, even when you were dating Dan-I made a face when I heard the
name of my ex-boyfriend but I let him continue-you came running to my room to
tell me how your night had gone and what romantic things he had said to you, do
you remember?

I nodded half smiling and seeing where he wanted to go.

-Now that the moment in which you have to leave is approaching, I just wanted to
tell you that I have tried to give you the best that I could, I really wanted you to
come to consider this house your home, I always wanted you to live here,
surrounded by Of all these opportunities, even when you were little, I dreamed of
seeing you in this room, with more toys and books than I could have imagined
giving you...

-Mom, I know I was very insufferable when you decided to come here, but
now I understand why you did it, you don't have to explain anything to me
OK? You've given me the best you could, and I know it's hard for you to see me
with Nicholas, but I love him.

My mother closed her eyes upon hearing me say that and forced a smile.

I hope you become a magnibebecome a writer someday, Noah, I know you're

going to make it and that's why I want you to take advantage of each one of
them.
the opportunities that life gives you, study, learn, and enjoy the university,
because they are going to be the best years of your life.

"I'll do it" I whispered with a smile although feeling a little guilty for not being
able to come clean and tell him about Nick. I hugged her and her hand stroked my
hair.

A few seconds later he got up.

- Let's stop being so sentimental!-she said laughing and I imitated

her-I'm going to order some pizzas, will you?

"Sure," I replied as she ran her hands over her dress, ironing out a few non-existent
wrinkles, and then walked out the door, closing it behind her.

I flopped down on the bed and sighed deeply. Tomorrow

would be quite an interesting day.

The next morning I woke up early. I was very nervous and I went downstairs to
have breakfast trying not to think too much about what I was going to do. Maddie
would be arriving in a few hours, and there was no chance her mother would back
out; I didn't have to tell him many things about Nicholas either, and I always had
the lie. I told myself a thousand times that I was doing it for him, that I wasn't
doing something unforgivable, but a part of me, a very hidden and deep part,
wanted to meet Anabell and wanted to know what had led her to abandon her son.

I barely ate anything for breakfast, a simple toast, which I left half done, and a
coffee with milk. Nick had informed me that he was meeting Maddie at the same
time I was meeting his mother, so I had time between now and Nicholas would
start to wonder where I had gotten myself. He would be distracted by taking
Maddie to eat and I could finish the happy clandestine meeting as soon as
possible.

He knew that the restaurant at the Hilton was etiquette, and he also knew how
Nick's mother spent it.

She was another of the many posh and repellent women of multimillionaires who
liked to brag about how many boats, horses and mansions they had around the
world. For the same reason and just with the intention of not attracting attention, I
chose a high and flared skirt, light blue in color and a yellow Chanel crop top that
had been there for quite some time. Jenna had given me white Miu Miu sandals,
very beautiful and very expensive, it must be said, but they were perfect with the
outfit.

I think that was one of the few times that I decided to wear a brand name
from head to toe, but I didn't want that woman to
intimidating, and as everyone knows, a well-dressed woman is a powerful woman.

I looked in the mirror. Yes, I was divine, young and divine and that woman was
not going to be able to manipulate me. I tied my long hair into a high ponytail, and
left my room.

Luckily my mother had gone shopping with one of her neighborhood friends a
while ago, because if she had seen me so dressed up she would have harassed me
with questions I didn't want to answer. I got in my car and put the address of the
Hilton into the GPS. Obviously Anabell had wanted to stay there because it was
right next to the airport and I guess she wasn't planning to stay longer than
necessary.

When I got to the Hilton a smartly dressed man came up to my convertible. I got
out and handed him my keys, praying I didn't scratch him. My sandals clicked on
the tiled floor and I climbed the steps that would take me to the revolving door of
the hotel. Inside I found a very elegant reception with small armchairs scattered
appropriately onbeNas beige and light brown rugs. To thebeAt the end of the
room there were huge stairs that divided into two others, just like in my house. I
had no idea where to go so I went to the reception where two young and
well-dressed girls smiled kindly at me.

- How can I help you, ma'am?-one of them told me and I saw how their eyes
looked at my outfit with admiration. I guess she was wondering why a girl who
must have been her own age could be right across a table from her and have
everything I had. Sometimes I was glad I wasn't that kind of person, that kind of
person who cares about clothing brands and money. He had never wanted any of
this, had never even wanted it, he was simple by nature and he would have given
everything he was wearing to that girl without hesitation for a second.

-I have arranged to have lunch with Anabell Grason... I don't know if she left a note
for me or something...-I said doubtfully. the girlbeHe clicked on his computer and
nodded with a smile.

-Mrs. Grason is waiting for you at Andiamo, if you continue down that corridor,
you will find her doors on the right, I hope you enjoy lunch.

I smiled gratefully.

I walked trying not tofland just when I got to where the receptionists told
me, without being able to see Anabell before, a message came to my
phone. I opened it before entering.
It was a photo of Nicholas with Maddie, they were at McDonald's, and I
smiled when I saw that Maddie was missing both lollipops.

My God, she didn't want to imagine what Nicholas must be saying to the poor girl.
I smiled, texted them that I'd meet them in a bit, and turned off my phone.

When I entered the restaurant I looked around nervously.

The Andiamo was a cozy place and quite simple, but very elegant. Milk tea colored
chairs, white tablecloths on square tables with white cutlery and maroon napkins.
There were some plants decorating the room and the smell of fresh pasta and fresh
pesto filled my senses. Of course, I saw all this in a fraction of a second because
Anabell stood up as soon as she saw me arrive.

I took a deep breath and went to meet her. She was, as I guessed, elegantly dressed
in a beige pantsuit with a pretty, gauzy white blouse underneath. Heart-stopping
heels, with which I was several centimeters taller. She smiled at me as I approached
her and held out my hand before things got awkward about what the greeting
protocol was when you sneaked out to lunch with your boyfriend's mom, who
dumped him ten years ago.

"Hi, Noah," he said kindly.

"Mrs. Grason," I replied politely.

She sat up motioning for me to do the same.

"Call me Anabell" he said without taking his eyes off me.

He was analyzing me with X-rays, it was clear. I felt intimidated by her, it didn't
matter that I had dressed in a brand name, it didn't matter that I was the one who
had the upper hand, that woman was terribly beautiful, cold and captivating. His
light blue eyes fixed on mine, just like his son's did and I felt a chill run down my
spine.

"I'm glad you accepted my invitation," she said, bringing her glass of wine to her
red-painted lips.

Well here began the function. Breath deeply.

"It was more of a bribe than an invitation, but well," I said smiling when the waiter
came over to ask me what I wanted to drink.

"A glass of Pinut Nuoir, please, very cold," I said, smiling to myself, and thanking
Nick for his rich hobbies.
Anabell nodded, I suppose she was surprised by my answer and also by the calm
and security that I was showing with my way of acting. I didn't thinkflaquear, no
way.

"Good choice," she told me, raising an eyebrow. - Do you also know what you are
going to eat?

I fake smiled and opened the menu. My goodness, a salad there was over twenty
dollars, not to mention the pasta.

As the waiter approached us, he looked at me first.

"I'll have the pasta bolognese, please." I loved flaunting my pronunciation in

French, though I guess Anabell was used to that kind of academic level. If he
remembered correctly, his daughter spoke it almost as well as English.

-I have a caprese salad, with seasonal lettuce, and please make sure the mozzarella
is fresh.

Shit, I should have ordered a salad, that's where I screwed up...

But what am I saying? Was I going to miss out on one of the best pasta dishes to
eat a piece of lettuce that they probably bought at Alberton's like any other son of a
neighbor? No, nothing like that.

Anabell looked away from the room, which was practically empty, and then went
back tobelean on me

-You're a very pretty girl, Noah, although I'm sure you know it, if you weren't my
son wouldn't havebefixed on you, of course.

I forced a polite smile, his comment had bothered me, as if my relationship with
Nick was just something super.beSocial, and empty, although for that woman
surely relationships were based on that... all the money she had invested in
pretending to be thirty years old clearly demonstrated it.

"I'm sure we could talk about a lot of trivia for hours, Mrs. Grason... sorry, Anabell,
but we're here for a reason, you brought me here for a reason, and I'd like to get
down to business." -I said trying to be as polite as possible, although I was having
a hard time. My suspicions had not been unfounded, I didn't like that woman, I
didn't like her and I never would.

-I wanted to know about Nicholas and here I am, ask me.

Anabell's smile tightened on her face, she seemed to be debating what to say next: if
what she was thinking or some
cornybefine and well-studied, which he surely used when he found himself in a
situation like that.

"I want to recover my relationship with my son, and you're going to help me," he
blurted out, going to the point as I had asked.

"I'm sorry, but you can't recover something that you never had, you abandoned it"
I answered and I knew that I was looking at her with hatred, with the same hatred
that I would always feel when someone hurt someone they loved, I couldn't hide it.

Just then our dishes arrived. The smell of tomato and minced meat filled my
senses, as well as that of the vinaigrette and fresh lettuce.
Neither of them made the move to start eating.

- How old are you, Noah?-he asked me then, taking the napkin and
placing it on his lap absentmindedly.

-Eighteen.

"Eighteen," she repeated, savoring the word, smiling in that angelic way, in that
way that would look good on a six-year-old girl, not on someone like her, "I'm
forty-four years old... I've been in this world much longer than you, I have
experienced many more things than you, I have had to face situations... that I
would not wish on anyone, so before judging me as you are already doing, stop and
think that you are only a child and surely the worst thing that What happened was
that they took you out of your house and moved you to a mansion in California...

"You don't know anything about my life," I said with an icy voice.

The image of my dead father came to mind, and I felt a stab of pain in my
chest.

"I'm going to tell you something, Noah," he said, looking at his glass, moving the
wine that was in it with circular movements andbeus, all of her was elegance. -
Here where you see me, there was a time when I had nothing... neither a house,
nor clothes, nor food nor money.

I didn't expect that and to hide my surprise I lowered my gaze to my plate of pasta
and began to curl the fettuccini with the help of an elegant silver spoon. Nicholas's
mother continued to talk as if nothing had happened.

-I'm not going to lie to you, I grew up surrounded by the best, I didn't even value
money, it was something that existed in my life since I came into the world. One
day, one like any other, I was coming home from school, I was almost your same
age, they told me that my father had died in a car accident; Imagine, Richard
O'Neil dies, the owner of all those factories, the most envied rich man in all of San
Francisco... I thought
that that day my life would end...-he whispered. Now he had raised his gaze and
had it fixed on her, whose eyes seemed to be seeing a very distant past, a past that
perhaps had been buried for years-But I not only lost my father that day, but
everything I had. My mother had not even been aware, my father had thousands
of debts, so many that not even a lifetime would be hisbeenough to be able to pay
them.

I watched her with my eyesbefixed in his penetrating gaze.

"He had committed suicide," he said then, "the very coward, he committed suicide
because he had no idea how to get out of the hole he had gotten himself into." All his
properties were in my name, all his lands, all his debts...

My mother and I were practically left on the streets... until the

Leister family showed up to help us.

I listened carefully to what that woman had, trying to find out where she wanted to
go.

-Andrew Leister, William's father, had been a friend of my father's since childhood,
since we were little our parents had joked with the idea that Will and I would get
married, which he was never very amused by; Nicholas thinks he is very different
from his father but he is not at all, they were both the same, both indomitable, free
souls, my mother said when we watched them from afar; As you will understand,
nobody likes to be told who they have to marry, but I was in love with him, I loved
him forever, I loved him...

- Did they force you to get married?-I asked then, especially because
Anabell had remained silent, distracted by her thoughts.

-Forcing is a very ugly word,beFinally William came to his senses; half her friends
were in love with me, she was a beauty, and even though she was penniless, a
pretty face always opens a thousand doors.

I watched her in silence, waiting for her to continue.

-Yes, we got married, we were dating for almost a year; Will's family took over all
my father's debts, and they took us both in. William was a rather cold, distant
man, but he did his duty as a husband, he treated me kindly, he bought me gifts
and when Nicholas was born we were both very excited.

I knew that this story was not going to end well, I knew that I was letting go of the
good stuff to get to the part where everything went wrong; I knew very well that
Nick's parents had hated each other, to the point that the neighbors had called the
police because of the shouts of their fights.
Nicholas had told me about it on one of the few times he talked about his mother.
Divorces were tough, especially when there were kids involved, but when there's
money at stake, and as much money as I knew William had, things got even more
complicated.

Anabell, to my surprise, took a cigarette out of her bag, lit it with

intent.bedelicately, and brought it to his lips. I couldn't help but remember that
gesture reminded me of Nicholas, and now it gave a new meaning to his reaction
the other day when he saw me take a cigarette to my mouth.

-The years passed, Nicholas grew up, he became older and his father even more
independent. We barely went out anymore, his trips lasted weeks, even months...

So I started to get suspicious.

It had been a while since I had stopped eating. The last thing I had expected was
for this woman to tell me about the reason for her divorce, I thought she wanted to
know about Nicholas, about his son, but with every word that came out of her
mouth I understood that this evening had something to do with it.ben completely
different.

-I decided to hire a detective-she blurted out casually-At that time many of

those who called themselves my friends were going through the same situation
as me, the difference is that I wasn't like them... Do you know what I
discovered?

Do you know what the photos showed when they were brought to me in an envelope
so I could see them?

I didn't answer her, I just stared at her.

-My husband was sleeping with a random... and that random turned out to be your
mother.

I set my glass down on the table with a thud as he blurted out those words.

What had he just said?

My eyes searched for his gaze and saw in them an endless hatred.benito, a hatred
that was clearly directed at me as well.

-My mother and William met in a-

- Boat? -She interrupted me, laughing- Are you really so naive to believe that
they met on a trip and got married on the high seas like it was nothing?

I shook my head, unable to believe what he was telling me.

- Do you really think that a man as important as William Leister was
going to marry a stranger on a three-for-a-quarter cruise, just like any other
teenager?

My mother wouldn't lie to me. I said with all thebefirmness that I was able to
express.

Anabell laughed and I swear to god I wanted to hurt her...a lot of damage.

"Well, he did... he lied to you, just like they lied to me for years," he said and I saw
the resentment in his eyes. That lunch hadn't been to talk about Nicholas, but to
hurt me, that woman wanted to put a pack of lies in my head... for what? With
whatben?

"I don't want you with my son," he said.benally. As if it were the most logical thing
in the world-You are the daughter of the woman who ruined my marriage, the
cause that I had to do things that I now regret, the cause that I had to leave my son
with his father and not can take it with me.

This was ridiculous.

-You're crazy if you think I'm going to believe anything you've said. -I said trying
to control the tremor that threatened to spill me- Nothing of what you have told
me justibeca you abandoned him and nothing you said is true.

A devilish smile appeared on his countenance.

-When Nicholas finds out everything his father did to me... when your mother finds
out what we both did together...

all this fantasy that you think you are living, all these riches that have fallen from
heaven, will become nothing, and everything depends on me making a phone call,
keep that in mind the next time you decide to judge me. You can wear all the
name-brand rags you want, but your mother will always be the cheap whore my
husband fucked out of boredom.

I did not realize that I had stood up until the angle of my vision did not change
to look at that woman from a more vantage point.

"Don't contact me again" I said trying to control my emotions, because none of

this could be true....

my mother and William? Since ever?

She also stood up and I swear I was scared to see the flames burn in her gaze, fire
and ice in her dazzling eyes.

I wanted to run away.

-There are so many things you don't know, silly girl, so many lies that have ruled
your life; my son will eventually come to his senses, and when he does, he'll
forgive me for leaving him and you, just like your slutty mother, will return to the
hole where you never should have come out.

I gave him the shovel and left the restaurant, not even stopping to think about the
implicit threat in his last words.

I crossed the hotel reception and went outside.

I had been a fool, a fool to have met with that woman. Nicholas had warned me,
he had told me about her, about how cruel she was and I, like a fool, had let her
fool me, and on top of that she had told me all those lies, because they were, they
were all lies, and I wasn't going to spend a single bit on them. second of my time

For me, that meeting had never existed.

Chapter 28

NICK

Noah had his cell phone turned off. I had been like this all afternoon and I was
starting to get pissed off…actually I was worried but I tried not to take my anxiety
to levels that I knew nothing good could bring to the situation. My sister was with
me, Anne had brought her to me as she had promised, and I was happy to have
her for four days just for me. I wasn't going to let anything ruin these days with
my dwarf, no way, and Noah... I preferred to think that he had simply run out of
battery.

- NICK! Maddie yelled, calling my attention with that particular voice of

hers. I turned to her; we were in Santa Monica, at the port. I had always told
Maddie about that place, about the beach, about the attractions, about how the
children got on the Ferris wheel and saw the sea when they were at the top... At
that moment my little sister, unlike any normal child, had his head glued to the
glass of one of the many pools where mollusks and marine bugs were exposed in
the aquarium that was there.

I approached her

-Mad, if you touch them they can hurt you with the tweezers-I tried to warn him.
We were in the part of the store where they sold some of those bugs. I took Maddie
by the waist and took her out of there, I no longer wanted to be among those bugs,
besides, it was already getting dark outside and insecure I began to wonder what
time the girl should have dinner and go to sleep.

Outside, the current that came from the sea hit us squarely. Madison was wearing
white shorts, which had stopped being white for hours, by the way, and a
short-sleeved T-shirt.

- Are you cold, dwarf?" I asked her before taking off my jacket and
bending down to put it on.

An amused smile appeared on his plump lips.

- Are you happy that I'm here?-he asked me then, and I saw in his
innocent eyes that my answer mattered more to him than it should.

I smiled as I zipped it up. It looked like a little ghost with the cloth almost
reaching the ground, but better that than falling ill.
- Are you happy to be here? I asked him while I rolled up his sleeves.

"Of course," she said excitedly. "You're my favorite brother, did I tell you?"

I let out a laugh. As if he had more brothers.

-No, you hadn't told me, but you're also my favorite sister, so perfect, right?

The smile he gave me touched my heart, literally.

My sister was my Achilles heel, I adored her, she was pure and hard innocence, the
representation of everything good in the world...

I was surely exaggerating, but it was the truth, it was my small personal pride, I
was proud to be his brother, although I would have liked my mother to have had
nothing to do with his creation, of course.

He stretched out his arms for me to catch, and I put it on my head. When I did so
many children around me looked at her enviously, and I held back a smile when
some parents glared at me having to do the same for their little dwarves.

- Shall we get on the Ferris wheel?-I asked him and his enthusiastic
response pierced my eardrum, again.

The port was overflowing with people with their respective families and the noise
of the waves in the distance encouraged you to stay and never leave there. There
were few times when I enjoyed this type of activity, normal and healthy, without
bad troubles or worries that managed to bring out the worst in myself. The sunset
was still beautiful and just when I was going to take out the phone to try to get in
touch with my other hellish blonde, I felt it.

A few seconds later my gaze saw her among the people and she saw mine too.

A grin from ear to ear appeared on his face and I knew my face had to show the
same.

- "Hey, Maddie!" Noah yelled, dazzling as always and catching my sister's

attention.

I put her down, and it didn't take her a second to run away.

- Noah! She yelled excitedly and I laughed watching her run towards her.
The joy inside me grew even bigger when Noah caught up with her and lifted her off
the ground in a sweet hug.

Getting used to Noah for Maddie had been easier than she had expected, it's not
that Noah wasn't sweetheart, it was Noah, but Maddie wasn't a very easy person,
it must be said. I adored her, because she was my sister, but she could also be a bit
insufferable and rude at times, she didn't get along with anyone, she didn't like
people invading her personal space, not if she didn't have the
confidence.belaunches hisbeShe was smart, and also, to be honest, she was a bit
spoiled, good as any six-year-old girl whose parents bought absolutely everything.
She was my princess of darkness as I liked to call her.

But Noah adored her and Maddie did too so no problem.

When I reached them, Noah gave me a look that struck me as a little strange, like
he was relieved to see me or something. I smiled at her and pulled her close to me,
with Maddie between us.

- Noah, let's get on the Ferris wheel, let's three get on!-Maddie pulled down,
moving her little legs to make him release her and she ran towards the amusement
area. Without taking my eyes off her, I put my arm around Noah's shoulders and
kissed the top of her head as we followed my sister.

- Are you okay?" I asked him.

"Sure, your sister is beautiful, by the way," he said, changing the subject.

- Without the two palettes? -I said amused- I had to use all my self-control
to not mess with her, freckles.

Noah laughed but didn't comment on it.

There was something off about her, but I let it slide for now. We met Maddie

at the Ferris wheel and I paid for the pass for the three of us.

My sister started talking non-stop, telling her in her baby talk all the things we had
done, and what it had been like to fly on the plane and how glad she was to be
here. Noah followed the conversation, amused by the little girl and smiling at me
every time she turned her head towards me.

- "Look, Nick!" Mad said, perching on the edge of the seat.

The truth is that I don't think I had ever read this gossip before, and if I had, I
didn't remember it. I know that it is something typical of here, and surely for that
reason he never came.
I hated touristy places, too many people with cameras.

The truth is that the night was beautiful, it was barely cold, just a bit cool and there
was not a single cloud in the sky, so the sunset looked beautiful from our height,
over the sea. Saying nothing, Noah clung to me and climbed onto my lap, his
eyesbeHa in the sunset. I surrounded her with my arm and held her close to my
side, looking at Noah was the most beautiful thing in the world, no matter how
many sunsets I had in front of me. Aware of my gaze, she lowered her eyes to mine
and smiled at me as only she knew how to do.

"I love you" he whispered to me in a low voice. I brought her closer to me and
kissed her on the lips, a quick, sweet kiss, a kiss of love.

Maddie ended up sleeping in the car. It didn't surprise me, she had been up very
early and for her today had been a day full of news. Sitting in the little chair that I
always carried in the trunk of my car, forbeI was not able to enjoy a moment in
silence. It was already dark outside and as I crossed the highway, with Noah beside
me and silent, I couldn't help but remember the conversation I had this morning
with Lion.

He had told me that his brother Luca was getting out of jail on Sunday, he had
been in prison for four years, they had caught him selling pot and no one, not even
my father, could prevent him from being locked up in jail. To be honest I didn't like
Luca going out, it's not that I wasn't happy for Lion,ben and after all my friend was
alone, and the only family he had left was his older brother, but I knew how he
could become my friend's brother and I wasn't sure if it was in Lion's interest to
have an ex-con in his life right now.

Lion had called me to tell me that he wanted to run in the races this Monday.
Thinking of that my gaze involuntarily drifted to Noah. If he found out that he was
going back there... he didn't even want to imagine it. It is true that for months,
more specifically since Noah's kidnapping, I had been moving away from my gang
and the problems on the street, I did not want my relationships to affect my life
and even less to endanger the lives of others. my girlfriend or my family, but there
was always Lion, and Lion, unfortunately he lived in that world, and I couldn't get
him out, not while he didn't want to change. Not that he liked it, but he had no
choice and that's why he had asked me to come with him and run for him like we
always did.

She had accepted only because she knew he needed the money and also because
except for last year, there had never been any kind of problem. I had always liked
cars and racing at night, in the middle of the desert was something I loved, feeling
the adrenaline, the speed, the victory after winning...

Noah would kill me if he found out, and for that very reason I had to do something
so he wouldn't suspect, especially if Luca was going to be there. did not want me
girlfriend close to my friend's brother, no way, especially just out of jail. Lion had
told me that Jenna didn't know anything and that she wasn't going, so it was
going to be a quick thing, we'd go, we'd run, we'd win and back home, no problem.

The only thing I could think of to keep Noah from suspecting anything was to meet
her on Monday. Meet her for dinner, in a restaurant on the other side of the city, as
far away from the races as possible and well... stand her up. I would invent a good
excuse for why he didn't show up at the restaurant, but at least I would know that
he was as far away from me as possible; Safe in a nice place in the city. His anger
was going to be monumental but he would make up for it when he returned.

Satisfied with my plan, I parked the car, got out, and went to open the door for
Noah. I don't know what the hell was wrong with her but I stood in front of her as
soon as she got off.

"Tell me what happened, freckles" I said caressing her cheek and brushing a lock
of hair from her face. Now that my sister was asleep I was able to focus on her and
when I looked at her more carefully IbeI saw how elegant she was dressed.

Noah was looking anywhere but at me.

"I'm tired, just that," she said trying to move away. I blocked her path with my
body and grabbed her chin with my right hand, forcing her to look at me.

- What have I done this time, Noah? -I asked him, mentally analyzing
everything he had said and done since we had seen each other on the pier.

An amused smile appeared on his face and I calmed down a bit.

"You haven't done anything, silly," he said and I breathed calmly when he took my
face in his hands and stood on tiptoe to kiss me on the lips. Before she moved away
I lowered my hand to her waist and pressed her against my body. He didn't deepen
the kiss so I did. I put my tongue in his mouth, after half-opening his lips and
tasted it with pleasure.

She kissed me back but I noticed her distracted. When I

pulled away I stared at her again.

"You're hiding something from me and I'll find out what it is," I said half jokingly
and released her.

I opened the back door of the car and grinned like an idiot to see that beautiful
little thing asleep next to a hideous stuffed rabbit. I unbuckled her belt and picked
her up. I locked the car after
take out the small suitcase that she had brought and with Noah by my side the three
of us went up to my apartment.

I didn't want to wake her up but I suppose she had to take a bath and also had to
poke her to see how her sugar was and give her dinner.

It didn't take me long to wake her up since as soon as I stepped foot in the
apartment her eyes widened in surprise and curiosity.

- Do you live here, Nick?" she said a little sleepily "Yes, baby" I said taking
her to her room.

After that and contrary to what I had thought, it took me a while to take off her
clothes and while Noah prepared something for dinner I bathed her and put her
pajamas on. The truth is that I was enjoying all this time that I was spending with
her like never before and Maddie seemed happy and content to be with me.

Something he hadn't counted on was his reaction to seeing the demon cat. All his
tiredness evaporated as soon as his blue eyes settled on that furry ball.

- "A kitten, a kitten!" she said, jumping out of bed and running towards
him.

Fuck.

I went out after her and found her squatting cornering N.

against the corner of the room. Noah watched her with concern as the cat pulled
out its claws.

"Fucking cat" I blurted out without realizing it.

Maddie's eyes flew to me.

-You said a bad word. she said, momentarily forgetting about the fur ball that
slipped around the corner taking advantage of my sister's distraction.

- I? I said deliberately ignoring her and sitting at the kitchen island. Noah
shot me an accusing look.

- Yeah! You've done it, you've done it! You have to give me ten dollars! –he
said approaching us.

Noah's eyes widened when he heard the outrageous figure.

"I don't have that much money, dwarf, I'm sorry" I said taking a piece of cheese to
my mouth.
Madison crossed her arms, sulking.

"I'll tell Mama," he said, and something stirred inside me.

I stretched out my arms and lifted her up, she screamed and when I dangled her
upside down by one foot she began to laugh outrageously.

- Are you going to tell? Because I can be like this all night, you say.

Noah laughed but looked at me with a warning look.

- Noah! Noah! He started to

scream. I smiled amused but didn't

lower it.

Noah slapped me on the shoulder and caught it, pulling me to let go.

"Let go, Nicholas Leister," he said, hiding his amusement.

"Yes let go, Nicholas Lieester" said Mad imitating Noah but with dibeculture
to pronounce my last name.

I did and Noah took it with her to continue cooking. He sat her on the counter while
she cut the vegetables and my little sister forgot about everything else. I sat on the
sofa and watched them chat from a distance. N climbed onto my lap, feeling safe
forben and waited until we could have dinner.

When we finished eating those fish dinosaurs, which I didn't like, I took her to the
room I had prepared for her. When she was already in bed and covered, I sat next
to her on the bed and her blue eyes looked at me with all that innocence that
seemed to come out of every pore of her skin.

"I like being here," she said and smiled at me in that way that made me want to
kiss her, "and even though this house is uglier than mine, I like it better."

I laughed and shook my head. This girl was going to be a little devil when she
grew up... and I loved it.

"Go to sleep, princess" I said giving her a kiss on the cheek. She

fell asleep as soon as she left her room.

Going out and closing the door, I found Noah waiting for me, leaning against the
wall in front of the room.
We had to talk and I liked that she was the one to take the first step.

- Will you bathe with me?-he asked me with a warm smile.

I smiled and took her hand and pulled her into the bathroom. I turned on the hot
water and let it fill the tub. I turned and walked over to her.

-Today you look very pretty...very elegant in those clothes-I said approaching her
and carefully pulled her hair band, letting it fall like silk around her neck-What have
you been doing all morning? apart from ignoring me, of course.

His eyesbeThey tugged at the buttons of my shirt and with trembling fingers began
to undo them one by one. I took her hands, stopping her and feeling a pang of
anxiety as I realized there was something she wasn't telling me.

"I went out there with my mother" he said raising his face and looking at me
bejamente a las ojos-I ran out of battery that's why I didn't see your calls. I nodded

and let him continue with what he was doing.

When he took my shirt off he leaned forward and I closed my eyes when I felt his
lips just over my heart.

Noah's caresses could not be compared to anything, it was such an incredible

feeling, it made me feel so good, at ease with myself, it was my personal drug,
tailor-made and conscientiously to drive me wonderfully crazy.

I opened my eyes and took her hands when they went up to my neck. I wanted her
with me in the tub, relaxed and hot, and maybe that way I could find out what the
hell was wrong with her.

Censoring her with my eyes, I proceeded to undress her. I took off that top she
was wearing and that skirt that made her skin glow.

Then I bent down and took off her sandals one by one. She had an incredible body,
not too voluptuous and not too skinny, she was made for me to spend hours
admiring her.

With a smile that made something stir inside me, she undid her bra and slipped
out of her underwear to step directly into the water. I wanted to warn her that the
water was boiling but she didn't wince, she just dove until the water covered her
shoulders.
I soon followed her, and when she leaned forward so I could sit behind her and wrap
my arms around her, I clenched my teeth, instantly burning my skin.

-Fuck, Noah-I said holding on for a few seconds until my body got used to it-
doesn't it burn you?

"Not today," he said with an absent-minded air while he collected foam between
his fingers and watched her entertained.

I put my cheek to his ear and we were silent for a while, enjoying the pleasant
feeling of being together, relaxed and calm after so long. I couldn't remember the
last time I'd bathed with Noah, I didn't even know if it had been more than a
couple of times.

I knew something was wrong with her, I didn't need to be a genius, since I had
returned from Europe a kind of invisible veil separated us. Sometimes she was so
immersed in her thoughts that she would have given anything to know what was
going through her head - Can I ask you a question? -she said to me then, waking
me up from my musings.

-Clear.

-But you have to promise that you will answer me.

My hand, which was on her stomach, began to trace small circles around her belly
button. I knew what he was doing, but I was curious about his question so I ended
up agreeing, but not before enjoying a bit of carnal torture.

I smiled when I felt my breath come out jerky as my hand dropped just a little too
low.

- Do you think William loved your mother?...before they got divorced, of

course.

I did not expect that question, and more than guiding me on what was going
on in his head, it left me even more lost.

"I suppose he loved her, yes... although almost all my memories are of them
fighting or of my father working... my mother was not an easy woman, but my
father was not far behind" I answered, remembering all those times that my father
had ignored us, claiming that he had to work or was too tired-When I was little I
even thought that parents in general were just visitors, that they all lived far from
home and only returned when they were hungry or sleepy . My mother once called
him a dog, and from that moment my childish mind, which did not understand the
negative connotations that the word implied, saw him as an animal.
who must be taken care of but set free... Of course, when I started to get older and
visit my friends' houses, I saw that it was not like that, that I was wrong and that
parents could be great; one of my school friends had a father who would take him
and pick him up every day from school and on his way back they always stopped to
have pancakes and play baseball in the neighborhood park... I envied him, that's
when I understood that normal parents did things with their children.

I stared ahead, lost in memories, and it wasn't until Noah's face turned away that I
realized I'd been completely gone.

I forced a smile and let him kiss me when he tugged on my neck until our lips met.

"I shouldn't have asked you anything," he blurted out a second later. I tilted my

head back and looked at her.

-You can ask me whatever you want, Noah, my life has not been a fairy tale, but
almost compared to the things that happen out there.
Not everyone is born wanting to be a parent, and most fail in the attempt.

I was not going to regret having had parents withflictives, my childhood had not
been ideal but I was not going to complain, especially in front of her. Noah was
sorry for me, I could see it in her beautiful eyes, and all this considering that she
had won the horror story award. My father might have been a selfish jerk when I
was a kid, but he hadn't tried to kill me. Sometimes my head would play tricks on
me, imagining a little Noah, a little bigger than Maddie, having to hide from his
own father, being forced to jump out of a window... How could he even spend a
second of his time to pity me?

- Do you think there are normal families? -he said then, resting his head on
my chest and looking forward- you know what I mean.beBut, like the ones that
appear in the movies, with normal parents, who work and whose main concern is
paying the mortgage toben of mes.

I thought about it for a few seconds.

-You and I are going to be that kind of family, what do you think?

Although without worrying about the mortgage, of course.

Noah laughed, and I wanted to show him how serious I was.

"Now it's my turn to ask the question," I said, and his eyes searched mine again. I
smiled- Where do you want to do it in the bathtub or in bed?
Chapter 29

NOAH

I couldn't get what Nicholas's mother had confessed to me out of my head and hear
firsthand as Nick told me.bethat her father was never home made my whole body
tingle unpleasantly. If what Anabell said was true: that William had been with my
mother since we were both little, then it had been him, or well, his
acquaintance.ffair which had caused Nick to suffer as a child and his mother to go
insane.

I couldn't believe that my mother cheated on my father, no matter how much of a

son of a bitch he was, my mother would never have dared to do that to him...
besides, it was impossible, they lived in different countries, it would never have
worked.

And he didn't... until just a year ago.

I didn't want to go any further, I didn't want to follow a path that I didn't know if I
was going to be able to walk alone, an unpleasant and dark feeling hung over me
forcing me to stop thinking about everything that woman had tried to make me
believe.

I focused on Nicholas, as always, he was my medicine, my distraction, my

safe place.

Nick forced me to turn around, and I was grateful for the size of that tub.

"Where do you want to do it, in the bathtub or in bed?" he asked me with that
dark look, although I also saw that he needed my contact and more after having
removed his past. I needed it too, because as I started thinking about this whole
thing I was going to end up discovering truths that I preferred to keep hidden... at
least for now.

He sat me on his lap and our mouths came together sweetly. We both needed each
other at that moment, because today had been an intense day for both of us,
although different in every way.

With his hands on my back, almost cradling me back, he leaned over me and tasted
my mouth reverently. My hands went up her shoulders until they rested on her
cheeks, rough and wet from the water that surrounded us; its fragrance flooded all
my senses and I felt how it warmed me inside.
"You are so precious," he said softly against my boiling skin.

His mouth separated from my lips and he was going through my jaw, depositing
small bites until he reached my neck.

My hands moved down his chest, down his abs until his hands squeezed my back
so that our torsos were in contact, skin to skin, without any separation. "So warm,
so soft," he was saying as his mouth and tongue tasted my wet, bare skin.

He leaned me back as I heaved a ragged breath as he felt his hands move up and
down my back, and his mouth took over my left breast, sucking and sucking on my
sensitive skin, eager for his touch.

I got up and squeezed his hips with my legs, he searched for my mouth with his
and we repeated the oldest dance, our tongues savoring each other...

"Look at me," he said then, separating from me and when I opened my eyes I saw
that his werebeeyes on my face, as blue as always, but with something different,
something that I couldn't express in words-I love you and I'm going to love you all
my life-he said and I felt my heart stop, stop to resume its frantic race; Without
taking my eyes off his, he slowly lifted me up with his arm around my waist and
with his other hand he guided his erection to my entrance, penetrating me
carefully, with intent.beNice slowness... I opened my mouth to let out a cry but her
lips silenced me with a deep kiss.

- You feel it? Do you feel the connection? We are made for each other, love"
he said coming out of me and going back inside, setting a slow pace but it was
driving me crazy.

His words continued in my head as he pleasured me as only he could and only

he would.

I love you and I will love you all my life.

"Promise me," I said when a horrible fear took over my body and my soul, a fear of
losing him, an endless fear.benite of not getting to have this for the rest of my life.

His eyes, dark with desire, returned to mine, lost without knowing what I meant.

"That you'll always love me, promise me," I almost begged.

Without answering, he got up from the bathtub dragging me with him, his hands
holding mebermly across the thighs. my arms went around him
my neck and buried my face in the hollow of his throat, biting my lower lip to keep
from screaming at feeling him so inside me as he led me to the room, both of us
dripping wet and losing everything. He left me on the bed without moving an inch
from me.

"There are no promises worth it" he said while our agitated breaths seemed to be
in tune, I was about to have a devastating orgasm and he knew it, his hands
attending to each of the parts of my body that needed his contact- because you
have me so captivated... that I am more yours than mine; I'll do what you ask me,
whatever you want," he said looking at mebejamente- I promise you, love.

And so with his words and his body attached to mine I stopped feeling cold.

The next few days were great. I spoke very clearly with my mother and ended
up staying all four nights with Nick.

It was incredible to share all the moments that he was able to live with his sister,
moments that he had never been able to have due to the distance and the few
hours that he was allowed to see her. Nick gave the little girl everything,
everything and more.

We took her to Disney, we went to the movies to see an animated movie and we
were at the beach.

Maddie was a lovely girl, if a bit lonely.

When we had been at the beach, there was a group of children playing in the sand,
making castles and such, and the girl spent the afternoon watching them from a
distance, but not daring to come over and play. When I told him why I wasn't going
with them, his answer surprised me.

"I don't want to play with children that I'm never going to see again," he told me as
he filled a bucket with wet sand and tipped it over awkwardly. We were together
making a castle while Nick was surfing. I looked up to locate him and seeing that he
was still alive I turned to Maddie.

-You shouldn't think that, Mad, when you visit Nick again you could have friends to
play with... if you let them, of course.

Her blue eyes glittered in the sun as she raised them to look at me.

-I don't think I'll come back, mommy told me that I could only come this time
because my daddy doesn't like Nick.

I gritted my teeth hearing her say that. I knew very well who I was going to
blackmail so that Madison could return.

The bad thing is that she didn't know if she was willing to let her do it again.
The days passed quickly and when the day came to take her to the airport, the
flight attendant who would take care of her until they picked her up in Las Vegas
was waiting for us next to the metal detectors. Nick was a little sad but not like
when he left her after seeing her for a few hours. They had spent almost every
minute of the day together, and Maddie seemed happy, much happier since he had
first seen her. Nick promised his sister he'd see her soon, and when we said
goodbye to her, it was the first time I didn't see her start to cry. It was clear that
now that she knew that Nick would always be here for her, she was calmer, their
sibling bond had deepened, and I knew that Maddie saw in Nick thebefigure of the
father who was actually missing. Seeing him with his sister, how patient he was
and what a good brother made me think what a good father he would be...

I watched with a smile as Maddie waved her tiny hand at us, carrying a biker
backpack Nick had bought for her, a huge smile on her angelic face. When we
couldn't see her anymore I heard Nick sigh behind me. I turned and kissed him on
the chest, hugging him and trying to comfort that emptiness that I was sure he felt
inside.

- Are you OK? I asked as we walked out to where we had parked the car.
His fingers squeezed my hand tightly.

"I will be," he answered simply.

I did not want to insist more because I knew that Nick was not the most talkative
in the world and less about his feelings. Her little sister was her weakness and
knowing she was leaving to go with parents who barely had time for her didn't
help. We got in the car in silence and it wasn't until about ten minutes had passed
that he decided to speak to me again.

- Shall I leave you at home?-he asked me.

Here's what I've been waiting for. If Jenna was right it was the races tomorrow, and
Nick wasn't going to want me around.

I almost told him no, that I was sleeping with him, but I couldn't abuse my mother,
she was already quite angry.

I also had to finish packing since I was going to college in five days, my goodness, I
was going to have to talk to my mother, although I had been toying with the idea of
​telling her when I had already moved and was installed without power. Go back. It
was a risky idea, but I'd rather face my mom from a distance than have to tell her in
person.

"Yeah, drop me home" I replied as I looked out the window, trying to figure
out what to do about the racing.
When we got home and he parked the car in the driveway, I thought he would go
downstairs, at least to say hello to his father, but he didn't even turn off the car,
although that wasn't what left me puzzled, it was what he said next.

- Shall we meet for dinner

tomorrow? I turned surprised.

- That?

A smile that did not reach his eyes spread across his face.

"You and me... together in a nice restaurant... do you feel like it?" he asked me,
stretching out his arm and tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. I was a little thrown
off balance, I wasn't expecting that, not if Jenna was right and she was going to the
races tomorrow.

- Do you pick me up?

His gaze drifted from mine to the house.

-I don't think I can, I work all day, it will be better if we meet at the restaurant.

When he looked at me again I didn't see a hint of doubt on his face, he seemed
sincere, maybe Jenna was wrong after all. A smile appeared on my face, I hated
having doubted Nick, he wouldn't lie to me, he wouldn't go to the races, not
without telling me, much less after everything that had happened.

"Okay, see you there then," I said placing a hand on the door.

"Hey," he said stopping me before I got out of the car. I turned to him- Thank you
for being with me these days, it wouldn't have been the same without you.

I placed my hand on his cheek and stroked until I leaned in to kiss him. As he
deepened the kiss, I could only mentally pray that he wasn't lying to me.

The next afternoon Jenna stopped by my house. I had never seen her so
depressed. She and Lion weren't going through their prime and it didn't help that
Jenna was completely sure they were going to the races today. When I told him
that Nick was waiting for me for dinner at Cristal, an elegant restaurant in the
city, his look showed disbelief.

-I know what I'm saying, Noah, and I'm almost one hundred percent sure that our
jerks of our boyfriends are going to mess things up tonight.
I sighed as I continued looking for a nice dress to wear. I was tired of trying to
convince Jenna that Nicholas wouldn't lie to me, much less make me go to a
restaurant if he wasn't going to be there for dinner with me.

- How are you and Lion? Is he still mad at you?-I asked him more to
change the subject than anything else.

Jenna, who was sitting on the sofa inside my dresser, seemed reversed in the blood
red color of her fingernails.

-If you are angrybeYou're because our relationship right now is based on screaming
to death and then fucking like crazy, well yes, I guess he's still mad at me.

"How stupid you are," I said, surprised by her way of speaking, although it wasn't
that it surprised me much either, Jenna wasn't as posh as the world thought she
was. But despite the nonchalant tone, she knew it was wrong, she knew she was
devastated, and tonight made her much more nervous than she was trying to
show. If Jenna's theory was true, Lion intended to run each and every race to make
money, not caring that the people who frequented the races had nearly killed us
the last time we'd been there. And not only that, but since then we were both much
more aware that if Lion continued down that path, he would most likely end up in
jail just like his brother.

"The other day I saw Luca, by the way," he told me, getting up from the sofa and
beginning to pass hangers absently. I stopped for a moment and looked at her
through the reflejo of the mirror

- How is it?" I asked cautiously.

"To be honest, I thought he was quite nice, although he has an air...I don't know, I
got goosebumps when I met him," she admitted, stopping at a simple white
T-shirt. Jenna was anywhere but there, looking at clothes, and that had been
happening for more than a month-He's very handsome, not as handsome as Lion
but it's obvious that his parents must have been attractive... he has the same green
eyes as him But his gaze hides a lot of things, things Lion doesn't want me to know
because when he saw me walk into his house the other day he almost kicked me
out.

Her voice trembled a little as she said that last sentence. I approached her,
hating to see the sadness in my friend; the Jenna from before was the opposite
of the Jenna before her. Where was his constant smile, the twinkle in his eyes,
and the nonsense he used to blurt out every second of the day? He wanted to
kick that jerk Lion's ass.
- Why don't you come tonight to have dinner with me and Nick?-I
proposed, knowing that he wouldn't mind. Jenna was her friend, and she
sure helped me lift her spirits.

Jenna looked at me and shook her head in frustration.

- Still thinking he's going to take you out to

dinner? I took a deep breath before answering.

"Nicholas wouldn't lie to me, Jenna, and he wouldn't stand me up." I

pondered my answer for a moment.

-Okay, I'll go with you... but I'm doing it so you won't be alone when that idiot
doesn't show up as promised, so we can go directly after them.

I shook my head, though I couldn't help a pang of uncertainty in my

chest at hearing her say that.

A few hours later we had showered and were finishing up. Jenna didn't seem very
up for the job as I had to coax her into getting ready since we weren't going to
McDonald's for dinner.

Finally she had changed into black leather shorts and a white blouse with flat
sandals. I preferred to wear a tight black dress and white shoes with a little
platform. I let my hair down with a tousled air and put on makeup, this time
enhancing my lips.

Jenna rolled her eyes at me, but kept her comments to herself. Just then I got a text
from Nick.

The reservation is made in my name, wait for me inside and have a few drinks.

I showed Jenna the message and she ignored me walking out of my room.

My mother watched us with a smile on her face as she watched us go down the stairs
together, tidied up if a little run down.

"You are beautiful girls, where are you going?" he asked us as he ran his hand over
Thor's ears.

"We had dinner with Nick at Cristal," I said, surprised that his face remained
impassive at the mention of his stepson.
- Are you three going?-she asked a little surprised.

"That remains to be seen," Jenna came forward to answer. I

ignored her and gave my mother a kiss on the cheek.

"Don't wait up for me, Mom," I said before heading out the door.

It took us an hour or so to get to the restaurant and as Nick told me, there was a
reservation for three under his name.

The place was very pleasant with small French-style tables and soft, romantic
lighting. I found it amusing to be there with Jenna, both of us sitting surrounded
by candles, and I also had a hard time imagining Nick there with me, this place
was too cheesy for him.

Jenna started to make jokes while the couples around us looked at us annoyed.

"Come on, Noah, take my hand, maybe they'll throw confetti from one of those
lamps that hang above our heads," he said, approaching me and insinuating himself.
I laughed as we drank a glass of white wine, waiting for Nick to show up.

When we had been waiting for more than forty minutes, the jokes stopped being
funny and I began to feel sick in the pit of my stomach.

The noise of my cell phone vibrating brought me out of my silence and I picked it
up with a frown.

"I'm sorry, freckles, I won't be able to go tonight, we are exhausted with work and if
I don't finish the reports that have been requested, goodbye to the internship
position, please don't be angry, I'll make it up to you... dinner with Jenna and have
fun tonight."

I felt a fire grow inside me, something I had been holding back from the first twenty
minutes of waiting.

I couldn't believe I was such an asshole to believe this was going to work for him.

I raised my eyes to Jenna who, despite everything, looked at me with some

pity.

- Where the hell are the races?

Chapter 30

NICK

The moment I hit send, I knew this was all going to end in trouble. Right at that
moment we were leaving my apartment. Lion, was behind the wheel of the
Lamborghini that I had rented, his brother Luca was driving an Audi that I had no
idea who they had borrowed from while I would meet them there.

I had asked Steve to bring me my motorcycle, I hadn't used it for a long time and I
preferred it to taking my Range Rover, which called more attention for being
bigger. None of this was very funny to me, but a part of me felt the adrenaline
running through my entire nervous system, something that deep down I had
missed. It's not that I wasn't great now, but the fighting, the racing, the crazy
things I used to do had given me an escape that was hard to just leave behind.

He told me that he was doing this for Lion, but he was also doing it for me, he
wanted this, what's more, he needed it. All the memories that had been stirred up by
the subject of my mother, my sister saying goodbye to me at the airport, the feeling
that Noah was hiding things from his past from me and knowing that I had not been
able to cure her of her nightmares had me in a state of confusion. constant nerves,
and it didn't help to know that absolutely everyone wanted to see us apart.

What I was planning to do today is not that I was going to help me in winning
overbeNoah's ance, let alone his mother's, but I had promised myself that this
would be the last time. Asshole Cruz would be here tonight and I couldn't wait to
beat him in the fucking face or at least beat him in the races to get back at him for
the money. I wanted to kill him with my bare hands for having been involved in
Noah's kidnapping, and it took all my self-control to convince myself that I'd better
keep my hands off that asshole, if I didn't want to get in more trouble. I couldn't
even make it home with a scratch on me, because Noah would know exactly what
I'd been up to and it wasn't something I wanted to deal with.

I told myself over and over again that she was safe with Jenna, away from all this
bullshit and safe from everyone and me. I didn't want her tonight with me, there
were times when I just needed to be alone and this was one of them.
I put on my helmet and got on the bike. It was great to run outside; he hadn't
wanted to take the bike out for Noah. This girl he adored could be reckless when
there were cars and races and high speeds involved and he wanted her as far away
from all of this as possible.

We crossed the city until we reached the industrial warehouse where we used to do
the fights and the bets. This year the races were not going to be in the desert, but in
the city. It wouldn't be too long a stretch but the stakes were incredibly high; if we
won the race, we would take a lot of money and Lion needed it.

The music was blaring as I rode through the large groups of people. Many of them
cheered me when they saw me arrive and the adrenaline started running through
my veins as soon as I felt that I was back with my band. She couldn't deny that she
had missed him.

- Look who we have here?!" Mike yelled, Lion's cousin approaching me.

I bumped my fist into it as I got off the bike and dropped my helmet onto the seat.

- What's up, uncle? -I said evaluating what I had around me.

It had been a long time since I had seen these people and within a few minutes I
found myself surrounded by all of them. Everyone was making jokes and teasing
me, everyone was drinking like real drunks, and the music was so loud it hurt my
ears.

Lion arrived a few minutes later and everyone cheered when they saw him arrive
with such a car. All of this reminded me of last year's races, how my blond demon
had run beating Ronnie, surprising us all and almost killing me with a heart
attack, of course. I would never forget how amazing she had been in that race,
Noah knew how to run, and watching her do it had made me just as horny as
pissed off.

As the people around me danced and jerked around waiting for the others to
arrive, I took out a cigarette and leaned against the bike. She needed to know that
Noah was okay and that he had come home.

He had not answered my message and that did not give me a very good feeling.
Probably she was angry, but she was with Jenna so it wasn't the same as if she'd just
stood her up in the middle of a romantic restaurant…was it?
I couldn't call her because I would hear the rumbling around me so I tried another
message.

"How was dinner? Are you home yet?"

I took a drag on the cigarette and a minute later I saw it online. "In

pajamas and lying down."

I sighed in relief as that weight was lifted off my shoulders. With Noah home, I
could relax and focus on what I had to do tonight, which is to say, race, win, and
say goodbye to this whole world forever.

Half an hour later and while people were still getting drunk and preparing to
watch us run, we met with a guy named Clark, he had been the one who had
organized the route to follow for the race and we stood in a circle while he showed
us where the route began and ended. . We would be four running this time; This
race was one of the fat ones, because you had to pay to be able to enter and
nothing more and nothing less than five thousand dollars each, of course whoever
won took everything, apart from what was achieved in the bets of course.

"If there are no problems, you'll be back in ten minutes. We have the areas ready to
be able to cut them, but the police can show up suddenly, I don't control that," Clark
said, looking at the four of us, including Lion and me. The other two were pretty
good, and one of them was from Ronnie's former gang that was now Cruz's.

He had seen him, he was in a corner surrounded by all his members, all of them as
drugged as himself. I hated those people, but a part of me wanted to take revenge
for what happened the other night, I wanted to make them pay, but not with blows,
although I wanted to, but to make them pay with money, what they valued and
desired so much.

"I'll see you here in ten minutes" he told us and I approached Lion and his brother.

"I don't think it's very difficult to win, but I don't want trouble, if things get
difficult, we'll leave it, is that clear?" I told them both. Luca was thinking of going
as co-driver with Lion, I hated having someone as a co-driver, it distracted me and
I couldn't fully control the car, not like when I was the only one driving. They both
nodded and we turned around ready to go to where our cars were.

Then a clear flash caught my attention. My body knew it even before my eyes
locked on the red Audi that had just arrived. My heart stopped and when her long
legs came out of the doorway and then her head with her blond hair tousled
around her, all the adrenaline I had been feeling shot through my nervous system
fourfold.
"Don't fuck with me," Lion said from behind me.

I felt my feet quicken my pace and my breathing get out of control seeing Noah
there, surrounded by all this shitty people. My strides grew longer, wanting to
close the distance between us, wanting to get to her before anyone else: I was
going to kill her.

His eyes locked on mine in the distance. She crossed her arms and glared at me,
letting out flames from between her lashes.

When I was in front of her, I had to stop myself from throwing her in the car
instantly and be out of there in less than a second, but her hand flew so fast that
before I knew it, it had crossed my face with a sharp thud.

- You're an asshole! -he yelled at me over the noise of the music and the
shouts of the people.

I took several deep breaths to calm myself, and none helped me achieve it.

"Get-in-the-car," I muttered, trying to keep the fucking calm.

- And shit, Nicholas! -he said, moving forward with his hands in
front with the intention of giving me a push.

I stopped her, grabbing her by the wrists- Don't even think about it! Don't
even think about ordering me to do anything, you freaky retarded piece of
prick!

Not normal?

I pushed her against the car, and stopped her movements with my body.

-I want you to get in the car and go where you came from in less than three
seconds, do you hear me? I don't care how angry you are, damn you shouldn't be
here, do I have to remind you about last time?!

Her eyes burned into mine, she was so blindingly furious that I had to fight the
urge to shake her for being so stupid. It didn't matter if I was there, they couldn't
hurt me; I could take any shit, but Noah?

The fear that someone would turn tobejar in her, for someone to recognize her... my
eyes instinctively diverted to where Cruz was drinking with her friends and I saw
that they hadn't noticed her yet.

- Of course you don't have to remind me! I was there!

Remember?" she said, struggling with her body to get away from me, of course she
wasn't going to do it, my body was the only thing that kept her at bay from the rest
of the people, and damn how she had come, could she be even more striking?

"Stop, damn it," I said holding her hands with mine and with the other holding her
face so she would look at me. -This is not a joke, Noah, I need you to leave.

"I'm not going to leave if you don't come with me," he let go of me.beat the same
time that he raised his chin forcing me to let go.

I rested both arms on the car, taking a deep breath as Noah stayed behind in the
kind of shield that was forming between her and the people. I turned my face and
sniffed at his skin, mostly to reassure myself. His hands, now loose, decided not to
touch me this time, they remained still, as if dead, on both sides of his body.

"You shouldn't be here" I whispered bringing my mouth to his ear and we both felt a
shiver run through his skin.

-Neither you nor.

I turned away from herbeenough to be able to look at her face.

She was lightly made up and had on a short dress that left her legs bare for all to
see.

She had arranged for me... and I had stood her up to come to some illegal races.

I took several deep breaths.

"Sorry, freckles" I admitted placing my hands on her waist.

The fabric of the blessed dress was sobeNa that looked like I was touching her
bare skin and between that and the anger she seemed to have, I was dying to kiss
her and know that she forgave me.

When I leaned in to do so, he turned his face to the side.

"I'm not going to kiss you, Nicholas," she said placing her hands over mine and
pulling down.

I didn't let go.

"Are you going to do it... of course you will" I asked her, pressing my body with
hers, trying to receive another kind of response than the one I was getting.
Then she went crazy.

- No! Let go of me!-His calm disappeared and he began to stir again. I

cursed between my teeth and just when I was about to tell her that it's okay, that
I'd let her go when she calmed down, a voice behind me decided to intervene.

-Hey, man, he told you to let go.

Noah froze and gave me a startled look before turning to face Lion's jerk
brother.

"Don't get involved in this, Luca" I said calmly.bein

Luca smirked and shifted his eyes from mine to Noah's.

- Now do you have to force them to bang them, Nick? That's not very your
style, if I remember correctly they were the ones that were throwing themselves at
you.

Behind me Noah stiffened.

"Shut the fuck up," I replied, taking a step forward.

- Hey, calm down, macho! you know very well that there is no problem for
me- he said laughing and taking a step in my direction. -

Will you share it later?

Before he could smash his face in, Lion appeared out of nowhere and stood in
front of him.

- What the hell are you doing?!" he yelled pushing him while Luca
laughed and took a cigarette out of his back pocket.

"How susceptible you have become, colleagues," he said still with that little asshole
giggle that he carried everywhere. -Having a girlfriend has made you morons.

Several guys in the band burst out laughing.

What I was missing, that imbecile left me looking like an idiot in front of my
people.

"Get out of my sight if you don't want me to kick you to the cell you shouldn't have
left" I mumbled, not feeling shit. Luca shouldn't have gotten out of jail, not after
what he'd done, and while he was sorry for Lion, having his brother released was
only going to bring him more trouble than he already had.
-Come on, Nicholas, don't go too far... there are ladies ahead; I was just kidding,
don't be an asshole," he said kindly... a kindness that didn't bode well.

His look made it clear and I did well to remember who I was talking to, as familiar
as Lion was, he was still an ex-con.

Lion shook his head and I watched as his angry eyes flicked to where Jenna was. I
don't know what they had been doing while I was arguing with Noah but it clearly
hadn't been pleasant.

I turned to Noah and pushed her away so I could talk to her without being bothered.

When I dragged her behind a car she yanked hard and slipped out of my hand. It
was obvious that she was pissed off, but he didn't have much time to continue
arguing with her. I leaned against one of the cars that was there and she turned her
back on me, putting her hands through her hair and letting out more than one
expletive.

"I can't stand that you lie to me," he said then, turning around to face me.

I know, I won't do it again.

"I don't believe you," he replied with a shrug.

I took a deep breath trying not to make him realize how much his words hurt me.

-These are the last races I'm going to run, you can ask Lion, I told him this morning,
it's over, Noah... I'm only doing this as a farewell and because I know Lion needs
me.

"You can't keep doing this for him, Nicholas," he said, taking a step in my
direction. "I know you love him like a brother, but I've been talking to Jenna and
he's not being himself, and for you to support him through all of this alone." It's
going to make everything worse.

He was right in what he said, Lion counted on me to do these things, we had

always done it together, and he hated to see that we were starting to grow apart. I
kept going while he started digging his own grave. Either she would get out of this
with me or she would sink into misery along with people like Cruz or her own
brother Luca.

I reached out to Noah and pulled her to me. I would never let Noah fear for me,
never again, that was over.
"I'll do everything I can to make Lion leave this with me," I said and swelled with
happiness when Noah's hand placed on my cheek. His touch forgave me, and I knew
it.

"I'm sorry I hit you" she whispered taking a step in my direction and staying almost
as close to me as she could.

-I love that you hit me-I told him and laughed teasing him-really, it turns me on a
lot.

His hand slapped me on the shoulder.

"Don't be silly," he whispered with a smile on his lips.

I moved my hand up her spine and kissed her tenderly on the cheek, carefully
caressing her with the tip of my nose from her cheekbone to her ear.

-Go home, please; I'll go as soon as this is over.

Noah was silent and I accepted his silence as an agreement.

I turned my head and saw that the three runners were already talking to Clark.

-I have to go.

She nodded, giving her a quick peck on the lips, and I didn't go to where the boys
were until I saw her and Jenna standing by the Audi, ready to drive away.

I turned to the others, ignoring Luca as much as I could allow myself.

-You can get on the cars, in two minutes the race starts.

We all nodded and the adrenaline became more present in my metabolism.

"Good luck, guys, see you around the corner" I said to Lion, quoting what he
always told me when I had to run alone.

I saw the smile on his face, but also something that did not give me a good feeling,
before he turned and got into the car.

I walked to where they had parked the Lamborghini, got in and started it. A girl
dressed simply in a bikini and skimpy pants, was already in the middle of the track
with two flags held high. The city was illuminated behind their backs waiting for us
to
pass more than 150 through its closed streets. Everything had to be done quickly
and well, otherwise we could end up very badly...

And then, right at the last minute, when the countdown had already started and my
hands gripped the wheel ready to go, the passenger door flew open, and Noah
hurried in, sitting next to me.

- What the hell are you doing?!

The shot echoed across the clearing and the flags came down, marking the start of
the race.
Chapter 31

NOAH

When Jenna informed me of what these races were going to be like, a terrible fear
consumed me from within and when I saw Nick getting into thebeI'm ready to go
out, I didn't even think about it. I started to run and without thinking about the
consequences, I got into the passenger seat.

Nick looked at me first in surprise and then anger crossed his features. It scared me
so much that I looked down at the gear stick and quickly shifted into third, forcing
him to focus on what he had to do.

"Come on, step on the accelerator, Nicholas!"flThe eyes were unbelievable because
I don't even know how he managed to get straight ahead, almost not falling far
behind, even though the other cars already had a small lead on us.

- I'll kill you! Do you hear me?! He yelled at me, changing to fourth gear
and focusing on the road. In no time we would enter the city and I knew that I
should shut up and let him concentrate.

His eyes drifted to my body for an almost imperceptible second.

- Put on your fucking seatbelt!

I jumped up in the seat and did as he asked.

God, this was going to cost me dearly, I knew it, but I needed to be there with him,
this race was not like the one he had run last year, and no matter how many times I
had asked him not to, Nicholas made his own decisions. and sometimes he left me
out of them.

This had been my decision, if he ran, so did I, if he put himself in danger, I would
too and I didn't give a damn what he had to say to me, I would face the
consequences later.

"I told you to go away!" he yelled at me, hitting the steering wheel. He was furious
but so was I, I wasn't going to be intimidated, things weren't done that way, and I
wanted to show him that he was still in this world, so was I, and if that helped him
leave him behind, it was worth taking the risk.

"And I decided not to do it," I answered, staring at the road. My audacity made his
jaw tense, marking the veins of his neck in a fearsome way and I shrank in my
place involuntarily.
When we got to the first corner my own feet made as if they were stepping on the
pedals of the car, I loved racing so much, my body was filled with adrenaline,
wanting to be where Nick was, wanting to take the controls and show everyone how
good she was. It was, although the last time I could not have gone worse, no matter
how much I had won.

As good as Nick was, at that moment I only saw one person who didn't understand
the damage this could do to both of us. No matter how many things happened,
Nicholas kept pulling the wrong way, pulling me with him. I had left racing behind,
I had left behind everything that reminded me of my father, and it had cost me and
now here I was, hating myself for enjoying something so much that it had managed
to destroy my family.

My brain began to disconnect from the problems and began to focus only on the
cars in front of us, in front, not behind: we were losing.

-You have to speed up, Nicholas.

The vein in his neck became even more pronounced and I bit my lip nervously.

- I can't believe I'm doing 160 with you in the car. My God, this

was a competition, not a walk in the park.

- Well, this car is doing two hundred, so put your foot down because we are
going to lose.

- SHUT UP! He yelled, turning his face towards me.

I closed my mouth and left him alone. I was so nervous that my hands were
shaking. I watched him in silence while I saw how he manipulated the changes,
how he accelerated to almost 200 per hour, thus catching up with the others. Lion
was ahead and the other two were just within reach.

The next corner was the only chance I had to pass them, and I prayed that I did well.
If we lost, he would not only kill me but he would blame me.

Then things changed and I watched horrified as passing one of them, other cars
joined the road.

The last stretch didn't seem to be cut and we got right into a busy road. I didn't like
that one bit, I didn't want anyone to get hurt by an illegal race, this was not
supposed to happen.
"Shit," Nick hissed as he took another turn while dodging two cars going 70. With
one incredible maneuver he passed the second car. I couldn't help but get excited
inside.

Lion was already the only one ahead of us and while second place also brought
some money, the competitive self wanted to win. Nicholas took an incredible turn,
it must be said, and I had to hold on to the dashboard to keep from hitting the
door. So we got behind Lion, we were close but not hisbepatient; a truck honked
deafeningly at us and I yelled as Nick turned onto the opposite road so he could
overtake it. I wouldn't have been that daring, but that helped us close the gap. If
we overtook him at the next intersection we could be the first.

- Come on Nick! We have to win! -I shouted without being able to contain myself.

His eyes darted furiously at me and just then, with just a few meters to go before I
could catch up and pass them around the turn, the throttle needle plummeted
from 200 to 120.

- What are you doing?! I yelled in disbelief, turning my whole body towards
him and watching horrified as Lion returned to take the meters we had managed
to equalize.

"Teach you a lesson," he said then, stepping on the accelerator again, but to no avail
anymore. Lion had just crossed the finish line.

I took a deep breath totally disgusted.

-I can't believe it, we could have won!

Passing the finish line, his face turned towards me and I prepared myself for
whatever it was that he was going to release at me, but suddenly some lights caught
his attention and he turned his body to look behind. The sound of sirens echoed
through the air and Nick's face was transformed.

"Don't fuck with me," he said, slamming the steering wheel and accelerating while
taking a completely illegal curve and plunging into the road next to us. The noise of
the horns of the cars and the shouts of the passers-by made an impression on me
and then I was aware of what was happening.

Nick's cell phone began to ring.

"Take it," he said concentrating on the road, "it's in my left pocket."

I leaned over him and reached into the pocket of his jeans until I pulled out the
phone.
"Put him on hands free," he growled.

I did, and the voice of someone I didn't know echoed through the cabin of
the car.

- Guys, the shock is going there! We've been busted, this is crazy!

- Fuck me Clark, you said it was controlled!

- I know, I don't know what happened, someone must have tipped off,
you have to get off the road right now!

- Where is my motorcycle?!

I heard all kinds of noises resounding on the other side of the line, apparently they
had been caught in the open field and now they were coming here. I guess we had a
bit of an advantage but I was so scared I couldn't think straight. Now I saw how
dangerous this was, and I also realized that Nicholas was an idiot for coming, he
should have listened to me, we should have left, both of us.

-Toni has taken her where always, you know what you have to do, if you hurry I
don't think you'll get caught.

Nicholas picked up the cell phone that was resting on my leg, cut it off, and tossed it
roughly onto the dashboard.

There was silence, interrupted by the noise of the accelerator and our labored
breaths.

"Nicholas...they can't catch us" I said terrified; If they did, the consequences
would be terrible, I couldn't go to college to begin with and not even talk about
him, since he already had a criminal record. Not even his father was going to get
him out of this if he ended up getting arrested.

"They're not going to catch us," he said softly... too low. Then he stepped on the
accelerator and went through some streets that did not sound like anything to me.
He seemed very sure where he was going and I just prayed that he had some way
out. The patrol cars were following us, I knew it because I was hearing the noise of
the sirens, but they were still close enough.befar enough away not to see the
license plate of the car.

We continued until Nick turned onto a back road. It didn't take long for us to arrive
at a street lined with industrial warehouses andbethose of garages with numbers;
he turned into a muddy street and took something out of the glove compartment
when braking in front of one that had the number 120 on it. When the door
opened, he put the car in and I saw that the motorcycle that he had already seen in
our garage was parked there.
"Get out of the car" he barked at me and it didn't occur to me to disobey him.

Going down I saw that there were boxes and old furniture, this must be the Leister
storage room, used by Nick as an escape in cases like this.

Quickly he grabbed a tarp that was on a table and threw it over the car covering it
while releasing a large cloud of dust around us. There was barely anything to see
and I started coughing as I backed away from the car.

Then I felt him from behind, he grabbed me around the waist and the next thing I
know my back was hitting the car and he was holding my face in one of his hands.

"If it wasn't for your trauma shit I'd leave you here alone, do you hear me?" he
said, rage exuding from every pore of his skin. -You've crossed a limit tonight, and
I'm not going to forgive you, don't even think about opening your mouth until we
get home because I swear I won't answer Noah, do you understand me?

I had to blink several times, surprised by his harsh words and the urge I had to cry.
No matter how right he was, he was the one who had brought us to this situation,
he had been the one who had decided to return to this shitty world.

I swallowed my pride and nodded, mostly because I knew him well.becient and
knew that right at that moment the most advisable thing was that he kept his
mouth shut.

He pulled me to his motorcycle. There was only one helmet and he hastened to put
it carefully over my head.

His eyes stopped for an instant too long on mine and I couldn't interpret what was
going through his head.

He got on the motorcycle and I did it behind him. I was angry, I didn't even want
to touch him and for that reason I held on to the back.

Nicholas turned his head after the purr of the engine broke the silence and hissed.

-You're playing with fire, Noah.

It wasn't typical of me to keep quiet about my insults but that night things were
being different and I didn't even know how to deal with him and the desire I had
to practically send him to hell.

I leaned into his chest and wrapped my hands around him. I

heard him curse and then we went out into the cold night.
With each passing second and with each minute that we continued on the road my
anger was increasing, the rage that had been under control since I had gotten into
his car was going to explode at any moment I could not believe that I was riding a
motorcycle , running from the police and on top of that holding his rage when he
had been the one who had gotten us into this. I felt my hands tighten on hisbefirm
stomach, and how her body responded instantly. One of his hands flew to mine
and squeezed me hard.

what is that supposed to meanbedid that fit?

Ten minutes later I saw him turn to stop at a gas station.

"Don't move," he said without even looking at me as he got off the bike and went
to the cabin to pay for the gas.

That was my moment; I almost jumped off, threw the helmet on the ground and
got as far away from him as possible, I didn't even want to look at him.

- What are you doing?!" He yelled at me, clearly surprised. I heard how he
stopped what he was doing and came out after me; I saw him approaching and I
started running.

I didn't want him in front of me, I didn't want him to touch me or yell at me, I
wanted to get as far away as possible.

Tonight it had been him who had crossed the limits not me.

I ran until I got to the back of a building.becio under construction I pulled the
fence that was ajar and slipped inside. Nicholas didn't fit there, not even kidding,
so I stopped and when I heard him brake on the other side, I turned to see how his
eyes looked at me uncontrollably.

Get out of there right now.

-No.

His hands gripped the fence and when he raised his head I saw that he was more
pissed off than I'd seen him in the whole year we'd been dating, because yeah, it
was our one year old today and apparently we'd both been too busy to remember.

- Do you think I can't jump this shitty fence?-she told me clearly calculating
how to do it.

- And what do you intend to do when you jump it, Nicholas? -I said raising
my voice, and feeling how my body began to tremble with cold, not only the
adrenaline began to disappear from my system but also the words
that Nicholas had released from his mouth now echoed in my head as if on repeat
mode.

He stopped for a moment, I guess because he had no idea what to do.

I put my hands on my arms to shelter from the wind. I wanted to go home, I

wanted to leave, and I didn't want him to take me.

- Damn Noah! What do you want me to tell you!? He yelled at me then,

explodingben- I told you to leave!

You never do what I tell you, we could have been caught today, we could be in a
fucking cell right now and I'd be freaking out to see what he'd done to you!

I turned angrily on him.

- Does it ever cross your mind that this isn't just your relationship?!
That all this goes in double sense?! That I care about you too, and that I'm sick of
you lying to me and leaving me out!?

- I know how to take care of myself, you don't have a fucking idea! I

opened my eyes, not believing what I was hearing.

- I don't know how to take care of myself!? -I yelled approaching the fence
to have him in front of me- What do you know about taking care of someone!?

I have taken care of myself and my mother since I was five years old!!
You, on the other hand, the only thing you have done has been to get drunk, drug
yourself, and get involved in illegal shit when your life was settled! You didn't have
to spend two months in a foster home because your father tried to kill you!

Nicholas jerked back, obviously startled by my screams but he was beside me,
tonight I had feared for him, for both of us, because he had risked everything,
everything we had, everything I never dreamed of having.

- I try to protect you from everything and

you won't let me! I put my hands to my head.

-It's you that I have to protect myself from, don't you understand?-

I told him overwhelmed by everything, overwhelmed because I was saying

everything I had been keeping to myself for months- You keep saying that you are
going to change, that you will leave all this behind but you don't, Nicholas!
His eyes looked at me wildly.

-At least I try, you only know how to reproach me for how bad I am for you, how
hard it is for you to love me, but you provoke me at the slightest opportunity, you
put yourself in danger and you don't tell me what's wrong with you!

I took a step in his direction, we were so close and yet so far apart.

- What?beare you my trauma shit?

Nicholas sighed, closed his eyes, and when he looked back at me I knew we had just
crossed an invisible line.

I didn't mean to say it like that.

I laughed feeling how the tears slowly slipped down my cheeks.

"But you think about it" I said simply as I turned my back on him and walked
away to the other end.

"Noah, get out of there, please," she begged me as all my fears crowded my chest
and the tears continued to flow uncontrollably.
Damn, I told you to get out!

I sat on the ground and wrapped my hands around my legs.

I didn't want him to see me crying so I buried my head in my arms.

- Noah! He yelled at me desperately and I heard how the fence creaked

from having kicked it. - SALT!

I raised my head and stared at him from where I was.

He seemed desperate, but I was desperate too, because he had a lot of things stored
inside, and he couldn't finish with it.bear in him what hisbeI was enough to know
that when I found out, he would continue to love me the same. Everything he did
only made me close in on myself more, but he was also the only one with whom I
saw myself capable of moving on, by his side I felt safe.

"I don't want to be near you!" I yelled at him.

His gaze turned into something indecipherable.

-Well, I'm sorry to tell you this, but you have no choice, because you're not going
to be with anyone other than me.
I stood up.

"Are you listening to yourself?!" I yelled with all my might. "You're hurting me!"

Pain crossed her features and her arms yanked hard on the fence, trying to release
it. I took a step back, this was crazy.

"And you to me, damn it!" he yelled, kicking her when he saw that there was no
way to let go. "I've given everything to you, absolutely everything, I've opened up
to you, and you're telling me that I'm hurting you?"

I kept quiet, I wasn't going to explain why it was hurting me, if he wasn't able to
see it himself this wasn't going anywhere.

"Either you go out or I'm leaving," he said.beFinally, his impassive

face. I widened my eyes in disbelief.

"Then get out of here!" I yelled at him and furiously grabbed a brick that had come
loose and threw it against the fence with all my might. He didn't even bump into
her. "Get out, Nicholas!"

I saw her turn and put her hands through her hair. After a few minutes of silence, he
looked at me again and his face was different. He reached over and clung with both
hands to the wire wall.

-Don't get away from me, Noah, don't do it-she begged me, breaking the silence of
the night-You know that I love you, it's the only thing I know right now, I know
that I love you more than anything or anyone and that I try to be the better
version of myself, I really try.

His voice cracked a little and something inside me threatened to snap.

"It's you who pushes me away, Nick," I said, my voice shaking both from the cold
and from the sobs I was trying to control.

-I would never take you away from me, I can't, you are inside, deep inside my heart,
and you know it, you know that you are.

I felt my heart sink and I watched him in the distance that separated us. If I
approached signibeHe would say that he forgave him, that everything was settled,
but he didn't feel that way; on the contrary, I felt miles away from that moment
and that place.

His eyes looked at me burning and full of emotion.

-Please, I can't stand being away from you, I need you to come out. I

took a deep breath and wiped my tears with my arm.

"We haven't solved anything, you know that, don't you?" I said almost in a whisper.

He remained silent, simply looking at me and that look was enough for my feet to
decide for me. I walked over to where he was and went out through the hole. His
hand tugged at me, and a second later I was wrapped in his arms, which held me
close to his as if it hurt him not to have me close.beciently close.

I breathed in the fragrance of her body and my heartbeat calmed down

almost instantly.

How could it be my disease and my medicine at the same time?

His arms encircled my arms, warming me with his body as he buried his face in
my neck.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry" he repeated endless times until I guess we were both satisfied.
With his right hand he grabbed all my hair in a ponytail and pulled it forcing me to
look at him-Please just stop thinking... just kiss me.

He didn't even give me time to hesitate because he already had his lips on mine, at
first I didn't let him go any further but he seemed desperate for an answer. He
lowered his hand to my waist and lifted me off the ground forcing me to surround
him with my legs.

When he pushed his body against mine against the fence behind me, my body
reacted and my brain stopped working, stopped analyzing, stopped remembering.
My hands took control and went down his back, desperate to get him even closer.

His tongue entered my mouth and his lips moved desperately over mine.

"You stood me up" I gasped as his mouth began to nibble on my neck and suck and
kiss my sensitive skin below my ear.

"I wanted you as far away from me as possible" he answered with his hands
squeezing my thighs tightly, I couldn't even move and he was absolutely in
control, as always, no matter how much I tried to turn things around, he was
always the one who had the last word.

"You once said we weren't meant to be apart," I whispered breathlessly when I felt
him hard against me, pressing into my stomach.

-And you who needed a safe word when all this overcame you.
"Do you remember" I said surprised, and her eyes looked at mebehe admits.

I remember everything you tell me.

He kissed me again and this time I gave myself completely, I needed that contact
more than ever, and I needed to forget the last few hours. If with his hands on my
body he succeeded, there would be no word in the world that would stop him.

I pulled him hard, melting into his body and feeling searing heat through my entire
nervous system, like gasoline thawing my stormy thoughts.

"We should stop," he said then.

"No, nothing to stop" I said pulling his hair and forcing him to kiss me again. He
put his tongue in my mouth and desperately I lowered my hands until I slipped
them under his shirt. I clawed at his chest and he let out a growl that made my
hair stand on end.

Nick lowered his hands to my butt and pushed making our bodies collide just
where they should; I gasped and yanked her shirt up, pulling it over her head and
letting it fall. My mouth went to his neck and I kissed him, bit him and sucked him,
desperate.

"Fuck, Noah...not here...not like this," he said withbebut her body seemed to want
something else. He pulled me away from the wall and laid me down on the floor,
straddling me-

I don't deserve it... not today.

My eyes looked at him lustfully, I didn't care if he didn't deserve it, I wanted to
forget about everything, I wanted him to help me with that.

"I need you" I said desperately.

My words seemed to finish convincing him and his mouth was on mine again.
Before I knew it he had reached under my dress and his fingers had slipped under
my underwear.

My back left the ground when he entered me with one of his fingers. His mouth

sucked and kissed my neck desperately.

- Do you like it?" he said next to my ear while a second finger entered
me and drove me completely crazy.

- Yes!-I yelled when his thumb began to trace circles over my clit, making
my breathing almost super.becial y
that each movement of his hand separated me more and more from reality.

"I didn't want to stand you up" he said slowing down the movements of his fingers
and changing the rhythm "No more racing, Noah, from now on I'm only going to
run in one direction, yours, love, only yours."

I felt his fingers dig into my skin and his mouth on mine a second later, his words
came to me in a blur, I felt his lips bite my lower lip, while his hand continued to
torture me down there.

"Go faster, Nick," I gasped, holding on to his shoulders. She did as he was told,
and the pleasure became more and more unbearable.

"Let go, Noah" he ordered kissing my mouth and swallowing my screams until I
couldn't take it anymore and did exactly what he asked.

For a few mere moments everything seemed perfect.

When I came to, Nick was lying next to me on the uncomfortable concrete floor.
He put his arm under my head and pulled me close.

"No matter what happens between us, there's nothing I like more than seeing your
face when you come," he said quietly.

Things had gotten out of hand, both in the fight and in what we had just done. I
felt a little ashamed for almost begging him for an orgasm, and even more
ashamed for not being able to return the favor.

I got up sitting up and looked at him.

- Are you okay?-I said doubtfully biting my lip-You know...

His eyes narrowed.bethey threw in my face.

"I'm fine, but stop biting your lip, please" she almost begged me and
stop doing this.

We stared at each other in silence, only the noise of the cars passing by in the
distance and the dim light that came from the gas station allowed me to see his
face.

He was about to say something when something started to vibrate.

Nick took his phone out of his back pocket and we both sat up.
I waited while listening intently and he stood up pulling my hand to do the
same.

"Calm down, Lion," he said, cursing under his breath. Yes, I can get it out, don't
worry, I'll be there in less than twenty minutes.

I felt a pang of fear as Nick stuffed his phone in his back pocket and looked up at
me.

Jenna's been arrested.

Chapter 32

NICK

When we got to the North Hollywood police station, Luca and Lion were leaning
against their car, Luca smoking and Lion with his hands on his head. When he saw
me, his eyes seemed to light up, even though he was embarrassing to look at.

I couldn't believe Jenna had been arrested, she hadn't even run and this
could turn into a real mess if we didn't proceed carefully.

- What happened?-said Noah approaching Lion as he took off his helmet

that was too big for his head.

As I approached her I took it from her hands and hung it on my elbow. - How did
they get it?!

"The police arrived at the field first, which obviously means that someone tipped
off" Lion said and approached me.

If I catch who it was, I swear I'll kill him!

"Calm down" I said trying to think what to do. I could call my dad, but hell, if they
found out about tonight I had no idea what could happen. My eyes flickered to
Noah and how his mom would react if she knew what we'd been up to.

- Where is Jenna? Do they have her locked up?-Noah said with the
clear intention of getting into the police station. I took a step forward,
rushing to stop her.

-No kidding, Noah, I don't even want you to set foot in there, stay here and wait with
Lion while I make some calls.

Noah and Lion looked at mebejamente, but they decided to listen to me for a damn
time. I opened my phone book and a name came directly to my head.

He was the last person I would ask for help but at this point... The phone rang for
what seemed like hours until finallybethey finally answered me.
- Why the hell are you calling me at four in the morning, Leister? - said a
thick voice on the other end of the line.

I took a deep breath swallowing my pride.

I need your help, Sophia.

Half an hour later we were still waiting for my happy practice partner
to decide to make an appearance.

He had come to her because he knew she had contacts in this area. Her father lived
in one of the neighborhoods around here, and besides, right now she was the one
handling the pro bono cases, so she was quite used to working on cases where
minors broke the law. If he was remembering correctly, the week before he had
released a teenager from prison for possession of weed and had gotten the record
expunged from his record. Sophia Aiken could be a pain in the ass but she knew
what she was doing.

While we waited he had told Noah to get in the car. It was freezing cold and the
little dress she was wearing was not at all appropriate for being in this area
surrounded by police officers and convicts going in and out of the police station.
She didn't want anyone to lay eyes on her and after two drugged-looking guys
stared at her obscenely, she decided to listen to me and get in the car to wait. It
was either that or beat me to death with them, so I guess he made the right
choice.

A white SUV came around the corner and I knew it was her. I told my friends to
stay where they were, I didn't want Sophia to suspect that we had all been
involved in this nightmare. From what little Lion knew, everything had happened
very quickly, Jenna didn't even have time to get in the car, they caught her while
everyone was running away. I hadn't been the only one arrested, but right now I
couldn't worry about anyone else, everyone knew what they were risking by
coming to the races and my number one priority was Jenna.

Luckily Noah's car had been taken away and after speaking with Cruz, he told me
that he would arrange for us to take it to my father's house the next day. All I
needed was for the police to write down Noah's license plate, and she'd end up in
trouble.

I walked away from Lion's car and walked over to Sophia.

"You owe me one so big that they won't give you the days or the years to make it
up to me," she blurted out, getting out of the car impeccably dressed, although
with her hair tied up in a slightly scruffy tail.
I did my best not to roll my eyes.

"Thanks for coming" I said putting on my best face. She seemed to enjoy the
situation because she didn't hesitate for a moment to smirk at me.

- Did you just thank me?" he said, looking at me with perverse amusement. "I
think I'd like to hear it again.

I took a step towards her.

-I'll give them to you if you take my friend out.

I guess my face must have been a poem and his eyes drifted from mine to Lion's
car where the three of them, including Luca, waited nervously.

-I don't know what trouble you're getting into, Leister, but I swear that every day
I'm more intrigued by what you're into.

Her eyes looked at me curiously and I had to use all my patience not to send her
to hell.

- Can you take my friend out or not?

- What is it called, if I may know? I

hesitated for a moment.

-Jenna Tavish.

His eyes widened a little.

- Tavish? From Tavish Oil Corporation? Those Tavish?

I nodded getting nervous.

- It's a joke, isn't it?-he said getting angry, although he already supposed he
was going to do it- Are you calling me, an intern to get the daughter of one of the
main oil magnates out of jail?

-We don't want anyone to find out, we need discretion, besides she hasn't done
anything, she was simply in the wrong place and time. –I said praying that all this
wouldn't end badly.

Sophia laughed as she rummaged through her bag.

-If I had to charge a dollar every time a criminal has said that...
- My girlfriend is not a criminal! Do you hear me?!-said Lion
appearing behind my back.

I turned to him placing a hand on his chest.

"For Lion, Sophia has come to help us, right, Soph?" I said trying

to calm things down.

His condescending smile went from me to Lion and I knew what he was thinking as
soon as I saw his superior look.

"I'll help you," he said addressing them both, "but don't call me Soph again,
because then we're going to have a problem."

I laughed at the seriousness with which he said it. My God, the women of the new
generations came with their weapons well loaded and if not, they should tell my
girlfriend.

Sophia told us to stay outside while she started making calls like crazy. After what
seemed like fifteen minutes she entered the police station and we all stood outside
waiting for her to do whatever was necessary.

Noah was still in the car and I took the opportunity to look out the window. She
looked exhausted and dirty after being on the ground and surrounded by dust.

- Are you okay, freckles?-I said watching how Luca snored in the front seat,
hardly caring what was happening around him.

Noah nodded silently without even looking at me but I couldn't do much about it
because then I heard the door to the police station open and there, dirty, with
disheveled hair and a small cut on her right cheekbone was Jenna.

Noah opened the car door and ran toward her.

Sophia was behind with a little smile from herbescience in the face and looking
only at me. I smiled at him in the distance and watched as he got into his car and
drove off the way he had come. Maybe it wasn't such a pain in the ass after all.

My tranquility did not last what can be said for a long time because the sound of a
loud slap cut through the silence of the night.

When I turned around I saw that Lion had his hand on his cheek and his eyes
were looking desperately at Jenna.

Shit.
- I do not want to see you again! Can you hear me?!" she yelled at him as
tears slipped down her cheeks.

Noah searched for me with his eyes, as if asking for help, but we had both been
speechless, waiting for Lion's reaction.

-Jenna, I'm sorry, listen to me...

- NO!-she yelled, taking a step back- Don't even think about apologizing to
me! You swore to me that this was over, I've been holding out all summer waiting
for you to change, to do the fucking right thing for once! AND

I'm fed up!

I approached them without really knowing what to do. He

understood Jenna but also Lion.

"I've been stupid," she said sobbing, "you've made me feel guilty for who I am, for
what I have, I've tried to stay by your side, do everything in my power to stay
together and the only thing you've done It has been making me feel that I am not
up to your standards when in reality it is just the opposite!

Lion looked desperate and lost, and when he reached for her and saw Jenna move
away again, I saw the pain come back.flLeft on his face, I guess the same pain that
I had felt when Noah had been crying, on the ground in the middle of nowhere
because of me.

"Jenna, I'm just trying to give you the best…I'm saving money." That seemed to be
the last straw because Jenna stepped forward and pushed with all her might as
more tears slipped down her cheeks.

- I don't give a shit about money! I was in love with you! You do not get it?!
From you, not from your stupid money!

Lion gripped her arms tightly as she punched him in the chest.

"You let them arrest me..." she said then, devastated-before, you would never have
left me alone, I was your only priority...

"And you are, Jenna, I love you," he said trying to get her to look at him.

Jenna shook her head and when she raised her face and we could all see her I
knew nothing good was going to come out of her mouth.
"You have no idea what it's like to love someone" her arms released from Lion's
grasp and her feet took three steps back "I'm not going to let you drag me down with
you."

-Jenna- Lion's voice sounded broken and I knew that this was going to be the last
nail in my friend's grave.

Jenna looked around for Noah.

-I want to go home.

Beside me Noah moved and went to give him a hug. I approached Lion.

"Uncle" I said putting a hand on his shoulder. Lion seemed totally stunned. -I'll take
them home, don't worry, okay?

Lion looked at me without even seeing me and Noah walked Jenna to the back seat
of the car.

"Take the motorcycle keys" I told Luca who had observed the whole scene as a
mere spectator, although his gaze did not stray from his brother's face. He took
the keys on the fly-Take care of your brother tonight-I added taking the car keys
and getting into the driver's seat.

I would have liked to stay with Lion but I knew that the best thing to do right now
was to get the two girls behind me to safety and pray that tomorrow things would be
different.

When we got to Jenna's house, Noah got out with her with the clear intention of
staying the night at her house but Jenna seemed to want to be alone because she
flatly refused.

"Really, Noah, now I need to be alone, I'm fine, seriously," she said as the tears
continued to fall uncontrollably down her face.

I held back, I didn't know what to do or say, because I loved them both and as much
as I understood Jenna, Lion was like my brother, I didn't want to see him suffer, and
I knew that without Jenna I would be totally lost.

Noah watched her head down as our friend walked into her house without even
looking back before closing the door and disappearing.

We got in the car and I redid the path I had just taken to stop this time in front of
my father's house.

- Are you okay?" I asked her for the eighth time that night, turning to
her.
She looked at me and nodded thoughtfully. I didn't even want to know what was
going through his head; what had just happened was a clear glimpse of what could
happen to both of us if we weren't careful.

- Are you going to stay?-he asked me a minute later while we both

looked towards the door of the immense house.

In any other circumstance I would have said no, not even dead, but tonight he had
screwed up enough.beWell, it was almost six in the morning and I needed to rest
before going back to the city, so I got out of the car and went to open the door for
Noah, who looked at me surprised.

"Come on, freckles" I said wrapping my arms around her and going up the
steps to the porch.

The house was in darkness when we entered and my dog ​was the only one who
broke the silence that filled the room. I waved at Thor absently as we both walked
up the stairs.

As we reached Noah's door she stopped and turned to me. I suffered a kind of dèjá
vu when we both lived together and couldn't sleep in the same room.

I guess the same rules still applied.

Noah leaned back against his door and studied me before pulling on my shirt and
kissing me full on the lips. I returned the kiss carefully, not knowing what theben
behind his need to touch me.

"That can't happen to us," he said and I saw how his lower lip trembled a little.

I took a deep breath and took her face in my hands.

"Look at me... come on, freckles, look at me" I insisted when his gaze stayedbeHa
in the center of my chest-We'll take whatever it takes, love.

Now he did look at me and I saw fear againflleft in her pretty sad eyes.

"I've never seen someone love another person so much, like Jenna loves Lion and
look what happened," she said, raising her hands to my neck and burying her face in
my neck, "I don't want to be separated from you, Nick, I couldn't stand it." he said
against my ear.

I wrapped my arms around her hating that she felt this way. I shouldn't give
him reason to fear a breakup, because we were never going to break up, I was
very clear about it...

she... had no idea.

"Don't be afraid of something that will never happen, freckles," I said, pulling
her back. "No matter how much we screw up, we both know we're better
together."

Noah nodded and I leaned in to give him another kiss on his luscious lips.

-Lie down and see you tomorrow-I said kissing her forehead-my door is the one on
thebeend of the hall to the right.

She smiled at me amused, kissed me on the cheek, and opened the door to
her room.

When I saw her disappear I could only pray that what I had just told her was true
and that I wasn't making a mistake.
 Chapter 33

NOAH

When I got up the next morning the first thing I did was take a shower. I was
disgusting after last night and I didn't feel like a person until I was clean and able
to wipe the smudged makeup off my face and brush my teeth.

For how late we had arrived, I got up pretty early and so I took the opportunity to
sneak into Nick's room. After yesterday's fight, Jenna and Lion's breakup, and
everything we had said to each other, I felt an emptiness in my chest that I knew
only one person was capable of filling.

As always, the room was totally dark, but I didn't give it much importance and after
closing the door I got into Nick's bed, careful not to wake him up.

I lifted the quilt she was covered with and wrapped my arms around her body,
resting my head on her chest.

Automatically, or instinctively, I don't know, his arms wrapped around me.

"Humf," he said over my ear as he turned around dragging me with him and leaving
me on his half-naked body.

He felt warm under me and also hard and exquisitely naked, apart from his boxers.
My hand began to wander absently over his muscles...his pectorals while my nose
sniffed the skin of his neck.

Having him with me, asleep and calm, was how I liked it the most, there was no
greater peace for my mind than when we were like this. She was able to forget all
the bad things, all the anguish, all the things she knew were still there, unresolved;
I was able to put everything aside, what's more, all the problems disappeared
when I felt the beating of his heart increase under the touch of my skin.

I really wanted to do something in particular and the fear of being discovered by my

mother only added excitement to the matter.

"Nick," I said next to his ear in a low, awake voice.

He didn't open his eyes, he just grunted. I smiled amused.

My tongue began to run over his jaw softly and seductively. How well it tasted.

"Nick," I whispered again as my hand trailed down his chest and rested lightly on
the dark hair that trailed up to his navel. - Make love.

"Not today," I grumbled a little more awake.

I took advantage and made the feint of putting my hand under his underpants.
He moved so fast there was no way he could have been half asleep. His fingers
caught mine and squeezed hard.

-Quiet.

I sighed in frustration and took advantage of the fact that I had free access to her
neck to be able to give her hot little kisses from her jaw to her ear.

I felt him shudder under me and I moved my hips slightly, teasing him and
waiting for him to respond.

-I'm exhausted, freckles, if you want something you're going to have to try harder.

He was having fun with this, usually he was the one who came after me and this
only made him even more superior. I raised my eyebrows, stopping instantly.

I'll have to find someone else.

I made the move to pull away but his body moved so fast that I could barely get up.
He moved on top of me and pressed his morning boner against my white pajama
bottoms.

I breathed carefully, trying to control how much I liked the feeling of him against
me.

His head gently dipped between my breasts, while his hand slipped under my tank
top.

"We barely slept, freckles" he said, rubbing my breast while his mouth went up
my neck, "what's this assault in the morning for?"

I had no idea, but I just knew that I needed him with me, more specifically.befall
inside of me Yesterday it had been fine what he had done with his fingers but it had
not been hisbecient. I felt tense, anxious, and very nervous about everything that
had happened.

"You're mine and I'm doing your duty as a boyfriend, so stop talking" I said,
moving my hips up and sighing as he did.
-You can use my duty as a boyfriend whenever you want; Now be still," he said,
immobilizing me on the bed.

God, his body was so big and heavy, she felt him everywhere. -You are aware that
they can catch us, right?

My legs wrapped around his waist and pulled him against me.

- Since when have you cared?-I answered annoyed.

He smiled in the dim light and his hand hurried down to reach my pants. With his
other hand he lifted me by the butt and with the other he pulled my pants and
underwear down.

- Do you think I already deserve to be inside you? does it meanbeWhy

have you forgiven me for yesterday?

With the help of my heels I pulled his boxers down and felt his erection against my
stomach.

"I'll forgive you depending on how—" He entered me so fast that a scream came
from my throat.

"Now shut that little mouth you have because I don't want your mother to hear us,"
he said as he started to move, but he didn't do it slowly, no, but fast, fast and strong.
My hands clamped onto the sheets and my mouth fell open unable to help but let
out another scream.

Nick's hand flew to my lips, muffling the noises I was unable not to make. I didn't
recognize myself but that morning I needed his contact so much that I cared
absolutely nothing that my mother could hear us or that just a few hours ago we had
been yelling at each other.

"God..." I said but my voice was muffled by Nick's hand.

In one of his thrusts a part of me was aware of a noise on the other side of the door.

Nick stopped almost immediately, and a second later the door swung open, barely
illuminating the room. Nicholas slumped down on top of me with almost his full
weight as his hand covered my mouth, barely giving me room to breathe. I felt him
beating inside me, nailed to me and I almost died of pleasure at that moment.

- Nicholas?-asked my mother's voice in the dim light.

God...shit.
"I was sleeping, Rafaella" Nick said trying to speak with a thick voice, of
course it wasn't very convincing being excited as he was.

-I'm sorry, I didn't know you were staying here tonight, and Noah?

Nick moved over my body, pulling out a bit and moving inside me. My eyes rolled
back and I swear I almost saw stars.

"He'll be sleeping," said the bastard, torturing me slowly, barely moving so my

mother wouldn't see us.

I could barely breathe.

"She's not in her room," my mother said and I swear I almost threw a pillow at her
and forced her to disappear so I could end that delicious torture.

"You blow me away," Nick said and I saw the smile he was trying so hard to hide.

I swear I would kill him.

-I'll look for her downstairs, I'll let you sleep.

Byben my mother decided to close the door and leave us alone.

Nicholas released his weight and his hand, and I let the air in through my mouth.

"You're an asshole" I said, closing my eyes tightly when he resumed the movement
of his hips.

"Lucky asshole, put your legs up" he said lifting me up with one arm and getting so
deep inside that I felt like I was literally dying of pleasure.

"Fuck, Nicholas, I need to finish" I said and automatically his hand went down to
the center of my body and began to caress me.

"Don't scream" he warned me and just at that moment a devastating orgasm swept
everything away, the pleasure lasted forever.benitely in time until Nick came
inside me, letting out a deep sigh of pleasure.

We lay still on the bed, breathing hard and trying to get back to earth.

"This happens when you assault me ​in the morning," he said next to my neck. I

made a mental note to do it more often.

It had been months since we had breakfast with my mother in the kitchen. I think
the last time was shortly after I got back from the hospital due to the kidnapping
and repeating it was most strange.

Plus William was there too so we had family breakfast.

I couldn't get what had happened barely half an hour out of my head and Nick
seemed relaxed, which was against all his custom considering he was in the same
room with his mom and dad. I stirred and played, rather than ate with the cereal
in my bowl. The radio, as always, was playing in the background, and when Will
and my mother sat across from us with their respective cups of coffee, I felt like I
was five years old and they were going to tell me off.

"Well…" William began, his eyes drifting from Nick to me, "how's everything
going?" In a few days you're leaving for college, Noah
do you have everything ready?

I nodded tensely at the sidelong look I received from Nick. I guess now was as
good a time as any to tell my mom I was moving in with him, but I was a coward
so I backed away and forced a smile.

"I still have a few things left, but almost everything is ready" I put a huge spoonful in
my mouth, so maybe they would stop asking me questions and focus on Nick.

- Do you already know who will be your roommate?-asked my mother and I

almost choked. Nick's hand came to rest on my back and he began patting me to
help me breathe again.

"Not yet," I answered with a raspy voice. Shit, I

wanted to get the hell out of that kitchen.

Will raised his mug to his mouth and turned his focus to Nicholas.

- How are you doing with Sophia?-he said and next to me Nick suddenly
became tense. I looked at him curiously. - Does he adapt well to the pace of
work?

Who was Sophia?

I guess so, we don't talk much.

Will seemed disgusted by that response, and then there was an awkward silence.
My mother looked at Will, and then they both focused on us.
"We wanted to talk to you" William began, looking at both of us respectively.
-I suppose that in recent months we have not behaved like a family... We
have had several confrontations and we wanted to solve the problems so that
we could all get along a little better.

Ok... I didn't expect that. I glanced at Nick out of the corner of my eye and
watched as he put down his coffee cup and focused on his father.

- Are you going to accept once and for all that we are together?

My mother sat up straighter, and William gave her a warning look.

"We accept that you are young and that you like each other and that" my mother
began to say.

"We love each other, mom, I think that's more than just liking each other," I said,
intervening in the conversation.

My mother pursed her lips and nodded.

"I understand, Noah, really, I know that you think that I've been making your life
miserable and that I don't accept your relationship, and you may be right..." Her
eyes fixed on Nick and I was afraid of what would happen. was going to say then-I
don't like you for my daughter Nick, don't take it the wrong way, I don't hate you or
anything like that, I love you more, you're my stepson and I know you're not a bad
boy, but I would prefer Noah date someone her age, who wouldn't be tied down so
early in life.

Nick's jaw clenched.

"You're both very young, but five years apart in age is a lot, especially when you're
just eighteen, Noah," she said now, focusing on me. "I'm just asking you to take
things easy." I hope you know how to understand that my daughter has many
things to live for, that she is about to start college and that I want her to
experience and have fun, to make the most of what I had never dreamed of being
able to give her.

- When you say that you experiencebeAre you into fucking any guy that
crosses your path?

- Nicholas! I jumped feeling how the color of my face changed. My

mother fixed her eyes on her stepson.

"Have fun, Nicholas, that's what I mean."bedevice.

- Are you saying that she doesn't have fun with me, that I'm not going
to let her enjoy college?

"He's saying that you shouldn't focus your lives on each other, you have many things
to see and do yet, we don't want you to go too fast" Will intervened trying to calm
the waters.

Nicholas was so pissed off that he felt the heat coming off his body, like a volcano
about to explode.

-What we were going to do-William said with a deep sigh- we wanted to make a
deal, something like a peace agreement. What do you think?

I widened my eyes in surprise and tried to imagine where this conversation was
heading.

-I'm not going to reach any fucking agreement on anything, Noah is my girlfriend
and there's nothing more to talk about or negotiate.

William took a deep breath and I knew he was holding back the urge to start
railing against his eldest son, who had clearly inherited his short temper.

-Well, then I need you to do us a favor, and in return we promise not to

interfere in your relationship anymore, we have already discussed it, and we
know that you are of legal age and that we can only advise you when it comes to
how you want to lead your life.

- What kind of favor? I asked, leaning forward on the table.

Will seemed to be considering how to phrase his request.

'In a month's time it's the sixtieth anniversary of Leister Enterprises; let's do
onebeThis one will be attended by all kinds of people, we think even the president.
All the money raised by cover will be donated to an NGO

destined to feed the third world. It is a vital event for my company, Nicholas, you
know exactly what I am talking about, and now that we are undertaking new
projects, it is very important that we present a strong and united image, that we
present ourselves as a team to the press and other guests .

"I know how important it is, I helped organize everything, dad" Nick said next to
me with a frown. "But I don't know what that has to do with my relationship with
Noah.

-Well, it's very simple, if you show up at thebeis as a couple, you can start
imagining the press articles, everything will focus on you, and on
the scandal it involves, no Nicholas, don't interrupt me-Will said as Nick began to
speak in a bad way-I know perfectly well that your relationship, as much as we don't
like it, is perfectly acceptable, you are simply stepbrothers, but many people they
will not see it that way, I need to give a solid family image and if you appear together
as a couple, that image will be blurred by the confusion and disgust of many of the
members who are going to attend thebeI'm talking about older people, people with
a lot of money who don't accept certain behaviors.

-This is ridiculous, nobody is going to notice us for goodness sake, nobody cares
what we do or don't do.

-That would be true if in recent years you had not let yourself be seen with all
kinds of girls who usually appear in gossip magazines Nicholas, you know
perfectly well that you have always been the focus of interest in the press, you only
have to see how they receive you at every bloody social event you decide to attend.

I widened my eyes in surprise. All kinds of girls? what girls

I knew Nick was a standout, he was handsome, he was rich, and his father was
well known, especially in our town. He still remembered how they had called him
and had taken photos of him when we had gone to the beneficiary galabeAlmost
last year, when he had dragged Anna with him and made out in front of the
photographers. They had gone crazy.

- Are you asking me to go to thebeHe's alone and I acted like Noah was my
fucking little sister?

I felt a shudder hearing him say that. Nick and I brothers... how horrible, that
phrase shouldn't even be thought of.

I'm asking you to come to thebeis with a friend of yours and that you stay apart for
one night; Noah would also go with someone, we will pose as a family for the
press, we will have dinner, we will have some important talks and negotiations
with whoever comes, and then everyone goes home and everything as usual.

Before Nick exploded I decided to intervene.

"Sounds good to me" I said and ignored how my boyfriend managed to melt the
skin of my face from so intensely that he looked at me.

-No kidding, you're not going to onebeThis one of that size with some asshole who
thinks you're single, I refuse.

My mother who had kept quiet until now opened her mouth.
-Nicholas, this is what I laugh at.beBut when I tell you to take it easy, it's just
abeThis, your father is telling you how important it is, it's not like Noah is going
to marry someone else, for God's sake, like she wants to come alone, we don't
care.

Nick took several deep breaths, looked at me, and stood up.

-This is the last time you ask us for something like this-I look at my mother and then
fixed her clear eyes on her father-We will go, we will pose for the cameras however
you want, but I am only warning you that when our affair is discovered later, you
will look like a fucking liar.

Nicholas left the kitchen without looking back, and I was left biting my lip
nervously at the situation.

- Does what I'm asking you seem so crazy to you, Noah?-Will asked me with a
worried face and a certain air of guilt.

-No, it's not unreasonable, it's reasonable, and I understand it. The problem is that
your son wants to shout to the four winds that we are together and the more you
ask him not to...

Well, I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens.

My mother stood up and picked up the cups until she took them to the sink.

Will leaned over the table and without my mother hearing me whispered: - I like
you as a couple... I thank you for deciding to give Nick a chance, he needed it.

I felt a warmth in my heart hearing him say that. Deep down, William Leister did
care about his son... no matter how stubborn he was.

I found him smoking by the cliff outside. Today, despite continuing in August, the
day seemed to have woken up in a bad mood, because the sky was full of dark
clouds that were approaching the horizon without rest. When I stopped next to
him we saw how lightning crossed the sky and shortly after thunder resounded on
the horizon.

"It's only one night, Nick," I said trying to show indifference.

-A night where I won't be able to touch you or kiss you and where I'll have to
pretend you're not mine.

I looked ahead to where the waves crashed against the beach below. The
weather seemed to be getting worse, as was my mood.
-Sometimes it seems that you need everyone to tell you that I am yours so that you
are happy and believe it, while when I am the one who says it, it is
inappropriate.beaware.

Nick looked at me, even though I was still looking out to sea.

-It will be because I don't finish believing it. I'm always waiting to wake up and
understand that all this was just a dream... something that can only happen to me
unconsciously because I don't really deserve to have you.

He tossed the cigarette off the cliff and leaned on the railing with his forearms. I
leaned in and kissed her head while stroking her hair with my fingers.

-Sometimes you do not realize that it is just the opposite.

He got up and took my face in his hands. With his fingers he caressed my
cheeks until he reached my lips. He entertained himself with the lower one
while his eyes distractedly watched the flutter of my eyelashes.

-Someday you will be truly mine, and then I will be able to breathe easy.

He didn't let me ask what he meant. His lips rested on mine and my thoughts were
reduced to mere fragments of uncertainty and fear.

What had he meant?

Chapter 34

NICK

Whenever I stayed in that house, something unpleasant would end up happening.

That we act as if we were not together, which I lacked. I was having a hard enough
time keeping the vultures away from Noah, and now I wasn't even going to be able
to intervene. I was dying of jealousy just thinking about it and I was sure I was
going to end up screwing her up in hell.bethis. The best thing we could do, and I
had told Noah that way, was to go alone without any kind of escort. That way I was
going to be able to relax and I was going to be able to get through the damn night
without having to mess around with anyone who dared come on to Noah.

It didn't take long for me to leave, I needed to be alone and recover from
everything that had happened after the races. I didn't have the surfboard in the car
so I parked in Santa Monica and started running. my lookbeJa in front and just
focused on my muscles working and my heavy breathing. What my father had
asked me shouldn't have affected me so much, I knew it wasn't anything special
either, but I had touched some sensitive point that I didn't even know existed.

Just thinking about not touching, kissing or just looking at Noah the way I wanted
to, drove me crazy.

After I don't know how long I ended up walking alone through the shops that were
next to Santa Monica. With my hands tucked into the pockets of my sweatshirt, I
ignored the people around me and kept walking.

We haven't solved anything, Noah had said when forben decided to get off that
damn fence. Having seen how he hid from me, how he ran away, how he yelled
things at me that until then I had not stopped to think about...

all this made me too nervous. I didn't want to lose her, I didn't want the same
thing that happened to Lion and Jenna to happen to us, and just thinking about
it I thought I was drowning. It was a feeling similar to whenbenally I
understood that my mother was not going to return... loneliness. Without Noah
he was alone, he was lost.

Only one thing got him to be able to breathe calmly again.

The next two days I spent with Lion. He was embarrassing, drunk and dirty lying
on the sofa in his house, plus the stench of weed and accumulated dirt gave that
little house an air of worrying neglect. Luca seemed to be at ease in his old house
and took advantage of his brother's bad state to do and undo whatever
that he wanted. Despite spending four years in jail, he still had all these bad habits
and he didn't want to think about what he could do.fluir a Lion.

"You should take a shower, man, you stink" I said to Lion while with a bag I was
throwing all the shit that was on the sofa and the ragged table in the corner.

I was getting pissed off at times, I didn't have to clean up all this shit but I
swallowed my bad blood and helped them clean up a bit.

Luca, who had arrived half an hour ago, was lying on the sofa with three pepperoni
pizzas on the carpet and with the Giants game blaring on television.

-Leave me alone, damn it, I just want to get drunk and pass out.

I dropped the bag in exasperation.

-Look Lion, it's already been two fucking days, okay? I'm not telling you to
get over it but it's about time you fucking got off the couch.

-Jenna sure is devastated and all because of me, all for not being herbeciently
good for her...fucking money and fucking social class.

-It's just that who would think of getting involved with the daughter of a tycoon,
you have to be an asshole- that was the magnificentbeLuca's contribution to the
conversation to which Lion threw an empty beer can at Luca's head.

He had to do something to get these idiots back together, as screwed up as Lion was,
he wasn't a person if he wasn't with Jenna.

-You are wrong if you think that Jenna is lying on her bed crying for you. I said
washing my hands in the sink.

That caught Lion's attention, who sat up on the sofa and looked at me- She's
with Noah on the beach, they were going out for the last time with their class
before they left for university.

- What's with those posh assholes from that fucking sissy school? I raised

my eyebrows at him condescendingly.

-Don't look at me like that, taking away from you they are all complete assholes. -
He jumped up from the sofa and went to the bathroom-it takes me five minutes,
then you take me to that posh beach you usually go to.
I put the bag on the ground and smiled at Luca, amused. At least he had
gotten her off the couch. I would give him what he deserves for calling me a
posh asshole and a complete sissy.

I have to confess that I didn't like that Noah was drinking with his kind on the
beach either. And as much as I had promised myself that I was going to leave her
alone, a part of me had used the pretext of Jenna and Lion so that I could go and
see that everything was okay... that she was okay, to be more exact. .

The small gathering was held at the home of one of Noah's classmates, Elena
I don't know what, who had her own private beach...

Like everyone, go.

I parked at the door of his house, noting that there were more cars than necessary
for a small gathering. When we entered, there were more than a hundred people,
almost all of them in swimsuits and with very loud music resounding through all
the rooms. Lion looked so out of place surrounded by all these people that I forced
him out to the back.

There by the shore two bonfires had been made and a large group were sitting
around them, burning clouds and drinking directly from the bottle.

"I thought she was crying and look at her" Lion said pointing to two girls who
were walking along the shore, holding onto each other and dragging a bottle of
what appeared to be tequila.

Jenna and

Noah. Brilliant .

We approached them and as soon as they saw us their faces were stunned and
then they started laughing out loud.

"Look who we have here, Noah, asshole number 1 and asshole number 2" Jenna
said smiling as she raised the bottle to her mouth and made a disgusted face.

Both were dressed in skimpy shorts and a bikini top.

Fuck.

"I like my asshole" Noah said, letting go of Jenna and moving closer to me. She
threw her arms around my neck and I held her carefully.

"Fuck, freckles, thank goodness it was going to be a simple meeting," I said,

brushing her precise disheveled hair away from her face.
I watched as Lion carefully approached Jenna.

- Hey, Jenn, can we talk?" Lion said, suddenly nervous.

Jenna watched him as if she were looking at an insect under a microscope.

"Sorry, asshole number 2, but I don't feel like it," he blurted out, staggering
dangerously to the side.

- Am I supposed to be jerk number 1?-I asked annoyed and Noah started

laughing next to me.

- Can I at least take you home? You're very drunk, Jenna" Lion said holding
her when he thought she was going to fall.

- Let go of me!” she yelled, then pulling away and falling back on her ass
onto the sand.

Noah twisted in my arms for me to release her.

- Leave her, Lion!

I watched the scene carefully. I knew my friend more than myself. He was so pissed
off by the whole situation that his reaction didn't surprise me. I would have acted
the same way.

She crouched down so big she was and slung Jenna over one shoulder.

- What are you doing?! Let go of me, homoerectus! -She yelled like crazy,
letting the bottle fall on the sand but without getting, despite her efforts, that my
friend let go.

-You can call me by all the intellectual insults you want, but you come with me.

Noah turned to me with pink cheeks.

- Do something!" he yelled at me and I took a step forward when I saw his

clear intention to intervene.

-He called it homoerectus, I can't get in after that, men have our pride, you know?

Noah glared at me and I laughed as I picked her up by her knees and carried her to
the fire pit, the one with the fewest people.

-You have to let them talk, freckles, otherwise they will never be fixed.
Noah was shivering from the cold and her drunkenness allowed her to forget about
her anger because as soon as I sat with her on top of me she snuggled into my arms
and let the fire warm us.

"I'm drunk," he said then as a hand slipped under my shirt and began to caress my
abdomen.

"Don't tell me, I hadn't noticed," I replied sarcastically.

Around us there were several couples cuddling and in the distance the lights
coming from the big house illuminated the sand giving it a ghostly color. The
music barely reached where we were and the noise of the waves and the fresh smell
of the sea made it possible for me to breathe calmly for the first time in days.

Looking at the flames of the fire I caressed Noah's back gently.

I felt how his lips reached my jaw and how he gave me small kisses until he
delicately reached my ear.

"You look very handsome" she said with a thick voice and a shiver ran through her
entire body. I separated from her for a few seconds and took off my sweatshirt. I
carefully forced her arms into the sleeves until I zipped them all the way to the top.

She pushed herself up until she was sitting astride me with her knees on either side
of my hips. His eyes searched mine until our gazes met.

"You have beautiful eyes" she told me placing her little hands on my cheeks.

I smiled amused.

"You're very flattering tonight" I said caressing her legs with my hands and having a
little fun seeing her drunk.

As long as he didn't vomit on me, I'm fine.

-But it's true... they are that beautiful color... so clear...- she seemed

lost for a few moments.

"They're blue, love," I helped her by kissing the tip of her nose.

-Very blue... sometimes you look at me and paralyze me, it's as if you were freezing
me on the spot, and I was left without thoughts...everything disappears except
you.-he approached until our foreheads touched. its pretty
Honey eyes fixed on mine and our gazes were captivated by each other.

I felt a chill run through me.

I want my children to have your eyes.

I blinked several times as if the bubble we seemed to have gotten ourselves into
had been punctured. My heart stopped for a moment and I felt something warm
run through me inside. All this accompanied by something he couldn't explain.

I closed my eyes and pushed her towards me, carefully, until my lips collided with
hers.

"I'll do everything I can" I whispered next to her lips and I saw how a smile was
drawn on them.

A second later he rested his head on my shoulder breathing against my neck.

"Tomorrow a year will have passed..." he said melancholy and his lip trembled
slightly.

- A year of what?-I asked without understanding, but she closed her eyes
and fell asleep.

I got up carrying her until I sat her in my car. I had already hadbethis is
yourbecient for today. She had no idea where Lion was but she couldn't be his
babysitter forever. He would know what he was doing. I put the car in gear and
headed to my father's house. Noah was so drunk that she didn't even want to
imagine the hangover she would have the next day. I suppose it was to be expected
that she would drink, she was eighteen years old, but I had never been amused to
see her like this.

Much to my regret, I decided to return to stay the night at my father's house. A

couple of days from now, it would be me and Noah in my apartment, and I could
only count the minutes to go.
Chapter 35

NOAH

Today was not going to be a good day, I knew it as soon as I opened my eyes that
morning. Not only because of the hangover, the headache and the incredible urge
to vomit, but because today was one year since my father died because of me.

I got out of bed feeling like my stomach was complaining from all the alcohol
intake that I put into my body the night before and I stumbled to the bathroom to
get into the shower. I didn't even remember getting to my room. I had drunk so
much tequila that I think it was alcohol instead of blood that coursed through my
veins.

She remembered that Nick had arrived…and Lion.

I was going to have to call Jenna and see how it had ended, but not today... today I
wasn't going to talk to anyone, today I was going to shut myself up in my room
with my inner demons and cry for the father who had never loved me, cry for him.
the person who had tried to kill me and mourn the girl who never got her father to
love her.

I know I was an idiot to keep thinking about him, but his words and the guilt that
lived with me after his death wouldn't go away, my nightmares were part of my
nights and sometimes haunted me during the day.

I had loved him. Did that make me a monster? Was I a monster for loving the
person who hit my mother and hurt her every day? Was I crazy for still thinking
that if I had behaved differently my father would still be alive?

I closed my eyes under the water and sponged my body. I felt dirty inside, I hated
those thoughts, sometimes it was as if another person was inside me, forcing me to
be a masochist, forcing me to behave in a way that neither I nor my late father
deserved. Because he didn't deserve my tears, he didn't deserve me to feel sorry for
him...

It didn't matter how many times he'd taken me to the park, or how many times
he'd taken me fishing... It didn't matter that he'd been the one who'd taught me to
drive even when I didn't get to the pedals, the one who'd made me love watching
him run. and win.

It had been my father and in my childish mind, in my twisted childish mind I

had looked the other way every time that man
he mistreated my mother. He did not understand my way of thinking or acting, I
tried to analyze myself from another perspective and nothing made sense.

Those months that I spent in the foster home, I had missed my mother, yes, of
course, but also him...

I had missed that he treated me better than her, in a horrible way I had liked being
different, to see that my father never hurt me, that he loved me more than anyone,
that I was special to him... Of course everything fell apartbebecause it ended up
hurting me... a lot of damage.

The memories, the conversations, came back to me without me being able to do

anything to remedy it.

- You're bad! -one of the girls from the foster home had yelled at me. There
were five of us and a small child who had stayed in that horrible, rotten house
with fake parents who neither loved us nor took care of us.

- You have taken my doll! -I yelled trying to make myself heard over the
cries of the blonde girl who was next to us-

If you annoy me, that's what happens, hasn't anyone taught you!?

- You shouldn't have hit her!-the dark-haired girl, the one with those pretty
braids, kept accusing me with her dirty finger as she hugged her four-year-old
sister who was crying with a red cheek after the slap I had given her.

The other two girls, who were seven and six years old respectively, stood behind
Alexia, the brunette with the braids.

I hated to see how they wanted her and not me.

I had only claimed what was mine, that little girl had taken my doll by force, I
had to hit her for it, right?

That's what you did when you misbehaved.

"You're bad, Noah, and nobody likes you," Alexia said, standing up to her medium
height. She was almost as tall as me, we were both the oldest of the children that
were in that house but she had a fierce look that I was unable to imitate. Despite
having hit that girl, I just wanted us to be friends, I had tried to explain to her that
as soon as I finished playing she could keep my doll, that we should have shared it
but she had taken it from me, she had torn it out of my hands.
"Don't let anyone talk to her," she said, turning to the others. "From now on
you'll be alone, because bullying girls like you deserve to be without anyone who
loves them, you're bad and ugly!

I felt tears come to my eyes, but I was not allowed to cry. My father had made it
very clear to me, only the weak cried, my mother was weak because she cried, I was
not.

- YOU'RE BAD! YOU'RE BAD! YOU'RE BAD! YOU'RE BAD!

YOU'RE BAD!

The other girls joined in the song, even the little girl who had been crying now
smiled and sang along with the others. I grabbed my wrist tightly and ran away.

I got out of the shower trying to erase those memories.

Looking in the mirror Ibeje on my tattoo My finger ran it up and down, it was
small, but significant.befit a lot.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm down, I didn't want all this to overcome
me, I had already done it at the time, I couldn't let this affect me again.

Just then there was a knock on the bathroom door.

"Noah, I'm Nick," I heard.

I squeezed my eyes shut and mentally counted to three.

I walked over to the door and let him in. I didn't know he had stayed the night.

I turned my back on him, wrapped in my towel, and picked up the cream that was
on one of the shelves. I didn't want company, not today, today I needed to be
alone.

- Are you okay?-he said approaching-Yesterday you had too much drink,
you were like a Cuba, Noah.

"My head hurts" I said walking around him and going to my room. I knew that he
would follow me, and I only hoped that he would understand that today was not a
good day. Sometimes we were able to sense our moods, and I hoped today was
one of those days.

I went into the closet and passed around a commercial T-shirt I had from when I
had moved into that house. They were the few things that I had not wanted to put in
my suitcases to take me to college. That and some leggings was what I planned to
wear that day.
I felt him behind me just as I was removing the towel from my head and my damp
hair fell over my shoulder.

His hand circled my arm and he turned me to face him.

- Are you alright?" he repeated to me while his hand brushed my wet hair
off my shoulder.

"I'm just tired and I have a hangover" I said observing how at that moment he was
the opposite of me. In his Levis jeans and white Calvin Klein T-shirt and tousled
hair, he looked like a runway model.

-I made you something for breakfast before I left- he said kissing me on the
cheek- I would like to stay with you and spend the afternoon watching a
movie, but I have to go to work.

I sighed in relief. I didn't want him to see me in that state, today I wasn't for
company, I would end up scaring him.

-Don't worry, I'll spend the afternoon sleeping.

I stepped forward and kissed him full on the mouth. It was a sweet and patient kiss,
a necessary kiss and I was grateful that atben and al cavo yes he had been able to
capture my humor.

It had been a long time since I spent hours in front of the television, watching
Friends and eating chocolate. But despite I don't know what scientific studybeco
said that eating chocolate released endorbesome happiness to the brain, in me it
was not working, more than adding the odd kilo to my body; not even seeing how
Monica danced when she was fat made me smile.

Today was my black day and as much as at first I had wanted Nick to go to work
now I missed him and needed with all my might to give me a hug.

I was surprised to see how busy they were in the kitchen when I went downstairs
for a soda…and more chocolate. My mother was dressed in a nice dress and
sandals, she had even put on makeup and when I saw William come through the
door in his work shirt and pants I knew something was up.

- Are you expecting someone for dinner?

My mother, who was giving instructions to Sophie, turned to me and looked me

up and down with a slight frown.

"Senator Cardwell and his daughter are coming to dinner tonight."

The senator?

- For any particular reason? Were you thinking of telling me?-My mother
usually warned me in advance of situations like this, unless she didn't want me to
be present.

"He's an old friend of Will's and they're looking at starting a business together.
Since you were feeling bad, I thought maybe you'd rather stay upstairs," she
added as she took off the apron she had fastened around her waist.

Goodness.

-Yes, the truth is thatbe"I wanted to skip dinner rather than sit down and talk
to an old man and his daughter, thank you," I said a little more grumpy than I
intended, today I wasn't there to deal with anyone.

My mother shot me an intimidating look that I dodged as best I could.

-I'll tell Sophie to bring you some dinner up to your room.

"Don't worry, I'm not hungry" I answered turning on my heels and going back to
my room. A little hesitantly I picked up the phone to call Nick. He knew that he
was working tomorrow and that he wasn't going to come here but he also knew
that it only took one call for him to come if I asked him to.

Hesitantly but terribly needing to hear her voice, I dialed her number.

"Hi, freckles," he said happily on the other end of the line.

"Hello, what are you doing?" I asked, testing the ground.

I heard him take the phone away from his ear and talk to someone. I heard a girly
giggle and a second later Nick growling about some awful song.

My body immediately tensed.

- Where are you?-I asked a little dryer than I intended but

who the hell was he with?

"Right now, going through the door," he said and I heard in the distance how a door
opened slowly.

- Where from?

- How from where? From my father's house.

I widened my eyes and ran out of my room.

I was here?

I went downstairs and went to greet him with a heavy heart. She had wanted to see
him right away and this had been like express delivery. I didn't even stop to think
what his words meant.beThey didn't even fit into the women's voices he'd heard
on the other end of the line. I left the house with the intention of throwing myself
into her arms, but instead I ran into her.

I stood still by the door.

She was elegantly dressed in a tight, black, knee-length pencil skirt and a
pale pink designer blouse.

Her shoes were most likely Manolo Blahniks and they made her almost as tall as
Nick. He was wearing a dark blue suit and that tie that I liked so much... the truth
is that seeing them face to face, one next to the other and with her hand resting on
his arm so as not to trip on the stairs was like a slap in the face

Who the hell was that girl?

Nick's eyes landed on me a few seconds later and I watched them go from
amazement to affection immediately.

I stood where I was, with the door open from the outside and the draft coming in
hitting me directly on my face cleared by the messy bun I had done on the top of
my head.

I stepped back so they could enter.

"Noah, this is Sophia Cardwell, my practice partner," Nick said, introducing me as

he stepped forward and gave me a tender kiss on the cheek.

Sophia looked at me with a curious smile on her perfect plump lips and held out
her hand, manicured as perfect as my mother's.

-Lovely, Noah.

I nodded intimidated and feeling completely out of place.

Without giving me time to answer, my mother appeared as perfect as ever.betriona

and came over to greet the new arrivals.
As she did so her eyes drifted to me, as if she hadn't been planning on her rickety
daughter being the one to answer the door.

What the hell was happening?

-Your father hasn't arrived yet Sophia, if you want to go to the living room and have
a drink, Nick can serve you a drink.

Sophia nodded and started to follow my mother. Before Nick followed her I
literally drilled into him with my gaze. Now that the initial shock had passed, all
she felt was rage, rage, and a horrible desire to scream.

- Why didn't you tell me you were coming?

Nick looked just as confused as I did and his eyes drifted from my face to my
commercial T-shirt and leggings.

God... please. Had he just opened the door for the senator's daughter looking like
that?

-I thought your mother had told you, they called me this afternoon to tell me that I
had to invite Sophia to dinner, that her father wanted to meet me or I don't know, I
thought you knew, I was going to introduce her, she was the one who took Jenna out
of the jail.

So that was the damn coworker. I wish she was fat, ugly and with a mustache and
not a Victoria's Secret model with Latino features and beautiful brown eyes.

-Nobody told me you were coming, otherwise I wouldn't have said I wasn't
having dinner with them-I answered while listening to my mother talking to
Sophia in the living room-I'm not going to go in there looking like this, I'm going
to bed and I'm already You talk when this is over.

Without letting me take three steps, I already had him in front of me.

-No way, go up, change your clothes and go down to dinner, I accepted this crap
dinner just because you were going to be there, I don't know what they're up to but
I'm not going to be there just talking about trivialities.

I raised my eyebrows and glared at him.

- It's not my problem, Nicholas!-I said trying to keep my tone calm-You

should have called me, besides, why had you never told me about her? You seem
very friendly and she is quite cute.

Mona was an understatement, but fuck it, I wasn't going to drag it out.
Nick paused for a moment, frowning. He looked over to where Sophia and
my mother were talking, then back to me.

"Damn, are you jealous?" he said rolling his eyes.

I gave him a slap on the arm that came almost instantly...

- But what the hell do you say?

Nicholas let out a laugh that was his reason.beenough for my bad mood to
immediately go to another level.

-For God's sake, I can hardly stand her, she's an unbearable posh who wants to
gain a foothold in my father's company so she doesn't have to work for hers, I can't
believe you're jealous of her.

- I'm not jealous, idiot!

I nearly yelled at him as I circled him up the stairs to my room.

-If you don't come down, I'll go directly to look for you and I'll drag you, so you'll
know what you're doing, love.

If looks could kill I think Nicholas would be underground right now.

I looked frustrated at my refllook in the mirror I wasn't going to get ready for that
damn dinner, no way, I wasn't going to get ready for her.

I yanked off my holey T-shirt and left it lying on the floor while I looked at what
the hell I could wear without having to unpack one of the suitcases that were all
over the closet. I ended up putting on some skinny black jeans, the simple kind
you wear to the movies, with a white T-shirt that said I love Canada.

I smiled to myself. I'm sure the senator loved that.

I took off my bun and changed it to a high ponytail, washed my face and put cocoa
on my lips. That was all, that was the most he intended to change that night. That
Sophia could go for Chanel if she wanted to, I was pretty in anything... or so my
grandmother told me.

When I went down to the living room, in a foul mood, it must be said, I heard the
voice of a third man I hadn't heard before. I guess he was Sofíiiiia's father.

Lengthening the i wasn't going to make me like her any better, but in my mind it
helped.
The four of them, William, my mother, Nick and Sofia, were around the lounge
bar, with Will pouring drinks and chatting amicably. Seeing them from afar they
all looked like they were taken from a magazine, so distinguished, tall and elegant.
I looked down at my Nike sneakers and couldn't help but frown and feel
completely like an interloper.

My mother saw me first, and her eyes widened slightly.beI put my shirt on but
before I could send myself upstairs, Will caught sight of me and a smile spread
across his face.

-Noah, come closer, I introduce you to a close friend from college, Riston,
she is my stepdaughter Noah, Noah this is my friend Riston.

Unlike his daughter, Riston couldn't have been more American, blond, light-eyed
like my mother, broad-shouldered, and as tall as Nick, I could only see that he had
the same slanted eyes and that little dimple on his chin as Sophia. .. a dimple that
I had always found adorable on girls but now that I looked at it on her it seemed
more like a hole than anything else.

I smiled and offered him my hand. I felt Nick's presence next to me like a blanket
covering me, but instead of feeling warm and protective, this time it was like a
blanket separating us.

It didn't take long for us to make our way to the dining room, where Sophie had
set the table even better than at Christmas, an event the Leisters had chosen to
ignore until my mother and I arrived to turn their worlds upside down. I still
remembered how much fun it was to see Will and Nick wearing Santa hats and
also Nick's scowl when I literally made him decorate every corner of that mansion
with garlands and decorated pine trees. The wise guy had only enjoyed putting
mistletoe in the most remote corners.

Much to my annoyance, and because of my last-minute placement of my plate, I had

been seated next to the senator, leaving Sophia and Nick sitting across from
me…together.

God...

Why was she so jealous? Was it because of how hard it was for me to avoid
comparing her to myself?

Nick was aware of my bad mood, I suppose of all those present he was the only
one capable of feeling my waves of resentment crossing his radar. And as much as
he tried to include me in the conversation, we all knew that I didn't fit in there at
all.

They spent dinner talking about I don't know what project in which Sophia seemed
expressly excited. He spoke of laws, numbers and
statistics with the same passion that I spoke of the Bronte Sisters, or Thomas
Hardy. AND

To my regret, Nick also seemed excited, I saw in his eyes that this project really
interested him, and I wasn't even able to follow them in the conversation... so
many numbers made me dizzy and I felt like a complete idiot.

went to thebeend of dinner when Senator Riston appearedbelean on me

- And you, what, Noah, how was school?

His question caused an intense heat to well up inside me and settle on my cheeks.
Was it so obvious that he had no idea what they were talking about? Was it so
obvious that I wasn't as grown up as their daughter and they had to ask me out of
pity, atbeend of the conversation, such as when talking to children about how they
are doing in school?

"I graduated last June, so good, eager to go to college" I replied, bringing to my

mouth the only glass filled with soda on the table.

Nick's eyes met mine across the table and I felt a stab of pain in my chest.

I couldn't share his projects with him, because I had no idea they even existed;
Nick wouldn't talk to me about work, because he knew I wasn't going to be able
to help him at all...

At that moment Sophia leaned towards him to say something in his ear, I don't
know what it was, but Nick smiled and looked at me.

What the hell were they talking about? And you, bitch, get away from him,

he's mine. The senator's next question reached me halfway.

-...you're going to love the residency, it's the most fun part of going to college... My

gaze turned to the senator.

"I'm going to live with Nicholas so I guess my fun will fall on other less collective
activities" I blurted out full of rage and with a voice so calm that I only began to
feel dizzy when silence took over the room interrupted only by my cutlery. mother
falling on the plate.

Nick looked up at me with wide eyes and then back at our parents. The senator
seemed a bit
lost, and he looked in my direction and then turned to Nick... wow, someone
forgot to tell him that we were dating.

Sophia didn't seem surprised, which pissed me off even more. If she knew we were
dating, why the hell hadn't she stayed away from him?

I let my eyes drift to my mother a few seconds after dropping the bombshell and
regretted it almost immediately.

He was going to die tonight, it was clear.

 Chapter 36

NICK

WhenbeI set my eyes on Noah after Sophia told me we made a good couple, the
last thing I thought would come out of his mouth was what he blurted out next.

My whole body tensed, the silence that came with it after Noah admitted
outright.ben who was coming to live with me was only interrupted a minute later by
Noah's chair sliding back and standing up.

"If you'll excuse me, I'm not feeling very well, I'd better go to bed," he said with a
white face and without waiting for an answer, he left the room almost
immediately. His mother made the move to get up but my father took her hand
and whispered something to her in a very low voice. Rafaella pierced me with her
blue eyes and I felt suddenly dizzy.

Actually, I was glad that forben Noah would have decided to confess to his mother
what he had been asking of her all summer, but that had not been the best way.

Fuck, Noah, dropping the stone and hiding the hand, that wasn't what I expected for
a situation like this.

I needed to talk to her, I needed to know what the hell was happening to her
today, she was weird, since I had seen her this morning I knew something was
wrong, that's why I had decided to accept the damn dinner, to have an excuse to
see her and stay here. to sleep again. As much as I hated this house, I loved having
breakfast with Noah, and kissing her before I left for practice.

Also, something told me that apart from the jealousy that he seemed to feel for
Sophia, something ridiculous and without any foundation, he was hiding something
important from me...

My father warned me with a look to stay where I was when I also made the
move to get up.

Sophia, who was aware of what was happening, quickly brought up another
topic of conversation and the situation stopped seeming so awkward... until I
heard the noise of the front door slamming shut.

Shit.
I got up without caring about anything at all and ran towards the entrance. As I
stepped out onto the porch, I watched as Noah pulled his convertible out of its
parking space and, without looking back, almost ran down the exit ramp.

What was he doing?

I went into the house to collect the keys that I always left on the front table.
Rafaella appeared out of nowhere, and the look she gave me was such that I had
to stop for a moment before leaving.

"I asked you to go slowly," he said, looking at me as he had never done before. I
think she just lost whatever kind of affection that woman still had for me.

-Rafaella...

"I asked you and I promised not to interfere in your relationship in exchange for
that," he said, taking a step in my direction. "I suppose that the agreement we
reached a few days ago has become obsolete."

And what was that supposed to mean?becar?

-Go and bring her back... today is not the day for her to be alone.

Something lit up in my brain when he told me that.

- What do you mean?

Rafaella watched me impassively.

-Today it's been a year since the kidnapping... it's been a year since your father died.

He had no idea where he could have gone. I was walking around like a complete
idiot while I kept berating myself for having been so blind. Yesterday when she was
drunk she had told me, damn, that's why she was the way she was, but why did it
affect her so much? I didn't understand what was happening to Noah with his
father, I was trying with all my might to understand what she was still afraid of
him, because the nightmares continued to exist no matter how much she denied it,
and I was sure she was still sleeping with the light on. when I wasn't with her. But
his father was dead, he was gone, there was nothing to hurt him anymore; that son
of a bitch... a year ago today, a year since I had taken her from me and hurt her.

I still remember the terror in her eyes when the gun was pointed directly at her
head, I still remember how my heart almost jumped out of my chest when I heard
the shot... the shot that for a few seconds I thought had been for Noah.
That nightmare was behind me, I had buried it deeply in my mind, I didn't want to
remember any of it again, it drove me crazy just thinking about what could have
happened. Why didn't Noah bury it too? Why didn't he bury all those bad
memories once and for all...?

It was then, after those thoughts, when I thought I knew where my girlfriend
was. I felt a chill run up and down.

Please noah not be there.

I hurriedly turned in the direction of the cemetery.

When I arrived and saw Noah's car parked alone in the gravel parking lot next to
the gate of that place, I breathed a sigh of relief and hurried down. I had never
been to that cemetery, my parents' relatives rested in a private mausoleum on the
other side of the city, it was a beautiful cemetery, with large expanses of grass,
trees and very well cared for. It cost a small fortune to have your loved ones there
but now that I saw the public cemetery for the first time I guess it was worth
investing in.

I didn't like the idea of ​Noah alone, at night, and in a place like that. I turned off
the car and got out aware of the coolness of the night and that Noah had come out
simply in what he had been wearing to dinner. I had had to stop myself from
laughing when I saw her in that shirt and I think I loved her a little more if that's
possible because of her beautiful simplicity and beauty. She didn't need to dress up
to be beautiful and she showed me that every day.

I started walking around the tombstones looking for Morgan's last name.
Headstones were almost always arranged in alphabetical order in these places,
although he wasn't entirely sure. It was huge and there were very few trees. Many
of the tombstones were very dilapidated and very few of them hadflflowers or
some reminder that people remembered them.

So after pacing restlessly for about ten minutes, I saw her. There she was, sitting
on the grass in front of a tombstone that she couldn't read from a distance. I
watched her for a few moments before approaching. She was hugging her legs
tightly and when I saw that she was wiping away her tears with the back of her
hand, I approached her, closing the distance in less than a breath.

She heard me coming because she got up quickly, her eyes wide, vulnerable, and
lost. She wiped away her tears quickly, I even thought I saw some guilt when
shebeHe finally decided to look at me.

"You shouldn't be here," I couldn't help but say.

Noah remained silent and a chill ran through her entire body. I took a step forward
as I took off my jacket. I scowled at her before she backed away and slipped the
garment over her shoulders.

"You shouldn't have followed me," he said.ben not daring to look me in the eye
again.

-It's a hobby that I have... especially when my girlfriend decides to drop a bomb in
the middle of a dinner and run away afterwards.

I thought I saw some guilt cross his face but he immediately pulled himself together.

-There was leftover in that stupid dinner and you seemed to be very comfortable.

I wasn't going to let him beat around the bush. As jealous as I was of Sophia, this
had nothing to do with her or us moving in together, it was something much
bigger and more important than all of that.

"Why have you come here, Noah?" I asked, taking a step towards her and wishing
with all my might to understand her, "Explain to me why you mourn the death of a
man who tried to kill you, explain to me, because I think I'm going to go crazy."
trying to understand all this.

His eyes moved away from me and focused on the tombstone. Suddenly I noticed
her nervous.

"Can we go?" he said then, coming forward to take my hand "I want to go, please,
take me home or to yours, I don't care, I just want to get out of here" he asked
pulling my arm and turning my body to to follow her

I ignored his request and turned on my heel. Noah's father's headstone was new
and very clean, and in front of it was a glass jar withflorange and yellow flowers
stood out from the other tombstones full of dirt and weeds. The inscription read as
follows: Jason Noah Morgan (1977-2014) "Time can heal the anguish of the
wounds you left, but the absence of your being will always haunt me while I sleep"

Beneath those words the engraved pattern of a figure-of-eight knot stood out
against the immaculate marble.
Chapter 37

NOAH

His fingers around my handflThey let go and a second later he released me as if

my contact burned him. I felt my heartbeat pick up almost to a fever pitch.

Nicholas shouldn't have seen that.

WhenbeFinally he decided to face me I saw in his eyes that he was completely lost
and angry, but above all scared. I didn't like that look at all.

"It's not what you think" I said taking a step back. "You look at me like I'm crazy.

This was what she had been running from all along, this was what she didn't want
him to know...

-Explain to me right now why you decided to get that tattoo, Noah... I'm really
trying to understand you, I don't think I've ever tried something with so much
effort but you're making it very difficult for me.

I felt ashamed, ashamed because this topic was something so intimate, so mine... I
didn't want to be judged by anyone, least of all by him.

"What do you want me to tell you, Nick?" I said trying to control the urge to cry that
threatened to fill my face with tears again. "It was my father...

"He tried to kill you!" he yelled at me, making me jump. "He mistreated your
mother, Noah, what the hell is wrong with you?" Do you miss him, do you miss that
son of a bitch?

His words were crude, and they hurt me, I didn't need that right now.

-You wouldn't understand Nicholas, because I don't even know how to control what
I feel, I don't miss him, it's different...

I just feel guilty because things ended like this... he he

he loved me

Nick took three steps in a row to reach me. He took my face in his hands and forced
me to look at him.behe admits.
"I didn't love you, Noah," she said withbefirmness-He didn't, he never loved you,
the problem is that you're too good, damn, you can't blame him because he was
your father, and I understand, okay?, but you weren't to blame for what
happened.. It was he whobeI signed his sentence the moment he pointed that gun
at you... thebermo the instant he laid a hand on you that night ten years ago.

I shook my head.

-It was different with me, I know it's hard for you to believe me but... he swore he
wouldn't hurt me and he did and I think that always followed him until he saw me
and...

I had no idea how to explain myself, I didn't know how to explain what I felt
inside, because everything was contradictory...

he'd hurt me…but what about all those times he'd held me, all those nights he'd
taken me to the track and we'd sprinted…and when he taught me how to fish… or
when he taught me to tie our knot...?

Nicholas squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his forehead against mine.

"You're still afraid of him, right?" he said then, opening his eyes. "You're still afraid
of him, even though he's dead, you still believe that you owe him something, you feel
guilty and that's why you came here, that's why you wrote that epitabeor and that's
why you brought thoseflpray that he does not deserve.

My lip began to quiver…yes I was afraid of him…I was afraid of him more than
anyone because that was almost all I had ever known of him.

I was afraid of him and I was grateful that he had never laid his hand on me... that's
why I didn't understand why we had ended up like this, because he had decided to
go after me. What happened to his promise?

I wasn't aware of my hand going up to my tattoo until Nick placed his hand over
mine and pulled it away.

-Why did you do it?

I sighed trying to calm down but it was no use. I knew very well why he had done it
to me.

I looked into Nick's eyes and saw my reflejo in them... a reflI say that he did
not agree with me, he did not agree at all.

-When you tie a person too tight...they get hurt when they break free or they get
trapped forever. I am one of those who get stuck.
Nicholas frowned and looked at me helplessly. I think it was the first time I saw him
speechless.

I walked over to him and put my arms around him. I didn't want him to feel this
way, I didn't want this for him, I dealt well with my problems, he didn't have to
worry.

-I think you need help, Noah. When

he said that I pulled away.

-What do you mean?

He eyed me warily before continuing to speak.

-I think you should talk to someone impartial... someone who can help you and who
tries to understand how you feel, who helps you with the nightmares.

"You help me" I cut him off immediately.

Nicholas shook his head, he seemed so sad all of a sudden...

-I don't... I don't know how to do it, I don't know how to make you understand that
you're wrong, that there's nothing you should be afraid of.

-When I'm with you I feel safe, you help me, Nick, I don't need anyone else.

Her hands went to her head, she seemed to be considering what to say next.

"I need you to do it for me," he released then, "I need to see you happy so I can be,
I need you not to fear the dark or your dead father and much more than that I need
you to stop believing that you must love him or that you must defend him because
Noah , your father was a bastard and an abuser and no one can change that,
neither you nor anyone else, do you understand?

I shook my head slowly, I felt lost... I didn't know what to answer because this was
the first time I had admitted these feelings out loud and what I feared the most was
happening, that they were judging me.

I want you to go to a psychologist.

He said it so seriously, so dry, so cold, almost like an order.

"I'm not crazy" I said pushing him away with my hands.

Nicholas quickly denied it.

-Of course you're not, damn it, the problem is that you have a childhood trauma
that you've never gotten over, and after what happened a year ago, when you stir
up your past, you're worse off and I don't think you know how to deal with it..
Noah, I just want you to be happy, okay? Fully happy, and I have sworn to myself
that I will protect you but I can't fight your demons, you have to do that alone.

"Going to a shrink?" I answered rudely.

-Psychologist, not a shrink-he corrected me sweetly as he approached me again-I

went to one, you know? When I was little... after my mother left I started to have
insomnia, hardly slept, and also didn't eat, I was so sad that I was unable to get
over it by myself. Sometimes talking to someone who doesn't know you helps to
see things in perspective...

do it for me, freckles, I need you to at least try.

He seemed so worried about me... and I hated feeling like a freak so much, not being
able to be in the dark and those nightmares that haunted me almost always...

-Please.

I watched him for a few moments and realized that this would do it for him.
I didn't want her to think I was crazy or traumatized or anything like that
because I wasn't. She would go to the shrink, comply, and if he felt calmer,
then it would have been worth it.

-Okay, I'll go.

I felt his sigh of relief on my lips as he leaned in.bermly to kiss me.

I didn't want to go home, but I didn't tell Nick because I knew what he would
say. My mom was going to be in a rage and the last thing I wanted to do right
now was face her.

"I screwed up, haven't I?" I said running my hands over my face after Nick told me
what my mother had told him before leaving the house.

I felt his fingers caress the back of my neck as he kept his eyes on the road.

-In the way of telling him, perhaps, but at least you have.
I turned to look at him. God... we were going to live together, really, it was already
done, and it would be already. If I wanted to, I could just grab my stuff today and
head out the door. I knew my mom wasn't going to forgive me and a part of me was
scared to death about it but at least I was going to have Nick all to myself.

The image of Sophia Aiken came to mind and jealousy resurfaced without
meaning or logic. I had never felt like this and I guess it was because that girl was
everything I was ever going to be and I felt totally insecure with her hanging
around.

"About...your practice partner" I said doubtfully and tensed a little when he decided
to look away from the glass to focus on me "do you spend a lot of time together?"

Okay, she had tried to make the question sound casual and light hearted but it
hadn't worked, she had sounded like a jealous girlfriend. Spot.

Nick sighed next to me and that bothered me. He was not the one to be furious with
jealousy.

-We share an office, so it can be said that yes, although she handles different cases
from mine.

Nick parked the car by the driveway. Apparently the senator and his daughter had
already driven off because there were no cars other than Will and my mother's. We
had left mine in the cemetery... Nick had been adamant about me going back alone
and had told me that Steve would pick him up tomorrow.

Not wanting to get off, and still with an uncomfortable anguish in the center of my
chest, I rested my elbow on the handlebars and my face on the glass. Today had
been a horrible day.

"Come here," Nick said then, pulling me up and forcing me onto his lap, my feet
resting sideways on the other seat. He wrapped his arms around me and rested
my cheek on the crook of his neck.- Everything will be fine, love.

I closed my eyes and let his words soothe me.

I don't like you being with her.

-You have nothing to worry about, Noah, I feel absolutely nothing for Sophia, or
anyone other than you... How can you even think so?

I turned my neck a little and placed my lips on the soft skin of her clavicle. It
smelled so good... and I felt so safe in his arms, his arms
strong that protected me from everyone and at the same time cradled me as if it
could break me.

-You're mine, Nick.

It was the first time I had said something like that to him, unlike him, who
reminded me of it every moment. I understood why he did it, because when he
said it out loud hebethe words sprang

His hand cupped my chin and forced me to look at him.

-Repeat it.

I smiled.

You are mine and only mine.

His hand went under my shirt and squeezed me from behind.

-You've made me horny.

I laughed as he searched for my lips with his and what started out as a chaste, sweet
and affectionate kiss soon turned into something more and seconds later I was
panting in his arms as he stuck his tongue in my mouth, demanding a kiss. same
answer. My back collided with the steering wheel as his hands moved up my waist
and lifted up my shirt, giving me goosebumps.

"We should stop," I said when his mouth began to nibble hungrily at my neck, in
slow torture and his tongue replaced his teeth where he had nibbled my skin.

His hand slipped into my jeans and my back arched as I let out a ragged, almost
desperate breath.

Then I must have moved more than necessary because the horn blew loudly,
making us both jump almost exaggeratedly. I put my hand to my mouth as Nick
stopped and looked back at the house.

A second later we started laughing and I stepped away from the wheel and he hit
the lever on the seat to lean back so he had more room.

"I'd better come in," I said, holding her hand as she was trying to sneak through
forbidden places again.

His eyes seemed to say otherwise.

"Are you sure about that?" he said kissing my cheek and then the tip of my nose.

I smiled.

-Tomorrow I will take the suitcases to your house.

"Our house," he corrected me with such a wide smile that I giggled.

-Actually it's not a house, it's a flat, and it won't be ours until I pay half the rent.

Nicholas pulled away from my neck and stopped kissing him to fix his blue eyes on
mine.

"They are so wrong that I even think it's funny," he replied, censuring me with
his eyes beforehand.

-None of that.

No way, I didn't plan to do it, what's more, I had already sent several resumes to
bars and different places on campus to start working. My job at Bar 58 had come
to an end.ben a month before I finished high school and that because I needed to
study almost full time. Now, however, there was no excuse for me not to start
working again and I didn't care how Nicholas got.

"You're my girlfriend, not an immigrant, for God's sake," Nick said furiously
as he ran his hand over his face.

Besides, you couldn't afford it, I'm sorry, love, but I live alone in a rather expensive
area, it's not like paying for a student flat.

Had not thought of that.

"Is it so expensive?" I asked, looking at him.behe admits.

"About seven thousand dollars a month."

I opened my eyes scared. My goodness, I wouldn't even dream of earning that, I

wasn't even sure if I could earn that much when I graduated and had a degree under
my arm, much less now.

Damn rich.

"That's crazy, and the apartment isn't that bad either, you're wasting money," I
couldn't help but tell him.
Nick laughed.

"Are we going to discuss the rent seriously?" he said and I saw how he made the
feint of taking a cigarette out of the glove compartment of the car.

I smacked him on the hand.

-You know I like paying for things, Nicholas, I don't like the idea of ​you
supporting me, forget it, because that's never going to happen.

He frowned and I thought I saw how he contained his anger. Today was not the day
to continue arguing.

"What do you think if we come to an agreement?" he said then, placing both

hands on my thighs. "You take care of paying for the food and I pay for everything
else."

I rolled my eyes.

-That's not fair, I also want to pay for important things, like water and stuff...

Nick seemed to be reaching his limits of tolerance because he looked at me in that

peculiar way, the way that told me I was basically messing with his balls.

Do you want to pay for expensive things? It's fine with me, I don't eat just
anything, you've already seen how exquisite I am with food, it's not like you're
going to buy pre-cooked dishes so you're going to leave yourself a good peak in the
supermarket... if you still feel guilty you can cook you... I'm not going to complain.

I crossed my arms; I was outraged.

-We have not even gone to live together and we are already discussing what if taking
this step is our ruin?

Nicholas tensed under me.

-We always argue, it's our royo. I couldn't help but

laugh.

-Our red?

I saw how his eyes shone, infecting my smile -That and sex almost always go hand
in hand, you know, you make me very angry when you're angry... especially when
you cross your arms like that.
I slapped him but couldn't help but agree with him.

"Sex and fights... it's not like we're role models." I said in a low voice. He moved

closer until our noses touched.

-And all that I love you? Is not that enough for you?

"For now" I whispered against his lips.

At first Nick wasn't going to stay the night after what my mother had told him and
knowing how he would be the next day, but I needed him to take some of my
suitcases with him. She had packed too much, she was sure, but the longer it took
before she had to come back here, the better. My mother was going to need just
that, time, to get used to the idea that her daughter had gone to live with her
boyfriend…who was also her stepson.

Luckily we got up super early, plus Nick had to be in the office at eight. It was still
night when I walked him to the door while he lowered two of my suitcases, the
biggest ones.

"Have you killed someone and you haven't told me, freckles?" he said growling as
he picked up the biggest suitcase, a beautiful fuchsia pink, that Jenna had given
me when she herself had gone to buy suitcases to move. It amused me to compare
it with the other one, the battered brown one that I had used a year ago to move
into this house. I couldn't believe I was moving in again, especially not with Nick. I
felt the flutter of butterflies in my stomach.

As I watched him put more things in the trunk like my favorite pillow, a box full of...

odds and ends, it must be said, but obviously super important, and some of my
books, he turned with a dazzling smile lighting up his face.

"Right now I'd eat you whole, you know that?" he said approaching the steps
where I had sat patiently waiting for him to finish. She had a steaming cup of
coffee in her hands, her hair in a messy bun on top of her head, and a sweatshirt
that could practically have belonged to the monster family. To eat me would not
have been the word I would have chosen.

He came over to where I was and took the red straw from me to sip some coffee.
-Can you repeat to me why now you have taken to drinking your coffee with a
straw in the morning? I think it was not clear to me.

-I read in a magazine that coffee stains teeth, plus it's fun

Look what I'm doing?-I said as I took out the straw, covering the upper side with
my fingers and lifting it up to take it to her mouth. He opened it and lifting my
finger let the liquid spill out.

-Sometimes you seem more young than my sister.

I shrugged, repeating my feat as he closed the trunk of the car. He

approached me and I left the cup on the step standing up.

I opened my arms and wrapped my arms around his neck as he lifted me up off the
steps and held me level.

-Enjoy your last night sleeping alone, love... when you move in I don't think we'll get
much sleep.

I felt myself blush as all kinds of images of the two of us together... in his bed went
through my mind.

I bent down to kiss him just as the light from the upper deck came on.

"I'd better get going," Nick said, giving me a quick peek.

"See you tomorrow," I said as he set me back down on the steps and took out his car
keys.

"I'm looking forward to it, freckles," he said winking at me and getting into the
driver's seat.

God…was this crazy?

Chapter 38

NICK

I didn't have time to stop by the apartment to leave Noah's bags, so I left them in
the car and almost ran into the obechina.

As soon as I arrived I went straight to the coffee room. He had barely had time to
eat breakfast and he was starving. Seeing the Styrofoam cups reminded me of
Noah sitting in the doorway that morning with his straw and his cheeks red from
the cold and a complete idiot smile formed on my face.

"Who did you fuck to have that face, you bastard?" asked the asshole Niel, while
he gobbled up one of the donuts that the secretary always brought to everyone's
happiness.

"Shut up," I replied, bringing a donut filled with something to die for to my lips.

Just as I finished and passed my napkin across my mouth, Sophia made an

appearance.

I looked at her knowing that yesterday I had left her quite stranded, although it
wasn't that it had been my responsibility either, she was also with her father. I
nodded to her and walked past her, intending to leave.

He got in my way and looked at me awkwardly.bein view of.

-Do you know what is the funniest thing about being invited to dinner at a dinner
that you don't feel like at all and being left alone with your father, your boss and his
wife?

I had to bite my cheek to keep from laughing. The truth is that seen like that, it
was funny and everything and a part of me enjoyed seeing her so pissed off.

"I'm all ears, Aiken" I said leaning against the table and crossing my arms. Behind
me I was sure that Niel was listening carefully, having fun and taking gossip to
later share it with his wife, that woman who made his life impossible but without
whom he would not survive more than two newscasts.
-That between the three of them they haven't stopped spouting bullshit about what a
good lawyer you are, the bright future you have ahead of you, the responsible and
mature son you've become...

The smile that had already formed on my face disappeared almost immediately and
I sat up, standing almost half a foot from her.

- What the fuck are you saying?

Sophia raised her eyebrows and walked around me to the coffee machine. I turned
around waiting for an answer.

-Apparently my father thinks she would be a magnificentbeI have no idea

that you and I would work together in the future... and you know what I
mean.beI mean when I say work.

I opened my eyes feeling an intense heat inside me.

- What bullshit have they put into your head? Did my father say that I was a
responsible and mature son? I don't know what the hell you had for lunch
yesterday before dinner but I'm sure you heard wrong. My father can't stand me.

Sophia turned again to face me as her red-painted lips took a deliberately slow sip of
coffee.

-My father loves to find me boyfriends, apparently it is his favorite pastime, and
William Leister's son has put it between his eyebrows, although it was not only
him, but also your stepmother, I think he adores you, although it is obvious that
he wasn't even damned amused that you slept with his daughter... and even less
that you went to live with her.

I clenched my fists tightly. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. That woman was
going to kill me. How the hell dare he suggest that I could even be interested in
Sophia, let alone having her daughter to compare to? What kind of mother was
trying to get the boyfriend her daughter was in love with to get involved with
someone else?

I squeezed the glass between my fingers, making it useless and trying to control
the rage that threatened to drive me crazy. He had not only played with us but had
disrespected us. Everyone at that table knew we were both dating. What the hell
was wrong with them?

Sophia came closer to me, her face a little more relaxed.

"It's obvious that you love her, Nick," he said, resting a hand on my
forearm. "But I tell you from experience that having a relationship that so
many people are willing to destroy...

It doesn't usually end well.

Saying this, he left without saying anything else.

I put my hands to my face trying to calm down and trying to ignore, again, all the
things that threatened to kill Noah and me. Since last night, since I had realized
how touched Noah was because of his father, a fear that was difficult to ignore had
taken over my being. It was one thing to fight tooth and claw against third parties
who insisted on making one of the two break off the relationship, but quite another
to fight against Noah and his past. and now that I understood that no one except us
was going to keep us going, I couldn't help but fear that it wasn't the right thing for
us.beaware of the effort we were putting in.

I could take everything, I could keep pulling this to the end.beFinally, I would
never stop doing it, I loved that girl so desperately that just thinking about being
without her drove me crazy, but what if Noah allowed himself to be fooled by third
parties?

And not just people what ifbeFinally that wall that trembled from time to time but
did not decide to finish breaking, stood even higher making it impossible for me to
reach it in the way I knew it was necessary?

I only had one thing clear: no one other than Noah was going to take me away from
him, no one.

Almost when I was about to go home. My boss came through the door. Sophia was
putting her things in her bag and I was turning off the laptop.

"I have good news for both of you," he said, looking at both of us furtively.

"I'm dying of intrigue," I said sarcastically. It was widely known that jenkins
bastard and I hated each other to death.

Basically because he held my position until I had the experience hisbeenough to

take his place and because he knew very well that the position he boasted of was
more than provisional.

Sophia stopped and looked at him with a peculiar gleam in her eyes. Sophia loved
our boss, and unlike me, she would go out of her way to do her job perfectly so she
could move up and have a higher position.

'There were two casualties on tomorrow's Rogers case and we've been asked to
send someone from here. If I remember correctly, you, Nicholas, wanted that case
but you dropped it because you had to stay in San Francisco; Well, the hard work is
already done, all you have to do is appear before the court and collaborate in the
defense. I'm sure you can learn a lot in a case like this.
-It's great, sir, when should we be there?-

Sophia seemed so excited that I wouldn't have been surprised to see her jump up
and down.

-I got you two tickets first thing in the morning. Shit.

- So fast? You can't let us know on such short notice, we have lives.
You know?

Jenkins ignored the tone in my voice and kept talking calmly.

-Despite what you're used to, the world doesn't revolve around you, Nicholas, the
case is tomorrow afternoon, so you have to be there as soon as possible, and if you
don't agree, I'm sure your father will be delighted. to listen to your complaints.

I slowly got to my feet, putting my fists on the table.

-I recommend that you don't bring up my father right now, J, because I'm not sure
you like to eat cement.

A disgusted grimace formed on his face and I knew that I was abusing my power,
being the boss's son, but it was either that or really break his face and that could
bring us serious problems.

"You're going to get a real reality check one day, Nicholas, and when you do, I'd
love to be around to watch it." -

Without letting me answer, he turned to Sofía-At five o'clock at the airport, and
you better not screw it up, because then one of the two of them will find
themselves out on the street!

Saying this, he left leaving me wanting to turn his face upside down.

Sophia's face appeared in front of me and I had to focus my eyes to focus on

whatever it was she was saying.

-...I'll be the one who pays for the dishes, did you hear me?

Get a hold of yourself, because I'm not going to lose my job because of you!

I deliberately ignored what he was saying and slammed the door out of the office.
Who was telling Noah now that I had to go to San Francisco with the same girl I was
jealous of and the one our parents had tried to set me up with?
Chapter 39

NOAH

The silence in which my mother seemed to be taking refuge did not bode well. This
calm before the storm worried me, and as I continued to pack, nearly finishing
packing everything, as Jenna went about listing all the bad things that could
happen if I moved in with Nick, I knew I had to start ignoring anyone who wanted
to comment on my relationship.

Jenna was anti-romance mode on; since she had left him with Lion, she had gone
from being a sea of ​tears to becoming a full-fledged feminist, ensuring that women
were very capable of moving on with our lives without a man by our side, that
today's world he was made to enjoy and not have any kind of ties, and of course
giving Lion was his favorite phrase for a few days.

-I was excited that now that we were going to go to the same college we would go
out at night and go to fraternities and do freshman college things.

He said helping me put things in boxes.

"I'm still planning on going to college, Jenna, only instead of sleeping in a dorm I'll
do it with my boyfriend."

Jenna rolled her eyes.

"As if Nicholas was going to let you go ofbeIt's until so many. I looked up

and looked at her.

"Nick is not my father, I can go wherever I want" I answered clearly.

-You say that now, as soon as you get used to it, you'll be one of those friends
whose hair is never seen and who spend all day with their boyfriends.

I let out a bitter laugh.

- How are you a few days ago?

Jenna stared at me with one of my books still in her hand.

"Breaking up with Lion is the best thing that could have happened to me" she said
and I knew she was convincing herself more than me-

Now I do what I want, I don't fight with anyone, except my idiot little brothers, I
don't have to feel guilty for who I am, what it meansbe"I've rented one of the
coolest rooms in the residence, one of those that are worth a lot and that even has
its own kitchen...yes, how do you hear it, and do you know what I bought today?"
he said, getting up the tight long skirt she was wearing-
Do you see these sandals?

I nodded letting him vent... in his own way.

- Do you know how much they cost me?

"No, I don't even want to know," I said getting up from the floor and folding
a blanket to place it in another box.

"Well, about six hundred dollars, yes sir, on these sandals that surely in a few weeks
I won't be able to use them anymore because it will be cold and my feet will get wet."

"It makes sense," I replied, following the game.

-Of course he has, because despite the fact that I have learned by looking at how
hard my EX boyfriend worked, seeing how he worked his ass off to keep his job and
his house, that money does not fall from the trees, and that there are many people
who do. they have a bad time, I know that almost all of them if they were in my
place, this is exactly what they would do, so why am I going to be such an idiot not
to take advantage of the fact that like almost all my friends I was born in a golden
cradle?

I looked up and locked on her.

-Because I have everything I want, right? I can buy whatever I want, I can choose
which university to go to, what's more, do you know that my father has decided to
buy a private plane? Yes, yes, as you hear, let me know when you want me to take
you somewhere... because I'm a millionaire and apparently money is the only
thing that matters to me...

His voice broke atbeend of the sentence and took a step forward.

Quickly and wiping away the tear that had fallen down her cheek, betraying her, she
pointed the book in her hand at me.

-IM perfectly. he said emphatically. Unlike many people, Jenna and I had
something in common and that was that we didn't like to show our feelings
openly, if we cried it was because we were really upset and by that I mean a lot.
she had to be lying to herself for her to cry in front of me.

-I know you don't want to talk about it, Jenn, but I really think this is only going to
be temporary, Lion loves you madly and you know-

"Don't go on that way, Noah" he cut me off again abruptly. Ours is over, I'm not
going back to that vicious circle, we both belong to different worlds, so forget about
it. Now I just want to hear about how drunk we're going to get every Friday and the
hot guys we're going to meet.

I didn't want to remind him that I wasn't single, but I let it slide. If what I needed
at that moment was a friendbemat by his side, that was what he would give him.
Always in moderate doses of course.

It didn't take long for him to leave and I took the opportunity to call Nick. We
hadn't spoken since yesterday when he left for the night and I needed to know
when he was coming to pick me up tomorrow. There were still some things that I
wanted to take with me and I preferred to count on his physical strength rather
than burden myself with all the things.

My answering machine came up so I left him a message letting him know that I
needed him tomorrow and that when he heard it he would call me.

Just as I was about to take off my clothes, take a shower, and go to bed for the last
night in that house, my mother showed up, and what I saw on her face as she
walked in made me brace myself for a good discussion.

-I've been waiting for you to come talk to me and confess that what you said at
dinner was a bad joke.

"It's not a joke, mom," I replied, crossing my arms.

My mother looked at all the suitcases on the floor and the boxes I was planning
to take with me.

-I've done my best to leave you to your own devices with all this of you going out
with Nicholas, what's more, I was willing to tolerate it but you've crossed a limit
without taking me or William into account and I'm not going to tolerate it.

I didn't like the way she talked to me, she did it like she was talking to a stranger
instead of me and I understood how pissed off she was; His words did nothing but
fuel my anger at his way of meddling in my life.

Was sated.
-This is not something that I have to discuss with you, it is my life and you have to
learn to let me make my own mistakes and make my own decisions.

-It will be your life when you are able to become independent on your own
and have a job that supports you, do you hear me?

I was quiet. That had been a low blow, and he knew it. The money he was talking
about wasn't even his.

- You were the one who brought me here!-I yelled at him, understanding
where this conversation was going-For once I'm happy, I've found someone who
loves me and you're not capable of being happy just for me!

- I'm not letting you go live with your stepbrother at eighteen!

- I am of age! When are you going to understand?!

My mother took several deep breaths.

-I'm not going to get into this, I'm not going to argue with you, in any way, and
I'm going to make one thing clear to you, if you're going to live with Nicholas,
forget about going to college.

I opened my eyes in a daze.

- That?

my mother looked at mebejust without a hint of doubt in his eyes.

-I am not going to pay you for the degree, nor am I going to give you money to-

- It's William who pays for all that! -I yelled beside myself, my mother
was behaving like a complete stranger, what the hell was she saying?

-I've discussed it with William, you're my daughter and he's going to accept what I
decide to do with you, and if I tell him that he's not going to pay you anything, it's
that he's not going to pay you anything.

"You've gone completely crazy" I said feeling the pressure of his words.

-You think you can have it all, and it's not like that, he shakes your hand and you
take your arm, and I'm not going to consent to it.

-I'll ask for a scholarship because I plan to go with Nicholas; You can keep your
money and your husband's, I don't care.
My mother shook her head, looking at me like I was five fucking years old, and I
was beginning to feel an intense heat inside me, heating up when I saw that what
she was saying meant it.

-They are not going to give you any scholarship, before the law you are the
stepdaughter of a millionaire, stop talking nonsense and behaving like a brat.

I can't believe you're doing this to me. I said feeling a pain in my chest.

My mother seemed to hesitate when I felt my lip begin to tremble slightly. This was
the last thing he needed right now.

-Believe it or not, I try to do what is best for you. I let out a

laugh.

- You're selfish! -I yelled at him- You keep saying that you're doing all this for
me, when you forced me to leave my country to marry a stranger, you promised me
a bright future, and now that forben I have everything I've ever wanted, when
forbeI'm not happy, you have to take it from me and threaten to take away the only
thing I've asked of you and that really mattered to me since we got here a year ago.

-You'll have everything you want, you just have to move into a damn residence, it's
not like you're not going to see Nicholas anymore, plus I'm sure this wasn't your
idea!

- And what if it wasn't? I had made my decision! I yelled, moving away from
her to the other end of the room. -If you force me to do this, I won't forgive you.

My mother didn't seem to hear my words because she simply stared at me with her
arms crossed and without any hint of doubt.

-Either the faculty or Nicholas, you decide.

Don't take two seconds to drop my answer.

-I choose Nicholas; I will always choose it.

Half an hour later I had loaded my suitcases in the trunk of my car, and I didn't
rememberbeIt wasn't the Audi, but the car that I had bought myself. I couldn't
believe my mother had blackmailed me, and with none other than Nicholas. My
mother had gone into her room and had not come out again. I don't think I was
even aware of how serious my words were. I was so pissed off that I didn't care if I
walked out of the Leisters' without looking back. There was one Leister in
particular that I cared about more than
none of all that crap my mom seemed to want to stick between us.

I would find a solution, as if I had to work at night, in a way I would get the
money.

I called Nick about fifteen times on the way from my house to his and he didn't pick
up until I was in his parking lot.

-I'm sorry, freckles, I thought I was going to be able to return in time but it hasn't
been like that.

I stayed silent without understanding anything at all.

- What are you taking about? Where are you?

-I had to leave early this morning for San Francisco, we have been given a very
important case and I thought I could catch tonight's flight but I don't think I'll be
back for several days.

I felt a strange pain in my chest. He wasn't here…he wasn't here to give me a hug
and tell me that everything was going to be okay.

The pain became somewhat easier to bear, and everything that had been
accumulating decided to come out in that instant.

- Are you in San Francisco and you called me to tell me?!

-If I came back today I didn't think it was important. Why are you yelling at me?

I saw everything red, very red.

- And if I went to another city without telling you!? Do you see it logical?

I knew that I was paying with him for everything that had just happened to me, but
I needed him at that time. I had left everything behind to go with him and he
wasn't even there to receive me and help me with my bags, he wasn't there, he
wasn't there and that was the only thing that mattered to me!

-Damn, okay, I understand where you're going, but they told us unexpectedly.

- "Us?" I asked, feeling a knot form in my stomach.

Nicholas was silent for a few seconds.

- You're with her, right?

-She's my practice partner, nothing more.

An inexplicable jealousy took over my reasonable way of thinking.

-I can't believe you're with her, that's why you didn't tell me, you knew I'd be
angry, you're an asshole! Do you hear me?

I heard how he cursed on the other end of the line.

- Can you calm down!? I don't know what the hell is wrong with you, but fix
it before you yell at me and act like a crazy bitch.

-Fuck off. I said and hung up on him.

I got out of the car in a rage and went up to Nicholas's apartment feeling like a
complete idiot. Was that going to happen from now on?
Was he going to go to San Francisco with Sofía while I stayed in his apartment,
without money and without studying?

Fuck. Everything was getting complicated by leaps and bounds and the fear of
running out of power caused a few tears to spill down my cheeks. When I'd chosen
Nicholas, I hadn't doubted it for a moment, but there was one thing my mother
was right about. Nicholas was five years older than me... in no time he would be
working and inheriting his father's company but what about me?

It was one thing to let them pay for my studies, but I had absolutely nothing else, I
wasn't thinking of being supported by a father who wasn't mine, and even less that
Nicholas paid for my things. If I stayed on that floor, I was going to lose much
more than my career, I was going to lose my independence, because I was sure
that Nick was going to help me if I asked him, but with what face would I wake up
every morning knowing that my boyfriend was he paying me not only the rent for
the apartment but also helping me pay for the race?

I had always been an independent person, and if my mother hadn't married Will,
surely I could have applied for a scholarship to study at some university... now,
being the stepdaughter of someone so important, they weren't going to give me a
penny, and study in the United States. United is not cheap.

I was going to get up to my neck in debt, no matter how hard I

worked...

As the anger faded into anguish, I realized that as much as I wanted to live with
Nick, as much as I wanted to stay there, to wake up next to him, I couldn't until I
was completely independent.
My mother was right about that, no matter how old she was, if I didn't have
money to start my life, she was the one who had the last word.

If I looked at everything in perspective, it was crazy to come to live here. The rent
was seven thousand dollars, it had already seemed crazy to me when he told me,
I had already felt uncomfortable knowing that I was not going to be able to afford
it, I could not even pay a quarter of what it cost per month...

My phone wouldn't stop ringing.

I looked at it and it had missed calls from both Nick and my mom.

I was going to do? My mother's question echoed in my head over and over again.

The answer was clear: moving in with Nick was going to have to wait…at
least for now.

The next morning I felt strange. I had never slept in that room when I was alone,
and I felt a pang of discomfort when I remembered that from now on we would
spend few nights together.
I hated to think that he was in a hotel, miles away, knowing absolutely nothing
about what had happened or how I had been forced to change my plans.

He had stopped calling me around one in the morning, even though he had turned
off the phone long before. As childish as it was, a part of me blamed him for not
being here with me, I couldn't help it, I was dead jealous and also overwhelmed
with the whole subject of my mother and the university.

I got out of bed, with N sucking my toes, and lifted him off the floor to go together
to the kitchen. I filled the coffee pot and turned on my phone to start rearranging
everything. If I wasn't going to live here I had to call the dorm and beg for a room.
She could only cross her fingers that they weren't all busy; classes started the day
after tomorrow, and if I wanted to be installed I needed a room tomorrow at the
latest.

I spent the whole morning making calls, talking to the residence and begging them
to take me back.

They finally agreed, reluctantly, and put me in a shared room. That hadn't been
my plan, I preferred to occupy my own space but I couldn't get picky. When I had
that matter resolved, I received another call from Nick and decided toben answer
him.

"Hi" I said nervously, biting a nail.

I heard silence on the other end of the line.

- Do you think it's reasonable that you spend the whole fucking
night without answering my calls?

Okay, I knew we weren't going to have a nice conversation, but I wasn't about to
take his anger, not today.

-Neither of us are reasonable so I can't answer your question.

I got up from the sofa and went to the room.

-I didn't call you to argue, Noah, so I'm not going to get into this childish game. I
just wanted to tell you that I'll be there in five days, things here were not at all as we
had been led to believe.

I sat on the edge of the bed and bit my lip anxiously.

- Five days?-I asked knowing how pitiful my voice now sounded.

-I know, I won't even be there when you start college, and I'm sorry, okay? I hadn't
planned for you to move in on your own, much less that you would have to sleep in
the apartment without me, but I can't do anything.

I took a deep breath, I had to tell him, I had to confess that I was no longer going to
live with him, but I was afraid of what his reaction would be, I was capable of calling
my mother or doing something crazy, I knew that this was going to be like a kick in
the stomach and that is why I preferred to humor him and when he arrived I would
tell him in person. The conversation ended up a little tense on both my part and his,
and when we broke up, I felt myself sink into a deep sadness.

Two hours later Jenna and her father came to pick me up.

She had seen Mr. Tavish only twice, he was a man who spent his time traveling all
over the world, but she knew that he adored Jenna and that was why she had
canceled all their meetings so that she could send her daughter to university. He
didn't seem upset about having to pick me up and help me get most of my things
into his Mercedes. I don't even know how we managed to fit both my things and
Jenna's butbenally, and a little squashed, I managed to fasten my seatbelt and
wait to get to what would be my new residence. Having given up my previous
room, they had put me in the building.beUncle Hendrick, in a triple room, which I
didn't like.

I had been to the university of california before, Nick was studying here, so he
had come many times to some of thebethese from the fraternities or simply to
visit him. Many times
I had brought my books with me and had spent hours studying in the vast library,
amazed to learn that there were more than eight million books stacked on all those
shelves. I knew the library was going to be one of my favorite places but the
university in general was amazing. Made of red brick and with immense gardens, it
was one of the most important faculties in the United States. Getting here hadn't
been easy, I'd had to work my ass off to get a place, and I was proud of myself for
not having to resort to Will's connections. Now that we had arrived, I couldn't help
but feel a certain regret for not sharing it with my mother. Before leaving the flat I
had sent him a message, telling him that I would not be living with Nicholas and
that I would be moving into the residence today.

Her answer had been just as sharp as my words, she was glad that she listened to me
and hoped that I would understand her. I was resentful and hurt that I had to go to
this extreme. It should have been my mother who brought me to my residence and
not Jenna's father and I also would have liked Nick to be here to show me the
college and to be able to feel in a certain way that same illusion that I saw reflleft on
all the students around us.

Jenna was excited but she also saw the sadness in his eyes. Where were our

boyfriends...

- Is this your room?-Jenna said behind my back when I opened the door
after having crossed a long corridor with students coming and going. Upon
entering, I had only found a small cubicle with some bunk beds and a single bed.
It was so tiny that I had to push myself to get to one of the beds. One side of the
room, the one not occupied by the bunk beds, was all decorated with rock
posters, and the other with photos of landscapes, strange drawings, and lots of
collage.

"I think so," I said feeling like I was short of breath.

Mr. Tavish came in, leaving one of my suitcases by the door.

"This is dwarf, darling," he said, looking around. Both Jenna's and her father's faces
were terrifying and I would have laughed if I hadn't been as amused as they were.

-It is the only thing that was free, they told me that I can request a single
room again in the following semester.

Jenna rolled her eyes.

-This is ridiculous, Noah, you can stay with me perfectly, my room has a living
room and a private bathroom and is ten times bigger than this hovel.

I shook my head.

-Leave it now Jenna, I'm going to stay here, I don't want to pay a fortune for one of
those suites.

Jenna's father eyed me curiously.

- Does Will know you're going to stay here?

Will and Greg Tavish were great friends, and I knew that this would end up
informing him about where I was staying.

I was not going to be able to hide that all my plans had come to nothing and that
now I had to share a room with two people, but what was done was done so I just
had to adapt and pray that one of the other rooms would remain free.

"It's not that bad, and of course he knows it," I said, approaching the only bed that
was free: the bottom bunk.

"I'll get your other things," Greg said and left the room.

Jenna looked at everything in horror, she couldn't hide how posh she was even if
she tried. Just seeing how she was dressed made you want to ask her if she had
gotten lost.

"This is crazy, baby, and when Nick finds out, you're going toflNorth.

I glared at her as I placed my suitcase on the bed. The springs creaked more than
usual and Jenna laughed.

-God, I don't want to be around when he sees that not only are you not going to
live with him, but that you've moved into a polipoket room with two other girls in
one of the worst residences around here.

- And what do you want me to do, smartass? -I said letting out a bubedo.

-Well, stop being so proud, move your ass and come with me.

I closed my eyes counting to ten.

-I'm not going to pay a fortune for a room like yours, it's not my money, and enough
that I had to do what my mother wanted.
Jenna shrugged and when her father arrived with the remaining suitcases he
came over to give me a hug.

"Anything, you know where I am," he said with a smile.

Rookies to power! -I shouted and I couldn't help but let out a laugh.

She left with her father and before she could assimilate all these changes two exactly
identical girls decided to make an appearance.

They were both brunettes, not very tall but quite cute. They stared at me for a few
seconds before smiling almost at the same time and moving on to the
introductions.

-Hi, you must be our buddy, we are Kate and Kylie.

I introduced myself with a smile and marveled at how exactly alike they were. I'd
always been intrigued by this twin thing, and I'd thought it would be horrible to
have a clone of you hanging around.
Now having those girls in front of me I verified that I was right, it was creepy.

Despite all the inconveniences and bad turns, I really liked those girls, they were
humble, they had entered college thanks to their incredible grades and they came
from a poor town in Alabama. They had a funny accent and they didn't stop talking
and telling me and asking me things. They were the kind of people with whom one
feels instantly comfortable and seeing that I wasn't going to have to suffer from bad
company I could breathe a little easier.

The three of us went together to be given the regulation tour of the university, we
stayed with several restaurants that caught our attention, and we sat in the gardens
next to the residence hall to chat for a while and get to know each other better.

When thebeFinally we got to the room, I was exhausted and just wanted to get in
bed and sleep. When the lights went out I felt like someone was crushing my chest
into the mattress but I closed my eyes and forced myself to get over it.

I wish it were that easy.

Chapter 40

NICK

I was sitting in the hall of the hotel where we were staying. there was no wifibein
the rooms so I had to go down to reception and share my time with strange people.
It was already late so I took out the phone andbeI wondered for the fourth time if
Noah had texted me goodnight. I didn't like how our conversation yesterday
morning had ended and even though classes didn't start until the next day I wanted
to wish him luck on his first day. I was clearly aware that she would be trying to
sleep and that she might be having nightmares, I loved knowing that I was the only
one capable of making her not have them and for that same reason I hated that she
slept alone.

For me, it was a relief that he had agreed to go to a psychologist and had already
been doing research on the internet about childhood traumas and how to
overcome them. He had a list of the best psychologists in the city and had already
called about five to talk to them about it. I wanted Noah to be herself, without fear
or anything that would stop her from being completely happy and if I had to spend
an eye on paying for her therapy hours, I would.

Sometimes I thought about what he had suffered at the hands of his father and an
unpleasant chill ran down my spine.

My hand balled into a fist almost without realizing it and I had to take a deep
breath to steady myself.

Right at that moment I saw Sophia appear out of the corner of my eye, carrying her
Mac in one hand and those black-rimmed glasses that for some inexplicable reason
made me smile: they looked terrible on her.

What's up, Leister?

"Arkin" I answered, looking back at my screen.

I only looked at her for a second when I noticed her sitting next to me on the long
white sofa. We had been here together for two days and I had to admit that it was
not as I had originally imagined. could seem greatbecial and quite stiff but not at
all. What's more, she was quite funny when she wanted to. Being surrounded by
men, since there were five of us who worked on that case, she was the only woman
and you could tell that, unlike many girls, her intention was not to attract
attention, she did not want to be treated in a special way and as you would some
undue little joke was put like abewas, and if not
to tell Rick, an intern a year younger than me who was just there to watch and learn.

- Don't you feel like going out for dinner with some junk food?-he asked me
then after having been fiddling with his laptop and slamming it shut.

I raised my eyebrows and looked at her.

- You junk food?" I said putting my phone in my pocket. No word from

Noah, and I was starting to get pissed off.

I don't think you know what that is.

She made a face of circumstances, put her laptop in her bag and got up showing that
she was not wearing heels but simple white sandals.

-I fancy a Big Mac, and I'm going with or without you, I was telling you because the
food in this place sucks, so it's up to you, do you come or not?

I hesitated for a moment, but he was right, the food was disgusting.

"Okay, but I warn you that today I'm not very good company" I said getting up
and heading to the entrance. Sophia stood next to me and I could see how short
she was without those shoes she always wore.

She let out a laugh.

-Neither today nor ever, Leister, I think that since I've known you I haven't seen you
relax even once, you should look at it.

I ignored his comment and we went to the parking lot.

- What do you think you're doing? -I asked him when I saw how he took
some keys out of his pocket.

"I rented the car, Nicholas," he said by way of explanation.

"I'm sorry, sweetie, but I'm driving," I said as I took the keys out of her hand so
quickly that she didn't even notice.

To my surprise my actions did not have a discussion in response. Sophia shrugged

and climbed into the passenger seat.

In exchange for that I let her choose the music and we were all the way from the
hotel to the restaurant listening to songs from the
80. The weather was pretty nice outside, although here in San Francisco it was
colder than we were used to in Los Angeles. Despite the fact that many people
resented the streets
steep slopes of the city, for me they were what made it special, that and the colored
houses, all with that distinguished air and pleasing to the eye.

I wanted to bring Noah, so that he could see the city, there were so many places that
I wanted him to visit, since we were dating he had only been able to take her to the
Bahamas, and better not even remember how things had ended.

Avoiding thinking about her for a while, I parked the car in front of a restaurant I
had discovered when I had to be here for a week.

"This is not a McDonald's" Sophia said next to me, unbuckling her seatbelt.

-I don't eat at McDonald's-I answered turning off the car and laughing when he
looked at me with a pouting face-Come on, Sophi, they make the best homemade
hamburgers in the city here, otherwise I wouldn't have brought you.

Sophia raised her eyebrows condescendingly and smacked me on the arm.

"I've told you a thousand times not to call me Sophi," she said getting off and I
imitated her.

I'm sorry, Sophie.

I laughed at her face but decided to leave her alone. We were immediately
greeted by a waiter and seated at a secluded table on the other side of the
restaurant. I didn't like that they thought we were a couple, but I couldn't get
into people's minds so I let it slide.

-I hope that the hamburgers here are better than the CBO ones, because if
you don't, you're going to see me really angry.

Al benal had to swallow his words because as I knew, the burgers were scary.

-So atbeFinally, you're going to go live together, right?-she asked me after we talked
about everything a bit, especially about work, until we reached the subject of Noah
without knowing it.-Even though her parents don't let her.

-Her mother- I clarified and continued- It seems that everyone forgets that she is of
legal age and that she can make her decisions freely.

Sophia nodded although she made a gesture that said otherwise.

"She's a girl, Nick," she said, lifting her drink to her lips.

-Maturity is not linked to a shit number, but to the experiences lived and the
things we have learned from them.
-And no one tells you no, but you can't forget that he's about to start college, and
that he's going to want to do things like any girl his age and if I'm not mistaken you
seem to be the typical controlling boyfriend.

I placed my elbows on the table and rested my chin carelessly on my hands.

-I take care of what is mine, just that. Sophia

seemed disgusted by my words.

-That is a rather macho thought, she is not yours. I pursed my lips

tight.

"Are you going to give me a feminist speech, Sophi?"

-As a woman trying to make her way in a company led entirely by men, I could
give it to you, but that is not the point. Your problem is withbeance, if you were
really sure how in love she is with you, you wouldn't be trying your best to take her
home, upsetting your entire family in the process. In my opinion that's a pretty
stupid move on your part.

-She needs me by her side and so do I, there is no hidden reason, you have no
idea.

Sophia shook her head and locked eyes with me.

-I only know that for my part, having you as a boyfriend would be the last thing on
my list.

"I'm the boyfriend that every girl would like to have, pretty" I said looking at her
bejamente. He started laughing and I smiled.

He obviously wasn't the best boyfriend, not even close, but at least he was
trying.

That gave me an idea.

-So you can see what a good boyfriend I am-I said taking out my phone and
entering the browser- What do you think of blue roses?

They are pretty, aren't they?

Sophia rolled her eyes as I placed the order. Today technologies made

our lives much easier.

"Precious" she said, taking the glass to her mouth.

I gave it to buy, put the address and wrote a little note.

When I put the phone in my pocket, he had an amused smile on his face.

- A dozen blue roses?-he asked me.

-Two; it is good to repeat the message, so it looks good tobelaunched.

- And what is the message, that you are an arrogant jerk?

Ignore his words.

-That I love her more than anyone.

After dinner we went back to the hotel. Despite my qualms, and even though I
knew she could get me in a lot of trouble if I said it out loud, Sophia wasn't bad
company. With Lion in the middle of his troubles and Jenna being best friends
with Noah, I was left with no impartial friend to talk about my stuff with. It's not
that I was very talkative in general, but I liked being able to talk to Sophia and
discover that there were people who had a normal life. From what he had told me,
his parents were still together, he had an older brother who was an architect and
doing quite well and his father was a politician respected by most democratic
parties, maybe a future president, who knew how they could things come up?

It was nice to be able to escape from all that drama that was my normal life and his
company made me relax, to look at problems from another perspective. Things
weren't so bad for me, with Noah living with me, everything would be easier, she
would sleep peacefully, at least, and if she did what I had asked, one of the best
psychologists would help her deal with the problem she was having with her father.
dead. Things could go better, and I couldn't wait to go back and show him that we
could do it, that we could fight against everyone, that together we made the best
team.
Chapter 41

NOAH

My first day at college was better than I expected. The university environment was
something that got under your veins and you could not ignore it. Everywhere I
looked there were young people, laughing, taking furniture out of cars and
carrying it up to their residences, parents saying goodbye and bread.flethos
aboutbeis,bethese and morebeis

My schedule was quite reasonable, with subjects that forbeI was not interested and
not all those absurdities that we had to learn in school, such as Newton's laws or the
history of independence. I wanted books, literature, I wanted to write, I wanted to
read.
Byben I saw myself surrounded by people who loved the same as I did, and the
teachers, some more intimidating than others, managed to create that nervous
bug in our stomachs.

I have to admit that for a few minutes I enjoyed being alone. I didn't want to talk
to anyone, anyone I knew at least, not my mother, not Jenna, not even Nicholas,
although the latter was for different reasons.

My roommates had turned out to be the nicest, I had laughed more in the last 48
hours than I had laughed in the last two months; sometimes leaving everything
behind and starting from scratch makes you see that there is not only an open
door but also many other windows.

I had hardly seen Jenna since she had dropped me off at my residence because she
taught classes completely different from mine. Here where you see her, Jenna
Tavish wanted to study medicine, something that did not suit her at all but that she
had carried inside since she was very little. We had only spoken to each other
through messages and she had told me that she was busy looking for a roommate
who wanted to pay the outrageous amount she paid per month; Of course, there
are rich people everywhere and more so here, so it wouldn't be very difficult for
him.

After I got out of class, met the teachers, and was invited to go out to dinner with
some guys from the dorm, I decided to drop by Nick's apartment, mostly to make
sure N had food on hisbeand also to take the things I hadn't been able to load in
Jenna's car. I had tried to put off that task more than anything because it made me
sad to go there to get my things, but I wanted to do it before Nick got back. He
knew that Troy was going to burn and he preferred to have everything well kept
and installed rather than have to face him, or worse, feel tempted to send
everything to the end.beero and return here to live.

It didn't take me long to collect the few things that I had left and all piled up at the
door, I realized that it was late to return to the residence. Knowing that I was
cheating and that I should stop clinging to something that I was not going to be
able to have, not now at least, I got into Nick's bed, lay on his side and hugged his
pillow, breathing in that scent that only he had and that caused instant reactions in
my body.

A text message came to my cell phone just then. "Apparently

you have decided to ignore my calls.

When I arrive we will talk. Sleep well babe." I sighed.

Things were weird, and mostly because of me. I felt a knot in my stomach and I
almost dialed his number to confess to him because I hadn't wanted to talk to him.
Hoping she would think I was asleep and that's why I didn't answer her, I put my
phone under the pillow and closed my eyes hoping to rest.

The noise of the doorbell woke me up in the morning. A little disoriented I looked
around me to see where I was. The doorbell rang again and I jumped out of bed,
tangling in the covers and almost falling over until I finally fell.beI couldn't reach
the door safe and sound.

When I opened it I found a giant bouquet of roses.

- Are you Noah Morgan?-said the voice of a man whose face was hidden
behind that spectacular bouquet.

"Y-yes," I managed to articulate.

"This is for you," he said, taking a step forward. I let him in, stunned by what my
eyes saw. The man left the impressive bouquet on the living room table and turned,
taking out a notepad.berms from behind.

-Yes IbeSign here, I would appreciate it," he said kindly.

I did as he asked and when he left, I stared at the roses with a lump in my throat.
There was a note, and when I read it, I had to stop myself from crying with all
my might.

We both know these cheesy things aren't my thing, freckles, but I love you with all
my heart and I know when I get here we're going to start something new and
special. Living with you is something I've wanted ever since
we started dating and a year later forbeI have not achieved what I wanted. I
hope your first day was greatbeAnd I'm sorry I wasn't there with you to watch
you pocket all your new teachers. See you in a few days, I love you. Nick.

I picked up the phone from the table and dialed his number.

"Hello, love," he said in a cheerful tone.

I sat on the armrest of the sofa, staring at those impressiveflpray. They were
beautiful, a sky blue color, a sky blue that reminded me of Nick, I didn't even
know there were roses that color.

"You're crazy" I said with a shaky voice.

I heard a lot of noise on the other end of the line, especially from
traffic.beco.

-Crazy for you, did you like theflores?

"I love them, they're beautiful," I said, wanting to throw myself into his arms and
hide from everything.

- How was your first day of class?

I skimmed what I'd done, lying about where I'd met Kylie and Kate and also that
I didn't live in their flat anymore; The truth is that I had never been very good at
lying and that is why I wanted to cut off the conversation before he discovered
me.

"I have to hang up if I don't want to be late for class" I said biting my cheek.

-I know something is wrong with you, I don't know if it's because of Sophia or
because I had to leave just when you were moving, but I'll make it up to you, okay?

I said goodbye to him quickly and put the phone under the sofa cushion.

I felt terrible, terrible because I was lying to him and also because I was going to be
responsible for his great disappointment when he returned and realized that we
were not going to live together.

Hating myself for it, I quickly dressed, packed N food and water for the next few
days, and got my last things out of the apartment. When I turned off the lights I
knew that God's would be messed up when he came back and didn't see me here.

He had three days to devise a plan of persuasion.

The next two days I spent between class and class and hanging out with some
classmates. He had only spoken to my mother once, and because he had
threatened to show up here to do it if I didn't pick up the phone. We hadn't
resolved anything, things were still the same between us and would be for quite
some time, at least until I felt able to forgive her for having blackmailed me like
that.

At that moment, sitting in the college cafeteria and talking to Jenna, I couldn't stop
thinking about the fact that I needed to find a job immediately, I needed to be
independent again, have my income so that I could start thinking about what I was
going to do in the next few years. following years that I still had to study.

-You should take CVs in places other than the university, the jobs here are shit, I'm
telling you that my new partner has worked in almost all of them.

Jenna byben had found a roommate, her name was Amber and she worked at a
computer company in the city.
He combined his job with classes and gave him hisbeenough to live with Jenna
that was saying something. The small detail is that she was in the third year of the
race, which made her someone qualified.befallen and ebecient. I was a kid right
now who could only work at a Starbucks at most.

- When is Nick coming back?-he asked me a moment later, while I was

finishing my salad.

"Tomorrow night," I said with a small mouth. I didn't want to talk about it.

Jenna looked at me amused, for some twisted reason she was amused by the
situation I was in.

- And does he already know that you live with twins in a two-by-two room?

I looked up and looked at herbejamente de mal humor.

-You will know when I arrive and tell you, I don't want to talk about Nick; repeat me
the plan for tonight again that has not been very clear to me. Jenna

rolled her eyes, but she quickly got excited.

-ThebeThis is done by some boys from my class, they are from a brotherhood, and it
is to welcome the beginning of the course.

According to what I have been informed, there are severalbethese that are carried
out today and that of the health sector is the one that everyone is waiting for. I will
be surrounded by handsome doctors and a lot of people who understand
that medicine is the future of humanity and not physics or literature... without
offending, of course," she added when I looked at her with a bad face.

-I'll invite Kylie and Kate, and I'll pick myself up no later than midnight, I have to
have all the batteries charged to face Nick tomorrow.

Jenna laughed, picked up her books, and got up from the table.

"See you in a few hours, put on a gun" she winked at me and left swaying her hips
in that way that made the boys turn to look at her. Single Jenna was something
new for me, since I had met her I had been with Lion, and I knew that before him,
she had been a very liberal person.

- What do you think?-I asked my roommate while contemplating

what she had chosen for that night.

I didn't want to go too dressed up, but I didn't want to wear jeans either, so I had
opted for a black tube mini skirt and a wide lemon green blouse. My high-heeled
black boots gave the look a little more air.bestereo but comfortableben and after

"I like it, but let your hair down, I don't think you've done it since we met you"
Kylie said, painting her toenails.

The truth is that I had not dedicated much time to make myself pretty these days, I
had hardly had time and to be honest, go from living in the Leister house, with my
double bed and my huge dressing room to this small claustrophobic room where I
could hardly look at myself in the mirror, because I managed to take away your
desire for everything.

I did as I was told and let my locks fall scattered over my shoulders. I painted my
eyes black and my lips light pink and grabbed my bag ready to go. Kate was already
in thebethis one, I had gone with one of the boys from our class, a very cute one
who hadbeHe had locked onto her as soon as he walked in the door... and Kylie had
decided to stay in the room, eating popsicles and watching a movie.

- Are you sure you don't want to come?-I asked him for the last time,
while I disconnected my iPhone from the wall charger.

-Very safe; I'm going to put on some calories and cry watching Titanic.

I smiled envying the plan, I loved Titanic, and the truth is that I didn't really
want to go out either, but Jenna was waiting for me.

"See you tomorrow then" I said smiling and walking out the door.
Our residence was mixed so it was not uncommon to find half-naked guys in the
corridors, or small groups of teenagers in the different leisure rooms that were in
the building.bedude, it's not like there were many.

"Hey, Morgan," said a kid from my English literature class.

He was the typical pimp who had taken control of the other boys in my class and
residence. Not that I disliked him, but I couldn't stand guys like that. I stopped for
a few moments before going down the stairs- Did they already tell you that you're
a good cloth?

I took a deep breath, ignoring the laughter from those around him. Why did guys
think they were macho for making those kinds of asshole comments?

"Thank you, Rylie, your comment has touched my heart," I said, raising my hand
to my chest and cutting his sleeve a second later. His friends laughed again and I
turned to go down the stairs.

- Hey, wait, wait!-the idiot reached me in the middle of the landing, I didn't
stop, I kept going down the steps until he was next to me. -Don't be offended, that
was a compliment.

I looked at him rolling my eyes. Here was proof of how we women matured
earlier. This eighteen-year-old guy had the mentality of a fifteen-year-old, but
without a bad background... I think.

- Do you want me to reach you somewhere?-he offered when we arrived at

the reception.

"Thanks, Rylie, but do you see that car over there?" I said, pointing to my beat-up
beetle, "it's mine, and yes, I know how to drive it."

Rylie looked disappointed for a moment, but he knew he wasn't going to achieve
anything tonight.

-See you later, sweetie.

I waved at him and got into the car. Even though I was quite an idiot, I enjoyed
being around people my age, there was a great vibe on my floor and the girls all
looked like they came out of a Disney Channel movie: no drama, no
complications.

It didn't take me long to get to the sorority house, and it wasn't very difficult to
know which one it was since the music could be heard from a block away. I parked
the car as far from the driveway as possible, not wanting anyone to throw up next
to the tires or worse, think of my beetle as a good place to perch for a drink.
Unlike the lastbethese that he had attended, all of them in huge houses next to the
beach and with people with a lot of money, in this one forbeI couldn't see all kinds
of people, that was the good thing about public education, that it wasn't elitist at
all; Students came here from all over the world and from all kinds of social classes.
I had never felt completely comfortable around millionaires because I had never
been and neither was, despite my mother's insistence to the contrary, and I liked
the feeling that forbecould not fit. It didn't take me long to find Jenna, who was
with Amber in the corner of the kitchen drinking beer. My eyes widened in
surprise when I saw her with a Budweiser in her hand, I would have loved to take a
picture of her to confront her later, but I saw her so integrated that she spared me
the malicious comments.

- Noah yelled when he saw me enter. I walked over to her and she
wrapped me in one of those strangling hugs.

It was the first time I'd seen Amber and she struck me as very much like Jenna's
crazy but reserved, if that made sense. She beamed at me as she bobbed her head
to the music and chatted seductively with one of the guys next to her.

It didn't take long for me to take a few beers to my stomach and without counting
or drinking it I found myself surrounded by fifty drunken students jumping in the
middle of a room where all the furniture had been moved. The music was very
loud and you could barely hear anything else.

Jenna was jumping and sticking to me swaying her hips and Amber was long gone
with that muscled guy.

- I need to stop for a while, Jenn! -I yelled laughing when people started
screaming for a song that was recently in fashion. -
I'm going to the kitchen!

Jenna nodded, actually totally ignoring me and joined another small group to
dance.

It was hellishly hot in that room; I rolled up my long sleeves and ran my hand over
my forehead. When I got to the kitchen they were having a round of shots.

- Hey you, rookie! -a boy yelled at me from the other end-

This for the pretty girls!

The little circle of boys that was there put the shot to their mouths, shouting and
laughing. I laughed but slipped to the other side of the kitchen. I leaned against the
table and before I got out the phone to see what time it was, the guy who had yelled
at me stood in front of me.
"Here, I see you're a little thirsty," he said, placing a small glass with a transparent
liquid inside.

"I don't think Tequila will quench my thirst, but thanks," I said, accepting what he
offered me and taking it to my mouth. The alcohol burned my throat and I made a
disgusted face. The boy started laughing and I saw out of the corner of my eye how
he nonchalantly stood next to me.

- What's your name?-he asked me as he picked up a glass and filled it with

water.

"Noah," I replied, feeling my head spin.

I shouldn't have drunk that last shot, with the four beers I had had hisbeaware.

"I'm Charlie," he said amicably. -We are together in literature class, I don't know if
you remember me, I'm usually the one who falls asleep in the back.

I laughed at his comment and realized that it did sound familiar to me from
having seen him in my classes.

- What brings you here? You are very far frombethese Shakespeareans,
although it is clear that the guys in the scientific areabeca are much better than
the aberelated to reading, don't you think?

I smiled and relaxed when I realized thatbehe was definitely gay.

"My friend is studying medicine, she brought me here," I explained shrugging my

shoulders.

Charlie seemed glad to be talking to me, because he spent the next ten minutes
chatting amicably and talking about our classes and our classmates. I was glad to be
starting a friendship with someone from class, since I hated sitting alone, and I
hadn't even met anyone beyond a hello and goodbye yet.

I was laughing out loud at a rather disturbing comment about one of our
professors when her eyes strayed to the front door. A guy had just walked in and
spotted us a few seconds later.

-Great, see that guy who just walked in?

I nodded watching him look at us with a bad face.

-Don't listen to anything he says next.

I didn't have time to ask him why, since he reached us in a few strides.

- Are you an asshole?!

"This is what I was referring to," he told me

through the bajini. I smiled.

"Hey, behave yourself, there's a lady ahead" Charlie said with a smile on his face.

-I'm sick of babysitting you, you hear me? What are you drinking?

I looked at both boys covertly. I would have turned away if they hadn't left me in
the middle. Charlie was blond a little taller than me and with a thin build, while the
one who had just arrived was almost a head taller than both of us, blond too and
with moss green eyes, he seemed to want to be anywhere but there, surrounded as
teenagers, because it was clear that he was not.

"I'm drinking water, idiot" the tall man didn't believe it because he snatched the
glass from his hand and brought it up to his nose so he could sniff it.

Charlie seemed amused and also pleased.

-If you stop growling like a mad dog I can introduce you to my new friend, Noah,
this is my brother Michael, Michael this is Noah.

Michael didn't seem remotely interested in me, in fact, I'd say he looked at me
with disgust, as if I was wrong.fluence his brother or something like that.

Before I could say anything, my phone started ringing. I excused myself with a wave
of my hand and went outside, so I could hear better.

My heart stopped when I saw the fifty missed calls from Nicholas.

I answered when his name came up on the screen again.

-Now you can tell me where the hell you've been.

Chapter 42

NICK

I grabbed the keys and left the apartment, slamming the door.

Nothing, there was absolutely nothing, not her suitcases, not her clothes, not even
the few things she normally left for when she spent the night here. I noticed how I
warmed up little by little, not only because she wasn't here, but because she hadn't
answered any of my last calls, no sign of her for three hours and she wasn't going
to call her mother to ask her. Something told me that it was better to leave her out
of all this because if what she believed was happening was true...

- In whatbeIs this?-I growled at the phone waiting for him to

tell me exactly where he was.

- Can you calm down?-he answered and I could hear how he was moving
away from the deafening noise of the music.

What calm me down?

"I'll calm down when I see you and explain to me what the hell is going on," I said
getting into the car and starting it.

-I think I don't want to tell you where I am. I

stopped with the key in the ignition.

Was this a fucking joke?

"Noah tell me where you are" I said withbengida calma.

The music was barely heard anymore, now he could hear her heavy
breathing on the other end of the line.

I already told you, in onebethis...

Was I stalling for time?

- Calle, number, buildingbedude where?

I heard him sigh and a minute later he told me where to pick it up.

I had a bad feeling about all of this and just hoped I'd get there and she'd tell me
otherwise. It had arrived earlier, I wanted to give it a
surprise, take her to dinner and make up for these days that we had not been able
to be together and instead, I arrive and find the house empty, except for
theflflowers that I gave him that were withering on the table.

I was fine with him going out, damn okay, I'd rather he was home, but if he
went outbeThis is what less than being attentive to the fucking phone.

It didn't take long to arrive and when I turned the corner I saw her.

She was leaning against her car, her arms crossed over her chest. When she saw me
arrive, she stood up and looked at me nervously.

I parked in front of her and got out.

I took a deep breath trying to calm down. Now that I saw her and verified that she
was safe and sound, I was able to think a little more calmly.

I approached her with a determined step but I didn't do what I was wanting to do
since I had left, no, I just watched her carefully. She remained silent although I
saw that my silence made her nervous.

"Come on," I said, turning my back without even touching her, "I want a hot
chocolate."

"Wait, what?" he said incredulously.

I opened the passenger door waiting for him to come closer.

"Apparently you have a lot to tell me, and I'm not going to talk here while
you freeze and stagger half drunk."

Even though I was trying to control myself, trying so hard not to give in to the
temptation to explode, seeing her there, drunk, incredibly attractive, and without
me, bothered me more than I'd care to admit.

Noah approached with a hesitant step, I had never seen her falter and that
worried me even more.

I closed his door and walked around the car until I got into the driver's seat. I
turned the heat up to maximum and looked for the first 24-hour coffee shop. The
chocolate thing was a shitty excuse to get her off the street. I was trembling, I
don't know if it was because of the cold or because of whatever it was that I was
hiding, but all those calls that she had ignored began to have a totally different
meaning than the one she had initially given.
-Nicholas... prebe"I want to go home," he said when he saw that I kept going and
didn't get into the detour.

I ignored his words and kept driving.

"I thought you liked hot chocolate," I said without further ado, turning right and
entering another street.

I felt Noah's gaze on my face.

-Stop pretending nothing happened, I know you're pissed off, okay? So stop.

Why would I be angry? Why haven't you picked up the phone since I left for San
Francisco? We both know you love to get on my nerves, I just hope this isn't some
kind of punishment for leaving.

I watched as she fidgeted in the seat and I decided to keep my face impassive and
keep driving.

There were hardly any cars on the road, normal, considering that it was after two.
If they had asked me a few hours ago what I was going to be doing right now, it
would not have crossed my mind to say this, especially with Noah by my side, as
far from me as the seat allowed.

Al beI finally parked in a seedy diner and hadn't even brought the car to a
complete stop before Noah had already gotten out, crossed the parking lot, and
walked into the little establishment without me.

For a moment I couldn't help comparing her to Sophia; Noah was as strong-willed
as I was, and even knowing that I had the upper hand in this case, he couldn't
control himself.

I went after her and sat down in the place she had chosen. A small table set
apart from the others with a view of the highway.

He was staring down at the table and didn't seem very in favor of having a
conversation. The waitress approached us and I ordered a chocolate and a coffee
for myself. I was trying to calm things down, because it was weird that I wasn't
kissing her after four days without seeing her, but the contained anger and
whatever it was that she was hiding from me stood between us like an endless,
uncrossable ocean.

Seeing that she was silent, I decided to be the one to speak first. Games are

over.

-Your things, where are they?

His gaze lifted toben and I could see his honey eyes.

She had put on makeup and her eyelashes, apart from looking kilometric, created
a curious shadow on her high cheekbones. Her pink lips looked doubtful but
before she could answer the waitress reappeared with the order.

Noah closed his mouth and wrapped his hands around the hot mug. I

waited a few minutes.

- Do you think to say something?

Seconds passed untilbefinally decided to speak.

I've had a fight with my mother. he said with a small mouth. I leaned

back against the seat and waited for him to continue.

When she looked at me this time I saw that she was trying very hard not to start
crying. I tensed in the seat, and waited.

"I'm not going to live with you, Nick," she said a minute later.

I looked at herbejamente before releasing the following words.

-Yes you will.

His hand reached for mine but I pushed it away.

-My mother has made me choose between paying for my studies or going with you
and I-

Was he seriously hearing those words come out of his mouth?

"You didn't choose me," I finished for her.

I did it, okay? I told my mother that I didn't care, that I would go with you, but I
can't do that, Nicholas— I shook my head, I was sick of all this crap.

It's clear what your priorities are.

I got up and Noah did the same. I tossed a twenty on the table and started to leave
the cafe without looking back.

- Nicholas, wait! he yelled at me.

I stopped, but only because I knew I couldn't leave her here.

- What did you want me to do? I don't have money like you, I can't
pay for my degree, they don't even give me a scholarship...

This was ridiculous.

I turned to

- Don't give me bullshit, Noah!-I yelled at him. Outside there was absolutely
no one, you could only hear the noise of the cars going over 100 on the highway
and the roar of the wind crowding us both- You know perfectly well that this is not
because of your mother, she would not leave you without studying, the The
problem is that you can't cope with it, there are many other options, you shouldn't
have left without consulting me first!

Noah looked at me shaking his head.

-I know her, Nicholas, she is determined to separate me from you and I will not let
her do it but I am not going to ruin my future for something that we have decided
hastily and that can wait.

"I don't want to wait!" I yelled, losing control. "I want you to be with me, Noah, not
with your mother, nor my father, nor with a friend, I want us to be a fucking adult
couple who take the decisions together, without your mother or hell getting in the
way! I want you with me, I want you in my bed every night, every morning, I want
to know what you are doing at all times, who you are with, and to control you!

His eyes widened in surprise.

- Don't even think about looking at me like that, don't even think
about judging me! -I yelled, pointing at her with a finger and losing
the papers instantly.

- Is that why you want me in your house?-he said with disbelief.

I had already lost count of the times we had yelled at each other and this was
beginning to tire me- So I could keep an eye on myself?

What the fuck relationship is that, Nicholas!? I

stepped forward and grabbed her arms.

-It's the relationship I want with you, the only one I can have, I accept your shit,
you accept mine!

I didn't realize I was shaking her until I saw her teeth chatter. I released her and
took a step back.

-You have to withbelove in me, is the only thing you have left-whispered
swallowing tears.
I felt a pressure in my chest.

-I can not do it.

I put my hands to my head.

This was the last thing I had expected.ben everything was going to turn out
well, forbeWe were going to be together with no one to come between us and
now everything was back to the way it was before, but worse, Noah would no
longer live in my house, I could no longer call Steve to ask where he was or who
had come to visit her. .

"If you don't trust me this isn't going anywhere," she said and I turned to look at
her. His voice cracked on the last word and IbeI looked at the tears falling down her
cheeks.

I took a step forward and took her face in my hands.

"This is not because of you" I said, hating this part of me, hating to be like that.
"When you're not with me I imagine all kinds of things, I can't control my
imagination, it's just something that I have inside and that I recently discovered; It
happens to me with you and it's because I love you, the last person I loved like you
showed me a way of being of the woman that I will always hate above all things, and
I can't help but compare you with her.

He couldn't believe he had just blurted that out to her.

"Nicholas, I'm not your mother," he said emphatically. "I'm not going anywhere."

Images of my mother bringing men into my house haunted me as they had since
she left. I had never returned tobear in a woman, never. I had sworn to myself that
I would not let anyone in, I swore to myself that I would not fall in love, I did not
believe in love, if not to tell my parents. And now that I had Noah… I couldn't help
but fear that she would do the same to me, she was mine, she had to be mine, and
she had to be mine in my own way because it was the only way I was capable of
having a relationship.

I moved closer until our eyes met.

"You've left my house" I whispered on his lips.

Noah stayed where she was, waiting, I guess, for him to say or do something.

I removed my hands from his shoulders and took two steps back.

I don't know how we're going to fix this.

Chapter 43

NOAH

The ride to her apartment was silent, interrupted by some of my tears falling down
my cheeks. Nicholas said absolutely nothing, didn't even look at me. When we got
to his flat I followed him, trying to calm down. I felt guilty about all of this, even
though my mother had been the cause of separating us again, I couldn't help but
feel that Nick was getting further away from me every day. My problems and my
mother were getting between us and I didn't know what to do about it. I tried to
make decisions objectively based on what was best for both of us but nothing went
my way.

When we went up to the apartment the silence was unbearable.

I would rather hear their screams than this, because it meansbeIt seemed that I was
thinking about something that I better not even consider.

I watched as he crossed the living room and went into the bedroom. The slam that
followed managed to startle me and alarmingly triggered the tears I had been
holding back ever since I had to leave William's house, alone and without looking
back.

These days had not been easy, I was in such a state of nerves that I did not
know what to do to avoid collapsing.beclearly at all.

I looked at the closed door and wanted to go look for him but I was afraid of his
reaction, I was afraid that he would move away or look at me the same way he had
done in the parking lot of the cafeteria. I couldn't hear anything on the other side of
the door and after a few minutes I plucked up my courage and walked over until I
cracked it open.

There sitting at the end of the bed was Nick. He had taken off his T-shirt and had
his forearms resting on his knees and a cigarette in his right hand. His gaze went
up from the floor to my face when he heard me come in.

I stayed quiet watching him and he did the same. They separated us just a few
meters but suddenly they seemed like an abyss and I felt so afraid, so lonely that I
crossed that space until I slipped between his legs and forced him to raise his head
to look at me.

"Don't let this separate us" was the only thing that occurred to me to say and it
was because I hadn't understood how bad we were both, until
I hadn't heard Nick yell at me what he'd yelled at me half an hour ago.

Nick lowered his eyes to my stomach and I saw he was going to put the cigarette to
his lips again. My hand held his wrist and with the other I took the cigarette. He
watched me with a frown as he simply put it out in the ashtray right next to him.

"I need you to leave me alone, Noah," she said in a whisper so low I thought I
misheard. My hands went to the back of her neck, I wanted to wrap my fingers
around her hair, I wanted to remove that anguish from her eyes, that anger that
she seemed to be trying to control with all her might. His hand went up to hold
mine, thus preventing me from continuing to caress him.-Don't play with me; not
now.

His words were harsh and more so when he got up from the bed and surrounded me
barely touching me. I didn't let him do it and I stood between him and the door;
Anger clouded his face, and he grabbed me around the waist and pushed me against
the door. His hand collided with it inches from my face.

-I'm trying to control myself and you won't let me!

"I don't want you to control yourself, I want you to do what you have to do, tell me
what you have to say" I answered trying to control my breathing. His was totally
out of control and I felt it on my face from how close I was to him-I hurt you by
leaving and you're scared because I'm leaving, but don't leave me out of something
I caused, you can't leave me out! !

-I'm leaving you out because right now all I want to do is fuck you against this door
and make it clear who you are and who you have to be with.

I blinked several times until I managed to summon the courage to speak.

-We are like that, you said so.

His hand cupped my chin as his body stepped forward and pressed me
against the door.

-Sex and fights, is that what you want?

-That is what we are.

His eyes searched mine.

I suppose there will be a time when that will not be yourbeaware.

-Don't let it be now.

Before I finished the sentence his mouth was already on mine. I let it invade me
and I felt how he cornered me against the wall, supporting his hands on both sides
of my face and pressing his body against mine in such a way that he did not let me
breathe.

My hands were on his waist pushing him towards me, I wanted to feel his skin
against mine, I wanted to feel that we were okay, that nothing was happening, but
he didn't let me. With one precise movement, he broke away from me, forcing me
to turn until my chest hit the cold wood.
His hands went down to my waist and he pulled my shirt up off me. With his other
hand he held my wrists above my head and pressed his chest against my bare back.

"Did you forget about this when you were packing?" he said in my ear, brushing my
ear with his lips and making me shudder from head to toe.

I closed my eyes, throwing my head back.

-Contest me.

His tone was harsh and reminded me of thebethis one from my graduation, when
he had taken me to that bathroom to punish me. His teeth bit hard into my right
shoulder and despite the pain it caused me I felt something much more intense in
the center of my body.

"No," I said in a whisper as he started to pull my skirt down until it was on the floor
around my feet.

"But you left anyway" he said turning me around and leaving me face to face with
him.

He was sweating and tremendously excited. The anger still lives in his blue eyes. I
was afraid to speak and he realized it.

His mouth gave me a strong peck on the lips and then another and another,
without giving me time to hold him back. His eyes traveled all over my body,
stopping at the stockings and boots I was still wearing. He carefully knelt in front
of me and with his eyesbeLooking at mine, he took off one shoe and then another.
His gaze dropped to my stomach and his hands clamped around my hips.

"You also forgot about this" she whispered, lowering her stockings little by little. I

threw my head back when I knew what I was going to do.

Just thinking about it made my legs shake. When my stockings were thrown
haphazardly on the floor his mouth began to
mark my thighs with burning kisses and small bites. I closed my eyes tight.

His mouth kissed me just above my navel, moving down, down until he reached
the elastic of my panties.

I allowed myself to look at him when I saw him stop, and as I did I saw that I was
making a mistake, because this Nicholas was not the Nicholas who wanted to
make love to me, this Nicholas was someone out for revenge.

He pulled my panties down and brought his mouth closer until he was a few inches
from where I wanted him. I held my breath in anticipation of the sensation, but
instead of his tongue what I felt was two of his fingers slowly slipping inside me.

"You're soaked," he said in a deep voice, moving his hand in circles and his lips
kissing my stomach. "I'm the one who makes you like that, Noah, no one else,
remember that when you're alone in the room from now on bed.

I was barely aware of what he was saying to me. My hands tangled in his hair and
pulled him to kiss me where I wanted. His head didn't move an inch and when I
opened my eyes I saw that his were looking at me with suppressed anger.

I felt how his fingers came out of my interior and then how he stood up elegantly.

-Go on, baby, because now I'm not going to be there to give you what you want.

I stood still, trembling in front of him.

A dry smile appeared on his lips as he put both fingers in his mouth; He sucked on
them, watching me calmly, and then he walked out the door without further ado.

It wasn't long before I heard the front door close behind him.

I stayed where I was, shaking and feeling ridiculous. I looked down at my clothes
with the only desire to cover my body. My breathing became irregular and my
head began to send me negative messages relentlessly. I crossed the room to open
a drawer in the dresser by the window and grabbed the first T-shirt I could find.

Suddenly I was cold, very cold.

I grabbed a sweatshirt and sweatpants, rolled up the sleeves so I wouldn't step on

them, and turned back to the door.
What had just happened? I looked at the empty room and then I began to cry
without rest or truce, to really cry.

I covered my face with my hands trying to calm my sobs but it was useless. I
wanted him here, with me, and instead I could only see his angry and hurt look as
he left me lying in the room.

I didn't know what to do, I didn't want him to see me like this when he came back,
I didn't want him to realize how much it affected him to leave me alone in
moments of intimacy like the one we had just had. For me it was not simple sex,
for me it was making love, each kiss, each caress...
Why was he using it to punish me? Didn't I make it clear that these things were
beyond me, they hurt me?

Then I understood that I didn't have to stay, I wasn't going to stay there, to wait for
him, to wait for him to come back for me, no.

I had hurt him, I knew it but I hadn't done it intentionally, I had been forced to
change my plans to protect my future, instead he was punishing me on purpose, he
hurt me and he did it consciously.

I wiped my tears with the sleeve of my shirt and stood up. I picked up my things
from the floor, and left the room. My bag was on the table in the living room, and
just as I was about to take it and leave, I heard the door open again.

I knew what I looked like, and I was also aware that the blissful tears were still
rolling down my cheeks, but I wasn't going to stay there to feel sorry for myself or
apologize for something that really concerned only me.

I was not married to him, the decisions were made by me.

Nick tossed the keys haphazardly on the kitchen table until he saw me standing
there by the hall door.

I lifted my chin and returned his gaze. I wasn't going to back down, no matter how
much my body needed a hug from him, I wasn't going to let myself be carried
away by my emotions or my hormones. I wasn't going to let him treat me like this
again.

He took a step towards me with a dark look on his face.beHa in my person.

-Where are you going?

I gripped the bag tighter.

I'm not going to sleep here.

I received a withering look.

"Of course," he answered walking towards me.

"Stop," I said, still where I was.

He didn't and my feet jerked back, my back smacking into the doorjamb.

He stopped a short distance away and looked at me with a frown. He seemed to be

debating whether to blurt out whatever he was thinking or think better of it. His
eyes traveled over my face until they stopped on something.
He reached out and wiped away a tear that had fallen without my permission.

-You shouldn't be crying.

I was quiet. What did he mean by that? That I had no reason to cry, that I was
being an idiot for letting what he was doing affect me to such an extent...?

You shouldn't treat me the way you do.

A flare of rage flashed across his features along with something very
different…pain?

"You're the person I've treated the best in my life," he released.

Your problem is that you want everything and at the same time you want nothing.

-What is that supposed to mean?beca that?

-That I'm tired of going after you Noah, I haven't done it for anyone and I'm not
going to keep doing it with you.

I felt a pressure in my chest.

"Well, you know what you have to do!" I yelled at him, pushing him to let me out
of there.

His hands immediately encircled my arms, preventing me from taking another

step. "You're not going to touch me!" I said loud and clear.

His hands squeezed my arms and pushed me against the wall. My feet lifted

off the ground.

-You don't decide that, Noah.

-Stop saying those things to me! You are scaring me! I am not your toy,
Nicholas!

I started to scramble with tooth and claw. His right hand gripped my wrists tightly
and with his whole body he pinned me against the wall; I was sick of him doing
that, I was sick of noticing how easily he managed to dominate me.

-¡Sueltame!

-I'm not going to let you go, damn it, I'm not going to let you go anywhere!

-But I'm going to go! Whether you want to or not I'm going to do

it! Then his mouth was on my ear and I felt a chill.

"Don't do it," he whispered to me, "don't leave me here alone, Noah.

His tone of voice changed and I stopped struggling. The pressure of his hands on
my wrist eased and my arms fell to wrap around his head. His anguish-filled blue
eyes locked on mine and I lost my train of thought. I didn't expect that...

"If you go, I'm going to lose you," he admitted, joining his forehead with mine.

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest hearing him say that. What was he trying to
tell me?

"What you say doesn't make sense" I whispered against his lips. His mouth
seemed to be suspended between the decisionbenal to kiss me or not.

I watched it carefully and I didn't like what my eyes saw.

-I can not withbear in no one

And then he kissed me.

My mind went elsewhere as my body pressed against his and I let him pick me
up off the floor, cradle me in his arms, and cross the hall into his room.

How could I keep saying no withbewas in me? After

everything we've been through...

I saw how he took off his shirt and felt his mouth a second later running down my
stomach. I didn't know how or when but I had taken off my sweatshirt and T-shirt.
I was naked again and I was letting him do what he wanted with my body.

I closed my eyes trying to put aside my livid to focus on what I had made clear of
everything he had told me that night.
Nicholas wanted me in his little glass cage and not because he wanted to protect
me, but because he needed to watch me, why not withbeI was thinking about
what I could do...

"Come back with me, Noah" he whispered on my lips and I guess realizing that I was
as far away from there as my brain and circumstances allowed me. Because his
mouth on my skin was starting to make it harder and harder for me to keep thinking
about whatever it was he'd said before he led me into that room.

I felt his hands gently caressing me, I felt his mouth on my neck, tasting me and
kissing me until little moans began to come from between my lips.

His hands tugged down my pants and his fingers brushed against my ribs with
increasing urgency.

"You are everything to me. When are you going to understand?" he whispered on
my skin.

His mouth began to trace an independent path.benest of hot kisses and small bites
on both my thighs, my legs, my neck and my breasts. I found myself trembling
under his body, trembling with pure desire and fear as well, afraid to understand
that I was incapable of saying no to him, I was incapable of seeing the border
between the physical and the sentimental and I understood then that with Nicholas
that was going to happen. be impossible.

I felt afraid, afraid that I was losing myself.

A word came to my head; a ridiculous word, a word chosen at random, but

something that I didn't dare to shout because if I did it would mean that I couldn't
take it anymore, that everything was beyond me.

Because right now? Why did he have to remember that stupid safe word
now?

"When you see it getting out of hand, when you think I'm hurting you, just tell me to
stop, tell me and I'll do it, I promise."

"Nick..." I said in a broken whisper.

Nicholas wasn't listening to me, he was lost in my body, lost in kissing every
particle of bare skin within reach.
A breathy moan escaped me as I felt him touch me right there, intently.befine
delicacy and withbenice tenderness Nothing to do with how he had touched me
before, nothing to do with punishing me, this was him venerating my body, and at
the same time reminding me of what I would leave behind if I left.

His lips went to meet me and I chose to forget everything. I could not

sleep.

Beside me Nick was breathing deeply in a deep sleep as he held me tight against his
side.

His hands encircled my body making sure I could barely move. I watched him
sleep and felt a nostalgic knot in my chest.

Nick had only asked me, begged for one thing and that had been that I go live
with him. I don't think I've ever heard him speak so desperately as he did a few
hours ago.

LookbeI looked at his face, and I asked myself what he saw in me. I could be with
whoever I wanted, anyone, I was sure there was a queue waiting for Nicholas to get
fed up with me-The mere fact of imagining him with another turned my stomach
and more when Sophia was the one who became the owner of my perverse
imagination.

I needed to move from there, I needed to clear my mind.

I tried to break free of his arms but only managed to hold me even tighter. Carefully
I placed my hand on hers and one by one she peeled off her fingers from my skin.

- Where are you going?" he growled half asleep next to my ear.

His muscular arm grabbed me by the stomach pulling me closer to him without
allowing any kind of escape.

"I need to go to the bathroom," I said, stopping trying to free myself. It was
useless, we all knew that if he didn't want me to leave I wouldn't be able to move. I
stared at the ceiling and noticed how he opened his eyes next to me and stared at
me.

"I want you to stay here," he said a second later, sinking his mouth into my neck
and breathing in the fragrance of my skin.

"I'm peeing myself" I replied, closing my eyes when his teeth gently squeezed the
lobe of my left ear.

-I meant my house, I want you to stay here.

I sighed. He didn't want to go back to the same thing, he didn't want to keep talking
about something he couldn't do.

"I want to too, but I can't" I answered and then he released me, as if it burned my
skin. I got up and sat with my back against the wall. He ran his hand over his face
and that angry gesture reappeared. This was going to be the fight withoutbeno, i
knew it.

"I could help you pay for college tuition," he said, looking at the ceiling.

I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. I already knew he would say that, but I
couldn't accept it.

"You know I'm not going to let you do it" I went to get off the bed but his hand held
me by the arm with force.

-I am giving you a solution where we would both be happy, you should put your
prejudices and your pride aside, because your decisions affect both of us, not just
you.

His fingers dug into the sensitive skin of my wrist.

"Let go of me, Nick," I said, controlling my nervousness. He didn't want to continue

arguing, he needed a break.

Nicholas looked at his hand and let go of me in a bit of a daze. This subject was
affecting him even more than he had imagined.

I bent down to pick up his shirt from the floor and pulled it over my head. As I did
so, something caught my attention. I stretched out my arm to study my skin and a
wave of heat spread through my whole body.

There will not be...

"I can't believe it" I said getting up from the bed and standing in front of the full
length mirror. I went over each and every mark he had made on my bare skin. I
looked at my arms and thighs and also my neck...

I turned angrily on him. Nicholas sat on the bed watching me, unruffled. His look
warned me to be very careful with whatever he was going to let out of his mouth.

- Why did you do it?" I said, still where I was. His

eyes conveyed nothing.

-Because I can, and because for once I haven't decided to put you before
everything.
- And what does that mean?bethat?!

I couldn't believe what I was hearing, he was punishing me, it was his way of
punishing me for not living with him, for having disappointed him...

Nicholas ignored my question, got up, put on his sweatpants, and went into
the bathroom without saying a word.

I went straight to him.

- Is this what we are going to do now?!-I told him, watching him place
his hands on the sink and let his head fall. -
Punish us?

That made him look at me.

- Is it a punishment for you that I kiss you?

I shook my head, I wasn't going to let him turn the matter around.

-You know I hate brands, you know I hate seeing my skin in this state. Nicholas

came up to me and looked at me inscrutably.

-Your skin is like this because I have put it like that, no one else, this is not as if I
gave you a fucking beating, I kissed you and left marks, get over it.

He walked around me out of the bathroom and I followed him, trying to calm
down and trying to understand why.ben did all this.

- Do you doubt me so much that you need to mark me to make sure I'm
yours?

-Who I doubt is myself; You're making me become someone I don't want to be.

I felt the knot that tied my throat turn into something almost like this.bexiante.
Since he had arrived, everything had been too intense and he had not noticed love
anywhere, only fear, doubts and punishment.

But this pissed me off more than anything, because he had done it knowing that I
hated him.

"You're an idiot," I gasped. Nick raised his

eyebrows.
-And you a spoiled one, understand once and for all that not everything is going to
be as you want.

I let out a wry laugh. How did I want?

-Please! You have never been told no in life, that's why you punish me, I am the
first and the only one.

Nicholas ignored my comment and cautiously approached me.

-In that you are right... you are the first and the only one. We

both knew that wasn't true.

There was silence, both of us keeping our gazes untilbeFinally his arms went
around me and held me tight. My face touched his bare chest, I took a deep breath
and let him press me against him, I needed that hug more than I could have
imagined.

"I'm sorry, Noah," he said into my hair as his hand moved up and down my spine,
"I'm sorry, okay?" I didn't think when I did it, I got carried away for the moment,
but can you please stop seeing it as a bad thing? to theben and al cavo are just
kisses, my kisses...

I tilted my head back to watch him.

- And if it were you? Would you like it?" I said raising an eyebrow and
letting him pass his hand over my back.

- Are you kidding?-he said forcing a smile-I love your mouth, there's nothing
I like more than a mark that reminds me of what you've done with it.

That did not convince me.

- Would you let me mark you?-I asked, watching him.bejame- anyway?

He looked at me trying to figure out what was going through my head.

- Are you talking about something dirty, freckles?

His answer made me laugh and as much as I hated that he left me hickeys, the thing
was already too tense to add another reason to argue. I forced a smile and pushed
him back a bit.

"Lie down on the bed," I commanded.

Nick looked at me doubtfully but did as I asked. I opened a drawer in my nightstand
and sat on his stomach.

- What are you going to do?-he asked doubtfully but with a dark glow in his
eyes.

-Nothing that has crossed your mind through that perverted mind of yours-
having said this, I brought the marker to my lips and removed the cap with my
teeth.

Nick's eyes widened in surprise.

"No way," he said raising his hands and grabbing me by the wrists. I smiled.

"Oh yes, you're going to leave me and you're going to stay still," I said, forcing
myself with my arms to make him let go.

His body rolled over mine and pinned me against the mattress.

"Leave that where it was if you don't want to get into trouble," he warned me,
but I saw in his eyes that he found this amusing.

The permanent marker was still in my hand and I was planning to use it.

-Think that it is something that I am going to do to you, only me and nobody else. I
have never drawn anyone on the body and I think it is something beautiful and
special.

His head rose above me and he looked at me curiously but at the same time with
interest.

- Is this your idea of ​something nice and special?

"Anything I do with your body is something beautiful and special" I said with a
smile drawing on my lips.

"You've spent too much time with me, that's clear," he blurted out a second later to
roll back onto the mattress forcing me to sit on it, just where I wanted to be.

"Be nice," he warned me, placing his hands on my bare thighs.

This was a lot of fun and like it or not, it was helping me to put aside all the
emotional baggage that we seemed to have shed in the last few hours. I leaned over
him and began to trace patterns on his chest. A heart on his pectorals, a happy face
on his shoulder, an I love you on his heart... little by little I was inspired and began
to trace all the things I felt for him... I remembered his letter and hisflpray and my
heart sank. Even though this
supposed to be a punishment, it soon became a love letter on her skin... written by
me. His eyes never left my face and his hands simply traced circles on my skin while
I worked determinedly and with my best calligraphy on his statuesque body.

The ink erasing the pain and recovering that complicity.

With a very wide smile I took her wrist and drew my last message.

-You are mine forever.

Chapter 44

NICK

I didn't take my eyes off her once as I let her do whatever she wanted with my
body. That phrase could meanbeIt was the dream of any man and I would never
have thought that I would use it to let bullshit be drawn on my skin, but watching
her at will, as I was doing at that moment, was priceless. I was so focused on
getting the ink on my skin and on whatever it was I was writing and drawing that I
wasn't aware of how incredibly beautiful it was in that moment.

Her cheeks were tinted with a slight blush and her eyelashes were wet from crying. I
know I shouldn't be such a bastard, but I loved how her lips stayed after crying, it
made me want to kiss her until there were no hours left.

I took advantage of her distraction to soak up each of her gestures and took the
opportunity to caress her legs and thighs carefully while she continued immersed
in her task.

When my hand got too low, slipping into forbidden places, his eyes searched
for mine and stopped my movements.

"Stay there," he said with an amused smile for later.belook at my wrist. I let her do
while she draws one last thing on my skin.

"I'm done," he said then, closing the marker with the cap and lowering his face
until he could lightly kiss my lips. This being still for so long with her half naked
on top of me had been complete torture.

Holding her by the waist I rolled her until I was on top.

- And now what am I supposed to do?-I asked, supporting my weight with

my forearms so as not to crush her on the mattress. His hand came up to my face
and gently stroked my hair.

"Get out there and show the world my masterpiece," he said with an amused glint
in his eye. I pressed my hips against hers, feeling her so weak beneath me, so
small and so unbelievably perfect… A lump caught in my throat as I realized these
moments weren't going to happen as often as I wanted. He was going to have to
let her go, to live on college surrounded by assholes who would fight for her
attention. suddenly not even my kisses
nor anything that she could tell me were herbeenough to feel that no one could
take it away from me.

Last night I had blurted out too many things...and I regretted it, I had to admit it,
it was okay to open up to her but up to a point. I didn't want to scare her, nor did I
want her to think that she was a simple sex toy for me, because she wasn't, I loved
her, I just needed to have her close, to touch her, to feel her curious fingers on my
stomach or clinging to my back, her sweet lips on my skin, feel it mine and get fed
up with that special connection we had together. I had been with hundreds of girls
throughout my life, I had done things with them that better not to mention and I
had also treated them very less than they deserved and not one of them, not a
single one, had made me feel even the least bit. quarter of what Noah did to me
with a simple look.

Losing her... it hurt me just thinking about it, it scared me with fear, it was a
heartbreaking feeling that oppressed my chest, as if I had two giants sitting in my
heart.

Since my mother left, that heartbreaking emotion had not returned, I had closed
myself so much to others, I had refused so much to feel anything... that now I was
exposed, exposed to that incredible girl breaking my heart.

then ibeI looked at what I had drawn on my wrist and a sweet and warm tingle took
over my whole body.

It was his... he had put it on, he had written it on my skin and I understood that
nothing would make me happier than belonging to him body and soul, in every
sense of the word.

I knew that my gaze had darkened, clouded by my feelings and by the irrational
desire to keep her with me, by my side forever. I couldn't control how I felt or how
my love for her kept growing by leaps and bounds.

-I'm going to let you go... for now-I clarified seeing her blink in surprise-but you
know that this won't last long, when I want something, you sin... I just get it, I
don't care who I have to take with me in front.

Her eyes narrowed and she shifted restlessly under my body.

- Would you take me ahead?

His question distracted me for a moment.

-I carry you in my heart, love; there is no safer place than that.

- Aren't you going to shower? - he asked me as he put a shirt over my head.

- Is it a hint about my hygiene or something similar? -I said smiling at the

boots while I finished fastening the laces.

Noah was still wearing my T-shirt and his hair was messy. We were always late
and I couldn't understand how she didn't take advantage of the fact that I was
getting ready to do the same. There she was: sitting on my bed and watching me
amused.

"I thought you'd run to erase my Monet" he said, catching my attention.

I smiled and positioned myself in front of her at the end of the bed. His
foot rested calmly on the white sheets, spotless and perfect, like every
part of his body.

-I'll take these little drawings that you've made with pride, freckles, you've made
them, what less than leaving them until they are erased-I stretched out my hand
and lifted her foot, placing it on my chest and massaging her ankle. She looked at
me insightfully-What's more, this elephant that you've made me here-

I said lifting the shirt and pointing to one of my obliques-I think it gives me a
rather interesting masculine air.

His eyes lingered where my skin was exposed and a teasing smile spread across
my face. I tugged on her ankle dragging her to the end of the bed, watching her
shirt ride up to the bottom of her breasts.

Her sweet, flat stomach was freed up for me to look at along with her lacy white
panties that made my heart pound.

- Do you see something you like? -I said leaning over and tenderly kissing
her navel.

I watched as he closed his eyes for a moment. How could he smell so exquisitely
good?

"You," he answered simply.

But we didn't have time for that; I pulled her up, with a smirk, and forced her legs to
wrap around my hips. He had to get her out of that room.

I crossed the corridor until entering the kitchen. I smiled and placed it on the
counter. She winced at the cold marble on her skin. I left her
there as I started getting things off the counter to make us breakfast. I felt his eyes
following my every move.

I got out a bowl of fruit, squeezed oranges, and beat the eggs into scrambles.

- Can I help you?" he said and I shook my head.

"Let me make you breakfast for the last time," I answered, unable to avoid shooting
him a withering look. She shrank back where she was but didn't say anything.

When everything was ready on the small kitchen island I picked her up again and
sat her on my lap in front of the table. Her arm went around my neck and while
she distractedly played with my hair I fed her lost in my own thoughts. She ate
what he gave her, also distracted by whatever was going on in that little head.

I was aware that no matter how good a face we both put on, what had happened
last night was still present like a ghost wandering around. Nervous, I grabbed her
by the neck and forced her head back. I pressed my lips to hers, savoring the
freshly squeezed orange from her delicious mouth.

He was surprised by my outburst but kissed me back. Her tongue curled around
mine as my arm wrapped around her tightly, pulling her closer to me.

When I moved away I put my forehead against his and our eyes met. She had that
honey color that melted me, and I felt the irrational urge to lock her in my room and
not let her out.

-I love you, Noah... don't ever forget it.

His gaze sparkled in that incredible way and I let his fingers caress my face, cheeks
and my bottom lip.

She seemed to be lost in thought and when she reached for her hand I held it back
and brought it to my lips.

I kissed each of her knuckles carefully, then forced her to continue eating what was
on her plate.

If she was thoughtful before, now she had completely lost it. A few minutes passed
before he decided to speak.

- If I ask you for something... will you do it?-he asked me then.

-No -.I said simply.

"Nick..." she started but the street with a quick beak as I got up and left her on the
chair where she had been sitting. I picked up the plates and turned my back on
him. He didn't want to promise anything more, especially not right now.

- What time do you have class?-I asked her without letting her speak.

-At half past twelve, but...

-I took you, now get dressed.

I ignored her pursed lips and watched her walk out of the kitchen and into my
bedroom. I leaned against the counter and crossed my arms. I had no idea why,
but I knew that whatever he was going to ask of me was not going to be a
goddamn thing for me.

"There isn't time to go through the residence, Nick," he told me, shifting in his
seat. I watched her out of the corner of my eye and continued without taking the
detour to the faculty. I wanted to see where she was staying, and while we were
there help her load up some of the boxes that were still in my car.

- Didn't you come in at half past twelve? I asked without paying

attention to his silence.

-Yes, well, but you don't have to go to the residence, we could go have a
coffee or something...

I looked at her out of the corner of my eye and saw how she began to play with her
hair nervously.

- Is there anything else you have to tell me?-I asked, turning and entering the
residential area. I had never been here, during my first year of college, when my
father still had no idea of ​the things he was doing, I had lived in a house in a
sorority. It was crazy, but it didn't take long for me to move back into my father's
house, and then into my apartment. This thing about student residences was
something new and I was curious.

Noah sighed next to me and when I parked in front of the buildingbeUncle

Hendrick, got out in a hurry. I followed her and met her in front of the car.

-Well, see you tomorrow for dinner or something?

I reached over and brushed a lock of her hair back behind her ear.

- Are you trying to get rid of me?

-Of course not, but my roommates don't like that we bring boys to the room, so it's
better that we have a coffee...

"I want to see your room" I said simply, taking her hand and pulling her towards the
stairs "I need to know where we're going to hook up from now on."

I laughed as Noah blushed.

As soon as I entered, the smell of precooked food and humidity caught my

attention. There was a small reception with no receptionist sitting at a desk and
the stairs were in a hidden corner with part of the carpet sticking out.

Noah beat me to it and started up the steps.

When I got to the landing I saw that there were people in the corridors, the distance
from one room to another was almost non-existent.

I frowned when I saw a group of guys screaming in the next room.

Noah watched me biting his lip and stopped in front of his door.

-First of all, you have to know that I'm waiting for them to answer me about another
slightly bigger room...

I nodded watching her transmitting absolutely nothing.

"And I want you to know that I love my new classmates, they're super nice, and
they're twins," she added as if that could interest me in the slightest "Besides, it's
not what...

- Are you going to open at once?

She fell silent, pursed her lips together, and did as she was told. I

followed her reluctantly.

My eyes captured absolutely everything in less than a second, because in a second

you had time to see absolutely everything.

This had to be a fucking joke.

The room was smaller than the one I had in my apartment and even though
three people slept here, together, there were no individual rooms, no kitchen or
living room.
Sitting on the bed to the left were two identical girls with a computer on their knees
and looking at the screen.

"Hey guys," Noah said, avoiding my gaze, "He's my boyfriend...Nicholas."

They smiled at me as I started to count to a thousand inside my head.

"This is Kate and Kiley," Noah continued.

I watched them feeling how my muteness made the room temperature drop several
degrees. My eyes continued observing the horrible details; There was only one
table, dwarf in a corner, posters of who knows what singer and worst of all, the
most horrible and traumatizing: the bunk beds.

Letters.

"I need to talk to you alone" I said turning around and leaving.

I stayed in the hallway and leaned against the opposite wall. I crossed my arms and
looked at herbehe admits.

"You've been rude" she said even though I knew she was trying to stay calm for me.

I looked around me, at the screaming assholes on the other side of his wall, at
those guys who would come in drunk at any hour of the night; I imagined Noah,
Noah me in his pajamas waking up in the morning and going to shower, crossing
these filthy corridors, showing his bare legs, with those little shorts that he
insisted on wearing everywhere, I imagined thousands of horrible situations,
situations that They drove me crazy in less than a second, and worst of all, I
imagined Noah in that bed, surely very uncomfortable with no space or privacy,
with how special he was with his personal space... this had to be his worst
nightmare and she knew, she knew she didn't want to be here, but she would, she
would because she thought she had no choice. I hated her mother, her damn
mother for wanting her daughter to live here instead of me, in a comfortable, big
and spacious place with me to take care of her and adore her, as she deserved.

I took a deep breath to calm down.

"You're not going to sleep here," I said, transmitting to my voice all the calm that I
was capable of.

He rolled his eyes, then looked back at me.

-It is what there is after having warned with such little time and it is not so bad.

I took a step forward.

"Do you want to cause me a cardiac arrest?" I said and glared at the little group of
girls who leaned out to see what was happening. I lowered my voice and got closer
to her-You can't get over me for this, freckles, no way, you don't even have your own
bathroom and we both know very well that you enjoy taking a shower, when you do
it gives me time to go for a run, have a snack and play with the fucking cat! So stop
fooling around and come with me until you find something else.

Noah let out a boobedo.

"I'm not a little princess in distress, Nicholas, do I like to take long showers?" Yes,
but I've been without them all my life, the problem is that I've gotten used to living
in your house, but I don't dislike this.

-I think I've been as understanding as I could, don't do this to me, don't stay in this
shitty place, do you see me visiting you here? Do you see me sleeping with you in
that bunk?-I said almost suffering a chill.

A smile appeared on his face and I had to use all my self-control not to show him
how serious my words were.

-Don't be a snob, Nick, besides, who told you that you're going to sleep here? In
any case, I would go to your apartment.

-Byben you say something coherent; you come to my apartment: now-I said taking
her hand and pulling her. "And the snobbish thing, I'll pay for it another time," I
added, but I stopped when I saw that she didn't take a step.

"Stop, Nick," he said simply, "Take a deep breath, look around you and see that it's
not that bad, it will only be a few months until I get a single room."

Sometimes I was surprised at how little he seemed to know me.

With a year of courtship, he could already be aware of how I took this kind of
thing.

I pursed my lips thoughtfully.

Noah stood on his toes and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"Stop thinking about it" he whispered in my ear. I closed my eyes, wrapped

my hand around her waist and pulled her to me.
"One of these days you're going to kill me," I said, biting her ear. "I'm leaving," I
added, releasing her and wanting to fix this matter.

Noah seemed to relax instantly, gave me a hug and a kiss, and waved me off with a
hesitant smile.

I got out of that edibeI started without hesitating for a second what I had to do.

"Noah is going to kill you" Lion said as he let them finish.

"Don't you like it?" I asked with a mocking smile and feeling incredibly good.

It had been perfect.

"You're becoming a softie, this is going to end up affecting your reputation, you'll
see," he added as he picked up the basketball and tried to put it in the basket that
was stuck to the door.

I ignored his comment and got up. He needed to finish with other matters.

"I'm not the one who goes around the corner crying, Lion," I reminded him,
ignoring the pang of guilt. Lion was now going hard, that he did not care about
anything or anyone, and that it did not occur to me to mention that name started
by J

because then we did mess it up.

"You're an asshole," he answered, throwing the ball and making it hit with the tools
that were in the corner.

I grabbed my jacket, put it on, and walked out knowing he would follow me.

My car was parked right next to it, we got in and as he backed up I knew something
was on his mind.

"I've thought about selling the workshop," he said a minute later. I

turned to him.

-That?

The workshop was the most important thing Lion had, it was his business, his
family's.

lion kept his eyesbeha on the road, tapping her foot nervously.
"I want to fix things with who you know" he said with a small mouth. I rolled my

eyes.

-I think you're going astray if you don't even call her by her name.

"It's just that I'm still pissed off with her," he said, letting out a boobeC-But your
father called me last night.

I averted my eyes from the road to look at him in disbelief.

-And what did he tell you?

-Mr. Tavish has always treated me well, he doesn't look at me with all those rich
guys, you know what I mean... he's a legal guy.

Greg Tavish was a great man and had raised his children impeccably. Jenna was the
way she was because she had never lacked for anything.
Even I had been envious when we were kids.

-Well that... we were talking, you know, at first because I wanted to know why Jenna
didn't talk about me at home anymore and also because her daughter had been
crying non-stop two nights in a row.

I glanced sideways and saw that even though he didn't want that for Jenna, knowing
that the separation hurt him and that he wasn't the only one having a hard time, was
a relief.

-He told me that he is giving me a position in his company, I would start at the
bottom, of course, I would have to take an exam, and work my way up over the
years, that guy is a machine Nick, you should have heard him speak... He looks so
sure, so smart;, normal for Jenna to adore him, you know? Who doesn't want a
father like that?

Lookbedirectly to the car in front of him.

-You do not tell me anything?

My mind had strayed into dark areas, I couldn't help but compare my father with
Greg, nor the acceptance of his parents for their relationship and that Lion was a
street kid, a hell of a guy yes, but at the same timebeAnd after all, a man without
resources, without studies. Jenna's father accepted it even so, and I had to fight
tooth and claw to be accepted into my own family.

"I think it's the best thing that could have happened to you, mate," I replied with a
smile.

I looked at him and for the first time in years I saw him feel safe.
Calm flooded the green eyes of my best friend.
Chapter 45

NOAH

I spent the next three days without seeing Nick. We kept in touch, talking late
at night and texting me that made me blush in class, but we hadn't been able to
find a spot to meet.

I spent those days getting to know my teammates better and hanging out with
Jenna. I wasn't going to a disco or anything like that, but around the university
there were several bars that were very good, as long as you got there before the
rush hour, otherwise it was impossible to find a table. At that moment I was with
the twins, Jenna and her roommate at Ray's, the trendy bar.

We had come early and that is why we had one of the best tables. A small group of
boys was playing pool just a few feet away and it was very clear that they were trying
to get our attention. Five pretty girls and no guy around us, it was their
reasonbeenough for them to want to start a conversation.

One of the twins, Kylie, kept saying that she had fallen in love with one of them,
a redhead, thin and a little gangly but who was quite cute. It was funny to me
how in less than five seconds a whole movie had already been assembled in his
head.

-I think we would call the first Fred, you know, I've always liked Harry Potter and
surely our children would inherit his red hair...

-Come closer and tell him that you already know the name of his first child.

I'm sure you'll fall in love with that. Jenna told him that she hadn't stopped drinking
and seemed disgusted by every look we got from the opposite sex.

I couldn't help but laugh, the twins had a very different sense of humor from
Jenna's sarcasm, they were sweeter, warmer, and above all quite inexperienced,
they reminded me of Kat. One of them had never had a boyfriend, nor had she
been with any boy. Jenna's face had been a poem when Kate had admitted it
without any qualms.

- Never ever?-repeated the roommate Jenna.

Kate raised the straw to her lips and sipped from her glass.

-Is not theben of the world, you know? Where do the boys come from, they are
either ugly or they are assholes, and prebeI wanted to be alone rather than with a
brainless prick.

-Honey, guys don't have brains, there's only one thing that's worth it about them
and I assure you it's on the opposite side of their head.

I laughed again when I saw how Kate blushed and how her sister sighed for the
redhead again.

"Hey, Noah, there's one that won't stop looking at you," Kylie said turning to me. I
couldn't stop my neck from turning expecting to see Nick.

I found totally different eyes; It wasn't Nick at all and as the twin said, he
kept looking at me.

He was tall and blond and held the pool cue as if it were another member of his
body. The strangest thing of all is that it looks familiar to me.

I stopped looking at him and focused on my friends.

"Maybe he's in my class, but I don't remember him well," I said shrugging.

Jenna leaned out so she could stare at him blatantly.

-I've seen that guy; I think leaving the cafeteria that we have in the buildingbeI'm
in biology and I assure you he's not in first grade, I actually think he's a teacher,
eh, maybe he'll give you a class or something...

A class? Nothing of that.

I peeked at him through his hair and when I saw that he was focused on the game,
leaning over the table and aiming at a ball, I was able to look at him more freely.
No, she was sure he wasn't a teacher, she was too young for that, but not young
enough to be in first grade. I tried to rack my brain to find out where I knew him
from but it was impossible.

After a few minutes of pondering, we dropped the subject and continued to talk
about trivia and how Kate was wasting her years of youth and beauty without
sleeping with any guys.

-Listen to me, there is no prince charming, okay? The novels, m-i-e-n-t-e-n, stop
reading 50 Shades of Gray because you know what? The most a guy is going to do
for you is take you to Burger King and pray that you ask for the savings menu.
I rolled my eyes and took advantage of the fact that there wasn't much queue at
the toilets to go to the bathroom. To get there I had to walk past the pool tables
and having already forgotten about the mystery guy I was surprised when he cut
me off halfway, forcing me to stop.

"Hello," he said simply, looking at me curiously.

"Hello" I replied.beStaring at his face and immediately remembering where I had

seen him. It had been in thatbethis one I'd gone to with Jenna, the same night Nick
had come back from San Francisco and picked me up on the street.

-I'm sorry, I didn't want to approach you like that, but I think I remember that you
were with my little brother a few days ago, in abethis am I wrong?

I nodded.

"Yes, we are together in class" I answered.

He nodded, he didn't remember his name but he did remember how he had
approached us in very bad ways.

-I would like to ask you a favor, my brother is a specialist in disappearing and not
showing signs of life, if you see him in class could you remind him to call me? It is
important.

I nodded watching him take out his wallet and look for something inside.

-I know it's a lot to ask, but I don't know anyone else who hangs out with him in
class, if you ever notice that he's strange or that he's not feeling well, can you call
me at this number?

I took the card he held out to me.

"Sure, don't worry," I answered when I noticed him so overwhelmed. -

Nothing's wrong, right?

I liked Charlie too much to lose him as a friend, the last few days I had laughed
more than in a century, I loved his constant good humor and how he laughed at
everyone and also at himself without any malice.

Charlie's brother smiled toothlessly in what I assumed was a clear way of not
wanting to talk about it.

-Nothing you need to worry about.

His answer might seem unfriendly but he said it to me in such a transparent and
friendly tone of voice that I couldn't help but smile back before he disappeared back
the way he had come.

Looking down andbeGetting on the card made my hair stand on end.

Michael O'Neill

Psychologist/Psychiatrist

It didn't take me long to go to the residence, I was tired and I couldn't stop
thinking about what Charlie's brother had told me. The subject of the psychologist
was still hanging in a place of pending tasks and that he had no intention of
fulfilling. Nick had asked me to please do it for him, and even though I'd agreed, I
hated the idea of ​having to open up to a stranger, having to tell them my biggest
fears and intimacies. I was not a person who found it easy to tell their problems,
much less to a stranger, but I was also aware that the nightmares continued, my
fear of the dark was something present in my day, I had even had to ask the twins
to let me put a nightlight by my bed. I knew it was something I couldn't put off
anymore, but I was terrified that someone would analyze me or judge me or tell
me I was completely crazy. My mother had tried to take me on more than one
occasion, she had even gone as a child, but she had cried so much in the doctor's
office thatbenally my mother had given up, she had bought me little night lights
for my room and so on until now. Of course, the nightmares were something
relatively new, something that had arisen as a result of seeing my father die at my
feet.

I got into bed and went back tobejar on card. Was this some kind of sign? This
Michael seemed like a nice guy, and most importantly: he wasn't someone too old,
that gave me confidence because the sessions could go through simple
conversations between friends. I wanted to talk to Charlie first, besides, I wanted
to know why his brother was worried about him, even though telling Charlie my
problems wasn't something I was ready for.

I knew that if I ended up telling him, I would find any excuse to convince myself
that his brother would not be a good psychologist for me, so IbeI finally decided
to call him directly, ask him about his therapy, and see if he could become my
psychologist.

My psychologist, that sounded horrible, but I was doing it for Nick, yes, I was
doing it for him... because deep down I knew that nothing and nobody was going
to be able to cure me. Mine came from the factory, there are things that remain
very buried, wounds that do not heal but do heal and no matter how much you do
to get rid of them, they always end up leaving a mark.
The next day after morning classes I looked for a slot and called Michael. I told him
my problem above, without specibeI cared a lot and he told me he was one of the
psychologists on campus. I had been working for the university for two years and
he encouraged me to go to his office. I didn't know anything about Charlie, because
he hadn't shown up for class, although I assured him that he didn't usually go in
the morning.

Despite my nerves, I felt a little relieved for having taken that small step,
now all I had to do was go and see how I was doing, and above all see if I felt
comfortable being with him and telling him my things.

I spent the rest of the morning in the college cafeteria.

I had a knot in my stomach, I was nervous, so I simply ordered a cup of coffee and
took out a book that we had to read in class. The atmosphere in that cafeteria was
a bit oppressive, and that's why I chose one of the tables that were further away.

It wasn't until after a while that a strange feeling settled in my stomach. As if my

body was capable of feeling it, I looked up and saw it. There was Nick, walking into
the cafeteria with a disposable coffee cup in one hand and the Mac laptop in the
other. And worst of all, it wasn't just me who noticed his arrival. The table next to
me, with five girls who wouldn't shut up even under water, started whispering and
staring at him shamelessly. I looked around me, observing carefully from my
privileged position, and verified that the table next to me was not the only one that
was aware of my boyfriend. Nick passed through the crowd until he sat down at a
table where a group of boys greeted him with the usual blows to the back.

"My God, it's great, really, just looking at it makes me super nervous" said
one of the girls next to me.

I tensed up almost immediately.

"He's my future husband, so you can take your eyes off him now," said another and
they all laughed.

This reminded me of Kylie and how she used to drool over the cute boys on
campus. She hadn't been aware that Nick was obviously not invisible, and he was
handsome as hell, you just had to look at him, with those pants that fell to his
hips, those shirts that clung slightly, highlighting his muscular arms... and worst
of all, he was wearing his reading glasses, those glasses that I found so incredibly
sexy, those glasses that I thought he only wore when he was in his apartment,
when he was with me.
Part of me wanted to run and claim him as my own, but I'd never been able to get
this vantage point to watch him and see how he behaved when I wasn't around.

Honestly, he seemed to think nothing of his tablemates, they didn't stop making a
fuss while he was focused on whatever he was reading on his computer. Two girls
joined his table and eyed him provocatively. One of them said something to him,
Nick looked up and smiled at him.

He smiled at her.

An intense heat formed inside me.

"It has to have some defect," said another girl next to me.

-The only defect he has is that he throws himself at everything that moves, I would
never want him as a boyfriend, the truth is, besides, just having him in front of me
would freeze my words, I would become a complete idiot, I'm serious .

It shoots at everything that moves.

As if Nick had heard those very words, he lifted his head from the computer and
his eyes met mine in the distance. I would have played dumb, or distracted, but I
wanted him to see me, I wanted to see what I was doing now that I was in his
territory, in his faculty, where everyone knew him and talked about him.

An amused smile appeared on his lips. I just kept

looking at him.

"He's looking at us" said someone from the next table and I heard how they
started giggling.

Nick got up, grabbed his things and without taking his eyes off mine he walked
over to where I was. I was clearly aware of how many girls followed him without
losing sight of him.

I lowered my eyes to the book and waited to see what he would do. I clearly heard
the chair next to me move and he took a seat.

"Hello," he said simply and without waiting for my answer he took my chair and
placed it so that we were half facing each other, with my legs almost touching his
knees.

The girls at the next table were now looking at us in shock.

I watched him and felt butterflies in my stomach. I couldn't help it, her presence, as
for the entire female sector, revolutionized my hormones.

"Hello" I answered a little tight. He was used to women staring at him. But he had
never witnessed the things they said about him, nor what it was like to live from
the other side. Obviously when he was with me they looked at him but they didn't
comment in a way that I could hear. Now I was aware of the line of girls eagerly
waiting for me to screw up so they could take my place.

I would never have him as a boyfriend... he throws himself at everything that moves.

I diverted my eyes to my book again, I was too nervous with everyone looking at
us, and besides I hated hearing how people talked about him, as if he was
someone empty and just handsome, Nick was so much more than just his
physique.

"I call this a warm welcome, yes sir," he said teasing me.

I looked at him again and frowned.

-I didn't know you had class today, or that you'd be here, you could have told me.

The girls at the next table would not stop giggling and giggling and would start
touching my nose.

-I didn't plan to come, but I had to deliver a job, now that we don't live together I
have a lot of free time. His eyes looked at me in that dark way that reminded me of
everything I was missing now that we didn't live under the same roof.

"I didn't know you were so popular in college," I said, changing the subject because I
knew it wasn't convenient for me to enter into that kind of conversation with hints.

Nick shifted his eyes to the girls at the next table. I didn't even want

him to look at them.

- Are you jealous?" he asked, focusing on me again.

I didn't want to answer that question, so I leaned across the table and tugged at his
shirt to make him do the same.

"I think there are too many people here who have no idea who I am" I told her,
letting her eyes wander over my face and an amused smile appear on her
seductive lips.
"There's nothing wrong with claiming what's yours, love.

His words were hisbecient to me. And we both leaned in almost at the same time
until our lips met. I was aware of how many people were watching us, what's more,
the silence that fell at the continuous table served to make a smile appearbenot in
my face My intention had only been to give him an intense peak, but Nick seemed
to have other plans in mind. He pulled me onto his lap, not moving an inch. He
forced me to part my lips, pushing with his tongue and I let it invade my mouth.

In that position I had my back to almost the entire cafeteria so people could
deduce what we were doing but without actually putting on a show. Nick nipped at
my lower lip, sucked, and pressed his lips to mine again, clearly sealing the
message.

When I moved away I saw how all this amused him, and also how the
excitement darkened his beautiful light blue eyes.

"I love when you get jealous" he said drawing constant circles with his thumb on
the lower part of my back, that part that left my skin exposed and that he had
found in less than a second. I felt goosebumps break out on me.

Then the touch of something strange brushed against my skin. I frowned and
forced him to position his arm so he could see it.

A white bandage covered his wrist.

- What happened to you?-I asked him with horror.

He seemed to hesitate for a few seconds and my concern grew.

-Nothing, do not worry.

Images of Nicholas getting into another fight flashed through my mind, I looked
for any other traces of violence but his face was flawless, not a scratch. IbeI
looked at his fists and I didn't see any bruises either.

- Why do you have a bandage on your wrist, Nicholas?-I asked,

changing my tone and becoming serious.

I throw my head back and a smile that I didn't quite know how to interpret
appeared on her face.

-No flipes or anything like that, okay?

I frowned and grabbed her wrist.

- what have you done

An alarm bell went up inside me.

"See for yourself," he said, indicating for me to lift the bandage.

I did it without waiting a second, and there, slightly swollen but clearly visible, was a
tattoo.

"My God," I said, my voice cracking.

Nick finished ripping it off and placed it on the table.

-I think it is not necessary to cover it, don't you think?

On her beautiful skin, written in black, imitating my calligraphy, was the

same thing that I had written three days ago on her body.

-You are mine-

"Tell me this is not a tattoo" I said with my heart in a fist.

- Did you really think I was going to let this be erased?-he replied,
looking at the tattoo with pride.

"You're crazy, Nicholas Leister," I said feeling a lot of mixed emotions. A tattoo,
that was forever, a mark on his skin that would always remind him of me, two
words that claimed him as mine.

- You were engraved on my skin long before I got the tattoo, this is simply a
memory of you to always carry, love, don't give it more importance than it has.

So I felt afraid. I understood how much that meantbeand despite her nice words, a
familiar pressure in my chest made it hard for me to breathe.

"I have to go" I said starting to get up, but his arm kept me still where I was.

Nick narrowed his eyes and regarded me seriously.

-It isflipando and it was not my intention-said clearly disgusted.

I shook my head, suddenly short of breath and needed to go outside. I felt like
everyone was watching my next move.

-A tattoo is for life, Nicholas-I said with a lump in my throat-You're going to regret
having done it, I know, you're going to regret it and then you'll hate me because
it's going to make you remember me, even when you don't want to. y- His lips shut
me up with a quick kiss.
Although it seemed somewhat tender, I felt it tense under my body and his
hard kiss against my lips.

"I didn't mean to upset you" he said on my lips "But it's my body and I do what I
want with it."

His hands lifted me up and he placed me on top of where I had been sitting. His
hands clamped onto the armrest and I felt him create a cage between himself and
the back of the chair.

-Sometimes I don't know what to do with you, Noah, I really don't know.

I watched as he picked up his laptop without looking at me and walked back the way
he came.

Shit... Had he hurt her feelings?

That night I couldn't sleep, a nightmare managed to keep me awake completely,

and this time it was the memory of that night, the same night that I had to jump
out of the window to escape from my father, the night in which I understood that
men, no matter how many promises they made, they were not people in whom
withbeWith.

Nick's disgusted and hurt look was the other reason I couldn't sleep a wink; I felt
guilty for having behaved in that way, for having reacted like that. It was that
night when I realized that I did need to talk about it with someone, I needed
someone to help me, to help me be what Nick needed from me.

The next morning I had my first session with Michael O'Neill.

-Tell me about yourself, Noah, why do you think you need my help?

Michael's office was not how I had imagined it.

There were no divans in the way or foreign objects or anything like that, it was a
simple office, with a desk in one corner, two black sofas with a small table in the
center and cozy white cushions. The curtains on the large window were open,
letting in a warm morning light. Michael had offered me tea and biscuits and I felt
like I was five years old.

I told him about what my childhood had been like, the relationship I had with my
father and the problems he had had with my mother. I hadn't meant to spill all my
secrets in the first session, but Michael was good at pulling out information
without you even realizing it. Without eating or drinking it, I had confessed to him
about my fall out of the window, and the trauma I had with the dark, I told him
that a little over a year ago I had had to leave my house and
moving to Los Angeles and mentioned Nick. To theben and after all I was there
for him.

- Do you have a boyfriend?-he asked me, stopping whatever he was

writing on his notepad.

I nodded, fidgeting restlessly on the couch.

-Tell me about your relationship with him.

The session flew by and I barely had time to tell you many more.

-Look Noah, it's now useful to get to know you a little better, but we haven't been
able to get into the matter, I'd like you to start coming two hours a week, from what
you tell me, what worries you the most is your Nyctophobia, and that it can be
solved with therapy, you'd be surprised by the people who have the same problem
as you, you don't have to feel ashamed.

I would have liked to tell him that I wasn't, that I just hated having that mental
block when the lights went out.

I wasn't sure if this hour with him had helped me, but I did feel comfortable, and
that was very important.

Michael got up and walked me to his door.

-It's been a pleasure meeting you, Noah, and I really hope I can help you.

I returned the smile. His way of speaking, so calm, and the way he looked at me
conveyed an almost absolute calm to me.

I guess he was good at his job.

The rest of the day passed quickly, though with no word from Nick. I felt guilty
about my reaction to his tattoo, it had just taken me by surprise and I didn't know
what to do to fix it. Plus my mom had been calling me all morning and texting me.
According to her, he had already punished herbecient and wanted to see me. My
answer had been clear: I would not see her until I felt that I had forgiven her, and
until now that feeling seemed conspicuous by its absence.

I wanted to tell Nick that I had started with the psychologist, I wanted him to see
that my relationship was the most important thing, that I was really trying to
improve. I didn't get to the residence very happy and I was so tired that I almost
didn't even realize who was waiting for me leaning on their car, next to the entrance.

Steve smiled at me in that dry way he used to address everyone. My relationship

with the Leister security officer had never been anything special, what's more, Steve
suffered with my
behavior because everyone knew that he was not an easy person to control. I was
sorry to thwart all his attempts to protect me from something that didn't exist,
especially since I knew those orders were coming from Nicholas, but at least he was
someone you could trust.bear whatever happens. That's why I'm surprised to see
him there, I tried to think of a coherent reason but nothing justbefit his presence.

"Hello, Miss Noah," he said, moving away from the car.

- What are you doing here, Steve? I asked nervously playing with the car
keys. Leaving my Audi behind was the thing I missed most about leaving the
Leister house, but one had pride and we all knew mine was pretty big.

-Nicholas has asked me to take her to her new residence.

- Where?-I asked almost choking. Steve

looked at me doubtfully.

-To your new residence, Noah, the one on the other side of campus, your things are
already there, I thought...

"Don't tell me..." I said to no one in particular.

I didn't let him continue talking. I passed by his side and entered the edibedude.
When I got to the second floor and opened the door, I saw that no one was there,
but that was not all, my things were gone. I opened my closet, nothing... not my
pillow, not my toiletry bag, not my books, not the two boxes I had put under the
bed.

This had to be a joke.

I reached into my bag for my cell phone and called Kylie.

Hi Noah, what's up?

- Kylie, have either of you been in the room today?

I heard the sound of music in the background, today was Friday which meansbeit
seemed that the girls would have gone straight to the pub after class.

-We are ofbecome on, boring!

I hung up without even answering him. I could'nt believe it. I looked to see if there
was anything, any of my things, but nothing, they had packed absolutely everything,
although there was a note on my pillow.

"I used my contacts to get you a new room, you will only share the living room and
kitchen with a partner, I know you didn't want me to
things were done that way, but I wasn't going to let you live in a dive. Call me when
your anger is over."

It was clear that the one who was angry was him, and now me.

But what was believed? My God, these were the things that drove me crazy, how
dare he move me without even asking me first.

I was so furious that I cared little if Steve walked into the room. I turned to him with
sparks in my eyes.

- This is an invasion of my privacy! -I yelled at him to which he simply

looked back at me- You can't come in here, take my things and take them with
you...!

-I just follow orders, Noah, I thought you knew.

- Well I wasn't!

Steve closed his eyes a few seconds too long and when he looked at me again
something in his gaze made me hold back my screams.

"I know it may sound crazy, Noah, but Nicholas has only done it for the
good."beYour friend, I know he is a difficult man to deal with, he is used to getting
his way, but deep down he is simply in love with you.

-That is no excuse.

I took a deep breath trying to calm down. Right now I just wanted a shower and a
bed.

- Is that residence very far? -I asked squeezing my temple with my hand. My

head ached terribly, and this fact that Nicholas sent Steve instead of him, only
added fuel to the fire that had already been brewing for a long time between the
two of them.

-Ten minutes.

I nodded and was soon in my car and following him down the highway. When we
arrived and I got out, I was clearly aware that here I was not going to have to share
a bathroom, let alone sleep on a bunk. The edibeThe cio was white brick and
impeccably painted and the grass was neatly trimmed. Nodreheim Hall.

I went up the stairs and when I entered I saw a young girl behind a reception desk.

- You're Noah Morgan, right?-he asked me with a friendly smile.

I nodded.

-Come, I'll show you your apartment.

Apartment... I didn't even want to think about how much this was going to cost
me. He wasn't going to be able to afford it, didn't Nicholas realize?

We went up to the third floor and the girl gave me some keys.

-Your partner hasn't arrived, but she's aware of your arrival. Your room is the
one on the right, I hope you're comfortable and I'm downstairs for whatever you
need.

Steve stepped forward and proceeded to open the door. When I entered I saw that
it was not at all what I expected. A living room with a kitchenette, small but very
well furnished, was the first thing I saw. In the corner there was a plasma
television and the sofas were the color of sea.bel, with a thick gray carpet that
covered almost the entire parquet. I saw two doors and another in between these.

-Here you will only have to share a bathroom with your partner...

I don't know his name, but hey, you'll find out when he arrives.

"Okay, Steve, don't worry.

I went to the room that would be mine and when I opened it I found all my things.
It had a double bed and a nice closet to the left. It was not a huge room but
nothing to do with the room that the building shared.becio Hendrick.

I left the room and faced Steve, who clearly had orders to stay with me until I
was settled.

-You can tell Nicholas that thanks, but that things are not done this way, he
should have consulted me first.

Steve seemed to agree with me, and his silence emboldened me.

I don't even know if I can afford to live here.

-Call him and talk to him, Noah, I'm sure he has taken your capital into
account.

I half smiled at Steve's always graceful way of defending Nick. He was everything
my boyfriend would never be, but at least I knew he had someone sensible in his
life.

Thanks for bringing me.

He smiled at me, put the keys on the counter, and walked out the door. Now

he had to start over.

Chapter 46

NICK

I looked at the edibethings that I had in front of me. Sometimes looking from this
height could be intoxicating, other times it made you feel superior, watching people
without them knowing, the traffic.benight co, the last hours of a tiring day; heights
had never bothered me, on the other hand distances... that didn't make me so funny.

He had been turning his head for a long time, thinking, trying to understand why it
was so difficult sometimes to get what one wanted.
Many people could come to reproach me for those words, I was not a person who
exactly lacked for anything, but something in particular had me captivated,
someone, really, and I did not know how to make sure that he would stay by my
side whatever happened. pass

His face when he saw the tattoo hadn't been what I expected, I hadn't thought he'd
jump with emotion either, but I never thought he'd see fear. Fear did not enter my
thoughts or my plans, it was very difficult for me to be scared of something.

Although there was something that made me nervous, I don't know if it could be
called fear, but it was, of course.beIt was definitely the fear of loss, that, I think
it was the only thing I was afraid of facing, I guess like most people.

Noah was a person who lived in fear, she did, she had admitted it to me and
there was nothing I could do about it to help her in that regard. My mere
presence made him sleep without nightmares and attenuated his demons but did
not make them disappear. I was afraid that those demons would end up
becoming mine too, because people had limits...

I as a man had my limits quite marked, but they seemed redebenirse to the sound of
that person who drove me completely crazy.

Although I hadn't expected Noah to go along with the move I'd carried out behind
his back, I was surprised that he hadn't called me right away to yell a few things at
me. His silence... and my silence, was deafening between the two, because neither
seemed to want to give up. In the meantime, I let her adjust to her new life at the
university, while I tried to figure out how I was going to move forward with our
relationship.

Don't get me wrong, I had no doubt that I loved her madly, not at all, but Noah was
a person who seemed
hiding so many things and having so many different faces that he was never quite
calm.

I wanted to get to know her completely, and when I thought I had, I'd come up
with something I hadn't been prepared to fit, and then I'd go back to square one.

"You're going to get sick of me, you will, and then you'll regret this, you'll hate it,
and you'll hate me..."

How could he have said those words to me? Hadn't I made my feelings for her
clear, wasn't it obvious that my world practically revolved around her?

I looked at the contract that had been sent to me that morning. We had won the
Rogers case, a rookie like me had managed to pull off something that everyone
had given up on as lost. Jenkins had sent me and Sophia to lose in order to show
that we weren't ready to take on a more complicated position yet, actually he had
done it for me, Jenkins would defend his position in the company tooth and claw,
but the case is that it had backfired on him.

And there was the paper he had always wanted to read.

They offered me eight months of internship in a firm other than my father's, in

New York, with paid flooring and a salary of two thousand dollars a month that
would be renegotiated as soon as my probationary period ended. A unique
opportunity, the opportunity to start with myself, for my achievements and merits
without depending on my father.

And there he was again... that pretty face, that face I would kill and give my life for:
Noah.

I took the contract and put it in one of the drawers. On this matter there was
nothing more to think about.

Before I could turn off the lights in the office and go home, the kingflejo of some
blond hairs caught my attention. My office had glass walls so my eyes met the
last person I expected to see at that moment.

The door was not long in opening.

We need to talk, Nicholas.

I looked at herbejust a few moments andbeFinally I took a seat indicating him to do

the same.

Lookbejust the face of my girlfriend's mother.

"I knew that sooner or later you were going to end up coming" I answered, taking a
deep breath and preparing myself for something that I didn't feel like reliving. - Do
you still not take your calls?

Rafaella pursed her lips and looked at me with disgust.

-It's been more than two weeks since he left, Nicholas, this is ridiculous, and the
worst part is that I don't even know where he's staying. I have called his residence
and they have told me that he is no longer living there
can you tell me what is happening? If he's staying with you, I swear to God
that...

- What? -I interrupted her- What are you going to do? Apart from getting
your daughter to put up with you less every day and so do I.

Rafaella looked at me as if I had slapped her.

-You don't know what's good for you.

I smirked not letting his words affect me.

"You're wrong," I answered, placing my elbows on the table in a nonchalant way.

"I don't know how I have to explain to you that I'm in love with her."

-She's too young to fall in love, I thought I was at her age and look at everything
that happened to me-she told me and I couldn't believe she brought up that
subject in front of me-I had her when I was a girl, a girl who thought she knew
what she was doing , my parents tried to persuade me, I didn't listen to anyone, I
ran away from home, I got married as a child and I had a girl who had to witness
how they beat me every day too. I don't want this for Noah, I want him to study,
have fun, go out, I don't want...

"You don't want the same thing to happen to her" I interrupted her feeling how
my body tensed up "I would never lay a single finger on her."

Rafaella shook her head.

-I know you wouldn't, that's not what I'm referring to.beBut... it's how you look at it.

I frowned, not understanding what he was getting at.

-I know you love her Nicholas, I see in your eyes the same thing I see in William
when he looks at me, but what I fear is that Noah isn't ready to face what you want
from her.

I love her, nothing more.

-Noah is not like the other girls, everything she lived through, everything that
happened to us, has marked her in a way that not even I, who am her mother
I can understand, there are things you don't know Nick, and I wouldn't want to stir
up the past, but I only ask you to try to give her space, if you corner her she'll run
away.

I was sick of always hearing the same thing. The past, the blissful past that kept
haunting us, there were things I didn't know, what kind of things?

"I'm giving him space," I answered a few seconds later. We're not living together, if
that's what you're worried about, he's listened to you, I just intervened so he didn't
have to sleep in a club. "I took a pencil and paper." This is the address of the flat
she's staying in, it's on campus and she only has one roommate.

I gave him the paper with the number and address on it and hoped that was
hisbeaware.

She stood up and we looked at each other for a few seconds.

-When you see her, tell her not to be stubborn, to pick up her car and...tell her that
I miss her.

I saw a certain sadness in her eyes and knew that the Morgans were hiding a lot.
Both Noah and his mother kept more than one secret inside and she didn't know
if she was going to be able to discover it and accept it when the time came to
know the whole truth.

Rafaella left a few seconds later, and I stared at the empty space in front of me.
Chapter 47

NOAH

Silence.

That's what was going on between Nicholas and me, and it wasn't something I
would have expected. After I moved, I expected to receive at least one call from
him. I was angry that he had made that decision for me and I wasn't going to be
the one to back down, but we had never gotten to the point where neither of us
spoke our minds. As I knew very well, ours was to argue, so what was that
supposed to mean?befit this.

I was sitting on my bed, my comfortable bed, which atben and after all I had thanks
to him. I knew that his intentions always had a good background but sometimes his
ways were the ones that could with me. He had been looking at his phone number
for a long time. To be honest with myself, I missed him, and I was afraid to think
that I had finally exhausted his patience.

Grinding my heart I started writing him a message... then I deleted it and decided to
be brave and call him on the phone.

I waited anxiously until I heard him pick up on the other end of the line.

- Say?

Woman's voice.

Three heartbeats and then the sound of blood pumping in my ears.

- Is Nicholas there?

My voice was a poem, and if it hadn't been for the rage that was blinding me, I
would have hung up the phone as soon as I heard Sophia's voice.

She nodded and a few minutes later I heard her breathing on the other end of the
line.

-Noah.

Noah... no freckles for me, apparently.

I felt so far from him at that moment that my heart ached.

- What are you doing with her?

It hadn't been my intention to ask him that precisely, but the sigh that came with
his answer managed to embolden me even more and fuel the anger I felt inside me.

-I work with her.

I took a deep breath trying to find a way to connect with him, but four days had
gone by with neither of us giving any sign of life and that had never happened
before. I was lost, because I did not understand what was happening. I had let
myself be blinded by my anger about the apartment and now I was discovering
that the anger was mutual and I didn't quite know why.

"The tattoo".

I knew my reaction had bothered him, but I hadn't overreacted either, okay, it had
scared me, but deep down I liked what I had done...

believe.

I had talked about this with Michael, lately I went to his office almost every day,
and we talked about everything, I had never felt able to open up so much to a
stranger before but he had managed it and it had been his idea that I wait and see
how he turned out. events unfolded with Nick. He had told me that pushing was
never good and that it was better to wait for the anger to subside than to let it do
the talking for me.

Well, here we were, talking. But it wasn't exactly a conversation, much less the
reception he had expected.

-Nick...

-Noah...

We both spoke at the same time and we both fell silent to listen to what each one
had to say. On another occasion this would have been fun but not at that moment,
not when she felt him miles away.

"I want to see you" I said when I saw that he didn't take the initiative.

I heard on the other end of the line how he left the noise behind him and went
somewhere quiet.
"I'm sorry I didn't call you," he said a second later, "I've been busy with the
company's anniversary and I wanted to give you space to settle in and adjust to the
college.

One thing was space and quite another not to have shown signs of life. I was going
to tell him the same thing but I bit my tongue.

"I'm going to the psychologist," I blurted out without thinking, after a silence that
no one wanted to interrupt. I don't know why he suddenly blurted it out like that,
maybe because I felt I had to explain to him that despite my attitude I was willing
to change and improve for him.

-As? Since when? Why didn't you tell me?

"I was angry?"

-I'm telling you now.

- Which one are you going to?-he asked me snorting-You can't go to just
anyone, Noah, I had investigated, I had talked to the best, I was just waiting
for the moment to tell you and now you are going...

-Nicholas, what difference does it make who it is? He's helping me and he's
young, from college, it's more like he's talking to a friend than anything else.

- Friend?

The situation changed from cold to almost frozen in a matter of seconds.

-His name is Michael O'Neill, he is the brother of a classmate, and he told me that
if...

-I can't believe you're letting yourself be treated by an asshole who earned his title
two news shows ago. He interrupted me and I heard a thud on the other end of the
phone.

- I'm doing what you wanted! -I answered him almost shouting.

Why did we always have to end like this? Didn't he see that this was done for
him?

- The college psychologists are underpaid brats who don't have a clue what
they're doing! How old do you say he is?

This was amazing.

- How important is that?

I heard him laugh on the other end of the line.

- Do you know the number of cases of sexual harassment that occur every
year by assholes who get the title in fits and starts and without having a fucking
idea?
What the hell does a guy who graduated two years ago know what's happening to
you?

-He didn't graduate two years ago, he's twenty-seven, and he's helping me, that's
the only thing that should matter to you.

His reaction was unbelievable, my God, this was the last thing I had expected
from him.

-You're going to change psychologists, Noah, you're going to go to one of the best, a
woman who has been treating cases like yours for a lifetime, and not to the office of
a brat who will surely jerk off imagining you naked on his couch.

I tried, I promise, to pretend he didn't just say that...but it didn't work.

-You're an asshole.

I hung up the phone because I knew if I kept listening to all that bullshit I
was going to end up doing something I was going to regret.

I took my leather jacket, put on my boots and went out to the little room where my
partner was watching television distractedly.

Her name was Briar, and now that she had been living with her for more than four
days, she could say without hesitation that she was quite the slut. It's not like she
was dressed like a slut or anything, it's just that she had that gift for which any guy
with eyes would want to take her to bed, and she would let them in with delight.
Her hair was a gorgeous shade of red, more red than orange, and her eyes were
green and exotic. She was tall and slender, and according to what she had told me,
she worked as a model for manybeknown signatures. Her parents were famous
Hollywood directors and she knew she would end up working with them sooner
rather than later.

It was not surprising, with that face, I would have become an actress too, but
Briar had an air of "passing everything"

which was even worrying. She had chatted with me a lot, she was nice, yes, but she
hadn't finished catching her royo.

- Fights between lovers?-he asked me nonchalantly while inspecting a

fingernail and then repainting it that blood-red color.
I went to the fridge and took out a can of Coca Cola. It's not that I needed caffeine to
get upset more than necessary, but I was moving by reflHey, I wasn't even thirsty,
but I couldn't keep still. That last conversation had touched me.beGood.

"I don't want to talk about it," I replied in a rather borderline tone. Briar's eyes
flicked to me and I immediately felt guilty.

It's not like we were friends or anything but she had been nice to me. I sighed and
skimmed what was happening with Nick. The truth is that I was short of friends,
because Jenna was going to her ball since we had started college, she lived on the
other side of campus and the twins were almost always busy leavingbeIt's
inbethis.

I didn't tell him about the psychologist, obviously, but I did tell him about the tattoo
and how he had reacted.

"Geez, a tattoo, you're in love, huh?" he said, sitting down in the armchair
that was on both sides of the kitchen island.

I played distractedly with the Coca Cola can while I decided how far I could tell him.

-Ours is different from anything I've felt for any other guy...it's intense, you know?
One word from him can elevate me to the fifth heaven or bury me five meters
underground.

Briar was watching me closely.

"I've only felt something like that for one person, and it turned out to be a
manipulative liar who was playing with me..." her words were sincere and while
she said them she carelessly removed the silver bracelet that she had always seen
on her head. right hand- I understand when you say that things can be intense.

I opened my eyes when I saw the two marks on his wrist.

Our eyes met, and I saw in her much of what I saw in myself when I looked in the
mirror.

A smile crossed his lips.

"It's not that bad, it's funny how people look at you when you tell them you tried to
commit suicide" she said, putting the bracelet back on. "It's a mark of weakness, yes,
but also of bravery and survival." Not everyone would have the balls to try to take
their own life. I did it and here I am, talking to you and without any remorse.

Life is shit sometimes, each one bears it as they can.

I didn't quite know what to say. He understood her, understood her more than she
could imagine. It was so strange for me to see how he talked about the subject
without any kind of qualms... It had taken me ten years to freely show my scar on
my stomach.

Marks on the skin... memories inbeLittle stories about moments you never
want to relive.

"I like your tattoo," he said a second later and I was aware that he was touching it.
Sometimes I did it without even realizing it.

-Sometimes I wonder what was going through my head when I decided to do it.

Briar smiled, pulled up her shirt, and showed me the side of her ribs. In
black and with beautiful calligraphy you could read a message that touched
my heart.

«Keep Breathing»

I immediately understood the sentiment behind those words.

"Now is when we hug each other and swear to be friends forever," she said, pulling
down her shirt and laughing nonchalantly.

It was clear that she was not the first to whom he told all this. We had known each
other very recently and the way he talked about his past made it clear that he was
not really looking forbeno one's ance She exposed her demons clearly and early, and
I knew immediately that it was so that no one would ever really get to know her
fully.

I knew that she was hiding many things, and seeing her now with different eyes I
understood that she belonged to that side of life where things are not always rosy.

- Do you feel like going out there?-I asked without even being aware of
what I was saying.

She looked at me surprised.

-It is not the result that I obtain after telling that I tried to commit suicide.
People tend to look away or quickly change the subject and you want to buy
me a drink?

I shrugged.

-I'm not like the rest of the people, and I haven't said anything about buying you a
drink.

Briar laughed and jumped off the stool.

-I like you, Noah Morgan... Let's go out there, then. I smiled and

went into my room.

I realized then that I wasn't the only one in trouble, I hadn't been the only girl
who'd been hurt, and I wasn't going to let Nick make my night sour. Talking to
Briar had made me feel much better than I could have imagined.

- Who of all those guys would you have a romp with?

We were in a pub near the campus. We had entered thanks to the fact that Briar
was a kind of magical door to the reserved ones. A simple look got them to let us
in without even waiting in line.

"I have a boyfriend, remember?" I answered, raising the glass to my lips and sipping
from the straw.

The bartender had been buying us drinks ever since we entered.

Briar waved her hand.

-Stop dating, yours is an asshole, or that's what I heard you yell at him on the
phone a couple of hours ago.

Despite the fact that I was quite distracted, the subject of Nick was still very present
in my thoughts.

She had turned off her cell phone because she didn't want to give in to the
temptation of calling him. He had passed a thousand towns and the truth is that he
did not know what he would say when he saw him.

I watched as a group of guys from an adjoining booth didn't take their eyes off us. It
wasn't surprising, two girls alone in a nightclub and on top of that with Briar who
wouldn't stop giving her little looks...

"Stop doing that, you're going to get them closer" I told her when she cheekily
winked at one of the most handsome ones.

"Here they go," he said with a radiant smile. His teeth were super straight and
white. You could tell he came from a family with money but despite all that he had
nothing to do with the people I knew from my school. Briar seemed to be unlike any
girl he'd ever met.

I didn't want them approaching us because I couldn't ignore them talking to

someone else while Briar was blatantly fooling around. In addition, there were two
who decided to sit in our booth without even asking.
"Hello beautiful" said the blond, the one Briar had looked at with dreamy eyes.

The other one had dark hair, and he reminded me of Nick. This was wrong, and I
didn't feel so comfortable anymore.

After ten minutes of insignibesing and without any depth, Briar began to eat the
blonde's mouth. I, on the other hand, kept telling his friend that he had a boyfriend
and to leave me alone.

"Your boyfriend isn't here, and I know you like me, I make you nervous, admit it"
she said getting closer.

I pursed my lips tight.

-I'm not going to repeat it to you-I said now more pissed off than necessary-I
don't want anything with you at all, I wouldn't even give you the time, do you
understand me?
Now get out.

His hand flew to my knee and I slapped it, standing up.

- Are you an idiot apart from being deaf?-I yelled over the noise of the
music.

- Why don't you copy a little bit from your friend and stop being so
uptight?

I looked at Briar who broke away from the blonde to give me a significant look.bea
few.

-No one will find out, Noah. This

was ridiculous.

-I'm out.

I left the booth cursing for coming to this stupid joint. It didn't surprise me that
Briar didn't come after me, she had already shown me that for her everyone was
free to do what they wanted.

I went outside to get some air. She was more drunk than she had originally thought.
I shouldn't have been drinking so much without barely leaving the place. Now
everything was spinning.

I decided to turn on my mobile to call a taxi and have it pick me up. As I did so, I
saw that I had about ten missed calls, all from Nick.

Fuck.
I put my hand to my eyes, trying to clear myself.

I guess it was better to call him instead of taking a cab by myself. I dialed her

number with trembling hands.

-Hooola- Had he just stretched out the "o" in that ridiculous way?

- Where the hell are you, Noah?

INff...I looked up looking for the name of the place.

-In a pub, off campus... can you come and find me?

I heard the trabeco across the line. Great, I was already in the car.

-Send me the location. And

cut me off

It didn't take long for him to arrive and when I saw his Range Rover parked across
the street I didn't quite know what to do.

I didn't know how we were doing or how to proceed because everything was very
strange between the two of us after the last friction we had. I chose to stay where I
was and he got out of the car.

Just as I was crossing the street in my direction I heard my name being called. It
was that guy.

Nick looked from me to the dark-haired boy and I saw a flash of red cross his face.
I guess this wasn't going to help me make my peace with him, but at least I knew
he was here and I'd be leaving soon.

- Don't you plan to enter? I was just joking before-said the boy
reaching me before Nicholas.

I looked over at Nick who just arrived at that moment, standing next to me. He put
his arm around my waist and pushed the guy away with his other hand.

"Move away" his voice was as cold as the weather that night. I felt a chill.

The boy looked up at Nick.

- Who are you?

-The one who's going to break your face if you don't leave my girlfriend.
I tensed when I heard how pissed off he was. That anger was my fault, and this
only fueled it, because the one I would pay for it with would be me, no matter how
much I was protecting myself at that moment.

The blonde took a step back in disgust.

-He never mentioned you when he was fooling around with me in there.

I opened my eyes stupefied. It will be asshole...

Nick let go of my waist and took a step forward.

-As long as you don't disappear from my sight in less than a second, I'm going to put
your nasal septum so deep that it's going to come out on the other side of your
brain. Do you understand me?

Okay, this was getting out of hand. I stepped forward and took Nick's hand.

"Let's go, please," I asked quietly.

I didn't want him to fight, I wanted to get out of there immediately.

The asshole from the bar seemed to understand that he had to lose because it was
clear who would bite the dust if they both faced each other. Then the door of the
Pub opened and the noise of muffled music echoed down the street.

I saw Briar go out hand in hand with the blond boy friend of the asshole and then
how he himself smiled when he saw his friend leave.

- What's going on here?-said the blonde heading towards us.

Nick took a second too long to turn to face my roommate and her friend.

His entire body instantly tensed and I knew this was not going to end well.
Chapter 48

NICK

I fixed my eyes on the girl who had just left the bar. Briar Palvin.

I could'nt believe it.

The guy whose arm she was hanging on released her and hurried over to his
colleague. I was already pissed off to fuck four guys at once if I had to, but seeing
Briar completely threw me off.
His face showed surprise as well but I looked away and focused on the two
cocoons.

- What did you say you were going to do with my nose,

asshole? I clenched my fist, wanting to shut the fuck up with a

blow.

It was believed that because there were now two of them I was going to crack and
how wrong they were.

"Nicholas, please," I heard Noah insist, pulling my hand. The blonde stepped

forward, invading my personal space.

"I recommend that you leave" I said, controlling my tone of voice.

- Or else what? -The other cocoon positioned himself next to his friend. It
would be so easy to leave them bleeding on the floor, but it wasn't what I wanted,
not at that moment, not in that place, especially with those who were watching me.

I glanced over at Briar, and saw her just at that moment coming up with a thug
she'd met at the gate. The burly guy scowled at us until he stopped next to us,
right in the middle.

"Get out of here if you don't want me to call the police," he said, looking at me a
second later, "the three of you."

The jerks seemed to back down, and I took the opportunity to avoid a situation
that would only get me some bruised fists and an even bigger fight with Noah.
She had a bigger problem to deal with, especially seeing Briar walk up to Noah
and put her arm around his.

When I was able to turn to them, I tried with all my might to find something to say
to that girl with the fiery red hair. His look was totally indifferent.

- "Aren't you going to introduce us, Noah?" he said with that angelic voice
that he knew he always used conveniently.

Noah looked at me nervously, biting her lip. I would have liked to pull him down, so
he wouldn't hurt himself, but the words that came out of his mouth made every
alarm in my body go into tension.

-Nick, this is my new roommate, Briar; Briar is my boyfriend, Nicholas.

It took me a few seconds too long to raise my hand and shake the one she held out
to me.

I couldn't believe this was happening. Briar Palvin was the last girl I would have
chosen to live with Noah, not just because of who she was but more because she had
known the worst of me, and when I say the worst, it makes me laugh.beI was the
worst.

"I'm delighted, Nicholas...?" he said, waiting for my answer. I

pursed my lips immediately.

"Leister," I almost barked. As if he didn't know. I didn't understand why he was

pretending he didn't know me but it was too late to explain. Besides, the last thing I
wanted was to have to give Noah another reason to want to doubt us. Briar Palvin
belonged to my past and that's where she was going to stay.

"We have to go" I said grabbing Noah and pulling her in the direction of the car.

"Wait," Noah said, letting go of me. "Can you drive?" I heard her

ask worried.

I wanted to take Noah and put her in the trunk, always worried about the wrong
person. That girl knew perfectly well whether she could drive or not, and if she
couldn't, she would manage to get home safely. I already knew very well how he
spent them.

"Yes, don't worry, go and fix things with your boy" she was speaking in a low tone of
voice but I could hear her clearly.
Noah smiled at her, like they were lifelong friends, and I got in and started the car,
intending not to listen anymore.

When IbeAs Noah turned his back on her and walked over to the passenger side
door, my eyes met Briar's. Her green cat eyes showed more than I could have
expected and I knew, seeing the smile on her features that I had to get Noah away
from her anyway.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Noah asked me five minutes after I got onto the
freeway.

I shifted from third to fourth and hit the accelerator.

-What do you want me to tell you?-I answered reluctantly-Every time I come to see
you there's some shit you're involved in, at this rate you're going to reduce the
moments I spend with you to fights and bloody fists.

She knew she shouldn't have said that, especially after seeing Noah go silent in
the seat next to her.

When I couldn't take it anymore, I turned my face to look at her and saw that she
had the lookbeyeah on the road

"What was I thinking?"

I turned into a secondary road, I had thought about going to my apartment but I
didn't know if it was a good idea. With the way things were, it was better to stay in
no man's land. I kept driving up a hill that overlooked the burning lights of the
city.

Normally this was a place where couples came to fuck but I didn't mean to do that
tonight. I parked far away, where I knew no one would be, and turned off the car
before turning to her.

"I'm sorry for what I said" I said trying to calm down. I knew that no matter how
angry he was about everything, or overwhelmed so much by his attitude and his
mother's, I didn't want to hurt her and seeing her silent was worse than seeing her
go hoarse yelling at me.

-You're sorry you said it but it's what you think.

BybeHis eyes searched mine. The silence interrupted by the distant noise of the
highway and the pounding of the wind against the trees of the forest behind us. If
it had been another time or another situation, it would have been even romantic
to have brought her here, but not today.
-You have a gift for driving me crazy, but it's also my fault that I take things the
way I do. You will never be guilty of the wounds on my fists, freckles, and you know
it.

His gaze drifted from my eyes to my wrist, which was propped up on the steering
wheel.

-You're not guilty of that either, Noah, I got the tattoo because I wanted to, I like
those words and even more coming from you and if we add that it was you who
drew them on my skin...

"Can I see it?" he asked me a second later.

I reached out until she gently caught my wrist and turned my palm over, leaving it
facing up and her eyes wide.beWith his eyes on the tattoo, he began to trace with
the tip of his finger what was written there.

I felt a chill.

"I like it" he saidbeFinally, her eyes coming back to mine.

I released the air that I had in my lungs slowly while I was lost in his gaze. Why
was it so difficult to love her? If she left herself, we would be perfect for each
other, if Noah didn't have all those fears, he would love her without doubts or
clauses.

I stretched out my hand and placed it on her neck, pulling her towards me, but her
hand on my chest held me back.

His eyes looking down and my heart stopping for a moment.

"We always do the same, Nicholas," she said, now looking me in the eye.

"We do what?" I answered, aware of the tone in which my words came out of my
mouth.

Noah fidgeted in her seat until she looked away and stared at the lights in
front of us.

-You can't tell me what you tell me on the phone and then come here, as if nothing
had happened, give me four kisses and pretend that I forget it.

What the hell was he talking about now?

Seeing that I was silent, he turned back to me.

-I'm going to the psychologist for you, I'm doing therapy, telling my life to a stranger
for you, and what worries you? What is a
uncle and according to you he jerks off thinking of me! do you see that normal? See
that normal jealousy?

-It's not jealousy, damn it, I want you to get better, I want the best psychologist for
you, Noah, not just any psychologist.

-You want to control everything Nicholas, and there are things that are beyond
your power, it is my decision who I tell my things to, who I decide withbear, and
instead of understanding that, you worry because the psychologist is a man there
are men everywhere, you can't isolate me in a bubble!

-I want the best for you! I want you to be cured the hell of it!

His eyes widened in shock and disbelief to look at me in pain a second later.

"Shit."

"Cure me?" he said in a low voice, but breaking on the last syllable. Barely giving
me time to hold her back, she got out of the car and slammed the door.

I got out as fast as I could and by the time I caught up with her she was already
dialing a number on her phone.

"Who are you calling?!" I said approaching her.

His tear-filled eyes stopped me where I was.

-Noah... I didn't mean that.

I tried to speak in a conciliatory tone.

"Get away from me," she said, taking a step back, her phone to her ear and her
hand outstretched. "I'm not sick, Nicholas, I can't believe you said that."

"Fuck, shit."

I took another step forward.

-I told you to stay away!

I cursed under my breath, putting my hands behind my neck and watching

her tell someone the address.

"Noah, listen to me," I said as she put the phone in her bag. It turned

towards me shooting flames at me.

I'm trying to change for you! I do everything I can for you, and you only throw
things at me, you only boss me around, Nicholas, and I'm done!

His words hurt me, like stakes driven into my heart, one by one.

-I don't want you to change, Noah-I said, trying to calm him down-You're not
sick, I've never thought about it, I just want you to get better, not to be afraid,
to stop running away from me, that's all I want.

"You want me to always improve under your conditions, Nicholas!" he

replied, hugging his arms, bare from the cold, "This is crazy... You are the
one who needs help!"

You see threats where there are none!

I approached her not giving a shit that her feet moved away from me and her eyes
warned me to stay where I was. My hands clamped on her arms and I crouched
down to her level.

-You're doing it again, looking for any excuse to get away from me. Why do you do
it?!

Noah shook his head and closed his eyes.

"I think we need a while" he said looking at the floor. I caught her

chin with two fingers and forced her to look at me.

-You're not serious.

Tears she had not yet shed shone in her eyes.

-I think we both need to see things in perspective, we need to miss each other,
Nick... because right now I don't recognize you, I don't recognize us. I only see
jealousy everywhere, and that's wrong.

"Don't do this, don't get away from me." I raised my hands to her cheeks,
cupped her face with them and lowered my lips to touch hers.

"Just a few days, Nicholas," he said then. painful memories, of feeling that I am
not hisbecient for you...

Her voice cracked on the last word and I pulled her into my arms, holding her tight.
"You are all I need, love, please don't deprive me of having you with me, don't
deprive me of this" I said throwing her head back and kissing her for real, with
intentbenito darling, but also with inbenice passion His body shuddered and I
pulled away.

'I think we both have to solve our problems, Nicholas, and yelling at each other
won't solve anything.

You have to learn tobear in me and I have to stop running from what you make
me feel...because I love you so much, Nick, I love you so much it hurts.

I felt like I was short of breath, I couldn't let her go like that, I couldn't leave there
without her, watching her swallow her tears.

-That's why being apart isn't going to help, you and I aren't made for that,
remember? I said, wiping away a tear that had escaped, without permission, from
her beautiful eyes.

-I need to think... I need to know what I want, what I'm missing, because right now
the only thing I do is think about you, and although a part of me knows that I need
you, there is another that is disappearing, Nicholas, there is no Noah without you
and that can't be, I can't depend on you like this, because I'll end up losing myself,
can't you see?

What he saw was a beautiful and destroyed girl...

destroyed because of me, for not knowing how to make her happy. Why wasn't he
able? What was he doing wrong? What had happened to that time when Noah
gave me a hundred smiles a day?

Where was that special shine that you got just by crossing a glance?

"Was she right? Was he changing her?

At that moment some lights illuminated us from behind us. Noah looked that way,
and I knew he was about to cry, really cry.

I took a deep breath trying to put my feelings aside.

"I'll give you a week, Noah," I said, forcing her eyes to understand the seriousness
that my words gave off, "I'll give you a week to miss me with every pore of your
skin, seven days to realize that your place is with me and always will be.
She stood still and I leaned in to kiss those sensual lips, that precious mouth, that
mouth that belonged to me.

I put my tongue in her and look for hers, curling it with mine, my arm pressed her
tightly against my body, transmitting my heat, my desire for her, my pain to let her
go.

When I pulled away we were both panting.

-Seven days, Noah.

I watched as he left and got into the car. It wasn't until I saw the flash of red that I
realized it was Briar driving the car.

The fear that she would speak made me instantly regret letting her go.
Chapter 49

NOAH

Lookbejamente to the cup that I had between my fingers. The smoke was swirling
upwards and slightly warming my face. It was getting colder in the city, summer
was already behind us and while I watched how the clouds melted in my hot
chocolate I had to make an effort to understand what Michael insisted on making
me see.

-Many times, people like you, who suffered abuse as children, when they are older
need their partners to control them. You've told me so many times that you hate it
when Nicholas tells you what you can or can't do, but even though you know it's
wrong, you keep coming back to him, you keep crying because he's not the one by
your side, you tell me that you're in love, that you feel like you can't breathe, and
that's not healthy, Noah, I want you to understand, I want you to stop and look at it
with perspective, everything you've experienced has led you to this point.

My eyes lifted up andbethey jumped on him I had been coming to his office every
single day since Nick and I had taken a break, sometimes even twice a day.
Talking to Michael was helping me, or so I thought, though with every word that
came out of his mouth, the more confused I found myself about myself and
Nicholas.

-I have always been afraid of the dark, I have always felt that I was under a glass
of water, sinking deeper every day, without being able to get outfldo you

Only when I met Nick was I able to breathe again, I was able to go out to the
superbecie. How can that be bad? How can that be harmful to me?

Michael got up from his chair and walked over to the sofa where I was
sitting. He looked at me carefully.

-You have to swim alone, Noah, Nicholas can't always be your lifeguard;
Either you learn to swim or the least he gets distracted you will sink
again.

Seven days had passed, seven long days in which we had not spoken to each other.
Nick had tried to contact me at first, and I almost forgot all this nonsense about
the distance and beg him to come see me on the floor, to hold me in his arms...

-You're doing great, Noah, you're listening to me, you're learning to survive
without him, and only then, when you learn to walk alone can you do it with
someone. What's seven days to someone who can barely comprehend that being
locked in a room out of jealousy isn't right?

I frowned, wondering if I'd done the right thing by telling her so much about Nick.
When I'd mentioned that time, that time Nick locked me in his room because of
the painters, I'd forgotten that it didn't look good outside of my bubble with Nick.
Yes, it had been wrong, but Michael made it worse than it was. When I told him
about it, he was shocked in such a way that for the first time I thought I saw anger
in his brown eyes, his calm disappeared to give way to disbelief and bewilderment.

"How bad were those things that Nick did with me?"

-I already told you that it wasn't how you imagine it, you don't know him, you don't
understand what happened...

-Noah, nobody, nobody, should decide for you. Neither lock you up, nor force you to
go live with him, nor change your apartment, much less tell you how many days you
can stay away from him. Can't you see?
You have to own your mind if you want to consider being in a relationship.

I took a deep breath, I didn't like where the conversation was headed. To
thebeFinally we always ended up talking about Nick, and I wanted him to help me
with my fears, with my nightmares...

I stood up leaving the cup on the table and went to the window. It was almost dark
outside, and I saw some students go by who were probably coming out of the
afternoon shift.

"I just want to be... normal" I said without wanting to turn around or see the
reaction to my words.

Then I felt his hand wrap around my arm, forcing me to turn, and his eyes
searched mine.

-Noah, you are normal, you just have experienced situations that are not normal
at all, do you understand? You are extrapolating your fears and insecurities to
your sentimental relationship with Nicholas and that is why I try to make you see
that the relationship you have with him is not what suits you.

I let go of his grip and went to sit on the couch.

I don't want to talk about Nick anymore.

Michael sighed and sat back down across from me. IbeI noticed that he stopped a
little too long looking at his notes.

-Let's talk about how you have spent the last nights, have you been doing
what I told you?

I nodded even though it had done me little good, the nightmares kept coming to
me and I was still unable to turn off the light so I could sleep in the dark.

-The fear you have is directly linked to what happened to you with your father, you
yourself told me that before he attacked you, you locked yourself in your room in
the dark and you felt protected. In a certain way, your father turned that around
and turned it into the complete opposite, that is why it affects you so much;
something that for you was a conciliatory and protected environment became your
biggest nightmare.

I hated to remember that night, I hated to feel his hands on my skin again, his
fingers pulling my ankle, and pinning me hard against the mattress. I squeezed my
eyes shut and clenched my fists against my legs.

-The person who should have protected you betrayed you, he was an adult,
someone who knew what he was doing, you, on the other hand, were a girl,
defenseless, you were alone, nobody helped you, Noah, and you did what you
could to escape, you were brave and you did not doubt it, you fought for yourself
when no one could.

I opened my eyes thinking of my mother. In how she always faced his blows
without positive results, she only managed to make it worse; I learned by
watching her that sometimes it was better to remain silent, to accept what they
had to yell at us... my father always told me that he did it for her, he always told
me that I was not a bad girl, that's why he never touched me...

-He loved me, he should never have hurt me...

"He loved me."

On the morning of the seventh day I woke up with a strange feeling in the pit of
my stomach.

I needed to see him.

I needed him like air to breathe, I didn't care if Michael said my relationship was
toxic and dependent, I didn't care if I hid behind him, that I used him to overcome
my fears. I loved him, I needed him, he was the only one who wouldn't leave me,
he wasn't going to leave, he had told me, he loved me and he would always be
there for me.
So why was he wasting time with separations that weren't doing us any good?

I nervously dressed in the first thing I saw and got in the car. It took me a
little longer than expected to get to your obechina.

My Beetle was on its last legs and there was nothing that annoyed me more than
going ninety on the highway. My mother had contacted me, she had told me to pick
up the car, that she wanted to see me and that if I didn't answer her calls she would
be the one to show up on campus, but the truth is that my mother was the last of
my problems right now.

She was afraid that she had pushed Nick too far. I just wanted to see him and
notice in his eyes that he had missed me as much as I missed him.

Walking into Leister Enterprises I was nervous. Most of the people were dressed in
overwhelming elegance. The women had their hair done in a salon and when I saw
myself in the elevator mirror I felt a knot of discomfort in my stomach. I had done
a quick braid and my jeans and converse weren't anything to write home about. I
felt like an idiot for showing up like this, especially after so many days without Nick
seeing me.

Coming out of the elevator, a middle-aged woman pointed me to Nick's office. I

had never been here and I felt as small as an ant. Everything sparkled and the
walls were glass. In the center, past the reception was a huge hall with white sofas
on a deep black carpet. Greys, whites and blacks... Why wasn't I surprised?

And then I saw it.

His office was made of glass and he was not alone. I felt a lump in my throat when
I saw Sophia sitting on her table. From where he was I could see how his cheeks
were tense up, he was smiling and he spoke with hand gestures. Nick looked
exasperated but held back the urge to laugh at whatever she seemed to be
insisting on.

I went to the door and then he saw me.

I watched through the glass as he rose from his chair, as Sophia turned to me, as
her smile faded from her face, and as Nick came to greet me.

"Noah," he said simply after opening the door for me.

I didn't quite know what to say, jealousy, that horrible jealousy took over me again.
He couldn't help it: she was perfect…perfect for him.

"Hello Noah, it's nice to see you again" Sophia told me with a smile from ear to ear.

I returned it to him as best I could.

Nick wouldn't take his eyes off me.

- Do you mind giving us a moment alone, Soph?

Soph.

"Stab in the stomach."

She nodded and left the office, leaving us alone.

I walked over to his desk and watched Nick do the same, picking up a piece of
paper that was on top of everything else and putting it in a drawer. Then he hit
some kind of button and the walls started to go dark. In less than fifteen seconds I
was no longer able to see anything other than what was inside those four walls.

Then his hands encircled me, the heat from his body surrounding me completely
and he pulled my braid back so he could look at me.bedirectly into the eyes For an
instant he seemed to hesitate as to what to do next, but resolution crossed his face
half a second later; half a second was the most that this man could feel insecure.

He gave me a half smile before taking over my mouth.

I closed my eyes and let myself be carried away by the sweet sensation. My hands
clung to his shirt, and I chased from my head all those things that had made me
walk away from him.

His hands clung to my face, his fingers mixed in my hair, they held me by the
neck, controlling at all times what we did.

He forced me back a few inches to let his eyes roam my face, my body, my trembling
fingers.

Without saying a word, his mouth kissed me tenderly on the tip of my nose, then on
my cheek, going down my chin until making me shiver with the touch of his wet
tongue on the sensitive skin of my neck.
"I've missed you, freckles," he said with his eyes.befixed in mine and loaded with a
strange feeling, difficult tobenir.

Had I done it? Had he missed me? He didn't seem sad a few seconds ago, he was
laughing, he seemed relaxed, and what's worse... he was with her.

- What is that paper that you have kept in the drawer? -I asked him more
than anything to distract myself. I felt him suddenly tense up.

"Nothing, work stuff" he said dismissing it "Noah...

tell me this break shit is over, because I was about to go crazy, you stopped
answering my calls, you stopped reading my messages...

"I needed time to think," I said, noting how hard and distant my voice had sounded.

He had gone to that office because he needed to hug him, because he needed to
breathe deeply again and now that he was there... now that he was in front of him,
in his suit and tie, surrounded by all that luxury, working and laughing with his
partner... .

I felt like I was drowning, and suddenly all I wanted to do was get out of this place
and hear Michael say again that I could deal with anything, that I had to face my
fears, that I was strong, that he was intelligent, that nothing and no one was going
to be able to bring me down... I had only needed to see him with her so that all my
self-esteem would be on the ground again.

Nick looked at me with a frown.

-Noah... What's wrong with you?

I shook my head, looked into her pretty eyes worried about me, and knew I wasn't
ready.

-I need more time.

His fingers stopped in mid-caress. His skin stopped being in contact with mine and
suddenly I felt small next to him. He sat up and looked at mebeonly from his height.

-No.

Two letters, one word.

Nicholas, I...
-I haven't seen you for seven days, I've given you time to think, I don't even know
what the hell you have to be thinking, I'm not going to keep being away from you,
Noah, it's over.

He walked away and went to the window behind his desk. Before I could say
anything else, the door opened behind me and Sophia stepped back inside.

One look was enough for him to know that things were not going well.

-I... I'm sorry to interrupt you but, they need you in the meeting room, Nick.

Don't call him Nick, don't call him anything, I don't want you near him, I don't
want you in this office or in this company. I don't care if you seem like a good
person, I don't care, I just love you miles away.»

Nicholas walked over to the door, looked at Sophia, then back at me.

-Wait for me here.

When Nick left the office, Sophia and I fell into an awkward silence.

I watched as he walked over to his office and took a seat.

-You can sit down if you want, can I make you a coffee or

something? I shook my head and stayed where I was.

-Noah... I think I know why you're like this... but it's a unique opportunity, I
would give anything to be given that position, and New York isn't that far away,
many people have long-distance relationships and it would only be ...

-Wait to?

My heart began to pound against my ribs, so hard I thought it was going to jump
out of my chest.

- What did you say?" I repeated taking a step forward.

The words that had just come out of his mouth began to repeat themselves in my
brain like a macabre song.

«Opportunity», «New York» «Distance relationship»

Sophia looked at Nick's table, then at me, and then her eyes widened in surprise.
His cheeks began to color an intense scarlet color.

-I... I thought that Nick...

- What opportunity are you talking

about? Sophia shook her head.

-You should ask him, Noah, I shouldn't have said anything, I just thought... that he
had told you, but taking into account how insistent they are being.

-Nicholas hasn't told me anything, but since you've started now finish,
what the hell are you talking about?

I knew that soon I would end up exploding and I preferred not to do it in front of
her, I wanted to get out but first I wanted to know what the hell was going on.

-One of the best law firms in New York has offered you a two-year job; Winning
the Rogers case caught the attention of a lot of people, important people, and as
much as I'd love to take credit for it, we wouldn't have if it wasn't for Nick.

I didn't even know they won the case, I didn't even know Nicholas was interested in
a job in New York, let alone a two-year position...

I needed to get out of here, get out of there before Nicholas came.

-Tell Nicholas... tell him I had to leave, tell him I wasn't feeling very well...

Before I could walk out the door, Sophia grabbed my arm and looked up at me
with her long-lashed brown eyes. Her heels made her stand above me and I didn't
like that feeling, I didn't like it at all.

-I know you don't want him to leave... but you should support him in this, Noah.

Rage took over my entire system and with one jerk I managed to get him to let
go.

-Don't even think about telling me what I should or shouldn't do with my

boyfriend. It didn't take me two minutes to get into the elevator and leave the

building.becio.
Two years? Was he considering taking off for two years and leaving me here? And
why was she the one who knew and not me?

"You should support him on this, Noah."

I stepped on the accelerator and blinked hard, trying not to let my tears stop me
from seeing the road.

I couldn't go two years without Nick... I would die.

Chapter 50

NICK

It took me a little over ten minutes to get out of the office and get rid of Jenkins.
The bastard kept insisting that I was an idiot if I turned down the job they offered
me in New York, that I had to take it, that it would boost my career,etc. The point
was that it came in handy for him because he would get rid of me and on top of
that he would have a free hand to climb in my father's company, he would kill two
birds with one stone, and for that reason it was that I lost so much time when,
without being surprised, I found myself the empty office, apart from Sophia.

- How long has he been gone?-I asked, stopping at the door.

"Five minutes ago, but, Nick," she said forcing me to stop and look at her again.
Something in his tone made him do it-I told him about New York and I don't think
he took it well.

- What have you done what?

Sophia returned my gaze nervously.

-I thought you had been arguing about that, I'm sorry, I screwed up, I didn't mean
to...

"Fuck"

I left the office and went directly to the parking lot. I got in the car and took the
road to the college.

I couldn't believe I had told him, this issue was closed, I didn't know how to make
people understand that I wasn't interested, that I wasn't going anywhere. Sophia
had gotten especially annoying when I had told her that I wasn't going to leave, I
wasn't crazy, I knew the opportunity I was rejecting but I wasn't interested, I
wasn't going to leave Noah here, no way, not even if they hired me from the White
House. Jenkins had given me the stick ever since he found out, ten minutes telling
him I wasn't going anywhere and him telling me I was a complete idiot. And now I
had to face Noah, at a point in our relationship that was being catastrophic.beco.
The situation was already getting out of hand.

I called her to tell her I was going to her apartment, I called her to explain it to her
but as her habit is, she ignores each and every one of my calls. I parked in front of
the block of flats fifteen minutes later and
I went downstairs, considering the way to explain myself and prevent all this from
fueling the things that had already been thrown at me. The last thing I wanted was
for that time that he kept asking me to get bigger until who knows when.

I didn't know why she had gone to the office, what's more, I think it was the first
time I'd seen her there, something had to have prompted her to go looking for me,
and damn it, by the time she needed me she'd run into what I supposedly had. I
was planning to go to the other side of the country.

Damn Sophia for going off the tongue.

I knocked on the door three times and waited for them to open it for me. It wasn't
Noah who did it.

"Shit."

"Leister," Briar said in a honeyed voice. She was dressed in a nightgown that
barely covered her, her red hair tied up in a bun on top of her head and that smile
that brought back bad memories.

- Is Noah here?" I said, looking behind his back and hardly paying
attention to him.

"In her room," she simply answered me as she stepped away and let me enter.

Well, it hadn't been that hard. I ignored her until I went to Noah's room, but when I
opened the door, it was empty.

Turning me around, Briar looked at me with a devilish grin on her face. She had
sat on the kitchen counter, her nightdress riding up her thighs.

-I forgot I wasn't there... I'm sorry, I have a bad memory.

I ignored her and went straight to the door. When I went to open it I saw that the
door was closed.

I closed my eyes trying to keep my anger from taking over what little
common sense I had left.

-Open the fucking door.

-You're still just as foul-mouthed as ever. She got off the

counter and opened the fridge.

- Would you like a beer?-he said and his eyes scanned me from head to
toe-Or better I offer you something else... I think your beer season is behind me,
am I wrong?

The last thing he wanted at that moment was to have a confrontation with this
girl. Hell, I'd tried to ignore the fact that Noah lived with her, but I knew
sooner or later I was going to end up running into her. He had only hoped it
wasn't today.

-Briar, I'm not going to play your game, today or ever, open the door. She leaned her

back against the counter and removed the keys from her bra.

- Do you want them?-she whispered lewdly-Come and get them.

In less than three strides I had her in front of me. His wild green eyes regarded me
with amusement, but I knew what was behind it.
Briar hated me and rightfully so.

-Give me the keys, Bri-I said holding my breath-you don't want to play with me, you
know you can't.

My words made the smile disappear from his lips.

I thought I would never see you again. I

closed my eyes trying to calm down.

-Not me... and I even less expected you to be living with my girlfriend; Briar... you
can't tell him anything, you hear me?

Bitterness crossed his features and I was momentarily silent.

- Are you worried that what I can tell him will open his eyes, Nick? -he said
dissimulating, as I knew very well he did; Briar Palvin was an expert at having
thousands of different faces. I had discovered each and every one of them.

If Noah found out… I was

suddenly afraid.

"I love her" I said trying to make him see that I was being completely sincere.

My words were met by a nasty sneer.

-You don't know how to love anyone, much less that girl. You don't deserve
it.

God knew I didn't deserve it. He didn't need this, not now, he didn't want to
remove old memories, he didn't want to feel the guilt of then. I had left all that
behind, left it just before I went back to live with my father, a year before I met
Noah. should have mebeI thought about who Noah's roommate was before renting
him the apartment, but Briar wasn't supposed to be here, she left, left and swore
never to come back, what the hell was she doing here again?

-You may be right, but I'll be with her until she says otherwise.

Briar looked at me in disbelief. His hand came up and he brushed his fingers against
my cheek.

"You love her" he said as if that were impossible- how could I have thought that you
would be different?

As her hand began to stroke my hair, I caught her wrist and forced her away.

- I'm not the same person you met three years ago; I have changed. A smile

played on her full lips.

"Born a son of a bitch, die a son of a bitch, Nick."

I yanked on her hard, losing my way for three seconds inbenitos.

With my other hand I forced her to drop the keys and then I took a step back,
taking a deep breath and trying to calm down.

I returned tobeI locked my eyes on her and a stab of hurt and guilt washed away the
anger.

-I know it won't do you any good... but I'm sorry for what I did to you, I'm really
sorry for what happened.

"Feeling guilty makes you feel good, Nicholas, not me." Now get out.

You didn't have to ask me twice.

I spent hours driving the car and looking for her at the same time. I went to her old
apartment, Jenna's, even stopped by my dad's house. Not seeing his car parked at
the door, I decided to stay in front of him.
to his apartment to wait. It was already after ten at night when she appeared and I
saw her get out of a car that wasn't hers. The spot where I had parked was hidden
from his view, but what made me almost jump out of the car was the guy carrying
Noah to the door.

My heart skipped a beat.

- Hey! -I yelled with my heart in a fist- Get away from her!

I reached the door to see how Noah staggered and held on to the arms of that man;
a man I had never seen in my life. My breathing became labored and my hand flew
almost without thinking to grab that asshole's shirt and pull him away from her.
Noah leaned dangerously against the ground and I hastened to hold her against
my side.

Damn I was drunk.

"You must be Nicholas," the guy said, adjusting his shirt and taking a step back.
Then another boy, younger, appeared next to him.

"Eh, eh, calm down, okay" I looked at the blond boy, shorter than the other and
with a worry line on his face, "we're his friends, man, he showed up at my house in
this state an hour or so ago, we just offered to to bring her home, I'm Charlie,
we're in the same class, and this here is my brother, Michael, this is his...

"Psychologist" I said through clenched teeth.

I stopped paying attention to catch Noah's face andbelet me know what his status
was.

"I'm fine..." he said stammering.

And shit.

"I'll take care of her" I said lifting her against my chest and heading towards
the stairs, but a hand grabbed my arm stopping me.

-She's like this because of you, I don't think she wants you to be the one to take care
of her.

I turned tobejar at the psychologist. Tall, young and his eyes fixed on my girlfriend.

- Are you volunteering?

I was about to explode, and if it weren't for the fact that I had Noah almost
unconscious in my arms, I would have already smashed his face in.

Michael stared at me with a frown, then left.bejó in his brother.

-Charlie was going to stay with her, I just offered to drive the car. But she's my
patient, I care and it's my obligation to take care of her if she's in a state like
this, I don't know what you've done to her but it's obviously nothing good.

-What do you care? You've known her for three news shows, asshole, so get out of
my sight-was the only thing I answered before picking her up off the ground and
entering the building.becio.

When I managed to get the keys out of her bag and go inside, I was glad to find the
apartment dark and empty.

I went straight to her room and sat her on the mattress. I lifted her chin up

and scrutinized her face carefully.

"Noah..." her eyes widened and looked at me. She was very drunk, I just hoped she
wouldn't throw up.

She rested her cheek on my stomach and I felt her tremble.

-I don't want you to leave... I don't want you to leave me.

I felt a pressure on my chest and I directed my hand to his neck. I forced her to
throw her head back andbeI locked my eyes on his.

-I'm not going anywhere, Noah; my place is here, with you.

I saw some tears spilling down her cheeks and I started to wipe them away with
my thumbs. She was sweating, and her hair clung to her forehead, but she was
cool to the touch.

-How much have you drunk, love?

Her head wobbled again as she closed her eyes and a spasm made her shudder
almost violently.

-Joder, Noah.

I picked her up and went straight to the bathroom. I hated doing this, but before I
could even begin to remove her clothes and put them under the cold water, she
flopped down next to the toilet and began to vomit violently.
It didn't take me a second to pick up her hair with one hand while I stretched out
over her, wetting a towel with cold water and placing it on her forehead while
continuing to spray all that poison that had gotten into her body.

I stayed with her until she couldn't take it anymore; He had nothing left to vomit
and he was so weak that I got scared. I picked her up again, and began to
carefully remove her clothes. While I was doing it, I couldn't stop feeling guilty
about her condition. Noah wouldn't be like this if it wasn't for the
discontentbeance, mutual, that we had about each other, but how could she even
think that I could get away without her.

I took the shirt he wore to sleep from under his pillow, seeing that it was actually
one of mine.

I covered it and stayed until who knows what time. My fingers didn't stop stroking
her back and her hair, until I was sure the worst was over.

Before leaving I wrote him a note. He had made a decision.

Chapter 51

NOAH

I opened my eyes around five in the morning. I couldn't even remember when I'd
fallen asleep…or unconscious, let alone remember how I'd gotten here. I looked
around and saw that the right side of the bed was crumpled but not undone and
then I remembered absolutely everything.

Charlie, his house, the tequila, then Michael... andbenally Nick. God, Nick had
met Michael.

I sat up and ran my hand over my face. I felt terrible, God, only I could think of
trying to keep up with Charlie. I hadn't even wanted to get drunk, but I was so
overwhelmed by it all, so sad and scared and angry that I couldn't say no to him,
and now there I was, with a hell of a headache and the emptiness of knowing that
Nick had been there. here with me and he had seen me like this.

"I'm not going anywhere"

Had he said that or had he dreamed it? In any case, my blood boiled just thinking
about it, I'd rather be furious than really consider it; It terrified me, because if it
was such an important opportunity, how could it be so bad that it made him turn
it down?

She didn't want to go in there, not yet, she preferred to stay angry, she handled that
better.

I got my feet out of bed andbeI saw that he had taken off my clothes and had put a
T-shirt over my head, one of his, the one I normally wore to go to sleep because it
smelled like him and it made me feel good, especially on nightmarish nights.

Maybe he was out on the couch, or maybe he had run into Briar and they were
chatting late at night, though he doubted it.

Before I got up something caught my attention: Nick had left me a note on the
nightstand.

I picked it up and nervously started to read it.

«I am going to give you more time; If that's what you need, if that's what I have to
do to make you realize that I love you and only you, that's what I'll do. I no longer
know what to do to make you believe me, so that you see that I want to take care of
you, and protect you forever; I'm not going to
nowhere, Noah, my life and my future are with you, my happiness depends
exclusively on you.

Stop being afraid; I will always be your light in the dark, love"

My heart sank as I read his words, and I felt even more guilty for what I was putting
him through. Nick was going to give up a one-off job for me...

I put the note under my pillow and left my room. The living room was dim and I
needed to take a shower as well as eat something greasy to clean the remains of
alcohol from my stomach. I got under the hot water and my body and my mind
were clearing of the haze caused by the alcohol.

Michael had seen me in that state, now he was going to have to listen to a good
fight in his office and even more so if he had met Nick and his violent way of
addressing any man who dared to put his hands on me.

I came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel and with my hair dripping.

I took the ingredients to make a sandwich from the fridge and sat on the sofa to
eat and think.

I was a complete mess, that was the truth. I was afraid that if Nick stayed, in the
future he would end up blaming me for wasting that opportunity.

Sophia's words kept echoing through my head, you should support him on this,
Noah, God, why was he butting in, why was he talking like he cared? Why did Nick
keep her aware of this and not me?

I hated Sophia, I really hated her, I knew she did it for the wrong reasons but it
was the jealousy that spoke, the jealousy of seeing someone who was perfect for
him and then looking at me and knowing that I was the opposite of perfect. .

I don't know how long I was sitting there on the couch but I must have fallen
asleep because when the light coming through the windows woke me up, I realized
I wasn't alone.

Two pairs of eyes stared back at me as I carefully sat up on the sofa. Briar was sitting
with a cup of coffee in her hands and a shirtless guy next to her.

The uncle's eyes were watching me between amused and curious and when I
looked down at my body I saw that the towel had gone up my thighs, leaving me
practically exposed in front of the two of them.
"Good morning, flasher," Briar said with a strange smile. I quickly fix the towel,
covering my body and I jumped up.

-I must have fallen asleep...-I said frowning when I saw that guy kept looking at
me-I'm going to get dressed.

When I came out of my room half an hour later, especially when I heard the
door close to our apartment, I saw that Briar was holding a white envelope in
her china hands.

-You have mail.

I approached her, sitting on a stool and took the envelope that had my name on it.
I read it quickly and realized that I had totally forgotten about this matter. It was
the invitation to the tenth anniversary of Leister Enterprises.

-Shit.

Briar took the envelope from my hands and read it in a heartbeat.

- Is this the gala that some media have been talking about for almost a
month?

I had no idea about that but I nodded anyway. This was the happybeThis is where
Nick and I had to act like just brothers who love and respect each other. Damn,
this was the worst time to go to an event of this type and even more so if we were
fighting.

- Noah, do you know how many important people are going to this gala!?

-The truth is that I don't care-I said getting up from the chair and serving myself a
cup of coffee-It couldn't be at a worse time.

Briar looked at me with a strange glint in her eyes.

-It says here that you can take a companion, but if I'm not mistaken, right
now you don't talk to your boyfriend, right?

More or less, it was more complicated than that, but I had forgotten about the
companion. Nick had told me that we were going alone, so I guess I was going to
have to swallow the damnbeShe's in the company of a boyfriend she was mad at,
parents she barely spoke to, and people I'd never seen in my life.

"The truth is that I don't know where we are, but no, I'm not going with him..." I
rested my head on my hands and closed my eyes tightly. Thebethis was thatbeIt
was a weekend and something told me I wasn't going to be able to work things out
with Nick by then.
"If you want, I'll accompany you..." Briar told me a few seconds later. I raised my
head andbeheh on her-seriously, I don't care, also at events like this I can meet
important people... you know, there's nothing like a good contact, the truth is that
we would be doing both of us a favor, I'll do you company so you don't get bored
and I'll hook up with some important agent.

I considered what he was saying and it didn't seem like a bad idea. It was clear that
it was better to go with her than to show up there alone.

- Do you really not care? It's going to be a pain in the ass and I'm going to
have to play the role of the perfect daughter, greeting people and taking stupid
photos of myself.

She smiled at me showing me her pretty white teeth.

When she smiled, she looked like an angel fallen from heaven... Briar was capable of
totally disconcerting me, and I still wasn't able to decipher her.

-I don't care at all, the one doing me the favor is you. Saying this, he turned

on his heel and went into his room.

That same afternoon I stopped by Charlie's house. The night before I had realized
something and it was that my friend had a drinking problem. Seeing how he
behaved and the tolerance almostbeBecause of the little girl he had because of
tequila, I understood certain attitudes that Michael had towards his brother. The
reason why I was constantly watching him, the reason why he talked to me in the
middle of that disco to find out if his brother was okay... Charlie was an alcoholic
and if I was not mistaken it had been Michael who had tried to get him out of that
problem.

"My brother is a good person, but he doesn't understand that his shitty therapies
aren't going to help me," my friend told me, as fresh as a rose, unlike me, who
could barely take off my sunglasses because of the intense headache I was having.
had.

-I'm going to a support group and I'm really trying, I haven't been there for a long
time, but I drink a lot less, before I didn't even get up from the sofa...

It gave me something to ask him why he did it, if he didn't tell me, it would be for
something. I was worried that he had that addiction, my mother had gone through
something similar and after what happened with my father, when he lost my
custody, I found out that he had been admitted to a detoxification center.
Drinking was something that came from my family, my father had been a drunk
and my mother had a bad streak that she was able to leave behind... I sometimes
happened to myself, there was nothing more to see than last night, and that's why
I understood my friend more than he at first could believe.
I let Charlie make me a disgusting milkshake that helped my hangover and then
we spent the afternoon watching movies and eating popcorn. It had been a long
time since I had a friend with whom to share simple moments like this, Jenna was
very crazy, our plans almost always consisted of leavingbethis or shopping, we
rarely met just to hang out on the couch. With Charlie it was different, he made
me laugh, and he made me forget about my problems for at least a couple of
hours.

It was almost dark when the apartment door opened and Michael walked in
looking angry. I didn't expect to see him there, and I realized almost immediately
and remembering... that this was his apartment.
Charlie lived with his brother because he barely had enough to pay for college.

I don't know why I got nervous, maybe because I was used to seeing him in his
office and also because he knew almost all my secrets, fears and insecurities. He
had seen me drunk and had to almost drag me to my apartment to later meet my
nice boyfriend.

His eyes swept the room tobelean on me Something strange crossed their features
and I sat up on the sofa, as if they were about to scold me.

Charlie was aware of the sudden tension that seemed to be in the room, because she
automatically began to pick up the cushions and place them on the sofa.

- What's up, little brother? -said by way of greeting- Do you feel like
watching a movie with us?

Michael started pulling out what he had in his grocery bag and putting it on the
counter.

- Have you eaten something? -That was his answer. He hadn't even greeted
me, and everything was so strange to me that I got up ready to leave.

"I think I should go" I said taking my bag from the sofa. michael

watched mebejust before speaking.

-I brought food to make dinner, you can stay, so tell me

because you have decided not to go to the consultation today; I've been
waiting for you until seven.

Shit... I totally forgot... Ok that's why he was so weird, I had stood him up.
I watched out of the corner of my eye as Charlie watched us and then said
something about having to go clean his room.

That timely.

I approached the counter where he was taking out the ingredients in a nonchalant
way.

I'm sorry, it's completely gone.

Michael was silent for a few seconds and then a kind smile played on his lips.

-Don't worry, we'll catch up in the next session. Do you like risotto?

He seemed so relaxed all of a sudden, nothing like how he'd walked in the door,
nothing to do with the look he'd given me a few seconds ago. I nodded, leaving my
bag on the chair and deciding that it was better to stay, I wasn't going to make
ugly after leaving it lying in the office.

Charlie didn't take long to show up and for the next half hour I laughed non-stop.
Charlie messed with his brother and with the seriousness he gave off he left him
hanging with things that not even I would have thought of. I put on an apron and
helped him with the mushrooms and sauce. Charlie had no idea and was more
annoying than anything and sticking his finger in the hot pot.

We sit at the small table in the living room, on the floor, and have dinner while
chatting about trivialities. It was nice to see Michael relaxed and also weird to see
him outside of his work environment. She looked younger and was amazing at
cooking: the risotto was to die for. It was nice exchanging recipes with him.

That night I ended up coming home with a little smile on my face, I had been
relaxed and at ease, it had been a long time since I had felt like this. With Nick
everything was so intense, one look from him made my whole body tense, a caress
from his lips made my stomach ache.

I don't know if you have been in the situation of wanting to escape from something
so intense, of wanting to spend at least a few hours in a bubble where no one can
enter, turn off the phone, get out of the ordinary and simply forget about
everything. Feel nothing.

That night had been like that, he had been able to breathe deeply, he could have
been just Noah, and not someone's Noah.
There's something incredibly brave about telling all your secrets, all your fears, all
your insecurities. I never thought that opening up to a stranger would be so
gratifying.besing, and I think it all came down to the tranquility with which he
received my darkest secrets.

I hadn't been able to tell him everything, but somehow I knew, at least that when I
was ready I would not only be able to get all my demons out of me but I would be
able to chase them away.

In two weeks, Michael had accomplished the impossible.

I hadn't woken up from nightmares for two nights and that was saying something.

The afternoon after risotto night I walked out of his office and the first thing I
wanted to do was call Nick. We hadn't spoken for days and I felt the urge to tell
him that I was better and that I wanted to forget everything that had happened,
but something stopped me.

I was afraid to get out of my "bubble state" as I called it; Just thinking about
talking to him made my stomach knot.

It was only two days before I was supposed to see him at the Leisters' gala and I
had no idea how we were going to act around each other. I was shocked at the true
distance he was giving me and an insecure part of me wondered if there was
another ulterior motive for why he was doing it.

I had sincerely expected some message asking me how I was feeling, especially
after I almost vomited on him, but his silence was completely deafening.

Only two days, Noah, only two days, in two days you'll see him and everything
will be the same again.

I kept repeating the same thing to myself and I tried to distract myself by buying the
dress and things for the gala. She had to wear strict etiquette, in a long dress and
heels. That afternoon I had called Jenna and now we were walking and talking while
window shopping at a mall.

-The truth is that I was thinking of going, but Lion has been calling me every day
for a week, he has insisted that he wants to see me, that he wants to take me to
dinner, talk and see how I am... What should I do, Noah? I miss him so much that
it hurts, but I'm afraid... I'm afraid that he'll hurt me again, I'm afraid that
everything will go on as usual.

I listened to my friend and I couldn't help but compare myself with her. Even
though Nick and I hadn't broken up, I couldn't even consider that.
possibility, this separation seemed to mark a before and after in our relationship.

-You have to go Jenn, Lion deserves at least that you listen to what he has to say,
you've been separated for more than a month, it's time to put the cards on the
table and no matter how much you insist that you're better off without him, the
two of you we know that is not true.

Jenna began to bite a nail compulsively and a smile appeared on my lips.

Those two were made to be together and I don't know how they didn't realize it.

I tried on at least twenty different dresses, my mother had told me to buy the
things for the gala with the credit card she had for emergencies, the truth is that I
had even considered going with a borrowed dress but if I did that, it would be put
together the third world war and why we wanted more.

So there I was, walking through clothing stores like Chanel, Versace, Prada... like I
didn't have enough financial problems. A part of me considered buying a
second-hand dress, one of those that are branded but worth half, and thus keep the
rest of the money to pay rent and food and those basic things in life, but I was sure
that my mother was able to look at the credit card statement and then she would
discover me.

We eventually ended up at Dior, mostly because Jenna was going crazy at that store.
The prices were insane but I let Jenna get carried away and pretended she wasn't
buying for me, like she was running an errand.

The bad thing about going to places like these is that the worst can happen to you:
falling in love with a dress.

It was hanging in the middle of the store, a mannequin was wearing it and my eyes
went to him as soon as I entered.

"My God, Noah... it's this, this is your dress," Jenna said next to me, as stunned as I
was.

I looked at the pearl gray fabric, touched my fingers to the smoothness of the silk,
and admired how beautiful it was.

"You have to try it on," Jenna said, and a second later I had a saleswoman treating
me like I was some kind of Hollywood celebrity. They took us to an adjoining
room and helped me put it on. The top of the dress was a kind of corset with little
silver diamonds, then it cascaded down to the floor, enhancing mybefigure and
marking each of my curves as
if it were water running down my skin, I had cleavage on one leg that went almost to
my thigh.

God, it was just perfect.

When I came out of the dressing room Jenna's eyes widened and she stared at me.

Damn, you're amazing.

I lowered my eyes and picked up the small tag that was on the side. I almost choked
on my own saliva.

-It costs a thousand dollars, Jenna.

His eyes showed no surprise.

- And what did you expect? This is not GAP, you have to live up to it, trust
me, your dress will be one of the most normal. AND

You're gorgeous, Noah, I seriously think I'm going to cry. I

rolled my eyes and looked at myself in the mirror again.

The dress was beautiful, and that pearl gray color contrasted perfectly with my
tan and my hair color. This dress was for a special occasion, it was to be worn
in front of the cameras...to be worn in front of Nick.

yes, ofbeI definitely wanted to see Nicholas's face when he saw me arrive with
something so beautiful. If the gala was going to be the day of the reunion after two
weeks without speaking to each other...

As Jenna said, she had to be spectacular.

Chapter 52

NICK

The gala was a day away and Noah and I hadn't spoken again. I was worried,
worried about her, about us, I felt a tightness in my chest that wouldn't let me
work. That morning my father had stopped by my office, hand-delivered my
invitations for tomorrow, and reminded me of what Noah and I had been asked
about a month ago. I hated having to see her tomorrow after whole weeks without
touching her or hugging her and now having to pretend we were nothing, it was
like everything was turning out to be a fucking sick joke. My bad mood was
palpable in the air, anyone I came in contact with could tell, and I had already had
so many arguments with staff that I hadn't been kicked out just because I had the
last name Leister.

-I have rented three cars to take us tomorrow, one for Ella and me, another for Noah
and his friend and another for you and Sophia.

My eyes automatically lifted from the paper I was absentmindedly reading.

- What have you said?

My father gave me a look that made it clear that I wasn't the only one who had
woken up on the wrong foot that morning.

-Aiken has asked me, Nicholas, and I'm not going to have a discussion about this,
he won't be able to attend tomorrow, Sophia will go on his behalf and he asked me
to come with the family.

- Does she even know? I said getting up and slamming the office door shut.
"Sophia told me she wasn't going to attend the gala, that she was leaving for Aspen
tomorrow morning."

My father took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose.

-That was before Riston had an important matter in Washington, they can't stay and
that's why they asked Sophia, if I'm not mistaken they told her this morning, so the
girl won't have an invitation or a date . Riston has asked me to go with you and
obviously I have said yes.

I shook my head knowing how much trouble this was going to get me.
-We'll go in the same car, I have plenty of tickets, I'll give you one but then we'll
go on our own.

My father regarded me indulgently. He was talking nonsense, if we showed up

together in the same car, it didn't matter if the invitations were individual,
people would see us as going together... and so would Noah.

"You're causing me problems with my girlfriend," I mumbled. My father

sighed, heading for the door.

-Your relationship with Noah is already costing you enough son... if he can't bear
that you get to abeShe's with a friend, I think you should rethink a lot of things.

I ignored his words and let him go. I couldn't let Noah come to the gala and see me
with Sophia, I had to tell him first. I looked at my cell phone and knew that if I
called her for this, the most likely thing is that she would even change her phone.

Two nights ago I had been throwing up until I dropped and all because she thought
I was going to go to New York without her, the worst thing I could do now is make
her doubt us more.

I got up, took the car keys and went straight to his apartment.

I was lucky that just as I reached her block of flats she entered through the other
entrance, parking her beat-up car next to mine. His eyes widened in surprise when
he saw me go down and I tensely waited for his next reaction.

The last time he had seen her she had been nearly unconscious.

He cautiously approached me until he stopped and looked at me nervously.

"I'm glad to see you're not drunk anymore" I said half seriously half jokingly.

Noah made a face.

-I'm glad to see that you're still here and not in New York.

She turned her back on me and climbed the steps that led her to the front door of
the apartments. I cursed under my breath and followed her, ready to settle this
issue once and for all.
Me beI looked at the dress she was wearing and lingered over her curves as she
opened the door with a little grace.becultured. I had never seen that dress on her,
it was yellow and actually looked like one of those dresses my sister wore,
withfllittle ears everywhere.

Why Noah would make me want to burn him, I had no idea, but I got
nervous just watching her.

Finally he managed to open the door, he would have helped her but he was
entertained watching the sway of the little dress on her bottom.

Upon entering, he turned, pressing his lips tightly.

"Stop staring at my ass, Nicholas Leister.

I chuckled and closed the door behind me. I looked around the apartment and
listened to see if any sound could warn me of Briar's presence, but no sign of her.

"I like your dress, nothing more" I said looking at her intensely, God hated that
dress, hated the way it stuck around her chest and danced on her knees.

Noah gave me a condescending look and set the bag he was carrying on the kitchen
counter.

I walked over there waiting for him to say something else. She looked
nervous and I didn't expect that.

It was Noah, I knew her like the back of my hand.

I watched her entertained as she opened the fridge and took out two beers.

- Do you want to?-I asked myself and I clearly saw how her cheeks colored,
or because of nervousness or maybe simply because I was literally eating her
with my eyes.

"Sure," I said, stretching out my arm and lightly brushing her fingers as I took the
bottle.

I was clearly aware of the shiver caused by that little touch but I pretended not to
notice anything.

He was there to calm things down, to talk and explain to her about New York,
although the truth is that all he could think of was getting his hands under that
dress and making her really shiver.

I lowered the bottle to the edge of the counter and with a sharp blow with my other
hand I opened the bottle and then raised it to my lips.
Noah watched mebeShe looked down at her bottle and for a moment seemed
a little lost.

I smiled slightly. I took another drink from the bottle and moved closer to her.

"Here, freckles" I said, handing him my beer and taking his to open it in the same
way.

He was clearly aware that with that move he had succeeded in shortening
significance.betively the distance between the two.

Her lips wavered but she brought my bottle to her lips and let the cool liquid
trickle down her throat. I watched in awe as her neck contracted slightly to receive
her content.

Once again, I simply got the fact that he drank from my own bottle.

I took a deep breath trying not to shorten the space that separated us; something
told me that it was not yet the time, at least not if I wanted to receive a pleasant
answer.

Since I didn't know very well how to proceed, I opted for that strategy so well known
and used worldwide by men: messing with the girls.

-Very nice your vomiting on Thursday; I think it's something I'll never
forget," I said containing a smile.

Noah's eyes gleamed in embarrassment and his mouth pursed into a pout of
indignation and embarrassment.

-Nobody asked you to stay.

She left the bottle on the counter, I guess she didn't really feel like drinking alcohol
anymore, and she crossed her arms, looking at me indignantly.

-It was worth it just to be able to take off your clothes.

Its eyes widened, then narrowed and released poisonous rays. She seemed to be
about to make a complaint but thought better of it, she half smiled and looked at
me in that devilish way so typical of her, especially when it came to me.

-How sad that you have to resort to being half unconscious to be able to undress
me... you're losing faculties, Nick.

Saying that, she walked around me to get away from me and walked away from the
kitchen.
I would have pulled her to slowly demonstrate all the powers I still had, especially
when it came to driving her crazy, but I was having fun with this conversation.

Noah walked over to the sofa, not seeming quite sure what to do next,
absentmindedly shuffling through the magazines. I leaned against the counter and
watched her.

He kept ordering meaningless things, and I kept quiet. It lasted a few minutes
before she turned to me, dumped the magazines on the couch, and pushed all her
hair back in exasperation.

- Stop looking at me!

I laughed. How fun this was getting to deliberately annoy her.

-You're leaving me without options, love, I can't touch you, I can't look at you...
being your boyfriend is becoming quite a feat.

She crossed her arms and stared at me between irritated and nervous.

- What have you come for, Nicholas?

I watched her for a few seconds. The kitchen table and the small sofa between us
separated us and instead I felt her miles away, something I didn't even like. Why
was he there? I simply missed her, and on top of that I knew my time with her
before I told her about Sophia was short. I turned my back on him and took a
cigarette from my back pocket. I did not want to go into the reason for my presence
there. I walked over to the stove in the small kitchen and leaned over to light my
cigarette on the stove.

I took a drag and turned back to her. He came up to me and put out the fire he had
left burning.

-I guess you just came to make me angry.

Before she slipped away from me, I reached out to hold her close to me.

- It bothers you?

- what do you smoke Yes-he answered rudely.

"Let it be here," I corrected her, lowering my voice. Now that I had my hands on her,
I was going to have a hard time pulling them away. One of my fingers began to
caress her arm carefully.
Noah watched me forben, with the uncertainty present in all its features.

I don't think I've ever seen her so lost.

I took a step forward. She stepped back slightly until her back hit the counter.

- Why didn't you tell me?" he blurted out then, his voice tinged with bitterness.

His question was not unexpected. He knew that what had bothered him most of all
the royo in New York had been that he had found out from third parties.

-Because it has never been in my plans to go anywhere, at least without you.

She bit her lip nervously and I wanted to pull it down, but I didn't know if it was a
good idea to touch her…at least not yet.

-Then you would... if I were with you, you would go...

It wasn't a question, and the truth is that I hadn't even considered it.

"I'm fine the way I am now, Noah, I like where I work and where my future is
headed." I wasn't particularly excited about inheriting my father's company, as it
meant working for him for countless more years, but that was an insignificant
detail.becante compared to what it meant to work for the Leister Company.

Noah's eyes searched mine and I tried to figure out what was going through that
little head of his.

- You're not even going to ask

me? I frowned.

- Do you want to come with me to New York?

-No.

- "So?" I answered letting out a frustrated sigh and throwing my head back.

Women, God. How difficult they could be sometimes, especially the one right in
front of him.

-I don't want to leave, obviously, because I just started here, it's only been a little
over a year since I left Canada, but... if it's so
important to you, Nicholas, well... I suppose I would be willing to do it for you.

I lowered my head slowly and went back tobeget into it

- "Would you do that for me?" I said, trying to see something that told me
otherwise in her face, but she was being honest, I knew it from the way she
looked at me.

"Nicholas... I love you," she said in a whisper, "despite the fact that right now we are
not very well... if you asked me, and it was important to you, I would say yes, I
would go with you anywhere and you know.

A surge of love inbenito flooded the very center of my chest. That hole that I had
been feeling in the center of my soul those two weeks that we had been apart,
damn, they had hurt.

I took a step forward, totally invading his personal space. My hand was placed on
her waist and I squeezed hard, almost pinching her side due to the desire to make
her understand what I would do and what I would give to be with her and make
her happy.

Noah held his breath, and I think I could hear his heart race.

"Then I guess I have to thank you," I whispered.

I moved my other hand up to her neck and brushed her hair back. He wanted to
smell her fragrance, to remember that scent that only she seemed to possess.

With the tip of my nose I brushed her chin, and her neck, inhaling slowly and
then closing her eyes.

I heard how his breathing accelerated almost at the same time as mine. His hand
clamped onto my arm, and I knew that just by my closeness his entire body had
turned to jelly.

"I miss you" I said next to his ear "I love that you want to come with me, but I'm
not going to accept that job, not yet, I want to stay here and I know you do too,
and that's exactly what we're going to do."
OK?

I noticed how he nodded silently and then something caught my attention. I

moved away from her a little and put my fingers in her hair, exposing her ears.

Noah fidgeted.

-I had them yesterday...with Jenna.

«Jenna»

Whenever his name came up, it was up to no good.

I looked at Noah's ears, those fleshy little earlobes that I loved and adored to
nibble and kiss, now pierced and garnished with two little silver pearls, two pearls
that seemed to scream at me to keep my lips away from that particular place…my
particular place.

- You like them?

I frowned knowing this had to have hurt him.

Noah didn't need to pierce anything to make herself more attractive. I raised my
fingers and carefully caressed the two earrings.

"I like them..." I said at the same time that I proceeded to take them off. I left them
on the counter. - but right now they prevent me from doing what I want.

I didn't wait for her to say anything else, with a hand on her neck I forced her to
throw her neck back and I placed my lips right in the hollow of her neck. A breathy
moan escaped her lips. I brushed lightly with the tip of my tongue his clavicle up to
the lobe and bit him lightly with my teeth.

Noah released all the air he was holding and I noticed how my body reacted to his
responses.

I stepped away for a few moments and watched her carefully.

The arousal and longing was so clear I had to control myself from devouring her
right there.

- have you had timebecient?-I said pulling his lip down, preventing him
from hurting himself.

-No, I do not know.

I didn't like that answer... maybe I needed to remind him how much he had missed
me.

"I'm not going to do anything that you don't want to do, love," I whispered,
placing my hands on her waist, "I'm going to go slowly, until you tell me to stop."

She didn't say anything and I proceeded to lift her up onto the counter in one
swift movement. I carefully spread her legs apart and positioned myself
between them.
I smiled to reassure her since she seemed too nervous for my liking. He
understood that a lot had happened between the two of them, and that he hadn't
been up to the task as a boyfriend, especially in the last month, and that's why he
had used those two weeks to try to understand her, to try to find out what he had
been doing wrong.

I raised my hands to her face and caressed those freckles that drove me crazy. With
my fingers I was tracing the outline of his jaw, that of his full lips...

She closed her eyes and it was right there where I placed my lips, softly, barely
touching her.

Noah had been getting too much like me…and that wasn't right. My girl was
sweet, tender, delicious... and also feisty, quarrelsome and endowed with the most
exasperating character I had ever had to deal with in my life, but it was just all of
that that I loved about her, all of that and more.

- Have you missed me?-I asked leaving my hands on her thighs and
caressing them in circles with my thumbs.

Noah's chest moved with perceptible speed over the fabric of her dress. On any
other occasion, I would already have undressed her, I would have already taken
her to her room and my hands would have slipped through all those places they
adored.

Now he was not going to make the same mistake again. She wouldn't go any
further until she wanted to, she had asked for time, she had asked for space... now
it was up to Noah to make it disappear.

"More than you can imagine," he said, opening his eyes. He

wanted to kiss her, more than anything in the world.

I put myself in front of hers and listened to our breaths accelerated by the simple
expectation.

-I want to kiss you.

He returned my gaze without saying anything.

-I will kiss you.

Before she could tell me no, before she could change her mind and ask me for
more time, I pressed my lips to hers, hard, longing. I enjoyed the pressure of my
mouth on his, a unique connection that made all the negative of my last days
disappear. I bit his lower lip and then caress it with my tongue, and squeeze again
with force.
Her lips were the bane of any man, and I was no exception. I moved my hand up to
the nape of her neck and moved closer to her, forcing her to lean back and lean on
my outstretched arm.

My mouth separated for a second to return to claim his an instant later. This time
I put my tongue in the cavity of his mouth, and desperately sought to find his.

He did, he came to meet me and his taste and response made me lose what
little control I had left.

Without being able to do anything, my hands were all over her body, while she got
up and pushed me with her legs, drawing me towards her greedily. His arms
encircled my neck and we melted into a passionate embrace that could only have
one result.

My hands trailed down to the edges of her dress and up her thighs, wrapping it
around her hips.

I broke away from Noah and leaned down to kiss his legs, one by one I went up his
thighs, depositing hot kisses careful not to leave any marks.

Noah's hands pushed me away and forced my head up. His mouth was on mine
again, and I breathed in his same desperation and his same eagerness to want to
touch me.

I carefully lifted her off the counter, grabbed her legs, and walked her around my
hips to her room.

I closed the door and went straight to his bed. His hand caressed my hair and he
clung to the back of my neck with the other. I placed myself on top of her on the
bed and I was pulling up her damn little dress until I took it off over her head.

"I hate this dress you're wearing" I confessed letting it fall in any way on the bed.

"It's new" she said pulling my neck down and burying her lips in my neck. He bit
and sucked at my neck and I jerked back with a grunt.

-It's scary.

My tongue caressed her jaw and nibbled gently in the hollow of her throat.

Noah chuckled under me.

-Liar.
I looked at her body, that body that seemed to have been designed for me, that
body that only I had caressed, touched and kissed.

-I could spend hours contemplating you, Noah, you are beautiful, in every sense
of the word.

He didn't say anything, he just watched me while with one hand he removed my
shirt and let me fall on his naked torso. She had a lace bra...sobenot that it was
as if he was not wearing anything.

I put my lips on the transparent fabric and felt how it tensed under my hands.

-Nick...

He pronounced my name in a halting way and that encouraged me to continue.

I carefully kissed her stomach, slowly, while I caressed her side with my fingers,
from top to bottom until reaching the hollow of her knee and lifting her leg,
forcing her to encircle my hip. I moved to her height and moved my hips over
hers.

A wave of pleasure ran through both her and me. It had been too

long.

Then Noah moved, pushed me onto my back, and with one quick movement
straddled me. Her blond hair fell over her shoulder and she tucked the
bothersome strands behind her ear.

I saw in his eyes that he was fighting an inner battle, and I hit the brakes.

My hands rested on her legs and I watched her until

befinally spoke.

-I think...it's not a good idea for us to continue; I feel like if we do... we're
going to throw away what we've been trying to clear up these past two weeks.

She felt that the one who was speaking was not her, but rather the happy
psychologist who was treating her. It was he who had encouraged her to separate
from me these weeks and to see her body's reaction to my caresses, to see in her
eyes how much she wanted to continue...beI confirmed my assumptions.

I got up in bed with her on top of me and put my face to hers.

- Do you want to stop?" I asked, a part of me wanting him to say no.

His eyes seemed to be deliberating. His hand caressed my jaw, slowly, and his lips
lowered to kiss mine.

-I don't want to, but it's the best, at least for now.

I took a deep breath, both breaths ragged from the last few kisses. I nodded
giving him a kiss on the nose.

- Do you want me to go?

I saw something like fear cross his features.

-Do not stay.

His request seemed to be much more than that. I smirked and lifted her up to stand
next to the bed.

- Are you hungry?

We had ordered Sushi, and at that moment we were lying on the living room
carpet, with a terrible movie that we had stopped paying attention to as soon as it
started.

I had my back against the sofa and Noah was sitting across from me with his legs
crossed, a smirk on his face.

"I don't believe you," he said with a shrug.

I raised my eyebrows and stood up. I stretched out my hand for him to take it.

I'll show you, come.

He stood up and waited for me to move the furniture a bit to give us space.
Then I went straight to the music player and searched for the tune of the
classics.

The first thing that came out was a Frank Sinatra classic: "Young at heart."

Perfect.

-Come closer, little discomfiture.beThere is.

Noah looked at me between amusement and doubt.

I approached her, I put my arm around her waist and intertwined my fingers
with hers. I watched her for a few moments and then I started to move. I took
her with me, just as I had been taught, just as I had done for at least ten years.
At first we dedicated ourselves to moving slowly, untilbeFinally Noah got the hang
of it and I was able to handle it with ease.

-I can't believe I'm dancing with you, in the living room, and on top of that, Frank
Sinatra, what have you been smoking, Nick?

I smiled and forced her to separate from my body and then pulled her back to me,
this time with her back pressed against my chest. I cradled her in my arms as we
moved ever slower… her head resting on my shoulder as I held her close to me, I
kissed the top of her head, then turned her head again to face her.

Suddenly I felt like at the beginning of our relationship, I don't know how to explain
it, Noah was smiling, she looked relaxed and I was a realflout of his mood. My bad
mood was gone and I felt the urge to remember that moment: her in my arms,
moving next to me as if our problems had suddenly disappeared.

After not seeing each other for days... the last memory I had of her drunk and
begging me not to go anywhere disappeared from my mind until I replaced it with
that moment.

I ran my hand down her back and squeezed her tight. I held the other against my
heart, our feet moving slowly, not touching, just letting ourselves be carried away by
the music...

"I love you" I said, feeling each one of the letters, each one of those two words.

Noah didn't answer, he just shook my hand harder, kissed the center of my chest
and so on...

moving until the song ended.

We were dancing for a long time, actually more like hugging each other to the
rhythm of the music. It wasn't until I felt her full weight rest on my chest that I
realized she was falling asleep.

I put my arm under her knees and lifted her off the ground.

-What are you doing...?-she said half opening her eyes-I want to continue
dancing...I'm good at it.

I smiled as I opened the door to his room and slowly closed it with my
back.

-You're great at freckles, especially when you can't stand up.

I deposited her on the bed and she turned a little until she opened her eyes
and looked at me.

I took off my T-shirt and jeans, all without taking my eyes off him.

"You stay," she said and an exquisitely sweet smile played on her lips.

"I'm staying," I answered, making my way between his sheets.

We got inside and she stuck to me resting her head on my chest.

-Now go to sleep, love.

Chapter 53

NOAH

I felt like I wasflfloating between white clouds in the middle of a sunset. I felt the
warmth of the sun's rays on my body and that warm sensation of having rested so
deeply, that my mind found it difficult.becults to bring me back to reality. It was
warm, too, inside and out; that cold that he had felt the past few days seemed to
have disappeared and when forben I was able to open my eyes slowly, I understood
why.

Two celestial lanterns, precious and sensual, returned my gaze. I felt the urgency to
close them, such intensity without prior notice was not recommended for my
already revolutionized hormones.

His hand, which was calmly resting on my back, began to trace circles on my warm
skin.

-How long have you been awake?

A smile played on her pretty lips.

-Since you started snoring, it will be more or less an hour. I glared at

him, grabbed the pillow and threw it at his head.

My movement was pathetic, since I still wasn't fully awake.

I rolled onto the bed grunting and turning my back on him. His body stuck to
mine without waiting for a second and pulled me into his chest. He brought our
hands together in front of my face and I watched our linked fingers.

Now I couldn't see him, but I was entertained by playing his fingers with mine.

I miss you in my bed.

I did it too, God, it was what I missed the most.

It was incredible the number of things that could happen on a mattress in a room
between two people who love each other, and I don't regret it.beBut simply to sex,
it was globally, the place of confessions, of caresses at midnight, the place of
confession.beance, the place where all complexes were put aside, at least when you
were truly in love.
There was something magical about sleeping with someone and sharing the place
of dreams. Even if I hadn't touched him tonight, I was sure that my body and mind
would have been calm knowing that he was near, they would have simply
perceived it...

I moved his hand to the side and saw his tattoo.

I suddenly loved seeing those words on her skin. I really liked them, because I had
written them, I was the one driving him to do these crazy things, because we were in
love... madly in love.

Last night when we danced and I felt his heartbeat next to my ear... it was
something so special that I was afraid it would end. I didn't want that moment to
end, that's why I held on until my eyes and my body lost the battle. The Nick from
last night had been the Nick I had fallen in love with long ago, the Nick I loved
madly. It was in those moments when I understood that we were perfect for each
other, we were, if life hadn't given us so many blows, especially being so young. I
wanted to think that we could leave it behind, that if we kept fighting, we would
move this forward, it really is what I wanted most in this world and I was willing to
give everything that was necessary.

But then, why couldn't I get it out of my head that what had happened last night,
like this intimate moment between the two of us this morning, was the calm
before the storm?

Nick forced my body to turn so he could get on top of me.

-You're very quiet... I wasn't serious about snoring, you know you don't snore.

I smiled and reached up to brush a lock of hair from her eyes.

I really liked dancing with you last night.

He gave me a smile, that smile that I loved and that he rarely let out.

-I told you he was an excellent dancer. I

rolled my eyes.

"Conceited should be your second name." I said removing his face when he
came down to kiss me. I laughed as he squeezed my ribs, making me jump
from the tickle.
-I don't have a middle name, middle names are for softies.

-I have a second name, ready.

He hid his face in my neck and I noticed how he laughed at me at my expense.

-Noah Carrie Morgan, my goodness, your mother sure was drunk.

I pushed him with all my might, but he didn't budge an inch.

"You dick," I said, giving up and leaving my entire body lax on the mattress.

Then he fell silent, sat up and looked at mebehe admits.

-I love all your names, freckles.

He kissed my cheek and released me from his prison. When I no longer had
it on me I was able to get out of bed. I needed a shower.

I grabbed the things I needed while Nick dressed next to me, watching me out of
the corner of his eye. He was suddenly quiet and I watched him curiously. Just as I
was about to leave the room to head to the bathroom, he grabbed my hand and
pulled me as he sat on the edge of the bed. He grabbed me by the waist and raised
his head to look at me for a few seconds.

-I have to tell you something... and I don't want you to get angry. I

frowned and eyed him suspiciously.

-I won't be able to go alone to the gala tomorrow.

Okay, I think that was the last thing he'd expected her to say.

-What do you mean?

I was clearly aware how the tone of my voice had changed remarkably, more than
the temperature of the room dropped a few degrees in an instant.

Nick seemed to be contemplating how to go along with whatever it was he had to

tell me, and meanwhile my mood was changing by leaps and bounds.

-Please, Noah, I don't want this to be a problem because it's really stupid...
I forced him to release me and crossed my arms. I watched him without barely
blinking.

-I have to go with Sophia.

And so, suddenly, we went back to the beginning.

Anger took the place where calm had been, and jealousy swept away everything
she had thought to advance in these two weeks, like that, without being able to do
anything about it.

My hands moved without even realizing it and gave him a shove. I turned with the
clear intention of leaving the room, I didn't give a shit that I was only dressed in a
T-shirt, I just wanted to get as far away from him as possible.

He was faster than me because he held me with his arm around the waist "Noah,
please" he said holding me against his body and using that tired tone of voice with
me.

"You may be letting go of me now," I said through clenched teeth.

But instead he lifted me off the floor and threw me onto the mattress. I stirred
but he sat on my waist and held my hands with one of his.

"Don't even think about it!" I yelled trying to get away. "Let go of me!" Let me go,
Nicholas!

He held me and looked at me with fake calm waiting for me to stop fussing.

WhenbeI finally did it, not because it suddenly seemed like a good idea for my
boyfriend to go out with his slutty partner, that perfect, dark, divine and
intelligent girl, but rather because it was impossible to fight against her body.

-They have left me no choice, Noah, my father has put me between a rock and a
hard place, I'm just going to be his companion, please, I don't understand where
your jealousy comes from, really, I don't understand it,
how can you doubt me on this, after all I told you yesterday!

I wasn't even looking at him, I was staring at the ceiling and my breathing was so
fast I felt like I had run a marathon. I knew my jealousy was irrational, but I
couldn't do anything about it, I didn't want him around her, let's just say it was
some kind of gut feeling or female insisted, she had more interest than just a
friendship, but idiot Nick he was not able to see it.
His hand caught my chin and forced me to look at his face.

-Do not let this create more problems between the two of you.

I wasn't going to explain how much this affected me, how much this made my
nervousness increase to unimaginable heights. I tried to calm down.

-I want you to leave.

-Noah...

Me beI thought of him, how upset he was, and remembered how good we had
been last night. Maybe this was the moment, as Michael had told me a thousand
times, where for once I had to act with my head and not with my heart...

-Do what you have to do, and when you're done, we'll talk.

His body stopped pressing on mine and I shook myself off the bed. I picked up
what I had dropped on the floor and before I could get out he stood between me
and the door.

-Tomorrow, when all this is over, we are going to go away from here, theben the
whole week, we're going to go away and settle our things, because you know as
well as I that I would never look at anyone but you.

I let out a bitter laugh.

-Remember your words the next time you make a mess of me out of jealousy. He

seemed to accept my answer.

His hands cupped my face and he looked into my eyes with a special shine.

-I love you and there is no other person but you in my thoughts.

I closed my eyes, let him kiss me and when he left I went into the bathroom.
When I heard the front door close I dropped to the floor and wrapped my hands
around my knees.

All the joy she had felt when she saw him, all those sensations that had been
suppressed during those two weeks had returned, and with all their might as well.

I had come out of my bubble state to become a walking bundle of nerves, at the
disposal of a boy who seemed to know nothing. Okay, maybe my jealousy was
unfounded, but I couldn't help but hate Sophia Aiken with all my might. tomorrow
was going to arrive
hanging from my boyfriend's arm, and on top of that I had to act like it wasn't
mine...

I tried to turn a deaf ear to all those negative messages that came back to haunt me,
all those messages that said that she was better than me, older, serious, elegant,
rich, funny, and beautiful. All those thoughts that I had worked so hard for those
two weeks, all those things that I had tried to ignore, tried to change in order to feel
better about myself, more confident, more courageous. He couldn't go back to the
starting square, no, he wouldn't. That's why I put my revenge instincts aside, those
that wanted me to call the most handsome guy I could find and invite him to come
with me to make Nick jealous, but I wasn't going to do it, he had changed, he was
going to be better, I was going to fight for my relationship with Nick.

Now, one thing for sure: I was going to be so ravishingly sexy that my idiot
boyfriend was going to regret the whole night he chose that bitch over me.

The morning of the gala I enjoyed the company of my friends, all of them,
including Briar who was a bit like a fish out of water to find herself surrounded by
girls much younger than her, who didn't stop talking, laughing and making my
day feel better. being much more fun than I expected. Jenna had brought the
woman who was in charge of doing her mother's hair and herself all those times
they had to attend events like these, and while we waited for her to arrive so I
could do my hair, my apartment became a real beauty salon.

We had pedicures, manicures, I shaved my whole body, I took a bath with rose
salts so that all my skin smelled wonderfully good, and I smeared my skin with
almond oil that my mother had bought me a thousand years ago. and that Nick
once told me it made him want to lick me all over.

I smiled to myself looking in the mirror in my underwear, the sexiest outfit I could
find, and I swore to myself that after this gala I was going to give her the best night
of her life, the best, it was going to be so unforgettable that I wasn't going to to
look at another again in all that was left of her life.

- Is this the dress? Kate asked me as she took it down from the closet.

I nodded while taking a look at the mobile. My mother had sent me a message
informing me that a car would come to pick us up and take us to thebenca where
the gala was held. I was getting very nervous, I didn't know how I was supposed to
act or what to do when I arrived, but I tried to put my fears aside and sighed in
relief when Jenna's hairdresser made an appearance. Briar insisted that she do her
own hair, since she was
used to, for all those red carpets her parents dragged her to.

I sat in a chair and let the quirky woman named Becka put my hair up in a nice
updo. She curled it all up and pinned it up in a bunch of dramatically interwoven
braids. I put up with all the hair pulling because I knew it was going to look
amazing. An hour and a half later I smiled at the refllook in the mirror

"I love it" I said turning around so he could see me from all angles. Jenna pulled out
the dress and handed it to me. I put it on carefully, admiring the delicious feel of the
silk against my skin, and when I looked at myself in the mirror I knew Nick was
going to lose his mind.

I stopped for a moment in front of my jewelry box. Most of the things in there
were beaded bracelets I'd bought at thrift stores, or anklets I'd wear in the
summer, but there were two things I kept especially careful. Nick's heart pendant
and his father's earrings. I took both things and watched them in silence... and
that's when I had a little act of evil.

Jenna entered the room at that moment. She was also nervous because she had
arranged to meet Lion for dinner. He looked at me with a smile and I tried to calm
down.

"You're going to cause a sensation," he said, handing me the little bag he was
carrying where only my cell phone and a lipstick fit me.

I gave him a quick hug.

-Fix things with Lion, Jenn, he loves you, don't forget that-Jenna nodded and I
went looking for Briar.

My roommate was wearing a pretty beige dress, clinging to her vaporous body, not
leaving much to the imagination. Her hair fell in pretty ringlets that she had swept
to the side. It was beautiful.

We quickly said goodbye to the girls and headed out to where a rental car was
waiting for us outside. I was surprised to see that the driver was not a stranger but
Steve, dressed elegantly to the nines.

Seeing us go down the stairs, he smiled at us and handed me a small box.

"From Nick," he said with a circumstantial face.

I looked at the box and the note that Steve handed me with a sour face.

Briar watched me curiously as I placed both items on the seat next to me without
opening either the envelope or the box.
- Don't you want to know what he bought you?

I shook my headbelooking at the road.

Today I was not going to be fooled, my boyfriend was with someone else and I was
forced to watch him from a distance. I didn't even know how I was going to react
when I saw him, if just thinking about it made my blood burn, I didn't even want to
imagine what it would be like to have them in front of me.

ThebeHe was never on the outskirts of the city, and the time it took us to get there
only increased my nervousness.

I observed hallucinated how all the trees that indicated the way to the place of
thebethey were lit with white lights. A line of limousines waited so that the
members of the cars could get off at the door of that white mansion. More than a
mansion, it was a museum. In fact, if I was not mistaken, this site, apart from
belonging to the historical heritage of the city, was used for a wide variety of
events, including art exhibitions of all kinds.

I watched with a knot in my stomach as the people who were getting off passed
through a kind of red carpet until they reached a photocall where a large number of
photographers were in charge of taking photos for who knows what magazines.

- Is it mandatory to take those photos? I asked, feeling the first signs of a

full-blown panic attack.

Briar looked at me as if she had lost her mind.

-Don't be stupid, Noah, we'll be in all the newspapers and magazines in the city.

- Steve? I said in a strangled voice.

Steve looked at me in the rearview mirror and his look was enough for me to know
that I was not going to be able to get out of this. All the time I had spent making
myself excessively pretty no longer seemed like her.becient, all the money I had
spent on that stupid dress seemed ridiculous to me when we approached the
mansion and my eyes saw how excessively elegant the women were.

I fixed my eyes on my knees, and stared at my hands.

I'd had my manicure done, and my nails gleamed, long and painted an elegant
pearl color.

"I can do it" I thought to myself..."I can do it"

No matter how much I had repeated those words, nothing would have
prepared me for what awaited me that night...

absolutely nothing.

When the car stopped, I didn't have much time to think further. A man in a suit
opened the door for us and I had to swallow all my insecurities. They helped me
down and at least thirty pairs of eyes fixed on me.

"Good evening, ladies," the man in the suit said to us and I watched as he
touched the earpiece in his ear and whispered something I couldn't hear.

My mother had told me not to stop to take pictures until I met her and William, and
when the man motioned for me to follow him, I had to turn to Briar.

"I'm not going to miss this," he said, observing the photocall with an almost
calculating interest.

- Are you sure you don't mind being alone?

Briar rolled her eyes and turned her back on me. Her graceful legs began to walk
toward the crush of people, and I knew I didn't have to worry about her.

The guy in the suit motioned for me to follow him and as I walked across the
elegant carpet in the opposite direction of the photographers, I heard many of
them calling my name.

We got to the part where a bunch of reporters were interviewing a large number of
people; I felt overwhelmed with so many people until my eyes met my mother's.
She was surrounded by two bodyguards and a woman who seemed to be totally
stressed. My mother seemed to relax when she saw me. We hadn't seen each other
since the night I left his house a month ago, and though time had passed hisbeI
was enough to have put the problems aside, when I saw her, I knew that there was
still a lot to talk about between the two of us.

"You look beautiful, Noah," he said when he saw me and leaned in to give me
a quick hug.

My mother looked like a movie star, her hair had been curled and tied back with a
beautiful silver and diamond barrette. The dress was burgundy in color and made
her look much younger than she really was. His way of preserving himself had
always amazed me, because it's not like my mother was a big fan of strict diets or
anything like that.
"Thank you, you too," I said, looking away and seeing William in a corner, talking to
some reporters from the Los Angeles Times magazine.

Many of those present were important businessmen who basically supported that
city. I didn't even want to imagine the empires they were running, but it was
enough tobeget stuck in their clothes and all those womenflgoldsmiths who waited
patiently for the men to finish speaking.

From my place, a little behind but still facing the public, I could see how the other
cars kept arriving, letting their elegantly dressed occupants down. My mother next
to me chatted in a high tone with the people who were passing by her. It was all
crazy, and it was starting to overwhelm me. I was being introduced to more people
than I could remember and we had to wait for William to finish talking to all the
reporters so we could take the fucking family photos.

A stir among the photographers made mebeKeep your eyes on the car that had
just pulled up next to the carpet. The door opened and my heart stopped for a
moment.

There he was, and my goodness, not to go crazy.

Nicholas got out of the limo, his face serious and professional despite the shouts of
the photographers. He buttoned up his jacket and held out his hand to the girl who
was with him in the car. Sophia Aiken walked out the door, dressed in a spectacular
black dress, tight and incredibly sexy. I watched them from a distance, feeling a
sudden urge to vomit.

I averted my gaze and focused it on the opposite point.

My mother looked at me and looked away quickly. I allowed myself a quick look
and immediately regretted it.

Nick was posing with her, in front of the photocall with his hand resting on her
tiny waist; they both looked like real movie stars.

At that moment William separated from the journalists and came to greet me. It
must be said, Will was radiant with happiness, I guess this was his night, so much
thinking about myself I hadn't realized how important all this was to him.

"Thank you for doing this, Noah, you look beautiful," she told me, smiling.

I nodded, ignoring the anger that was beginning to take over me by leaps and
bounds. One more look was enough for me to see Nick say something to Sophia
before turning and heading towards us.
When our eyes met, I felt, literally, as if there were hundreds of butterflies in my
stomach fluttering without ceasing, although more than butterflies they seemed to
be cockroaches, because I felt a jealousy that threatened to spoil all that façade of a
ten girl that I wanted to pretend.

Nick's eyes widened when he saw me in the distance along with my mother and
father. They were talking about something that didn't interest me at all while I was
literally ogling my asshole boyfriend.

Joder... Nick con smoquing.

Before he did something crazy, I turned my back on him and stared at the
impressive gardens, at the lights and at the journalists...was that the well-known
TV presenter? And wasn't that the actor they had hired to play? Spielberg's new
movie?

I felt his warmth a few minutes later, so much so that my whole body shuddered at
the mere brush of his jacket against the back of my back. Will and my mother were
right in front of her, and her eyes flicked to the newcomer.

"Hello, son," Will greeted absently as the woman came over to tell him a few things.
My mother gave him a tight smile and turned to the woman who was explaining to
them how they were going to proceed with the photographs.

I continued with the viewbeHa in the gardens.

Saying absolutely nothing, one of his fingers caressed me from shoulder to

wrist in a very subtle but incredibly tempting way.

I turned to him with the intention of warning him with my eyes that the best thing
he could do that night was to leave me alone, no touching, no looks, no kisses, or
anything like that. I was so angry I was afraid I'd forget where I was and who I was
with and make a big deal out of him, but all my warnings got stuck in my throat
when I turned and saw him up close, there, in front of me, imposing as he was.

His mouth said nothing but his look said it all. I felt as if I were undressing in less
than five seconds, as if simply by running his eyes over my body I could feel the
touch of his fingers on my skin, the caress of his lips, moist and delicious in every
bare corner of my skin. body.

"God, stop, stop, don't think about that right now."

He was clearly aware of how many were watching us, they wanted to see how we
behaved, it was clear that we were attracting attention and more so the damn
gigolo in front of him.

Without saying a word he leaned in and kissed my cheek.

I closed my eyes for a moment and breathed in the familiar smell of her fragrance,
which mingled very subtly with that of tobacco smoke.

Had he been smoking because he was as nervous as I was?

"Oh, love... why are you doing this to me?" he whispered next to my ear before
moving away and pretending nothing had happened.

He walked around me to get closer to the journalists. I stood there, stunned, then
followed him with my eyes. He began to answer many of the questions that began
to be asked and I stayed watching him from a distance. His way of moving, of
engaging in conversation with all those who wanted to know about the Leisters'
son, the confidence in each of his movements...

He moved away from the journalists for a few moments to look at something on his
mobile. Automatically my cell phone vibrated in my bag.

Nick had already put his phone away and was already answering more questions,
his father had moved closer to him and now many cameras were focused on the two
of them.

I lowered my eyes to the phone screen.

"I'm going to take off that dress so slowly, that today is going to be the longest
and most pleasant night of your life"

A completely untimely heat ran through me from my feet to agglomerate right

on my cheeks. I looked both ways hoping no one would notice how much his
words and mere presence had affected my system.

I typed a quick response before walking over to my mom, who was patiently
waiting for Will and Nick to finish so we could take family photos. People were
already coming in, and despite the fact that the cars kept arriving, the weather
threatened to spoil our night. Some thunderclouds were approaching at full speed
from the coast and although a common saying assured that it never rained on the
city of Los Angeles, it is most likely that today it rained for the first time since my
arrival in this place.

The woman with the earpiece told me to come closer and my mother and I stood
in front of the photocall to take pictures of just the two of us.
It wasn't more than a few minutes before Will and Nick joined us. To my relief Will
stood next to me and Nick next to my mother, they took a few photos of us and then
asked us not to separate.

It was a photographer who insisted on the others that Nick and I pose together. I
didn't want to do it, I didn't want any picturesbepretending to be stepbrothers; I
didn't want a memory of that night, period.

I looked at Nick, who seemed composed despite the whole situation, and I went
over to him so they could take some pictures of us. A few meters away, my mother
and Will were posing together.

Nick wrapped his hand around my waist and pulled me toward him in a way
perhaps a little too possessive for the occasion.

I smiled as best I could, tingling where his fingers clung to my skin.

"I didn't like your response to my message," he said just so I could hear him. I
smiled more openly looking forward.

-Well, I'm not surprised. -I answered after letting him photograph usbeplow for a
few minutes. I turned to move toward my mother and away from him but his hand
stayed where it was, and he held me to his side.

I cursed to myself.

- Did you like my gift? -he asked me, walking by my side until he left the
journalists behind.

I needed to get away from him, I wouldn't survive tonight if he stuck to me like he
was doing, I couldn'tbePretending that we were nothing, that his presence didn't
overwhelm me, that I was enraged at having to share him and above all eager to
throw myself into his arms and show the world that he was mine.

- What gift? -I said playing dumb right at the moment we walked through
the door.

The entire room had been cleared and people were crowding in, while
waiters served glasses of champagne and appetizers on pretty glass trays.
Looking closely, there was glass everywhere, and candles... yes, hundreds of
candles and dim white lights that invited you to integrate, to chat and spend
an unforgettable evening.

My answer got his frustration and apparent calm to go to waste. He stood in front
of me and looked at me.beever, trying to discover, I think, how to proceed with
me, or rather, how to go ahead with that situation where if we didn't have
tobecome on, sis
lips would have already landed on mine as on the rest of the body parts
improperly appropriate for a public place.

I was grateful that he let go of my waist, but having him in front of me made it so
that I could not divert my gaze towards the people, the room, or the windows that
overlooked gardens.

All she could see now was Nick.

The air got stuck in my throat.

-I told Steve to give it to you as soon as I saw you, a little box with a note- I
obviously knew what he was talking about, that's why my brain stopped paying
attention to him, basically because I couldn't take my eyes off his face, from his
body, incredibly handsome, mother, not just handsome, but inhumanly perfect.
How could her eyes be even bluer tonight? His hair, so dark, and unruly... Nick
was one of the few boys who refused to spend more than two minutes in front of
the mirror, what's more, I was imagining him right at that moment, running his
hands desperately, trying to comb his hair. but getting the opposite effect.

God, I was ogling him, I was having an extreme dope. We hadn't really been
together for so many days that I could only think about how it would be to take off
that shirt, that jacket... that stupid bow tie, which only made it look even sexier...

- Noah, are you listening to me?" he said, bending down tobelock your eyes
on mine.

Oh Nick...if you only knew what I was thinking.

-Of course I hear you, and I don't want gifts Nicholas, I want to finish tonight and
forget that you've come with another woman.

He released the breath he was holding slowly and smoothly, then raised his hand,
with the clear intention of caressing me, until he realized he couldn't do it. Her
hand closed in the air into a clenched fist at her side. I looked away, frustrated by
the situation, frustrated by everything.

-I can send all this to hell, Noah, I can, what's more, I want to, right now bury
my fingers in your hair and kiss you until I'm breathless, so one word from you
is enough for me to do it.

I bit my lip knowing he would. If I asked him, if I told him how hard this night was
going to be for me, how incredibly jealous I was that he had come with Sophia,
and not only that, I knew that if he
I was asking right now to shout from the four winds that we were together, I
would do it and be delighted.

But Will had only asked me for one thing: one night. I could not do it.

"I'm fine," I said, wishing at that moment to take a step forward and have his arms
wrap around me tightly. I missed him, I missed our moments, our touches and our
kisses, I missed the Nick and Noah moments, two weeks had been too long, and
last night had not been hisbecient to catch up and fix things once and for all.

I noticed my mother's gaze a few meters away. We were drawing attention,

dammit, Nick was catching every single eye.

"Nice earrings, by the way," he said with a smile that for someone who didn't
know him could pass for sincere.

Although I wasn't fooled... -You're angry, I get it, but you promised me not to take it
from you and I'd like you to keep your promises.

He pendant. The heart pendant he had given me for my eighteenth birthday. I had
taken it off as a statement of principle.

"I think the promises have become obsolete tonight, Nick," I said, looking directly
into his eyes. Things were difficult and thisbeThis had come at the least
opportune moment. We had to solve a lot of things, talk at length and until we did,
that anguish that I felt was not going to disappear. -You have to go, some are
watching us and the last thing I want is for all this to happen.benal is useless.

Nicholas glanced both ways surreptitiously and returned tobelean on me

-It will only be a few hours; then I promise that I will dedicate myself to you in
body and soul... until everything goes back to the way it was before.

His words hung between us for seconds withoutbenitos.

"Until everything goes back to the way it was before."

Chapter 54

NICK

I pulled away from her reluctantly. If it had been in my hands I would have told
him at that moment to get in the car and leave. I didn't want to be there, I didn't
give a shit what my father had asked of me, right now the most important thing
was getting Noah back, and I wasn't going to get it by hanging out with Sophia.

From the moment I saw her I knew that tonight was going to be torture. People
turned to look at her, she was fully aware of the way she was drawing the attention
of everyone present, because she was incredibly beautiful; It hurt so much just
looking at her.

All of her glowed, her skin, her beautiful hair, her eyes, her face and her body
covered with that dress that stuck to her like a second skin. Her waist seemed so
narrow that it was hard for me to think that she could breathe inside that corset, but
damn, it was worth it just to be able to see her.

My fingers itched with the desire to touch her, with the desire to kiss her, suck
her, taste her and love her for hours. I missed her so much that I don't know what
the hell I was wasting my time with all that fake.

I crossed the room, pausing only a few moments to take a glass from a waiter and
put it in my mouth without delay.

I knew that having come with Sophia was completely stupid, and it was the last
thing I was doing for my father, the favors were over, these little games against my
relationship with my girlfriend were over.

Before we could reach the main hall, where we were to go next to be served dinner
and move on to the speeches along with a musical performance by one of the best
orchestras in the country, my eyes met with surprise bright green ones. .

I paused for a few moments before cautiously approaching where he was, in a

corner of the room next to one of the small high tables that had been placed
around the room.

- What are you doing here?" I asked Briar, almost cursing under my breath.
He smiled at me in an amused way but his eyes couldn't hide his poisonous rancor.

"Noah brought me, have you really come with another woman right under his
nose?" he asked looking over my shoulder. I turned slowly to see Sophia engaging
in conversation with the heads of the company's board. Some of them were close
friends of his father, so he knew them well.beenough to be comfortable with
them. Sophia had made it very clear to me that she didn't want to give me trouble
with Noah, what's more, she insisted on coming alone, but I couldn't do that to
her, not after the Senator had asked my father exclusively.

In any case, we both knew that between us there was only a beautiful and
professional friendship. She had screwed up by telling Noah about the job in New
York, and her apologies had been so sincere that there was no doubt that the last
thing she wanted from me was more than the hours we spent working.

-She's my co-worker, besides what does it matter to you, Briar, why have you
come? We both know this is the last place you want to be.

Her face tightened involuntarily and her eyes darted around the room.

-It is clear that this world continues to be the same as always, the difference is that I
am no longer so naive, the other day you told me that you had changed, well I have
too.

Those days where I got suckered in are gone, so don't think for a moment that I'm
afraid to be here.

I closed my mouth and watched her calmly. I couldn't get into that business again,
if he had agreed to come here I guess his words were true. I looked around me, at
the important people who walked, talked, drank and boasted of incredible
achievements.belittle boys, competing to stand out from the rest, and then IbeI
left in Briar, in the hatred hidden behind that facade of a resistant woman that she
seemed to carry everywhere.

Before I had a chance to answer, something, rather someone, caught my attention.

My eyes strayed to the front door and I felt my whole world rocking dangerously.

Briar followed my gaze and let out a ragged breath and a barely audible curse.

Anabel Grason had just arrived. My

mother was here.

Time seemed to stop for a few moments, and then the rage that I used to at the
mere mention of it made an appearance in my nervous system.

What the hell was he doing here?

I clenched my fist tight and walked away from Briar to the other side of the
room. He couldn't believe that woman had the guts to show up here tonight.

Shit, why, why the hell had he decided to come? I felt a pressure in

my heart that almost made me vomit.

I turned on my heel, suddenly seeing everything red, and before I could do anything
crazy, thebeThe figure of my father materialized out of nowhere, stopping me dead
where I was.

Looking both ways, he grabbed my arm and pushed me to one of the windows. The
sun had already set and the light coming in was that of the garden lights and that
of the moon that was visible at regular intervals due to the rapidly approaching
dark clouds.

-Nicholas, calm down.

I looked at him, his serious face, his eyesbeI was fixed on mine trying to get my
attention, but all I saw was that woman that I hated above all things.

"What the hell are you doing here!" I almost yelled as my father rushed to push me
further away from the rest of the guests.

-He has the right to attend, but I don't know what the hell he's up to by showing up
unannounced, listen to me, Nicholas, you have to calm down, do you hear me? You
can't put on a show.

I fixed my eyes on my father and for a moment I felt lost in the blue color of his
pupils, that blue that was darker than mine, because mine came from her.

My father begged me with his eyes and put his hand on my cheek for a few
moments.

- I'll talk to her, you don't have to.

I nodded letting my father take control of the situation for once. I didn't want to see
her, I didn't want to talk to her, I just wanted her as far away from here as possible,
but we all knew why she had come, she had already tried to contact me and
whatever she had to say was surely not good.
My father tried to transmit a calm to me that not even he felt and then he turned
his back on me, losing himself among the guests again.

I looked around for Noah and saw her talking friendly to a group of people. I wasn't
aware that I was staggering into dangerous places, but before I could do anything,
like grab her hand, hug her tight, and throw her into a car to take a shit off, another
girl appeared in my angle of vision.

-You should listen to how the members of the board talk about you, Nick, it is clear
that the news flies, everyone is wondering when you will take over from your
father. -Sophia smiled sweetly at me to which I could barely respond with a nod.-
Are you okay?

Good? I was in the inbeerno

My eyes darted around the room again, searching for Briar. I didn't see her
anywhere and anxiety began to take over every particle of my system. Too many
problems in one place.

Before I could answer my companion, people began to occupy the adjoining

room where dinner would be served.

I tried to calm down and placed my hand on Sophia's waist guiding her towards our
places at the table.

Walking into the room, I was grateful for the dim lighting, because right now I felt
so out of place that the last thing I wanted was spotlights on my head. My family's
table was in the center near the stage where the orchestra played and where the
speeches would be made, as well as the small auction in favor of the NGO that the
company had supported since the beginning of time. When I got there, I saw that
Noah had already taken his place next to his mother. She was alone, because Briar
seemed to have disappeared, and when she saw me arrive with Sophia, her eyes
turned away in pain.

Fuck.

As Sophia greeted Noah politely and the other members of the table, before I could
sit down, the voice of the only person I would be happy to see that night reached my
ears, making me spin.

- Where is my grandson? Here is the pride of any headless grandfather!

I shook my head, unable to prevent a smile from coming to my lips as I saw my

grandfather Andrew slowly approaching the table.
People were so distracted talking and looking for their respective seats that they
didn't notice the arrival of the only man they didn't have any grudge against.

Andrew Leister was eighty-three years old and the person who had built this
empire. His sparse gray hair had once been as black as mine and my father's, and
unlike his coldness, he was the closest thing to a father I had ever had.

All the unpleasant memories that my mother had made me remember in less than a
few minutes disappeared to be replaced by those moments when my only concern
was riding through my grandfather's field, fishing in the lake, and finding the most
beautiful frog. disgusting that I could put in my father's closet to annoy.

"Grandpa."

I gave him my hand to which he pushed me with his still tangible rudeness until
he caught me in his arms.

- When were you thinking of coming to see me, child of the

devil? I laughed and then stepped away and watched him with

joy.

-Montana is far, man.

He growled annoyed and looked at me.bejust from top to bottom.

-Before there was no one to get you out of there, now you only care about
your stupid beaches and your stupid surf, bah!-

he snorted, surrounding me until he reached a chair-you have grandchildren

so that later they can become the typical American boy with balls.

I let out a laugh, thankful that no one, apart from Noah who didn't take his eyes
off us, had heard his last comment.

My grandfather had emigrated from England as a young man of twenty to start an

industry in this country. No matter how long I had spent here, I never stopped
reminding myself that my roots were not here, and that it would not even occur to
me to say that I was not English.

My father arrived at that moment andbeHe looked at the grandfather with a

grimace between annoyed and affectionate.

"Dad," he said, holding out his hand. My grandfather didn't pull him into a hug
like he had me, he just watched him and narrowed his eyes with interest.
-Where is that new woman you have that you haven't introduced me to yet?

My father rolled his eyes at the same moment that Rafaela made an appearance.
This last year had been so intense that we hadn't had time to travel to see
Grandpa, and now that I had him here with me I realized how much I had missed
him.

Noah stood up and met my gaze.

She looked uncomfortable when my father called her to introduce her to her father
as his new stepdaughter. Those introductions should have been completely
different, they should have been done by me to begin with, and I should have
introduced her as the love of my life.

My grandfather smiled at him half distracted untilbeget into Sophia.

- Won't you introduce me to your girlfriend, Nicholas?

Sophia's smile, which had been polite while watching the corresponding
presentations, immediately faded as she shifted her gaze to Noah. I looked at
her and rushed to clarify the situation.

-Sophia is not my girlfriend, grandfather, is my practice partner, the daughter of

Senator Aiken.

My grandfather agreed.

-Ah yes, yes, you better not be his girlfriend, I don't want my grandson involved in
politics, let alone your father's.

Sophia was a bit embarrassed until I burst out laughing.

Noah seemed to look at my grandfather with better eyes and then we all had to take
our respective seats.

It was my father's friend Robert Layton, a board member, who gave the company's
anniversary presentation. Everyone raised a glass of champagne in a toast to
eighty years of hard work, and then dinner began to be served.

My gaze wandered around the room trying to locate my mother between the
tables, but there were so many people that it was impossible for me.

In whom I noticed something strange was in Rafaella. She barely touched the food
and seemed tense as she raised her glass of champagne to her lips. Noah, on the
other hand, was talking friendly to Grandpa who seemed to be making a good
impression on him, and then to Briar, who had appeared moments ago
glassy-eyed and slightly pink-cheeked: the alcohol she must have ingested was
already starting to wear off.
noticeable, which managed to increase my anxiety and nervousness.

It wasn't until we were finishing our dessert that thebeelegant and slender figure
of my mother decided to make an appearance. I tensed watching her approach
until she was standing right next to Noah.

There was silence from my family and it was Noah who was almost livid when he
heard my mother's voice behind him.

-Good evening Leister family, congratulations on the anniversary.

Chapter 55

NOAH

My heart stopped when I heard that voice. I stood so still that for a moment I
thought it was my imagination, but a quick glance at Nicholas was enough to
confirm that what I had heard was true.

Anabel Grason was here.

I turned my facebeI was patient enough to see her stand next to me, and I felt as if
all the air had escaped from my lungs.

-I'm glad to see you all, especially you Andrew, you must be proud to have been
the creator of such an empire.

Me beI looked at Nick's grandfather, with whom I had struck up a most interesting
conversation about the disasters of the country and how incredible England was,
only to now see on his face a tense but at the same time friendly smile on his
faces.benosy and wrinkled lips.

-I'm glad to see you Bell, it's been years since we last saw each other.

My eyes seemed to be waging a battle over whom to look first, Nicholas who looked
like he was about to commit murder, his grandfather, or my mother who was
suddenly focused on by all my senses. She was as white as the napkins on the table,
and her posture was as taut as violin strings.

Before Anabel could reply with some false and emotionless comment, William
pushed back his chair and with his eyes fixed on his ex-wife decided to take matters
into his own hands.

-We have to talk and it will be better if we do it in private.

Anabel turned her slender body in a blood-red dress and smiled at him in a
tight and clearly studied way.

-Surely Rafaella would like to be present, atbeAfter all, its mere existence has
marked the future of all the members of this table.
My mother looked up at her in a clearly menacing way.

-I recommend that you stop there, not here, not now.

What the hell was going on? My mother spoke to her as if she had known her for a
long time and I suddenly felt afraid, afraid that the suspicions I had had since lunch
with that woman would end up being true.

Nick caught my attention, our eyes met in the space that separated us and just at
that moment they announced through a microphone that it was time to go out on
the floor and dance.

What I did know was that I needed to get away from her and not just me but also
Nick.

We both did it almost instantly, we got up at the same time and Anabel turned to us.

-Nicholas, I have to talk to you.

I stopped looking at that woman, that woman that the only thing she had done to
me when I had met her was to threaten me into leaving her son, that and tell me an
absurd story about my mother having been with William for years, being therefore
responsible for thebefidelity that led them to separate.

Sophia and the other members of the table had stopped paying attention to their
respective partners to now focus on us.

"Anabel, leave Nicholas and come with me," Will said sharply. So much so that her
smile vanished to instead show an anger that didn't seem to be as easy to hide as
she intended.

The music had started to play all around us, and people had risen to join the floor,
smiles on their faces and clueless about the family crisis that was unfolding right
under their noses: they were dancing and enjoying thebethis.

I knew I had to get Nick away from her, suddenly that became my main goal.
Turning my back to him, I approached him and laced my fingers with his. He
seemed lost for a moment, looked down at our joined hands, and I pulled him up
onto the floor. I had no idea how the table had taken us leaving together, nor did I
know if it was obvious enough that the way they were looking at us was clearly far
from brotherly, right now all I wanted to do was make sure Nick it was fine.
I searched for his eyes with mine but he was so tense that he stared across the
room. I looked in that direction and with a turning in my stomach I saw how
William disappeared along with my mother and his ex-wife into one of the rooms
next to the room where the gala was being held.

"What do you think they have to talk about?" I said with a lump in my throat.

Nick looked down as if he'd just realized we were together.

I don't care and I don't want to know either.

He knew the state it must be in, he had checked it several times and he knew that
it would most likely end up exploding one way or another.

I raised my hand to place it on his cheek and forced him tobelean on me He

suddenly felt as if the meeting he had had with that woman months ago was the
worst mistake he could have made. She only had to see the state Nicholas was in to
know that the pain she was inflicting on himflija just seeing her was
immeasurable.

If she found out that I had met her, that I had talked, had lunch, and listened to
what she had to say about me and my mother...

Then Nick pulled me towards him. Slowly he placed one hand on my waist and
joined the other with mine and just like last night, we started to dance. The music
was a slow, modern ballad that I had never heard but seemed out of place for the
inner battle I was undergoing at that moment. With his hand on my waist and his
breath brushing deliciously over the top of my head, I regretted being so immature
earlier; Nick didn't want to hurt me, he was just carrying with him the
consequences of growing up with someone like Anabel Grason, he was just as
insecure as I was, because our love for each other was the only thing that kept us
together.flote, it was the only thing that kept us going.

Nick squeezed my hand tight against his chest and I felt him lower his head to
whisper something in my ear. His breath wreaked havoc on my skin, raising goose
bumps and making the butterflies reappear in my stomach to do their thing.

-I'm sorry I brought Sophia with me, I'm sorry about all this; you are the only
person that matters to me, we never should have come here, this was all a mistake,
a stupid mistake...

His voice was strangled, and even though he wasn't looking at me I knew where they
were.beclosed his eyes: in that door to thebeend of the room