Who Remembers?

Chapter 32

"Can you knock?" My hoarse voice is back and his eyes widen a bit.

"Are you sick?" He says softly and I cough.

"I'll take that as a yes." He moves closer to me and he places his hand on my forehead. His hands are so cold and it feels like heaven against my forehead.

"Fuck Liv. You have a fever." He says looking really worried.

"Not your problem Nick." I push his hand away and the room is quiet as we stare at each other.

"Why are you here?" I mumble. I cough again and he clenches his jaw.

"Please Liv. Please don't go to Aus-."

"We're still on this Nick?" My tone heightens and it doesn't sound good with my voice that's half gone and hoarse, "What part of, I'm with Brad, do you not get?" 

"I've never been this serious about anything in my life Liv. Do not go to Australia Olivia." His face is emotionless and his jaw clenched.

"Tell me why. Why can't I go?" I raise my eyebrow and he rolls his eyes as he comes closer to me yet again. Man, even with a blocked nose his Axe deodorant somehow passes through. He places his fingers on my jawline and lifts my chin up so that I'm staring at his beautiful, chiseled face.

"Part of me wants to keep the promise I made to myself Liv, but the other half wants to say screw it." He says softly and his grass-green eyes study my entire face. 

"Which part is winning?" I whisper back and he rolls his thumb along my bottom lip.

"The latter." He replies and his minty lips meet mine and his hand cups around my jaw. Our kiss is soft, slow, and passionate as we move in-sync with each other and I have really missed his lips against mine. Our kiss intensifies so much and I want more, I want more of him. I moan into his mouth and he does the same and he gently moves us backward until I'm pressed up against the wall.

"Liv." He says while still kissing me and he gently lifts me up and I wrap my legs around him again. My hands brush through his messy hair, still, our kiss hasn't been broken. 

"Nick." I moan and his lips travel from my mouth to my jaw, and then to my neck. My breathing escalates.

"Don't. Go. Liv." He says in between kissing my neck and I open my eyes. 

"Nick come on," I say and he stops and gently lowers me to the ground. I burst out in a coughing fit and he leans his hands on the wall, towering over me as I continue coughing.

"Are you okay?" He says and I am so annoyed with him right now.

"I'm fine. I made a commitment to him Nick. I am still seeing him and this changes nothing. We shouldn't have done that." I say softly.

"Bullshit. It was right and you know it was." 

"That doesn't matter Nick. Don't you get it? Don't you get that we're not good for each other? I love you but I am seeing him and I did make a commitment." I'm definitely losing my voice.

"Can you just drop this badass facade or whatever the hell it is you're trying to do and for once, just fucking listen to me? Do not go to Australia with him." His demanding tone throws me a bit off guard.

"If you can give me a valid, honest reason then maybe I will consider it." 

"Fuck." He snaps and rolls his eyes, "Me kissing you and me being in love with you should be reason enough Liv." 

"Oh please. Us kissing and you being in love with me isn't the real reason, you and I both know that." I frown and he avoids eye contact the best he can.

"I'm asking you to trust me. I'm asking you to not do this." He says again.

"Tell me why." I protest and he looks away, "Tell me, Nick. Is it that you can't tell me or that you aren't allowed to tell me?" I raise my hoarse voice and he looks back at me with tears in his eyes.

"I can't tell you. All you need to know is th-." His sentence gets interrupted by my phone ringing. 

"Give me a minute," I ask Nick and he nods.

"Brad?" I cough again and Nick's fists clench.

"Hey I know I said I'll wait for you to tell me when we should go to Australia but my uncle just told me he got us a good deal for Saturday next week at 10 am and it's first-class all the way there. Please don't be mad but I told him to book because it is first-class after all." He sounds so excited and I do feel so bad about canceling. I look at Nick who's leaning on the counter now and he looks so annoyed.

"Next week Saturday at 10 am?" I reply.

"Yes. We finish on Monday so you have the week to prepare." He says excitedly and it sounds like he's in a shop or something. I can't say no to him now, I feel so bad.

"Sure." I pause, "Sounds great." I smile and instantly start coughing again.

"Great I'm picking you up some meds and dinner. See you later." He ends the call and I briefly stare at my phone and then at Nick who is emotionlessly staring at me.

"You're going with him, aren't you?" He whimpers and I walk towards him.

"I'll go for a week and see how it goes and then when I'm back in Miami we can sort this out." I kiss his cheek and he clenches his jaw.

"No Liv. Don't get on that plane with him." He protests.

"Why Nick?" I place my hands on his shoulders and he relaxes a bit.

"I can-." He makes a fist and closes his eyes, "I can't tell you. I have to go." He grabs his leather jacket, stops right in front of me, and kisses me on the forehead.

"Drink your meds Liv. I hope you feel better soon." He shuts the door and I have nothing else to say. I lie on my bed and I stare at the ceiling rethinking the kiss we just had. I don't want to hurt him, but I did make a commitment to Brad and I can't break it now. Maybe I should go with him, give him the chance he deserves. It's only a week so it should be fine. I close my eyes and I drift off only to be awaked by Brad.

"Hey. Here's some dinner." I sit up and he places a tray with chicken a la king on and my meds.

"Thank you." I smile and start coughing again. He sits next to me with a bowl of his own food and we eat.

"How did you find the exam?" He smiles.

"It wasn't too bad and you?" 

"Yeah not too bad." He bites his food again.

"So about Australia." 

"Yeah?" 

"Did your uncle book a return flight?" I smile.

"No you can tell me when you want to come back and we can go from there." He gives me a reassuring smile and I feel good about that.

"Okay great," I thank him for the dinner and as I take my meds I doze off. Nick, you are ruining my life right now, I think to myself.