He Saved Me

Chapter One: The Move

Nicole opened her eyes. She got up out of her cozy, warm bed, and wrapped herself in a soft blanket. She made her way downstairs to make a cup of coffee.
Afterwards she got herself ready for the day. Blue jeans, a red sweater and her classic black vans. She brushed and put her auburn hair in a slick ponytail.
Today she was going to see Jace, her longtime boyfriend.
Nicole loved Jace more than anything, but she wasn't always sure if he felt the same. Sometimes she felt like his princess, and other times she felt more like a guilty burden.
Jace constantly talked about them moving in together, but they were only 19 years old. Nicole felt a bit apprehensive after everything he had put her through over the years. The cold harsh memories of the betrayal still haunted her, though it had been over a year since the last incident, she couldn't quite let it go yet. It still bothered her in her core.
But they were past that, she had to let it go. Someday I will. Someday it won't bother me anymore. She thought to herself.
Nicole grabbed her black Louis Vuitton handbag and keys, she was off.
She met Jace at their favorite restaurant for brunch. Mary's Diner. It was a frequent for the couple. The menu consisted of all their favorites, and the staff all knew them by name.
Nicole and Jace discussed plans of moving in together, over scrambled eggs and French toast.
"Don't you want to be with me? Don't you want to sleep with me every night, wake up together every morning?" Jace insisted.
It sounded more like a manipulative plea than a question. But she agreed and tried to move the conversation along.
"So I was thinking about getting my degree, you know more than anything I want to be a lawyer" Nicole stated excitedly.
"You can do that with me babe. Plus it will be easier when our schedules don't align so well. I'll still be able to see you every night, and every morning" Jace replied.
The conversation kept circling back to her moving in with him.
Nicole didn't want to upset Jace by rejecting his offer, but she also wasn't so sure she was ready for such a big step. Especially not when she was already indecisive about the relationship.
"Let me sleep on it. It's a huge step for us" Nicole replied, after Jace's many relentless attempts to convince her.
Jace seemed displeased with Nicole's answer. He began to push. Manipulating the conversation so that Nicole couldn't possibly say no.
He had to get a yes. A definite answer.
"Don't you love me? Why is it so hard to decide if you want to be with me or not? I mean if we're going to be together, this is the right step. Unless you don't want to be with me" He implied.
Nicole felt pressured. She didn't really want this. But to spare herself an argument, she replied hesitantly "sure babe. We can". What was the harm in it? If things truly didn't work out, she could always move back home with her family.
Jace rejoiced in the satisfaction of winning Nicole over. He felt as though she was vital to his well-being. Her presence alone, made him feel like a king. He fed off of Nicole's confidence, her beauty, her need to satisfy, and please.
Jace knew in his mind she needed him too.
Over the following months Nicole moved herself into Jaces new apartment. Piece by piece, she was determined to make the place home.
Their little home was part of a brick apartment complex. Daisy Spring Apartments.
The lot had a small park in the middle of 4 red brick complexes. Behind the entirety of the apartments, lay a deep forest with the raw beauty of nature.
The apartment Jace and Nicole claimed, was on the top floor with a balcony that encased the beauty of the forest behind the complex. It was a cozy 2 bedroom. One room held their bed and the other, a man cave/game room for Jace.
Most of the time Nicole spent her evenings alone in their bedroom, bingeing a tv series, doing class work, or playing on her phone. Jace would be in the game room, playing online with his friends. Not paying any attention to Nicole or what she was doing.
One night Nicole came home, excited about passing a test she had been so stressed out about. For weeks beforehand, she had been an anxious wreck worrying. If she didn't pass the test she would have to retake the entire class. It felt like the weight of the world had finally been lifted from her shoulders.
Nicole entered the apartment calling out for Jace to no avail. She assumed he may have left without bothering to tell her. It wasn't unlike Jace to leave without giving Nicole any notice.
She set her bag and keys down to look around for him. She peeped her head into the bedroom. Empty. The bathroom light was off and the door was open so he couldn't be in there.
The game room. Nicole opened the door to find Jace with his noise canceling headphones on, invested in a game. She skipped over to him and slapped a kiss on his cheek. Jace jumped, having been frightened by the unknown presence. But quickly realized it was Nicole. His entire demeanor changed, he was infuriated to be disturbed in the middle of his concentration.
"Come on Nicole! You know I hate being interrupted in the middle of a match!" Jace yelled.
Big red bold letters popped up on the screen spelling Game Over. Implying Jaces character had died in the game. He was enraged and turned to Nicole.
"Get out! You made me lose!" He screamed.
Nicole was engulfed with anxiety and quickly left the room, without breathing a word. She closed the door behind her, fighting back tears.
What's the big deal, is that game more important than me? She thought to herself.
Nicole took her bag into the bedroom and settled herself. Trying to not let Jaces hurtful words take over her mind.
She called her mom to share the good news about her test scores and was met with encouragement and equal excitement.
"So are you and Jace going to celebrate? You guys should seize the moment, go out to eat or something" Nicole's mother, Racheal stated.
"No, we're just going to settle in for the night. There's no need. I mean it isn't that important" Nicole's words trailed off.
" Oh honey, it's more than important. You were so stressed and you've excelled past the limits you've set yourself. You deserve to celebrate darling" Racheal reassured.
Nicole avoided discussing Jaces explosion with her mom, for fear her mother would worry for her.
She didn't want her mom to feel bad for her. No one should pity her. She chose to stay with him. Nicole wanted to spare herself the embarrassment, so she moved the conversation along and said goodnight to her mother.
Sometimes Nicole felt as though she only had her family, and if it weren't for them, she didn't know where she would be. Those feelings pushed her along everyday. It was pure motivation to show her family she was more than someone's girlfriend. She was more than just some girl.