The Only Way is Up

Part Twenty Five

The pause in her reaction only seemed to confirm what he thought, and he turned back to the road, so once again she had to pull him back around to her.

"NO one has ever done anything for me except for Kim; she's the only person who has ever had my back. My own family, my own husband would barely bother, so why would I think that you...someone I've known just a couple of months would do this for me?"

"Because I'm not LIKE them, I've not given you any reason to doubt me."

She nodded, "so I take a little longer to start trusting. Can you blame me? I've not exactly benefitted from my judgement today. I can't take any more hurt Maxim, and I'm scared that will happen with you."

"Angry Russian Devil? You believe everything they say?"

She shook her head; it was SO much more complicated than that. She didn't think that he'd hurt her aggressively, physically, it was the sweet, caring and passionate side of him that scared her, his beauty terrified her.

But that didn't sound right either.

"Don't make this about you. It's not, ok?"

He rolled his eyes, "I feel like I'm being kicked in the shin...repeatedly."

Suddenly exhaustion overwhelmed her, she hadn't showered from Pilates, she had been through nine forms of hell.

"I need my bed Maxim, I want to work on this, but I need some time."

Waving an arm in the air, he called a cab, then travelled with her in relative silence; they both had a lot to think over.

When it slowed near her house she sighed, "I would invite you in..."

"...but you don't trust me," he finished.

Shaking her head she turned to him, "oh Maxim, you criticise me for acting as though you're too young for me, then you strop like a five year old. I have been arrested today, falsely, because of my ex husband. I need food, sleep and to clear my head in that order. I can't cope with you around because you already confuse me just by being close to you. So I don't need that distraction. But I will...as long as you don't throw ALL your toys out of the pram."

He glared at her, then offered a small smile, "not all of them."

She nodded, "that's right...I'll speak to you tomorrow?" When he gave a nod, she leaned across and swept her lips briefly over his. "I DO appreciate everything you did today...and I hope I can show you how much soon."

Then with a theatrical wink she dashed out of the cab, and into the safety and security of her home.

Monday morning rolled around and Nicole found it hard to get to work. She hadn't slept anywhere near as much as she should have, there was a lot to think about, but also her left wrist and right hand hurt like hell. She had to get up in the night for some painkillers, and in the morning she could barely move her fingers on her 'punching' hand.

Regardless she dressed and headed to work. And much like with Vincent, her value had seemed to escalate over the weekend, all thanks to the presence of a beautiful and charming man on her arm. By midmorning she'd had her boss and several higher board members visit her office making small talk. Something that didn't normally happen, and each one shook her head heartily, her painful hand.

Hiding the grimace each time, she was rewarded with the words, "hell you look like shit!" Just before lunchtime.

She almost sobbed as she looked up from her desk to see Lisa her colleague leaning against the doorframe, "I think I broke my hand."

When she lifted her hand and showed Lisa, her friend gasped, "shit! What the hell have you been doing?"

Nicole looked a little coy, she wasn't proud of her behaviour, then she wiggled her other hand in front of Lisa, "well Vincent did this..." She didn't wait for her reaction, instead she immediately added, "so I did this..." she waved the other hand tentatively, "on his jaw."

Lisa's hands flew to her mouth as she gawped like a goldfish almost unable to breathe as she tried to digest the story. "Why couldn't I have been a fly on THAT wall? Shouldn't you have gone to the hospital yesterday?"

Nicole shook her head, "I spent most of the day at the police station. He tried to press charges."

Lisa's face contorted even further as she digested it even further, "the bastard. I'd kill him for you...I mean the cheek!"

She crossed the office to a small coat stand and returned with Nicole's jacket. "Come on."

As she tossed her the jacket Nicole looked at her questioningly, "you need that hand looked at...and I know an A&E doctor who owes me a BIG favour. Let's go."