Take Over || (n.j.) || Sequel to Closer

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten--
"You want coffee?" Nick asks me in the morning after he gets back from dropping Eliza off at school. I sit on a stool and lean against the counter on my elbows. I nod my head yes and then Nick goes to the coffee maker, making the only blend that I like. I watch his every move, feeling like I'm getting some kind of special treatment.

"I don't like the special treatment you're giving me Nicholas. And you know you're doing it too." I give him a glance as he brings me my mug of coffee and my painkiller pills that I'm supposed to take in the morning.

"I'm just being nice. You did get beat up pretty bad." He gives me his charming smirk and then I remember. I see flashes of Derek over me, hitting and punching me, and then it goes to when we were really in love....I guess. I see him over me, shirtless. I try and get that image away, and then I see myself sobbing on the ground in my living room, Derek kicking me.

"Derek! Please...." I see myself scream at him, but he doesn't stop.

"I remember. Nick, I remember it all." I steadily walk over to him, grabbing the arm of his shirt. He looks at me and gives a halfhearted smile.

"That's great Mar. Would you mind telling me? If you can't, I totally understand."

"Yeah! Come on." I drag him to the couch, sitting down next to him.

"Okay. So I remember coming home from your house one morning around six. Derek knocked on my door and he came in to talk he told me. I let him in and he asked me where I was," I had to pause and swallow because I now remembered every second of pain that I endured from that man," and I....I.....I didn't tell him at first. Finally, he had hit and kicked me and I cracked. I yelled to him that I was with you and he kept on asking me why I was. Eventually, I got the courage to tell him," I wasn't sure if I could continue but I blinked the tears back and looked Nick in the eyes," I told him that I missed you. That's when he hit me hard and everything went numb." I gave him a couple seconds to process this. He just looked at all the scars and bruises I had on my arms, which was the only skin exposed. I did have a bruise on my head, but that was from when he punched me. Nick didn't say anything and we sat in a comfortable silence.

"I am so sorry I wasn't there to protect you." He cracks out, his voice almost hoarse.

"You told me anyway. You were right. At least he didn't touch Eliza." I speak softly, quietly.

"Yeah, that's good. But he still hurt you. Bad. How long was it going on Marni? I gotta know." He rubs the back of his neck nervously. I answer without hesitation.

"Well, we dated for about two months, so I'd say in total it went on for a couple of weeks."

"Wow. And you just let it happen? Did Eliza know any of it was going on?"

"As long as he didn't hurt my daughter, I was okay. But one night....one night," tears start to fall down my face at the thought and memory of it," he started to hit me when we were all coming back from dinner. I told Eliza to run to her room as fast as she could. She did and yelled for me before entering the house. I just told her to go, and that I'd be fine. I prayed to God that if he hurt me bad enough to land me in the ER that he wouldn't touch my little girl." Tears were spilling onto the leather couch as I spoke, and Nick listened to me carefully.

"I will never let anything like that happen to you again. What you did for her was brave, and I am so proud of you." Nick pulls me in for a hug and I put my face in his chest. His praise was the greatest thing anyone has ever told me in a long time. I can't remember the last time someone said that they were proud of me.

"I love you Nick. I do, so, so much."

"I love you too Marni. I truly do, and I promise to never hurt you like I did ever again." He whispered in my ear, his breath hot on my neck. I pulled my face away from him, looking into his gorgeous eyes. Nick pulled me in for a small, sweet kiss. I felt electricity surge through my entire body before the kiss broke.