Shattered

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

(Nina's Pov)

You know those things and moments in life that sometimes you have this strong urge to forget it ever happened, but your mind just won't let you. It irritates you with a mission to completely destroy you. No matter how many defences you put, whatever that significant moment is, your mind will somehow break that wall down and let you remember what you're trying to forget.

Let's say, you accidentally walked in on your parents or a grandparents having sex. The image, noises, movement - it will all most likely scar you, and you'd want to forget about it the very instance you saw it (well, unless you have a sick, twisted mind and found that enjoyable). You'd long for the memory to disappear completely from your brain and wish it had never happened.

But then your mind, which is strangely enough your very best friend yet worst enemy, wouldn't allow that significant moment to fade away. It'd keep replaying itself inside your mind, slowly driving you crazy and utterly irritate you.

Your mind would just not let you forget.

And my mind was doing that to me. Had been for the past week now. That moment of meeting a man I had lost nine years ago, it was that significant moment for me. It came out nowhere, like a storm in a summer night, the unexpected that really should have been expected. And deep down, I wanted to forget about it. I wanted to act as if nothing had happened, remain unbothered and simply just erase it from my memory.

But my mind had other plans. Over the week, countless of moments I'd find myself thinking of when I had crossed paths with Lucas again. I'd think of his handsome face, think of the brief moment of his arms wrapped around me and the moment when I'd be hit with a harsh, cold slap of reality, leading me to act out on it.

He left me. His promises were empty. And now he was a complete different person.

As I thought about that moment over and over again, I came to realize I had slapped him due to being engulfed with a strong embrace of anger and feeling so much. I reacted irrationally and I somewhat regretted it.

Licking my lips, I leaned forward and sighed as I glanced around the bar. It was Saturday evening, meaning the club was more full than usual. It was a busy day, more people coming to buy drinks for others, more old perverts trying to flirt with me, which I had to return in order for a larger tip, and more drunk idiots making an absolute fool of themselves.

I pressed my chin into my palm, inwardly frowning at the thought which suddenly crossed my mind. Nearly two weeks ago or so, Lucas was here. He was seated in the VIP area, with a red haired whore straddling his lap. I wasn't sure if whether he attended The Lobby often, but I couldn't deny I was fearful at the fact he could be here. That he could show up any day of the week and I'd have to face him.

The thought had budged my mind occasionally throughout the week. However, today seeing it was a Saturday night, it was more prominent. I just had this strong feeling pulsing through me, a part of me telling me that the last time I had seen Lucas, wouldn't be the last. It felt like it was just an opening to something new.

Shaking my head, I was pulled out of my helpless thoughts when I found an oddly familiar looking man standing across from me. His eyes were searching my face, an expression of confusion entwined with shock plastered on his face.

"How can I help?" I questioned, hoping he would stop looking at me like I said cats were humans.

Blinking rapidly, he let out a small breath, before grinning at me and stepping forward, closer towards the bar counter. Absentmindedly, I took a step back, admittedly at little freaked out by him.

"Yes, you can help me." He trailed off, an excited glint shining in his eyes. I bet he was thinking of all the different ways he could butcher my body into bits and sell off my organs on the black market.