HER WISH TO PROVE

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER FIVE
Nick sighed and scribbled away in his notepad taking down every little detail. Hr had been slacking on his duties for the past few weeks but not anymore, now he was back and he was ready. Dylan was already coming to terms with the case he had been given and he even swore to involve Nick as the case progressed. He was worried about Dylan and not because of the case, he knew Dylan was capable of handling it just fine but how would Nina adjust to the change? She couldn't stand him so how would she stand Dylan? He was more serious than he was. He pushed thoughts of Nina away to somewhere at the back of his mind and focused on Flint Carlos. According to Flint, Blake was twenty seven years old, he was 6'5, he had light brown hair, brown eyes and a toned body, he worked as an actor for a drama group that changed location every week so that explained why he told his folks he'd be traveling. But if he didn't travel then where did he go? Or was this some kind of ploy to confuse the cops? Either way Nick was  determined to get to the bottom of it.  "So do you have any idea where he might have gone? And I'd need the number of the person that contacted you."                                    "No, I've no idea where he could be. His friends—the ones we know—are not aware of his whereabouts."                   This was going to be a very difficult case but he was up to the challenge.                            "Nick, what's up? I've not heard anything from you for five days and what's this about the case being transferred?"                                 Nick could barely get a word in as she fired him question after question. "Ms Marshall, the case has been given to my partner Dylan so whatever you need and any questions you might have you can direct them to him. Dylan, come over here." Nick didn't understand why she wasn't upset at the turn of events. He was expecting her to be angry, to be upset, to yell at him for being a coward and for abandoning her friend's case. Why wasn't she shouting at him? He gritted his teeth and turned his attention back to Flint who was quietly watching them. "Dylan this is Ms Marshall, I know that no introductions are needed so I'd just get back to work." Nick said and ignored the both of them making a show of going over the details he had written down. Flint had no clues about his son's possible location and he didn't save the number that he had been called with. How was he supposed to get ahead with the case if he didn't know where to start? He heard Nina's laugh and turned scowling at Dylan's head. He couldn't see her because Dylan was sitting in from of her and Dylan's back was facing him. She was laughing? She hardly laughed with him, she preferred scolding him and shouting at him to laughing with him. The only time he had seen her laugh was on the day he caught her checking him out. And why were they laughing? They were supposed to be working on the case and doing the best they could to find Ryan Simmons so they could all move on with their lives. He hated to admit it but he didn't like seeing Nina and Dylan together. Jealousy was a foreign feeling to him because he had never felt anything like it before but as he watched them discreetly from the safety of his station, he admitted that for the first time in his life he was jealous.
***
Nina was having a good time and she never thought she would. Her first thought when she saw Dylan again after Nick had introduced them—reluctantly—was this is an even bigger Nick; three times serious and three times everything Nick was. But she was wrong, so wrong, Dylan was quite the opposite. They were both very similar to each other in terms of  work, they were both very serious minded—Dylan more than Nick—but the difference was Dylan knew how to have fun and Nick didn't. She didn't know how to feel about the new development but she would never complain. If Dylan could get the work done then she was okay with it. All she knew was she wanted results and she wanted her friend back. She could feel Nick's glare boring a hole in Dylan's head and if looks could kill then Dylan would probably be six feets under by now. She couldn't understand why Nick was staring at them, Dylan was his partner and he'd fill him in later on. He provably had some unfinished grudge with Dylan, yeah that was it. "Really Dylan, I just want to see my friend again. I've missed her, all the fun we used to have, the sleepovers, the secrets, the support, everything. Jenny was more like a sister than a friend to me, we did everything together."            "Why do you think her ex is responsible? For her disappearance I mean."         She sighed and slouched staring at the table. It was incredibly messy and disorganized. A half eaten bagel was hiding under a pile of paperwork. "Do you mind if I arrange your table? It's distracting."                Dylan laughed and slouched as well staring at her. "Knock yourself out."                                              She smiled and got to work on the files first, throwing the bagel in the trash can under his desk. "Jenny, Ryan, Arianna, Ariel and I all met at NYU. Ryan, Jenny and I were in the Arts and Media while Arianna and Ariel into business. Ryan, Jenny and I saw each other almost everyday so we were closer than the other—at first." She paused and packed a handful of files in her hands going over them. Why did he have so much garbage on his desk? The trashcan was under his table for heavens sake. "Ryan started liking Jenny, I know because he told me. There were other guys that liked her and one of them ended up being Ryan's best friend. Anyway they started dating in our final year and they already had plans to get married—"         Dylan eyed her closely. Why did she stop? "Why did you stop? Come on you're killing me.".                  Nina rolled her eyes at him, a small smile on her face. "You're so dramatic, Dylan. He cheated on her and Jenny told him to stay away from her. She even got a restraining order so he'd stay away but he didn't. He kept showing up every other night to pester her at her house. Ariel got some guys to roughen him up a little and after sending her a text, he vanished. That's why I suspect him, his disappearance then was the calm before the storm and I'm done." She said and patted herself on the back for a job well done. His desk  was now in order, all his files arranged in a corner of the table, his pens and pencils in his little cup and that was how it was supposed to be.                                                          "Have you considered that maybe it could be someone else, someone really close that knows you all and knows everything you just told me. Like his best friend for example, he used to like her a lot and he had to give her up to the best friend? Not many guys can do that."                              "Austin? He'd never hurt a fly, he's totally harmless I promise you."         Dylan raised his eyebrows so high they were touching his forehead. "Why? Do you know him personally? You guys dated back then or recently?"                              Nina blushed up to the roots of her hair in embarrassment. He had asked such a personal question so formally but she was still affected. How did she tell him that she had never dated anyone before? "I...."              "Hey Dylan, could you come over here for a second?" Someone at the other side of the room called out to him and she  sighed in relief. She couldn't be more grateful to whosoever it had been, they had just saved her from humiliating herself. How did you tell someone that you have never been in a relationship? Especially her, a twenty two year old. She couldn't even tell Dylan because he was sure to tell Nick about it. Nick......he was back in her thoughts. He was always there everytime at the back of her mind and he hadn't even come over to their table once while they were working. He probably didn't care, she was the stupid one because she couldn't get him out of her mind.             ***                                                 Nick was barely resisting the urge to walk over to Dylan's station and just be with them so they don't have to be together alone. Now he knew why jealousy was a bad thing, he couldn't see past all the green he was feeling inside. They had been laughing and chatting happily for a while. How could she be so happy with Dylan and be so serious with him?                   You asked for it....                      It didn't make him feel any better. What should he do? He couldn't take it anymore seeing them together was killing him and he didn't want to know why, he wasn't sure he was ready for the answer. He heard Bryce call out to Dylan and he sent a prayer of thanksgiving up to the heavens for an excuse. Now he'd walk up there and talk to her. She had called him Nick earlier so maybe she wouldn't be so serious with him, he hated it when she was. She was already looking at him when he looked her way so she had probably been looking at him. He smiled at Dylan as he walked past and settled down in his seat eyeing her. She was absolutely breathtaking in her black crop top and ripped jeans. She had tied her hair in a messy bun on top of her head and for the first time—apart from that time in her room—since he had gotten to know her, her nails were bare and in their natural state, no color on them. What was it about this woman that made him want to change his principles? Why was he jealous seeing her with Dylan? He shrugged off his thoughts because he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer. "How is the case going?" "It's going great thank you. How is your case going? Need any help? I'm told that I am a pretty good listener." She said with a smile and Nick froze;his throat was suddenly clogged with emotions and for some unknown reason he was finding it difficult to breathe. What was happening to him? He cleared his throat and avoided her eyes focusing on the table instead. "No, I mean no thank you but I'm perfectly fine, everything is going great."                           Nina frowned disappointed at his behavior. Why did he have to be so serious all time? "This is the difference." She thought with a sigh, he was hopeless.                                      "Did you say something?".     Nina shook her head in dismay wondering if he heard her. "No I didn't say anything but you should probably get back to work now, Dylan will handle anything that comes up and I'm here to help." And with that said, she looked away. The conversation was over and Nick got the message loud and clear. He got up and without a backward glance walked back to his table wondering where he had gone wrong with her. He always made her angry,he never knew the right things to say.                     But Dylan does.....                     He didn't like feeling this way and he couldn't explain why for the first time in his life he was feeling less than good about himself, he didn't like it.                                            ***
"Has he always been like that? I mean Nick, has he always been so serious?".        Dylan laughed and looked up from his phone. "Nick is a really good guy, he has had a really difficult life that's all."            Nina frowned and sipped her coffee. Dylan had shown up minutes after Nick had left and he asked her to have coffee with him so they could take a break from work.  "Oh, what do you mean?"     "No, I'm not saying anything. It's his story to tell so I'll let him tell you himself."                                     Nina sighed in defeat but her curiosity level had increased now that Dylan had sparked an interest in her. She had a new job, she had to get to know Nicholas Mackenzie; what made him tick, what made him happy, what made him sad, why he reacted to things the way he did, she wanted to know everything. "So how long have you know him for? What's your story? How did you get become friends?"                     "Wow! Calm down, how many questions can I answer at a tune? Give a guy a break."                              Nina felt her cheeks grow hot as she turned pink. "Sorry about that, now answer me!!"                              "This almost feels like an interview of some sorts." Dylan grumbled with a smile on his face. "Anyway I've known Nick for six years, he was transferred from his former place to Chestnutville and we hit it off from the first day, it was the start of a great friendship."                            "That's...wow! So tell me what did you think of Nick the first time? I mean when you saw him for the very first time what was your first thought?"                                    Dylan blushed and looked at his coffee mug, avoiding her eyes.                     Nina watched him in bemusement wondering why he was red in the face. "Dylan? Okay it's not important, you don't have to tell me."                        "No, it's......it's okay. Okay here it goes: my first thought, I mean the very first thought was 'wow, he is hot!'"                                    Nina laughed at the expression on his face and smirled when she processed what he had said. "Well I wasn't expecting that, but I know what you mean. I mean....he's good looking...I mean.."                      Dylan laughed and then took a sip of his coffee. "So you noticed? That's quite the eye opener. So why all these questions? Are you falling for him?"         Nina felt her cheeks grow hotter than before and she avoided his eyes. Was she that obvious? She was probably making  heart—shaped  eyes at the mention of his name.