SMILE
Chapter 13: You only live once
Third person's P.O.V
Swerving through the streets of Mantana like a mad woman, her thoughts grew mad, as well as her actions. Yet, she ignored it all like the multiple middle fingers she received from different multiple drivers as a result of her 'reckless driving', past them.
If only they knew who she was.
Perplexed were her thoughts and out of her mind was she, clearly not thinking straight right now. She never really did though. Not even when a thousand voices, a thousand thoughts, a thousand memories and a thousand more, questioned her actions right now.
Instead, she proceeded. Stubborn as ever.
Hands on wheel, her knuckles turned white. Foot on pedal, she sped up beyond limit. Eyes on road, she struggled to keep up in the darkness. Time was ticking, she knew that. Every second was precious right now, and she couldn't risk even one. Not when he needed her and needed her now. This time, she had decided not to shut him out. Not again.
Nicole, I need your help.
His words rang through her head like an unending siren, a wailing sound. Her heart paced for him that very moment she watched him plead for her help, watched him crumble before her, watched him weaken upon her. Never had she helped someone, nor had she been helped, herself. She clearly wasn't thinking, let alone was she planning on doing anything that required 'help'. For she needed one herself, but got none instead.
Yet, she helped him.
Why? No idea.
Severally, she glanced at her phone in between her laps, in hope that this time, the caller ID that appeared would pick up her calls. But to no avail, it had gone straight to voicemail once again, like every other person she called before this one. "Fuck!" She screamed, throwing the device away before running her hand through those once smooth blonde hair, now roughened with her hand prints.
She glanced at him once again, finding it hard to keep her eyes on him and the road, both at the same time. On the other hand, he was close to becoming unconscious. She sucked in a breath he struggled with. They were both screwed. They knew.
Deep blue eyes- in comparison to hers- shut tightly closed, it held and withheld a lot from her. Dark curly hair- in comparison to that of brown cocoa, what she would love for her hands to feel and run through its softness, fell to the side of his head. Despite the swipes and wipes, the sweat that formed rapidly didn't seem to leave. The heat radiating off his body was so much, one would think it'd rub off on her. Perhaps.
His hands dug and dipped into the seats of his own car as he sat in the passenger's seat with her driving. You could feel every breath he struggled to breathe, resulting to her grip on the wheel tightening. His muscles flexed, creating new veins with the pains that ran through. It truly wasn't a sight to see, but she didn't mind. No. Never.
Obliviously, she'd do anything for him. She was just in denial.
"Nicklaus, please." She begged, for the first time in a long while. Two years, to be exact. Emotions ran through her eyes like wild fire, and words would never be enough to tell all of it. "Don't shut your eyes." Her facade was long gone, along with her pride, replaced with raw emotions and genuine words. Perhaps, it was only for tonight. Maybe. Maybe not.
You could never read her.
"I-i'm trying." He grunted, feeling a whole new level of pain shoot through him. He didn't want to shut his eyes, he was afraid of losing her to the darkness. For the first time, he thought about the consequences and thought about actually going through chemotherapy. But he couldn't.
For Ella.
While the eighteen year old was too drunk, asleep in Seth arms, to even pick up the phone calls she was bombarded with, while her twin was at the verge of death. But you couldn't blame her, Nicklaus had become quite an actor in other to keep these things unknown to her. Perhaps, till the day he dies. Who knows? It could be sooner or later. Who knows?
One thing was for sure though, he could never bear the thought of leaving Nicole behind. Never. But then again, what could he do about it? He had already made a choice earlier; to let go of it all.
Complications. He thought.
Nicole stepped on the car brakes at once, then proceeded to turn off the ignition. She turned to him and froze at what she saw. She was scared. Bloody afraid. Not because of what she saw, but because of what she felt for what she saw. Raw, pure emotions.
Slowly, his eyelid faltered, gaze dropped low, breathing slowed, lips parted but no words left. His hands that clung to the seat released, his body became frail by the mere second. He was giving into the darkness. He fought and fought but obviously couldn't succeed, not in this state, not at this rate.
Suddenly, a soft touch, he felt upon his face. He flinched at first, only to be met with strikingly blue eyes like his. She frowned, then pulled her hand off to keep to herself, only to be brought back by his. Hand in hand, he led hers up his face, letting her feel her desire as she ran them through those dark curls. He relaxed at her touch, feeling something he'd never felt before.
Peace.
Nicole didn't just feel him, she felt all of him. Every struggle, effort, heartbeat, heartbreak, misery, pain and much more. It was alluring, making her a witness to his weakness, leaving her to make a choice and now; leave or stay. She chose the latter.
Now, there was no going back. She herself knew that. After all, he did mean something to her, every part of her told her that, even though she was always in denial. Perhaps, tonight could change things. Or not. What she just didn't know was what he meant to her exactly. She'd never be able to answer that, at least not now. But she was gonna be there for him. Always.
"Shh." She comforted, placing her well manicured index finger over his pink plumped lips--- a temptation she was already falling for, more than willing to sin for, again and again. "I'm here." She cooed. Maybe it didn't make sense, maybe it did, she couldn't care less. He needed her help. That was all that mattered.
"I-it hurts." He groaned, feeling shots of pains at every part of his body. He grunted, then turned to face her, struggling to open those eyes that wouldn't budge. "So much." His voice broke her even more. She shook her head, not welcoming the tears. No way.
"I know it hurts." She said, taking her other hand out to caress his cheeks. He found comfort, not in them, but in her. "But you're not weak." She rested her forehead upon his, enduring the instant burn as she proceeded to tell him words of her late father. "We're not," She shut her eyes. "weak."
This time, his eyes opened slightly, letting him take in the beauty in front of him. He wondered if she was real, if any of these were real. Real or not, he was gonna take his chances before he ended up regretting it. It was now or never. You only live once. He thought.
"Kiss it better."
Instantly, she pressed her lips upon his. He responded at once, but certainly not expecting it. She tasted of strawberries as her lips entangled with his of alcohol and fresh mint, their lips moved in perfect sync. Eyes closed, he brought her to him, leaving her to sit on his laps. Pure Bliss.
His lips roughed hers at once, her head pressed to his without any space in between their bodies. He sucked on her lower lips, and when she wouldn't budge, he bit down on it and it parted instantly. He wasted no time to slide his tongue in, deepening the kiss as the force brought her head back. Her hands raked those dark locks of his, feeling its softness and silk as he grumbled, holding her waist even tighter.
The effect they had on each other surpassed the alcohol in each other.
He proceeded to trail small kisses over her mouth. And when she moaned, his trouser tightened. He quickly pulled away, leaving her confused as her brows furrowed. It was tempting, but he had to stop. "If I don't stop now," he managed to breathe out. "I won't be able to."
"Who said I wanted you to?"
"Feisty." He commented, his smirk appearing for a while. "But as much as I'd love to continue this, I'd never screw you in a car when you worth more." He confessed, turning crimson red all of a sudden. That was not how he meant to put it, but oh well.
Her lips twitched.
"Agreed."
¶¶¶¶
Never had she thought she'd be back to this same mansion once again, not after what she had done. But here she was, taking in the beauty of the building that always seemed to remind her of what she didn't have; a home.
A house she did have. Fuck, theirs was one of the most luxurious throughout the world. Yet, it wasn't a home. It would never be, especially not with the current situation. There would always be a difference between both a house and a home to her; she had one and ruined the other. Repulsive! Repulsive!
"We're almost there." Nicole said, holding unto an almost unconscious Nicklaus,whose arm rested over her shoulders with one of her hand holding unto it. Her other arm went around his waist, for support. He resisted applying his whole weight on her and yet, he was still quite too heavy due to the continuous work outs he did, but she endured. Like I said, she would obliviously do anything for him.
Just for him.
Finally reaching the doorstep, Nicole released a breath she had not realised she was holding. She attempted to knock or ring the doorbell but Nicklaus stopped her by his words. "My pocket." He said, she reached for the one beside her and pulled out a bunch of keys. With shaky hands, she unlocked the door.
Darkness greeted them as soon as she pushed the door open and closed it behind them. Nicklaus signaled to the lights which she reached for and put on, light embracing the whole room at once. She took in the fresh scent of sweet smelling aloes and the familiar modern sitting room.
If tonight had brought nothing but trouble, then going up the staircase with a nearly unconscious heavy figure was on another whole level. Nicole cursed under her breath at this while Nicklaus groaned. After some minutes later, they made it upstairs finally.
Nicklaus directed her to his room as soon as they made it up. She opened it and welcomed his scent at once before taking in those blue, black and white features that adorned it. For a second there, she felt at home.
Without wasting any more time, Nicole placed him on his bed quickly before putting her hand over his head to feel his temperature. Her eyes widened, it wasn't any better than before. "I'll get you something to reduce the fever." She said, only for Nicklaus to pull her back.
"There's no need for that."
"I wasn't asking, Nicklaus." She stated, her eyes holding in so many things he couldn't pin point. Emotions swelled in those identical set of blue twins. "If you won't let me take you to a hospital, then let me do this."
He tensed at the word 'hospital.' He had disagreed with her earlier on when she suggested it because he feared what'd happen if the doctor revealed to her the cause of his sudden sickness. He couldn't let her know, he feared she'd leave him if she knew he had cancer. He wanted to keep it a secret for as long as possible. It is selfish but it is for the best, he told himself that.
"Besides, its the least I could do for what you've done for me." She said, before pulling away and walking into his bathroom to get the needed things. He couldn't help but watch the way her ass moved as she walked off. Even she was oblivious to this herself.
How did I get so lucky? He thought.
As soon as Nicole disappeared, he quickly reached for his drawer and searched for the last drugs he could afford before he stopped going to the hospital. He took them quickly with a bottle water just beside the drawer. As soon as he put it back and shut it close, Nicole appeared with a bowl of warm water and napkin.
Keeping it a secret from her grew harder each second. He wanted to tell her, but he was afraid of the outcome. So he kept shut and watched her make her way to him. He pulled off his shirt as soon as she sat, showing off his biceps, well built and tanned body. She sucked in as soon as her eyes landed back on him, she swallowed hard as her eyes trailed while he tossed the shirt aside. He smirked knowingly.
"Take a picture, it'd last." He said, bringing her out of her thoughts immediately.
"Will do." She answered, bluntly. Well, he clearly hadn't expected that answer.
Immediately, something else caught her eyes. She sucked in deeper when she saw the bruises from before slightly showing, though healed. He traced her stare and noticed what she was looking at. "I got in a fight that day." He explained, for some unknown reason.
She looked up at him and he just shrugged. She hadn't expected that nor him to open up to her at all. She felt guilty for hiding all of hers away. Well, if they were revealing things, she'd tell him what he always asked for. "You were right, Nicklaus." She breathed, squeezing the napkin in the bowl and reaching for his head, slowly and smoothly.
She had gotten his attention, yet refused to look him in the eye. "About what?" He asked, certainly surprised that she was finally opening up to him too.
"Everything."
¶¶¶¶
In Milan, Italy
With hazel eyes that held a lot of misery and affliction, the woman stared at the x-ray form in her well manicured hands. After staring at it for about a thousand times, she squeezed it tight; just like the threatening tears that was determined to ruin that makeup done by one of the best in the entire country. Money was not a problem for her. Not at all.
To prove my point, she was putting on a satin dress that matched with the cap on her head, covering half the side of her blonde hair that was styled with and in wealth. In red bottoms that cost a fortune, she crossed that smooth leg that every model will die for, over the other. Her scent was like heaven made, surrounding the room.
As beautiful as she was, it was all a pretence for the world, for her heart was as ugly as she was beautiful. Those hazel eyes sent some kind of shivers down your spine, along with her gaze. When those lips covered with purple lipstick parted, it released threats that rendered you worthless and useless forever. That cold look of hers brought men trembling, as always, and she fed on their fear.
She was perfection, she was stern, she was business, she was money, she was anything that love dared not come across. Like a queen, she made her presence known in those wealth that cost you a lifetime to afford. She was full of deceit and accused of sins, but she clothed them well enough because her money could do just about anything. Who is she, you may wonder. But you dare not mention the name of the she-devil. Not even for once.
Mrs Claire Montez.
"Quanto tempo mi resta?" How long do I have left? She asked, her Italian accent visible. She turned to look away from the x-ray form, back to the doctor who she had been receiving treatments from for the past two years.
The doctor, who is known as Doc. Circa, locked his hands together as he looked at the broken patient in front of him who he had been treating of cancer for the past two years. "Circa quest'anno o il prossimo." About this year or the next. He answered, feeling every bit apologetic.
Mrs Motez took in a deep breath at the reveal of her date of death. You could tell she was indeed perplexed, despite her effort to hide it all away. "At least, she would be ready by then." She muttered to herself, speaking of Nicole; her biggest strength.
No matter how much she hid it, it always broke her that she had to send her own daughter off to psych ward. To make it worse, the same girl who used to love her, loathes her now. Forever. If only she knew it was for her own sake. She needed to make sure that Nicole was already eighteen before she died. She had been preparing her for the past two years, in order to be like her; cruel, like the world taught her.
"You're over thinking, again." The doctor informed her, yet again. She sighed, how could she not? She was leaving everything behind soon, including her two daughters that meant the world to her, even though she never told them that nor her secret. At least, she'd be with her husband.
A knock at the door alerted them, their gaze fixed on it for a while. "Who?" The doctor asked, pausing the conversation as his attention was fixed at the door.
"Mr Darwin."
"Come in."
So he did, in his matching expensive suit of black, with well polished black shoes. He nodded in greeting, before turning his gaze to his employer's wife, who he now works for. "The files are here, as requested, ma'am."
Mrs Montez had completely forgotten about that. Perhaps, she was getting worse by the minute. She motioned for him to bring it forward, which he did. Dropping the x-ray, she took the brown envelope, opened it, and inspected its content. At the very sight of the image in her hands, they tightened, knuckles white.
She flipped and flipped, getting angrier by each flip. The images seemed to only infuriate her more. Despite all she had done, she couldn't believe what was in her hands as she saw it all.
First image: Nicole and a dark haired boy sitting at a corner in school on the very first day.
Second image: The same boy with her in what looked like his room, taking off her heels.
Third image: The same boy seen with her in a black car, at night.
Fourth image: Nicole wrapped in the same boy's hand, cuddling asleep. His shirt couldn't be found, not on him. Same night, at his place.
Mrs Montez slammed her fist upon the glass table, startling even the doctor. She turned her murderous look towards Mr. Darwin who looked shaken a bit, seeing her like this for the first time."I leave the country for a few weeks and she turns into this!" She shouted, her voice of pure annoyance. "Who is the boy in there?!" She yelled.
"Nicklaus Crown." Mr Darwin answered. "We also did some other research on him and---" He proceeded, but she raised a hand, cutting him off.
"Get the jet ready, we're leaving tomorrow."
"Yes, ma'am."
...to be continued.
A/N: Were you shocked? Did you expect this? Had you forgotten about Mrs. Montez?
On the other hand, they finally kissed! I made sure of that. It took me a long time to write this chapter for you though. Really long! Hope you enjoyed it.
Thank you so much for #2 in psych ward.
Till then, keep voting, sharing, commenting and reading. Thanks.