Nina's POV.
We are driving to the restaurant Chase suggested after the carnival, it's late but not super late.
The carnival...Where we shared a passionate kiss and earned a fish.
I have no idea what is going to be like from now on now. Yes, I'm still going to tell Chase about Dom because he has a right to know now that he's kissed me. And no, I am not planning on telling Dom about the kiss because I don't want to lose him again, even though I don't want this relationship anymore, I don't want him away.
He has a special place in my heart and he's doing a lot just by staying in town, proving to me that he's changed. I want to at least have something from my past life that isn't so shitty.
"We are here," Chase says with my door open.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't even realize when we arrived.
The restaurant doesn't look so bad itself, in any case, it looks expensive. Well, I suppose having the mayor as a stepfather has its perks, I can afford this place. Chase opens the door and I walks in seeing a few waitresses walking around with plates and drinks.
"Hi! Welcome to the royal house, how many people?" The blonde girl asked.
"A table for two," Chase said, the waitress guided us towards a far booth.
"Could I get you guys started with some drinks?" I look over at Chase as he looks through the menu.
"I'll have an ice tea," he says before looking at me waiting for me to order.
"I'll do a strawberry lemonade."
She writes that down on her little notes. "Okay, I'll bring that right up!" She leaves us in awkward silence. I hope he doesn't regret the kiss.
"Nina about the-"
"Chase, I don't think we should talk about that." I say not wanting to touch the subject. I can't help feel guilty, but do I regret it? No, I don't.
"Why not? I mean, it was perfect... do you regret it?"
"No, I don't , but can we discuss this later? As in at home?" That calmed him down a bit because he nods and looks away.
The last thing I want is to be a bitch right now, but I just can't freely talk about this when the whole point of coming here was to tell him that I was back with Dom. But what did I do instead? I kissed him. I kissed Chase Griffin. A boy who probably had a lot of girlfriends and is probably trying to use me.
Now you see where my trust issues are coming from? Not only do I think that but his friend Drew also, proved me that.
He said that he never met one of the many girlfriend's Chase had in the past, meaning he has had them before, but who am I to judge him? I got back with my ex who left and didn't say goodbye. During times like this I wish I could read minds I want-need to know what he's thinking.
Seeing as none of us is going to cut the tension I decided to do so.
"You know, you've never really talked about your older brother Spencer."
He quickly faces me and frowns.
"What's there to know about? He's... Spencer."
The waitress comes back with our drinks and ask for our order. I ordered the steak with mashed potatoes and broccoli while Chase ordered chicken alfredo. The waitress wrote that down and left us again.
"You've talked about your father, and I've told you personal things too, but never once have I heard you talk about your brother. What's going on there?" I ask, drinking from my lemonade, he shrugs.
"There is not much to say about him. I rarely talk to him- that's when I'm in the mood for his bullshit which is mainly..." he stops and pretends to think. "Never."
"So you can't stand him?" I say and he nods.
"Pretty much. I despise the piece of shit."
I don't understand why he would hate his brother that much, but I can't say anything if I don't know what motives he has.
"He can't be that bad," I try to enlighten the mood.
Chase furrowed his eyebrows. "You don't know him like I do. He's done pretty fucked up shit, you would be repulsed by them."
"Past doesn't define who we are now."
He scoffs. "Trust me, Nina, he is the past."
I don't know what he means by that, but I'm guessing that he wants to drop the subject so I do. We both keep quiet until the food arrives. The waitress puts down our place and then leaves leaving us eating in silence. This is the most awkward dinner I've ever had.
Chase's POV.
We are now eating and as I twirl my pasta with my fork I look over at Nina cutting her steak quietly.
I feel like a total asshole when I raised my voice at her, I didn't mean to but the fact that she was defending Spencer made me furious.
She doesn't know him, she doesn't know what he's done to me. So how the fuck can she say that? That's because she's too naive, she sees good in everything and that's what makes me attracted towards her. I suppose I cannot blame her because she did not know.
Never did once I thought I would have fallen this deep for any girl- especially younger than me, but Nina, she's special.
Fuck! I've never apologized to anyone, but I don't want her to be upset with me, not after that kiss.
The kiss. Her mouth tasted so sweet-she taste so sweet- as well as her soft red-plump lips. Nina is the definition of the perfect girl.
My perfect girl.
"Nina?"
She looks up from her plate, I noticed that her food is still intact except for the fact that she's cut a piece of steak, just hasn't eaten it yet.
"Yes?" Her doe eyes stared up at me.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to talk to you in that way, I just got carried away." She frowns a little before she shakes her head.
"It's fine." She gives me a small smile.
The first time she smiles at me instead of giving me an eye roll. We continue to eat making small talks occasionally and when we finished our food and when I say 'we' I mean me. Nina didn't eat much, and when I questioned it she just said; I wasn't really hungry.
"I need to use the restroom, I'll be back." She gets up, leaving her card on the table. The waitress comes with the receipt and I instantly hand her my credit card. Nina insisted on paying for dinner earlier and I thought she was kidding, but now that she's left her card I knew she wasn't.
I wasn't going to let her pay for it, of course. When she comes back and sees that her card is left on the table she frowned.
"Chase I told you that dinner was on me, why did you do that?"
"I told you that I wasn't going to let you pay, let's go." I stand up and walk towards the door, opening it for her as she walks out to the car.
Nina's POV.
Time skipped.
We finally arrived in town after two hours and six minutes.
It's one in the morning and I doubt Jacob is home, he's probably with Annika somewhere, who knows? That's not my concern at the moment, though. Chase is driving me to my house now.
'this is who we are now" by The Damn Truth. Is playing on the radio.
Only one minute away from my home.
"Chase, we need to talk." I quickly say, it's now or never.
"Yes, we do need to talk." He says and parks himself across the street from my house.
I start. "Chase, I don't think that what we did earlier was the right thing to do?" I try to look at him in the eye without feeling nervous but I can't, it's too hard.
"What do you mean? You said you didn't regret it, what are you trying to say now?" His voice got a little defensive.
I wouldn't blame him if he's getting mad, I'm messing with his feelings after all.
"I know I said that, but I was wrong. It was wrong." How I wish the words could just come out of my mouth already.
"Why?" He asks as his voice raises more. "Why was it wrong, Nina?!"
"Because I'm dating Dom, okay! And he did not deserve what I just did to him." I look over at Chase who's eyes are mid-wide and I swear I saw a hint of hurt flash through his eyes.
He gets out of the car and opens my door, looking away with his jaw clenched. I step out holding the bag Bullet is in.
I hurt him.
"Chase, let me explain-" I try to say but he cuts me off.
"Explain what? That you are a fucking liar!" He shouts, opening the door to his side.
I frowned. "I didn't lie to you-"
"No?" Chase let out a maniac laugh. "You agreed to go out with me knowing that you had gotten back together with that- ah!" He punch the roof of his car. "We fucking kissed! And now you're telling me that it was a fucking mistake."
Anger fuelled through me. "Don't you dare try to put this on me! I agreed to go out with you because I was planning to tell you, I did not expect you to kiss me before I was able to!"
I shouted back at him, causing him to kick his car hard, letting out a growl.
"Believe me when I sat that I wouldn't have kissed you if I knew you were with that piece of shit!" He runs a hand through his hair.
"Don't call him that!"
I can feel tears starting to well in my eyes but I blink them away.
Chase gets even angrier that he comes back to my side. He roughly takes me by my arms and starts shaking me. "Why are you defending him?!" He practically spits in my face.
I keep a tight grip on Bullet's bag. I try to remain strong, show him that I am not- by any means- scared of him, scared of how he is behaving now.
"Because he's my boyfriend, Chase, and I love him!" I shouted sternly.
That was enough to make him stop pulling me in and out of his face. Chase looked hurt, he dropped his arms and took a step back.
"You two are perfect for each other," he sounds breathless. "You both are fucking bullshit!"
I ignore the tear that fell from my eye. "Asshole."
Chase takes a step forward, standing right in front of me with our chests touching. He glared down at me with red eyes while mine were glossy with tears. I tried to fix the cardigan that slipped from my shoulders when I was being abused by Chase.
Do not cry, don't cry no, just wait.
"I'm glad you and I are nothing, I deserve more than a pathetic little girl like you." Chase finally spoke through gritted teeth.
To say that I'm hurt is understandable, but I raise my hand and give him a hard slap the makes his face turn to the side, that will hurt.
Maybe nowhere near as hurtful as what he's said to me, but I really hope he leaves angry. His eyes are closed and his breathing is heavy from the slap he recieved.
"Fuck you, Chase!" I yell and he snaps out of his state.
He gets into his car, slamming the door shut, and drives off. I scoff and walk into my home with Bullet in my hands. I didn't expect this to go like this, but I'd be lying if I say I didn't see it coming.
I hurt him, but he hurt me too.
"Honey?" I look back and find my mom in her sleeping robe.
Shit, I didn't know they were back in town.
"Mom, when did you guys get here?" I ask, quickly hiding the bag Bullet was in behind me.
She will only ask where I got it from and I don't feel like giving her a big story right now .
"We got here an hour ago, where did you go?"
If I tell her I went out with a friend she'll ask to meet him. "I went to the movies with Jacob," truth to be told, I don't even know where Jacob is.
"Where is he then?" Mom pushed.
"He... he said he was going to spend the night at his friend's house." I said nervously, but I'm pretty sure she bought it. "I'm tired, I think I'm going to bed now. Night, Mom."
I start walking up the stairs, hearing mom wishing me goodnight as I do. Funny, I was thinking about how this day would go and now that it arrived, we are nothing.
I want to call and explain, but for what? He doesn't want to listen and he knows I'm pathetic. Who cares what he thinks now?
We are Nothing now.
**************
A/N: Heeyyyy loves, sorry for the long update but I've got some personal issues going on, and well it's been taking my time off the book. Don't forget to vote, follow, share and comment! Love you ✨🤍