Tessa's P.O.V:
Nick pushes the door open to his apartment and turns to face me. I slowly walk in and scan the place with my eyes. Without a single word he takes my hand in his and walks me towards the white leather couch. He slowly pushes me down before he kneals down infront of me.
Nick gives me a sad smile as he helps me with my leather jacket. I don't say anything. I don't even move an inch as he takes my jacket off. Instead, I stay quiet and just stare at him. My body feels numb...All of this just feels so unrealistic.
I dig my nails into my wrist really hard but it's no use....I thought maybe pinching myself or scratching myself might wake me up from this nightmare. Oh how I wish this really was just a nightmare.
"Tessa. Don't." Nick says quietly as he removes my hand from my wrist. He rubs his thumb over the nail mark and lets out a sigh.
Once Nick manages to take my jacket off, he places it next to me. I don't say anything when he lets out a small sigh and rises back up to his feet. He walks past me and back towards the front door before I hear him bring my bags inside.
'I know you're not the type of girl to just sleep around with any other guy so I...So I made everything up. I told you that I loved you and you believed me....You...For me, it was just sex...'
Marshall's words repeat in my head as I stare at the tv blankly. I can hear Nicklaus talking to me in the background but it sounds like he's talking from far when really he's sitting down on the leather couch by my right.
Right after Marshall left, I just stood there, frozen to my spot. I was expecting him to come back and laugh in my face whilst telling me it was a joke. I imagined everyone would start laughing, saying 'look at your face! It's priceless!'
But instead I got the unexpected. I heard Marshall leave the house before I heard him climb into his car and start his engine. I listened to him drive away, leaving me heartbroken and alone with our managers and Nicklaus. Yet still I was hoping that this all was a joke and that he would drive back to me.
I didn't even get a chance to take it all in before security stood next to my mangers and behind Nick. I could have walked out on my own but instead, the security guard grabbed onto my upper arm before he started to drag my numb body out. I didn't protest but Nick did whilst he was also being dragged out. He shouted at our managers whist he tried to move the guards hands away from him.
"Right!" Nick claps his hand, startling me. "What do feel like eating?" He asks as I stand up from the couch.
"I'm not hungry." I say quietly as I pick up my jacket. Nick knits his brows together as he watches me pull on my jacket and zip it up.
"Where are you going?" He asks.
"To a hotel." I state and walk past him.
"You're staying here." He lets out a long sigh as he crosses his arms across his chest.
"I am going to a hotel." I mumble and grab my suitcase before I walk past him. Before I can make it towards the door, Nick grabs my bag and tosses it away from me with ease.
"I'm not letting you stay in a hotel room when you're like this." Nick says sternly as I look at all of my clothes on the carpet.
Which idiot packed my clothes in Marshall old and ripped suitcase...
I ignore Nick and walk past him. I start to toss my clothes in Marshall's old suitcase, making Nick let out a long frustrated sigh. Nick walks towards me and starts to throw the clothes back out.
"Stop it!" I snap and snatch one of my tops out of his hand.
"I'm not letting you out of my sight. You're staying here!" Nick shouts back.
"Nick. Move away." I say in frustration as he takes out my clothes from my suitcase.
"No chance." I hear him mumble as he takes my clothes and walks towards his bedroom, leaving the empty suitcase on the floor.
"What the hell is you're problem!" I stomp my foot on the ground. "Why won't you let me go!" I scream as he disappears into his bedroom.
"Because I don't want you to get fucking wasted!" He shouts as he walks back out of his room and towards me. "You're going to get drunk because of that bastard and believe getting wasted is the last fucking thing you need right now!" He yells before it goes quiet between us for a few long seconds.
I open my mouth to say something but close it again when I see the pissed off look on his face. I tuck my hair behind my ear and fold my arms across my chest.
"I need my own privacy. I'm not going to the hotel to get drunk." Liar. "I just need some privacy. That's all. I just want to be on my own." I add.
Nick lets out a long sigh as he stares at me. He turns his back towards me and walks into his bedroom. After a few minutes, he walks back out dressed in a pair of grey sweatpants and a black vest and a pillow and blue blanket under his arm. He throws the pillow and blanket on the couch before he turns to face me.
"Fine. You can sleep on my bed and i'll sleep on the couch. Now you have privacy." He says.
"Fine." I clench my jaw.
"Fine." He shrugs and lays down on the leather couch before he throws the blanket over himself. "If you're hungry there's leftovers in fridge from yesterday. I'm not in the mood to order food anymore since you're being such a stubborn bitch when all i'm trying to do is help you." He says before he closes his eyes and switches off the lamp.
I let out a sigh and pick up Marshall's old suitcase. I walk past him without saying a word and make my way towards his bedroom. I look back at the front door.
Maybe I can sneak off to a bar or hotel when he falls alseep.
"Don't even think about it leaving whilst i'm sleeping. You need a pin code to unlock the front door and only I know the pincode." Nick says, making me curse under my breath.
Maybe not...
***
I feel Nick let out a long sigh against the back of my neck before he turns to lay om his back. How did he end up sleeping in the same bed as me? Oh yeah, he heard me crying. I swallow the lump down in my throat and turn to lay on my back.
"Where are you going?" Nick asks as I sit up and reach for my hair tie.
"To my hotel room." I croak. My throat is aching from all the crying last night.
"You're staying here." Nick sighs.
I climb out of his bed and walk towards his bathroom. I rinse my mouth and wash my face before I tie my hair up in a high pony and walk back into his bedroom.
"Thank you for the offer but I can manage this on my own." I say.
"I'm not offering." Nick says as he sits up. "I'm telling you to stay." He adds as I walk to towards the sliding door that leads to the balcony.
I pull it open and walk out into the cold air in one of Nicks thin shirt and my leggings. I was a mess last night when he walked in on me crying. He helped me into his shirt and tucked me into bed. He held me against his chest all night whilst telling me that everything is going to be alright.
Thank you god for Nicklaus!
"I just don't understand." I say as Nick stands next to me in just a pair of dark jeans. His apartment was right at the top and the world below was very far away. People look like tiny ants.
"Understand what?" Nick asks as he looks up at the sky.
"I don't understand where this is all coming from." I shrug. "Why did Marshall say all of that?" I ask. "I mean....Did I do something?" I let out a long sigh.
"You became an alcoholic." Nick shrugs as he looks up at the grey clouds.
"Excuse me?" I say quickly and look up at him. He is supposed to be on my side!
"You became an alcoholic." Nicklaus shrugs as he finally looks at me. "And Marshall wasn't man enough to look after you and help you." Nick says. "Instead....That pussy walked away." He says before he looks away from me. "I hate guys like him." He mumbles.
"Guys like him?" I repeat.
"Guys that only care about themselves. Guys that think they can fuck women and walk away and leave them heartbroken. The guys who think they can hurt a women and walk away without dealing with the consequences. Guys who think that they're that shit!" Nicklaus says as I glance at his knuckles that are turning white as he tightens his grip around the metal railing. "I hate him-" He starts but I cut him off as I turn him around and throw my arms around him. "What the..." He mumbles as I hug him.
"Thank you." I sigh against his chest. "I don't know what I would do without you." I whisper.
"You don't have to thank me." Nick mumbles as he wraps his arms around me and holds me. "I actually thought he was a decent guy." Nick mumbles.
"I don't want my brothers to know about this." I say as he holds me against him and strokes my hair. If my brothers find out then they're all going to beat Marshall unconscious.
"That's fine with me." He shrugs. See...Even he knows how much damage they can do.
***
"Have you told Karla?" Nick asks as he reaches over me and pulls out a tissue from the box. "I mean...She must be worried-" He carries on as he wipe's my tears away.
"She doesn't know." I cut him off and sniff. God I hate crying in the middle of the night with Nick in the same room. It can't get anymore embarrassing than this!
"How come?" Nick says in confusion as he stops wiping at my tears.
"I didn't get a chance to call her." I sigh as I lay back down and pull the covers over me and let out a long sigh, hoping that he would just go away already.
"We can go this weekend if you want. I don't think I have any clients." I hear Nick says but don't respond. "It's been almost a week." Nick sighs. When I don't say anything, I hear him let out another sigh before he slowly climb out of his bed and walks out of the bedroom, closing the door behind himself.
Nicks P.O.V:
"I mean, I'm worried man. I don't know what the fuck to do. She barley speaks to me anymore. She...He fucked up man...Big time." I say into the phone as I reach for the salt bottle. "He fucked up..." I shake my head.
"Is that Nicklaus on the phone?" I hear my aunt say who also adopted me and my brother and baby sister when our mom died.
"Yes Ma." My older brother Alessio says.
"What's up with the filthy mouth of his!" I hear her say.
Oh no...
"His client got sentenced for something he didn't do, mama." Alessio makes up a lie.
"I don't care. Pass me that phone. What are these people in Detroit teaching him?" She says. I roll my eyes as I shake my head. "Give me that phone. I won't ask you twice." She says.
"Sorry mama." Alessio says before the phone gets passed to my fathers sister.
My dad died before my mum even found out that she was pregnant with my baby sister. She actually found out she was pregnant on the day of my fathers funeral.
My dad's sister and my mother were very close friends so she supported my mother. But when my mother died of an heart a week after having my younger sister, my aunt took care of us.
"Hello mama." I say slowly.
"Don't you hello me!" She snaps. "You listen to me..." She starts and starts to shout at me and lecture me in italian, my dad's side of the family is half italian. I stand over the stove for atleast ten minutes and let her lecture me. "Do you understand?" She finally says.
"Yes ma. I'm sorry ma." I smile lightly.
I can't wait to see her soon.
"Good." She says. "Now...tell me, how is my baby doing? Are they treating you well in Detroit?" She asks.
"Yes ma." I nod. "How are you?" I ask.
"Oh I'm fine, son. Just tidying up around the house." She says.
"How's Ria?" I ask.
"Your sister is doing great. She's busy with school work. Listen honey, there's someone on the foor. I'll pass the phone back to Alessio." She says in a rush.
"Alright. Thank you." I say before I hear the phone get passed back to my brother. "You asshole." I tut when I know he has the phone.
"She came out of no where." He says quickly. "Anyway, so what's happening with them now? Are they going to split up?" He asks.
"I don't know." I sigh.
I can trust Alessio with everything, he's my best friend and he never fails to support me. I haven't told him about the contract but I needed advice from him so I told him about Marshall using Tessa just for sex.
I quickly turn around and face the hall way in my apartment when I hear a thud. I place the spoon back on the pot and wash my hands with the phone pressed between my ear and shoulder.
What the fuck was that?
"Does that mean you get a shot?" Alessio asks.
"Shot at what?" I ask as I make my way towards the hallway which leads to the main bedroom and guest bedroom.
"Well....You used to date her before, don't you wanna get back with her?" He says.
"No." I shake my head.
"I mean...She's hot. Like steaming hot and her body is like-" He starts but I cut him off.
"I don't think we're ever gonna get back together as a couple." I state as I push open the door. "You have got to be fucking kidding me..." I sigh.
"What's wrong?" I hear Alessio asks.
My best friend is an alcoholic and no matter how hard I try, she won't stop drinking...
"Nothings wrong. I'll call you back." I say quickly.
"Nicklau-" He starts but gets cut off when I hang up my phone. I walk further into the bedroom and let out a sigh as I watch Tessa lay on the foor, curled up into a tiny ball.
I let out a small sigh and walk towards her. She doesn't say anything as I stand over. It's been a week and three days since Marshall did what he did and she hasn't said a word. It's like she doesn't even know how to talk.
"Tessa." I say quietly as I crotch down and push her hair away from her red tear stained cheeks. "Tess." I whisper again. "You alright?" I ask.
She looks away from the burbon bottle in her hand and looks at me. I watch her as she just stares at me for a few long seconds before she squeezes her eyes shut and then doesn't open them.
I let out a long sigh as I smooth her hair down and with my spare hand I reach forward for the half empty bottle and take it out of her hand without any hassle. I place the bottle to the side before I slowly pick Tessa up and carry her to my bed and lay her down.
I think its about time we go to see Karla...