Nicklaus' P.O.V:
Olivia places my hand back down on her thigh and reaches for the first aid kit. She glances up at me when she notices me watching her every move. I hiss out in pain when she picks my hand up again.
"Sorry." She says quickly. I stay quiet and watch her wrap the bandage around by hand, covering my stitches. "Can I ask you something?" She says.
"Sure." I nod lightly. I watch her lick her lips nervously and expect her to ask me what ever she wanted to a few seconds ago bit instead she stays quiet. "Olivia?" I call her. "What did you want to ask me?" I say.
"When you said you wanted to work things out....Wanted to get away with me to improve our relationship....Was that all a lie? Were you only making it up so I could get you close to my cousin?" She asks. I hold her gaze for a few seconds before I look away.
"Yes." I say. From the corner of my eye I see her look away from me before she carries on bandaging my hand.
"And I actually believed you." She says. "I actually thought you wanted to work things out." She adds.
"If your friends were murdered...You would have tried the same thing." I say before it goes quiet for a few seconds.
"I'm sorry Nick. If I knew...I would have told you before about my cousin." She says. I lean back and pull her close to me so she's sitting between my legs.
"Part me of me believed that you were innocent. That you had nothing to do with Chris and Karla being gone. That you...Still love me-" I say and get cut off.
"I do love you." She cuts in but I talk over her.
"But yet a bigger part of me believed that you were also involved in Chris and Karla being....Gone." I say.
"I know how much Chris means to you. You were more than friends. You were brothers. I would never...Ever take him away from you." She says. "I'm not even capable of doing what Rose did." She adds.
"I know that now." I nod.
"Is this whole Tessa and Marshall thing fake? Is their marriage fake?' She asks. "I heard you saying it t-" She adds and stops talking when I start.
"I can't speak about their relationship, baby. You know that. If I did I would be putting your life at-" I start and get cut off.
"You would be putting my life at risk." She says, making me nod.
"Exactly." I nod. It goes quiet between us for the next few minutes. I watch Olivia clean up all the mess from the plasters and bandages before she finally breaks the silence.
"I'm staying at the hotel near the cafe you always go to." She tells me.
"What's wrong with staying at home?" I ask.
"I...We were...Well I signed, uhrm, the divorce papers and I....Uhr, thought-" She stumbles over her words. I place my lips against her soft ones.
"Fuck the papers." I say in between our kiss when she moves back to breath.
"You don't want a divorce?" She asks.
"No." I shake my head. "I want to try again, love. I don't want to lose you. I lost too much already and-" I get cut off when Olivia leans foward and places her lips against mine.
"Okay." She nods, making me kiss her. "But promise me one thing Nick." She says as she moves back. "Please stop drinking. Today was your third car crash and it's a fucking miracle that you're still aliv-" She carries, making me cut in.
"Alright. Okay. No more drinking and driving." I say.
"Really?" She says, clearly shocked that I agreed.
"I told you. I want to work on us." I say. We hold eachothers gaze for a few seconds before I pull her towards me and and wrap my arms around her tiny body. "It's going to be just the two of us now." I tell her as I stroke her hair. I look down at her and watch her smile at me lightly.
"I'd like that." She whispers as she smiles up at me.
"Let's leave this place, love. Me and you go somewhere." I say to her.
"Nic-" Olivia starts but I cut her off.
"And this time i'm serious." I talk over her. "Let's go back to the place we met." I add.
"New York?" She says, making me nod. "But you have work here and friends." She adds.
"I can find a job there and the only person I need in my life right now is you." I say, making her smile widen. She strokes my jaw before she kisses my cheek and lays her head back down against my chest.
"Just the two of us?" She asks.
"Yeah. Just the two of us." I nod and kiss her lightly on her forhead before I tighten my grip around her.
Tessa's P.O.V:
I stare at the tv blankly, not really bothering to listen to what the woman in the tv is saying about this weeks weather. I let out a small sigh as I look down at my lap and fiddle with the material of my shirt.
"You talked to Nick?" I look up and watch Marshall walk into the room.
It's been two days since the call I had with Leroy. Marshall's leaving for New York tomorrow morning and I still haven't talked to him about the offer Leroy said he accepted. It just doesn't make sense. He says he loves. He shows it. We have a family together and so why would he choose the money over us?
I don't believe Leroy. He would never do that but then again, its a lot of money. Just the thought of him walking away with the money after all we've been through makes me sick to my stomach. He can't just leave ne. He can't just walk away after all we have been through.
"Tess?" Marshall says. I snap out of my thoughts and blink a couple of times as I look away from him and back at the tv. I clear my throat before I speak.
"Has DeShaun left?" I ask.
"Yeah." Marshall nods. "You talked to Nick?" He asks again.
Nick. He's another person that I need to meet up with. I haven't talked to him in three months. I haven't talked to him since the funeral. I haven't called or texted him. After Jays called, I said I would but everytime I would go and call him or go visit him, I would chicken out.
Jay hasn't called me back and if he is here to get revenge on Nick for what he sdid to Rose then I would have known. He hasn't come like he said he would. Nick would never lay his hand on a woman so I don't know why Jay would phone to say he did.
"No. I haven't talked to him." I say.
"Well you should." Marshall says, making me roll my eyes.
"I thought I told you to not ma-" I start and get cut off.
"He's moving to New York, Tess. He's leaving tonight." Marshall says, making me look up quickly.
"What?" I mumble.
"He came around at 10ish and said his goodbyes to the kids. I wasn't home then but he called me up to tell me he's leaving tonight." Marshall explains. "I thought you were home when he came over." He adds, making me shake my head.
"No. I went to the studio." I sigh. He didn't come to see me. He didn't even tell me. "Why?" I ask.
"Him and Olivia are leaving for good." Marshall shrugs. I place the tv remote next to me before I stand up. "Where are you going?" He asks as he stands up.
"Uhrm, don't wait up for me." I say as I pick up my mobile. I quickly kiss Marshall on his cheek before I walk out, grabbing my car keys on the way.
***
"What the hell are you doing, Tess." I whisper to myself as I walk down the hallway. I run shaky fingers through my hair as I stop infront of Nicks door. I lightly knock on it. "Bad idea. This is a bad idea." I shake my head and turn away but before I can walk off, the door swings open.
"Tessa?" Olivia says in suprise.
"Olivia." I force a smile on my pale lips. "Hi." I say and go for a hug which she accepts happily.
"We were just about to leave. We weren't expecting anyone." She says as I take a step back.
"Is Nick here?" I ask. She opens her mouth to speaks but closes it again before she lets out a long sigh and steps aside.
"Come on in." She says and steps aside. I walk into the empty apartment and fold my arms across my chest. They already moved everything out, the apartment looks so big without the furniture.
"What time is your flight?" I ask.
"Eight." She says, making me nod. "Tessa. If you're here to stop him from leaving...." She trails off as she stands infront of me. I can tell she wants me to say I won't stop them and make them change their minds. "But please. I just got him back. He can't stay here for the rest of his life feeling miserable. Don't cause a fuss. Let him leave." She says and walks away towards the bedroom area.
I drop my gaze down to the ground and listen to her walk away towards the bedroom door. A few seconds later, Nicklaus walks out with suitcases. I scan his dark jeans and white top before I look away, he's usually dressed in suits.
"Tessa." He calls my name.
"I'll take this to the drivers downstairs." Olivia mumbles as she picks up the boxes from the counter. I walk towards the window as Nick makes his way towards the front door and holds it open for Olivia.
"Is there any chance of me convincing you to stay?" I ask when I hear the door close. Nick lets out a heavy sigh as he walks away.
"No. There's isn't." He says. I exhale out silently as I squeeze my eyes shut.
"Will you at least call and stay in touch with me?" I ask and turn around to face him. Nick pours himself a glass of whiskey and stays quiet. He downs the liquid before he looks up at me. He holds my gaze for a few long seconds before he speaks.
"No." He says and places the glass down.
Ouch!
I tuck my hair behind my ear and let out a sigh as I look away from Nick and at the empty apartment. What did I expect from him? I've been nothing but horrible to him, of course he would fucking leave me
"Oh." I swallow hard and nod slowly as I drop my gaze down to my heels.
"I want to see the kids....It's up to you if i'm allowed to see Iris and Ryder but Milo and Jameson....I want to see them. So i'll be coming every other month or holiday." He tells me. "I don't want you to be there....I want to meet them somewhere away from you." He adds.
Well damn.
"Okay." I nod. "Can I ask why you're leaving?" I ask.
"Fresh start." He shrugs. "Away from all the....Bullshit." He adds.
"Nick. Can we please end this on good terms." I say and hear him laugh.
"No." He says and laughs again.
"Look. I was in the wrong. I shouldn't have...Been such a bitch." I say and let out a sigh. "I was stupid and dumb...and i'm sorry." I shrug.
"Three months." He says, making me sigh. Nick walks over to me and stops infront of me. "You treated me lile shit for three fucking months, Tessa!" He says in anger. "I waited three months. I got drunk on their funeral yes. I admit that I made a mistake. I apologized for it over and over again but I was in pain. I didn't mean to get drunk. I didn't plan it-" He carries on, making me cut in.
"I know that now." I say but he talks over me, his voice loud and his face bright red.
"I was hurting. I was in fucking pain and all you cared about was how I showed up fucking drunk and I hate you for that!" He shouts. "I fucking hate you for that!" He yells louder.
This time I stay quiet and drop my gaze down to the floor again. Nick turns his back towards me as he tosses the glass of whiskey to the side as if it was paper. The sound of the glass smashing echos through the empty apartment followed by the sound of Nick throwing a stool onto its side.
"I'm sorry I treated you like I did." I say and hear him curse under his breath.
"Nothing you say will make up for it, Tess." Nick shales his head.
"Iris and Ryder love you. They would hate to see you move away and Milo is always, always talking about you Nick and it would be nice if you were there for Jameson too. They don't want to see you every other month or holiday. They want to spend their whole day with you, Nicklaus." I say as I walk towards him. "I will do anything for you to sta-" I start and get cut off.
"Nothing you say or do will make me stay." Nick says. "The contract has ruined everything for me. The only thing I have left now is my wife." He adds.
The contract?
"What does the contract have to do with you leaving?" I ask in confusion.
"Everything. The contract has everything to do with me leaving-" He says making me cut in.
"Now you're just making up excuses to not feel guilty about leaving Milo and Jameson." I say quickly.
"God. You just can't help yourself, can you Tessa?" Nick laughs as he turns to face me.
"And also leaving Iris and Ryder behind whils-" I talk over him but get cut of by him screaming at me.
"THE CONTRACT KILLED CHRISTOPHER AND KARLA!" He screams. I open my mouth to speak and close it again when I can't find the right words.
"Why would you sa-" I finally find the right words and get cut off.
"They killed Karla and Chris because of you and Marshall. Because you just had to stay together." He throws his hands up in the air. I stay speechless as I stand there and watch him let out a sad and angry laugh. "Rose killed Karla and then went after Chris. They were murdered. They were killed because of you and because of Marshall." He says. "You did this." He hisses. Nick turns his back towards and makes his way towards the kitchen before he picks up the whiskey bottle.
As the seconds go by, I start struggling to breathe. My heart feels like it's about to burst into tiny little pieces. I shake my head at Nick lightly as he stands there and watches me. I stagger back against the wall and drop down onto the floor.
"Milo and Jameson need a place to be safe Tessa. The only way you can keep them safe is if..." He says as he walks towards me. "If you walk away from Marshall. That way, you'll be saving all of us too." He adds as he crutches down infront of me. "Don't end their lives just like you ended their parents." He whispers.
Nick lets out a small sigh as he shakes his head. I watch him as he stands up and makes his way towards the kitchen again. He picks up the last three boxes from the counter and makes his way towards the door.
Nick open the door and just when he's about to walk out, he turns to face me. His eyes scan mine before he shakes his head and lets out a heavy sigh.
"I wish we never met again, Tessa Black." He says before he walks out, leaving the door wide open behind him.