( Beverly Hills, California.)
Nicky patiently sat on the bed, reading a novel and waiting for Jeffrey to get home. He’d been out all day and she was starting to get worried.
It was almost eleven at night and he was not picking her calls or replying her texts.
For the past few days, Nicky had noticed he’d been acting weird and secretive. Mom Felicity noticed too but she couldn’t do much because she had no idea why herself.
Nicky pretended it was okay because she didn’t want to stress her or the baby anyways.
Just as she flipped the next page, the door knob rattled and Jeffrey walked in. He froze on his tracks seeing her.
Nicky casually raised her head and smiled.
“Hey.” He called out and walked over to peck her but she shifted, letting it land on her cheek instead.
“Why did you look surprised to see me?”
“I thought you’ld be asleep by now. You’ve never waited up for me any time you sleepover.” He dropped his keys and phones on the bedside table before kicking off his shoes and jacket. Then he fell into bed with her.
“I don’t think I’m gonna have a shower. I’m so exhausted.” He breathed out tiredly.
“Is that why you have a girl’s perfume all over you?” She noted. Jeffrey paused and slowly turned to face her.
Nicky flipped the next page even though she’d completely lost interest in the novel.
“What? Do you think I wouldn’t notice?” Her eyes stuck to the lines. He cautiously sat up without breaking his gaze.
“Nicky, it’s not what you’re….”
“Where have you been all day, Jeff?” She cut him off, her tone remaining flat.
“I…”
“Ashley?” A part of her easily guessed. He guiltily nodded after a long, tensed minute.
“Is she the one you’ve been with these past few days?” Nicky asked, afraid of his answer. It took Jeffrey a longer time to nod again.
“But I swear it’s not what…”
“I’ll be leaving in the morning.” She announced and slammed the novel shut.
Nicky tossed it on the bedside table and switched off the table lamp before violently pulling the duvet from underneath Jeffrey to cover herself.
“Nicky, please hear me out. There’s nothing between us, I promise! Her….” He tried to touch her but she slipped under the duvet, blinking away her blurry tears.
“Ni…”
“I wanna sleep, Jeffrey.” Her voice came out shaky against her will. Jeffrey didn’t talk anymore. Hearing her call him by his full name meant only one thing… She was upset with him.
The room lapsed into a tensed and hurting silence.
Moments later, Nicky felt the bed move under her and his left hand curling around her waist. He leaned his head on her neck and kissed her shoulder.
“I know you won’t be able to sleep and neither would I if I don’t explain everything to you.” He muttered but she didn’t say anything.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. I was afraid you wouldn’t let me see her because you never liked her from the start.”
Nicky still kept quiet.
“Her dad’s critically ill. He had cancer and she needed my support. When I was little and dad was never home for me, he was like a dad to me and made his home my second home. So I had to be there for the both of them. I couldn’t just leave her alone.
“Ashley’s mother left her dad when she was five so she has no…” Nicky turned around and held him closer. Jeffrey laid on her chest. It was her turn to kiss his hair.
“He died this morning. Ashley needed someone. I…”
“Shuush. I understand.” She whispered and ran a soothing hand through his hair.
“I don’t hate her, Jeff. I only hate her feelings for you. You should’ve told me earlier. I’m not such a monster to stop you from…” He cut her off with a long, passionate kiss.
“So am I forgiven?” He smiled.
“There’s nothing to forgive.” Nicky admitted. “I’m also sorry getting mad. So let’s call it even.”
“You’re still gonna stay with me throughout the weekend?” She nodded with a smile.
“But…” She continued and his smile dropped.
“You’ll have to take her bitchy scent off you! I might sympathise with her but I don’t like sharing my space with anyone else!” She declared and tugged at his shirt.
Jeffrey’s grin turned into a cheeky one. “But I told you I’m too tired to shower.” He whined.
“You’ll have to!” Nicky didn’t leave room for arguments.
“So who’s gonna do it?” He smirked and she suspiciously narrowed her eyes.
“Don’t even think about… Jeffrey!” She screamed and giggled as he carried her off the bed and into the bathroom.
“Naughty kids.” Mom Felicity pouted jealously in her bedroom and sleepily snuggled into her husband with her big baby bump…
***
The night was cold so Natalia took a long hot bath in the jacuzzi. Her meetings via video chat ended some minutes ago. So she had enough time to relax her stressed muscles.
A traitor tear slid down her cheek as the memory of Arian publicly proposing to Selena resurfaced in her mind. She remembered locking herself up in her room and crying painfully that night after the party.
Natalia forced her mind away because she promised herself never to cry again. But they helplessly kept falling.
After a while, she took a quick shower and walked into her closet to change. She selected a crop top and cotton shorts for a change. The Empress didn’t feel like wearing her conventional nighties.
The material was light so she increased the temperature of the heater a bit using the remote control.
As Natalia walked back into her dark bedroom, she picked her official phone from the wet bar and walked towards the bed, going through her emails. Her hair was still dripping wet but she left it that way.
Suddenly, a pair of foreign arms slid across her waist possessively! As she opened her lips to scream, one hand covered her mouth in a split second.
Natalia froze in fear.
Through the dressing mirror, she could see part of his identity and calmed her racing heart a bit. As soon as he let go, she scrambled away from him and backed her work table.
“Arian, what are you doing here? Are you crazy?! Who gave you access in here?!” She whisper-yelled, afraid the guards who were standing outside would rush in at any moment.
But Arian kept quiet.
Her lips were moving but he wasn’t listening. His eyes were glued to her body, mentally scolding himself for easily getting distracted…. but he couldn’t break free from the temptation.
Natalia noticed his hot gaze and snatched a blanket from the bed to cover herself.
“What are you…”
“What are you doing here?!” She gritted. His eyes finally rode up to her face.
“I came to see you.”
“And I don’t want to see you. Get out!” She snapped.
“You’ll have to because I’m not going anywhere till I talk with you.”
“I’ll call security if you don’t leave.” She threatened.
“Do whatever, my love. But I won’t leave until I explain things to you.”
“There’s nothing to explain.” Natalia seethed and walked past him. But before she could walk out the room, Arian pulled her back inside and locked the door.
“What do you think you’re doing?” She gasped, walking backwards away from him.
“I said I’m not leaving till I talk with you.” She frowned and hastily walked over to the pager but Arian disconnected it and tossed it out the balcony.
Natalia double gasped and scrambled for her phone on the floor which had fallen off in her moment of shock. But he kicked it under the queen sized bed before she could get to it too.
“Arian, this is madness! Let me go!” She wriggled in his grip. He spun her around to face him.
“Yes! Staying away from you is madness! Not having you close to me is unbearably insane! I’m sorry but I tried. You asked me to stay away but I failed. My love, I still can’t get you out of my head!” He confessed.
Natalia viciously scoffed. “You can’t get me out of your head?? Says the guy who proposed to his lover right in my presence!”
“Selena’s not my…”
“Oh, I’m sorry? I forgot she’s now your fiancée!”
“Natalia, you misunderstand. I didn’t propose to her wi…”
“Then who did?” She mocked, wide eyed.
“I was forced to, okay?! It was either her or you. Dad…”
“But you easily chose her.”
“No, I didn’t choose her on pur…”
“Just stop it!” She yelled. “Stop all your manipulative lies, please! Aren’t you done messing with my head? Fine, I get it. I was too naive and inexperienced for you. You wanted someone more fierce and wild like your slutty bedmate!”
“Stop it! Stop saying all that. Natalia, you know I never loved you for…”
“Was it was so easy to cheat on me repeatedly??” She asked teary eyed.
Goosebumps flooded Arian’s pale skin. His heartbeat accelerated out of control.
“Wh… what are you talking about?” His voice was barely a whisper.
“I saw and watched you both together!”
“No, no. Selena forced that kiss on me…”
“EVERYONE is always forcing everything on you! Am I only just a fool for you?!” She yelled in frustration.
Arian’s blood went cold. Natalia wiped her tears but more kept falling while he left his to fall.
“Come on! Stuff my silly head with more of your lies, huh? The video of you and her together was a sham too, huh Arian?”
“It wasn’t a sham.” He confessed in a flat voice and she stared at him in intense pain…