“Calm down, calm down. I just came here to have a place to hide for a while, and you should do the same. I recommend you don’t leave the apartment. They don’t know where you live, but they won’t take long to find out, that’s why you and I, brother, need to leave.”
“Huh?”
“What?” We both asked at the same time.
“Let’s just say I told the guys that you didn’t want to give me money to pay them back. Now they’re after both of us, and when they find us, I don’t think you’ll be able to keep fucking this girl.”
Nick’s fist landed on Paulo’s jaw. I was unstable, feeling like my body was going to fall on the floor at any moment.
“I warned you,” he said, and kicked the chair, knocking it over next to me. “You’re a damn fool. Why didn’t you stay at the center? You were going to quit that shit!”
“But I don’t want to! I like it! And you never asked me if I wanted to or not!”
“I know you want it, asshole! But it’s killing you! And you’re putting me in trouble!”
“You have money to pay for it! Money from our father!”
Hearing the word “Father”, Nick took a deep breath and I could feel how he let his guard down.
“How much is it this time?” he asked, running his hands over his face.
“That’s not the point… This time I was too late with the payment.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that this time they don’t just want money,” he shrugged.
“Damn it, Paulo!” He yelled, and I jumped.
“It’s your fault, Nick, if you hadn’t left me in that horrible place this wouldn’t have happened.”
“How much do you owe?”
“I told you it won’t help…”
“How much do you owe?!”
“Twenty-six thousand dollars.”
The air left my lungs.
“What?!” he squawked.
“I also gave it to the guys, you know… John, Jackson, Wallace.”
Damn, I want to hit him. He speaks so carelessly that it infuriates me.
“Alright, we’ll pay it,” he said, and I looked at him confused. Does he have that money? How much money does he exactly have? And why is he agreeing to pay it?!
“I told you they don’t just want that.”
“What else do they want?”
“The girl you’re with,” he answered, looking at me.
I looked at Nick and the color drained from his face. Mine must be the same.
“Jackson gave them the idea, but I didn’t believe you were with someone until I saw her… She’s quite beautiful, by the way. She’s not the type of girl you would date, but she’s pretty nonetheless,” he winked at me and bit his lip, “Oh, and Jackson said to tell you that you kiss very well.”
I closed my eyes and felt the need to hide under the bed like when I was a child and school stressed me out.
Lies have short legs.
I know.
I knew.
I was just stupid enough to believe he wouldn’t find out.
“Where’s the damn guy?” he said without looking at me. I know he can’t right now, and I understand. He won’t ask for explanations now because at this moment, the kiss with Jackson must be the least of his problems.
“He moved, but I won’t tell you where…” Paulo began to say. But before he could finish, Nick grabbed him by the neck and lifted him off the couch.
“In Wallace’s apartment,” he quickly said, smiling.
Nick let him go and grabbed his shoulder. He took his car keys and guided him to the door.
“Are you going to leave your little girlfriend alone when you know they’re after her?” Paulo asked before leaving the door.
“She doesn’t matter to me. She’s only here because I like how she moves in bed,” his tone of indifference appeared, I hadn’t heard it for a long time.
I wasn’t breathing. That’s when I felt like falling to the floor. I just sat there watching Nick’s back. He’s lying. He does it only to protect me. Calm down, Samantha.
“So, you really don’t care if they come looking for her?” Paulo spoke again.
“Just shut up already,” I wanted to tell him, but the words simply didn’t come out of my mouth.
“It’s true, Samantha. You have to leave. I was going to tell you this afternoon, but I wanted to have that shower with you.”
“I don’t believe you!”
“No? Well, stay until five. You’ll see I’m not lying.”
And just like that, he walked out the door.
***
This is obviously a lie, it can’t be true.
I’ve been telling myself this for more than nine hours. I haven’t moved from this bed since he left.
He told me to wait until five and it’s already half-past five. What could possibly prove that everything he said is true?
“It’s not true. It’s not true. Don’t even consider it, Samantha.”
I feel powerless, I don’t want to believe it, but what if it’s true? What if he never loved me? Were all the moments we shared a lie? Was every touch fake? Every feeling I thought was mutual, was that also fake?
I wouldn’t believe in this if it weren’t for the bet. At that time, he played with me a lot, telling me he loved me one moment and that he hated me the next. And if all this was just another one of his games… it would destroy me, it would finish me.
I gave him everything, my life, my pride, my heart, my soul. Everything.
I heard someone knock at the door multiple times. I ran to open it, hoping it was Nick outside, explaining that he only said those things because of me, because he loves me and doesn’t want anything bad to happen to me, but it wasn’t.
It was Cady with a seductive smile on her face, which disappeared as soon as she saw that I was the one who welcomed her. She was wearing a red coat that reached her thighs.
“What are you doing here?” I said, trying not to show how weak and betrayed I feel right now.
“Nick told me to come, and…” she opened her coat, showing almost all of her nearly naked body. All that was left for her to be completely undressed were her matching panties and bra. “I came.”
She gave me a superior smile, and winked at me.
“He said you were out of his life, that you bored him, and that you would be gone by now, but it seems you haven’t left yet. Can you call Nick for me?”
I slammed the door in her face and stood there for a while, staring at the wall, motionless.
I’m not crying. Why am I not crying? Why do I just want to scream? Why don’t I feel pain in my chest, but an indescribable anger flowing through my body?
“Damn it. I hate him. I hate him. Why?!” My hands went towards… everything.
First towards the vase on the table. Then towards the chairs. Then towards the table. Sofa, plates, glasses, utensils, TV. Everything destroyed and scattered on the floor in less than ten minutes.
The tears came. My hand and knees were bleeding since lying on the floor full of glass wasn’t my best idea, but I can’t get up. I can barely breathe because of my crying and my fit of rage.
I’m between hitting the floor, screaming at the ceiling, and grabbing my waist.
“Samantha! Stop! Damn it, stop!” yelled the damn disgusting liar who had deceived me all this time.
I kept screaming. I screamed and screamed, hoping the neighbors would hear and call the police because I couldn’t stand his hands touching me.
I couldn’t stand the sound of his voice, that sound that calmed me down.
I couldn’t stand his magnificent scent, which embraced me at night.
I couldn’t stand his lips… I didn’t know how sweetly they could lie.
I couldn’t stand his lying eyes, I think they’re two lethal weapons, they hypnotize you and draw you in, passing off their purity as honesty and love. When all that’s in them is emptiness, lies, and pain. The day my eyes met his, I was destined for destruction.