My stomach twists at the thought of what Damien is hiding from him. What he and his brother have kept secret from Nicolas for over a year and a half, and the mess that came with it.
Nicolas narrows his eyes and steps even closer. Now there’s not even a breath of space between us, and with my back pressed against the bike, I can’t move.
He leans in, placing his arms on either side of the seat and trapping me.
Boom-boom, boom-boom.
My heart races in my throat as his nose brushes mine, but I don’t move. I just stare at him, wide-eyed, and wait.
“My best friend just got beaten half to death, and you won’t tell me why. Are you serious? Every time something happens to my friends or family, you’re somehow involved, Goldilocks. Every single time.”
His nose brushes along mine and down my cheek, but I’m frozen.
His words cut deeper and deeper, right into the open wounds, and the pain of how accurately he hits the mark is unbearable. But I say nothing. I force myself to try and hold back the tears building behind my eyes, but I can’t stop them.
He doesn’t need to be physically rough with me. Nicolas can destroy me with his words alone. Just like now.
Philipp.
Lizzy.
Damien.
The tears fall, and my body starts to shake from exhaustion and strain. Nicolas notices it instantly and steps back a little, silently watching the tears running down my cheeks.
“You’re right, I was there every time. What that says about me, you’ll have to decide. But I’m not going to betray my friends just because you’ve decided I’m the villain in all this. Ask yourself why Damien hasn’t told you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s been a long day. I’ll see you at the wedding,” I say, as calm and collected as I can, and slip past him.
But Nicolas doesn’t let me go. He grabs my arm, and I have to suppress a whimper, because it hurts. That’s too much. Far too much.
The memories come back, and with them the pain. Fists slamming into me. Hands crushing my arm. Pain.
I spin around, rip my arm free, and stumble back. Nicolas’s eyes widen in shock, and he raises one hand in a calming gesture, but I don’t care.
“Don’t touch me. Don’t ever touch me like that again,” I whisper sharply, forcing down another whimper. The bruises from Henry haven’t fully faded yet, and the fall earlier didn’t help.
“Hey, I… fuck, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…” He runs a hand over his face, frustrated, taking a step toward me. But I can’t handle any more. I can’t keep taking hit after hit.My limit has been reached, and I have no defenses left to protect myself.
“No. Don’t. You’ve made your opinion clear. Believe me, I got the message. I’m so tired of being everyone’s punching bag. If you want to know what’s going on with your best friend, ask him. And if you want to know what I think, what I feel, then talk to me, Nicolas. I won’t let you label me and push me into a role that I don't belong in,” I throw at him, wrapping my arms around myself.
I want to run, to disappear, but there’s nowhere to go. And besides, I’ve been running for too long. Every time it gets hard, I run. That has to stop.
Nicolas’s expression softens, regret flickering in his beautiful eyes as he sees me standing there, lost and helpless. I’m so tired, in pain, and completely drained. But I stand tall, holding his gaze.
“I’m sorry, Lia. Really. I didn’t mean to say it like that. It’s just… Damien keeps shutting me out, and I can’t reach him. He’s closed himself off and I don’t know why.”
He runs a hand through his hair again and starts pacing. My heart clenches even tighter. I could tell him. But it would hit him hard. And it’s not my secret to share.
“When he’s ready, he’ll tell you. I can’t help you with this. I promised, and it’s not my place. Damien has to do it himself. Please… don’t make this harder for me than it already is,” I say more gently, and another shiver runs through me. A brief dizziness hits me, and I must have stumbled because suddenly Nicolas is there, holding me firmly in his arms.
“Okay, Goldilocks. Let’s get you home and have you checked out first.” He slips his heavy leather jacket over my shoulders, warm and carrying his scent. Even though I don’t want to, I curl into it. His warmth and scent soothe me.
“Hmmm,” I murmur, feeling dizzy again. Seeking support, I clutch onto him. His arm is wrapped tightly around my waist, holding me so securely that I give in to the urge to rest my head against his chest and lean into him.
“Lizzy, where are you? I need the limo. Amelia needs warmth, and I’ve only got the bike. Yeah, okay. I’ll meet you at the back gate. Thanks.”
I vaguely register that he’s on the phone. I barely notice when he lifts me up.
“Come on, Goldilocks. Let’s get you out of here, then we’ll talk.”
