Chapter Nine | Talia

Magnificent. That was the first word to come to mind as Nick pulls to a stop in front of the most beautiful house I'd ever seen. It's a white two story beach house with a wrap around porch.

I shut the door behind me as I step out of Nick's car, making sure to keep my eyes on the house, almost afraid that if I looked away it would disappear.

"Nick, where are we?" I ask again, since the first few times I asked him in the car he ignored me.

"You like it?" He responds instead.

"Of course. It's stunning."

Nick smiles. "You should see the inside." He starts towards the steps.

I don't move. "I'm not going inside until you tell me who's house this is."

"It's uh... it's mine. Well one of them at least." Nick admits sheepishly.

"You own two houses?" I stare at him agape.

"Yeah..."

"Well that's the richest thing I've ever heard you say." I tease.

"Can I show you inside? I promise it's just as beautiful as the outside." Nick encourages.

I realize that I may never see a house as beautiful as this ever again and honestly I was curious to see what the inside looks like, so I followed Nick without any more argument.

The inside is easily just as stunning as the outside. The interior is fully furnished with a white, teal, and tan color scheme. There's a fireplace and stairs that lead to the second floor. It's everything I would imagine a beach house would look like.

"It's beautiful Nick." I say in awe, running my fingers across the egg white couch.

"Thank you," Nick smiles. But as much as I would like to take credit for all of this, I can't. Caitlin actually helped decorate the place." Nick admits.

"So your sister has great taste in more than just clothes." I say.

"I'll tell her you said that." Nick chuckles.

As gorgeous as this place is, it doesn't explain why we're here.

"What are we doing here Nick?"

"Well there's no way in hell I'm letting you go back to your apartment and I know you don't have anywhere else to stay, so I thought it would be a good idea if you stayed here." Nick tells me.

"You want me to stay here? As in your house?" I ask, needing to make sure I'm hearing him correctly.

"I know it's crazy-" Nick starts to say but I don't let him finish.

"It's more than crazy, Nick. It's insane. I can't stay here." I shake my head.

"Yes you can. No one else knows about this place except my family, it's not too far away from the school and you'd have this place all to yourself until graduation." Nick explains.

"You want to give me your house?"

"You can think of it as subletting if it makes you feel better." Nick says.

"And what do you get out of this?" I ask him.

"What do you mean? Other than a peace of mind knowing that you're safe and far away from that hellhole you called home? Nothing. Why is it so hard to believe that I want to do something nice for you?"

"Because where I come from people don't do anything nice for anyone without strings attached."

"There are no strings attached, I promise." Nick tells me. "This is big, I know that. Not to mention I can get into all kinds of trouble, but I need you to be safe Talia. Can you please let me keep you safe?"

This is insane. I can't actually be considering this. But where else am I going to go? I have no one. Rhonda would probably offer me her couch but it wouldn't be possible to get studying done with her adult daughter and three year old son running around all the time. I didn't know Simone enough to ask for a favor like that; and besides, she has her own problems at home. I could stay at a motel, but those cost money per night that I don't have, especially now that I need to save money more than ever.

I look at Nick. Three weeks ago he was a stranger and now he's my lifeline; pulling me into safety when I thought I was going to drown.

He's offering me a place and it's more than I could ever ask for. And as much as it kills me to accept the help, I wasn't prideful enough to turn it down when it was offered to me time and time again. It doesn't make you weak when you accept help from others. It makes you strong when you accept it.

"Okay."

"Okay?" Nick blinks, obviously expecting a different answer. I can't say I blame him. I've told him no every single time he's offered to help. But this time it's different; this time I trust him.

"Yeah. But just until I graduation."

"Okay. That's fine." Nick agrees. Something tells me he would have agreed with anything I said at that moment because he's happy I'm staying. "Can I give you the rest of the tour now?"

I grin. Excitement bubbles inside of me knowing that this was really going to be my new home... at least for the next few months. "Lead the way."

I follow Nick like a tourist follows a tour guide, listening attentively as he explains how the gas stove works, showing me where the bathroom is and where he keeps the extra towels. I follow him up the second floor admiring the three bedrooms that are all decorated more beautifully than the last. Nick makes sure to emphasize that I can choose the biggest one I want as my bedroom. By the end of the tour, I almost have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming.

This is real.

I have somewhere to sleep tonight and it's more than I could've ever imagined.

What started as a nightmare of a day was ending as a dream and it's all thanks to Nick.

"What do you think?" Nick asks, as I shut the door to the master bedroom behind me. "You think you can handle slumming it here for a while?"

I grin. "Yeah. I mean I'm used to better but I guess this will have to do." I joke back.

Nick smiles but then he suddenly sobers up. "Thank you for letting me do this."

"Thank you for wanting to." I tell him and before I can let myself think too much about it, I step closer, erasing the distance between us and press my lips against him. If I surprised him, I can't tell because he doesn't hesitate to pull me closer and kiss me back.

His lips are soft, warm, taste like French Vanilla and just when I'm about to lose myself in the kiss, Nick suddenly tears his lips from mine. Our breathing is ragged as we stare at each other in disbelief.

"Fuck, I'm sorry. That was inappropriate." Nick says while taking a step back.

"No, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I can't believe I just did that." I run my fingers through my hair, wishing like hell that a hole would open up and swallow me right now. I can feel tears threatening to fall as I let his rejection and my embarrassment settle in. He was just being nice and I misread the signs and throw myself at him.

God. He must think I'm some silly girl who doesn't know how to handle her emotions.

"Hey, it's okay." Nick tells me before pulling me into his arms.

I didn't know what the future held, but I knew with unmistakable certainty that I was safe in Nick's arms.

•••

I pull away after a moment. Not because I want to, but because I was afraid of what I would do if he continued to hold me. He felt too good; his arms were warm and strong, and his body solid and firm. I wonder what it would be like to give into this. What would it be like if Nick pulled me back into his arms and kissed me like I'm the only girl in the world? But we're not free to give into this. I'm not free to give into these thoughts.

Nick clears his throat as if he can hear the turmoil going on inside my head. "I should get going. It's been a long day for you so you might just need a moment to breathe."

He's probably right; I do need a moment to process everything that's happened since this morning- everything that's happening now, but I don't want him to leave.

"Okay." I nod my head, before following him down the stairs to the second floor. And that's when we hear the distinctive sound of lightning.

Nick strolls over to the window and push back the linen curtains far enough that I can see the harsh rain that pours down from the darken sky.

"Wow." Nick whistles as he lets the curtains fall back into place.

"You can stay until the rain stops?" I offer.

"No, it's fine. It's not too bad." Nick says, just before another lightening strikes, causing the both of us to jump back in fright.

"I'm not going to let you drive home in this weather," I tell him. "It's not safe."

"Are you sure? I know you must want me to get out of your hair." Nick tries again.

"I'm sure. You saved me once and now I'm saving you."

Nick smiles before walking away from the window. "Guess you're stuck with me for a few more hours then."

"I think I'll survive." I say just as my stomach grumbles, reminding me and unfortunately Nick, that I haven't eaten anything all day.

"Was that thunder or your stomach?" Nick teases.

"With everything going on, I haven't had time to eat yet." I confess, feeling a little embarassed.

"Well, I can't have that. Why don't you go shower and I'll figure out the food situation?" Nick says, and until he mentioned it, I didn't realize how nice a shower sounded right now. I suddenly flash to Otis's hand on me and feel dirty.

Nick can tell what I'm thinking about and in a flash he's standing before me, one hand cupping the side of my face while his thumb rubs my cheek. "He will never touch you again. You understand me?"

I nod my head. I half expect him to remove his hand but he doesn't. Instead, he rest his hand against my cheek, his eyes taking ahold of mine prisoner and letting me see just how torn he was with all of this too.

There was something there between us; a pull that was getting harder and harder to fight and at any point one of us would snap and give in. But would it be me or him?

••••

There wasn't a shower long enough to erase the feel of Otis's hand on my thigh. I stand under the spray of the showerhead, letting the warm water pour down on me until it ran cold and scrubbed my body until my skin felt raw. In the end, it was futile; I could still feel Otis's callous hands on my thighs and against my hands as he tried to hold me still. I remind myself that everything is still so fresh. It was going to take more than a few hours and a hot shower to erase the memory.

After my shower, I changed out of my uniform and stood in the middle of my new room with a towel wrapped around my wet body. I packed all my clothes into the only suitcase I have and while I strongly believe a girl shouldn't have to dress up to impress a guy; it didn't stop me from weighing my options of what I wanted to wear before meeting back up with Nick downstairs.

I decide to dress as comfortable as possible but still cute and go for denim shorts and a black crop top. I pull my hair into a messy bun ontop of my head then head for the stairs before I could think too much about changing my clothes.

I hit the bottom step just as Nick finishes paying a delivery boy and shuts the door. The smell of fresh garlic bread greets me and my stomach grumbles in response.

"Hey. I was starting to think you drown in there." Nick says as a way of greeting.

"Did I take too long?" I fret.

"No, not all. You're just in time actually. The food is here." Nick holds up the plastic bag, showing me the to-go containers inside.

"You ordered food?" I arch a brow at him. It didn't sound like the rain was letting up anytime soon.

"I wasn't kidding when I said I don't know how to cook." Nick says. "And before you give me that look, I gave the guy a pretty generous tip for driving in this weather."

Okay. That makes me feel better.

"In that case, what are we waiting for? I'm starving."

I follow Nick into the kitchen and allow him to pull out plates and silverware for the two of us since he clearly knows the kitchen better than I do, while I go for the fridge and pull out two water bottles for us. Nick divvy's out the food between the two of us and I'm nearly drooling over my spaghetti and meatballs when Nick and I sit on the floor in the living room in front of the flat screen to watch a movie and eat.

"This smells so good," I tell him as I eagerly pick up my fork. I twist some noodles and stab a piece of meatball, blow against the steam before taking a bite. "Mmmh, this is so good." I moan.

"What, you're not going to ask me if it's okay to pig out in front of me?" Nick asks, reminding me of the question I asked him all those weeks ago at the diner when we first met.

I shrug. "If you haven't run away yet, then I guess there's nothing I can do to scare you off." I reply.

Which is true. Most people, especially men, would run away if the person you were the tiniest bit attracted to had problems like me. But Nick has seen my crackhead mom, my abusive dad like figure and he's still here offering me a home and food with no strings attached.

I was extremely lucky he walked into the diner that day for more reasons than one.

"You still expecting me to run away?"

"Kinda." I admit before looking back at my spaghetti.

"Hey look at me. Look at me." Nick orders and I do as he wants, lifting my gaze from my plate to meet his stare. "I'm not running away."

I smile, silently praying to God that that's true.

"So, what are we watching?" I ask.

I turn my head towards the tv, reading the title of the movie he chose while I stuffed my face with garlic bread.

The Bourne Identity.

"Have you ever seen it?"

I shake my head. "No, but it was made the same year I was bourne." I say then mentally slap myself for reminding him how young I am.

I did the math. He was a freshman in high school then year I was born. I think about how much he's experienced that I haven't experienced yet.

I glance over at him, taking in his strong jaw and chiseled face.

He's out of my league.

We eat in silence for the next hour, engrossed in what seems like one of his favorite movies. I've never had any interest in watching it, but after a while, my pasta is done and I move up from the ground to the couch and hug my knees to my chest as I give the movie all my attention.

"Do all wealthy people need more than one property or do you have a reason for buying another home?" I ask, when the movie is over. From what I gathered, he doesn't spend much time in Rosemary Beach once the school year is over, so I can't imagine why he would want two homes for a town he's only in for half the year.

Nick chuckles nervously. "I have a reason." He tells me before gathering our plates and rising. I stand up and follow behind him as he continues towards the kitchen, carrying the dishes to the sink.

"Which is...?" I press.

But he just shakes his head, placing our dirty dishes inside the sink. I wish he'd open up to me. He knows everything about me and I know next to nothing about him.

"It's silly." He tells me, before pushing the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbow before he turns on the water and picks up a plate and begin washing. I don't for a second believe him. There's more. I know there is.

"So, what's your type?" I ask, changing the subject. "I hear you were quite the player in college."

He laughs and I wonder if player was an understatement. I grab a dish towel and start to wipe dry the plate he set on the counter.

"I didn't have a type back then," He tells me. "I guess really she just had to be beautiful... and I don't know, not looking for anything serious."

I mull over his words for a minute. "And now? Is that still your type? Is that why you're single?"

"That's not my type anymore," He reassures me.

"So you're single because....?" I press. It's been a question I've been dying to ask him since my first day at Kerrington. "You're hot, wealthy, and actually a gentleman- so why aren't you engaged or at least have a college sweetie or something?"

Nick arches his eyebrows. "You think I'm hot?" He smirks.

"Don't change the subject." I tell him before I can blush.

"I told you with everything that I saw growing up as a kid... I don't know if I believe in all that love stuff. It's easier to keep things simple. Casual. No one gets hurt."

"Are you worried about them getting hurt or you?" I challenge.

He stares at me for a moment as if I'm the first person to ask him that question and I almost think I overstepped and he's not going to answer me. "Sorry, if I overstepped." I apologize before taking the other plate out of his hand to dry.

"No, it's okay, you didn't overstep." He assures me. "I don't know... I guess keeping it casual keeps me from getting hurt. It's tough for me to let people in," He admits. "So I tell the women that I do date that I want to keep it casual but eventually I'd like to settle down." He tells me before he turns off the water. I set the now dried plate down on the counter before Nick turns and reclines against the sink and crosses his arms against his chest. "I bought this house for my family. At least the family I hope I have one day. I saw it one day and thought it would be a great place to raise a family."

"You know, your dad didn't screw you up as bad as you think he did. It's okay to hope for something that you've never seen before. For the both of us, that's a healthy and loving relationship."

"What about you?" He broaches. "What does life after high school look like for you? Do you want to get married? Have kids?"

I sigh, knowing I was probably going to sound crazy for what I'm about to say. "I don't care what I'm doing in life as long as I'm doing it with the person I love."

"You're going to make some man very happy one day Talia Davis." Nick tells me.

And one day he was going to make some woman very happy. She would get the ring, have his kids and get to raise their family in this beautiful house. She would be older, wiser, and have her shit together.

The woman he would marry would be the luckiest woman in the world.

And it wasn't going to be me.

_______________