Chapter Six | Nick

What the fuck are you doing Nick?

I've lost count how many times I've asked myself that question since meeting Talia Davis two weeks ago.

Before her, I'd consider myself a rational guy, but now I'm doing things I didn't fully understand, which as of this moment included sitting in my car in front of Talia's house.

I peer out the front of the car, spotting the gold numbers on the door I've seen Talia disappear behind a couples times now that I brought her home.

I shouldn't be here. I should be at home. Actually, I should be at Caitlin's having breakfast, but instead I'm sitting inside my car feeling like a full on stalker.

I couldn't just leave her with the way things ended the other day. I'm not even totally sure what came over me. It was a Friday evening and because I didn't want to take my work home with me I stayed a few more hours to grade some papers and gather questions for an upcoming test. I didn't expect anyone to be on campus, at least not anyone without a good reason and any after school activities should've been wrapped up by then.

I make my way across the parking lot for my car, thinking about what I'm going to pick up for dinner tonight when I hear it, the only women's laughter who sends something warm down my belly. I turn my head towards the sound where I saw a group of students leaning against the cars and dancing to music. Normally I'd continue onto my car but then I saw Talia grinding against one of the football players and before I could talk myself out of it, I stalk over there and break it up.

I had no right to be as angry as I was.

She's a student and she's just having some fun with friends.

But did she have to dance like that?

She wasn't doing anything wrong. Not technically. But the image of his hands on her, of any part of her body touching another guy had me seeing red.

And the way she looked me...

God. She looked at me like she wanted me to make a move.

But I couldn't. I wouldn't. I tell myself the only reason I'm here was so that I could stop feeling like an ass and no other reason.

I finally climb out of my car, locking the door behind me before making my way towards the building.

I made sure not to wear anything expensive like a watch or jewelry and I dressed casually in a pair of jeans and green t-shirt, hoping not to draw too much attention to myself though it was pretty obvious that I'm not from around here.

I head up the stairs, eyeing the peeling dark green paint on the railing and old gum on the steps.

I pass a couple doors before finally reaching Talia, but I don't knock. I just stand there, the gift I brought with me clutched tightly in my right hand.

It's not too late to turn back.

"God, what the hell are you doing Nick?" I mutter to myself.

I turn to leave when I hear the door unlocking and before I can get anywhere I'm face to face with Talia.

"Mr. Cross? What are you doing here?" She asks, looking behind me as if expecting to see someone else.

"I honestly don't know." I tell her. "Actually, that's not true. I do know why I'm here. Uh, I was kinda an ass to you the other day and I had no right. So I bought you something as an apology." I hold out the large sketch pad I bought at the store an hour ago. I remember our first conversation where she told me she wanted to be a designer so I figured she'd need a sketch pad to draw her ideas if she didn't have one already.

Talia looks at the sketch pad then at me. "That was nice of you, but really unnecessary."

"You're probably right, but I bought it and got rid of the receipt. I'm afraid if you don't take it, I'll just have wasted my money."

"You're rich. I'm sure this was just pocket change."

"My parents are rich. I, however live on a teacher's salary which I'm sure you know isn't that great."

"I'm sorry you wasted your money, but I really can't accept that." Talia says as she looks on longingly at the sketch pad.

"You'd really be doing the sketch pad a favor. See if I keep it, I'll just end up drawing on it myself and you really don't want that because even my stick figures need some work." I tell her.

She finally cracks a smile. "Okay fine." She holds out her hand and takes the sketch pad. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." I smile back. "I'll uh, just leave now." I turn to leave but her voice stops me.

"Wait!" She calls out. I raise a brow at her. "Would you like to see me what I've been working on?"

Leave dumb ass while you still can.

"I'd love to."

Talia smiles a little bit wider before stepping back and opening the door wider for me to enter. I step inside and immediately Talia locks the door behind us.

I do a quick sweep of the room. It's small. The living room consists of a brown recliner and brown square table and a brown two seater couch that faces a tv. The air smells like weed and there's a hole in the wall like someone punched it.

But surprisingly the house is well kept. The floors sparkle, the table is free of clutter and there's even some yellow flowers in a vase in a window.

I'd bet money Talia was the one to do all of this. I don't know her mom but something told me she wasn't the picking flowers type of woman. Talia didn't seem like it either, but I guess there's still a lot about her I didn't know.

"You could just stay here. I'll be back in a second." She tells me before she turns and disappears down the hall. I'm not sure if I should keep standing or not, so I take a seat in the recliner.

I look around some more, noticing a few picture frames on the wall. One of them is a young woman hugging a little girl who is obviously Talia. There's another one of Talia in a church dress around the same age.

"No! Don't look at those!"

I blink to see Talia running to block my view of the framed pictured frames, a panic look on her face.

"I saw nothing I swear." I cover my mouth to hide my smile.

Talia rolls her eyes obviously not believing me. "Whatever. I looked cute back then too." She says before walking towards me. I finally notice the sketch pad in her hand. It's different than the one I just bought her. This one looks old and worn out. "So you can just look through it. Fair warning though, I'm not that good."

I didn't believe her. I hadn't seen one sketch yet but I didn't believe her.

Opening up the pad, I flipped to the first page and feel my eyes widen as I stare at the pencil drawing of a model figure wearing an extravagant purple gown. The details were exquisite, the shading and outline was perfect.

Did she really think she wasn't good?

I flip through some more pages, everyone one of them better than the last before finally flipping to the end.

"Well?" Talia asks, impatiently.

I look up to Talia who bites down on her lower lip nervously, waiting for my reaction and opinion.

"You're right. You're not good," I start and watch as her face falls before adding, "You're incredible."

"What?"

"Talia, these designs are fantastic. You're so talented!" I tell her.

"Really?"

"Really." I nod my head.

"You're not just saying that because you're my teacher right and you're supposed to be all uplifting and what not?"

"Not at all. You have some serious talent," I tell her again. "And I would know because my mom and my sister have been around some of the best designers."

"Thank you." She smiles proudly at me and some part of me feels like beating on my chest knowing I'm the reason she's smiling like that. "But it's probably hopeless to dream I'll ever be a big name coming from some place like this right?" She gestures towards her living space.

"Where you come from has nothing to do with where you can go," I tell her. "You deserve so much better than this life. You're gonna get out of this neighborhood, get into a great college and live an incredible life." I tell her.

"How could you possibly know that?" She demands.

I tell her the one thing I do know. "Because I'll make sure of it."

Talia smiles again and it's the type of smile that men go to war for. My eyes drop to her lips, so full. Always so damn full.

"Who the hell are you?"

Talia jumps up while I slowly turn my head to the person at the door. He's an older man, I'd put him in his late forties, dark brown skin, curly black hair and a dark goatee.

"Otis." I don't like the way Talia says his name or how she takes a step closer to me.

"What the hell you standing around for?" A woman's voice is heard asking before she appears next to the man Talia called Otis. I instantly recognize her as the woman from the photo who was hugging Talia. It's her mom. Only now you can see that life hasn't been all that good to her; she's skinny in a sickly way, her eyes are bloodshot and her clothes hang loose on her body. "And who the hell are you?" She looks at me.

I stand up and hold out my hand for her to shake but she just eyes it like she might catch some kind of illness if she touches me.

I let my hand fall to my side. "I'm Nicholas Cross. I'm your daughter's English Teacher."

"And what the hell are you doing in my house?"

"I just wanted to stop by and personally tell you how proud I am of your daughter. She's a wonderful student. Kerrington is proud to have her." It wasn't complete bullshit. I do think Talia is wonderful but that definitely wasn't the reason I was here.

"I don't think she's shit," This Otis guy calls out. I curl my first up to my side, resisting the urge to punch the shit out of him.

Who the hell is this guy anyways? I know he's not her dad.

"I'm sorry you think that, but I have to tell you you're wrong. Talia is incredible." I tell him.

"You gonna tell me I'm wrong in my house?" Otis takes a step closer.

"This isn't your house." Talia grumbles, making Otis slit his eyes towards her. I swear if he touched her I'd knock his ass down.

"Anyways," I say loudly to get his attention off of her. "It was nice meeting you Ms. Davis. I'm sorry I dropped by unannounced. It won't happen again. I'll just be on my way out." I start to head for the door.

"I'll walk you out." Talia volunteers before she rushes past her mom and Otis.

Otis doesn't move out of the way and I don't shrink like he expects me to. I hold his gaze for a second, daring him to touch me or worse, Talia, and he finally moves back enough to let us out the door.

"Is he the one that gave you that bruise last week?" I ask the second we walk out the house.

"You can't come here again." Talia tells me, ignoring me.

"Talia, answer me." I stop walking. She doesn't look me in the eyes which answers my question. "Damn it! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't go back there and rip this guys head off."

"Because he'll probably beat the crap out of you," Talia answers. "And because outside of class, I'm not your responsibility." She reminds me.

"Talia, if you think I'm just gonna leave you here with that asshole then you don't know me as well as I thought you did."

"That's exactly what you're going to do Nick. I told you already, I'm not Cinderella. I don't need you to rescue me."

"Talia..." I plead.

She cracks a smile a little, it's a sad one though. "I'll be fine." She leans in and kisses my cheek. "Thanks for the gift. Apology accepted." She tells me before she turns around and head back inside her apartment.