Chapter Eight | Nick

I manage to make it home before punching a hole in the wall. I stare at the broken skin and watch as blood drips from my knuckles but I don't feel anything. All I feel is numb and more anger inside of me than I knew what to do with.

After Talia's confession, I somehow was able to get my brain to work enough for me to go back inside my classroom. I canceled the rest of the class and got the Dean to bring in a substitute for the rest of the day because there was no way I was going to be able to stand here and finish teaching after Talia just dropped a bomb on me.

Where is she? God, I should've just ran after her. I had no idea what I was going to say or do to her when I caught her, but at least she'd be with me.

There was one thing I did know though, and that was she was never spending another night in that house again.

•••

I've just about exhausted all my resources when I stop at the diner where Talia works.

The chimes ring the second I enter through the door and I do a quick scan of the room, noticing it was fairly packed for a Monday afternoon. The smell of fried bacon and fresh brewed coffee surrounds me as I make my way further into the diner, searching for a familiar face.

I finally see her coming from a back room, her braided hair is up in a bun and she's dressed in a grey pencil skirt set.

"Rhonda?" I guessed, hoping like hell that was the name Talia called her when she first introduced us nearly three weeks ago.

She smiles when she sees me. "Oh hi, your Talia's friend right? I haven't seen you in a while. Was the food horrible?"

"No, no. It was amazing. I'm sorry about not stopping by again. I promise I will change that soon." I reassure her, but that was all the time I had left for pleasantries. "Is Talia here by any chance?"

"She's not scheduled to work until tomorrow, so no." Rhonda answers.

"Damn it." Where the hell is she?

"Why? What's the matter? Did something happen to her?" Rhonda demands.

"How much do you know about her home life?" I wonder.

"I know she lives with her good for nothing mom and her trail of boyfriends. Why?"

"Well one of those boyfriends touched Talia this morning and her mom was no help. She chose that loser over her own daughter." I tell her. "Talia showed up to school this morning but then just disappeared after my class and now I can't find her and I was hoping maybe you could help me." I explain.

"Wait a minute- what do you mean your class?"

I sigh, not really wanting to explain this. "I'm her teacher. One of them at least. But I swear it's not what you're thinking!" I rush to reassure her. "Nothing has happened between us. I just- I don't know... we have this connection. And I really care about her." I admit. "And I just want to make sure she's okay. Do you have her number or something?"

Rhonda gives me her number and I immediately stab the call button. It rings three times before going to voicemail.

"Talia, it's Nick. You're probably wondering how I got your number... I'm here at the diner with Rhonda and she's really worried about you. I'm really worried about you. Listen, we just want to know you're okay. Call us back so we can come get you or just to let us know you're okay." I tell her before ending the call.

Rhonda looks at me as I slip my cellphone into my back pocket. "I'll let you know if I hear from her." She tells me.

"I'll do the same."

I make a beeline for the bathroom before heading for the exit, but I stop abruptly when I see her, sitting in the same booth we sat in when we first met.

Thank God she's okay.

I slowly take up the seat across from her, afraid that if I moved too fast I'd somehow scare her and she'd take off running again.

She looks up at me, her eyes are bright red like she's been crying this whole time and the image of her out there somewhere crying alone without someone to hold her crushes me.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have exploded on you like that. I guess I was kinda in shock up until that moment before everything just hit me. I should've been able to control my emotions better. It was inappropriate and won't happen again."

"Just stop." I tell her. I couldn't sit there and listen to her apologize for another second and I reach out across the table and hold her hand, pleased that she doesn't pull away from me. "I'm sorry. No one should have to experience what you did."

"Still. I shouldn't have said anything to you. I'm sure you've already gathered that I'm a hot mess and the last thing I wanted was to remind you of that."

I shake my head. "I'm not perfect, Talia." I told her. "I order takeout every night because I can't cook. I've never been in a serious relationship before. But I'm getting older and everyone is right- the meaningless hookups does get old." I confess. "And I kinda have my eye on somebody right now but she's off-limits and I feel like I'm losing my mind. I have stuff, Talia. Hard stuff that I'm still dealing with, including a dad who serial cheated on my mom with women young enough to be my age while they were still married." I confess. "So I don't know... I don't know how to do this serious relationship thing and sometimes I stay up late and wonder if I'm destined to be as screwed up as my father."

I stare at Talia, unable to believe that I just confessed all of that to her. I've never said any of that out loud. I've never told anyone what I just told her. I just needed her to see that I'm not as perfect as she's making me out to be. I needed her to see that she could lean on me with all the scary and shameful stuff from her life and I'd be strong enough to deal with hers and my own.

"I've never met your father but I can already tell you that's not true. I don't have to meet him to know that you're nothing like him." Talia tells me. "And this girl you have your eyes on... she must be someone pretty special." She smiles teasingly.

"She is." I confirm, locking her in with my gaze.

She's the first to break contact, glancing down to look at our hands that are still entwined.

"I got your voicemail. You didn't have to come searching for me."

"I know."

Talia sighs, still looking down at our hands. "I don't need you to rescue me."

"I know you don't, but you're worth rescuing. Every restless night, every tear and disappointment. I want to take it all away. I want to take it away because you are the most incredible woman I've ever met and you deserve to be happy."

Talia smiles in response before I feel her slowly remove her hand from mine. "I should go."

"Where are you gonna go?"

"I don't know." She admits.

"I have an idea of where you can go. Do you trust me?"

"I do."

I want to beat on my chest at the two words. "Great. We just need to make a quick stop first." I tell her before we leave the diner together.

***

I turn off the ignition outside of her apartment. Talia needed to pack her things and I needed to get something out of my system.

I take the stairs two at a time with Talia jogging to catch up with my stride to the door and knock. A few seconds later the door opens and the man I met the other day named Otis opens the door. His graphic shirt is completely unbuttoned and he looks like hell.

"What the fuck do you want?" He demands.

And I don't think, I just act. I throw my arm back before landing a solid punch to his face. He curses as he stumbles backwards and I grab him by the edge of his shirt before he could fall and punch him again. He's so high that he doesn't even have the energy to try to fight me back. "You ever put your fucking hands on Talia again I will kill you. You hear me? Kill you." I warn him but he's too busy trying to breathe to answer me.

I look back at Talia who looks stunned but there's no sympathy for Otis.

Good.

She walks around him and head straight for her room. A few minutes later she comes out with a large black duffel bag and the new sketch pad I bought her.

I reach out and take the duffel bag from her, slinging the strap on my shoulder.

"Where are we going?" Talia wonders.

"Do you trust me?" I ask her.

"I do."

"Then follow me." I tell her before guiding her out the door.

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Thank you so much for the comments on the last chapter! It makes me so happy that you're loving these characters 😁