Chapter 73: Chapter 73:

"Nicole wake up" someone says desperately and I hope its Aaron. Maybe I've reached heaven or wherever the dead is supposed to go to.

Air fills my lungs and I feel someone's mouth on my nose. Then I felt a poke on my stomach, then another poke and another. I wake up coughing out water. I look at the person and its Jake. I frown. We are on the shore and I'm drenched with water.

"What are you doing here? Haven't you done enough? Why did you even save my life?" I shout at him at the same time admiring how he looks wet in his clothes.

"Why were you trying to kill yourself? That cliff was so high and the water is so deep" Jake barks back.

"Because I want to go to Aaron! He is the one who was always there for me! Unlike you! Why do you care if I die anyways when you hate me so much! You will do anything to destroy me! And now you have succeeded.Just go away!!!"

"Nicole I swear I didn't send the principal any video"

"Oh so you saved my life to tell me that lie again? Please" I say getting up and heading for the water again. I dive into it and Jake dives too

"Leave me alone Jake!" I yell at him hitting his chest as he forces me to resurface.

"I'm not going to  let you die" he says to me

"Well I want to! I want to go to Aaron! How did you even know I was here?" I spit frustrated and swim further, away from him but he follows me and stops me in my tracks.

"I followed you —  I saw your mother kicking you out of the house and then you came here. I'm serious! I didn't do it! I love you! I cannot do that to you! They framed me too"

He looks sincere.

"Are you sure?" I ask and he nods.

"If I really did that, would I be here saving your life?"

He is right.

"Who could have done this?" I ask. We are still in the water together.

"Kate I think cause she was cackling wickedly when you left"

"It could be! She and Tigress! Tigress probably did this to get back at me for quitting."

She also did it to my friends because the principal told me they will be severely punished too. She framed Jake because he was the one who wanted to overthrow me.

"Why did she do that?"

"Because we all quitted! And she wanted to pay us back! We need to tell the principal!"

"She wouldn't believe us"Jake spits

I sigh. " we would need evidence"

Jake nods and kisses my lips.

"Thanks for saving my life Jake" I say gratefully. I would have committed suicide because of Tigress! And Kate!! Those two are gonna pay dearly.

"I love you" Jake tells me

"I love you" I reply and jam my lips against his and it moves in perfect sync. We were still in the water and I felt goosebumps rise on my skin.

♥♥♥

Its morning and I'm in Jake's apartment with Aaron running around and barking as I play with him. I'm wearing a pale yellow top and a flare black skirt over my black boots. My hair is tied in a high ponytail and I'm wearing Aaron's golden bracelet to remember him.

"Breakfast is ready" Jake hollers over to me and I leave Aaron and march to the dining table.

Today is the day we are investigating Tigress and Kate. Its Saturday!   We are going to gather all the information we lay hands on and if I find out Tigress is behind this, I'll tell the police she is a drug dealer and have her arrested. That would be her punishment!

"Mmm..... Omelette" I say as I draw closer to the dining table.

"Yes." Jake says and I smile poking the omelette with my fork.

Aaron barks at us.

"Oops, I forgot to feed him" Jake says getting up. He trudges into the kitchen and gets Aaron's dog food. Then he came out and poured it into his bowl

"Eat up buddy"

I watch as it guzzles everything in the bowl and Jake comes to sit down again

"This omelette is good" I tell him and he smiles.

"Yeah! I am a good cook huh?"

I chuckle

"Yes"

"I want us to start the investigation today. But before that, we would go to the amusement park first! You owe me a roller coaster ride"

I cracked up.

"Yes I remember"

He grinned. "I'm glad you do"

"So when are we leaving?"

"After breakfast"

After breakfast, Jake and I washed the dishes together. Then we left Aaron in the room and headed to the amusement park together.

°~•~•°

"I can't wait to go on that ride with you" Jake told me as he sped down the road.

"For your information, I've gone on that ride for like ten times or even more. Besides, I have gone on all the scary and dangerous rides you could think of"

"Brilliant! That means I wouldn't have someone screaming beside me during the ride" Jake said with a chuckle

"I wouldn't even scream if this is my first time! I'm not that kind of person who gets frightened easily"

"Oh really?" Jake asked amused.

"I am being honest here"

Jake parked and we got down. Today, the line was a bit shorter so we joined the queue and Jake bought two tickets for us even though I told him not to pay for me.

Then we got into the little coach I guess and I sat in with Jake on my left. I buckled the seatbelt and relaxed

"Are you ready?" Jake asked and I huffed.

"I already told you I'm familiar with this ride"

Jake chuckles slightly

"So who was your partner on this ride?"

"Trina and sometimes my dad and sometimes my mom"

"Have you ever gone skydiving?" Jake asked

"No."

"I've done it only twice and its great. Maybe you should try it sometime"

I shrug.

The coach begins to move and soon we were on the tracks with the wind blowing past us.

"Woo hoo" I exclaim raising my hands up in the air making Jake laugh.

"This is craaaazyyy" I add as our coach nears the highest peak of the track where I screamed my lungs out the first time I took this ride with my sister. We screamed like never before and almost lost our voices when we got back home. But now, I was used to it and wasn't scared of it anymore.

I was anticipating to see Jake scream but he didn't. He had a huge smile on and looked ahead.

"Hey! Won't you scream?" I ask but then I realise how dumb my question was. If he wanted to scream he would have. My subconscious mind replied.

He just chuckles.

"I don't scream! Besides, I'm used to it too"

"That makes two of us"

The coach moves downwards and I grin. The ride is almost coming to an end.

"After this ride, I would be going to my dad's house." Jake tells me

"Why? Any problem?"

"No. I just have two troublesome little brothers to visit"

I grin and nudge him in the side.

"That's so sweet"

"Actually, three brothers. I forgot Alec"

I nod in agreement and smile.

"I just hope my dad is at home. So that I can tell him you are my girlfriend"

My heart stops beating.

"Hey! When did I become your girlfriend?"

Jake chuckles

"Since Halloween. You accepted me until yesterday, when you slapped me in the face"

I chuckle at the memory. I remember how furious I was. I thought he deceived me and played with me.

"Did it hurt?" I ask snickering.

"It did! Because one, people were around and two,because I got hit by a girl"

I laughed.

"Lastly, the pain was unbearable and my cheek hurt"

I burst into hysteria.

"I'm sorry. I was just furious" I apologise through laughs.

Jake smiles. That smile which melts my heart and would cause the heavens to fall.

"It's alright. If I were in your shoes, I would have done worse"

The coach stops and I realise the ride is over. Jake and I climb out walking towards his Lamborghini. A group of teens had gathered around it taking pictures with it.

I look at Jake and he has a smirk on. His father bought it for him of course.

"Looks like my car has caught attention"

"Yeah right" I reply rolling my eyes.

"Wait here, I'm gonna get something"

"What? Can't I come with you?"

"Just oblige Nikki"

I huff as I watch him disappear into a crowd. I just stood by his car aloof as the teens who were taking pictures beside it had already left enthused. Its been thirteen minutes already and Jake isn't back. I stomp my foot in annoyance. Where did he go to? I can't take this!

I sigh as another minute passes with no sign of Jake coming. Where in the world did he go to. I hope he didn't plan leaving me stranded in the park.

Finally I spot him walking towards me with a huge grin. He was holding two ice creams. My face softens.

"I got us ice creams. I also got extra ones for my brothers"

He hands me mine and it has so many flavours combined in one. His own was also like that.

I lick it and its good.

"I'm guessing 'they' are gone" he spits looking around.

"Yes.  A Iong  time ago"

He smiles and gets in his car. I hop into the passenger seat and we were on our way to his father's house.  I just licked my ice cream.

",so now that you are out of the school, I guess I am the new alpha" Jake says.

"Yes, that's because you were my competitor. But my fans wouldn't take it lightly"

Jake shrugs.

"I can't  believe that I'm the new alpha"

"You wanted to be it right?"

"Well yeah, I guess. But as I said, I did it for you"

I furrow my eyebrows again but I shrug.

"Well let's just call it electing the alpha"

Jake chuckles.

"Yes. I like that. It was fun when both of us fought and pranked each other"

"Yeah" I say chuckling.

True to his word, Jake pulls up in his daddy's garage. It had like eight sports cars and they were all classy ones. I spotted Alec's Bugatti Chiron amongst them.

"Your father has a lot of cars"

"Yes he does. He basically changes them everyday. And he buys a new one after  two months"

"After two months?" I blurt. This man has money. I climb out of his car and shut the door

"Yesterday, Alec told me he came home with a new car. It was a glossy black Ferrari"

I am speechless

"The last  time too, he wanted to change Alec's car but Alec told him he wants to use it for some time since he hasn't used it that long"

"Your dad is...."

"Cool? Yes he is." Jake completes my sentence.

"I still can't believe you and your dad are together"

"Me neither"

"So what happened to your Range Rover?" I ask him as we head to the front door.

"My dad sold it and he used the money he earned after selling it plus some extra money to buy me that baby"

"Cool" I blurt as Jake opens the front door and files in. I follow him into the house and we walk towards the hall.

"Hey bro!" Alec greets him when he sees him and Jake returns it hugging him

"Nikki! You came along. I heard what happened and I'm sorry"

"Its okay Alec. I know I was framed"

"You were? I knew it!"

"What do you mean?"

"I heard they said Jake sent the video to the principal but that is not true. Kate is behind it"Alec says and my heart stops beating.

" Kate?"Jake blurts.

"Sit down will you?" Alec tells us and Jake and I sit down appalled.

"I overheard Kate talking with your gang members Jake! She told them the only way to get back at Nikki is to get rid of her by framing her claiming it was their payback prank but I think it was her intention"Alec pauses and looks at our stupefied expressions before he continues.

"Aurora and Cody didn't like the idea and they were against it saying it would be too much. Well I don't know if Caden agreed but I don't know how she convinced them and then they just gave in"

"But why would Kate plan such a thing behind my back?" Jake states coldly

"That's because you were supposed to be framed too. And that's how they did it"

"She did this to me because I broke up with her. " Jake tells Alec. Of course! She wanted me to get furious with Jake so that he will come back to her! Its logical!

"You did? Well I didn't know but you did the right thing." Alec says

"I knew she was behind this! And I'm sure Tigress is a part of this too"

"Alec! Do you have any evidence?" Jake asks

"Yeah! I think I recorded everything"

"Good! Give it to me!"

Alec hands him his phone and Jake plays the audio. I hear Kate speaking to them and I feel bile rise in my throat. That, that bitch!!!

The audio comes to an end and Jake smiles.

"Thanks bro! We really needed this"

"I am an undercover spy" Alec praises himself giving both of us a wink.

"One more evidence and you are back in Nikki" Jake tells me and I smile but I can't wait for Kate to taste my fist.

"Send it to me! I'll need it bro" Jake tells Alec and hands him his phone.

"Where are your brothers?" I ask Alec referring to Thomas and Lucas.

"Oh, dad just took them to the park with mom. They will be in soon"

"I came to visit them as usual" Jake says

"Yeah I know"

"I also came to visit" I tell Alec

He nods and we hear the front door creak open. In walks the parents with Thomas and Lucas.

"They're here" Alec announces.

"We are back" Jake's dad announces

"Welcome back father" Jake says and goes to hug him

"Oh you came to visit?" His dad says

"Yes but I didn't come alone, I came with my girlfriend"

My heart jumps into my throat and Alec stiffens with his eyebrows scrunched. I think Jake is rushing. Everyone knew Aaron was my boyfriend and he just died! There is no way I'll find another so soon

Jake's dad is appalled.