Novels by Holywaterhoney

Nicole's pov My eyes landed on my father, Andrew, standing at the reception desk, deep in conversation with the receptionist. I suddenly held my breath, shocked by what I saw, and I quickly pressed myself back against the wall, hiding my face from view, staying frozen there for what felt like several long minutes. My heart was beating so loud I was almost sure someone would hear it.When I finally peeked out again, slowly, carefully, the spot at the desk was empty. I scanned the lobby from one end to the other, my eyes moved over the small seating area, the revolving door, the elevator bank, but he was nowhere in sight. My mind raced, trying to make sense of why he would be here, alone, in this exact hotel of all the hotels in the city. It couldn't be a coincidence. I glanced around once more, making sure the way was fully clear, before I finally stepped out from behind the wall and walked toward the reception desk. My bag settled onto the counter with a soft thud as I approach

Nicole's pov "That's daddy," Jayden said, his small finger still resting on the drawing. I looked over at Emma for a brief second, then turned back to face him. "Jayden," I said, and paused. I didn't know what to say next. The words got caught somewhere in my throat. "Jayden, you know daddy isn't with us," I finally said, searching for the right way to end this conversation before it went any further. "He's in heaven." Jayden turned his head to look up at me, his small brows pulling together in confusion. "Mommy, where is heaven?" he asked, resting his little hand against my arm. I stayed quiet for a moment, unsure how to answer, and glanced over at Emma, silently hoping she would know what to do. This was the first time Jayden had ever asked about his father. That question scared me more than anything else. But I already knew what I had to do. I would never tell him his father was alive. I would never let him meet David, not now, not ever. It was safer this way, saf

Nicole's pov I turned to look behind me, and my eyes landed on Andre standing there, his hand pressed flat against the door, stopping it from opening further. My breath caught in my throat for a second, unsure what was happening. He stepped forward quickly, wrapping an arm gently around me and pulling me back a step, then raised a finger to his lips, his eyes darting toward the hallway behind us. I froze, my heart raced in my chest. I didn't say a word for a while. A moment later, I heard footsteps approaching from somewhere close. The sound grew louder with every second, before they slowly faded away, walking off in another direction. I let out the breath I had been holding, my shoulders sagged slightly with relief. The footsteps disappeared completely and I pushed Andre away from me, needing the space back, needing air between us. His closeness made my skin crawl after everything that had happened between us. He stumbled slightly, and right at that moment, the

Nicole's pov I walked out of the director's office, leaving Andre standing there without another word between us. My feet carried me straight back to my own office and the moment I stepped inside, I began pacing left and right, my mind racing to find a way to slip out of the hospital without running into another crowd of cameras. A worried thought crept up on me. What if the reporters had somehow found out about the apartment we had been staying in? What if they had already dug that far?The fear settled deep in my chest, and I decided right then that I needed to leave, and fast. I walked to the window and peeked through the blinds, my eyes scanning the entrance below. My stomach twisted. They were still there, a cluster of them, cameras hanging from their necks, some pacing, some standing with their phones raised.I grabbed my phone off the desk, meaning to call David, but my thumb stayed over his name for a long moment before I set the phone back down on the table without dialin

Nicole's pov Reporters surrounded me before I could even set my eyes on the delivery man I had come outside to find. "I heard you were on suspension, but you're currently in the hospital in a lab coat. Can you explain how your suspension got lifted?" one reporter shouted, shoving a microphone toward my face. Another reporter raised her mic higher, cutting through the noise. "How did you feel hitting a cancer patient?" My head began to spin, the voices blurring together into one loud roar, the flashing cameras making it feel like the ground itself was tilting under my feet. For a second I thought I might actually fall. Just as my knees started to buckle, a few of my colleagues rushed through the crowd, pushing the reporters back and forming a wall around me. "Let her through, let her through," one of them shouted, gripping my arm and guiding me firmly back inside the hospital. The automatic doors slid shut behind us, sealing out the noise but my hands were still shaking. My mi

Nicole's pov Andre sat there in my office, waiting, his back straight against my chair, his fingers still laced together like nothing was wrong. I didn't bother to greet him. I didn't have the patience for pleasantries, not after everything that he did to me."What are you doing here?" I asked, my eyebrows pulling together tightly as I stepped further into the room."Look, I'm sorry," he said, his voice suddenly becoming quiet, almost like he rehearsed it before walking in.I raised a hand quickly to stop him before he could get another word out. "No. If this is about an apology, just get out. I'm not listening to your shit.""I already said I'm sorry," he said, standing up slowly from the chair. "So why are you finding it so difficult to accept my apology? Remember we're friends, Nicole.""Friend?" I moved forward, my arms crossing tightly over my chest. "You mean friends?" I repeated, the word tasting bitter on my tongue. "How could you betray the person you clearly call your frie