CHAPTER SIXTY - THREE

NICK WALKER ©

I let out a shaky breath into the pillow under my face.

“I’m going to be okay,” I kept telling myself as I lay there.

But I knew I was lying.

I wasn’t okay.

We weren’t okay.

I bit my lip, trying to hold back the tears I had been holding back since I left Enzo’s house.

“Are you going to lie there forever?” I heard Avery ask from across the room.

“It’s nothing,” I said in a muffled voice.

“Okay, time’s up. Get up,” Avery said as she tried to pull me up.

I groaned as she tried to sit me up. Our eyes met, and I let out a sigh.

“It’s not what I think…” she started, then stopped as she looked around for Mira.

I rolled my eyes and dropped back onto the couch, burying my face in the cushion.

“Well, what can I say?” she said with a teasing smile.

My hole still hurts like hell like it's never going to heal. My body grew tired and worn out, and I couldn't talk about it. Not even with my best friend.

We stayed quiet for a while before I finally spoke.

“Something is wrong with Enzo, but he won't talk about it whenever I ask him.”

I sighed.

“Things between us haven't been going well. He's distant, and I can't even tell what he's thinking anymore.”

“Since when have I even been able to read him?“ I thought to myself.

“It’s so clear that he’s hurting, and I tried my best to get him to talk, but…” I trailed off.

“But?” Avery asked.

“It ended with us fighting.”

“Maybe he thinks telling you would put you in danger,” Avery said.

I scoffed.

“I don’t think that’s it.”

“How would you know?” she asked.

“What danger could be around us that he can’t even talk about? We’re just ordinary people. It’s not like one of us is a criminal.”

“That’s true,” she said, nodding.

“Perhaps he…” I trailed off, already feeling down.

“You think you’re not important to him because he isn’t talking to you?” she asked.

I sighed.

How did she read my mind so easily?

Maybe Enzo thought I wouldn’t understand him because I'm much younger than him.

I sighed again as I remembered his words from last night.

“After what we had? Get some sleep, Nick.”

I wasn't expecting our first sex to start an argument... not that I was regretting.

I groaned as I felt pain my hole once more

Fuck! He really got me good.

“Can you stop groaning?” Avery asked as I covered my face with my hands.

This was so embarrassing.

I sighed and thought about Enzo and I once more.

Could we really go back to the way things were between us?

He was keeping so many secrets. I could tell they were hurting him, and our relationship wasn't the same anymore.

“This is just a phase. He'll come around,” Avery said from across the room.

“And what if he doesn't? Maybe this is his way of ending whatever we have…”

Avery cut me off before I could finish.

“Nick, Nick, Nick,” she said, sighing.

“Get your thoughts together. Maybe there's something going on that you can't handle.”

“Some things are hard for adults to tell someone younger,” she added. “Just look at your relationship.”

“And that's my fault? Because I'm younger?” I shot back.

I got up too fast and groaned when the pain hit.

“You know, I thought that since we're together, he could tell me whatever was going on with him,” I said. “But somehow, everything has only gotten worse.”

I walked into the room and slammed the door behind me.

∆∆

~ FIVE STAR CLUB AND BAR ~

EVENING

I pushed the glass toward the man across the counter with a forced smile as he picked it up and walked away.

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair.

“You don't look too good. Is everything okay?” my coworker asked as we stood behind the counter.

“Yeah, I'm fine,” I replied.

“Where were you last night? You didn't return back here.”

I barely listened to his questions. I was hurting, and I didn't have the energy to explain why.

“I'll be right back.“ I said tiredly and went to the restroom.

“Fuck!“ I winced as I tried to rub my hole.

A lubricant would have been better, but neither of us was really thinking clearly.

Just then, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

I pulled it out and checked the screen.

Unknown number.

“Hello?” I said, expecting a response but heard nothing.

“Hello… fuck. Is this some kind of prank call?” I asked, ready to hang up.

Then I heard a calm, firm voice on the other end.

“Nick Walker.”

I blinked.

“Who’s on the line?” I asked.

“Tell Vadim to keep you safe. I'm closer than he thinks, and I'll always do whatever it takes to make him come back to me,” the man said.

“What on earth are you talking about? Is this some kind of prank call?” I asked.

The line went dead.

I shook my head and slipped my phone into my pocket.

I washed my hands and walked back outside.

That was when I saw Enzo.

He was about to light his cigar, but the moment he saw me, he stopped.

He slipped the lighter back into his pocket and looked at me.

Speaking of the Vadim the prank call was talking about.

We stared at each other in silence.

I broke eye contact and walked toward the door, but he quickly grabbed my arm.

“Let go of me... sir,” I said, trying to pull my arm free.

“I said, fuck off,” I snapped.

He let out a slow sigh before letting go.

“Does it hurt there?” he suddenly asked.

I scoffed and tried to walk past him.

He sighed again and caught my arm once more.

“Hey…” he started, but I cut him off.

“You have a lot going on right now. And now, I guess that includes the prank calls from someone who keeps calling you Vadim. You should tell them to stop dragging me into whatever is wrong with you.”

“What?” he asked, glancing at my pockets.

“What?” I asked, raising a brow.

“Someone called you and said my name?“ he asked.

Before I could answer, he reached toward my pocket.

“What are you doing?” I asked, trying to stop him.

He caught my hands and pinned them against the wall. He was careful not to touch my injured wrist.

“Give me back my phone,” I said.

A few men in the restroom watched us as I tried to pull my hands free.

“Enzo, people are…”

“What did the person say?” he asked.

He let go of me and walked inside the restroom. I quickly followed him.

“Give me my…”

I stopped when he dropped my phone into the toilet.

“What the…?”