AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The thought sustains me through the long, bleak hours of the night, as I hug Nico's pillow to my chest and inhale the fading scent of his skin. He couldn't fake what I saw in his eyes, that raw, almost desperate tenderness. Something else is going on here, something he's not telling me.
The sharp rap of knuckles against my apartment door jolts me out of my spiraling thoughts. For a moment, my heart leaps into my throat, hope surging through me in a dizzying rush. But then I hear a familiar voice calling my name, and my shoulders slump in mingled relief and disappointment.
"Eli? Open up, it's me."
I drag myself out of bed on leaden legs, not bothering to throw on more than a ratty pair of sweatpants. My hair is a wild tangle, my eyes red and puffy from crying, but I can't bring myself to care.
Sophia takes one look at my blotchy, tear-stained face and pulls me into a bone-crushing hug, her tiny frame belying her strength. "Oh, honey," she murmurs into my hair, her hand rubbing soothing circles on my back. "I'm so sorry. What happened?"
The story spills out of me in fits and starts, my voice choked and wavering. Soph listens without comment, her eyes going dark and flinty as I describe Nico's abrupt departure, the coldness in his voice as he shut me out.
"That fucking bastard," she hisses when I'm finished, her fingers clenching into fists at her sides. "I'll kill him. I'll rip off his balls and feed them to him, see how he likes that."
Despite everything, a weak chuckle escapes my raw throat. "Down, girl," I rasp, wiping at my eyes with the heel of my hand. "Violence isn't the answer, remember?"
Sophia huffs, but some of the blazing anger fades from her expression. "Fine. But Eli, honey...you can't let him do this. You can't let him just walk away without a fight. You love him, don't you?"
My throat tightens, fresh tears threatening to fall. "I do," I whisper, my voice cracking. "God help me, Soph, but I love him so fucking much."
She nods, her eyes soft with understanding. "Then you have to go after him, Eli. You have to make him see that what you have is worth fighting for, no matter what spooked him."
I take a shuddering breath, my chin lifting in determination. "You're right," I say, my voice gaining strength. "I'm not giving up on him. Not now, not ever."
Sophia smiles, fierce and proud. "That's my boy. Now go get your man. And give him hell for making you cry, you hear?"
I press a grateful kiss to her cheek before sprinting for the door, snagging my keys and a hoodie on the way out. I peel out of the parking lot in a screech of rubber, my heart pounding in my throat as I speed through the predawn streets.
I find Nico at the warehouse by the docks, the dimly lit space filled with the acrid scent of gunpowder and stale cigarette smoke. His men tense as I stride across the concrete floor, their hands twitching towards their weapons. But Nico holds up a staying hand, something unreadable flickering in the depths of his dark eyes as he watches me approach.
"What are you doing here, Eli?" he asks, his voice carefully blank. "I thought I made myself clear last night."
"No," I say, my chin lifting stubbornly. "You didn't. You gave me some bullshit excuse and ran away, and I want to know why. I deserve an explanation, Nico. I deserve the truth."
He flinches like I've struck him, his mask slipping for just a moment before he shutters his expression. "The truth?" he laughs, the sound harsh and bitter. "The truth is that I'm no good for you, Eli. The truth is that my world, my life...it's too fucking dark and twisted for someone like you. If you were smart, you'd run as far and as fast as you can in the opposite direction."
I shake my head, hot tears pricking at the backs of my eyes. "I don't care about that," I say fiercely, my voice trembling with the force of my conviction. "I don't care about your world or your darkness, Nico. I care about you. I love you, all of you, even the broken parts. And I know you love me too, even if you're too scared to admit it."
Nico goes utterly still, his face draining of color. For a moment, I think I've gotten through to him, that he's going to pull me into his arms and never let me go.
But then his expression hardens, his eyes going cold and flat. "You're wrong," he says, each word falling like a hammer blow. "I don't love you, Eli. I can't love you. What happened between us was a mistake, a weakness I can't afford. And I won't let it happen again."
I reel back like he's slapped me, my heart shattering in my chest. "Nico," I plead, my voice breaking on a sob. "Please. Please don't do this. We can find a way, we can make it work. Just give us a chance."
But he's already turning away, his broad shoulders rigid with finality. "Go home, Eli," he says, his voice leaden with exhaustion. "Forget about me, about us. It's better this way, for both of us."
And then he's gone, striding out of the warehouse and out of my life, his men falling into step behind him like loyal shadows.
I crumple to my knees on the cold concrete, gasping sobs tearing at my throat as I curl into myself. It feels like Nico's ripped my still-beating heart from my chest, leaving me broken and bleeding in his wake.
But even as despair crashes over me in overwhelming waves, a small, stubborn spark kindles to life in my shattered heart. This isn't over, I think fiercely, my tears drying on my cheeks. I won't let Nico throw away what we have, not without a fight.
He can push me away all he wants, but I know the truth. I saw it in his eyes, felt it in his touch. He loves me, as deep and true as I love him.
And come hell or high water, I'm going to make him admit it.
CHAPTER 6
NICO
