~ Strained

|| 𝕰𝖕𝖎𝖘𝖔𝖉𝖊 31: 𝕾𝖙𝖗𝖆𝖎𝖓𝖊𝖉 ||

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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐅 guilt was eating him second by second. He hated lying and hiding something from Celeste. But convincing himself that he was doing this for Celeste, he tried to calm his raging heart down. When he walked into her room and found her reading a book, he smiled.

She always waited for him, no matter how late he was.

Nyx's eyes met Zion's when he walked into her room but when she examined his body, a frown formed on her face. The bruises on his face worried her - seeing him in pain pained her. She got up from the bed and walked towards him.

The first thing she did was to check his temperature by placing her hand on his forehead. She didn't want a repeat of the last time.

"I won the match," Zion announced with a huge grin on his face.

Nyx wished that she could smile back at his reply, but with the way he was looking now, she was sure that he was hurting and the only thing she should focus on is taking care of him.

"That's great, I am proud of you," she replied as she pulled him by his hand and then made him take a seat on the bed.

She took out the medical kit from her closet and started tending to his injuries. A comfortable silence surrounded the room as Zion watched Nyx putting cream on his bruises. He could see the worried wrinkles forming on her face and felt guilty for being the reason behind them.

If only life was that simple.

"Was this the last match?" Nyx asks out of the blue.

The question takes Zion aback but he knew that it was coming at some point in time. He also knew that the answer was something Nyx wasn't going to like.

"No, I need more money, Nyx," he says. It was obvious since the street fighting was the major source of income for him and he also knew that the deal he made with Nyx's father was going to get his knuckles bloodied.

Nyx stopped her motion, her eyebrows furrowed. She wasn't going to let this go.

"There are many legal ways to earn money, Zion. Money holds no value if you aren't alive to spend it. Your internship is going to start soon and you can't go to the office looking all beaten up. This needs to end now," she replies.

Zion sighs, he knew that she wouldn't understand it.

"Stop being a bitch about it, Celeste. Not everyone is well-off like you! I love fighting and I need the fucking money fast! You don't know what it's like to loose your entire family, have a brother in a fucking coma, and waking up every day to prove to the world that you are worth the oxygen you are breathing!" he says, his voice rising.

Nyx stared at Zion, a shocked expression on her face. She and Zion have had their fights but never had he accused her of not understanding. Never had he accused her of taking advantage of the fact that she was born into a rich family.

But Zion was angry and reason won't come to him.

"Get the fuck out of my house!" Nyx says.

"What the fuck, Celeste?" Zion asks, standing up.

"Don't you understand English, Noah? I said get the fuck out of the house I bought with my own money. The money that I earned the legal way with my hard work and success. Being a Knight surely grants you some privileges, but you have to earn them. Look at my father's new family! Does anyone care about them - no! Why? Because all they could see in them are a bunch of misfits who just got fucking lucky! So, don't you ever tell me that I have it easy just because I was born rich. I have spent my entire life proving that I am more than the daughter of one of the richest man on earth. That I am Celeste Nyx Knight!" she replies.

But she wasn't done yet because his words had hurt him the most.

"I have been there for you, no matter what. I didn't do anything for you just because I pitied you. It was because I love you. You don't need to prove anything to me, Zion. You don't need to prove anything to anyone. If you don't see yourself, then how can you expect the world to see you as someone? And yes, I might not know the pain you are going through, but I have been through it with you every step of your way. I lost my family too and the truth is, you will never get used to have someone missing in your life. The part they had in your heart will always be empty but you have to learn to live with that. I am not the reason of your problems, Noah - you are. All I could do is help you find a way out of this darkness, but it is your decision if you want to follow my torch," she said.

Tears threatened to leave Nyx's eyes as she felt her hurt break. Never in a million years had she expected Zion to treat her like she never understood. That she never cared.

"Celeste....I...." Zion says, realizing what he had just done.

His guilt and frustration had gotten the best of him, due to which the reason behind his own being was suffering. He can't watch Nyx cry - never.

"Get out of my house, Noah. I need time...." she replies.

She wanted to forgive him right then, but she knew that if she let go of him that easily then he would never learn. Perhaps he would understand what she is trying to tell him and make the best decision for his life.

Maybe.

Zion doesn't say another word as he opens the door and walks out of the house. He wished he could take his words back.

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𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐁𝐘 and Nyx refused to talk to Zion. His words had hurt her deeper than she thought, making the Queen doubt her own potential. Was really everything in her life because of the fact that she was a Knight?

The words that the world threw at her never hurt her, but the words Zion said sliced into her heart like a knife. College had become boring with people whispering about the rift between her and Zion. It was pretty evident since they weren't their usual selves when they were around.

The looks Zion threw at Nyx made her feel that he wanted to apologize, but he never came. She knew that their friendship wasn't going to end for such a trivial matter, so if he didn't man up soon, she would confront him.

Her phone buzzed and she checked the caller ID.

"I am there, Nyx. Come quick since I don't want to be late," Jason said on the other end.

Nyx sighed and got up, taking her bag with her. The photoshoot Julia had arranged for her with Jason was going to start within two days and it was a week-long shoot. Not only were they posing for the magazines, but they were supposed to attend a party that Julie was organizing. All that was happening in the Maldives.

She walked downstairs and as expected, Jason's red Lamborghini was waiting for her.

Zion was walking to Celeste's apartment with roses in his hand when he saw her get into a red Lamborghini. It didn't take time time to guess who it belonged to since he very much remembers seeing the car on someone's social media page.

Jason Tyler Cruise.

He then vaguely remembered Nyx signing up for a photoshoot with him. Cursing under his breath, he realized that he might be too late.

Because Jason was everything he wasn't. He was the king of the city.

And he had now gotten a week to make the Queen his.

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