18 Bronson

I f*cked this up.

Hurting Nicole was the last thing I wanted to do, and yet, as I stare at the closed door leading to my elevator, I know I did exactly that. She ran out of here before I could give her a proper apology and I cannot blame her one bit.

Pulling out my phone, I send a message to Rand knowing he already headed out for the night. He responds right away; a fact tat I am grateful for.

Me: She’s heading back to the hotel. Follow her.

Rand: Sir, do you really believe that’s for the best?

Me: Do it.

Rand: I’ll find her sir, but it is late, and it seems like she left angry. I don’t know if she will come back with me.

Me: Understood Rand.

Blowing out a deep breath, I contemplate on why this girl is able to drill such a hole in my head. I’ve never been intrigued by someone, had someone get under my fingers the way Nicole does. I despise the fact that she ran from help, help that could potentially save her life, but at the same time, I loved that she fought me every step of the way. I had to hand it to her, when I delivered that final disgusting blow, I thought she was going to yell, scream, curse, even destroy my place, I deserved it, I stepped over a very important line, but she did nothing of the sort. She kept her composure, showing me just how in control with her emotions she had no choice but to be.

Checking the time on my watch, I notice it’s much later than I thought. Knowing I will not be able to get any sleep tonight, I head upstairs to my room and grab my swim trunks. I had a pool put in when I originally bought the fortieth floor of the penthouse. Swimming has always been a relief of mine, something I’ve always used when stress overwhelms my muscles and right now more than anything, I need that release.

Changing into my trunks, I head to the pool, jumping in and doing laps the moment my body touches the water.

As a child my mother always took me to the pool. My sister wasn’t always able to travel, and my mother feared me being stuck inside all day, watching my sister get sicker, would affect me. So, she and I would go down to a recreational pool where she taught me to swim. I adore the water; I take many vacations around the ocean and seas. There is just something calming and freeing about the tranquility behind water.

I could lose in its depths forever but as much as I love the water, I find I have less and less time for it. I only ever come up here and swim on nights such as this. Nights where I cannot sleep, where my past nightmares find me hidden under the blankets of the mask I carefully place on each and every day.

“Mr. Fortworth.” I hear my name and turn pushing my hair out of my face with my hand. I spot not only Rand beside the edge of the pool, a towel in hand as he stares over at me, but he’s beside Nicole, only she is now sporting a large bruise along her face and a black eye. Her hair is slightly matted as if were being pulled and there are small drops of blood on her shirt.

Stepping out, I run over towards her, forgoing the towel and place my hands over her face. I’m careful not to touch the small bruises I see, but I can’t stop my hands from shaking or my face from getting closer and closer to her own. She looks shocked that I’m this close, hell I’m shocked that I’m this close, but I want to know who the hell touched her.

“What happened?”

“Nothing. Are you going to let go of my face? You’re wet.”

I ignore her jab of sarcasm as she pushes my hands off her face. Someone has hurt her and even though she wants me to simply ignore it, I refuse.