Chapter 6

[Madelyn]

I push Nick off me. Well- I don't push-push him. I just hint him that I want him off of me. He listens. He lifts his body of mine and I get up from the couch- not bothering to take my panties with me. I let them be on the couch and walk away to the guest room where I left all of North-Oceans stuff. I close the door after me and fall down on the bed.

"He is cheating on me." I whisper to myself as a thick lump is forming in my throat. I let some tears slip past my eyes and choke down a sob. North-Ocean is meowing on the floor- next to the bed. She makes a jump for it and lands on the bed. She begins licking my hand in a comforting way.

I want to leave. Never come back. I could if I wanted to. I have a special account where I used to put away some of my salary. I got it when Nick and I had our first fight. I think I have about five thousand dollars there. I could make it. No. I can't leave him. Not after everything we've went through.

The front door opens and closes and with that, Nick has left. Where is he going? Is he going to see the girl? Another set of tears falls from my eyes and into the soaked pillow. Now that I think about it- he has been going out for a long time late at night. So this has been going on for a while... maybe this means he did it. He made me fall in love with him. Cause if I wasn't so blinded by love, I would have noticed something was up. He made me blind.

Or maybe he's just mad and needs to get away from me. Maybe he is right. I've never once told him how I love him. How I love spending my late nights with him and only him. How I love how he helps me clean at home. How I love he buys me food even when I lie that I'm not hungry. I love the way he takes care of me when I hurt myself, he cleans up my wounds. I love how he loves to play with my cat. I love how... how it's not even my husband that I'm talking about. I'm not talking about Nick anymore... Nick never takes care of me. Nick doesn't even like

North-Ocean. Nick never helps me clean. Lucian does. I've only seen him twice and I already like him. As a friend.

I wish Nick was like Lucian. Thinking about him makes me smile. Lucian, Lucian, Lucian. My eyes grow big with realization.

Flashback.

"No! Stop, please stop! That was my grandma's-" I yell but Nickolas and Jonathan don't stop. They stare at the golden necklace in their hands, the one they just ripped off my neck.

"Shut up kid!" Nickolas yells and lets the necklace dangle from his finger. "If you want it, come and get i-" Nickolas is cut of and wrestled down to the ground next to a crying Jonathan. "Get the fuck off me!" He let's out in a muffled scream. I'm looking at the guy who knocked down Nickolas, I'm looking at his beautiful dark waves of hair, flying up and down with every punch.

"S-stop." I whisper. I don't dare to say it higher. But he hears me anyway and stops. He gets up from Nickolas tired body and grabs the golden necklace from the ground. He looks at me with innocent, dark brown eyes. I look back and he smiles before walking up to me, handing me the necklace. I glance at it and then him and then take it from his hands. "T-thank you." I smile and put the necklace in the pocket of my dirty jeans.

End of flashback.

Lucian. I remember you now. I remember who you are. We went to the same preschool. When I was ten years or something like that. You helped me. When Nick bullied me. The same Nick who is now my husband... it's a shame you can't save me from him now.

♡︎

"Caramel cappuccino for Madelyn!" The barista shouts and I grab it from her with a small, fake smile. She eyes me up and down before continuing yelling other peoples orders. My eyes are puffy and I don't trust my voice at the moment. I needed to get some fresh air so I thought I could just grab a coffee and then sit by the park or something. I need to get away from the home I have with the man who is cheating on me... I still don't know if it's true- but if it is. I don't know what I would do. I could get drunk.

I- love Nick and the thought of him kissing someone that isn't me hurts. Am I not enough? We almost made love just a few hours ago. What would have happened if I made love to him not knowing that he already did it with another woman just a few days ago. I swallow the lump in my throat and focus on the sound of my new converse hitting the wet pavement full of fallen leaves. I love fall.

I take a sip of my coffee and burn my tongue on the boiling it liquid. "Shit-" I force myself to swallow the remains of the coffee and use every last strength to keep myself from crying in pain. Just my luck.

I look up from my cup and just as I do, a hard shoulder bumps into mine causing me to spill the coffee all over my gray hoodie and just some drops on the person in front of me. I flinch and gasp when the hot coffee soaks my hoodie and burns my cold chest. Hot, hot, hot. I bite my tongue and shake my head.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't see-"

"Miss Hartz?" I'm cut of by an unfamiliar voice who seems to know who I am. I look up at the man who made me soak myself with my coffee and I don't recognize him at all. I take a step back and he smiles a warm smile.

"Who are you? How do you know my name?" I eye him suspiciously and he smiles an even warmer smile. It makes me want to rethink my ugly suspicions about him. He is wearing a proper black suit and a silver chain around his neck that is tucked inside his shirt. His dirty blonde hair is short and his eyes are bright blue. Even brighter than Nick's. He maybe looks like he's around his forty's or something.

"My apologies- I'm Antonio, I work for

Mr. Venezia. I was just about to go and buy you a coffee before driving sir Lucian to your place." The man offers a warm smile and I take another step back. This time because I'm shocked. Lucian wants go see me. I want to see him too. My chest is burning both by the coffee and because of the thought of Lucian. Jesus... what's wrong with me? I feel like a stupid teenager with a crush-

"Oh-"

"Antonio, cosa ci vuole così tanto tempo?" I'm both cut of and started by the sound of his voice. Lucian's voice. He's speaking another language. It sounds like maybe Spanish? Italian?

[Translation: Antonio, what is taking so long?]

My eyes search behind the man presented as Antonio and my eyes shine brightly as I catch a glimpse of his face. Lucian is walking behind Antonio, looking down at his phone when suddenly he looks up and stops walking as his eyes meet mine. I see his eyes sparkle and a slight smile on his lips. But not the dimple-smile. He clears his throat and continues walking towards me. He then stops next to Antonio and looks down at  my hoodie.

"What happened?" He looks at me and then Antonio.  I answer before can open his mouth.

"I bumped into your friend, I accidentally soaked myself with coffee- no biggie." I smile a weak smile and then take a moment to close my eyes.

"Right. Antonio go back to the office, your service is not needed today." Lucian takes out his hands from the pockets of his black coat and gives his employee or friend, I don't know, a look. Antonio mutters something before leaving, walking past me and then he's gone.

The comforting aroma of Lucian fills the air as he steps closer. A cold wind blows past me, making the wet stain on my hoodie cold. I shiver and am suddenly embarrassed by how I look. Messy bun, red, puffy eyes, a now soaked hoodie, I probably smell like caramel coffee and I'm wearing old sweatpants that now match the dark spot on my hoodie.