Nick frowned but didn’t immerse in the subject. He learned the hard way that talking about Nadia in my presence was a murder waiting to happen.
“How’s your new ride doing?” Scorpio changed the subject when Ethan took it upon himself to deal the cards. “I think I might change the Merc soon.”
“And you want to buy the same one I have?” I smirked. “It drives like a dream, but please, at least pick a different colour.”
I changed my beloved BMW M5 for a BMW M8—the best decision I made for a while. Nadia spent a lot of time as the passenger in the M5, and every time I got in the car, I saw her face. My next goal was to buy a new house.
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Four months weren’t enough to flush her out of my system. I had to hit harder and take drastic steps to forget the way she made me feel, because there was no going back to what we had. She was my priority, and I turned out to be her option. Maybe one day I could forgive her, but until further notice, I wasn’t dumb enough to trust her again.
“Oh, hell no,” Nick growled, looking at his cards. “I fold.”
I looked at mine, foregoing the need for a poker face. For the first time in my life I ended up with the Royal Flush. It looked like the luck was on my side tonight. I threw three hundred more on the table, and sat back, waiting for Scorpio’s and Ethan’s moves.
Before either decided whether to raise or call, Nick’s phone vibrated, andTyappeared on the screen.
Nick scowled, bringing the phone to his ear. “Hey, man,” he said, his tone careful. “What’s up?”
I couldn’t hear what Ty said, thanks to Ethan mumbling to Scorpio.
“Shut up,” I mouthed.
The in-call volume on Nick’s phone was always at the loudest setting, but I didn’t have to eavesdrop. His eyes narrowed, and he turned the speaker on, setting the phone on the table.
“You’re askingmehow she is?” Two lines marked his forehead. “Isn’t she staying with you anymore? What’s wrong?”
“Don’t fuck with me,” Ty boomed. “You’ve got the right to be pissed off, alright? I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but she had a mental breakdown every time I tried. Just let me talk to her.”
My mind flashed through a million scenarios.
“Are you saying she’s back in London?” Nick asked trading glances with me.
“Fuck,” Ty muttered. “She flew back on Monday morning! Are you seriously telling me you haven’t seen her?”
A rush of adrenaline kick-started my almost-dead heart. Endorphins rushed through my bloodstream before a sense of dread sucked out positive emotions.
“No, I haven’t. She didn’t come here. Why wouldn’t she? Why did she leave? Don’t tell me Adrian’s using again.”
Ty let out a shaky breath. “Yeah, he’s back in rehab, heavily sedated, under a twenty-four-hour suicide watch. He tried to hang himself when I told him Nadia left.”
Nick looked almost see through, staring at the phone, his lips parted. The news came as a shock to us all, and we remained silent, unable to comprehend the madness.
That was a lot of unexpected information to get in twenty seconds.
“He tried to kill himself?” Nick mouthed, a blank look on his face. “What happened? Why did Nadia leave?”
“She promised to tell you!” Ty snapped, then let out a long sigh. “Listen, I’ll tell you everything, okay? But please, find her first. She was in a bad place when she left. You need to find her. She shouldn’t deal with this alone anymore. She’s trying to protect you, but she’s the one who needs protecting.”
I was out of my chair before Ty finished speaking. The reason why Nadia came back wasn’t important. Not now, anyway. I slipped my jacket on and shoved my hand in the pocket, looking for keys.
“And Nick?” Ty said, stopping me before I hoisted Nick from his chair. “She doesn’t know he tried to kill himself. I wanted to call her, but I don’t know how she is… I’ll let you decide whether to tell her. Call me when you find her.”
He cut the call, and I yanked Nick out of his chair. “Come on, she’s probably at her apartment.”
“Let me know what’s going on,” Scorpio said, clearing the table.
I half expected him to stop me. He was anti-Nadia since the moment she left. He made it his mission to help me forget and realise that she wasn’t worth my time. Now, his animosity subsided in a blink of an eye.