She was perfect—long eyelashes, immaculate skin, and blue eyes glowing with happiness. She emanated the kind of positivity I struggled to muster.
“Nadia!” I heard Nick yell behind me.
Thomas spun around first. Our eyes locked for a moment, but I couldn’t hold his gaze. I turned around, watching my step, because the ground seemed to shake underneath my feet.
“Ready?” I asked my brother, the heels of my boots clanking too fast. “I’m not hungry; can we buy the car first?”
Nick frowned, looked over my shoulder and a knowing look crossed his face. “You have to eat, sis. There’s a great little place just around the corner.” He draped his arm over my shoulders, leading me toward the car. “You good?” he muttered into my hair.
“Yeah, I’m okay.”
The lights on the Range Rover flashed four times. I jumped into the car, closing the door behind me as if the devil was short on my tail.
Nick took the driver seat, put the car in gear and let the tires squeal when he shot out of the parking space, speeding past Thomas. I didn’t dare look in case I would find the blonde goddess stuck to his lips.
“Was that Chrissy?”
“Yes.”
I rested my forehead against the side window. “She’s stunning.”
Nick squeezed my hand, then took a packet of cigarettes out of my pocket. “This once, you can have one in the car.”
As if one cigarette could heal my once-again-broken heart.
CHAPTER 12
THOMAS
Sinners
The look on Nadia’s face outside of the C&G records fucked with my head all day and most of the night. She saw Chrissy kiss me, and I had a good idea of what she must have felt. I experienced it first-hand when Adrian kissed her head a few weeks ago.
Still, I didn’t have it in me to tell Chrissy we were destined for failure. I clung to the idea of moving on from Nadia, even though it meant putting myself through torture… Even though it went against my nature, needs, wants and feelings.
Maybe it would be easier to face our issues if I didn’t know the truth. If she went back to help Adrian because they were good friends, I could understand her reasoning, but she went back knowing he could hurt her.
She had to love him to sacrifice being with me and progress she made.
And that was what I struggled with most—that she loved the guy who battered her more than she loved the guy who healed her.
You couldn’t fucking write this shit.
Maya giggled, dancing around us in circles while I sat with Nick by the lake feeding them whatever they wanted to eat in this cold weather. Since not many birds were around, Maya lost interest five minutes in, and the task fell on mine and Nick’s shoulders.
“We need to get going, sunshine. Your mummy won’t be happy if we’re late for tea again.” I got up from the cold ground.
“No, I want to see Melia!”
“She’s out with my sister, princess. You’ll see her next week, okay?”
Maya pulled a sad face, shaking her head. “I want Melia to braid my hair like last time. Please, please, please.”
I chuckled, when Nick took his phone out to call his wife. He would make a great father, but his kids were going to walk all over him. God forbid he had a daughter first, before he could learn how to sayno.
“Hey, how long will you be?” Nick asked Mel. “Good, I’ve got one impatient little girl waiting for her hairdresser. Hurry up.”
Maya clapped, jumping up and down when Nick cut the call.