She continues screaming until the exit doors of the Dungeon swallow her words. While turning to face Isaac, I run my hand down my cheek. It's stinging from her nails marking my skin. When I pull my hand away, blood trickles down my fingers.
“Who the fuck was that?” Isaac questions as his furious eyes absorb my wound.
I’m about to answer, but Tina beats me, “A psychopath.”
I couldn’t agree more.
Chapter Forty-Five
Megan
I watched him every day. I claimed him first. I don’t care what the doctors, judges, or police officers say.Nicholas Holt is mine, and I’m never giving him up.
Ispotted Nick nearly two years ago when he strolled into a nightclub with a flirty smile and a twinkle in his eyes. I had been traveling for six hours straight and badly needed to use the bathroom. That was all forgotten when our eyes collided. A bolt of electricity coursed through my body, kickstarting both my heart and my obsession. I was supposed to keep driving because I had another four hours of driving to do, but I couldn’t leave him. It was like I had found the other half of my soul. I was drawn to him, magnetized, and I finally understood what instant love meant.
When I moved to the end of the bar to watch him, his love for me was beaming out of him. It was so bright, everyone around us could see it. He was about to come over and talk to me when his friend interrupted our intense connection. Not wanting to be rude, he handed his friend a beer, and they went and talked in a booth at the side of the bar. I repositioned my stool so I could see him. It also assured our connection remained strong.
As the night went on, the floor space between us filled with dirty, sinning whores who wore scraps of material as clothing. Nick wasn’t interested in them, though. He only had eyes for me. . . until I stupidly requested a glass of water from the bartender.
Aware I had lost my visual of Nick, the whores were quick to trick him to the dark side. I was so frantic, when I leaped off my barstool to search for him, I knocked over my glass of water. I looked for him everywhere before taking my hunt onto the dance floor. The instant I stepped on the mahogany floor, I was elbowed, poked, and prodded by filthy disgusting pigs. I felt like I had fallen through the gates of hell. It was more burning than the hot baths my mom used to run for me.
When my cell phone rang in my pocket, it was time for me to leave. I had no other choice.
“Wait for me,” I whispered into the air, knowing Nick would hear me.
* * *
It took longer to return than I had hoped. Daddy was even sicker than the doctors let on. I thought about my love every day, and I was confident he would be waiting for me when I returned.
He was.
My heart leaped out of my chest when I spotted Nick sitting at the exact spot I first saw him. He was so excited to see me again, he bounded off his barstool to pull a set of keys out of his pocket. He had just removed them when the wicked witch behind the bar snatched them out of his grasp and placed them down the front of her shirt.
I was disgusted she'd do such a thing, but it also gave me the opportunity to talk to Nick. I made my way to him to offer him a ride. I was more than happy to take him anywhere he wanted us to go. During our drive to an old rusty bar, I told Nick all about myself. He was so invigorated by what I was saying, he never once interrupted me. He sat quietly, absorbing every word that escaped my lips.
We made our way to the bar together, but since his job was crucial to him, he went on stage to prepare for his performance while I waited for him near the bar. His eyes were on me the entire show. When his band finished performing, he rushed back to me. His excitement was so overwhelming, he had to dash into the bathroom to freshen himself up first.
Once he was done, we spent the next several hours talking about everything and anything. Our plans for the future, where we should live, and what our children will look like. It was so much fun.
It's lucky I carry my daddy to bed every night, because Nick was so excited about seeing me again, he could barely hold his own weight when I helped him into my car later that night. Thankfully the motel clerk gave me a ground floor room, or I may not have gotten Nick inside. He didn’t murmur a word when I removed his shoes, jeans, and shirt. Once I had him prepared for bed, I snuggled into his chest, and had the most peaceful sleep I’ve ever had.
I didn’t realize Nick had to work the next day, or I would have set an alarm clock to wake him up, then he wouldn’t have needed to rush out of our room as quickly as he did. I was disappointed our time was over, but when he nodded, saying he'd see me next week, I gave him a long, love-filled kiss.
I thought about Nick all week and was so excited to see him again. When I saw him strolling past the long line I was standing in to enter the club we met at, my heart raced. It plunged into my gut when I realized he was holding another girl’s hand. She had obviously brainwashed him into thinking I wasn’t coming back for him. A week is a very long time to be away from the person you love.
I was certain once Nick saw me again, the sparks between us would reignite, so I raced to the front of the line to plead with the bouncer to let me in. No matter how many times I told him Nick was waiting for me inside, he wouldn’t let me in. Because I had left the line, I had to join it again at the end.
By the time I made it inside, Nick was walking back out.Thatgirl was still holding his hand. I didn’t know who she was, but I didn’t like her.I hated her.
That night, I followed them to a lookout not too far from the nightclub. I felt ill from all the unimaginable things they did in his truck. I can’t tell you what they did—it's too vulgar for me to repeat. But I can tell you I went home heartbroken and distraught.
A few weeks later I finally realized why my stomach wouldn’t stop swirling. It wasn’t because I was upset about losing the love of my life. It was because I was carrying his child. Nick had blessed me with God’s greatest gift. It was his way of making sure I would be tied to him forever.
Nick was pleased when he saw me waiting for him outside of the rusty bar his band plays at, although he didn’t take the news about our baby as well as I hoped. He was concerned he couldn’t provide a good life for our baby. He didn’t need to worry. I took care of everything before I returned to him, so I had enough money to look after us.
I waited and waited and waited for his call Saturday morning. It never came.
I was crying in my hotel room bed when my phone finally chimed Monday afternoon. It was Nick’s lawyer calling me to schedule an appointment.
