“What?” she answers.
“Where the hell are you?” I ask, worried.
“Not home. Obviously,” she says sarcastically. I grind my teeth.
“Nikki, get home. We need to have another talk,” I say as calmly as I can.
“What’s there to talk about? She always comes first, and she always will,” she says nonchalantly. She sounds resigned, and I hate to hear that from her.
“Nikki...”
“No, Kade, it’s done. I’m not playing second fiddle anymore. Enjoy your so called friendship with Ashley.” With that she hangs up. Fuck. Fuck!
I try calling again, but nothing. So I send her a text.
K: If you’re not home by tomorrow, I’m coming after you.
I’ll give her tonight; she just needs to get her head together. I turn and look at Ashley, who has been quietly observing me the whole time.
“Don’t start,” I snap at her. Every time I have a fight with Nikki she jumps right in, and I don’t want to hear it this time. We decide to watch a movie, one of Damon’s favorites. When it’s time for bed I notice her crying, her body shaking silently with sobs.
“Kade? Can I stay with you tonight, please?” she asks, her voice catching.
Fuck, I should say no, but she’s upset. She needs comfort today, and so do I. We make our way into my room, and get ready for bed. I snuggle up to her and whisper, “One day it finally won’t hurt so much.” She sobs in response. I think about Nikki for a few moments before I drift off to sleep.
I get woken up when I hear a door slam. Shit! I run out of my room, and out the front door and I see Nikki pulling away. Shit, I can just imagine what it looked like to her. Ashley and I- in bed, together. Fuck.
I quickly run back inside to grab my phone. I need her to know that it wasn’t like that, that I would never be unfaithful to her. I curse loudly when she doesn’t answer.
Ashley comes out, stretching lazily. “Kade, just let her go, obviously she doesn’t care about you if she’d just run off and not even listen to you explain.”
“Ashley, just shut the f**k up. Go home!” I don’t have time for her shit right now. I don’t hear her leave, but I know she’s gone.
I get a text from Nikki.
N-“We’re over, I’ll send someone for my shit. Don’t contact me.”
Fuck, no! I quickly get dressed and jump into my Hummer. I speed all the way to Layla’s place.
Chase lets me in, but not before yelling at me to quiet the f**k down because the baby is sleeping. I quickly tell him what happened. When I see Layla on her phone, I storm over.
“Is that her? Let me f**king talk to her!” I yell. Layla tells me to back off, and Chase is trying to hold me back, but it doesn’t work. I push him off me and grab the phone out of Layla’s hand.
“Nikki, f**k! That was not what you thought. I would never do that to you!” I tell her, praying she will believe me.
“I don’t want to hear it, Kade. I know what I saw. Now that I’m out of the way, I guess you two can be together. I’ll be by tomorrow to pick up my shit, so do me a solid and don’t f**king be there.”
With that she hangs up.
What the f**k have I done?
Chase tracks her cell phone for me. For once I’m thrilled he’s a master stalker. I’m on the highway, and I see flashing lights and what looks like a bad accident. A transport truck plowed into the side of a car, and the car is smashed up and in a ditch. I gasp and my heart stops when I see that it’s Nikki’s car. I pull over and hop out of my car, running towards the accident, screaming out Nikki’s name.
I can’t f**king lose her. I see her put up on the gurney, and I rush forward. A cop tries to hold me back, but once I say I’m her fiancé they let me through. I ride to the hospital with them, not wanting to let her out of my sight.
I can’t f**king lose her.
I refuse to.
Chapter Thirty Nine
NIKKI
I open one eye, and even that hurts. I squint, the sun bright in my eye. I feel like I was hit by a truck, my whole body hurts. I try to stretch, but that hurts too. I look around the room. Not my room, but a hospital room. What the f**k happened to me?
“Nikki?”
I look up and there's Kade, sitting on a chair next to my bed, looking haggard. What's going on?
“Do you remember anything?” I shake my head no. Fuck. That hurt. I instantly reach up to grab my head, but it’s covered in a bandage.
“What happened?” My voice is groggy.
“You were in an accident, babe. I had Chase track your phone. When I arrived at the scene, the car was totaled. I've never been so scared in my life. I thought I lost you, Nikki.” He looks miserable.
“You did,” I mumble, remembering yesterday’s events. Before Kade can say anything else a doctor walks in.
“Hi, Nikki, I’m Doctor Grayson. How are you feeling?” he asks, his clipboard in hand.
“Like I was barfed up by a shark,” I sulk.
Dr. Grayson chuckles as he looks over my chart. He’s young; I'd say no more than thirty. Fucking sexy as hell, too. A hot doctor, talk about winning the lottery. “Let’s check you over,” he says as he examines my head wound and my ribs. “Everything is looking fine. You were knocked, have a few broken ribs, you needed stitches in your head, and you have a concussion, so we are going to keep you for a couple days for observation."
“Thanks, doc,” I say in a soft tone.