NICO

Last night was a shit-show to say the least.

As if sitting at a 2-hour dinner with my parents wasn't painful enough, add dessert at the Wellingtons to the mix. You'd think that with the way things ended between me and Cara, she'd make it her mission to ignore me.

Ha – like hell that was the case. 

We were seated next to each other on the paisley couch in their living room – surrounded by our parents on their own individual cushioned chairs – and the very few times that I did muster up the patience to say something, she'd reach for my hand and intertwine my fingers with hers. I don't know how many more ways I could spell it out to her that we're not together, that I'm not interested, and that I never will be. 

Surprisingly enough, my dad had only pulled me to the side one time at the Wellingtons, urging me to stop acting immaturely. I guess his definition of mature is doing whatever he says, because I was doing the opposite. I know that he and mom want me to be with Cara, but I'm not one to ever do something for a bullshit reason. Being with Cara for "appearances" is as bullshit as bullshit comes.

We only ended up staying at the Wellingtons for an hour, but if you ask me, an hour was more than enough time.

Now, I'm in bed with my phone in my grip, typing out a message to the other half of my heart. She's the only thing that's been on my mind. And I hope she knows that. I hope she knows that when I told her I loved her, I meant every single word.

When Bella told me that she was in love with me, I wanted to say the words right back to her because I knew that I loved her then. I knew that I loved her way before that. Think of the happiest feeling in the world...now multiply that by 100 – that's exactly what I was feeling when Bella told me that she loved me. That's exactly what I was feeling the first time that we kissed.

You up? I text her.

She responds within seconds.

Bella: Just got into bed. How was dessert at the Wellingtons?

I told Bella my parents practically forced me there after dinner, and while I could tell by the tone in her voice that she was upset, she understood.

Nico: It was...not where I wanted to be.

I expect her to text back immediately, but she doesn't. And when I don't hear from her 5 minutes later, I start to panic.

Nico: I miss you.

She's typing. Then, finally:

Bella: I miss you, too.

Nico: I'll pick you up from work tomorrow.

Bella: Okay!

Bella: Goodnight :)

I don't want this conversation to end, but there's a knock on my door, so I quickly type out I love you, press send, and drop my phone onto the nightstand.

"Yeah?" I shout.

"Nico, sweetheart, can I come in?" mom asks from the other side of the door.

The difference between mom and dad is that dad would just barge in, like he has every right to be in my presence, whereas, mom asks. And kindly.

"Uh huh," I tell her.

She walks in, still dressed in her white blazer suit from dinner. Her hair was tied up in a tight bun, but now it's down, and she looks...tired.

"How are you doing?" she asks, planting herself down beside me on my bed.

I inch my body upwards, then lean my back against the headboard. "Fine," I lie.

She looks me over, easily detecting the deception in my voice, and reaches for my hand. "I'm sorry about tonight. Brianna invited us over, and I didn't know what to say." Mom looks down at the floor like she's disappointed with herself; like she knows that she let me down in some way.

I feel bad for my mom, but I also need to make it clear to her where I stand. "Mom, I'm never going to be with Cara. No matter how hard you and dad try to push for it."

"Nico...," she tries and reasons.

"No," I cut her off and say, "don't do that. Don't argue against what I'm saying. Can you just...," I feel myself getting worked up, so I shut my eyes to calm myself, "...can you just listen to what I'm telling you? Mom, I don't want to be with Cara."

"I know, sweetheart, I know," she collectedly says.

"Then why do you keep pushing this whole dating her thing onto me when you know how I'm feeling...when you know who I feel for?"

"Is this about Bella?" mom catches me off guard and asks, but I try not to look surprised. Before I can even blurt out the word 'yes', she continues with a sigh. "Nico, sweetheart, we've gone over this before. She's not like us. Yes, she's a great girl, and I love her, but she's not the girl for you. You'll see that."

I shake my head in disgust, remove the covers from my body, and hop out of bed. I frustratingly open one of the drawers from my dresser, and pull out a Columbia hoodie.

I turn around to face my mom, looking her in the eyes. "Bella's the only girl for me," I tell her otherwise.

Mom stands up once she notices that I'm about to make a run for it. "Nico," she moves closer to me and says, "don't be irrational."

"How am I being irrational, mom? I love her."

"You don't love her," she counters. "You don't know what love is."

"Like you do?" I blurt out, immediately regretting my choice to voice the words out loud even though I mean them.

"Watch your mouth, Nico," she holds up a finger and warns.

I swallow hard, feeling badly that I've clearly hurt her. "I'm sorry," I compose myself and say. "But you can't tell me what I feel."

"Nico, you don't know what you feel."

"And you do? You know how I feel? Really, mom?"

She chews on her lip, clearly anxious by this entire conversation. She grabs ahold of her hips and shakes her head as her eyes remain anywhere but on me. "Nico," she finally looks at me and says, "I love you, and that is why I'm protecting you. That is why I'm protecting Bella from this mess that is our lives."

"Protecting Bella?" I chuckle as I repeat her words. "How are you protecting Bella, mother?"

"Our world...the kind of world that we come from...will destroy her. I've tried to keep it from destroying you."

I roll my eyes; clearly over this conversation. I was over it before it began. And that's why I end it on this note. "Mother," I say, looking at my mom, hoping that she sees the truth in my eyes, "I will never let anything or anyone destroy Bella. Ever."

***

I was so worked up from the conversation with my mom last night that I couldn't sleep. I ended up going to Brooks' house, where I vented to him about all of this fucked up shit. Brooks, being the best friend that he is, just listened. And obviously gave his two cents that Bella and I should just fuck everything and run away together. Yes, those were his actual words.

I'm on my way to pick Bella up from work, so I know that I've got to put a brave face on. One crack in my expression, and she'll know that something's wrong. I have 5 minutes to give myself a pep talk and get my shit together.

The second that I pull up to Sweets, the only thing that I'm thinking about is my girl. How I can't wait to have her in my arms. But when I open the door, that excitement fades. Because that fucker Danny is in my sight. And he just said something that he's going to regret saying.

"You have everyone fooled," I overhear him tell Bella. "You even had me fooled. Here I am thinking that I met a nice, innocent girl. But you're not innocent at all. You're just a little slut."

I'm on the verge of putting this piece of shit into a chokehold, but Bella speaks up before I can, which is a good thing because violence doesn't solve anything. Bella's strong, she knows how to stick up for herself when someone pushes her to her breaking point, and I'm confident in that about her. That's why I let her do her thing, as hard as it is for me to stay put.

"Danny, that's a horrible thing to say to someone," she tells him.

"Why? It's the truth. And unlike you, I'm all about honesty."

"I'm being honest with you, Danny."

Just when I feel like I'm cooling off from this douchebag of a human annoying the shit out of my girl, I feel my fists curl. I feel the blood in my body heat up.

"Bullshit," he says. "You know what, Bella? I don't even care anymore. I don't want to be with a slut like you anyways."

And that's when I make my presence known. Because if this little fucker thinks that he can get away with calling Bella a slut for a second time, then he's fucking delusional. 

"Call her a slut one more time, I dare you," I threaten, and the scared shitless expression on his face right now is fucking priceless.