"Okay, I'm all ears," Nick said, giving her full attention.

He couldn't deny that many things were racing through his mind.

Kate let out a nervous sigh before she spoke. "Um, I've been battling with how I would tell you this for so long and how you would take this, I love you too much and I know that you deserve to know everything. Nick I ----"

Nick hushed her by taking her hands and giving them a gentle squeeze. " Kate?" He earned her eyes then. " Whatever makes you comfortable, I am all ears. I won't go anywhere, I'm here for you."

She let out a breath, despite how nervous she felt, his words helped ease the tension a bit.

She tried again, this time with determination to voice out everything. " What I'm about to tell you is something very personal and it is a very sensitive topic to me. This is about my past and how it still has a sense of hold on me."

There, she said it. This was a start.

Nick knew that after she'd said this, he had to better prepare himself in that moment, for whatever Kate was about to tell him. He understood how serious this was, when he was reminded about a time when Kate almost freaked out when he'd asked about her past. He could tell from that moment, that something had happened in her past that caused such a reaction from her.

"So, before you met me, I had another life. I wasn't always Kate as you know me now. I lived under a different name."

Nick frowned a little when he heard this, but he listened on. " I've been trying to move on from all that reminded me of this life, but I don't think it's possible when I haven't shared everything with you. I know that once I tell you, I can finally be unchained from the chains that made me unspoken for a long time."

She couldn't keep eye contact for long as she spoke, but made sure to glance at him every now and then. In some sense, she wanted the reassurance that he was taking in all the information she laid out to him. She could tell by his posture that he was a little nervous to hear the rest but was willing to listen.

"I know that I never spoke about my parents, but always mentioned my aunt and uncle."

Nick nodded.

" The truth is that I lost my mother when I was small and it was a heavy hit to both my dad and I. As young as I was, I had to be a witness to the hardship my father faced, he couldn't bear the pain, as anyone in his place would feel. What I hadn't realised was how far this loss had affected his mental state of mind and how it changed him in a very big way." It had been such a long time since Kate had shared her story, she couldn't deny that this was still an overwhelming thing to do.

Nick tried to not let his imagination run too far and imagine the worst. The thought of the worst kind of pain happening to the love of his life, would pierce so heavily in his heart.

"No child should see their parent go through that kind of pain. The loss of a loved one is never easy, I can't imagine little Kate going through such pain." He said, kissing her hand.

" You can stop if it gets too hard for you, I will understand." He continued to say, his tone sounding so gentle that it made her heart flutter.

She shook her head. " No, I want to tell you everything. "

" Okay," he nodded, encouraging her to continue.

" At some point, he turned into someone I could not recognize anymore. He became distant, hard and very cold. There were times where I could spot that glimpse of my father, the sweet and sensitive guy. Honestly, I could not keep up with his mood swings and expressions. Nothing made sense to me and I tried to figure out what was going on. Lets just say once I did, the truth was far from being pretty."

"What did he do?" He asked, leaning forward a bit.

This time, he could not hide how anxious he'd been.

'What did that man do to my girl? I don't care if he is her father but if he hurt her in anyway, I won't regard him as anything close to a father.'

"I found out that he was not the only one who experienced mood changes, but so did I. Something had been happening with me, where I felt uneasy in mind. I would forget easily or believe that I had misplaced something. Honestly, it was an experience, where it felt like I travelled to two places at once, one had my sweet dad while the other welcomed me to the strange man that had taken over my father."

She took yet another needed heavy breath, knowing that what she was about to reveal next, would be the hardest part.

" One day I woke up from a very long rest, one I had not realised I'd taken at all. I remember wanting to call out to him but immediately stopped. What made me stop was what I discovered that day.

I no longer was in my room but the the basement. I disovered that my body had been tied down on the bed," she choked on her words when she felt tears spring to her eyes.

No matter what, she refused to cry.

"Look, you can stop now. You don't have to-------" Nick tried to say but she shook her head no yet again.

"He had been drugging and starving me, and I had no clue until that day. He would punish me for things I hadn't done and keep me locked up from the world. That was the life I lived."

" Oh my God!" Nick gasped as he shot to his feet.

His heart sank far too low because what he had just heard was too much.

'How could that happen to his girl? She was only just a child.'

He now understood Kate better now, why she tensed up each time he tried getting close to her. It almost seemed like she was afraid of being touched. This happened during the first few months of them dating, he had to work hard to earn her trust.

There were injection spots and scars on her body, something he'd noticed before but refrained from asking about them. He trusted that she would share with him once she was comfortable enough.

" After that day, lets just say it became a norm to endure all of that. I was young and naive, I truly believed that it was done to other kids."

" I grew up and started having questions. I questioned everything he did and you can imagine how he reacted." She wiped away the few tears that had escaped. " He became aggressive. He could tell that I wasn't easily accepting everything he did, and that put him on edge. Things got out of control and before I knew it, he'd become obsessed with keeping me locked in that house.

He emotionally and sometimes physically abused me. I remember how he manipulated me into never thinking about leaving him. He would say that if I ever left him, he would surely kill himself, according to his words, I was his only reason for living.

One time I had pleaded with him to release me, but then he......." Tears had now streamed down her cheeks as it became increasingly hard to continue, but she did.

She was too far gone into telling her story, that stopping now was not an option.

"He first slapped me so hard and then started beating on me, he did it over and over again!" She cried out.

Nick rushed over to her and took her in his arms. He couldn't take it anymore, it was all too much.

He held her for a while as she sobbed in his arms. Like he'd promised, he was right there with her.

Her sobs quieten down and she pulled away.

" I need to finish this."

" Kate...."

She shook her head, silencing his protest. " Let me, please."

He sighed but nodded.

" The more I grew up, the more I realized that the pain was too much and I needed to get away from him.

My curiosity for the outside pushed me to take matters into my own hands. Whenever an opportunity presented itself, I would sneak out to the forest. I wanted to find the road and maybe take a chance to completely escape then.

Long story short, I found my chance one day. I remember him passed out on the couch, it was clear that he'd been drunk. I believe that day my mom helped me that day, because I was able to wake up earlier than expected, from my drugged up state.
That night he had not chained me, once I realised what that meant for me, I was gone. I escaped though the window and I ran, I ran like I'd never ran before.

Not once did I look back, even when I heard his call. Amy! Amy! I looked forward because that's all I could do." Kate was no longer on the same place but stood against the window.

"How did you....."Nick trailed off, not knowing how to word the rest of his question.

" I was told that a policeman had found me passed out near the road, where he took me to the hospital. Some wanted to take me back to my father but I begged them not to. I gave them all necessary information, despite not knowing much. Luckily some nurse put two and two together since she had once worked with my father. Surprisingly my doctor was none other than my aunt Charice, who recognized and claimed me before I was sent to a home."

She turned to face him again. " Well the rest follows and here I am."

"I'm so sorry," he said with watery eyes.

Kate returned to his side, which was now on the couch. She wiped away his tears and gave him a subtle kiss.

"It's okay, I'm okay," she said softly.

It hurt so much to learn about what Kate went throughout. She didn't have it easy and he was so grateful that she survived, because now she was part of his life.

"There are pills I take that help, but I desire for the day I won't anymore. It's just that I have more than enough in my life, I have my family, my friends and especially you." She smiled a little when she mentioned him.

" I'm sorry that it took so long for me to share this with you, It's just that I was so scared that if I told you, then maybe you would think about leaving me."

"Never, never, " He declared strongly as he pulled her in his arms.

'How dare would he do such a thing when this was the love of his life. Such an action would be the cruelest thing he'd do and he was not that wicked.'

He pulled back only to connect their lips for a passionate kiss. There was alot of emotion in that kiss in which Kate returned.

Nick couldn't get enough of her against him and before Kate knew it, he'd picked her up in his arms. For a brief moment, they came up for air and looked at each other. She smiled down at him as he led them to the bedroom. The moment they arrived, he set her down on her feet.

Her tummy fluttered with butterflies when got a good look at the room.

It was beautifully decorated with candles on the floor and rose patels on the bed. When she faced him again and their eyes locked, they communicated.

They understood what that moment meant.

" Kate." He closed the distance. " Whatever happens tonight, just know I'll only listen to your word. Whatever you want and need, I'm here."

'Was it possible to fall even deeper inlove with someone?' She wondered as she felt even lucky to have Nick as her boyfriend.

Without a word, she began unbuttoning his shirt until it was off him.

Looking into her eyes, Kate made herself clear to Nick.

' She was sure that she wanted the night to be special, like he did.'

The night was about them.

Kate freed her hair from the hairpin, letting her hair flow around her like a silky curtain. The moment everything came off and she was left in her undergarments, Nick took in a sharp breath.

Kate was too beautiful for words and he felt like the most privileged person, to be in her presence.

His desire for her only heightened and not being able to resist, his hands found their way to her waist. He picked her up once more and he led them to the bed where he laid them there.

He stared down at her and said, " you are so beautiful."

Her face warmed up as his fingers gently stroked her cheeks. He stole a kiss and said against her lips, "I love you Kate Dawson, with everything in me."

" I love you too." She responded with the same amount of love.

He received it fully.

The night was one filled with deep passion, where their hearts connected like never before and their souls sang.

In his arms and his life, is where Nick believed she belonged.

There was immense trust between them, she had opened up about a part of her that still lingered as heavy wound. He made a promise then, that he'd do everything to show her how deserving she was to receive and experience love. He did not take it lightly, the fact that she showed him how much she trusts him.

He made a promise later that night as he watched Kate sleep peacefully, in his arms. He would never leave her and would do his utmost to shield her away from harm. In his eyes, Kate was meant to know the beauty of life.

Kate snuggled closer to him, loving the sound of his heartbeat against her ear. He was warm and lovely and she couldn't ask for anything more.

She felt safe like never before.

That was their night, a night that she had let herself be more vulnerable and open with Nick, her night and shining armor, her best friend and her true love.

●●●●●●●●● ●●●●●●●● ●●●●●●●●

Kate finally found the courage to share her story with Nick and like the loving boyfriend he is, Nick remained by her side and listened to her.