I could ignore the calls and the incessant texting, but I couldn't ignore the banging at the door. After what happened yesterday, I expected Nina to understand and let me do what I was supposed to do. She doesn't understand, though.

"Why are you going?" she asks for the one hundredth time, sitting at the edge of my bed and keeping me from storing my clothes inside my suitcase.

"Nina," I start, walking from a side of the room to the other, assembling all my belongings. "Father's decision is final. He is going to disinherit me if I don't do as told. I'm just thankful he gave me a week."

"So that's it? You just live according to his every whim?"

"Yes."

I don't understand what is so hard to understand. He is my father. All my life, I've sought his unattainable appreciation. I don't want to appease him. I have to. And even if I didn't feel the invisible chains forcing me to do as he says, I'm still financially dependent.

"What kind of life is that?"

"It's mine!" I exclaim, looking at her for the first time since I let her in. "It's the one I have. It's the one I've lived since the day I was born. You don't need to understand because you can't even be in it anymore. I know it hurts you, it hurts me too, but I don't have a choice."

"It sounds like it's not hurting you at all." Her words are bitter and I look at the wall to blink away the tears. "If you really want to go, go. But don't act like you don't have a choice. You are choosing to have the life you complain about."

I clench my fists. "It's so easy for you to say that, isn't it? You have parents who actually love you unconditionally, even if you like to complain so much. You don't know what it is like to be me. Don't pin this on me."

"I am, though. I am blaming you for leaving me!"

"You can't. This is not my doing."

"What do you care if I blame you or not? You're leaving anyway. It's the same for you."

My eyes burn. I'm on the brink of tears, but I refuse to cry in front of her. I've cried enough yesterday after Giuseppe left. She looks so angry, and all I want to do is ask for her forgiveness.

"I don't want to leave on bad terms with you."

"I do."

"No. Don't say that. Nina, I promise I want to stay, but I can't."

"If you wanted to, you would."

She's breaking my heart. This situation was bad enough on its own, but her personal mission to make this my fault is tearing me apart. She's making me the bad guy. It feels awful, but at the same time it doesn't.

When I moved out of England, AJ and Courtney were sad. We cried, and it was heartbreaking, but we survived it. We didn't fight it. Everything happened the way it was supposed to. There wasn't a Nina making a mess out of it. Somehow, I'm happy she is here, making it look like I'm important to her.

"I can't," I repeat. "You know I want to. My life is here. You are here."

"Don't pretend you care about me."

"I care." My voice cracks. "You're the best thing that happened to me."

"Then stay! Stay for me, Giada. Please."

Her eyes meet mine in a plea. I can barely withstand her gaze. The idea of hurting her weights on all my other troubles. So far, I was only thinking about how this affected me, about how I wanted to stay with her. It didn't occur to me she would feel just as miserable.

I swallow. "I can't."

"Because you don't want to."

"Because my father-"

"Your father is tearing your life apart!" She stands up and holds my hands. "Tell me you prefer to go back there than being here. Tell me and I'll leave."

"I don't want you to leave," I mutter, looking at our fingers intertwined. "I want you to stay with me."

"Why should I stay when you're leaving?"

"You know I want to stay with you. But I can't."

"Why not?" she presses.

"Because my father wants me home. I have duties. I am his only daughter... And he will disinherit me if I disobey. What will I do then? With no money, no apartment, no university, no career,..."

"No forced marriage, no bossy parents, an actual life," she concludes. "You get a job. It's not the end of the world."

"A job with my close to none abilities won't pay for living costs and university."

"I'll help you out. You can move in with me in the meantime."

I take a step back, letting go of her. "No, Nina. I would never burden you. I'm going back to my parent's house. It's the safe choice."

"But it's not the happy choice. Choose me."

I shake my head. "I'm sorry, Nina. I know this is all bizarre to you. All my father cares about is looking good and making alliances with other important figures. The people I am seen with are a big deal to him."

Her jaw drops. "Are you joking?"

"I'm not saying I agree. It's just the way his mind works."

She rolls her eyes. "What about a Whittmore? Is that good enough?"

I frown. She can't possibly be implying what I think she's implying. I've seen Abigail Whittmore in the events my parents attended a few times before. I don't know that much about her, but I am sure she doesn't have kids.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"I am asking you if he is still against me if I have a fancy surname."

I shake my head in denial. "But you don't... You're not... Are you?"

"It's on the mailbox."

How did I not know this? I've been hanging out with her for so long and it never occurred to me that both of us come from influential families. My stomach sinks as I realise her name weights a lot more than my own.

"Your mother is Abigail Whittmore?" I ask, still skeptical.

She frowns. "No. My dad is Andrew Whittmore. The brother."

"What do you mean? Isn't she the sole heir of the company? I've never heard of your father."

She shrugs. "Do you want to know why?" I nod. "Because grampa was a bitch and disinherited him."

"What? How?"

"I don't know the details. We're getting off topic."

We're not getting off topic. For a moment, I had hoped my father would find this a valuable alliance, but there's no way he'll waste a second on Nina, considering her father's financial cutoff.

"He won't accept our friendship," I tell her.

"Our friendship?" she asks. "Is that what we are, Giada?"

I stare at her, a knot forming in my throat. It shouldn't have come to this. I shouldn't be feeling all these emotions crashing on me because I'm being torn away from her. It was a slap on my face. It didn't have to be.

I shake my head. "We're not. I don't know what we are."

She purses her lips. "Doesn't matter now, does it?"

I look down. "I guess it doesn't."

Nina comes near me, but I cannot look her in the eye. "There is nothing I can do to stop this. That is on you. And since I can't convince you to act, I will go."

"No!" I say as soon as she steps away. "I'm not ready to say goodbye."

"I wasn't either. Until I realised if you really cared, I wouldn't have to convince you."

Hot tears run down my face. No matter how many times I brush them away, they keep pouring. My throat feels too sore to speak, but there's so much I want to say. I can't put it in words, but I need her to stay.

"Is it my fault?" I ask. "I told you about my family. Why don't you see I don't have a choice? Why do you have to blame me?"

"You have a choice. You can choose between going back to being a puppet, or you can set yourself free. I know it's difficult, but I'll help you."

"Why would you even help me? I'll just be a burden to you."

"You know why. Let me help you. Stay for me."

"I want to," I mutter. "But I can't."

"Why not?"

I swallow. "Because I'm scared."

She closes the gap between us. Her arms hold me tight against me. I sob against her chest, fingers gripping the fabric of her shirt. I never imagined a hug could hurt so much.

"Don't be scared. I'll be with you every step of the way."

"Do you promise?" I manage to ask.

"I do. I'll always be here for you."

She looks down at me and cleans my tears away, but I keep sobbing. I hate it that I am a crying mess and she is not. I want to trust her, but the fear gripping me whole makes it hard to breathe.

"Thank you," I whisper. "Thank you for caring about me. And for worrying."

"Don't be so relieved. It's all out of selfishness," she says, and I frown. "I want you here and I want to see you happy. It's selfish."

I grin. "No. You care about me. If you didn't, you wouldn't want all of those things."

"Whatever you say," she mumbles against my hair.

I can't help but smile. My needs have become her needs, and she doesn't even realise it. Is this what it feels like to have someone who cares about you in your life?

"Will you help me pack?" I ask and she stiffens.

"What? I thought you weren't leaving anymore."

I shake my head. "I'm not. But I'm still losing the apartment by the end of the week."

She nods. "Right. I'll help you. But I need to clean up before you move in. My place is a mess."

"Yeah, I noticed," I tell her with a smile, and she nudges me playfully.

It doesn't matter how much calmer I'm feeling, the fear tugs in my chest. The fear of what it will be like to not count on my parents for help. The fear of what my father will do when he finds out I won't do as he says. I hope disinheriting me is enough, and he doesn't come after Nina. But the fear never leaves me.

Hello! Hope you liked this chapter. 

Does it get annoying that there's pretty much only one scene per chapter?

3 chapters until the end of Sugarless and the beginning of Once Upon a One Night Stand

Thank you for reading ;)