“Look.” Nick sighed as he turned around to face him. “I don’t want any trouble!”
“You can’t have her!” Daniel cried emotionally as a stunned and drunken Emma staggered back from the duo.
“We’re just here as friends,” Nick said calmly.
“Bullshit!” Daniel shouted, and then he balled his hand into a fist, raised it up, and punched Nick directly in the face. Considering how drunk he was, he pulled the maneuver off with surprising accuracy and speed.
Nick fell back against the bar, raising his hands to his face as dark red blood began to seep through his fingers. His nose burned with bright, brilliant pain. It was a familiar discomfort, and Nick knew in that instant that Daniel had broken his nose.
Daniel’s hand was now feeling the force of the impact, and as he shook it and winced in pain, two bouncers dressed in black came and grabbed him, preventing him from doing any more damage.
“Daniel! What the hell are you doing?” Emma screamed at him, a delayed reaction to the punch.
Daniel wanted to reply, but the bouncers already had him halfway down the staircase as he was being escorted off the premises.
“Oh my God!” Damion ran over and looked apologetically at Nick. “I’m so, so sorry. I don’t know what came over him!”
“I do.” Nick flicked his eyes towards Emma. Damion nodded in agreement.
“He needs to sort himself out,” Nick stated as he leaned his head back to try to control the bleeding.
“Oh my God, your nose!” Emma cried when Daniel disappeared from view and she turned and noticed the blood streaming down Nick’s face.
“Let me help!” She grabbed a handful of napkins off the bar, but before she could use them, the club’s resident medic had arrived and began tending to Nick. Once the bleeding was controlled, he was led away from the VIP area towards the first aid room located in the back.
Emma looked helplessly at Damion.
“Stay with Nick,” Damion instructed her. “Make sure he’s okay. I’ll go and find Daniel. He’s probably out on the street picking fights with strangers.”
“Don’t joke!” Emma told him sternly. He saw the concern reflected in her eyes, but what saddened him was that it wasn’t for Nick, who was nursing a broken nose, it was for Daniel. She didn’t want him landing himself in any more trouble from his hotheadedness.
“He’ll be fine,” Damion reassured her. “I’d worry about Nick. If he’s got any sense, he’ll press charges.”
“This is all my fault, isn’t it?” Emma asked forlornly.
“No.” Damion grabbed her shoulders and looked directly in to her eyes. “None of this is your fault, Ems. It’s all Daniel’s fault. He needs to figure out what the hell he wants and stop playing games with everyone.”
“I wasn’t doing that with you,” Emma said sadly, holding Damion in her gaze. “I wasn’t playing games.”
“I know.” Damion released a bittersweet smile and gently kissed her on the forehead before dashing off to find Daniel.
DANIEL WOKE UP AND groaned. His entire body ached and throbbed, and his throat felt unbearably dry. Wincing, he stretched and managed to stand up. As he looked around, he realized he was in Damion’s apartment and that he’d been sleeping on the hard kitchen floor. His body seared with pain as if suddenly remembering the discomfort of the night.
“Urgh.” Daniel sighed and moved towards the kitchen sink. He turned on the faucet and promptly stuck his head beneath it, not caring that his hair was getting wet as he greedily drank up the falling water.
“Hey.” Damion appeared behind him as he drank. He was already dressed in slacks and a T-shirt while Daniel was still wearing his smart club attire, now severely creased.
Daniel stopped drinking and wiped his mouth as he turned to face his friend. “Hey.”
“How are you feeling?” Damion asked as he entered the kitchen area and flicked on the coffee machine.
“Like shit,” Daniel replied flatly.
“Remember much about last night?”
Daniel thought for a moment. He remembered being at his apartment, drinking heavily, but little else. As he searched his memory, he looked down at his hands and noticed that the knuckles on his right hand were red and swollen. He made a fist and instantly winced.
“Do you remember hitting Cardelinni?”
“What?” Daniel’s eyes flew open with surprise. “I hit Nick?”
“Socked him right in the nose. I reckon it’s broken.”
“Shit, really?” Daniel slowly dropped down onto a nearby stool, wondering what had happened to him the previous night. Starting fights wasn’t his style.
“You really don’t remember?”
Daniel shook his head.
“Probably for the best.” Damion sighed as he poured them both a fresh mug of coffee.
“Why did I do it?” Daniel wondered. “Why did I hit him? I mean, I know I don’t like the guy, but still!”
“He was out with Emma.”
“Like, out out?” Daniel suddenly felt a surge of panic grip his entire body like a vice.
“As friends out,” Damion quickly explained.
“Oh.”
“But you didn’t see it that way last night.”
“Is that why I hit him?”
“Yeah.” Damion nodded slowly. “You thought he was putting the moves on Emma, so you punched him. Kind of a strange thing to do over a girl you don’t want to be with.”
Daniel gritted his teeth and looked down sourly at the kitchen counter.
“You’re lucky he’s not pressing charges,” Damion added.
“He’s not?”
“No. I keep telling you, he’s a decent guy. Even though he’s had to have his nose reset, he’s not taking this further. Personally, I think he should.”
“Why would you think that?” Daniel asked, hurt.
“Because”—Damion sat down across from his friend, his gaze intent—“you keep doing this. You keep pushing Emma away but then not truly setting her free. What you’re doing is unfair. As someone who has been on the receiving end, I can’t stress enough how much it hurts to be given false hope. You’re at a point where you either decide to be with her or accept that you have to let her go.”
Daniel was silent.
“If Nick had pressed charges, it might have helped you see clearly. You can’t keep going on like this.”
“You’re right,” Daniel muttered distantly.
“HOW DO I LOOK?” NICK winced as he smiled when he opened his front door and found Emma standing there with a bottle of scotch in hand.
Emma saw the bruises collecting beneath his eyes, which even the bandages from the hospital couldn’t obscure.
“You look awful,” she said honestly, on the brink of tears.
“Okay, okay, don’t cry.” Nick ushered her into his apartment. “It’s not like you’re the one who got your nose snapped last night!”
“I’m just so sorry that this happened!” Emma placed the scotch down in Nick’s kitchen and gave him her full attention.
“I’m fine,” Nick replied flippantly.
“No, you’re not! He broke your nose!”
Nick rolled his eyes and sauntered over to inspect the bottle of scotch. “Nice year,” he complimented as he surveyed the label.
“Don’t change the subject,” Emma chastised him.
“Emma, I got punched. It’s okay. Let’s move on, shall we? How are you feeling today? More than a little bit worse for wear, I imagine?”
Emma blushed. She didn’t want to admit that she’d woken up with her head over the toilet bowl and her dress covered in her own vomit. As she’d stood taking a prolonged shower to try to wake up, the events of the night before had come rushing back to her. In a panic, she dressed and headed over to Nick’s place but not before quickly picking up a gift to act as both peace offering and get-well present.
“Do you blame me?” She looked tentatively at his bandaged nose.
“Course not,
” Nick replied quickly as he opened the bottle and located two crystal glasses.
“Oh, none for me,” Emma objected. The thought of drinking anything alcohol made her want to heave.
“Nonsense.” Nick poured the amber liquid into both glasses. “Hair of the dog is just what you need.”
He pushed one of the glasses towards Emma, and she begrudgingly raised it to her lips. She took a sip and felt her whole body warm as the liquid slid down the back of her throat.
“Helps, doesn’t it?” Nick smiled as he drank from his own drink, the alcohol helping to numb the pain of his busted nose. He could feel the start of a horrendous headache pinching behind his eyes. Soon he’d need to take to his bed to rest.
“Are you in terrible pain?” Emma asked with concern. Nick looked like the loser in a boxing match, all bandaged up and with bruises forming.
“Nothing I can’t handle.” He winked and then winced slightly.
“This is all my fault,” Emma declared despairingly, looking down into her glass.
“It’s not at all,” Nick corrected her.
“Fucking Daniel!” Emma seethed. “He ruins everything!”
“Hey, forget about it; I have.”
In anger, Emma downed the rest of her glass of scotch, which instantly combined with the alcohol still in her system, and quickly became drunk again. She stood up and slowly walked over to Nick. Bemused, he put his own glass down and watched as she approached him, her movements deliberate and soft. She stopped moving when she was standing directly before him; then she lifted her hands and tentatively touched the area of his face around his nose.
Nick winced.
“Sorry.” Emma pulled her hands away. “I just hate seeing you like this, in so much pain.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Nick replied, clearing his throat. She was so close that he could smell the citrus body butter she’d applied to her skin after she’d showered. She smelled fresh and alluring.
“I think he just got the wrong idea and thought we were together or something,” Nick whispered nervously.
“Would that be such a crazy thought?” Emma asked coyly.
Nick saw the familiar flicker of flirtation in her eyes. Normally he’d resist such an advance, but the alcohol was working with his pain medication, making him woozy and euphoric.
“I guess it wouldn’t be that crazy,” Nick admitted as Emma placed one hand on his chest and the other around his head, bringing his head next to hers.
“You’re a good guy, Nick Cardelinni,” she said, almost purring. “You took a punch for me last night.”
“I’m pretty special.” Nick grinned. This time it didn’t hurt so much to smile.
Emma came in closer and softly raised her lips to his. At first the kiss was soft and sensitive, but Nick quickly enveloped her in his arms, opening his mouth and letting her tongue brush up against his.
“I’M DONE PLAYING GAMES,” Daniel said decisively.
“I’ve heard that before.” Damion rolled his eyes as he drank his coffee.
“I’m serious.” Daniel smacked his hand down upon the counter. “You’re right that I can’t keep going on like this. Either I get serious about Emma, or I let her go and accept it.”
“Okay.” Damion nodded. “So what are you going to do?”
Memories of the previous night were slowly filtering back to Daniel. Like a jigsaw with missing pieces, he couldn’t see everything as a whole, but he knew enough. He knew how he’d felt when he saw Emma with Nick and believed them to be together. It destroyed him. The thought of her being with someone else felt like a tsunami washing over him, making him almost drown in his own despair.
He punched Nick because he couldn’t let her have Emma. He couldn’t have her because Daniel couldn’t bear for her to be with anyone else when she was destined to be his.
“I punched Cardelinni because I still love Emma,” Daniel admitted. As he said the words, he felt a weight lift from his shoulders. He was finally being honest with himself.
“About time you faced the truth,” Damion admitted.
“I guess I can be too proud sometimes.”
“And stubborn,” Damion added.
“Yeah.” Daniel gave a half smile. “And stubborn.”
“So you admit that you love her? What now?”
“I win her back!” Daniel said, excitement creeping into his voice. “I woo her and get her to give me one last shot, or I risk losing her forever.”
“But you can’t play with her,” Damion warned his friend. “If you do this, make sure you’re doing it because you want her back forever, not just because you want what you can’t have.”
“No.” Daniel looked at Damion, his expression sincere. “I love Emma. I’ve always loved her. I’ve just been too scared to admit it. You know how I’ve always felt about her and what I’m like. Sometimes I manage to get in my own way, being terrified of taking a risk, of stepping into the unknown, especially with relationships. But now I know that I need to act before I let her slip through my fingers.”
“Well, I’m in favor of a happy ending.” Damion smiled softly. “You’ve been toing and froing for long enough; its time you became a couple and actually stuck at it!”
THE KISS WITH NICK deepened, and Emma shuddered with pleasure as she felt his hands expertly sliding their way down her back, savoring her curves. There was a hunger within the kiss felt by them both. Nick kissed with passion and held Emma tightly to him, their bodies entwining as they remained locked at the lips. Emma felt like she could spend hours kissing him. It felt blissful and erotic all at the same time.
As they broke away from one another, she looked into his eyes that were more intense than she’d ever noticed. Her heart was racing madly in her chest, but her mind was clear. She knew what she wanted. Carefully Emma maneuvered herself so that she could whisper directly into Nick’s ear.
“Take me,” she said, with a desperate hunger. “Take me now.”
Don’t stop now! Continue reading Designing Emma (Volume 6)—
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Designing Emma (Volume 5) Page 7