by Jones, P. A.
“Hello, Nikki.” Shaun greeted me as I entered the courtroom. “You have your friend as well.” He stared Tristan like he was staring down his prey.
“Yes, Mr. Shaun. He is here and he will be everywhere I go. Do you have an issue with that?” I said, trying to control my anger. I didn’t like anyone objecting to Tristan’s presence with me. After all, you are my guardian angel, sweetheart.
“Ignore him. He is trying to get to you,” Tristan whispered behind my ears.
“Let’s go, Nikki, courts don’t like waiting,” Shaun said, ignoring my comment.
We followed Shaun to one side of the huge court room. I suspected if required, at least a hundred people could sit there comfortably, but as this was a private hearing only ten people were present in the courtroom.
We sat behind Shaun.
“Before the judge comes, let me clear up one thing. Whatever I say, keep nodding. This is for your own good,” Shaun said in a Canadian accent.
“Okay,” I replied.
There was a pin-drop silence and everybody was waiting for the judge to come. But before the Judge came something happened outside. Some noises started coming from outside. Everybody started looking behind us. Everybody was curious, but I kept looking at the judge’s chair. I didn’t like being in court.
“Ma’am, can you please come outside for a sec?” A bailiff asked me.
“Why, Officer? what's the issue?” Tristan asked.
“Sir, a man claiming to be her husband is trying to come inside. We tried to stop him, but he isn't listening to us.
“What? my husband?”I replied in shock. That couldn’t be possible. Gerome?
“Nikki, let’s go and see who this jerk is.” Tristan held my arm.
“But our hearing…”
“You can go, Nikki. The judge just postponed it as he is not feeling well,” Shaun said, putting a hand on his cell phonemic.
“But Tristan…” I resisted. I didn’t want to go outside—a dark feeling was gathering inside my heart.
“Let’s go, Nikki. I’m sensing some trouble here.” Tristan looked worried, and I didn’t like that. He was sensing the same thing I was.
We walked outside in a rush; he must have his own concerns, enough to look into the matter.
Tristan opened the door; my heart beat was on fire. I could feel them through the cage of my ribs. Can it be true? What if he is alive?
A man was surrounded by some officers. I couldn’t see his face at first. But his hair—long hair, the same as Gerome.
He slowly turned to us, making his features visible—his large, pointed nose, prominent chin. My heart stopped for a second. It was Gerome. A bit older, but the same Gerome whom I’d married, whose son I carried for nine months in my belly. But how could it be true? My knees got weaker. I fell down on the top stair.
“Baby…what happened to you.” Gerome ran towards me and lifted me in his coat and hugged me tightly. “Are you all right,, babe? It’s me your husband, back from dead. Sucker.” He chuckled. It was him--his favorite word, ‘sucker’.
I didn’t know how to react; it was so fast and unexpected. I looked at Tristan standing behind Gerome. Pain was flowing through his eyes; he was hurt. And I couldn’t do anything to ease his pain.
Is this a dream? If it is, it’s a nightmare. I can’t forget the pain in Tristan’s eyes.
“Baby, are you okay? Sucker…”
He was Gerome; he had a habit of saying everything with an attached word—sucker. Oh, I forgot how much I hated that word and he was the same, not changed at all. High quality clothes, expensive deodorant, but nobody knew the man inside. I couldn’t understand what was happening to me.
“Baby, speak to me. What happened to you?” He pulled me closer to him, crushing my breasts on his firm chest. I remembered every inch of him, and every inch of pain he inflicted on me. Those nights of abuse and domination. No, I can’t go back there.
I pushed him away and looked in his dark green eyes. The eyes still looked sparkling, but I didn’t know what could be hidden there. Our last interaction years ago wasn’t perfect.
“Oh, my sweetie, look. You look exactly the same—same figure, same smile and, of course, same ass.” He chuckled again. He was Gerome; he was obsessed with my ass.
I felt a shiver passing through my spine. Gerome was a good lover, but his needs sometimes were so wicked and dominating. And his lust for money…
“Babe, I’m back for you. I was away, locked in a cell by your dad. Your dad told me that he would kill you if I came back.” He continued in his Canadian accent. “How is our son, babe? Is he a sucker like me?” He laughed again. “I missed him and missed you, too. Officers, look here, she is my wife.”
How did he know we had a son? He must be keeping tabs on me. I was still standing, frozen, unable to speak a word out of my mouth. Why the hell is he back, when everything was going so smooth?
“Hey, babe, why is this man staring at you? Is he your new boyfriend? Did you cheat on me?” He looked at Tristan.
I didn’t know what to say; I was speechless. Tristan was staring at me. Maybe he was waiting for an answer, but I didn’t have any. I didn’t have any answer to Gerome’s question and certainly not to Tristan’s eyes.
“We can talk when we go back to home, not now Gerome.” Words came out for the first time. I didn’t want to answer him in front of people or the media and even in front of Tristan. It was all was still a shock to me; I had to know why he was alive when I was told he was dead.
And then, suddenly, someone touched my hand. I jumped to my feet; I thought it was Gerome again. A key was pressed in my hand and Tristan was walking down the stairs. He didn’t even look at me once. But then he stopped at the end of the stairs and looked at me with wounded eyes. Damnit, I have played with his life again. How am I going to pay for these sins. He looked away and walked to the parking lot.
“Who’s that man, babe? Do you have your car? How are we going to get back home?” Gerome asked.
“Public transport, the way we used to travel,” I shouted at him. I was on the verge of busting out. I was angry at myself for being the reason for all this. The person who almost died for me walked away from me and I was still there with my past. He even gave me his car key, worrying how I would get home.
I felt overwhelmed by my emotions. I couldn’t let him walk away like that, but I didn’t have the answer to any question of his. At least not at that moment. Heck, I didn’t even have answers to my own questions.
“Baby, let’s go. We have lot to talk about,” Gerome said in his normal voice, and I remembered how much I hated that voice
Chapter 6
Same Day, A few hours before Tristan drove Nikki to the courtroom
Tristan
I was on my chair, and Nikki was sitting across the table. My heart was pounding faster and faster, my brain was about to explode by the possibilities. I checked my pocket, and the touch of a velvet box gave me some confidence. I was going to propose to the girl of my dreams.
I stood up. Nikki looked at me with her sparkling blue eyes. I bent on one knee and pulled the ring out of my hand.
“Nikki Jordan, will you marry me?”
Suddenly, Nikki’s face twisted into something else. Her face turned wicked, her eyes lightened with flames. “How could you, Tristan? I trusted you with my heart and you betrayed me.” She lifted the champagne glass on the table and banged it on the wooden surface. The beige liquid scattered everywhere and then dropped on the floor, drip by drip. The inevitable had happened. She said no. What am I going to do now?
And then my phone alarm started ringing. Alarm, now? Why the hell is it ringing now?
Shocked, I woke up, dripping in sweat. For a second, I couldn’t understand what was going on and where I was. My heart raced like a sports car, my fingers rolled in a fist. I sat up. I was on my bed and my alarm was ringing. It was a damn dream. Hell with it. I could remember everything from it. I was proposing to Nikki and she just declined it.
Holy shit, what just happened?
I checked the clock, and it was five in the morning. A reminder was shining on my cell’s screen. ‘Set the table and make the preparations.’ Yes, I was going to say the three magic words to Nikki tonight, after the court hearing was done. I’d planned to take her back here, arrange a candlelight dinner for us and then ask her on a date with an I love you message in a card. Damn, this whole thing looked so girly when I thought that way. Why don’t I just wear a pink shirt, then.
I shook my head. I wanted to make the date as perfect as possible. I wanted to ask her to come and live with me. I wanted to know her better. I wanted to wake up to her every morning and help her with her problems.
But that dream? The dream unsettled my entire morning. I couldn’t go back to sleep as the courier with the furniture I’d ordered was on the way. I’d expedited it to reach my house early in the morning. It was my birthday and I wanted to make it special, with Nikki being with me. But that dream?
Heck with it. I’ll do as I’d planned.
My phone rang. It was from the delivery company.
“Coming,” I muttered.
***
I hid the card under the back seat and started the car. The card had a message for Nikki, and I was sure she would be very happy to read it. I whistled and pressed the gas. It was going to be a memorable evening for both of us. The arrangements was were made. Champagne was chilling up in the freezer for tonight’s event. This day is gonna change our lives, my dear. I wished Emma was there to see me this much happy.
***
Inside the Courtroom
Something was going on outside. The judge was about to arrive and something happened—some noise, some disturbance. A police officer came inside and asked Nikki to follow him. Someone was claiming to be Nikki’s husband. My heart slowed down. It can’t be. I didn’t expect him to be back. I was thinking selfish, but she was meant to be mine and not anyone's else. A rage was building inside me. I would kill this jerk if he is a fraud.
***
He, Gerome, looked a bit older than his age, but the way Nikki looked at him gave me the confirmation that he was the one. Her husband was back and I was standing there looking at their reunion. God, can it get worse than this?
Gerome asked her if I was her boyfriend. I thought she would say yes and things could get clear between us. I was thinking about me, but heck, I loved her more than anything. But then she didn’t say anything. She ignored the question.
My heart shattered like a broken glass. My life force was getting sucked out of my body. I couldn’t stand there. I took out my car key and placed it in her hand. She didn’t even recognize my touch. I walked away from them. I couldn’t see anything happening around me. I couldn’t bare the reunion of those two. Damn, I loved her more than anyone could. I knew I was acting selfish and like a jerk, but, hey, my heart was bleeding dry with every second Nikki was in his arms. How could I see her in another’s arms? What’s wrong in me, God? Why is this happening to me again? I took a taxi back to home.
When I opened the door, the first thing I saw was the arrangements I had made for our dinner. What the heck? I kicked the table with a straight leg, sending it flying. The champagne glasses I’d arranged banged against the wall and shattered in pieces. I kicked the chair, and then I kicked it again and again until it was broken in pieces.
I fell down on ground when I couldn’t kick the pieces anymore. I was completely drained. I had no emotions left in my body. I crawled to the refrigerator and pulled a bottle of whiskey out of it. I started drinking it neat—straight from the bottle. Freaking destiny had played with me again. I’d lost everything—again.. First Emma, and now Nikki. What had I done wrong in my life to deserve this? What did the Almighty what?
“What?” I screamed, looking above. I wanted answers from him and I would get them someday. “I’ll get the answers someday,” I shouted from the bottom of my throat.
***
I woke up middle in the night. I was lying back on the ground while my head rested on the couch. An empty bottle of whiskey dropped out of my hand and rolled away from me.
“I need more.” I crawled to refrigerator again and took another bottle out. I had to erase her from my heart.
Chapter 7
Nikki
While sitting in the living room, I watched Gerome drinking a hell lot of alcohol from my dad’s private collection. Jerk. From the moment he’d come inside the house, he was all about complaining what dad had done with him and how much he missed me and—the finest alcohol. He didn’t even ask about Stephen. Thank God I left him with Carrie for today.
“Babe, do you want so….me…sucker,” he said, and he laughed like a maniac. Did I hate him? Yes, probably I hated him for what he did to my life. But what should I do now was the biggest question I had. What the hell happened to me? I couldn’t even make a proper decision yet. Why am I so worried about him? I should kick him out and go with Tristan. But I was afraid to make any decision yet. I wanted to know why Gerome was back and what had really happened.
I went into my room to change. I removed my dress, took my pajamas out of my closet and sat on the bed. I started pulling my pajamas up, bt— the hell with it, it refused to come up.
“Fuck you…” I muttered loud, and checked what was I doing. Instead of my pajamas, I was trying to pull a white top on. “What the heck.” I threw it away and picked a pair of pajamas this time.
“Babe, where are you?” Gerome was shouting from the living room. I was in my room and I could still hear him. “Why is he shouting so loud?”
No, I can’t live here, at least not in the home where this jerk is drinking and shouting. I need to get away. I pulled on the first top I could find and grabbed the car keys. I used my private elevator to get out of the house, without running into the jerk called my husband.
My Range Rover was parked there. I pressed the digital key again and again, but nothing happened. There were sounds coming from the car, but the door didn’t open.
“Now what?” I pressed the key again; the sound wasn’t coming from my car, but from some other one. I turned around; it was Tristan’s car. I forgot that I brought his car home.
Guilt swallowed my heart. I’d just bailed on him like that. His car had a child seat fitted at the back. Here we sat, three of us having fun, long rides and pep talks. I’m already missing you, Tristan. He was really looking forward to this relationship and I bailed on him like that. How evil I can get?
Unintentionally, I touched the driver's seat. I felt like he’d left one piece of him in that car. A warm tear touched my cheek, fanning my feelings for him. I opened the back door and sat there for a while. I had to clear my head and think this through. There was a lot at stake.
I got out of the back seat after a while, but while coming out I noticed a white paper was popping out from under the driver’s seat, something was hidden behind that. I pulled it out; it was a greeting card. For whom? I opened it.
To Nikki,
Since I met you,
all I can think about
is making you happy.
I want to see your smile
and hear your laughter.
I want to kiss away
old hurts
and hold you
until you know
without a doubt
that this is for real...
Would you come on a date with me, this evening, my house, for my birthday?
Tristan
Tears dropped on the word, fading them a little. A feeling of Tristan fading from my life grasped my heart hard. He had set a dinner date for me and I didn’t know it. “Oh, dear, you are the sweetest man on the earth. And I met you so late.”
For ten minutes, I sat there crying my heart out. I’d hurt him on his birthday. I just couldn’t stop my heart from bleeding. I can’t do this to him. My heart will bleed out to death if I run away from him now.
I hopped into the driver's seat. I was going to his home to see him, hug
him, make love to him and tell him how much I needed him. “Yes, that’s exactly I’m going to do now.” As I pushed the gas, my cell rang. Carrie was calling me.
“Nikki, please come over now. Stephen is not feeling well and he is crying constantly. He is calling your name, so come here as fast as you can.” Carrie sounded worried.
My heart sunk in fear. No, nothing can happen to my baby.
“What happened to my baby? Is he all right? I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. Please, Carrie, be with him,” I said, and I turned my car towards her home.
***
“Where is he? Where are you, my babe?” I hurried in as soon as Carrie opened the door.
“Shh, he is sleeping, don’t wake him up,” Carrie whispered.
I stared at her, one of my eyebrow raised. Just ten minutes ago, she’d called me to tell me that he wasn’t feeling well.“I thought he was crying?” I caught my breath. I just ran three floors to see my son, because the stupid elevators were dead.
“He was, but then I gave him some milk and BOOM, he stopped crying.” Carrie was sweating in the air conditioner.
“When did you give him milk the last time?”
“Four hours ago.”
“Idiot.” I slapped her forehead. “He was hungry. I told you to feed him every two hours if he wasn’t sleeping.”
“Sorry.” She made a ‘O’ with her mouth.
“It’s okay. I know it’s your first time. But who knows, you may get your own kid sooner than you think.” I giggled. I was angry at her at first, but she seemed to be working hard to calm Stephen down; her face was telling the story.
She punched me back. “Not before you get married to someone good, like Tristan.”