Page 57 of Until Now

“What? You just what?”

“Can you blame me? It’s not like I didn’t hear the rumors. With your reputation—”

“Excuse me?” Venom wraps around the word.

“Look, you had a reputation in high school and at Rosecliffe. You—”

SMACK!

The sound of my palm colliding with his cheek echoes in the stillness of the room. “Come ti permetti!” I try to move past him, but he grabs my hands.

“Davina, stop.” His features dark, he’s trying to contain the anger brewing. I try to push past him again, but he refuses to let me go. “Listen to me,” he growls.

“Fuck you, Nick.” I finally move past him and grab my purse from the closet. I open my checkbook and furiously begin to fill out a check. “Questo è quello che vuoi, giusto?”

Nick’s anger deflates. “Dee, stop.”

“Don’t call me that.” I rip the check out and try to hand it to him. “This is what you came for.” He refuses. “Take. It.” I push it into his hand and he crumples it.

“Nina, please.”

I open the bedroom door, “I think you should go.”

“Nina…”

“Fuori.”

“Nina, please, let’s talk about this.” Nick says and closes the door softly.

“Get the fuck out of my house.”

“You don’t even know what is going on in your house.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Your mom—” But he stops.

Mother? Did she do something?

“Go on. My mother what?”

“Nothing. Just forget it.”

“Non fermarti ora. Spit it out.” My leg begins to tremble, but I’m not sure if it’s from the pain or anger. What could Mother possibly have done now?You’re missing something. There’s something you don’t know.What isn’t he telling me? “If you have something to say, then say it, Nick. I don’t have time for the games.” He still refuses. “Did she say something to you? Threaten you? Nick, whatever it is, I can handle it. You just have to tell me.”

He chews on the inside of his cheek. “I can’t, Dee.”

I don’t miss the way his voice cracks. I want him to tell me. I can help him fix this, whatever it is. I just need to know what we’re up against. I’ll go to Daddy if I can’t handle it. Tears brim my eyes, “Fine, then leave.”

“Why are you so fucking stubborn?”

“Guarda chi sta parlando!”

“I said, I was sorry, Nina.”

“Why can’t you just admit you were wrong about me? I’m not the girl you thought and that scares you! You want to keep me in this box so you have an excuse why this can’t work. Is it so awful to admit you have feelings for me?”

“That’s not it.”