All The Mistakes We Make

1.16

Ping ping ping.

Heavy drops slid down Nicole's face, meeting on her chin and hitting rhythmically the metal sink. A long sigh escaped her lips as she glared at the mirror, drying her face. Her chest was hurting, and it was hard to breathe at such a sight, no matter how many times she had seen herself like that before.

She tapped foundation on her face, careful not to press the yellowish bruise around her eye too hard. It was still fresh, but it would hurt a lot more at night. She was furious.

Her hands tightened hard around the sink, jaw tense. She was done with him. She was going to grab her things and get out while he was out, and she would never go back. Someone like her didn't belong with someone like him. He was delusional, completely out of his mind. She did not deserve to be treated like.

"Nicole?" One knock on the door made a chill run up her spine. "Can I come in?"

She kept silent, but he insisted, so she unlocked it.

"Honey," he started, stretching his hand out to touch her face, yet she dodged him. "Did I do that to you?" he asked, surprised as usual. She let him cup her jaw, stroking her skin gently. He pulled her into his chest, hugging her tightly, and kissed the top of her head. "I'm so sorry. You are so strong for putting up with me. I don't know what would be of me without you. I love you so, so much."

Those damned mood swings confused her. She wanted him like that all the time, not screaming because she was late for dinner, or because some other waiter was looking at her. She wanted him to kiss her, to tell how much he loved her. Every-

"Nicole!"

Her head snapped away from the leaking tap, the sound of each drop falling fading into the background. Jenny was standing at the door of The Bookmark's kitchen, dressed in the worker's usual attire — a white shirt with the store's logo on the left side of her chest and a red apron with a pocket where they stored notepads and pens.

"Mm?" Nicole stared at her, yanked back to the reality. She was making muffins, and she got distracted.

"Your friend," the brunette said. "He is here and I refuse to serve him."

The blonde sighed, annoyed with their stupid quarrel, but still left the kitchen to see Miguel. He didn't know Jenny had switched shifts the week before, so she assumed he wasn't expecting to see her there.

She found him on the sofa, the entire store as dead quiet as it was when she had left to the kitchen. Only the sound of the clock ticking against the wall filled the room. The sky was turning orange, which meant it wouldn't take long until business men and students rushed through the glass doors. Until then, it was all blissful silence.

"Why is Jenny here?" it was the first thing the brunet boy said when his eyes met hers.

She rolled her eyes, knowing that was the first thing he would say. Nothing else mattered in the world as soon as he spotted Jenny. It was as if he was fuelled solely by his hatred for her.