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"Can I have a beer?" Nick asked the waitress as he walked into the bar. "You have to order at the counter." The waitress replied and she went on with her duty. Nick walked down to the bar counter. He had to dodge a dozen of people since the weekend at the bar was packed. He sat down at the counter and asked the bartender for a beer. The guy reached out under the table and got a bottle of corona for Nick. "Thanks." Nick said. The bartender just went on with his duty without saying anything. There were two bartenders there. One man and one woman. The woman was busy cleaning thee classes the waitress brought her. Nick sat there and looked around the bar taking a sip of the beer. He saw various people. Guys trying to hit on girls. Chattering of a group of friends, girls at the juke box listen to music and dancing, couples trying to just be in the moment. He caught the bartender sneak a peak on him every now and then. But he didn't mind. Nick has no idea how bars work. This was his first time in a bar.
People started to leave as it was getting late. Nick sat there with one beer for 4 hours, just watching people with their life on a weekend. As time passed, the lady bartender walked up to Nick and asked, "You want anything else?" "Uhm... No. Thank you." Nick said and smiled. "You not a regular here. Are you from around?" the bartender asked casually. "Yeah. I live right around the corner here. I don't go to bars much." Nick said as he took the final sip of the beer. He was ready to go. "How much?" Nick asked the lady as he reached for the wallet. "First time, right? No worries, it's on the house." "Thank you." Nick said and stood up to leave. The bartender resumed her duty of cleaning.
Nick walked out to the road. It was a cold night. He buttoned his jacket and walked to his apartment. As he walked, he took out his phone and say three text messages and five voice mails. It was all from Emily. He played the voicemails as he walked.
"Nick, where are you? Call me."
"Nick, don't play dumb. Just fucking call me back."
"Hey asshole! What the fuck is your problem? How dare you ignore me? You stupid cunt!"
"Listen Nick, I don't care what you do. Just call me back. We can talk about this. Please Nick."
"You motherfucker! I thought I showed you what happens if you ignore me. You know what. I am coming over. I will fucking kill you!"
Nick opened his messages. There was one from Emily and two from Jessica, Emily's friend. Nick opened Jessica's messages.
'Nick. I don't know where you are or what you are doing. You have to call Em back. She is losing her mind. She is drunk and filled with rage. Just call her back Nick. You have to talk it through.'
'Nick. Dude. Em just stormed out. Dude. She said she coming to you. Dude. She is fucking angry. Just talk it out, okay?'
Nick didn't open Emily's message. He kept his phone back into his pocket and kept walking. He reached the building and walked up the stairs to his apartment. He took out the keys as he reached the door, but he noticed something. The door was open. He pushed the door open and walked in. He heard noises coming from his bedroom. He slowly closed the door and removed his jacket and kept it on the hanger. He walked calmly to his bedroom. "Hey Em." Nick said as he walked in. She was hunting through his belongings, throwing everything from his wardrobe to the floor. Nick walked up to her, picked up his clothes from the floor and started folding it. Emily turned at Nick. "Why the fuck didn't you answer my calls? Where the fuck did you go? Who were you with? Answer me you pussy!"
"Em, please calm down. I wasn't with anyone. I just went to have a beer at the..." Before Nick finished his words, Emily punched him onto his face. The force of the punch threw him on to the bed. He looked back at Emily. She couldn't stand still. She was hammered. Emily picked up the lamp from the night stand and proceeded to hit Nick, who was on the bed. She threw herself onto to Nick with the lamp in her hand. Nick moved away in the nick of time. She hit herself with the lamp and groaned in pain. Nick rushed to her to move the lamp. Emily just laid on the bed groaning and crying in pain. Nick kept the lamp back on the night stand and walked to the side of the bed where Emily was crying. He sat on the bed and held her hand with his on hand while he stroked her head with the other.
Emily fell asleep within minutes. Nick reached for a pillow and blanket. He lifted her head slowly and placed the pillow. And he unfolded the blanket and covered Emily with it. He removed her shoes off and kept it under the bed. He went to the washroom and removed his shirt. There was a cloth stuck to his abdomen. He slowly removed the cloth piece and looked at the cut wound through the mirror. He opened the cabinet and took out disinfect liquid. He just poured it on the wound and grunted the pain off. He took another piece of cloth and covered it.
He turned off the washroom lights as he entered back into the room. He started folding the cloth Emily threw out when someone knocked at the door. He walked out of the bedroom, turning off the lights as he walked out, to the door. It was Jessica. "Hey Jes. Come on in." Nick smiled and said. Jessica walked in and looked around the messy room. "Is Em here?" "She is sleeping." Nick said and pointed towards his bedroom. "Okay. Are you okay?" Jessica asked. "I am fine." Nick said, not keeping eye contact. "Did you guys talk?" "No. She was drunk. So, she said she wanted to sleep and talk in the morning." Nick said. "That's not the way she left home." Nick laughed a bit. "You want something to drink?" "No, I just came by to make sure you both were okay." Jessica stood up to leave. "Wait." Nick said. "I will make some coffee." "Nick, its fine. I am leaving." Jessica said. "It's fine Jes. It's no troubles." Nick said. He walked into the kitchen and filled the kettle with water. "I don't know the whole story here. What happened?" Jessica asked in a distance.
"Nothing actually. She is somehow convinced that I was cheating on her when I was working late." Nick said as he put coffee powder into the cups. "Do you have any idea how she would get such a thou............"
BAM. A hard hit behind Nick's head. With the blinding pain, Nick turned around. He saw Jessica standing there with the broken vase. Nick fell on the floor hitting his head.
"Oh, you were saying something right? How she got the idea?" Jessica said, keeping the lamp on the countertop. "It was me." Jessica looked at Nick, who was almost unconscious and smiled. Nick groaned and asked, "Why...?"
Jessica kneeled down to get closer to Nick and said, "Because... I just don't like you." She reached for her bag and took out a knife. Before darkness covered his sight, Nick saw Jessica's feet walking towards his bedroom.
