REVAMPING | Faulted Desires: A Culpa Mía/My Fault fanfic

22 - Noah

I couldn't believe it. Nick had just left me stranded in the darkness of an abandoned road. There was no one around, and I couldn't deny the fear that gripped me. I quickly reached into my bag, grabbed my phone, and opened the Uber app. It was clear that getting a taxi at this time and in this place would be nearly impossible. I booked an Uber and after about 20 minutes, the driver arrived. I got in and informed the driver of my destination.

The Uber driver glanced at me in the rearview mirror and asked, "What brings you out here alone at this time of night?"

"It might sound silly, but someone kicked me out of their car and left me stranded here," I explained. The driver chuckled and replied, "I see." The rest of the drive was filled with a comfortable silence.

When we finally reached the location of the race, I thanked the driver and stepped out of the car. I scanned the area and spotted Jenna in a luminous green dress. I walked over to her and greeted her with a hello.

"Hey, girl. What happened? Weren't you supposed to come with Nick? He arrived here before you," Jenna asked, concerned.

"Yeah, about that... Nick left me stranded on a road in the middle of nowhere, so I had to take an Uber here," I replied.

"What? How did that happen?" Jenna asked, surprised.

"I'd rather not get into it right now," I said, not wanting to dwell on the details. Jenna nodded in understanding and linked her arm with mine. Just as we were about to head towards the drinks table, Nick approached us. He whispered something in Jenna's ear and then walked away without even glancing at me. I couldn't let him off the hook that easily, so I called out to him, "No! No, don't walk away, Nicholas."

Nick turned around to face me, and in a fit of frustration, I pushed him, causing him to stumble backward.

"Are you surprised I made it here?" I confronted him.

"I couldn't care less if you did or didn't make it here, Noah," Nick coldly responded.

I pushed him again and again, driven by the anger that he seemed so unaffected by the fact that I was left alone, having to fend for myself. "Anything could've happened, Nicholas," I exclaimed.

"Oh well," Nicholas replied nonchalantly.

"Fu-," Jenna interrupted, gesturing for me to follow her. "Okay, Noah, let's go," she said, leading the way.

"We're not done," I said to Nick before walking ahead. Nick waved goodbye, and I walked away, avoiding any further escalation of the situation. I waited for Jenna to catch up as she finished speaking to Nick. Once she caught up, I asked her what she had said to him.

"Nothing important. Just enjoy the rest of the night and forget about Nick, babes," Jenna replied. I looked at Jenna curiously but decided to leave the situation alone. We made our way to the drinks table and picked up cups filled with fruit punch. I took a sip and held Jenna's hand, leading her towards the dancing crowd. I raised my arm in the air, losing myself in the music, and suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see who it was.

"Can I treat you to another drink?" a stranger asked.

"No, thank you. I'm okay," I politely declined the offer.

"Are you sure?" he persisted.

"Yes, I'm sure," I confirmed.

"Okay, Ms...?" he asked, hinting for me to provide my name.

"Noah," I replied.

"Ah, Noah. The name's Mario," he introduced himself.

"Hi, Mario."

"Is this your first time here?" Mario asked, observing me and Jenna.

"Um, yes, it is," I admitted.

"Ahh, I thought so. I've never seen you with Jenna and her group before. Would you like to go somewhere more private to talk?"

"I have a boyfriend, Mario," I informed him.

"Oh, my bad," Mario said, ready to leave. However, I called out to him, "Actually, Mario, let's go," after spotting Nick with a group of his friends. I thought that catching his attention and making him care would be possible if he saw me with another guy.
"What about your boyfriend Noah?" Mario asked.
"Don't worry about him, plus, let's take it slow anyways," I said in response. Mario nodded in agreement, and I let Jenna know that I would be going with Mario, and she nodded. Holding Mario's hand, I said, "Let's go there," pointing in the opposite direction where Nick stood. It was near a tree. I leaned my back against the tree, positioning myself so that I had a clear view of Nick. Engaging in a general conversation with Mario, I finally caught Nick's attention. I could see the clenched jaw and squinted eyes. Biting my lip seductively, I then focused my attention on Mario, knowing that Nick was now feeling jealous. It made me somewhat happy that he cared when I was with another guy.

"What can you tell me about that boy over there, Mario?" I asked, pointing towards Nick, who continued to stare at us. Mario glanced at Nick and then back at me.

"Well, firstly, he's my friend, but I don't know much about him. We're only friends because of Lion and Jenna. He's involved in all sorts of illegal activities," Mario revealed.

"Like what?" I inquired.

"Apart from these races, I'm not sure. I've heard bits and pieces here and there," Mario replied.

"Hmm, okay," I said, convinced that Mario was keeping something from me.

"He has a younger half-sister named Maggie. They don't share the same dad, but she's his mother's daughter," Mario shared.

"I thought I was his only sister," I mused.

"Wait, what?" Mario asked, clearly confused.

"Oh, Nick is my step-brother. I live with him too. That's why I'm new here. I recently moved in with my mom," I explained.

"Oh, I didn't know that. Shouldn't you know all of this stuff then?" Mario wondered.

"Nope, I don't. That's why I was curious. He's always been very secretive," I replied.

"He's been like that since I met him. I guess there's a lot he keeps hidden to protect himself," Mario suggested.

"What do you mean?" I probed.

"Not entirely sure, but I do think there's more to him than he lets on. It's difficult to get anything out of him. Lion, his best friend, is the one person who might know more," Mario suggested.

"Thanks, Mario. Now, where were we?" I asked, eager to continue our conversation. I found myself enjoying Mario's company, he was sweet.