NURA

Chapter 13

Nate

Dec. 2013, New York

Nate parked his car across the street from the club and got out, his whole body urging him to move faster. It was Friday night, and he was jumping with nerves at the fact that he would see Nura again.

He was unsure if he should be alarmed at missing her so much after only two days apart, but after spending Christmas with her and getting to know her better, Nate didn't care anymore.

He was falling for her fast, and after spending so much time fighting against his feelings, now that he had decided to embrace them, it felt like the dam had been broken as all of the repressed emotions came flooding in.

He entered the Club, his eyes searching through the crowd until they fell on the curly head that was standing near the bar. He smiled and made his way through the crowd until he was standing behind her.

"Good evening, Habibi," he whispered into her ear and saw goosebumps spread over her bare arms.

She looked so mouthwatering in her uniform that now when Nate was allowed to touch and not just look, he had to consciously try not to pick her up and take her back to his cabin where she belonged.

Nura turned slowly, her eyes smiling and a small blush gracing her cheeks.

"Hi, Habib albi," she whispered, and the endearment made Nate's brows scrunch up in confusion since it sounded similar to what he had started to call her but not quite right. But before he could ask her, she climbed to her toes and kissed him softly, breaking his thought process.

"I just came to say hi. I'll be at the VIP table, so join me when you are done with your shift. Okay?" Nate asked her.

"Okay," she said, and with one last caress of her reddened cheek, Nate turned around and left to find Meg.

Not finding the woman at their usual table, he asked around and was quickly informed that Meg had already left with her flavor of the month, so Nate decided to just go back to the bar and wait for Nura's shift to be over there. That way, he could watch out for her since he knew that a number of usual patrons had their eyes set on her, even if Nura wasn't.

Just as he was about to approach her, Nate heard Danny's annoying voice, talking to, or more like trashing, Nura, and he was already preparing himself to tell the stupid girl off until something Danny said stopped him in his tracks.

"So, I saw that you finally managed to snatch Nate up. Congrats. I honestly don't understand how you accomplished that, but since there is a story going around of you being a rent girl back in Africa, it really shouldn't have surprised me. You must know all sorts of tricks in the sack, don't you, little slut?" the girl sneered as Nura stiffened.

"Take that back!" Nate roared at Danny, his blood boiling in rage at the insults and lies she spewed.

"I warned you not to do this anymore, yet I find you insulting and lying about Nura again." Nate started yelling, his hand gripping the girl's shoulder, intent on throwing her out, but Danny just smirked in response and looked toward Nura, cool as a cucumber.

"I am not lying about anything. Isn't that right, Nura?" she said in a faux-innocent tone as Nate stopped for a moment and looked back to see Nura looking at them with tears in her eyes.

"Nura?" he asked her while stepping closer, feeling his stomach roll in dread as she just stood there in silence. She then suddenly turned around and ran toward the bathroom, Nate following her as his confusion quickly turned to anger.

He slammed the door behind them as soon as they were in the bathroom and turned around to see Nura crying softly while staring at the ground.

"Tell me that she's lying. Tell me that what Daniel just said is not true." Nate said in a deadly voice that he wasn't sure if it was coming from him.