As Time Passes By

Chapter twenty-five: Remorse

I sat in the cafeteria with a bottle of water in my hand while scrolling through Instagram as Anne yapped about how much her parents were pressuring her to do better.

"Honestly, you should not give a fuck about what your parents say. It's you, Anne. You are Anne fucking Neri and I knew you by your bitch ass personality." I spoke up, my voice cracking badly.

Anne chuckled about my voice breaking like shit and I gave her a glare. She patted my head before resting her nose on mine.

"You really never fail to make me comfy, hm?" She replied with a hint of satisfaction in her tone.

The bell rang soon after. Anne and I parted our ways to our classes. But my mind, my focus was all on Noah.

I couldn't stop thinking about him since the day I realized he was trying to plot me.

Now, I'm obsessed with the way his moves flawlessly actions in the room; how I remember he often takes glances at me. But, it was all a lie; a motherfucking lie.

I was about to open the door when I was pulled effortlessly to the boys' bathroom. I was startled, I couldn't speak, I was damn scared of what would fucking happen to me.

My eyes adjusted on the dim bathroom, trying to identify who the human was. It was Timmy.

He moved his hand, and I flinched. Scared of what is about to happen. Will he give me fucking punch in the gut like he did in the hospital incident?

My breathing was ragged as I tried to control the fear piling up in the surface of my lungs, but it was useless.

Timmy

Fuck, she's flinching.

I could feel the heat of fear radiating of her skin. The way she froze as she realized it was me.

I messed up; I fucking know.

I followed Noah's orders on doing a quick physical fight to her; and this is how it fucking ended.

They say she wasn't anybody special to me. But fuck no.

I loved her; I sacrificed her for the sake of fucking Armstrong. He failed her, and so am I.

I placed my hand on her hair, and yet she flinched again. Fuck this shit.

"Calm down, I ain't gonna kill you." I spoke, my voice surprisingly soothing to her.

Noelle looked up to me. My gaze met her watery, brown eyes. It makes me shatter for being such a slave to Noah.

"Noelle, please. Calm down.." I rested my nose on her hair, inhaling the scent I never smelled.

Her breathing hitched when I realized she was silently crying. Her tears stained my shirt.

She was traumatized, and I know that. It was my first, and I would swear this was going to be the last time I would see her cry.

I'm not letting a single fucking finger hurt her. Not Noah's, not his words, not from anyone.

I slowly backed up, making a distance between us. Her puffy red eyes shatter me, making me let out a desperate sigh.

"Elle, please. You have to hide from Noah's sight. Stop sending him letters, nothing is gonna fucking work." My words were harsh but desperate.

"Noah is still targeting you. He plans to ruin the Nichols empire, and if you–"

"Timmy, you're a fucking Martinez. You are supposed to be in their side. What happened?" She cuts me off, her voice betraying a room for argument.

Her words froze me. I know I'm a Martinez, but it's Noelle. It's her whom I wanted to be for the rest of my life. Even if our families are greatly disgusted with each other, I can't help myself.

Armstrong hurted and haunted the Nichols, who had the purest heart and innocent eyes.

They shattered Noelle, and they ruined her armor that she struggled to build up for almost thirteen years.

"Noelle, just listen to me–"

"Tim, how? How can I fucking listen when I'm sliced in an incurable way? I'm so fucking sorry Timmy, but I've had enough of all of you. If this is one of Noah's plans to ruin my family, I'm fucking finished with this." She snapped before storming out of the bathroom.

I let out a frustrated sigh, hating the fact she lost her trust to me. But it was never her fault in the first place.

****

"Fuck you, man!" Noah yelled before throwing a vase at me. Thankfully, I managed to dodge the item and save my pretty face.

"Why the fuck are you telling her that?! It's never my fucking fault that she fell in love with me–"

"Noah, you're betraying your woman–"

"She's never my fucking woman, you fucking bitch!" Noah screamed while June stood in the corner of the room, scared.

"You think you're the only one that's innocent? You drove her crazy like shit, Armstrong!" I snapped, my veins on my hands throbbing from the pressure I was putting when I clenched my fists harder.

"You fucker!" Noah shouted before storming out of my house. That bitch has some nerve to play cat and mouse with me when it's fucking clear I'll win.

June got out from his hiding spot and walked towards me, his steps innocent and shaky.

"Tim, are you both still gonna be friends? This argument has been wilder than before." He said, his voice betraying the innocence he's having.

"I don't really think so, but I'll try.."