Kate Fleur's Love Soup

8. The Chase

I sipped my iced latte, waiting for Niccolò at the City Café. He walked in, dressed in a sleek black dress shirt, matching my own black outfit. We looked like two pieces of a puzzle, fitting together seamlessly.

As he sat down, I said, "I thought you might not come."

Niccolò replied curtly, "Just be fast with your questions."

I raised an eyebrow. "Well, isn't there a 'hi', 'hello', or anything?"

He shook his head. "No."

I sighed. "Okay, let's get straight to the point...what do you know about Kate Fleur?"

Niccolò took a deep breath. "I know Kate for almost four years. We did hang out..."

I finished his sentence. "You mean date, right?"

Niccolò nodded and said "You know everything, then why ask me?"

I shook my head. "No, I don't know everything. Just this same piece of information...were we close?"

Niccolò hesitated before answering, "I don't think so."

I pressed on. "Did we break up?"

He nodded, his eyes downcast. "Yes, we did."

I processed this new information. "Oh...so that's why you're being like this. When did we break up?"

Niccolò hesitated again before answering, "The evening you met with the accident."

My mind reeled. "What...? Okay, did Kate love you so much?"

Niccolò looked down, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know..."

He stood up to leave, but I stopped him. "Wait, just a few more questions, that's it!"

Niccolò sat back down, his expression resigned.

I felt like I was in an interview, asking Niccolò questions and him just providing answers. But I needed to know the truth.

"Why did we break up?" I asked, trying to sound calm.

Niccolò's gaze pierced mine, making me squirm. "What do you think? Why did we break up?"

I swallowed hard, my mind racing. How could I know? I didn't remember anything.

I lowered my voice, feeling a sense of trepidation. "Was it because of...the other thing?"

Niccolò leaned back in his seat, his tone dripping with disdain. "Yes...it's because of...the other thing." He paused, his voice heavy with emphasis. "Your list of boyfriends."

He knew my secret. I felt like I'd been punched in the gut.

"Why do you think I...had them?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. I couldn't believe I was having this conversation.

"Did I say anything about it?" I added, feeling a sense of desperation.

Niccolò's expression was unyielding. "You needed money, lots and lots of it. They were your source of income."

I felt a wave of shame wash over me. I looked down.

"But I do have a successful company, right?" I said, trying to defend myself.

Niccolò's nod was curt. "You were able to make this company of yours because of that money. You made it successful with that money."

"Why did I say all this to you all of a sudden?" I asked, my voice cracking.

Niccolò hesitated, his eyes clouding over. "You...you were crying and said you messed everything up. You told me everything..."

I cut him off, my voice sharp. "Messed up? What did I mess up?"