His Little Boy

Chapter 8

I was starting to get pissed off.

Now I'm not talking about a slight frustration where I was ready to kick the shit out of a punching bag in the home gym in the basement. Nope, I was talking about the level of pissed off that comes with being avoided like the plague for three weeks. The type where you want to beat the shit out of someone else. Nickolai to be specific.

Ever since his tattoo parlour was trashed he has been avoiding me. I went to those baby-mumma classes he told me about. I went by myself since he wouldn't pick up the phone when I rang to tell him we were going. So when he didn't answer I rang Jeremy, childish I know, but I wasn't going to a family class as a single mum. Didn't matter that I was, I enjoyed the times where I could rely on someone else to help. But I also didn't want to look like a sugar mamma if I took my dad.

"Jeremy speaking," he spoke pleasantly when he answered his mobile. Evidently my number wasn't saved under Sam.

"If my number is under some hooker's name in your phone God help you Jer."

He laughed, a deep throaty masculine sound. "Samantha, what a lovely surprise. And since you mentioned it, I think it's under Candy."

"Asshole," I teased, knowing he was kidding.

"What did you need sugar?"

I chewed on my bottom lip as I thought about my request. "You know those parenting classes Nickolai suggested I go to?"

"Yeah," I could hear the confusion in his voice, "what does this have to do with me though?"

"Well, I was...uh...I was...well, I was wondering if you would come to them with me since your brother is avoiding me?" I held my breath as he pondered over the request.

"Yeah sure. When is it?"

I released the breath I was holding, feeling as though the weight of the world wasn't quite resting on my shoulders anymore. "Thank you Jeremy. Monday's at 2pm."

And like the decent guy that he was, he came for those three weeks when Nickolai continued to avoid me. Jeremy was tight lipped over the whole situation and was adamant that he just needed some time to get his studio back together. It wasn't that I didn't believe him, it was just that there had to be more. Something big was bothering Nickolai. And I intended to find out what it was.

*****************************

Nickolai's POV

"Hey again, um it's me Sam. I keep wondering if you are ever going to take my calls and then I decide it's a good idea to call you anyway, but then you don't answer." I hear her pause for breath, letting it out in staggered gasps. "I can't keep doing this Nic, I can't keep wondering when I'm ever going to hear from you or see you. I know this isn't what you want to hear right now with everything going on, but I care too much. And this is hurting me too. I'm not going to ask you to call me as soon as you get this, because I know you won't. Just please, fix whatever it is that's getting to you and then we can talk. This isn't the way to live. This fear is going to tear you apart. I'm not going to stick around for it. Goodbye Nickolai."

I dropped the phone into my lap, sinking forward in the desk chair to rest my elbows on my knees. Grasping my hair in my fists I tugged until it was physically painful before releasing. I was tempted to ring her, but I refused to put her and her beautiful baby boy on their radar. Whoever it was that broke into my parlour left me a message. A freakin' clear one at that.

Watch yourself soldier

We may die in war, but so do you

Consider yourself warned