The 7 Sins

Chapter 7

Nick's POV

I stare up at Ara's Light blue eyes as I realize our lips were connected. As she gasps, her lips move which instantly causes me to lose control. I kiss her hungrily as I realize how soft her lips are and the taste of her lip gloss. Cherry? Strawberry? Whatever. 

I finally stop and let go of her when I realize someone is watching, Richard.

I stare up at Richard who stands frozen, shocked at what he just saw. Oh crap, he just saw me kiss Ara. A tense atmosphere is spread across the room. I notice that Ara is still sitting on top of me, frightened by her father's expression.

"Dad, uh... This isn't.." She can't seem to find the words to explain what is going on. Before I can say anything, I'm lifted off of the ground and welcomed by a strong punch from Richard.

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Richard's POV

I punch Nick over and over as I replay what I just saw in my head. What the hell is going on? I see blood running down the side of Nick's face and I slow down to gasp for air.

I hear Ara screaming and shouting, but I ignore it. Before I know it, I'm being held back by Dylan and Jake, while Joel and Evan check on Nick, and Seth is hugging Ara to comfort her from what she just saw. I also see Chris by Ara, wiping her tears and trying to soothe her with calm words. What the hell happened while I was gone!?

I shake Jake and Dylan off of my arms and I slowly walk towards Ara. Chris and Seth were blocking my way to her. They were giving me deadly cold looks, refusing to move. I managed to get in between them and harshly grab Ara's arm and walk towards the stairs. She turns to look at Nick, but I tighten my grip and move faster.

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Arabella's POV

As my dad drags me away, I look at Nick who had blood smeared all over his face. My dad noticed me looking and begins to move faster. As we reach outside, my dad releases my arm.

"What the hell dad!?" I shout, furious that he would do something like that to Nick. 

"Arabella!" My dad shouts."Be honest with me right now and tell me what has been going on since I left."

I stay quiet for a long time. What has been going on? And what was up with that kiss? I look up and notice my dad studying my expression. I take a deep breath and say,"Nothing dad. I just fell and my mouth hit his okay?" Wow that sounded lame.

My dad looks at me in disbelief, and then sighs. "Okay, I believe you. I'm sorry I didn't trust you." My dad grabs my shoulders and looks at me straight in the eyes. I flinch when he hugs me.

"I've missed you sweetie. Leaving you behind was like leaving a part of me behind. I can't lose you like I lost your mom. You're all I have left of her." My eyes tear up as he brings up my mom. Its been a while since we talked about her.

He kisses my forehead before heading inside. I suck in a deep breath and look up to see all of my brothers  staring at me from the window. I see Nick who looks concerned and I give him a reassuring smile before I head back in.

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Seth's POV

We all look down as we see Ara talk to her father. I turn to Nick who is still wiping blood from his face.

"Dude, what the hell did you do that made Richard beat the stupid out of you?" 

We all stare at Nick who is staring at his feet. His ears were bright and his face was blushing. 

"Well, he kind of saw me kissing Ara." He mumbles. We all stare in shock as we just hear what he says. He... kissed...Ara. My blood begins to boil and I wanted to attack my brother as Richard did, but I had to play it cool.

"Oh, okay.."

Soon, Ara comes walking towards Nick with an ice pack and puts it on his swollen lip. 

"Are you okay?" She says softly, barely louder than a whisper. 

Nick smiles,"Yeah, I'm fine. How are you? You didn't get yelled at too much did you?" He says in a joking voice.

She giggles,"Yeah. I just explained to my dad what happened."

We all stare at her. Nick clears his throat and says,"What exactly did you tell him."

She smiles, and then says,"That the kiss was an accident and it wasn't supposed to happen. He understands." Nick's jaw drops as the rest of us either chuckle or smirk. Thank god this girls is so dense.

Nick opens his mouth to say something, but we all cover it with our hands.

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Arabella's POV

As I help Nick clean his wounds, my dad comes in. His expression was unclear and I couldn't tell how he was feeling. All of the brothers look up to my dad when he walks in, and give a cold glare.

"Ara, could you please leave for a moment?" My dad asks. I look up at him in confusion.

"Umm.. okay dad..." I look towards the guys."I'll see you all later."

I walk out the door in a slow manner, hoping my dad would start speaking. Sadly, my dad doesn't talk until he closed the door. Great!

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Chris's POV

As Ara leaves, we look at Richard. He closes the door and stays quiet for several minutes. He soon turns towards Nick and looks at him dead in the eyes. An awkward atmosphere is spread across the room.

"Nick I'm sorry I hit you without knowing the situation." We all stare at him, wondering if he was being serious or sarcastic.

Nick stands up and walks toward Richard slowly."It's okay Richard. I understand why you did it."

Richard looks at all of us and then says,"I've been thinking about everything that has happened. From the moment you met Arabella, to now. I've come to a conclusion, but I want to hear it from your own mouths. So with that in mind, I have a question for all of you."

We all look at Richard, scared as to what he might ask us.

Finally, he says,"Are you in love with my daughter?"