Bloodlines

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Maddie waited in Marcus Salvatore's dark-purple colored living room with guilt and awkwardness. She was guilt because of how today went. Luke ended up telling her that he loved her, but Maddie didn't say it back because she didn't know how she felt. On top of that, she left him alone with Circe and he was turned into a dog. Now he was a heartbroken dog all because of her. She had to be the worst girlfriend in the world for that.

Maddie sat on Marcus's velvet couch and looked at the awkwardness of her situation—Nick. Nick's face was priceless when Maddie walked in with two human-turned dogs, and Ben escorting her inside the purple apartment with a beautifully carved balcony that had the view of Black Chapel. Nick was completely and utterly shocked. His eyes had gone wide and his mouth had dropped like a meteor hitting a planet.

Nick didn't seem to be pissed at Maddie, for once, but he wasn't exactly pleased to know that his best friend was turned into a dog. Marcus didn't really seem surprised when Ben gave Luke and Jax over to him. Thinking about Marcus made Maddie really guilty about how screwed Nick was. The spell for the ceremony was so strong that it could kill either Nick or his father, and it would be all because of Maddie.

Maddie looked over at Nick and bit her lip. Should she tell him? She had to tell him. She owed him that because of all the trouble she's given her in the past few weeks. "Nick?" Maddie said, quietly. Nick looked over at her and raised his eyebrow. "I'm sorry."

Nick gave her a confused look. "Sorry?" Nick repeated. "Maddie, I should be the one apologizing to you."

"For what?" Maddie asked him.

"For being such a jerk to you over the past few weeks," Nick explained. Maddie looked at him as he got up and moved towards the mirror on the black vanity table. Maddie stood up and looked at Nick.

"Nick, don't be ridiculous—"

"I haven't been myself lately, and I've been taking it out on you," Nick explained. "I know what's been happening to you isn't your fault, but I know that my brain knows that; there's something else in my head that just messes me up. It's like every time I see you and..." He took a very long pause. "I'm sorry. It's just I don't know what's going on with me. I think there's something wrong with me. I...I don't know what's wrong me."

Maddie watched him as he started to cry in the mirror. It upset to see her friend so distraught with himself. Yes, he had been a jerk to her for weeks, but he shouldn't feel that way about himself. God, how was she supposed to tell him about the ceremony? Maddie walked over to Nick and she hugged him. Nick hugged her back as she felt him cry into her shoulder. She felt so guilty about how Nick was distraught. She couldn't help but think she caused this.

"Nick, there's nothing wrong with you," Maddie said, comforting him. She felt him shake in his crying fit.

"That's what Hope said," Nick sobbed out. "But, you don't know the whole truth like she does.

"What is it?" Maddie asked him.

"I'm g—"

"Nick, wait." Maddie let go of him and felt regret to what she was about to say. "This is all my fault. It's because of me that we grew apart. It's because of me all this mess started. It's because of me that Zeus wants to use your magic for the Jupiter's Eclipse—"

"Wait, what?" Nick's eyes got big as his eyebrows arched upwards. "Zeus wants me for what?"

Maddie heard a door open and Nick stood next to her. She took a step behind him as three men walked out an enclosed room. Two of the men Maddie recognized right away. One of them was Ben and the other was Marcus Salvatore. Marcus Salvatore was an average height man that looked like a younger Edward Norton. He had Nick's jet black hair and dark brown eyes, but he was a little bit taller than Nick. He wore a long, dark, designer coat that look more like a cloak. It looked like something from Lord & Taylor.